I received this book for free from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Dark Sentinel by Christine Feehan Also in this series: Dark Prince, Dark Celebration, Dark Destiny, Dark Peril, Dark Storm, Dark Wolf, Dark Magic
Series: Carpathian #28
Published by Berkley on September 4, 2018
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Vampires
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Berkley Publishing Group
In an explosive novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, a human woman ignites the desire of her Carpathian lifemate--and of an ancient vampire with a score to settle.
After the devastating loss of her entire family, Lorraine Peters heads to the woods searching for peace of mind and anything to quell the anger in her soul. Instead, she stumbles upon a scene of horrific violence, as one man lies helpless in the face of three attackers.
Andor Katona's existence has been a harsh one, living for centuries as a monk in the Carpathian Mountains. Unable to find his lifemate, he almost welcomes his release from a colorless and unfeeling world at the hands of the vampire hunters who have mistaken him for their prey. That is, until a whirling ball of fury bursts onto the scene, determined to save him.
In one glimpse, in one breath, Andor recognizes Lorraine as his lifemate, but it will take more than their telepathic connection to convince her of their immortal bond. Lorraine is a lethal combination of cunning and courage. So much so that she captures the attention of a master vampire, one who has already lost what was once irreplaceable to him. One who will strike with deadly precision at Andor and his ancient Carpathian comrades in a war to end all wars. . .
Dark Sentinel is the 28th installment in this fabulous series of the Carpathian World that Christine Feehan delivers to us. This is a huge and daunting series but I have enjoyed every new book that adds more depth to this incredible world that this author has developed for her readers!! I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting especially when dealing with one of the infamous Monastary Carpathians, but this book really wasn’t what I was expecting, and that was fun to see a story in this world develop in such a way that I didn’t quite see coming. Feehan always does this for me when I least expect it to happen.
Our delicious tale begins with our hero, Andor Katona. who is one of the oldest Carpathians, he has long given up on ever finding his lifemate. He made a vow to never give into the darkness and to live with honor until the end. He has come to the states to help his brothers, but finds himself fighting over a hoard of vampires and injured he is found by three human vampire hunters who then stake him. He knows that he is too weak to survive and is contempletaing letting hiimself go in the sun. Andor is shocked when he sees a human woman, comes out of the woods holding a pot in her hands and going all kamikaze on his attackers. Lorraine Peters has lost her family and is haunted by their deaths and was seeking some peace and solitude in the woods when by the creek, she could hear what these men were doing to another, and it horrified her and she couldn’t let someone die in such a horrible way.
Lorraine was raised in a family that were devoted to the martial arts and even though her parents could be strict, they were loving. But when coming home for Thanksgiving, she comes to a blood bath, where all her family are killed by her brother high on steroids who then kills himself. She is tormented by her past and the loss of all those that mattered to her. Lorraine is a fighter though, she is smart and crafty and accepting of reality. When Lorraine finds Andor, things shift for her. She focuses on his needs and his health, she trusts him when he tells her the truth about himself and how to help him. I really admired that Lorraine didn’t go into denial or resist the reality of who Andor was, she just accepted it. We continue with the story when his friends are on their way to aid him (Ferro, Sandu and Gary), when a vampire attacks and Lorraine holds her own with him and man she kicked butt peeps!! This was one of my favorite action scenes in the whole book, because we see what Lorraine is made of and that she is more than capable a defeating a vampire…a mere human woman and it was awesome to see her strength and creativity. We then get to meet the three Carpathians, Andor’s closest friends, that would be a rock for Lorraine as well.
Lorraine is hesistant to let anyone into her life especially after all that she has lost, but Andor and his friends, treat her life real family and she finds belonging again. Andor is one of my favorite heroes that I have seen in this series in a while. What I really loved about this is one we get to see the infamous Gary. Gary is a side character that we have seen since book five, and has played a role in different ways. He is a human turned Carpathian and a great healer and warrior. Andor is gravely injured, near death and Lorraine as his lifemate is the only one that is able to bring him back to the land of the living. Lorraine has her doubts about this “lifemate” thing, but she feels a connection to Andor.
Andor and Lorraine find themselves bound in a way that was unsuspecting including the three friends which anchored Andor to live. But the story isn’t over, Andor and Lorraine may have found something more than priceless in each other, but there is an enemy out there wanting to destroy them. The youngest Malinov brother is more dangerous than ever before. They come across him and his troubadour of vampires he is using, and while they defeat them they are unable to capture him and Lorraine is injured. While they take her back to their sanctuary in the states, Lorraine is able to meet other Carptathians and human children. She is able to find a place among them and along side the man she is coming to love fiercely. What I really admired about these two was their unity in just about everything.
I want you to take your time, Lorraine. We are bound together, soul to soul, and as long as you realize we are lifemates, meant to be together, I want you to do whatever you need to in order to come into our world with your mind fully made up.
Andor is not your typical Carpthaian and I was suprised in how understanding, accepting and patient he was with Lorraine. Most Carpathian’s aren’t as diplomatic as he is. There is an almost gentle quality whenever he is with Lorraine. He is a fierce warrior, but I love the way he courts his gal. There is nothing in dubious consent at all, and I loved how much he encourages her to be herself and not hold anything back from him or herself. He loves her strength and wits in a battle. The story escalates with the evil malinov vampire, and boy it got intense at times. We have some future stories revealed including on who Gary’s lifemate is which has been hinted at in previous books, but we see a different side to him. We see one of my new characters find his lifemate and hope his story will be soon.
The romance that develops between Lorraine and Andor is unforgettable. This is a fated mates trope (like many of Feehan’s books) so that is something you need to enjoy. However I felt that Feehan really handled this trope so well in this book. Andor and Lorraine make a great team. Andor is a powerful Carpthathian hunter, but he also has compassion and understanding. Lorraine is human, fierce but gentle too. She has such a strong spirit but needs the soft moments in her life too. Too much violence she abhors but when she finds Andor, she finds a outlet for that which haunts her. Her life isn’t all roses and daisies upon finding Andor, but she is able to find her center and peace in a way she never felt before. We see the friendships and the family bonds in this story that is simply so beautifully written.
I think it should be ours. Your brothers, in the short time I’ve known them, have given me back a family when I thought I would spend my life forever alone. You’ve offered me a world where I can matter, where my life has meaning.
Overall I found Dark Sentinel to be a tale of suspense, intrigue, dangerous creatures that go bump in the night and a endearing love story that tugs at all those sweet poignant emotions….A TALE TO SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET!!
I see you Lorraine. Never think for one moment that you are not my choice. That you are not in my heart. I cannot see anything or anyone but you.
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.
0 Comments