Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, #2)

Feb 06, 2010 Mel rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fan-freakin-tastic, favorites

You know a book is good when you finish it and a sudden feeling of emptiness descends on you and the thought of waiting yet another year to reunite with the characters seems too much to bear. Oh, and when you’re reluctant to write a review because it’ll probably not come close to expressing how much you loved the story. Well, here’s an attempt anyway:

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Death’s Mistress was great and a very worthy follow up to part one in these series, Midnight's Daughter, the book responsible...more You know a book is good when you finish it and a sudden feeling of emptiness descends on you and the thought of waiting yet another year to reunite with the characters seems too much to bear. Oh, and when you’re reluctant to write a review because it’ll probably not come close to expressing how much you loved the story. Well, here’s an attempt anyway:

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. Death’s Mistress was great and a very worthy follow up to part one in these series, Midnight's Daughter, the book responsible for making me fall in love with the urban fantasy genre.

The Midnight’s Daughter series is about Dorina Basarab (dhampir and daughter of Mircea) and is set in the Cassie Palmer universe. And though we see some familiar faces and -due to overlapping time lines- the same major events happen in both series, the viewpoint is totally different and so is the general atmosphere of the books. Both series are typical Karen Chance: high paced, action packed and very funny, but Dorina makes a more cynical and tortured protagonist and her world seems darker.

In Death’s Mistress, Dory takes it upon her to locate a missing Fey relic for her friend Claire. In the meantime Louis-Cesare is looking for his lost mistress and the two tasks become interconnected. And so does just about everything and everyone else in this elaborate plot Karen Chance has weaved.
While in Midnight’s Daughter the story was pretty straightforward -Dory taking on the big bad villain- the plot in the current book is almost a suspense form of a whodunit. At times it reminded me of these old Hollywood action movies, the ones which were more about the thrill of the chase rather than about the special effects. The story unfolds in an entertaining and unpredictable way, with a high pace, lots of romantic tension, plenty of sarcasm and many laugh out loud moments.
Radu and Stinky provided some entertainment but Ray, the handy dandy vampire, stole the show from the very point we get to be introduced to him, bleeding out on his restroom’s tile floor.

Despite the fact that only a month has passed since the events from last book, the characters show growth and development. Slowly but gradually we see Dory coming in touch with her feelings and her relationships with Mircea and Louis-Cesare shifting. We also get to know more about these characters (avid camp-Pritkiners, beware: you’ll like Mircea more).

But my favorite is Louis-Cesare. I am in love with the guy. It took a while for him to pop up in this book, but he made up for it. Fast. I loved the scenes between him and Dory, ranging from endearing to scorching hot (sometimes with a funny edge: ‘interrogation techniques’).

I don't give a 5 out of 5 very easily but this book deserves it. It wasn’t perfect (there were a few things I would have like to see done differently) but it was very entertaining and showed off Chance's quality of creating two very distinct characters but making them so likable that you can't help but invest in them and their crazy adventure rides. Let's just hope the next one doesn't take so long.
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Feb 08, 2010 Gemma rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Gods, I did so love this book. (: After the seriously annoying ending of Midnight's Daughter concerning Louis-Cesare, I was really looking forward to this one. I had a lot of questions though - what was the deal with Christine? Would Dory ever forgive Mircea? Would Dory & Louis-Cesare finally get together? Annoyance in abundance.
Happily, a lot of my questions were answered in Death's Mistress, and as a result I can't wait to read the next one (:

We learn a lot more about Mircea's relationship...more Gods, I did so love this book. (: After the seriously annoying ending of Midnight's Daughter concerning Louis-Cesare, I was really looking forward to this one. I had a lot of questions though - what was the deal with Christine? Would Dory ever forgive Mircea? Would Dory & Louis-Cesare finally get together? Annoyance in abundance.
Happily, a lot of my questions were answered in Death's Mistress, and as a result I can't wait to read the next one (:

We learn a lot more about Mircea's relationship with Dory's mother here - a lot of the scenes were actually quite heart breaking, and I felt for Mircea at numerous points. What really pissed me off was the way Dory reacted to Mircea - she still seems to see him as this monstrous guy who doesn't have feelings of any kind, which is annoying for the reader as we can clearly see how much he loves Dory and evidently loved her mother. I found myself in despair at Dory's refusal to accept that Mircea actually loved her mother, and I really hope that she manages to have a relationship with her father in future books.

Louis-Cesare - ah, I do love him. (: In the previous book he was a bit of a dandy, and in the beginning struggled to get past Dory's dhampir status. In this book, he's a lot more 'manly', and the whole dhampir thing doesn't seem to bother him a bit. I had prepared myself for a lot of eye-rolling and frustration here, as Louis-Cesare seemed so desperate to get his former mistress Christine back from the clutches of his enemy. I'd expected Dory to be cast aside again like she was at the end of MD, and prepared myself for the whole love-triangle crap that is so common atm. So I was pleasantly surprised when it didn't really turn out like that at all. The Christine issue, when it was resolved, shocked me - I'd suspected Chance might take that route, but it was still a surprise.
The romance between Dory & Louis-Cesare was really sweet - they obviously care about each other, and although both have their failings, I really like both of them, together and as separate characters.

