Dark Prince

Rating:
Summary: a great read!
Review: From the back of the book...

He came to her in the night, a preadtor-strength and power chiseled his features. The seduction was deep and elemental; he affected her soul. His need. His darkness. His terrible haunting loneliness. Her senses aroused, she craved the dangerous force of his body. Burned for him. And he had only touched her with his mind.

She came to him at dawn, his bleakest hour. As the beast raged inside him, threating to consume him, he vented his centuries-old despair in an anguished cry that filled the waning night. And she answered, a ray of light, piercing his darknss. A beautiful angel. Her compassion, courage, and innocence awakened in him an exquisite longing and tenderness. He knew he must posses her, for only she could tame his savage side and lift the dark shadow from his soul. Apart they were desolate, berefit. Intertwined physically and spiritually, they could heal one another and experince an eternity of nights filled with love.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best vampire books ever...
Review: I have been reading 'vampire romances' for years now and Christine Feehan has become my favorite author of this genre. Her portrayal of the Carpathian race is fresh and new. Carpathians are a race all their own: they give birth to other Carpathians, they are not 'made' as other vampires are. They are a loving, loyal lot who will go to the ends of the earth to protect their kin and their life-mates. Mikhail recognizes human Raven as his life-mate and 'speaks' to her telepathically. Raven is a renowned psychic who is on a well-deserved vacation from her job tracking serial killers. Mikhail and Raven are an incredible couple with incredible powers. They must love and trust each other to stay one step in front of the 'others' that are trying to destroy the Carpathian race. Very sensual and an incredible novel. I have also read "Dark Desire" and "Dark Gold" and look forward to "Dark Magic" with all of the giddiness of a three year-old waiting for the ice cream truck. Fantastic!

Rating:
Summary: Suspend Your Disbelief And Just Go Along For The Ride
Review: I thought that this was an interesting series debut, though I have admit, being of Eastern European extraction, that using the term "Carpathians" for the dark and tortured heroes constantly amused me, because that's not what that term automatically brings to my mind. I guess it sounds suitably mysterious for people unfamiliar with that area of the world, but it just makes me laugh.

If you like your heroes strong and possesive, your heroines feisty and stubborn, then this book is for you. Mikhail is the ultimate dark and dangerous hereo, about to allow himself to die because of centuries of loneliness. Raven is a human psychic who picks up on his distress, the first female in years to "touch his soul". Their meeting, their developing relationship, and the compromises that have to occur are the main focus of the book. The threat aspect is the fanatical hunters who view Mikhail as a vampire and want to destroy him, and by extension, his lifemate Raven.

Ms. Feehan introduces the Carpathians as a completely different species, not just your run-of-the-mill vampires. Apparently, after age 200, the Carpathian males begin to lose all touch with emotion - their view of the world becomes literally monochromatic - and they slowly become more and more isolated. If they don't find a lifemate, they either commit suicide or turn into rogue vampires. Their species is slowly becoming extinct because there are very few Carpathian females, they breed slowly and tend to produce male offspring, and the babies usually die before their first birthday for some unknown reason. By the end of the book it all begins to make sense. She also introduces a number of the other male Carpathians, setting the stage for sequels of their searches for their lifemates.

I was going to rate this book a bit higher but then I decided that I had to have a somewhat consistent standard for my vampire book reviews. I'm using Laurell K. Hamilton's books as my guideline, and this book doesn't compare to one of her four-stars. This is a fun book and a nice intro to a new series. I have no doubt that I'll be reading the rest of Ms. Feehan's books.