Dark Destiny

Dark #13

by Christine Feehan

They were masters of the darkness, searching through eternity for a mistress of the light....

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 ... Dark Destiny

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

383 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 6, 2004

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 5 out of 5]

5 Tainted love/blood stars

First read July 2012 Reread February 7, 2016
Reread Feb 6 2017
Reread 12/21/2020

*Spoilers*

"I need you. To live. To save my soul. I am willing to wait as long as it takes."-Nicolae



"I can't be intimate with you." Her chin rose slightly; her soft mouth trembled. "I could never be intimate with you, and that's a big part of what you want from me." "We are already intimate, Destiny. Sex is not necessarily intimacy. We have shared far more than other couples, shared intimate details of our lives."-Destiny and Nicolae

Wow this book is one of the great ones in this series. Dark Destiny, the 13th book in the Dark series, is a touching story of love healing the deepest wounds. Destiny and Nicolae's story is one of my favorites in this series and I can't put into words what a beautiful, loving relationship they have. Destiny was kidnapped by a vampire at the age of 6. She was beat, turned by the vampire, and raped for years. He would kill women and kids in front of her and then rape her covered in their blood. She was so tortured that at 6 years old she was able to mind link with her lifemate Nicolae. Nicolae suffered every rape and beating with her. He begged her to tell him where she was so he could help her, but being a child she thought him another vampire and would never talk. So he would try to help her, staying with her during her torture and telling her stories of his homeland, and people. Beautiful stories to take her mind off of what was happening to her body. All the while hunting for her. When he couldn't find her he started telling her how to fight vampires, training her to kill them. At 14 years old, after years of unthinkable abuse, she killed her first vampire the one that kidnapped her. Now full grown Destiny still runs from Nicolae, she knows she is damaged and has tainted blood from being turned by a vampire. Will Nicolae be able to show her that she isn't tainted and that she is everything he will ever need or is she too damaged by her past to be a true lifemate?

"Are you crazy? I'm supposed to be the light to his darkness? Do you have any idea what you're saying? Nicolae is my light. My only light."-Destiny



"I do not want you to fear me, or to fear our joining. Coming together in love is a beautiful thing, not an act of despicable violence, but something unbelievably wondrous. Do you trust me enough to join your body with mine?"-Nicolae

Nicolae was a wonderful hero. He was just amazing. He was loving, strong, patience, and so supportive. Nicolae was tortured just as much as Destiny, he was ripped to pieces each time she was raped, every hurt, he lived it with her and felt like a failure. Nicolae did everything he could for Destiny. He gave her the power to fight back. To take back control of her life. When he did find her, he never bossed her or pushed her, but took everything at her pace. He was her safe place, her rock. He showed her love and gave without thought to himself. He truly saved her with his unconditional love and support. Destiny Lord have mercy she was damaged. She lived her whole life in pain. Destiny was a brave, beautiful character. Even with all she lived through she went out nightly hunting vampires, protecting everyone she could, and gave or helped where ever she found need. She believed herself evil because she had tainted blood. Though she loved Nicolae she feared a mans touch, and didn't want to infect him with her blood. She felt like she could never be what Nicolae needed. Destiny was a fighter, and a kick ass vampire hunter. She never gave up no matter the pain or fear. I loved Destiny.

"You must hear me in this. He was never far away from me. Never. I was there with you from the moment you first merged with me. I felt the pain and the humiliation of what he did to you. I chose to share all of it with you, so I would know firsthand what it was like to be so helpless and vulnerable to a powerful and evil being. All the while, I was ashamed I could not find you and protect you as I should have been able to do. That vampire walked in my thoughts and in my body and ate away at my soul. Every time he put his filthy hands on you, he tore out my heart. He was never far from me."-Nicolae



Do you see, little one, not everything has to be perfect to be pleasurable. If there are times we can only hold one another, it will be all right. We will enjoy those times together. We will have many perfections and many near misses, and they will all be pleasurable. That is true intimacy. And that is life.-Nicolae

Nicolae and Destiny's relationship was an emotional one. Full of support, understanding, passion, respect, and a lot of love. They gave to each other so freely. The first time I read this book I worried it would lack passion because of the horrible things that Destiny lived through, but Nicolae taught her the pleasure of touch and making love. He went slow and she always had control. Never did he push or make her feel bad when it got to be to much or fear overcame her. Which make their relationship more intense for me. I was so connected to them both and loved every moment of their love story. Nicolae's brother Vikirnoff who is also one of my favorite CF heroes, is in this book. Even without his emotions you can tell he has a funny sense of humor. That he is a male of honor. He protected his brother and Destiny always having their backs. One of the things I loved most in this book and I loved a lot of things was Velda. Velda was a old woman in the neighborhood that Destiny was protecting, Velda was a lifemate, but her lifemate turned vampire. The same vampire that was trying to kill Destiny. There was a point where they came face to face and Pater( Velda's lifemate the vampire) recognized her and it was one of the saddest moments but kinda cool too. Because I always wondered what happened to the lifemates of the males that turn. When Velda touched him and told him "I waited for you. There was no other in my life. There could be no other. I will grieve for you and hope that God has mercy on your soul." -Velda to Pater (her lifemate who was vampire) my heart just broke. Gregori and Savannah are in this one too, and I love me some Gregori. Damn but that man should be in every book!!! Just sayin'. I loved this book. It made me feel everything and the couple felt real. Another great book in this amazing series.

"You gave me hope and dreams and everything good I've ever known. Thank you for that."-Destiny

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner! I really enjoyed Nicolae and Destiny! I was going to give this 4 stars, but my fave Gregori showed up at the end and bumped it up to 5.

[Sophia Triad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Destiny and Nicolae

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Destiny has a very tormented heroine. She takes the Carpathian books in a different direction where we see the heroine needing the hero more in some ways than he needs her. There is a mutuality to their relationship, without any doubt. His finding her has kept Nicolae from turning into a vampire. And reaching out to Destiny, saved her. Poor Destiny fell into a vampire's trap as a very young girl, and was forced to watch him murder her parents and many others. Not only that, she was made to drink his tainted blood and violated. Nicolae allowed her to share his mind, and taught her how to kill the vampires, which allowed her to destroy the vampire who had enslaved her, and to get free.

Since then, Destiny has been on the run. She doesn't trust easily and doesn't seek companionship from others, but somehow becomes emotionally attached to the people in the neighborhood she watches over from vampires, particularly MaryAnn Delaney, whose life she saves.

When this book begins, she is evading the beautiful voice in her head, that she has heard for many years, since she was enslaved by the vampire. Although this voice has helped her through some truly horrible moments, she can't allow herself to believe in its goodness, because of falling for the lure that the vampire who destroyed her family set.

Nicolae has followed his lifemate from place to place, doing everything he can to help her, yet trying to keep his distance, knowing her issues with intimacy. But things soon come to a head, and he makes himself known to her in person.

