#BookReview – “Dark Demon” by Christine Feehan

Blurb

For as long as she can remember, Natalya has been fighting demons; first in the form of childhood nightmares, then later, immortal creatures that kill and prey on the innocent--including her own twin brother. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night, and has no equal until she is seduced by the very thing she considers her enemy...

A Carpathian who has seen nearly everything in his endless existence, Vikirnoff doesn't think he can be surprised anymore, until he faces a woman who rivals him as a vampire hunter. A formidable and gifted warrior in her own right, Natalya has a nature that is strangely familiar - yet alien - to his own. Who is this mysterious female who fears no one, not even him? Natalya could the key to the survival of the Carpathians, but all Vikirnoff is certain of is that she is the key to his heart and soul...  

Review

In the thirteenth book of the Dark/Carpathian series, vampire slayer Natalya is on the run from a very determined Carpathian hunter. Raised to hate both hunters and vampires, she actively avoids hunters, but vampires always seek her out. Since she’s part mage, part human, and part Carpathian, she wields a lot of power and magic. Though she comes from the distinguished Dragonseeker line, she doesn’t know much about her heritage, and what she does know, well, it’s a lie.

Vikirnoff Von Shrieder has been searching for Natalya for a while and finally finds her in the midst of battle, but she isn’t the lifemate he expected. She’s brash, funny, stubborn, and doesn’t obey him. In other words, she drives him crazy!

Vikirnoff and Natalya bicker a lot, but it’s hilarious playful bantering. He was bossy, sure, but he wasn’t cold and harsh to her. She was strong enough to handle and flabbergast her man, which makes her one of the best heroines in the series.

A great cast of secondary characters played big roles in this book. Jubal, Gabrielle, Falcon, Sara, Mikhail, Raven—just to name a few.

This book definitely had a lot of villains and action scenes, which was great. Xavier, the evil and powerful mage intent on destroying the Carpathians, is probably the cruelest, strongest villain yet to be introduced in the series. Sweet and brilliant Gabrielle meets an unexpected fate, her future with Gary temporarily shelved. Razvan, Natalya’s beloved twin, has turned evil, or so everyone believes. So much stuff happened, and more will be revealed in later books.

This is definitely one of the better books in the series.

4 Stars