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: Weak lead, no plot, laughable villains, terrible dialogue
Summary: 1 Stars
All this book has brought me are headdesks and shouts of, "Why!? WHY!?"
The main character is ridiculously dense and unlikeable. Through the whole book, Cassie is either freaking out unnecessarily, or getting angry over benign situations. I'm honestly surprised this character can even figure out how to put on her hooker-wear in the morning; she's brainless and I spent most of the book slapping my forehead at the stupid decisions she made.
The writing is terrible, mainly because the author can't even stand to stay in her own scenes long enough for them to go anywhere. Chance does not know how to incorporate her characters' backgrounds (or even useless facts) gracefully. Instead of making it a smooth transition, or just *gasp* leaving out things that will never matter ever again, she steps out of the story, takes two (or more!) full pages to explain it and then comes back to the scene. The problem with this is that, by the time you get back to the actual story, you're left feeling bewildered and wondering what end of the rabbit hole you just tumbled out of.
The characterisation is laughable at best, with all the vampires being nothing more than one-note rip-offs of characters /other authors/ previously made up. The story clunks along, often making no sense, which is unfortunate. I could handle a stump-brained lead character if the the story going on around her made any sense and/or was at all interesting. This book did not engross me at all, past making me laugh at how inconsistant and bad it was. Edited: I previously had a bit here that incorrectly suggested that Chance had not researched the history she put into the book. I have taken this out, as it was explained to me, kindly, that I was wrong.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they were asking me for examples of unlikeable Mary-Sues surrounded by uninteresting hijinks caused by brainless vampires.
If you like good writing, don't buy this book. If you like Laurell K. Hamilton, you will probably love this book.
Book Review: Worth a Chance
Summary: 5 Stars
Touch the Dark is about Cassandra, a clairvoyant raised by a vampiric mafia who wanted to benefit from her visions of the future. Although, a powerful person in her own right, Cassie is blindsided by various forces all fighting to control her--the Vampire Senate, The Black Circle, The Silver Circle. Touch the Dark is a wonderful debut novel for this series. Karen Chance has put her own spin on the vampires and the various supernatural elements that are common in urban fantasy. The various characters are multifaceted and keep you guessing. The plotline was engaging and I loved that she pulled in aspects of mythology. I can't wait to read the next book.Book Review: Something to read while I wait on Sookie
Summary: 3 Stars
Just OK. I've been reading this sub-genre for a few years now and have come across fantastic series like Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1) and The Black Jewels: Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness. I've tired of Anita Blake and Merry is heading the same way, so I'm always looking for the next vampire-romance. Karen Chance has created an interesting world - and BOY does she want to explain every tiny detail of it in this first book. Ms. Chance is a bit too concerned with outlining her universe than telling the story and/or developing character.
I'll read the sequels - as something to do until Charlaine Harris and Anne Bishop's new books come out this year...From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8) and Tangled Webs: A Black Jewels Novel (Black Jewels Trilogy)
Book Review: ok but confusing
Summary: 1 Stars
this book was good at first but got very confusing fast. Too much time was spent on the whole politics of the vampires and not enough on the charactors. Might get the next one in the seies at a used book seller.
Book Review: Great book!
Summary: 4 Stars
I had never heard of this book before I bought it, but I loved it! Karen Chance's writing style is similar to Laurell K. Hamilton. There are lots of fantasy critters (wereanimals, faeries, mages, vampires, etc.), and lots of action. I definitely recommend this book!