Random irritations: Claire got on my nerves regularly in this book. Not quite sure why, but her 'stubbornness' went from endearing to plain annoying. The plot - it was disjointed and confusing. Dory seemed to rush from scene to scene without any flow, and it felt as if the author just picked out (at times generic) random action scenes from her head in order to flesh out the plot. The numerous suspects in the theft of an important fae rune all ran together in my head by the end, none of them were particularly interesting.

The usual 'sidekick' this time was a decapitated vamp called Ray, whom Dory took to carrying around in her gym bag. Some of their scenes together, particularly the car chase scenes with Ray's headless body at the wheel, were laugh out loud hilarious.
I never really got into the Cassie Palmer series, but I have to say I love this series - as long as Chance doesn't do the whole relationship screw up thing with L-C & Dory, I have a feeling this could become one of my faves. (:
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Feb 18, 2013 Nichole (Dirty H) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fae, vampires, urban-fantasy, books-i-own

*Original read: 1/17/10

4.5 stars

The thing I really love about Karen Chance's writing, aside of course from the dynamic characters, bite & humor and studly, studly leading men, is the adventure. You will never know from chapter to chapter where you might end up. I dare you to try to predict one of these books. Which is why when I give in to the inevitable urge to flip ahead and see what's going to happen, I am never spoiled because it never makes any sense to me.

This book was long awaited and...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy-fantasy, favorites

I really love Dory & this world! It is one of those books where you become so engrossed in the world that it becomes reality and you hate for it to end. I cannot wait for the next installment.

I have to say that I am so happy I gave Karen Chance a 2nd chance. I first read the 1st Cassie book when it was first published and did not care for it. Based upon so many raves about the entire series, I decided to give it another chance. I am so glad that I did. I quickly flew through all of her book...more

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Apr 10, 2010 Summer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons-angels, dragons, fairies, magic, paranormal, psychic-powers, shifters-werewolves, urban-fantasy, vampires, witches-wizards-warlocks, made-me-laugh

Yaaay! I've been waiting a while to finally get my hands on a copy of this book. I loved the first book and couldn't wait to see what happened in the sequel. Looooved it. The characters are fantastic, the plot was paced well and didn't feel like it was at breakneck speed (like her Cassandra Palmer series can feel), and more Louis-Cesare <3 I wanted more with the ending but that was just me not wanting it to end at all. I haven't seen or heard anything about any further books planned for this...more

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Dec 08, 2011 ♥ Ashleigh ♥ contrary to popular belief im not actually mad! rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fae, mages, multi-paranormal-species, psychics-special-abilities, vampires, heroine, adult, reviewed, 2011

this was a really entertaining book i really enjoyed reading it.

it was great to see the mages again, there cleary insane i thought pritkin would of been the worst but i forgot about teenage/young adult mages, lol. there was a great scene at the ley line races that had me almost wetting myself from laughter it was super fun.

my feeling towards mircea have darkened, good for him that he loves his family but i have definitely decided that he's only dating cassie now because of her new powers and wha...more

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Apr 18, 2010 Bookaholics rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) by Karen Chance
Urban Fantasy- Jan 5th, 2010
5 stars

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! Karen Chance’s vivid imagination and compelling characters drive this story. This is the 2nd in Karen Chace’s Dorina Basarab Dark Urban Fantasy series. I have been looking forward to reading it all year and it exceeded my expectations (which were already pretty high). Karen Chance’s steamy world is filled with magical mayhem, vampires and tense action pack scenes that do not stop....more Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab, Book 2) by Karen Chance
Urban Fantasy- Jan 5th, 2010
5 stars

DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK! Karen Chance’s vivid imagination and compelling characters drive this story. This is the 2nd in Karen Chace’s Dorina Basarab Dark Urban Fantasy series. I have been looking forward to reading it all year and it exceeded my expectations (which were already pretty high). Karen Chance’s steamy world is filled with magical mayhem, vampires and tense action pack scenes that do not stop. Do not begin this book if you don’t have the time to finish it. The complexity and sheer adrenaline rush of the book kept me on my toes as I was mesmerized by the mystery Dory is hired to solve as well as tantalizing glimpses of Dory’s heritage.

Dorina is one of the few dhampir, half human and half vampire. She has survived against all odds. Most dhampir are unstable because their genetic make-up makes them prone to seizures, instability and violence. As a result, most have been murdered as soon as they are born. But Dory is special, she is the daughter of a highly placed vampire senator. And while her relationship with father may not be ideal, he has in his way ‘protected’ her as she harnesses her violent tendencies towards being a mercenary and assassin for hire. Now her father has hired her to bring in a vampire. But the problem is that everyone wants him including the vampire Louise-Cesare. The one vampire she thought she could form a semi partnership with. Even though she is attracted to Louise-Cesare she knows she doesn’t have the room or ability for emotions or complications. If only he would leave her alone! To add to her problems, Dory has started taking a dangerous drink with magical properties that are said to cause the drinker to become addicted and eventually become insane. But she thinks she has found a cure. She no longer has the seizures and black outs, unfortunately she starts to notice other magical side affects. Dory begins having visions of people when she touches them and finds out more about them then she wants, especially her father.

This story was surprisingly emotional. This fast paced story is mostly a dark action fantasy with a little romance. Characters from Karen Chance’s previous books make an appearance and make the story infinitely richer. (I would recommend having read her previous book first and if you can her Cassandra Palmer series since characters overlap.) Dory is refreshing and very human for all she tries to hide it. Her way of taking care of things is non-nonsense but never unemotional. Dory carries the story, she is a heroine that readers will easily connect with and sympathize with. I loved this book and can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment.

Death’s Mistress is a great Urban Fantasy that is explosive and complex and one sure to please any fantasy reader.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

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Jan 13, 2010 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2010, vampires, fae, featured

This second Dorina Basarab book shows a much more three dimensional Dory, fully equipped with many emotions aside from anger. It was a light-ish read. Not that there wasn't action or battles because trust me there were. But there were some quite entertaining moments many of which were brought on by Ray. I'll say no more about Ray, but truly even if he makes an appearance again, he can't possibly be as entertaining. And with every book I love Radu even more.

My only complaint is that I feel like...more

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Jan 09, 2010 Amelia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I absolutely LOVED this book. It's ridiculous!

Chance has done it again!

The plot was fast paced and hilarious! It brought us deeper into the political world of the Vamps and Fae, while showing character growth all around! Even for some of our favorite secondary characters!

It felt like dropping in on some great old friends and seeing what antics they were up to. Antics indeed!

Whether it be Dory and LC reaching new heights of antagonism, Radu huffing and puffing, Ray and his hairy cheeks, or a bun...more

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Oct 16, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Death's Mistress ของคาเรน เชนส์

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่สองในชุดค่ะ เปิดเรื่องต่อเนื่องจากตอนจบของ Midnight's Daughter เพียงไม่กี่เดือน ดอรี่ซึ่งบัดนี้ได้รับจ้างทำงานให้กับสภาแวมไพร์อย่างเป็นเรื่องเป็นราวแล้ว ได้รับงานมาจากเมียร์ซี่ผู้เป็นบิดา โดยไม่เคยคิดเลยว่า แค่งานง่าย ๆ ในการตามจับเรย์ แวมไพร์ซึ่งเป็นตัวกลางในการประมูลของมีเวทมนตร์จะนำความยุ่งยากมาให้กับชีวิตของเธอเพียงนี้

อย่างแรกก็คือ ดอรี่ไม่ใช่คนเดียวที่ต้องการตัวเรย์ ยังมีแวมไพร์มือหนึ่งอีกหลายคนที่ต้องการตัวเขา หนึ่งในนั้นก็คือหลุยส์-ซ...more Death's Mistress ของคาเรน เชนส์

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่สองในชุดค่ะ เปิดเรื่องต่อเนื่องจากตอนจบของ Midnight's Daughter เพียงไม่กี่เดือน ดอรี่ซึ่งบัดนี้ได้รับจ้างทำงานให้กับสภาแวมไพร์อย่างเป็นเรื่องเป็นราวแล้ว ได้รับงานมาจากเมียร์ซี่ผู้เป็นบิดา โดยไม่เคยคิดเลยว่า แค่งานง่าย ๆ ในการตามจับเรย์ แวมไพร์ซึ่งเป็นตัวกลางในการประมูลของมีเวทมนตร์จะนำความยุ่งยากมาให้กับชีวิตของเธอเพียงนี้

อย่างแรกก็คือ ดอรี่ไม่ใช่คนเดียวที่ต้องการตัวเรย์ ยังมีแวมไพร์มือหนึ่งอีกหลายคนที่ต้องการตัวเขา หนึ่งในนั้นก็คือหลุยส์-ซีซาร์ แวมไพร์จากยุโรปที่ดอรี่คิดว่า มีอะไรบางอย่างกับเธอ (แต่เห็นได้ชัดว่าเธอคิดผิด เพราะเขาทิ้งเธอไปทันทีที่งานจบ) แต่การได้พบกับหลุยส์-ซีซาร์ไม่ได้หวาน โอเคเขาอาจจะจูบเธอจนดอรี่เผลอตัว ทำให้เขาขโมยหัวของเรย์ไปจากเธอได้ แต่ดอรี่ก็ตามหาเขาจนเจอ

และนั่นทำให้เธอเข้าไปพัวพันในเรื่องที่ยุ่งยิ่งกว่า เมื่อหลุยส์-ซีซาร์กลายเป็นผู้ต้องสงสัยในการลอบสังหารสมาชิกสภาแวมไพร์แห่งยุโรป คนที่กักขังคริสตีน แวมไพร์เมียเก็บของหลุยส์-ซีซาร์เอาไว้ เมียเก็บคนที่หลุยส์-ซีซาร์ใช้เวลาในการตามหามาตลอดร้อยปี

ดอรี่รู้ว่า เธอไม่ใช่คนที่เหมาะสมกับแวมไพร์ อันที่จริงเธอไม่เหมาะกับแวมไพร์คนไหนที่คิดว่าจะมีอาชีพเป็นนักการเมืองที่ดีทั้งนั้น ลูกครึ่งแวมไพร์กับมนุษย์อย่างเธอมีอาชีพในการฆ่าแวมไพร์ และนั่นเป็นการฆ่าอาชีพที่ดีที่สุด เพื่อประโยชน์ของตัวหลุยส์-ซีซาร์เอง เขาจะต้องไม่แสดงให้ใครรู้ว่า แคร์เธอแค่ไหน ซึ่งเขาทำไม่ได้ ทั้งที่มีเมียเก็บอยู่อีกคน ด้วยเหตุผลบางอย่างหลุยส์-ซีซาร์ถึงกับแหกคุกออกมาเพื่อปกป้องดอรี่ ในยามที่เขาคิดว่าเธอตกอยู่ในอันตราย

เล่มนี้สนุกกว่าเล่มแรกค่ะ และก็หวานกว่าด้วย ยอมรับว่าตอนที่อ่านมีอาการหมั่นไส้ตาหลุยส์-ซีซาร์อยู่พอสมควร เพราะในเรื่อง ตั้งแต่เล่มแรกแล้ว พูดเยอะมากกว่า เขารักใคร่และหวงแหนคริสตีนมากแค่ไหน แน่ล่ะมันอาจจะเป็นความรู้สึกผิด เพราะเขาเปลี่ยนคริสตีนเป็นแวมไพร์ โดยที่เธอไม่ต้องการ และเท่ากับเป็นการทำลายชีวิตของคริสตีน นอกจากนี้แล้วคริสตีนยังกลายเป็นเครื่องมือทางการเมืองที่ถูกแวมไพร์คนอื่นที่ต้องการควบคุมเขาใช้ ทำให้เธอโดนจับไปกักขังนับร้อยปี นั่นก็เลยทำให้เขามีส่วนรับผิดชอบชีวิตของเธอเป็นอย่างมาก

แต่ก็นะ มันทำให้เขาดูเป็นผู้ชายที่โลเลมาก เพราะในทางหนึ่งเขาดูเป็นพระเอกที่แหกกฎของเรื่องแนว Urban Fantasy ที่คอยปกป้องนางเอก แต่ในขณะเดียวกันก็ยังมีผู้หญิงอีกคนอยู่ในชีวิต จนกระทั่ง (สปอยล์) แม็กซ์ได้คำอธิบายเหตุผลที่เขาต้องอยู่ใกล้ชิดกับคริสตีนมากขนาดนั้น และมันทำให้เรื่องนี้ดูดีขึ้นมาอย่างไม่น่าเชื่อ

แม็กซ์อาจจะชอบชุดนี้เพราะความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างดอรี่ และหลุยส์-ซีซาร์เป็นหลักค่ะ แต่ก็เป็นเพราะเราชอบดอรี่ได้ เราชอบส่วนผสมอันนี้ที่คาเรนเขียนออกมานะคะ ดอรี่เก่ง แต่ไม่เก่งเกินไป เรื่องราวดูน่าเชื่อ

สำหรับคนที่อยากรู้ฉากที่แม็กซ์เปิดอ่านตอนท้าย จนเป็นเหตุให้เราถึงกับไปขุดชุดนี้มาอ่าน ถ้าไม่กลัวสปอยล์นะคะ มันเป็นฉากที่หลุยส์-ซีซาร์ซึ่งรู้สึกผิดมาก ๆ (ตามสไตล์ของเขา) มาบอกกับดอรี่ว่า เขาเข้าใจนะ ถ้าเธอจะไม่ต้องการเจอกับเขาอีก เพราะเขาเป็นเหตุให้เธอได้รับบาดเจ็บ แถมยังหลอกเธอไว้หลายเรื่อง แต่ดอรี่กลับให้โอกาสเขา ซึ่งเราคิดว่าเป็นอะไรที่หาได้ยากมากในคาแร็คเตอร์ของนางเอกแนว Urban Fantasy ที่สำคัญเธอบอกว่า การที่พวกเขาคบกันจะทำให้สภาแวมไพร์สะดุ้ง และนี่ก็เป็นเหตุผลที่พอแล้ว

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May 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dhampir for Hire......,

Since this book has already been thoroughly reviewed, my review will be brief. I strongly recommend you read the previous book Midnight's Daughter before reading this book.

Dorina Basarab is back and to be honest, because of the big time gap from the previous book to this release, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Midnight's Daughter. My love for Dory has been rekindled.

However, I do have a few complaints. In this installment, Dory's strength seems as weak as a babe and he...more Dhampir for Hire......,

Since this book has already been thoroughly reviewed, my review will be brief. I strongly recommend you read the previous book Midnight's Daughter before reading this book.

Dorina Basarab is back and to be honest, because of the big time gap from the previous book to this release, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Midnight's Daughter. My love for Dory has been rekindled.

However, I do have a few complaints. In this installment, Dory's strength seems as weak as a babe and her power seems to be nonexistent. Judging her reaction to some of the situations she lands in, most of the times I wondered what happened to the kick-butt heroine from Midnight's Daughter. She exhibited a lot of cowering with fear and terror, made countless stupid tactical errors and rarely seemed to understand the big picture of the happenings around herself, until the last minute.

Even though this book supposedly centers around Dory, to be honest, if she was never in her own book, the story would've continued just fine without her. She just really seemed to be given purpose by being pushed, led astray or following the problem others. She hardly ever seemed to have her own agenda, but kinda just stumbled upon or got dragged into someone else's mess. Although she has matured a bit from her character in the previous installment and is less reckless; I found myself wondering why Dory was in this installment at all.

Besides the negatives in my review, I really did enjoy this book. I found it to be highly entertaining, action-packed with nail biting suspense and danger. Dory's chemistry with the supporting characters was flawless and the world building imaginative. This book had many sections that were so interesting and intense, I could hardly put it down. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I have now added Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer Series to my reading list.

I highly recommend this book to fellow dark urban fantasy readers and look forward to book 3.

I also recommend:
Dying Bites: The Bloodhound Files
Deadtown
Blood Cross (Jane Yellowrock, Book 2)
Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel
Tainted (THE BLOOD LILY CHRONICLES) (less)

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book in the Dorina Basarab series by Karen Chance. The third book is as yet un-named and is due out sometime in 2011. This was an excellent installment in the series; I thoroughly enjoyed it and had trouble putting it down.

Dorina's friend and roommate, Claire, returns from fairy with her baby son. Claire and her son are being hunted by a fairy clan that wants to kill her son so that he can't inherit the throne; Claire is trying to hunt down a family amulet that was supposed to...more This is the second book in the Dorina Basarab series by Karen Chance. The third book is as yet un-named and is due out sometime in 2011. This was an excellent installment in the series; I thoroughly enjoyed it and had trouble putting it down.

Dorina's friend and roommate, Claire, returns from fairy with her baby son. Claire and her son are being hunted by a fairy clan that wants to kill her son so that he can't inherit the throne; Claire is trying to hunt down a family amulet that was supposed to protect her son but was stolen. Dorina vows to help Claire. On the side Dorina has been accepting jobs from her vampire father Mircea to hunt down rogue vampires or vampires who are breaking the law. As Dorina gets deeper into the mess she finds that Claire's rune and Mircea's rogues may be connected. Into the fray steps Louis-Cesare; the steamy vampire from the first book, he is still trying to protect his old Mistress Christine and gets wound up in the whole mess in an effort to get Christine back.

This book has a complex plot and non-stop action. I really enjoyed it. The world is creative, complex, engaging, and incredibly intriguing. Chance effortlessly throws in mythology, faerie, and vampires together to create a wonderful world.

I love Dory as a main character; she is so tough and capable yet has a lot of emotional stuff she has to put up with throughout this book. It was also great to have Claire added to the story; the transformations she has undergone in fairy are interesting and I can't wait to read more about her; maybe she will have her own series in the future. Then there is Louis-Cesare; he is just everything you could ever want a male vampire to be...brooding, dark, sexy and loyal to a fault with a sardonic sense of humor to top it off.

All of the characters have complex pasts and interesting personalities. The dialogue is witty and funny and flows really well. There were a number of snarky comments from Dory or Louis-Cesare that had me laughing out loud. Overall this book was a seriously fun romp, that touched on a variety of deep emotional issues for the characters, and capitulated you through a ton of action.

I loved it, loved it, loved it. Absolutely can't wait to read more about Dory she is just so much fun. This book wrapped up the final story nicely, but there is still room to resolve some additional issues. There was some mention about Cassie (I read the first two Cassie books but just couldn't get into them), I kind of felt that maybe I was missing something there because I haven't read the more recent Cassie Palmer books.

I think you could read this book as a stand alone but if you did you'd be missing out on a lot of Dory's history.

Overall a wonderful addition to the series and I can't wait to read the next one. These books are making me think that maybe I should go back and read the rest of the Cassie Palmer series. (less)

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Feb 13, 2010 Shannon C. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fae-fey-elves, favorites, vampires, humorous, magic-special-powers

The third story in the Dorina Basarab series, Death's Mistress is Karen Chance's best work to date. A cannot put down book, it's an engrossing mix of mystery, suspense, action, adventure and a touch of romance.

Dorina, a dhampir (half human/half vamp), gets an unexpected visit from her friend Claire, the wife of a Fey prince, and her son, the Fey heir. Her son's life has been threatened and she is on the run to protect him. Dory agrees to help her find a missing magicial Fey amulet, which will p...more The third story in the Dorina Basarab series, Death's Mistress is Karen Chance's best work to date. A cannot put down book, it's an engrossing mix of mystery, suspense, action, adventure and a touch of romance.

Dorina, a dhampir (half human/half vamp), gets an unexpected visit from her friend Claire, the wife of a Fey prince, and her son, the Fey heir. Her son's life has been threatened and she is on the run to protect him. Dory agrees to help her find a missing magicial Fey amulet, which will protect Claire's son. Meanwhile, Dory's still taking rogue vampire hunting jobs for Mircea, her father--a powerful master vampire and senator. A war is on and the vampire senate agreed to outsource some of those jobs, resulting in a good business for Dory. While on a job, Dory runs into Louis-Cesare, a master vampire who worked a case with her previously (in Midnight's Daughter, the first book in the series). Louis-Cesare is still hunting his former mistress Christine, and her life has been threatened. They are surprised to hear that the same vampire Elyas who is holding Christine may also hold the amulet. So they agree to work together to accomplish both goals.

But then with many twists and turns, everything goes haywire! One Fey who last had the amulet was murdered and another who is suspected to know where it is is missing. Several vampires and a mage are also hunting for the powerful amulet, but Dory must find it first. Elyas the vampire is murdered and Louis-Cesare has been framed as the main suspect. His innocence must be proved, or else the senate will have him put to death. There is a lot of vampire politics in play, between the US and European senates, and everyone is hunting for Louis-Cesare while he tries to find the real killer. Meanwhile the powerful Fey Aeusbrand (who we saw in Midnight's Daughter) is back, fighting Dory and also after the amulet. The ending was a COMPLETE SURPRISE for me. Wow! I won't give a hint and ruin it, but let me just say that what a good mystery this was. I never, never suspected the real killer.

The world building was excellent, and I continue to enjoy Chance's characters--Mircea, Dory, Louis-Cesare, Claire, Caedmon, Marlowe, and even Stinky. I would have liked to see more of Caedmon and more interaction with Louis-Cesare. I'm hoping to see more of them in the next book. The Dorina series is a spin off from Chance's Cassie Palmer series, within the same world and sharing a few of the same characters. As a leading character, I like Dorina better than Cassie. She's stronger and more interesting. When reading the series, I think it's better to start with the Cassie series but you don't have to. If you read the Dorina series, don't miss the anthology in On the Prowl, which should be read between Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, Dhampir, Book 1)and Death's Mistress. Another great read, it's focused on Claire's relationship with the Fey prince while they are on the run in Fey lands. You get to learn a lot about the Fey and what is happening with Claire while Dory searches for her in Midnight's Daughter.

If you are on the hunt for more books like this, check out my list of paranormal romance and urban fantasy favorites...

http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-acti...

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Jan 13, 2010 Fiendishly Bookish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urbanfantasy

The worlds of Karen Chance abruptly coalesce in Chance’s latest paranormal fix Death’s Mistress. Mistress is the second installment in the story of bad girl Dorina Basarab, a dhamphir assassin who is caught amidst the political intrigues of the Silver Circle, the Vampire Senate, and the Fey aristocracy. All the while trying to explore the limits to her power, the burgeoning relationship with her father, and unveiling the mystique surrounding luscious Louis-Cesare.

Fans who are well versed with Ch...more The worlds of Karen Chance abruptly coalesce in Chance’s latest paranormal fix Death’s Mistress. Mistress is the second installment in the story of bad girl Dorina Basarab, a dhamphir assassin who is caught amidst the political intrigues of the Silver Circle, the Vampire Senate, and the Fey aristocracy. All the while trying to explore the limits to her power, the burgeoning relationship with her father, and unveiling the mystique surrounding luscious Louis-Cesare.

Fans who are well versed with Chance’s previous books will have an easy time following the story, but for those just picking up the series need to note that three plotlines converge in Death’s Mistress. First we have Dorina’s story which started with MIDNIGHTS’ DAUGHTER, second are subplots from the Cassandra Palmer series #1-4 and last but not least, we hear more about Dorina’s roommate Claire who stars in Chance’s novella BUYING TROUBLE. This convergence of action, characters, and storylines can sometimes be overwhelming to the uninitiated, but might inspire some to pick up the other books. For fans, Chance is in deliciously good form and delivers a worthy and exciting read that tears off at a frantic pace.

This time the non-stop action surrounds the theft of the Naudiz, a rune protection amulet held by one of the Fey houses. It renders its wearer un-killable and is intended for the royal heir. Further add the complication of the Vampire Senate actually using the theft of the rune and its paranormal black market sale as a “winner-takes-all” succession race to fill five vacant Senate seats. Whoever can get to it first wins. Bloodthirsty Level 1 vamps simultaneously compete by attempting to reacquire the rune as well as trying to off each other right and left. Regardless of how many others are caught in the crossfire, Dorina finds she has more to contend with than ever before.

Death’s Mistress was deliciously entertaining, especially with tales of Mr. Lumpy (you’ll have to read for yourself) and Dorina who is reluctantly stuck hauling around a decapitated vamp for a large chunk of the book delivers chuckles aplenty. I was faintly reminded of Richelle Mead’s Storm Queen series with regard to the Fey weather battles with Dorina. By far the biggest revelation is…drum roll please…Christine! And fans hoping for more of Louis-Cesare need not be disappointed there’s plenty of tasty-vamp to go around. Can Dorina manage to keep juggling all the balls Chance has thrown at her? You’ll have to see for yourself!

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Mar 20, 2010 Jess rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

I don't think it was as good as the first, but I still really enjoyed it. Dorina is such a fantastic character with her snarky attitude and her confidence. I loved her and Louis-Cesare together, and their relationship is hot hot hot. I had a funny feeling about the particular character who was the "baddie". Just upped my creep-o-meeter, so I sort of had it figured out. But still, it ended up being a little bit more than I had originally thought.

I will of course read the next book.

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Mar 05, 2010 Danica Avet rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed Chance's latest forray into the world of the Basarabs. Dory is a spitfire with a heart of gold (as well as the best sense of humor). She sets out to help one friend and stumbles across another...friend in need. Louis-Cesare is desperate to save his mistress, Christine, and Dory, in spite of her feelings for him, tries to help. I love the interaction between Louis-Cesare and Dory. They just about set the pages on fire!

Don't be mistaken though, this book is jam-packed with action...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Ela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Ela by: Anna

Shelves: paranormal-romance-urban-fantasy, mysteries, spin-offs, series

This book has gone as far as to inspire me to read another Cassie Palmer book (which I was previously not planning to do) I enjoyed it that much. Particularly because in the Cassie books Mircea really annoys me, I feel he lacks substance and that Cassie would be better off with Pritkin, but in these books I'm finding him really interesting. The dynamic between him and Dory is really good, maybe because its not romantic (for a change) and I think you learn a lot more about his character, whereas...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Maryan Mohamud rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, adult-romance, best-vampire-books, cl, witches

One of the man things i like about this book was that it was not predictable! It didn`t feel cliche too, i hate when some books are like that! My God, Christina! Ha, ha, ha, i`m sorry i can`t help, but laugh. Usually when we find out who the killer is, it`s someone who is a complete mystery, or when you find out the killer, you thing to yourself that was so obvious. NOT THIS KILLER! That`s what i love about it too! All the surprises, and there was honestly never a dull moment, even though i was...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Sandra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampy-stuff, urban-fantasy

Stuck between 3 and 4 stars on this one. Really good character development with Dory, Mircea, and Louis-Caesar. Again, I felt like there was a lot going on. Both the books in this series have a had a heavy fey component involving Dory's friend and sometime roommate Claire... which is OK. However, with as much as the plot being dependent on this I find it odd that Claire basically pops up at the beginning and the end and is absent throughout the entire middle of the book. Same for Louis-Caesar wh...more

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Sep 16, 2012 VampireNovelFan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, fae, paranormal-romance, shifters, urban-fantasy, vampires, witches, adventure, fantasy, favorites

It keeps getting better!

"Louis-Cesare. It's good to finally have you in hand."

Indeed it is!!!

This time around our favorite ass-kicking dhampir Dorina Basarab now finds herself involved in a murder mystery “whodunit” style. Someone has started murdering vampire Senate members and that may be too close to home. To make matter worse, her best friend Claire also needs Dorina’s help to locate a fae relic that could be used to harm her infant son, the successor to the fae throne. With those she h...more It keeps getting better!

"Louis-Cesare. It's good to finally have you in hand."

Indeed it is!!!

This time around our favorite ass-kicking dhampir Dorina Basarab now finds herself involved in a murder mystery “whodunit” style. Someone has started murdering vampire Senate members and that may be too close to home. To make matter worse, her best friend Claire also needs Dorina’s help to locate a fae relic that could be used to harm her infant son, the successor to the fae throne. With those she holds most near and dear in harm’s way, who can Dorina trust?

In usual Karen Chance style, Death’s Mistress is jam packed with story and there are even a quite few laughs. I feel like her imagination knows no bounds and that has to account for the super fast pace of her books, though Dorina’s pace doesn’t feel as hectic as Cassie’s. It feels just right.There is so much going on that I can’t even put it in one synopsis.

There is moving and shaking among all of the supernaturals: the mages, the vampires, the dark and light fae, you name it. About the only species with nothing going on is the dhampire community, and that could be because there are only a handful of them to begin with. I would like to see Chance introduce us to the few that exist. Why not? We’re seeing everybody else!

Louis-Cesare tension is back and better than ever. Their interactions, while extremely amusing and pretty freakin’ hott, are ultimately dangerous. Louis-Cesare’s affections are as transparent as it gets and that may be a problem since dhampir/vampire relationships are about as taboo as it gets. So a star-crossed appeal has become a component of their relationship.

The secondary character really shine here. I was entertained to no end by Raymond, a vampire she beheads early as leverage, as well as her uncle Radu. He is delightfully flamboyant, dramatic., and surprisingly relatable. Papa Mircea was fabulous here as well with additional back story involving his past with her mother. Then there’s her unconventional pet Stinky, a chimera, who sticks to her like glue every since she saved him in book 1.

All of these elements really give the series a life of its own outside of the Cassie Palmer series, and I think it’s for the better. I can effectively say that I prefer the Dorina novels to the Cassie novels. I can’t wait two WEEKS for the next installment let along two years like the poor souls that read these books in real time. It’s definitely one of my favorite series and I highly recommend this read. It has everything I’m looking for in a great Urban Fantasy series.

*Review also posted to Amazon. (less)

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Aug 09, 2011 Jaime rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal

Though I do enjoy Karen Chance's original Cassie Palmer series, I found I liked Dorina a lot more after reading "Midnight's Daughter." Cassie is too often a damsel in distress, while Dorina is more action-driven and downright bullheaded. She can kick butt, but also knows when she's outmatched. She's got issues (what heroine doesn't?), but she's also got at least one person she can trust implicitly and a strong network of informants and "friends." Claire shows up at the beginning needing Dory's h...more Though I do enjoy Karen Chance's original Cassie Palmer series, I found I liked Dorina a lot more after reading "Midnight's Daughter." Cassie is too often a damsel in distress, while Dorina is more action-driven and downright bullheaded. She can kick butt, but also knows when she's outmatched. She's got issues (what heroine doesn't?), but she's also got at least one person she can trust implicitly and a strong network of informants and "friends." Claire shows up at the beginning needing Dory's help to find an artifact to protect her son. Unfortunately, just about everyone wants that artifact too, including the fey.

The biggest bonus for me in this series is the inclusion of Louis-Cesare as a major player in the story lines. In Midnight's Daughter, Dorina was forced to work with him to take down Dracula. She hates vampires on principle, but he threw her off by being an insufferable, but honorable gentleman. Their attraction was only exceeded by their irritation of each other, and the verbal fencing was as much fun as the outright fights. Here, Louis-Cesare has disappeared. When Mircea sends Dory on what seems to be a simple job - take the head of a vampire so the Senate can question him - Louis-Cesare shows up and steals the head from her! What follows is a nice twisty, plot-driven story. Conspiracies abound, there are several political power plays, and first-level master vampires start dropping like flies. There's a lot of humor (though much of it is pretty macabre) and more expansion of Dory's family history and her relationship with Mircea. Oh, and there is more than one incredibly erotic sex scene between Louis-Cesare and Dorina! Yes, I admit I shamelessly reread a few passages here and there. She's attracted to him, but she's also fiercely independent and though she can't defeat him in combat, it doesn't stop her from kicking him in jewels if necessary! She's also not stupid, and begrudgingly takes assistance when necessary (from Louis-Cesare, Mircea, other characters). She is not an invulnerable, uber-powerful protagonist. She gets by as much on cleverness and intuition as on fighting skills and brute strength. Despite the paranormal setting, Dorina feels real.

Overall, volume two was even better than volume one since the character exposition is done and we can get right into the action. It was fun, had some surprises and lots of sexual tension. I can hardly wait for the next installment. I enjoyed this one so much, it has inspired me to finally read Cassie's last book.(less)

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May 22, 2011 sabisteb rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: buch, fantasy

Doreena Basarab ist ein Dhampir, also halb Mensch halb Vampir. Normalerweise ist ein Dhampir gefährlich für sich und seine Umwelt, denn Dhampire neigen dazu ab und an einfach mal auszuticken und dabei ihrer Umwelt großen Schaden zuzufügen. Doreena jedoch hat es geschafft diese Raserei unter Kontrolle zu bekommen, zum einen, indem sie Vampire, die gegen die Gesetze der Gemeinschaft handeln, auf Rechnung des Vampirsenats jagt und zur Strecke bringt, zum anderen mit Feenwein (der ein paar Nebenwirk...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, fantasy-other-world, vampire

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: Dorina’s magically protected house – vampire establishments (clubs, offices, townhouses) – streets of Brooklyn;

Theme:
Finding the rune to protect baby Aiden; is father’s love real?; is vampire’s love for a dhamphir real? Vampire/council politics

Characters:
Dorina ‘Dory’ Basarab – dhamphir (half human/half vampire) – she is working for her father… she is missing Louis-Cesare… she is helping her fey friend Claire… she gets beat up a lot, but manages to come out okay.

Claire – her exroomate,...more

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May 13, 2011 Pamela rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dropped, paranormal

I did not enjoy this novel. unfortunately it reads too much like Chance's other series with Cassandra which I liked but no more. it's hard to explain why, but it's like a 'same thing different day' kind of book. it's boring, predictable and I just didn't have the will or the energy to carry on. the characters are all about murder death kill, sex, sex, more sex and they exercise poor judgement, ending up in avoidable circumstances where I'd prefer if the cause of their troubles where because of o...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Maria Albert rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the second book in the Dorina Basarab series and I enjoyed it way more than the first, Midnight's Daughter, so if you read the first one and weren't sure you wanted to continue the series, in the immortal words of some ad firm, just do it.

This book is not to be missed if you like kick ass women or romance or vampires or Fae (shapeshifting or otherwise) or urban fantasy or laughing or mysteries (not necessarily in that order).

I've read this book a few times while not so patiently waiting...more

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Jan 04, 2010 Christine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, january

First I have to say that I read the related novella in the antho On the Prowl that introduced us to Claire, Dori's best friend and flat mate, which should have made the book easier to read, imo (lots of background info on the Fey people, amongst other things), and the first 50 pages or so of the book still left me confused and wondering when the story would actually *start*. Please, o, please, don't let those 50 first pages deter you from reading the book 'til the last page! While it's a really...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, homey, paranormal

Dorina is one kick-ass girl! A little too inclined to act without thinking but loyal to her friends. At this point, Mercia has Cassie "under his thumb" and the ley-line races are underway (just to bring it in line with the Cassie Palmer series).

Claire has fled Faerie with her 9-month old son after a series of assassination attempts and the loss of a royal family rune which would have protected her son from death. She takes refuge in her old home with Dorina who combines looking for the royal run...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Liv rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, highly-recommended

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 28, 2010 Karyogini rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-on-2010-or-before

Crazy plot. Sooo many twists! It just get's crazier and crazier. It's like riding a roller coaster that starts up high and plunges down towrads a series of spirals and then goes through numerous loop de loops and abruptly stops. That's what I feel when reading Karen Chance's books.

This series started "bad" for me. I didn't want to hear about other characters in Cassie's world. I wanted Cassie story but Dory has managed to creeped into the picture. I don't like her as much as I like Cassie but he...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Dine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dorina ist um die fünfhundert Jahre alt und ein Dhampir: halb Mensch, halb Vampir. Ihre Daseinsberechtigung ist die Lizenz zum Töten, wobei sie gern zum Berserker wird.
Seit Kurzem arbeitet sie für ihren Vampirvater, einem mächtigen Senatsmitglied. Dabei bekommt sie ihre Genugtuung, was ihren Lebensinhalt angeht, Vampire zu töten und sie hat gleichzeitig ein regelmäßiges Einkommen.
Dieses Mal soll sie sich um die Schmuggler der Stadt kümmern, als plötzlich ihre Freundin aus dem Elfenland auftaucht...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Karen Chance Fans: Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab #2)	210	163	Dec 09, 2012 08:30am
SOS: Serious Over...: Sept Buddy Read: Death's Mistress by Karen Chance	28	35	Oct 05, 2012 04:23am
The Gauntlet By Karen Chance Available In New Mammoth Book Of Paranormal Romance	1	7	Oct 04, 2010 11:29pm
A Cyber Launch Party For Karen Chance's New Release DEATH'S MISTRESS	1	15	Jan 06, 2010 08:54am

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Death's Mistress (Dorina Basarab #2)

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