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Cassandra Palmer #1
Touch the Dark
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...
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...
307 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 6, 2006
968 people are currently reading
23829 people want to read
About the author
Karen Chance
62 books5,245 followersKaren Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in Florida near her family home. Visit her website or connect with her on Facebook here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,991 reviews
October 31, 2010
What can I say about Touch The Dark by Karen Chance?
First of all there are vampires. Yes!
Second of all, there is a heroine and a few sexy vamps around. Yes!
Then there is Cleopatra, Dracula’s brother, Eustache Dauger, Rasputin, The Oracle, Raphael (I’m pretty sure they’re referring to Raphael Sanzio da Urbino), Kit Marlowe, Jack the Ripper and whatever other historic celebrities that Chance can possibly dream up.
It’s almost like she’s jumping up and down, waving her arms screaming, “I know history and stuff!” and I found it a tad overkill.
Also, as I’m sure many have mentioned, there is a problem in this story with info dumps. I read people complaining about this but I don’t think I could possibly get the full info dump memo until I read this book myself. I’m shitting you not, this book has serious problems with info dumps.
I’ll give an example.
Imagine I’m writing a totally awesome review. That wouldn’t be hard to do, right?
And in the middle of explaining something, using one of my usual, snarky, totally catchphrase worthy lines, I start mumbling about the scientific explanation behind why the sky is blue. Obviously, because it’s me, you’re still riveted but you can’t help but wonder when I intend to start talking about shit that actually matters.
Like that…
Well, Chance does this all the time. They were in the middle of a certain-death battle when Cassandra Palmers starts giving a detailed explanation in the form, function and differing types of wards and what her history is with them. What is this, a Hogwarts classroom? I don’t care how wards work as long as you get back to telling me whether that vampire ripped your long-winded throat out!
They literally spend two thirds of the book in a single room just talking about… stuff. I couldn’t even really sum up what they were talking about. They were all just talking and I found myself drowning in a faintly reminiscent feeling. That feeling that you get when you suddenly realize HOLY SHIT! I’M READING ANITA BLAKE’S ILLEGITIMATE SPAWN!
Don’t. Just don’t.
Also, Mircea, (Chance, Hamilton called, she wants Jean Claude back in his leather pants and pansy-ass girly-erotica shirts before you send him home) is totally, totally a pedobear! I’m sorry, Cassandra’s been his since she was twelve? Very disturbing when coupled with Cassandra’s recollection of spending hours sitting in Mircea’s lap and doing his hair.
Mircea, meet my friend Chris Hansen. Chris Hansen, why don’t you ask Mircea to have a seat.
Other than the squick factor I found Mircea and the other men in this book infinitely sexier and better than the ones in Anita Blake so that's a positive at least.
This book does something it should never have done and that was to mess with time travel. Note: avoid messing with time travel because invariably you will bugger it all up. Time travel is a tricky concept. You can’t just go change things in history willy-nilly. It doesn’t really work like that and Chance doesn’t quite manage to adequately pull off the time-travel aspect in the novel.
Despite all its flaws, I’m kind of interested to see where this series goes. Unfortunately, my library doesn’t stock the rest of the series so that means I’ll have to wait a while.
Over all, the writing was okay, the characters were interesting even if there were way too many historical guest appearances for my tastes. The moral to the story is that it shows promise of good action, sexiness and wit. Just my kind of thing even if men with long hair isn’t.
First of all there are vampires. Yes!
Second of all, there is a heroine and a few sexy vamps around. Yes!
Then there is Cleopatra, Dracula’s brother, Eustache Dauger, Rasputin, The Oracle, Raphael (I’m pretty sure they’re referring to Raphael Sanzio da Urbino), Kit Marlowe, Jack the Ripper and whatever other historic celebrities that Chance can possibly dream up.
It’s almost like she’s jumping up and down, waving her arms screaming, “I know history and stuff!” and I found it a tad overkill.
Also, as I’m sure many have mentioned, there is a problem in this story with info dumps. I read people complaining about this but I don’t think I could possibly get the full info dump memo until I read this book myself. I’m shitting you not, this book has serious problems with info dumps.
I’ll give an example.
Imagine I’m writing a totally awesome review. That wouldn’t be hard to do, right?
And in the middle of explaining something, using one of my usual, snarky, totally catchphrase worthy lines, I start mumbling about the scientific explanation behind why the sky is blue. Obviously, because it’s me, you’re still riveted but you can’t help but wonder when I intend to start talking about shit that actually matters.
Like that…
Well, Chance does this all the time. They were in the middle of a certain-death battle when Cassandra Palmers starts giving a detailed explanation in the form, function and differing types of wards and what her history is with them. What is this, a Hogwarts classroom? I don’t care how wards work as long as you get back to telling me whether that vampire ripped your long-winded throat out!
They literally spend two thirds of the book in a single room just talking about… stuff. I couldn’t even really sum up what they were talking about. They were all just talking and I found myself drowning in a faintly reminiscent feeling. That feeling that you get when you suddenly realize HOLY SHIT! I’M READING ANITA BLAKE’S ILLEGITIMATE SPAWN!
Don’t. Just don’t.
Also, Mircea, (Chance, Hamilton called, she wants Jean Claude back in his leather pants and pansy-ass girly-erotica shirts before you send him home) is totally, totally a pedobear! I’m sorry, Cassandra’s been his since she was twelve? Very disturbing when coupled with Cassandra’s recollection of spending hours sitting in Mircea’s lap and doing his hair.
Mircea, meet my friend Chris Hansen. Chris Hansen, why don’t you ask Mircea to have a seat.
Other than the squick factor I found Mircea and the other men in this book infinitely sexier and better than the ones in Anita Blake so that's a positive at least.
This book does something it should never have done and that was to mess with time travel. Note: avoid messing with time travel because invariably you will bugger it all up. Time travel is a tricky concept. You can’t just go change things in history willy-nilly. It doesn’t really work like that and Chance doesn’t quite manage to adequately pull off the time-travel aspect in the novel.
Despite all its flaws, I’m kind of interested to see where this series goes. Unfortunately, my library doesn’t stock the rest of the series so that means I’ll have to wait a while.
Over all, the writing was okay, the characters were interesting even if there were way too many historical guest appearances for my tastes. The moral to the story is that it shows promise of good action, sexiness and wit. Just my kind of thing even if men with long hair isn’t.
April 27, 2017
*2.5 Stars*
I'm conflicted over this one, as most readers have been. My main problem is that I've already read the Anita Blake series, and Touch the Dark is so similar that you almost have to wonder why she wasn't called out on plagiarism. I could be being unfair, but it's not like I can unread or block out the books and series I've already read. I apologize if you're reading this and haven't read the Anita Blake series at all, and it's very possible you'll enjoy Touch the Dark more if you haven't, but I can't help but compare the two.
When I first started, Cassie really felt like old-Anita to me. She seemed head-strong, independent, always running from trouble, and obviously there was something special about her. I liked old-Anita so I wasn't turned off by these similarities. I also really enjoyed her ghost friends and her abilities, I thought they were refreshing and very interesting, but unfortunately underused.
What I was turned off by were the male characters, because I had felt like I'd already met them before. Mircea was the book's saving grace though, and I think that's because he reminds me of old-Jean-Claude. He's sexy, dangerous, and cunning, but still cares for Cassie, albeit in a very pragmatic way.
Chance's penchant for giving her men long crazy hair was almost an instant turn-off for me. I don't mind shoulder-length hair on a guy, but any longer and I can only think that he's going to be high-maintenance and all that hair is just going to get in the way during sex. Plus, this is yet another thing that Laurell K. Hamilton overuses as well.
I know there's a faction on this site that swears by Pritkin's sexiness, but I found him to be like a yapping ankle-biting dog that you just want to punt across the room. I think he's the type of person that grows on you, maybe? At this point I don't hate him, but that's because I don't even care about him enough to bother with the emotion. He also reminds me of Richard with his ignorance and preaching, especially about how vampires are monsters, while he himself uses magic to maim and kill. I hate Richard now so much that I can't even remember liking him. Pritkin seems to be just like him with his hypocrisy and temper tantrums.
I didn't really get that big of a feel for Louis-Cesare, yet he did remind me of Asher in a way with how he was tortured and used for sex. But as for Louis-Cesare's personality, I didn't really get much and I'm not attached to him at all.
In the beginning, Tomas reminded me of Nathaniel with the obvious comparison of being a lost boy living on the street selling his body. He wasn't what he seemed though and I was bothered by what happens with him the most. I'm kind of disappointed where she took his character and it honestly didn't feel like that's the way things would have played out.
Aside from the carbon copy characters, the other thing that I was disappointed with was the use of historical figures. At first it was kind of neat, but then it just became silly and I rolled my eyes at having Rasputin, Jack the Ripper, Dracula's brothers, Cleopatra, and Raphael all appearing on the pages. It's one thing to have Elvis running around Bon Temps, but when more than half of your characters are people you didn't even create, it makes me wonder if you have a hard time coming up with your own ideas.
Now if you can look past these things, it's still possible you might be unhappy with her writing style. Chance seems to think that telling us what happened and bombarding us with information is better than letting the events play out naturally. I was aware of the giant info-dumps before I started so they didn't bother me as much as they might someone else. I really wanted more dialogue though, because she does do a good job with it.
Another big thing that I hate that LKH does in both her series, is explaining something to the reader, and then a few pages later explaining the same thing to a character. Chance unfortunately does this a few times as well, although she's nowhere as bad as LKH. Just skip the explanation for the reader, we can learn things along with the characters just fine.
I have to say, as something positive, I was excited when I got to the first really sexy scene. Mircea is HOT and what he says and does to Cassie practically scorches the pages. But Cassie. Oh Cassie. She should just shut her mouth. Her need for answers and her horrible timing really pissed me off. I swear this book must hold the record for the longest foreplay ever, and at the end I was shaking my fist at Raphael, enraged. (Even though it wasn't his fault.)