From there, this story unfolds slightly different from the other Carpathian books. Nicolae is a very patient, gentle suitor. He doesn't rush Destiny or force her into their relationship, although he does make it clear that she is his Destiny and his future. Things are complicated, because Destiny is tainted by the vampire. She doesn't know that the Carpathians are not evil and are not vampires. Her whole existence has been hunting and killing vampires, using her ability to sense them because of the shared blood of the vampire who enslaved her. She believes she is wholly evil and cannot be a suitable mate for Nicolae. Nicolae has to convince her that she is wrong, but also get her healing for the vampire blood that damages her body and causes her terrible agony.

It goes without saying that I enjoyed this book. It has a lot of the things that make Feehan's Carpathian books what they are. But it also has some new elements that make it different to read. I like the mix of magic and science, how the tainted blood of the vampire turns out to have a malignant infective lifeform in it that destroys the host from the inside out. I love seeing the battle scenes and the healing moments. There is wonderful humor in these books. Destiny is a real smart aleck and says some outrageous things to Nicolae that he never lets get to him. He's very wry in his humor, and Virkinoff, his older brother, is the type to say what he thinks and let the cards fall where they may. So I had many moments when I was laughing to myself as I read this book.

I think Ms. Feehan really has an appreciation and a touch for showing human relations. She shows the good and the bad about people, and how they come together to form families that have nothing to do with blood. Such is the group of people in the neighborhood that Destiny has ending up adopting. It was hard to see how there were good people who were doing bad things to each other, and no one was sure why. And this ties into the fact that there are monsters in the world that are of the very human variety.

I had to take time to write a review, because I didn't want to say the same things I've said with the other books. I hope that I did a good job talking about this book as a separate entity from the other Carpathian books, because each one is different. I can see how some readers might get bored with the series, but I haven't. I look forward to reading each one, to continue exploring this very interesting and different vampire world.

[Jennifer J Knorr · Rating 3 out of 5]

The storyline was good . But the chapters were way too long and kept going on and on. With not enough to keep me interested. I got bored .

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Destiny is the 13th book in the Dark Series by Christine Feehan…who is one of my absolute most favourite authors. It’s the story of Destiny, a vampire hunter and her lifemate Nicolae, who is one of the most amazing Carpathian males. Not the usual overbearing male but one who shows patience, gentleness and patience towards the woman he has finally found that will save his soul. They have been connected through their minds since Destiny had been tortured and abused by a vampire who had kidnapped her after killing her family.
I love Mary Ann…what a fabulous woman …..who befriends Destiny and I am sure she will be appearing in future books…is the first person who can get through the pain and suffering Destiny has suffered all her life.
The relationship between Nicolae and Destiny is amazing….they way they care for each other…Destiny fighting her attraction for him to prevent him being infected by her vampire blood and his strength in holding back his need to bond her to him shows amazing courage.
Love the way they shift and become eagles, owls flying high in the night sky, all those incredible caves filled with flowing waterfalls, shining minerals, the way the soil covers them as they go to sleep…
Both overcome all the obstacles and finally find happiness together…..
Oh yes….love Vikirnoff, Nicolae’s brother…..what gorgeous men…..can’t wait to read his story !!!!!
Geez I just love these books….I read them over and over and it’s like reading them for the first time…I am still enthralled and surprised each time…..thinking about the next one I will read again…..this is the 4th time I have read the series…and am sure it will not be the last…..

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one will not go down as a favorite in this series for sure. Didn't care for the heroine. Destiny was abducted and horribly tortured as a child. She loves seeing herself as a horrible monster because of what she turned into. Her only salvation was the voice of Nicolae that encouraged, comforted and kept her sane. When Nicholae finally finds her, however, she treats him atrociously! While one understands her fears, as the book progresses, her actions read more like a spoiled child's tantrums than a mature woman's insecurities.

Nicholae is a stand out among the Carpathians of other books. He actually chooses to give her the choice in all things. He never forces his will on her, even to his detriment (unlike the other heros here-to-fore.) He has the patience of Job with a woman who, even the reader wants to shake at times.

The storyline is average, not particularly exciting and a little confusing but a good who's-doing-it type. Three stars pretty much explains it all.

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to the wonderful people on team Feehan for reaching out to me. It's been years since I've read one of the Dark series books. I forgot just how much I love Feehan's writing. It really felt like coming home. It's warm and comfortable. In the book blogger world, we can get caught in the rush of books from PR reps and publishers. I am happy to have found myself back with the masters of the darkness. I am waaaaay behind in this series, but now I have a fire burning to revisit and catch up. Thanks again, guys!

~Tanja

*Thank you to the author and Avon Books for sharing this title with me.

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[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

This was a pretty good addition to the Dark series. Destiny was a kick-ass heroine but she struggled with a dark past that scarred her deeply. I will note that while Destiny's past is talked about and she experiences a couple flashbacks but they don't last long and aren't too graphic.

Destiny was 6 years old when her family was killed and she was kidnapped her. It soon became apparent that her kidnapper wasn't human and he forced her to drink his blood, which changed her. In her pain, Destiny used her telepathic powers to reach out and she connected with Nicolae. Destiny was a captive for years and suffered seeing many horrible things as well as living through them herself. Nicolae connected with her and suffered along with her. He also taught her how to protect herself and eventually, Destiny was able to kill the vampire that had taken her captive and escape.

Destiny refused to talk to Nicolae through their link. She accepted his guidance and teachings but she thought herself forever tainted and a vampire and thought Nicolae was one as well. Destiny was convinced that if they ever met, she'd be forced to kill him. Nicolae and his brother are ancients in the Carpathian race and hunt the vampires to protect humans. Nicolae and his brother hunt while searching for Destiny and it takes a while before they finally connect. Destiny has been in the Seattle area for a while and likes the neighborhood she's in. She watches over the residents but avoids being seen because of her belief that she's evil. She hunts the undead in the area and that's what ends up leading Nicolae to her.

When they finally meet, Nicolae's actions and words are un-vampire enough that Destiny's willing to consider that he's really not a vampire but she knows nothing of Carpathians and isn't sure if she can trust anything that Nicolae says. It takes some time and a lot of doubts but Nicolae and his brother are able to convince her to trust them. Destiny is even more unsure when Nicolae says that she's his lifemate and he needs her to be his anchor to the light so he doesn't turn vampire. Considering Destiny's opinion of herself as being evil, she has some reservations about her being a good anchor to anything light. Nicolae certainly has his work cut out for him but he's determined to win Destiny and save them both. It also helps that some of the neighborhood residents accept Destiny as she is and turn to her in time of need. By the end, Destiny and Nicolae have worked through things and are solidly together and heading towards and HEA.

