DARK SENTINEL is book 32 in Christine Feehan's Carpathian series. I'm loving these sweet, strong, and sexy Carpathian heroes Christine Feehan has been writing lately. Andor Katona is fighting the good fight against vampires and miscellaneous baddies when he gets into a situation in need of rescuing. Lorraine Peters, human and the heroine of DARK SENTINEL, bravely jumps in the fray and saves Andor. Lorraine is now one of my all-time favorite heroines of any Christine Feehan book. This heroine has courage and inner strength that the hero greatly admires. Rather than struggle with fear and indecision, Lorraine has no trouble doing the heavy lifting in the fight against evil vampires, doing what needs to be done, while also accepting her limitations. As Andor heals, Christine Feehan tells a story about strong friendships, persistent evil, and a fierce and fabulous heroine.

The master vampire, and general thorn in the side of the heroes is Sergey Malinov. Sergey's presence is largely in the background, working as a puppet master to try and manipulate both his servants and heroes alike. The monsters in DARK SENTINEL are like something out of the classic "Hellraiser" horror films. Due to some wicked machinations on Sergey's part, Lorraine, Andor, and his fellow Carpathians Gary, Sandu, and Ferro form an incredibly close bond. The synergy displayed by these heroes, on the battlefield and off, is heartwarming and adds depth to the overall story. I can't wait to see what Christine Feehan has planned for these fabulous supporting characters in future stories.

Lorraine impresses me so much because, although she has a tragic family history, she is resilient, pragmatic, and yet hopeful all at the same time. When she first meets Andor, her first thought is to help even if there is a potential threat to her own safety, but she stays focused and doesn't panic. When Andor reveals some extraordinary truths about himself, Lorraine finds it hard to believe but she goes with her spot-on instincts rather than getting spooked. I love how Andor respects and finds Lorraine's strength attractive, rather than try to stifle her. The attraction that is almost instantaneous and the evolution of their relationship is a wonderful combination of tender, sweet, and red-hot passion. The way they work together makes their chemistry so much more powerful and enjoyable to read.

DARK SENTINEL has a clever and fierce heroine and her alpha hero mate who battle vampires with their fellow warriors by their sides. Christine Feehan's Carpathian series keeps getting better. I am eager to find out how Elisabeta's story turns out. I look forward to reading more about Christine Feehan's captivating Carpathians.

Yes! Some authors CAN keep a long running series alive and entertaining! Christine Feehan’s DARK SENTINEL opens amid the aftermath of a bloody battle between an ancient Carpathian and a band of vampires. Andor was near death, weak and vulnerable is now at the mercy of vampire hunters until from nowhere, like an avenging angel came his fated lifemate. Would his last moments on earth finally be filled with color?

Lorraine forgets all of her anger management exercises when she sees the bloody and battered Andor at the mercy of what appeared to be murderers and thugs. Gotta love a woman who can wield a cooking pot like a berserker!

Now, if only Andor can survive, can he convince the feisty and slightly broken Lorraine they are meant to be together for eternity or will their fated meeting come to an abrupt end at the hands of a master vampire on a quest of vengeance?

Fabulous tension weaves through battle after battle as Andor’s Carpathian brothers come to his aid. The romantic tension between Lorraine and Andor is charged with denial on her part, but her determination to never be the victim she once was sets a tone that proves she is falling, but is she ready for his world?

Slightly uneven in its pacing, there are still moments that will have you on the edge of your seats, moments when the value of friendships and loyalties will leave you in awe, another wonderful paranormal romance to sink your teeth into.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley Publishing Group!

Series: Dark - Book 28
Publisher: Berkley (September 4, 2018)
Publication Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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The Dark series by Christine Feehan is one of my favorites. In her latest the ancient hunter Andor finding his lifemate a human psychic Lorraine. I find that the more I read in this series the more I look forward to the next and the new information that she shares.

Dark Sentinel is the 28th installment in this fabulous series of the Carpathian World that Christine Feehan delivers to us. This is a huge and daunting series but I have enjoyed every new book that adds more depth to this incredible world that this author has developed for her readers!! I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting especially when dealing with one of the infamous Monastary Carpathians, but this book really wasn't what I was expecting, and that was fun to see a story in this world develop in such a way that I didn't quite see coming. Feehan always does this for me when I least expect it to happen.

