Dark Predator

Dark #22

by Christine Feehan

As brutal as the undead he hunted, Zacarias De La Cruz was a master executioner. Now his stark and savage journey is over. After a thousand years in a grey world, he has accomplished everything he set out to do - his brothers are safeguarded, and each has found a woman who completes Zacarias has walked the edge of madness. But without a hunt to define him, Zacarias wonders, for the first time in his life, who he really is.

The answer awaits him back home in Peru, in the betrayal of a woman who is readying her trap, in the vengeance of an old enemy, in the inevitable consequences of a bloody family legacy, and in the deliverance of a lifemate he never could have imagined.

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires, Fantasy, Dark, Fiction

464 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author multiple times over with her portfolio including over 100 published novels, including five series; Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, the Sisters of the Heart Series, Shadow Riders, Torpedo Ink and her Romantic Suspense novels. All of her series have 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.
Her series include:
The Dark Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/darkb...
The GhostWalker series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/ghost...
The Leopard Series - https://www.christinefeehan.com/leopa...
The Shadow Series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/shado...
Torpedo Ink series- https://www.christinefeehan.com/torpe...




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. (www.christinefeehan.com)

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Disobedient Stars

First read Sept 2012 Reread February 29 2016

** Spoilers**

You will suffer as no one else has ever suffered for your disobedience-Zacarias



He shook his head just as resolutely, no longer shocked that she disobeyed him. He was certain she had an infirmity, some rare, peculiar mental disorder from birth, that made her do the opposite of what any authority figure told her.-Zacarias

Dark Predator the 22nd book in the Dark series was just whatevs for me. I didn't really care for this book most of the time and didn't really get the heroine, but the problem I had with this book was solely the hero. Zacarias was a total dick. Just sayin'

Had he really laughed? That was impossible. He had never laughed. Not that he remembered. Maybe as a young child, a mere boy, but he doubted it. Where had that sound come from? Was it possible this crazy, dim-witted woman was his lifemate? By all that was holy, it could not be. He could not in any way be mated to someone incapable of following the simplest of directions.-Zacarias



"I am reading your thoughts." His hand dropped to hers. He lifted her clenched fist to his chest and one by one pried open her fingers. "You are a bad-tempered little thing, aren't you? And very confused. One moment you feel remorse and think to offer me your services and the next you think to strike me. You already serve me. I have only to order and you will provide whatever I require. As for striking me, it is not advisable or permitted."-Zacarias

Zacarias was so dark, shadowed, and close to turning vampire, that when he met his lifemate Marguarita He didn't know it at first. Something went wrong with their lifemate relationship and she only restored his colors and emotions when he was mind merged with her. Which I'm going to be honest I didn't understand, but whatevs!!! Anyways..... Zacarias was ready to kill himself with honor, not that he has much honor that I've seen but again whatevs. He was laying in the sun cooking to death when Marguarita seen him and pulled him from death(because she was his lifemate and she couldn't just let him die although at the time neither understand that) He of course couldn't do anything because he was weak from the sun so in her mind he threaten her the whole time she was dragging his dead weight ass into the house, gave him her blood and buried him in the healing soil of his people. Now here is where I start to have my issues with Zacarias, he woke up that night and he was a total over the top dick that was tap dancing on the borderline of abusive. He broke down her door grabbed her up, and bit her hard. Making it painful to teach her a lesson for her disobedience. You know Marguarita, the woman who had her throat ripped out and almost died by a vampire not even a few months ago. Now because it isn't real life and he was so close to turning I could have over looked that if that was the only time but the problem was he continued to be a prick all through the book.

"You will sleep during the daylight hours as I do. You will not, under any circumstances, leave the hacienda without my permission. You will provide for all my needs until I leave. And most of all, you will obey me instantly, without question." What he needed was a robot, not a woman. She fought not to roll her eyes. How long will you stay? God help her if it was longer than another night. His eyebrow shot up. "You have no need of that information. You will be happy to serve me as long as I choose to be in residence." -Zacarias and Marguarita



"You shame me, Marguarita." No! She shook her head violently and stepped back to look him in the eyes again. Don't do that. Don't ever do that. You are my choice, just the way you are. I am not asking for changes. I will do whatever you wish.-Zacarias and Marguarita

Even when he was being nice for him, he was rude, controlling, intimidating, and at times cold. That was at his best at his worst he was a totally cruel bastard. If he was my lifemate I would have staked his ass through the heart in his sleep! Marguarita was very submissive. She pretty much accepted Zacarias's rule over her life and was okay with it. I could have been okay with that too as some people are truly more submissive in real life, my problem was more that she didn't really have a personality. She was kinda like a doormat that on occasion spoke. Then even with her doing everything she could to please and obey Zacarias he still though her disobedient. Truly nothing pleased that man.

There is no such thing as loving someone too much, Zacarias. Whatever happened, I know it wasn't because they loved each other too much. I have told you I will obey you, but I cannot stop my heart from loving you. You can't ask that of me.-Marguarita



"You will not leave me again." He gave her a little shake. He let her see the killer in him, that dark force that was more of his soul than any other part of him. "Do you understand me?"-Zacarias

And Omg don't get me started on the shitty, and borderline abusive way he turned her Carpathian. I was glad that while she was turning she told him that he broke his lifemate vows of cherishing her and putting her happiness above his own. "I was so wrong about you. You're exactly what you told me - a monster. And your binding words are a lie. You lied. They mean nothing. There is no care. Certainly nothing like cherish. Take your empty words and keep them. I don't want them."-Marguarita But then she took him back like nothing ever happened. I get he "Learned his lesson" when she rejected him( for like 5 minutes) and suffered turning and wouldn't let him help her but he never really made it up to her. I didn't get their relationship and I didn't connect to them as a couple. The whole time I was reading it I was just like whatevs!!! I don't know what Marguarita did in her past life but damn getting Zacarias as a mate was like horrible punishment. She must have made God really mad!

"Never again will I be forced by my own lifemate to lie helpless beneath the ground while she endangers herself deliberately. You have disobeyed me for the last time, Marguarita."-Zacarias



"Marguarita. You cannot continue this way. It is getting worse. Let me in. I can take away the pain." Temper smoldered in her eyes. I don't want your help. I'd rather suffer. I want to never forget, never ever forget this lesson of yours . He needed her to keep talking. Telepathic communication went directly from her mind to his. He found her thread and used a very delicate touch, weaving his thread to hers. "This was not meant as a lesson, Marguarita. You knew I would bring you into my world. This was consequence. To protect both of us. To protect my brothers from having to hunt me. To protect your family here from a monster unlike any other." I can do this myself. You can say it isn't a punishment, but you meant it that way.-Zacarias and Marguarita

[Katie(babs) · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite romances is Dark Prince by Christine Feehan. Since then I’ve read other novels from Christine’s Carpathian series and for the most part enjoyed them although the stories and the characters seemed to be identical. But then I walked away from the series when I noticed her heroes were becoming too unbalanced. These male characters were far too obsessed with the heroine, and regardless of her wants, they claimed her as their own, almost forcing her to bend to their will, or in many cases not taking no for an answer. And then when I read Dark Secret (Carpathian # 15) and the hero, from my point of view, ends up raping the heroine into accept him, that was when I had enough.