The time travel aspect kind of made me mad too, for its faulty logic. You can't go back in time to fix something, if you do, you won't need to go back in time to fix it. As a hypothetical example, say you accidentally hit someone with your car and kill them. You have the ability to go back in time so you go back a few hours and maybe hide your car keys on yourself so you leave later and miss the accident. The accident doesn't happen so the person lives. So you have no reason to go back in time now and this creates a paradox because the you that went back in time doesn't exist. If you go back in time so someone doesn't die, then you won't have to go back in time because that person didn't die. I know there are other theories out there but this is the one that I believe. Chance sort of gets around this paradox in a way, but she does it sloppily. Honestly though, this wasn't even my biggest gripe of the whole novel so it didn't influence my rating all that much.
Most of all, I think Chance just tried to cram too many things into a first book. I never felt confused though and I was never lost, but she could have spread a couple of the storylines over a few books to really flesh things out. The info-dumps were poorly done and most of the characters were flat and unoriginal. I do like Cassie though, and I thought it was odd that a lot of people that had the same problems as me found her to be annoying. I like her in the way I used to like Anita. She has some of the same annoying characteristics, and I don't mind if a character has flaws, but if it gets to the point where Cassie doesn't learn and grow, then I might agree with other reviewers down the line. I also loved loved loved Mircea and I'm anxious to read more about him. He really saved the novel for me and he makes me glad I bought the whole series.
I'll read the next book sometime soon since Touch the Dark had an unresolved ending, but I'm really hoping that a lot of the problems I had with this book decrease greatly in the next. Otherwise, I'll probably feel the same way I do about the Anita Blake series now; disappointed and frustrated.
I'm conflicted over this one, as most readers have been. My main problem is that I've already read the Anita Blake series, and Touch the Dark is so similar that you almost have to wonder why she wasn't called out on plagiarism. I could be being unfair, but it's not like I can unread or block out the books and series I've already read. I apologize if you're reading this and haven't read the Anita Blake series at all, and it's very possible you'll enjoy Touch the Dark more if you haven't, but I can't help but compare the two.
When I first started, Cassie really felt like old-Anita to me. She seemed head-strong, independent, always running from trouble, and obviously there was something special about her. I liked old-Anita so I wasn't turned off by these similarities. I also really enjoyed her ghost friends and her abilities, I thought they were refreshing and very interesting, but unfortunately underused.
What I was turned off by were the male characters, because I had felt like I'd already met them before. Mircea was the book's saving grace though, and I think that's because he reminds me of old-Jean-Claude. He's sexy, dangerous, and cunning, but still cares for Cassie, albeit in a very pragmatic way.
Chance's penchant for giving her men long crazy hair was almost an instant turn-off for me. I don't mind shoulder-length hair on a guy, but any longer and I can only think that he's going to be high-maintenance and all that hair is just going to get in the way during sex. Plus, this is yet another thing that Laurell K. Hamilton overuses as well.
I know there's a faction on this site that swears by Pritkin's sexiness, but I found him to be like a yapping ankle-biting dog that you just want to punt across the room. I think he's the type of person that grows on you, maybe? At this point I don't hate him, but that's because I don't even care about him enough to bother with the emotion. He also reminds me of Richard with his ignorance and preaching, especially about how vampires are monsters, while he himself uses magic to maim and kill. I hate Richard now so much that I can't even remember liking him. Pritkin seems to be just like him with his hypocrisy and temper tantrums.
I didn't really get that big of a feel for Louis-Cesare, yet he did remind me of Asher in a way with how he was tortured and used for sex. But as for Louis-Cesare's personality, I didn't really get much and I'm not attached to him at all.
In the beginning, Tomas reminded me of Nathaniel with the obvious comparison of being a lost boy living on the street selling his body. He wasn't what he seemed though and I was bothered by what happens with him the most. I'm kind of disappointed where she took his character and it honestly didn't feel like that's the way things would have played out.
Aside from the carbon copy characters, the other thing that I was disappointed with was the use of historical figures. At first it was kind of neat, but then it just became silly and I rolled my eyes at having Rasputin, Jack the Ripper, Dracula's brothers, Cleopatra, and Raphael all appearing on the pages. It's one thing to have Elvis running around Bon Temps, but when more than half of your characters are people you didn't even create, it makes me wonder if you have a hard time coming up with your own ideas.
Now if you can look past these things, it's still possible you might be unhappy with her writing style. Chance seems to think that telling us what happened and bombarding us with information is better than letting the events play out naturally. I was aware of the giant info-dumps before I started so they didn't bother me as much as they might someone else. I really wanted more dialogue though, because she does do a good job with it.
Another big thing that I hate that LKH does in both her series, is explaining something to the reader, and then a few pages later explaining the same thing to a character. Chance unfortunately does this a few times as well, although she's nowhere as bad as LKH. Just skip the explanation for the reader, we can learn things along with the characters just fine.
I have to say, as something positive, I was excited when I got to the first really sexy scene. Mircea is HOT and what he says and does to Cassie practically scorches the pages. But Cassie. Oh Cassie. She should just shut her mouth. Her need for answers and her horrible timing really pissed me off. I swear this book must hold the record for the longest foreplay ever, and at the end I was shaking my fist at Raphael, enraged. (Even though it wasn't his fault.)
The time travel aspect kind of made me mad too, for its faulty logic. You can't go back in time to fix something, if you do, you won't need to go back in time to fix it. As a hypothetical example, say you accidentally hit someone with your car and kill them. You have the ability to go back in time so you go back a few hours and maybe hide your car keys on yourself so you leave later and miss the accident. The accident doesn't happen so the person lives. So you have no reason to go back in time now and this creates a paradox because the you that went back in time doesn't exist. If you go back in time so someone doesn't die, then you won't have to go back in time because that person didn't die. I know there are other theories out there but this is the one that I believe. Chance sort of gets around this paradox in a way, but she does it sloppily. Honestly though, this wasn't even my biggest gripe of the whole novel so it didn't influence my rating all that much.
Most of all, I think Chance just tried to cram too many things into a first book. I never felt confused though and I was never lost, but she could have spread a couple of the storylines over a few books to really flesh things out. The info-dumps were poorly done and most of the characters were flat and unoriginal. I do like Cassie though, and I thought it was odd that a lot of people that had the same problems as me found her to be annoying. I like her in the way I used to like Anita. She has some of the same annoying characteristics, and I don't mind if a character has flaws, but if it gets to the point where Cassie doesn't learn and grow, then I might agree with other reviewers down the line. I also loved loved loved Mircea and I'm anxious to read more about him. He really saved the novel for me and he makes me glad I bought the whole series.
I'll read the next book sometime soon since Touch the Dark had an unresolved ending, but I'm really hoping that a lot of the problems I had with this book decrease greatly in the next. Otherwise, I'll probably feel the same way I do about the Anita Blake series now; disappointed and frustrated.
September 11, 2017
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would be "busy". Not so action-packed, although there was plenty of that, but the fact that every magical creature, mythology, urban legend, religious legend, and infamous historical person you can think of was included in this story. It's like when someone decides to order a pizza and puts so many toppings on it that it really doesn't resemble a pizza anymore.
What the hell is going on here?
Here is a breakdown of SOME of what's included in this story:
Cassandra Palmer - our heroine. Raised with vampires, a clairvoyant, but "more", sees dead people, has a ghost side-kick, is running from a hit-man vampire, is a virgin, but has a magical vagina because all the vamps want a piece of that.
Gangster Vampires - bad guys trying to kill Cassy because she ratted out their organization to the cops who don't believe in vampires, but they got them on tax evasion.
Ruler Vampires - bad/good guys who are led by Cleopatra (yes, THE Cleopatra, not Cleopatra Smith) who want to protect Cassy as long as she is willing to have sex with one of them and be their tool forever. (Oh, and by the by, Jack the Ripper is in this group.)
Rebel Vampires - bad guys who are led by Rasputin (yes, THAT Rasputin, not Cleo Smith's husband) and are trying to kill the ruler vamps to take over.
Satyrs - they are cocktail servers in a casino and some of them may or may not shift into rats.
Wererats - see above.
Dark Mages - bad guys who are siding with Rasputin.
Light Mages - represented by a guy name Pritkin who is kind of an asshole and really gun-crazy. He hates Cassy and calls her a whore even though she's our special virgin. They also want to get their hands on Cassy to control her power.
Witches - not sure if this means that the mages are only male, but our asshole mage calls Cassy a witch as an insult. If so, this is so sexist. Why is it that strong men are called powerful and strong women are called witches? SMH
Fey - we only meet an evil little Tinkerbelle, but there is reference to a lot of them.
Werewolves - cameo appearance to remind us that weres and vamps don't like each other. In case we forgot.
Ghosts - Cassy has a ghost side-kick and apparently there are many different kinds of them too.
Time traveling - it's a thing in this story.
And yet, somehow, this ends up being pretty fun. Cassy is not too-stupid-to-live, but is pretty cynical and sarcastic, which I like. But, she's also NOT a badass like Kate or Mercy or Cat, so don't be disappointed that she runs away from trouble. I personally think that running away would be my thing too if I was one of these characters. I would like to be a badass, but I notice that they seem to get hurt a lot, and I would rather NOT get hurt. So, I would leave the badassery to the supes and just run for my life. Let the things that heal fast take the hits.
Okay, I think you are ready to read this book now. You've been prepped.
What the hell is going on here?
Here is a breakdown of SOME of what's included in this story:
Cassandra Palmer - our heroine. Raised with vampires, a clairvoyant, but "more", sees dead people, has a ghost side-kick, is running from a hit-man vampire, is a virgin, but has a magical vagina because all the vamps want a piece of that.
Gangster Vampires - bad guys trying to kill Cassy because she ratted out their organization to the cops who don't believe in vampires, but they got them on tax evasion.
Ruler Vampires - bad/good guys who are led by Cleopatra (yes, THE Cleopatra, not Cleopatra Smith) who want to protect Cassy as long as she is willing to have sex with one of them and be their tool forever. (Oh, and by the by, Jack the Ripper is in this group.)
