Release Date: 02/10/12
SYNOPSIS:
Return to the seductive world of Christine Feehan's New York Times bestselling Carpathian novels as roiling passions collide in a perfect storm of dangerous desire that only a precious few can hope to outrun ...Awakening after all this time in a world of absolute darkness and oppressive heat, Dax wonders in how many ways the world above must have changed. But it is how he has changed that fills him with dread and loathing. Buried alive for hundreds of years in a volcano in the Carpathian Mountains, Dax fears that he has become the full-fledged abomination that every Carpathian male fears, a victim of the insidious evil that has crept relentlessly into his mind and body over the centuries. But there are some things that never change. His name is Mitro, the vampire Dax had hunted all these long centuries. Second in command to the prince of the Carpathian people he is the epitome of everything malevolent, and perpetrator of one of the most shocking killing sprees known to man - and beast. Even his friends and family weren't safe from Mitro's bloodlust. Neither was Mitro's lifemate, Arabejila, an extraordinary woman with extraordinary gifts. But now that Dax has re-emerged, so too has Mitro. The ultimate battle between good and evil has been re-engaged. Between Dax and Mitro, a violent game has begun - one that has marked Riley Parker, the last descendent of Arabejila, as the reward.
REVIEW:
OK, I’m going to be blunt here, I’m not going to mince my words so if you like Christine’s writing you may want to stop reading right now. Still here? Well OK then, this book didn’t accomplish anything for me as a reader, the plot was convoluted and quite frankly repetitive and the characters basically 2d stereotypes. Do you want me to go on?
There was no history to help establish the characters in the readers mind, no real hook to want the reader to support let alone like them and when I turned the final page I was left wondering if this was a book that felt like it was more a title to cash in on the authors name rather than inspire and carry on the work that the series had already established. All in a great shame and if this form continues I will not be reading many more.
Release Date: 02/10/12
SYNOPSIS:
Rumour says the powerful Nicolai DeMarco can command the heavens, that the beasts below do his bidding ...and that he is doomed to destroy the woman he takes as wife. It is whispered he's not wholly human - as untamed as his tawny mane and slashing amber eyes. Impoverished aristocrat Isabella Vernaducci would defy death itself to rescue her imprisoned brother. She'll even brave the haunted, accursed lair of the lion - the menacing palace of legendary, lethal Don Nicolai DeMarco. Then Isabella meets a man whose growl is velvet, purring heat, and whose eyes hold dark, all-consuming desire. And when the don commands her to become his bride, she goes willingly into his muscled arms, praying she'll save his tortured soul ...and not sacrifice her life.
REVIEW:
Currently it feels like I’m more than a little down with Christines writing but I’m not, I approach each book on a new level and whilst I do expect some continuation for the books to fit in with what has gone before they have to stand on their own two feet. Here in this new Historical Paranormal title is a story that takes the reader on an adventure. There’s the usual passion, some solid dialogue that will keep you engaged but it was a story that felt like it could have been slashed quite a bit to keep it not only punchier but on track by keeping the pace at a level so that the reader didn’t have time to consider where it was going.
All in, whilst an interesting read, I’d have been happier had this book been a novella or even a short story that could have appeared in a compendium to give readers a flavour of what to expect from Christine’s writing. It does have some of her trademarks within and if readers fall in love with it, then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that they start with Christine’s earlier Dark Carpathian titles, however currently I’m starting to wonder if she hasn’t bitten off more than she can chew with her current schedules.
Release Date: 03/07/12
SYNOPSIS:
In an underground club, a high-ranking public official spends his secret nights indulging in fantasies as exciting as they are depraved. For a seductive employee of the Dungeon, it's her job to fulfill them. But she's playing a far more dangerous game - one of blackmail, politics and murder that reaches into the shadow world of the GhostWalkers, and the creation of a spectacular, one-of-a-kind new weapon of defense. But when a dictator makes his own catastrophic moves, the GhostWalkers have no choice but to bring in two major players - a man and woman both driven by passion and revenge. Both expendable. Both with nothing left to lose.
REVIEW:
I’ve been following this series for quite some time and to be honest I’ve loved watching how the various threads have evolved the characters as well as the series as they deal with each of the threats that have unfurled. What this latest story does is take the reader back to the beginning allowing the reader to learn more about Azami.
The story is full of adventure, has a great turn of pace and really draws the reader in, then for some reason it loses steam almost as if it was a novella extended past what the author planned. It felt like I’d been a little cheated as a reader and when a tale loses pace as well as plot twists its pretty much dead in the water. Sadly I felt a little flat by this title and hope that the next tale has more thoughts and pace added within.
