Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Ace (2006), Edition: 1st, 320 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits---talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead alike. 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..
User reviews
LibraryThing member truetome
I love Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer series!!! It has amazing characters who will make you laugh at, scream at, and kiss the book many times throughout the series. The storyline is original and inventive while still holding true to many long held myths and legends. I LOVED how she brought forth
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the brother of Dracula!! Mercia is to die for and I can't wait for the next book in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Phantasma
For some reason this book took me a little while to get into. The writing style was still unsure of itself in the beginning and that might have caused me some distraction. Yet, after the third chapter, I was hooked. It was lots of fun. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.
LibraryThing member BookWhisperer
While running from a Mob Vampire. Cassandra must find a way to survive. Even if that means siding with others that she may no trust. I found this book to be very intriguing. This is one of the first books that include characters in regards to the fae. This is a very good storyline. I will be
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reading on in this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member fuzzydeadthing
YAY!!!! I have found another likable adult vampire series! FINALLY. When I first picked up this book, and found that it was about a gun toting fem with a rocking body and zero guy experience, one disinclined to admit her feelings, I almost put it down and flushed it down the toilet. Memories of
K. Chance does well in arranging her new universe. Everything is sensible and logical, from the hierarchy of the vampire world, to the reasons why the vamps and other supernatural species might want to work together. Despite having talking inanimate objects, body switching, and a plethora of historical figures, now as vamps, Chance keeps things from getting too ridiculous, though i have to admit the time travel was pretty confusing.
This is a promising series, one I would eagerly recommend. Though, be forewarned! Not a book easily put down. Yu might want to clear a big ole block of time before starting it!
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horrible books about Anita Blake flashed through my head, and I didn't want to go there again. But in the spirit of fairness, I decide to read two whole chapters, and I'm glad i did. The story is interesting despite the inclusion of every single paranormal myth in the collective American mind, and the fact that the plot is a little too busy. The heroine, unlike Anita Blake, is jaded but not bitter, tough but vulnerable, sexual but not a whore, talented, but not a ninja. K. Chance does well in arranging her new universe. Everything is sensible and logical, from the hierarchy of the vampire world, to the reasons why the vamps and other supernatural species might want to work together. Despite having talking inanimate objects, body switching, and a plethora of historical figures, now as vamps, Chance keeps things from getting too ridiculous, though i have to admit the time travel was pretty confusing.
This is a promising series, one I would eagerly recommend. Though, be forewarned! Not a book easily put down. Yu might want to clear a big ole block of time before starting it!
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LibraryThing member JackieP
Not the best written book ever, and I must admit the first 100 pages or so were slow going. However the pace picked up after that and my impression of the book with it. Though clumsy at times ( I particularly disliked the use of well known historical figures in the storyline) it was a decent enough
One thing I really liked - the main characters comical ghostly sidekick. He's very well utilised to add some humour to the book. Also, unlike many other novels in this genre, sex wasn't overused, which is one thing that makes me want to read more. Not that I'm opposed to sex scenes, but many in this genre seem to be little more than a bit of soft porn with some supernatural elements thrown in as an afterthought.
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read. Enough to make me want to read the next book in the series at least. Hopefully it will improve as the characters do have a lot of potential. One thing I really liked - the main characters comical ghostly sidekick. He's very well utilised to add some humour to the book. Also, unlike many other novels in this genre, sex wasn't overused, which is one thing that makes me want to read more. Not that I'm opposed to sex scenes, but many in this genre seem to be little more than a bit of soft porn with some supernatural elements thrown in as an afterthought.
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LibraryThing member Lauren2013
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
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,Mircea does seem to have the edge on Tomas 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
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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,
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.
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LibraryThing member bonbonsandreveries
The Cassandra Palmer series is really interesting. Karen Chance does a wonderful job of combining paranormal with mystery and romance. Touch the Dark starts with the protagonist, Cassandra Palmer, nicknamed Cassie, living in hiding. She has been on the run for three years from her vampire
Touch the Dark is filled with time traveling, sexy men and vampires, and a lot of action scenes. Cassandra Palmer has one goal in mind-to get her father’s ghost from Tony and be free. Everything she does is to get that done. She doesn’t want power. She doesn’t want to be under the protection of Mircea and the vampires. By inheriting the pythia’s power, Cassie finds herself thrown back in time. This is mostly because Myra, the girl who was supposed to become the next pythia, has decided to mess with the timeline.
Lord Mircea, a very sexy vampire, has appointed himself as Cassandra’s protector. He knew where she was when she “ran away.” I’d love to believe that he loves Cassandra, but I’m not sure. His actions show that he does. But at the same time he’s a first class manipulator so I’m not sure. Same thing with Tomas, I think he has feelings for Cassandra, but at the same time, not too sure.
Karen Chance made sure the reader is never bored. There is so much going on that you feel like you ran a marathon by the end of the book. The only problem I had was that I felt thrown into the middle of everything. There were so many action scenes, I would have loved it if the story slowed down for bit. The time traveling scenes were a bit confusing, but still quite interesting to read. The series is quite interesting-mixing mages/magic, vampires, fey, and even historical figures into a series of books. I will definitely keep reading the series.
