Reviews

Brave the Tempest by Karen Chance

clockworkbook's review against another edition

4.0

I need the next book immediately! So much information and action. I love the characters and did not get nearly enough.

eg_m's review against another edition

4.0

This latest installment of the Cassandra Palmer series is the most cohesive of the last few books, and ties up some significant plot lines while holding true to the fast-paced action and excitement of the series. My complaints: 1) Too much regurgitation of prior books. It was distracting. 2)

Spoiler

I'm team Mercia and Pritkin is coming out the winner. That Ms. Chance is setting Mercia up with a consolation prize is nice, but not working for me.

sznnbrgrn's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

cassiewbee's review

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

cplumma3's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

jlaynereads's review against another edition

4.0

I agreed to read this and if I liked it maybe review it, it was given to me for free.

That said, I did like it. I was unaware that it was the 9th in a series of books so I was a bit lost at times. However, it was a great story with plenty of action, some romance & steam as well as amazing characters!

leabookjoy's review against another edition

5.0

French & English reviews (very very long xD)

OMG un tome ... En fait, je ne sais pas trop quoi en penser >< Je suis tellement partagée !! J'ai adoré mais à certains moments aussi, j'ai eu envie de me taper la tête sur un mur ...

Ce que j'ai adoré :
- CASSIE CHOISIT ENFIN (et c'est celui que je voulais =D) donc on a eu enfin le droit à des vraies scènes de sexe mais aussi des scènes mignonnes =D J'espère qu'ils auront plus de moments ensemble à l'avenir <3
- la découverte du monde des sorcières que j'ai adoré !! J'espère les revoir plus à l'avenir x) (et j'adorais avoir des nouvelles de leur point de vue ou carrément sur les guerres avec les mages !!)
- voir Louis-Cesare et Dorina du point de vue de Cassie (tellement mignons <3)
- l'avancement de la guerre qui est passionnant avec tous les jeux de pouvoir et les intrigues politiques (voir notamment les autres consuls en action =D)
- revoir d'anciens personnages avec d'autres points de vue (Caedmon <3 J'adorais avoir une nouvelle sur lui ... Et le voir tomber amoureux =D) ou les voir évoluer (Mircea est le changement le plus frappant je pense et le plus fascinant !! J'ai hâte de voir comment sa relation avec la consule va évoluer =D Et j'ai été très intriguée par l'attitude de Marlowe (tellement badass face au consul indien x)) et j'espère avoir d'autres nouvelles sur lui !!)
- voir la cour de Cassie devenir quelque chose de concret et surtout un lieu familial ! Il y a des sorcières, un ou deux mages, des vampires (Marco mais aussi Fred <3) et plein de petites filles =D
- le point de vue très bref de

Spoiler

l'incube de Pritkin

... J'espère en apprendre plus à l'avenir =D

Ce qui m'a déçu :
- les scènes de sexe ... Autant les scènes qu'on a eu avec Mircea ou même avec Louis-Cesare étaient PFIOULALA, autant là ... J'ai été hyper déçu parce qu'il y a une tension de fou entre eux et que les préliminaires étaient géniaux mais le sexe en lui-même ne m'a fait absolument pas rêver ! Et Pritkin est censé être un incube !! Le problème je pense c'est qu'à chaque fois on se concentre plus sur l'échange de pouvoir et les pensées de Cassie qui analyse tout que l'acte physique en lui-même ...
- c'est un peu mon reproche habituel pour cette auteure mais trop de descriptions un peu en kaléidoscope et parfois je me perds (notamment quand il y a

Spoiler

l'attaque sur Londres

, j'avais une impression de trop et ça casse un peu l'action !) et de blablas de Cassie (on a parfois l'impression qu'elle nous résume tout ce qui s'est passé avant ... Sauf que si on lit le neuvième tome, c'est qu'on a déjà lu les précédents !)
- je m'attendais tellement à une histoire tournant autour du

Spoiler

chantage de Mircea

et en fait pas du tout !! Et j'ai trouvé Cassie ... Je ne sais pas, je pensais qu'elle allait être furieuse, se mettre en colère et que ça servirait de déclencheur pour qu'elle s'émancipe un peu plus !! Et en fait, elle continue les mêmes erreurs alors que dans le précédent tome j'avais vraiment pensé qu'elle avait évolué pour embrasser la badass en elle !!
- pas assez de Pritkin >< J'ai eu l'impression qu'il était toujours parti ailleurs !! Et Cassie qui se retrouve toute seule à tout gérer ...
- j'ai lu que je n'étais pas la seule à avoir été surprise mais on a 9 tomes et pourtant, il n'y a que quatre mois qui se sont écoulés ??!! (ça pourrait expliquer le fait que Cassie n'arrive toujours pas à assumer son nouveau statut ...)

