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Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1)

by Karen Chance (Goodreads Author)

3.68 of 5 stars 3.68 · rating details · 16,586 ratings · 993 reviews

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampi...more

ebook, 320 pages

Published June 6th 2006 by Roc

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Oct 31, 2010 Kat Kennedy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kat-s-book-reviews, the-great-shelf-of-meh

What can I say about Touch The Dark by Karen Chance?

First of all there are vampires. Yes!

Second of all, there is a heroine and a few sexy vamps around. Yes!

Then there is Cleopatra, Dracula’s brother, Eustache Dauger, Rasputin, The Oracle, Raphael (I’m pretty sure they’re referring to Raphael Sanzio da Urbino), Kit Marlowe, Jack the Ripper and whatever other historic celebrities that Chance can possibly dream up.

It’s almost like she’s jumping up and down, waving her arms screaming, “I know histo...more

50 likes · like · see review

Aug 01, 2011 The Holy Terror rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ghosts, color-black, color-grey, owned, bought-04-10, vampires, magic, witches, sexy-urban-fantasy, terrible-writing, fairies, forgot-to-drink-the-kool-aid, 2010

*2.5 Stars*
I'm conflicted over this one, as most readers have been. My main problem is that I've already read the Anita Blake series, and Touch the Dark is so similar that you almost have to wonder why she wasn't called out on plagiarism. I could be being unfair, but it's not like I can unread or block out the books and series I've already read. I apologize if you're reading this and haven't read the Anita Blake series at all, and it's very possible you'll enjoy Touch the Dark more if you haven'...more *2.5 Stars*
I'm conflicted over this one, as most readers have been. My main problem is that I've already read the Anita Blake series, and Touch the Dark is so similar that you almost have to wonder why she wasn't called out on plagiarism. I could be being unfair, but it's not like I can unread or block out the books and series I've already read. I apologize if you're reading this and haven't read the Anita Blake series at all, and it's very possible you'll enjoy Touch the Dark more if you haven't, but I can't help but compare the two.

When I first started, Cassie really felt like old-Anita to me. She seemed head-strong, independent, always running from trouble, and obviously there was something special about her. I liked old-Anita so I wasn't turned off by these similarities. I also really enjoyed her ghost friends and her abilities, I thought they were refreshing and very interesting, but unfortunately underused.

What I was turned off by were the male characters, because I had felt like I'd already met them before. Mircea was the book's saving grace though, and I think that's because he reminds me of old-Jean-Claude. He's sexy, dangerous, and cunning, but still cares for Cassie, albeit in a very pragmatic way.

Chance's penchant for giving her men long crazy hair was almost an instant turn-off for me. I don't mind shoulder-length hair on a guy, but any longer and I can only think that he's going to be high-maintenance and all that hair is just going to get in the way during sex. Plus, this is yet another thing that Laurell K. Hamilton overuses as well.

I know there's a faction on this site that swears by Pritkin's sexiness, but I found him to be like a yapping ankle-biting dog that you just want to punt across the room. I think he's the type of person that grows on you, maybe? At this point I don't hate him, but that's because I don't even care about him enough to bother with the emotion. He also reminds me of Richard with his ignorance and preaching, especially about how vampires are monsters, while he himself uses magic to maim and kill. I hate Richard now so much that I can't even remember liking him. Pritkin seems to be just like him with his hypocrisy and temper tantrums.

I didn't really get that big of a feel for Louis-Cesare, yet he did remind me of Asher in a way with how he was tortured and used for sex. But as for Louis-Cesare's personality, I didn't really get much and I'm not attached to him at all.

In the beginning, Tomas reminded me of Nathaniel with the obvious comparison of being a lost boy living on the street selling his body. He wasn't what he seemed though and I was bothered by what happens with him the most. I'm kind of disappointed where she took his character and it honestly didn't feel like that's the way things would have played out.

Aside from the carbon copy characters, the other thing that I was disappointed with was the use of historical figures. At first it was kind of neat, but then it just became silly and I rolled my eyes at having Rasputin, Jack the Ripper, Dracula's brothers, Cleopatra, and Raphael all appearing on the pages. It's one thing to have Elvis running around Bon Temps, but when more than half of your characters are people you didn't even create, it makes me wonder if you have a hard time coming up with your own ideas.