This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked Destiny but I kind of felt split at times. She's a very capable fighter and can take out vamps on her own. She's also very kind and is a protector at heart. On the other side, I got slightly annoyed that she kept seeing herself as evil and doubting her place with Nicolae. The thing that made it only slightly annoying is the fact that she got past it before too long and considering her background, I can see where her fears came from. Nicolae was great...very patient and caring and willing to do whatever he needs to in order to be with Destiny and give her the love and care she needs. Overall, I did like the story and it's character and am happy I read it. I'd recommend it. :D

* note _ I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a good job.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destiny rises and feels the pain of not feeding for two nights. She goes to visit a church. Though the elderly priest cannot see her, he acknowledges her by leaving the church door open. After the priest departs, Destiny steps into the church seeking absolution and peace.

MaryAnn Delaney walks up to the threshold of the church. She tries to reach out to Destiny. At first Destiny hides in the deepest shadows, not acknowledging MaryAnn. But soon she is talking to her. A cold, foul stench enters the church grounds. Destiny pulls MaryAnn into the church, and, using a compulsion, tells her not to leave the church until morning. Destiny turns to face the vampire. He wounds her yet she is determined to kill the vampire. First, she must feed in order to build up strength and heal her wounds.

Nicolae Von Shrieder is an ancient Carpathian hunter. He has been a part of Destiny's life since she reached out to him telepathically at the age of six. Each rising he calls out to her to come to him. She doesn't answer the voice in her head for fear it is a vampire. Nicolae knows he is close to finding Destiny. He knows she is injured. Using the sent of her blood, he comes across her feeding on her prey. A robust young man Destiny had lured with the promise of unbelievable sex. Nicolae discovers is jealous of the young man. So much so that he looses the shape of an owl, tumbling toward the ground when she telepathically talks to him. With the help of his brother, Vikirnoff, he regains his balance and form. Destiny heads for the vampire's lair. Nicolae streams to the lair to protect Destiny and to kill the vampire.

Nicolae and Destiny's story is one of unconditional love and acceptance. Destiny has experienced pain and humiliation at the hands of a vampire. Because of their telepathic link, Nicolae has experienced Destiny's painful and humiliating moments too. He is patient, kind and gentle with Destiny. Everything they feel is wrapped in unconditional love. Destiny wants to keep Nicolae safe from her tainted, vampire blood. Though they eventually make love, she will not permit Nicolae to drink from her veins. Even Vikirnoff says her blood is tainted.

This reader feels like Nicolae and Destiny are friends. I love their interaction with the neighborhood, especially with the priest, Father Mulligan, and with the two elderly sisters, Inez and Velda. MaryAnn is a strong secondary character also. She must have her own book to tell her story and find her true love. Vikirnoff, Nicolae's older brother, is a prominent character who has a sense of humor, though he does not feel emotion. There is a mystery to solve also. Some of the neighbors are exhibiting violent behaviors, totally out of character for them. Is it the compulsion of a vampire?

The characters are flawed and likeable. The plot and subplots are woven into the world building, which is phenomenal. One really feels the Carpathian and the vampires are real. The descriptions leave you yearning for more. This is a very touching love story with an HEA ending. This book is my favorite so far in the series. There is implied rape and abuse scenes in this novel. The sex scenes are hot. Now to advance to the next book in the series.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Dark Destiny" is the story of Nikolae and Destiny.
Destiny has lived a traumatic life, her family been killed by a demented vampire and her becoming his blood slave as a kid.
She was tortured and raped by him, until a voice in her head compels her to kill and save herself. A voice she cannot trust..
Nikolae has always been able to communicate with Destiny- but she never responds. When a chance encounter leads them to meet, he becomes the ultimate doting and caring mate, healing her wounds and scars, and gently coaxing her out of her shell. She too learns the importance of trust soon, and with him behind her back, fights the demons that have traumatized her.
I really liked Mary Ann and Vikirnoff, and also meeting our favorites from previous books.
The book however, dragged on for me and I was bored throughout most of it. It does pick up pace in the last 1/4, but I was already disconnected by then.
Ok on the sexy scale.
Good ending.
Safe
2.75/5

[iamGamz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christine Feehan does it again. She draws her reader in with an amazingly tormented, but strong heroine who has to overcome obstacles that are insurmountable.

Destiny was captured by a vampire at 6 years old. He tormented and tortured her in the worst possible ways. Her only salvation for her sanity was her connection with Nicolae, a Carpathian Hunter who was at the end of his the rope until a small helpless child reaches out to him.

He was her salvation and she was his. He taught everything he knew about hunting and killing vampire so she could free herself from the monster who held her captive.

Years later, after searching the world for her, Nicolae finally finds Destiny. She is terrified of any connection. She is tainted by the blood of the vampire, she is his lifemate and is so damaged that he fears that he will never reach her.

Nicolas’s patience, caring, tenderness and understanding are the things that I will take away from this book. He respected Destiny and the horrors that she had been forced to endure for so long, and allowed her the dignity to find her own way forward. With a little guidance from him.

This book also had an amazing cast of characters fro
Velda and Inez, Mary Ann and Father Mulligan. Their sense of community and open friendship also allowed Destiny to open herself up to friendship and caring.

I devoured this book because of the characters that kept the story so very interesting. I think this will be my favorite book in the series. I will always remember the strength and compassion that Destiny had in-spite if the hellish existence she was forced to survive.

This one is truly wonderful.

[Asounani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi corazón esta completamente roto por Velda, lo espero fielmente lo espero durante años!!!! pero él no la encontró y cuando se encuentran él se había rendido hacia tiempo y ahora era un vampiro!, por favor solo por esa parte el libro tiene 3 estrellas.

God estaré con resaca emocional por unos días (resaca = ya saben cuando beben demasiado alcohol y al día siguiente se sienten fatal)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

And it's not just "a" book review - it's my LAST book review of the year! Luckily, Dark Destiny was a really good book to end 2008 with. This is book 13 in Christine Feehan's Dark Carpathian series.

Dark Destiny is the story of Destiny (duh), a female Carpathian hunter - something unheard of in the previous 12 books of this series. Destiny was not born a Carpathian though. She was just an innocent child of 5 or 6 with strong psychic abilities, when a vampire found her. He killed her family and converted her, then spent years abusing her in every way you can possibly fathom. That's when she cried out to her savior.

Nicolae, ancient Carpathian hunter and protector of his people, heard the suffering of a child in his mind. He spent years trying to shield her from her pain. He taught her how to survive her captor, and eventually, how to destroy him and escape.

From that day on, Destiny traveled the world, hunting and destroying the undead. She hated herself for what she had become, and so she hid from Nicolae, afraid that he was a vampire, afraid that she would have to one day destroy the only thing that kept her alive.

Nicolae was patient, he knew his salvation depended upon finding her, and he finally tracked her down in the mountains not far from Seattle. He and his brother Vikirnoff arrived just in time to help her escape a brutal attack from a group of vampires.

After much persuading and explanation from Nicolae, Destiny decides that he is not a vampire, even though she can see the beast within him "roaring for release". She doesn't think she can be his lifemate however. Because her blood was tainted with the poison of the vampire that made her, she believes she is evil as well.

