Product Description

From the uninhibited imagination of Christine Feehan comes a sensual adventure of her beloved Carpathians-one of undying passion, astonishing fantasy, and eternal love.

They are the Carpathians. For years, they have been persecuted by their enemies, and have struggled against all odds to preserve their species. Now, a new insidious plot has been devised-one that would slaughter Carpathian females and bring an end to all that the Carpathians have worked for.

Even with his own lifemate, Raven, and their daughter Savannah, in danger, Carpathian king Mikhail believes that all is not lost. Gathering all of his people together, he will forge a new bond of strength, joining their powers in a celebration that will bring light even in this dark time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #456936 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The blood-drinking, mind-reading, shape-shifting Carpathian clan and their human friends gather for Christmas—and to stave off encroaching enemies—in bestseller Feehan's latest entry in her Dark series (after Dark Demon) and her first in hardcover. The guests hunt vampires, confront a dark mage and, most importantly, face the extinction of their species due to a mysteriously low birth rate and high infant mortality. Shea—once a human surgeon, now a Carpathian healer—studies the Carpathian's procreative problem even as she carries the child of her "lifemate" Jacques, whose brother, Prince Mikhail, also hopes for more children with his mate, Raven. The action suffers from the author's efforts to feature each of these couples and others, but the stage is set for future, more plot-driven books. A section of recipes by Feehan fans, "Dark Desserts," rounds out this sex- and magic-filled treat, which makes a good entry point for newcomers. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The seventeenth in Feehan's Dark series, and the first in hardcover, features the Carpathians, their lifemates, and human friends who have gathered in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania to celebrate Christmas with a children's pageant, a feast, and a visit by their fiercest hunter as Santa Claus. Mikhail Dubrinsky, the prince of the Carpathians, worries that his people are dying out because of very low fertility and an extraordinarily high infant mortality rate. It seems that some force may be trying to eradicate the Carpathians. Feehan assembles an enormous and somewhat confusing cast of characters. Fans of the series will be delighted to see old friends again and two new life-paired couples who will undoubtedly appear in future novels. Amidst preparations for the holiday festivities, there are vampire attacks, deadly danger from a mage, and steamy sex between the telepathic, shape-shifting Carpathians, who suck blood yet are deadly enemies of the evil vampires. Feehan even offers holiday recipes sent in by her fans. Diana Tixier Herald
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Christine Feehan is the New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including such recent titles as Oceans of Fire, Night Game, and Dark Secret.

Customer Reviews

Feehan's BACK!!!
Seeing as how I blasted Feehan for Dark Demon, it was only fair to take the time to tell everyone how much I enjoyed Dark Celebration. Author Feehan does a great job of bringing in every single couple (no joke) from her previous books, as well as all their children.

Prince Mikhail Dubrinsky is humoring his lifemate, Raven, by throwing a true Christmas Celebration for Carpathians and their human friends. All the Carpathians have showed up, and the running joke through the book is which of the hunters will be playing Santa Claus. While the book has humorous and lighthearted elements, the story also has its dark spots as there are numerous attacks on the women & children of the Carpathians. What makes the book really interesting is that two new lifemates are found and Prince Dubrinsky finally looks as if he has found a cure for the infertility and low birth rate of the Carpathian women. How the knowledge comes about and who actually supplies the cure is really great! Based on this plot device, it made me wonder just how far Feehan has had this series plotted out!! Reading this book was like early Feehan - Dark Celebration contained all the elements that made her Dark series so successful - mental and emotional intimacy between 2 people; resolving actual problems within the same book; visits with past pairs (in this case, everyone)and great sex scenes. I highly recommend this book. It will go on everyone's keeper shelf, and I guarantee you find yourself reading it more than once.

Dark Celebration
It is Christmas in the Carpathian Mountains and from all over the world these intensely sumptuous and dangerous men are returning to their homeland. Some are bringing their lifemates and some are bringing their children. But all of them are looking for a moment of peace and happiness.

The female lifemates are determined to make this a celebration to remember. Complete with homemade baking, turkey with all the trimmings and miscellaneous games and fun planned for everyone to participate in. The Carpathian men do not normally celebrate the holidays, but they are willing to do anything for the women in their lives. Willing, that is, until they find out one of them has to play Santa Claus for the children, complete with the white beard and round belly. Big, tough Carpathian men turning white and panicking at the very horrors of the dreaded Santa Suit.

Unfortunately there is a presence out there that is determined to ruin their plans for peace and happiness. Up until now all the attacks by their enemies; vampires, dark mages, and human hunters have concentrated on the Carpathian men. But to strike at where they are most vulnerable would be to strike at their women and children. And although they have celebrated minor victories with the few female children who have been born, there have still been miscarriages. And for the few that are either pregnant or thinking about trying for more children, it is a harrowing time.

The unthinkable happens and an enemy starts to attack the females, hitting at their worst fears and bringing them close to death with every attack. The Carpathians must now unite together to become stronger, faster, and more deadly than their enemies. Now the males must depend on their women in this fight; to use both their skills and gifts, even as they fight to protect them.

I can't tell you how excited I was to read Dark Celebration. I have been looking forward to it for the longest time and I certainly am not the only one. In fact, there was a knock-down drag-out fight among the reviewers to see who would get to review Dark Celebration when it came in. I managed to emerge victorious, if slightly bruised and scraped and I am so thankful I did!!

Dark Celebration brings back all of the beloved characters from the previous Dark books and introduces a few new ones and Christine Feehan manages to weave them together in a breathtaking and engaging way. The threat to the Carpathians kept me turning the page to find out what would happen next, and I loved how everyone banded together to fight against an evil so terrifying that it could mean the end of the Carpathians completely. Christine Feehan's Carpathians are a true family and Dark Celebration shows their bonds in intense and vivid colors. Their antics on the page kept me in stitches, and their love for each other shone through in every scene. I truly felt a part of this big, boisterous and incredibly sensuous clan and I can't wait for the next adventure in this series!!

Shannon
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Fun for the initiated--puzzling for the newby!
What a neat holiday gift for all us Feehan fans! The author brings in all the old friends and couples, sets up some new story lines, and makes at least ONE of my own predictions come true when she lifemates the wolfman and the Parisian orphan girl.

If you haven't read any of the Carpathian books, don't start with this one. The pleasure is in the backstories and the bringing-up-to-date, and if you don't already know these people, nothing will make sense.

There are some really funny scenes, and the whole atmosphere is light-hearted. Sure, there's a Dreadful Threat, but we know all along that things will turn out OK.

I really enjoy all these books (as well as those in another of her series, the seven sisters.) The Carpathians are great, and though at my advanced age (65!) I tend to skim the sex scenes with a feeling of "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Get back to the story, people!" I consider most of these books keepers and re-read them off and on (mostly when I am down with the flu and need something comforting and familiar to pass the time,) and recommend them to anyone who likes vampires, good vs. evil, and so forth.

I pre-ordered this one, and was delighted when it arrived in September. I didn't expect a riveting storyline, and when I didn't get it, it didn't faze me. I felt that the book sort of cleansed the palate for the next set, to which I look forward.

Thanks, Ms. Feehan!