Besides the same story, Feehan tends to repeat certain descriptions throughout the book. I counted at least 3 times she explained about the difference between a Carpathian and a Vampire. I've almost given up on this series, but I've heard that it starts to get better around book 5, and since I have up through book 5 here, I figured I'd at least give it that long and then decide whether to proceed from there.

Since I'm not a huge fan of romance for the sake of romance, if it doesn't have some other mystery or action going on in the story, I was hoping for a bit more in this one as well. Yes, Alex was put in danger a couple of times, as was her little brother Josh, but never at any point did you wonder about whether they'd actually be able to save themselves. And it seemed a smaller part of the story than the attraction between Aidan and Alex, which makes this a romance book first and foremost.

One thing I think Feehan does do well is character development. Her character descriptions are so vivid, if a bit too flowery at times, so that you can clearly picture the characters in your head, and understand their actions and reactions. It is only because of this that I'll give this book the benefit of the doubt and give it a halfway rating, as I feel romance readers would probably appreciate it more than I.



Amy W (USA: MD) (2010/08/10):
I love the Carpathian world that Ms. Feehan has created. Having said that, this is one of the few of this series that I would recommend skipping. It should have been shortened and put into an anthology. The sex scenes and scenes talking of feelings are repeated ad nauseum. The story is all but over after the first 1/3 of the book.

Here is the story. Aidan Savage, the twin of Julian Savage, swoops into a vampires lair to fight and defeat the vampire. He then notices the woman whom he incorrectly identifies as a vampress, and a little boy, her brother. He discovers she is his lifemate and brings them both home. From there they fight another vampire, and struggle with her change and the care of her brother.

The problem wasn't the story, it was the filler of her repeated feelings of not accepting her changes, not accepting her feeling towards Aidian, and, of course, the repeated sex scenes, they are ubiquitous and invariable.

I love this series and usually forgive the extra dose of repeated sex, but the story did not carry it in this one. Julian's story definitely makes up for it. Don't miss that one, Dark Challenge. For me the only novel that was worse than this one was Dark Melody, but I had to read it for the story. It really should have been a novella too. In Dark Melody there were actual repeats in the story like the editor hadn't look at it. Only problem is it has things you might want to know for the series. Dark Gold does not.

Knowing what I know, I would read just the beginning of this novel and quit after they are together once. You got the main story, and she comes around in the end to the accepting. Not a bad story but not worth a whole book.

I have read up to Dark Legend/Dark Guardian, and then read out of order Dark Symphony, and Dark Slayer and the novellas Dark Descent and Dark Dream. Favorites are Desire, Challenge, and Slayer (though I have issues with all) The novellas I find quite good.