"A contemporary vampire tale with gothic elements"

With DARK SYMPHONY, Christine Feehan combines the thrilling and dangerous elements of her Carpathian series books with the Gothic style of her popular shape shifter tales such as THE SCARLETTI CURSE.

Byron Justicano, a Carpathian male whose talent lies in working with gem stones and creating beautiful jewelry, has been forced by past mistakes to give up his calling and go into exile in order to hunt the deadly vampire. Having hung on to his sanity far longer than many males who have not found their lifemates, he has all but given up hope when he hears wonderful music that draws him to Italy where he discovers a beautiful, talented, blind concert pianist named Antonietta Scarletti. Antonietta is Byron's lifemate, whether she knows it or not, and he can never let her go.

Blinded in the explosion that killed her parents, Antonietta has not let her handicap keep her from a fulfilling life of music and the challenge of helping her grandfather run his shipping business. She has also taken on a pivotal role in the lives of her cousins, their spouses and children. Although she doesn't know what to make of this stranger who has insinuated himself into her life then comes and goes as he pleases, Antonietta is strangely drawn to him. When he rescues her and her grandfather from kidnappers and would-be murderers, she begins to turn to him for assistance as the lives of the people she loves begin to unravel with revelations of deceit, poisoning and even murder.

Ms. Feehan's introduction of a blind heroine to a Carpathian male was an intriguing twist to the Carpathin male discovers his lifemate plot line that her fans enjoy so much. The question immediately came to mind as to whether or not her (inevitable) conversion into a Carpathian would restore her sight. I now know the answer, but I'm not telling! Antonietta is a mature (by human standards) woman, not a timid young miss, and was quite inspiring in her take charge attitude. Byron was surprisingly sensible in his dealings with her, recognizing that he would get nowhere fast by attempting to force her into something she might not want. This understanding of her character is exemplified in his gift to her of a Borzoi dog when she refuses to have a body guard. Fans of the Gothic genre will enjoy the setting of an ancient Italian palazzo complete with gargoyles, secret passageways, and the menacing presence of a mysterious killer jaguar.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted January 22, 2003

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Summary

Byron, a Carpathian male and hunter of the vampire follows the sound of compelling music to Italy. There he discovers his lifemate, Antonietta Scarletti, heiress to the great Scarletti fortune. A renowned concert pianist, Antoinetta is the glue that holds the Scarletti family together. Blinded in an explosion that killed her parents, she nevertheless stands to run the family shipping business.

Antonietta lives in the palazzo della morte, the palace of death. There, like her ancestors, she finds someone wants her dead. Antoinetta has a few secrets of her own and together, Byron and Antonietta face the killers and one out of control Carpathian youth.