#BookReview – “Dark Destiny” by Christine Feehan

Blurb

Her childhood had been a nightmare of violence and pain until she heard his voice calling out to her. Golden and seductive. The voice of an angel.

He had shown her how to survive, taught her to use her unique gifts, trained her in the ancient art of hunting the vampire. Yet he could not bend her to his will. He could not summon her to him, no matter how great his power.

As she battled centuries-old evil in a glittering labyrinth of caverns and crystals, he whispered in her mind, forging an unbreakable bond of trust and need. Only with him can she find the courage to embrace the seductive promise of her...

Review

In the eleventh book of the Dark/Carpathian series, Destiny is hunting vampires and doing her best to survive. When she was six years old, a vampire kidnapped her, killed her family, and horribly abused her for years. He also converted her into a Carpathian and left burning parasites in her blood. The only thing that kept her sane was the mysterious voice in her head. Since she believed the man telepathically speaking to her was a vampire, she never responded to him, but she listened when he instructed her in how to kill the monster that was hurting her. She eventually escaped and has lived on the run ever since.

Nicolae Von Shrieder never really understood why the child Destiny mentally connected with him, but finding her has become his sole reason for living. For years, he and his brother Vikirnoff have been searching for her, and then she finally speaks to him. To his surprise, he can suddenly see in color and feel emotions.

I really enjoyed this story. Thank God Nicolae hadn’t known Destiny was his lifemate when she was a child. He would’ve gone crazy and likely turned into a vampire himself since he was never able to find her. Once they’re finally together, he was patient, understanding, and willing to let her take the lead in their relationship. Most heroes in this series are demanding and controlling, but Nicolae was better than that.

Destiny, likewise, was also tougher than most of the heroines. Even though she’s a damaged woman, she’s not entirely broken. She’s strong but insecure, desperate for friendship and companionship, but too scared to try. She keeps to herself, but helps others from afar, always looking in from the outside of life.

I love the secondary characters, especially Mary Ann and the flamboyant sisters Velda and Inez. I feel so bad for Velda, but it was interesting to learn what happened when a woman’s lifemate was a vampire.

The only reason why I’m giving this book 4 stars and not 5 is two-fold: the passive voice and head hopping; and Destiny took way too long to fully accept Nicolae as a permanent part of her life (though, of course, her reasons were understandable). This book is one of my favorites in the series, and I cry every time I read it, which has been about three times now. Always grab some tissues before you start this story!

4 Stars