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Dark #6
Dark Fire
"There is always a price to pay."
So Darius warned her when she accepted a position with his traveling troupe. And gazing mesmerized at the merciless slash of his mouth, the implacable resolve on his face, the soulless emptiness of his black eyes, Tempest was afraid to ask what it was.
She had always been different, apart from others. From the moment his arms closed around her, enveloping her in a sorcerer's spell, Darius seemed to understand her unique gifts. But did his kiss offer the love and belonging she sought, or a danger more potent than his own panthers?
Somewhere deep inside herself, Tempest realized she knew the answer. She had no choice but to accept the velvet stroke of his tongue, submit to the white-hot heat piercing her skin, welcome an erotic pleasure like no other...
So Darius warned her when she accepted a position with his traveling troupe. And gazing mesmerized at the merciless slash of his mouth, the implacable resolve on his face, the soulless emptiness of his black eyes, Tempest was afraid to ask what it was.
She had always been different, apart from others. From the moment his arms closed around her, enveloping her in a sorcerer's spell, Darius seemed to understand her unique gifts. But did his kiss offer the love and belonging she sought, or a danger more potent than his own panthers?
Somewhere deep inside herself, Tempest realized she knew the answer. She had no choice but to accept the velvet stroke of his tongue, submit to the white-hot heat piercing her skin, welcome an erotic pleasure like no other...
390 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2001
689 people are currently reading
6694 people want to read
About the author
Christine Feehan
156 books53k followersChristine 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)
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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 578 reviews
October 4, 2022
5 Redhead Temper Stars
First read July 2012 Reread January 21, 2016
Reread January 31, 2017
Reread Nov 4 2020
*Spoilers*
"Does anyone else besides me ever get the urge to throw things at you?" She sounded drowsy, not combative. Darius hunkered down beside her so he was at eye level with her. "I do not think so. If they do, they do not have the audacity to tell me."-Tempest and Darius
Dark Fire the 6th book in the Dark Series was amazing! This was Darius and Tempest's book. Darius is Desari's brother who we met in the last book Dark Challenge. I fell hard for Darius in the last book. He was just so dark, bossy, and lost. He reminds me a lot of my Gregori. I just wanted to save Darius, take away his pain, and see him get his HEA. I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint!
"You are more trouble than any woman I have ever encountered. Have you made a study on the best ways to drive a man insane?"-Darius
I have the right because you belong to me and I can do no other than to see to your safety and happiness. The voice was calm and very masculine, holding a dark promise she didn't want to think about. "You can do no other than shut up,"-Darius and Tempest
What is it about these yummy, caveman like Carpathians males that just makes my blood boil. Darius was everything Carpathian, dark, broody, protective, sexy, the total kick-ass package! But like every good Carpathian male he is putty in his lifemate's hands. Darius had a very sweet side, and he did give his lifemate a little time to get use to everything, which isn't something all Carpathian males do. Some just club her and drag her back to their cave. Not Darius, he took it as slow as he could giving her time to come to terms with all the life changes. Darius was awesome in this book and I would have expected nothing less. What I didn't expect was for Tempest to be so damn awesome too. Tempest was hot tempered, sassy, playful, funny and very independent. She had a rough life. Use to being alone she was scared to care for someone to only lose them. Tempest did not put up with Darius's bossy ways and Challenged him every chance she got. Tempest was not a stupid heroine, but trouble always seemed to find her.
"You will do as I say, honey, as you are meant to do." Tempest's eyes flashed fire. "That's it. One of you go get me a club. A big one. He clearly needs to be hit over the head to bring him back to his senses. He must have lost them somewhere in the forest. You idiot, I'm not your child to be dictated to. I'm a grown woman perfectly capable of making my own decisions. Now just this one time in your life, do what you're supposed to do and go to ground or whatever you call it."-Darius and Tempest
I knew you were trouble the minute I laid eyes on you.-Darius
I loved both Darius and Tempest. I laughed a lot in this book. Their back and forth banter was hilarious. They had a great relationship. In this book we get to see the rest of Darius's family again. We get a peek at how good it's been between Julian and Desari in the months since the last book. And in this book . It was cute how Darius's whole family laughed at his lifemate giving him hell. Dark Fire was a funny, cute easy read and a great addition to the Dark series! I don't know what it is about this series, but I can't get enough of it!
"Of course not. In fact, I think you need me around to keep you from being an arrogant, overbearing dictator, to keep you on the straight and narrow."-Tempest
https://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessi...
First read July 2012 Reread January 21, 2016
Reread January 31, 2017
Reread Nov 4 2020
*Spoilers*
"Does anyone else besides me ever get the urge to throw things at you?" She sounded drowsy, not combative. Darius hunkered down beside her so he was at eye level with her. "I do not think so. If they do, they do not have the audacity to tell me."-Tempest and Darius
Dark Fire the 6th book in the Dark Series was amazing! This was Darius and Tempest's book. Darius is Desari's brother who we met in the last book Dark Challenge. I fell hard for Darius in the last book. He was just so dark, bossy, and lost. He reminds me a lot of my Gregori. I just wanted to save Darius, take away his pain, and see him get his HEA. I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint!
"You are more trouble than any woman I have ever encountered. Have you made a study on the best ways to drive a man insane?"-Darius
I have the right because you belong to me and I can do no other than to see to your safety and happiness. The voice was calm and very masculine, holding a dark promise she didn't want to think about. "You can do no other than shut up,"-Darius and Tempest
What is it about these yummy, caveman like Carpathians males that just makes my blood boil. Darius was everything Carpathian, dark, broody, protective, sexy, the total kick-ass package! But like every good Carpathian male he is putty in his lifemate's hands. Darius had a very sweet side, and he did give his lifemate a little time to get use to everything, which isn't something all Carpathian males do. Some just club her and drag her back to their cave. Not Darius, he took it as slow as he could giving her time to come to terms with all the life changes. Darius was awesome in this book and I would have expected nothing less. What I didn't expect was for Tempest to be so damn awesome too. Tempest was hot tempered, sassy, playful, funny and very independent. She had a rough life. Use to being alone she was scared to care for someone to only lose them. Tempest did not put up with Darius's bossy ways and Challenged him every chance she got. Tempest was not a stupid heroine, but trouble always seemed to find her.
"You will do as I say, honey, as you are meant to do." Tempest's eyes flashed fire. "That's it. One of you go get me a club. A big one. He clearly needs to be hit over the head to bring him back to his senses. He must have lost them somewhere in the forest. You idiot, I'm not your child to be dictated to. I'm a grown woman perfectly capable of making my own decisions. Now just this one time in your life, do what you're supposed to do and go to ground or whatever you call it."-Darius and Tempest
I knew you were trouble the minute I laid eyes on you.-Darius
I loved both Darius and Tempest. I laughed a lot in this book. Their back and forth banter was hilarious. They had a great relationship. In this book we get to see the rest of Darius's family again. We get a peek at how good it's been between Julian and Desari in the months since the last book. And in this book . It was cute how Darius's whole family laughed at his lifemate giving him hell. Dark Fire was a funny, cute easy read and a great addition to the Dark series! I don't know what it is about this series, but I can't get enough of it!
"Of course not. In fact, I think you need me around to keep you from being an arrogant, overbearing dictator, to keep you on the straight and narrow."-Tempest
https://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessi...
July 17, 2018
Cada cierto tiempo cedo al placer de leer mis favoritos dentro de las series largas. Éste es, sin duda, uno de ellos. Reconozco que las historias paranormales de Christine Feehan son bastante estereotipadas, pero igual les tengo mucho cariño, ya que son de las primera que leí cuando me adentré en este género.
Reseña 1a. lectura
Definitivamente uno de los mejores de la serie. En esta entrega, el encuentro de la pareja protagonista, Tempest y Darius, no tarda ni una página en arrancar y, a partir de ahí, su relación se cuece a fuego muy muy lento, tanto que uno casi ni se da cuenta cómo van evolucionando sus sentimientos.
Darius en ningún momento oculta su naturaleza, algo que Tempest asimila muy bien, ya que tiene la capacidad psíquica que caracteriza a las mujeres humanas destinadas a ser compañeras de los carpatianos. Sin embargo, le aterra todo lo que significa ese mundo, todo lo que implica estar cerca de Darius, la pérdida de su libertad e independencia.
