This book is an uneven start to a truly awesome series. As many reviewers have said, the pacing in this book is jarring - action scenes interrupted by too much explanation. But Chance takes care of that in the next book (Claimed by Shadows) and in Embrace the Night - WOW! The next two books are so good, keep slogging through this one and it will be worth it. I would have given this book on its own 3 stars, but have given it 5 because the next books in the series are so good.

This wasn't like anything I've read in the genre before, and starts a truly original series. It's hard to describe because there isn't anything else like it out there: it has some romance, but it isn't a paranormal romance book. The romance in this and the two sequels drives the plot but isn't the plot itself. It has some humor, but isn't remotely chick lit. In a tongue firmly in cheek sort of way, it plays with stereotypes, but never manages to be one. It has elements of mystery, thriller, and even horror, and somehow manages to make them all work together. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I know I really liked Touch the Dark and am very glad I found this series.

(Originally, this review was accidentally posted under Book 3 of the Cassandra Palmer series...)

This is the first story I've ever bought that I stopped reading part-way through (other than the Anita Blake crap...but those don't actually count as "stories", do they?). I think I was expecting more after author Karen Chance's "Buying Trouble".

After the 9th or 10th chapter, I had absolutely zero interest in the story, the characters or the scenario. The entire plot seems focused on elaborate explanations of (seemingly) every single element of the story.

Written in first person, Cassandra Palmer has an ongoing internal dialogue (similar to Anita Blake, but less whiny). Unfortunately, even some of THOSE dialogues become exuberant, boring explanations.

POSITIVE: This story has a plethora of "preternatural" characters (vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fairies, witches, etc.), and so should be of interest to folks like me who appreciate those elements. NEGATIVE: This story has various kinds of "preternatural" characters, and the sheer volume makes it difficult to care or even focus on any of them.

POSITIVE: Author Karen Chance does well when describing the environments and settings. (There's a scene involving a large stone slab and members of the Senate that demonstrates Chance's skill.) NEGATIVE: Almost everything feels like an explanation. I found myself ignoring the long tirades and explanations and flipping through pages and pages of text just to get to the point when someone spoke back.

Hopefully, this helps you decide if this series is worth your time and money. Again, I only got through the first half or so - perhaps you're willing to invest a little more patience.

For me, my time and energy won over the frustration of wanting so desperately to like these characters.

I really wanted to like this...I wish I could give 2-1/2 stars because I sort of liked it, but meh, not enough to stand up and say, "I like it." The worldbuilding was quite intriguing--a modern day sybil trying to stay out of the clutches of the vampires, fey, werewolves, and war mages engaged in an otherworldly power struggle. I swore I'd never read another vampire book, but this premise drew me in. Ms. Chance's story "Buying Trouble" in the On the Prowl anthology was also charming, convincing me that she knew how to tell an entertaining action story. Ms. Chance does know how to write, but there are big problems here that kept throwing me out of the story, making me feel like I was wading through soup.

Her characters, even her heroine, read rather generic to me, despite the clever premise. And she has an annoying (really really really annoying) tendency to stop in the middle of action and sex scenes, and dialogue exchanges, to go off on explaining and description tangents. Sometimes these information dumps last a couple of paragraphs, sometimes a couple of pages or more. There were times that somebody would ask a question and Ms. Chance would take off into the scenery or worldbuilding for so long that when the question was answered I had to page back to see what the question had been. This wasn't something that just happened occasionally, but recurred throughout the book. I was skim reading these passages by the end.

Then there's that ending...no spoilers, but let's just say that although she did arrive at a kind of resolution to the present story, there was so much left unresolved that it felt more like a chapter ending than a book ending. This kind of "leave 'em hanging" ending always makes me feel cheated. I know it's supposed to make me run right out and buy the next book, but I'm not sure I'll be doing that in this case. I'm right on the fence about it at the moment. It's a first novel, so I feel I should cut her some slack, but the hanging ending and the annoying writing technique have not left me a happy reader. If I do read the next one, I will do a considerable amount in-bookstore reading before buying just to see if she's improved her bad habits at all.

This wasn't one of the best vampire books that I've read... it kind is a lot like the other ones that are really popular right now, no new twists or anything. Otherwise not bad.

I didnt. It was just alright. I have been dying to find a new series to start and I love the paranormal...fantasy world of Vampires etc. But this seemed to have too much going on....constantly....that I couldnt seem to enjoy the action. The characters were good but because of all the action they werent fleshed out as much as I would have like. I read the other two books in this series and felt the same way. Not a horrible read but nothing I would pass on to a friend.

