Elisabeta wants nothing more than to hide from the world. Tortured for centuries by Sergey Malinov, she commits herself to the ground. She only feeds when necessary and finds a strange sort of comfort in the cold dark oblivion.

Now the lifemate that she has held close for so long beckons her to cast aside the fears and rise. And he is the only one that her heart cannot refuse.

“Whereas before, the song was in her mind, now it sank into her body, her blood and bones, her heart and soul, calling to her persistently, and she knew it was the call of her lifemate—one she couldn’t ignore. She didn’t dare ignore. It didn’t matter how terrified she was of him. She had to answer.”

Ferro is the most stoic of the ancient Carpathians. Known for being a cold and exacting hunter of the vampire, he’s both revered and feared by his people.

Elisabeta brings out the kind of tender emotions that he never thought himself capable of. He must find a way to be gentle enough to shelter her love and yet strong enough to show her how to wield the power that she holds inside. Because she may be the only hope to overcome an ancient enemy.

As their bond grows ever deeper, a silent threat is trying to destroy the Carpathians from the inside out and it’s coming closer.

“Ferro was always so steady, so calm and matter-of-fact. Some of that was beginning to make its way through her seemingly endless fears. He gave her the impression that he could always be counted on. That he was unchanging and no matter what happened around him, he would come through. She wanted desperately to believe that. She needed to in order to let go of terror, get out of survival mode and learn to live.”

Christine Feehan continues her reign as the Queen of Paranormal Romance in Dark Song! I must say that I was a bit skeptical of how a heroine as timid as Elisabeta would measure up against the other legendary lifemates. But Christine never disappoints. She takes Elisabeta from victim to fierce warrior flawlessly and with care.

Together with Ferro, who makes a surprising transformation of his own, they spark that special kind of connection and heat that fans of this series can never get enough of. And I can’t wait to experience it again and again…

My Review of DARK SONG:

I enjoyed reading DARK SONG. A beautiful, and well written romance. I loved the poetry at the beginning of the book. Simply beautiful. Ferro was a supportive male, that followed Elisabeta's lead while she found her core of inner strength to face the world after being held captive for centuries by Sergey Malinov. Ferro has Elisabeta's back, and became whatever she needed. She endured centuries of torture, and abuse, but with the support of her lifemate was literally able to face her fear, and her torturer. With the support of her friends, who are all strong women in their own way, Elisabeta's slowly finding her place in the compound.

There was enough battle scenes to appease my need for action, and for the bad guys to get what they deserved. Unexpected plot twists involving the villains, who are brilliant, and deliciously evil. We learn more about the Carpathian history, and what should've been set in place regarding Draven, and passing judgement on him, that would've taken some of the pressure, and responsibility of making the decision off of Vlad, and Sarantha.

We saw many old friends return, to fight the good fight against their enemies. We get updates on babies, and see new characters introduced.

I'm looking forward to the next book. Maybe Sandu? If not, I'm sure Sandu, and Josef will bring some comic relief to Tariq's compound.

Ferro and Elisabeta’s story is another example of Ms. Feehan’s strength in telling an elegantly emotional story. Her telling of how lifemates learn to find ways to make each other complete is told with two of her more challenging hero and heroines.

Elisabeta, a prisoner for centuries, unable to do the simplest things without the permission of her truly evil captor, Sergei, has been rescued. Now in the safety of the Carpathian compound she struggles to cope with her new life. Add to that her lifemate, Ferro, is a true ancient, hard and unused to the emotions that having a lifemate brings. She works to understand this man who sings to her each rising all the while demanding she step out on her own and has you cheering for each hard won step forward.

Ferro, the one who has always commanded immediate obedience and truly believed that his lifemate would be obedient to his every command deals with the humorous (to me) dilemma of ‘be careful what you ask for’, aware that such demands would further harm Elisabeta, his struggles to find a way to bring his lady’s innate strength back, to convince her that what she has endured for centuries has only made her the perfect woman to stand by his side had me laughing and crying so many times during their story.

