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Dorina Basarab #1
Midnight's Daughter
Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half human, half vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. So far Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing.
Now Dory's vampire father has come back into her life. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), infamous even among vampires for his cruelty and murderous ways, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.
Vampires and dhampirs are mortal enemies, and Dory prefers to work alone. But Dracula is the only thing on Earth that truly scares her, so when Dory has to go up against him, she'll take all the help she can get� ...
Now Dory's vampire father has come back into her life. Her Uncle Dracula (yes, the Dracula), infamous even among vampires for his cruelty and murderous ways, has escaped his prison. And her father wants Dory to work with gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare to put him back there.
Vampires and dhampirs are mortal enemies, and Dory prefers to work alone. But Dracula is the only thing on Earth that truly scares her, so when Dory has to go up against him, she'll take all the help she can get� ...
373 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 26, 2008
484 people are currently reading
14.6k people want to read
About the author
Karen Chance
63Ìýbooks5,216ÌýfollowersKaren 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 Florida near her family home. Visit her or connect with her on Facebook .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 825 reviews
June 21, 2011
This book has led me to a very important decision: I’m going to learn to speak Romanian. It may take me a while, but I’m incredibly stubborn, and if I start now I can be fluent in a couple of years.
Anyway, I want to learn Romanian just to be able towhisper to Mircea in his native language when he visits me in my dreams add it to my CV. It’s a beautiful language and I was always interested in Romanian folklore.
But let’s get back to the book. People who like the Cassie Palmer series will definitely love Dorina Basarab too. I, on the other hand, had the same problem with both: Karen Chance is a first level master at creating characters. You can’t help falling in love with Dorina, Louis-Cesare and even Radu (especially Radu!). But when it comes to building a story around those characters, she fails spectacularly every single time. I’ve read five of her books so far, and they all had the same problem. I’ll try to explain better.
I don’t like authors who underestimate their readers. It happens more often than not, authors treating their audience like a bunch of idiots, explaining everything about a dozen times while keeping those sentences short and simple just in case. But Karen Chance does exactly the opposite: she overestimates herself. She writes every book like it’s her last, trying to put too much content into it. It’s especially evident in action scenes: too much is happening at once and you just can't follow. What should be exciting ends up being utterly boring. But those characters keep you going, and because of them I WILL read , even if I wasn’t planning to at first. I just have to find out how things work out for everyone!
Anyway, I want to learn Romanian just to be able to
But let’s get back to the book. People who like the Cassie Palmer series will definitely love Dorina Basarab too. I, on the other hand, had the same problem with both: Karen Chance is a first level master at creating characters. You can’t help falling in love with Dorina, Louis-Cesare and even Radu (especially Radu!). But when it comes to building a story around those characters, she fails spectacularly every single time. I’ve read five of her books so far, and they all had the same problem. I’ll try to explain better.
I don’t like authors who underestimate their readers. It happens more often than not, authors treating their audience like a bunch of idiots, explaining everything about a dozen times while keeping those sentences short and simple just in case. But Karen Chance does exactly the opposite: she overestimates herself. She writes every book like it’s her last, trying to put too much content into it. It’s especially evident in action scenes: too much is happening at once and you just can't follow. What should be exciting ends up being utterly boring. But those characters keep you going, and because of them I WILL read , even if I wasn’t planning to at first. I just have to find out how things work out for everyone!
April 5, 2010
I love love love this book!
This is a great story for people who love urban fantasy. It's action packed, fast paced and the plot is well thought out. Plus it has a lot of wit and sarcasm, which makes it a typical Karen Chance book. She has the wonderful ability of getting you soaked up in a fantasy world with a variety of creatures and serious problems, but still she keeps a funny edge, never taking herself too seriously. The inclusion of characters like Olga (hilarious), Radu (you can't help but love the guy) and "Stinky" (no comment needed...) make sure of that too.
I also loved the tension between Louis-Cesare and Dory. It is present throughout the whole book (and ranging from hate to attraction) but it doens't take over the story line. I can't wait to see where Karen Chance plans to take their relationship.
I read Midnight's Daughter before the Cassie Palmer series so I've always loved Mircea cause he is more fleshed out in this book. However manipulative he has a strange affection for his family members and refuses to be pushed away by Dory.
I've read and reread this book with much pleasure and I can't wait for the next installment ( out January 2010) .
This is a great story for people who love urban fantasy. It's action packed, fast paced and the plot is well thought out. Plus it has a lot of wit and sarcasm, which makes it a typical Karen Chance book. She has the wonderful ability of getting you soaked up in a fantasy world with a variety of creatures and serious problems, but still she keeps a funny edge, never taking herself too seriously. The inclusion of characters like Olga (hilarious), Radu (you can't help but love the guy) and "Stinky" (no comment needed...) make sure of that too.
I also loved the tension between Louis-Cesare and Dory. It is present throughout the whole book (and ranging from hate to attraction) but it doens't take over the story line. I can't wait to see where Karen Chance plans to take their relationship.
I read Midnight's Daughter before the Cassie Palmer series so I've always loved Mircea cause he is more fleshed out in this book. However manipulative he has a strange affection for his family members and refuses to be pushed away by Dory.
I've read and reread this book with much pleasure and I can't wait for the next installment ( out January 2010) .
September 17, 2012
""I ran out of stock around midnight and dropped by a place, got some Chinese." I hoped he meant takeout...."Mu-shu pork" he told me indignantly."
I held off from immediately jumping into the Dorina Basarb series, a spin-off of the Cassie Palmer novels by Karen Chance, for a couple of reasons:
1)I have some quirks with the Cassie Palmer books that I feared could spill over into this series
and
2)I wasn't sure if I wanted to invest in a series with such a long wait between novels. In my perfect world, I'd get two books per year when it comes to my fave series, not one every TWO years.
So it took quite a while to get around to this, but I am so glad I finally did.
This spin-off series centers around Dorina Basarab, a dhampir (vampire/human hybrid) assassin. Not quite enough of either species, Dorina's kind is rare and doesn't fit anywhere in either society. It doesn't help that she is subject to rages that cause her to black out and endanger not only those around her, but herself as well.
It turns out she is the daughter of the great and powerful Mircea Basarab, and he needs her skills to help capture her uncle and his brother, Dracula, who has escaped from prison. Crazy and dangerous, this is a tall order, so Mircea also adds another master vampire to the mix, Louis-Cesare. The goal is for Dorina and Louis-Cesare to work together, but we all know the results when you try to mix oil and vinegar.