Hard to believe this book was written by a woman. After the first two chapters, I thought for sure it had been written by a male, pulp fiction writer. Its a "vampire story" so I expected blood and guts, but this was just so over the top with its graphic depictions of various forms of torture. It made me think of those "Saw" movies.

The concept was interesting, so I give it three stars for that alone, but I didn't like where she went with the main character. I much prefer books by Keri Arthur.

So I picked this book up based on a recommendation of Amazon.com. I love fantasy vampire books. This one fits in well to my tastes. So far It is my second favorite series right behind the Twilight series! This one is a bit more grown up than that one. There are 3 books out now, and ever single one of them kept me on the edge of my seat! What I really enjoyed about this series, was the heroine didnt constantly make stupid mistakes. This one is intelligent and makes good decisions. I also liked that while there were multiple romantic prospects, the main character didnt come off a whore (like Laurell Hamilton end up making Anita Blake into). All three of the main possible 'love interests' are a good match for her and the sexual encounters are done tastefully. I really hate when they turn the main character into a whore! I cant wait to read the rest of this series!

With the huge number of reviews already posted, this writer obviously has a large fan base already.She WILL deserve it someday, but this is a rather weak start. A lot of time is spent discussing who or what our lead character is, which team wants her, who--out of a large supporting cast--wants her for their own reasons of power, lust, love--take your choice. Additonally, most of this discussion takes place in a ROOM. Not a lot of action, more a lot of set-up. Of course, the female lead is out of the LKH school of loner, kick-butt, paranormal,female with the mysterious death of her parents haunting her, but she is likeable and hasn't yet become a sex addict. This is a worthwhile, but slow, beginning book. I already bought the other two of the series AND a back-up book for when this one bogs down. Might be a used book store choice--still worth the read just for the future books. I know they will get out of that darn room someday. I just need to stay awake long enough for it to happen....

Thank goodness I got this book at the library. I'm so tired of buying "paranormal romances" based on peoples' stellar reviews just to discover they are all the same cheesy mess. I keep picking these books up in the hope of getting the same thrill I got with the first 10 Anita Blake books, but, alas, I think it is hopeless.

I would have to agree with many of the other reviewers who gave low ratings. There is nothing new or different about this book. I also can't stand all these books that have men with ridiculously long hair. I gave it to page 100, and I really didn't care what was going on, and I didn't like that the heroine had fond feelings for more than one of the "attractive" males. I think this gives the reader mixed signals about who the love interest is going to be. I believe this is the downturn of most of these paranormal romances especially the Anita Blake books. If the heroine is attracted to someone - maybe for a moment - they will be having sex with them - maybe not right away but at some point.

This book rocks! Great writing, some of the best in the genre, really creative plot and fun characters. And it's a series! Can't wait for the third, Embrace the Night, out in April!

This book had so much potential - the alternate reality that Karen Chance has created is new and refreshing and could be very interesting to read about, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one. I thought the quality of the writing was absolutely dreadful - Chance just couldn't translate the story on paper. They way Chance bounced around between subjects was confusing at best. The typos were horrendous and sometimes the dialogue just didn't make sense. Chance also tried to jam pack too much information in this first installment when since this is a series, it would have been beneficial to reveal things in later books to keep the reader interested.

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. On top of all of that, the author has her main character take several trips into the past, but didn't bother to do any research before those scenes were written.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone unless they were asking me for examples of unlikeable Mary-Sues surrounded by uninteresting hijinks caused by brainless vampires.

If you like good writing, don't buy this book. If you like Laurell K. Hamilton, you will probably love this book.

Touch the Dark is about Cassandra, a clairvoyant raised by a vampiric mafia who wanted to benefit from her visions of the future. Although, a powerful person in her own right, Cassie is blindsided by various forces all fighting to control her--the Vampire Senate, The Black Circle, The Silver Circle. Touch the Dark is a wonderful debut novel for this series. Karen Chance has put her own spin on the vampires and the various supernatural elements that are common in urban fantasy. The various characters are multifaceted and keep you guessing. The plotline was engaging and I loved that she pulled in aspects of mythology. I can't wait to read the next book.

Just OK. I've been reading this sub-genre for a few years now and have come across fantastic series like Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1) and The Black Jewels: Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness. I've tired of Anita Blake and Merry is heading the same way, so I'm always looking for the next vampire-romance. Karen Chance has created an interesting world - and BOY does she want to explain every tiny detail of it in this first book. Ms. Chance is a bit too concerned with outlining her universe than telling the story and/or developing character.

