Dark Illusion
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4.4 • 62 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
A mage and a warrior must see beyond their facades and embrace the bond that links their souls in this powerful Carpathian novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.
At any other time, Julija Brennan would find solace in the quiet of the Sierra Mountains, but now the mage is in the race of her life. Having broken free from her controlling family, Julija’s attempt to warn the Carpathians of the coming threat has failed and put a target on her back—and those who are hunting her are close behind.…
After centuries locked away in a monastery in the Carpathian Mountains, Isai Florea can’t believe he’s finally found his lifemate—the missing half of his soul. The second he sees Julija, his world blazes with color. But despite their explosive connection, Julija rebels against what she sees as Isai’s intent to control her and rejects the bond that would prevent him from becoming a monster.
As their unfulfilled bond continues to call to them both, Julija and Isai aim to complete the task that brought them together. They are used to facing danger alone, but now the mage and the ancient warrior must learn how to rely on each other in order to stop a plot that threatens all Carpathians.…
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Feehan expertly weaves an intoxicating blend of fantasy and sensuality in this exceptional and powerful 29th Carpathian paranormal (after Dark Sentinel). Honorable Carpathian warrior Isai Florea has searched for his lifemate for centuries, even locking himself in a monastery in the Carpathian Mountains to keep his heart pure until he could find her. Feisty mage Julija Brennan, on the run from her murderous family, is snuggled in a sleeping bag in the Sierra Mountains when Isai literally falls into her lap. Even as their crackling chemistry pulls them together, they realize they have a sacred mission to complete first: destroying an evil book of spells. Julija's family raised her to doubt herself, but Isai's steadfast love and support show Julija that she is powerful and that together, they can save the world. Feehan's gift for intricate worldbuilding is paired with pitch-perfect plotting to ensnare readers from the first page. Her many fans will devour this masterfully wrought tale, which is also an enticing entry point for new readers.
Customer Reviews
4.25stars-engaging, entertaining and edgy
4.25 stars--DARK ILLUSION is the twenty-ninth instalment in Christine Feehan’s CARPATHIAN / DARK erotic, paranormal, romance series. This is ancient Carpathian Isai Florea, and mage Julija Brennan’s story line. DARK ILLUSION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalments is revealed where necessary.
SOME BACKGROUND: All Carpathian males must find their lifemates before they turn vampire or greet the dawn. Without a lifemate, the males no longer see in color, feel pain or experience emotions. A lifemate is the light to their dark. She is the keeper of his heart and the keeper of his soul. As the unmated Carpathian male ages, the darkness begins to envelope his soul.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Julija and Isai) DARK ILLUSION continues to focus on a group of ancient Carpathians, nearing the end of their search for a lifemate who have isolated themselves away from the world in a monastery high in the Carpathian mountains. As his search for his younger brother Iulian takes him to the Sierra Mountains, Isai comes across a woman he discovers to be his fated lifemate. On the run from her family and her past, Julija Brennan believes herself to be an enemy of the Carpathian people due to her family’s attempts to destroy them all. What ensues is the building relationship between Julija and Isai, and the potential fall-out as our couple come under fire from some very powerful mages.
Julija Brennan doesn’t believe she is worthy to be a Carpathian mate, and immediately refuses Isai attempts to claim her as his own. Having struggled through the abuse and captivity of her earlier life, Julija battles between head and heart when Isai is willing to walk away without a fight. Isai Florea knew immediately Julija Brennan was his lifemate but her stubbornness amounted to silence in an effort to protect the man with whom she would fall in love. As Julija and Isai search for Isai’s missing brother, our couple find themselves the target of Julija’s past, and the family that is determined to imprison her, once again.
The relationship between Julija and Isai is one of immediate attraction but our heroine believes she is an enemy of the Carpathian people. Unable to resist the pull between one another, Julija and Isai will complete the bonding but to both their surprise Julija is so much more than a powerful mage. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
DARK ILLUSION is a revealing story line, one that begins to reveal the history and back story of one of the Carpathian’s most hated enemies, an enemy who was and is determined to take down a race of people using any means necessary. Christine Feehan has pulled from one of her more successful story line arcs where the Carpathian people had to fight and discover the truth, in order to survive. The premise is engaging, entertaining and edgy; the romance is steamy and seductive; the characters are strong and determined but there is limited interaction with any of the previous story line characters.