Dark Song is one of Ms. Feehan’s best, winding the trauma of PTSD, the patience to deal with such horrific emotional scars and the strength of love, friendship and family into a deeply satisfying story. Of course there is the action, the humor and the extra treat of the gathering of past Carpathians we always crave to make this a 5 star addition to her Dark Series!

Luckily, the Dark series continues to grow as more couples are added to progress the story line even further... and I think this may yet be one of the most romantic couples that Christine Feehan has given us. Ferro and Elisabeta's relationship is beautifully written as it develops. The dialogue between the two of them is so intimate and personal. I genuinely loved getting to know these two better and watching them find their way to each other completely.

Elisabeta is bent not broken...
Although imprisoned for centuries she never let the monster have his soul... Ferro is a worthy warrior and he shows her just how worthy he is in this newest book in the Dark World.
Do we have a traitor? Ferro thinks so until...
Action galore and what true honor and love are all about.
We get a little bit of everyone in this one and I thank the publisher for allowing me the honor of reading this truly amazing story. I have loved this author's books from the first time I picked up book 1 many years ago.

This story could have been so dark given Elisabeta's centuries of captivity and it's aftermath instead it's a beautiful emotional love story.  The best part of this book is the opportunity to visit with a lot of North American Carpathian characters from the earlier series. With a series as long running as this one is there are winners and losers but this story is definitely a winner.
 Elisabeta was first featured in an early book when her brother met his life mate while searching for his sister. It's nice to find out what happened to her and to see her rescued and finally finding happiness after centuries of captivity. The brother, sister reunion isn't quite as joyous as one would have hoped since Elisabeta is fragile and afraid to trust that she is finally free to live life on her own terms.
The big surprise is Ferro's character. He turns out surprisingly modern in his thinking and his approach to his mate even as his brethren in the compound are afraid that he might be too ancient and rough for Elisabeta.  Ferro teaches his mate to open the doors of her cage and fly even as he provides her a safety net patiently working with her submissiveness.  Their sweet emotional exchanges strikes a deep emotional chord making this an uplifting love story.
The writing style and story of grit, courage and freedom is very reminiscent of the author's earlier books in the series. I am looking forward to seeing some of the other ancients find their life mates and watching them bridge the cultural divide as they forge relationships with modern women.

Content warning: The heroine has survived prolonged abuse (not sexual) and torture, including suicide attempts. This book contains a fair bit of violence, but I mean, it's a vampire book, so that comes with the territory. I can't think of any other content warnings.
I've not previously read any of Christine Feehan's work, but I've been hearing about her for years, and when I saw her latest novel was on NetGalley I thought I'd give it a try. This is apparently book number 34 in her Carpathian series, and while it's clear that there are a LOT of other couples who have backstories in this world, I didn't feel lost - the story worked well as a standalone. Perhaps this was because Elisabeta is essentially a newcomer to all things Carpathian, and so we were gradually introduced to a lot of the culture and world through her eyes.
It's a little hard to review this novel usefully, because while I think it mostly did what it set out to do, it turns out that I... just didn't really like the relationship between Ferro and Elisabeta very much. I'm a bit over alpha heroes and fragile heroines, and while Elisabeta's fragility, thankfully, reduced markedly over the course of the book, there was something about the dynamic between them that made me deeply uncomfortable – I think perhaps its hard, in 2020, to write a romance with a very alpha hero and a fated mates scenario that doesn't feel, maybe not coercive, but deeply unequal on some level. And, on reflection, it does bother me that Elisabeta, who has suffered centuries of abuse, keeps talking about how she would be perfectly happy to just be with Ferro and not have other friends or relationships. It bothered me that after being forcibly separated from the people who loved her by her abuser, Elisabeta is now in a romantic relationship that, while it is certainly not abusive (Ferro may have caveman tendencies, but he's not actually an asshole), is almost as isolating as her kidnapping was. I don't think that's the intent of Ferro or of the book, but it really, really didn't sit well with me.
Things I liked: Elisabeta coming into her power over the course of the book was pleasing (and a great relief – her state at the start was pretty horrifying). I liked the secondary characters, and the subplot with the strange psychic illness was great. The sensual connection between Elisabeta and Ferro was well done. And the worldbuilding was very vivid – especially the exploration of psychic links between characters. (Having said that, there seemed to be no place in it for any sort of queerness, and as a mostly straight girl I honestly wasn't expecting to find that so troubling, but I really, really did.)
Things I liked less: the pacing. I found that the story dragged in the middle - I think I wound up skimming close to a third of the story, because it just wasn't holding my attention. I also felt like Ferro and Elisabeta spent a lot of time going around and around in their own heads with their own insecurities and took an enormously long time to get around to actually talking to each other about them. This was frustrating when it was clear from early on that the things they were each insecure about were not things that bothered the other.
Altogether, this feels like a book where if I'd read it in the 1990s, I'd have probably enjoyed it a lot more. I think the pacing issues and the *will they ever actually TALK to each other* issues would still have bothered me, but the rest would have felt less jarring. But it's not the 1990s any more - I'm older and the world has changed. I think, if you are someone who likes your romances a little bit retro/old school, then this might well appeal to you. But for me, it just didn't work.