Todo el proceso de compenetración entre ellos es muy dulce, romántico y apasionado, aunque algo accidentado, tanto por sus caracteres como por la Sociedad Secreta que sigue tras sus pasos.
En resumen, me ha encantado, lo he disfrutado mucho y ha sido una lectura terriblemente adictiva que no me ha durado ni un suspiro.
Reseña 1a. lectura
Definitivamente uno de los mejores de la serie. En esta entrega, el encuentro de la pareja protagonista, Tempest y Darius, no tarda ni una página en arrancar y, a partir de ahí, su relación se cuece a fuego muy muy lento, tanto que uno casi ni se da cuenta cómo van evolucionando sus sentimientos.
Darius en ningún momento oculta su naturaleza, algo que Tempest asimila muy bien, ya que tiene la capacidad psíquica que caracteriza a las mujeres humanas destinadas a ser compañeras de los carpatianos. Sin embargo, le aterra todo lo que significa ese mundo, todo lo que implica estar cerca de Darius, la pérdida de su libertad e independencia.
Todo el proceso de compenetración entre ellos es muy dulce, romántico y apasionado, aunque algo accidentado, tanto por sus caracteres como por la Sociedad Secreta que sigue tras sus pasos.
En resumen, me ha encantado, lo he disfrutado mucho y ha sido una lectura terriblemente adictiva que no me ha durado ni un suspiro.
April 7, 2021
Spectacular is a word that comes to mind while reading "Dark Fire" the 6:th instalment in Christine Feehan`s Paranormal "Dark Carpathian"-series that delivers everything i need and crave in a keeper worthy all stars there is out there.It has mindblowing romance,stunning action and magic and so many badass moments i was fanning all over myself.I mean this book was SO HAWTTT that my mind became fuzzy after a while.I could not put this book down!This is what Feehan does to me everytime.No wonder she has become one of my top favourite authors.She is just amazing..and this book is SO AMAZING!!
"Dark Fire" follows the very feared Carpathian male Darius who is the leader of the "lost children" ever since their species almost got destroyed after the Turkish invasion many centuries ago.In modern times they live as a band called Dark Troubadours with Darius as the band manager and bodyguard.He unexpectedly finds his lifemate in their new human auto mechanic Tempest Trine who resists his pull at every turn.It will make for a magnificent journey where Darius steals her heart while doing everyting to protect her from the evil vampire hunters that wants them dead.
Tempest "Rusti" Trine is a red-haired auto mechanic that defied Darius at every turn,LOL.How fun that was to watch!She has a fiery temper and really did draw trouble to her all the time-she just couldn`t avoid it which made Darius crazy of worry and rage all the time!But oh was she fiesty and head-strong and learned how to handle the very dominate and possessive Darius who was darkness to her light.She craved freedom and was really angry at Darius for taking it from her but did soon realize how much he actually was willing to sacrifice for her.He decided to become mortal with her and die together with her when they got old and that just broke my heart.She had been lonely and abused all her life trying to survive so when this man steps in front of her she never expects how quickly her life would change from that second.He needed her with every fiber of his being...and that vulnerability made me melt puddles..AHHH DARIUS!!!!
***
"There is nowhere you can go that I cannot find you. I would come for you, and I would never stop until I retrieved you. You are the very air I breathe. You are my light. The colors in my world. There is no life without you. I will never go back to emptiness, to darkness. You and I are tied together, so we have no choice but to find a way to make this work." -Darius
***
Darius Daratrazanoff just took over all the pages with his forceful presence of cruelty and sensuality.He simply took my breath away!In my mind his character was a mix of his older brother Gregori and Prince Mikhail.He is a healer,provider and protecter of his family and the strongest and most powerful among them.If anything would have happened to his beloved Tempest he would have ruined the world before he would have taken his own life.He was so soulless and cold before he met Tempest.His Carpathian soul craved his lifemate and not meeting her for centuries caused him to live a colorless unfeeling existence.Now when he has finally found her,he would never give her up,nor ever let her go.She made him go crazy with anger and lust...but damn is he besotted and MADLY IN LOVE WITH his lifemate.How he made my heart beat faster with his romantic gestures and words and feelings.I can`t put to words how Darius amazed me as a lover and fighter.He won me over since his first appearance in "Dark Challenge" but i just love him 1000 times more in this book.
Together Darius and Tempest are a perfect mix of warmth,passion,laughter and all there is to love.Their love is so beautiful and unconditional that it made me cry because both were willing to die for each other.They can no longer exist without each other and can`t stand any kind of separation from each other.There is no Darius without Tempest and no Tempest without Darius.They are soulmates born for each other.Just AH how beautiful and romantic that is!What a stunning romantic adventure this was and i only want more!!!
"Dark Fire" follows the very feared Carpathian male Darius who is the leader of the "lost children" ever since their species almost got destroyed after the Turkish invasion many centuries ago.In modern times they live as a band called Dark Troubadours with Darius as the band manager and bodyguard.He unexpectedly finds his lifemate in their new human auto mechanic Tempest Trine who resists his pull at every turn.It will make for a magnificent journey where Darius steals her heart while doing everyting to protect her from the evil vampire hunters that wants them dead.
Tempest "Rusti" Trine is a red-haired auto mechanic that defied Darius at every turn,LOL.How fun that was to watch!She has a fiery temper and really did draw trouble to her all the time-she just couldn`t avoid it which made Darius crazy of worry and rage all the time!But oh was she fiesty and head-strong and learned how to handle the very dominate and possessive Darius who was darkness to her light.She craved freedom and was really angry at Darius for taking it from her but did soon realize how much he actually was willing to sacrifice for her.He decided to become mortal with her and die together with her when they got old and that just broke my heart.She had been lonely and abused all her life trying to survive so when this man steps in front of her she never expects how quickly her life would change from that second.He needed her with every fiber of his being...and that vulnerability made me melt puddles..AHHH DARIUS!!!!
***
"There is nowhere you can go that I cannot find you. I would come for you, and I would never stop until I retrieved you. You are the very air I breathe. You are my light. The colors in my world. There is no life without you. I will never go back to emptiness, to darkness. You and I are tied together, so we have no choice but to find a way to make this work." -Darius
***
Darius Daratrazanoff just took over all the pages with his forceful presence of cruelty and sensuality.He simply took my breath away!In my mind his character was a mix of his older brother Gregori and Prince Mikhail.He is a healer,provider and protecter of his family and the strongest and most powerful among them.If anything would have happened to his beloved Tempest he would have ruined the world before he would have taken his own life.He was so soulless and cold before he met Tempest.His Carpathian soul craved his lifemate and not meeting her for centuries caused him to live a colorless unfeeling existence.Now when he has finally found her,he would never give her up,nor ever let her go.She made him go crazy with anger and lust...but damn is he besotted and MADLY IN LOVE WITH his lifemate.How he made my heart beat faster with his romantic gestures and words and feelings.I can`t put to words how Darius amazed me as a lover and fighter.He won me over since his first appearance in "Dark Challenge" but i just love him 1000 times more in this book.
Together Darius and Tempest are a perfect mix of warmth,passion,laughter and all there is to love.Their love is so beautiful and unconditional that it made me cry because both were willing to die for each other.They can no longer exist without each other and can`t stand any kind of separation from each other.There is no Darius without Tempest and no Tempest without Darius.They are soulmates born for each other.Just AH how beautiful and romantic that is!What a stunning romantic adventure this was and i only want more!!!
June 11, 2019
Darius and Tempest Trine
Another story about The Dark Troubadours band. Lonely Tempest aka Rusty accepts a position as a mechanic with the traveling band. She is a human girl without family and she values her privacy. But then she will meet Darius, the dangerous brother of Desari and she will not be alone ever again. Because apparently she is Darius’ lifemate. Her unique talents including her affinity with the animals and especially the large cats make her a suitable candidate to become the Carpathian’s mate.
Rusti stared up at him, measuring her options. Somewhere deep inside herself, she knew that Darius had taken away her choices. He would not allow her to leave. She saw that in the merciless line of his mouth, the implacable resolve stamped on his features, and his soulless black eyes. She could pretend if she wanted to, leave it unspoken between them, not challenge him. Power clung to him like a second skin. She had been in dangerous situations before, but this felt entirely different. She wanted to run... and she wanted to stay.
