Dark Fire
Dark
Fire is the sixth book in Christine Feehan's Dark series and picks up not long
after Dark Challenge left off.
The Dark Troubadours are still travelling around and performing and the danger threatening the group is still very much in evidence.
Darius is struggling against the outside forces which would destroy his family and also his own dark nature. Rarely letting outsiders into their family they are in need of a mechanic and so he places an ad which draws Tempest "Rusti" Trine to them.
Rusti has always known that she was different and her ability to communicate with animals has meant that she has lead a life isolated from other mortals. The job as a mechanic travelling with the band seems ideal and she is quickly accepted into the group and immediately bonds with the panthers.
Darius immediately recognises Tempest (as he insists on calling her) as his lifemate and claims her as his own. But Tempest is used to her independence and is not prepared to let anyone dictate to her how she will live her life, even though she cannot deny her attraction to him.
Added to this is the problem that Darius and his people do not know all there is to know about their people and their own nature and although Julian Savage is on hand with advice, Darius is reluctant to trust him or confide in him. Not that Julian helps much, being far too amused with Darius's predicament.
This novel was, for me, the hardest of this series to read. I had to start it three times before I finally finished it. For some reason the story failed to grip me as the other novels of the series have done. It was not until I had read over half of the book that I realised what it was that was stopping me becoming engrossed in this book.
In reading this book for some reason the main plot really failed to keep my attention, although the sub-plots were able to. The plot of Syndil and Barack grasped my attention far more than that of Tempest and Darius. I was happy to see my suspicions regarding the secondary characters confirmed but was disappointed that they were given so little time in the book. Another part of the novel, that of the Society hunting vampires also kept me in its attention but did not come across as a great part of the novel.
In short the parts of the novel that kept my attention were not those centred on Darius and Tempest, and since they were the hero and heroine of the novel it was clear as I reached the action-packed end of the novel that it was their story that I did not enjoy. The sub-plots were great, but the main plot was too weak to keep my attention for long.
That the novel did pick up towards the end saves it from being a one heart
rated novel but it does go down as my least favourite in the series so far.
I would even go so far as to say that if this novel had been the one to come
directly after Dark Magic I may even have gone so far as to stop buying the
series.
RATING : 
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Also by Christine Feehan - The Dark Series and Wild Rain
For listings of Christine's other series (of which their are several) please visit Christine Feehan's Website.