I'll read the sequels - as something to do until Charlaine Harris and Anne Bishop's new books come out this year...From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8) and Tangled Webs: A Black Jewels Novel (Black Jewels Trilogy)

this book was good at first but got very confusing fast. Too much time was spent on the whole politics of the vampires and not enough on the charactors. Might get the next one in the seies at a used book seller.

I had never heard of this book before I bought it, but I loved it! Karen Chance's writing style is similar to Laurell K. Hamilton. There are lots of fantasy critters (wereanimals, faeries, mages, vampires, etc.), and lots of action. I definitely recommend this book!

It was an okay book. The idea was great, but it's very involved and you feel like you're only getting a small part of the story for most of the book. The writing was good, but so much was assumed that it was very difficult to follow. But it's definately worth a read, though I won't be buying the sequels.

Karen Chance has created a complex and intriguing paranormal world featuring vampires, were-creatures, mages (good and bad) and even a few members of the fey. To the mix she added some Greek mythology and a sassy, resourceful heroine with a destiny. It was a wonderful read with great surprises throughout and makes a fine start to a new fantasy series. I loved it, and am looking forward to more from this author.

I read these out of order because I came across Claimed by Shadow at my local bookstore but not this one. I got hooked and had to search this one out. Really glad I did! The book hit all my buttons: dark, ambiguous characters, a believable fantasy world, quirky humor, action scenes that added to the story, and a twisty plot that caught me by surprise at the end (much like the second one did). I can't remember the last time I was surprised by a book's conclusion (I usually see them coming a long way off) and this author has done it twice. Kudos on a great series, and I want the third one now!

Karen Chance makes a wonderful effort here, with her interesting heroine and fantasy world, but in the end, I must say that I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the idea of this story is a whole new twist on a genre that can come off a little cookie-cutter at times. Sadly, however, ideas don't always work out, as is what happened here with Touch the Dark.

Cassie Palmer sounded as though she was going to be a refreshing twist on the typical tough girl in a vampire's world heroine. She's not a vampire slayer torn in two by her principles and the hot vampire lover she's got waiting in the wings. She's a clairvoyant who's grown up among vampires, so there's no rose colored glasses for her. Perhaps, there lies the first problem I had with the book. Illustrating your rules of a fantasy world is all well and good, but much of this book read like a lesson. It's a case of too much good stuff, I think. In the effort to get in so much, the author was endlessly giving Cassie's commentary on this creature or that misconception. When it came down to it, if you're in the middle of an important scene, page after page of detail on a relatively unnecessary creature (I won't write character, because often they didn't rank it) takes you right out of the plot. Less is more, and Touch the Dark could have really benefited from a filter or three.

I thought that the true strengths of this book were the vampires (as it should be). The characters that Karen Chance creates here were solid and I looked forward to reading about them. While they were strong and handsome, a requirement for the genre, I thought that all of these boys were what to read for. There were twists in loyalties that made me sad (a good thing however, since it meant I cared) but that only added to the book's ending, which I felt lacked something.

However, maybe my confusion and apathy at the ending just that I didn't quite get what the author was going for - some of that time giving the readers unnecessary detail in other areas could have been spent further explaining the rules of the Pythia and time travel, because the book certainly could have used it. By the end I felt like Cassie was just throwing these conclusions and revealations out there to get things wrapped up, rather than she's worked to get the answers. I understand that she knows quite a bit about the supernatural world, but this was supposed to be an new and unknown path for her and I'd have appreciated it coming off like that.

The romance in the book came off a bit strained, but I liked that the author didn't go in the direction that you'd thought she would. At the end, her new "lover" is left alone because Cassie wants a chance at making a run for it. I won't say the character's name for fear of ruining it for someone, but I felt he wasn't done justice here. He seems to have fallen too hard too fast for Cassie, and so it comes off unrealistic.

Overall, the premise and high points are enough to make me read the second in the series. I'll cross my fingers that my questions will be answered, but somehow I am doubtful.

Three years ago Cassandra Palmer betrayed the vampire mafioso who killed her parents, to the human authorities. According to a cryptic computer message her past has finally caught up with her and it's time to run again. However, when escaping is no longer an option, she has to turn to the Vampire Senate for protection, but their help doesn't come for free.