This book was a lot of fun. This series has beaten the odds and has become an instant favorite, regardless of the lag time. It's missing my biggest annoyances with the Cassie books: an irritating love triangle and Cassie herself (I'm not just a fan, sorry). Dorina is much more likeable heroine for me. I laughed, I cried (okay, not really), I QUOTED!!
Chance really knows how to write compelling and downright delicious male characters. Louis-Cesare has shot up on my list of book crushes. He's an amazing fighter, and the chemistry with Dorina is crazy good! It doesn't feel like your run of the mill relationship like with so many other novels. It's dynamic, it's got room to evolve, he isn't invisible, and Dorina actually can take care of herself quite well. It feels really natural, or about as natural as you can expect for supernaturals.
Another pleasant surprise was Mircea. After reading the Cassie books we're only used to Mircea the lover and powerful Senate member. In these books we get to see Mircea the father. While we see the Senate member too, I really appreciate this perspective of him because it adds more depth to the character for me. I like him more and more because we see more of his vulnerability here as opposed to the Cassie books. When it comes to Dorina, you can tell that he doesn't have all of the answers, even when he tries to save face . It's a subtle chink in his armor and I love it!
This is about as great of a start as one could hope for. I finished this book and couldn't wait to dive in to the next one! I think it's needless to say that I highly recommend this one.
*Review also posted to .
February 13, 2017
"I am sure there is a perfectly good reason why my niece is naked and tied to her bed. I am also equally certain that I do not wish to hear it"
I've been reading the Cassie Palmer series for years but never had an urge to pick this side-series up. I've finally succumbed to temptation, probably because I had it on my shelf forever and it popped up as a group read with Girls, Guns and Grimoires. While I liked the tone of Cassie's stories more, this one was also good in its own way.
It follows the standard fare with UF - Girl with powers who is tough and has a stick up the butt about certain issues. In this case Dory hates daddy dearest, the vampire Mircea from the Cassie series, vampires in general, most other supes, and...well, almost just people in general. She clearly doesn't have friends other than contacts she's willing to kill if things annoy her, with the exception of one who is currently missing. At first her attitude was abrasive and irritating, but she grows on me as her personality thaws when faced with other people she starts warming up to.
Besides Mircea, Louis-Cesare is around from the Cassie series, but we see completely different sides of his personality here. At first he's an ass, then he's rather whiny, but then he's likable again. There is a disconnect with the vampire Mircea, a lack of warmth that shows some emotion at the end, and if it weren't for knowing his feelings in the Cassie series, I'd hate him along with Dory. For now I think there's a lot of emotion left to reveal and stuff he's holding back from his daughter.
The world building is unique enough as it stays in the Cassie series but has Dory be a halfbreed between half vampire and half human, sometimes consumed with berserker rages that block her memory and bring out her violence. There's fae here too and for once I dig them - usually I find them irritating or too cruel, but I'm intrigued by the king and hope he comes up in the second book a few times. Yummy stuff.
The story isn't too rich as it's mainly a hunt and fight kind of gig. Dory and Louis must work together and they don't actually solve much. Who they're looking for ends up on their doorstep in one way or another anyway and the fights mainly come to them. Dory isn't so badass that she doesn't get knocked around, and it didn't irritate me because this put in a touch of realism.
Overall it was a decent Urban Fantasy opening. Characters are likable enough but I'm not hooked on any of them. The story was semi-strong but nothing that stands out in memory. Karen Chance writes well with dialogue and description and - while her Cassie series is overdone with too much action and not enough pause - here she calms down and dishes out normal sized servings of action between breaks.
If you're a fan of the Cassie series, then definitely pick this one up for a try. You'll recognize some characters and style. If you're new to Karen Chance, I recommend picking up Cassie first, since it's more unusual and has a richer source of conflict for its first book.
I've been reading the Cassie Palmer series for years but never had an urge to pick this side-series up. I've finally succumbed to temptation, probably because I had it on my shelf forever and it popped up as a group read with Girls, Guns and Grimoires. While I liked the tone of Cassie's stories more, this one was also good in its own way.
It follows the standard fare with UF - Girl with powers who is tough and has a stick up the butt about certain issues. In this case Dory hates daddy dearest, the vampire Mircea from the Cassie series, vampires in general, most other supes, and...well, almost just people in general. She clearly doesn't have friends other than contacts she's willing to kill if things annoy her, with the exception of one who is currently missing. At first her attitude was abrasive and irritating, but she grows on me as her personality thaws when faced with other people she starts warming up to.
Besides Mircea, Louis-Cesare is around from the Cassie series, but we see completely different sides of his personality here. At first he's an ass, then he's rather whiny, but then he's likable again. There is a disconnect with the vampire Mircea, a lack of warmth that shows some emotion at the end, and if it weren't for knowing his feelings in the Cassie series, I'd hate him along with Dory. For now I think there's a lot of emotion left to reveal and stuff he's holding back from his daughter.
The world building is unique enough as it stays in the Cassie series but has Dory be a halfbreed between half vampire and half human, sometimes consumed with berserker rages that block her memory and bring out her violence. There's fae here too and for once I dig them - usually I find them irritating or too cruel, but I'm intrigued by the king and hope he comes up in the second book a few times. Yummy stuff.
The story isn't too rich as it's mainly a hunt and fight kind of gig. Dory and Louis must work together and they don't actually solve much. Who they're looking for ends up on their doorstep in one way or another anyway and the fights mainly come to them. Dory isn't so badass that she doesn't get knocked around, and it didn't irritate me because this put in a touch of realism.
Overall it was a decent Urban Fantasy opening. Characters are likable enough but I'm not hooked on any of them. The story was semi-strong but nothing that stands out in memory. Karen Chance writes well with dialogue and description and - while her Cassie series is overdone with too much action and not enough pause - here she calms down and dishes out normal sized servings of action between breaks.
If you're a fan of the Cassie series, then definitely pick this one up for a try. You'll recognize some characters and style. If you're new to Karen Chance, I recommend picking up Cassie first, since it's more unusual and has a richer source of conflict for its first book.
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February 18, 2022
I skim-read this one SO MUCH.
In this book's defence, it's pretty well-written and has some interesting characters. Unfortunately, I'm currently burnt out on another urban fantasy series with a slow-burn romance (Toby Daye) so I couldn't give this one the attention it needed. Which is a shame, because I can imagine myself enjoying it a lot more under different circumstances. I liked Dory's character and Louis-Cesare sounds hot (French aristocratic vampire with long red hair!!!) and, astonishingly, I've already downloaded book two.