Our delicious tale begins with our hero, Andor Katona. who is one of the oldest Carpathians, he has long given up on ever finding his lifemate. He made a vow to never give into the darkness and to live with honor until the end. He has come to the states to help his brothers, but finds himself fighting over a hoard of vampires and injured he is found by three human vampire hunters who then stake him. He knows that he is too weak to survive and is contempletaing letting hiimself go in the sun. Andor is shocked when he sees a human woman, comes out of the woods holding a pot in her hands and going all kamikaze on his attackers. Lorraine Peters has lost her family and is haunted by their deaths and was seeking some peace and solitude in the woods when by the creek, she could hear what these men were doing to another, and it horrified her and she couldn't let someone die in such a horrible way.

Lorraine was raised in a family that were devoted to the martial arts and even though her parents could be strict, they were loving. But when coming home for Thanksgiving, she comes to a blood bath, where all her family are killed by her brother high on steroids who then kills himself. She is tormented by her past and the loss of all those that mattered to her. Lorraine is a fighter though, she is smart and crafty and accepting of reality. When Lorraine finds Andor, things shift for her. She focuses on his needs and his health, she trusts him when he tells her the truth about himself and how to help him. I really admired that Lorraine didn't go into denial or resist the reality of who Andor was, she just accepted it. We continue with the story when his friends are on their way to aid him (Ferro, Sandu and Gary), when a vampire attacks and Lorraine holds her own with him and man she kicked butt peeps!! This was one of my favorite action scenes in the whole book, because we see what Lorraine is made of and that she is more than capable a defeating a vampire...a mere human woman and it was awesome to see her strength and creativity. We then get to meet the three Carpathians, Andor's closest friends, that would be a rock for Lorraine as well.

Lorraine is hesistant to let anyone into her life especially after all that she has lost, but Andor and his friends, treat her life real family and she finds belonging again. Andor is one of my favorite heroes that I have seen in this series in a while. What I really loved about this is one we get to see the infamous Gary. Gary is a side character that we have seen since book five, and has played a role in different ways. He is a human turned Carpathian and a great healer and warrior. Andor is gravely injured, near death and Lorraine as his lifemate is the only one that is able to bring him back to the land of the living. Lorraine has her doubts about this "lifemate" thing, but she feels a connection to Andor.

Andor and Lorraine find themselves bound in a way that was unsuspecting including the three friends which anchored Andor to live. But the story isn't over, Andor and Lorraine may have found something more than priceless in each other, but there is an enemy out there wanting to destroy them. The youngest Malinov brother is more dangerous than ever before. They come across him and his troubadour of vampires he is using, and while they defeat them they are unable to capture him and Lorraine is injured. While they take her back to their sanctuary in the states, Lorraine is able to meet other Carptathians and human children. She is able to find a place among them and along side the man she is coming to love fiercely. What I really admired about these two was their unity in just about everything.

Andor is not your typical Carpthaian and I was suprised in how understanding, accepting and patient he was with Lorraine. Most Carpathian's aren't as diplomatic as he is. There is an almost gentle quality whenever he is with Lorraine. He is a fierce warrior, but I love the way he courts his gal. There is nothing in dubious consent at all, and I loved how much he encourages her to be herself and not hold anything back from him or herself. He loves her strength and wits in a battle. The story escalates with the evil malinov vampire, and boy it got intense at times. We have some future stories revealed including on who Gary's lifemate is which has been hinted at in previous books, but we see a different side to him. We see one of my new characters find his lifemate and hope his story will be soon.

The romance that develops between Lorraine and Andor is unforgettable. This is a fated mates trope (like many of Feehan's books) so that is something you need to enjoy. However I felt that Feehan really handled this trope so well in this book. Andor and Lorraine make a great team. Andor is a powerful Carpthathian hunter, but he also has compassion and understanding. Lorraine is human, fierce but gentle too. She has such a strong spirit but needs the soft moments in her life too. Too much violence she abhors but when she finds Andor, she finds a outlet for that which haunts her. Her life isn't all roses and daisies upon finding Andor, but she is able to find her center and peace in a way she never felt before. We see the friendships and the family bonds in this story that is simply so beautifully written.

Overall I found Dark Sentinel to be a tale of suspense, intrigue, dangerous creatures that go bump in the night and a endearing love story that tugs at all those sweet poignant emotions....A TALE TO SWEEP YOU OFF YOUR FEET!!