Now if you can look past these things, it's still possible you might be unhappy with her writing style. Chance seems to think that telling us what happened and bombarding us with information is better than letting the events play out naturally. I was aware of the giant info-dumps before I started so they didn't bother me as much as they might someone else. I really wanted more dialogue though, because she does do a good job with it.

Another big thing that I hate that LKH does in both her series, is explaining something to the reader, and then a few pages later explaining the same thing to a character. Chance unfortunately does this a few times as well, although she's nowhere as bad as LKH. Just skip the explanation for the reader, we can learn things along with the characters just fine.

I have to say, as something positive, I was excited when I got to the first really sexy scene. Mircea is HOT and what he says and does to Cassie practically scorches the pages. But Cassie. Oh Cassie. She should just shut her mouth. Her need for answers and her horrible timing really pissed me off. I swear this book must hold the record for the longest foreplay ever, and at the end I was shaking my fist at Raphael, enraged. (Even though it wasn't his fault.)

The time travel aspect kind of made me mad too, for its faulty logic. You can't go back in time to fix something, if you do, you won't need to go back in time to fix it. As a hypothetical example, say you accidentally hit someone with your car and kill them. You have the ability to go back in time so you go back a few hours and maybe hide your car keys on yourself so you leave later and miss the accident. The accident doesn't happen so the person lives. So you have no reason to go back in time now and this creates a paradox because the you that went back in time doesn't exist. If you go back in time so someone doesn't die, then you won't have to go back in time because that person didn't die. I know there are other theories out there but this is the one that I believe. Chance sort of gets around this paradox in a way, but she does it sloppily. Honestly though, this wasn't even my biggest gripe of the whole novel so it didn't influence my rating all that much.

Most of all, I think Chance just tried to cram too many things into a first book. I never felt confused though and I was never lost, but she could have spread a couple of the storylines over a few books to really flesh things out. The info-dumps were poorly done and most of the characters were flat and unoriginal. I do like Cassie though, and I thought it was odd that a lot of people that had the same problems as me found her to be annoying. I like her in the way I used to like Anita. She has some of the same annoying characteristics, and I don't mind if a character has flaws, but if it gets to the point where Cassie doesn't learn and grow, then I might agree with other reviewers down the line. I also loved loved loved Mircea and I'm anxious to read more about him. He really saved the novel for me and he makes me glad I bought the whole series.

I'll read the next book sometime soon since Touch the Dark had an unresolved ending, but I'm really hoping that a lot of the problems I had with this book decrease greatly in the next. Otherwise, I'll probably feel the same way I do about the Anita Blake series now; disappointed and frustrated.(less)

37 likes · like · see review

Jul 09, 2011 Mariya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampires, urban-fantasy, magic-users, action-packed, kick-ass-heroine

I have finally found a new Urban Fantasy vampire series to rave about and it's about time. The Cassandra Palmer Series is one you don't want to miss.

I held off this book for so long because of all of the mixed reviews out there. I had also started it like 6 times, but finally the next time I told myself I was going to read this and finish it, damn it. And I did and I am so mad I held off, but bright side of that story is the fifth book has just came out.

I am not going to go into much detail of t...more I have finally found a new Urban Fantasy vampire series to rave about and it's about time. The Cassandra Palmer Series is one you don't want to miss.

I held off this book for so long because of all of the mixed reviews out there. I had also started it like 6 times, but finally the next time I told myself I was going to read this and finish it, damn it. And I did and I am so mad I held off, but bright side of that story is the fifth book has just came out.

I am not going to go into much detail of the plot and story lines because those can take many many paragraphs, but this book was funny entertaining in the action-packed side and the hilarious side of things. I loved all of the characters and it was just one of those great reads.

I really felt bad for the main character Cassie, because she has this great power, and everyone wants to claim her for themselves and control her and because of this she has had the worse childhood ever. I really felt for her and hope she kicks ass and gains her Independence by the end of the series.

"Let me get this straight. First you decide I'm a demon because of a power I didn't ask for and don't even understand. Then when that falls through you label me a fallen sybil and a ho. Am I missing something or do you just not like me."

We have three potential love interests, and by the end each of them gave me a reason to hate them all. It is funny how author do that, yes? I have hope that I will be able to pick which hottie within the next few books. But the guys in this book, are oh, so super hot. You think you have read a book with sexy vampires? I think you really need to read this book to find out just how hot these vamps are. I swear I loved every single one that had a main role in the book.

There's Louis-Cesar, Mircea, Tomas, Rafe....oooohhhhh! All so hot. Okay. I done obsessing over my hottie vampires. But, overall this book was amazing, my expectations were very low and I am just so glad that this book caught me so off guard. I loved every moment and I can't wait to see what happens in the next Cassandra Palmer book.

More of my reviews at Mystifying Paranormal Reviews(less)

12 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2007 Lorena rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

I would actually give this one 2.5 or 2.75 stars if possible...it was generally good, but definitely gave the sense that you had inadvertently picked up a book in the middle of series, instead of at the beginning. Which is good in many ways...you hit the ground running, and it's not immediately obvious what is going on and who is on who's side, which can be thought-provoking and interesting. On the other hand, it left me with the feeling sometimes that I was missing something, and checking back...more

11 likes · like · see review

Jul 25, 2011 Tara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, read-in-2009, witches-wizards-mages, vampires, fae, time-travel

So if not for reassurances from trusted people, I would probably not pick up the next book. I mean after over 100 pages of world building there's finally some action and it ends very abruptly. That's not to say I didn't like it, it just means that at this point I could take it or leave it. In the end, I'm not sure about which characters will return, and I am again trapped in the head of only one character (first person narration), which as I've said before I find really frustrating.

And very muc...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jan 10, 2012 Lady Jaye rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, stars-2, pb-vampires, fantasy-urban-fantasy, fail, magic, part-of-a-series, new-to-me-author, underwhelming, first-in-series

I read this book. And stuff happens in it, but I truly couldn't tell you what because I haven't the foggiest idea what it was about. This book is like that horror movie that has all the elements of a good, frightful time, but goes so over-the-top that it ruins the show.

It started out auspiciously enough, with Cassandra Palmer in hiding from some sleazy vampires. They had given chase, finally found her, and now she had to be on the run again. Intriguing. Then the dumping begins. So much informati...more I read this book. And stuff happens in it, but I truly couldn't tell you what because I haven't the foggiest idea what it was about. This book is like that horror movie that has all the elements of a good, frightful time, but goes so over-the-top that it ruins the show.

It started out auspiciously enough, with Cassandra Palmer in hiding from some sleazy vampires. They had given chase, finally found her, and now she had to be on the run again. Intriguing. Then the dumping begins. So much information was being dumped, it was like an avalanche. The first one keeled me over and I remained buried under it even as more was dumped on top.

Stuff happens. I can't tell you what happened because my brain was hazed over from the info-dump avalanches.

It finally breaks through my brain haze that Cassie is about 17 years old. That just feels...off. This whole world and the character set-up doesn't feel like it's for/about someone who is an adolescent. Anyway, more stuff happens, but...you know the drill.

Then this happened: Cassandra gets into a sexual situation with a vampire who used to visit when she was younger. EEEEWW!! I mean, think about it. This man used to visit and let her play in his hair when she was five years old! - you know, like your favorite uncle used to do when he visited. Now she's seventeen and he's going you've always been mine, blah blah blah, and they're naked and things are happening. That is just wrong - and nasty. I don't care if he's an ageless vampire. He used to visit and let her play with him when she was five years old, for crying out loud! Ew!

Anyway, even more things happen, more info is dumped, and I can't tell you a single thing that happened.

All in all, this book started out okay, but didn't interest me the series or the character because, well, I have no idea what is happening. However, this series is rather popular, and I've heard that the books become markedly better as you continue. So continue on I will. If nothing else, I hope I can figure out what happens from/in the next book because, dammit, I wanna know what happened!(less)

13 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2011 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1-series-i-am-rabid-about, author-goddess-karen-chance, urban-fantasy, faeries, va-va-voom-vampires, smexy-shifters-and-werewolves, magic, mages-witches-magic-users, action-adventure, paranormal-creature-menagerie

WARNING! This book may leave you out of breath and dizzy due to non stop action and far too sexy vampires

Cassie Palmer has a problem. In fact Cassie has quite a few, a psycho mobster vampire who also happens to be her former guardian has found her after 3 years of being on the run; her clarvoiyant abilities seems to be getting more vivid and disturbing; her Billy Joe, her ghostly sidekick keeps disappearing at most inconvenient times and her former roommate isn't quite what he seems. But this is...more WARNING! This book may leave you out of breath and dizzy due to non stop action and far too sexy vampires

Cassie Palmer has a problem. In fact Cassie has quite a few, a psycho mobster vampire who also happens to be her former guardian has found her after 3 years of being on the run; her clarvoiyant abilities seems to be getting more vivid and disturbing; her Billy Joe, her ghostly sidekick keeps disappearing at most inconvenient times and her former roommate isn't quite what he seems. But this is just the start for Cassie things have started to shift in the supernatural ability and it seems that several factions want a piece of her and she is never quite sure who to trust.

What I love about this series is that it grabs you as soon as you start reading and drags you straight into the action. There is almost no let up; hence the warning at the top of the review. Cassie is flung from one dire situation to another. This book also gives you alot of information all at once and on top of everything else going on it can make it an intense read.

The world the Karen Chance has created though is really interesting, full of vampires, weres and mages all kind of living in harmony. And once you have gotten past the intial information overload you can appriciate the complex world the Ms Chance has wrought. Another great thing about this book is the characters. It is told from first person POV and I know this can put some readers off, but I find that I quite like this in UF, especially if I like the person whose head I am inside, like I do with Cassie. Cassie was a great character, she wasn't your usual tough chick who makes pithy sarcastic comments as she kicks the crap out of people, instead she makes pithy sarcastic comments as she runs away or as she is being almost beaten by the enemy.

As for the sexy-dangerous vampires, there are a few to pick from, there is Mircea, brother to Dracula, the seemingly urbane and calm master vampire, so long as you don't piss him off; Louis Cesar (my personal fave) with the long auburn hair and the lethal fencing skills and Tomas hot, sexy and likes to ripe people hearts out with his bare hands. Choices, choices!

This is definately a series I would recommend to those who love Urban Fantasy, it was funny, interesting and action packed and I can't wait to get to the next one.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2010 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-copy, part-of-a-series, urban-fantasy, magic, mage, seer, politcal-intrigue, vampire

This is a really hard book to rate. It's very good, but at the same time, I had some serious issues reading it. Let's talk about some of my issues first (get the bad news out of the way first):

1. It seemed very cramped. What I mean by this is, action scene would flow into action scene. It was hard to keep up and catch my breath. I needed a departure between these to get my bearings.
2. I really think that there needed to be more dialogue. It would have flowed better. The narrative style was too e...more This is a really hard book to rate. It's very good, but at the same time, I had some serious issues reading it. Let's talk about some of my issues first (get the bad news out of the way first):

1. It seemed very cramped. What I mean by this is, action scene would flow into action scene. It was hard to keep up and catch my breath. I needed a departure between these to get my bearings.
2. I really think that there needed to be more dialogue. It would have flowed better. The narrative style was too explanatory, instead of using dialogue and character action to show what was going on. I think she really needed to use, 'she said' and 'he said' more, because I got lost trying to figure out who was talking.
3. I often felt confused because of scenes changing somewhat abruptly. That made it hard to keep up.
4. Some of the Senate political discussions were a little dry at times.

Good things:

1. This story felt unique and different. I have read quite a bit of urban fantasy, and this didn't seem like a rehash to me. It's a very good idea, having the heroine be such a powerful seer. In general, I'm not fond of the heroine being the focus of desire of all the men in a book. But I liked how Karen Chance textured this book so that the motivations were more rich, instead of it just being about sexual attraction or admiration. I definitely have to give her credit. It's my hope that it doesn't become a sexual free-for-all like another series I once enjoyed but kicked to the curb.
2. The action was fantastic. There were a lot of high octane moments where the characters had to fight for their lives. I love good action, and Ms. Chance didn't pull her punches. This book really had a cinematic feel that I never fail to find appealing in a good urban fantasy novel. There was a lot of violence, but this is a violent world. It fit very well with the storyline.
3.I loved Ms. Chance's different use of magic in this story--it really caught my interest. I like how the vampires, war mages, seers, and were all come together to make this book so rich.
4.The main characters have engrossed me, so that I want to keep reading. I'd like to see where things go with Mircea in his pursuit of Cassie. What's the deal with Pritkin? Why is he so intense? are questions I want to keep reading to get answers to. Louis-Cesare, quite an enigma. The men are attractive, but they are more than eye candy. Each one is different with distinct elements to his personality. More please. Lastly, Cassie. She's young and somewhat clueless in this story. But she has some emotional strength that makes her a good protagonist. She's not a Mary Sue, but a character I want to follow to see how she evolves over time.

Definitely, this book has some downpoints that made it hard to read. Yet, I wanted to keep reading, even though I had to keep putting it down and taking breaks. I wasn't disappointed with Karen Chance's first effort. On the contrary, I was impressed. This book is something unique and establishes her place in the world of urban fantasy. Bring on more Cassie Palmer adventures!

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars .(less)

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Aug 12, 2007 Inara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like vampire novels

Shelves: novels-vampires, novels-paranormal, novels-romance-paranormal, novels-time-travel, novels-witches-warlocks-druids

Cassie Palmer is a clairvoyant and was raised by a vampire what I thought to be a very intriguing storyline. Because of her childhood between vampires she understands them and their habits far more better than anyone else (e.g. the war mage Pritkin). But after she discovers that Tony (the vampire with whom she lived) had killed her parents that he could use her gift only for his own advantages she flees. After three years on the run she is found and now the real excitement begins..
Although the p...more

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Dec 27, 2008 Cathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, historical, mythology, paranormal, urban, vampire, psychics-telepathy

Good first in a series. Strong characters and plot. Good ending that leaves the story resolved but opens up a whole new nest of problems for the next book to deal with. Very likable main character.

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Jun 14, 2008 Minsma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wish I could give 2-1/2 stars to this one. 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 te...more I wish I could give 2-1/2 stars to this one. 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. That's mostly why I read urban fantasy--for pure escapist fun. The writing ability of the authors varies a great deal, from very well done to not-so-much. Ms. Chance does know how to write, but there are big problems here, I'm afraid. At least for this reader.

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 mythos 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 the 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 that 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.(less)

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2012 Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Quick review

Cover: It’s okay.
Rating NC-17 for sexiness of it all.
Thumbs Up 2.5
Overall: Not sure about this series.
Characters: Good.
Plot: Storyline was solid.
Page Turner: I guess
Series Cont.? At least through book 2.
Recommend Maybe
Book Boyfriend: Tomas

SUMMARY (50 word or less)

I, personally, didn’t really enjoy most of this book. There were moments but that is about it. The storyline was interesting, but she seems to be parodying Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series without good results. I...more

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Aug 02, 2010 ROSE rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Une héroine intéressante, ni trop courageuse, ni trop prude et qui a grandi dans un milieu plutôt inhabituel...
Une histoire qui tient la route, sans beaucoup de passages descriptifs (très peu, en fait... On ne sait pas trop à quoi ressemble les villes et bâtiments dans lequel evoluent les personnages, finalement.)
A l'inverse, nous nous retrouvons face à un trop-plein de personnages secondaires et d'informations sur leurs vies, d'un coup... Du coup, nous sommes perdus pendant un bon nombre de pag...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Cynfully Sweet rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, huge-dissapointment

freaking forget it....

what I didn't like-

-the wording of the weird visions/body take overs wasn't clear, and I found myself getting ridiculously confused trying to figure what was going on and to whom

-Too many characters (and none were particularly entertaining) were introduced out of nowhere, as seamingly main characters

-I hate when books have an over abundance of "name dropping". Sookie Stackhouse had the un-named Elvis which, great. Cat & Bones have Vlad the Impaler- also likeable. There'...more

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Dec 30, 2011 Quinn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, library-book

2.5 stars

Sometimes when you're chatting away on GR or lurking on someone's feed, you see character pairings mentioned all over the place. You know what I mean - Cat and Bones, Kate and Curran, Eve and Roarke etc. etc. In fact, that's what got me started on the Kate Daniels series, and that worked out really well for me. Cassie and Pritkin? Not so much.

Touch the Dark is one big info-dump with a plot on the side. It was drowning in narrative with precious little dialogue to break things up. Every...more

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

Recommended to Regina by: Sandra

Shelves: available-at-library, urban-fantasy-uf, available-audio-phili, available-phili-free, first-in-series

3.75 stars. I had very low expectations for this book. The reviews for this book were all over the place, many people thought it had too much world building and info dumping in the beginning and others thought the beginning was choppy.

This is obviously the first book in a series, it seems to suffer the first book urban fantasy syndrome – but I still really enjoyed it. There is some info dumps and world building in the first 50 pages or so that is done outside of telling the story. It didn’t bot...more

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Sep 20, 2010 Fábio Ventura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A série Twilight de Stephenie Meyer deu o mote para a recente explosão de vampiros, seja na literatura, cinema ou séries de televisão. Com o género a saturar cada vez mais e com o último livro de Meyer lançado o ano passado (Amanhecer), a Gailivro volta a apostar nos vampiros. E apesar de não ter o potencial comercial de Twilight, o livro de Karen Chance é certamente um título forte e surpreendente.
“O Despertar das Trevas” é o primeiro título da série “Cassandra Palmer”, centrada nesta personag...more A série Twilight de Stephenie Meyer deu o mote para a recente explosão de vampiros, seja na literatura, cinema ou séries de televisão. Com o género a saturar cada vez mais e com o último livro de Meyer lançado o ano passado (Amanhecer), a Gailivro volta a apostar nos vampiros. E apesar de não ter o potencial comercial de Twilight, o livro de Karen Chance é certamente um título forte e surpreendente.
“O Despertar das Trevas” é o primeiro título da série “Cassandra Palmer”, centrada nesta personagem (o quarto capítulo foi lançado o ano passado nos EUA). “Cassie” é uma vidente fugitiva de um vampiro mafioso, Tony, que a mantinha aprisionada desde pequena para usar os seus poderes nos seus negócios negros. Durante o tempo em que esteve cativa, apenas mantinha contacto com a governanta, Eugenie, o criado Rafe e o mestre de Tony, Mircea…todos vampiros! Três anos depois ela é sadicamente perseguida pelo seu inimigo e recorre à protecção improvável do Senado de vampiros. Mas as contrapartidas serão pesadas para ela e nem a ajuda dos fantasmas, com quem consegue comunicar, poderão ajudá-la.
Por se tratar de mais uma história de vampiros, o meu receio cedo se dissipou com leitura das primeiras páginas. Misturando elementos de fantasia urbana, seres sobrenaturais e magia, “O Despertar das Trevas” consegue ser sedutor e viciante sem problemas. A linguagem directa e sarcástica de Karen Chance fazem-nos soltar uma gargalhada maléfica mesmo nas situações mais tensas. Mas nem isso quebra o seu ritmo frenético.
O ponto mais forte do livro está mesmo nas personagens. Com uma personalidade forte, Cassie consegue a proeza de se apresentar como um misto de donzela em apuros e guerreira astuta. Os vampiros apresentam-se (finalmente) como seres sedentos de sangue, egocêntricos e sensuais, fazendo até recordar as personagens de Anne Rice. E todas as restantes personagens têm algo de original e peculiar que nos faz ficar agarrados aos seus mistérios e personalidades. Chance fez um bom trabalho na criação das personagens.
Um aspecto menos positivo (a meu ver, o único) são as descrições da autora. Por vezes torna-se bastante confuso imaginar as cenas descritas por ela por haver uma certa falta de coerência entre personagens, cenários e suas acções. E há determinados momentos (como na apresentação do Senado, por exemplo) em que um número excessivo de personagens são referidas sem terem sido apresentadas como estando ali presentes.
“O Despertar das Trevas” afirma-se como mais uma excelente aposta da Gailivro. Por não se centrar tanto num romance, aproxima-se mais da série Sangue Fresco, de Charlaine Harris, do que propriamente de Twilight, de Meyer. Mas, não se focando apenas nos vampiros e sim em toda uma história repleta de seres sobrenaturais diferentes entre si, acredito que seja algo de novo que vai agradar aos leitores das duas sagas referidas. Sedutoramente negro e sarcástico o suficiente para me agarrar “pela garganta”, o livro obriga-me a seguir Karen Chance de muito perto.

(Opinião publicada no blog Bela Lugosi is Dead)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 06, 2010 Gemma rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

I found this book to be a bit of a let down - the main character, Cassie Palmer, was a lot less irritating than many heroines that I've read about, and the world building and characters were intriguing, but to me it's still pretty 'meh'.

Cassie Palmer, a clairvoyant on the run from the vamp gangster who raised her, finds herself looking towards the vampire Senate for protection when he decides to exact some revenge on her.
Cassie was a funny person to be inside the head of, and her interactions wi...more

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Jul 14, 2009 Olivia R. rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-got-rid-of

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...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Nichole (Dirty H) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, urban-fantasy, vampires, 2009-re-reads, books-i-own

3.5 stars.
This could be a 4 star book if my main reaction weren't "Huh?"

Basically, Karen Chance tried to cram waaaay too much information into one book. She has created a very complex and very interesting world that would be fun to read about it if she gave it out in doses instead of cramming it down the reader's throat right away.

My other complaints:
1. The main character, Cassie, is really bland. She has no real personality; I couldn't get a real feel for her at all.
2. A lot of the vampires ar...more

6 likes · like · see review

Sep 15, 2008 Mai rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, series-with-no-ending-in-sight, vampires, waste-of-trees, needs-review, paranormal, fantasy-urban, ghosts, political-intrigue, romantic-subplot, revenge-justice-vengence, thriller, time-travel

*need to add review*
I could go on and on about what's wrong with this book...series. (Below is just spontaneous ranting. More to be added. With proof)

Put it simply, for book that's written in 1st person, Cassie's character, and her personality, doesn't come through at all. Also, was the play-by-play sex necessary?

So many problems in a book...from too much back story, too much going on, time travel, vampire mobs, I could go on and on. It can't seem to decide whether it's going to be urban fantas...more

4 likes · like · see review

Sep 11, 2008 Anita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, five-star-favorites

I am surprised by how much I liked this book. Usually, I'm turned off by non-stop action books. I don't like it when the heroine is fighting for her life in every single chapter - give the poor girl a break already! But even though this book fits that profile, I still enjoyed it - a lot!

Basic plot: A clairvoyant young woman named Cassandra was raised in a powerful mafia-type vampire's household from the age of 4. In her teens, she figures out that the vampire (Tony) killed her parents to have co...more I am surprised by how much I liked this book. Usually, I'm turned off by non-stop action books. I don't like it when the heroine is fighting for her life in every single chapter - give the poor girl a break already! But even though this book fits that profile, I still enjoyed it - a lot!

Basic plot: A clairvoyant young woman named Cassandra was raised in a powerful mafia-type vampire's household from the age of 4. In her teens, she figures out that the vampire (Tony) killed her parents to have control of her. She tries to help the feds take Tony down, but the Feds fail and she excapes for her life. Three years later (at the beginning of the book - the previous stuff was all background), Cassandra is hiding from Tony in Atlanta. Cassandra's powers include the ability to talk to ghosts, which has helped her stay ahead of Tony. Today her luck has run out - Tony is on to her. She's trying to get out of town and also warn her roommate not to go back to their apartment, but the vamp goon squad catches up with her and her roommate, Thomas. They escape, but Cassandra is quickly drug into vampire politics by the vampire senate (not friends of Tony). If seems that Cassandra's powers have just barely begun to unfurl - she's a heck of a lot more powerful than she ever imagined, and the vampires need her help. Unfortunately, there are at least 3 other groups out to kill her. Cassandra just wants out of that world and left alone.

The part that I liked most about this book was the heroine's personality. She is extremely practical and not at all sentimental, which works well given all the political intrigue surounding her. She is compassionate, however. Another funny thing - even though this is a paranormal romance, Cassandra is still technically a virgin at the end of the book. That's a very unusual feat for a romance writer to pull off. The first sex scene wasn't until page 245 of the book, and there were only 2 scenes total by the end. Another aspect of the book I really liked was that it never seems hopeless for the heroine. Odds might be bad, but she's got enough tricks up her sleeves to win or escape just about anything.

(less)

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Apr 29, 2008 Lady Claire, Marchioness of Fancy Pants rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire-faeries-witches-oh-my, abandoned

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...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2008 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection. The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire—and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay.

I liked the story itself, though the author's writing...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Lau rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.75

Reseña completa en Fantasía Mágica

Esta es una historia distinta en muchos aspectos. La diferencia principal con las otras es que normalmente la protagonista humana no sabe nada del mundo sobrenatural, pero Cassandra si lo conoce. Estuvo sumergida toda su vida entre vampiros (entre los que vivió) y fantasmas y se quiere alejar lo más posible y cuanto antes, especialmente porque una gran parte de la comunidad vampírica la busca para matarla. Y eso es sólo en el primer capítulo, a medida que a...more

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Apr 12, 2007 Rhapsody rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: paranormal romance readers

Shelves: vampires, romance-psychics, romance, fiction

I really wasn't into this one. Thinking back on it, I have to give it 1 star instead of 2. I just couldn't get into the characters or the ideas behind the series. The heroine was pretty boring and unoriginal, a bit like Anita Blake but without the spark. There was no real love story, and the one steamy scene used this line that I just have no tolerance for after having endured so much LKH--the gorgeous vamp says something to the effect, "How can you gaze at me as though I'm the most beautiful th...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 04, 2008 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really good book. The characters are well developed and the main character is a strong woman who is trying to be in control of her life. Cassie is a young woman who has been raised in the world of the Supernatural by a ruthless, cold blooded vampire, who had her parents killed when she was young so that he could control Cassie. But while she knows about vamps and their politics, a lot of what she encounters is new to her.

The plot is interesting, although the author does tend to get a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 21, 2010 Gamatst rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-on-kindle, uf-romance-thread

I really liked this book, it was quite a wild ride and a new style for me. The very large information dumps that had to be waded through were annoying. I realize it's a first book and I hope to find that the author has since started to use conversation / dialogue between characters to give the information in a more absorb-able/enjoyable way. On to #2 Claimed By Shadow.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2008 Ladymockingbird rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this one up at the bookstore on a whim and I loved it. The author infuses elements of greco-roman mythology into her take on a modern world where supernaturals go unnoticed by normal humans.

Her world is populated by Vampires, Weres, Satyr's, Black Witches, Silver Witches, Clairvoyants and a host of other interesting kinds of creatures.

The lead character is witty, frightened, and entirely out of her element in this incredibly fast-paced story. The plot is enjoyably torturous, and the pre...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Lorre rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This first book of the Cassie Palmer series is a great story !
Cassie is a seer (clairvoyant) who has been brought up by Tony, a greedy vampire. It's not a loving father-daughter relationship,
but a vampire-human servant relationship. Tony uses Cassie's power to get info about the competition and gain more wealth.
She manages to get away from Tony, with the help of a ghost friend, and she's been on the run for 3 years.

It's a great world with ghosts, witches, mages and of course a few hot vamps thro...more

1 like · like · see review

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Faith Hunter's Be...: Discussion for May BOTM: Touch the Dark	10	5	May 04, 2013 04:50pm
Karen Chance Fans: Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1)	52	226	Dec 10, 2012 08:34pm
Paranormal and Ur...: August Optional Book: Touch the Dark	7	16	Sep 10, 2012 03:55am
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About Karen Chance

Karen Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in...more

More about Karen Chance...

Books by Karen Chance

Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer, #3)

Claimed By Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, #2)

Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, #1)

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“I was alive, they were not. Go Me. (Touch the Dark)” — 93 people liked it

“How the hell do you think I feel?" I don't want to end up inside a woman!" He paused. "Well, at least not that way” — 87 people liked it

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Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer #1)

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