Then again, it's also pretty confusing. This is supposed to be a spinoff standalone series yet things are explained so minimally, it's frustrating.
In this book's defence, it's pretty well-written and has some interesting characters. Unfortunately, I'm currently burnt out on another urban fantasy series with a slow-burn romance (Toby Daye) so I couldn't give this one the attention it needed. Which is a shame, because I can imagine myself enjoying it a lot more under different circumstances. I liked Dory's character and Louis-Cesare sounds hot (French aristocratic vampire with long red hair!!!) and, astonishingly, I've already downloaded book two.
Then again, it's also pretty confusing. This is supposed to be a spinoff standalone series yet things are explained so minimally, it's frustrating.
November 28, 2016
What an excellent first introduction to a UF series!
Whatever control I may have acquired through long centuries of practice, I’m still a monster. And like the one who sired me, I’ll always love death and destruction a little bit more than anything, or anyone, else.
UF heroines are usually some of my favorite female characters ever written. And Dorina Basarab has definitely been added to this list. Dorina is a dhampir, half vampire and half human. Because of what she is, she’s been an outcast all her life as vampires hate dhampirs and humans fear her kind. Most dhampirs don’t have long life spans mostly because of their uncontrollable fits of rages, but Dorina has managed to build a life for herself, using her skills and her anger to kill vampires and demons who need killing. I loved Dorina! She’s got a ton of attitude, she’s snarky and kick-ass.
She’s also the bastard daughter of Mircea, who is a very powerful vampire, which also makes her the niece of Dracula aka Vlad. Dorina and Mircea has quite a stormy relationship, he’s definitely not the best father, and Dorina kind of hates him. When Dorina’s best friend and roommate Claire goes missing and she’s unable to find any clues about who had taken her, she gets a little desperate. Which is why when Mircea asks her for her help in finding Dracula, who has escaped from his prison, and promises to help her find Claire, she’s unable to refuse. But she’s definitely not happy with the partner her father insist she works with, an arrogant and condescending vampire, Louis-Cesare. However, having fought against Uncle Dracula before, she knows she needs all the help she’s going to get.
“Everything about you is provoking,� he breathed. “Your voice saying outrageous things, your body striding up and down, giving me orders, and your taste—�
Sparks flew between Dorina and Louis-Cesare, and I loved their banter and how both tried to be the one in charge of their mission. At first I didn’t like Louis-Cesare because of the way he looked down on Dorina, but after finding out about his horrible past I understood him better. It also helped that he changed towards Dorina the more he got to know her and her equally painful past. I loved the intense attraction between them, and I really hope there will be a romance for them in this series.
The author created a wonderful and very interesting world with the fey, mages, demons, vampires, trolls and nulls. Claire is a null, which is a witch or wizard who can’t do magic but they can block out magical energy. I also really enjoyed the relationships between Dorina and her father, which is definitely very strained, but after how the book ended, I hope that things can change between them. The plot was also fast paced and full of action, which I enjoyed very much.
I have not read her other series, Cassie Palmer, which I believe somehow ties in with this one, but I never felt lost while reading this book.
This was a fantastic first installment and I loved it! I cannot wait to read the next book. Highly recommended to all UF fans.
February 26, 2018
“Fresh blood at midnight isn't red. It's a purplish black that easily blends into the shadows.�
Karen Chance is my all-time most favorite guilty pleasure. Her stories are sinfully over-the-top. I. live. for. it.
Dorina Basabarb is a Dhampir, which comes with black out rages, family issues, and never feeling like she belongs. After endless years of existence, she has found a way to survive. Focus her fits on those preternatural beings that deserve death, and protect a magic null and Dory's best friend Claire.
If there is one thing you should know about a Karen Chance novel, it is that the plot interlocks at least five different revolving forces at a time, creating a larger than life, fast pace, survivalist adventure staring a bad-ass anti-hero.
Claire is missing and Dorina is going crazy trying to hunt her down. Dory’s father comes back into her life to recruit her for a job. The job is to contain their deranged Uncle Dracula � yes, that Dracula. The payment for the job is simple; she will have the full force of the Vampire Senate hunting for Claire.
Sinfully beautiful men? Check. Gory fight scenes? Check. Snark and banter and sass? Um, double-check. Characters which have real trauma, PTSD and emotional conflict from years of existence? Check and Check.
The story could do with some editing because Karen Chance is lavish as hell.
It’s sinfully decadent.
September 9, 2017
I can always rely on a good urban fantasy to make me excited to read again. This book was no exception. The only words I would really use to describe it are fun and fast paced. The reason the book really shined though, were the characters.
The story is centered around Dorina, our resident dhampir (half human/half vampire) with a whole slew of issues. Dhampirs in this world are a mostly hated and given their rarity, Dorina is quite the outcast. I've found that I really love stories where our main character feels like an outsider because it creates a nice internal struggle that goes along nicely with the external ones. But that isn't to say that she spent the whole book wallowing in self-pity. In fact, she did the exact opposite. She takes no bullshit from anyone, and her i-give-no-fucks attitude was so fun to read about. She was physically and mentally able, which was a nice to surprise given that a lot of authors tend to forget about the mental strength. Her dedication to her best friend, Claire, was so great because I love seeing strong friendships in books. Her character was one of the best parts of this story and I definitely did not mind being stuck in her head.
Louis-Cesare, on the other hand, might have seemed like an ass in the beginning of the book, but his development was amazing. His prejudice against dhampirs was understandable and I like that he wasn't immeadiatly sold on Dorina because it allowed for a more organic and natural progression of their relationship.
Speaking of their relationship, I had no complaints whatsoever. It was a slow progression, with Dory and Louis-Cesare first hating and mistrusting eachother, which made for some amazing banter between the two of them. It developed into a grudging trust, and finally left of a note of will they or won't they. Their constant arguaments and stubborn personalities created the perfect amount of chemistry, and I couldn't be happier. They are definitely on my OTP list.
Another relationship that I loved was the one between Dory and her estranged father, Mircea. I loved the layers of complexity that were found there, and I really hope that the author decides to delve even deeper into this subject. Mircea was such a complex character and not without his faults, but Chance still managed to make him one of my favorite characters. I'm excited to see how Dory's and Mircea's realtionship will develop in future books. There's a mine of opportunity there, and I hope that Chance will take advantage of it.
Another honorable mention should also go out to Radu, the weird but lovable uncle, whose antics really served to lighten the mood.
