Customer Reviews

Lair Of The Lion

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I know everyone utterly adore's Christine Feehan's Carpathian Saga's, and I am a fan as well, but I think she really shows her true talent in The Scarletti Curse and now this this one.

She single-handedly brings Gothics back into fashion with an updated style, giving us the brooding hero, the fearless heroine and all the spooky shadows guaranteed to keep the readers on the edge their seats.

The story is basically a beauty and beast redo...the cursed Don Nicolai DeMarco doomed to destroy the woman he marries and Isabella Vernaducci defying everything to save, first her brother, and then the man she loves.

Feehan breathes life into the faded Gothics and Faerytales alike and I say MORE MORE MORE!!

So fans of the old series Beauty and the Beast - here is a treat for you!!

I enjoy Christine Feehan's books, but this was not one of her best. To describe it as overwrought would be an understatement. The heroine, Isabella Vernaducci feels "evil" and "chills up her spine" at least twice in every chapter. She breaks down in tears or is near tears regularly. I suppose though, that tears would be warranted since she is stalked, attacked, and/or injured in practically every chapter. Honestly, the beginning of each chapter became a guessing game: "How Will Isabella Get Hurt/Trapped/Attacked This Time?" I don't mind heroines in danger, but this was ridiculous.

Another aspect that hurt this book was lack of clear storytelling. The vagueness of "the curse" for instance. The explanation of why and how it originated was clear enough, but how it worked with the hero, Don DeMarco was not. First, only Isabella can see him as a man (not a beast). Then others can see him that way as long as she touches him. Later he explains that he can sometimes control his own image as a beast or a man. It seemed to change constantly and was unnecessarily confusing.

Also, the time frame for this book was never given, much like in Feehan's other (but unrelated) Italian palazzo book (The Scarletti Curse). It's obviously historical (despite some characters' annoying use of contemporary phrases like "going berserk") but a time period would have been nice.

Christine Feehan is an engaging author, and while the characters in this book were interesting, they couldn't overcome the heavy handed treatment in the book. Feehan seems more in her element with her vampire novels.

"Lair of the Lion" by Christine Feehan is a compelling gothic romance perfect for curling up with on a cold winter night. I became utterly absorbed in the story right from the start, and Feehan's passionate storytelling kept me turning pages well into the night. The main characters are intriguing and well matched, and Feehan's take on the classic Beauty and the Beast tale becomes something original and wickedly enticing under her talented hand. "Lair of the Lion" is an all-around solid effort that is sure to be enjoyed by a wide range of romance readers.

Isabella Vernaducci is a courageous young aristocrat who has had everything that once belonged to her family stolen away by the ruthless and power-hungry Don Rivellio. On top of that, the pitiless Don has imprisoned her brother Lucca and sentenced him to death. Desperate to save her brother, Isabella makes the treacherous journey to the home of the powerful and mysterious Don Nicolai DeMarco in the Italian Alps. Don DeMarco is the only man who can save Lucca's life, but no outsider has ever survived the journey to his palazzo. Supposedly the victim of a terrible curse, Don DeMarco is rumoured to have the ability to control the heavens and to make the beasts on earth do his bidding.

But when Isabella arrives at the palazzo of Don DeMarco, she meets a man unlike any other she has ever met. His intense tawny eyes, flowing mane of hair, and devilishly handsome face make her heart pound double time. Though his commanding presence fills Isabella with fear, she is undeniably drawn to Don Nicolai. And she does not see the monstrous and heartless beast of legend when she looks at Nicolai, but a dedicated and compassionate man who has worked tirelessly for his people.

Don Nicolai DeMarco promises to save Isabella's brother on one condition, that she becomes his wife. Though the palazzo is a less than hospitable place, with huge lions roaming all around and permeated by a dark and malevolent presence, Isabella is captivated by Nicolai. But she soon finds out that the DeMarco curse is no legend, but a grim reality. Though she can see Nicolai as a handsome man, all others see him as a beast, a beast that is destined to destroy the woman he loves. But Isabella won't give up so easily on the man she has fallen in love with, and resolves to find a way to break the curse. Nicolai and Isabella's romance is portrayed in typical Feehan fashion, it's incredibly erotic, passionate and beautifully tender (and you may need to open a window to cool off while reading the love scenes).