Dark Predator is the 22nd book in the Carpathian series. After reading the blurb, I thought why don’t I reintroduce myself to this world and see how far Christine has come with her characters and the immortal vampire-esc man who literally don’t feel or only see in black and white until that special woman comes along to save their souls? These men then hunger not only for the heroine’s tender, most often times, virgin flesh, but they see rainbows, stars and green clovers, and quite possibly the little leprechaun man from the Lucky Charms cereal. When a Carpathian male finds his mate, it’s like he’s tripping on acid.

As I read Dark Predator, I grew worried and very concerned. This book is alarming on so many levels and it reads more like an anti-romance. The hero, Zacarias comes across more like a psychotic villain than having the attributes of a hero. When all was said in done, not only did I want to throw this book against the wall, but I wanted to torch it and write my first angry letter ever to an author, shocked that Christine would write such a thing. Having a hero who attacks, throws the heroine around, threatens her with torture, rape and death just because she saves his life, including other shocking acts against her emotionally and physically is where I wonder, what in the world was the author thinking when she wrote this?

If you’ve read a Feehan Carpathian novel before then you know the basis of the characters, mainly with the heroes. The hero this time, and I use that label very loosely, is Zacarias De La Crus. He’s an immortal who feels nothing and has pitiless gaze, but fights against his enemy alongside his brothers, who have all found their mates and can enjoy life in blinding Technicolor. But not Zacarias. He’s a cold blooded killer who’s close to turning into a full blown vampire. Zacarias already has many vampire traits and because of that he will kill himself, die with honor and let the sun fry him to a crisp before he goes insane. As he’s flying as some sort of bird to find a place to die, he notices a woman riding a horse. Her name is Marguarita Fernandez, whose her family has served the De La Cruz forever. Marguarita comes across him and drags him into her home to save him from dying. She’s going to wish she galloped on by, because with his beady eyed stare of hate and anger, he will punisher her. During this exchange the reader are privy to Zacarias’s thoughts about Marguarita’s disobedience.

You will regret your disobedience, he vowed, and he would promise a brutal retaliation against Marguarita for saving him.

Marguarita has the ability to calm animals, especially horses, but not the animal Zacarias. And she’s now in for a world of hurt because Zacarias is furious at her for what she has done. She’s aware he could break her, but she doesn’t care. She just had to save him. And then when the sun sets, that’s where Dark Predator comes across more as a serial killer horror story.

Zacarias’s unstable nature and the violence he acts upon Marguarita had my jaw dropping far too many times to count as I read. When Zacarias awakens, he’s consumed with taking Marguarita’s innocence and her life’s essence, basically draining her of her blood and leaving her for dead. For some reason Marguarita has gone to sleep even with the deranged Zacarias in her house. He storms her bedroom, and as she’s huddled in a corner, he attacks her. She deserves to be terrified because of her saving him, and she’s the sole reason to make him turn into a vampire. She’s also to blame for putting herself and her family at risk and the reason for him going mad.

How about an example of how Zacarias punishes Marguarita for her insolence?

“She struggled wildly and he pinned her with one arm and caught her thick rope of hair with the other, crushing the silken strands in his fist as he jerked her head back. He lowered his head toward the sweet vulnerable spot where her pulse pounded so frantically. He didn’t try to calm her mind or in any way control her knowledge of what was happening. He wanted her to know. He wanted her fear. He intended to hurt her so she would never forget why she should obey.”

Can we say WTF?? He doesn’t rape her body, but rapes her mind. And as he ravages her throat, he’ll make her suffer, basically ruining her mind instead, because he’s justified. Why? Because of who he is and his belief that she wronged him, again BY SAVING HIS LIFE AND DOING AN UNSELFISH AND KIND THING.

“Zacarias sank his teeth deep into that soft, defenseless flesh. He bit hard, without a numbing agent, puncturing her neck deliberately close to her throat. She should have remembered the vampire attacking her. She shouldn’t have been so careless as to disobey. She needed another lesson in just what a dangerous, uncaring vile creature could do.”

Another one of many WTFs in this book. Marguarita was attacked in a past book by a vampire who tore out her voice box. She can no longer speak. Zacarias wants her to remember her violent attack by this creature through by him as a form of punishment. And as stated in the excerpt above, Zacarias has no qualms about what he’s doing and finds enjoyment in hurting and being vile to Marguarita.

“He wanted obedience from her, not stark, raw fear. Well…he’d wanted her to be afraid- to learn her lesson. Fear was simply a tool to him, one he wielded easily.”

“He’d been careful to go slow as he might approach a wild creature, but she ducked slightly as though she expected him to strike her. The idea was ludicrous. He would never hit her.”

Can someone explain to me what the difference is between old fashioned fear to raw, stalk fear? Zacarias wants Marguarita to fear him, but not totally fear him to the point she’s a shaking, mumbling mess. What a way to make the woman you’ll end up loving tremble. But not tremble in passion, but in soul and body numbing fear.

And he’s confused that Marguarita would duck from him because even though he’s done so many horrible things to her mind and body already, he would never think to hit her. Can we say Zacarias is a raging lunatic?

There are so many more passage like this riddled throughout this book. This isn’t a love story or a romance in any shape or form. Christine Feehan should be ashamed to have written such a thing. The violence against Marguarita from Zacarias is consistent throughout the entire novel. Even after info dumping galore and reasons given why Zacarias has acted the way he has against Margarita, is no valid explanation for why he has brutalized her.

“Never once in all his existence had he ever entertained the idea of taking a woman without consent. Never considered burying his body deep in a woman doing whatever he wanted with her-until that moment.”

This is where Zacarias is close to raping Marguarita not with his mind, but with his body as yet another way to punish her for her saving his life.

Words escape me about this book. How can an author justify her reasoning for writing a character like Zacarias and insulting the reader’s intelligence this way? Do readers really enjoy reading about a character like Zacarias who abuse the heroine so horribly? And I wish I could sympathize with Marguarita, but she’s not only a doormat, but a perfect example of what an abuse woman is.

Dark Predator highlights what pure unadulterated spousal abuse would be with Zacarias and Marguarita, and I’m sickened by it. Also, the violence against women here is massive, including when the villains come along and beat Marguarita and her female neighbor within an inch of their lives. This isn’t a love story or a romance, and if anyone says it is, I’ll argue you with. A hero who treats the heroine worst that a dog is not a healthy story and insulting to the romance genre as a whole.

