Customer Reviews

Dark Prince (The Carpathians (Dark) Series, Book 1)

5 star:		(149)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(27)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(48)

 

 

Dark Prince is the first in the fascinating and highly sensual Dark series created by the very talented Christine Feehan. It is a world of mystery, danger, intense emotions, extraordinary psychic and physical power.

The Carpathians are a wise and ancient species, appearing just like humans except that they can live for millennia and have amazing psychic and physical powers. Only sunlight and violent wounding can destroy them. They sleep during the day, deep in the healing earth, and are awake at night, thriving in the darkness. They are in perfect harmony with the earth and all its plants and animals. They can shape shift into any animal and even become as fog. They move, travel and heal themselves with phenomenal speed. And they survive on human blood-yet they never kill the donor and gently wipe out his/her memory of their "feeding."

The male is a predator, dark and dangerous, and this darkness grows until he finds his life mate-the feminine light that perfectly balances and illuminates his darkness. If he does not find his life mate soon enough, the male gradually loses his emotions and his ability to see in color. He is condemned to a lonely, dark and despairing world devoid of all happiness. When he does find her, he regains his emotions and his world becomes brightly colored, full of joy and hope.

But for many hundreds of years no female Carpathians have been born, and few males have survived infancy. To make matters worse, many males who have not found their life mates have become so filled with dark despair that they have "turned," becoming vampires who can then feel exhilaration by murdering humans and Carpathians. Carpathian males have had to focus much of their energy on tracking down and destroying this threat to all life while themselves resisting the overwhelming temptation to turn. Some have tried to take human women as their life mates, but the women have gone violently insane when their bodies were converted to Carpathian and had to be destroyed.

When Dark Prince begins, Mikhail Dubrinsky, the very wealthy and handsome prince of the Carpathians, has decided to walk into the sunlight and thus end his life. He wields enormous power over himself, others and all the elements, but his extreme loneliness and despair at ever finding a life mate have become overwhelming. He can no longer bear to go on, even though he feels a strong duty to lead his people and to wipe out vampires from the earth. He is afraid that he will turn himself if he waits any longer. And then he hears a sweet female voice in his head-one of compassion and comfort.

Raven Whitney has journeyed all the way from America to the remote and beautiful Carpathian mountains for a much-deserved rest. She is a supremely gifted psychic who has assisted the police in tracking down mass murderers-a nauseating task that damages her body and spirit but which she undertakes because of her compassion for the victims. She is all that is light and goodness, and she reaches out to Mikhail when she feels his overwhelming loneliness and despair. She is herself no stranger to loneliness; she must keep as far away from other people as possible to avoid being bombarded by their thoughts and emotions.

Mikhail is astounded by this psychic contact and immensely enjoys the teasing banter Raven mentally projects to cheer him up. He travels to her in the form of a bird and, observing her, realizes that she is his life mate. But how can this be? She is human. And how can he convince a woman who doesn't even know that Carpathians exist that she is his life mate?

Mikhail and Raven embark on an extraordinary relationship-fun, tender and sensual-that keeps the reader riveted. In the meantime, they are faced with danger from a group of fanatical vampire hunters bent on killing anyone who's not human. Mikhail and Raven team up to stop them, but clash over Raven's determination to take an active role that often places her in grave danger.

As a Carpathian, Mikhail is extremely protective and highly possessive of this woman he loves with a passion that goes beyond the most intense human feeling. He is tender, gentle and caring toward Raven while utterly ruthless and violent with his enemies. He will faithfully cherish her forever and will himself die if she does. Once life mates unite, they cannot live without being in frequent contact with each other. But how can he live forever with a human or convert her to Carpathian without destroying her? And how can he protect her from evils she doesn't realize exist?

Dark Prince is a riveting story full of action, surprise, passion and the depths of love. Feehan has created a mesmerizing hero that every romance reader can fall in love with and the wondrous world of Carpathians that is fascinating to explore. I could not put Dark Prince down and am eager to read all the novels in this unusual and compelling series.

Dark Prince has been a favorite book of mine for a while. It is one of those books that I re-read at least a couple of times a year just because the story resonates. I'm not sure what I was expecting with the author's cut and the extra 100 pages (maybe a couple of deleted chapters...). Instead, we see the characters build and grow. In the original release, I always felt that Gregori was a stronger character than Mikhail, but with the restored pages, we see that Mikhail has some bite (pun intended!!) Not only that, but Raven is not quite the "Pollyanna" she comes off as in the original release. I like her even better, now!

