Christine Feehan's Blog - Posts Tagged "dark-legacy"
Dark Legacy 카지노싸이트 Celebration!
Starting Tuesday September 5th I'll be posting an exclusive blog each day to celebrate the release of Dark Legacy!
Here's the line-up!
Sept. 5th- The New Guard- Unsworn Ancient Warriors
Sept. 6th- The Lifemate Mythology
Sept. 7th- There's Something About Gary
Sept. 8th- What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
Sept. 9th- Sympathy for the Devil - A Look at Carpathian Villains
I will be reading comments and responding. Please feel free to ask questions, but know that anything that's a spoiler I may not be able to fully answer.
Here's the line-up!
Sept. 5th- The New Guard- Unsworn Ancient Warriors
Sept. 6th- The Lifemate Mythology
Sept. 7th- There's Something About Gary
Sept. 8th- What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
Sept. 9th- Sympathy for the Devil - A Look at Carpathian Villains
I will be reading comments and responding. Please feel free to ask questions, but know that anything that's a spoiler I may not be able to fully answer.
The New Guard – Unsworn Ancient Warriors
In a monastery high in the Carpathian Mountains is a brotherhood of warriors. All they have left is their honor and each other. Unlike many others of their kind who were sent out in the world by their Prince in order to find their lifemates and protect the human race from vampires, they came here to learn how to protect the human race, from themselves. Time would take from them their ability to see in color, and once the pull of the darkness ended, leaving them without emotion, they’d become too dangerous to be among even their own kind, so they sought the monastery.
These ancient warriors had once sworn fealty to Prince Vlad and felt that Prince had betrayed them. So when a new Prince came they were not quick to swear an allegiance to him. It was the same family. Same blood. The same line that had betrayed the Carpathian people and lead them into the darkest time in their history. There was no reason for them to come out of their self-imprisonment and join the new Prince.
Vlad had known something horrible was coming. He had known his people were about to enter a war. Instead of looking to the protection of his people, Vlad hid a terrible secret and looked only to his own self needs. Vlad’s lifemate, Sarantha had hoped to find a cure for their son’s madness. Draven Dubrinsky was slowly going mad. Draven was dangerous and had he been the son of any other Carpathian, Vladimir would have had him killed to ensure the safety of others. But, Sarantha had held out hope her son could be saved and Vlad hadn’t the heart, or the strength to do what should have been done. Their daughter Noelle also suffered from madness. The Dubrinsky family, for as powerful as they were, seemed cursed. Madness and weakness had, in the eyes of the Ancients, infected the Dubrinsky line and the Prince couldn’t be trusted to do what was best for his people. The Prince’s son and the feelings and desires of the Prince’s lifemate was more important than the Prince’s people. And in that Prince Vlad failed his entire race.
Now the Ancients are the New Guard and they’ve left the monastery in search of the promise of lifemates in various parts of the world. They have lived together for so long it was natural for them to band together and remain close. When they find themselves needed by Tariq in San Diego, California they arrive to find an enemy too dangerous to ignore and their honor demands they remain to protect both humans and Carpathians alike.
Will this New Guard ever swear allegiance to Mikhail Dubrinsky? It’s hard to say, but they do stay and fight with Tariq who has pledged his fealty to Mikhail. They’ve not shown any outward disobedience to the Prince, but what happens if Mikhail demands something of them? There are a lot of questions about this New Guard, but in the end there’s no doubt that these warriors are a shield of protection against this new threat and each one an integral part of the future of the Carpathian race.
Dark Legacy
These ancient warriors had once sworn fealty to Prince Vlad and felt that Prince had betrayed them. So when a new Prince came they were not quick to swear an allegiance to him. It was the same family. Same blood. The same line that had betrayed the Carpathian people and lead them into the darkest time in their history. There was no reason for them to come out of their self-imprisonment and join the new Prince.
