#BookReview – “Dark Melody” by Christine Feehan

Blurb

Lead guitarist of the Dark Troubadours, Dayan was renowned for his mesmerizing performances. His melodies stilled crowds, beckoned, seduced, tempted. And always, he called to her. His lover. His lifemate. He called to her to complete him. To give him the emotions that had faded from his existence, leaving him an empty shell of growing darkness. Save me. Come to me.

Corinne Wentworth stood at the vortex of a gathering storm. Pursued by the same fanatics who'd murdered her husband, she was risking her life by keeping more than one secret. Fragile, delicate, vulnerable, she had an indomitable faith that made her fiery surrender to Dayan all the more powerful. This was the one woman whose loss would destroy him, even as her love promised to heal his soul.

Review

In the tenth book of the Dark/Carpathian series, Dayan is the lead guitarist of the Dark Troubadours and the only band member not yet mated. Then he sees Corrine in a bar while he’s performing, and he finally sees in color.

Corrine Wentworth is dying from a defected heart, and she’s six months pregnant. Even though she knows she will not survive the birth, she’s determined to have the child and let her selfish sister-in-law Lisa raise the baby. A few months earlier, a group of fanatics killed John, Corrine’s husband, and now Corrine and Lisa are on the run from his murderers. The fanatics are hell-bent on killing anyone with psychic powers, thinking the psychics are in league with vampires. Corrine just happens to be psychic.

I’ve read this story before and always enjoyed it, mostly because of Dayan. He’s more laidback and calm than the majority of Carpathian males. He also has the heart of a poet and writes beautiful, haunting songs and melodies, despite his inability to feel emotions. He’s protective of Corrine and her unborn daughter, but sometimes has to bully Corrine into taking care of herself. She is very accepting of her upcoming death, but Dayan doesn’t want to lose her, so they are often at odds.

I liked that Corrine wasn’t a virgin (most of the heroines are in this series) and that she was previously married. Even though she loved John as a friend/brother, he and Lisa pressured her into marrying him. John, like Lisa, was a pretty selfish person, but I could understand his resentment toward Corrine for not loving him as he loved her.

My favorite part of the book is Gregori finally meeting Darius and Desari, his brother and sister. Gregori comes in to help Dayan save his dying lifemate, so it was the perfect opportunity for him to meet his long lost siblings. The end of this book almost felt like a reunion of sorts. On the Dark Troubadours side, there was Darius and Rusti, Desari and Julian, Syndil and Barack, and their human friend Cullen. On the homeland Carpathian side, there was Shea and Jacques, and Gregori and Savannah. So as you can tell, there was a big get-together of Carpathians (still it doesn’t compare to Dark Celebration, the best book in the series).

Since Corrine is so sick and weak throughout the majority of the story, there was very little sex, which was refreshing. The first sex scene was after page 300 and was pretty low-key, not lengthy and mind-blowing as usual.

There were lots of detailed descriptions, head hopping, and repetitive metaphors and imagery. I tend to breeze over all that when reading, so I can stay focused on the plot. By doing so, I really enjoy these books.

4 Stars