Nicolae and Vikirnoff believe that if they can get Destiny to their homeland in the Carpathian mountains, the healers among their people will be able to rid her of the toxins in the vampire's blood.

Nicolae endures as she tries to work through her trauma so that they can be together, and is delighted when she eventually reaches out to him for help with a neighborhood mystery.

Something is terribly wrong in Destiny's neighborhood, with the people she has chosen to protect. They are acting out in violence, completely of character, harming their loved ones. Afterwards, they have not memory of what happened. Destiny and Nicolae cannot detect the vampire's touch in them, but something is amiss.

Together, as they struggle to be what each other needs, they try to unravel the mystery of what is happening to the city.

Dark Destiny is one of the best Dark books I've read so far. Destiny was a strong female character - she had to be, and Nicolae was by far the most patient male yet! The "supporting cast" was good as well: the little old ladies Velda and Inez - practically the eyes and ears of the neighborhood; the social worker Mary Ann - risking her life to protect and save battered women in need; Father Mulligan, the local priest who knows about the Carpathian race and the good they do to defend humans and immortals alike from vampires.

Dark Destiny was well written, with an original storyline and fantastic, fully-formed characters.

[KatieV · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kind of getting burnt out by this series, but this one was refreshing.

Finally! We have a heroine whose OTT 'I can't have a lifemate' antics were justified. Okay, she's had a few other other heroines that were more reasonable, but still.... gotta admit that some of her heroines go to absurd lengths to avoid their 'fate' for reasons that are blown a bit out of proportion.

This heroine was well and truly traumatized having been turned by a vampire when she was 6 and kept prisoner by him for years. The idea of that is disturbing and *warning* there is a bit of description of things done to the h when she is having flashbacks. Yeah, it may all be make believe with vampires and such, but it's hard for me to take that into consideration when you're talking about child rape/abuse.

I'm honestly not sure how a person with that history would take this book. I can't speak as a survivor, but I thought it was sensitively handled myself. Destiny was not a pitiful victim despite what she'd been through, but she definitely had scars as well as undeserved feelings of guilt and shame and would likely always have them. No magic penis to take them away in this novel. Things got MUCH better for her and I imagine, given time, she will heal more but I think Feehan made a wise choice in not making Destiny insta-healed once Nicolae came on the scene or even after having been cured by Gregori (always good to see him).

This was a nice reversal of the tortured hero theme, I thought. Destiny was definitely a badass heroine with a tortured past. Someone who is small, pretty, and seemingly no threat who can whip the living crap out of the baddest of the big bads. Kind of like a Joss Whedon heroine, he seems to love that sort.

Re: the audio, Ferrone is not my favorite but Feehan seems stuck on him so I'm getting more used to him. I still think he sounds kind of like a sitcom dad.

[Jane (PS) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable. Not as cohesive as some of the other 'Dark' books, but I still really enjoyed it and am hooked on the series - the stories seem to be getting better, with more depth, and a little less repetition. (Or is that my imagination? - perhaps I no longer feel bad when I skim some of the emo/lurve paragraphs?)

As a cost cutting measure for CF I think I could save her a couple of pages of printing by removing 'of' from some of the sentences. Eg. "He took the shirt off of her body." Rather than "He took the shirt off her body." (This is not a quote as I don't have a book in front of me.) The word is inserted superfluously into so many sentences it drives me crazy. I am working on conditioning my mind to skip this word wherever possible. (I know there are plenty of other grammatic errors throughout the writing, but for some reason, this one REALLY bugs me. But I keep coming back for more!! :))

[Wendy Crisp · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here we go again. The more of these you read, the less about them adds up. I guess that is what happens when a series goes this long and the author struggles to make them unique. This one was a downer. The authors liberal views were much more obvious in this story. Most of the story centered on violence in relationships, on women and children. All of the heroes and heroines seem the same in my minds eye (thank goodness for Aiden in a previous book who was slightly unique.) We also learn what happens to a lifemate when her Carpathian mate becomes a vampire prior to them meeting. Which was probably the biggest downer.

[Kristina Deluise · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's got to be me, and my reading taste, must have changed over the years

this was a hard book to get through.......

my notes read:

he's been helping her , her entire life
never done or say anything bad
yet she fears him and refuses his help etc.

i'd prefer not having a romance where the girl is afraid of the boy or has to be talked into a dating relationship or trusting etc

i had started to say the book becomes readable at chapter 9
but then changed my mind at chapter 11

i think the best parts of the book are then end when company comes.....

you get lots of information for future books.

[Rachel Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly I couldn't finish it. The characters are so unrelatable and emo. Maybe if I started at the first of the series, but I was told it was written so that I could start anywhere. I couldn't understand what the main characters were even feeling or why they would make those choices. I had to stop after only 3-4 chapters.

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

***SPOILERS!!!***

So, this one was interesting. Destiny, the heroine, had been kidnapped as a child by a vampire, who abused her in every way and also converted her. Therefore, her blood was tainted. In that time, she called out telepathically and ended up connecting with Nicolae. Not being able to find Destiny, he taught her to hunt the undead so that she'd survive.

The story starts when the two find one another and he realizes that the child he saved was also his lifemate. I loved the action in here, as well as the conflict surrounding Destiny's blood. It prevented her and Nicolae exchanging blood, which is a big deal for lifemates. Her trauma kept her from trusting easily, so I loved seeing her make friends.

The little neighborhood in which the story took place was great, too. People in it were being put under compulsion to do violence against one another, and I loved seeing them all try to come together and find out what was going on. There was also a vampire who was after Destiny, and when at the end it was revealed that he was Velda's lifemate...it was just so sad. We now got to see what actually happens to the lifemates of Carpathians when the men turn vampire, and it's awful.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It was dark due to Destiny's past, but I loved that Nicolae was always there to pick her up when necessary, both literally and metaphorically. She was incredibly strong, and I loved watching her come into her own. These two made a great pair, and I'm hoping MaryAnn gets her own book.

[Sandy Schleich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorite books out of this whole series. I think one of the reasons it was my favorite is because the main character was a woman. The one thing I thought was funny is the fact that when her life mate did find destiny, he was not able to bend her to his will because he shaped her into a fighter since she was a little girl.

[J.W. Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was unique. With the lead heroine being a dark vampire. Her past was tragic. U couldnt help but feel for her. I adored Nicolae. Ever so patient.

The human aspects and all of connections to this neighborhood that was being terroized on two fronts was a great story. With some fresh faces

[Dottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amaxing

I love all of the dark books but this I think is my absolute favorite The story was just so wonderful I stayed in my room and read it all in one sitting.

[Aparna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stars: 3.5 / 5
Recommendation: If you like paranormal plots with hint of romance, eroticism and the other world abilities involving immortals and vampires along-side humans with super-abilities, then this is a series to go for.

