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Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1)
Dark Prince Bk 1 - Carpathians Dark
Author: Christine Feehan
Mikhail Dubrinsky is the prince of his people, the Carpathians. But they are dying out, there are few women, and the men are either falling prey to vampires, or are choosing the soulless life. Losing all hope, Mikhail is no longer sure he can bear the bleak future laid before him. The only thing that can add light to his life, can relieve the te...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780843955286
ISBN-10: 0843955287
Publication Date: 2005
Pages: 447
Rating:
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 672

4.1 stars, based on 672 ratings
Publisher: Leisure Books
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

mariep avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 8
I don't get it. Feehan is rated very high on Amazon etc...but it was tacky romance novel..a TACKY one. I'm not opposed to romance novels. But please...it was god awlful. I could barely finish it. And I made myself finish hoping it would get better. It didn't...and it was incredibly repetitive, after 3 chapters you had the whole story, same stick just kept repeating and repeating. I don't get why everyone loves this book (did I say that already?). I'll stick with the other paranormal romance authors. This is the worse one I have ever read!
njoybeing avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 24 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Plot Summary: 1st of Feehan's Dark Series, this book introduces the Carpathians (read: generally "good vampires"). A Carpathian male (they have a serious woman shortage) seeks his soul mate, and upon finding her, wishes to bond her to him completely. The romance was in the foreground, in the background they were being hunted by vampire hunters.
Main Characters: Mikhail and Raven. Mikhail is alpha male, a bit archaic, but tolerable for the most part. Raven was tstl (too stupid to live). Some reviewers already noted that she continuously put herself and others at risk. Yup. She also took an absurdly long time figuring out that Mikhail wasn't human. (She hadn't figured it out even after he drank her blood, attributing that to "cultural differences").

Best about this book: the intensity between the hero and heroine was very romantic. They were completely engrossed in each other.
Worst about this book: Again, as others pointed out, some phrases were over-used to the point of bringing me pain: Mikhail's coffee colored hair, Raven's slenderness. She was described as slender so many times I wanted to buy the author a thesaurus (how about slim? Delicate, perhaps?!@!)
Absolute WORST about this book: the emphasis on women as breeders. When a woman is treasured by the man she loves its romantic. But when women are treasured as walking wombs its just species survival. It was a foregone conclusion that Raven would agree to "breed" and another character already determined that should she conceive a girl, that child would be his mate! Ick.
Summary: I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read the Dark Series (which I hear improves over time) for the background. But, I for one, am hoping for more intelligent, less breeding obsessed heroes and heroines in her next books.
reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 242 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This book includes the bonus (long) short story, "Dark Descent".
"Dark Prince" the story of Mikhail, Prince of the Carpathians, and his lifemate, Raven. So far, she is my least favorite of the Carpathian lifemates. Her name alone - "Raven" to signify her long, black hair - is somewhat archaic. The book follows the formula of all the Carpathian books I've read so far. Carpathian male meets lifemate; his strong, posessive personality causes potential lifemate to resist him; she eventually succumbs (in between very sensuous, graphic sex) and agrees to acknowledge her lifemate status with Carpathian male. Given the controlling nature of these men, it's understandable that the potential lifemates would keep fighting for their identity and independence. However, these guys are so thrilled at finally finding their lifemate they become totally besotted with the women and end up compromising bit by bit. But Raven's fight to keep her identity is beyond common sense. Refusing to believe Mikhail's warnings of danger and her inability to handle it, she rushes into very dangerous situations resulting in harm to her and other Carpathians. Yet they're all indulgent with her; none point out the risk she poses to others. Beyond that, the male Carpathians were interesting characters, especially Jacques and Gregori. Their hunters are stock, one-dimensional characters who exude ignorance and evil.
Joie (where does Feehan get these names?) in "Dark Descent" is a much more attractive character than Raven. A lot brighter than Raven, she "gets" her lifemate Traian. The story formula doesn't operate here. Joie is the one who searches for Traian and once she finds him, she doesn't waste a lot of time fighting him. Joie has lots of courage and is secure in her own identity. Both stories are full of erotic lovemaking which I think is one of the main attractions of Feehan's Dark series. She does write eroticism well.
reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Feehan's weak, unimaginative writing and anemic plot destroy what sounded like a pretty promising book by the blurb on the back cover.
Rebemdee avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on
Helpful Score: 3
The writing is atrocious, the story insipid, the characters flat as the cheap paper within which they reside...and somehow I can't stop myself from reading this. It's like when you eat too many M&Ms, and your mouth starts to taste terrible and the candy coating splinters are in your gums, but you just can't stop yourself because it's CHOCOLATE, and who says no to chocolate? It's sorta the same thing with this. Who says no to terribly written semi-romance paranormal crap? Not me!
Read All 115 Book Reviews of "Dark Prince Carpathians Dark Bk 1"