As with the rest of Christine Feehan's books, I really love this story! Elisabeta and Ferro the two main characters in this story are both amazing. Elisabeta has suffered so much abuse and is fighting to survive and find herself and Ferro loves her enough to want to be what she needs. In Ferro, Elisabeta finds her through mate and together they find the strength to defeat a great evil that doesn't want to let go of Elisabeta.

His song reaches into her heart and soul.

DARK SONG is Christine Feehan's Carpathian world at its best! Elisabeta's story is one that most fans have been waiting for and it does not disappoint.

Annetta Sweetko, reviewer for Fresh Fiction

Complete review may be found at: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=71377

Elisabeta Tragovise had been imprisoned and abused for centuries and even though she is now safe in the Carpathian compound, she has too many years of fear and terrible abuse to overcome quickly. While her lifemate is there to aid her recovery, Elisabeta can barely function in the world with out a massive panic attack. As with many who have endured unimaginable suffering and torture, Elisabeta has to learn how to live again with baby steps. Her lifemate is a beacon of hope and beauty to guide her from the dark if Elisabeta is brave enough to embrace all that relationship means. She can barely function in the larger world after having been literally caged by her abuser.

An ancient warrior whose job it is to destroy evil vampires, Ferro Arany had a very narrowed and purpose driven life. Carpathians lose the ability to feel emotions unless they find their lifemate; the one person who is their other half and has possession of the warrior’s soul. While feeling emotions are new for him, Ferro knows without a doubt he will love and protect Elisabeta no matter the sacrifice. Since she was stolen away as a teenager by a hated enemy who is determined to recover his slave, Ferro knows the deadly risks involved for him and all the inhabitants of the Carpathian encampment in order to protect Elisabeta.

As this is book #34 in a long running series, several Carpathians whose stories where previously presented and their mates are interwoven into the story. They are all determined to help Elisabeta come out of her shell; however, it turns out she has hidden strengths and abilities honed during her brutal captivity. Elisabeta turns from victim to victorious in a painfully slow awakening with the help of Ferro to guide her after several demands are placed for her skills in defeating the enemy. Since they communicate on a psychic plain, Elisabeta and Ferro are able to know each other’s hearts and minds on a deep level. Ms. Feehan’s stories are very detailed and lengthy with few unexamined thoughts so fans of her writing and series will be pleased with this latest book. This story could have possible triggers for those who have suffered from abusive relationships.

THIS IS THE SWEETEST AND MOST TENDER CARPATHIAN NOVEL I HAVE EVER READ!