Vlad had known something horrible was coming. He had known his people were about to enter a war. Instead of looking to the protection of his people, Vlad hid a terrible secret and looked only to his own self needs. Vlad’s lifemate, Sarantha had hoped to find a cure for their son’s madness. Draven Dubrinsky was slowly going mad. Draven was dangerous and had he been the son of any other Carpathian, Vladimir would have had him killed to ensure the safety of others. But, Sarantha had held out hope her son could be saved and Vlad hadn’t the heart, or the strength to do what should have been done. Their daughter Noelle also suffered from madness. The Dubrinsky family, for as powerful as they were, seemed cursed. Madness and weakness had, in the eyes of the Ancients, infected the Dubrinsky line and the Prince couldn’t be trusted to do what was best for his people. The Prince’s son and the feelings and desires of the Prince’s lifemate was more important than the Prince’s people. And in that Prince Vlad failed his entire race.
Now the Ancients are the New Guard and they’ve left the monastery in search of the promise of lifemates in various parts of the world. They have lived together for so long it was natural for them to band together and remain close. When they find themselves needed by Tariq in San Diego, California they arrive to find an enemy too dangerous to ignore and their honor demands they remain to protect both humans and Carpathians alike.
Will this New Guard ever swear allegiance to Mikhail Dubrinsky? It’s hard to say, but they do stay and fight with Tariq who has pledged his fealty to Mikhail. They’ve not shown any outward disobedience to the Prince, but what happens if Mikhail demands something of them? There are a lot of questions about this New Guard, but in the end there’s no doubt that these warriors are a shield of protection against this new threat and each one an integral part of the future of the Carpathian race.
Dark Legacy
The Lifemate Mythology – Dark Legacy
With over 30 books in this long-running series that began in 1999 the challenge is always how to keep it fresh and expand the Carpathians and their mythology. At the time the first book in the series, Dark Prince, was published, there weren’t any vampire books being written for the romance genre. The idea of vampire-like creatures that protect humans and kill vampires was new. That vampires came from these same Carpathians, ones who had not found their lifemate and gave in to the darkness, was unique.
At that time, the mythology behind the Carpathians included the fact that converting a human woman into a Carpathian took three blood exchanges. Like classic vampire lore, Carpathians, as well as vampires, could not withstand the sunlight, and they slept in the earth during those hours. Two very unique pieces of Carpathian mythology included the fact that vampires came from Carpathians. A Carpathian who gave in to the darkness and became evil turned into a vampire. Vampires were once the friends and loved ones of Carpathians, making their turn to evil both dangerous because these beings knew Carpathian people, lands and law, and made it sad because Carpathian hunters were sent to kill those who were once their friends or family.
The second unique piece of Carpathian lore had to do with “Lifemates”. A Carpathian had one and only one lifemate. But, they didn’t necessarily know who that lifemate was or where they were. And, if the Carpathian male didn’t find his lifemate he lost his ability to see in color and to feel emotion, sending him beyond the brink of darkness where the allure of becoming a vampire called to them. If the Carpathian never found their lifemate they could choose to become a vampire, or they could choose to meet the sun, thus taking their own life instead of becoming an evil thing.
There was a shortage of Carpathian women, so when a soul was split the soul had to go somewhere, and in light of the lack of available Carpathian women, it went into human women who had psychic ability. Finding a lifemate was important, and once found, three blood exchanges to convert a human woman was necessary. Whether human or Carpathian, to be bound as a lifemate, the male had to say the ritual binding words. Once said, that couple were together, as one, for life.
Carpathian males were hunters, keeping humans safe from vampires or any others who would do harm to them. It was their duty to safeguard their lifemate at any and all cost. Carpathian men were born protectors. Women and children were sacred. And in Dark Prince we discover that the Carpathians are nearly extinct and there aren’t enough Carpathian women. But, as fate would have it, human women with some psychic talent could become lifemates. Whether an act of evolution or simply an unknown fact until Mikhail, the Carpathian Prince, found Raven, a human woman who’d become his lifemate, it’s not exactly clear.