Karen Chance can tell a rollicking good story. Her characters are fantastic, her dialogue is witty. And she is very good at building up sexual tension.

She starts off with a great first line:-

"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."

The story powerhouses from there.

Some of it is hysterically funny. Possibly my favourite section of the book is when they're trying to get Jimmy out of the cage. It's like a textbook example of things rapidly going from bad to worse. And when Cassie initially possesses Tomas and is telling Louis-Cesare to shut up, and LC thinks it's Tomas (not understanding it's Cassie in there), is just hilarious. Karen Chance pulls this three-way conversation off brilliantly.

I love how all her characters are individuals with their own little quirks. Pritkin in particular. It's a great name and fits him to a tee. He reminded me of a banty rooster with apoplexy whenever he came on-page.

However, even though I loved the story I did have a few problems.

The author often stops in the middle of the action to infodump - whether it's on magical wards during the first fight scene, why people become ghosts, or magical theory. It's annoying. Yes, I'm interested in this stuff if it's going to be important to the story, but not halfway through some major action.

The number of times that other characters say to Cassie either that she belongs to the Silver Circle, or that she is a sybil. And she just ignores them. The reader has clearly heard the comments but somehow they pass Cassie by. This happens not once, but on several occasions. She doesn't question this 'til page 223. It's as if she has selective deafness.

Things happen and I wasn't always clear about what's going on or who's present. Cassie needs to pay better attention to her surroundings so it's not so confusing for the reader. You wouldn't know people were in the same room as Cassie until they started talking or fighting, then it's like `Who are these people?'.

Finally the ending, which I think in another story might have annoyed me. There isn't really a conclusion as such. Do we assume that the good guys won the day? Cassie left Mircea in the past, we never come back to the future, so we don't know for sure what happened. But somehow this ending fits with the rest of the story. I wasn't disappointed I just wanted to get onto the next book.

Three years ago Cassandra Palmer betrayed the vampire mafioso who killed her parents, to the human authorities. According to a cryptic computer message her past has finally caught up with her and it's time to run again. However, when escaping is no longer an option, she has to turn to the Vampire Senate for protection, but their help doesn't come for free.

Karen Chance can tell a rollicking good story. Her characters are fantastic, her dialogue is witty. And she is very good at building up sexual tension.

She starts off with a great first line:-

"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."

The story powerhouses from there.

Some of it is hysterically funny. Possibly my favourite section of the book is when they're trying to get Jimmy out of the cage. It's like a textbook example of things rapidly going from bad to worse. And when Cassie initially possesses Tomas and is telling Louis-Cesare to shut up, and LC thinks it's Tomas (not understanding it's Cassie in there), is just hilarious. Karen Chance pulls this three-way conversation off brilliantly.

I love how all her characters are individuals with their own little quirks. Pritkin in particular. It's a great name and fits him to a tee. He reminded me of a banty rooster with apoplexy whenever he came on-page.

However, even though I loved the story I did have a few problems.

The author often stops in the middle of the action to infodump - whether it's on magical wards during the first fight scene, why people become ghosts, or magical theory. It's annoying. Yes, I'm interested in this stuff if it's going to be important to the story, but not halfway through some major action.

The number of times that other characters say to Cassie either that she belongs to the Silver Circle, or that she is a sybil. And she just ignores them. The reader has clearly heard the comments but somehow they pass Cassie by. This happens not once, but on several occasions. She doesn't question this 'til page 223. It's as if she has selective deafness.

Things happen and I wasn't always clear about what's going on or who's present. Cassie needs to pay better attention to her surroundings so it's not so confusing for the reader. You wouldn't know people were in the same room as Cassie until they started talking or fighting, then it's like `Who are these people?'.

Finally the ending, which I think in another story might have annoyed me. There isn't really a conclusion as such. Do we assume that the good guys won the day? Cassie left Mircea in the past, we never come back to the future, so we don't know for sure what happened. But somehow this ending fits with the rest of the story. I wasn't disappointed I just wanted to get onto the next book.

The story is well grounded in a very interesting historical background. The locations are unique and having traveled a lot and lived in a lot of the places mentioned I believe it was an enjoyable head trip.

The writing is smart, the wording good even though at time the length of the monologues and flashback take away the rhythm and flow of the story.

The heroine appears open to work with powers no one exactly understand and know the extend of, so it is nice to open up a series of stories and she is a strong character a la Buffy.

