Review: Dark Hope by Christine Feehan

 

Dark Hope (Dark #34) by Christine Feehan

Publication Date: January 7th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 432

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Silke is a demon slayer tasked with protecting her village, something she’s very skilled at, but it’s been predicted that a greater danger is coming. Fortunately, Silke knows that several Carpathian warriors are coming as well, one likely her lifemate. A man she hasn’t met, but one she’s bonded to.

 

Benedek is one of the ancient Carpathian warriors who would be on the path of turning vampire and evil if it weren’t for his lifemate. Once he bonds with her his soul will be complete and he’ll be out of danger of turning, but he has a hard time trusting since a vicious betrayal years ago. He’s trying to get to Silke’s village quickly as he knows of the coming danger, but Lilith has her minions lay a dangerous trap that isn’t easily shaken off.

 

In Dark Hope Lilith has targeted Silke’s village and is intent on taking the demon slayer out but doesn’t know her identity so she sends in some of her agents undercover to find her and lay other traps. Dealing with these evil entities took some cunning on Silke’s part and it was entertaining to see how she handled it. I also really enjoyed all the epic battles, both Silke and Benedek were skilled and clever, but they were up against some dangerous foes!

 

The Dark series is a long-running one and I started reading late in the game, but I’ve enjoyed the stories even so. Each story has a separate romance and conflict that is resolved by the end. Fated/bonded mates, vampires, shapeshifters, and all sorts of other magical creatures are incorporated into the stories. Then there’s the evil underworld, ruled by Lilith, always trying to take over. To be honest, I have no idea why anyone serves Lilith as she’s always torturing her servants and turning against them.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Immortal passions rage as evil grows in this gripping novel in Christine Feehan’s #1 New York Times bestselling Carpathian series.

Silke Vriese Reinders knows a war is coming. The demon slayer has seen it over and over again in the cards—and the battle won’t just be for the survival of her remote village, but for all mankind. Silke knows the only way to win will be with the help of the Carpathians. A fact that fills her with trepidation, as she is fated to be the lifemate to one of the ancient supernatural warriors—bound to a complete stranger and responsible for his soul.

     One of the oldest, most dangerous Carpathians, Benedek Kovak is more beast than man. Locked away for centuries, the only thing that has stopped him from becoming one of the monsters he’s sworn to defeat is the thought of his lifemate. When Benedek senses the impending danger, he sets out to find her before it’s too late. But their enemy has laid a trap that pushes him closer to turning than ever before.

     For so long Benedek has felt nothing. Now, some dark art is compelling him to indulge in cravings he thought long buried. He has no hope that anyone can restore what’s left of his tainted soul, but Silke is nothing like he imagined. Perhaps she’s strong enough to fight back the darkness. Perhaps together they can defeat an adversary hell bent on destroying them all....

Photo credit: Michael Greene

About the Author

Christine Feehan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the Carpathian series, the GhostWalker series, the Leopard series, the Torpedo Ink series, the Shadow Riders series, and stand-alone romantic suspense novels. Learn more online at www.christinefeehan.com. 

Review: A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

 

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell #8) by Deanna Raybourn

Publication Date: March 7th 2023 by Berkley

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

In the last book Veronica and Stoker parted ways, Veronica to hunt butterfly collections in Italy with Tiberius, Stoker’s brother, and Stoker off to hunt a specimen in Germany. However, a threat to Tiberius and the Seven Sinners, a group of Tiberius’ old friends bring them all back together again to the family estate, Cherboys, in Devon to expose the killer. Years ago while vacationing at Cherboys one of their members fell off a cliff to their death, a tragedy ruled an terrible accident, but now an unknown is claiming he was murdered and that one of them were responsible. So far, two members have died in recent “accidents” and there are three left including Tiberius. Tiberius asked for Veronica and Stoker’s help to unmask the killer before anyone else dies.

There’s no shortage of suspects when Tiberius invites the surviving members for a stay. Veronica and Stoker go about their investigation separately as Stoker is still hurt by Veronica and doesn’t want to just sweep the past events under the rug. I have to say I didn’t blame him. In the past books Veronica has been a little frustrating to me, whereas Stroker gives his all to her, she hold back. It was a little disappointing they weren’t working together for much of the book, but I did enjoy the sleuthing. Veronica has a sharp, humorous mind so I always enjoy her conversations and her mental musings. The writing is very witty.

The descriptions of Cherboys by the cliffs of Devon and the village of Dearsley sounded beautiful and each of the characters assembled were interesting! I kept trying to figure out the culprit right along with Veronica. I was happy with how all things turned out, Veronica finally coming to some personal revelations and the case was wrapped up as well. A Sinister Revenge is book eight in the series and it’s one that needs to read in order. I read an e-copy, but the audios narrated by Angèle Masters are a fantastic way to go too!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Veronica must find and stop a devious killer when a group of old friends is targeted for death in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party.

Tiberius has received a cryptic message—along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners—that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate.

As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that has led to the fatal present. But the truth might be far more sinister than what they were prepared for.