Title: Dark Sentinel
Series: Dark Book #28
Stand Alone Title: recommended in order
Author: Christine Feehan
Genre: Romance, Paranormal
Blurb: In an explosive novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, a human woman ignites the desire of her Carpathian lifemate--and of an ancient vampire with a score to settle.

After the devastating loss of her entire family, Lorraine Peters heads to the woods searching for peace of mind and anything to quell the anger in her soul. Instead, she stumbles upon a scene of horrific violence, as one man lies helpless in the face of three attackers.

Andor Katona's existence has been a harsh one, living for centuries as a monk in the Carpathian Mountains. Unable to find his lifemate, he almost welcomes his release from a colorless and unfeeling world at the hands of the vampire hunters who have mistaken him for their prey. That is, until a whirling ball of fury bursts onto the scene, determined to save him.

In one glimpse, in one breath, Andor recognizes Lorraine as his lifemate, but it will take more than their telepathic connection to convince her of their immortal bond. Lorraine is a lethal combination of cunning and courage. So much so that she captures the attention of a master vampire, one who has already lost what was once irreplaceable to him. One who will strike with deadly precision at Andor and his ancient Carpathian comrades in a war to end all wars. .
Favorite quote(s): “I can’t deal with this. It’s all too fantasy for me. Mages, vampires, men surviving on blood and sleeping in the ground.”
Thoughts: It’s been a little while since I picked up a book in this series, although I’m glad I did. This was the most I have enjoyed a book in the Dark series in a good long while. The characters were new and interesting, and it has renewed my interest in the series! It dragged a bit in the middle, but one of the better ones I’ve read lately from the Dark series.
Rating: B

This book was unusual in comparison to the other books in the series. I'm not sure how I feel about it. There were certainly things that bothered me, but for the life of me I can't remember if anything like it has happened in a previous book. I can't imagine it hasn't.

Lorraine Peters is like few of Feehan's heroines. She literally exploded onto the page with a saucepan and kicked some ass when she found someone trying to murder Andor. She didn't know who he was, she just knew that she wasn't going to stand by and allow murder if she could help it. Lorraine had no reason to think that Andor was different, but she finds herself stuffing his mortal wounds with soil instead of cleaning them out like she would on a human. She knows something is different, but all she can focus on is that she can't let Andor die.

Lorraine is in the mountains trying to come to peace with what her life has become. After her parents, uncle, and aunt were murdered by her beloved brother, he turned the gun on himself. There was no explanation, no reasoning, nothing to think that Teddy was going to do what he did (or so she thought). After the murder-suicide, Lorraine's friends started dropping out of her life one by one until she has no one. No friends and no family. Going up into the mountains alone is her gift to herself. She knows that she can't continue on with the anger she has in her heart. She has to find a way to forgive Teddy for what he did and forgive her parents for not telling her that her brother was on steroids.

Andor is one of the few Ancients left of the Carpathian race. He and his fellow Ancients locked themselves up, away from humans and their own people in a monastery with no intention of every leaving. They are Ancients that have too much honor to meet the dawn or turn to become the undead. Now one of their own has found his lifemate, giving the Ancients hope that their own lifemates might be out there in the world, though not too much hope.

There is something afoot with the vampires that are now under the rule of Sergey Malinov. They come after Lorraine like a tsunami, sacrificing themselves for a reason that Andor, nor the other Ancients know. What is strange is the way the vampires have organized themselves. Along with Tariq and Gary, the Ancients are determined to find out why there has been such a sudden interest in Lorraine when she is virtually unknown.

My biggest problem with this book is that Andor tied Lorraine to him with the Carpathian ritual without her permission. I know that has happened before, but this time she was actively trying to stop him. He just ignored her. WTAF is that about?????? After that, all is not well between the two of them. Which I imagine made the whole thing easier to swallow. Honestly, I'm not sure.

The best part of the book was the setup for what I hope is the next book. Of course it's too soon to tell if I'm right. Which I probably am not.

In Book #28 of this long running Dark series, Lorraine Peters had gone camping on a personal retreat trying to find some peace of mind. She lost all of her family in a horrifying tragedy and so all she knew and loved was taken away. Andor Katona is just about at the end of his rope after having survived centuries as a warrior monk for his people, the Carpathians. Mortally wounded, he expects to die never having found his lifemate whom he believes is the other half of his soul. When Lorraine stumbles upon some humans about to finish him off, she goes on the attack. Andor is stunned to realize this brave and resourceful woman not only wants to save him, but is his fated lifemate.