Unfortunately, danger awaits Isabella at every turn and she's going to need every ounce of courage she possesses to save both herself and the man she loves. Unexplainable "accidents" occur almost daily, and they're all directed at Isabella. Feehan builds the suspense very effectively, and Isabella and Nicolai must stand together against the evil that seeks to destroy them, and hope that their love will be strong enough to triumph. Will Isabella find a way to defeat the curse and banish the evil that haunts the valley? Or will she end up sacrificing her life and Nicolai's soul?

"Lair of the Lion" is a wonderful historical romance filled with passion, thrills, chills, and intrigue. The atmosphere is unabashedly dark, brooding, and, well, gothic, so if you are not a fan of gothic fiction this isn't going to be your cup of tea. Personally, I thought it was great and I thoroughly enjoyed the gothic flavour of it all. Feehan has created a fascinating cast of rich and vivid characters, from the irresistible and charismatic hero, Nicolai, to his misunderstood and charming sister, Fransesca. The palazzo itself is a fabulous labyrinth of hidden passageways and shadowy corridors, providing the perfect setting for this riveting tale. "Lair of the Lion" is a tantalizing and suspenseful tale of first-rate gothic romance, and I recommend it whole-heartedly.

Wow! Oh My! I have loved every book that Christine Feeham writes and this one is no exception. Now this isn't a Dark series book but I'm hoping it could be a start of its own series. Hint, Hint!
This is a gothic tale that will have you craving more.

The story starts off with the heroine, Isabella searching for the only man who can save her brother. He is shrouded in darkness and mystery. Many have died trying to get to him but she knows that she has no other choice if she wants to save her brother. She soon finds herself infront of the man who is the answer to her problems. The don Nicolai, is enchanted by her even before he meets her. He knew she was coming and why. He will help her only if she agrees to marry him.

Now Nicolai has a deep secret that could destroy them all. He must keep the beast within himself tightly chained at all times. He fears for the future and believes that he can only have Isabella for a short time. Isabella must show him that he means the world to him and that together they can conquer the beast.

The love scenes are highly erotic and leave the reader breathless. I highly recommend this book.

As I said, it's Feehan so I'll read it and like it because she tells her stories so well. A few problems though. Right from the start I was thinking, "Didn't I already read this book? Except it was called The Scarletti Curse." Similar base storyline: girl comes to haunted castle, feels evil, falls in love with master and vice versa, brings laughter to the caster, gets into lots of trouble, saves the day. But there were enough differences that I didn't feel like I was reading about palazzo del morte again.
The story also got a little repetitious. Most of the time page limitations make stories too short, but this one was too long. As another reader said, you begin a chapter and automatically think "what trouble is Isabella going to get into this time?" Sometimes the characters were also a little thickheaded and you just want to yell "Duh! Don't you get it yet??!!"
But after the story dragged on too long, the ending was rushed into about 4 paragraphs. Problem solved in a snap, end of story, thanks for reading. It's like a roller coaster with a really really long uphill, a 5 foot downhill and then the ride's over. A little better use of pages next time, huh??!! I always like a chapter or an epilogue about what happened afterward. Also really wanted to hear more about Lucca and Francesca.
Overall, this was a good story. It keeps you reading to find out what will happen next and how it will end. You have to admire Isabella's strength in facing the entity, love for Nicolai, and determination to have others see him as she does. A good read, give it a try!

This was an enjoyable paranormal story. Instead of the usual vampires and demons, we have a hero who is cursed to live as half man/ half lion.

Don Nicolai DeMarco communicates with and controls the wild lions on his land. He has been cursed to become one of them any time he feels rage. Few people try to visit his castle, and most who do try are never seen again.

Isabella Vernaducci's brother has been taken prisoner by a greedy neighbor. She knows that the only man powerful enough to demand her brother's release is the Don who is rumored to be half beast. She risks her life traveling alone to the castle of Don DeMarco. She will do anything in return for his help.

Don DeMarco believes that this woman is the chosen one who can break the curse that has haunted his family for generations. In return for freeing her brother from his captor, DeMarco demands marriage with Isabella. She agrees. Although his people seem to treat him as a monster, Isabella only sees him as a beautiful man. However, Isabella's powerful gift of intuition allows her to sense a presence of evil within the Don's domain. Through suffering attempts upon her life, Isabella begins to unfold the mystery of the Don's curse.

After years of being disdained and unaccepted by mankind, Nicolai is quickly enamored with this woman who treats him like a human being. He will kill anyone who threatens her safety. After several attempts have been made to harm her, Nicolai feels he must let her go back to the safety of her home town. However, the wild lions under his command refuse to let her leave. Nicolai is determined to destroy anyone who threatens his beloved Isabella. However, the rage of the beast inside him may become her greatest threat of all.