Warning: 18 yrs. and older.
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“master,” Tony. He killed her parents and took her in as a clairvoyant when she was a little girl. Now, in her 20s, Cassie works as a tarot card reader at the same club as her roommate, Tomas. One night Tony’s men come to find her, and kill her. She manages to escape, thanks to a mysterious tattoo and Tomas. Cassie is now in the hands of the vampire Senate and Lord Mircea. All Cassie wants to do is be free-she doesn’t want to belong to Mircea, Tony, or the Senate. Simply running away isn’t going to help. Those who don’t want to control her, want her dead because she has inherited the powerful pythia’s power. Touch the Dark is filled with time traveling, sexy men and vampires, and a lot of action scenes. Cassandra Palmer has one goal in mind-to get her father’s ghost from Tony and be free. Everything she does is to get that done. She doesn’t want power. She doesn’t want to be under the protection of Mircea and the vampires. By inheriting the pythia’s power, Cassie finds herself thrown back in time. This is mostly because Myra, the girl who was supposed to become the next pythia, has decided to mess with the timeline.
Lord Mircea, a very sexy vampire, has appointed himself as Cassandra’s protector. He knew where she was when she “ran away.” I’d love to believe that he loves Cassandra, but I’m not sure. His actions show that he does. But at the same time he’s a first class manipulator so I’m not sure. Same thing with Tomas, I think he has feelings for Cassandra, but at the same time, not too sure.
Karen Chance made sure the reader is never bored. There is so much going on that you feel like you ran a marathon by the end of the book. The only problem I had was that I felt thrown into the middle of everything. There were so many action scenes, I would have loved it if the story slowed down for bit. The time traveling scenes were a bit confusing, but still quite interesting to read. The series is quite interesting-mixing mages/magic, vampires, fey, and even historical figures into a series of books. I will definitely keep reading the series.
Warning: 18 yrs. and older.
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LibraryThing member Spurts
Fast paced, interesting worldbuilding and a protagonist to root for -- one with a good sense of when to be kickass and when to use your brains. Not the same trope paranormal stuff. Almost too quick a read and who betrays who a bit convenient. Not a cliffhanger ending; although, heroine just coming
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into some interesting powers that foreshadow a sequel. Show Less
LibraryThing member lewispike
It's hard to write a semi-decent review without spoilers, but I'll try.
Cassandra grew up in a vampire-gangster's house, and turned state's evidence against him, getting into the Federal Witness Protection Programme. The bad guys find her, she's rescued unexpectedly, more weirdness happens as she
There are a couple of characters who seem too much like ciphers, although there are a few glimpses behind the façade that make me think there might be interesting developments later on if this turns into a series, which I really hope it does.
Excellent first book.
Cassandra grew up in a vampire-gangster's house, and turned state's evidence against him, getting into the Federal Witness Protection Programme. The bad guys find her, she's rescued unexpectedly, more weirdness happens as she
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finds out some of the truths about her parents and herself.There are a couple of characters who seem too much like ciphers, although there are a few glimpses behind the façade that make me think there might be interesting developments later on if this turns into a series, which I really hope it does.
Excellent first book.
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LibraryThing member rexrobotreviews
First of all, if you're into Anita Blake or Sookie Stackhouse... or any other novels that are similar to these- you'll love this series. I can imagine people that don't like those series digging this one. I was totally taken back by how much I loved this book! (Maybe I went into it not expecting
Cassandra is a young clairvoyant who can also speak to ghosts. She was raised in a household owned by a powerful, cold-blooded, mobster-type vampire and all of his servants/affiliates. (He took her into his care at the age of 4.) When she was a teenager, she realizes that Tony (the mobster vamp) mauled her parents so that he could have total control of her life. She assists the federal government in taking Tony down- but all doesn't go according to plan. On the bright side, Cassandra runs away from Tony and escapes when all this craziness is going on. About three years later (this is where the story really begins) Cassandra is in hiding in Atlanta. Her powers (especially speaking to ghosts) has helped her stay hidden and just out of Tony's reach. However, he finally catches on to where she has been hiding... As she is getting out of town Tony's goons catch up to her and her roommate and they escape by the skin of their teeth.
Cassandra then finds herself sucked into the grotesque world of vampire politics after finding out her roommate has been deceiving her. After being drug into the vampire senate- she begins to realize she is much more powerful than she ever imagined and the vamps require her help. She has no idea who to trust or which turn to take...
I absolutely love Cassandra's personality. She is so likeable... Not whiny- practical! Compassionate - but not overtly sentimental! She is a strong woman who is looking to take control over her own life. She also never seems hopeless- does that make sense? I love that Cassie was raised in a supernatural household so she knows a lot about vamps and their politics. However, a lot of what she encounters day to day with her powers and the powers of others is new to her. Our miss Cassandra also has some interesting male lovurrrs... and we all know what this means- extreme sexual tension throughout. Haha... Choices choices. I have to say I'd find myself really into one of the male characters and then the other...and then back to the first. I guess that is just like real life though, men making stupid decisions so you're like 'ugh, what was I thinking?'