Dark Destiny is the thirteenth book in the longest series, Dark Series, by Christine Feehan which was published in July of 2004. The story is set in Seattle, WA and revolves around
Nicolae Von Shrieder - an ancient with immense powers - and Destiny - a powerful psychic who has bad blood in her attracting the wrong kind of beings. Among being on several of the best seller lists, this book was honored to be the Finalist for the 2004 PEARL Award for Best Shapeshifter.

Carpathians are a powerful and ancient race who are near-immortals living for thousands of years with powers and gifts that no man can fathom. Despite their gifts and extended lifespans, they are at the age of extinction as fewer and fewer children are being borne and far lesser of females. Without their female counterpart aka "lifemates" the male Carpathians lose the ability to feel emotions leaving the males with hard choice: either become vampire or "greet the dawn". Now that Prince Mikhail Dubrinsky finds a lifemate in a human female with psychic abilities and is capable of converting, there is hope for all the other Carpathian males who have been holding off from turning into vampires – the very creature that they hunt and kill to save the humans and Carpathians alike. The series now ventures into another species - Jaguar Species - with the 10th book Dark Symphony.

In her 31st book, Dark Legacy (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) released in September of 2017, Christine had introduced a new Carpathian female, Elisabeta Trigovise - an ancient and sister to Traian Trigovise and thought lost to them. Not sure why Christine brings back her characters and how she ties them together with the various plots, but the mention of Traian Trigovise made me want to re-read the series again since quite a few facts she had brought back in Dark Legacy were lost on me.

After being brutally tortured as a child, Destiny has been living with nightmares that flow literally in her blood. She had no peace and her only saving grace was a golden voice that guided her through her nightmares, taught her how to protect and fight, and giving her the motive to move forward in her life. Yet, when he calls her to him, she doesn’t go. And now this golden voice, Nicolae Von Shrieder, comes to her aid physically when she needed him again. She has to find the courage in herself to embrace his darkness for she is his light, even though she thinks herself as dark. Will she embrace and become his destiny for real?

Nicolae is an ancient who was sent out centuries ago by Prince Mikhail Dubrinsky's father to fight the vampires that haunt the earth. He has been searching for his light for so long, little did he realize that the little girl who had reached out to him years ago in pain would be his light. He needs a healer, but his healer is tainted. How will they bind and survive the darkness in both of them and yet finally reach the light?

The story is set right after the twelfth book, Dark Melody (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...), and we meet Gregori Daratrazanoff and his lifemate Savannah Dubrinsky again in this book.

One of the key concept that Christine covers in this book is about battered women and shelter for such women. MaryAnn Delaney was a counsellor and also a ran an institution through which she helped battered and abused women. A social evil that sadly is increasing as every year passes, but was glad to see it brought to light with this story.

Christine also opens up Destiny's mind to evils caused by humans as well, not just Vampires - something she couldn’t fathom that humans would do. In that process Christine brings to light another evil - sexual abuse on women by trusted professionals such as doctors, lawyers and priests.

One question always came to my mind while reading this series, what about all those women who were destined to be lifemates to all those Carpathians who turned to become Vampires without waiting for those women to be born, what was their fate. And finally in this book, Christine shows us that side of the life as well.

A few tidbits: Again this book starts including the card inserts that give reader and opportunity to either join a book club and win books, or buy a book and get a few free. There is an advertisement for dorchester publishing at the end of the book enticing readers to join their club and buy books. Although we know now that in 2012 this publishing was acquired by Amazon Publishing and it shut down as dorcehsterpub.

As always Christine leaves a lot of inconsequential details all through the plot. It will be very interesting to see where and when these all surface again. Another powerful erotic plot woven by Christine Feehan keeping us thoroughly entertained and immersed into the world of Carpathians. As always the fight scenes are excellent and love scenes are very romantic, not yet erotic. Christine has certainly left the readers with so many minute details that they would be craving to read those details becoming important in future plots. Watch this space for more reviews of the next books in the series.

Spoiler Alerts:

1. Plot reveals:
a. Destiny befriends two old ladies - Velda Hantz and her sister Inez Hantz. Velda is a strong psychic and a lifemate to Pater - the Carpathian who converted to Vampire too soon.
b. Destiny has a talent to identify a vampire no matter how well he disguised just by the stench of his blood.
2. Sub-Plots:
a. Would love to ask Christine Feehan as to why she didn’t have Barack claim Syndil early on, why make him wait till after Darius makes his clam on Tempest in the sixth book Dark Fire? Also why not a separate book or a novella for Barack and Syndil instead of spreading their story within two books - fifth book Dark Challenge and sixth book Dark Fire?
b. Christine reveals the possibility of more Carpathians being settled in South America in Dark Challenge.
c. In Dark Symphony, Christine introduces some more facts of Carpathians - the Dragonseeker clan of Carpathians, Wizards and Mages who were one time close with Carpathians but now arch enemies.
d. In Dark Descent, we see quite a few sub-plots: Small details floating around, but I am sure Christine will be collecting them in a bigger plot later.
i. Gabrielle Sanders and Jubal Sanders are introduced - siblings to Joie Sanders.
ii. The Sanders siblings and Traian find a huge dragon encased in ice. We met Dominic Dragonseeker; saw Byron and Josef shape-shifting to dragons and mention of mages in Dark Symphony.
iii. We meet Shadow Warriors - Ghosts of the wizards, lost long ago.
iv. While being tortured, one of the master vampire takes Traian's blood giving the vampire ability to control Traian - although Traian beats him at that control. However, not knowing who that vampire was and where he was, Traian decides to be away from his people. However, I don’t remember this tidbit being explored by Christine in any of the future books. Perhaps that is why she brought Elisabeta Trigovise in the 31st book, Dark Legacy's plot. Or I might have to read the additional 100 pages that Christine included in a later version to know the truth.
e. In Dark Melody, Julian and Savannah but muse that Gregori and Savannah should be blessed with twin girls who would run amok much to Gregori's suffering.

3. Unique / Repeat Characters who are not Carpathians but with the possibility of them being expanded by Christine Feehan in future books:
a. Gary Jansen first time introduced in Dark Magic, doesn’t have a story of him yet - 18 years since his character had first been mentioned. Recently Christine announced in her blog on Goodreads that Gary's story has to wait as his lifemate is a child now. I wonder who that child was and if she had already introduced that child in any of the recent books. And if she is basing her on one of her granddaughters' - just like Skyler - and she would wait till the grand daughter would grow in real life before penning a story between her and Gary.
b. In Dark Dream (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...), Sara Marten adopts seven sewer children - three girls and four boys - all with psychic abilities.
c. Skyler Rose Thompson is first introduced in Dark Legend, as a 14 year old girl who is battered and injured in every way. Above all she is a psychic. We are going to see more of her, but Christine has left enough clues to readers to guess who her lifemate would be.
d. In Dark Legend, Francesca muses if her child would be one of those rare females since she had perfected the art of living like a human and walking in the sun. Wonder what would the fate of this child would be in Christine's hands.
e. Barry Woods, a reporter in the Dark Legend plot is not meted with justice or purged of the vampire's influence or any more exploration of his mind to understand about the Society of Vampire Hunters by Christine. Perhaps a future character?
f. Corrine Wentworth (lifemate to Dayan) gives birth to a female psychic child - Jennifer - in Dark Melody.
g. MaryAnn Delany is introduced in Dark Destiny, a female with strong psychic powers and also one who works with the battered women and children. She perhaps will be a lifemate to another Carpatian soon.

