Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: Dark Prince Author's Cut Special Edition

By Sandy Amazeen Mar 15, 2011, 22:17 GMT

The Author\'s Cut Special Edition of the beloved first novel in Christine Feehan\'s New York Times bestselling Dark series Dark Prince Enter the enchanting world of the Carpathians, where dark adventure, mystery, and love await, and the desires of two daring hearts unite in one irresistible passion. A telepathic hunter of serial killers, Raven Whitney helps to catch some of the most depraved criminals. But her work ...more

With one hundred pages of new material, Feehan’s latest release of Dark Prince is to the Dark series, what special “director’s cuts” are to the movie business. Mikhail Dubrinsky, Prince of the Carpathian race has held out against the darkness for so long he is on the verge of meeting the dawn rather then become a vampire. Around the age of two hundred, Carpathian males lose their ability to see color or experience emotion. Many sacrifice their souls for the momentary rush of power that killing their human prey gives. As Mikhail contemplates ending his long existence, he finds the priceless treasure of a lifemate, the one woman in the entire world who can restore color, emotion and balance to a mature Carpathian male.

Raven Whitney, a gifted young woman capable of locating killers through use of her psychic ability, pays a steep price for crawling around deviant minds. She came to the Carpathian Mountains in search of healing solitude and upon hearing the soul-deep cry of pain from Mikhail, had no option but to respond. Sparks flew as soon as the two met and though Mikhail knows Raven is his lifemate, there is one rather large problem, Raven is human and no human female has survived the extremely painful conversion process. There are powerful vampires seeking to destroy the prince and all that he represents but even worse monsters are loose in the mountains and soon, any choice about Raven’s future will rest solely in Mikhail’s hands.

Although Feehan’s fans will revel in being able to read this story as it was written and enjoy the inclusion of the Carpathian language, the extra material does occasionally slow the pace and at times, borders on repetitive. Still, it is a nicely executed paranormal romance with plenty of strife, suffering and sexual steam.