Release Date: 16/02/12
SYNOPSIS:
'Dark Hunger' - Juliette is a beautiful activist devoted to the liberation of animals confined in a foul and humid jungle lab. But then she stumbles upon an unexpected prisoner unlike any she's ever seen. Or touched. Riordan De La Cruz, an immortal Carpathian male, is trapped and caged, his desire for revenge only beginning. She will release him from his bonds. He will release her from her inhibitions. Both have voracious appetites that must be sated. 'Dark Secret' - Rafael De La Cruz has spent centuries hunting vampires, but now he's following the scent of a human. Colby Jansen is a rancher and the sole guardian of her younger half siblings. She is prepared to protect them with her life against Rafael's blood claim. But the arrogant and fiercely sensual Rafael is after more than her family - he wants Colby. And there's nothing she can do to stop his raw desire to possess her.
REVIEW:
OK, before we go any further I’m going to warn you that this is two stories that have previously been released, the first, book 14: Dark Hunger, the second, Book 15: Dark Secret. Don’t get me wrong, the books were more than fun to revisit, but this is one of my bugbears when books are released so that people think that they’re buying something new when they’re not. It’s a little unfair and overall its something that really needs to be made more obvious.
Other than though, if you haven’t read these two or are new to the world then this could be a great way to get your hands on two titles for a bargain price. They are great, the plotlines wonderfully magical and of course when you add the authors writing style to this, they’re a great deal all in.
Release Date: 26/01/12
SYNOPSIS:
Six women of varying age meet in special grief counselling group composed of victims of violent crimes. Each has suffered unbelievable loss. Working through their grief, they learn to love one another and trust only each other. Pooling their resources, they purchase a large farming community. Each has their own home and five acres, sharing the rest of the farm. Though not related by blood, they form a loving family, calling themselves sisters of the heart. These stories are of the sisters and the men who dare to love them.
REVIEW:
Christine is a writer that is not only prolific but also an author that gives the reader what they want, a story with a huge plot, a tale of magic, and of course a tale of passion to last the ages as we return to Sea Haven in the second novel of the second series.
It has solid characters, great prose and of course all the elements that have kept Christine at the top of most readers TBR piles. That said, as a fan, I did feel a little disappointed with this title as for me, it spent way too much time on the emotional feelings rather than getting to the heart of the matter, almost as if it were used as padding to make the story full length. Don’t get me wrong, it is well written, it will fulfil the brief but when you’re reading a tale and keep thinking about how much you could have slashed, it’s a sign that perhaps the title needs a rework and perhaps would have been better as a novella.
Release Date: 29/09/11
SYNOPSIS:
As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Over the long, dark centuries, he plunged into so many battles they blurred into an endless lifetime of evil that hardened the soul of this merciless, ruthless and implacable dark predator.
Now his stark and savage journey is over. After a thousand years in a grey world, he has accomplished everything he set out to do. His brothers are safeguarded. Each has found a woman who completes them. And they are at peace. For his brothers, Zacarias has walked the edge of madness, but with centuries as a killing machine now left to the past and without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders, for the first time in his life, who he really is.
The answer awaits him back home in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman who is readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy, and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined.
REVIEW:
To be honest with you, whilst I’ve enjoyed the Dark Carpathian titles this one felt a bit of a let-down, the lead female was demur and as such I couldn’t find much to like about her which made this a real struggle to get through. Add to that the lead male was all me, me, me within and it really was a title that I felt I could have missed.
That said, I could see the ideas and concepts behind the overall tale but sadly it’s the execution that fell more than a little flat for me. Add to this repetitive use of themes from previous outings and an author who needs a break from some of the wider arcs and it’s a title that you can quite easily miss without denting the series too much for future releases.
Release Date: 05/05/11
SYNOPSIS:
When Saria Boudreaux finds a dead body in the Louisiana bayou near her home, her first instinct is to go to the police. But there's a problem: it looks like the victim may have been killed by a big cat - and her brothers are all shape-shifting leopards. Sent by the land's owner to investigate, leopard-shifter Drake Donovan is ready for anything - except the insatiable hunger that rocks him when he meets Saria. Deep in his soul he knows that she is destined to be his mate. Torn between protecting her brothers and finding the truth, Saria treads warily around the powerful shifter. Yet as they venture deep into the mysterious bayou on a hunt for the killer, Saria finds herself longing for Drake's touch and the sweet release of surrender ...
REVIEW:
The fourth title in this delightful series and one that continues to build upon the success of the previous choosing to get to the meat of the tale rather than spending superfluous time on world building. What unfurls within is an exercise of great character building as many readers will be able to identify with lead character Saria Boudreaux through her many hooks and facets. She is believable, the development of the arc is organic and the character leads the way rather than being forced by a guide as so many others are in titles.
