Dark Challenge: Dark Series Book 5

Name: Dark Challenge

Author: Christine Feehan

Published: November 27, 2000 by Love Spell

Purchased: Years ago, $5.99 on Kindle

☆☆☆☆/5

This was a decided improvement from Dark Gold, the brother of this book. I do wish that they had met with Aidan and Alexandria, I would have loved to see that first meeting.

Not totally in love with this book but I do really like it. I think the reason I’m not in love with it is because it just feels really formal. That’s alright for how they talk, they’re ancients, but it seemed like it transferred to the details and physical actions.

Because of this, I didn’t really feel that much urgency. It was there but it was quiet, if you know what I mean?

I also think that the relationship was kind of put to the side a little bit because the author was trying to give time to every person in the group, though I did like getting to know Carpathians that didn’t grow up with others, it was rather interesting.

Because of that though, the couple’s dialogue remained formal throughout the book. Of course, they teased each other but I didn’t really feel a strong connection. Again, it was there but it wasn’t strong.

Normally, with the kind of ending this book has, I would be making a note against how anti-climactic it is but I actually felt like it was appropriate.

*Warning: Spoiler*

Julian had built this vampire up since he was twelve and the final battle hadn’t even taken that long and he didn’t feel the satisfaction that he thought he would. Only a couple of seconds and he was just distraught at how his life had turned out because of this vampire and it was just a little bit of an emotional ending, especially knowing how the others talked about him in past books.

*End Spoiler*

I feel like I should compare this ending to the book ending of Harry Potter but Voldemort did more damage than this vampire did.

I did enjoy learning about Gabriel and Lucian, especially when their books are coming up very soon, as well as getting the readers attached to Darius and getting them ready for his book.

Thank you for reading my review.

-Sam