The only complaint that I have for this book is the fact that, sometimes, the action scenes seemed a bit overfilled, in such a way that I found it hard to follow what was going on at times. Now, this might just have been me and my abilities of concentration (or lack thereof) but I found that I would have to reread certain parts in order to completely understand what had happened.
Also, please, whenever a character has the same name as another popular character *cough* Dory from Finding Nemo *cough*, try not to use it. It got distracting at one point, because everytime the name Dory was mentioned, I would picture this:
Again, this might just have annoyed me, so this wasn't such a big deal.
To end on a positive note, I also would like to point out the humour in this book. I love when authors sneak in bits of humour in an otherwise dire situation.
"I'm not dead," I told her as distinctly as possible with the inside of my throat coated in dirt.
"Water," she gasped. "You need water."
I needed a two-month vacation on a beach, but water would do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Radu held up a hand. "I am sure there is a perfectly good reason why my niece is naked and tied to her bed. I am also equally certain that I do not wish to hear it."
All in all, this was a fantastic start to a new UF series, and I can't wait to dive into the other books!
_____________________________________________
WOW. DAMN. A NEW FAVORITE URBAN FANTASY SERIES. RTC.
The story is centered around Dorina, our resident dhampir (half human/half vampire) with a whole slew of issues. Dhampirs in this world are a mostly hated and given their rarity, Dorina is quite the outcast. I've found that I really love stories where our main character feels like an outsider because it creates a nice internal struggle that goes along nicely with the external ones. But that isn't to say that she spent the whole book wallowing in self-pity. In fact, she did the exact opposite. She takes no bullshit from anyone, and her i-give-no-fucks attitude was so fun to read about. She was physically and mentally able, which was a nice to surprise given that a lot of authors tend to forget about the mental strength. Her dedication to her best friend, Claire, was so great because I love seeing strong friendships in books. Her character was one of the best parts of this story and I definitely did not mind being stuck in her head.
Louis-Cesare, on the other hand, might have seemed like an ass in the beginning of the book, but his development was amazing. His prejudice against dhampirs was understandable and I like that he wasn't immeadiatly sold on Dorina because it allowed for a more organic and natural progression of their relationship.
Speaking of their relationship, I had no complaints whatsoever. It was a slow progression, with Dory and Louis-Cesare first hating and mistrusting eachother, which made for some amazing banter between the two of them. It developed into a grudging trust, and finally left of a note of will they or won't they. Their constant arguaments and stubborn personalities created the perfect amount of chemistry, and I couldn't be happier. They are definitely on my OTP list.
Another relationship that I loved was the one between Dory and her estranged father, Mircea. I loved the layers of complexity that were found there, and I really hope that the author decides to delve even deeper into this subject. Mircea was such a complex character and not without his faults, but Chance still managed to make him one of my favorite characters. I'm excited to see how Dory's and Mircea's realtionship will develop in future books. There's a mine of opportunity there, and I hope that Chance will take advantage of it.
Another honorable mention should also go out to Radu, the weird but lovable uncle, whose antics really served to lighten the mood.
The only complaint that I have for this book is the fact that, sometimes, the action scenes seemed a bit overfilled, in such a way that I found it hard to follow what was going on at times. Now, this might just have been me and my abilities of concentration (or lack thereof) but I found that I would have to reread certain parts in order to completely understand what had happened.
Also, please, whenever a character has the same name as another popular character *cough* Dory from Finding Nemo *cough*, try not to use it. It got distracting at one point, because everytime the name Dory was mentioned, I would picture this:
Again, this might just have annoyed me, so this wasn't such a big deal.
To end on a positive note, I also would like to point out the humour in this book. I love when authors sneak in bits of humour in an otherwise dire situation.
"I'm not dead," I told her as distinctly as possible with the inside of my throat coated in dirt.
"Water," she gasped. "You need water."
I needed a two-month vacation on a beach, but water would do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Radu held up a hand. "I am sure there is a perfectly good reason why my niece is naked and tied to her bed. I am also equally certain that I do not wish to hear it."
All in all, this was a fantastic start to a new UF series, and I can't wait to dive into the other books!
_____________________________________________
WOW. DAMN. A NEW FAVORITE URBAN FANTASY SERIES. RTC.
September 28, 2012
This is one of the best urban fantasy series and one of my most favorites. I love Dorina and Louis-Cesare. I always have a blast revisiting this world. I highly recommend this book for urban fantasy lovers who love kick-ass chicks, sexy and dangerous vampires, a touch of romance, and action packed from beginning to end. Karen Chance is one of the most talented writers of urban fantasy right up there with Ilona Andrews and Jim Butcher......... Obviously, I love this book/series! :D
Awesome quotes:
“My lord...I can explain-," Louis-Cesare began, looking less than certain that he could do anything of the kind.
Radu held up a hand. "I am sure there is a perfectly good reason why my niece is naked and tied to her bed. I am also equally certain that I do not wish to hear it."
“Louis-Cesare’s anger suddenly filled the small room like water, and in a heartbeat his eyes went from silver tinged to as solid as two antique coins.
I sat frozen, awash in a sea of power. I was beginning to understand why Mircea had wanted him along, only Daddy had failed to mention anything about the hair-trigger temper. I guess he assumed the red hair would clue me in.�
“Louis-Cesare slowly pulled himself into a half-standing position against the side of the winery.'What? Did you think one little mage was going to do me in?' He swallowed hard. 'Hell, that was just a warm-up.�
Awesome quotes:
“My lord...I can explain-," Louis-Cesare began, looking less than certain that he could do anything of the kind.
Radu held up a hand. "I am sure there is a perfectly good reason why my niece is naked and tied to her bed. I am also equally certain that I do not wish to hear it."
“Louis-Cesare’s anger suddenly filled the small room like water, and in a heartbeat his eyes went from silver tinged to as solid as two antique coins.
I sat frozen, awash in a sea of power. I was beginning to understand why Mircea had wanted him along, only Daddy had failed to mention anything about the hair-trigger temper. I guess he assumed the red hair would clue me in.�
“Louis-Cesare slowly pulled himself into a half-standing position against the side of the winery.'What? Did you think one little mage was going to do me in?' He swallowed hard. 'Hell, that was just a warm-up.�
June 6, 2012
More like a 3.5 star rating. I'm giving this 4 stars only because we can't give half a star ratings and 3 is too low. There is something about this and the Cassie Palmer series that just wears me out. I think it's too fast paced and too busy for me. Maybe if I were a slower reader and gave it more time to sink in but instead it just kind of wears on me.