Bossy Darius takes care of his family since he was a little kid. Now it's his turn to find his personal happiness and claim his lifemate. Since Tempest is just a mere human, it is awesome the fact that he gives her some time to accept her new reality.
Tempest is a strong independent girl She has learn to be a survivor since a young age while she was raised by drug addicts, but somehow she can not avoid trouble. Darius has no idea what to do with her and he keeps saving her continually.
“And stop that, too,” she said decisively, despite the fact that he made her hungry for him.
“Stop what?”
“Stop looking at me that way, it’s definitely out. You can’t look at me that way. It’s cheating.”
“How am I looking at you?” His deep voice dropped even lower, the cadence soft and husky. Mesmerizing. “Okay, that’s out, too. No talking in that tone of voice,” she declared staunchly. “And you know very well what you’re doing. Act normal.”
His white teeth gleamed at her, nearly stopping her heart. “I am acting normal, Tempest.”
“Well, then, that’s out, too. No acting normal.”
So cute and funny!
Moreover, in this book Barack finally claims Syndil as his lifemate.
Another story about The Dark Troubadours band. Lonely Tempest aka Rusty accepts a position as a mechanic with the traveling band. She is a human girl without family and she values her privacy. But then she will meet Darius, the dangerous brother of Desari and she will not be alone ever again. Because apparently she is Darius’ lifemate. Her unique talents including her affinity with the animals and especially the large cats make her a suitable candidate to become the Carpathian’s mate.
Rusti stared up at him, measuring her options. Somewhere deep inside herself, she knew that Darius had taken away her choices. He would not allow her to leave. She saw that in the merciless line of his mouth, the implacable resolve stamped on his features, and his soulless black eyes. She could pretend if she wanted to, leave it unspoken between them, not challenge him. Power clung to him like a second skin. She had been in dangerous situations before, but this felt entirely different. She wanted to run... and she wanted to stay.
Bossy Darius takes care of his family since he was a little kid. Now it's his turn to find his personal happiness and claim his lifemate. Since Tempest is just a mere human, it is awesome the fact that he gives her some time to accept her new reality.
Tempest is a strong independent girl She has learn to be a survivor since a young age while she was raised by drug addicts, but somehow she can not avoid trouble. Darius has no idea what to do with her and he keeps saving her continually.
“And stop that, too,” she said decisively, despite the fact that he made her hungry for him.
“Stop what?”
“Stop looking at me that way, it’s definitely out. You can’t look at me that way. It’s cheating.”
“How am I looking at you?” His deep voice dropped even lower, the cadence soft and husky. Mesmerizing. “Okay, that’s out, too. No talking in that tone of voice,” she declared staunchly. “And you know very well what you’re doing. Act normal.”
His white teeth gleamed at her, nearly stopping her heart. “I am acting normal, Tempest.”
“Well, then, that’s out, too. No acting normal.”
So cute and funny!
Moreover, in this book Barack finally claims Syndil as his lifemate.
March 22, 2008
I wanted to like this more than I did. It started so promisingly, and I'd had a break from this series of several months, which helped. But all too quickly the long-winded reflective introspective passages started up, the oh-so-stubborn lip-nibbling heroine got annoying, and the flowery love scenes got, well, flowery.
Lots of typos, lots of articles missing (especially "a", for some reason), and one of the things that really drives me nuts with Feehan is her inconsistencies. This is especially noticeable in regards to gestures, movement. For example, and this happens all the time, Darius is carrying Tempest in his arms. Her arms are around his neck. Got that? Right, then he's described as stroking her hand. Just picture that for a minute, will you? Is that even remotely possible without dropping her? When her hands are behind his neck?
Another line says that his eyes turned black with hunger. Except that his eyes are already black. How do black eyes turn black? Black is black. His eyes aren't a shade of black. Feehan would definitely have told us if that was the case, as she goes into somewhat nauseating detail at times.
Despite all that and more (such as the almost non-existent plot-line, the repetitiveness, the predictability, the terribly tired characters going through the motions), I liked Darius, and I still like the premise. I keep reading these books even though they drive me nuts, so I'll probably end up reading more of the bastards. Just let me vent afterwards, please.
Lots of typos, lots of articles missing (especially "a", for some reason), and one of the things that really drives me nuts with Feehan is her inconsistencies. This is especially noticeable in regards to gestures, movement. For example, and this happens all the time, Darius is carrying Tempest in his arms. Her arms are around his neck. Got that? Right, then he's described as stroking her hand. Just picture that for a minute, will you? Is that even remotely possible without dropping her? When her hands are behind his neck?
Another line says that his eyes turned black with hunger. Except that his eyes are already black. How do black eyes turn black? Black is black. His eyes aren't a shade of black. Feehan would definitely have told us if that was the case, as she goes into somewhat nauseating detail at times.
Despite all that and more (such as the almost non-existent plot-line, the repetitiveness, the predictability, the terribly tired characters going through the motions), I liked Darius, and I still like the premise. I keep reading these books even though they drive me nuts, so I'll probably end up reading more of the bastards. Just let me vent afterwards, please.
February 3, 2017
I enjoyed this one, but Darius and Tempest are not my favorites. I didn't understand why they didn't ask Julian for more guidance and teaching of the Carpathian ways. They all seemed a little clueless because they didn't live near any of their own kind for so long. I also hated that poor Syndil got stuck with a manwhore for her lifemate. I felt really bad for her that she saw him with these OW for many, many years. She deserved someone better!
June 16, 2019
While not my most favorite of the series so far, it was still very good. For all of my concerns about Darius from Desari's book, I really enjoyed him as a Hero. Yes, he was a dictatorial, arrogant ass most of the time, but he certainly had his reasons. I liked that he did not fight his feelings for Tempest even one bit. Nor did he allow her to fight him, although she sure tried to. I enjoyed the interplay for awhile, but it did get a little old. The formulae for these books are so very similar, they are a bit predictable. They only real difference is the personality of the Hero and Heroine. Since, I liked them both, it made the story easy to enjoy.
Tempest was slow to come around. Her fears and insecurities held her back from accepting that they had a future together. I did appreciate her acceptance of Darius - what he was. I liked her stubbornness for the first half of the book, but it got old thereafter. As did her habit of getting herself into very bad situations. But they needed action from somewhere!
Overall, this was a very good addition to the series. Since Darius is an ancient and so powerful, but totally unschooled in the Carpathian world, it made things more interesting.
Mini side rant that contains some spoilers not central to the story.
Tempest was slow to come around. Her fears and insecurities held her back from accepting that they had a future together. I did appreciate her acceptance of Darius - what he was. I liked her stubbornness for the first half of the book, but it got old thereafter. As did her habit of getting herself into very bad situations. But they needed action from somewhere!
Overall, this was a very good addition to the series. Since Darius is an ancient and so powerful, but totally unschooled in the Carpathian world, it made things more interesting.
Mini side rant that contains some spoilers not central to the story.
June 4, 2009
I was a pre-teen when I read this book and I thought it was the most romantic book ever. Then as a teenager I broke down that glass wall, threw away the tinted glasses, and gained something of value called self-respect. I re-read "Dark Fire" and hated it. Christine Feehan may be a legendary author but in my opinion she uses too many repetitive themes and her character developments are weak and sidetracked by sex and meaningless arguments.
Darius is a Carpathian who is feared by many. *rolls eye*
He is strong, arrogant, dangerous, powerful, and a predatorbut a weak human can kill him in 5 seconds flat. Typical characteristics of a male from Christine. Some might say her men are appealing, there are some that I do like, but the majority of them are a pain in the ass. There is a difference between arrogance and confidence and it's a fine line. Once you cross over, you are officially off the "attractive" meter.
Did I mention that Darius liked pointing out that Tempest was the weaker sex and therefore should spread her legs for him anytime of the day? Everything he did and said was a red light for me. He thought women could not rule themselves and needed a man to do everything for them. Seriously. What a jerk.
Tempest is aweak and heartless psychic portrayed as a typical Feehan heroine: hot-headed, has no common sense, doesn’t respect anyone, afraid to love, always get in trouble but is always save from the hero, bitchy, weak-willed, and annoying as hell. Yes, I do like my heroine to be strong and stand up for herself but not to the point where she gets everyone killed or hurt and she just stands there blinking those "innocent" eyes of her and blames everyone except herself. She is not so fragile that she has to look at the world as though there is no such thing as murder and scream out in anguish every time Darius kills something.
