
Hi 🙂 I’m sorry if this post doesn’t make much sense at all but I’ve just discovered THE most exciting news. Christine Feehan, one of my most favourite authors and the Lady I posted my first book review about, has announced that she is finally bringing out the story her fans have been waiting a decade for.
I’m sorry, this will probably make more sense as I bring out book reviews but basically it is a story involving a young woman called Skyler and a Carpathian called Dimitri. You first meet Skyler in book number eight entitled Dark Legend (I will be doing a book review of every title mentioned in this post). You see her as a young child in hospital that the main female character Francesca (in this book both a female Carpathian and a doctor) is trying to help. Skyler is suffering from a form of Locked In Syndrome where she has hidden so well in her own mind not even a powerful Carpathian psychic can help her instantly. You soon discover that it is because her own father basically pimped her out at a shockingly young age so that his friends could have sex with her (Ms Feehan expertly tackling an issue that is far too prominent even in this day and age). Don’t worry though, the father dies (though not by the Carpathian lifemate Gabriel) and Francesca manages to heal at least the physical wounds Skyler suffers with and a vast majority of her mental ones. She is then adopted by Francesca and her lifemate Gabriel Daratrazanoff and becomes their daughter, they the parents she should have always had. Now an interesting point some may miss but you MUST take note of is after Francesca and Gabriel have made beautiful love in her friends store, Gabriel feels compelled to buy a stuffed wolf toy that has the most beautiful blue eyes for Skyler and he does…
Now, in the next book entitled Dark Gaurdian you get the story of Lucian, Gabriel’s twin Carpathian brother and his human lifemate Jax Montgomery. You are given an update on Skyler and you are introduced via flashback to Dimitri her Carpathian lifemate as a boy nearly one thousand years ago. Lucian has a flashback to when he was meeting the Carpathian king of the time. The twins were legendary even then, a thousand years old a thousand years ago, and no one dared to go near them, afraid of their power. Two young Carpathian boys did however; Julian, who is the main Carpathian lifemate in book five Dark Challenge, and Dimitri. They are confronted by the twins and are scared but Dimitri refuses to run away, showing a strength of character sometimes lacking in both Human and Carpathian alike. It flashes back to present day and Skyler is recovering well. She views Gabriel and Francesca as her proper parents and is learning to accept others, a great feat given her history. All is going well 🙂
The next book they appear in is book sixteen Dark Celebration. This is a gathering of all the Carpathian couples seen so far to celebrate Christmas. It mainly focuses on Mikhail from Dark Prince visiting them all and making sure they fare well. He goes back to visit his own lifemate Raven and they both have a surprise visit off Skyler. Part of Skyler’s gift was to know when someone was in pain, both physically and mentally and she was drawn to Raven. While there, a dark wolf passes by the window and they get a flash of beautiful blue eyes. Mikhail goes to investigate but the wolf is gone as if never there. Just in case he makes sure Skyler has an adult to walk back to her lodge with her. This turns out to be Alexandra, the human lifemate (now Carpathian) in book three Dark Gold. They set off back and Skyler is plagued that something is watching them, or following them. Suddenly a dark claw reaches for Skyler that only Alexandra can see, she pushes Skyler out of the way just in time for a tree to collapse on top of her. Skyler is pinned however and blood starts to run onto the pure white snow. Out of the darkness comes the dark wolf with the beautiful blue eyes that quickly turns into a breath-taking muscled man with the same eyes. She gasps and doesn’t want him to touch her. He does but gently, placing her under a trance so he can heal her wound and give her his blood to replenish what she has lost, taking a small amount of her blood at the same time, just so they would have a psychic link. While this is happening colour and emotion explodes for him and she realises that he is Dimitri, Carpathian and lifemate to her. Suffice it to say Gabriel and Francesca arrive to ‘save’ her. There’s a heated debate and, although reluctant to, he hands Skyler to her parents, knowing she is far too young to handle a lifemate such as he (she’s sixteen at this point). Later he must heal her wounds as she fought a vampire with her friend and she got their acidic blood on her hands. He is infinitely gentle and points out that her gift of reading people’s minds through touch does not work with him; with him, she can be herself. This sounds so wonderful but she is still scared of his imposing nature. She goes back to her parents and has to endure a room full of angry adult Carpathian hunters, angry at the fact that her friend told them Dimitri assaulted her. She begins to panic but Dimitri arrives to settle them all and informs them ‘If you value your lives you will leave my lifemate alone. I can feel her distress radiating through the forest.’ Skyler watches in horror as the hunters turn towards him but she states ‘he saved my life’ to offer some defence and tells him on their own path ‘please don’t get hurt, I couldn’t stand that.’ It’s interesting to note in this book Skyler is almost Carpathian anyway. She has had two transfusions off her parents and they are reluctant to give her the third…
The last time we see them is in book twenty-one Dark Slayer. This is the story of Razvan (major character, will be explained in further book reviews) and Ivory Malinov; both Carpathians, both hunters. Within this book Skyler meets her birth father, much to everyone’s shock and she takes part in a ritual to save two twin infant baby girls and it brings all of her suppressed memories of her horrible experiences back in almost physical form. She is distressed, tears rolling down her cheeks, but she does not waver, even when both Dimitri as her lifemate and Gregori (the main male Carpathian from book four Dark Magic) try to save her from it. She is determined that she would save these babies, an admirable quality in one so young (she is eighteen at this time). It makes you love the characters even more if it’s possible…
Ok, painfully aware I showed both my excitement and love for this series I’ll focus on what I meant to. Ms Feehan is bringing out three books; one in September, one in January, and one after; which the middle, Dark Wolf, is going to be focused on Skyler and Dimitri. The first is called Dark Lycan, the second is called Dark Wolf and the third is called Dark Hunter. All three books of the trilogy are going to be linked in some way. The first is going to be about a Carpathian Aunt (fans will know) called Tatijana and her lifemate Fenris, Dimitri’s brother. The second is Skyler and Dimitri and the third is about Tatijana’s sister Bronnie and her lifemate, a Lycan hunter called Zev. Just imagine the scope for narrative brilliance that can be obtained in three books linked together? Ms Feehan always surpasses herself so this trilogy should be outstanding 🙂 (Yes you can see it is Dimitri and Skyler I am most excited about)
I kept this post purposefully obtuse as I wanted to relate the history of the two characters to you, but I also wanted you to get interested in the works and feel the need to look up what I am talking about. Sorry to confuse so many but I cannot state enough how wonderful this series is; how in depth the World, how intertwined the characters and how essential their lives are. I really hope you read and I really hope you enjoy.
Thank you 🙂