For the first half of this book, Andor is in a very dire situation desperately needing the healing of the brethren who have come to help him while he and Lorraine form a bond and fight a very formidable enemy. She is a very modern woman who has definite opinions about his ancient sensibilities so they have quite a few challenges in order to form an immortal relationship. Lorraine is a warrior as well, something the Carpathians are learning they need to adjust to live in the modern world and are having trouble embracing. Her resourcefulness and psychic skills are a great asset against their enemy, Sergey, a Carpathian turned vampire who desires to destroy them and rule the world.

Lorraine must decide whether to accept Andor and become like him or turn away for this man who is so very different to any she has ever known. She cannot help but be drawn to him as their connection is intense on many levels. After losing one family, Lorraine realizes the possibly of having a new one with Andor and his kind as well as the humans who are integrated into their society. Fans of this long running series will likely be satisfied with this addition that adds some new aspects this complex and creative world.

I hadn't read the last few of the Carpathian series, so all here were new characters or places for me, and I think this was a stand-alone enough book that new readers wouldn't feel too lost in the series. At the same time, "Dark Sentinel" felt like something of a bridge book to me. The plot wasn't anything major, new things about new bad guys were learned but not really acted on. It felt more like it was building up to whatever battle was coming in the next book. I did enjoy the twist Feehan used here, in that her hero, Andor, spent about half the book too injured to do anything. He wasn't able to be the big alpha protector, and had to rely on his newly found lifemate, Lorraine, in ways Feehan's heroes generally don't. I thought this made for more interesting dynamics between them, and then the other characters who joined in. Lorraine was in many ways treated as an equal from the beginning, instead of having to work around outdated male thinking to prove she was capable of defending herself. Lorraine was an entertaining character, and the scene where we meet her is priceless- coming out of nowhere to save Andor by bashing three would-be murderers with a saucepan and yelling at them that she's on a quest for inner peace and nonviolence was possibly the best character entrance I've ever read.

While still more repetitive than it needed to be, "Dark Sentinel" wasn't as overwhelmingly repetitive as some of Feehan's books. Lorraine was a sharp and fun heroine who I thought helped "Dark Sentinel" to be a pretty decent book in the series.

OMG! I LOVE Christine Feehan's stories! She rarely disappoints and she didn't this time either! Love that she has weaved another strand into this story line so you know there'll be more - CANNOT WAIT! That's the only problem with reading them pre-release - it's that much longer till the next - but so worth the wait!!

So I'm not surprised that Christine Feehan is still writing this series since it is really easy to add some mysterious unknown cluster of Carpathians, but I am surprised that she still has the ability to give each story enough uniqueness that they are worth reading. Dark Sentinel is the 28th book in the series, and I'll be honest that the beginning was so similar to previous novel that I had to check multiple times to see if I'd read this one already. But it did eventually veer enough that I was able to get into these characters.

Andor is a character we've met before, from the more recent secret haven of ancient Carpathians in a monastery. He is the second or third from that group to have a novel and I get them confused with the also ancient, but more modern Carpathians that have established a safe haven in America. They've all now joined this other group and we are brought back there very quickly when this novel starts with Andor mortally injured from the very first page. Lorraine is quickly thrust into the Carpathian world in order to save Andor's life, which made this very different from some of the other novels. She's connected to three of the other ancients in order to save Andor's life and can access their memories and experiences as needed so ends up more accepting of their ways than many of the other women.

The dynamic of the villains is brought out into the open more and we are actually given more insight into where Ms. Feehan may be leading this current plot-line. I also so like that there was a end in site for this villain as well. The never-ending villains are hard to believe when our main characters seem to win so much and this novel gave more of a big picture perspective that made things more acceptable for me.

Dark Sentinel by Christine Feehan is the 28th book in her fantastic Dark series. I must say that I am thrilled that Christine Feehan has returned to what made the Dark series so successful.

Andor Katona, our hero, is one of the men who spent years in the monastery living as a monk, and is now living with Tariq’s group in their compound in the US. After a major battle where he killed a few vampires, Andor is attacked by humans who have become puppets by a master vampire, and he lays badly injured; he decides that perhaps now is the time to end his life. But out of nowhere comes a woman swinging a saucepan at the three men to protect Andor. To his shock her voice reaches him and he begins to see color; finally after centuries, he has found his life mate.