The way that Ferro takes care of Elisabeta from the moment he discovers that she is his lifemate is a beautiful journey. He sings her awake every morning, admiring the strength that she has to wake and approach the world at all after hundreds of years in captivity with a vampire.
Their relationship is old fashioned and unconventional in our modern ideas of a relationship, but Feehan does a great job of helping us understand that it is what both of these characters need. Those older ideals are challenged throughout the novel by multiple characters.
The way that PTSD is looked at through the eyes of Elisabeta, and the fierceness in which Ferro protects her, while letting her decide how much she can handle is one of the best things I have read in a long time. My favorite Carpathian novel, and I have read almost all of them.

Please read this one! It is truly a joy, and worth your time.

Dark Song by Christine Feehan is the 30th book in her wonderful Dark series. I was thrilled to find out that Elisabeta was our heroine in Dark Song, and could not wait to read it. I am happy to say I loved the story and both lead characters, Elisabeta and Ferro.

Elisabetha Trigovise was rescued in the last book, and takes center stage in this one, as does Ferro Arany, an ancient who was close to death when he discovered she was his lifemate. Ferro comes across as hard and cold, but he turned out to be a fantastic hero and mate to Elisabeta, as he patiently protected her while she was slowly healing in the rich soil, and he would reach her mind singing a song that would become their own. Elisabeta has been held prisoner for centuries by the evil Sergey Malinov, as he tortured, terrified and ruled her all those years.

Ferro was very gentle with Elisabeta, as he slowly brought her out of the soil and began to teach her how to cleanse and dress herself, as well as to learn to trust him and become confident in herself. It would take awhile before Elisabeta can get past the memories of her suffering and terror, especially of Sergey coming back for her. Everyone in Tariq’s compound at first feared that Ferro was too strict and rigid for Elisabeta, but he was determined for her to rise up, and learn to use her powerful capabilities. They really were the ultimate lifemates, with a strong bond that Ferro helped her build with his gentle patience. I loved when he taught her to learn to shift into an owl and fly. Despite her continued fears, Elisabeta’s growth over time was amazing, and she became such a powerful asset to all the Carpathians.

It was nice to see many of our favorites, with Gary, Tariq, Julija, Lorraine, and a few of Ferro brethens. But it was great to see an old favorite, Traian and Jolie, who came to the compound with Josef; especially for Traian to finally see his sister (Elisabeta) after all these years of trying to find her. I also loved seeing many other favorites who came to help fight the vampires; such as Julian, Darius, Tempest, Desari, Maxim, Blaze, Charlotte, Dragomir, Emeline, etc.

Elisabeta was a wonderful heroine, who despite her many years kept captive by Sergey Malinov, was able to use her memories to help the Carpathians be ready for the vampire attack, and stop them from destroying the compound. What follows is an exciting, intense story line where both Ferro and Elisabeta have to be one step ahead of Sergey and his vampire cronies. To say too much more would be spoilers, and a lot happens in this book.

Christine Feehan outdid herself with how she handled the romance between Ferro and Elisabeta, which was so wonderfully done. The Malinovs have been villains’ throughout many of the books, as well as Xavier. Will Dark Song be able to stop Sergey? You need to read this book to find out.

In “Dark Song,” the 34th book in Christine Feehan’s Carpathian vampire series, we finally get the heartbreaking story of Elisabeta Trigovise. She was kidnapped centuries ago by Sergey, one of the dangerous Malinov brothers who deliberately turned vampire in order to gain power over all Carpathians. Sergey had hidden Elizabeta from even his own brothers, keeping her caged and controlling her with cruelty and torture. Her discovery and rescue were covered in previous books, and readers knew she was severely traumatized in body and mind.

Elizabeta was taken at an early age and Sergey allowed her no freedom. She has no idea how to fend for herself. She is terrified of strangers and open spaces. But at the secure compound where her rescuers take her, she meets her lifemate, Ferro Arany. Ferro is an ancient and powerful Carpathian, one who has only resisted turning vampire because of his vow of honor.

