Review: Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan

Posted January 27, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 2 Comments

Review: Dark Wolf by Christine FeehanReviewer: Holly
Dark Wolf (Dark, #25) by Christine Feehan
Series: Dark Series #25
Also in this series: Dark Nights (Dark #6.5, #9.5), Dark Promises (Dark, #29), Dark Carousel (Dark, #30), Dark Legacy (Dark, #31), Dark Slayer (Dark, #17), Dark Sentinel (Dark #28)
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: January 7th 2014
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 496
Add It: Goodreads
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two-half-stars
Series Rating: three-stars

WHERE DARK LYCAN ENDED, DARK WOLF BEGINS...
BOOK NUMBER 25 IN CHRISTINE FEEHAN'S ACCLAIMED CARPATHIAN SERIES
#1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan now delivers her most eagerly awaited novel of all—ten years in the making—in the “the erotic, gripping series that has defined an entire genre” (J. R. Ward).
In Dark Lycan, Christine Feehan journeyed into the heart of the Carpathians, and into the souls of two lifemates stirred by the flush of passion and the threat of annihilation. In Dark Wolf, the breathtaking story continues as the bonds of family are imperiled, and the fate of two lovers lies hidden in the seductive shadows between life and death.
Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognized the miracle that was Dimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nights. But she was human. Vulnerable. He was Carpathian. Nearly immortal. She was nineteen. He was an ancient. Yet she held half his soul, the light to his darkness. Without her, he would not survive. Caught between the two warring species, Dimitri has spent centuries hunting the undead to keep his people free, and humans safe. He had survived honorably when others had chosen to give up their souls. But now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri found himself alone, and fearing for his life. But salvation was coming…
No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to dare mount a secret rescue operation. A teenage girl. A human of untested abilities. But she had something no one else had. She was predestined for Dimitri—as he was for her. And there was nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true. Whatever the risk.
 INCLUDES A PREVIEW OF CHRISTINE FEEHAN’S NEXT CARPATHIAN NOVEL, DARK BLOOD

 

This is the long awaited story of Skylar, adopted daughter of Francesca and Gabriel (Dark Legend), and Dmitri, her lifemate. I’ve been wanting this story since I first read Dark Legend in 2006. I loved Skylar in that book and couldn’t wait for her to have her own book. Unfortunately for me, I stopped reading the series back at book 15. I missed a lot in 10 books. It read less like a romance between those two and more like an extension of storylines from previous books. If, like me, you were lured back to the series by these 2, I suggest you either skip it or read ALL the previous books before going into it.

For years Skylar and  Dimitri have been connected to one another, speaking through their minds even though they’ve been separated. When Dimitri goes silent, Skylar knows there’s something seriously wrong. Praying he isn’t dead, she enlists her two best friends to help her rescue Dimitri from his captors. Though none of the adults in her life will share anything about his situation with her, they have a strong bond that allows her to track him. Their plan isn’t foolproof, but they have the element of surprise on their side – who would think a 19-year-old girl would be out to rescue a Carpathian thousands of years old? – and Skylar won’t quit until she sees for herself Dimitri is dead or she saves him.

Dimitri is being held captive by Lycans who want to use him to start a war with the Carpathians. He’s half Carpathian, half Lycan and considered an abomination by the pureblood Lycans. He knows his brother is coming for him and he has to hold on. For Skylar, his lifemate, he has to stay alive. It’s getting harder by the day…until he opens his mind to hers again and realizes she’s there and prepared to rescue him.

Casee said she read Dark Lycan, the book released before this one, and this book made perfect sense for her.. I’m sure much of my frustration stemmed from having read up to Dark Demon and none of the subsequent books. 

Having said that, I was still frustrated by how little focus was actually on Skylar and Dimitri. I went back and read Dark Legend. That story was so much richer. There were bits about the lives of the Carpathians away from their hunt for vampires (Like Dmitri running a foundation for wolves and creating stuffed animals, something not mentioned in this book at all), snippets of the lives of the hero and heroine together but away from the fight with the vampires (or Lycans, as in this book), etc. Reading DL really highlighted how little time Feehan spent on Skylar and Dimitri. There were threads from different storylines, but hardly anything substantial.

The only good thing I can say about Dark Wolf is it reinforced my decision to leave the series. Now I don’t feel like I need to go back.

2 out of 5 (for the fight scenes and nostalgia)

Dark Series

two-half-stars


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2 responses to “Review: Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan

  1. Yeah, I haven’t been tempted to go back at all–I don’t even remember what book I stopped at (Dark Melody?), but even then I was tired of the writing style/author’s voice.

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