With Dark Legacy, book 31 of the series, the issue of lifemates is once again addressed. The idea of lifemates hasn’t changed. Some people seem to understand exactly how lifemates work, but as time passed and there were more books it became clear that not everyone had a clear understanding. People would ask questions about why this couple couldn’t be lifemates, or why someone had to wait so long for a lifemate. There are rules that govern that and can’t simply have an exception made and still be true to the initial mythology.
Dark Legacy clarifies the issue of lifemates and revisits, briefly, what lifemates are, why they’re important and where the pairing comes from. The clarification may give some readers an epiphany regarding current characters who are still unclaimed, or it may validate what some readers already knew about lifemates. Certainly, the issue of lifemates is bound to be an interesting topic of conversation for readers of the series as they discuss characters still searching for a lifemate.
At that time, the mythology behind the Carpathians included the fact that converting a human woman into a Carpathian took three blood exchanges. Like classic vampire lore, Carpathians, as well as vampires, could not withstand the sunlight, and they slept in the earth during those hours. Two very unique pieces of Carpathian mythology included the fact that vampires came from Carpathians. A Carpathian who gave in to the darkness and became evil turned into a vampire. Vampires were once the friends and loved ones of Carpathians, making their turn to evil both dangerous because these beings knew Carpathian people, lands and law, and made it sad because Carpathian hunters were sent to kill those who were once their friends or family.
The second unique piece of Carpathian lore had to do with “Lifemates”. A Carpathian had one and only one lifemate. But, they didn’t necessarily know who that lifemate was or where they were. And, if the Carpathian male didn’t find his lifemate he lost his ability to see in color and to feel emotion, sending him beyond the brink of darkness where the allure of becoming a vampire called to them. If the Carpathian never found their lifemate they could choose to become a vampire, or they could choose to meet the sun, thus taking their own life instead of becoming an evil thing.
There was a shortage of Carpathian women, so when a soul was split the soul had to go somewhere, and in light of the lack of available Carpathian women, it went into human women who had psychic ability. Finding a lifemate was important, and once found, three blood exchanges to convert a human woman was necessary. Whether human or Carpathian, to be bound as a lifemate, the male had to say the ritual binding words. Once said, that couple were together, as one, for life.
Carpathian males were hunters, keeping humans safe from vampires or any others who would do harm to them. It was their duty to safeguard their lifemate at any and all cost. Carpathian men were born protectors. Women and children were sacred. And in Dark Prince we discover that the Carpathians are nearly extinct and there aren’t enough Carpathian women. But, as fate would have it, human women with some psychic talent could become lifemates. Whether an act of evolution or simply an unknown fact until Mikhail, the Carpathian Prince, found Raven, a human woman who’d become his lifemate, it’s not exactly clear.
With Dark Legacy, book 31 of the series, the issue of lifemates is once again addressed. The idea of lifemates hasn’t changed. Some people seem to understand exactly how lifemates work, but as time passed and there were more books it became clear that not everyone had a clear understanding. People would ask questions about why this couple couldn’t be lifemates, or why someone had to wait so long for a lifemate. There are rules that govern that and can’t simply have an exception made and still be true to the initial mythology.
Dark Legacy clarifies the issue of lifemates and revisits, briefly, what lifemates are, why they’re important and where the pairing comes from. The clarification may give some readers an epiphany regarding current characters who are still unclaimed, or it may validate what some readers already knew about lifemates. Certainly, the issue of lifemates is bound to be an interesting topic of conversation for readers of the series as they discuss characters still searching for a lifemate.
There's Something About Gary
Some of this blog has spoilers in it and I’ve tried to identify for you which books the blog may have spoilers for. So you’ve been forewarned! Read at your own risk!
