Synopsis:
Silke Vriese Reinders knows a war is coming. The demon slayer has seen it over and over again in the cards—and the battle won’t just be for the survival of her remote village, but for all mankind. Silke knows the only way to win will be with the help of the Carpathians. A fact that fills her with trepidation, as she is fated to be the lifemate to one of the ancient supernatural warriors—bound to a complete stranger and responsible for his soul.
One of the oldest, most dangerous Carpathians, Benedek Kovak is more beast than man. Locked away for centuries, the only thing that has stopped him from becoming one of the monsters he’s sworn to defeat is the thought of his lifemate. When Benedek senses the impending danger, he sets out to find her before it’s too late. But their enemy has laid a trap that pushes him closer to turning than ever before.
For so long Benedek has felt nothing. Now, some dark art is compelling him to indulge in cravings he thought long buried. He has no hope that anyone can restore what’s left of his tainted soul, but Silke is nothing like he imagined. Perhaps she’s strong enough to fight back the darkness. Perhaps together they can defeat an adversary hell bent on destroying them all….
Review:
Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope you’re recovering from the festivities, food hangovers, and family time. For my part, I recently had the chance to “gift” my mom an arc of this book, curtesy of the team at Berkley. In fact, when the FFA team were offered an eArc, my ears perked at the author’s name as she is one of my mom’s favorites.
So, here we are for the first time with a (ghost-written) review from the woman affectionately known as GG among the FFA team, and the one who made me the reader I am today in leading by example.
Feehan’s Carpathian series is one I have been following avidly for years, preordering every book, and then setting everything aside to binge read each one the moment they are out. I have re-read each installment more than once while waiting for the next release as well. In other words, this is a world I know well and an overall storyline I’ve loved for many years.
I was glad to see that even after all this time, the author maintains her writing quality throughout this series, even so many installments in. Truly, you always feel completely immersed in the settings and story because of her evocative and detailed writing. That said however, in the last three books, something I can’t quite put my finger on precisely, has changed, in either the editing, or Feehan’s writing voice itself. It doesn’t quite feel exactly up to par with all of her other books, with something of a dip here and there that made me feel as if something small were missing. Hence making this book a little short from perfect. To be expected with so many entries in a series though, with some installments being stronger than others!
As for the characters of Dark Hope, I was eagerly waiting this male protagonist’s storyline and, with this entry, we finally get to see all of his background and inner turmoil through the eyes of the female protag, thanks to the telepathy present. Their bond grew organically through this device, and it helped the reader follow along nicely so that we could truly root and feel for this relationship. Moreover, Feehan always makes sure to avoid power imbalances between couples, building an equal partnership between the two protagonists in all things. She doesn’t rely on tired clichés to create strains between them, even though immortal soulmate tropes can usually fall into that. I find that Feehan navigates this trope expertly, making it a point to highlight the importance of consent and free will. They also both grow and develop as characters in tandem, each teaching the other how to live in the present, in ways that can be fun, but also moving.
Another thin I love about Feehan’s writing is how she also develops wider character bonds and relationships throughout, and she continues the trend with this book. All of the supporting characters embellish and enrich the story, only making you more invested and curious to see their own eventual pov books in the future. This also means that past main couples remain present in the future stories, in a way that doesn’t sideline them, so the reader doesn’t miss them at all.
I read this arc within a day, and I am already feeling like a reread! But more than that, it pleases me greatly that Feehan continues to deliver these stories full of heart and passion, with a narrative voice and pacing that flow so smoothly, you never want to put the book down. And when you do, you’re just dying for the next one!
Dark Hope by Christine Feehan is out today, and if you were wondering if it’s worth continuing this amazing series, the answer is most certainly yes! And even though these books do work as interconnected standalones, so you could technically jump in at any point in the series, I do recommend reading them in release order.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E. & Zina
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