Add to this some decent prose, great dialogue and an author who knows how to craft a tale that her readers demand and this title is something that can only improve on the titles that have gone before. Great stuff.
Release Date: 03/03/11
SYNOPSIS:
Raven Whitney is a psychic who has used her gift to help the police track down a serial killer. Now she is determined to escape the glare of recent publicity for the peace and quiet of the Carpathian Mountains. Despite her own emotional fatigue, Raven finds herself connecting psychically to another wounded individual somewhere close by. Prince Mikhail Dubrinsky is the leader of his people but, as his ancient Carpathian race grows ever closer to extinction, he is close to giving in to the heavy weight of loneliness and despair. Then a female voice enters his mind and tries to console him. Intrigued, Mikhail becomes obsessed with finding this unusual human female. From the moment their minds touch, Raven and Mikhail form a connection. But there are those who incorrectly view all Carpathians as vampires, and are determined to give their extinction a helping hand.
REVIEW:
Having come to this series a lot later than the earlier titles I was interested to see how it all began as well as to see how the authors writing style had changed over time. It is definitely creative and whilst in some places it can feel a little simplistic the characters are what has driven Christine’s writing since the beginning. She knows how to get them to appear to the reader and whilst there are some flaws within, you really don’t tend to notice it so much as you can’t get enough of the principle cast members complexity as well as their romance.
Finally add onto this that this edition has been extended by the author and alongside being wonderfully written with interesting dialogue as well as backed with a decent set of prose, it leaves the reader more than satisfied with the additional material. I’ll have to keep up with these reprints to make sure that I get the most from the series.
Release Date: 31/12/10
BOOK BLURB:
On a mission to rescue hostages in Mexico, the last thing GhostWalker Kane Cannon expects to find is Rose Patterson - fellow GhostWalker, fugitive, and pregnant with his child. Forced into a breeding program by Dr Whitney, Rose escaped with the help of Kane after she was impregnated by him, but despite Kane's desperate need to keep her close to him, she has eluded him ...until now. But does she feel the same passion for him that he feels for her?
REVIEW:
Christine is not only an established name within the Urban Fantasy genre but she’s good at what she does, that is the Urban Fantasy Love story. You want a love story/interest, you got it. You want a kick ass heroine, you got that and if you want a descent story that continues to develop the already established series, you’ve got that as well.
Add to the mix a well written title, characters that just ooze confidence and sex appeal backed up with some good solid prose and tempting dialogue then you really have to get some of this authors work. Great stuff although on a side note, start at the beginning of the series otherwise you’ll miss not only some key background information but a lot of the journey to date that places this title in the context it needs to be read in.
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.
Release Date: 29/07/10
BOOK BLURB:
For Lev Prakenskii, the last thing he remembers is being lost in the swirling currents of the ocean and sucked deeper into the nothingness of a freezing black eddy off the coastal town of Sea Haven. Just as quickly, just as miraculously, he was saved - pulled ashore by a beautiful stranger - but Lev has no memory of who he was - or why he seems to possess the violent instincts of a trained killer. All he knows is that he fears for his life, and the life of his unexpected saviour. Her name is Rikki, a sea-urchin diver in the small town of Sea Haven. She always felt an affinity for the ocean and the seductive pull of the tides - and now, for the enigmatic man she rescued. But soon they will be bound by something even stronger - each other's tantalising secrets that will engulf them both in a whirlpool of dizzying passion and inescapable danger.
REVIEW:
Whilst Christine is very well known for her plotting alongside great dialogue, the main focus with this title is the characters within which may not please all the fans of her Drake Sisters series (of which this is set in the same world but with a whole host of new cast members.) It does have an interesting premise and whilst I do love the fact that it’s a great piece of experimentation for the author with the characterisation it doesn’t quite fulfil what will have sold this title to a great many of her fans as the plot for this was a little bit too simplistic. It is interesting, it does have some magical moments but I hope that future offerings expand a bit more as this I feel that this offering was more of a set up than anything else.
Release Date: 09/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
Dominic of the Dragonseeker lineage - one of the most powerful lines the Carpathian people has - ingests vampire blood laced with parasites in order to infiltrate the heart of the enemy camp and learn their plans. This is a one-way mission. He plans to get in fast, relay the information to the leader of the Carpathians living in the area and go out fighting - an honourable way to end his life. Solange Sangria is one of the last of the jaguar people, a royal pure-blood. Her people, once many, are now nearly extinct. She has long been alone fighting to save the remaining women who are able to shift from the hands of Brodrick the Terrible, her own father who slaughtered everyone she loved. Wounded, weary, she plans one last battle, hoping to stop the man who has made an alliance with the vampires, accepting she will not come out alive. They are two warriors who have lived their lives alone. Now, at the end of their time, they find each other, a complication neither sees coming.
