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katyanaish's review
4.0
I'm picking this series back up. I never wrote a review, so this is a quick little review on re-read.
I read the first couple books in this series an age ago, and I did enjoy them and had every intention of continuing. My best guess, looking at when I dropped out, is that there was an extra long gap between books (2009-2011) right as I was transitioning to kindle, and it fell off my radar. Every once in awhile I'd come across it in my feed and remember I liked it, and fully intended to pick it back up... But it took a decade or more to finally happen. Part of it is me whining about purchasing a book on Kindle that I already own in paperback, but it has been so long I definitely needed a re-read.
Anyway, it's a good book. Lots of setup, lots of characters to meet. Cassie is occasionally a little whiny, but I attribute most of that to confusion and the incredibly fast way all this unfolds - this first book literally happens over the course of a single day. That's not a lot of time to make solid, informed decisions, so she's mostly pantsing it. I can understand, given the circumstance.
Other things, quickly...
- I recall liking Pritkin when I fell out of the series a few books down the road, so I was shocked at what a total douchebag he was here. Boy, I didn't remember that at all.
- Mircea... He's tough to read. He seems to care about her, but as a possession. I couldn't live with that, and it's gratifying that Cassie can't either.
- Are all mages douchebags? The Black Circle obviously is, but the Silver Circle seems to be too, given how invested they are in offing Cassie so they have a Pythia they've indoctrinated to be totally under their thumb. Why would the Pythia allow that? Like, institutionally... She outranks them, so why does she allow this practice at all?
On to the book 2 re-read!
I read the first couple books in this series an age ago, and I did enjoy them and had every intention of continuing. My best guess, looking at when I dropped out, is that there was an extra long gap between books (2009-2011) right as I was transitioning to kindle, and it fell off my radar. Every once in awhile I'd come across it in my feed and remember I liked it, and fully intended to pick it back up... But it took a decade or more to finally happen. Part of it is me whining about purchasing a book on Kindle that I already own in paperback, but it has been so long I definitely needed a re-read.
Anyway, it's a good book. Lots of setup, lots of characters to meet. Cassie is occasionally a little whiny, but I attribute most of that to confusion and the incredibly fast way all this unfolds - this first book literally happens over the course of a single day. That's not a lot of time to make solid, informed decisions, so she's mostly pantsing it. I can understand, given the circumstance.
Other things, quickly...
- I recall liking Pritkin when I fell out of the series a few books down the road, so I was shocked at what a total douchebag he was here. Boy, I didn't remember that at all.
- Mircea... He's tough to read. He seems to care about her, but as a possession. I couldn't live with that, and it's gratifying that Cassie can't either.
- Are all mages douchebags? The Black Circle obviously is, but the Silver Circle seems to be too, given how invested they are in offing Cassie so they have a Pythia they've indoctrinated to be totally under their thumb. Why would the Pythia allow that? Like, institutionally... She outranks them, so why does she allow this practice at all?
On to the book 2 re-read!
aliceboule's review
4.0
This is one of those series that demanded to be read completely before I could review - and so this goes for the whole Cassandra Palmer series (up to book 4).
I was pleasantly suprised with Touch the Dark and Karen Chance's series. The summary sounded very similar to the hordes of vampire fiction existing in the bookstores, and I was a bit dubious at how it would turn out.
Well, turns out that I don't know what I am talking about because OBIVOUSLY the topic has not been overused -- Chance tweezed something out and it was, jaw stopping awesome.
Cassandra knows what she wants, how to get it, and will not stop until she has it -- freedom.
She never lets herself be walked all over by the reigning vampires and manages to buckle down and actually accomplish things. And within her jam packed schedule she still has time to laugh.
There was some over-crowding of history and names. And a little too much happened a way too small frame of time. At one point I thought the series was going to evolve into an anita blake book, but we were saved from that - barely. Don't get me wrong, I love me some anita blake, but one is enough.
Bref. I enjoyed reading this series. Will most definitely be reading the rest!
I was pleasantly suprised with Touch the Dark and Karen Chance's series. The summary sounded very similar to the hordes of vampire fiction existing in the bookstores, and I was a bit dubious at how it would turn out.
Well, turns out that I don't know what I am talking about because OBIVOUSLY the topic has not been overused -- Chance tweezed something out and it was, jaw stopping awesome.
Cassandra knows what she wants, how to get it, and will not stop until she has it -- freedom.
She never lets herself be walked all over by the reigning vampires and manages to buckle down and actually accomplish things. And within her jam packed schedule she still has time to laugh.
There was some over-crowding of history and names. And a little too much happened a way too small frame of time. At one point I thought the series was going to evolve into an anita blake book, but we were saved from that - barely. Don't get me wrong, I love me some anita blake, but one is enough.
