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Book Reviews of Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3)

Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3)
Dark Need - Darkyn, Bk 3
Author: Lynn Viehl
PBS Market Price: $8.09 or $4.19+1 credit
ISBN-13: 9780451218667
ISBN-10: 0451218663
Publication Date: 6/2006
Pages: 304
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 342

3.8 stars, based on 342 ratings
Publisher: Signet
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

27 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 68 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 9
Dark Need is the third book in the thrilling Darkyn series. Homicide detective Samantha Brown has had a difficult, deadly few years on the Fort Lauderdale police force and things are about to get a whole lot worse. She is investigating the murder of a woman and her only clue in the case is a gem encrusted medieval cross with the name "Lucan" scribed on the back. Her prime suspect in the murder is a man who owns a goth nightclub near the scene, a man named Lucan. Samantha is immediately drawn to the seductive and mysterious Lucan. What she doesn't know is that he is a centuries old vampire and the most dangerous of his kind, the Darkyn.

Lucan is disturbed by Samantha's likeness to his long lost love. She is stirring up a dark passion and memories that are best forgotten. Samantha falls for him and is swept into the dangerous Darkyn politics and an ancient feud. The other Darkyn believe Lucan is past redemption but Samantha may be the one who can save him. The world of the Darkyn is a violent and disturbing underworld of vampires and the evil Brethren monks that stalk them. What makes the Darkyn novels so compelling is the dichotomy of good and evil. Dark Need has a gritty realism and some frightening and creepy characters that will keep you awake late at night. Balancing the darkness is the searing heat and eroticism that is generated between Samantha and Lucan. Dark Need is an exciting book and a must read especially for fans of the series.
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 7
It is hard to give up such a GREAT book, but its wrong not to share it with everyone. This is a GREAT book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and beggin for more. I loved every second of it.
On back of the book....

AN ACHING EMPTINESS...
Homicide detective Samantha Brown is a tough, highly decorated cop. But for the past twelve lonely years, since she nearly died of a gunshot wound, she has felt a deep inner longing.

A LONG-LOST LOVE...
The mysterious Lucan, with his timeless ability to seduce women, is focusing on the emotionally battered Samantha, who has awakened his wild memories of a long-ago love.

A PASSION THAT WILL BE FULFILLED.
As Samantha pursues a deranged killer, her only clue is a medieval cross insribed "Lucan"....the name of a man who owns a nightclub near the murder scene. Drawn into a seamy underworld, Samantah falls for Lucan, who believes that he's a vampire and that Samantha is his reincarnated first love. Now she must save this man who seems beyond redemption...and who fulfills her deepest, darkest desires....
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 14 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
Dark Need was an interesting book but it was not as good as its predecessors. I found the romance between Samantha and Lucan to be extremely slow and somewhat strange. Their romance doesn't start until way past the midway mark. And once it finally did start, I wasn't convinced that Lucan loved Samantha and not pinning away from a past love. I also didn't like the twists of Alex and Michael's romance. Not sure love can mix well with deceit...

But, I still recommend Dark Need to readers who enjoy the Darkyn novels. It seems like a large gap would be left if this were skipped and the others were read out of sequence. The story does pick up near the middle... I am looking forward to reading Book 4.
obsessed-reader avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
You know this was a very diffrent vampire book, not Charlaine Harris or Laurell K. Hamilton where you knew who were the bad guys. The vampires in this book you never knew what side they were on till the end, the hero is not the normal dark brooding soul changed by love, he seemed down right evil till the end. Different but I like it for that reason.
re avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on
Helpful Score: 2
I'd read the Darkyn, Bk 1 [If Angels Burn] and thoroughly enjoyed it. As I had this book in my TBR stack, I decided to just "go for it". Reading a series, in order, isn't as important to me as is maintenance of impetus. Yes, once again with Viehl's book, thoroughly enjoyed this one. I'm so pleased that #4 is to be enroute this week, or so it looks, from another PBS member.