I find it amusing that heroines have to have this "innocence" and "sense of justice" around them when it comes to murder and the gritty details of it. The majority of Christine's heroines are like that. There's always a murderous vampire around who wants to f**k their brains out but every time their hero would end up killing them these heroines turn into a sissy. "Why did you kill it/him? WHY?!!" she would scream and her heart would ache for that dirt-bag. Then it's up to the man to comfort her saying "I'll never kill again". Gag me now please. I want to strangle her and tell her it was either kill the monster or be killed, you annoying chit. Grow up and smell the dirt or else you'll be buried in it.
One thing out of many things that left me bored in "Dark Fire" was the conversations between Darius and Tempest. It was the same arguments over and over again. One you can find in every Feehan book. It goes along something like this:
Male: "You have to listen to me since I know what I'm doing. You just sit there and give me a blow job and act like the woman you're supposed to be."
Female: "You're arrogant and I don't like you. I don't want to have sex with you since you stick me in this dark scary place despite my protests. But please, if you do want to have sex then I'm ready for it. Don't listen to little ol' me saying no."
Male:"You're so innocent and fragile that I want to make sure you're protected since you're so weak and you know you can't do it yourself. I will kill to protect you but I won't listen to what you want or need because I know it all. You don't have to like me but open up baby so I can stick this thing inside of you even though you keep telling me no"
Female:"No! You're arrogant and I don't like you. I'm a strong independent woman who doesn’t like killings but if it means life or death then I'll choose life. I don't care about the consequences of my actions as long as I'm alive. But, I still hate killing and I hate you for killing."
Male:"You have no choice but to accept me baby. You are my better half and I would be dead without you. You're a woman and you need to listen to me since I would never listen to you. I'm the man of the house and therefore the smarter one. Move your neck so I can suck you dry baby; a man's gotta do whatever it takes to be strong enough to protect a weak person like you. Here, since you're so weak drink my blood even though it makes you sick."
Female:"I hate drinking blood and I hate you for being so arrogant. Blood makes me sick but without it enemies will try to kill us. They probably will succeed because I'm too stupid to listen to you when you said to stay in one place so I won't be killed. I'm an independent woman who doesn’t have to listen to anyone. If someone is hurt then it's not my fault; it’s theirs. I didn't ask for this. I will never accept you even though I like having sex with you. "
Male:"I know. A little lower baby...yeah, that's the spot."
See what I mean? It wouldn't had hurt if these women would had stop being such a ninny and stand up to those idiot males. What they should say from the start is something smart and intelligence. Something along the line of:
"No, I don't like how you're manipulating everything I do. I'm part of this relationship just as much as you are. If I don't want to have sex or be in this cave then I want you to respect my feelings and opinions because they are important to me. I would appreciate it if you give me time to adjust to this new setting and I promise not to do anything like run away and get somebody killed because of my stupidity. I take responsibility for my own action and I would like it that you trust me enough to tell me the truth when I ask for it."
Is it so hard to have an honest and open relationship? Everything they argued about was over something simple and stupid. Every angry exchange left me wishing I could clonk their heads together and throw them down a pit hole of hungry rabid alligators. Hell, I'll even throw down some barbecue sauce or whatever it is that alligators like. Just keep them dead.
I don't even know how they fell in love and I seriously doubt that their problems were solved by the end of the book. Tempest was too stubborn to accept Darius and her new life despite her many chances to understand him--and she had plenty of chances. She just let hatred and ignorance blinded her. Darius just kept pushing her without bothering to ask what she wanted and without a care for her feelings. Their non-existent "love" for each other led to too many miss-understandings.
Overall, I don't like this book. It was horribly written and left me with an icky feeling that couldn't be wash away even with my favorite feel-good soap.
Darius is a Carpathian who is feared by many. *rolls eye*
He is strong, arrogant, dangerous, powerful, and a predator
Did I mention that Darius liked pointing out that Tempest was the weaker sex and therefore should spread her legs for him anytime of the day? Everything he did and said was a red light for me. He thought women could not rule themselves and needed a man to do everything for them. Seriously. What a jerk.
Tempest is a
I find it amusing that heroines have to have this "innocence" and "sense of justice" around them when it comes to murder and the gritty details of it. The majority of Christine's heroines are like that. There's always a murderous vampire around who wants to f**k their brains out but every time their hero would end up killing them these heroines turn into a sissy. "Why did you kill it/him? WHY?!!" she would scream and her heart would ache for that dirt-bag. Then it's up to the man to comfort her saying "I'll never kill again". Gag me now please. I want to strangle her and tell her it was either kill the monster or be killed, you annoying chit. Grow up and smell the dirt or else you'll be buried in it.
One thing out of many things that left me bored in "Dark Fire" was the conversations between Darius and Tempest. It was the same arguments over and over again. One you can find in every Feehan book. It goes along something like this:
Male: "You have to listen to me since I know what I'm doing. You just sit there and give me a blow job and act like the woman you're supposed to be."
Female: "You're arrogant and I don't like you. I don't want to have sex with you since you stick me in this dark scary place despite my protests. But please, if you do want to have sex then I'm ready for it. Don't listen to little ol' me saying no."
Male:"You're so innocent and fragile that I want to make sure you're protected since you're so weak and you know you can't do it yourself. I will kill to protect you but I won't listen to what you want or need because I know it all. You don't have to like me but open up baby so I can stick this thing inside of you even though you keep telling me no"
Female:"No! You're arrogant and I don't like you. I'm a strong independent woman who doesn’t like killings but if it means life or death then I'll choose life. I don't care about the consequences of my actions as long as I'm alive. But, I still hate killing and I hate you for killing."
Male:"You have no choice but to accept me baby. You are my better half and I would be dead without you. You're a woman and you need to listen to me since I would never listen to you. I'm the man of the house and therefore the smarter one. Move your neck so I can suck you dry baby; a man's gotta do whatever it takes to be strong enough to protect a weak person like you. Here, since you're so weak drink my blood even though it makes you sick."
Female:"I hate drinking blood and I hate you for being so arrogant. Blood makes me sick but without it enemies will try to kill us. They probably will succeed because I'm too stupid to listen to you when you said to stay in one place so I won't be killed. I'm an independent woman who doesn’t have to listen to anyone. If someone is hurt then it's not my fault; it’s theirs. I didn't ask for this. I will never accept you even though I like having sex with you. "
Male:"I know. A little lower baby...yeah, that's the spot."
See what I mean? It wouldn't had hurt if these women would had stop being such a ninny and stand up to those idiot males. What they should say from the start is something smart and intelligence. Something along the line of:
"No, I don't like how you're manipulating everything I do. I'm part of this relationship just as much as you are. If I don't want to have sex or be in this cave then I want you to respect my feelings and opinions because they are important to me. I would appreciate it if you give me time to adjust to this new setting and I promise not to do anything like run away and get somebody killed because of my stupidity. I take responsibility for my own action and I would like it that you trust me enough to tell me the truth when I ask for it."
Is it so hard to have an honest and open relationship? Everything they argued about was over something simple and stupid. Every angry exchange left me wishing I could clonk their heads together and throw them down a pit hole of hungry rabid alligators. Hell, I'll even throw down some barbecue sauce or whatever it is that alligators like. Just keep them dead.
I don't even know how they fell in love and I seriously doubt that their problems were solved by the end of the book. Tempest was too stubborn to accept Darius and her new life despite her many chances to understand him--and she had plenty of chances. She just let hatred and ignorance blinded her. Darius just kept pushing her without bothering to ask what she wanted and without a care for her feelings. Their non-existent "love" for each other led to too many miss-understandings.
Overall, I don't like this book. It was horribly written and left me with an icky feeling that couldn't be wash away even with my favorite feel-good soap.