4. Perils that the Carpathians face:
a. Few children who have born are Males, most not surviving the first year of their life, females are rarely born. Shea Dubrinsky along with Gregori Daratrazanoff are working hard on how to better the food for their children so they survive. She is more interested to study Darius and Antonietta Scarletti's family in the hopes of finding a cure to their species.
b. With Dark Symphony, Christine introduces a new concept while converting a psychic female with Jaguar blood - Antoninetta Scarletti's blind eyes seem to be giving sight back to her.
c. Vampires are congregating; attacking in coordinated methods; doing a hypnotic dance in hopes to transfix the Carpathian hunters; ability to create a holding spell; able to inject a fast acting poison impacting the nervous system; can cause Carpathians to sever the mental path the Carpathians share; casting a silvery net to capture the hunter in their molecular form; two master vampires running the show together; use animals such as rats, birds and insects to pry on others; a multigenerational poison that could attack the healers.
d. Society of Human Vampire Hunters who constantly hunt the Carpathians mistaking them to be Vampires. The Morrison Center for Psychic Research is targeting psychic humans documenting about them to kill them in the end.
e. The antagonist Vampire was after Sara Marten in Dark Dream, as he needed her help to track the tomb of the master wizard and book of knowledge that will give access to untold power.

5. Lifemate pairs introduced as the series progresses: Will Christine have a plot for these pairs sometime in future?
a. Eric and Celeste – Celeste is pregnant with child in Dark Prince, but no mention of who they would be in the later books so far.
b. Vlad and Eleanor Belandrake - Eleanor is pregnant in the first book Dark Prince. However in Dark Symphony we see that she has given birth to Benjamin "Benj" and also adopts Josef - son of another Carpathian pair who are lying in ground now, Lucia and Rodaniver.
c. Tienn and Diedre - Diedre is sister of Vlad.
d. Vladimer Dubrinsky and Sarantha - Mikhail and Jacques Dubrinsky's parents - They are shown as dead in Dark Guardian (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) plot.

6. Other Carpathians who are waiting for their lifemates as of this book and we meet as the series progresses are:
a. Dimitri Tirunul – another ancient Carpathian mentioned briefly for the first time in Dark Desire plot. First introduced almost 15 years ago, we as readers already know that his story would not be until the 25th book in the series. He is a renowned scientist; works for preservation of wolves and guards them in the reservations of Russia; and has a wolf foundation.
b. Dominic Dragonseeker - Introduced in Dark Symphony, with added little details about wizards / mages and a war between them and the Carpathians. He is looking for his sister - Rhiannon Dragonseeker - a powerful mage although just an apprentice, thought to be lost.
c. Josef and Benjamin "Ben" - First introduced in Dark Symphony.
d. Vikirnoff Von Shrieder - brother to Nicolae Von Shrieder is introduced in Dark Destiny. He is tasked to find a woman who is being targeted by The Morrison Center for Psychic Research - a woman has a talent to find the past of any object she touches.

7. Being so many few Carpathian females born, a few females that Christine still manages sneak in her plots are:
a. Shea O’Halloran – lifemate to Jacques Dubrinsky, first female born after more than 500 years and a natural healer. Her story is in Dark Desire (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...) and is pregnant as of Dark Melody plot.
b. Savannah Dubrinsky - daughter of Prince Mikhail and Raven Dubrinsky; lifemate to Gregori Daratrazanoff. Her story is in Dark Magic (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...)
c. Desari Daratrazanoff - lifemate to Julian Savage, sister to Gregori and Darius; has the power to sing that could bring peace between humans, animals, birds and Carpathians alike. Her story is in Dark Challenge (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...)
d. Syndil - lifemate to Barack, both part of the troupe Dark Troubadours, with tremendous healing powers and has an affinity to earth. Her story is spread in two books - Dark Challenge and Dark Fire (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...)
e. Francesca Del Ponce - lifemate to Gabriel Daratrazanoff. Her story is told in Dark Legend (https://inspirethoughts.livejournal.c...). She is a powerful healer; has ability to bring peace to anyone who is in her vicinity or by touch; makes stained glass patterns that are specific to a one's need and bring healing to them.
f. Tamara - daughter of Gabriel Daratrazanoff and Francesca Del Pounce, born a few months before the Dark Guardian plot.

8. Geographical / Character / Grammatical / Historical Errors:
a. On Pg. 71, second line from bottom, it should be "….shouldn't be out by…"

[Kelcie LeAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't my type of book but my hubby bought it for Christmas so I gave it a shoot and it was good I loved the romance of it.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contining series,15 of 37 books read still enjoying

[Evalyne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too much mushy feelings....urg!!

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know what you're getting with her and the Dark novels. She sees emotion as being masculine and feminine. Males get the strong emotions. Women get the weak ones.

I always like the bonds she creates. Nikolae came to Destiny at each of her risings and tried to will her to call him to her. I loved that. And he'd taught her to kill because it was the only gift he had to give and the only way to save her. But it was hella creepy that she was a child. Her parents were killed in front of her, and she found him in her mind. I loved that he had his brother help him hunt her. Vikirnoff was hundreds of years older, rarely spoke, and preferred to be in animal form.

The men are always right at the point where they're going to seek the dawn because they can't take it anymore, and then they meet her. Happens every single time. Mix it up. Variety is the spice of life.

The women are always portrayed as stupid. Nikolae had told her that he wasn't a vampire, that he was Carpathian, but she told him she'd vowed that if he ever came here she would kill him, because she thinks he's a vampire. Of course she knows nothing of Carpathians and doesn't believe him when he explains, because her heroines are always displayed as ignorant and the men have to teach them everything. Since a vampire turned her, she can have female babies and secure their race. Because, as you know, a woman's only purpose is to have kids. Otherwise she'd be completely useless. All of these women get pregnant, sometimes with twins! So I don't see how dire the loss of their race is.

The men are always jealous of the women simply feeding from another man, while they feed from women, and have had 200 years worth of sex with countless women. Let's hear it for equality! Keep that sexism, hypocrisy, and misogynism coming!

She felt his need to kill and told him not to, that he'd said never to do that. It was the first time she'd spoken to him and he knew she was his lifemate. He hadn't known before now.

The vampires told her they were gathering their kind together to be stronger, and she thought Nikolae had come to force her to join them...Ah, these women are so smart. She tried to stab him in the cave and I couldn't stand her stupidity. He spent years helping your dumb ass and you think he's evil? Too stupid to live.