I will never read another book by Christine Feehan because of how she has glorified and romanticized violence and abuse against women in the form of a romance novel called Dark Predator.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Predator is the 22nd installment in the Carpathian series and I'm just not sure how I feel about the book. I can understand why some will be disappointed in it, and while I definitely enjoyed it, this wasn’t exactly the story I had anticipated. I’ll try to explain.

Zacarias was, in my opinion, perfect. He was true to what I would expect from a Carpathian who is as ancient as he is. He’s kept himself at a distance from his brothers and from modern civilization as a whole and he really is a loner, in every sense of the word. Physically, mentally, emotionally… he’s a man who embraces solitude. Because of that I can see how he would have no idea, whatsoever, what a modern woman would be like. How independent they are, how self sufficient. They’re no longer the shrinking violets in need of protection that they used to be and are more capable of taking care of themselves. Had he been around more, he’d know that they had to “evolve” in order to survive, and this is especially true of the Carpathian women.

For the most part, Marguarita seemed to have a foot in both worlds. She was thoroughly modern and self sufficient, and yet she seemed to know exactly what Zacarias needed and why, and had no problem accommodating him. She accepted him for the male he is, and while she tried to help him see things through her eyes, she didn’t resort to the kinds of ridicule that some of the females in the stories have when they met their lifemates, and I respected her for that. BUT, I never got the feeling that she was surprised, or honored, to be Zacarias’ lifemate, and that’s something I really had expected.

Regarding the story itself, there didn’t seem to be as much action, or overall plot resolution or progression as there has been in the last couple of books, and that surprised me. The first ½ of Dark Predator seemed entirely focused on Marguarita’s and Zacarias’ relationship. Normally that would be great, but the problem is that because Marguarita pretty much did whatever Zacarias wanted, there wasn’t a lot of page time devoted to the relationship building - that struggle for independence and acceptance that normally occurs in this series. I didn’t mind that Marguarita didn’t fight and argue, not at all, because she was true to her nature. True to the woman she’d been raised to be. She was still a strong, modern woman, but she was exactly the old fashioned kind of female Zac needed for his Lifemate. But with that lacking in Dark Predator, the relationship building seemed uneventful to me.

And what happened to the celebration we always see when a male finds his lifemate!? There was nothing… just… nothing. This is Zacarias we’re talking about! The one who did so much for everyone, who was so close to becoming evil, the one male everyone worried about more than any other!!! Why didn’t we see his brothers celebrating life with him! And how very sad that, even though he has his lifemate, he’s still so alone. If there’s one thing I want out of the next book, it’s to see Zacarias and his brothers able to be together, to rejoice! To be a family again.

So, as I said, I really enjoyed the story, but I have to be honest and tell you that I didn’t love it, and that makes me very sad. Zacarias deserved a story with depth, passion and intensity, and in my opinion, he didn’t get it.

[Jen Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Carpathian world has gotten a little more complicated lately. What was once a series focused almost completely on an individual romance in each book, picked up broader, ongoing arcs in later installments. Mages, jaguars, and dragons joined the mix. Longtime mysteries were finally solved. But Christine Feehan is taking a step back from all that in Dark Predator.

As the book begins, Zacharias de la Cruz is ready to end his own life. He is unable to fight the darkness within him any longer. But he is undeniably drawn to one of his properties first. There, he sees Marguarita, the young woman made mute and nearly killed by a vampire in the last book. He considers her to be a fine choice for his last vision before death. Marguarita isn't having that, though. She realizes what he is doing and despite his mental protests, she saves his life. And that is the beginning of their journey to becoming lifemates.

The romance in this book was slow in coming. One third of the way through and our couple hadn't even kissed... a bit unusual for a book in this series. Even stranger, the word "velvet" didn't make an appearance until page 101 in my ebook. Unheard of. But just because the "velvet" count was low -- Feehan kept up with her reputation for repetitive themes. Zacharias is dangerous, dangerous, dangerous. And "predator" was the word of hour, used in some form 54 times in the course of the book. But I digress.

In what's become the standard for the series, Zacharias is the darkest Carpathian ever. (Aren't they all?) But he is so close to the edge, that the whole lifemate business doesn't work quite right for him. In fact, it takes some time before he even realizes that Marguarita is his fated mate. He is violent, cruel at times, and ridiculously overbearing... giving the Daratrazanoff men a run for their money in the domineering department. And Marguarita just takes it. She feels guilty for ruining his chance to meet the sun, at first. Later, of course, she experiences those lifemate ties. But it's still alot to accept that she would essentially give up the reigns of her life to him so quickly. I guess if you have a male lead who is that dominating, a relationship won't work without a female willing to be submissive.

So like I said in the beginning, the story is kind of a throwback in the sense that it is all about the relationship and conflict directly surrounding our couple. All the side stories of recent books are essentially ignored. I kind of missed them. The love story was ok, but at times Zacharias and his angst were just too much. It was also really slow in the beginning, with more drawn out descriptions than I cared to read. On the plus side, I finally got the answer as to why a bunch of brothers from the Carpathian Mountains ended up with Hispanic names. (It's been bugging me since this family has been introduced.)

I'm kind of curious who will be featured in the next book. There is no obvious set-up that I can see.

[Kara-karina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have so many words for this book, and none of them fit for your ears. So sorry, it's going to be an angry rant, not a review.

Dark Prince was THE BOOK which introduced me to the genre of paranormal romance, and for years I loved this series. The men were noble, the women were strong and powerful in their own right, some of them pretty awesome and kick-ass, even the plot was somewhat unique. Sadly, it all ended at Dark Slayer.

I though Dark Peril was the most god awful book in the series, surely. There was nothing in it apart from endless jungle descriptions and a parade of whorish clothing.

But here comes Dark Predator with Zacarias in it. The biggest jerk and misogynistic pig ever. Really, no really? Do we need a trip back to the 70s-80s bodice rippers? Because this is how it felt.

He is abusive, violent and I could find absolutely no excuse for his behavior. He laughs at Marguarita's expense. Sorry, wasn't funny. He violates her mind and her body.

There was a moment in the book when I almost DNF it. Marguarita's friend Julio touches her arm, and Zacarias attacks him, drinks his blood, leaves him unconscious and tells Marguarita something along the lines

"Do you want to be taken for a whore?"

Come-freaking-on! She is to wear only skirts. Not go anywhere or do anything without his permission or there is punishment. She behaves like a victim and makes excuses for his behavior.

I truly felt sick. If this is story of love, then Julia Roberts was a happy married woman in Sleeping with the Enemy.

[Carinae L'etoile · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a CF fangirl, but these past 2 books have been an utter disappointment. Mercifully she didn't shove the language down our throats as she had before. It was still there, but in more tolerable and acceptable doses.

