Feral Darkness [Mass Market Paperback]

Doranna Durgin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2001

Award-winning author Doranna Durgin has over 30 published novels (MMPB, trade, and hardcover) and another 19 short pieces. Now available from the author, A FERAL DARKNESS is a perpetual reader favorite originally published by Baen--on the cutting edge of paranormal romance when it was first released, it bundles suspense and romance into a contemporary fantasy setting.
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"The mystery and fantasy slowly draw together, bonded by supreme characterization, to make for a story which is almost impossible to put down."
--Reviewers Bookwatch
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As a child, dog-loving Brenna Fallon naívely invokes an ancient Celtic deity to save her beloved hound--and inadvertently anchors the new-found power at a spring on her family's farm.

She doesn't know she's also left an opening for a far more malevolent force.

Years later, thanks to the actions of several angry young men, Brenna discovers the terrible potential of that gateway. With a devastating plague unfolding abruptly around her, she must depend on her wits, a stranger she doesn't trust, and a mysterious stray dog who becomes more than just a faithful companion as she struggles to drive back the threat of a modern Black Death.

Welded by a desperate sacrifice, woman, man, and dog face the feral darkness together.
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"If you are looking for a book that has paranormal elements and some romance, is expertly written with wonderful characters and has a smooth pace that leads up to a climatic finish, A FERAL DARKNESS is the book for you and it is not to be missed."
--The Romance Reader's Connection

"This is a very smart, well-woven book, with an initially cranky but ultimately endearing hero and a thoroughly satisfying ending."
--Mary Jo Putney, bestselling author of the The Rake

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Baen (May 22, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671319949
• ISBN-13: 978-0671319946
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,224,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Doranna responded to all early injunctions to "put down that book/notebook and go outside and play" by climbing trees to read & write.

Such quirkiness of spirit has created a wandering path through the publishing world, spanning genres and form to include thirty novels and counting--mystery, SF/F, action-romance, and franchise, including the Compton Crook-winning Dun Lady's Jess--and a slew of essays and short stories.

But after all that, mostly she still prefers to hang around outside with the animals. She doesn't believe so much in mastering the beast within, but in channeling its power. For good or bad has yet to be decided.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery, romance, pagan gods and dog grooming??? Yes!, June 30, 2001

By 

Walt Boyes "Walt Boyes" (Aurora IL USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Feral Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

A dog groomer becomes more and more enmeshed in a mysterious and really spooky world where a sprit of evil has released a new and much more virulent form of rabies into the world. Out of the night, a short-legged dog, an unlikely hero, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, enters her life. He, and a pair of Basque magicians, bring real interest to this fantasy romance.

Doranna Durgin's depiction of her lead character's life as a dog groomer, and her portraits of the dogs in the story read like real life. This book has the best realization of what a corgi is like in any fiction.

Read it for the fantasy and the magic. Read it for the romance. Read it for the dogs. Read it. You will be glad you did.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So Good!, January 20, 2002

By 

Thea (New London, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feral Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

As a child, Brenna Fallon loved her dog so much, she invoked the spirit of Mars Nodens (a god of healing who favored hounds) to heal her dying, canine companion. Years later, the sacred spot where she invoked the god is desecrated and a malevolent force is building, waiting to be unleashed. That time is now.

A dark and oppressive force, angry neighbors, vicious animal attacks, all hint at the approaching modern Black Death. Before you know it, animals and people start dying. Brenna, with the help of a handsome, mysterious stranger and a quirky stray dog, must find the strength to fight back against this evil plague. For she's been having chilling glimpses into the future...and it's ugly.

A FERAL DARKNESS has just enough romance in it to keep me satisfied. When Brenna and Gil first meet, they don't even like each other. While working together they start to learn things about the other person and fall in love. The loves scenes are "G" rated, and it is so refreshing to read about the romance instead of where the couple jump into bed thirty seconds after meeting! It was nice to see Brenna and Gil grow closer, and start to care for each other.

Ms. Durgin does an amazing job with her characters, endowing them with little quirks that made them seem so alive, especially Druid, the stray dog. If you like dogs, you'll fall in love with Druid, who is very charming and delightful. Brenna is just a regular woman who is trying to deal with what is going on the best she can. She is smart and intuitive, but she doesn't have all the answers and I liked her because of that.

If you are looking for a book that has romance, some paranormal elements, is expertly written with wonderful characters and has a smooth pace that leads up to a climatic finish, A FERAL DARKNESS is the book for you and it is not to be missed.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Writes great human dialog and even better dog dialog, May 22, 2001

By 

Ann (Coeur d'Alene, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Feral Darkness (Mass Market Paperback)

As a multiple dog owner, avid science fiction fan and sucker for good old fashioned romance I found myself enchanted on all three levels by this book. Even though I usually have multiple books going at once and happily hop back and forth between them, this one was read at one long sitting--and lying as I took it to bed to read through the night. Not since I discovered Taylor Caldwell years ago as a teenager have I so enjoyed a story featuring human-animal communication. I especially related to "Druid," the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, who brought back many memories of my own beloved Pembroke Corgi, Gus, who succumbed to cancer this past summer. Anyone who has ever loved and lost a loyal canine companion is bound to be as taken by the rightness of Durgan's portrayal of human-dog relationships as I was. The human-human ones also ring true. The story satisfies throughout and its ending is just offbeat and upbeat enough to leave one feeling happily satisfied.