Helpful Score: 2
Although I had thoroughly enjoyed Feehan's Ghostwalkers and Drake Sisters series, I was not going to read the vampire series. Sure, I enjoyed the Twilight books, and I liked Linda Lael Miller's and Nora Roberts' vampire books, but generally vampires just don't do it for me. However, I read The Scarlatti Curse and Lair of the Lion and enjoyed them and found out that they connect to Dark Symphony. (The glaring issue of lions in the first two and leopards in Dark Symphony has me confused. I like continuity. I needed to read it, and that started the journey to find and read all the Dark series books (which are about vampire hunters--the good guys--instead of vampires). I didn't read them in order, and although I had a hard time getting into the first leopard book, I did end up liking them all.
I find the reviews complaining about the lack of dialog are missing the point that Marguarita cannot speak because her throat was ripped out by a vampire in an earlier book when Zacarias saved her life. She and Zacarias communicate through thoughts, hence there isn't much talking in the book. It is kind of weird reading thoughts, but at least they are in italics so I could tell they were communicating.
Zacarias isn't a nice guy and he knows it. Margaurita's not much of a role model for women. Her goal to "save" him at any cost, did kind of get on my nerves, especially when he is abusive to her. I have known (and been) too many women who think meet a man and think they can fix him or change him. She's determined to save him, and in real life this is a situation that is not going to have a happy ending. I hate thinking that because Margaurita and Zacarias have a fairy tale ending that other women will think it can happen for them, too. When Zacarias gets on a horse for the first time and is racing across the fields soaring over fences, I was disappointed in Ms Feehan. Although I realize this is fiction (and fantasy), sailing over fences bareback is something only experienced riders can do. I felt that particular scene, as pretty as it was, didn't belong. In reality you'd end up with a broken neck in the dirt and a broken heart to go with it.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I didn't like it as much as her earlier books, but perhaps she's having a hard time coming up with fresh stories considering this is #22 in the Dark series and the Leopard series crosses over, too, as they all relate to the Prince. Maybe she has too many series in the pot for one author).
I'd have liked it better if it had been in paperback. I'm not sure it deserved to be issued in hardback, and perhaps this is the book that has convinced me to get Kindle. Even though the "hero" isn't so magically wonderful as some of her other characters, I'm glad he didn't burn up in the sun and has his happy-ever-after lifemate. I hope Christine Feehan isn't planning on ending the Dark series. There are still characters who need their lifemates and I need to read their stories, and I'll probably be still buying them as they come out because her stories are too good to wait!
I find the reviews complaining about the lack of dialog are missing the point that Marguarita cannot speak because her throat was ripped out by a vampire in an earlier book when Zacarias saved her life. She and Zacarias communicate through thoughts, hence there isn't much talking in the book. It is kind of weird reading thoughts, but at least they are in italics so I could tell they were communicating.
Zacarias isn't a nice guy and he knows it. Margaurita's not much of a role model for women. Her goal to "save" him at any cost, did kind of get on my nerves, especially when he is abusive to her. I have known (and been) too many women who think meet a man and think they can fix him or change him. She's determined to save him, and in real life this is a situation that is not going to have a happy ending. I hate thinking that because Margaurita and Zacarias have a fairy tale ending that other women will think it can happen for them, too. When Zacarias gets on a horse for the first time and is racing across the fields soaring over fences, I was disappointed in Ms Feehan. Although I realize this is fiction (and fantasy), sailing over fences bareback is something only experienced riders can do. I felt that particular scene, as pretty as it was, didn't belong. In reality you'd end up with a broken neck in the dirt and a broken heart to go with it.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I didn't like it as much as her earlier books, but perhaps she's having a hard time coming up with fresh stories considering this is #22 in the Dark series and the Leopard series crosses over, too, as they all relate to the Prince. Maybe she has too many series in the pot for one author).
I'd have liked it better if it had been in paperback. I'm not sure it deserved to be issued in hardback, and perhaps this is the book that has convinced me to get Kindle. Even though the "hero" isn't so magically wonderful as some of her other characters, I'm glad he didn't burn up in the sun and has his happy-ever-after lifemate. I hope Christine Feehan isn't planning on ending the Dark series. There are still characters who need their lifemates and I need to read their stories, and I'll probably be still buying them as they come out because her stories are too good to wait!
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