I have been trying to find the words to explain my sheer disappointment without dropping the F bomb. Because to date, this was one of the worst books she has written. If I had purchased this book as an actual book, I'd be using it line my cat's litter pan. After initially finishing the book on the first go, I set it down, shaking my head. I couldn't believe it - it was awful. I stepped away and re-read a day later after having done my normal day things...and the second read had me even more upset than the first.

Her depiction of Zacarais was so one dimensional that I just could not feel any empathy for him. I expected a character so rich in flavor and experience. In my mind, I had built him up as one thing, while CF made him completely the opposite. I found his character to be stagnant, unable to be anything more than dismissive and derisive towards Marguarita.

As for Marguarita herself...she didn't make an impression on me. The only thing that made me think she was remotely even close to being his lifemate was the fact he saved her from a vampire. Other than that, I felt this novel overall was a slap in the face for her fans. I wish I could say that this novel was even self-indulgent for Miss Feehan, but even self-indulgence has some kind of creativity meter, right? In my head, I've likened this book to Madonna's American Life album - I felt like it was obligatory and mocked the fans for their loyalty and dedication to her. I felt this book was all id for Miss Feehan, as if what she wrote should be good enough for her fans because...she is Miss Feehan and we are her fans. Not sure if I'd say I'm one right now after the last two clusterfuck novels she wrote in the Dark Series. She's made this series Dark, all right...Darkly Boring and Unimaginative.

I wasn't too keen on her love scenes, either. It's much like everything else in her other books - guy goes down on girl. Girl goes down on guy. Missionary. Girl on top. He takes her from behind. They do it in nature. *yawn* You get it. *rolls eyes* Again, repetitive. For a girl who worked on the estate, are lace panties and a bra *really* necessary when you're working with the animals? Just one of those issues that I found so incongruous within the book.

If she has a 23rd book out, I doubt be buying it. I'll go look for free downloads or I'll go to the library. I can think of other authors I'll drop my hard earned money on.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm.... Well I now know why this book polarized its readers.

Dark Predator is exceedingly slow to get rolling, about 120 pages out of 332 slow - the rest of the "400 pages" are our old favorite healing chants (not used here at all, by the way) followed by the ever popular "Carpathian for Dummies".

In Dark Predator, the long awaited lead Zacarias De La Cruz takes the uber alpha Carpathian male of the earlier books to a new level and, for me at least, this is not a positive thing. His heroine, Marguarita whose loyalty to the De La Cruzes resulted in the loss of her voice - a vampire tore her throat because she would not betray the Carpathian's secrets - doesn't manage to bring light to his darkness. And even though she saves him four times, three of those times Zacarias punishes his 'beautiful lunatic' - lovely pet name, Not - for her disobediance, the third time going as far as initiating the final exchange to 'turn' her in an exceedingly brutal way. For a male who has lived his life for honor, Zacarias doesn't have much here and his treatment of Marguarita constantly violates the vows he makes to her to cherish her as his lifemate and see to her happiness.

There isn't much about Marguarita's relationship with Zacarias that is romantic, it is pretty much all about him and she is just a possession. Zacharias terrorizes her from the start, but when she 'sees' how he really feels - though he is completely cut off from his own emotions - she completely submits to his ownership and decides that she loves him, and despite the acts of rebellion that are supposed to make us think Marguarita is a strong character, up until pretty much the last handful of chapters, when in Zacarias' presence she is pathetic at best.

The book however does have it's moments, I enjoyed all of the battle scenes between Zacharius and the vampires. Also after Marguarita's turning is complete, there is finally a bit of what the whole book should have been, too bad we couldn't have lopped off 50 or so pages from the beginning and used them at the end to allow Zacarias to properly grovel enough to finally earn the redemption he is supposed to have achieved and to bring all the De La Cruzes together for a reunion.

Bottom line is that I liked the last few books much more than this one, and have a whole new appreciation for the past 'neanderthal' Carpathians, they may have been bossy and arrogant but at least they treated their lifemates like the treasures that they were.

(Oh, I just have to say I won this book on WickedScribes, which is an awesome blog.)

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was extremely disappointed in this book after looking so forward to the next installment of the Dark Series. I have loved all of Ms. Feehan's Carpathian love stories, from Mikhail and Raven in Dark Prince to Dominic and Solange in Dark Peril. While all the male characters have been very Old World in their views on women and how they should behave and be treated, it was never to the point of abuse. I understand that Zacharias De La Cruz is the oldest of the Carpathians and the closest character to turning vampire, and that makes him the closest to evil. His past, his life and his present state of mind does not excuse the abuse, both physical and mental, that he inflicted upon Marguarita. Marguarita was already severely traumatized by her attack and subsequent loss of speech via a vampire in an earlier novel. Zacharias saved her life at that time. Upon returning to his ranch to meet the sun and end his life, Marguarita thought she was saving his life in return. Throughout the book, he switched from adoring her to threatening her, physically and mentally. He subjected her to severe pain on more than one occasion, reveling in her silent cries of pain. Twice he almost drained her dry to "teach her a lesson," both times for risking her own life to save his. She continuosly forgave him for his abuse, because she could see what was truly inside him and knew he wasn't truly evil. Anybody who has ever been abused or known someone who has been abused can see the dangerous pattern in their relationship. He called her silly, a lunatic, dimwitted. He ordered her to stay in the house, not speak to anyone she called family, forbid her to visit her beloved horses, and at one point, wouldn't allow her to communicate with her friends and family via pen and paper: the only way she could communicate with them. I know this is a work of fiction, but I was sadly disappointed in its acceptance of this abusive relationship. I made myself finish it, hoping that Zacharais would redeem himself in my eyes, but was not rewarded for my diligence. To top it all off, there was an additional abusive relationship between a brother, sister and third party. This book never showed my one iota of romance. Once I did laugh, during this conversation between them. Marguarita: "You would never hurt me. Never. It isn't in you." Zacharias: "I did hurt you. Several times." Marguarita: "You were strking at yourself, Zacarias, not at me."

Denial is not just a river in Egypt. I hope the next Carpathian novel is better.

[KatieV · Rating 3 out of 5]

If it weren't for the fact that we're dealing with another species, I'd have been more disturbed by this book on the grounds of the abusive/controlling nature of the hero. I can accept more crap from a 1000+ year old almost-vampire than I can had the story been about humans. I like a dangerous fictional hero, but his actions did make me uncomfortable at times (particularly his callous turning of the heroine).

I can understand how someone who hasn't felt emotions in a thousand years, a complete killing machine would have issues with suddenly becoming Mr. Romantic. I can also see how he was truly stuck in the past with no concept of how a real relationship with a woman should work. I was starting to see an evolution of that relationship, but I felt it was unfinished. I do think it was interesting what Feehan was attempting to do here, but it ended just as I felt Zacarias was beginning to become more likable. I really felt like their story was unfinished and I'd like to see them revisited. I'd like to think that Zacarias evolves more.

