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    Dark Curse: A Carpathian Novel
    Dark Curse: A Carpathian Novel
    Dark Curse: A Carpathian Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Dark Curse: A Carpathian Novel

    Written by Christine Feehan

    Narrated by Phil Gigante and Jane Brown

    5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Lara Calladine is haunted by childhood memories of being held prisoner in an ice cave and kept sane by the whispered stories told to her by her imprisoned aunts. They instilled mage and Carpathian magic deep within her and then helped her escape. She has spent years searching for the cave in hopes of finding the answers to the riddle of her past as well as finding her aunts who may have given their lives saving her.

    Nicolas De La Cruz has returned to the Carpathian Mountains—his homeland—on orders from his eldest brother, Zacarias, to bring news of a conspiracy to the prince of their people. He is weary of his long existence and plans to end it away from his brothers where they will be unable to stop him once he has fulfilled his duty.

    Lara and Nicolas' paths collide in an explosive adventure that rocks the Carpathian world.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 2, 2008
    ISBN9781423343028
    Dark Curse: A Carpathian Novel
    Author

    Christine Feehan

    Christine Feehan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, with over 90 published novels in seven different series: Dark Series, GhostWalker Series, Leopard Series, Drake Sisters Series, Sea Haven Series, Shadow Series, and Torpedo Ink Series. All seven of her series have hit the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list.

