Helpful Score: 7
This book was so awful. Like eating a pound of those orange squishy circus peanuts bad. The plot was predictable, but that's not unusual in a romance novel. It was the characters I couldn't stand. They were so annoying! So shallow! So dumb!
Savannah is a complete twit, throwing one temper-tantrum after another. She supposedly knows that her intended lifemate, Gregori, will go mad and succumb to true vampirism without her, and then either be killed or kill god knows how many other people, but she spend several chapters whining about how she wants to be free, would rather die. Gack. Spoiled, selfish bint. Even when she finally comes around about the lifemate bond, she's swinging wildly between 'I want to help you kill our enemies' and 'oh, violence, this is so terrible I can't bear it!' Gregori is no better. He's forcing his will on her from begining to end, treating her like a child (can't blame him there, she acts like one) and glowering at everybody while inwardly wallowing in guilt and angst about what a monster he is, simply because he's killed so many vampires, all of whom were unremmittingly, irredemibly evil.
Then there's Gary, their new human friend. Seems Gregori has existed thousands of years, learned how to navigate the human world to the point where he can run multiple companies and buy properties, etc, but has never met a human he liked before. And while I am on this rant I want to complain about this thing about male Carpathians not being able to feel emotions without their lifemates and this is what sends them over the edge to become vampires, just so they can feel emotions. Despair is not an emotion? Longing to feel isn't? And Feehan can't be bothered to learn anything about anything! Savannah is supposedly a famous stage magician, but it seems she cheated by using her inborn powers. She never thinks about magic again after teaming up with Gregori, never does any slight of hand or lets it be important to the plot except as a cover for vampire weirdness later in the game. Gary is suposedly a genius biochemist but all he ever thinks about is how he was bullied in high school.
Drivel. Absolute trash.
Savannah is a complete twit, throwing one temper-tantrum after another. She supposedly knows that her intended lifemate, Gregori, will go mad and succumb to true vampirism without her, and then either be killed or kill god knows how many other people, but she spend several chapters whining about how she wants to be free, would rather die. Gack. Spoiled, selfish bint. Even when she finally comes around about the lifemate bond, she's swinging wildly between 'I want to help you kill our enemies' and 'oh, violence, this is so terrible I can't bear it!' Gregori is no better. He's forcing his will on her from begining to end, treating her like a child (can't blame him there, she acts like one) and glowering at everybody while inwardly wallowing in guilt and angst about what a monster he is, simply because he's killed so many vampires, all of whom were unremmittingly, irredemibly evil.
Then there's Gary, their new human friend. Seems Gregori has existed thousands of years, learned how to navigate the human world to the point where he can run multiple companies and buy properties, etc, but has never met a human he liked before. And while I am on this rant I want to complain about this thing about male Carpathians not being able to feel emotions without their lifemates and this is what sends them over the edge to become vampires, just so they can feel emotions. Despair is not an emotion? Longing to feel isn't? And Feehan can't be bothered to learn anything about anything! Savannah is supposedly a famous stage magician, but it seems she cheated by using her inborn powers. She never thinks about magic again after teaming up with Gregori, never does any slight of hand or lets it be important to the plot except as a cover for vampire weirdness later in the game. Gary is suposedly a genius biochemist but all he ever thinks about is how he was bullied in high school.
Drivel. Absolute trash.
Helpful Score: 5
I waited and waited for this book since I read Dark Prince. And I have to say that it did not let me down. I was wonderful.
Helpful Score: 3
The fourth book in this series and it was wonderful. I thought she did a wonderful job with the rough times that the hero went through when he found his lifemate.
Helpful Score: 3
No Magic Here!
Since I've read nothing but glowing recommendations for Ms. Feehan's "Dark" series, I decided to try this book. I was barely 100 pages into it when I was overwhelmed by Gregori. He may be dark, dangerous and sexy but he was also overbearing, arrogant and violent. He was worse than a stalker, following her to the ends of the earth, using the powers of his mind to force her to do things "for her own good" and his violent first encounter with her completely went against my idea of romance. I've read "forced seductions" but to me this was all out rape. If she could have gotten to a police station and showed them the blood and bruises, I have no doubt this "hero" would be serving a life sentence! Sorry, no magic for me here.
Since I've read nothing but glowing recommendations for Ms. Feehan's "Dark" series, I decided to try this book. I was barely 100 pages into it when I was overwhelmed by Gregori. He may be dark, dangerous and sexy but he was also overbearing, arrogant and violent. He was worse than a stalker, following her to the ends of the earth, using the powers of his mind to force her to do things "for her own good" and his violent first encounter with her completely went against my idea of romance. I've read "forced seductions" but to me this was all out rape. If she could have gotten to a police station and showed them the blood and bruises, I have no doubt this "hero" would be serving a life sentence! Sorry, no magic for me here.
Helpful Score: 2
This book was a great read. With a blend of mystery, magic, romance and vampires, it was great for the paranormal romance lover. Ms. Feehan has a wonderful way of telling a rich, very intriguing love story!