June 4, 2009
I had a feeling I would like Darius' story when I read about him in Dark Challenge, and I did. He is a powerful, charismatic hero. Seeing who he ends up with was a particular pleasure, and I must say that Ms. Feehan chose the perfect heroine for him. This book was good from beginning to end. Tempest and Darius had the magic chemistry that makes romance novels so delicious. Also, I just plain liked Tempest. For the hard life she had lived, she was a bright person, with a great sense of humor. She didn't let people get too close to her, but it was clear that she was going to be part of the family when she takes the job as mechanic for Desari's musical troupe. Darius sees her and it's love at first sight. Sigh. Okay, I'm a sap. The thing I like about these Carpathian books is how the switch is flipped. The Carpathian males are the ones wanting the bond, and the heroines are usually running away. I like that so much better than the pining heroine who is throwing herself at the hero (with a few exceptions). If you like action and adventure, this is a great book for that, because Tempest cannot seem to stay out of trouble, and then she'd have to get out of fixes or get rescued. It didn't bother me although I am sure some readers would be annoyed. It was just impossible not to like her. I loved the back and forth between Tempest and Darius, adding a light-hearted element to a story that easily could have been dreary due to the fact that Carpathians live a very desperate, edgy existence, staying one step ahead of their enemies, and hunting the vampires who were their kin who turned to the dark side. I liked that Tempest wasn't a pushover, and would tell Darius where to stick it in a second. I also liked how she made a very tough decision to help save Darius' life. This couple really showed what love is supposed to be (IMHO). I also enjoyed seeing Julian and Desari again, as well as Barack, Syndil, and Dayan. Although it was nice to see Barack and Syndil get together, I wish I could have had a little more resolution. The way this story ends, you know they will be together, but they haven't exactly worked out how. I would have to say that this is my favorite Carpathian book so far, but there are more to go.
July 3, 2017
"Dark Fire" is the story of Tempest and Darius.
We know from the last book that Darius is Gregori's sibling, and about to meet his darkness, when one day he suddenly sees colors thanks to his newly hired mechanic to Dark Troubadours, Tempest or Rusty.
Tempest in an orphan with tragic past, always being the odd one out due to her ability to talk to animals. As the chemistry between them sizzles, Tempest runs away multiple times only to have her mate chase her.
I absolutely love how possessive yet caring Darius was about Tempest- and the way he took care of his family and responsibilities was just lovely.
The additional story we get is of Syndil and Barack mating (YES!!), firstly I'm annoyed that they didn't get their own book, and though I know she has a tragic past- WHY WAS HE SLEEPING AROUND?! She was RIGHT THERE!! I was excited and angry, both for them.
Back to our main couple, Tempest was just likable but this time Darius stole the show. The lovemaking= HOT!
Adding to the story is our regular band of looney vampire hunters, who try and fail.
Can't wait to read about Dayan and Cullen.
Safe (main couple)
3.5/5
We know from the last book that Darius is Gregori's sibling, and about to meet his darkness, when one day he suddenly sees colors thanks to his newly hired mechanic to Dark Troubadours, Tempest or Rusty.
Tempest in an orphan with tragic past, always being the odd one out due to her ability to talk to animals. As the chemistry between them sizzles, Tempest runs away multiple times only to have her mate chase her.
I absolutely love how possessive yet caring Darius was about Tempest- and the way he took care of his family and responsibilities was just lovely.
The additional story we get is of Syndil and Barack mating (YES!!), firstly I'm annoyed that they didn't get their own book, and though I know she has a tragic past- WHY WAS HE SLEEPING AROUND?! She was RIGHT THERE!! I was excited and angry, both for them.
Back to our main couple, Tempest was just likable but this time Darius stole the show. The lovemaking= HOT!
Adding to the story is our regular band of looney vampire hunters, who try and fail.
Can't wait to read about Dayan and Cullen.
Safe (main couple)
3.5/5
February 3, 2023
Dit verhaal sluit mooi aan op het vorige deel . De zang/muziek groep bestaande uit Karpatiers kwamen in het vorige deel tot de conclusie dat zij een automonteur nodig hadden om al hun vervoersmiddelen te onderhouden . De monteur die op de advertentie reageert blijkt een jonge vrouw te zijn en plotseling kan Darius voor het eerst in honderden jaren weer kleuren zien . Wie meer boeken in deze serie gelezen heeft weet wat dat betekend :)
December 9, 2015
This one I loved. It is by far my favorite in the Carpathians series, as of now. Tempest "Rusti" Trine is the most well-developed heroine we've seen so far this series. The heroines in the previous books have mainly been defined by their over-the-top compassion and gentleness. I found them kind of tedious and uninteresting. Tempest though is spunky and genuinely funny. The dialogue here was much better than in the previous books. Darius as well I found much less overdone than the other heroes. The chemistry between them was strong, with fewer of those excessive descriptions about their feelings.
March 27, 2016
Best so far in this series!!!
When Darius, the leader of a small band of Carpathian musicians, first sees the new mechanic hired to work on the band's touring vehicles, he is astonished to see the red color of her hair. It has been centuries since he last saw colors or even felt emotions. Although mechanic Tempest Trine needs the job, she quickly realizes she's bitten off more than she can chew. Tempest has always felt different, apart from others. And we have Syndil, who was attacked by one of the their group members and trusted family members Savon who turned vampire. All of the characters from Dark Challenge are supporting cast even the Cats Forest and Sasha. Darius, of course, is handsome strong and powerful Carpathian the younger, supposedly death, and lost brother of Gregori. Once Rusti and Darius get together the story moves on pretty well. Darius is a Carpathian male who grew up apart from his homeland. When he was only six years old, he lead a group of children away from a massacre in their village and he raised them on his own. Now, hundreds of years later, they are traveling the United States as part of a band. He lives without color or emotion, and he feels himself nearing the point where he must either face the sun or turn into a vampire.
This one I loved. It is by far my favorite in the Carpathians series, as of now. Tempest "Rusti" Trine is the most well-developed heroine we've seen so far this series. The heroines in the previous books have mainly been defined by their over-the-top compassion and gentleness. For all of my concerns about Darius from Desari's book, I really enjoyed him as a Hero. Yes, he was a dictatorial, arrogant ass most of the time, but he certainly had his reasons. I liked that he did not fight his feelings for Tempest even one bit. Nor did he allow her to fight him, although she sure tried to. Another great installment in the Carpathian series! Yes, they are very formulaic but the formula is a good one and Feehan finds ways to keep each book interesting and unique. I really liked Darius in the last book so was looking forward to his story. His overbearing, dictatorship-type attitude and know-it-all personality was above and beyond even a Carpathian in this book, which initially made him hard to like. I thought every book had the same argument in it and I was tired of read it. But, if anything, it is the women who were a bit more alike than anything else. Different backgrounds were not enough to overcome most of them having the same mind set. On the whole, this series does better at going on this long than most other series manage. But Darius oh Darius, so unlike his sibling & only in a good way. He is what every hero should be like (for certain in this saga), but the icing on top is Rusti, she is his perfect counterpart. Loved their interaction. Their give & take. ;)
When Darius, the leader of a small band of Carpathian musicians, first sees the new mechanic hired to work on the band's touring vehicles, he is astonished to see the red color of her hair. It has been centuries since he last saw colors or even felt emotions. Although mechanic Tempest Trine needs the job, she quickly realizes she's bitten off more than she can chew. Tempest has always felt different, apart from others. And we have Syndil, who was attacked by one of the their group members and trusted family members Savon who turned vampire. All of the characters from Dark Challenge are supporting cast even the Cats Forest and Sasha. Darius, of course, is handsome strong and powerful Carpathian the younger, supposedly death, and lost brother of Gregori. Once Rusti and Darius get together the story moves on pretty well. Darius is a Carpathian male who grew up apart from his homeland. When he was only six years old, he lead a group of children away from a massacre in their village and he raised them on his own. Now, hundreds of years later, they are traveling the United States as part of a band. He lives without color or emotion, and he feels himself nearing the point where he must either face the sun or turn into a vampire.
This one I loved. It is by far my favorite in the Carpathians series, as of now. Tempest "Rusti" Trine is the most well-developed heroine we've seen so far this series. The heroines in the previous books have mainly been defined by their over-the-top compassion and gentleness. For all of my concerns about Darius from Desari's book, I really enjoyed him as a Hero. Yes, he was a dictatorial, arrogant ass most of the time, but he certainly had his reasons. I liked that he did not fight his feelings for Tempest even one bit. Nor did he allow her to fight him, although she sure tried to. Another great installment in the Carpathian series! Yes, they are very formulaic but the formula is a good one and Feehan finds ways to keep each book interesting and unique. I really liked Darius in the last book so was looking forward to his story. His overbearing, dictatorship-type attitude and know-it-all personality was above and beyond even a Carpathian in this book, which initially made him hard to like. I thought every book had the same argument in it and I was tired of read it. But, if anything, it is the women who were a bit more alike than anything else. Different backgrounds were not enough to overcome most of them having the same mind set. On the whole, this series does better at going on this long than most other series manage. But Darius oh Darius, so unlike his sibling & only in a good way. He is what every hero should be like (for certain in this saga), but the icing on top is Rusti, she is his perfect counterpart. Loved their interaction. Their give & take. ;)
September 4, 2022
DNF @ 20%
Please do not get offended if you liked this book. This is my opinion, my observations and in no way means to offend those who have enjoyed it.
