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186 of 200 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Dark entry, just not the best, July 9, 2004
This review is from: Dark Destiny (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 11) (Mass Market Paperback)
If we're really being nitpicky about how many female Carpathians have been featured as leads, there have been more than two: Francesca, Desari, Syndil (not necessarily a lead, but she had her own story) and Savannah. I don't think Destiny really counts, since she was born human and was converted.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I would of course recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the series already, because while Feehan does tend to go off on her "cause" tangents, Dark Destiny still works well as part of the series and furthers the storyline of the Carpathians in general. I'm not sure anyone reading this as their first "Dark" book would be all that impressed though, and that would be a shame since there are some really wonderful books in the series, books that are better than this one.
The pluses: Destiny has more backbone than nearly all the previous female lifemates combined, although we have to rely on Feehan telling us so every few paragraphs rather than on any actions she takes. We see very little of Destiny's hunting skills, although there are a few scenes where it's refreshing that the hero actually lets her fight. Of course, as per the usual, in the end, the heroine needs to be saved by one of the menfolk (rolling my eyes here), but up until that point, Destiny has more autonomy than any other Carpathian woman except maybe Desari and Francesca.
I wasn't even remotely attached to any of the human pals this time around and found the whole lost lifemate story thread to be a snooze. We already heard what happens when a lifemate goes unclaimed in Shea and Jacques' story with Shea's mother; rather than feeling any sadness for the lifemate here, I thought the character (and her sister) were unnecessarily corny and cliched. The priest was a yawner too, despite what we find out he knows - if the intent was to create a new Father Hummer, Feehan failed. The biggest quibble I have with Dark Destiny is introducing a character like MaryAnn and then doing absolutely nothing with her. Let's face it, we read these books not for the sidekick humans but for the Carpathians - why bother shoving a character on us as hard as Feehan does MaryAnn and then have it utterly fizzle out because there aren't enough pages to tell two stories?
I only have one thing to say about the choice of names for Nicholae's brother - Vikirnoff? Surely Feehan realized that the name was close enough to a brand of vodka that it would induce giggles? The other irritant was having Feehan introduce a "new" line of ancients and have us believe none of the rest of them knew about it, not even the other ancients. I realize Feehan's running out of characters mentioned in previous books, but there still has to be more than a dozen Carpathians running around; I'd rather hear about them than have her make up more ancients just because they're the most powerful (and I guess she thinks that makes them more interesting).
The romance between Nicholae and Destiny is sweet and given her issues, proceeds in a believable way. I didn't find the whole victim mode Destiny keeps going into as annoying, given that she's been basically alone her entire life. I'd be more unhappy if she turned out to be well-adjusted and fell into her lifemate relationship easily.
Ultimately, this isn't the worst book in the series (that honor goes to Dark Gold) or the best (three way tie between Dark Prince, Dark Magic and Dark Fire). It falls somewhere in the middle, probably close to the Carpathian/Scarletti hybrid, Dark Symphony.
I find it quite amusing that any review not wildly adoring of these books gets a lot of unhelpful ratings. I happen to love reading Feehan's books, especially the Dark series, but think it's absolutely ridiculous that some of Feehan's fans are doing such a disservice to other fans and potential readers by deliberately skewing the reviewers' ratings. I can't imagine any author approving of the kind of rabidly blind loyalty that doesn't allow for honest discussion of the merits of a book and I think it's unfortunate that some very good reviews keep getting lost because they're rated so poorly by people who really don't want to hear an honest discussion.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not one of Feehan's best - 3.5 stars, July 19, 2005
This review is from: Dark Destiny (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 11) (Mass Market Paperback)
She was six when she fell for the charms of a vampire who murdered her family, captured her and then converted her. Through the most horrible and degrading period of her young life, she relied on one man, the one she miraculously connected with. Although oceans apart, he became her constant companion, the savior she relied on for her sanity. Relying on him for emotional support, she survived the terror and havoc wreaked by her captor, and when she finally killed the vampire who stole her innocence and youth, she swore vengeance against all the undead and became a hunter to be reckoned with.
