I picked up a copy of Christine Feehan‘s Dark Prince from the charity shop.

Description from Goodreads:
A telepathic hunter of serial killers, Raven Whitney helps to catch some of the most depraved criminals. But her work keeps her from getting close to others, and has drained her body and spirit. In need of rest and rejuvenation, she embarks for a vacation far from home.

Mikhail Dubrinsky is the prince of the Carpathians, the powerful leader of a wise and secret ancient race that thrives in the night. Engulfed by despair, fearful of never finding the mate who can save him from the encroaching darkness, his soul cries out in loneliness–until the day that a beautiful voice full of light and love responds, softly soothing his pain and yearning.

From the moment they meet, Raven and Mikhail are helpless to resist the desire that sparks between them. But just as fate unexpectedly brings these life mates together, malevolent forces threaten to destroy them and their fragile love. Yet even if they survive, how can these two lovers–Carpathian and human–build a future together? And how can Mikhail bring Raven into his dark world without extinguishing her beautiful goodness and light?

Review:
Ok, I’m gonna be honest. Ms. Feehan can obviously write. I’m not having a go at her skills in any way. And I know this is a really popular series. But I hated this book. I really did. I found the whole thing tedious, disliked the characters and by virtue of being female was frankly insulted on numerous occasions.

My first issue was the style of the narrative. Purple prose isn’t a strong enough description for the writing in this book. It’s extremely flowery and overly verbose, to the point of compromising itself. More than once I simply had no clue what was meant by the pages and pages of endless text. I was reminded that I read the ‘Author’s Special Edition,’ with 100 pages of extra content. Honestly, I can understand why those 100 pages were one the cutting room floor to start with. They weren’t needed. The emotional descriptions are endless, but even worse the whole book is ridiculously repetitive. The reader is forced to sit through the same epic recounting of the characters’ emotional states over and over and over again…and then a few more times for good measure. And just to be sure you REALLY got it; the same stock phrases are used each and every time. I started to think the book would never end.

Then there was Mikhail’s treatment of Raven. It was infuriating. If he infantilized her any further I would be accusing him of pedophilia. His pet name for her is “little one,” as if she’s some toddler. Even my three-year-old wouldn’t stand for that. The narrative only seems able to describe her as small, fragile, innocent, and indiscriminately compassionate, all child-like attributes. Even the sex scenes make her sound like a child, full of her “soft whimpers,” “keening cries” and “sobbing breath.” He’s occasionally described as speaking to her, “softly, as if to a child” and she fills his mind “with a child’s wondrous laughter.”  Gag. I’m a full grown, sexual woman. I want my PNR heroines to be too.

All of that is before we even get into his arrogant paternalism. I lost track of how many times he declares, “I can’t allow,” I won’t allow,” you can’t,” you must.” Sure, Raven occasionally argues back to him, but she always gives in in the end, or is simply forced to comply. She never seemed to get suitably angry about this afterwards, though. Add to that the innumerable references to her ‘fragile mind.’ All those things Carpathian men have been shouldering for hundreds of years apparently threatens to shatter her sanity in just over a week. As a fellow female, I was insulted. Plus, he’s constantly trying to put her to sleep, as if she’s some toy he needs to shut off when not in use.

Then there was the whole premise of the males lacking emotions. I get it. It’s an interesting twist, but I don’t buy it. How exactly can the men feel loyalty or honour if they can’t feel anything at all? They’d all be psychopathic loners without any emotional bonds.

Lastly, there were all the subtle religious undertones. Honestly, I kind of wonder if the author even knew she put them in. They almost felt unintended, as if it was such a normal part of her that she didn’t identify it as out of place in the novel. They did feel out of place though. They just popped up unexpectedly on occasion, with no warning or substantial contribution to the plot. 

Now, I will admit that Feehan has created an interesting vampire myth by separating out the Carpathians. And I really did like the complexity of the antagonist(s). The fact that he was pure evil, but also pitiable was multilayered and appreciable. Again, I also admit that the woman can write. I’d be willing to give another of her books a try. But this book was not for me. I like a good alpha male as well as the next romance reader, but there is definitely such thing as too domineering and Mikhail passed that on about page 5. I’m just glad to be finished.