Lorraine Peters, our heroine, loves the peace and quiet of the woods, and while camping she discovers the badly beaten man being attacked, and instincts push her to help save him. Of course, Lorraine doesn’t believe in vampires, and in a short time, she will learn that there is a different life out there. Lorraine tries to protect Andor, whom she feels some attraction to, from being attacked further. A few of Andor’s friends come to his rescue and to Lorraine, when she is attacked. One of our favorites, Gary, plays a big part in this story, as he is the healer who will save Andor, along with two other Carpathians.

What follows is a wonderful story, where Andor and Lorraine, work with Gary, Sandu and Ferro to destroy the puppets, and quickly return to Tariq Asenguard’s home, to prepare for whatever Sergei Malinov is planning against them. When Lorraine was attacked, they feared Malinov implanted something in her, but nothing was found. In the previous book, we learned that Sergei is trying to take Elisabeta, who is underground healing. I expect we will learn more about her in the next book.

I loved Andor and Lorraine together. She was a great heroine, a tough fighter, who willingly accepted Andor’s and Carpathian’s lifestyle. Andor was so wonderful & patient with Lorraine, such a welcome change. Their romance heated up quickly, but though very sexual, Andor was so good with Lorraine. It was also nice to spend time with Tariq, Charlotte, Genevieve, Emeline, Dragomire, and the children we got to know in the previous two books.

In Dark Sentinel, so much happens to keep us glued to our seats, and I could not put the book down. The exciting story line plots; the return of Sergei Malinov; a strong wonderful heroine and a hero who not only worshiped his life mate, but treated her like a queen, and the great recurring characters in Tariq’s compound. I loved Dark Sentinel.

Dark Sentinel was a fantastic, exciting, non-stop pulse pounding story, with a wonderful couple we rooted for from the beginning. The story does end somewhat abrupt with knowing that we still have more with the Malinovs still around, I can’t wait to see where Christine will be taking us in the next book.

Yeah, another amazing book in this series! Since the focus on the new American compound, the series has felt pretty fresh, and I'm really enjoyed the Ancients from the monastery finding their happiness! It's just so great to read!

This book starts off very quickly, and it's kinda funny, though it is life threatening. I mean, she comes to rescue him with a sauce pan! It's fairly fast paced, and tit's different from other books, there's basically one kiss and nothing further for the first third to maybe half. Things heat up very quickly, but since he's injured, they can't really do anything until he's healed.

So we learn more about the bad guy, and yeah, it's not good, because he's different from the others, even the others in his family. So to beat him, it's going to take innovation, and it's going to be harder. I can't wait to read that!

We do get another couple set up in this book, one that I'm really excited about, because yeah, they're more of a Dark Legend couple, with both of them being older Carpathians. Which isn't something that usually happens, most of the time the ladies started out as human, and thus, younger! So I'm excited for them!

I loved this book, and I can't wait for more books in this series!

Andor has almost given up on finding his lifemate until he meets Lorraine. He is a Carpathian who hunts vampires and she is a psychic woman on her own. A tragic past has made her homeless and with no family. Together they work to protect the other Carpathians and humans they love. Great sci-fi and fantasy with lots of romance.

I liked that Andor had morals, “I would ordinarily, since it is your blood, the blood of the woman who is mine, take it differently , but since I cannot, this will have to do.” I loved when Andor was playful, "his eyebrow arched instantly. “Goof? What is good? And of course, it was a compliment. I may be Carpathian, but I am a man.” Andor's amusement is not shared at times, “are you looking at something in particular?” she demanded, her voice miffed. He grinned at her because he couldn’t help it." I loved this book, I fell in love with Andor and the strenghth and will Lorraine had.

Another compelling and engaging book in this long-standing series. I enjoyed Andor and Lorraine. She has a story we haven't seen before. And it was interesting to see more of the other Ancients.
I am struggling a little with the writing. I can't quite put my finger on what is pulling me out of the story, it feels repetitive, like certain aspects are mentioned over and over in the single book and across all books. The vampires are smart and doing unexpected things. I get that.
The ensemble cast aspect also means that we don't spend as much time with the main couple as we used to. Maybe that's a good thing.
Overall a good read for both existing fans and new readers.