My bigger issue was the fact that I could not find who the romantic counterpart was. The first part of the book insinuated it could be Tomas, the middle completely ignore that, and the end makes you think it could be Mircea. All in all, there was no romantic involvement at all in the book and that IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM for me. If you don't plan on having one then make a classic police novel with no suggestions at all of a possible love interest and concentrate on the story and the strength of the heroine only. That confusion between style is upsetting and I really wander if I can read more stories from this author with this type of ambivalence.

Ok, there was a lot wrong with this. I read the whole thing, unlike many of the other low-star givers who reviewed this book. I found the book lacking in many ways. One was the glaring abuse of English in this book. There were a lot of elementary Grammar and idiomatic mistakes. Another was the kitchen-sink inclusion of every type of supernatural creature imaginable. The werewolf on the stairs was pointless, even though it looked like it might be important later. The inclusion of so many famous figures from history as vampires was ludicrous. Jack the Ripper, Rasputin, Cleopatra, I mean really! I found myself reading on just to find out what other travesties I could find. The 'love story' part of this book fell very flat. I was squicked out instead of enjoying the erotic scenes because they smacked of necrophilia, and were devoid of any arousing emotion. The ending wasn't an ending. The climax happens off-stage while the characters are getting it on, then it ends. The device of using the character's virginity as the key to the plot was just absurd. Very unsatisfying. The motivations of the villain were not believable, Cassie behaved foolishly, acting as a plot-puppet jumping through holes. Not recommended.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Both Touch the Dark and Claimed by Shadow were original, exciting and substantial reads. I've read both books twice and I can't wait until next April for the third, Embrace the Night. Chance has created an amazing world that has completely sucked me in.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, because the book has a strong mystery element and I don't want to be responsible for spoilers. But, essentially, Cassie Palmer is a clairvoyant on the run from the vampire who brought her up and used her psychic talents for his own nefarious purposes. She escaped him and lived a fairly normal life for three years. But, as the book opens, he has caught up with her. She returns from a break at work to find her obituary displayed on her computer screen. She assumes that it's a warning from her old master, and that she must flee immediately. From there on, Cassie and the reader are transported into a world of magic, danger, intrigue and secrets, where nothing is what it first seems and everyone is a possible enemy.

Vampires, werewolves, fey, time travel, assassins, witches-the book has it all, but it is all very well done and quite believable. It's obvious that a lot of time was taken on the worldbuilding, something that I found very refreshing. I'm tired of reading so-called fantasies which are little more than romance novels in disguise, with poor world-building and little attention to detail. Touch the Dark has none of that. The characters are well drawn, the writing is solid, the mystery was excellent, and the pace just never lets up!

Highly recommended.

This book rocks hard! The characters are fantastic, no two-dimensional types here. The dialogue is smart and witty. And the sexual tension is steamy. To the reviewer who found the idea of a sexual situation involving vampires and a human to be icky-where have you been? Buffy come to mind, anyone? Or about a thousand other fantasy books that have come out lately? Only Cassie's "encounter" doesn't turn out quite the way I--or she--expected, and I loved it. It was a funny, sexy, smart scene--like the rest of the book. More, more, more!

The first line sets up the tone of the whole book:

"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."

It's the kind of start that makes me want to keep reading, and I'm really glad I did! This book stands out in the field of fantasy/paranormal romances that have come out lately. It's the characters that really made it for me. All of them were individuals with their own personalities and quirks. Pritkin was especially fun-although I worried that he was about to have a heart attack whenever he appeared-and Mircea and Louis-Cesare and . . . oh, hell, I loved all of them. Billy Joe, Cassie's ghost friend, was especially funny. Which was another neat element. I didn't expect a dark fantasy (and this is really dark in places) to also be funny, but it was.

Very good start to a series. The second is Claimed by Shadow and it was even better than Touch the Dark, I thought. And the third is Embrace the Night, out in April of 2008. Come on April!

"Touch the Dark" was a great find. It's mainly a vampire novel, but it centers around a clairvoyant who grew up in the vampire world. A nice touch in this book was that, unlike most vampire novels, Chance didn't spend a ton of time on the backstory of every vamp we meet. She didn't have to because she used some familiar historical characters-everybody from Kit Marlowe to Mircea (Vlad Tepes' brother) to the painter Raphael, to Rasputin (the villain). This gives an idea to their age without spending the whole book on them.

The reason this lost 1/2 a star for me was the author's habit of stopping in the middle of an action sequence to infodump, which I found annoying. It was mostly interesting stuff, though, so not so very annoying. I was glad to see that the problem didn't show up in the sequel, so maybe a rookie mistake? Anyway, great premise and great book for the most part.