Rebel Vampires - bad guys who are led by Rasputin (yes, THAT Rasputin, not Cleo Smith's husband) and are trying to kill the ruler vamps to take over.
Satyrs - they are cocktail servers in a casino and some of them may or may not shift into rats.
Wererats - see above.
Dark Mages - bad guys who are siding with Rasputin.
Light Mages - represented by a guy name Pritkin who is kind of an asshole and really gun-crazy. He hates Cassy and calls her a whore even though she's our special virgin. They also want to get their hands on Cassy to control her power.
Witches - not sure if this means that the mages are only male, but our asshole mage calls Cassy a witch as an insult. If so, this is so sexist. Why is it that strong men are called powerful and strong women are called witches? SMH
Fey - we only meet an evil little Tinkerbelle, but there is reference to a lot of them.
Werewolves - cameo appearance to remind us that weres and vamps don't like each other. In case we forgot.
Ghosts - Cassy has a ghost side-kick and apparently there are many different kinds of them too.
Time traveling - it's a thing in this story.
And yet, somehow, this ends up being pretty fun. Cassy is not too-stupid-to-live, but is pretty cynical and sarcastic, which I like. But, she's also NOT a badass like Kate or Mercy or Cat, so don't be disappointed that she runs away from trouble. I personally think that running away would be my thing too if I was one of these characters. I would like to be a badass, but I notice that they seem to get hurt a lot, and I would rather NOT get hurt. So, I would leave the badassery to the supes and just run for my life. Let the things that heal fast take the hits.
Okay, I think you are ready to read this book now. You've been prepped.
January 21, 2010
This is a really hard book to rate. It's very good, but at the same time, I had some serious issues reading it. Let's talk about some of my issues first (get the bad news out of the way first):
1. It seemed very cramped. What I mean by this is, action scene would flow into action scene. It was hard to keep up and catch my breath. I needed a departure between these to get my bearings.
2. I really think that there needed to be more dialogue. It would have flowed better. The narrative style was too explanatory, instead of using dialogue and character action to show what was going on. I think she really needed to use, 'she said' and 'he said' more, because I got lost trying to figure out who was talking.
3. I often felt confused because of scenes changing somewhat abruptly. That made it hard to keep up.
4. Some of the Senate political discussions were a little dry at times.
Good things:
1. This story felt unique and different. I have read quite a bit of urban fantasy, and this didn't seem like a rehash to me. It's a very good idea, having the heroine be such a powerful seer. In general, I'm not fond of the heroine being the focus of desire of all the men in a book. But I liked how Karen Chance textured this book so that the motivations were more rich, instead of it just being about sexual attraction or admiration. I definitely have to give her credit. It's my hope that it doesn't become a sexual free-for-all like another series I once enjoyed but kicked to the curb.
2. The action was fantastic. There were a lot of high octane moments where the characters had to fight for their lives. I love good action, and Ms. Chance didn't pull her punches. This book really had a cinematic feel that I never fail to find appealing in a good urban fantasy novel. There was a lot of violence, but this is a violent world. It fit very well with the storyline.
3.I loved Ms. Chance's different use of magic in this story--it really caught my interest. I like how the vampires, war mages, seers, and were all come together to make this book so rich.
4.The main characters have engrossed me, so that I want to keep reading. I'd like to see where things go with Mircea in his pursuit of Cassie. What's the deal with Pritkin? Why is he so intense? are questions I want to keep reading to get answers to. Louis-Cesare, quite an enigma. The men are attractive, but they are more than eye candy. Each one is different with distinct elements to his personality. More please. Lastly, Cassie. She's young and somewhat clueless in this story. But she has some emotional strength that makes her a good protagonist. She's not a Mary Sue, but a character I want to follow to see how she evolves over time.
Definitely, this book has some downpoints that made it hard to read. Yet, I wanted to keep reading, even though I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks. I wasn't disappointed with Karen Chance's first effort. On the contrary, I was impressed. This book is something unique and establishes her place in the world of urban fantasy. Bring on more Cassie Palmer adventures!
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars .
1. It seemed very cramped. What I mean by this is, action scene would flow into action scene. It was hard to keep up and catch my breath. I needed a departure between these to get my bearings.
2. I really think that there needed to be more dialogue. It would have flowed better. The narrative style was too explanatory, instead of using dialogue and character action to show what was going on. I think she really needed to use, 'she said' and 'he said' more, because I got lost trying to figure out who was talking.
3. I often felt confused because of scenes changing somewhat abruptly. That made it hard to keep up.
4. Some of the Senate political discussions were a little dry at times.
Good things:
1. This story felt unique and different. I have read quite a bit of urban fantasy, and this didn't seem like a rehash to me. It's a very good idea, having the heroine be such a powerful seer. In general, I'm not fond of the heroine being the focus of desire of all the men in a book. But I liked how Karen Chance textured this book so that the motivations were more rich, instead of it just being about sexual attraction or admiration. I definitely have to give her credit. It's my hope that it doesn't become a sexual free-for-all like another series I once enjoyed but kicked to the curb.
2. The action was fantastic. There were a lot of high octane moments where the characters had to fight for their lives. I love good action, and Ms. Chance didn't pull her punches. This book really had a cinematic feel that I never fail to find appealing in a good urban fantasy novel. There was a lot of violence, but this is a violent world. It fit very well with the storyline.
3.I loved Ms. Chance's different use of magic in this story--it really caught my interest. I like how the vampires, war mages, seers, and were all come together to make this book so rich.
4.The main characters have engrossed me, so that I want to keep reading. I'd like to see where things go with Mircea in his pursuit of Cassie. What's the deal with Pritkin? Why is he so intense? are questions I want to keep reading to get answers to. Louis-Cesare, quite an enigma. The men are attractive, but they are more than eye candy. Each one is different with distinct elements to his personality. More please. Lastly, Cassie. She's young and somewhat clueless in this story. But she has some emotional strength that makes her a good protagonist. She's not a Mary Sue, but a character I want to follow to see how she evolves over time.
Definitely, this book has some downpoints that made it hard to read. Yet, I wanted to keep reading, even though I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks. I wasn't disappointed with Karen Chance's first effort. On the contrary, I was impressed. This book is something unique and establishes her place in the world of urban fantasy. Bring on more Cassie Palmer adventures!
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars .
December 8, 2016
I was supposed to BR this in fall but got sidetracked. Oops!
Touch the Dark is a fun PNR read. It revolves around Cassie the clairvoyant, who's brought up by and now on the run from vampire mafia. She lives with an uber-sexy roommate who shows up in her bed naked occasionally (but Cassie's somehow still a virgin? Romance novel logic...) and her ghost familiar, a cowboy hustler. The mafia locates Cassie at her job in a club (again, a virgin??)
So she goes on the run.
In terms of supernatural elements, it dabbles in everything. We've got ghosts, vamps, shifters, fae, magic, dragons (!), psychics, even time travel! Honestly, it was a bit overloaded with fantasy; I wish Karen Chance had left some things untouched, at least until the later books of the series. I also wish the author was more careful when adding
Otherwise the book was entertaining and even fresh. The romance aspect was different than run-of-the-mill PNR because there wasn't a clear love interest for a while. Even at the end of the book I'm uncertain which mancandy is endgame, I love it! Makes me want to continue with the series.
Touch the Dark is a fun PNR read. It revolves around Cassie the clairvoyant, who's brought up by and now on the run from vampire mafia. She lives with an uber-sexy roommate who shows up in her bed naked occasionally (but Cassie's somehow still a virgin? Romance novel logic...) and her ghost familiar, a cowboy hustler. The mafia locates Cassie at her job in a club (again, a virgin??)
So she goes on the run.
In terms of supernatural elements, it dabbles in everything. We've got ghosts, vamps, shifters, fae, magic, dragons (!), psychics, even time travel! Honestly, it was a bit overloaded with fantasy; I wish Karen Chance had left some things untouched, at least until the later books of the series. I also wish the author was more careful when adding
Otherwise the book was entertaining and even fresh. The romance aspect was different than run-of-the-mill PNR because there wasn't a clear love interest for a while. Even at the end of the book I'm uncertain which mancandy is endgame, I love it! Makes me want to continue with the series.
May 4, 2024
“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.”
In the beginning, the writing style seems to be dry and dense, no dialogues, only Cassie rambles on for endless pages. But don’t let it warn you off. Because what she rambles on about is very important, containing essential facts about that really complex and believable fantasy world Ms. Chance has created. Cassie’s narration is descriptive: she is not only telling you the story of her adventures, but she also has time for anecdotes and flashbacks.
The first half of the book is loaded with information, and you really have to pay attention to understand everything. The second half is full of surprises, twists and turns, betrayal, mystery, and magic.
Oh, the magic! So much magic! So thoughtfully and precisely delineated! Magical items, many different spells, time travel, spirit-attachment, body-possession…
“There was no way to deny it: somehow, I had ended up in Tomas' body. Which left the question, who the hell was in mine?”
I loved the wide variety of paranormal creatures: vampires, mages, satyrs, were-beings, witches, ghosts, pixies, golems…
“I just stood there, not able to believe I was watching a pixie have a conversation with a shrunken head. I think that was about the time I gave up on logic and just decided to go with the flow.”
Ms. Chance created a solid base for her series. Touch the Dark is a really good start. It is not a schematized, simplified story. This world has rules, continuity, logic; for example the very simple and logical hierarchy of the vampire society.
New characters, species, and terms are smoothly introduced, fictitious history waved into the story without difficulty. Generally I’m not keen on history, but I do love this deviant, offbeat history. And Ms. Chance’s interpretation is very convincing. I believed her every word. :)
The second half of the book is nonstop action, meanwhile the reader also has to follow the complicated politics and conspiracy of this world.
Cassie
She is a clairvoyant; she is able to see not only into the future, but into the past as well. She can communicate with ghosts. By the end of the story, she is becoming the keeper of an unmatched power that is the very essence of her character.