I believe this was a worth-while book to read. I read for pleasure, relaxation, and to de-stress. These two books were absolutely fun, and quick-reads!
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I loved this book!! It was a wonderful complex storyline that had me rivited with the colorful cast of characters. The sex in the book was top notch and it did not only involve the main characters, but the sub-characters. I highly reccommend this book and I going out to purchase the others in the series because I cannot wait for them to come up on PBS; I am that desperate.
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on
Helpful Score: 1
Great series. Not your typical vampire story
alterlisa avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 335 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
"Homicide detective Samantha Brown is a tough, highly decorated cop. But twelve lonely years after she nearly died of a gunshot wound, she aches with a deep inner longing. In pursuit of a deranged killer, her only clue is a medieval cross inscribed "Lucan"-the name of the owner of a new nightclub near the murder scene. Drawn into a seamy underworld, Samantha falls for Lucan-who believes he's a vampire and Samantha is his reincarnated first love. Now, she must save this mysterious, seductive man who seems beyond redemption if he is to fulfill her deepest, darkest desires."

This is another great story in the "Darkyn Series". I love the twists and turns that the story takes and how Viehl has added layers upon layers to the storyline. This is a series that needs to be read in order. Viehl does an excellent job of giving you enough back story so that you aren't lost but you will miss out on so much of the meat of this series if you don't read it in order.
Catherine1 avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 60 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I disliked this book intensely. This is what I get for impulse buying and not waiting to read reviews. I would estimate that well over half this book was spent in povs that weren't the main characters. A lot of time was spent on one of the previous character's brother, John. That man was the most boring character to read about! Why was so much time spent on him? It wasn't his book!

I have once again accidentally picked up a book in the middle of a series. I hate when that happens. I think I'm going to stop buying books on the spur of the moment.

Usually I'm distracted by all the other characters that appear from previous books and hate it because it detracts from the main characters. This time I wasn't irritated so much as transfixed with horrified fascination. Alex and Michael appear from some previous book in the series. I guess they have a history with Lucan. Alex makes some mention about giving Michael a face back. He had no face? Really? That little tidbit right there derailed my attention from the story while I tried to figure out exactly how that worked. I know I could always read their book to see, but I'd rather not. There was also another part where Lucan and Michael's pseudo-daddy, Richard, has sex with this girl and there's mention made of his uh... manly parts not being recognizably human any more. I was disgusted but seriously entertained. I went and tracked down my husband and we spent a very enjoyable 30 minutes trying to guess what kind of parts he now had.

Well, enough about the side characters. On to the main characters! What was Samantha's deal? She was supposed to be a smart cop but she seemed dumb as bricks to me. Also, she doesn't know what Goth is? Seriously? That stretches credulity to the max. A cop definitely would have seen stuff like that before. When something happens to her partner she feels horrible for it because she was screwing around while the event happened. I couldn't help but notice that she got over that one in no time at all. I did however feel really bad for her with the situation with her old partner. That's a really horrible situation. I can't really see events going down like that, but what do I know? I can't claim to be a cop.

Lucan had the potential to be interesting but... nope, he was just creepy instead. He wants Sam because she looks like an old flame he never got to be with. I know he denies it later but he thought it often enough to make his denial of it ridiculous. The man was so hot and cold too. It was bad enough that he groped her while he invaded her mind, he could at least stay consistent. One second he wants to do her the next he ignores her. Then he threatens her with injury by glass while they're doing it and she's forced to ignore it to prove her feelings. Now that's just stupid right there. What if he loses control of it mid act? Ouch!

The finale was a big let down and the final reveal of who the villain was made me lift my eyebrows in disbelief but I don't want to get too into that and spoil it for someone. Needless to say this was not my style of book and no one can convince me it was a Romance just because it was in the Romance section.
dmac avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 130 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I have this series on my keeper shelf but picked up one for PBS:) Great series, my only complaint is the relatively short books:)
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 3389 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Dark Need, the third installment in Viehl's Darkyn series, finally stars the evilly delicious Lucan, former Templar knight and assasin of the vampires. He can kill with his touch, is trained in fighting with nearly every weapon, and when he gets grumpy glass shatters.Plus he's the king of Florida's vampires. Oh, yeah, he loves women, too. They are like a sultry smorgasbord for him, which he enjoys to the fullest. Then some freak kills his former mistress and Detective Samantha Brown enters his life to solve the case.