I bought this after reading Kelley Armstrong's series and while in the middle of Laurell K. Hamilton's series of novels. I found myself wanting to get to the end of the book, only so that it would be over. I was bored reading it and found myself even drifting at times. I even found myself rooting for something to happen to Cassie. I couldn't feel anything for the character. And it jumped around so much, I was like 'huh'? When I started to read it, I thought, ooh, vampire gangsters, that's cool. But there were no gangsters in the story, but for a few minutes. And I don't want to spoil anything but the cheese factor with the choice of well-known villains turned vampires, like Jack the Ripper, was ridiculous. Most of the story actually took place in a hotel room where everything was explained to the main character. I was very disappointed with this read. Not worth continuing with this series.

It's a good start. I can't wait to read the next installment in the series. The author does an amazing job at creating a new world filled with vampires, mages, golems, and even satyrs.



It was non-stop action from the beginning. I'm only a little disappointed in the ending, in that it ended so suddenly. It's a great set up for the next book, but it left us really hanging with no real conclusion.



Loved Mircea and even liked Pritkin. I'd really like to see the author flesh Cassie's relationship with those two characters. Didn't care much for Tomas. I'll defiinely read the next installment to see what's in store for Cassie.

It's a good start. I can't wait to read the next installment in the series. The author does an amazing job at creating a new world filled with vampires, mages, golems, and even satyrs.

It was non-stop action from the beginning. I'm only a little disappointed in the ending, in that it ended so suddenly. It's a great set up for the next book, but it left us really hanging with no real conclusion.

Loved Mircea and even liked Pritkin. I'd really like to see the author flesh Cassie's relationship with those two characters. Didn't care much for Tomas. I'll defiinely read the next installment to see what's in store for Cassie.

I was deeply disappointed with this book. After reading all the positive reviews I eagerly bought it and started reading. Now, I have always enjoyed fantasy and fantastical creatures, but having vampires, were-things (rats!), faeries, ghosts and witches/mages all rolled into one story was way too much. One huge pet peeve of mine from this book was that vampires were only referred to as "vamps", not to mention "who" the author throws in there as powerful vampires. Also, the scene in which the modern vampires "feed" was simply unnecessary and stupid.

I thought the plot was too messy, with too much information jumbled in together to form a cohesive storyline. There is too much happening at the same time, and instead of keeping you on the edge of your seat guessing, I found it to be confusing and disconnected.

Was there supposed to be romance in this book? There was no chemistry in the erotic moments as well as no comedy from the so-called "sassy heroine". I could not connect to the main character, and halfway through the book I could not care less what happened to her or what she was supposed to be.

Sequel for me? No, thanks.

This book was a fantastic read, i really got into the character of Cassandra. She is a strong and Sassy character who lives up to her given name. The characters that surround her are just as interesting, the world that Karen chance has created is intriguing and leaves you wanting more after that last page has been turned. If you like this then definitely get book 2, Claimed by Shadow. I am eagerly awaiting book 3, can't wait to read it!

I think Karen Chance did a good job creating the plot for this book. Also the characters are well established and her writing definitely makes it come alive for me. I liked how she brought in some of the historical figures and integrated them into the modern world. Cassie is an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about her interactions with powerful men and women and the fact that she was never intimidated. I like reading about a tough female :)

The major thing I didn't like and the reason why I stopped reading Hamilton series was the X-Rated scenes. I think the story would be a lot better if both of these writers left more to imagination. A modern adult fantasy book should definitely have those elements in my opinion, but when the description lasts a couple of chapters, it starts resembling porn and the book suffers. Mercea is a great choice for Cassie's love interest, especially due to the fact that he is such a complex individual himself, but Karen Chance should not have made their intimate scene so absurd.

Just my opinion, but overall I liked the book. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon easy read.

This book surprised me. I'd thought from the first couple of chapters that it was going to be a fun but pretty formulaic read. Very much in the "girl on the run from bad guys" mode, only with some fantasy elements thrown in. I was way off base! It's a smart book with a good mystery plot and insanely good characterization. I thought I was getting a fluffy, mindless read and ended up with a surprisingly substantial book that I've thought about again and again. Highly recommended.