Also, and this is YMMV, I prefer the novels that take place in Romania and with more interaction from other characters. We briefly see the other De La Cruz brothers in the very beginning and Dominic/Solange at the end, but it was barely enough to be notable. This story centered almost entirely on the drama between the H/h and not outside story arcs or action (until the very end). Some may prefer that, but I love the action packed and character packed novels the best.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading and I completely understand where Feehan is coming from. This is a man that is so dark that he was prepared to end his existence, and his servant no less takes it upon herself to rescue him despite his direct order not to interfere. Not only that, she drags him and dumps his helpless body in the soil and covers him up in such a degrading manner. What do you expect his reaction to be? Oh, because you are my life mate I will be gentle with you, heck no! Remember, this is a strong alpha, a DARK PREDATOR, a response less than what he gave would not have done this character justice. I think for the first time Feehan has written the true and likely behavior of her Carpathian. They are killers, they have been killing for centuries, they don’t smile, don’t have friends, don’t socialize with humans or other Carpathians.
I many of her other books they are ever so gentle with their life mates, what is this gentleness bases on? These men have been dark for centuries; suddenly they become gentle and loving, give me a break.
This is why I hate reading these books they are so unbelievable. Dark Predator however is very believable.

The Heroin, Marguarita, wow what a heroin, strong and silent (literarily). She knows her mine and is not afraid to act regardless of the consequences. Some reviewers feel she was docile, I most definitely disagree. When he converted her brutally she was not afraid to reject him, she told him plainly and challenged him for not keeping his word. Even latter after she forgave him she made him promise to always keep his promise of keeping her safe and cherishing her, she was not shy about her demands. I must also mention that she liked rough sex, she never complained once about the roughness, she understood Zacarias and his needs more than he understood himself.

Ms Feehan, this was an excellent book keep up the great work. I give this book 5 solid star, wish I could give more than 5 stars.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book-in spite of everything all the other reviewers have said (I don't think they get that the darkness of Zacharias's soul was a natural culmination of the development of his character throughout the series...didn't any of these other reviewers read Manolito's book? Or the one about Riordan? the DeLaCruz brothers are some of my favcrite dark heroes (& and that is a star-studded list!) Get this: Zacharias was only a step away from walking into the sunlight & killing himself to avoid becoming a vampire worse than any the world had previously seen, when he discovered his lifemate & NATURALLY his introduction to her would be fierce & wild. Don't you people get it? Maybe you haven't read the other books in this series as I have...he wasn't a rapist or anything close to it, he was a very powerful Carpathian THIS CLOSE to greeting the dawn (or committing suicide, as any followers of Feehan would know) for the lack of his lifemate & any further purpose to his life, now that his brothers had found their lifemates & were at long last settled & happy. This book is only following the story line that has been growing since Dark Prince came out--what, 25 years ago? Although I don't really understand how every single new male lead in Feehan's novels can possibly be more deadly & dangerous than the previous one, when every single one is touted as the most dangerous creature to have existed (see Gregory, etc--the only one who wasn't totally threatening, in my view, was the Prince in her first novel in this series & maybe Zacharias's younger brother Manolito (although he was possessed, so maybe he was just as dark).

[Tilly Slaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

As most of my friends and family know, Christine Feehan is my favorite author. The Dark series, is my favorite series, followed by the Leopard series.

I have been looking forward to this book ever since Feehan’s site posted it as an upcoming release.

With that said, I was somewhat disappointed. Total bummer.

Zacarias, the oldest of the De La Cruz brothers, sets out to accept the sun’s destruction. He can no longer handle the dreary gray existence and tells his brother that he will seek death in honor rather than turning into the undead and being hunted by the very people he once loved.

Marguarita finds Zacarias on the ground burning, the sun claiming his life. Unable to allow him to die, she is driven by a force so strong. She must save his life. This man must live. Below is his response

For the first time in the long centuries a deep-seated rage coiled in his belly and smoldered there, that someone dared defy his direct order. She had no right. She knew better. No one ever defied him-certainly not a human, and definitely not a woman.

You will suffer as no one else has ever suffered for your disobedience, he promised, thrusting the words into her brain.

Unlike the majority of the Dark series novels, Marguarita accepts Zacarias’ dominance and vows to be in his service, to please him .. whatever it takes. The relationship is interesting to say the least. Unlike the other books, if her presence in his mind is lost, if she builds those barriers to throw him out of her mind, he is tossed back into his dangerous gray world, once again a dark predator.

The bad guy of this book is one of the Malinov brothers, Ruslan. Once Zacarias’ best friend, Ruslan has sought out to destroy him or bring him over to their undead ranks. Of course, Zacarias will have no part in their plan as he is a Carpathian hunter with honor.

Zacarias had seen his share of rotting corpses, but nothing equaled Ruslan Malinov. Flesh peeled off of him. Worms crawled through gaping holes in his flesh. His mouth was more of a gaping hole, without lips, his eyes sunken. Every living thing shrunk from him, grass withering, ferns and moss going muddy brown. Even the insects scurried away. Only the black flies persisted, feasting on the rotting flesh and depositing as many eggs as possible in the blackened organs.

I have been looking forward to the “Zacarias book” for many books now. There was always this huge build up, awaiting what would finally save Zacarias and whatever battles he must fight in order to be with the woman that brings light and colors to his life.

None of that happened. This book had few struggles and fewer battle scenes. Although the attraction between Marguarita and Zacarias was intense, it will never compare to those before him.

Line of the book:

I see you. All of you.

I will however, recommend this book to ADULTS only. This is the 22 installment in the Dark series and a MUST read for everyone reading these books.

Semi strong sexual (as brief as it was) content, moderate to severe (though short) violence. I do not recommend this book to children or immature adults.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dark Predator" is the story of Marguarita and Zacarias.

Now before reviewing this, I have to confess- I was reluctant to read this because I had fortunately/unfortunately read the reviews by curiosity- and they did not paint a pretty picture, especially for the hero.
That being said, I agree maybe to 50% of what was said.

In this tale, we see one of the oldest vampires Zacarias (Z) going to end his life, when the mute Marguarita (M) intervenes and saving him. This enrages Z, who then terrorizes the heroine by unwillingly and ruthlessly taking blood from her- despite being aware of her past trauma and then threatening her.
Slowly, as color begins to seep into his life, Z realizes that M is his mate- and thus begins an OTT, dominating romance.

Now this book had very dark undertones. Z was definitely an anti hero, and the couple had a very D/s relationship.
Z was also very hard headed, possessive and expected obedience- something M complied with to around 90% of the time- unless she completely rejected him- which then again was followed by seduction, purusal and agreement.

Honestly, the book did make me uncomfortable, especially when the semi consensual/punishing BS happened- and thats when it reminded me of book 1- but I wished to see the hero grovel more/heroine forgive less- instead of him justifying everything by predator/darkness bla bla.