Sam is a no fuss homicide detective with a strange gift, She can read the blood of the dead with her hand. A neat trick to gain after nearly dying herself. With her attacker attempting to come back into her life, a freaky killer on the loose, and Lucan the strange new nightclub owner all vying for her attention she needs every gift she can use.

Sam and Lucan are fantastic together. Watching their stormy relationship play out is entrancing. BUT, the problem is we don't get to see enough of it! Their story gets no more time in this book than the machinations of Michael Cyprian and head boss Richard and possibly less time than John Keller and his trials with the Brethren. If you haven't read the other books in the series, If Angels Burn and Private Demon, you will be completely lost in the vampire world and its counterpoint of the creepy priests. The book gets very creepy at times with the doings of a mass murder out after Lucan.
rmg321 avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 159 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
interesting story, fun to read
daylilylover avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 768 more book reviews
Non stop action!!
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 140 more book reviews
Great book in the series of the Darkyn. Each book just gets better.
Clair avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 225 more book reviews
Loved this book. Can't wait for the next
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on
Love this series! Especially the scientific approach to the "vampires".
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 53 more book reviews
Excellent book. An alien story in which the aliens not only don't all speak English, but don't look humanoid either. The characters engaged me right off and the plot intrigued me from the beginning. This is a keeper for me.
reidwifemommy avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 67 more book reviews
I will admit to being a bit hesitant to review this book as I dont agree with the other reviewers. I disliked this book, to be honest I really was not up on this series from the get go and it seems to just get worse. I have issue with a book where the men are continually acting like jerks towards the women they supposedly love. There is protecting and caring for someone and then there is just making their decisions for them.
This book was the worst though, as a avid reader of vampire series I am constantly baffled by these books (I still cannot figure out why there are chapters on John when the main characters in the storyline get their developing romance shortened to not quite half the book) and while the fourth looks interesting it will be the last one I read as they all came at once. After reading almost every vampire series out there, I will not be finishing this one, because I don't care how it ends.
frazerc avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 672 more book reviews
Good read and I'll forgive them for the cliff hanger ending since I have book 4 on my desk. After finishing 3 of these very intense books containing multiple incidences [both current and historical:] of mayhem, torture, murder and other assorted atrocities committed by various cast members - I really wonder how there are any Kyn left? Medieval villages weren't all that large and they've been unable to make more [until now:] for 500 years - and there have been mentions of jardin wars, multiple assassination assignments for Lucan, as well as the Brotherhood's intense desire to slice and dice them one and all. How are there any left?

That said, it was good book - we all knew Lucan couldn't be the villain he was being portrayed and I really liked the heroine. Looks like she's permanently on the night shift now...

Read in order and make sure you have 3 & 4 before starting 3...

Darkyn
1. If Angels Burn (2005)
2. Private Demon (2005)
3. Dark Need (2006)
4. Night Lost (2007)
5. Evermore (2008)
6. Twilight Fall (2008)
7. Stay the Night (2009)
BFS avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 14 more book reviews
This is book #3. And is listed as the genre Dark Fantasy on Ms Viehls site. I notice the other two Lynn Viehls are listed as Romance. I debated myself. It actually has Romance, Suspense, Vamprires. I enjoyed this one much better then the first, Angels Burn and the second Private Demon
sugarsmom avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 167 more book reviews
Awesome!
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 147 more book reviews
Good book.
Zachaustlily avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 227 more book reviews
Woo! Love the Darkyn.
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 156 more book reviews
vampire romance
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 122 more book reviews
I really enjoy this series!!!
reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 65 more book reviews
samantha is a homiside cop but all the murder victoms point to a vampire club owner now she has to prove it wasn't him
asausy74 avatar reviewed Dark Need (Darkyn, Bk 3) on + 80 more book reviews
Great series, different take on the vampire world.