Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1) by Karen Chance Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)
Book Review: Good read, but not quite original
Summary: 4 Stars
...like some of the other reviewers already commented on.
It starts of in mysterie:Cassie, the main character recieves a fake obituary on her computer and realises it's time to run away - who from and why is not clear from the onset, or what she does for a living: she has two jobs, but the first one is never mentioned (which bothered me a bit, but maybe I'm just picky).
The story is set in this world, but with all the preternatural creatures in it + whiches and mages of whom the rest of the world don't have a clue about.
As the story develops, the world in which Cassie lives is explained bit by bit. If you want the readers to understand your world, you have to explain is and she does a good job, but sometimes there's a bit too much explaining, maybe she should have kept her world a little simpler of spread it out a bit in following books...
It is true that the story is not highly original. Vamps will be vamps, with all the power playing, backstabbing, betraying and sceming that go with that territory.
Some compared Cassie with Anita Blake. There are some points where they meet: powers they never asked for, do not want, have no controle over, and everyone wanting a piece of them because of this power. Being tempted by beautiful vampires and, though fooling around a little bit, not wanting to go all the way. This last bit of course only apllies to the Anita in the good old days, before she started sleeping with too many men to count...
Big difference: Cassie's not a big fan of violence dispite the fact that she grew up at a vampires court and saw it on a regular basis. You gotta love a girl who's willing to try diplomacy first, too many heroins go in with their guns blazing...
Some well know historical figures make there appearence as vampires: Dracula's brothers and Rasputin of whom one might expect this. Nice where the unexpected ones: Marlowe and Raffael.
Most vampire characters where well developed and it was good to know that at least in this world there are some truly ugly vampires, not all GQ models like in some books... There were some really good dialogue. Not as humourous as some vampire books but (to quote Laurell K Hamilton as Merry Gentry): a girl doesn't always need to laugh !
The book has an ending... of sorts... the last pages just scream sequel ! I haven't read the second one yet though... I hope it's as good as the first one, because I really liked it, read the whole thing in two days.
Book Review: a bit rushed
Summary: 3 Stars
The book is good, a lot of time seems to be spent building up the story and the characters, so you get a good picture of them. However the story itself is just too quick. Half the book builds up the characters, a quarter builds the plot and then all of a sudden its finished with. So it is a good read if you are not expecting much of a explosive finish.Book Review: Vampires, Spirits and Mages...Oh My!
Summary: 5 Stars
'Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits-talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead. The ghosts of the dead aren't usually dangerous; they just like to talk...a lot. The undead are another matter. Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire senate for protection. The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire-and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay...'
LOVE it! 'Touch the Dark' is the first novel in a throat gripping, action packed series.
I love that Karen Chance writes this world as if the reader already has knowledge of it. Every turn leads to more supernatural creatures, spells and history. You learn more about the loveable Cassie with every page turn and are left wanting to know more.
This series is brilliant...More, more, more!!!
Book Review: A Must Read
Summary: 5 Stars
I cannot recommend highly enough both Touch the Dark and Claimed by Shadow. I've read both books twice and I can't get enough of the characters. Karen Chance has created such an amazing world that you become completely emersed. I stumbled on these books by complete accident and they have been the best read I've had in ages. Looking forward to (Book 3) Embrace the Dark (out next April).Book Review: Three and a Half Stars
Summary: 3 Stars
Three years ago Cassandra Palmer betrayed the vampire mafioso who killed her parents, to the human authorities. According to a cryptic computer message her past has finally caught up with her and it's time to run again. However, when escaping is no longer an option, she has to turn to the Vampire Senate for protection, but their help doesn't come for free.
Karen Chance can tell a rollicking good story. Her characters are fantastic, her dialogue is witty. And she is very good at building up sexual tension.
She starts off with a great first line:-
"I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the obituary. The fact that it had my name on it was sort of a clue."
The story powerhouses from there.
Some of it is hysterically funny. Possibly my favourite section of the book is when they're trying to get Jimmy out of the cage. It's like a textbook example of things rapidly going from bad to worse. And when Cassie initially possesses Tomas and is telling Louis-Cesare to shut up, and LC thinks it's Tomas (not understanding it's Cassie in there), is just hilarious. Karen Chance pulls this three-way conversation off brilliantly.
I love how all her characters are individuals with their own little quirks. Pritkin in particular. It's a great name and fits him to a tee. He reminded me of a banty rooster with apoplexy whenever he came on-page.
However, even though I loved the story I did have a few problems.
The author often stops in the middle of the action to infodump - whether it's on magical wards during the first fight scene, why people become ghosts, or magical theory. It's annoying. Yes, I'm interested in this stuff if it's going to be important to the story, but not halfway through some major action.
The number of times that other characters say to Cassie either that she belongs to the Silver Circle, or that she is a sybil. And she just ignores them. The reader has clearly heard the comments but somehow they pass Cassie by. This happens not once, but on several occasions. She doesn't question this 'til page 223. It's as if she has selective deafness.
Things happen and I wasn't always clear about what's going on or who's present. Cassie needs to pay better attention to her surroundings so it's not so confusing for the reader. You wouldn't know people were in the same room as Cassie until they started talking or fighting, then it's like `Who are these people?'.
Finally the ending, which I think in another story might have annoyed me. There isn't really a conclusion as such. Do we assume that the good guys won the day? Cassie left Mircea in the past, we never come back to the future, so we don't know for sure what happened. But somehow this ending fits with the rest of the story. I wasn't disappointed I just wanted to get onto the next book.