Anyways, overall, I didnt hate it. But I didnt love it too.

The rating is for the angst, and occasional scenes where I didnt want to facepalm.

Safe

3/5

[Caty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think someone should give me an award for finishing this book.

Seriously. Maybe it was me, but this book felt like it was never ending.
It had WAY too many chapters dealing with the qualities that made Zacarias such a cold hearted predator, his past, his lack of emotions and then it switched to more of the same, this time about the heroine. The plot never really caught me and I wasn't particularly thrilled with miss Feehan's constant abuse use of similes either. I found myself skipping parts of the book, something I never EVER do.

Sadly, I'm loosing interest in this series, I just don't see the Carpathian's story going anywhere.

[MelissaB · Rating 4 out of 5]

** 3 1/2 stars **

Kind of disappointed, Zacarius was kind of cruel to his lifemate at times, he didn't care enough about her feelings. He is no Lucian who lived much longer but was still wonderful to his human lifemate.

[Edwina " I LoveBooks" "Deb" · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have waited year after year for Zacarias De La Cruz's story and who would get the HONOR of becoming his Life Mate, only to be very disappointed in the way both the characters were written.

We have been told over the years that Zacarias was one of the Greatest and Strongest Carpathian Warrior/ Hunters alive and that he was feared by vampires and Carpathians. We are also, told over and over how Carpathian Males Love, Cherish and Protect their Life Mates above all others. This didn't happen in this book. My first point is I did not fine Zac to be that great of a Warrior or Hunter. He didn't have the skill or the strength of a Gregori,a Dominic or a Lucian. He didn't have strength enough to keep his L.M. Marguarita from being savagely beaten by human vampire hunters who invaded their home. He would have died by the hands of his oldest and greatest vampire enemy, if Solange Life Mate to Dominic had not answered his call for help and return the day before to give him her Royal Blood, this is all that saved him. My second point is my beloved Zacarias was turned into an abusive monster. He abused his L.M. Marguarita both physically and mentally, on more than one occasion, he said it was to teach her a lesson. Others have justified Zac's behavior by saying he did this because he didn't recognizes her as his L.M.,he didn't feel any emotions or see in color like other Carpathians males did when they first encountered their L.M.. Now that's just strange to me because in all 21 books before this one the male immediately felt emotions and saw in color. Zacarias was different, but so was Gregori and Julian. I didn't like this new change in Zac. I was disappointed in how Zac was written all around.

My second point of disappointment was his Life Mate Marguarita, she was an abuse spouse and she acted like it, Marguarita was very submissive and fearful of what he was going to do to her if she disobeyed, But it was OK because he was the Great Zacarias De La Cruz, even when he picked her up and threw her into the wall; after DS the human vampire hunter had kicked and beaten her for hours.!! Her psychic gift was not that impressive either. I call her the horse whisperer . I wanted a Great Life Mate for a Great Warrior/Hunter and I did not get that in this book for either of them. Zac only gets a Half of his HEA, he only can see in color or feel emotions when Marguarita is with him. The possibility is out their for him to still turn vampire, if something happens to Marguarita. What a disappointment End!!

Why make devoted fans wait a year to find out Zac's L.M was Just Poor Submissive Marguarita. I SAY ADVERTIZING STUNT!!! To promote book sales!!

The story is not romantic or sensual as the other books in the Dark Series. I did not feel the love or bonding between Zacarias and Marguarita. I can only hope the next book in the series is better.

I think it must be very hard for Ms. Feehan to write 4 different series at the same time. Something is going to go lacking and Dark Predator was indeed Very Lacking all around. I can only give this book 1 star and I would suggest if you are reading this series, to get this book from the library!!

[Zbft · Rating 1 out of 5]

I suppose everyone familiar with the Dark Series has been looking forward to this book just like I am. Clearly not all are as disappointed as me looking at the ratings.
But here are the whys of having only one star (I would have put Zero star if I could).
First, Zacarias has been a big and prominent figure for the De La Cruz family since his first appearance that I would have thought his story would at least be something as prominent as him that would ripple through the whole Carpathian community. That his story came out very isolated from his society is such a disappointment.
Second, Zacarias is portrayed as a strong and very powerful hunter and all the hero kick sass characteristics. Compared to the villains that he faced – two puny humans and one-time, though interrupted, battle to Ruslan – was like taking a candy from a baby. Really, Zacarias’ heroism and prowess in battles are just narrated. I would have preferred to read/saw it on his story against a villains worthy of his supposedly greatness in battle.
Third, the heroine’s gift is supposed to have calming effects to animals thus her pairing with Zacarias. She knew the animal’s instinct to hunt and dominate and UNDERSTAND those instincts. Yet when those instincts show on Zacarias she hunch in fear? I mean at first you can understand but to always react in fear at something you understand and turn her nose in rejection when the dominance shows is a killer to a couple’s chemistry. I think Miss Feehan could have found a more fitting, not necessarily stronger, mate for Zacarias.
Fourth, is the isolation of the story. Another reason I follow a series is because of back stories that follows every book and such goes on this series on the past books. However I did not even catch a glimpsed of them in Zacarias’ story. Like the escalating tension of the growing Chemistry between Skyler and her man. The progress at the ongoing research concerning the infants and pregnancy problems, and the what became of the two dragonseeker freed from the mage’s cave. There’s also the mentioned of a database of women with psychic abilities that the Carpathians was supposed to be getting their hands into and the fight against the hunters. I mean, there was no update at all about the whole society.
A lot of narratives and repeated descriptions with very few conversations, the “should feel this way and should not feel that way” are more than distractive from the flow of the story. It’s like telling me what to feel instead of leaving me alone with the story.
I like the twist of the heroine’s lack of vocal chords at first, until it ended like all the mating result of the rest of the books and I feel like the story came from the same mold.
Overall, the story is a disappointment. I hope the next one is better.

[Sheba · Rating 1 out of 5]

I often suspect that Feehan writes this series in daily or weekly installments without ever having gone back over what she's already written. Like Hamilton, Feehan has a tendency to needlessly repeat information. The result are stories that are cumbersome and at a pace that can drive any sane reader mad, mad, mad. The premise is weak enough as it is without exacerbating it with clunky, lazy writing. And what is that equally often repeated premise? Dark man meets light woman. Light woman half-stubbornly insists on being treated as a real being. Dark man finally decides to treat her, not like a real being, but a compromise of something like a protected pet with a magic vagina. This compromise equates to romance and love. All is well with the woman, who basks in the glow of her newly protected pet-like status of femininity.... Oy vey. This latest installment is just another stop on the endless, repetitious journey through damsel-distressed territory that Feehan too often takes her readers. What's worse, and unlike some of the previous novels, the sex is just as dull. Dark man pounds into light woman and apologizes for his brutality, while light woman coos over his feelings and assures him that he can use her all he needs to work out his fears, anxieties, frustrations, lack of communication abilities--yes, really, this is written in the year 2011--without any real work to please her sexually aside from a couple fingers jabbed in to "ready her." For that aspect alone, if you have not already jumped on this wagon, wait for the next driver to come along and avoid this altogether.

