Title: Spider Game
Series: Ghostwalker Book #12
Author: Christine Feehan
Genre: Romance, Paranormal
Blurb: The Cajun dive in the middle of the godforsaken swamps wasn’t exactly Trap Dawkins’ idea of fun. But the GhostWalker wasn’t there for a good time. He was looking for her. Cayenne. It’s where she found her victims. Poor suckers. Then again, who wouldn’t want to leave a place like this with a woman like her?
It’s not Cayenne’s fault. Locked up, experimented on and never knowing kindness, she was bred this way—with a heart of pure venom. Trap understands her. He survived his own dark past and he shares her desire for getting even. But now Trap’s greatest danger is Cayenne herself. Because what’s inside her is hard to control—especially when it’s aroused by a lover as reckless as Trap.
Thoughts: By now it has somewhat become common knowledge that many readers are dissatisfied with the direction that Feehan’s books have went in. Let’s face it, we all also have different tastes in reading material – while I might rave over a book and give it five stars, someone else may just not connect with it at all. From the moment I picked up Feehan’s books, I fell in a big way for her writing and have been a avid fan of hers – and even I have been growing increasingly frustrated with her books. First, I grew discontent with the Carpathian series, then the Jaguar series, and – I’m sad to say –now with the Ghostwalker series. While many past reviews have critiqued her for the ‘darker’ writing, the violence of her characters, the purported ‘abuse’ of the female characters by the men, etc., oddly enough that is not my issue at all. My dissatisfaction stems from the lack of connection I have anymore to these characters. The old magic is missing. I well remember being sucked into the story of two characters and being so enthralled I could not put the book down. I still go back and re-read a lot of Feehan’s older writing and many of her books stand among my favorites even today.
I think the crux of it is that as people we grow and change and are shaped by the events around us. For author’s a lot of it is reflected in their writing. A perfect example of this is Iris Johansen – who is one of my absolute favorite authors. I picked up all of her old titles (many of them Loveswept romances) and I frequently go back and read a lot of books by her. She, too, was an exceptional writer. However, Ms. Johansen sort of stepped away from those romances and branched out into the more suspenseful books and….well, we went our separate ways. I respect that her writing took her in a new direction…..but that writing is just not for me as a reader. I feel that same way about Ms. Feehan. While she has stayed in the same genre, the books today are vastly different from the earlier in the series. Honestly, approaching these books without knowing the author, I would never have linked the Christine Feehan of today to that of Christine Feehan in the past. For me it is almost like two separate authors.
I believe that this will be my last Feehan book. I’ve really tried, but the books just don’t have that magic for me anymore. However, I will still look fondly upon her as I do Iris Johansen – and think of her as a long lost friend with whom I used to be connected to, but now have drifted apart from.
Rate: C