October 5, 2008
Very, very hard to review this book. I gobbled up Karen Chance's Cassie Palmer series and am anxiously awaiting book four to be released in April 2009. So I jumped on "Midnight's Daughter" which is an offshoot of that series. Technically, this is a standalone novel. But IMHO, you really should read about Cassie and that world before taking on Dorina. It provides a deeper insight into her world and events that have shaped the actions and intentions of some characters in her book.
Dorina is a dhampir, half human, half vamp, and has fits of uncontrollable rages like all dhampir. She's unusual in that she has managed to stay alive for over 500 years by channeling her rages into killing non-human creatures. When Daddy dearest shows up, Dorina knows it's not good news. When Daddy dearest asks her to go after Uncle Drac (yes, that Dracula!), she's sure he's only sending her on this suicide mission to finally be rid of her once and for all. Especially seeing the vamp he intends to be her partner...Louis-Cesare. It doesn't take long for both Dorina and Louis-Cesare to butt heads and become the targets of just about every other supernatural faction out there.
Very complex. Very intense. Very dark. I sucked this down like a vamp with O negative. This is really a dark urban fantasy with heavy emotional and relationship threads. Just about every character in this book could use the services of a good shrink (I'm thinking Lynda Hilburn's Vampire Shrink) and you can forget about trying to predict what will happen next! I loved it. I want another Dorina book soon so I can see where she and maybe Louis too are headed.
Dorina is a dhampir, half human, half vamp, and has fits of uncontrollable rages like all dhampir. She's unusual in that she has managed to stay alive for over 500 years by channeling her rages into killing non-human creatures. When Daddy dearest shows up, Dorina knows it's not good news. When Daddy dearest asks her to go after Uncle Drac (yes, that Dracula!), she's sure he's only sending her on this suicide mission to finally be rid of her once and for all. Especially seeing the vamp he intends to be her partner...Louis-Cesare. It doesn't take long for both Dorina and Louis-Cesare to butt heads and become the targets of just about every other supernatural faction out there.
Very complex. Very intense. Very dark. I sucked this down like a vamp with O negative. This is really a dark urban fantasy with heavy emotional and relationship threads. Just about every character in this book could use the services of a good shrink (I'm thinking Lynda Hilburn's Vampire Shrink) and you can forget about trying to predict what will happen next! I loved it. I want another Dorina book soon so I can see where she and maybe Louis too are headed.
February 7, 2013
This is my second attempt to tackle down Chance's writing. I tried her Cassie Palmer series and got bored. Dorina Barsab followed closely in it's footsteps.
Chance invests great thought in her story, and it's evident. But i just couldn't keep my mind on the book. The more i read the more i found my mind wandering and focusing on things like; stuff i had to do around the house. Not many books out there get me to do my ironing, i'll tell you that.
So now, my ironing done and the book finished i am left unfulfilled. This story has left me indifferent.
I don't know what went wrong and where precisely. Dorina has all the potential of being a great character but she doesn't deliver. She is not awesome, she is not horrible.....she just IS.
There is only one aspect of this book that i found annoying and that would be how many people Chance dragged trough the sands of time. I mean it's not unusual in vampire novels to find a character that is a blast from the past but this was too much.
Dracula, Casanova, Rasputin, Marlowe.... it just sounded pretentious. It was screaming- I took history class and remembered stuff!!!!
I heard her books pick up, maybe i will try another down the line, but deffo not yet.
Chance invests great thought in her story, and it's evident. But i just couldn't keep my mind on the book. The more i read the more i found my mind wandering and focusing on things like; stuff i had to do around the house. Not many books out there get me to do my ironing, i'll tell you that.
So now, my ironing done and the book finished i am left unfulfilled. This story has left me indifferent.
I don't know what went wrong and where precisely. Dorina has all the potential of being a great character but she doesn't deliver. She is not awesome, she is not horrible.....she just IS.
There is only one aspect of this book that i found annoying and that would be how many people Chance dragged trough the sands of time. I mean it's not unusual in vampire novels to find a character that is a blast from the past but this was too much.
Dracula, Casanova, Rasputin, Marlowe.... it just sounded pretentious. It was screaming- I took history class and remembered stuff!!!!
I heard her books pick up, maybe i will try another down the line, but deffo not yet.
October 19, 2011
Dorina,half-vampire half-human and prone to dark rages,is on a mission.Her psycho Uncle Dracula has escaped from prison and her father wants Dorina to go and capture him with the help of fellow vampire Louis-Cesare.She likes to work alone but with Dracula to deal with,she is forced into the partnership.
First,Louis-Cesare just bugged me,like a poor imitation of Jean-Claude from the Anita Blake series.The fighting with him and Dorina got boring very quickly as I hate this type of thing in my books.I like partners working together with quips and wit not her raging tantrums all the time about having to work with a partner. It was all a bit samey as the book went on and even the thought of seeing a new version of Uncle Dracula couldn't keep me interested.
First,Louis-Cesare just bugged me,like a poor imitation of Jean-Claude from the Anita Blake series.The fighting with him and Dorina got boring very quickly as I hate this type of thing in my books.I like partners working together with quips and wit not her raging tantrums all the time about having to work with a partner. It was all a bit samey as the book went on and even the thought of seeing a new version of Uncle Dracula couldn't keep me interested.
December 19, 2017
Couldn't get into it. It was confusing, her storytelling was messy and you get these informations without any explanations, it's just there. The main character doesn't deliver, she would get into these fights and she'll describe it as
“An hour later, I was sitting on a pile of corpses, frowning"
“One second I was facing off with Mircea, and the next I was facedown on the ground,�
�......Two seconds later, pretty boy was finding out what the rug smelled like�
Aaandd many more "seconds later"
Also the romance starts a little to soon, the previous chapter they hate each other and then the next Dorina is feeling attracted to him. What the hell.
Ugh.
“An hour later, I was sitting on a pile of corpses, frowning"
“One second I was facing off with Mircea, and the next I was facedown on the ground,�
�......Two seconds later, pretty boy was finding out what the rug smelled like�
Aaandd many more "seconds later"
Also the romance starts a little to soon, the previous chapter they hate each other and then the next Dorina is feeling attracted to him. What the hell.
Ugh.
February 25, 2016
I been putting off reading this and well spin offs. But finally got around to reading this and was surprised by how much I liked it.