Bref. I enjoyed reading this series. Will most definitely be reading the rest!
shadarawood's review
4.0
Welcome to the world of Cassie Palmer! This is a series that will have you enthralled from the first book. The battle senses are written vividly enough you can picture them in your head and since they involve, demons, Fey, vampires and Fey that is a colorful world to see through Karen Chance's eyes. I couldn't put this book down and when I reached the end just jumped on the wagon of the series and kept going.
luciearan's review against another edition
2.0
Do prvních stránek této knihy jsem se pouštěla nadšená a natěšená na zajímavý příběh. Já totiž miluju cokoliv, co je spojené s tajemnem a duchy. Pokud jde však o tuto knihu, docela jsem se přepočítala.
Autorka má zajímavý a čtivý způsob psaní, v tom bych rozhodně problém neviděla, co mi ale dost vadilo bylo, že i když je kniha plná zvratů a akce, chybí jakékoliv bližší seznámení se s hrdinkou, její historií a s fungováním daného světa. Prostě - čtenáři, zorientuj se jak můžeš a nebo si tápej po svém a poskládej si to z toho, co se tak trochu letem světem dočteš, sám. Čímž opakovaně vznikala situace, kdy jsem se několikrát v knize vracela s tím, že jsem musela nějakou dějovou spojitost přehlédnout a v marné snaze ji dohledat, protože - ona tam žádná nebyla. Takže co s tím? Kniha je ve své podstatě vážně dobrá, jen jí naprosto neskutečně chybí prequel. Bez něj, je to jen jakési zmatené tápání ve tmě.
Autorka má zajímavý a čtivý způsob psaní, v tom bych rozhodně problém neviděla, co mi ale dost vadilo bylo, že i když je kniha plná zvratů a akce, chybí jakékoliv bližší seznámení se s hrdinkou, její historií a s fungováním daného světa. Prostě - čtenáři, zorientuj se jak můžeš a nebo si tápej po svém a poskládej si to z toho, co se tak trochu letem světem dočteš, sám. Čímž opakovaně vznikala situace, kdy jsem se několikrát v knize vracela s tím, že jsem musela nějakou dějovou spojitost přehlédnout a v marné snaze ji dohledat, protože - ona tam žádná nebyla. Takže co s tím? Kniha je ve své podstatě vážně dobrá, jen jí naprosto neskutečně chybí prequel. Bez něj, je to jen jakési zmatené tápání ve tmě.
samrushingbooks's review
3.0
It has taken me so long to finish this book. People kept telling me that it started slow and that was true, so I kept going, all the while hoping that the book would grab my attention. Okay, yeah, it was decent, but not amazing. I hear that the books get better but right now I am not exactly inspired to read more.
deblyn's review
2.0
I wanted to love this, was hoping for another supernatural series to jump into. Didn’t love it. Soooo much happening, sooooo many historical characters that at one point I was like really?!? And almost every supernatural creature you can think of, (vampires, clarvoient, witches, pixies, ghosts, were wolves, were rats, shrunken heads, voodoo and satrys). Not a lot of dialogue, and it was so weird because they’d be in the middle of a huge battle, and the main character/narrator would go off about the history of something or another tangent.
thebookhaze's review
1.0
I listened to it on audiobook for the first few chapters and was bored to tears. Too much narration, not enough action.
alikatson's review
3.0
At moments this book was great but at times things happened wayyy to fast and other times there were looong conversations and info dumps. Despite this I did enjoy it and my fingers are crossed the later stories have better pacing.
So what did I like? Cassie was a good heroine - she was pretty resourceful and smart but definitely less of a warrior compared to some urban fiction heroines. She is pretty realistic about relationships and I was impressed with her ability to separate lust from other emotions and make some logical decisions. Her magic is really neat and I am looking forward to where it goes. I enjoyed her sidekick Billy Joe, a cowboy ghost.
The vampires in the story walk a fine line between creepy and sexy, and not all are gorgeous and horney all the time. There are a number of famous historical figures amongst them again some creepy, some sexy. The magicians so far seem like pricks - hopefully Cassie will meet some normal ones.
So what did I like? Cassie was a good heroine - she was pretty resourceful and smart but definitely less of a warrior compared to some urban fiction heroines. She is pretty realistic about relationships and I was impressed with her ability to separate lust from other emotions and make some logical decisions. Her magic is really neat and I am looking forward to where it goes. I enjoyed her sidekick Billy Joe, a cowboy ghost.
The vampires in the story walk a fine line between creepy and sexy, and not all are gorgeous and horney all the time. There are a number of famous historical figures amongst them again some creepy, some sexy. The magicians so far seem like pricks - hopefully Cassie will meet some normal ones.
patchworkbunny's review
3.0
I think there were too many characters being introduced and a whole load of back story for the first book in a series. Could probably have been split into 2 books and padded out with more character development. However I do like the characters of Cassie and Mercea so I would like to see how the series develops.