REVIEW:
Having released a few books that had concentrated more on the language than the action, Christine finally returns to the type of tale that won her fans in the first place. There’s action, there’s danger but above all else there is a love story interwoven that makes this a real gem. Whilst it’s the 18th outing for the Carpathian series it can be read with no prior knowledge and will return a lot of the readers faith that sustained them over recent offerings. Great stuff.
BOOK BLURB:
For Mack McKinley and his team of GhostWalker killing machines, urban warfare is an art. But despite a hard-won knowledge of the San Francisco streets, Mack knows from experience that too many things can still go wrong. Danger was just another part of the game - and now he's come face-to-face with a woman who can play just as tough. She's Jaimie, a woman with a sapphire stare so potent it can destroy a man. Years ago she and Mack had a history - volatile, erotic and electric. Then she vanished. But now she's walked back into Mack's life again, as a spy with more secrets than are good for her. Against all odds, she's hooking up with Mack one more time to take on an enemy that could destroy them both, or bring them back together in one hot, no-holds-barred adrenaline rush.
REVIEW:
This is the eighth book in the Ghostwalker series and to be brutally honest it is the worst one to date, as the author seems to have finally lost the plot as the majority of this title was filled with problem solving and hacking. As to the plot, well lets see, it was MIA, it is with the Dodo’s, it is as lively as a dead fish as all of Christine’s other works seem to have blended into one on this offering. It’s a title that if you must read is best borrowed from the library and if you know a fan I can pretty much guarantee that they won’t be singing this titles praises. Christine is going to have to do some serious writing and issue a whole hat full of apologies for this offering.
BOOK BLURB:
Born into a world of ice, slave to her evil father, Lara Calladine knew paralysing fear as a child. Only by escaping with her mysterious gifts unbroken did she survive to claim her great Carpathian heritage as a Dragonseeker. She walked her chosen path alone, trusting no one. For beyond the frozen hall of her youth was a world of even greater mystery and danger. Now the world's leading expert in the field of ice-cave study, Lara is on a search for healing microorganisms, but also for the source of her nightmares - the cold, dark corners of her childhood. Only one man has the will and the power to help her: Nicolas De La Cruz. Dangerous and arrogant, centuries of hunting and killing have taken their toll on him but he still longs to feel sensual love without the hunger for blood. A tenuous trust emerges between Lara and Nicholas, and a passion neither of them has ever experienced but, as much as they long for a future as lifemates, they are also haunted by the unknown dangers of the dark curse.REVIEW:
Christine has always been a prolific author and with a huge number of books under her belt this latest offering in the Carpathian series goes to answer a lot of the questions raised by fans since earlier releases. Its well written but perhaps little to much time is spent delving into the language nuances as well as chants of the Carpathians, it distracted me from the storyline which is never a good thing and can lead a lot of readers to skip chunks in order to get back on track. This is a great shame, as it will undoubtedly turn a number of readers off even though there is a cracking story underneath. I’ll wait to see what the next novel has to offer but I’m fairly picky, if the next novel continues on about language nuances then I won’t be reading any more of the series even though I really want to read a book about characters such as Skylar who’s fascinated me since his original appearance.
BOOK BLURB:
From afar, Sheriff Jackson Deveau has always loved Elle Drake, the youngest telepath of seven magically gifted sisters. After a long time away she's finally returning home to the small coastal village of Sea Haven. But someone has been following Elle, someone who doesn't want her to make it back. And when Elle fails to arrive, her disappearance strikes fear in the hearts of everyone who loves her. Now it's left to Jackson to uncover the mystery of Elle's vanishing, and rescue her from an unseen danger. But Sea Haven is no longer safe for anyone, and it'll take the powers of all the Drake sisters and their men to survive the coming storm.
REVIEW:
Whilst I haven’t read the rest of the novels in the Drake Sisters series I have to say that if this is an example of Christine’s writing I won’t be going back in a hurry. The way that the author tortured the protagonist of the tale I thought was a bit too much and tied it all off with a recovery that defies belief let alone any sense of reality. Whilst many would want the sheer brutalism of the scenes from what I’ve heard from other fans this offering goes against the characters and what they wanted for the final novel in the series. Its brutal, it’s clichéd and above all it’s a tale that many will wish they’d never hankered for which may leave many of Christine’s fans refusing to buy future novels due to the authors abuse of their trust.