SPOILERS FOR DARK BLOOD/DARK PROMISES
Gary Jansen, the American scientist who we meet in Dark Magic, eventually becomes Gary Daratrazanoff when he is converted in Dark Blood. So, Gary has been with the series for a long time. And he’s been through a lot, earning the loyalty of the Carpathians, so he’s become a much-loved character with readers. We find out he is Human/Jaguar and we think his lifemate will be Gabrielle, but when the ritual binding words don’t work between them they know their feelings as humans has changed and as Carpathians they can only be friends.
Gary’s story has progressed so much and a lot of what’s happened to him has endeared him to readers and often surprised readers. The fact he was converted, that he’s now a Daratrazanoff, his human love interest was NOT his lifemate, he kept the memories of the Daratrazanoff line and is a great healer, he lost his ability to see in color all at once and with Dark Legacy we find out another surprise about Gary that may have readers discussing this character for a while.
SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR DARK LEGACY
So much has changed for the Carpathians. We find out in Dark Legacy that there’s more to lifemates than people may have realized, those some readers did catch it, and this new information may cause an epiphany for some readers/Gary supporters.
We also find that Tariq is Mikhail’s chosen leader in the United States, and as Tariq builds his own team and fights his own battles, he is in need of a Second in Command. And a great healer. Someone preferably from the Daratrazanoff line. Yes, you guessed it, Gary is going to be Tariq’s second just like Gregori is Mikhail’s.
Gary’s life has been turned upside down in just about every book in which he appears. But, if you think Dark Promises was surprising, just wait until Dark Legacy.
SPOILERS FOR DARK BLOOD/DARK PROMISES
Gary Jansen, the American scientist who we meet in Dark Magic, eventually becomes Gary Daratrazanoff when he is converted in Dark Blood. So, Gary has been with the series for a long time. And he’s been through a lot, earning the loyalty of the Carpathians, so he’s become a much-loved character with readers. We find out he is Human/Jaguar and we think his lifemate will be Gabrielle, but when the ritual binding words don’t work between them they know their feelings as humans has changed and as Carpathians they can only be friends.
Gary’s story has progressed so much and a lot of what’s happened to him has endeared him to readers and often surprised readers. The fact he was converted, that he’s now a Daratrazanoff, his human love interest was NOT his lifemate, he kept the memories of the Daratrazanoff line and is a great healer, he lost his ability to see in color all at once and with Dark Legacy we find out another surprise about Gary that may have readers discussing this character for a while.
SLIGHT SPOILERS FOR DARK LEGACY
So much has changed for the Carpathians. We find out in Dark Legacy that there’s more to lifemates than people may have realized, those some readers did catch it, and this new information may cause an epiphany for some readers/Gary supporters.
We also find that Tariq is Mikhail’s chosen leader in the United States, and as Tariq builds his own team and fights his own battles, he is in need of a Second in Command. And a great healer. Someone preferably from the Daratrazanoff line. Yes, you guessed it, Gary is going to be Tariq’s second just like Gregori is Mikhail’s.
Gary’s life has been turned upside down in just about every book in which he appears. But, if you think Dark Promises was surprising, just wait until Dark Legacy.
What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
Aiden is one of the “Golden Twins”, brother to Julian Savage and lifemate to Alexandria. In Dark Gold we find him living in San Francisco, California and discover that he has embraced life with humans in a way other Carpathians have not. This makes him a valuable warrior to his Prince. But, he is never mentioned in Dark Legacy as we discover that Mikhail has asked Tariq to be the leader of Carpathians in the United States. Tariq also lives in California which begs the question – What has happened to Aiden Savage?
Aiden has been a beloved Carpathian for many years and has appeared in or was mentioned in over ten books with Dark Lycan being the last we heard about him. So why would the Prince ask Tariq to lead in the US when Aiden has been there so long? Why hasn’t Tariq turned to Aiden for guidance or help?