The beginning seemed promising and went straight downhill for me when
I am sooooo angry right now that the most I can write is what I hated:
1. X-ray shows he calls her "honey" 71 times.
2. The H goes from dominating ruler to wimp in a matter of a paragraph. He sees her as a child, TRIES to see her as a child and treats her like a child. She acts like one as well. TOO creepy.
3. Repetitive. The author likes to hit the reader over the head again and again. And I only got to 20% No WAY could I endure 400 pages of this.
4. Telling telling telling...no showing, except of course for the boring stuff about the leopards.
5. The heroine talks about being independent but she doesn't acts like one. There is nothing to support her independence. We are told about her past and expected to believe that this shows her qualities, yet her actions do nothing to support it.
6. I don't care about ANY of the characters. They are flat, stereotypical, having no personality.
7. I grow bored of the telepathy. It is overused. IMO it's a form of rape. Mind rape.
8. The writing itself is poorly executed with details expounding on unimportant matters. Glazing over of important issues.
I returned for a refund.
Not for me.
Please do not get offended if you liked this book. This is my opinion, my observations and in no way means to offend those who have enjoyed it.
The beginning seemed promising and went straight downhill for me when
I am sooooo angry right now that the most I can write is what I hated:
1. X-ray shows he calls her "honey" 71 times.
2. The H goes from dominating ruler to wimp in a matter of a paragraph. He sees her as a child, TRIES to see her as a child and treats her like a child. She acts like one as well. TOO creepy.
3. Repetitive. The author likes to hit the reader over the head again and again. And I only got to 20% No WAY could I endure 400 pages of this.
4. Telling telling telling...no showing, except of course for the boring stuff about the leopards.
5. The heroine talks about being independent but she doesn't acts like one. There is nothing to support her independence. We are told about her past and expected to believe that this shows her qualities, yet her actions do nothing to support it.
6. I don't care about ANY of the characters. They are flat, stereotypical, having no personality.
7. I grow bored of the telepathy. It is overused. IMO it's a form of rape. Mind rape.
8. The writing itself is poorly executed with details expounding on unimportant matters. Glazing over of important issues.
I returned for a refund.
Not for me.
December 2, 2014
I liked this, but was a bit disappointed compared to the previous book.
What I liked:
I liked both the hero and the heroine. I thought Darius was fascinating in that overbearing Carpathian male way when I read the previous novel and wanted to read his story. Tempest, the heroine, was a good match for him. She was another human psychic, as has been the more frequent pattern. Her talent was communicating with animals. She was a likeable person with a very tragic past.
What I didn't like:
Too much repetitive sex. There were other plot points that I'd have rather seen addressed aside from the endless sex scenes. After one or two scenes it becomes repetitive. I understand the Carpathian men are virile, but in some instances a fade-to-black would have served the purpose well. Personally, unless the sex is very inventive, I'm happy with a 'first time' and one other time and then let the rest be implied.
Why-oh-why did we not get the reunion scene between Gregori and his long lost siblings Darius and Desiree? Why couldn't some of the sex been replaced with that or with more explanation into the overall story arc. It was mentioned that Aidan and Julian were reuniting, but it was off screen. :(
What I liked:
I liked both the hero and the heroine. I thought Darius was fascinating in that overbearing Carpathian male way when I read the previous novel and wanted to read his story. Tempest, the heroine, was a good match for him. She was another human psychic, as has been the more frequent pattern. Her talent was communicating with animals. She was a likeable person with a very tragic past.
What I didn't like:
Too much repetitive sex. There were other plot points that I'd have rather seen addressed aside from the endless sex scenes. After one or two scenes it becomes repetitive. I understand the Carpathian men are virile, but in some instances a fade-to-black would have served the purpose well. Personally, unless the sex is very inventive, I'm happy with a 'first time' and one other time and then let the rest be implied.
Why-oh-why did we not get the reunion scene between Gregori and his long lost siblings Darius and Desiree? Why couldn't some of the sex been replaced with that or with more explanation into the overall story arc. It was mentioned that Aidan and Julian were reuniting, but it was off screen. :(
December 2, 2009
I loved Darius from the last book and I had my fingers crossed that his story would be a good one (had the same feeling for his brother Gregori's story). I was not disappointed. Rusti made for a great mate. Although, it generally annoys me when you are told to do something for your safety and you do the opposite. So many of the heroines from this series do that. Ugh!! "Don't go out of the perimeter". Is that so difficult to obey and is it really such an affront to your sense of freedom? Especially if you have ALREADY been beaten, mugged, raped, stabbed, shot, set on fire, kidnapped, hypnotized, drowned, bitten by dogs, lions, vampires, mosquitoes, ticks, and small children when you don't follow instructions. (didn't happen in the book but you get my point). Enough already!! I still LOVE the series none the less and scream whenever I feel something idiotic about to happen. I also enjoyed the fact that they were not beleagured by vampires the entire book. It added something fresh to have another arch enemy, and, that it was not the main focus. Good read.
January 13, 2021
Yılın ilk kitabı... Serinin bizim için son kitabı.. Ah Epsilon😒 Ama bu daha iyiydi.
December 29, 2023
I have a real weakness for the Daratraznoff family. I love all their books and the men in this family are to die for. First Gregori and now Darius. It is enough to make a girl swoon. Darius has been on his own for so long. He saved himself, his baby sister and four other young children when their parents were killed by the invading Turks. I love Darius courage and honor and his fear for his small family. Tempest "Rusti" is such a hoot throughout this books. She gives Darius no end of fits but she is very accepting of his and his family's difference. Tempest is her own worse enemy. I don't think that she can avoid trouble to save her life and in several cases almost dies from her bad luck. I loved this whole story because you see Syndil come out of her shell after being attacked by one of the men in the family when he turns vampire. You also see Barrack claim Syndil as his lifemate. The relationship isn't resolved in this book but you see the beginnings of it. I am now hooked and may end up reading the entire series again.
April 20, 2021
Origanilly Read June 2008
Ok, I know I say this everytime, but this is my favorite of the series so far!
I really enjoyed Darius and Tempest's storyline (especially all of the stuff with the leopards.) After reading the last book, I was so happy to see that both Darius and Barack found their lifemates. I'm slao glad she told this story right after the last one - it really cleared things up for me.
This book was great and I loved that Tempest could communicate telepathically with the animals!
Ok, I know I say this everytime, but this is my favorite of the series so far!
I really enjoyed Darius and Tempest's storyline (especially all of the stuff with the leopards.) After reading the last book, I was so happy to see that both Darius and Barack found their lifemates. I'm slao glad she told this story right after the last one - it really cleared things up for me.
This book was great and I loved that Tempest could communicate telepathically with the animals!
March 14, 2019
Tempest "Rusti" Trine is repairing the tour bus when Desari, the singer, convinces her to take a break. Darius, Desari's brother and a Carpathian warrior, has just risen when he notices the curvy red-head. He follows Rusti around the bus. He realizes he is actually seeing the color of the woman's hair. Rusti enters the bus, grabs a drink and sits down on the couch.
Desari reminds Darius about the advertisement she placed in the paper for a mechanic. He asks Desari where the two leopards are if they are not with her? Desari realizes she has sent Rusti into the bus with the two leopards. Darius beats Desari to the bus door. He finds Rusti on the couch with a cat on each side of her. Rusti is instantly on alert when she sees Darius. He looks dangerous. Her first thought is to flee. Darius asks her her name. She answers, "Rusti." He asks her again, "What is your name?" "Tempest Trine," she replies. Darius notices her eyes are green. He searches her brain, recognizing it is similar to the leopards. Rusti finds Darius's voice hypnotic. Her mind says to flee while her body wants to stay.