Going into their story, readers familiar with the previous books may be apprehensive that Ferro would totally dominate the terrified Elizabeta, subjecting her to control yet again. Indeed, Elizabeta is aware of her weakness and despairs that she will shame her warrior lifemate. But Feehan shows how Elizabeta brings out a softer side of the fierce Ferro. He holds back his urge to put her in a protective cocoon, instead supporting and encouraging her as she cautiously finds her way in the outside world.

We cheer as Elizabeta gains more and more confidence, and the bond between her and Ferro grows. Despite her terror, she pushes herself to join the fight when Sergey attacks with the aim of retaking her. In Feehan’s tense, climactic battle scene, Elizabeta proves she has strength and powers of her own and is a vital part of the Carpathians’ battle against the vampires.

Christine Feehan's latest "Dark" book, Dark Song, was sadly a big disappointment for this reader. Perhaps if I had never read one of her Dark books, my thinking might be different. However, I think it is time to put this series to bed. At this point in this series, it appears that the author simply changes a few names and then attempts to write one erotic scene after another with very little in the way of storyline an what is there, at least this time, was taken from another of her series. I guess it is making use of research she has already done for another book, but for those of us that read all her books, it read like a repeat.

I have been waiting for Elizabeta's story, especially since she is lifemate to Ferro...ancient warrior and total alpha male.
This book is a beautiful love story. Elizabeta has been held captive and abused for hundreds of years by a horrible sadistic vampire. Fans of Ms. Feehan were wondering how this pairing would work. It works so well that this has become one of my favorite love stories!
Ferro understands what has happened to Elizabeta and goes out of his way to be gentle and nuturing, helping her through her integration back into Carpathian society. Of course there is a mystery that needs to be solved. Could Elizabeta be the answer? With Ferros' love and guidance they overcome all their obstacles.
It's also great to read about some of the other Carpathian characters mentioned in this story.
It's a great love story, proving once again that love conquers all....read this amazing book! And the entire Dark Series...you won't be disapointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this beautiful love story!

Carpathian, Vampires, romance and love. As with most readers of this series I was not impressed with Ferro in previous meetings. Jerk covers it. In Dark Song, his and Elisabetta story, he is king. OK not title of King, but he becomes a king in my eyes. He sees his faults and does everything and anything to help Elisabetta come into her own. He also feels a threat to Elisabetta from Gary and Tariq!! Say what??? I love the mystery, the support, new friends and old. This was a winner for me.
Thank you Berkley and Net Galley for the arc. This is for mature readers. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #DarkSong #Berkley # NetGalley

This story was just meh. GG is a character I liked from previous stories and he is largely okay in this one. I just didn't feel as connected to the characters and engaged by their stories as I normally feel for books in this universe. It's worth reading, but isn't the best example of the series.

Dark Song is the newest installment in the Carpathian/Dark series by this incredible author. Christine Feehan has done a work of art within this series and most especially this book. I always am so impressed with how big this series has grown over the years (and I am definitely blessed to have followed it from almost the beginning) and seeing the depths of the world building and how this world she creates is utterly captivating and it NEVER loses it magic and this is what impresses me the most about this author. I can never seem to get enough of her work. Dark Song, however, is a must read for any paranormal romance lover, because I guarantee you will fall in love with it. There are some aspects (which I will discuss below) that you need to have an open mind in especially in regards to the heroine, but I promise this will win your heart just as it has mine.

Dark Song encompasses two characters that are both ancient Carpathians and both have suffered but have a love story that will be memorable for years to come. Our heroine Elisabeta (which is so pretty of a name) has been tortured, tormented, abused, demeaned by an ancient vampire, one of the Malinov brothers. She was kidnapped from her home and family and put through hell for most of her existence. She has only known pain and suffering. She has never had a life for herself. And then she is rescued and taken to a haven but she knows that is temporary and she now has a lifemate. A man she knows she will never be worthy of but will strive to survive just as she has all of these generations of time. Ferro, is an ancient Carpathian, one of the oldest of his kind and part of the monastery group. When he finds Elisabeta and realizes she is his lifemate, he knows their path will not be an easy one. She has suffered severe PTSD, doesn’t know how to do the basic things but he is determined to show her of her true worth and gift. Through their journey together Ferro and Elisabeta will forge a bond so powerful….the notes of their song will sing to the world….

