Dark Legacy is a powerfully provoking read that takes us to the western coast, of a powerful vampire, an innocent woman in trouble and a Carpathian who has found his lifemate after centuries of searching….
Dark Legacy is such a wonderful read and it definitely lived up to my expectations and there were so many fun elements about this installment. This series might be so long, but it’s going so strong and this is a true testament to Feehan’s talent. She is such a talented author. It was this very series that got me hooked on the paranormal genre, and as I have followed this series over the years, I fall in love with it constantly, year after year, seeing this great world that Feehan has penned that is captivating and enthralling. What a journey this author has taken us readers. In Dark Legacy, we have a story that follows the few previous books.
So some background information for those that haven’t read this series. We have a group of people called “Carpathians”, who originated in Europe, but after centuries have spread further out. Due to the many wars in the Dark Ages, many of the Carpathian people were murdered trying to help their neighbors fights Turks and many other groups. And now there are just a few females, and their people are dying. But somehow since learning that there are gifted women in the world that are compatible to be turned and be lifemates to the males who have gone centuries fighting vampires and evil creatures. And the women that are their lifemates bring back color and emotion to the Carpathian males and keeps them from turning evil.
“Overwrought?” He repeated the word slowly as if he’d never heard it before. “Woman, a Carpathian hunter cannot possibly get overwrought. I just want to give you every possible opportunity to say you do not want me to bind you to me. I know you are my lifemate. I am ancient, and I do not always understand your modern world or the way women act toward their men. I believe it is my duty and privilege, my honor, to make you happy, but I am not certain I am capable of it when I believe strongly that my woman follows where I lead.”
In this story, we have our heroine, Emeline, who while trying to protect and save children was captured by a master vampire and tortured and raped violently. She was then rescued and brought to a sanctuary. Emeline considers herself dirty and unclean and not worthy of protection. She is pregnant by being raped by the master vampire and he is searching for her and left a sliver of himself inside of her so he can always find her and speak to her. Emeline is kind and caring and has a gentle nature. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. But she has dreams, of the man claiming to be her lifemate who will be killed trying to protect her. Dragomir is a strong Carpathian male and has been searching for centuries for his lifemate and finds her, but she is in danger from one of the most powerful vampires he has ever encountered. The beginning of the story just pulls you in pretty quickly in the story. There is quite a bit of suspense and action and I was captivated. But then we get to see the strong relationship that Dragomir and Emeline have together. Dragomir may be this big badass alpha male, but he is so tender and understanding with Emeline. I love how protective and accepting he is of her. He just loves her and will do anything to make her happy and make her feel safe.
You need to spend a little time at the computer. The days are long past where we kill our enemies and are glorified in song. Dragomir frowned. You were glorified in song? Of course. My deeds were great. Weren’t yours? My deeds were great, and yet no one glorified me in song. Köd alte hän. Darkness curse it, Sandu. That’s just not right. There must be some mistake.
We also get some great side cast of characters, the most influential and the one I love seeing throughout this whole series but has yet to have his own book is our beloved Gary. He definitely has changed through the books, who was once mortal and was changed to a Carpathian, but when you turn a male, it is quite different and Gary was filled with thousands of years of memories and knowledge and the darkness that comes with that. His lifemate is merely an infant currently and he is barely holding on. He has great healing capabilities. Gary is probably one of my top favorite characters from the WHOLE series so I loved seeing what a big part he played in this book and it will be a great day when Feehan writes his book. Because like many other readers that love this series….Gary is definitely a fan favorite.
Another fun aspect was seeing this group of Carpathians just come together and fight for one another and these innocent children who were tormented. I love how they just accept them and most especially Emeline who is really struggling with self-worth issues. What really changes for her though is the support and love these men and women have for her and her little daughter growing inside of her. Emeline has some powerful gifts and I love seeing this in her She is obviously recovering from serious trauma but we see her strength and courage. She is capable of dream walking and even of being able to change the sex of her baby without the vampire’s knowledge which has never been done before. I love how unique she is because I felt such a kinship to her character. She had many qualities that I could see in myself and many other women I know personally. I love how that resonates in Emeline and seeing how she overcomes her past trauma and fights in her own way.
He saw trust. Complete trust. It was a gift, a precious one, and it humbled him. I’ve got you, Emeline. I will always be with you.
We also get some unique happening at the end of the book here. We get two new powerful Carpathian women that have disappeared for centuries and we find out what happens to them and wow I was amazed since I have a feeling that these women will play a huge role in the future of the series. I can’t wait to see what Feehan has in plan for them.
Overall a story that exciting, keeps you on your toes, full of all the feels and will tug at your heartstrings!! BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN
About Christine Feehan
Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 50 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, Ghostwalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, & the Sisters of the Heart Series. All five series hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestselling list as well. Her debut novel Dark Prince received 3 of the 9 Paranormal Excellence Awards in Romantic Literature (PEARL) in 1999. Since then she has been published by various publishing houses including Leisure Books, Pocket Books, and currently is writing for Berkley/Jove. She also has earned 7 more PEARL awards since Dark Prince.
IN HER WORDS:
I've been a writer all of my life -- it is who I am. I write for myself and always have. The ability to create pictures and emotions with words is such a miracle to me. I read everything; I mean everything! All kinds of books, even encyclopedias. I am fascinated by the written word and I love storytellers. It is a great privilege to be counted one myself.