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Dark Whisper
by
Christine Feehan
paranormal romance in an eARC edition that was published by Berkley, Penguin-Random House on October 11, 2022 Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dark Predator, Savage Nature, Spirit Bound, Darkest at Dawn, Samurai Game, Dark Storm, Leopard's Prey, Air Bound, Hot Blooded, Viper Game, Power Game, Earth Bound, Spider Game, "Dark Crime", Covert Game, Judgment Road, Toxic Game, Vengeance Road, Fire Bound, Bound Together, Shadow Warrior, Leopard's Wrath, Wild Cat, Cat's Lair, Vendetta Road, Lethal Game, Desolation Road, Leopard's Rage, Reckless Road
Thirty-second in the Dark paranormal romance series and revolving around Carpathians and other races. Here the Lycans are working with the Carpathians with the couple focus on Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva, the Lycan princess, and Afanasiv “Siv” Belan, an ancient Carpathian.
This eARC was sent to me by NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an honest review. If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Dark books on my website.
My Take
Dark Whisper is a story that revolves around power, the jealousy and the greed for it.
That was fun. A separate race with its own rulers, hiding within a country. To add more conflict, Lycans and Carpathians are not all enemies, so much as some seeing each as the other side, distrusted, hated. Part of this intolerance is seen with the mixed bloods, who are not tolerated by Lycans while the Carpathians see them as guardians.
I do wonder how much of Vasilisa’s resistance to her brother’s wishes stems from the secrets she shares, shared, with their mother. A mother who died before she could explain.
There’s a spiritual aspect to Dark Whisper. Not in a religious sense, but more metaphysical. A sense the Lycans use to supervise the health and safety of their land. Hmmm, wonder if we could harness that to fix what’s happening to our world . . .? Part of the spiritual is Vasilisa reading the cards when she wakes, and Sorina points out that she cannot pick and choose what she wants to believe. That sounds like religion, wherein people pick and choose which parts they want to believe.
I am confused about why Lycans need to sleep through the day? From the start of the Dark series, we’ve known that Carpathians cannot be in sunlight and sleep the day away, but I’ve never gotten a reference to wolves needing the night. Although . . . maybe it’s the changes in Vasilisa herself?? in which case, I wish Feehan had put some emphasis on this.
I love that Vasilisa is such a strong woman, capable of defending herself and others. Siv is also strong, in arms, in intellect, in strategizing. He’s also strong enough to accept a strong woman as a mate. It does surprise me that Vasi accepts him so easily and quickly.
Accepting Vasilisa as an independent woman is a beautiful thing, and then we have those government men with their lame questions about why she doesn’t have a mate. What?? A woman isn’t complete without a man??
Feehan is subtle about explaining Lycan gifts. She also explores Carpathian male aging and its temptations in a different way from previous Dark stories I’ve read (the last one was Dark Predator, 19). Keeping that in mind, Dark Whisper talks more about the euphoria that battle brings, its addicting nature.
Feehan primarily uses third person protagonist point-of-view from Vasilisa’s and Afanasiv’s perspectives. Which makes sense, since the story is about them.
The pace feels slow in some places — my primary annoyance is the repetition. Oy. I can understand wanting to ensure the reader grasps the nature of each group in Dark Whisper, but must it be repeated so often? Siv feels weaker with all his repetitive whining about his honor and how the years are wearing on him. Then there’s the filler about the triplet mages. All the characters and their inter-relatedness slows me down as well, trying to figure out where everyone fits in.
Oh, man, Siv is holding back any number of awful secrets, and there’s one that explains why he chose a different name.
I also seem to recall that the binding between a Carpathian and his lifemate had to be bound with sex. It is something of a treat that Siv doesn’t push this, but I kept expecting him to at least refer to it, prepare Vasi for it. Of course, then we have Vasi whining on, only a bit though, that she doesn’t think she’ll react to Siv physically. I mean, how lame is that? Her emotions are certainly overwhelming her intellect . . . as are those wet panties of hers.
There are too many Lycan truisms that bite the dust in Dark Whisper. Fortunately, Vasilisa is an optimist and points out all the good her brother’s reign has done for Lycans. Which in turn raises an excellent question about why so many Lycans are turning to betrayal.
The action includes battles, rescues, captures, escapes, gladiatorial combat, torture — all for the need to control. It’ll take quick thinking and weapons skills to counter the enemies.
And yet more relationships are revealed that cause them to fear yet more.
There is a juvenile feel to the writing, but all in all, Dark Whisper is most interesting for this look in at the Lycans.
The Story
Oy, Vasilisa’s brother wants her to marry . . . one of his choices. But as a warrior, Vasi intends to follow her mother’s orders just as she’s followed her training.
As she waits for fate to step up, Vasi feels a growing dread as the earth trembles and evil is felt, and she feels a pull on her own soul.
The Characters
The Lycans are . . .
. . . wolves based in a very remote area of the Eastern Siberia boreal forest and consider themselves under a monarchy, not the Russian government.
The House of Korolyvolk is . . .