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    Reviews for Dark Curse

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    • 2/5
      The heroine gnaws through her scarred wrists, allowing her blood to drain into the dirt because she believes suicide is the only way to escape the hero. Unfortunately, she survives and the book goes on, and on, and on from there.Feehan includes a lot of the Carpathian Language in the dialog, and adds anthropological essays in the back matter. I found the supplemental material to be the most interesting part of the book. She has created an intricate world, but she's run out of interesting ways to tell stories about it.
    • 4/5
      LOVE the story, beginning to end! LOVE the voice actors - and a lot of voice actors drive me crazy. Love that there is a female and male actor, so none of the awkwardness of reading voices of the opposite sex. The actors are top notch. My only complaint is that nearly everyone was given an *extremely* heavy accent - Romanian/German/something - even Raven, who is American. It lent a sameness to most of the characters' voices and was a distraction. I don't understand that decision. Three cheers for pronouncing Gegori's name right! Oh - and Mikhail sounded like...I don't know, but aren't all of the Carpathians supposed to be sexy? He sounded like Santa meets Grizzly Adams. But the story's not about him, so not the end of the world.
    • 5/5
      This new installment of Christine Feehan’s Dark Series brings Nicolas, an ancient of the Carpathian race on the verge of turning vampire, together with Lara a woman searching for her heritage and answers to memories of family and dragons.The two fight an evil mage, Xavier and discover the origin of a parasite that has been used as a weapon against the Carpathian people.The book takes place in the Carpathian mountains and answers a lot of questions from throughout the series which fans will love.This book is definitely a cross between fantasy and paranormal and of course it is a romance. The action and adventure is there as in all Feehan novels. It will prove to be one of the best in the series!
    • 5/5
      This was a journey. And a insight to a few things.
    • 5/5
      Nicolas De La Cruz has come back to the Carpathian mountains to deliver a serious message to Mikhail Dubrinsky, the prince of the Carpathian people. The De La Cruz brothers have discovered a terrible plot against their people and the prince, and must get word to him and the other Carpathian hunters to remain vigilant. Once he has delivered his message, Nicolas has every intention of meeting the dawn and ending his life. He has been living in an emotionless, colorless world for many centuries, and has become tired of battling the enemy. He has no idea that destiny will bring his salvation to him that very night. Lara Calladine spent the first years of her life trapped in the ice caves, a victim of her demented grandfather Xavier, the dark mage. After escaping, she learned to hide her "special" abilities from the humans around her, and has returned to the Carpathian mountains seeking her answers from her past. Part human, part mage, and part Carpathian, she will need all of her power to cope with the aggressive Carpathian male claiming her as his lifemate.Nicolas must move beyond his domineering instincts toward Lara and help her find her way back into the deadly ice caves, for within her memories lie the key to the problems the Carpathian race has been facing for years. Lara has the power to unlock the mysteries surrounding Carpathian pregnancies and the high infant mortality rate. She may be the only one powerful enough to save the Carpathian people.Dark Possession seems to follow the new pattern that has emerged in the last three books. The series is evolving, adding new and exciting elements, while giving us thrilling stories of new lifemates. Lara and Nicolas were compelling characters, and their story was very well-written. Dark Possession added to some of the other stories, and some lurking questions from the last few books were resolved. The only problem I have with this book is that it had a weak ending. I realize the purpose was to really leave things open for future books, but it was still a little disappointing.Overall, Dark Possession was a little different and refreshing. Now I just have to wait until September to see what happens next!
    • 5/5
      Another great and very entertaining book completed. With the writer always not failing to open mind again and again with her imaginations. The community of race the story is based on. Nicolas De La Crus and Lara Calladine were faced with a different challenge and both meet and performed above the expectations. The brother of the De La Crus was ever quite extraordinary with who they are and made of. Never fail to meet their responsibilities. Great book and well thought out storyline love it very much. I give this book five stars and more.
    • 5/5
      If you, like me, have been a die-hard Carpathian fan from the very first book, Dark Prince, then I don't even have to say a word to you about Dark Curse-- becuase you either have it in your hands right now, you've already read it, or you already know that because it's part of Feehan's Carapthian series, it is, by default, one of the BEST out there! Hands down, Ms. Feehan is the queen of paranormal romances, giving readers a complex and yet very easy to follow fantasy world filled with magic and mysteries, evil and good, shapeshifters, sexy Carpathians and turned vampires. Add in some hot, passionate and tender love scenes, plenty of them, and a great deal of adventure and action and you've got the receipe for a perfect series! Continuing the series, Dark Curse tells the story of Nicolas and Lara. The story is sad at parts, telling of Lara's poor childhood, but like all of her books still has it's funny moments. Also, be prepared for a few tears along the way-- it gets that emotional, that true, both in the grief and the love. And the sex scenes-- holy cow! Grab a fan, because you are going to need it! If you haven't been bitten by the 'Carpathian Reading Bug' yet, then I don't know what else I can possibly say to convince you to pick up the books. They have everything you could possible want in any book, especially a romance! Love, passion, humor, adventure, suspense, magic, vampires... Seriously, what more could you ask for? Oh, right, sorry, forgot to mention the SEXY AS HELL ALPHA MALES! (If you are, somehow, still not convinced, well then, I give up!) I've loved all of the books, from 1-16 (Dark Curse being number 16) and unlike some series where they are boring and repeative after 4 or so books, this series is one that I would love to see another 20 books out of and I'd never grow bored because Feehan is amazing and makes you fall in love with each and every character we meet along the way, making you want to know this person's story or that person's, and the pull is so strong that you can't just put the