He is one of the ancient hunters sent out by the previous prince to rid the world of vampires. Together with his brother, he fought numerous battles, with each kill stealing a piece of his soul. His code of honor was the only thing that kept him from succumbing to darkness. But when a child connects to him unexpectedly, she became an obsession for him, another reason for him to hold on until he found her and saved her from the clutches of evil. Immediately he set out to find her, at the same time accompanying her from a distance in her solitude. Not once did she say a word to him, but always she shared her pain and sorrow. So with the only thing he felt he could give her, he prepared her for her battles with the undead, honing her skills and lending her strength. Now after years of search that felt like eternity, he finally found her.
While in the middle of a fierce battle with vampires, Destiny finally came face to face with Nicolae when he saves her from an ambush. But with no knowledge of Carpathians and never having met one before, she runs away from him, fearful of falling for his gentle voice, although something deep inside is telling her that Nicolae isn't like the vampire who lured her into a false friendship with his friendly voice and fake smile. Her instincts are telling her that the man who was her constant companion throughout her ordeal is telling her the truth. As for Nicolae, in spite of his immense powers, he doesn't want to force her compliance, preferring her full consent. He has no intention of betraying her by doing anything that will resemble the actions of the evil creature that stole her childhood.
DARK DESTINY is another sensual and action-packed installment in the Dark series. The Carpathians are now facing more problems now that the undead are starting to form an alliance intent on killing the hunters. And taking a different tone from the previous books, this delves into the more sensitive issues of child abuse and trauma, as seen in the eyes of the heroine. I thought Destiny was very courageous and Nicolae so gentle with his approach. The way he helped Destiny survived years of solitude and how he finally helped her beat her inner demons was the best gift that he could give her. I especially enjoyed the feeling of belonging that the other Carpathians have bestowed on her toward the end.
Yet all sweetness aside, I found that this pales in comparison to the other books, notably DARK PRINCE and DARK LEGEND. It's not so much the repetition, but rather the fact that the start of Nicolae and Destiny's relationship in the beginning wasn't fleshed out a little more. I thought it would have been really good if the story started out from when Destiny made the initial connection with Nicolae, just like the author did with DARK DESIRE. Secondly, I didn't find the humans here as entertaining or as interesting as some of those in the other books.
However, don't let this deter you from reading this book. This is the 11th Carpathian book I have read and I'm still wanting more and can't wait to read about Nicolae's brother, Vikirnoff.
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26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Amazing Love Story of Redemption and Trust, July 14, 2004
This review is from: Dark Destiny (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 11) (Mass Market Paperback)
To preface my review, I'd like to ask readers - Do you know that one out of three women have suffered some form of abuse - either mentally or physically sometime in their life, many as children? And the memory and guilt they carry lasts a lifetime? I ask this question because if you know this little known fact, it will help you understand the issue of trust in DARK DESTINY.
I've read some of the reviews where they felt Destiny was whiny and Nicolae was wimpy. My opinion is so different that I needed to write a review to express my thoughts. Can you imagine the torture this little girl went through from the time she was only six years old? First seeing her parents brutally murdered by a vampire, then 'USED' for his pleasure through horrible, obscene ways to this tiny little girl until she was old enough to escape him? Could she EVER rid herself of feeling unclean? Or, feel she was beautiful ever again after being so horribly violated for so long? In my opinion she was a super woman of incredible strength and fortitude to continue even wanting to live, let alone protect others from the evil ones. And, Nicolae - In my opinion, he's the strongest Carpathian alive holding back his own desires because of his deep love for his lifemate - waiting for her to trust enough - going so far as to risk his very life because she meant that much to him. I wonder how many know a man such as he - to do anything and everything for love. For me, he shows compassion, patience, and the strongest love for Destiny, and he is a total opposite of a weak man - showing great strength in subtle ways as well as physically. It takes more to hold back than to take what you want... The secondary characters in DARK DESTINY made for a beautiful neighborhood. The sometimes looney sisters who loved and cared for their neighbors, worrying when things weren't 'right'. And Mary Anne, the compassionate neighbor with unconditional love for everyone around her, wanting only to help battered, abused women find a way again. I'll stop here, but there's more to this story than first appears. There's romance, sensuality, action, adventure, and suspense. And it's one story you really don't want to miss reading! Carol Carter
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