So.  I just read Christine Feehan's DARK GUARDIAN.  It's maybe book 7 or 8 in her "Dark" series, but the first I've read.  (Note: Since the super-powered hero Lucian has to explain everything about himself and his culture to heroine Jaxon, I wasn't lost at all.) I thought DARK GUARDIAN was pretty awful--nonsensical and boring.

On the plus side, I liked the human cop heroine and the long-lived Carpathian hero.  They were fine characters, strong and likable.  I liked Jaxx's skepticism and non-doormat response to the slightly patronizing hero.  Lucian was delectable.  But there was no chemistry between them.  Whatever the trick to writing romantic and sexual tension, it wasn't in evidence here.  

Again on the plus side, the story started out strong, giving us brief but telling snapshots of crucial episodes in both Jaxx and Lucian's life and catching us up to the present.  Jaxx was living under tremendous pressure from a threat from her past--a stalker who kills anyone who gets close to her.  This was an extremely interesting plot set-up which was utterly squandered.  This stalker should have been priority and actively pursued.  It made no sense that Lucian, at least, was so passive towards this threat.  And to then have the threat resolved so anti-climactically!  What was the point??

Also, there was gratuitous vampire violence that didn't capture my interest at all.  It was a very second rate threat, which diluted the tension created by the original stalker.  Ditto with some criminal elements targeting the heroine.  What a mistake not to be more focused.

I think Feehan ran into the problem that these super-powerful beings could dispatch all their enemies in novella-length stories. So the volume of villains is increased, the effective use of powers--whether brainpower or supernatural--by the hero and heroine is decreased, and somehow enough scenes are strung together to reach the requisite page count.  Boring.

I need to know...is the rest of her series similar to this?  That is, I liked the characters, but are her other stories smarter?  Or are readers basically flocking to Feehan to experience the powerful fantasy of telepathically-bonded pre-ordained lifemates (and explicit sex scenes between such)?

From the reviews I've read and from comments from other boards, yes, they are all pretty much the same.  I read Dark Magic and I hated it!  The hero was an abusive rapist and the heroine forgave him about five minutes after he brutally raped her.  He also manipulated her throughout the book and she went along with everything and basically acted like a child.  I wouldn't read another of her books just for the sex scenes either.  They were terrible, with the same exact terminology in every one.  I also got bored and ended up skimming just to see what happened in the book.  I probably won't read another of her books because my first experience with her was so bad, even though I've heard that some of the other Carpathian books are better (and have better characters- Gregori and Savannah were terrible!).

Actually, the Feehan books are my secret vice...  The second book in the series, Dark Desire was my favorite.  These are a lot like the old gothics of the late seventies.  The heros are the kind of guys that if you met them in real life, you'd (hopefully) run as far away from them as you could... controling, manipulative (for your own good!)... but controled by the author, they are fun.  These books are candy, but only if you like this flavor.  They are way over the top and make no apologies for it -- which is why I enjoy them.  

Dark Guardian was actually my least favorite of the series -- because I couldn't stand the heroine (her situation was just a bit too unbelievable for me).  I had a heroine problem with Dark Gold as well.   Dark Desire (with a real tortured hero) and Dark Fire are pretty good.  

I have the feeling that a good editor would help a great deal.  (As a writer with a terrific editor,  I'll tell you editing is a Very Important part of getting good results)  For instance, Dark Fire is set in France -- but none of the characters (not the doctor with the hots for the heroine, nor the little girl rescued or her abusive father) have French names.).  Similiarly, with the exception of the cemetary, the setting doesn't feel French.  She needed to watch a few of the Highlander episodes set in Paris  From what a friend of mine who writes for Leisure says, the authors are pretty much on their own.

Yep, it is I, back with a blush because I got the wrong book name, sigh.  Just shows to go you what can happen when you get too lazy to walk to the bookshelf.  It is indeed Dark Fire which I enjoyed (girl is a mechanic & it had leopards    )   But it was Dark Legend (also fun) which had the little problem with being French enough.  Because they are so over the top, it is easy to criticise the Dark books -- but I find them immensely fun, and I devour them the day they show up on my local bookstore's shelves.

Keep in mind that my information about Leisure comes from only two authors.  And lest I sound too snotty, Leisure is willing to take chances on risky, push-the-boundaries books that the other publishers run away from.  Even so, I thank my lucky stars for my editor.
Patty
PS I'm glad you like Dragon Bones!  I had a great time writing it

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Well, I've been actually started to like more and more of their books though they seem to be exclusively in the paranormal, futuristic line. I'm reading and enjoying Ravyn's Flight- Patti O'Shea at the moment but have also enjoyed books by Susan Squires, Susan Grant, of course Feehan, and Catherine Spangler.  While they are publishing less futuristics, the ones coming out seem to be better quality.  Oh, and they published Dara Joy too.  So I do like that they give these different stories a try.

                                     Linda

I did not like any of the Dark series.  I thought they were overwrought and the women were incredibly...*winces*...stupid.  I find all the men very uninteresting and most of the time they were so cave-man-like that their so-called intelligence was playing least-in-sight.  I usually don't mind *coughs* almost-rape scenarios, but in Dark Secret, the heroine's first time was flat out rape.  She didn't want to do it and actually sobs, cries, even begs the hero not too and just makes a mess of herself while the hero actually has the gall to say this is what she wants and she's just deluding herself all the while...well, doing the deed.  Ugh.  Yuck.

I do, however, LOVE her futuristic/sci-fi romances.  I love every single one that I've read so far.  Shadow Game, Mind Game, Wild Rain are all very niiiice.  *grins*  I also find Lair of the Lion...interesting.  It's been half a year since I read it, but I still don't know how I feel about it.  And it's still in my mind...

Oisa

[color=#cc0000][/color][font=Sans-Serif][/font]o my god .for those of u bashing feehan's dark series,shame shame . the first book i read of her series was DARK LEGEND!. that book got me hooked. i actually read them backwards  ,then read them in order all over again. of course i had to order them  from walden books and was lucky enough to get all the originals. that  was 6 years ago (im 21 now) and i have read each one over about 7 times. sure some were disturbing(DARK DESIRE, DARK MAGIC)but they were all great. i dont understand how you like romance, fantacy,  even action, but are bashing her stuff.  ouch. im actually writing a few movie companies to sugest (with conviction) that they should make movies of her books. they would be better than some of the crap they are comming out with now.    
                                yours truley
                                         a very devoted fan
                                                             christinakae

Hello everyone. . . I just joined this forum to talk about Feehan's "Dark" Series. I suggest the people who do not like the "Dark Series" to read the series from the beginning with "Dark Prince". This is not a series of book you will understand if you start in the middle or even with the 2nd book.
Feehan book are rich in description and development of characters which spands over 20 books.
Some of you do not like the book Dark Magic and Greggori's character--why? because you don't understand his character development through the series and why he almost changed into a vampire to begin with. That he gave the Savannah character 5 years of freedom and only came to her when he was going to turn.
Give the book another chance--Please!