Week 37 ~ Dark Need

Week 37 ~ Sept 10-16, 2007

Dark Need (Darkyn book #3)
by Lynn Viehl
(urban fantasy, paranormal romance)

This third book in the Darkyn series focuses on Lucan, a character we meet in the first book but don't see in the second. I really liked him, and the insights we get into his life. Samantha, his heroine, is also likable and has nice depth to her character. I think they are a good match and I enjoyed reading their story.

What I disliked most about the book, however, was how little time it seemed we actually spent with either Sam or Lucan. It seemed that there was more focus on this particular book's subplot than on it's main plot. (Clarification: the series has a main theme, and that's a huge theme in the first book since the original MCs are who drive that theme. The other books all have their own book theme that goes along at the same time as the series theme. In the second book - Private Demon - the series theme was a definite SUBplot, and didn't compete with the book's theme. It probably enhanced it. In this third book - Dark Need - it feels like the series theme and the book theme are given equal time, and it feels slightly unbalanced to me. But that's just me.)

Anyway, I did still enjoy it. It's a good read with well developed characters. I had a hard time reading it straight through, however, instead of flipping to the Sam/Lucan parts and ignoring the rest.