My only complaint is that the details on the vampire politics were a little long winded. Other than that, this is an awesome book and you should read it. Can't wait to post a review on the other books in this series! (Yes, I read them, so it was REALLY hard not to give you guys spoilers ;] )
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much, and that helped its cause a little, but it was still an awesome read!) Then again, I am into books that are almost nonstop action- you know, when the heroine is constantly fighting for her life chapter after chapter? Karen Chance really throws some hot action in your face, but it isn't overwhelming at all. Let me give ya the basic plot summary...Cassandra is a young clairvoyant who can also speak to ghosts. She was raised in a household owned by a powerful, cold-blooded, mobster-type vampire and all of his servants/affiliates. (He took her into his care at the age of 4.) When she was a teenager, she realizes that Tony (the mobster vamp) mauled her parents so that he could have total control of her life. She assists the federal government in taking Tony down- but all doesn't go according to plan. On the bright side, Cassandra runs away from Tony and escapes when all this craziness is going on. About three years later (this is where the story really begins) Cassandra is in hiding in Atlanta. Her powers (especially speaking to ghosts) has helped her stay hidden and just out of Tony's reach. However, he finally catches on to where she has been hiding... As she is getting out of town Tony's goons catch up to her and her roommate and they escape by the skin of their teeth.
Cassandra then finds herself sucked into the grotesque world of vampire politics after finding out her roommate has been deceiving her. After being drug into the vampire senate- she begins to realize she is much more powerful than she ever imagined and the vamps require her help. She has no idea who to trust or which turn to take...
I absolutely love Cassandra's personality. She is so likeable... Not whiny- practical! Compassionate - but not overtly sentimental! She is a strong woman who is looking to take control over her own life. She also never seems hopeless- does that make sense? I love that Cassie was raised in a supernatural household so she knows a lot about vamps and their politics. However, a lot of what she encounters day to day with her powers and the powers of others is new to her. Our miss Cassandra also has some interesting male lovurrrs... and we all know what this means- extreme sexual tension throughout. Haha... Choices choices. I have to say I'd find myself really into one of the male characters and then the other...and then back to the first. I guess that is just like real life though, men making stupid decisions so you're like 'ugh, what was I thinking?'
My only complaint is that the details on the vampire politics were a little long winded. Other than that, this is an awesome book and you should read it. Can't wait to post a review on the other books in this series! (Yes, I read them, so it was REALLY hard not to give you guys spoilers ;] )
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LibraryThing member CheriePie69
Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in 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
I liked the story itself, though the author's writing could use a little work. The chapters got kind of long at times, without the use of even any division breaks within. And at other times I found myself confused by what the author was saying, and trying to go back to reread didn't help. In these cases, I found that just continuing on, I'd usually figure out what she was getting at, but it was a bit disconcerting at times. This is her first novel though so I'll cut her a break, especially since I really enjoyed the story.
Besides a good story, the character development was done well. Cassie was an interesting character; her ability to communicate with ghosts, and handle Vampire politics as well, endeared her to me. I also really liked Mircea, one of the Senate Vampires, as well and look forward to seeing more of him in the sequel, Claimed By Shadow, coming out in April 2007.
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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.I liked the story itself, though the author's writing could use a little work. The chapters got kind of long at times, without the use of even any division breaks within. And at other times I found myself confused by what the author was saying, and trying to go back to reread didn't help. In these cases, I found that just continuing on, I'd usually figure out what she was getting at, but it was a bit disconcerting at times. This is her first novel though so I'll cut her a break, especially since I really enjoyed the story.
Besides a good story, the character development was done well. Cassie was an interesting character; her ability to communicate with ghosts, and handle Vampire politics as well, endeared her to me. I also really liked Mircea, one of the Senate Vampires, as well and look forward to seeing more of him in the sequel, Claimed By Shadow, coming out in April 2007.
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LibraryThing member the_hag
In reading Touch the Dark, I found myself in a familiar and very real world as Chance takes the everyday and weaves a darker side to it which includes vampires, werewolves, and all manner of otherworld beings which she fleshes out for us through the story of Cassie Palmer; human, clairvoyant,
I am reminded of another character after reading Touch the Dark...Cassie has that same moxie and resilience as Gwen from Cunningham's Changeling series, but with slightly more innocence (Cassie is barely out of her teens) and both series have a kind of melding of Otherworld meets the Sopranos that is surprisingly appealing. Cassie is appealing many levels, but most importantly she is a gutsy heroine and I love her character for it!
Having survived many years with Vampire Mafioso, she is both streetwise and savvy but we are blessed to find that Cassie is not as hardened as one might expect as she still has a charming touch of naiveté. She is aware of her unusual talents but is only just now beginning to understand that there are many who would like to "acquire" her as Tony did and learning more each day exactly WHY they are so interested in her and her abilities.