Her strength and persistence is very impressive, as she doesn’t let others influence and control her. She is funny in her observations, and very clear-sighted as for herself, and also for the situations around her. I really enjoyed her narration.
Mircea
I'm totally in love with him. I love this type of man: elegant, composed, but also dangerous and sexy.
“Cassandra is mine,” Mircea told him in a voice that could have melted glass. “Touch her again and, Circle or no, I will bring you over and ensure that you spend the rest of eternity begging for death.”
Pritkin is the direct opposite of Mircea: hot-tempered, vehement, unrestrainable.
“Pritkin looked around the room with a sneer: I was beginning to wonder if he had another expression.”
“His T-shirt was crossed with enough ammunition to take out a platoon, and he had a tool belt slung low on his hips that, along with a strap across his back, looked like it carried one of every type of handheld weapon on the market. I recognized a machete, two knives, a sawed-off shotgun, a crossbow, two handguns—one strapped to his thigh—and a couple of honest-to-God grenades. There were other things I couldn't identify, including a row of cork-topped bottles along the front of the belt. The getup, sort of mad scientist meets Rambo, would have made me smile, except that I believe in showing respect for someone carrying that much hardware.”
Every character is distinguishable, meticulously drawn and engaging: Billy Joe, Tomas, Louis-Cesare, Rafe. Chance’s refined humor is also worth mentioning.
“Hundreds of years can teach a person a few beauty tricks, I guess, but most vamps don't bother. Some of the younger ones make an effort because it makes hunting easier, but most of the older ones don't give a damn. When you can make someone believe you look like anything from Marilyn Monroe to Brad Pitt with merely a suggestion, makeup starts to look like a waste of money.”
Touch the Dark is a superb urban fantasy, highly recommended!
My favorite quotes.
July 14, 2009
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.
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.
Don't read the book (certainly don't pay for it!), but if you're interested in what happens, read my flog of it here. I cover all the badness, but at least I make it funny!
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.
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.
Don't read the book (certainly don't pay for it!), but if you're interested in what happens, read my flog of it here. I cover all the badness, but at least I make it funny!
August 21, 2022
3.5 stars
Entertaining.
I read the 4 first books of the series in a row. Then, I reread them in a row again so I had them fresh to read the 5th one. That means that I have them all scrambled in my mind right now which is why I can’t review each of them separately. This is more a general opinion of the combination of the 5.
This series have many elements that make it an entertaining and interesting read. It has compelling plots, action, miseries to solve, enemies, romantic tension, magic, friendship, humor, a strong female lead, deaths, attractive men, fantastic creatures, time travel, vampires, and much much more.
Nevertheless, I had a few problems with the books, which prevented me from giving them a higher rating:
To me these books have way too much action and the scenes are way too long. The books are a succession of action after action without rest, no pause to collect our thoughts. Due to this huge amount of action the information is dropped in the middle of it, which elongates the scenes. As a result, this can be a bit tiresome at times. With all that activity and turmoil, there is obviously no time for musings, there barely are any reflections; we only know what the characters are thinking because of what they do in each moment while affronting the situation in the middle of the action. I truly believe there is a serious need for more dialogue and thoughts communication here, it needs deepness.
The romance need to be explored further. There is just enough of it as well as enough sexual tension to keep you interested, but not enough to trap you. And after 5 books, it has become annoying to always be left wanting.
Mircea is your typical sexy vampire type. In fact, he is so stereotypical that there are exact copies of him on many other Urban Fantasy books. But I can’t fault the writer much for this since it seems to work every time for most female readers.
Despite my issues with the series, all and all, these books are ok, stimulating and intriguing . And, if I recall correctly, I liked the third one a bit more than the others.
I will continue reading this series.
Entertaining.
I read the 4 first books of the series in a row. Then, I reread them in a row again so I had them fresh to read the 5th one. That means that I have them all scrambled in my mind right now which is why I can’t review each of them separately. This is more a general opinion of the combination of the 5.
This series have many elements that make it an entertaining and interesting read. It has compelling plots, action, miseries to solve, enemies, romantic tension, magic, friendship, humor, a strong female lead, deaths, attractive men, fantastic creatures, time travel, vampires, and much much more.
Nevertheless, I had a few problems with the books, which prevented me from giving them a higher rating:
To me these books have way too much action and the scenes are way too long. The books are a succession of action after action without rest, no pause to collect our thoughts. Due to this huge amount of action the information is dropped in the middle of it, which elongates the scenes. As a result, this can be a bit tiresome at times. With all that activity and turmoil, there is obviously no time for musings, there barely are any reflections; we only know what the characters are thinking because of what they do in each moment while affronting the situation in the middle of the action. I truly believe there is a serious need for more dialogue and thoughts communication here, it needs deepness.
The romance need to be explored further. There is just enough of it as well as enough sexual tension to keep you interested, but not enough to trap you. And after 5 books, it has become annoying to always be left wanting.
Mircea is your typical sexy vampire type. In fact, he is so stereotypical that there are exact copies of him on many other Urban Fantasy books. But I can’t fault the writer much for this since it seems to work every time for most female readers.
Despite my issues with the series, all and all, these books are ok, stimulating and intriguing . And, if I recall correctly, I liked the third one a bit more than the others.
I will continue reading this series.
January 10, 2012
I read this book. And stuff happens in it, but I truly couldn't tell you what because I haven't the foggiest idea what it was about. This book is like that horror movie that has all the elements of a good, frightful time, but goes so over-the-top that it ruins the show.
It started out auspiciously enough, with Cassandra Palmer in hiding from some sleazy vampires. They had given chase, finally found her, and now she had to be on the run again. Intriguing. Then the dumping begins. So much information was being dumped, it was like an avalanche. The first one keeled me over and I remained buried under it even as more was dumped on top.
Stuff happens. I can't tell you what happened because my brain was hazed over from the info-dump avalanches.
It finally breaks through my brain haze that Cassie is about 17 years old. That just feels...off. This whole world and the character set-up doesn't feel like it's for/about someone who is an adolescent. Anyway, more stuff happens, but...you know the drill.
Then this happened: Cassandra gets into a sexual situation with a vampire who used to visit when she was younger. EEEEWW!! I mean, think about it. This man used to visit and let her play in his hair when she was five years old! - you know, like your favorite uncle used to do when he visited. Now she's seventeen and he's going you've always been mine, blah blah blah, and they're naked and things are happening. That is just wrong - and nasty. I don't care if he's an ageless vampire. He used to visit and let her play with him when she was five years old, for crying out loud! Ew!
Anyway, even more things happen, more info is dumped, and I can't tell you a single thing that happened.
All in all, this book started out okay, but didn't interest me the series or the character because, well, I have no idea what is happening. However, this series is rather popular, and I've heard that the books become markedly better as you continue. So continue on I will. If nothing else, I hope I can figure out what happens from/in the next book because, dammit, I wanna know what happened!
It started out auspiciously enough, with Cassandra Palmer in hiding from some sleazy vampires. They had given chase, finally found her, and now she had to be on the run again. Intriguing. Then the dumping begins. So much information was being dumped, it was like an avalanche. The first one keeled me over and I remained buried under it even as more was dumped on top.
Stuff happens. I can't tell you what happened because my brain was hazed over from the info-dump avalanches.
It finally breaks through my brain haze that Cassie is about 17 years old. That just feels...off. This whole world and the character set-up doesn't feel like it's for/about someone who is an adolescent. Anyway, more stuff happens, but...you know the drill.
Then this happened: Cassandra gets into a sexual situation with a vampire who used to visit when she was younger. EEEEWW!! I mean, think about it. This man used to visit and let her play in his hair when she was five years old! - you know, like your favorite uncle used to do when he visited. Now she's seventeen and he's going you've always been mine, blah blah blah, and they're naked and things are happening. That is just wrong - and nasty. I don't care if he's an ageless vampire. He used to visit and let her play with him when she was five years old, for crying out loud! Ew!
Anyway, even more things happen, more info is dumped, and I can't tell you a single thing that happened.
All in all, this book started out okay, but didn't interest me the series or the character because, well, I have no idea what is happening. However, this series is rather popular, and I've heard that the books become markedly better as you continue. So continue on I will. If nothing else, I hope I can figure out what happens from/in the next book because, dammit, I wanna know what happened!
September 28, 2013
I have finally found a new Urban Fantasy vampire series to rave about and it's about time. The Cassandra Palmer Series is one you don't want to miss.
I held off this book for so long because of all of the mixed reviews out there. I had also started it like 6 times, but finally the next time I told myself I was going to read this and finish it, damn it. And I did and I am so mad I held off, but bright side of that story is the fifth book has just came out.
I am not going to go into much detail of the plot and story lines because those can take many many paragraphs, but this book was funny entertaining in the action-packed side and the hilarious side of things. I loved all of the characters and it was just one of those great reads.
I really felt bad for the main character Cassie, because she has this great power, and everyone wants to claim her for themselves and control her and because of this she has had the worse childhood ever. I really felt for her and hope she kicks ass and gains her Independence by the end of the series.
"Let me get this straight. First you decide I'm a demon because of a power I didn't ask for and don't even understand. Then when that falls through you label me a fallen sybil and a ho. Am I missing something or do you just not like me."
We have three potential love interests, and by the end each of them gave me a reason to hate them all. It is funny how author do that, yes? I have hope that I will be able to pick which hottie within the next few books. But the guys in this book, are oh, so super hot. You think you have read a book with sexy vampires? I think you really need to read this book to find out just how hot these vamps are. I swear I loved every single one that had a main role in the book.
There's Louis-Cesar, Mircea, Tomas, Rafe....oooohhhhh! All so hot. Okay. I done obsessing over my hottie vampires. But, overall this book was amazing, my expectations were very low and I am just so glad that this book caught me so off guard. I loved every moment and I can't wait to see what happens in the next Cassandra Palmer book.
