Genre: Paranormal
Heat Level: Hot
Rating:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan revisits and expands her classic novella Dark Descent, bringing to breathtaking new life her story of an immortal Carpathian hunter, a beautiful adventurer, and their dangerous journey toward an unforeseen destiny and an undying love.

In a cave of mystery and wonder deep in the Carpathian Mountains, bodyguard Joie Sanders encounters a most remarkable being. Proud, strong, immortal, he is called Traian—an ageless hunter locked in a life-and-death battle with enemy vampires—and he will be her salvation in a labyrinth protected by the ingenious traps of a mysterious ancient race. What awaits them in the darkness is not known, and each step could be their last—as their destined path leads them toward a fiery passion that will illuminate the perilous dark night.

Also includes the previously published Carpathian short story Dark Dream.

Series: Dark

Review

Author Christine Feehan’s Dark Nights is two short stories in one book.  The first story is Dark Descent (13 chapters long and Book #11 of the Dark Series) and the second is Dark Dream(a prologue and 10 chapters long and Book #7 of the Dark Series).

The Dark Descentincluded in Dark Nights is 100 pages longer than any previously published version, per an Author’s Note on Feehan’s website.

The Dark Series is currently a 23 book series featuring Carpathians - a dying, ancient race of people hailing from the Carpathian Mountains.  They are not vampires, but survive by drinking human blood.  They have a telepathic connection to all other Carpathians and can shape shift into mist, animals or people.  They are warriors and they are almost extinct. 

Carpathians are incomplete without their lifemate, though it’s rare for one to actually find theirs.  They search the world for centuries hoping to locate the other half of their soul.  In the end, Carpathians choose death by sunlight instead of turning evil – or they find their lifemate. 

Dark Nights is about these Carpathians and their finding of lifemates.

In Dark Descent hero Carpathian Traian Trigovise is battling master vampires and has escaped to the mountains to heal.  He’s followed and there he fights for many days – not being able to fully recover, yet not being able to leave until he’s discovered what the vampires are after. 

Heroine Joie Sanders is a body guard and takes a bullet protecting an Australian Senator.  While in the hospital, she astro-projects herself elsewhere and runs into…Traian who has buried himself in the Carpathian Mountains and is trying to heal in its soil.  Joie doesn’t think she’s really seeing him – as she doesn’t know she’s psychic – and Traian instantly recognizes her as his lifemate. 

Over the next few weeks Traian and Joie communicate telepathically, but Traian cannot leave his mission to find her.  Joie thinks she’s having a psychotic break.  She drags her two siblings to the Mountains and they begin their ascent.

It’s a snarky, adventurous start to the most romantic and sexual relationships in fiction – the Carpathian and their lifemate.  Traian allows Joie time to adjust to her importance, while making love to her constantly, because the pull between lifemates cannot be resisted. 

A master vampire comes for Joie and Traian promises to protect her with his life.  She’s his lifemate and he’d follow her even in death.

*swoon*

In Dark Dream’s prologue the Carpathian King asks for volunteers.  OLD Carpathians have chosen to sustain their lives and have turned into evil vampires.  They are now pillaging the world, killing both humans and Carpathians.  These volunteers are sent from their homeland and are guaranteed to never find their lifemates, as the lifemates are assumed to live near the Carpathian Mountains.  

Hero Carpathian Falcon volunteers and the story begins when he’s traveling to his homeland to say goodbye and end his life.  He’s very ancient and can no longer fight the evilness inside him.

Enter heroine Sarah Marton, an American with a trust fund and heart-of-gold who’s been chased by a vampire for 15 years.  Avoiding him is an unbelievable task for a human. 

Falcon spots Sarah – falls instantly in lifemate love – and swears to protect her above all others, as she is his lifemate.  They travel to the Carpathian Mountains and meet the Prince and other Carpathian characters where the battle for their lives, and their people, begins.

The downside to this series – once you understand the concept of lifemates, the books become repetitive because the Carpathians spend much time explaining it to their partners.

The upside – lifemates are truly the most romantic concept ever written.  (Twilight fans of werewolf imprinting: meet lifemates.  Jacob’s got nothing on this.)  The Carpathians are noble and heroic and everything we love in our heroes (or heroines). 

These books are filled with sultry sex.  Carpathians are either claiming or turning or just so happy to have found one another.  The book trailers are hot, too.

Though slightly unbelievable and outrageous at times, I cannot put these books down.  Carpathian extinction is the continuing theme and it has me hooked.  I have to know what Feehan will do with them. 

The heat rate for this book is 4, but the series is 5 or higher, though I haven’t noticed Carpathians to use vulgar words.  I’d only recommend this book and series to people into heavy fantasy and who don’t expect much believability.

Reviewed by Musing Sallie

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