This is the story of the unveiling of Cassie's growing skill with prophecy and visions and the battle between various otherworld elements for her (and her abilities)...it seems there isn't a supernatural creature (or group of) that don't have a hand in winning (or stealing) Cassie for their own, we've got Vampires (a good number based on historical figures) and the Vampire Council, Mages (light and dark), Witches (light and dark), fey, shrunken heads, ghosts, were-creatures, and on and one. It's almost too much, but in the end, it all works. Touch the Dark weaves a story that is mostly modern, but flows back through history...there is quite a bit of back-story and it's sometimes given in odd, not quite right moments of extended dialogue or text...ultimately brining it all to a mostly satisfying conclusion which beyond a doubt leaves room for follow up books in an on-going series. I've seen this listed as dark fantasy, paranormal romance, horror, and many combinations of the three...my best "classification" here is dark urban fantasy (you're not traveling to otherworlds here....this is very much a modern urban setting with brief flashes of historical locations/events) with paranormal romance leanings and just a smidge of thriller thrown in.
Overall, its good fun reading...is this going to become a new bench mark for the horror/dark fantasy genre...probably not, but I couldn't put it down and read it in a matter of hours, so it is engaging. I loved the historically drawn characters and was pleasantly surprised by the various methods of vampire feeding wich Chance introduced...very plausible and not something I've seen before. I thought they lent a nice touch to the novel and provided a good "reason" how vampires could exist mostly undetected in the world today. I thoroughly enjoyed Touch the Dark and if you love all things vampire, I'd recommend it heartily! I give it a solid A, it's not great literature, but it's engaging and I'm waiting excitedly for the next in the series (due out in April 2007), if that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is!
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spirit wrangler (for lack of a better term). As the story begins, we learn that Cassie has been on the run from her former owner, vampire boss Tony who had her parents killed when she was 4 to acquire her. She's had three years of freedom, but as we join the story, it looks like the jig is up and Tony and his minions have finally caught up with her and she's about to be on the run again...it's her refusal to put her new roommate in danger by leaving without telling him that puts her on the road to an thrilling, complex and life threatening adventure. I am reminded of another character after reading Touch the Dark...Cassie has that same moxie and resilience as Gwen from Cunningham's Changeling series, but with slightly more innocence (Cassie is barely out of her teens) and both series have a kind of melding of Otherworld meets the Sopranos that is surprisingly appealing. Cassie is appealing many levels, but most importantly she is a gutsy heroine and I love her character for it!
Having survived many years with Vampire Mafioso, she is both streetwise and savvy but we are blessed to find that Cassie is not as hardened as one might expect as she still has a charming touch of naiveté. She is aware of her unusual talents but is only just now beginning to understand that there are many who would like to "acquire" her as Tony did and learning more each day exactly WHY they are so interested in her and her abilities.
This is the story of the unveiling of Cassie's growing skill with prophecy and visions and the battle between various otherworld elements for her (and her abilities)...it seems there isn't a supernatural creature (or group of) that don't have a hand in winning (or stealing) Cassie for their own, we've got Vampires (a good number based on historical figures) and the Vampire Council, Mages (light and dark), Witches (light and dark), fey, shrunken heads, ghosts, were-creatures, and on and one. It's almost too much, but in the end, it all works. Touch the Dark weaves a story that is mostly modern, but flows back through history...there is quite a bit of back-story and it's sometimes given in odd, not quite right moments of extended dialogue or text...ultimately brining it all to a mostly satisfying conclusion which beyond a doubt leaves room for follow up books in an on-going series. I've seen this listed as dark fantasy, paranormal romance, horror, and many combinations of the three...my best "classification" here is dark urban fantasy (you're not traveling to otherworlds here....this is very much a modern urban setting with brief flashes of historical locations/events) with paranormal romance leanings and just a smidge of thriller thrown in.
Overall, its good fun reading...is this going to become a new bench mark for the horror/dark fantasy genre...probably not, but I couldn't put it down and read it in a matter of hours, so it is engaging. I loved the historically drawn characters and was pleasantly surprised by the various methods of vampire feeding wich Chance introduced...very plausible and not something I've seen before. I thought they lent a nice touch to the novel and provided a good "reason" how vampires could exist mostly undetected in the world today. I thoroughly enjoyed Touch the Dark and if you love all things vampire, I'd recommend it heartily! I give it a solid A, it's not great literature, but it's engaging and I'm waiting excitedly for the next in the series (due out in April 2007), if that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is!
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LibraryThing member Archivus
Cassandra Palmer is special. She can see ghosts. more often than not, they are harmless, but more often than not, they want to tell her their whole life's story. She also has another special gift: She can see the future. This may make her interesting to the living, but it also makes her interesting
This book was fast paced. I mean Fast. There was not one moment where I put this book down and wondered what on earth was happening. It was so bad, that I stayed up till 4:30 AM just to finish the book and was still left breathless at it. Gone was the vampire stereotype that all vampires are pretty and need to bite you to feed. Karen Chance has made a new type of Vampire, one that looks like they do when they die. Of course, the reason why a lot of them were pretty was because they were aristocracy to begin with, but that was because it was the vampire natural hunting ground. The general force being a senate with a "consul" is is as old as Rome made it even cooler. The feeding through blood molecules drawn through the air was a rater fascinating idea.