I held off this book for so long because of all of the mixed reviews out there. I had also started it like 6 times, but finally the next time I told myself I was going to read this and finish it, damn it. And I did and I am so mad I held off, but bright side of that story is the fifth book has just came out.
I am not going to go into much detail of the plot and story lines because those can take many many paragraphs, but this book was funny entertaining in the action-packed side and the hilarious side of things. I loved all of the characters and it was just one of those great reads.
I really felt bad for the main character Cassie, because she has this great power, and everyone wants to claim her for themselves and control her and because of this she has had the worse childhood ever. I really felt for her and hope she kicks ass and gains her Independence by the end of the series.
"Let me get this straight. First you decide I'm a demon because of a power I didn't ask for and don't even understand. Then when that falls through you label me a fallen sybil and a ho. Am I missing something or do you just not like me."
We have three potential love interests, and by the end each of them gave me a reason to hate them all. It is funny how author do that, yes? I have hope that I will be able to pick which hottie within the next few books. But the guys in this book, are oh, so super hot. You think you have read a book with sexy vampires? I think you really need to read this book to find out just how hot these vamps are. I swear I loved every single one that had a main role in the book.
There's Louis-Cesar, Mircea, Tomas, Rafe....oooohhhhh! All so hot. Okay. I done obsessing over my hottie vampires. But, overall this book was amazing, my expectations were very low and I am just so glad that this book caught me so off guard. I loved every moment and I can't wait to see what happens in the next Cassandra Palmer book.
September 6, 2016
Pretty good. Unfortunately, Cassie is not a stone cold killer, she's actually a complete wimp in that area. I liked the book well enough, but I wish Cassie was a badass. She's more super magically talented and kindhearted than anything. I prefer black hearted heroines.
MacHalo Read
MacHalo Read
Read
September 4, 2016I'd rather not be told how to read a book -.-
January 25, 2011
3.75 stars. I had very low expectations for this book. The reviews for this book were all over the place, many people thought it had too much world building and info dumping in the beginning and others thought the beginning was choppy.
This is obviously the first book in a series, it seems to suffer the first book urban fantasy syndrome – but I still really enjoyed it. There is some info dumps and world building in the first 50 pages or so that is done outside of telling the story. It didn’t bother me, but I can see where it may get to some people. I did think Ms. Chance took a few chapters to get her pacing down, but once she did I enjoyed the story a lot.
The characters are the stereotypical ancient and beautiful vampires, Cassie is (of course!) an orphan with powers she is yet to understand, however, there is enough uniqueness in this tale that kept me reading. Cassie (the heroine) is able to communicate with ghosts and encourage them to help her when she needs it, Cassie has the ability to time travel and change history, and she is coming into scary powers that she doesn’t fully understand. The vamps seem to be not all bad and on her side – it is the human mages Cassie needs to watch out for in this story. There were hints of other supes – Fey, demons and weres – that I think as the story develops it will be interesting to see what gets added in. The “bad” guy and the traitor – hmm, I am not sure if he is all bad and I really liked him (I could see where he was coming from ). I am looking to see how this story develops. Right now it is not in my top 7 favorite UF, but it is very enjoyable, I like the characters and the world, and I am definitely reading the next one … soon.
This is obviously the first book in a series, it seems to suffer the first book urban fantasy syndrome – but I still really enjoyed it. There is some info dumps and world building in the first 50 pages or so that is done outside of telling the story. It didn’t bother me, but I can see where it may get to some people. I did think Ms. Chance took a few chapters to get her pacing down, but once she did I enjoyed the story a lot.
The characters are the stereotypical ancient and beautiful vampires, Cassie is (of course!) an orphan with powers she is yet to understand, however, there is enough uniqueness in this tale that kept me reading. Cassie (the heroine) is able to communicate with ghosts and encourage them to help her when she needs it, Cassie has the ability to time travel and change history, and she is coming into scary powers that she doesn’t fully understand. The vamps seem to be not all bad and on her side – it is the human mages Cassie needs to watch out for in this story. There were hints of other supes – Fey, demons and weres – that I think as the story develops it will be interesting to see what gets added in. The “bad” guy and the traitor – hmm, I am not sure if he is all bad and I really liked him (I could see where he was coming from ). I am looking to see how this story develops. Right now it is not in my top 7 favorite UF, but it is very enjoyable, I like the characters and the world, and I am definitely reading the next one … soon.
June 2, 2011
WARNING! This book may leave you out of breath and dizzy due to non stop action and far too sexy vampires
Cassie Palmer has a problem. In fact Cassie has quite a few, a psycho mobster vampire who also happens to be her former guardian has found her after 3 years of being on the run; her clarvoiyant abilities seems to be getting more vivid and disturbing; her Billy Joe, her ghostly sidekick keeps disappearing at most inconvenient times and her former roommate isn't quite what he seems. But this is just the start for Cassie things have started to shift in the supernatural ability and it seems that several factions want a piece of her and she is never quite sure who to trust.
What I love about this series is that it grabs you as soon as you start reading and drags you straight into the action. There is almost no let up; hence the warning at the top of the review. Cassie is flung from one dire situation to another. This book also gives you alot of information all at once and on top of everything else going on it can make it an intense read.
The world the Karen Chance has created though is really interesting, full of vampires, weres and mages all kind of living in harmony. And once you have gotten past the intial information overload you can appriciate the complex world the Ms Chance has wrought. Another great thing about this book is the characters. It is told from first person POV and I know this can put some readers off, but I find that I quite like this in UF, especially if I like the person whose head I am inside, like I do with Cassie. Cassie was a great character, she wasn't your usual tough chick who makes pithy sarcastic comments as she kicks the crap out of people, instead she makes pithy sarcastic comments as she runs away or as she is being almost beaten by the enemy.
As for the sexy-dangerous vampires, there are a few to pick from, there is Mircea, brother to Dracula, the seemingly urbane and calm master vampire, so long as you don't piss him off; Louis Cesar (my personal fave) with the long auburn hair and the lethal fencing skills and Tomas hot, sexy and likes to ripe people hearts out with his bare hands. Choices, choices!
This is definately a series I would recommend to those who love Urban Fantasy, it was funny, interesting and action packed and I can't wait to get to the next one.
Cassie Palmer has a problem. In fact Cassie has quite a few, a psycho mobster vampire who also happens to be her former guardian has found her after 3 years of being on the run; her clarvoiyant abilities seems to be getting more vivid and disturbing; her Billy Joe, her ghostly sidekick keeps disappearing at most inconvenient times and her former roommate isn't quite what he seems. But this is just the start for Cassie things have started to shift in the supernatural ability and it seems that several factions want a piece of her and she is never quite sure who to trust.
What I love about this series is that it grabs you as soon as you start reading and drags you straight into the action. There is almost no let up; hence the warning at the top of the review. Cassie is flung from one dire situation to another. This book also gives you alot of information all at once and on top of everything else going on it can make it an intense read.
The world the Karen Chance has created though is really interesting, full of vampires, weres and mages all kind of living in harmony. And once you have gotten past the intial information overload you can appriciate the complex world the Ms Chance has wrought. Another great thing about this book is the characters. It is told from first person POV and I know this can put some readers off, but I find that I quite like this in UF, especially if I like the person whose head I am inside, like I do with Cassie. Cassie was a great character, she wasn't your usual tough chick who makes pithy sarcastic comments as she kicks the crap out of people, instead she makes pithy sarcastic comments as she runs away or as she is being almost beaten by the enemy.
As for the sexy-dangerous vampires, there are a few to pick from, there is Mircea, brother to Dracula, the seemingly urbane and calm master vampire, so long as you don't piss him off; Louis Cesar (my personal fave) with the long auburn hair and the lethal fencing skills and Tomas hot, sexy and likes to ripe people hearts out with his bare hands. Choices, choices!
This is definately a series I would recommend to those who love Urban Fantasy, it was funny, interesting and action packed and I can't wait to get to the next one.
February 17, 2013
This review has been cross-posted on my Happy Indulgence Blog. Check it out for more reviews!
Wow, finishing that book was a chore. Time travel, a seer who possesses bodies in different times, vampires with dark curls, vamp politics, mages, ghosts, mafia - what just happened?!
Most of the book is seriously just Cassandra surrounded by vamps in a room talking about politics and stuff. There is nothing more frustrating than finally getting around to some action (bedroom and fight scenes) to realise that the author is just going to cut a huge info dumping session or major chatter in the middle of it.
So much was crammed into this book that I couldn't even tell you now what most of it was about. I feel like I should get a medal for finishing this.
To summarise, if you love long scenes that never seem to go anywhere, terribly complex subplots layered upon subplots and a bunch of irrelevant information, you'll probably love Touch the Dark. I feel the need to give this series a shot, so we'll see how the sequel goes, I guess, even if it isn't terribly high up the list.
Wow, finishing that book was a chore. Time travel, a seer who possesses bodies in different times, vampires with dark curls, vamp politics, mages, ghosts, mafia - what just happened?!
Most of the book is seriously just Cassandra surrounded by vamps in a room talking about politics and stuff. There is nothing more frustrating than finally getting around to some action (bedroom and fight scenes) to realise that the author is just going to cut a huge info dumping session or major chatter in the middle of it.
So much was crammed into this book that I couldn't even tell you now what most of it was about. I feel like I should get a medal for finishing this.
To summarise, if you love long scenes that never seem to go anywhere, terribly complex subplots layered upon subplots and a bunch of irrelevant information, you'll probably love Touch the Dark. I feel the need to give this series a shot, so we'll see how the sequel goes, I guess, even if it isn't terribly high up the list.
October 20, 2016
Realmente me ha gustado, y quizás más de las tres estrellas que le pongo, pero también es cierto que ha habido momentos en los que me he cansado de las eternas preguntas de nuestra protagonista. En serio, creo que podría dividir la novela en dos partes: 60% en la que Cassie habla en primera persona y lo analiza todo, y un 40 % de diálogos en los que no faltan las eternas preguntas de ella. Esto le ha restado una estrella y la otra se ha ido en la sensación de perdida que he tenido en toda la novela. Pues la vida de nuestra protagonista es tan intensa, que nos relata todos los incidentes que tuvo desde niña hasta el momento de arrancar la novela. ¿No sería mejor haber escrito esa infancia que no sólo nos permitiría conocer a fondo a los protagonistas, sino que nos ahorraría ahora esa parafernalia que ahora sólo hace que distraernos de la historia en sí?
