Karen Chance Fans discussion
This topic is about
Hunt the Moon
The Cassie Books
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Hunt the Moon (Cassandra Palmer #5)
I just picked up Touch the Dark in a books tore when I was bored and needed to buy a book before going on holiday to my gran's. There's nothing up there except sheep, so I need books to survive. Choosing TtD was one of the best decisions I ever made :D
I bought the first three Cassie books at once. I don't normally do this, but they had really good reviews on Amazon (this was long before I'd joined Goodreads) so I risked it. I'm really glad I did! This series was one of my earliest UF reads, and I loved it because of the characters. I'd read Anita and Riley Jensen and Twilight, but KC's characters were so much more real to me. A book needs a good plot of course but, for me, a book stands or falls on its characters and by making you care what happens to them. I think this is where KC shines.
Agreed. The key things I love about KC's novels are the characters, the character development, and the world-building. It's a story set in a world I find believable and well developed about people I care about who's personalities are believable and complex, and I love seeing how they adapt and change throughout the stories. To me that's what sets KC apart from so many other authors.
I remember an interview I read somewhere with KC and she said that she thought there was often an imbalance in power between characters in UF/PNR. So you might have the big, strong, warrior vamp and the delicate little woman. She said she didn't want that in her books. She wanted all her characters to have their own strengths and powers, but in different ways. So Cassie is a mere human (well, mostly!) but she's the head of Pythian court and Chief Seer. Sure the vamps and mages could overpower physically, but she has a different kind of power. She isn't weak. I think this is why KC's characters are so likeable. No-one is all powerful, and no-one is completely over-shadowed by a more powerful being either. So it gives them room to grow and adapt in a believable way. And I agree with you that seeing the characters change as the series progresses is one of the best parts. Now if Cassie would just realise that Pritkin's the man for her .... !
;)
I don't think I've read that interview, I might have to go look for it. But it's very true. And it not only makes the books interesting, it also stops them from following what seems to have become a massive stereotype within this genre, where the woman in the romance is vastly overpowered by the man. Which is something that's been done to death and I'm pretty sick of by now. Hooray for a book that supports equality in relationships!
I've no idea where that interview was and I'm probably paraphrasing a LOT. But that was the gist of it, that all her characters are empowered in some way. And it's true. Even minor characters like Francoise and Claire have some power of their own. Mircea frequently seems so much more powerful that Cassie, and yet, a cynical person (like me!) might argue that he's only interested in her BECAUSE of her power, so that hardly makes her the weak, defenceless, fluttering heroine. And it sets the scene for some great power struggles between them, which is probably the defining characteristic of their relationship.
If Cassie had no power, her relationship with Mircea wouldn't be fun to read, and he might actually come across as a Grade A dick when he tries to control her and stop her doing things.
so what is the consul's weakness? I don't think I know that one . . . .I agree with you in regards to Mircea and Cassie. I think he IS truly attracted to her and probably also loves her to some degree, but it's because of her power like you said. Because she's not a weakling, it makes her more of a "challenge" to someone like him.
Maybe the Consul's weakness is that she's simply too old? Her age has made her paranoid- like how she view's Dory and Cassie as a threat.
hey guys have you seen the business cards from this series?? on KC facebook site:http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?se...
they look great!!
Zeenat wrote: "so what is the consul's weakness? I don't think I know that one . . . .I agree with you in regards to Mircea and Cassie. I think he IS truly attracted to her and probably also loves her to some d..."Yeah, I agree with Claire. I think the Consul's weakness is paranoia and possibly a love of power. Although she seems all powerful compared to the other vamps, you have the other Consuls like Ming-de and Anthony to balance her. Anthony was really starting to get to her in Death's Mistress, so she does have a weak spot. Her fear of Mircea usurping her is definitely a weak spot that, if he were more power hungry, Mircea could undoubtedly exploit.
♥ Ashleigh ♥ wrote: "hey guys have you seen the business cards from this series?? on KC facebook site:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?se...
they look great!!"
Yeah, these are awesome. I need to get to work on my Marlowe card!
That all sounds about right to me. The Consul loves power so much that she's become terrified of losing it, because if she does lose her power, she'll get ripped apart by any other first level masters looking to take advantage. Like Marco said, masters vamps aren't used to feeling afraid, especially not senators, so even more especially not the consul. This fear is causing her to make the wrong decisions and see enemies where there aren't any. Other vamps will take advantage of this, such as Anthony has already done, so this is her weakness.Oh, I hadn't seen the business cards yet. Thanks Ashleigh! They're brilliant.
Lannister wrote: "Yeah, these are awesome. I need to get to work on my Marlowe card! "
Marlowe card! Why am I not surprised. I'm going to look forwards to that.