book down and walk away-- no, you have to finish it, and then move on to the next one in the series, devouring that one in mere hours too. And when there are no more new ones to read for a year or more? Well then you sit around and go silently crazy, like me, waiting, and while you wait, you re-read them all, from beginning to end, and savoring them a second and third time before moving on to other authors and books, hoping they will be just as captivating and perfect, and some of them are very close ,of course, but none of them really hold your attention as much as the Carpathian Series does-- that is, there are no other series that you would be happy to see 10-20 books from! And believe me, Feehan keeps adding new twists and turns, characters and stories not yet explored in every new book, drawing you in even deeper so that you HAVE to have another book. Unlike with other series, the words 'the series was drawn out waaay to long' do not apply here, and after you've read even one book (as if you could stop at just one!) you too will be nodding your head when I say that. 5/5 STARS! A perfect book, a perfect series, it easily deserves a 1000000/5, but I can't really give it such a rating, can I? *Well, except for in my own mind, of course..* Like all the previous books in this series, you will gobble it up quickly, find yourself falling right into the story with Nicolas and Lara and all the other Carpathians and various other races in the book, and when it finally lets you go after the last page is read and the book is closed, you will be obsessed with getting your hands on the next book *not yet written, unfortunately!*. And if you don't, I have to ask....'What the hell is wrong with you?' It's a rhetorical question, of course, and I don't really mean to insult anyone.. :D
    • 5/5
      Centuries of fighting vampires left Nicolas De La Cruz ready to meet the dawn (end his existence) after completing one more task for his family, his prince and his people. With his darkness close, he finally heard the voice that could save him and his soul, as Lara Calladine stabbed a knife in his side to get him off her. She had come to the Carpathian Mountains to finally deal with her childhood nightmares and find the only family she ever knew. The Aunts had always been there telling her stories, teaching her and then helping her to escape. Finding so many of their stories to be true, including that of the lifemate, Lara struggled to trust Nicolas and fight her past nightmares.Book 19 ….. Just say Wow! Was the Curse his or hers? The elements and layers of this series are getting more complex, the addition of so many with Mage influence opens the door for such great sorcerers stories. As always, the characters are so easy to care about, the interactions with the other Carpathians are exciting and the fall of Nicolas’s ego was nicely done. This is (in my opinion) the darkest of the series with the abuse that Lara remembers and the fear that she has of people and things. The questions are stating to have answers for the Carpathian people and that is one of the best parts of a series, you become (almost) invested in their lives. More bonus, and appendix with the Healing Chants and information about the Carpathian language. I am looking forward to the next novel (due out September 2009). I don’t want to wait, but obviously I will.
    • 4/5
      Years ago when I first started reading this series of the Carpathian's, a dying race who protect mankind by hunting vampires, I wasn't really aware of an over-arching plot and just took each story as it came. Now it is clear that there is certainly a purpose in mind and this series is, in fact, headed in a solid direction. This novel certainly pushes forward the plot in a very active fashion as we explore the where, why and how of the threat of extinction of the Carpathian race.The romance is pretty much one we're familiar with by now. Tall, dark and arrogant Carpathian just about ready to go vampire suddenly finds his lifemate walking down the street. Said lifemate isn't so sure about the whole "made for each other" mind set but eventually a combination of lust and a little capitulation on the part of the guy to being maybe just a little less chauvinistic (note "little") finally changes her mind. Although I liked the characters of the emotionally damaged Lara and uber-macho Nicolas, they didn't stand out as much for me as some of the past pairings did.I do enjoy the additions of past characters, it's always nice to see my favorites again, although if anyone were to try starting off the series with this particular novel my guess is they'll be completely lost. This is certainly one that builds on the past plot points and situations.This is a quick and interesting read and I'm looking forward to where Ms. Feehan will travel next with her stories.
    • 4/5
      Let me first say that Feehan's 'Dark' series is akin to literary crack for me. I just can't stop reading them! I agree that her books have become very predictable, yet I still love those Carpathian dudes. I want one for myself. Anyway, I picked up "Dark Curse" which is #16 I believe. If you've read one, you know the story. He's a tortured hero who's ready to give up his soul to the dark when suddenly...he hears the voice of his lifemate and is saved. He quickly falls under her spell, and now he has to learn some gentleness and patience (which never comes easy for these Alphas) to lure his lifemate into loving him while saving her from the dark creatures who hunt for her. And YES, this book is the same story...but I still like it. He is Nicolas. She is Lara. He is one of the famous De La Cruz brothers. She is the daughter of the ?evil? Razvan and granddaughter of the wicked Xavier. She still has flashbacks to her nightmare childhood where she was kept for food by Xavier and Razvan. She escaped with the help of her two great-aunts, full blood Dragonseekers, who were also held by the wicked pair. Now that she's an adult, she has come to find and bring the bodies of her great-aunts home.What I liked: Feehan gives us a lot more information on Xavier's plot against the Carpathians. We find out why Carpathian women have such difficulty with pregnancy and why their children are so fragile. We find out more about Razvan including some facts that should provide at least one, if not two, novels in and of themselves! The sex is still mega hot.What I didn't like: Several indexes about the Carpathian language. This isn't high fantasy...get over yourself. The cutesy, non-rhyming, chants (which are WAY too detailed). Lara being a bit too whiny. The diatribe about women fighters. A happyish ending, but Lara is still not Carpathian and can't be turned for a while which means Nicolas and she will continue to suffer. BOO.Is the book worth reading? If you have been following this series, then absolutely. If you haven't...read Dark Prince (the very first one). If you like it, you'll pick up a couple more. Then you'll be hooked like the rest of us!