It’s not an oversight. During the writing of Dark Legacy the character was purposefully omitted. Other Carpathians known to be in the United States haven’t been mentioned either, but it’s Aiden that I think most people will be curious about. And, the why of it isn’t something that will be answered here. There is a reason and it will eventually be revealed, though when isn’t certain. Readers may speculate as to the historic warrior’s fate and future, but for now it remains a mystery.
Aiden has been a beloved Carpathian for many years and has appeared in or was mentioned in over ten books with Dark Lycan being the last we heard about him. So why would the Prince ask Tariq to lead in the US when Aiden has been there so long? Why hasn’t Tariq turned to Aiden for guidance or help?
It’s not an oversight. During the writing of Dark Legacy the character was purposefully omitted. Other Carpathians known to be in the United States haven’t been mentioned either, but it’s Aiden that I think most people will be curious about. And, the why of it isn’t something that will be answered here. There is a reason and it will eventually be revealed, though when isn’t certain. Readers may speculate as to the historic warrior’s fate and future, but for now it remains a mystery.
Sympathy for the Devil: Carpathian Villains
When you have heroes that are as powerful as the Carpathians it can be a challenge to create a villain or villains to challenge them. In the beginning of the Dark Series the main villains are a society of humans who hunt vampires and Carpathians alike, but more importantly we discover that the origins of vampires are the Carpathians themselves. When a Carpathian male doesn’t find his lifemate, the woman that is the light to his darkness and the other half of his soul, he loses his ability to see color, his ability to feel emotion and soon the only thing that keeps this fierce warrior from becoming a vampire is his perseverance, integrity and honor. Killing is like a drug because it allows them to feel, but by giving into this they become evil and turn vampire. Sadly, though not entirely in their control, in a very real way, the Carpathians can become their own worst enemy. This fact is in reflection to our own, real-life society, which may be a contributing factor as to why the idea of the Carpathian race became so interesting to so many people. In the end, it is up to the Carpathians to police themselves, be held accountable and be responsible for what happens when their people turn evil and to protect everyone against that evil. 
In addition to vampires, who were once Carpathians, people who were friends and family and now have to be hunted and killed because they turned evil, we add in mages, then lycans, all who, if they become evil, are a force to be reckoned with. But, at the end of the day there’s never really been a greater villain to the Carpathians than vampires. Yes, mages or evil lycans can use magic or brute strength, but vampires have a psychological advantage that continues to make them such great adversaries.
Vampires were once great warriors. They know the Carpathian race better than any other adversary. And they were once beloved. An enemy can pretend to be your friend and betray you which can make you angry and hurt. But, before they were vampires, these beings really did love and were loved. They were family and true friends. With a few exceptions, most of them simply gave up hope and traded away their honor to stop the all-consuming loneliness of life. Yes, the high standards and expectations for honor and integrity in the Carpathian race demand that a warrior give his life before harming others by turning vampire, but whether considered a coward or selfish or simply giving in to evil because it feels good, the fact is, a Carpathian warrior will be sent out to stop the vampire, to kill the being that once was his brother, cousin, best friend.
Of course not all Carpathians will personally know each vampire, but the fact remains that when a Carpathian is faced with having to hunt a vampire, they stand the chance of knowing who that vampire used to be. Knowing the only mercy they can offer is a quick death.
Vampires have another advantage over the Carpathians. Carpathians have been in recovery for a very long time, which has split their focus and put them behind when it comes to normal world evolution. First, they were at war and took heavy losses. Vlad, the original Prince of the Carpathian people, made some huge miscalculations during his reign. Though he had precog he either ignored signs or purposefully hid them in order to save his own son and salve the heartache of his lifemate. This cost the Carpathians much during the Turk wars, caused inner-conflict with the people and cost lives. It also marked the beginning of the near-extinction of the entire race. The domino effect of this was that the remaining Carpathians were scattered, they lacked enough females to keep the males from turning vampire and the race went into despair. The new Prince, Mikhail, was seriously considering ending his life, because he was so close to turning, and because as the Prince he was the “vessel” of his people and could feel their collective despair, when he found his lifemate and discovered that human women could become lifemates, though it included a dangerous and painful conversion process. All those years before that discovery was full of darkness, sadness and loss. The focus was on survival and protection.