May 29, 2011
Cassie Palmer isn't your average kick-ass Urban Fantasy heroine. Maybe because she doesn't kick ass. She's not especially tough. She's not even snarky. But I think it's the fact that the series feels so unique that I enjoyed it so much.
Cassie is a clairvoyant. She also sees and communicates with ghosts. In fact, one serves as something like a guardian angel... or as close to a guardian angel as the ghost of a gambling, alcohol and lady-loving cowboy can be.
She grew up surrounded by vampires, and was raised by a horrible vamp named Tony. He had her parents killed and then used her gifts as a seer for his own gains. She got away from him and has been living her life in hiding, until now. She's been found and targeted. But the vampire senate steps in to save her. They realize there is more to her power than even Cassie recognized. And they want to nurture her gifts in the hope that she will be loyal to them.
Cassie's powers are growing, even in the short time she is with the senate. She must deal with that, the growing threats to her life, and the distinct attentions of two vampires who want her for themselves. Frankly, for much of the book, I didn't know who I was rooting for. One minute, I figured it had to be Tomas... then I was drooling for Mircea. The sexual tension is fantastic in the second half of the book and there are two really hot scenes that give us some payoff as well.
There is a lot of world-building to be done. And there are times that it intrudes on the flow. For me, this was more true in the first half. What gave me a little more pause was the time-travel element. Whenever you start talking about changing history, things can get really hairy. I think it worked out ok, but it slowed down the wheels in my brain once or twice.
But for the most part, I really enjoyed it. The ending isn't exactly a cliffhanger, but there is clearly more story to tell. And I want to read it! A dark, sexy start to the series. 4 stars.
Cassie is a clairvoyant. She also sees and communicates with ghosts. In fact, one serves as something like a guardian angel... or as close to a guardian angel as the ghost of a gambling, alcohol and lady-loving cowboy can be.
She grew up surrounded by vampires, and was raised by a horrible vamp named Tony. He had her parents killed and then used her gifts as a seer for his own gains. She got away from him and has been living her life in hiding, until now. She's been found and targeted. But the vampire senate steps in to save her. They realize there is more to her power than even Cassie recognized. And they want to nurture her gifts in the hope that she will be loyal to them.
Cassie's powers are growing, even in the short time she is with the senate. She must deal with that, the growing threats to her life, and the distinct attentions of two vampires who want her for themselves. Frankly, for much of the book, I didn't know who I was rooting for. One minute, I figured it had to be Tomas... then I was drooling for Mircea. The sexual tension is fantastic in the second half of the book and there are two really hot scenes that give us some payoff as well.
There is a lot of world-building to be done. And there are times that it intrudes on the flow. For me, this was more true in the first half. What gave me a little more pause was the time-travel element. Whenever you start talking about changing history, things can get really hairy. I think it worked out ok, but it slowed down the wheels in my brain once or twice.
But for the most part, I really enjoyed it. The ending isn't exactly a cliffhanger, but there is clearly more story to tell. And I want to read it! A dark, sexy start to the series. 4 stars.
July 31, 2023
I read this book many years ago, before 2014 when I joined Goodreads, so I'm not sure exactly what year I read it first. It was fun to reread this first book after a long time, but I mostly kept waiting for events and characters I knew were coming. This caused me to spend most of the book "waiting" for that stuff, which happens later in the series. I mean, I spent 55 pages wondering where Pritkin was.
It was great to re-read this after so long, as I had forgotten a lot of the setup and how Cassie had started, and how she grew. I am so excited to get back into this series, as many books have been added since I first read it.
Overall the first book is a solid 4 stars. I love the Pythia lore, which is unique.
It was great to re-read this after so long, as I had forgotten a lot of the setup and how Cassie had started, and how she grew. I am so excited to get back into this series, as many books have been added since I first read it.
Overall the first book is a solid 4 stars. I love the Pythia lore, which is unique.
May 25, 2017
3.5 stars
I remember reading this book a few years ago and really liking it, but either I didn't have the next book or for some other reason, I forgot about it for a while. Rereading it now I kind of have bigger expectations. Not sure it's fair but that's just how it is.
Our main titular character, Cassie is on the run from the vampire mobster Tony, who got to raise her by killing off her parents. Not a good dude, using her for her gifts as a clairevoyant. She got away from him and got him in trouble with feds, getting a witsec relocation out of a deal. Of course Tony catches up with her eventually and that's where the book starts. After getting rid of Tony's goons, with a help from a friend, she ends up at the Senate. Senate is a vampire government, local branch of wich is presided by none other than Cleopatra.
Then Cassie discovers she has powers for wich she is hunted not only by Tony, but also Silver and Black Circles of mage's government as well as a master vampire hungry for power and a Pythia's court of seers. Everybody wants a piece of our girl. All she wants is find out what really happened to her parents, also Tony's head on a platter would be nice. Hopefully she could have at least one of those things before one of those guys gets to her.
What worked for me:
1. I liked different approach to the metaphisical side;
2. Cassie is a fun heroine, not totally clueless but still there's a lot of room to grow;
3. there are pixies (always a fan);
4. decent ammount of sex for a first book;
5. the fact that Cassie wasn't down with letting anyone be in charge of her fate, not even Mircea;
6. Mircea definittely worked for me, yep.
What didn't work for me:
1. the world building is basically nonexistant, hopefully it gets better later;
2. the fact that growing up with vamps Cassie still was somewhat gunshy when it came to her enemies;
3. the pace was too quick for my liking, not enough time to catch a breath;
4. all the name dropping. Seriously? One or two would be enough, no need to go overboard. We have Cleopatra, Jack the Ripper, Dracula, Rasputin, Christopher Marlow, and Man in the iron mask.
I also would've liked a little more girl interaction because so far it's mainly a boys club and Cassie. I wouldn't want it getting all about who wants to fucks who. Thank God for Pritkin, he at least is out of that potential harem for sure.
"Let me get this straight. First you decide I'm a demon because of a power I didn't ask for and don't even understand. Then, when that falls through, you label me a fallen sybil and a ho. Am I missing something, or do you just not like me?"
Overall I liked the story enough to read the next book and see if it gets better.
Over and out
I remember reading this book a few years ago and really liking it, but either I didn't have the next book or for some other reason, I forgot about it for a while. Rereading it now I kind of have bigger expectations. Not sure it's fair but that's just how it is.
Our main titular character, Cassie is on the run from the vampire mobster Tony, who got to raise her by killing off her parents. Not a good dude, using her for her gifts as a clairevoyant. She got away from him and got him in trouble with feds, getting a witsec relocation out of a deal. Of course Tony catches up with her eventually and that's where the book starts. After getting rid of Tony's goons, with a help from a friend, she ends up at the Senate. Senate is a vampire government, local branch of wich is presided by none other than Cleopatra.
Then Cassie discovers she has powers for wich she is hunted not only by Tony, but also Silver and Black Circles of mage's government as well as a master vampire hungry for power and a Pythia's court of seers. Everybody wants a piece of our girl. All she wants is find out what really happened to her parents, also Tony's head on a platter would be nice. Hopefully she could have at least one of those things before one of those guys gets to her.
What worked for me:
1. I liked different approach to the metaphisical side;
2. Cassie is a fun heroine, not totally clueless but still there's a lot of room to grow;
3. there are pixies (always a fan);
4. decent ammount of sex for a first book;
5. the fact that Cassie wasn't down with letting anyone be in charge of her fate, not even Mircea;
6. Mircea definittely worked for me, yep.
What didn't work for me:
1. the world building is basically nonexistant, hopefully it gets better later;
2. the fact that growing up with vamps Cassie still was somewhat gunshy when it came to her enemies;
3. the pace was too quick for my liking, not enough time to catch a breath;
4. all the name dropping. Seriously? One or two would be enough, no need to go overboard. We have Cleopatra, Jack the Ripper, Dracula, Rasputin, Christopher Marlow, and Man in the iron mask.
I also would've liked a little more girl interaction because so far it's mainly a boys club and Cassie. I wouldn't want it getting all about who wants to fucks who. Thank God for Pritkin, he at least is out of that potential harem for sure.
"Let me get this straight. First you decide I'm a demon because of a power I didn't ask for and don't even understand. Then, when that falls through, you label me a fallen sybil and a ho. Am I missing something, or do you just not like me?"
Overall I liked the story enough to read the next book and see if it gets better.
Over and out
September 11, 2008
I am surprised by how much I liked this book. Usually, I'm turned off by non-stop action books. I don't like it when the heroine is fighting for her life in every single chapter - give the poor girl a break already! But even though this book fits that profile, I still enjoyed it - a lot!
Basic plot: A clairvoyant young woman named Cassandra was raised in a powerful mafia-type vampire's household from the age of 4. In her teens, she figures out that the vampire (Tony) killed her parents to have control of her. She tries to help the feds take Tony down, but the Feds fail and she excapes for her life. Three years later (at the beginning of the book - the previous stuff was all background), Cassandra is hiding from Tony in Atlanta. Cassandra's powers include the ability to talk to ghosts, which has helped her stay ahead of Tony. Today her luck has run out - Tony is on to her. She's trying to get out of town and also warn her roommate not to go back to their apartment, but the vamp goon squad catches up with her and her roommate, Thomas. They escape, but Cassandra is quickly drug into vampire politics by the vampire senate (not friends of Tony). If seems that Cassandra's powers have just barely begun to unfurl - she's a heck of a lot more powerful than she ever imagined, and the vampires need her help. Unfortunately, there are at least 3 other groups out to kill her. Cassandra just wants out of that world and left alone.