[N.L. Riviezzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not completely sold on Margarita as Zacarias' life mate, I do understand the connection between them. Her gift and his more animalistic nature. I was a bit disappointed in Zacarias. His scenes were often very repetitive - as far as his thoughts and reflection about emotions were concerned - and this repetition made him come across as broody and emo rather than strong and tormented.

Sadly, no hints really for who the next book is about although a scene with Dominic did imply that it will be back in the Carpathian mountains.

Also Nicholas shows up in this book which struck me as odd because he is suppose to be watching over the Aunts with Lara in the Carpathian Mountains.

This book didn't quite live up to the standards obtained by the last few books or to the hype that it created. It was far from the worst book in the series but I wanted more from it.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

***March 2012***5 Stars***

Feehan gives us a page-turner. In this book we travel to a De La Cruz property located in Peru where Zacarias De La Cruz will met a woman who in her own way is equally his match.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eighteenth in the Dark Saga paranormal-romance series revolving around two groups of vampires, one good and the other evil. In this installment, the couple focus is on Zacarias De La Cruz and Marguarita Fernandez.

My Take
While this story has the usual Carpathian plotline to it, Feehan has taken a different approach to Zacarias' "courtship" of the human, Marguarita. Instead of all the joy of emotions and colors suddenly showing up, it takes a bit of time before Zacarias realizes that she is his lifemate.

Another difference, I could be wrong as it's been awhile since I've read one of the Carpathian stories, is that Zacarias only experiences emotion or sees color if he's near Marguarita or the link between them is open. I don't remember this being a necessity before. Although, Feehan does make a brief note that when a Carpathian male is so close to going bad, the bonding doesn't work as well.

There is much more of a submission feel to this coupling as well but I don't feel as though Feehan is using this as well as she could. Zacarias comes off more confused than anything. The tension between the two of them during the third blood exchange could have been more dramatic as well. Z's self-analysis was just too quick and easy. I had expected more drama and tension.

Nice bit on the final denouement between Z and the evil Ruslan Malinov. Much more original than it has been.A few inconsistencies in this. The Malinov attack on the De La Cruz properties in Brazil failed with all the attackers killed and Feehan states that "there were none to return to tell...their plan had failed". So, how is it that, later in the story, Zacarias is expecting the vampire attacks because the Malinovs know their attack failed??

When Zacarias saved Marguarita all that time ago when the vampire was tearing her throat out, how come she didn't cross his radar then as a lifemate? If Marguarita has been brought up on the De La Cruz ranch all her life, her "entire extended family worked for the De La Cruz family", and knows everything any human under their protection is supposed to know, how does she not know about the moment when a Carpathian male must seek the sun or turn vampire?

The Story
Determined to preserve the honor of the De La Cruz family, Zacarias intends to seek the sun before the pull to drink someone to their death overcomes him and turns him into a vampire. Another pull is on him now. Insisting he meet his fate on the De La Cruz ranch in Peru and so he flies in his guise as a harpy eagle.

Circling the ranch, he watches Marguarita with the Peruvian Pasos, and he is content to know that she is safe. That he gave her life while she gave him freedom, as he sets down on the ground and awaits the sun to burn him to ash.

The Characters
Zacarias De La Cruz is the head of the De La Cruz family in South America. Feared by everyone including his brothers Nicolas, Rafael, Manolito, and Riordan, Zacarias has chosen to go to the family ranch in Peru and go to the dawn. He is just a step away from turning vampire and he will preserve the family honor.

It's just that Marguarita Fernandez, having survived the brutal attack by a vampire, and with a deep-seated need to help, refuses to allow Zacarias to die. Psychic, Marguarita has a strong two-way bond with all animals, the Peruvian Paso bred on the ranch in particular. She can't help but want to preserve life and, by doing so, seals her fate.Cesaro Santos is the ranch foreman while Julio Santos, his son, loves Marguarita as a brother.

Esteban and Lea Eldridge are newcomers to the area and while Esteban's flirting seems contrived and his pointed questions about her abilities of the mind are uncomfortable, Marguarita believes that Lea is a true friend.Malinov is Russian, evil, and enemy to the De La Cruzes.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a gradation of bright to darker oranges with a truly hunky guy and his five-o-clock shadow gracing the cover with a herd of Peruvian Pasos thundering past in the background.

The title is accurate, as Zacarias De La Cruz is indeed a Dark Predator.

[Sandra Dagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I told myself I was NOT going to read any more reviews here, before I posted my own, but unfortunately, this time I let myself be tempted, and then just got mad all over again. Where do you people get off??? This is NOT YOUR series, this is Ms Feehan's series. These are HER characters, from her imagination. If you don't care for a book, at least have the decency to be polite about it. Personally, I LOVED this story, and felt she portrayed Zacharias EXACTLY as I pictured he would be...an ancient, with no feeling, and no capability to feel. If that hurts your womens' lib egos, well tough! Marguerita was perfect for him. She is an incredibly strong woman, strong within herself, with no need of being loud and domineering. This was an incredible read, and I continue to recommend these stories to anyone who loves paranormal romance, and who isn't hung up on being 'woman, hear me roar'! Keep these books coming Ms. Feehan, I've enjoyed every one!

[Jane (PS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a bit more than Dark Peril, but it still wasn't a 5 star read for me. It waffled for a while in the middle third. It needed some action or friction (or both!)... Very innocuous spoiler: And I had a believability issue in that Marguerita is SO forgiving, no matter what bossy-pants Zacariah threw at her. (Not even on my best behaviour and totally in love, could I put up with those antics).

...But I still love the series.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zacarias De La Cruz has flown to his Peruvian ranch to end his existence. He sees Marguerita Fernandez riding a horse. Zacarias is content to watch Marguerita as he ends his life honorably by meeting the dawn. Marguerita is drawn to him. She doesn't understand why, but she has to save him. Zacarias warns her away, then commands her away. She doesn't listen. She has to save him. Marguerita drags Zacarias to the stables and wraps him up in a tarp. Then she drags him to the ranch house. There she removes his clothing, wipes a soothing liquid over his burns while cleansing his wounds at the same time. Marguerita gives him blood. Next, she drags Zacarias to the hidey-hole -- a chamber under the trap door. She digs a hole big enough to bury his body in. Then she rolls his cold body into it. Lastly, Marguerita removed all evidence that Zacarias had been at the ranch.