But, for vampires, their only concern was staying hidden from the Carpathian vampire hunters. Though many of them simply lost their minds, going mad with the transformation into vampire, some of them went on to become Master Vampires, learning enough control to live long lives, kill hundreds of people, and eventually learn to work together to stay alive.
Soon, as time passed and Carpathians continued to focus on finding lifemates and hunt vampires, the vampires themselves learned more self-control in varying degrees. They evolved far more quickly than their adversaries because their focus wasn’t as scattered. Because hate was stronger than despair, they evolved further, faster than the Carpathians. And now, in Dark Legacy, we begin to see the tip of the ice burg on what the vampire’s evolution has become. These newly evolved villains have the advantage of focus, time, evolution, technology and the first heartbeat of birth to something so terrible it could through the Carpathians into the extinction they have just narrowly escaped.
Even evil has a legacy.
Catching Up with News and Interviews
I thought I'd do a round-up of news to make sure you didn't miss anything fun!
RT Book Reviews – “Unbosoming” interview
Unbound Worlds – featured in “Best Sci-fi and Fantasy Books of September 2017”
Reading in Pajamas – excerpt
Night Owl Romance – excerpt
Book Binge – Sunday Spotlight exclusive excerpt
PopSugar – included in “Must Read September” column
USA Today/HEA – quoted in feature on authors’ favorite fall treats
Buried Under Romance – review, excerpt & giveaway
I Smell Sheep – exclusive excerpt & review
The Reading Café – review & excerpt
Ever After Book Reviews – review
Tome Tender – review
Grave Tells – guest post on world building and expanding the mythology of an established series
The Lifemate Mythology Blog -
The link text
The New Guard Blog-
The link text
There’s Something About Gary-
The link text
What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
The link text
Sympathy for the Devil- Carpathian Villains-
The link text
USA Today HEA Sharing Childhood Games-
BookBub Best Books of Summer 2017-
I'd love to know which of the articles you enjoyed most!
RT Book Reviews – “Unbosoming” interview
Unbound Worlds – featured in “Best Sci-fi and Fantasy Books of September 2017”
Reading in Pajamas – excerpt
Night Owl Romance – excerpt
Book Binge – Sunday Spotlight exclusive excerpt
PopSugar – included in “Must Read September” column
USA Today/HEA – quoted in feature on authors’ favorite fall treats
Buried Under Romance – review, excerpt & giveaway
I Smell Sheep – exclusive excerpt & review
The Reading Café – review & excerpt
Ever After Book Reviews – review
Tome Tender – review
Grave Tells – guest post on world building and expanding the mythology of an established series
The Lifemate Mythology Blog -
The link text
The New Guard Blog-
The link text
There’s Something About Gary-
The link text
What Has Happened to Aiden Savage?
The link text
Sympathy for the Devil- Carpathian Villains-
The link text
USA Today HEA Sharing Childhood Games-
BookBub Best Books of Summer 2017-
I'd love to know which of the articles you enjoyed most!
The Last Hope for The Ancients
High up in the Carpathian Mountains is a monastery hidden away called the Retreat in the Veil of Mists. Until recently, this monastery was the last refuge for those ancient Carpathian warriors who hoped to keep humanity safe by locking themselves away and working to keep the darkness at bay.
These warriors are men of honor, suffering and in despair. They didn’t feel suicide was right and so they sought the company of others like themselves, looking for both sanctuary and camaraderie. Though, without the hope of ever finding a lifemate it was a lonely existence.