The part that I liked most about this book was the heroine's personality. She is extremely practical and not at all sentimental, which works well given all the political intrigue surounding her. She is compassionate, however. Another funny thing - even though this is a paranormal romance, Cassandra is still technically a virgin at the end of the book. That's a very unusual feat for a romance writer to pull off. The first sex scene wasn't until page 245 of the book, and there were only 2 scenes total by the end. Another aspect of the book I really liked was that it never seems hopeless for the heroine. Odds might be bad, but she's got enough tricks up her sleeves to win or escape just about anything.
Basic plot: A clairvoyant young woman named Cassandra was raised in a powerful mafia-type vampire's household from the age of 4. In her teens, she figures out that the vampire (Tony) killed her parents to have control of her. She tries to help the feds take Tony down, but the Feds fail and she excapes for her life. Three years later (at the beginning of the book - the previous stuff was all background), Cassandra is hiding from Tony in Atlanta. Cassandra's powers include the ability to talk to ghosts, which has helped her stay ahead of Tony. Today her luck has run out - Tony is on to her. She's trying to get out of town and also warn her roommate not to go back to their apartment, but the vamp goon squad catches up with her and her roommate, Thomas. They escape, but Cassandra is quickly drug into vampire politics by the vampire senate (not friends of Tony). If seems that Cassandra's powers have just barely begun to unfurl - she's a heck of a lot more powerful than she ever imagined, and the vampires need her help. Unfortunately, there are at least 3 other groups out to kill her. Cassandra just wants out of that world and left alone.
The part that I liked most about this book was the heroine's personality. She is extremely practical and not at all sentimental, which works well given all the political intrigue surounding her. She is compassionate, however. Another funny thing - even though this is a paranormal romance, Cassandra is still technically a virgin at the end of the book. That's a very unusual feat for a romance writer to pull off. The first sex scene wasn't until page 245 of the book, and there were only 2 scenes total by the end. Another aspect of the book I really liked was that it never seems hopeless for the heroine. Odds might be bad, but she's got enough tricks up her sleeves to win or escape just about anything.
August 14, 2010
I found this book SO FRUSTRATING, because I actually really liked the story. So after reading the first 40-50 pages of info dump, I thought--okay, NOW we'll get to a good story. But right when I thought I was getting into a story I could enjoy, the author would embark on another marathon of info dump!! Periodically, throughout this book, she would stop all forward action to explain backstory for 30-40 more pages.
This is telling not showing and it KILLS a story. Karen Chance also introduced WAY too many characters for the first book in a series. I firmly believe that major players should be introduced slowly throughout an ENTIRE series. We shouldn't meet everyone involved in the first installment. Not only are there many characters, but all of THEIR backstory is explained within this one book. So, by the end, the reader was left with very little actual plot. We got a lot of history. There were quite a few action scenes, but not much in the way of a good story to grab ahold of.
What frustrates me so much is that I really feel that there is quite a bit of potential here, but it really was wasted on a book filled with info dump.
Also, I have a beef with the vampires here. They are too perfect. There is really no drawback to being a vampire in this world. They don't even have to bite to receive nourishment. All they have to do is draw "lifeforce" in invisible spurts from a human nearby without their being aware of it. (believe me, the way vampires derive nourishment was explained in a long drawn out tract of 30 pages)
This is telling not showing and it KILLS a story. Karen Chance also introduced WAY too many characters for the first book in a series. I firmly believe that major players should be introduced slowly throughout an ENTIRE series. We shouldn't meet everyone involved in the first installment. Not only are there many characters, but all of THEIR backstory is explained within this one book. So, by the end, the reader was left with very little actual plot. We got a lot of history. There were quite a few action scenes, but not much in the way of a good story to grab ahold of.
What frustrates me so much is that I really feel that there is quite a bit of potential here, but it really was wasted on a book filled with info dump.
Also, I have a beef with the vampires here. They are too perfect. There is really no drawback to being a vampire in this world. They don't even have to bite to receive nourishment. All they have to do is draw "lifeforce" in invisible spurts from a human nearby without their being aware of it. (believe me, the way vampires derive nourishment was explained in a long drawn out tract of 30 pages)
April 30, 2020
DNF 144 😒
July 28, 2015
If you've forgotten what the word 'torture' means please be my guest and start this book.
So basically it's a urban fantasy novel with vampires, mages, shapeshifters, pixies and all the things that go bump in the night. A recipe that most fantasy lovers would drool over. So where did this book go wrong? Let me try and sum it up for you.
Cassandra Palmer, the resident evil the protagonist is a clairvoyant and was raised by a vampire who killed her parents to own her. (Could you get any real?) So what happens next? Even a little kid could tell. Our genius runs and is in hiding for 3 years. Kudos to that! Obviously the book starts by the description of how they finally find her one night. And stuff happens. I would describe what stuff but my brain was hazed over from the info-dump avalanches. So much information was being dumped, it was like a train-wreck. I found myself getting ridiculously confused trying to figure what was going on and to whom.
All this book has brought me are headdesks and shouts of, "Why!? WHY!?"
The main character is ridiculously dense and unlikeable. Through the half that I read, 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.
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. I myself couldn't finish the book and Lord help the brave souls who dare read it whole.
So this is me after reading 50% of this book...
So basically it's a urban fantasy novel with vampires, mages, shapeshifters, pixies and all the things that go bump in the night. A recipe that most fantasy lovers would drool over. So where did this book go wrong? Let me try and sum it up for you.
Cassandra Palmer,
All this book has brought me are headdesks and shouts of, "Why!? WHY!?"
The main character is ridiculously dense and unlikeable. Through the half that I read, 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.
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. I myself couldn't finish the book and Lord help the brave souls who dare read it whole.
So this is me after reading 50% of this book...
September 23, 2007
I would actually give this one 2.5 or 2.75 stars if possible...it was generally good, but definitely gave the sense that you had inadvertently picked up a book in the middle of series, instead of at the beginning. Which is good in many ways...you hit the ground running, and it's not immediately obvious what is going on and who is on who's side, which can be thought-provoking and interesting. On the other hand, it left me with the feeling sometimes that I was missing something, and checking back to see if certain things had been explained and I had just missed it somehow or if they were still in the process of being explained somehow. The pacing was also a little frenetic, but I would continue reading the series.
March 22, 2016
Let's get straight to the core of this review: Touch The Dark= Pointless, dragged out and completely capable of sending someone to sleep every second paragraph.
I think everybody who have read my reviews before know that I am not the sort of person to unleash flames on a book, both literally and metaphorically. I generally like to think that I'm a nice person. You know, the type of person to give a particularly horrendous book an extra star for "effort". But I won't be giving this book an extra star because I'm not even sure the author tried hard at writing. It was mediocre at best.
I also felt that the sex scenes were just used as a filler. Cassandra Palmer, to me, felt like she was just itching to jump on any attractive guy that she saw. I mean, it's like God, would you stop being so horny?!?! Her thought processes were just so single-minded. And this is coming from a sex-obsessed teenager.
That's why I skimmed most of the sex scenes even though I hate missing parts of a book. I just feel that if I miss one tiny sentence, it's going to come back and bite me in the back.
But for skimming Touch The Dark?
I don't even regret that I skimmed large parts of it. Nobody try to induce self-guilt in me: I won't feel it.
Now if the storyline was horrible, the characters themselves were irredeemable. Positively irredeemable. In fact that might be an understatement for our main character: Cassandra Palmer.
Cassandra Palmer is one of the weakest heroines that I have ever met. And it makes me wonder how she can label herself as a strong female-
-when all she does is sit around waiting for something to happen. She's the dippy heroine that she said she's not. I just think Cassandra's in denial. She might have this "supernatural" power which ordinarily raises someone to the status of an unconditional bad-ass, but in Cassandra's case? Nuh uh, not a snowball's chance in Hell. She remains limp and in inaction.
She's a snob. I don't like snobs. And she whines. She whines like there's no tomorrow. I hate people who whine about everything. (The irony.)
Huh. She thought she was in Hell's waiting room. Well, I was already in Hell by the time I got to the last few chapters of the book. The constant boredom and the non-existent action were substantial enough to make me want to stab myself over and over again. With a machete. A large machete.
So it's safe to say that I do not recommend this book to anyone. However, if anyone wants to take the plunge and read it, well it's their choice. Everybody has different preferences. Sadly, this one did not suit mine. Sorry.
I think everybody who have read my reviews before know that I am not the sort of person to unleash flames on a book, both literally and metaphorically. I generally like to think that I'm a nice person. You know, the type of person to give a particularly horrendous book an extra star for "effort". But I won't be giving this book an extra star because I'm not even sure the author tried hard at writing. It was mediocre at best.
I also felt that the sex scenes were just used as a filler. Cassandra Palmer, to me, felt like she was just itching to jump on any attractive guy that she saw. I mean, it's like God, would you stop being so horny?!?! Her thought processes were just so single-minded. And this is coming from a sex-obsessed teenager.
That's why I skimmed most of the sex scenes even though I hate missing parts of a book. I just feel that if I miss one tiny sentence, it's going to come back and bite me in the back.
But for skimming Touch The Dark?
I don't even regret that I skimmed large parts of it. Nobody try to induce self-guilt in me: I won't feel it.
Now if the storyline was horrible, the characters themselves were irredeemable. Positively irredeemable. In fact that might be an understatement for our main character: Cassandra Palmer.
Cassandra Palmer is one of the weakest heroines that I have ever met. And it makes me wonder how she can label herself as a strong female-
Not that I'd wanted to be some dippy heroine languishing in a tower, awaiting rescue. No, I'd wanted to be the knight, charging into battle against overwhelming odds.
-when all she does is sit around waiting for something to happen. She's the dippy heroine that she said she's not. I just think Cassandra's in denial. She might have this "supernatural" power which ordinarily raises someone to the status of an unconditional bad-ass, but in Cassandra's case? Nuh uh, not a snowball's chance in Hell. She remains limp and in inaction.
She's a snob. I don't like snobs. And she whines. She whines like there's no tomorrow. I hate people who whine about everything. (The irony.)