Bref, c'est un livre que j'ai dévoré et adoré mais avec aussi ses défauts ... Malgré toutes mes critiques, Karen Chance reste une de mes auteures préférées parce que j'adore son univers et ses personnages =D


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OMG a book ... In fact, I don't know what to think about it >< I am so torn !! I loved it but sometimes, I wanted to bang my head on a wall ...

What I loved :
- CASSIE CHOSE FINALLY (and that's the one I wanted =D) so we finally had THE sex scenes but also cute scenes =D I hope they will have more moment together in the future <3
- the discovery of the world of witches that I loved !! I hope to see them again in the future x) (and I would love to read things or a short-story about them or just about the wars with the Silver Circle !)
- seeing Louis-Cesare and Dorina from Cassie's point of view (so cute <3)
- the progress of the war which is exciting with all the power games and political intrigues (seeing especially the other consuls in action =D)
- seeing old characters with other points of view (Caedmon <3 I would love to have a short-story about him ... And seeing him fall in love =D) or seeing them evolve (Mircea is the most striking change I think and the most fascinating !! I can't wait to see how his relationship with the consule will evolve =D And I was very intrigued by the attitude of Marlowe (so badass against the Indian consul x)) and I hope to have other short-story about him !!)
- seeing the court of Cassie becoming something concrete and especially a family place ! There are witches, one or two mages, vampires (Marco but also Fred <3) and lots of little girls =D
-

Spoiler

Pritkin's incubus

POV ... I hope to learn more in the future about him =D

What disappointed me :
- The scenes of sex ... Much as the scenes we had with Mircea or even with Louis-Cesare were PFIOULALA, there ... I was super disappointed because there was a steamy tension between them and the preliminaries were great but the sex itself didn't make me dream ! And Pritkin is supposed to be an incubus !! The problem I think is that each time we focus more on the exchange of power and the thoughts of Cassie who analyzes everything that the physical act in itself ...
- it's a bit my usual reproach for this author but too many descriptions a little like a kaleidoscope and sometimes I get lost (especially when there is the

Spoiler

attack on London

, I had an impression of too much and it stops a little the action!) and Cassie's blahs (we sometimes have the impression that she summarizes everything that happened before ... Except that if we read the ninth book, it's because we already read the previous ones !)
- I was so expecting a story about

Spoiler

Mircea's blackmail

and not at all ! And I found Cassie ... I don't know, I thought she was going to be furious, get angry and that it would serve as a trigger for her to emancipate a little more !! And in fact, she continues the same mistakes while in the previous book I really thought she had evolved to embrace her inner badass !
- not enough Pritkin >< I had the impression that he was always gone elsewhere !! And Cassie who finds herself alone to manage everything ...
- I read that I was not the only one to have been surprised but we have 9 books and yet, only four months have passed ?? !! (That could explain the fact that Cassie still can't assume her new status ...)

In short, it's a book that I devoured and loved but also with its faults ... Despite all my criticisms, Karen Chance remains one of my favorite authors because I love her universe and her characters =D

hgranger's review against another edition

2.0

Really 2.5 stars. Too much filler, not enough story/ character development. Bonus points for Rhea, Marco, Rico, and Dorina. Points taken for even the hint of Mircea-induced stupidity. That has to stop. Please!

bookwife's review against another edition

3.0

I.. I’m not sure what to think about this book. I feel like I have been looking forward to a book where she isn’t with the vampire and she can freely be with Pritkin. But the thing is, I hated Cassie in this book. She cried a lot and her self doubt was unbearable. I get she’s had some shit thrown at her but I just didn’t understand why all of a sudden her strong-ness went away. In the other books she took everything that came at her and she dealt with it. In this book she cried and got mad at everyone. I just didn’t like her here. She wasn’t good enough for Pritkin.

Pritkin is amazing. I love him. I love him so much. He’s all I wanted in this book and we got him.

I will probably have to stop reading if she ever goes back to the vampire because I hate him.

I gave this book 3 stars... mainly actually only because Cassie got weird and I didn’t like it. But the storyline was good.

mallaidhsomo's review against another edition

5.0

5 "Of course I love you, you complete idiot" stars.

Karen finally got her groove back. After a couple of lackluster entries, KC is back with what is officially my favorite book in this series.

I am ruined for all other book boyfriends.

Now, despite the 5 yummy stars, BtT isn't perfect. It still suffers from a lot of long windedness, as all Karen's books tend to do, but for the most part, most of it felt necessary.

There was resolution with Mircea, and despite the fact that I am VERY biased about who I think Cassie should be with (more on that in a sec