Dark Song may be the 30th installment (and yes you heard that right) but its one of my favorites of the series and quite frankly probably one of the MOST heart breaking and heart felt of them all. This story was NOT easy to read because of the journey that our heroine goes through especially. Now I want to make it clear this heroine is not weak, feeble, or a door mat. Too many times I see in this genre, heroines that are written in this way belittled and demeaned in this terminology. Elisabeta has been ABUSED for hundreds of years, and that takes a toll on someone. Elisabeta doesn’t even know her own capabilities. She just knows laws, rules, obedience. That is it. She doesn’t understand many concepts, or the women’s movement or anything. She is more at ease following commands than forging her own path. But what was so incredible about her character was her growth. Seeing her come into her own, being more independent, seeing the value of her own worth and her own gifts.

I will admit I want to see more heroines like this in the series that are “Ancient” because I love seeing how strong they are that are equal to the males in their power and gifts. Because if you understand the Carpathian way ….longer you live the more talented and more power you have. And the women that are ancients always seem to surprise the men so deliciously and boy this heroine shocks the males int his book and I was so down with that. Our hero though I want to give him a commendation for how he treated Elisabeta. Because he was so patient with her, gentle, and kind. Even though his alpha instincts are riding him hard, he is so supportive and encouraging of her. Their story was so stunning in so many ways. And there is SO much going on in this book plot wise alone, so to see such depths and growth in their relationship and individually was powerful.

Overall I found Dark Song to be a vibrant, thrilling, heart felt romance that will stun your senses and captivate hearts along the way…..BEAUTIFULLY PENNED IN EVERY WAY!

Those of you familiar with Christine Feehan will know that she is hailed as the "Queen of Paranormal Romance." Her Dark Carpathian books are just one of the many series that she continuously adds to. If you haven't heard of her before, these books are full of men with scars (physical and emotional) from long centuries of fighting vampires, as well as battling the temptation to become one of the undead themselves. The women are from a variety of backgrounds, some human, some Carpathian, but all have some tragedy in their lives. When the two fated lifemates find each other, their complementary strengths help them to rise above all the terrible happenings in their pasts and forge a partnership that is healing for them both.

In this thirtieth installment, Elisabeta Trigovise has been rescued from the clutches of a vampire, but has no idea how to survive out in the world on her own. Her lifemate, Ferro Arany, is a battle-hardened warrior that many fear will be too old-fashioned to deal with her as gently as she needs. While the two of them try to work out their relationship, the area where they live is under attack from an army of undead led by the vampire who held Elisabeta captive for centuries. Between the others trying to intervene and make Elisabeta an independent female and Ferro a more modern/liberal male, an unknown contagion that is spreading violence among children and adults alike, and the looming threat of the vampires - how will the couple ever find the time to become acquainted with one other, much less heal past trauma and find a way to function in the community?

One of the enjoyable things about this series is the way characters from previous books reappear and their stories connect with the new plot. This time readers will see Traian (Elisabeta's brother) and his wife Joie (Dark Descent), young Josef (who has featured in several books - Dark Symphony and Dark Wolf especially), along with many of the brotherhood of ancient warriors who have travelled to America in the hopes of finding their lifemates. Each time one of the unattached warriors is mentioned, readers will be wondering which is next to have their own story in the series.

Recommended for mature readers who enjoy paranormal romance and do not mind explicit details of intimate encounters between the characters

I will start off by saying I am one of Ms Feehan's writings biggest fans. She tends to suck you right into to her worlds and thoroughly entertain you! This book is no exception! It was at times sweetly romantic and edge of your seat thrilling. She leaves the world open for more stories - only problem for me if that they are to far apart!