Review: Dark Magic

Reviewed by Jen
 

At last, we get Gregori’s book. Most readers who started the Carpathian series at the beginning with Dark Prince, have been waiting for our ancient warrior to get his happily ever after –and with Dark Magic, the wait is over. We only had to wait four books. And for me, the wait was worth it.

Gregori is one of the oldest and the deadliest of Carpathian men.  As with all the men of his kind, he lost the ability to feel emotions and see in color when he turned 200. He’s nearly a thousand now.  And he is dangerously close to losing his honor and becoming the evil vampire he hunts.  All vampires were Carpathians to begin with: they all drink blood; can use telepathy; shapeshift; and must avoid the sun. But Carpathian men who give up hope of salvation, of finding their lifemate, embrace evil and become the beast that is the vampire.

Gregori has found his lifemate.  She is Savannah, daughter to his best friend, Mikhail.  She is a magician who has left the Carpathian Mountains of Romania to seek her independence. Gregori had come to her when she was 18, but she was not ready to be with him. She begged him for time and he gave her 5 years. These years have been very difficult for him. So difficult, that when they are finally reunited, he is almost more beast than man.  He spirits her away to his lair and “claims” her.  Savannah is very attracted to Gregori, but the act between them is far from gentle. She thinks him a monster, until she allows herself to use the telepathy of her people and see inside his mind.

Gregori is a tortured soul. He believes himself to be the monster she has branded him. But he loves her; he needs her. He doesn’t think he deserves her; especially because he thinks he tampered with nature and somehow forced her to become his lifemate while her mother carried her in the womb.  Savannah begins to soften toward Gregori as she sees the ways he is fragile. And she realizes that despite his strengths and dominating ways, she has much power, simply because of his feelings for her.

The pair leave San Fransisco and head to New Orleans, where they take up residence. They quickly run into trouble with a ring of vampire hunters who are, ironically, led by a vampire.  While raiding a safe house for our hunters, they find Gary Jansen, a scientist and true-believer, who they quickly befriend. He becomes Gregori’s first human friend, and goes on to become a reoccurring character in the series.

Gregori is very old and has some old ideas. He is stubborn and overbearing. But he is also very sympathetic.  He loves Savannah so completely. And their love scenes are very, very hot.

Like all of these books, there is a little repetition with the language. We get several reminders that Gregori is “the Dark One.” And our standard reminder that he is “sensual with a hint of cruelty.” But it’s just a tiny annoyance in what is a really good book. It’s one of my favorite in the series and one that Carpathian fans cannot miss. 4 1/2 stars.

Dark Magic

by Christine Feehan

Release Date: July 2000

Publisher: Love Spell