Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780671319946
ISBN number: 0671319949
Label: Baen
Manufacturer: Baen
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: 2001-05
Publishing house: Baen
Release Date: May 22, 2001
Sale Popularity Level: 884301
Studio: Baen
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Rated by buyers 
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And, who you ask it from...Yes, definitely know the God you are praying to and what they can do.
Nine year old Brenna Fallon wants her old hound dog to live--so badly, she prays to the Celtic God of healing and hounds, Mars Nodens. Her prayer is granted, but she's unwittingly opened a gate on her property.
The subsequent burial of her dog after a good, longer than average, life and some teens discovering the place for a party, further enliven the magic spot.
Now, 27 year old Brenna has to cope with a new strain of rabies that effects both man and dog. She has some unexpected help from Druid a Cardigan Welsh Corgi and Masera, this book's version of Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. Very nicely balanced fantasy romance with a decent amount of action interspersed. Definitely keeps you reading. Highly recommended for dog lovers, fantasy lovers, romance lovers.
Only one down note: the theology discusion is probably a little tiresome for some. Other than that, very interesting and well-written. Bravo!
Rated by buyers 
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Brenna Falon is a dog groomer working in a pet shop. She has a knack with dogs or so she thinks, but you see her "knack" stems from a time when she was nine years old and in danger of losing her beloved dog. The young Brenna, armed with a girl's naiveté and a little knowledge, called upon Mars Nodens--a god of healing--to save her dog.
Without knowing what she was doing, she created a place of power near the spring that ran through her family's property thereby giving the god a place to dwell. When, her dog finally dies at an amazingly advanced age, she buries him in this sacred place and raises a cairn of rocks to mark the place. Years pass with her often visiting the grave and "keeping it nice" not realising that by doing so she is keeping the site active and inadvertently praying to Mars Nodens by thinking of the good times she and her pet had together.
Things go wrong when a group of rowdy teenagers desecrate the site and shed blood. A dark power is released to contest ownership of the spring and of Brenna. A new strain of rabies begins to take its toll over the animal and human population. Brenna struggles to understand what is happening and together with a man she doesn't entirely trust, she fights against to the darkness and its human servant.
This book was okay, but not even close to what Ms Durgin can produce. I recommend skipping this one in favour of Dun Lady's Jess, Changespell, Changespell Legacy, or Wolf Justice
Mark E. Cooper...
Rated by buyers -
When she was a little girl, Brenna Fallon loved her pet dog more than anything. She couldn't bear the thought of his death, but she knew that he was getting old. She read about an ancient god named Mars Nodens, who was said to favor dogs and decided that she would ask him to let her dog live longer. Unfortunately, her prayer was answered...
Years later, Brenna discovers that she opened a gateway of power by a spring on her property - a gateway that can be used for both great good and great evil. To survive, she must rely on her wits and follow her instincts to strengthen the gateway as a power for good. She also finds assistance from a mysterious stranger, Masera, whom she is unwillingly attracted to. But her greatest helpmate is a puzzling stray dog named Druid who becomes far more than a faithful companion...
This book was a fun find for me as it is different than your typical fantasy. I like dogs, but do not own one, and it was very entertaining to hear about Brenna's job as a dog groomer and all of the problems that she has to deal with every day. The book is packed with interesting characters and I enjoyed meeting all of them. The plot was pretty well-paced, it seemed to kind of stall in a couple of spots, but it kept me going and I read it in one sitting. My only complaint is that Durgin spent quite a bit of time on a debate between Christian religions (believing in a God) and pagan religions where there are many gods. The main character, Brenna, struggles with believing in both and visits the priest at the church a couple of times, has inner debates, etc. It was a little distasteful to me, but nothing bad, of course. Still, it caught me unpleasantly by surprise and I just want to offer a fair warning!
Rated by buyers 
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I used to be a dog groomer and am now a State Animal Control Officer. I started reading Doranna Durgin books with Touched by Magic which, in my opinion, is by far her best book I have read so far. Durgin is a fresh writer who definately did her homework on this book. She talks about subjects I deal with on a daily basis and is right on the money on every subject. Her descriptions of the dogs and the "day in the life of a dog groomer" are extremely accurate. All of her books are GREAT!! I have shared them with a co-worker who is also a sci-fi/fantasy fan. When she came out with this book, I just had to share it with him, since it is right up our alley. He loved it too!!
The book is about a young heroine who dabbles in the mystic powers of the great beyond and bites off more than she can chew. I highly recommend any fantasy fan to read this book, finally an author who writes about a subject new and fresh!! This book is like none other you have ever read. Doranna is a wonderful writer, ENJOY!!!
Rated by buyers -
As a child, Brenna Fallon loved her dog so much, she invoked the spirit of Mars Nodens (a god of healing who favored hounds) to heal her dying, canine companion. Years later, the sacred spot where she invoked the god is desecrated and a malevolent force is building, waiting to be unleashed. That time is now.
A dark and oppressive force, angry neighbors, vicious animal attacks, all hint at the approaching modern Black Death. Before you know it, animals and people start dying. Brenna, with the help of a handsome, mysterious stranger and a quirky stray dog, must find the strength to fight back against this evil plague. For she's been having chilling glimpses into the future...and it's ugly.
A FERAL DARKNESS has just enough romance in it to keep me satisfied. When Brenna and Gil very first meet, they don't even like each other. While working together they start to learn things about the other person and fall in love. The loves scenes are "G" rated, and it is so refreshing to read about the romance instead of where the couple jump into bed thirty seconds after meeting! It was nice to see Brenna and Gil grow closer, and start to care for each other.
Ms. Durgin does an amazing job with her characters, endowing them with little quirks that made them seem so alive, especially Druid, the stray dog. If you like dogs, you'll fall in love with Druid, who is very charming and delightful. Brenna is just a regular woman who is trying to deal with what is going on the best she can. She is smart and intuitive, but she doesn't have all the answers and I liked her because of that.
If you are looking for a book that has romance, some paranormal elements, is expertly written with wonderful characters and has a smooth pace that leads up to a climatic finish, A FERAL DARKNESS is the book for you and it is not to be missed.
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