Customer Reviews

Feral Darkness

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

A FERAL DARKNESS is Durgin's first contemporary fantasy, after several traditional fantasy novels. Having read this one, I must say she ought to continue with contemporary settings! Her understanding of characters and their motivations and fears makes this a must-read book for those who like contemporary novels with supernatural settings and challenges. Brenna and Masera are very real individuals, and Brenna's bonding with Druid, the stray dog who is more than just a dog, proves Durgin's understanding of the human-animal bond. Druid is not a typical fantasy animal, talking telepathically or otherwise, but a very real companion. A touch of romance adds a nice extra to an entertaining and compelling story. I read this book in one fell swoop, and wish it had been longer!

I used to be a dog groomer and am now a State Animal Control Officer. I started reading Doranna Durgin books with Touched by Magic which, in my opinion, is by far her best book I have read so far. Durgin is a fresh writer who definately did her homework on this book. She talks about subjects I deal with on a daily basis and is right on the money on every subject. Her descriptions of the dogs and the "day in the life of a dog groomer" are extremely accurate. All of her books are GREAT!! I have shared them with a co-worker who is also a sci-fi/fantasy fan. When she came out with this book, I just had to share it with him, since it is right up our alley. He loved it too!!

The book is about a young heroine who dabbles in the mystic powers of the great beyond and bites off more than she can chew. I highly recommend any fantasy fan to read this book, finally an author who writes about a subject new and fresh!! This book is like none other you have ever read. Doranna is a wonderful writer, ENJOY!!!

And, who you ask it from...Yes, definitely know the God you are praying to and what they can do.

Nine year old Brenna Fallon wants her old hound dog to live--so badly, she prays to the Celtic God of healing and hounds, Mars Nodens. Her prayer is granted, but she's unwittingly opened a gate on her property.

The subsequent burial of her dog after a good, longer than average, life and some teens discovering the place for a party, further enliven the magic spot.

Now, 27 year old Brenna has to cope with a new strain of rabies that effects both man and dog. She has some unexpected help from Druid a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Masera, this book's version of Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. Very nicely balanced fantasy romance with a decent amount of action interspersed. Definitely keeps you reading. Highly recommended for dog lovers, fantasy lovers, romance lovers.

Only one down note: the theology discussion is probably a little tiresome for some. Other than that, very interesting and well-written. Bravo!

When she was a little girl, Brenna Fallon loved her pet dog more than anything. She couldn't bear the thought of his death, but she knew that he was getting old. She read about an ancient god named Mars Nodens, who was said to favor dogs and decided that she would ask him to let her dog live longer. Unfortunately, her prayer was answered...

Years later, Brenna discovers that she opened a gateway of power by a spring on her property - a gateway that can be used for both great good and great evil. To survive, she must rely on her wits and follow her instincts to strengthen the gateway as a power for good. She also finds assistance from a mysterious stranger, Masera, whom she is unwillingly attracted to. But her greatest helpmate is a puzzling stray dog named Druid who becomes far more than a faithful companion...

This book was a fun find for me as it is different than your typical fantasy. I like dogs, but do not own one, and it was very entertaining to hear about Brenna's job as a dog groomer and all of the problems that she has to deal with every day. The book is packed with interesting characters and I enjoyed meeting all of them. The plot was pretty well-paced, it seemed to kind of stall in a couple of spots, but it kept me going and I read it in one sitting. My only complaint is that Durgin spent quite a bit of time on a debate between Christian religions (believing in a God) and pagan religions where there are many gods. The main character, Brenna, struggles with believing in both and visits the priest at the church a couple of times, has inner debates, etc. It was a little distasteful to me, but nothing bad, of course. Still, it caught me unpleasantly by surprise and I just want to offer a fair warning!

Durgin has always written marvelous characters, especially her animals, but in Feral Darkness she surpasses her previous works. You'll remember Druid and Sunny long after you put the book down, and the human characters are equally real. The pacing of this story kept me up long past midnight. Highly recommended.

Doranna Durgin wisely grounds this fantasy (and its readers) with very mundane elements: the child who would do anything to save her beloved pet, a lousy boss, an annoying older sibling, and that less-than-stellar job you keep because you're not sure you could do anything else. By the time the fantasy comes to the fore, you already believe in the characters, and thus have no problem following them along their dark and dangerous path. I also liked the fact that Durgin mixed the supernatural threat with more realistic ones (trying to avoid spoilers, but if you've read the book, you know what I mean). The idea that this all could be happening in an ordinary small town filled with ordinary people is the most chilling feeling of all.

Great story, viscerally real settings, and believable, engaging characters. What more could you want? Well, how about a sense of magic layered so seamlessly within our own world that you have absolutely no moment of disbelief, only wonder? Durgin achieves all this and more with her latest. FERAL DARKNESS is one of those reads that will transport you completely from the here and now, yet at the end, you'll find yourself looking at this world (and its creatures) with fresh eyes. Another can't-put-down book from a multi-talented author.