Esteban Eldridge stops by the ranch to purchase two horses for polo. Marguerita feels something just doesn't add up when he mentions her gift with the horses. He asks if she can mind-control people? She asks why would she want to? Julio, the foreman's son, rides up to tell her she is needed. He asks if everything is all right? Marguerita nods yes. They ride toward the ranch house. Julio asks her, "What is wrong?" She tells him everything is fine. He worries too much. Marguerita walks into the ranch house knowing she will have to face Zacarias's wrath when he awakens, because she disobeyed and saved him. She attempts to write him a letter explain her reasoning.

Zacarias wakes up furious and enraged. He charges into the her bedroom, splintering the door. He grabs Marguerita and sinks his incisors into her neck. Zacarias gets lost in taking her blood. He notice her slumping against him, instead of fighting him. Zacarias curves the darkness within him. He gives Marguerita his blood to bring her back from the brink of death.

This is a good story but it lacks character development or growth. Zacarias has been on Earth for 1000 years. He is ready to end his existence. Marguerita cannot let him go, but she believes he is vampire, one of the undead, and must be destroyed. The plot is a romance with the ups and downs of their relationship. The description is good and places the reader in the moment. Overall, it was a good book. It is a nice addition to the Carpathian world.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zacarias De La Cruz is a Carpathian, one who is a creature of the night, feeds off blood and is a shapeshifter. Those of his race that succumb to the evil of killing when they feed become the hated vampire and the prey of the hunter Zacarias. A hunter who has not found his lifemate must struggle everyday not to turn into that which he hunts. Zacarias has been a hunter for over a 1,000 years and has put aside the notion of ever finding a mate. Those with no mate lose the ability to see in color and they lose all emotions. Zacarias has lost those things even younger than any other Carpathian. All that has kept him going for a millennia is his honor and the fact he needed to be sure his four brothers and his Prince were safe.

Now that his brothers have all found their lifemates and there are many capable hunters to keep the Prince safe he has decided to end his life in honor instead of embracing the shadows on his soul and forcing his brothers to hunt him. He heads to his ranch in South America in time to meet the sun, but a woman intervenes and saves him.

Marguarita Fernandez has served the De La Cruz family her whole life. A few months before the start of Dark Predator she is attacked by a vampire and refuses to give up the De La Cruz’s resting place, so the vampire rips out her vocal cords. Before she can bleed to death Zacarias arrives and saves her life. Now, he has returned and she feels compelled to save him from himself.

After 22 books of the Carpathians I wondered how Christine Feehan was going to write this one since we saw very little of Zacarias in any of the other books. I really liked the character development of Zacarias and the fact that Marguarita couldn’t speak. Zacaraias is touched by shadows and is disconnected from his emotions. That makes him an excellent hunter, but a not very good mate. Luckily, Marguarita is a psychic and can touch those that are wild, mostly animals, but Zacarias counts. She can sense the emotions that he thinks aren’t there and helps him.

The bad thing about this book is the repetition. I lost track of how many times Zacarias thought about the shadows on his soul, how he had no emotions, how he was a solitary hunter and how his erection around Marguarita was ‘heavy’.

I loved the story itself and how the characters were flawed yet managed to be whole when together, but the constant repetition and reiteration drove me near insane. Ms. Feehan did this early on in the series and looked to have gotten it under control in the last books, but this newest book was, I believe, the worst offender so far.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zacarias de la Cruz is the oldest in the de la Cruz brothers and the most powerful. He also has the darkest soul, tattered in shreds due to centuries of killing his own kind. This was a very long book. Maguarita is from a long line of humans raised to defend the de la Cruz. She's sacrificed quite a bit already to protect them. She's also naturally gifted with animals. So we know she is psychically gifted which means she's a suitable lifemate for Zacarias.

The story basically goes like this.

Zacarias denies Maguarita is his lifemate and he's tired. Maguarita is compelled by this handsome yet predatory man and disobeys him. They miscommunicate a bit, Zacarias sees colour and he's stunned to find his lifemate. (Don't all of them feel stunned they have finally found their life mate?) Predictably, there are human and vampiric enemies which threaten to tear them apart. Old friend with ancient blood comes to donate some life saving blood. Hero are heroine are mad at each other for not trusting one another, they have wild passionate sex and they make up.

Basically, this is no different than many of the others in this series. I'm not sure why I keep reading them. I guess I just kind of want to know what happens to each of these Carpathian men. There is nothing fresh or new anymore. It's really the same theme over and over and the characters feel kind of interchangeable. I still like Ms. Feehan. I'm thinking perhaps it's time for her to retire this line and focus on her new ones. Recommended only for the Carpathian devoted fans.

[Vashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 1st "Dark" book that I have read in quite a while,think the last one was Dark Celebration.I was pleasantly surprised by this book on how much I had enjoyed it.The H was at total ALPHA to the extreme.I do so love my H's to be ALPHA.The h was not a doormat.The book for me just flowed and I finished it in one day.The character of Zacharias believing that the end is near for him as his darkness is increasing decides to end his life after the battle in the lastbook[did not read that one] ended and he and his brothers were victorious.He goes to his hacienda in Peru to do this.Margherita,the h sees him in the sun and decides to save him.This act Zacharias sees as a betrayl and disobediance.This is where the action begins as they come to know each other.The sexual tension between the two was searing off the page as these two come together.For me, this book was sort of romantic in a way that I just can't explain.The H was so protective and possessive of the heroine[trade mark of CF's]that you did feel his love for the heroine even though at the time the H did not know what the feeling of "love" is about.So,rec this book to fans of CF's , it is lighter than some of her other books .If you want a read that is not heavy with a tortured and abused h, a really Alpha male ,then would highly rec this book for you to read.

[Megzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was beyond disappointed and actually quite furious about what this book represents.

Like many other readers, I have been really looking forward to read Zacarias' story. He might have not felt emotions, but as a reader I could feel his love and commitment for his brothers in four other books in this series. What happened to him? He was abusive in every way and shape imaginable. I was disgusted by him and by myself for purchasing this book. I don't believe in burning books, so I mostly donate the books I don't care for to the public library. With this book, my conscious wouldn't allow me to do that, as I don't want to subject anyone else to this nightmare.

[Sydney M Neblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merge with me

This author has to be the queen of the overarching storyline! No matter how many of her Dark Carpathian books I read, each one is new and fresh and unique to the main couple. Her males are wonderfully over the top alpha males who rule the women in their lives, and Zacarias has to be one of my favorites. He was so close to turning when a brand new world became available to him. And what better woman to usher in this new era than the one he couldn’t let fall victim to the vampire. This book is every bit as enthralling as the ones before it and I can’t wait to see what comes after it.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars, liked it. I know some people didn't care for Zacharias and Maurgarita relationship, but I liked it. It was a nice change to read about a happy and logical heroine, as I have been reading about way too many "fiesty" and "independant" heroines in PNR lately(aka bitchy). Anyways, Maurgarita still held her own against a very dominant male and didn't have to a be a harpy about it. I think this book should get more credit than it does...