I found this book more enjoyable than the first, and it seemed to move at a faster pace. The story takes place 25 years after Dark Prince, and we are met again with human vampire hunters, hunting the Carpathians. These vampire hunters are hunting and torturing any vampires they can find, including Jacques, a Carpathian male, who is the center of this story. Jacques is buried alive, obviously left for dead, for seven years, until he is able to reach out and call someone near through his mind. Our leading lady of the story, Shea, is called to Jacques and rescues him.

Like I said, I did enjoy this story much more than Dark Prince, I think because it kind of jumps right into the story and there's not much explaining and world building as there was in the first book. I'm currently reading the third in the series and am still loving where Feehan is going with this series. ( )

This book is much different than I expected. To begin with our Life Mates, Jaques and Shea, aren't even on the same continent! Jaques is walled up in a coffin, and Shea is a doctor in the United States. Plus, she's only Half human, but she doesn't know that.

Jaques is intent to just torment her. His mind has been shattered since the end of [The Dark Prince] and he has no idea who he is or who this woman is that he can talk to in his head. Shea has no idea that Jaques is real, or why she keeps seeing him and HEARING him in her head.

A very interesting story that surprised me. I loved this book and have a feeling it will be my favorite of the series. Though I'm sure Feehan will continue to surprise me. ( )

delete_me ( )

Seven years of nightmares, the pain, the visions of a haunted and tormented man. Surgeon Shea O’Halloran grew used to seeing this man, almost expected him. Jacques Dubrinsky saw a woman, he had lost his connection with his family, but he could see her, he could cause her pain. She was one of them, it was because of her that he was trapped and in so much pain, he wanted to cause her pain. Shea had no way of knowing that the man, the torment, the pain was all real until she went to the Carpathian Mountains to do research. Shea felt drawn to the old burned out house, to the cellar, to the man. Jacques madness and memory loss left him with only his anger, revenge and this strange desire to never leave Shea, she was his only connection to anything other than the pain. She could fix his body if he let her, she wanted to fix his head, his heart, and his soul. Jacques finally realized she was not to blame, but had he pushed her too far, would she ever forgive him for the harsh way he treated her?

Book 2 - Such a harsh seven years for Jacques to endure, the madness could be expected, making him the typical tortured soul hero. He is a brute and Shea is ignorant of any of her connection to him and his race. Took me quite a while to figure out that this story takes place about 25 years after ‘Dark Prince’. Still never explained why the only connection that Jacques made during his paralysis was with Shea, across the ocean, I suppose it was a lifemate thing but I was never really sure. This is another good story to add to the depth of the characters of Mikhail, Raven, Gregori, Byron and Aidan but the romance between Jacques and Shea was predictable. I really hope that Jacques mind can return enough to go back to a little of himself from ‘Dark Prince’, can’t wait to see what happens next. ( )

The stranger silently summoned her across the continents, across the seas. He whispered of eternal torment, of endless hunger . . . of dark, dangerous desires. And somehow American surgeon Shea O'Halloran could feel his anguish, sense his haunting aloneness, and she ached to heal him, to heal herself.

Drawn to the far Carpathian mountains, Shea found a ravaged, raging man, a being like no other. And her soul trembled. For in his burning eyes, his icy heart, she recognized the beloved stranger who'd already become part of her. The imperious Carpathian male had compelled Shea to his side. But was she to be his healer. . . or his prey? His victim . . . or his mate? Was he luring her into madness . . . or would his dark desire make her whole? ( )