But, the outside world slipped in, in Dark Ghost, when Fane introduces himself as keeper of the monastery to Teagan and offers his assistance as well as the assistance of the warriors within the monastery. We learn much more about the monastery and its inhabitants in Dark Promises when Gabrielle follows Gary and finds, in a very horrible way, that Aleksei, one of the monk warriors, is her lifemate. Aleksei brings Gabrielle inside the monastery as he determines her fate, and his own. It is here in Dark Promises that two modern women are found to be lifemates; Gabrielle and Aleksei and then Trixie and Fane. The ancients can see for themselves that there’s hope out in the world now that they know psychic women can be lifemates.
With the ancients now aware that human women can be lifemates many of them join Tariq Asenguard in Southern California where he has set up a compound and monitors vampire activity, something that soon becomes an all-out war. More ancients join as the battle continues and we find in Dark Carousel that Tarqi has been chosen by Mikhail, the Prince, to represent him in the United States.
In Dark Legacy we discover that the vampires have a plan and are strategically working toward carrying out that plan, which includes killing Tariq and everyone who is helping him. Dark Legacy has a lot of action as the battle begins to spread and a huge twist leaves the danger growing more than the Carpathians realize. Dark Legacy also has some surprises that readers will be excited about and this revelation will reverberate throughout the next several books.
Dark Sentinel brings the New Guard together in a new way. And, we’re re-introduced to the human society of vampire hunters that have joined in the fray. Andor, one of the ancient warriors, is attacked on several fronts leaving him to die, which he is ready for. In order to save him it will take his lifemate and the New Guard of ancient warriors to ban together along with Gary Daratrazanoff, a great and powerful healer. But, they have to completely trust in each other, because there’s only one way to save Andor, and it’s never been tried before. If something goes wrong, some, or all even all of them, could die.
These ancients have suffered a long time and finally have a shot at finding a lifemate. They have hope for the first time in centuries. They just have to hold out a little longer. Be strong. Don’t give up.
These warriors are men of honor, suffering and in despair. They didn’t feel suicide was right and so they sought the company of others like themselves, looking for both sanctuary and camaraderie. Though, without the hope of ever finding a lifemate it was a lonely existence.
But, the outside world slipped in, in Dark Ghost, when Fane introduces himself as keeper of the monastery to Teagan and offers his assistance as well as the assistance of the warriors within the monastery. We learn much more about the monastery and its inhabitants in Dark Promises when Gabrielle follows Gary and finds, in a very horrible way, that Aleksei, one of the monk warriors, is her lifemate. Aleksei brings Gabrielle inside the monastery as he determines her fate, and his own. It is here in Dark Promises that two modern women are found to be lifemates; Gabrielle and Aleksei and then Trixie and Fane. The ancients can see for themselves that there’s hope out in the world now that they know psychic women can be lifemates.
With the ancients now aware that human women can be lifemates many of them join Tariq Asenguard in Southern California where he has set up a compound and monitors vampire activity, something that soon becomes an all-out war. More ancients join as the battle continues and we find in Dark Carousel that Tarqi has been chosen by Mikhail, the Prince, to represent him in the United States.
In Dark Legacy we discover that the vampires have a plan and are strategically working toward carrying out that plan, which includes killing Tariq and everyone who is helping him. Dark Legacy has a lot of action as the battle begins to spread and a huge twist leaves the danger growing more than the Carpathians realize. Dark Legacy also has some surprises that readers will be excited about and this revelation will reverberate throughout the next several books.
Dark Sentinel brings the New Guard together in a new way. And, we’re re-introduced to the human society of vampire hunters that have joined in the fray. Andor, one of the ancient warriors, is attacked on several fronts leaving him to die, which he is ready for. In order to save him it will take his lifemate and the New Guard of ancient warriors to ban together along with Gary Daratrazanoff, a great and powerful healer. But, they have to completely trust in each other, because there’s only one way to save Andor, and it’s never been tried before. If something goes wrong, some, or all even all of them, could die.
These ancients have suffered a long time and finally have a shot at finding a lifemate. They have hope for the first time in centuries. They just have to hold out a little longer. Be strong. Don’t give up.