I will admit to cringing when Mikhail started to use some Carpathian phrases near the start of the book, even giving an audible "OH, NOOOOOOOO". But, fortunately, the inserts are sprinkled in sparingly.

If you like the original, I think you will love the the author's cut. I do!!

I had expected to enjoy the vampire romance, DARK PRINCE, by Christine Feehan, having read so many raving reviews about it. However, I should have paid closer to attention to the reviewers who termed the book "repetitive" and "boring," as I agree wholeheartedly on both accounts.

The gist of the story, in one sentence, is that Carpathian vampire prince Mikhail finds his life mate, a human woman with telepathic abilities, all the while battling evil vampire hunters determined to exterminate his kind.

It took me 3 weeks to finish 314-page DARK PRINCE, and that is abnormal for me, since I usually finish a book within hours. It felt like torture, reading this book, and I only made myself finish because I always wonder if it might get better. It did not.

So what are some of my grievances?

Well, for one, there is no tension in the book. Mikhail and Raven are in love right from the start, and have sex like 5 or 6 times by page 100. Where is the conflict in that? Why should I continue reading it? Well, apparently the author felt the laughable subplot in which Carpathian vampires are being hunted by vampire slayers was actually interesting. Sorry, no. The vampire slayers (repeatedly referred to as fanatical assassins) are a bunch of one-dimensional characters who die so fast it's not worthwhile to remember their names. They don't make for interesting or compelling villains.

Two, this book was in dire need of an editor. How many times does the author need to refer to Mikhail's predatory movements and muscular body or to Raven's innocence and compassion? Other phrases that became grossly overused included "little one," "her narrow rib cage," "her large blue eyes," "her large blue-violet eyes," "silky hair," "his voice was black-velvet seduction," "I'm an American," "I'm intelligent," and (my personal favorite) "I have brains." Yes, we all do, thank you.

Three, Raven was a stupid heroine. The whole book was mostly exposition in which she is arguing with Mikhail about everything and everyone, punctuated with my favorite idiotic repetitions of "I'm intelligent" and "I have brains." No you don't, not when you throw yourself in danger at every single turn, resulting in near-death experiences for you and the people around you. The ONLY time I thought this book was interesting was when Raven was stabbed five times in the gut. I was so happy! And that is really, really sad.

So, as you can see, I pretty much loathed this book.

Now, interestingly, my paperback copy of DARK PRINCE came with a "bonus" 150-page short story called DARK DESCENT, which I was very, very reluctant to read at first. Luckily, that story had a plot and lots of action, plus interesting characters, so I finished it in about 2 hours. DARK DESCENT is about how Joie, an American bodyguard and psychic, goes exploring in a cave and discovers her Carpathian life mate, Traian, as well as a bunch of really nasty evil vampires who want to kill them. While the story had its super-cheesy moments (why do people feel compelled to call vampires "blood suckers"?), it still was fast-paced and interesting, much more interesting than DARK PRINCE. So at least I didn't completely waste $7.99 on the book.

Not yet a vampire but not a human, Carpathians are of the earth and have the ability to control nature. Shapeshifting, mind control and their own brand of justice - these beings are unique, enthralling and terribly exciting! If you enjoy the darker side of romance, love with a slight chill running down your spine read The Dark Series!

Mikhail Dubrinsky is the oldest existing Carpathian, he is considered one of the Ancients - although he looks like a fallen angel. His power is incredible, his responsibilities are enormous and his law is absolute. Yet his destiny lies in the soul of one petite woman who is both exquisite and intelligent, not to mention human. Of course, what else would his lifemate be?

Raven Whitney never thought her psychic abilities would bring her the love of her life, nor did she realize he would change her life forever! The only thing she knew for sure was that she loved this arrogant, totally male being with all of her heart and there was nothing she wouldn't do to make him smile, unless he became too sure of himself... then she'd have to put him in his place :)

Come and join the family! Meet Mikhail and Raven, Jacques, Gregori, Byron, Celeste, Aidan and Julian... just to name a few! But beware: once you start there is no looking back! This is a series full of promise and love, and of course a Dark side!