For the most part I was going to give this a 3.5 rating. but decided on 4 stars because of the writing style and of course Dorina. I mean I like the Cassie series but I might like this a bit more. Also, the side characters were interesting as well.
Though at times it got confusing to what was going on, but I still liked the book. A good start and makes me want to get back to this series.
For the most part I was going to give this a 3.5 rating. but decided on 4 stars because of the writing style and of course Dorina. I mean I like the Cassie series but I might like this a bit more. Also, the side characters were interesting as well.
Though at times it got confusing to what was going on, but I still liked the book. A good start and makes me want to get back to this series.
May 16, 2014
Meh. Couldn't get into it.
March 4, 2015
Red block, yellow blocks, greens, blues, blacks and all shades of em thrown into one big pile. A kids hand reaching in that belly of the beast…and seconds later blue cubes become dragons, whites form a knight fighting it. Yellow ones are stars, grays form a brick road, reds present lions and black ones are frogs. A small hand with chubby little fingers and a child’s mind has no barriers. Add everything! Make some pies, cakes and ice cream too.
And that’s what this was. To much of everything…fairies, vampires, mutilated creatures, ogres, trolls, demphires�.name it. We have it all. But having all the brick toons is not enough. No! Action packed is a mild statement. It never ends…climbs into one big mess and already a new one is forming. It doesn’t matter if it’s poorly written, it don’t matter if it makes no sense to us. All that matters we are bombed with at least 129873 information in one single page with no explanation about any of it. And to a kid it doesn’t matter. I mean to a child it’s logical that a coffee pot can be a plane and even more logical that characters don’t have any feelings at all. What does a child know about complex feelings? And our main character only feels one. And tbh I don’t know if even that one counts…since she only felt physical pain�.over and over again. Ofc she was in battle the entire book�.so makes sense I guess.
I did finish the book…but just had so many issues with it I started skipping pages at the end. I mean on first page vamps don’t breathe or have a heartbeat. Few pages later she’s getting steamy with one and his breathing and heartbeat gets faster? Much more pages later � vamps don’t have those functions but execute em to seem more human (I think � it’s not like anything was rly explained). So wait a bit…all that steamy rumping round in the plane was actually faked by that vamp? Or maybe he was just extra considerate. Hmmm�.yes I can imagine…rolling with a chick, coping a feel. Wait! Stop! I have to accelerate my breathing to fit the situation!
One of other issues I had with the main toon was her rage issues. I mean...she’s supposed to have em because of her »class«. Yet again…make no sense at all. I mean there was at least 100 situations I would expect the character to get mad and fall into her fit�.I mean I would. But no…she goes into the fit about twice and again made no sense at all. Example: A big hybrid, monster, fury, with 23 legs big bird is attacking us! The thing does major damage, clawing at us. Do we get mad? Throw a fit? Nah ofc not. We are calm and dig a hole in its chest. Father says to us: U can’t talk to the kid right now, he was sedated due to his injures and he’s been taken care off. But u can talk to him later. WHAT! BESERKER MAD!!!
Idk…I expected more. I wanted that girl. I wanted that rage fueled chick�.I wanted the action. Just this was not it. If u look closely she actually never rly fought. All she did is crawl, got injured every third page, felt pain, thrown some odd mage balls round and dig a hole into a big bird.
I’m sure a yellow brick can be a squirrel if presented right. This failed to do so. Badly.
And that’s what this was. To much of everything…fairies, vampires, mutilated creatures, ogres, trolls, demphires�.name it. We have it all. But having all the brick toons is not enough. No! Action packed is a mild statement. It never ends…climbs into one big mess and already a new one is forming. It doesn’t matter if it’s poorly written, it don’t matter if it makes no sense to us. All that matters we are bombed with at least 129873 information in one single page with no explanation about any of it. And to a kid it doesn’t matter. I mean to a child it’s logical that a coffee pot can be a plane and even more logical that characters don’t have any feelings at all. What does a child know about complex feelings? And our main character only feels one. And tbh I don’t know if even that one counts…since she only felt physical pain�.over and over again. Ofc she was in battle the entire book�.so makes sense I guess.
I did finish the book…but just had so many issues with it I started skipping pages at the end. I mean on first page vamps don’t breathe or have a heartbeat. Few pages later she’s getting steamy with one and his breathing and heartbeat gets faster? Much more pages later � vamps don’t have those functions but execute em to seem more human (I think � it’s not like anything was rly explained). So wait a bit…all that steamy rumping round in the plane was actually faked by that vamp? Or maybe he was just extra considerate. Hmmm�.yes I can imagine…rolling with a chick, coping a feel. Wait! Stop! I have to accelerate my breathing to fit the situation!
One of other issues I had with the main toon was her rage issues. I mean...she’s supposed to have em because of her »class«. Yet again…make no sense at all. I mean there was at least 100 situations I would expect the character to get mad and fall into her fit�.I mean I would. But no…she goes into the fit about twice and again made no sense at all. Example: A big hybrid, monster, fury, with 23 legs big bird is attacking us! The thing does major damage, clawing at us. Do we get mad? Throw a fit? Nah ofc not. We are calm and dig a hole in its chest. Father says to us: U can’t talk to the kid right now, he was sedated due to his injures and he’s been taken care off. But u can talk to him later. WHAT! BESERKER MAD!!!
Idk…I expected more. I wanted that girl. I wanted that rage fueled chick�.I wanted the action. Just this was not it. If u look closely she actually never rly fought. All she did is crawl, got injured every third page, felt pain, thrown some odd mage balls round and dig a hole into a big bird.
I’m sure a yellow brick can be a squirrel if presented right. This failed to do so. Badly.
January 19, 2015
Why, oh why, did I wait so long to pick up this book? I am a big fan of Karen Chance’s Cassie Palmer books and this is a spinoff from that series. It exists in the same world, featuring Mircea’s daughter Dory as the main protagonist. Simply put, it has all the awesome of the Cassie books without the headache from all that time travel.
Dory is a dhampir, a part human, part vampire hybrid. Her kind is rare and reviled by humans and vamps alike. She is nearly immortal and has super-senses� plus she had a tendency to go into a berserker rage when pushed too far. Anyway, Dory hates her dad. She thinks he abandoned her as a child and never really cared about her. As an adult, she finds him heavy handed and wants nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, as this story begins, he comes to her with an offer she can’t refuse.
