Book #20 in the Dark Series
Reviewed by Marisa O’Neill
Publisher: Penguin
4.5 Stars

Dear Reader,

Short Review: Dark Slayer is one of the best books in Ms. Feehan’s Dark Series. I enjoyed every minute of it. For those of you who are fans you’re going to love it. For those of you who are new to the series, pick it up, give it a try. You’ll have a huge back list to read and a new author to enjoy. For those of you who are nay sayers and can’t abide by her alpha males, I say, forget you – we’re going to have to agree to disagree. But before we do, just let me say that her Carpathian series has evolved, developed and blossomed, so if you haven’t read a book in the Dark series for some time, you might want to give it a go. As an author Ms. Feehan has not rested on her laurels, but rather she’s risen to her promise.

Long Review: I won’t make light of the fact that I am a big fan of Christine Feehan’s work. When her books come out, I’m the first one of all the reviewers here at RNTV to run out and read it. I tell the other reviewers, ‘forget it – don’t even think about it – the book is mine’. So now you know where I’m coming from; not an unbiased position to be sure. But in the interest of full disclosure, I must confess I was a bit taken aback by her last 2 books, Hidden Currents (part of the Drake Sisters series) and Burning Wild – not because they weren’t well written and exciting books; but because the heroes in both books were a bit over the top for me. OK, not a bit over the top, but more accurately, way over the top. There were some scenes in both books that had me shaking my head and doing a double take.  There were very aggressive scenes that had me seriously cringing; and trust me, I don’t cringe at much!  (I’d be very interested in hearing the thoughts of others who’ve read these two books.)

With that said, I move on to her latest book in her long standing Dark series, Dark Slayer.  Although I love this series I’ve had my share of problems with it in the past. (See my review on Dark Curse, which by the way I loved, but points to some of the problems I’ve had with the series.) And after my mixed feelings about Hidden Currents and Burning Wild you can understand that I had some trepidation. First let me say, when reading a book by Christine Feehan I know for a certainty I will always get a well written book – even with some cringe worthy moments. The mythology and world building will be inventive and clearly fleshed out. The dynamics between the hero and heroine will be filled with the emotional bantering that only comes when two strong characters from different places meet and try to see past their differences to find a common ground.  And I will always, always, get a passionate romance that ends with enduring love.

I found all of that with Dark Slayer, and my apprehensions due to the two books (from other series mentioned above) were for naught.  In large part this book is about the heroine. And what a heroine Ivory Malinov is. Ivory is a myth, a rumor, a secret whispered about in the dead of night by the Carpathian’s (a race of super natural people who are close to extinction and live in the Carpathian Mountains).  Is she friend or foe?  Is she real or legend? And what can she possibly offer the Carpathian people in their hour of need?  Will she bring them harm or help them in their most desperate hours? Ah, great questions and a great premise giving the story line a taut well developed underpinning for tension, excitement, revelation and of course romance. The introduction of this character into the series also propels the larger story arc forward and continues to keep us interested in the fate of these people.

That’s not to say that the hero is some slug, in fact, far from it. Razvan is a character we’ve seen in other books from the Dark series, and we’ve learned to both loathe him and pity him. How does one create a hero from a character we’ve learned to abhor and feel sorry for? It’s not easy, yet Ms. Feehan does that. She’s created a hero with a back story that has been carefully and lovingly created over numerous books, and in doing so she creates a hero who rises from the ashes like a phoenix. Yes, before you ask, I needed to phrase his resurrection from loathsome to heroic in such a dramatic way. It’s deserved.

Dark Slayer is the story of Ivory, a young woman who was betrayed, cast out, left for dead and spent centuries alone with only wolves as her companions. With nothing but her courage, cunning and will to live, she survives, thrives and has one goal, vengeance. As with all Carpathian’s, she has the potential for one true life mate – the only other person in the world that will complete her. Yet, given her circumstances she never expects to have that. It’s not part of the world she has created for herself, and she certainly could not have foretold that Razvan would be that life mate. But as with all great romances, the truly unexpected, the truly unthinkable, is what makes for a relationship that will be tested almost beyond endurance. With Razvan hated by the Carpathian people for his betrayals against them, and Ivory the Dark Slayer, a legend and unknown quantity amongst the Carpathian race, they face seemingly insurmountable odds. And that is what gives this book the tense clean lines that keep you on the edge and reading until the end.

So dear reader, if you’re looking for a well written, heart wrenching, plot worthy paranormal romance that takes you to the edge and back again, a magnificent heroine, sweeping  majestic scenes, mysteries, intrigue, and one great romance, might I suggest Dark Slayer.

Until next time, happy reading.

Marisa