Dark Promises

A Carpathian Novel

By: Christine Feehan

Narrated by: Phil Gigante, Natalie Ross

Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

Gabrielle has had enough of battles, of wars, of seeing the man she's engaged to nearly lose his life when it isn't even his fight. Once Gary was a gentle and very human researcher. Now he's a fearless and lethal Carpathian warrior with the blood of an ancient lineage coursing through his veins - a man Gabrielle still needs and dreams of with every breath she takes. All she wants is a life far away from the Carpathian Mountains, far from vampires and the shadows cast by the crumbling monastery that hides so many terrible secrets. But Gabrielle soon learns that promises made in the dark can pierce the heart like a dagger.

And she isn't the only one in search of answers in the corners of the unknown....

Trixie Joanes has come to the Carpathian Mountains in search of her wayward granddaughter, fearing that she has been lured there by something unspeakable. Instead Trixie has stumbled onto the path of a desperate woman on the run. And they're all fated for the lair of a mysterious ancient with revenge in his soul and the undying power to make bad dreams come true.

©2016 Christine Feehan (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Where's the story

What did you like best about Dark Promises? What did you like least?

I enjoyed the banter between Trixie and Fane. I did not like the fact that the storyline was all but missing in this book.

What does Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Phil did a great job as usual. Natalie's voice is beautiful however sometimes her volume is so low that is is hard to hear her even on the highest volume setting. I wish she would increase her volume or that the recording is set at a higher setting so that it is easier to hear.

Could you see Dark Promises being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

The Series yes definitely, this particular book no.

Any additional comments?

Christine Feehan's Dark Series has been one of my favorite series for the last 10 years; however I was really disappointed with this book. Where was the storyline? It was completely missing and there was absolutely no character development. I was never able to warm up to Gabrielle and mostly just wanted to shake her. I think that bringing in a second heroine with Trixie was the best part of the book as I enjoyed her wit and humor. Unfortunately, we never really get any information on the two male leads in this book, and are left guessing at every turn as to their pasts and where they come into the Carpathian community, only a small tidbit mentioning Vlad and precognition. This book did nothing to further the series plot.
Normally I enjoy a good love/sex scene but this seemed to be a non-stop roller coaster of sex. With the lack of any real development and the sheer volume of the sex, on a whole it fell flat of the normal emotion between the well-developed characters of the past. By taking the sex scenes out you would not even be left with a short Novella.

Troubled Fan

Is it my imagination or are we getting more sex and less plot. I'm. beginning to think the Carpathians deserve their troubles since they spend 90% of their time messing around. I was hoping the women would be more equally appreciated..

Surprisingly Disappointed

Would you try another book from Christine Feehan and/or Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross ?

I have read/listened to every one of Christine Feehan's books and will continue to do so.

Would you be willing to try another book from Christine Feehan? Why or why not?

I've enjoyed all her series with the exception of this particular book.

Have you listened to any of Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I enjoyed listening to both of these narrators together.

Did Dark Promises inspire you to do anything?

Shake my head wondering where was the action, the plot. It left more questions unanswered.

Any additional comments?

This one was a disappointment to me. First, I never thought I would say this but almost every time I turned around it was another sex scene. There seemed to be no "story" just sex. We never got to learn about Alexei or Fane. Second, I wish we could have had more interaction with Fane and Trixie. Third, when Gary went to the Warrior's Cave, why and what happened? Did I miss something there? I actually cried at what happened to Gary, especially at the end when he called her Gabby. I know we will have a story about him but I thought this was supposed to be it. I hope we learn more about the ancients we were introduced to. I guess I was just thinking this one was going to be something it wasn't.

Deceiving

This is not Gary Jensen's story. Overall the book was good if you can get past Gabrielle being so whiny and selfish.

no good

What would have made Dark Promises better?

a better story line

What was most disappointing about Christine Feehan’s story?

the basic story. Gabrielle charater was a disappointment.

Have you listened to any of Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes. about the same.

What character would you cut from Dark Promises?

Gabrielle

Any additional comments?

just not a good story. Gabrielle character was a big disappointment from beginning to end she was irritating, week, not wanting to understanding, not accepting even though she was turned some time back and have lived with them for a while.

OMG, I am done with this series

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Some one without the first clue about how a relationship is formed or how to grow as a person. Also someone who needs an extensive and exhaustive repetitive, repetitive and repetitive... lesson on what goes on in the bedroom.

Has Dark Promises turned you off from other books in this genre?

Not in this genre but I can't sit thru another book in this series it was painful to listen to and it was totally boring and repetitive with only a thin story line to it.

What about Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross ’s performance did you like?

As always they are fantastic especially given the c**p they had to sit thru and read and try to make it interesting when it was BORING. I feel really sorry for both performers as their job was to make those sex scenes seem interesting. Really readers, I enjoy a good sex scene and Phil and Natalie are the best at reading them and making them interesting and needed, but this book is nothing but sex, from one run-on to the next sex scene. Sorry for Phil and Natalie they must have been pulling out their hair by the time they were done with this book.

What character would you cut from Dark Promises?

Christine Feehan ( Yeah, I know she wasn't in the book) but honestly readers, this book is awful, one of her worst in this series. I loved this series to begin with and truthfully it probably should have ended about 8 - 10 books ago.

Any additional comments?

Please don't waste a credit on this dribble. This whole story could be condensed down to a short story without hours and I mean hours of meaningless and ongoing sex scenes. Ridiculous, there isn't hardly any story just sex, sex, and more sex.

Not the best but okay

The performance, as always, was great but the story dragged. I'm not sure if it's the difference between reading and listening to the story but I noticed so many passages were repeated throughout the book. Gabby is quite possibly one of my least favorite heroines ever. She cried so much and refused to see reality- ever. The thing that saved the story was Grandma Trixie and her lifemate. Their relationship was a throwback to the earlier books in the series when the characters actually had strong, positive and honorable characters. I kept listening because I wanted to hear more about them, even if it meant chapters with very little character development from Gabby. I wish there had been more Trixie and less Gabby.

Worst love story ever

What disappointed you about Dark Promises?

This was an abusive relationship. One that should scream "Run away, run away!" And no real storyline

Has Dark Promises turned you off from other books in this genre?

If they continue like this yes

Have you listened to any of Phil Gigante and Natalie Ross ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Good

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Dark Promises?

Everything to do with Gabriel

Any additional comments?

Totally hated it

Disappointed

Let me start by saying that I love this series.
But this story line was boring! I mean SERIOUSLY! Get out of the bedroom! The storyline finally started getting enjoyable in the LAST few chapters when exciting things started to happen with the vampires & helping the ancients. There needed to be a LOT more of that and about 95% less of the sex.
I read this series to see what's going on in the lives of all the wonderful characters Christine has created. Not for the sex scenes. I skippid over most of the book looking for an actual story. I hope the next book is better. I'll stop reading this series if this is an example of what future books are going to be like. I'd rather wait a little longer for a good story than what this one was.

More of the same

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

yes, but

What could Christine Feehan have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

There needs to be more action in the book and less sex scenes. I got so I tuned out those scenes. One fourth of the book advances the story and the rest is love scenes between the characters. Same old, same old stuff. I had hoped she would go back to advancing the plot as she had in previous books.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the scene at the end when the 3 women helped the ancients.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

More action and advancement of the story. It just spun its wheels in several places with no movement forward.

Any additional comments?

I will probably continue to buy Feehan's books as I like the story of the Carpathians, but I hope she can come up with some action scenes as she did in books like Dark Slayer, Dark Celebration, or Dark Demon. Those are my favorites.
I do like the narrators. They did a good job and I especially like a female and male narrator.