DARK CELEBRATION by Christine Feehan

Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan

I still faithfully buy all Ms. Feehan's new releases. This time I plunked out for a hard cover that I was fairly certain I wasn't going to like very much. Let me just say...I should have listened to myself. I'm such a sucker because I'm always thinking I'm going to miss that really great book.

I loved, loved, loved the Carpathians back when I first started reading the books. I had never read anything quite like them. Dark and tortured two of my favorite things...I devoured every one of them I could lay my hands on. This book is not in that league at all.

In fact, that dark and tortured hero is my main problem with DARK CELEBRATION. It's just plain hard to swallow with all that is supposedly going on with the Carpathian race, i.e. being almost extinct, all the ancient warriors scattered around the world, vampire and mage joining against them, the evil Council still after them and their inability to procreate that the Prince would gather everyone together in one place for a Christmas celebration. Besides, isn't there any traditional holidays or customs of the Carpathians that they would be more likely to have a gathering for? And, why with so many enemies would they all gather in one place?

Anyway, the celebration gives a reason for all the couples from the previous books to make an appearance. Prince Mikhail reintroduces each couple by paying a visit to each of them before the gathering. Each couple is preparing a part of the Christmas celebration meal.

Carpathains don't eat. They feed on blood. So why are they cooking? I get that food is needed at the celebration for their human guests, friends, etc. But why can't they just zap the food? What is the point of them having to actually prepare it? I believe Ms. Feehan was trying to humanize her characters and provide some humor as well, but it just didn't work for me.

When Mikhail visited each couple I kept wondering why he couldn't just check in and communicate with everyone by using the Carpathaian telepathic pipeline? The visits just seemed so lame and the transitions between each of them were rough. To my mind the Carpathians are taken completely out of the context and character Ms. Feehan previously created in their individual stories.

As you can see, alot of things about this book bugged me. However, I'm sure if you are a lover of all things Carpathian you will have to add this book to your collection. I can only suggest you wait for the paperback. You aren't missing anything...honest!