This is the sixth book in the series. The sensual love scenes will raise the temperature in any room. Darius is an over-bearing, arrogant, dominating Carpathian male, who becomes putty in the hands of his lifemate. The characters are the same as book five. We have Desari, Julian, Darius, Dayan, Barack and Syndil. We have the villains -- human vampire hunters, but no vampires (that I can recall). The plot is straight forward and the subplots tie in nicely. The romance between Darius and Tempest is consuming and sexy. She has a temper and a sense of humor, but she gets into trouble frequently. Now for book seven, Dark Legend.
Desari reminds Darius about the advertisement she placed in the paper for a mechanic. He asks Desari where the two leopards are if they are not with her? Desari realizes she has sent Rusti into the bus with the two leopards. Darius beats Desari to the bus door. He finds Rusti on the couch with a cat on each side of her. Rusti is instantly on alert when she sees Darius. He looks dangerous. Her first thought is to flee. Darius asks her her name. She answers, "Rusti." He asks her again, "What is your name?" "Tempest Trine," she replies. Darius notices her eyes are green. He searches her brain, recognizing it is similar to the leopards. Rusti finds Darius's voice hypnotic. Her mind says to flee while her body wants to stay.
This is the sixth book in the series. The sensual love scenes will raise the temperature in any room. Darius is an over-bearing, arrogant, dominating Carpathian male, who becomes putty in the hands of his lifemate. The characters are the same as book five. We have Desari, Julian, Darius, Dayan, Barack and Syndil. We have the villains -- human vampire hunters, but no vampires (that I can recall). The plot is straight forward and the subplots tie in nicely. The romance between Darius and Tempest is consuming and sexy. She has a temper and a sense of humor, but she gets into trouble frequently. Now for book seven, Dark Legend.
November 26, 2011
By the time I started reading Dark Fire, the 6th book in Christine Feehan’s Dark Series, I was hooked…..the Carpathians are just beyond amazing…..Never mind that there is a huge amount of repetition and I know….some of the descriptions the author uses are a bit over the top…..check….velvet sheath….but nothing can change my mind….I am totally addicted to these books.
This is my favourite book so far…..of course it may change as I continue reading the next book in this series.
Darius , is who we discovered is related to the Carpathian healer, Gregori has been taking care of his family since he was a little boy. He is mysterious, seriously hot, and feels responsible for looking after his family…..And he has some real amazing talents…like…….shape shifting, talking to animals …read and control minds…call them superpowers!!!!
Tempest aka Rusti, who is human ,has been hired by Darius’s sister, Desari, the lead singer in the band, Dark Troubadours,(don’t you just love the name!!!!) as their mechanic during the band’s tour. Derius, close to turning into an evil vampire realizes he’s finally met his true life mate , the only person who can stop this from happening. What a lovable heroine…..trouble follows her wherever she goes, she’s gutsy and funny.
The story is so romantic…..the way Derius loves and cherishes Rusti….the lovemaking is sensual…hot…..
I liked the way he didn’t try to force her but rather waited for her to make the choice to become his life mate. Gentle and understanding…..quite different to the Carpathian males in the previous books.
The band tour, the leopards who travel with the band, the other members…Syndil, Barrack..(can’t wait to read their story), the whole scenes of their concerts, travelling buses…..I really got into that……
Looking forward to reading book 7
This is my favourite book so far…..of course it may change as I continue reading the next book in this series.
Darius , is who we discovered is related to the Carpathian healer, Gregori has been taking care of his family since he was a little boy. He is mysterious, seriously hot, and feels responsible for looking after his family…..And he has some real amazing talents…like…….shape shifting, talking to animals …read and control minds…call them superpowers!!!!
Tempest aka Rusti, who is human ,has been hired by Darius’s sister, Desari, the lead singer in the band, Dark Troubadours,(don’t you just love the name!!!!) as their mechanic during the band’s tour. Derius, close to turning into an evil vampire realizes he’s finally met his true life mate , the only person who can stop this from happening. What a lovable heroine…..trouble follows her wherever she goes, she’s gutsy and funny.
The story is so romantic…..the way Derius loves and cherishes Rusti….the lovemaking is sensual…hot…..
I liked the way he didn’t try to force her but rather waited for her to make the choice to become his life mate. Gentle and understanding…..quite different to the Carpathian males in the previous books.
The band tour, the leopards who travel with the band, the other members…Syndil, Barrack..(can’t wait to read their story), the whole scenes of their concerts, travelling buses…..I really got into that……
Looking forward to reading book 7
September 18, 2009
Taking the job as mechanic seemed a good fit for Tempest ‘Rusti’ Trine, she never really fit in anywhere else, but this group of traveling troubadours sounded like a perfect match right down to their love of animals. As soon as Darius realized a human was in the camp he had to meet her, especially after he started to see all the colors around him shining for the first time in centuries. The way Tempest accepted them and most of the things they could do was one thing, but would she be strong enough or be able to understand enough of the differences to make the choice that could put her life in danger.
Book 6.…. Almost an immediate continuation of the last book, I had guessed how the next female had been brought in, I had also guessed that Barack and Syndil were lifemates (I enjoyed the public declaration that Barack made in anger), I had made many more guess that ended up being the way the story curved. This book was very predictable to me (I must be getting familiar with the writing style), but sometimes the expected is good. This series is creative, to watch all these tough domineering men struggle to control the only person they really care about, it is fun to witness their frustration (in my opinion).
Book 6.…. Almost an immediate continuation of the last book, I had guessed how the next female had been brought in, I had also guessed that Barack and Syndil were lifemates (I enjoyed the public declaration that Barack made in anger), I had made many more guess that ended up being the way the story curved. This book was very predictable to me (I must be getting familiar with the writing style), but sometimes the expected is good. This series is creative, to watch all these tough domineering men struggle to control the only person they really care about, it is fun to witness their frustration (in my opinion).
February 12, 2009
So I'm thinking that Darius Daratrazanoff is a refugee from a Diana Palmer book! OMG he took macho to the extremes. I still hear him saying Honey and it is in such a condescending manner! But because he is related to the coolest Carpathians - the Daratrazanoff - he is bearable. I think that his lifemate wakes up some morning and think "WTF did I do to deserve this jerk!"
July 21, 2024
3.5 stars
May 5, 2021
4.5 stars
Darius and Tempest just fit each other. Both of them went through a lot to be with each other. They were willing to sacrifice to see the other happy. If that's not true love, I don't know what else is.
Verdict: Obey me or else.. I'll love you anyway
P.S: I wish we could have seen Julian and Aidan meet up. And the Dark sibling reunion, wouldn't that be a sight?
Darius and Tempest just fit each other. Both of them went through a lot to be with each other. They were willing to sacrifice to see the other happy. If that's not true love, I don't know what else is.
Verdict: Obey me or else.. I'll love you anyway
P.S: I wish we could have seen Julian and Aidan meet up. And the Dark sibling reunion, wouldn't that be a sight?
April 20, 2018
Ella fue un poco frustrante pero estuvo bastante bien, algo que si le reniego a esta Saga es que no hablan de los personajes anteriores aunque sean familiares que pensante no quedaban son muy individualistas lo comprendo pero algo de apreciación familiar.
July 20, 2016
4-4.5 stars
This was a really good story. I liked both Darius and Tempest, although they both had their...imperfections. The story was engaging enough that I had didn't want to do anything else until I was done.
Tempest (aka Rusty) is a woman with a gift for fixing cars. Tempest grew up in the system and had a really hard life, suffering abuse at the hands of people she trusted which has led her to a very solitary existence. Tempest had special abilities that allow her to communicate with animals and she often prefers their company over that of humans. Tempest was without a job and down on her luck when she saw an ad for a musical group looking for a mechanic so she uses almost the last of her cash to get to the interview.
Darius is an ancient Carpathian male; Carpathians are born vampires with abilities like shape shifting (to any form, even mist), magic spells and psychic powers. The males of the Carpathians have a darkness in them and if they don't find their lifemates, they can lose their souls and become evil. Darius has been struggling with this darkness and the only thing that's kept him hanging on is his dedication to keeping his family safe.
Desari (Darius' sister and heroine from book #5) put the ad for a mechanic to travel with the band with a special compulsion spell that would make sure the "right" person for the job would be the one to answer the ad. Tempest shows up and seems perfect, she even makes friends with the 2 leopards that travel with the band (Desari and the others are in a band that tours around the country). Tempest is already working on the tour bus when Darius walks on to the scene. Darius recognizes Tempest as his right off the bat but he's a bit confused because humans have always been taboo for them before. With his separation from his people, he doesn't realize that some human women, ones with special powers, can be safely transformed into Carpathian and become true lifemates for their men (he does figure this out eventually).