This book, more so than any other Laurell K. Hamilton book, is a must read. This book however has some different quirks. One of them is a ghost that follows Cassie around. His name is Billy, and he was a man who used to play cards. He was caught cheating however and drowned in a sack. Now he follows Casie around and she gives him a little energy so that he can manifest and help look out her back.
If you like a little bit of action (okay a lot of action), and some magic (yes, we have witches, faries, and seers; oh my!), and exotic locales (did I mention that it takes place in 16th Century France and Vegas?), then you will love this book.
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to the undead as well. Hiding from vampires takes a considerable amount of time for anybody, especially when you grew up with them. However when Cassie's old boss Tony finds her, she is severely limited on options. She takes what she thinks to be the most positive one of going to the Vampire Senate, the governing body of Vampires in hopes of protection. Vampires don't do anything for free however. They wind up sticking her with one of their most powerful members and on top of that to boot, they plan on making her Pythia, also known as the most powerful seer in the world, magical and otherwise.This book was fast paced. I mean Fast. There was not one moment where I put this book down and wondered what on earth was happening. It was so bad, that I stayed up till 4:30 AM just to finish the book and was still left breathless at it. Gone was the vampire stereotype that all vampires are pretty and need to bite you to feed. Karen Chance has made a new type of Vampire, one that looks like they do when they die. Of course, the reason why a lot of them were pretty was because they were aristocracy to begin with, but that was because it was the vampire natural hunting ground. The general force being a senate with a "consul" is is as old as Rome made it even cooler. The feeding through blood molecules drawn through the air was a rater fascinating idea.
This book, more so than any other Laurell K. Hamilton book, is a must read. This book however has some different quirks. One of them is a ghost that follows Cassie around. His name is Billy, and he was a man who used to play cards. He was caught cheating however and drowned in a sack. Now he follows Casie around and she gives him a little energy so that he can manifest and help look out her back.
If you like a little bit of action (okay a lot of action), and some magic (yes, we have witches, faries, and seers; oh my!), and exotic locales (did I mention that it takes place in 16th Century France and Vegas?), then you will love this book.
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LibraryThing member HomeLoveBooks
Okay to begin I have been a huge slacker on getting these reviews done. I have been so busy with school I just haven't had the time. It should get easier around mid August and I will have more time to write these and enjoy the books themselves.
I have read this book before, but I am rereading my
So I thought I would start with the things I did not like about the novel. One of my biggest problems with this novel is she flows so often from one thing to the next that it is disjointing for the reader. While action is a great thing in a book, especially one from this genre, it only works if the reader is able to keep up with it. I found myself having to reread a page or two a couple of time to figure out what I had missed. I understand the need for jumping from one scene to another when Cassie is having a vision because it's disjointing for her to experience, but this occurrence was not limited to when Cassie was having a vision.
I also believe that the first book in a series is one of the hardest to write because you have to build the world, and that world has to be enough to sustain a series as well as keep the reader interested. With some books it often feels like you are thrown into a world and then have to spend most of the book just figuring out what is going on in addition to getting to know the characters. Being able to introduce a world in a manner that doesn't feel like work for the reader is a gift. I think Chance did an okay job at world building but there were a lot of times I wished I knew more about something and having to wait until 3/4 of the way through the book to get the answer that would have not hurt the progression of the book if I had known it earlier.
So those are my two main issues with the book, and now for the things I liked. I like Cassie. She's confused, ballsy, and doesn't understand her own potential. I think one of the most relatable things about Cassie is that she is nervous and unwilling to suddenly except her position of huge responsibility. She knows that this position gives her power but it is also going to make her vulnerable to people always wanting her under their control, something she is not willing to go back to because of her past. That being said Cassie always stands up for people she feels are innocent and tries to help whenever she can.
Tomas is one of the most annoying characters in the book, but after the way it ends it is understandable why he is so clingy. I HATE when men in a book feel like they own a woman. It drove me bonkers with Bill and Sookie Charlaine Harris books, and even though I loved her books I often wanted to strangle Sookie and hit Bill over the head with a frying pan and tell him to stop calling her "his". I was really worried it was going to be another situation similar to that, except with Tomas it came off as creepy and weird, and the more he acted "protectively" the more he was creepy. I can't say this enough, thank god Cassie did not go for him.
I like the characters as a whole, they have a lot of fleshing out to do over the next couple of books, but I like them, and I love Mircea. He gets so wonderfully more complicated as the series goes on as well as within the spin off. Rafe is sweet and fatherly. Louis Cesar is appropriately full of himself. Pritkin amuses me with his insanity and naive "i know everything" attitude and questions. Tony is a fitting bad guy, mostly because you don't see a lot of him, you just hear about him which makes him more menacing I think. Same is true for Rasputin. Myra was an interesting twist. And can I just say I love Agnes' personality and wise but amusing declarations.
The series does enough to make me want to read more, and its negative points don't make me not like the book, in fact the good outweighs the bad enough for me to really like this series once it really takes off in the subsequent books. I do like this book and Chance as an author a lot.