I am a huge fan of Christine Feehan, I own all of her books and am anxiously awaiting the release of Dark Symphony.
BUT - Lair of the Lion left me feeling betrayed as an avid reader. I hated the way within minutes of their first time, he withdrew his offer of marriage and told her he would only take her as a mistress and he would take another bride. Could not believe Nicoli would be so heartless to Isabel. I kept hoping she would get away from that jerk. That ruined the book for me. It made the heroince feel used and betrayed. The ending was also not developed enough, no epilogue. Just a final call for the priest did not make up for the humiliation from his withdrawal of marriage.
Although I did not like "Lair of the Lion" I have loved and read and re-read all other Feehan works and have the entire collection of everything she has written. She has real talent and I am anxiously looking forward to her next releases.

Lair of the Lion is a passionate story about a young girl stripped of her land and wealth by the greedy hands of Don Rivellio, who also holds her brother captive awaiting execution. Desperate to save him, Isabella travels the fierce lands to the impenatrable sanctuary of the powerful Don DeMarco, to exchange her only bit of wealth, her deceased mother's jewelry, and her services as a servant, in return of her brother's safety. But the chemistry burns hotly between the two. He agrees to help her, if she'll become his wife.

Isabella has no objections, as long as her brother is returned safely. However, a strange and evil entity lives within the DeMarco court, living through a curse, and inflamed through jealousy, hatred and deceitfulness. The curse of all DeMarco men, that Isabella must find a way to end, before it destroys her and the Don DeMarco.

This book was an excellent read. It has a little bit of mystery, excitement and plenty of tension to keep any reader enthralled.

This has to be one of the most passion filled books that I have ever read. The love scenes are indescribably erotic and over the top with sensuality. A breath of fresh air to read from an author who can create sensual love scenes while still keeping romance between the characters. Nothing boring about their relationship or this book.

I was excited to begin this book for my local romance readers group because I'd heard many positive things about author Christine Feehan and the book appeared to be a new twist on the beauty and the beast theme (one of my personal favorites). Sadly, things didn't work out between me and author Christine Feehan (too much melodrama for me) and now I'm weary of beginning her vampire series (most of which I already own). Somebody please tell me this book was fluke!

Isabella is a beautiful, headstrong young maiden (aren't they all) who sets out on adventure to save her brother from the clutches of a very Eeevil man. The one man who Isabella believes can help her is Don DeMarco but, most unfortunately, he is reputed to be a cursed man and is apparently feared by all. Undaunted, our brave little heroine makes the treacherous trip to Don DeMarco's lair, a trip that has felled many a stronger man before her. Safe at the lair she meets Don DeMarco and can't figure out what the fuss about him is all about. So what if he's a bit broody, he's gorgeous! He agrees to help her with conditions attached (which I won't reveal unless you force me). She then takes up residence in his home. At night she hears spooky, ominous sounds in the night. She wanders about and makes dense decisions and faces down deadly lions (which seem to roam the home freely) while the people surrounding her begin to act all nutty. As the story advances lots of spooky and ominous stuff happens. Over and over again! None of it going anywhere or advancing the plot. During all of this repetitive madness Isabella and the cursed man (or is he?) begin to fall in love. Or that's what we're supposed to believe. Personally, I didn't buy it.

Initially I was hooked by the setup of the story, despite what I thought was an abundance of overly flowerly descriptive prose, a tendency towards the melodramatic and an annoying smattering of Italian words. But by page 70 my patience and excitement to turn the pages quickly began to wane. Extreme lack of character development (not to mention the over-the-top writing) did me in. I never felt like I knew any of these characters and when several of them acted oddly it didn't seem all that weird to me because for all I knew this was how they acted normally. The love story is also weakened by the lack of character development. The couple bounce back and forth between trusting each other wholly, falling into bed, having hot sex and then, when it's all over, they're back to distrusting each other. Ahhhhhh! I have no patience for this sort of thing and was soon bored of these two. Sadly, all of these problems continued until the anti-climatic end.

So, folks, are the vampire books similar in style??

Again I just love it!!! the writing is such that you can feel yourself there!!! I love the compassion and understanding and complete devotion these lovers have for one another, plus just the thought of being able to run wild with the animals as one of them is enuf to keep me interested!!!
If you love hot guys and romance and damsels in distress with a very happy ending then this is the one for you!!!!