Regardless of the taboo, Darius isn't willing to let Tempest go because he's finally feeling the darkness in him recede. Unfortunately, he feels if he can't keep Tempest, he'll lose it completely. Tempest is freaked out by Darius and his attempt to erase her memories of things she shouldn't have seen don't work because of her special abilities. Of course Darius doesn't know this and when she can, Tempest tries to run from him and instead runs straight into trouble that Darius has to save her from. Tempest is rather reluctant to accept Darius' assurances that they're meant for each other and keeps attempting to break away from Darius or think that it wont last. Darius does pretty well at being patient with her and he needs his patience because she does tend to get into trouble. There's some danger from human vampire hunters that have set their sites on Desari and Tempest and the difficulties escalate things so that Tempest and Darius' relationship moves quickly. In the end, they vanquish their foes and Tempest and Darius end the story starting a HEA together.
This was a really enjoyable story. I liked Tempest but she did keep Darus hopping. It wasn't so much that she was TSTL, there was only 1 instance where I thought she actually did something that was really stupid. Mostly, Tempest just seems to be a trouble magnet. What I really liked about her is that even though she had fears that caused her to fear joining Darius, she was willing to seek ways around her fears to make things work with him. Not all the heroines in this series have been willing to be that smart and instead they've let fear rule them. Tempest was fearful but found bravery when it was needed. Darius I really liked and I thought he was a good hero. He was a bit bossy but mostly just when he was concerned for Tempest's well being so I was fine with that. Overall, This was a really good (I almost gave it 5 stars) and engaging story that I would recommend. :)
* note - I listened to the audio version of this book that is done by Books In Motion and the narrator was Rebecca Cook. She did good with the narration overall but she changed the pronunciation of Desari's name from how it was done in the previous audiobook and I found that rather annoying.
This was a really good story. I liked both Darius and Tempest, although they both had their...imperfections. The story was engaging enough that I had didn't want to do anything else until I was done.
Tempest (aka Rusty) is a woman with a gift for fixing cars. Tempest grew up in the system and had a really hard life, suffering abuse at the hands of people she trusted which has led her to a very solitary existence. Tempest had special abilities that allow her to communicate with animals and she often prefers their company over that of humans. Tempest was without a job and down on her luck when she saw an ad for a musical group looking for a mechanic so she uses almost the last of her cash to get to the interview.
Darius is an ancient Carpathian male; Carpathians are born vampires with abilities like shape shifting (to any form, even mist), magic spells and psychic powers. The males of the Carpathians have a darkness in them and if they don't find their lifemates, they can lose their souls and become evil. Darius has been struggling with this darkness and the only thing that's kept him hanging on is his dedication to keeping his family safe.
Desari (Darius' sister and heroine from book #5) put the ad for a mechanic to travel with the band with a special compulsion spell that would make sure the "right" person for the job would be the one to answer the ad. Tempest shows up and seems perfect, she even makes friends with the 2 leopards that travel with the band (Desari and the others are in a band that tours around the country). Tempest is already working on the tour bus when Darius walks on to the scene. Darius recognizes Tempest as his right off the bat but he's a bit confused because humans have always been taboo for them before. With his separation from his people, he doesn't realize that some human women, ones with special powers, can be safely transformed into Carpathian and become true lifemates for their men (he does figure this out eventually).
Regardless of the taboo, Darius isn't willing to let Tempest go because he's finally feeling the darkness in him recede. Unfortunately, he feels if he can't keep Tempest, he'll lose it completely. Tempest is freaked out by Darius and his attempt to erase her memories of things she shouldn't have seen don't work because of her special abilities. Of course Darius doesn't know this and when she can, Tempest tries to run from him and instead runs straight into trouble that Darius has to save her from. Tempest is rather reluctant to accept Darius' assurances that they're meant for each other and keeps attempting to break away from Darius or think that it wont last. Darius does pretty well at being patient with her and he needs his patience because she does tend to get into trouble. There's some danger from human vampire hunters that have set their sites on Desari and Tempest and the difficulties escalate things so that Tempest and Darius' relationship moves quickly. In the end, they vanquish their foes and Tempest and Darius end the story starting a HEA together.
This was a really enjoyable story. I liked Tempest but she did keep Darus hopping. It wasn't so much that she was TSTL, there was only 1 instance where I thought she actually did something that was really stupid. Mostly, Tempest just seems to be a trouble magnet. What I really liked about her is that even though she had fears that caused her to fear joining Darius, she was willing to seek ways around her fears to make things work with him. Not all the heroines in this series have been willing to be that smart and instead they've let fear rule them. Tempest was fearful but found bravery when it was needed. Darius I really liked and I thought he was a good hero. He was a bit bossy but mostly just when he was concerned for Tempest's well being so I was fine with that. Overall, This was a really good (I almost gave it 5 stars) and engaging story that I would recommend. :)
* note - I listened to the audio version of this book that is done by Books In Motion and the narrator was Rebecca Cook. She did good with the narration overall but she changed the pronunciation of Desari's name from how it was done in the previous audiobook and I found that rather annoying.
September 16, 2016
Darius finds his lifemate and Julian decides it's entertaining to watch him fumble around and possibly fuck up the single most important thing in his existence?
Desari, herself being a lifemate, knows all about how it goes and what it entails yet she acts clueless, going around "fearing" her brother is lost to his "urges". You don't need a mind connection or the powers of a carpathian to be able to tell darius is feeling but wait.. she does have both aaaandd she has a constant mind contact with her mate whom has the knowledge to what the actual fuck is going on yet she is the epitome of confused female.
Darius has seen the differences in julian. He knows about their bound and something called "lifemate". His whole world changes with colours and feelings. He finds himself bound to a mortal and fears for their future. So naturally he goes to julian and asks for knowledge yes? No no no. Don't be silly! He is good to fuck up on his own.
It is a very rare occurrence for me to drop a book halfway. I have to push on even with the most cheesy/boring/annoying books but after reading 5 other books in this series I've lost my endurance and just stopped at %60. It was either that or start crushing my tablet into pieces while yelling take these into your moist heat maniacally.
I feel like all I'm doing with this series is bitching so I will just stop and hope to forget all about it.
Desari, herself being a lifemate, knows all about how it goes and what it entails yet she acts clueless, going around "fearing" her brother is lost to his "urges". You don't need a mind connection or the powers of a carpathian to be able to tell darius is feeling but wait.. she does have both aaaandd she has a constant mind contact with her mate whom has the knowledge to what the actual fuck is going on yet she is the epitome of confused female.
Darius has seen the differences in julian. He knows about their bound and something called "lifemate". His whole world changes with colours and feelings. He finds himself bound to a mortal and fears for their future. So naturally he goes to julian and asks for knowledge yes? No no no. Don't be silly! He is good to fuck up on his own.
It is a very rare occurrence for me to drop a book halfway. I have to push on even with the most cheesy/boring/annoying books but after reading 5 other books in this series I've lost my endurance and just stopped at %60. It was either that or start crushing my tablet into pieces while yelling take these into your moist heat maniacally.
I feel like all I'm doing with this series is bitching so I will just stop and hope to forget all about it.
October 11, 2009
When Darius, the leader of a small band of Carpathian musicians, first sees the new mechanic hired to work on the band's touring vehicles, he is astonished to see the red colour of her hair. It has been centuries since he last saw colours or even felt emotions. Although mechanic Tempest Trine needs the job, she quickly realizes she's bitten off more than she can chew. Tempest has always felt different, apart from others. But from the moment his arms close around her, enveloping her in a sorcerer's spell, Darius seems to understand her unique gifts.
I loved how different this book was and how much fight there was in the female lead this time, instead of sticking around and fighting with her lifemate Tempest runs away but only ends up in more sticky places. Oh the drama.
24/01/09
I loved how different this book was and how much fight there was in the female lead this time, instead of sticking around and fighting with her lifemate Tempest runs away but only ends up in more sticky places. Oh the drama.
24/01/09
January 9, 2016
4´5 estrellas. De todos los libros de esta saga que he leído, puede que este sea el más romantico de todos. Darius me ha conquistado el corazón, es capaz de todo por estar junto a Tempest. Disfruto muchísimo esta saga.
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