“Great. I'd been dumped in Hell's waiting room.”
Huh. She thought she was in Hell's waiting room. Well, I was already in Hell by the time I got to the last few chapters of the book. The constant boredom and the non-existent action were substantial enough to make me want to stab myself over and over again. With a machete. A large machete.
So it's safe to say that I do not recommend this book to anyone. However, if anyone wants to take the plunge and read it, well it's their choice. Everybody has different preferences. Sadly, this one did not suit mine. Sorry.
June 10, 2011
Touch the Dark is the first in Karen Chance’s Cassandra Palmer urban fantasy series. Cassie is a seer; she can foretell the future and speak with ghosts. Later, she learns she has another power too: the ability to travel back in time and change events in the past. The time-travel element is unusual in urban fantasy and lends some freshness to what would otherwise be a pretty standard plot about a young woman embroiled in the politics of gorgeous, Machiavellian vampires. It’s a promising blend of story elements — but it’s tripped up by the execution.
The biggest problem is the infodumping. The narrative screeches to a halt in the most unlikely places so that Chance can explain the history and magical rules of her world. For example, during a combat scene early in the book, a ward is activated, and the fight is interrupted in favor of a lecture about wards. Another example: later in the book, Cassie and her love interest discuss big chunks of backstory during a sex scene… and somehow, this doesn’t seem to break the mood at all, even though one of the topics is the murder of Cassie’s parents.
It’s also irksome that so many historical figures are cast as vampires. It seems like everyone who was ever famous was actually a vampire, and the use of so many famous people feels like a shortcut around actual character development.
Touch the Dark is also confusing at times, and the prose style is too reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton's. Try the Dorina Basarab, Dhampir books instead.
The biggest problem is the infodumping. The narrative screeches to a halt in the most unlikely places so that Chance can explain the history and magical rules of her world. For example, during a combat scene early in the book, a ward is activated, and the fight is interrupted in favor of a lecture about wards. Another example: later in the book, Cassie and her love interest discuss big chunks of backstory during a sex scene… and somehow, this doesn’t seem to break the mood at all, even though one of the topics is the murder of Cassie’s parents.
It’s also irksome that so many historical figures are cast as vampires. It seems like everyone who was ever famous was actually a vampire, and the use of so many famous people feels like a shortcut around actual character development.
Touch the Dark is also confusing at times, and the prose style is too reminiscent of Laurell K. Hamilton's. Try the Dorina Basarab, Dhampir books instead.
January 22, 2010
So... you're reading my review and curious what I took out of reading Touch the Dark? Well, here's some of the highlights:
- Mages are really more like mad scientists in their fascination with vials. I figure if they wore outfits to signify they were mages, the outfits they would be wearing would be white lab coats while they cackled maniacally.
- 20 Questions can be a good introduction to bedding a virgin. And, speaking of virgins, females apparently can become quite gifted in fellatio by simply becoming male in an alternate time period and learning tricks of the trade from French prostitutes.
- Vampires apparently don't need to break skin to suck your blood. Umm. I'm still weirded out by that one ;)
- Cassie Palmer was claimed at 11 years old. A little icky that. Good thing that wasn't acted on. SQUICKY!
Finally, I learned that I must be getting old. Hehehehe. Okay, I'm only 34 at the time of reading this, but I felt like the author had ADHD at times with her jumping between action scenes with little or no segue. It left me feeling disjointed and confused. My poor brain trying to keep up... EEK! However, I see after reading some other reviews -- I am not alone in my assessment. I guess maybe I'm not that old afterall. ;)
- Mages are really more like mad scientists in their fascination with vials. I figure if they wore outfits to signify they were mages, the outfits they would be wearing would be white lab coats while they cackled maniacally.
- 20 Questions can be a good introduction to bedding a virgin. And, speaking of virgins, females apparently can become quite gifted in fellatio by simply becoming male in an alternate time period and learning tricks of the trade from French prostitutes.
- Vampires apparently don't need to break skin to suck your blood. Umm. I'm still weirded out by that one ;)
- Cassie Palmer was claimed at 11 years old. A little icky that. Good thing that wasn't acted on. SQUICKY!
Finally, I learned that I must be getting old. Hehehehe. Okay, I'm only 34 at the time of reading this, but I felt like the author had ADHD at times with her jumping between action scenes with little or no segue. It left me feeling disjointed and confused. My poor brain trying to keep up... EEK! However, I see after reading some other reviews -- I am not alone in my assessment. I guess maybe I'm not that old afterall. ;)
February 16, 2016
Touch the Dark
3.5 Stars
On the run from her former employer, Cassandra Palmer is not your usual fugitive. First, she is clairvoyant and second, her boss is a vampire. When her past finally catches up with her, Cassie realizes that not only is she the focus of several factions within the supernatural world including the vampire Senate, the Mage circles and the Fae, but that she cannot escape her ultimate destiny…
An interesting story with an engaging heroine. Unfortunately, it suffers from first book syndrome with excessive amounts of information on the world building including the natures and skills of a variety of magical beings as well specific details on the main and secondary characters. Interwoven with all of these details is a convoluted story involving time travel, assassination attempts and a complex love triangle.
Despite these issues, Cassie is a charming heroine with a very practical approach to living her life amongst things that go bump in the night. Nothings seems to phase her - not hairy satyrs, blood sucking vampires or aggressive war mages determined to end her at all costs.
The basic story revolving around a conspiracy to undermine the vampire Senate is compelling although it is overshadowed by the above mentioned information dumping. The same is true of the romantic aspects with Cassie attracting the attention of two very different men, both of whom with apparent ulterior motives. By the end of the book, does seem to have the edge on and for good reasons - his unfailing honesty and pure sex appeal.
Cynthia Holloway’s narration is never going to be a favorite. Her pacing is too slow, her male voices are indistinguishable from her female and her accents need a lot of work. Nevertheless, she is not completely unbearable so its possible to muddle through, especially as there is no alternative for those, like myself, who cannot read 1st person POV.
All in all, not a bad beginning to a series and I will continue with it.
3.5 Stars
On the run from her former employer, Cassandra Palmer is not your usual fugitive. First, she is clairvoyant and second, her boss is a vampire. When her past finally catches up with her, Cassie realizes that not only is she the focus of several factions within the supernatural world including the vampire Senate, the Mage circles and the Fae, but that she cannot escape her ultimate destiny…
An interesting story with an engaging heroine. Unfortunately, it suffers from first book syndrome with excessive amounts of information on the world building including the natures and skills of a variety of magical beings as well specific details on the main and secondary characters. Interwoven with all of these details is a convoluted story involving time travel, assassination attempts and a complex love triangle.
Despite these issues, Cassie is a charming heroine with a very practical approach to living her life amongst things that go bump in the night. Nothings seems to phase her - not hairy satyrs, blood sucking vampires or aggressive war mages determined to end her at all costs.
The basic story revolving around a conspiracy to undermine the vampire Senate is compelling although it is overshadowed by the above mentioned information dumping. The same is true of the romantic aspects with Cassie attracting the attention of two very different men, both of whom with apparent ulterior motives. By the end of the book, does seem to have the edge on and for good reasons - his unfailing honesty and pure sex appeal.
Cynthia Holloway’s narration is never going to be a favorite. Her pacing is too slow, her male voices are indistinguishable from her female and her accents need a lot of work. Nevertheless, she is not completely unbearable so its possible to muddle through, especially as there is no alternative for those, like myself, who cannot read 1st person POV.
All in all, not a bad beginning to a series and I will continue with it.
March 25, 2012
Quick review
Cover: It’s okay.
Rating NC-17 for sexiness of it all.
Thumbs Up 2.5
Overall: Not sure about this series.
Characters: Good.
Plot: Storyline was solid.
Page Turner: I guess
Series Cont.? At least through book 2.
Recommend Maybe
Book Boyfriend: Tomas
SUMMARY (50 word or less)
I, personally, didn’t really enjoy most of this book. There were moments but that is about it. The storyline was interesting, but she seems to be parodying Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series without good results. I also didn’t care much for Cassie. And honestly, I didn’t like Anita Blake either.
To see my full review rant and book boyfriend pic, check out my blog post.
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Audio Review
Cynthia Holloway is a good narrator. But I don’t like her in this series. I found myself losing focus and where most of that is the writing, I also have that problem with Morganville with Cynthia also reads. It could be she got the bad in the stick with two series that aren’t that great, but I’m not totally sold on that theory.
Cover: It’s okay.
Rating NC-17 for sexiness of it all.
Thumbs Up 2.5
Overall: Not sure about this series.
Characters: Good.
Plot: Storyline was solid.
Page Turner: I guess
Series Cont.? At least through book 2.
Recommend Maybe
Book Boyfriend: Tomas
SUMMARY (50 word or less)
I, personally, didn’t really enjoy most of this book. There were moments but that is about it. The storyline was interesting, but she seems to be parodying Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series without good results. I also didn’t care much for Cassie. And honestly, I didn’t like Anita Blake either.
To see my full review rant and book boyfriend pic, check out my blog post.
http://mybookboyfriend.blogspot.com/2...
Audio Review
Cynthia Holloway is a good narrator. But I don’t like her in this series. I found myself losing focus and where most of that is the writing, I also have that problem with Morganville with Cynthia also reads. It could be she got the bad in the stick with two series that aren’t that great, but I’m not totally sold on that theory.
July 1, 2019
I picked up this book on a whim a couple of years ago walking through a bookstore trying to find my next great read. I saw the cover and decided to give it a try. I was literally glued to the pages and couldn't put this book down. The main character, Cassie Palmer, is charismatic, snarky and just so much fun to read. I loved the action, I loved all the characters that were introduced and their historical reference's and I loved the first person writing style. I dont understand why this book got such low ratings. I've read this book 4 or 5 times now and each time, its like I find something new I didn't find the last time around. Just a great read. Karen Chance is one of my all time favorite authors in this genera now and I hope to enjoy her work for a long time to come!
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