Yeah, I wonder how the Consul will cope with all the new faces on the Senate, especially when they may not be who the other Senate members would have chosen. Mircea and Marlowe may not desire to run the Senate and are happy with the status quo, but we don't know if the new Senate members will feel the same. If Ming-de, for example, manages to get a couple of her people in positions at the Senate, they might enjoy rattling the Consul's cage. And if they were really smart, they'd make it look like Mircea was behind it, so that the Consul lashes out at him. I don't think this would be too hard to do, given her sentiments toward Mircea at the moment.On the business cards, yeah, big surprise I want to do a Marlowe card LOL! I haven't really had time to think about it. I'll give it a go and see if I can come up with something good (and if I can't, it'll never see the light of day!)
Maybe she doesn't like change either. Love of power and not loving change will be quite disastrous for her!
Yeah, I think change could be a big issue for her too. She's probably worked with the same people for a few hundred years and doesn't want or trust new ones.Old folks tend to get set in their ways!
Mod
4,562,147,932 years old. and a half.
What Zeenat said.though I think it's close to 2,000
Yep, what Claire said. Cleopatra was supposedly born in October 69BC, so that would make her almost 2081 by now (thank you google). Damn she's old!
She's turned into a cranky old lady who's basically shouting "Get off my lawn" at Mircea!
Lannister wrote: "She's turned into a cranky old lady who's basically shouting "Get off my lawn" at Mircea!"Bahahhah yes! Did anyone else just imagine the Consul angrily brandishing a cane?
LOL then her cane turns into snakes . . . ewwww
Yes! Yes I did. My God that's a brilliant image. I can see her yelling it at the Graeae too. That part in HtM when Casanova admits to Cassie about the Graeae breaking into the Consul's suite, swimming in the pool, drinking all the booze and beating up her guards almost reduced me to tears I laughed so hard. I absolutely love the Graeae.
Hahahaha angry Consul!
Zeenat wrote: "LOL then her cane turns into snakes . . . ewwww"LMAO!! I can picture that so easily!
Somnium wrote: "Yes! Yes I did. My God that's a brilliant image. I can see her yelling it at the Graeae too. That part in HtM when Casanova admits to Cassie about the Graeae breaking into the Consul's suite, swimm..."
I think I want to be one of The Graeae when I'm old and wrinkly. Well, maybe not the one eye and one tooth, but I'm totally down with the mischief-making! I wonder if those three together could give the Consul a run for her money power-wise. I don't think the three of them are even remotely as harmless as they act (most of the time).
Lannister, you are awesome and all, but i'm not sharing my eye with you ;)
I feel like they're not evil the way we were initially led to believe when Cassie first let them out, but they're certainly not harmless.
Zeenat wrote: "LOL then her cane turns into snakes . . . ewwww"Evil, mass murdering snakes of death, I imagine :/
Lannister wrote: "I think I want to be one of The Graeae when I'm old and wrinkly. Well, maybe not the one eye and one tooth, but I'm totally down with the mischief-making! I wonder if those three together could give the Consul a run..."
That sounds like so much fun. And I reckon they could. Pritkin's initial reaction to seeing them at the start of CbS has me convinced that they are complete and utter bad-asses, at least when they feel like it.
Zeenat wrote: "Lannister, you are awesome and all, but i'm not sharing my eye with you ;)"LMFAO!!! :D Yup, there are limits, even for me!!
Zeenat wrote: "Lannister, you are awesome and all, but i'm not sharing my eye with you ;)"What, so you're alright with sharing teeth then?
No teeth. Maybe fingers.
Hey, we've gotta eat!! ;P
Mod
"The meat" <---- LMFAO!!!Let's not go there!! :D
This conversation is beginning to edge into strange and alarming directions O_o
Yeah, you've gotta watch that Leodora. She's spent too much time think about the Dirty Sexy War Mage. It's fried her brain!! ;)
Oh well, at least if you're going to go a little mental, that would be a good way to get there.
Yup, there are worse ways to lose your sanity! :D
Hey, if you're going off the deep end, might as well make the jump with someone capable of forming a parachute!
LMAO!! Excellent point! :D
Mod
I'm not scared. I'm totally not. The fact I've been hiding under my desk for 20 minutes is COMPLETELY irrelevant.;)
Hahahah I have very relaxed standards of normal. My roommates and I lead very interesting lives. And by that, I mean we frequently alarm our guests. =p
Mod
*returns high five from Leodora*Agreed, being normal just limits you from doing most of the fun things in life. Being mental is much better. My psychiatrists disagree, but I guess you can't convince everyone ;P
*high fives Leodora and Somnium*Yeah, I like the weird people. I like folks who don't just blindly follow convention.
Here's to weird! :D
Weird is definitely better. And more entertaining.
Lannister wrote: "Here's to weird! :D"I now have a strong desire to go get a glass of champagne and make a toast with you lot to being weird. But I don't actually like champagne. Maybe we could raise pieces of toast in a toast?
Karen Chance Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
Midnight's Daughter (other topics)Death's Mistress (other topics)
Claimed by Shadow (other topics)
Claimed by Shadow (other topics)
Claimed by Shadow (other topics)
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Some do. That's how I started reading KC. I heard someone talk about her, got curious, read an excerpt and suddenly I had bought all her books...Gotta keep trying! (isn't that from a song?)