He was following behind her as she followed Vikirnoff. She said Faster to him in his mind without realizing it as they fled, worried he would get blasted by the flames. The hole Vikirnoff had made collapsed after them before Nikolae could come through and she didn't want to leave him, felt like she was leaving her soul behind. Nice, but there's always the overriding irritation of the whiplash-fast emotions of the heroines. One second he's an evil vampire you tried to kill and the next you can't be parted from him. Makes you wonder if they've been brain damaged.

I was pissed when it came to Mary Ann. Every single one of these contains some dumbass human that doesn't belong, and you know their dumb ass will end up being paired up with one of the men and they don't deserve it. Mary Ann helps women and Destiny has saved her life and likes listening to her speak to the women. Destiny knew her life was too dangerous and so she went to the bar to wipe her memory clean. But Nikolae came and Destiny couldn't handle her feelings or even breathing so she left. Mary Ann touched his arm and told him she wanted to help Destiny, that Destiny could never get into a relationship as damaged as she is. Nikolae told her she knew about their kind and she'd have to be watched and he'd have to take her blood to do so. Destiny saw them leave the bar, him holding MaryAnn's elbow. She felt when he pierced her neck and she found his arms around her and he raised his head lazily. Destiny didn't like the way his hands curved on MaryAnn's shoulders. Wtf are you doing here? She should've killed him, but of course she went off with Nikolae like a docile lamb. And stupid MaryAnn said the very interesting bird would see her home safely and she waved at Vikirnoff. Yep, my worst fears were coming true. Another great male gets a stupid, undeserving human loser.

It was interesting that Father Mulligan had heard of the Carpathians. He had read a cardinal's letters to a priest in Romania and they had spoken of the Carpathians' role in life. The priest was a friend of Mikhail's.

After they had helped heal the priest, Destiny told him he needed to feed and he was about to feed from her when Vikirnoff warned him that she was tainted and it would hurt both of them. Nikolae was too close to turning and wasn't tied to her. She heard and left, went out looking for a fight and I respected that. Finally. It was funny that she went to a bad neighborhood looking for criminals and was disgusted that no one was attacking her.

It was an emotional moment when after the vampire attacked her, and said she'd die a hideous death, she said she lived a hideous life. And Nikolae told her to stay with him.

He kissed her and she said he learned a few things in all the years he was on earth. There we go, right on time. The commenting on the experience the hero got from other women! A classic.

Suddenly the heroines flip a switch with no warning, going from absolutely wanting nothing to do with him to joking. All the romances have these lame attempts at humor that aren't funny. In here Destiny's word of choice was annoying.

Vikirnoff came back unexpectedly to test Nikolae's skills, and said he'd grown arrogant not to even hide her resting place from him. Vikirnoff knew that Nikolae didn't trust him, that he was only okay with him because he knew he could protect Destiny from Vikirnoff. It was cool that Vikirnoff said how strong Nikolae was that he'd spent years helping Destiny with her fights, lending her strength and hunting for her. He'd never heard of anyone doing that. (It's her constant need to one-up the heroes as they're all the strongest....)

It was so interesting that Vikirnoff said that Prince Vladimer called them all to him. They all knew their lifemates weren't in the world. They had all fought and seen brothers and friends turn. They accepted they couldn't have their lifemates because something had happened to prevent their birth or they died before they could grow. Nikolae said maybe Prince Vladimer knew some of them would find their lifemates in America and not their own country. He had precognition. Vikirnoff said maybe that's why Vladimer chose certain ones to stay and ones to go.

For some reason this author thinks women are here to be abused, that all women should be abused sexually and physically. Destiny was raped as a child. Almost every heroine she's written will have been through sexual abuse, physical abuse, or torture, like getting slashed to pieces. She loves tearing women to pieces. It's never done to show women's strength either, because it's never dealt with. They were about to have sex and Destiny was humiliated that she had brought Nikolae to this point but wasn't woman enough to give him what he needed. Way to help survivors with thoughts like that.

They were nowhere near ready to have sex. They'd only kissed and touched a little and Destiny was still so damaged.

The sex wasn't hot like I remembered. And it was immediately ruined as he tried to drink her tainted blood but she pushed him away. They had sex again immediately after but she cut it short and glossed over it. Destiny went to see MaryAnn and paced the office like a lunatic, complete with dramatic hand gestures and typical female craziness. She thinks women are emotionally unhinged, fragile creatures who have to lash out irrationally like children. Destiny ranted about how annoying Nikolae is. One of his annoyances is that he looks at her. Is that supposed to be funny? It's not.

Of course she had to find a little boy who's also been sexually abused. Nothing says Idk what the hell to do with my book quite like introducing a random kid. Destiny assured him it wasn't his fault, all to show her that her parents' death weren't her fault either...You think she would finally see that and shut the heck up. Save me from damaged characters.

He was mad at her for putting her life in danger and he said "You should have called me to you immediately. You know you should have. You were being childish, angry because the lifemate you thought your equal in strength turned out to be more than you bargained for. That is no reason to place our lives in danger."

There are some nice moments. Destiny felt his pain at her not calling for him when she was in danger, and he said "A little pain isn't going to hurt me, Destiny, and certainly is not worth your tears." He told her her tears tore him apart and ordered her to stop.

I was so glad when they were at MaryAnn's and could tell she was tampered with by a vampire who had asked her to report if a certain woman came there. The woman has psychometry powers and she gave them the picture of her. Nikolae said he would have Vikirnoff look for her and I knew MaryAnn was out of the running. When Nikolae showed him the picture, he remembered her from a dream long ago. He caressed her face with his thumb and wouldn't give it back to Nikolae to make copies.

They didn't have sex for a while after that and then when they did, it was set up nice. Nikolae conjured a bed and all these roses. He had already decided to drink her tainted blood so they were in it together. If she was an outcast with their people then so was he. And then it was ruined, just like the first time. She pushed him off her, mad at him for endangering himself and taking on tainted blood that would allow him to be felt by vampires. And then they were talking and touching and joking and everything was fine. I swear these women are bipolar.

MaryAnn mentioned a doctor that had dealt with each of the victims of the violent episodes, and he uses hypnosis. He violated her and she didn't report him and felt if he was behind it then she was guilty. Destiny had to assure her it wasn't her fault. Oh good grief, here we went again. Beat us over the head with innocent victims not to blame.

Nikolae had summoned Gregori. He told Destiny that Gregori is a descendant of a great line of hunters and second-in-command to the prince. His mind and hands hold power. He comes from a revered lineage. His ancestors always guarded the prince and most were very skilled at healing. The skill of healing runs strongest in his family.

MaryAnn's clinic needed funds and he was going to help her out. He sent up a trust fund for the stupid boy I didn't care about. Ugh.

It was a nice moment when Gregori and Savannah presented the bag of their homeland soil and the 3 of them smelled it and put their hands in it. Vikirnoff was overcome, feelings the emotions of Nikolae.

