Review: Dark Curse

Title: Dark Curse

Author: Christine Feehan

Published: September 2008

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/Series: Dark Series 19, see author site for complete list.

From the Author Site: Born into a world of ice, and slave to her evil father, Lara Calladine knew only paralyzing fear as a child—and escaping with her mysterious gifts unbroken would be the only way to survive her great Carpathian heritage as a Dragonseeker. Human, yet mage, she was of the blood of three species yet belonged to none. She walked her chosen path alone, guided by the wisdom of her aunts—to blend in and let no one know of her ancestry and powers. And never trust anyone. For beyond the frozen hell of her youth was a world of even greater mysteries and dangers.

Today Lara is the leading expert in the field of ice cave study around the world and the healing microorganisms that thrive in them. She’s also in search of something else: the source of her nightmares—the cold dark corners of her childhood. Only one man has the will and the powers to help her: Nicolas De La Cruz, for whom centuries of hunting and killing have long since taken their toll. Dangerous and arrogant, he still longs to feel sensual love without the hunger for blood. Now, between Lara and Nicolas, a tenuous trust has emerged, and a passion neither has ever known before as a melody of dark promise begins.

But as each scales the treacherous land of the Carpathian in search of their past, they also harbor a secret that could save or destroy them. And as each may be desirous of a new beginning as lifemates, they are also haunted by the unknown dangers of a dark curse.

Hero: Nicolas De La Cruz is very much the same as many other Carpathian heroes. Commanding, rigid code of honor (which probably is what's keeping them from becoming vampires), macho with definite ideas what where a woman's place is, that is usually hiding from all enemies, waiting for her hero to come home. Blah! At least Nicolas sees that he is macho and tries to take Lara's feelings and skills into consideration.

Heroine: Lara Calladine is the daughter of Razan and great-granddaughter to the evil Xavier. While as a child she was protected by her great-aunts who are forced to stay in dragon form. She's a woman who knows what she wants (to find and rescue her aunts from their icy prison) but she runs into Nicolas who preceeds to take over her life. Shes doesn't like it much but eventually give in.

Review: The Dark series was a must buy for me up until they started coming out in hardback! What's up with that?! And in general the series has been going down hill for quite some time. All the heroes seem to be the same, dominating, my-way-is-the-right-way, and most "perfect". And the heroines no what how strong the start out, they seem to end up clinging to their hero and need them to keep them "safe".

Nicolas does eventually see and admits that he has been demanding Lara change to accommodate him but that he has not been doing to same, making changes to he's behavior so that she will want to stay with him. And he does make some effort to include her in decision making and such.

As far as the overall story-line goes, we do learn some new interesting facts about Razan and Xavier. Dominic of the Dragonseekers is off to spy on the enemy with the virus donated by Destiny before she was cured. And Lara is able to shed light on the cause of the high infant mortality rate among the Carpathians. Other than that there is no real movement in the plot.

Keeper?: Yes because I have the rest of the series.

Recommendation: If you've liked the Dark Series, then you will like this one too. As a stand alone it's not a very interesting read.

Rating: 3 of 5