URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: The Scarletti Curse - Christine Feehan

Release Date: 07/11/10

BOOK BLURB:

THE BEAST Strange, twisted carvings and hideous gargoyles adorn the palazzo of the great Scarletti family. But a still more fearful secret lurks within its storm-tossed turrets. For every bride who enters its forbidding walls is doomed to leave in a casket. THE BRIDE Mystical and unfettered, Nicoletta has no terror of ancient curses and no fear of marriage ...until she looks into the dark mesmerising eyes of Don Scarletti. She had sworn no man would command her, had thought her gift of healing set her apart, but his is the right to choose a bride from among his people. And he has chosen her. THE BARGAIN Compelled by duty, drawn by desire, she gives her body into his keeping, and prays the powerful, tormented don will be her heart's destiny, and not her soul's demise.


REVIEW:

Christine is perhaps best known for her Dark Carpathian series and whilst its hard for a new reader to get into an established series, its always helpful when a new unrelated title is available.

Here in the Scarletti Curse, is a story of love, jealousy, murder and deception with the Scarletti’s being a cross between the Borgia’s and the Medici encompassing the best as well as the worst aspects of each family.

As usual with Christine, the writing style as well as the story is beautiful woven, the prose direct and the characters crisp as she brings here tale to the fore. The only real downside to this title is the sexual angle which is poorly conceived with a crass ending which would have worked better had the author dropped it and gone for a fade to black moment. A great shame after so much careful planning for the rest of the book.