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reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 40 more book reviews
Some people love this series. I was enjoying Dark Prince a bit in the begining, however found myself struggling to finish it. I was becoming increasing more annoyed with the hero of the story and his reluctance to accept change in everything in the world except a woman's role in the Carpathian society. It just got to be too over the top, almost Victorian in some ways. Which completely oppesed the heroine's independant views. She sort of redeemed herself in the end, but not enough for me to overlook the overall feel of the book.
avidvamplover avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 7 more book reviews
This book was very boring. I read all the other books in the dark series before I read this one. All of them are basically the same. Nothing really changes but the characters names. I want to read Dark Slayer. I just hope it goes in a different direction, being that the girl and the guy are already Caps.
reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on
This is the first book of the series, hot and intense, the story carries you through to the end and leaves you eager for the next book!
reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 53 more book reviews
I really enjoy this series and have read them out of order so it was nice to finally read this first book and see how it all began.
reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on
Love the whole Dark series - wonderful books!
KERNELSUNFLOWER avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 2 more book reviews
it was pretty good, a little too much (in the mind) text and not enough action
gypsybookworm avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 27 more book reviews
Well, this was my first try at a Carpathian novel and I hate to admit that I couldn't get into it.... I saw one that I thought interesting and got great reviews, but it was about book five. I didn't want to start in the 'middle of a series' so I got Dark Prince(Book 1)...well, I couldn't even finish it. I am not a book snob, but I just thought this book was instantly lame....I had a lot of questions and felt that there were some 'unrealistic' connection and chemistry between the Mikhail and Raven. I thought that by getting the first in this renown series I would get some history and depth and see where it all began, and that was not the case. I was instantly confused and curious and just felt tugged along and expected to understand WHAT a Carpathian was and how there were supposed to be as a species....I was annoyed at how instant and easy they hooked up without any realistic concern or question about who the heck was this dangerous mysterious strange otherworldly man that just decided he owned you. This is not my first Feehan book, so I knew I enjoy her writing, but I guess that this being the first in the series, Ms.Feehan had some room to improve the development. I'm fine with that. Now that I see that starting from the beginning, I will just pick and choose which stories interest me. I assume that I won't be as disappointed.
heatherhitchcock avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 8 more book reviews
Love the darkness, yet love and compassion in this book. The shape shifting is great!
azmi avatar reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on
Fantastic book and beginning of a great series. The author pulls you in with her vivid descriptions - not too wordy so you get bored, and not so lackluster that you can't see it in your mind. It's easy to get to know the characters and really feel something for them.
The action scenes are as well written as the sex scenes, the trials and tribulations of the main characters easily believable.
Brings a slightly new take on the Vampire genre. Very different from Anne Rice or Laurell K. Hamilton, but nonetheless interesting and absorbing.
reviewed Dark Prince (Carpathians (Dark), Bk 1) on + 20 more book reviews
more romance than vampire mystery stuff but pretty good.

Book Wiki

Series
Dark  1
Original Publication Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
People/Characters
Raven Whitney (Primary Character)
Mikhail Dubrinsky (Primary Character)

Genres: