"Excellent! Edgy, Shapeshifter Romance"
DARK DESIRE is the second book of the Dark
(Carpathian)
Saga that debuted with DARK PRINCE (August 1999); Ms.
Feehan's first published novel that rapidly achieved
popular acclaim. Although it is not necessary, I strongly recommend reading
DARK PRINCE prior to reading this book. It will
familiarize the reader with the characters as well as some
background and insight into the Carpathian physiology and
rituals. DARK DESIRE is the story of Jacques. Those who are already
familiar with Jacques, know him as the easy-going
Carpathian
who in spite of his dark colorless existence, has retained
a
sardonic sense of humor. He is the younger brother of
Carpathian Prince Mikhail to whom he is both loyal and
affectionate. A quarter century has passed and life has changed Jacques
in a big way. He has been tortured by a group of human
males in league with a betrayer, one of his own kind.
Paralyzed
and painfully wounded, he is entombed. Unable to reach the
healing soil he is weak, in excruciating pain, his mind on
the brink of insanity. He is unable to communicate with
others of his race. He is presumed dead. His only
connection to the world outside is a tenuous link to a
young human female. His memory fractured, he feels he
knows her and calls out to her. He is bewildered as to why
she doesn't come to free him. Is she in league with the
betrayer? Jacques hangs on by shear force of will, living
for the day of his retribution. Shea to has lived with isolation. Her father whom she's
never known is presumed to be dead. Her mother's grief is
so complete she has nothing left for Shea. Once Shea is
grown she chooses to join her beloved in death. Shea has been stricken with strange physical attacks and
bewildering dreams. A man is in terrible peril and is
calling out to her. She does not respond, believing them
to
be nightmares, perhaps a manifestation of her illness.
Shea has a rare blood disease; she fears she is dying. She
requires daily transfusions. Left virtually to raise
herself, Shea's intelligence and interest in discovering a
cure has led her to become a physician in her late teens.
She is a gifted surgeon, known for her ability to wrest the
most severely injured from the jaws of death. Her ability
to communicate with the minds of her surgical team makes
her extremely efficient. For seven years she has endured these strange attacks and a
compulsion to rescue this unreal victim who calls to her.
Then finding her mother' journal, she learns the identity
of her father who apparently suffered from the same
disease.
Sensing her time is running out, she travels to his
homeland
in the Carpathian Mountains seeking information, drawing
ever closer to the one who calls to her soul. Jacques is nearly feral from his experience. He has no
memory, cannot trust those who were once close to him.
There is only Shea. If Mikhail and Raven's love was
unrestrained and passionate, the relationship between
Jacques and Shea is explosive, just shy of violent. Shea is
a remarkable heroine; she fights for Jacques with
everything she has in her. She is strong no matter what
Jacques throws at her, and in spite of his powerful
Carpathian's will, she is firm her convictions and remains
very independent. I enjoyed all the mysteries that unraveled; Who and what is
Shea and who is she to Jacques? Can she repair his body and
his mind, can she earn his trust? Who is the betrayer,
what is his grievance, and how does he have the power
ensnare and paralyze a Carpathian? Then of course we edged
just a little bit closer to the key to the secret that
might just save the Carpathian race, but only enough to
make
the reader yearn for the next book in the series. The character development was incredible as was the
romance. I was gripped by Jacques struggle to contain the
violence he feels, the strength he exerts as he tries to
reorder his shattered mind. I was also impressed with Shea.
She is strong, supportive, and up to handling a Carpathian
male at his very worst. In spite of her inevitable role in
Jacques life she maintains her independence. Chris Feehan has a fertile imagination and a gift for story
telling. Copyright 1999
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted September 6, 2001
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