This book was very bad from beginning to the end i felt like i was about to go to sleep. It was boring and i think the most exciting part was at the very beginning when she saw her name in the paper saying that she was dead like 30 minutes after she started to read the paper. If you do not beleive me then buy the book and get mad because you didnt listen to me because it is a bad book!!! I am mad that there wasnt an option for 0 stars because i would have picked that.

Cassandra Palmer may be developing a few trust issues. Three years ago she found out that the vampire who raised her was actually the one who slaughtered her parents so he could make use of her ability to see the future and interact with ghosts. Needless to say she did a runner and she's spent the last 3 years looking over her shoulder whilst the bloodthirsty Tony sends his henchmen after her. Now she's got a new roommate Tomas, and just as she feels herself opening up to him she finds that he's been sent my the Vampire Council to watch her. It seems like everyone wants a piece of her, literally and she's finding it hard to keep dodging. The only way she can see out of this is teaming up with the Devil you know, in this case Tony's master, Mircea, Vlad Dracul's older brother, but even there she's not safe and you'll love the scene when you find out what he's actually after. Karen Chance has created a wonderful group of characters, and we know we should feel sorry for Cassie in her plight, but hey she's surrounded by enough gorgeous testosterone to squash any pity, and we eagerly await the next installment.

Not too bad. A girl grows up with vampires, and the vampire mafia no less, and eventually grows up enough to find out why all these supernatural types are interested in her more than any other run of the mill can actually do some fortune telling clairvoyant.

Good mages, bad mages, good fairies, bad fairies, vampires, wererats, satyrs, or whatever. It seems she is in line to be the uberoracle, and controlling her or having her on your side would be helpful. Especially as she she can do the slice, dice and slay pretty well now, too.

Well! The first three chapters I felt were very slow - to be honest I even wondered whether I would finish the book however - all of a sudden the book hits you with action, magic, war, master vampires, betrayal, ghosts the lot - turned out to be a really good read and i've ordered the next book - not as good as Anita Blake but an ejoyable read anyway

Cassandra is a clairavoyant who has recently escaped from her Maffioso like vampire owner only to find that she has even bigger vampire masters after her and an unwanted job coming her way. Cassandra finds out through the course of this adventure that she is next in line to inherit the title of Pythia, which means that she is a protector of time lines, and stops interference in time when she can. Naturally Cassandra really doesn't want this much responsibility and is constantly on the run from the Mages(both black and white) who want to either make her their pawn, or kill her if need be. Her allies are on the vampire team and also want her in their power for their own reasons.
Overall, this book is a fun light romp in supernatural fiction, but beware of her inability to mature and accept her unchosen role and the often over packed action.

There is a a lot of material here building the world that Cassandra (a seer who attracts and can communicate with ghosts) inhabits. It has Vampire mafia who raised her. The vampire Senates who govern the vampires, Weres, Wardsmiths, and others. Good character development and plot overall. Not much in the way of humor but some. A couple of rough places in the story but nothing bad.

Overall and excellent read if you don't mind a complex book. The authors view of time accords well with current theroretical physics see The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Physics, this is a theoretical physics book but requires only basic trig for comprehension; although the concepts are difficult.

This is very obviously the beginning of a series, and unfortunately I mean that in the worst way. Karen Chance was trying to stuff way too much information into her first book, and that ended up hurting it. This could've been a very good, sharp first novel if she'd just kept her focus on what action needed to occur in it, and then left the explanations of everything else for later novels. There is a whole plotline B that could've been lifted out and placed elsewhere (her pursuit of her parents' killer), since all it does is give the reader whiplash.

There were a few times when I put the book down to give myself a rest, which is fairly unusual for me. The problem was that there was absolutely no downtime -- this novel takes place over the course of a day, and every minute is spent with Cassandra careening from crisis to crisis. Too many characters are introduced too quickly, yet the A-plot itself was revealed too late in the book (aside from one extremely obvious clue early on).

This could've been an extremely interesting starter to a series, but it was just too convoluted by half, and sometimes that resulted in the characters having to have question and answer sessions for pages and pages at a time. (there is one scene toward the end that started as a bedroom scene but became such a talk-fest that I wondered if I'd fallen into a Laurell K. Hamilton book)

If Karen Chance can slow down in the next book, or if her editor can do a better job of making her cut closer to the meat of the story, it should be a good one. This is three stars mainly on potential - she could be a really great author, and one to watch for, but only if the next book shows that she is learning.