You MUST, ABSOLUTELY MUST read this book. It was my first vampire romance and worth it. The story is compelling and sex scenes are exciting. The real strength of the book however is the writing. It really captures the reader. I'm telling you, this book started out SWINGING! By the time I finished the first chapter I was already upset it was going to end. I read it in one night. Got up the next day and read it again! That good. The scenes were well thought out; you could actually feel, hear and see what was being described. This book is not for the fainthearted, rated R [or maybe X =:)] on the violence/sex. I withhold 1 star because the dialogue at times were lengthy lectures and/or redundant. I also felt there were too many characters in the book. I started out with a set of characters and by the end got a whole new crew. Nonetheless, a good read.

I am adding Christine Feehan to my short list of favorite authors. I give her a standing ovation for her work in this novel. It is a storyline so unique and so compelling that it leaves one craving for more. I fell in love with Mikhail and Raven's story. It was entrancing and very romantic. Gregori was a great character. I would love to read more in depth the story of his own dark struggle. I eagerly await what else Ms. Feehan will pull out of that wonderfully imaginative mind of hers.

I have been reading 'vampire romances' for years now and Christine Feehan has become my favorite author of this genre. Her portrayal of the Carpathian race is fresh and new. Carpathians are a race all their own: they give birth to other Carpathians, they are not 'made' as other vampires are. They are a loving, loyal lot who will go to the ends of the earth to protect their kin and their life-mates. Mikhail recognizes human Raven as his life-mate and 'speaks' to her telepathically. Raven is a renowned psychic who is on a well-deserved vacation from her job tracking serial killers. Mikhail and Raven are an incredible couple with incredible powers. They must love and trust each other to stay one step in front of the 'others' that are trying to destroy the Carpathian race. Very sensual and an incredible novel. I have also read "Dark Desire" and "Dark Gold" and look forward to "Dark Magic" with all of the giddiness of a three year-old waiting for the ice cream truck. Fantastic!

Add me to the cheering list for DARK PRINCE. It is the most original, and well-rounded book I have read in months. I kept thinking about Mikhail and other male Carpathians today -- thinking about beings that live so long that they lose their emotions, even the ability to see in color unless they find their lifemates - wow!!! I really enjoyed learning about the secrets and special abilities which Christine Feehan gifted the Carpathians as well as the burdens (personal demons) each male faces to survive.

This book has been a hot discussion point on several of my listservs. Everyone is dying to find out who the hero/heroine in DARK DESIRE will be. I would love to see more of Mikhail and Raven's story, but everyone agrees that they can hardly wait for Gregori's story.

Thank you Christine for taking us to a very special universe, filled with so many people we can enjoy and truly like.

I was looking forward to reading this book because of all the great reviews it received on Amazon. I gotta tell you... I don't know what is wrong with all the people who left great reviews for this book. I want to know what they're smoking so I can keep away from it!

The book starts out great. It draws you in and it makes you want to know more. Until you the main characters meet.. then it's: him: you're mine. her: no i'm not. him: i can't live without you. her: i don't know what that means. him: you're my lifemate. her: stop saying that, i don't know what that means. him: you're mine. her: no i'm not. etc.

So much whining from the heroine you want her to die. On top of that, every other page there's a sex scene. Hey, I like a good sex scene as much as the next gal, but not on EVERY.... OTHER..... PAGE!!! Give me a break.

The whining doesn't stop. All the author had to do is have the hero explain to the heroine who he is and his way of being, etc, in, at the very most, one chapter.

One last thing. Apparently this happens in Romania and the Carpathians have been around for centuries. Surprisingly not one of them has a Romanian name. That's puzzling to me.

I hope the next book in the series is better. But I'm not holding my breath.

"Dark Prince" offers paranormal fans a break from the stagnation in recent vampire romances. As a powerful Carpathian male (as opposed to a "vampire," who is a Carpathian-turned-evil) and the prince of his people, Mikhail dutifully carries out Carpathian justice. The weight of delivering death to former Carpathians and centuries of sensory deprivation (the combined result of age and failure to find a lifemate,) torment Mikhail with the fear of "turning." A human woman, Raven, responds telepathically to Mikhail's unspoken plea for redemption.

Raven, in the Carpathian Mountains on a respite from psychically tracking serial killers, finds a kindred spirit in Mikhail. Even so, she resists his instinctively possessive, dominating and feral behavior. Her transformation from human woman to Carpathian princess (as Mikhail's lifemate) is fraught with difficulty.

"Dark Prince" offers more than a new twist on "Dracula." Author Christine Feehan envelops the reader with her Carpathian males, their struggle against their inner beasts and the women who redeem them. Readers looking for more than the typical pain-in-the-neck vampire story will highly appreciate this book.