. . . the ruling house of the Lycans. The stubborn Vasilisa Sidkorolyavolkva is the only sister and has an earth gift. The arrogant Andros is Vasilisa’s oldest brother and the ruler of her family, their people. He’s also good friends with Dimitri. Garald and Grigor are her twin brothers. Their parents, Vasili and Bronya, had been murdered. Olga, a former dancer, is their beloved aunt, their mother’s sister. Clareese is the cook. Randy is disaffected kitchen help.
Lada is a widow with a three-year-old daughter, Alyona, who has been seeing Andros. Garald is attracted to Taisiya, the daughter of old believers. Karine is the woman Grigor had been seeing.
Kendal and Odessa Balakin own Wolf’s Retreat, a small tavern and inn patronized by most everyone. Alik Bykov is, had been, best friends with Garald and Grigor. Gav Sobol, Arman Botnik, and Brody Portnov are part of Bykov’s group. Zev Hunter, lifemate to Branislava Dragonseeker, is one of the most experienced hunters (Dark Blood, 23). Daciana is a woman on Zev’s team. Klim drives.
The Sacred Circle is . . .
. . . an outlawed Lycan group who believe in the old ways, including that women should stay home, so it’s no surprise that only men are allowed to be judges of the Sacred Circle. Vovo and his disgusting son, Grisha Golubev (Belka is his mother), Artyom Morozov needs rules to live in the world as he can’t think for himself, Stepan and Polina Belov (Lada’s parents), Ira Semenov, and Rudlof Drozdov, who had been close friends with Garald. Maria is a servant.
The Carpathian males are . . .
. . . born with a split soul, the light half of which is given to a female. As the years spin by, the male loses the ability to see color or feel emotion. Without care, the male can turn to the dark side completely, becoming a vampire, whom Carpathians hunt down and kill, even as they search for their lifemate.
Afanasiv “Siv” Belan is an ancient Carpathian, who has been hunting vampires for over 2,000 years. Dragomir is a friend. Young Josef tried to teach Siv about computers.
Sorina Vad is Vasilisa’s best friend . . . with whom she shares a dangerous secret.
Ivory is Razvan‘s lifemate, and they are Carpathians famous for hunting vampires. Sandu is one of Siv’s brethren (Dark Tarot, 31); Adalasia is his lifemate. Liona is Adalasia’s sister who guards one of the four gates of Hell. Other dangerous Carpathians include Benedek Kovac, Petru Cioban, and Nicu Dalca, who runs with the wolves. Gabriel and Francesca adopted Skyler, thinking she was human. Natalya and Vikirnoff guarded Ivory’s and Razvan’s backs. Lucian was in Dark Guardian, 8. I think Leona guards another gate, and her family has a connection to Justice. Aura guards the gate in Algeria.
The distrusted Dimitri Tirunul is a Carpathian mated to Skyler (Dark Wolf, 22; Razvan is Skyler’s father; her mother had been a mage with an earth gift). Dimitri and Skyler protect the wolves, creating a sanctuary. He was the spark that almost set off war between the Carpathians and the Lycans. Fen, Dimitri’s blood brother; his lifemate is Tatijana. Mikhail is their prince.
That tricky Dragonseeker lineage is one of the most revered; Skyler is a Dragonseeker (as is Siv), Mihai and his lifemate Rhiannon who gave birth to Soren (married a mage and they had children Razvan and Natalya) and Tatijana and Branislava Dragonseeker.
The Vampires
Prince Vitus is a master vampire who loves to inflict pain but is a coward at heart. His servants include Rufus and the bullish Mars. Mark was a Lycan tracker who has become a ghoul. Gazsi, a.k.a. Slayer of Hunters, is another master vampire who had been a legendary Carpathian hunter and friend to Prince Vladimer. Baird is another vampire, one whom Benedek taunts.
The Demons
Lilith wants to rule without interference. Lucifer is her boss. Mitro, one of Lilith’s cousins, had been a lifemate to Arabejila. Dax saved Arabejila’s mother’s baby’s life. Hattie is one of the demons in the unknown’s team. Molly is usually partnered with Patsy, who loses her temper too often. Gaia is a, was a, Carpathian child kidnapped by Lilith, who insists on staying to provide companionship and aid to Justice, the “beast” who is an ancient Carpathian imprisoned in Hell. Tiberiu is Gaia’s brother.
Xavier is a high mage who wants to wipe out all Carpathians and be immortal. What’s truly horrible is that Xavier had been the instructor to all Carpathians. His triplet brothers include Xaviero, who had been sent to the underworld; Xaviero, who had a son, Barnabas, a.k.a. Nikita, who teaches at the university and is Razvan’s cousin. The third brother is Xayvion. Anatolie.
Inessa is the Lycan who brutally betrayed Olga. The Earth Mother is a powerful source many seek. The thrall is a kind of madness that can overtake honorable Carpathians. Sange rau are an abomination. The monastery is where ancient Carpathians at risk of turning vampire go to meditate. The government men include Nikolay Sokolov and Feliks.
The Cover and Title
The cover is sweet with the pale Vasilisa in her trademark white furs and jewels against a snowy, forested background with its bluish shadows, and two wolves waiting on her. A bit below the top is an info blurb in black. The author’s name is below it in a deep red violet to match Vasi’s lipstick. Below Vasi’s chin is the title in a deep, dark grey with some series info below that in the same gray.
The title refers to the Dark Whisper that terrifies Afanasiv Belan.