This book is a must have for any paranormal fan. When I purchased this book I was drawn to the beautiful cover and little did I know this book would end up on my permanent shelf. But Karen Chance is a wonderful author and really weaves magic into the story with her words. Captivating from beginning to end.
Cassandra is on the run from her past and anyone who would bring her back into that shady world. But her new life is soon interrupted and she is on the run once more. Its all because of a talent she has for communicating with spirits and being able to see the future. A talent some would kill for. Cassandra's backed into a corner as allies turn into enemies and no one can be trusted. But a blast from her past might offer a solution if she is willing to pay a price. The question is, can she pay that price?
The details were fantastic in this book. Vivid scenes and feelings from memorable characters who I definitely want to read more about. This is the beginning of a new series that will catch on and take the book world by storm. Glad I am along for the ride from book one. Happy reading.

I really really really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one. I'm not at all put off by the "publisher to-be-continued trick". I'm too happy knowing there'll be another book. Who doesn't want another glimpse into Cassie's world?
And as for it being too complex, I think that's pretty much a given when a "new" fictional world is created. I love this book and getting to know the complexities of Cassie's world.
I was only thrown off slightly by the choice of "hero" at the end, it wasn't the way I wanted it to go so I didn't really enjoy the twist. I was sorta rooting for someone else, but I don't want to spoil anything by saying more about this. That said still loved it!

Loved it, was compelled to keep reading to the very last page and then some, looking forward to a sequel, will there be a sequel?? one will have to check....... but first I must cut up my credit card !!!!!!!!!!!!

First off, one star was subtracted from this book because IT IS OBVIOUSLY THE SETUP TO A SERIES. You get to the end, and it's like they should have written "To Be Continued..." If you like being teased by publishers, take this up to 4 stars.

OK, now, this is a vampire book. I've read lots of vampire books. This reminds me of Kim Harrison (the heroine in particular reminds me of Harrison), Tanya Huff (with all the history stuff), and OLD Laurell K Hamilton (action PACKED). It is not at all like the romance-vampire novels that have been the rage the last few years (Kenyon, Feehan, and the like). The vampires are not quite monsters, but they aren't poor, misunderstood souls either.

There is a big question throughout the entire book of who exactly is on the side of good and who is on the side of bad. People change guises so fast it makes your head spin.

The story tried to cover, in my mind, perhaps a bit too much. And the lead character's background was too spottily explained, leaving me routing for someone I just didn't know at all. I enjoyed it, though it was very complex, but I won't be buying the sequels. I HATE publisher tricks.

(*)>

This was one of the books I randomly pulled off the shelf at B&N and bought, and I don't regret it. I enjoyed the quick wit and intelligence of Cassie, the main character, as well as the persevering yet fatalistic attitude she constantly displayed. The characters were certainly not flat or stereotypical, and the plot was definitely one of the more original ones found among vampire books. I read it practically in one sitting.

But having just read Blood Bound and The Good, the Bad, and the Undead, I'd have to say that Cassie Palmer fails to compare to Rachel Morgan, and especially to Mercy Thompson. Cassie's story was a little too frilly and pastel for me, not to mention too filled with such obviously contrived, blatant sexual It-Just-So-Happened-That's. I like the darker, more subtle tales. And I also prefer the heroine to get at least a hint of a social life, dealing with issues besides just those the bad guys force on her.

But it was still a good read all in all. It won't make my favorites list, but I'll be looking for the sequel.

This book is mislabeled. It's not romance -- if anything, it's sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal. There's two sex scenes, but that's hardly the hallmark of a romance novel. Either way, I loved it. It's well-written, suspenseful, and I liked both the heroine and the secondary characters. None of them seem to be cardboard, everyone has a past that you can tell has been well worked out (often based on historical characters), and even a certain character that turns out to be bad had a reason to be so, and a motive that, frnakly, I couldn't totally fault him for.

And Mircea is so freaking hot. The one interrupted sex scene made me squee a little.

In essence, this book are what the Anita Blake series wanted to be. I like Cassie so much more than Anita. She understands the vamps, and even if she's running from them, she's not prejudiced against them. She's not annoying! Anita, frankly, made me want to smack her, hard. And that was before she developed the Allmighty Lover complex.

The sequel to this book needs to come out sometime around NOW. Also, I started reading it Wednesday, I think, and I finished it this afternoon. It's been a while since a book was good enough to make me get impatient to get back to reading while I'm at work.

I really, really wanted to like this book.
But I didn't.
It seems to me to be a very poor imitation of Laurel K. Hamilton's
"Anita Blake" series.
I think I would rather re-read an Anita Blake than read this.