Dark Wolf (Carpathian (Dark) #25) by Christine Feehan

Blurb…

In Dark Lycan, Christine Feehan journeyed into the heart of the Carpathians, and into the souls of two lifemates stirred by the flush of passion and the threat of annihilation. In Dark Wolf, the breathtaking story continues as the bonds of family are imperiled, and the fate of two lovers lies hidden in the seductive shadows between life and death.

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming…

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri—as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.

Dimitri and Skyler's story is amazing! It's exciting, romantic, but most of all, it's poignant. The childhood hell Sky lived through wounded her, but didn't break her. She's stronger than ever and with Dimitri's unconditional love and encouragement she's becoming a force to be reckoned with!

These last few installments I've read have blown me away! Non-stop action, passion, lots of twists and turns, and the Carpathian's world is changing in ways I never imagined, but am totally excited about.

If you're a fan of fantasy/paranormal romance but haven't yet read Ms. Feehan's stories - any of her series - you're missing out! Wait no longer, and just take the leap into some of the most amazing fictional worlds out there. You'll be glad you did!

Dark Lycan (Carpathian (Dark) #24) by Christine Feehan

Blurb…

Tatijana of the Dragonseekers spent centuries encased in ice with her sister, trapped in limbo between life and death, never speaking to a soul other than those who tormented her. Now, she has been freed from her frozen prison by an unknown descendent. Awakened in human form, Tatijana yearns to explore the modern world in which she now lives—a world with more mysteries than she is prepared for.

Fenris Dalka has returned to the Carpathian Mountains after a long absence to be with his brother. He is scarred by centuries of battle, and every hard-won victory. But the real reason for his return home could prove deadly if discovered by the wrong man—or woman. Upon his arrival, he is compelled by a beautiful and enigmatic stranger who carries the scent of fresh earth, of forest, of the night itself.

In time Tatijana and Fenris will discover all that unites them—their secrets and pasts, their predators, and the hot flush of passion that stirs their souls. Yet just as surely, seduced into the silvery darkness of a full-moon night, they’ll also discover everything ancient and evil that exists to destroy them.

This book is absolutely amazing. I'm not joking when I say that, start to finish, Dark Lycan is white knuckles, edge of your seat action. As I said before, the Carpathian's world is changing in ways I never imagined it would. It's becoming more dangerous, more complex, and the stories are almost impossible to put down!

Tatijana of the Dragonseekers lineage, after centuries of captivity at the hands of her depraved great grandfather Xavier an evil and powerful Mage, is tired of resting. She's finally free and she's ready to spread her wings - no pun intended - and learn of the world that evolved while she was trapped in an icy tomb. While out and about she finds herself in the company of Fenris Dalka, a man who is much more than he appears to be, a man with secrets he wants to keep hidden. It doesn't take long for them to realize that they are lifemates and, once they do, the passion they share sets the pages on fire.

I am always amazed at Christine Feehan's imagination. The worlds she creates are unlike any others in their genres - and if there are similar worlds it's likely because she was copied. The stories are fast paced, exciting adventures filled with danger, romance and passion. They keep you guessing, keep you trying to puzzle out the problem, and keep you turning the pages into the wee hours of the night - or morning.

I'm thrilled to have picked up the Carpathians again. I didn't realize how much I was missing them!

A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day

Can a love that transcends death survive a war between angels, vampires, and lycans?

We're about to find out!

A Touch of Crimson is the first book in the Renegade Angels trilogy and takes us on a journey that has spanned millennia. The trilogy chronicles the power struggles among Angels, Lycans, and Vampires as they vie for supremacy. It’s a story of love, loss, and love regained, only to be lost again.

Adrian Mitchell has been keeping Fallen Angels, AKA Vampires, in check for centuries. As head of an elite Special Ops Seraphim team, he’s a Sentinel respected for his ability to lead and keep things running smoothly. Lately however, there seems to be a change in the day to day operations of not only the “bad guys” but the “good guys” as well. If Adrian doesn’t do something about it soon, all Hell could break loose. Now that alone could make for a decent story, but add Lindsay to the mix – the reincarnation of the love of his life, a woman who has died over and over again at Adrian’s hand – and it becomes more than just good read, it’s a great story. Sacrifice or selfishness, it’s up to the reader to decide, but you have to be willing to hang tough through a slow start.

As can be the case with the first book of any new series/trilogy, I felt the story was bogged down by the necessary world building and character introduction, and while there are many things to love about this book, be forewarned, it takes a long time to get to them. I often found myself setting it aside after only reading a chapter or so, moving on to read something else and yet interested enough to keep coming back for more. It was about 25-30% of the way into the story before it really grabbed my attention and by about 40% of the way through I hard time putting it down.

Maybe it’s just my imagination, but there seems to be quite a few books coming out about Fallen Angels, Nephalim, Watchers, Vampires… all in one story. They happen to be my favorite PNR sub-genres, so I get excited when I find them all rolled into one story. In addition to those races listed, A Touch of Crimson also has Lycan, who are indentured - a nice word for well treated slaves - to the Sentinels, those angels who have not fallen - yet. I’m not usually a big shifter fan but the controversial alpha, Elijah, got my attention in a big way and he and his story alone will be enough to keep me reading this series.

The bottom line – this book is a good start to a promising trilogy. It was sexy, exciting, action packed and emotional, and I’ll definitely be reading the next book, A Hunger So Wild, Elijah’s story!

3.5/5

This book was provided to me by netgalley.com in behalf of Penguin Publishing. This had no influence whatsoever on my rating and review