I have read this book before, but I am rereading my
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books as a way of inventory for myself. I picked this book because she has a new book out that I have no read from this series so I figured I would catch up on the series before I bought and read the new one.So I thought I would start with the things I did not like about the novel. One of my biggest problems with this novel is she flows so often from one thing to the next that it is disjointing for the reader. While action is a great thing in a book, especially one from this genre, it only works if the reader is able to keep up with it. I found myself having to reread a page or two a couple of time to figure out what I had missed. I understand the need for jumping from one scene to another when Cassie is having a vision because it's disjointing for her to experience, but this occurrence was not limited to when Cassie was having a vision.
I also believe that the first book in a series is one of the hardest to write because you have to build the world, and that world has to be enough to sustain a series as well as keep the reader interested. With some books it often feels like you are thrown into a world and then have to spend most of the book just figuring out what is going on in addition to getting to know the characters. Being able to introduce a world in a manner that doesn't feel like work for the reader is a gift. I think Chance did an okay job at world building but there were a lot of times I wished I knew more about something and having to wait until 3/4 of the way through the book to get the answer that would have not hurt the progression of the book if I had known it earlier.
So those are my two main issues with the book, and now for the things I liked. I like Cassie. She's confused, ballsy, and doesn't understand her own potential. I think one of the most relatable things about Cassie is that she is nervous and unwilling to suddenly except her position of huge responsibility. She knows that this position gives her power but it is also going to make her vulnerable to people always wanting her under their control, something she is not willing to go back to because of her past. That being said Cassie always stands up for people she feels are innocent and tries to help whenever she can.
Tomas is one of the most annoying characters in the book, but after the way it ends it is understandable why he is so clingy. I HATE when men in a book feel like they own a woman. It drove me bonkers with Bill and Sookie Charlaine Harris books, and even though I loved her books I often wanted to strangle Sookie and hit Bill over the head with a frying pan and tell him to stop calling her "his". I was really worried it was going to be another situation similar to that, except with Tomas it came off as creepy and weird, and the more he acted "protectively" the more he was creepy. I can't say this enough, thank god Cassie did not go for him.
I like the characters as a whole, they have a lot of fleshing out to do over the next couple of books, but I like them, and I love Mircea. He gets so wonderfully more complicated as the series goes on as well as within the spin off. Rafe is sweet and fatherly. Louis Cesar is appropriately full of himself. Pritkin amuses me with his insanity and naive "i know everything" attitude and questions. Tony is a fitting bad guy, mostly because you don't see a lot of him, you just hear about him which makes him more menacing I think. Same is true for Rasputin. Myra was an interesting twist. And can I just say I love Agnes' personality and wise but amusing declarations.
The series does enough to make me want to read more, and its negative points don't make me not like the book, in fact the good outweighs the bad enough for me to really like this series once it really takes off in the subsequent books. I do like this book and Chance as an author a lot.
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LibraryThing member ReginaR
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
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
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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.
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LibraryThing member iftyzaidi
My first attempt to read this book stalled last year. It is the first novel by Karen Chance, an Urban Fantasy featuring Cassandra Palmer, a clairavoyant, ghost-whispering orphan who ran away from the vampire she was bought up by. Fate and a reading challenge led to it resurfacing on my radar this
As the plot unfolds Cassandra discovers that she possess various other powers (beyond just being able to see the past and future and communicate with ghosts), discovers that an entire cornucopia of villians, some hidden and others apparant, are after her, and discovers herself in the midst of a host of supernatural political machinations. And the reader discover a mess of a plot which weaves in a superabundance of various tropes of the genre. Karen Chance has taken the kitchen sink approach to this novel. Herein one finds hot vampires, ugly vampires, ghosts, gangsters, mages, witches, fairies, curses, Cleopatra, were-rats, possession, oracles, the FBI witness protection programme, time-travel, dracula's brother, magical bracelets, kinky vampire justice, dark magic, hell-themed casinos, Jack the Ripper, nightclubs, hunky-roomates-with a-terrible-secret, satyrs and a whole lot more. All of this is a lot of stuff to cram into 300 pages, so Ms. Chance resorts to the time-honoured art of info-dumping.
The info-dump is that ugly but useful tactic used by authors who want to quickly get some world-building done and provide backstory to set up the story. Ms. Chance does not shy from info-dumping. A Lot. This has the undesired effect of repeatedly interrupting the flow of the story, often in the middle of some tense, action-packed scene, with chunky paragraphs of random information. The story thus tends to unfold in a tell, don't show, sort of a manner which can often be annoying.
A second drawback with Ms. Chance's writing is that it is completely devoid of awe or mystery. Various supernatural ideas, creatures and activties are introduced in matter-of-fact, workmanlike prose. Upon being abducted by a vampire, in the beginning of the book, the protaganist helpfully informs us that he must be at least a Level 3 Master Vampire. At another point, someone ruminates that a vampire must have gone up a level (!!!) This RPG monster manual approach to describing creatures manges to leech any sense of mystery out of the proceedings. Upon meeting the afore-mentioned were-rats (in the middle of a battle), we are treated to an info-dump about what kinds of races can become lycanthropes, and which ones can't. (Apparently most supernatural creatures can't, but half-human hybrids can, etc.) Later in that same encounter some dark, mysterious villian shows up to wipe out our intrepid heroes - but he takes the time to first have a 'conversation' (or infodump in dialogue) with the heroine in which he helpfully informs her (and the reader) of the mythological connotations of her name, 'Cassandra'. Gee, good thing too, otherwise I would never have made the connection of her name and her power of being able to tell the future! How deep!