Destiny could see the black mass moving towards his heart and she sent him to sleep. She was horrified at the parasites and Nikolae started to move, his heart beating. Gregori said her distress was calling to him and to calm herself. He said he can do no other than come to her if she needs him.

It annoyed me that Destiny was raising her chin at Gregori, she had lost her family and everything and didn't fear anyone. She sent him looks that if he harmed Nikolae she'd rip his heart out. Oh no you don't. Not with Gregori.

Surprise, surprise, Veda, one of the old women, was a lifemate to Pater, who'd turned vampire. She told him she'd waited for him and there was no other in her life.

It had to be a human behind the strange behavior, to show Destiny not all humans are good. My, this heroine keeps getting all these lessons. Nikolae made him write a letter admitting his sins and the doctor jumped off the building, thereby escaping the justice that should have awaited him. Hello, jail time! Why does no one believe in that??

I kept waiting for them to go to his homeland but they never did. And of course they're going to live in Seattle in that stupid town Idc about and only visit his homeland. Not cool.

He had to save her 4 times. Every time you turned around she walked into a trap, more than she could handle, and he had to save her life. It was even worse when at the end she made us think Destiny was going to save the day. Gregori was inside Nikolae healing him, Vikirnoff had gone to feed, and Nikolae was asleep. Destiny had Savannah help her fight off the vampires and went off to handle Pater. But she got in over her head and actually said "Now would be a good time for you to rescue me."

It was cool that he waved his hand and had a bed of flowers form on the ground of the cave before he laid her down. And he summoned lightning with a wave of his hand.

An old woman said "I had a real figure. I was no stick like you girls now." "Nice young girl, with a real figure, not like the half-starved bodies we see so much now." "She has a woman's figure, meat on her bones for a man to snuggle up against." Oh no you just did not have a character skinny shame. YOU’RE the one who writes skinny characters!

There are such weird moments. She writes so much, so wordy with endless paragraphs with no dialogue. And then the hero says he loves her and there's no reaction. The woman doesn't say anything in response. Like it's no big deal. She treats love like it's a given and means nothing because of their bond. I can't stand the way she has the characters reveal their love. And one time Destiny said she loved the rain and the feel of it and Nikolae didn't say anything. He said something else like he hadn’t heard. WHAT?! Another time she said she loved the city and people and Nikolai didn’t respond or react. I was scratching my head. Did an editor cut something or was the author lax enough to not write a response??
Destiny told Nikolae she loved him for the first time, inside his mind with Gregori, Savannah, and Vikirnoff present. Nikolae was like you're telling me this now and said they have to work on her timing. That sucks. They kissed right in front of them and I was so uncomfortable.

It's always a contest of who's badder. Nikolae said he's an ancient, older than Gregori, and Gregori can't beat him. Okayy..that's not what you said in his book.

I knew stupid MaryAnn was going to be a mate, when it came out that she has psychic powers, long before Nikolae told Gregori she can be converted to a lifemate should she have one.

This was interesting in that a vampire turned her into a Carpathian as a child, so she was one before they met. He'd been helping her since that day.

The romance came at the oddest times. After they had interviewed someone about a madman, dealt with an attack, argued, whatever. It was really jolting.

I wish she would quit equating women with suffering and torture and abuse. I wish for PR heroines who haven't been raped, tortured, witnessed their parents' deaths, and who aren't physically, mentally, and emotionally scarred.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the more original storylines for a Carpathian book: Destiny, a strong psychic, let a vampire into her home when she was six and was forced to watch him brutally murder her parents - and then he converted her. In her panic she connected with an ancient Carpathian hunter, Nikolae, but wouldn't speak to him. Even though he was continents away, he taught her everything he could to help here survive and, after eight hellish years, defeat the vampire. Nikolae is tracking her and getting closer, while Destiny becomes a vampire hunter with no knowledge about the true nature of Carpathians, and believing herself as evil as the vampires she kills.

When Nikolae finally catches up to her in Seattle it's to find some strange goings-ons in the neighbourhood where Destiny feels drawn to the people. People are acting out of character and suffering memory loss, and it doesn't seem to be the work of a vampire. While they strive to uncover that mystery, Nikolae tries to convince Destiny that there's a difference between Carpathians and vampires, and that their healers can rid her body of the vampire blood - and the strange parasites living in it that seem to draw vampires to Destiny, vampires who speak of a plan of domination, and a master, and try to get her to join them.

This book starts a three-book plotline (Dark Secret and Dark Demon) so you won't get all the answers here or in the next book. The crime-solving side of this novel is new to the formula and adds an extra level of mystery - and Velda, oh that actually brought tears to my eyes it was so sad!

I had all the usual problems with this one as I do with all the others, but I really liked Nikolae and Destiny is the first woman to be a vampire hunter in this series - very refreshing. Natalya, the woman in the photograph Vikirnoff goes hunting for, is also a vampire hunter with some very cool tricks up her sleeve, so it's nice to see Feehan moving away from the more timid, lip-nibbling heroines.

Still, my big complaints remain, among which are: Why are the women always white and American? I know, it's a comfort zone for Feehan, but really, what are the odds of that? Realistically, there should be Asian and black and hispanic etc. women in there too. Not to mention that, essentially, all the men are the same character and the women, for the most part, are too. It's no wonder I sometimes get confused!

[Lover of Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Destiny, as a child suffered and was tortured and abused by a vampire, and then turned by him, but there is still good within her, even though she thinks she is evil, having to kill to survive. There is one man, a carpathian, who has always suffered right with her, and been her light, but there is a great part of her that doesn't believe she deserves any joy or love in her life. Then he shows up in her life, real and she knows that her life is about to change forever. Nicolaoe has been searching for Destiny ever since their first connection when she was but a little girl, and once he sees her knows that she is his lifemate, but knows that through all the trauma she has gone through in her life, he must take it slow for her, no matter the cost to himself. Hoping that once she learns to trust him, that she will come to love him...Dark Destiny is the thirteenth book in the Carpathian Series by Christine Feehan. I have read this book before but it has been a while since I have, and I have to say its one of my favorites. Its so emotionally compellling to the reader, that you can't put it down. Destiny is the kind of character that can almost break your heart, so easy to relate with, despite the fact that she can fight vampires, there is a side of her that doesn't believe in herself, but then she meets her best friend Mary Ann and then Nicolae her lifemate, and we start to see how she starts to heal and learns how to truly love and be loved. There were quite a few times that I cried, and at other times just laughing at the interaction between Destiny and Nicolae. Nicolae, is the kind of man any woman could fall for, and he is pretty dreamy in this book. Even though he can be controlling at time, and all Alpha Male, he takes his time with Destiny, more patient than most of the other males in this series. Overall this is on the top of the list in favorites of this series, of course it can be hard because I have loved every one of her books, however the story and the characters were endearing, and the plot thrilling, and I there wasn't one moment that I was bored, defintely a worthwhile read. A most emotionally empowering, engaging book that I have read in a long time, and I LOVED it!!!