Dory’s roommate is missing and she has been searching for her for a month. Mircea promises to use his considerable resources to bring Claire home IF Dory helps locate her crazed and revenge driven uncle, Vlad. Dory really wants to tell her dad to shove the job, but she puts her friend first and decides to accept. Coming along for the ride, is her other uncle’s progeny, Louis Cesare. (Cassie fans will recognize his backstory from those books.)
At first, LC and Dory are like oil and water. But there is such a great dynamic there. He is so powerful and yet so vulnerable at the same time. Dory both rages against his strength at the same time she kind of revels in it. There is fantastic sexual tension, but as they really learn each other, I really believed there was more to it.
Dory is a kick-ass heroine. She has some attitude, sure, but she is a good person and very loyal. She endures so much, yet she always comes out swinging. Then there is Louis Cesare. At first, he seems like he is a total douchebag, but the more I got to know him, the more I wanted to crawl inside of the book and give him a hug. OK. Maybe not just a hug, because WOAH he is hot.
The plot is fantastic with breakneck pacing. I didn’t want to put it down! The world building is solid; and the character development is great too. There is so much action: fighting, plotting, double crossing, and violence. But just as prominent is time spent learning what makes these characters tick. I really cared about them and what would happen next.
It’s really good Urban Fantasy with a perfect dose of romance peppered in. You don’t have to read the Cassie Palmer books to enjoy this, either, though you might understand a bit more about Mircea and LC if you do. � I can’t wait to read the next installment.
Rating: A-
Dory is a dhampir, a part human, part vampire hybrid. Her kind is rare and reviled by humans and vamps alike. She is nearly immortal and has super-senses� plus she had a tendency to go into a berserker rage when pushed too far. Anyway, Dory hates her dad. She thinks he abandoned her as a child and never really cared about her. As an adult, she finds him heavy handed and wants nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, as this story begins, he comes to her with an offer she can’t refuse.
Dory’s roommate is missing and she has been searching for her for a month. Mircea promises to use his considerable resources to bring Claire home IF Dory helps locate her crazed and revenge driven uncle, Vlad. Dory really wants to tell her dad to shove the job, but she puts her friend first and decides to accept. Coming along for the ride, is her other uncle’s progeny, Louis Cesare. (Cassie fans will recognize his backstory from those books.)
At first, LC and Dory are like oil and water. But there is such a great dynamic there. He is so powerful and yet so vulnerable at the same time. Dory both rages against his strength at the same time she kind of revels in it. There is fantastic sexual tension, but as they really learn each other, I really believed there was more to it.
Dory is a kick-ass heroine. She has some attitude, sure, but she is a good person and very loyal. She endures so much, yet she always comes out swinging. Then there is Louis Cesare. At first, he seems like he is a total douchebag, but the more I got to know him, the more I wanted to crawl inside of the book and give him a hug. OK. Maybe not just a hug, because WOAH he is hot.
The plot is fantastic with breakneck pacing. I didn’t want to put it down! The world building is solid; and the character development is great too. There is so much action: fighting, plotting, double crossing, and violence. But just as prominent is time spent learning what makes these characters tick. I really cared about them and what would happen next.
It’s really good Urban Fantasy with a perfect dose of romance peppered in. You don’t have to read the Cassie Palmer books to enjoy this, either, though you might understand a bit more about Mircea and LC if you do. � I can’t wait to read the next installment.
Rating: A-
February 14, 2017
Re-Read Review
First Read: 2 Mar 2009 Rating: ✮✮✮✮�
Re-Read: 10 Sept 2012 Rating: ✮✮✮✮�
Midnight's Daughter introduces us to Dorina Basarab. Think the name sounds familiar? That's because, if you have read Karen's Cassandra Palmer series, you've already met Dory's Daddy - Mircea Basarab. Dory's a dhampir - ½human, ½vamp - who experience uncontrollable rages and typically have a short live span. Dory, on the other hand, has lived for 500 yrs.
When Dory's best friend and roomie goes missing she goes on the hunt to find out what's happened. Mircea approaches her with an offer she cannot refuse. For her help recapturing Uncle Drac he'll bring in help to find Claire.
I LOVE this series. This re-read reminded me exactly why. In fact, I enjoy it slightly more than Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, which has a tendency to make me motion sick with all of the time traveling. Dory's a very strong-willed character with a soft center. I cannot wait to continue my series re-read in prep for the very long awaited third book in this series, on 2 Oct.
Of note: It is not necessary to read Cassandra Palmer before this series. Fans of this series may also find that series enjoyable and visa versa.
First Read: 2 Mar 2009 Rating: ✮✮✮✮�
Re-Read: 10 Sept 2012 Rating: ✮✮✮✮�
Midnight's Daughter introduces us to Dorina Basarab. Think the name sounds familiar? That's because, if you have read Karen's Cassandra Palmer series, you've already met Dory's Daddy - Mircea Basarab. Dory's a dhampir - ½human, ½vamp - who experience uncontrollable rages and typically have a short live span. Dory, on the other hand, has lived for 500 yrs.
When Dory's best friend and roomie goes missing she goes on the hunt to find out what's happened. Mircea approaches her with an offer she cannot refuse. For her help recapturing Uncle Drac he'll bring in help to find Claire.
"London, 1889. Dark and stormy night. Ring any bells? I think the exact quote was, 'If you do not finish this tonight, if you leave him any avenue by which to return, I wash my hands of the whole affair. Next time, you will hunt him alone.'"While Dory swore she'd never get involved again, she agrees because she's worried it may be the only way to get to Claire quickly enough. See, Claire has a special ability that makes her the interest of many. The one thing that Dory didn't count on was having to team up with Louis-Cesare, a "judgmental, condescending, self-important son of a bitch". These two may start off with trust issues and a touch of disdain for each other, but during their mission that all changes.
I LOVE this series. This re-read reminded me exactly why. In fact, I enjoy it slightly more than Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, which has a tendency to make me motion sick with all of the time traveling. Dory's a very strong-willed character with a soft center. I cannot wait to continue my series re-read in prep for the very long awaited third book in this series, on 2 Oct.
Of note: It is not necessary to read Cassandra Palmer before this series. Fans of this series may also find that series enjoyable and visa versa.