So are there any positives to the book at all? Well, one advantage of all the info-dumping is that the author manages to set up an intricate,complex and rich world within which the story unfolds. Theres a fair amount of meat to it as well. The main character is interesting and faces some interesting quandries and the story picks up pace well in the second half of the book, when most of the info-dumping is behind us. Lastly the dialogue is mostly well done, with some amusing bon-mots thrown in to keep the reader entertained. The action (when not being interrupted by info-dumps) is also entertaining and varied. One feels that the author was trying to get as much world-building done in this book as possible so that she could employ some of these elements in future books in the series. As such, while I won't be actively seeking them out, I wouldn't mind reading the next in the series to see where the author goes with the characters. Otherwise, I'm guessing those readers who are fans of the genre might enjoy this more and be more forgiving of its shortcomings than I was.
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month and I decided to give it another shot. This time I found it compelling enough to finish.As the plot unfolds Cassandra discovers that she possess various other powers (beyond just being able to see the past and future and communicate with ghosts), discovers that an entire cornucopia of villians, some hidden and others apparant, are after her, and discovers herself in the midst of a host of supernatural political machinations. And the reader discover a mess of a plot which weaves in a superabundance of various tropes of the genre. Karen Chance has taken the kitchen sink approach to this novel. Herein one finds hot vampires, ugly vampires, ghosts, gangsters, mages, witches, fairies, curses, Cleopatra, were-rats, possession, oracles, the FBI witness protection programme, time-travel, dracula's brother, magical bracelets, kinky vampire justice, dark magic, hell-themed casinos, Jack the Ripper, nightclubs, hunky-roomates-with a-terrible-secret, satyrs and a whole lot more. All of this is a lot of stuff to cram into 300 pages, so Ms. Chance resorts to the time-honoured art of info-dumping.
The info-dump is that ugly but useful tactic used by authors who want to quickly get some world-building done and provide backstory to set up the story. Ms. Chance does not shy from info-dumping. A Lot. This has the undesired effect of repeatedly interrupting the flow of the story, often in the middle of some tense, action-packed scene, with chunky paragraphs of random information. The story thus tends to unfold in a tell, don't show, sort of a manner which can often be annoying.
A second drawback with Ms. Chance's writing is that it is completely devoid of awe or mystery. Various supernatural ideas, creatures and activties are introduced in matter-of-fact, workmanlike prose. Upon being abducted by a vampire, in the beginning of the book, the protaganist helpfully informs us that he must be at least a Level 3 Master Vampire. At another point, someone ruminates that a vampire must have gone up a level (!!!) This RPG monster manual approach to describing creatures manges to leech any sense of mystery out of the proceedings. Upon meeting the afore-mentioned were-rats (in the middle of a battle), we are treated to an info-dump about what kinds of races can become lycanthropes, and which ones can't. (Apparently most supernatural creatures can't, but half-human hybrids can, etc.) Later in that same encounter some dark, mysterious villian shows up to wipe out our intrepid heroes - but he takes the time to first have a 'conversation' (or infodump in dialogue) with the heroine in which he helpfully informs her (and the reader) of the mythological connotations of her name, 'Cassandra'. Gee, good thing too, otherwise I would never have made the connection of her name and her power of being able to tell the future! How deep!
So are there any positives to the book at all? Well, one advantage of all the info-dumping is that the author manages to set up an intricate,complex and rich world within which the story unfolds. Theres a fair amount of meat to it as well. The main character is interesting and faces some interesting quandries and the story picks up pace well in the second half of the book, when most of the info-dumping is behind us. Lastly the dialogue is mostly well done, with some amusing bon-mots thrown in to keep the reader entertained. The action (when not being interrupted by info-dumps) is also entertaining and varied. One feels that the author was trying to get as much world-building done in this book as possible so that she could employ some of these elements in future books in the series. As such, while I won't be actively seeking them out, I wouldn't mind reading the next in the series to see where the author goes with the characters. Otherwise, I'm guessing those readers who are fans of the genre might enjoy this more and be more forgiving of its shortcomings than I was.
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LibraryThing member MlleEhreen
I was very, very impressed by Touch the Dark. It had everything I look for in a good urban fantasy series - a strong, sympathetic protagonist facing a host of insurmountable challenges, a collection of interesting secondary characters, great worldbuilding and lots of action.
I read Touch the Dark
I read Touch the Dark
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in one sitting, couldn't put it down. I thought it was well-written, well-paced, so brilliantly imaginative. I kept thinking of Jim Butcher as Cassandra Palmer nosedived from one problem into a bigger one. I loved the romantic elements, which are pretty hot but very complicated - the men most interested in Cassandra are also poised to betray her. This book was just bursting with ideas; historical characters like Casanova and Christopher Marlowe pop up, and there are interesting spins on how they came to be immortal; there's a bar in Vegas modeled after the seven circles of hell, staffed by randy satyrs; and ghosts, in this universe, are excellent spies. It was a really satisfying read. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwormteri
meh...I will reserve judgement and possibly read the next one. I liked the idea, but about halfway through the book it became drudgery for me.
LibraryThing member pacey1927
This book has been in my TBR pile for a very long time. That is because I thought it sounded fabulous and I was saving it until I wanted to treat myself. I don't know why but I just thought this was going to be something special. I did the same thing with the Ilona Andrew's "Magic" series and
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wasn't disappointed. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing here. The first chapter or so was fine. I didn't really understand everything going on but I figured in due time it would all be explained and make sense. Not so much. There were so many seperate plots and so many different groups with different motives, and so many different supernatural species that I was hopelessly lost. To add to that confusion, Cassie, our heroine, has special powers. She is clairvoant, she can talk to ghosts, she can enter other people's bodies, she can go into the past, and oh yeah, she has a magical tatoo on her back. All of these powers probably should have been slowly revealed over the course of the book (or better yet, over the series of books). So many times, I lost track of what was going on or who was who. This just shouldn't happen in a fiction story. Now, I did give this book two stars so there are some positives. I kinda like Cassie, and I definitely like her ghostly sidekick. There are some characters I can't decide if I like or hate, so there is at least a little intrigue there. If this book would have been one of the plots to kill Cassie, by one of the organizations in the book it would have been a decent book I think. It was just so overwhelming. I feel like the trips back stopped the momentum when things started to get interesting in the present. I really like the scens where there was a lot of dialouge. I think that dialogue is a stregnth of the author's. Above all, I gave this story two stars because despite all my frustrations with it, I immediately started the second in the series. I am about 100 pages into it, and so far its about a thousand times better than this messy story. Show Less
LibraryThing member seekingflight
The book (and series) started promisingly, with an attention-getting first sentence, and action from the get-go. I liked being thrust straight into the action, and having the story filled in both backwards and forwards. There were elements of the series that I did really enjoy. But pretty soon I
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was feeling that too much was happening, and I just didn't care enough about the characters to track the details of the dilemmas they were facing. Show Less
LibraryThing member maughta
This was pretty good. Interesting character, interesting plot twists. Not a lot of character development on anyone other than the main character, but interesting none-the-less. Only suffered from an ending that came out of nowhere and left you wondering what the fuck happened. It's like they
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reached page three hundred and suddenly discovered that they had to end it by 307 so every plot got one or two sentences to wrap things up in. Still not sure what happened there at the end. Guess I'll have to read the next book. Since most of the major plots were NOT wrapped up, I'm assuming a trilogy (or never-ending series) is in order. Show Less
LibraryThing member cequillo
If you're a fan of dark fantasy, you should add Chance to your reading stacks. Excellent plotting and pace and skillful creation of characters.
LibraryThing member jshillingford
Touch the Dark is one of those vampire novels that uses "vampire politics" to weave a plot, and it succeeds admirably. Our heroine Cassie finds herself in the center of a war between mages, vampires and fey. Chance's master vampires, Luis-Cesar and Mercea, can easily rival Jean-Claude and Lestat
Her world is well developed and sucks you in. Some found the backstory interrupted the pacing of the novel, but I disagree. Action is great, action without plot is less so. I can hardly wait for the sequel and strongly recommend this title to fans of Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, Laurell K Hamilton etc.
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for their allure, ruthlessness and sheer sexiness. Additionally, her take on vampire existence/powers has nice new twists. Her world is well developed and sucks you in. Some found the backstory interrupted the pacing of the novel, but I disagree. Action is great, action without plot is less so. I can hardly wait for the sequel and strongly recommend this title to fans of Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, Laurell K Hamilton etc.
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LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Cassie is a clairvoyant who was raised by vampires, but wait it gets better. She also talks to ghosts. She is on the lam from the vampire mafia she grew up with, and is doing pretty well until she is warned that they have found her. She is rescued by the vampire senate but that is sort of a
I actually like the mythology of the book and the characters are interesting. Like another reviewer, I thought the sex scenes were over the top and there are some some pretty graphic torture scenes I could have done without.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I plan to read the second in the series.
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pot/fire situation. It is a fairly complicated story that includes witches, were-rats, satyrs(that is new),and time travel. And that is only part of it. It also seems that every evil or mysterious person in history has ended up as a vampire.I actually like the mythology of the book and the characters are interesting. Like another reviewer, I thought the sex scenes were over the top and there are some some pretty graphic torture scenes I could have done without.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. I plan to read the second in the series.
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LibraryThing member amf0001
Good world building but still it didn't work for me. All that exposition during the sex scenes sort of took the heat out of the book, and while I liked Cassandra and her toughness I didn't really care for anyone, they were all the usual motley crew. I read 3 other books while I was reading this
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one. I guess it just didn't keep my attention. Just as a memory jolt - it was the one with the wererats, lots of vampire politics, a bit of time travel (still not sure or care how the other guys did it) and the sybil becoming the oracle. That was a nice, new/old touch. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006-06-01
Physical description
320 p.; 4.3 inches
ISBN
0451460936 / 9780451460936