April 29, 2021
Read #4: 4/28-29/2021
Read #3: 2/18-19/2019
Reread: 3/26-27/2017
I'm so glad I reread this. Dory is one of the most badass heroines out there, and I pretty much love all of the characters. I have to say that I am still kind of disappointed that I really can't get into the Cassie Palmer series since I read this one first. Thinking about Mircea as a sexual being after meeting him as a father figure is basically impossible. Especially since I just immediately thought of him as older. Like a humanoid version of Shifu from Kung Fu Panda. (Do not ask me why)
For some reason I thought Ray was in this first book–I guess because he just made such an impression as the doofy fuckup of a sidekick. But STINKY IS MY MAN! I love him. I do want to know exactly how he got over the poisoning, though. Caedmon just sort of threw him into the bathroom and he seemed pretty much fine after that.
It would be horrible of me to write this without mentioning the sexy Frenchman.
Louis-Cesare.
Louie.
The Great L dash C!
'sup
....
*whispers*
alsoIloveyouforeverandyou'rereallyhotandawesomeandsexyasfuckandcanyoubeMINE???
First Read: 6/29-30/2015
Read #3: 2/18-19/2019
Reread: 3/26-27/2017
I'm so glad I reread this. Dory is one of the most badass heroines out there, and I pretty much love all of the characters. I have to say that I am still kind of disappointed that I really can't get into the Cassie Palmer series since I read this one first. Thinking about Mircea as a sexual being after meeting him as a father figure is basically impossible. Especially since I just immediately thought of him as older. Like a humanoid version of Shifu from Kung Fu Panda. (Do not ask me why)
For some reason I thought Ray was in this first book–I guess because he just made such an impression as the doofy fuckup of a sidekick. But STINKY IS MY MAN! I love him. I do want to know exactly how he got over the poisoning, though. Caedmon just sort of threw him into the bathroom and he seemed pretty much fine after that.
It would be horrible of me to write this without mentioning the sexy Frenchman.
Louis-Cesare.
Louie.
The Great L dash C!
'sup
....
*whispers*
alsoIloveyouforeverandyou'rereallyhotandawesomeandsexyasfuckandcanyoubeMINE???
First Read: 6/29-30/2015
February 19, 2016
Re read as 02/15/2016. I still love Dorina.
August 26, 2023
Love Dory, LC grows on you and the setup is new.
But serious trigger warnings for torture, assault (sexual & other) and general gore. Not much goes off camera. <-- hence 4 *
But serious trigger warnings for torture, assault (sexual & other) and general gore. Not much goes off camera. <-- hence 4 *
June 4, 2017
I don't know if I'm getting as much out of this book as others have. I felt there were some long, draggy parts. Good enough to keep going, though.
January 14, 2018
3 1/5 Stars
May 19, 2024
You know what's weird? Considering how many reviews I've written—especially this year after I set it as my New Year's Resolution to review every single book I read—what's weird is that most of my all-time favourite books don't even have a review at all because I read them waaaay before I discovered the joys of reviewing or having a virtual Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ bookshelf to keep a record of my books and ratings. So my favourites, like this one, just got slapped with an automatic 5-star rating based on hazy memories of awesomeness, and that was that.
So, it's a bit sad that I am, then, to find that after my recent re-read of this book, 3 years and around 600 books after my first go, I find I can't in all honesty still give it 5 stars, so I've dropped it down to 4. I still really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. But I'd be blind not to see that, although I love Chance's writing for its fast pacing and action-filled plots, a lot of it can be too chaotic and confusing with too much going on from too many directions and not enough exposition. For much of the book I was just waiting and hoping that any minute now I'd be told why Dory was doing what she was doing, or going where she was going, and who the heck are those people firing stuff at her now and why are they doing it?
I imagine it all makes perfect sense in Karen Chance's head, but it doesn't always translate perfectly to her audience. It's kind of a double-edged sword, though, because the confusion is a side effect of having such intricate, complex, multi-layered, thought-provoking and detailed plots. She literally fits more plotting, world-building and characterisation into one page than some authors manage in three chapters (or whole books in the worst cases). But unless you're paying absolute, 100% focused attention (which admittedly I probably wasn't this time as I did the re-read as an audiobook) then you'll blink and miss something vital and be all "What the hell just happened?"
But that's enough negativity!
This is my favourite urban fantasy 'world' after all, (although I do prefer the main Cassandra Palmer series over this, the spin-off). So let's get on to what I still loved—The world, the setting, the magic, Dory, the real historical characters, Louis Cesare, the complex and strained relationships, Stinky, the sexual tension, the funny dialogue, Radu, the hot vamps, the hot smexy times, Dory's house that won't let her redecorate or move anything, the intelligent writing, Louis Cesare in a towel.
That's quite a lot still to love, eh?
Dory is a great main character. She has a bit of a bad attitude due to being a misfit and held in contempt by almost all supernatural factions AND humans, and she suffers rage episodes and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour.
Louis Cesare on the other hand is cool, suave, laconic, honourable and protective. They make a great fighting team, as long as Louis Cesare can keep up, and I look forward to re-visiting them in the next book, which I believe, if memory serves, is slightly less hectic than this one.
Recommended to read after books 1&2 of the Cassandra Palmer series.
for the series timeline.
4 Stars ★★★★
So, it's a bit sad that I am, then, to find that after my recent re-read of this book, 3 years and around 600 books after my first go, I find I can't in all honesty still give it 5 stars, so I've dropped it down to 4. I still really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. But I'd be blind not to see that, although I love Chance's writing for its fast pacing and action-filled plots, a lot of it can be too chaotic and confusing with too much going on from too many directions and not enough exposition. For much of the book I was just waiting and hoping that any minute now I'd be told why Dory was doing what she was doing, or going where she was going, and who the heck are those people firing stuff at her now and why are they doing it?
I imagine it all makes perfect sense in Karen Chance's head, but it doesn't always translate perfectly to her audience. It's kind of a double-edged sword, though, because the confusion is a side effect of having such intricate, complex, multi-layered, thought-provoking and detailed plots. She literally fits more plotting, world-building and characterisation into one page than some authors manage in three chapters (or whole books in the worst cases). But unless you're paying absolute, 100% focused attention (which admittedly I probably wasn't this time as I did the re-read as an audiobook) then you'll blink and miss something vital and be all "What the hell just happened?"
But that's enough negativity!
This is my favourite urban fantasy 'world' after all, (although I do prefer the main Cassandra Palmer series over this, the spin-off). So let's get on to what I still loved—The world, the setting, the magic, Dory, the real historical characters, Louis Cesare, the complex and strained relationships, Stinky, the sexual tension, the funny dialogue, Radu, the hot vamps, the hot smexy times, Dory's house that won't let her redecorate or move anything, the intelligent writing, Louis Cesare in a towel.
That's quite a lot still to love, eh?
Dory is a great main character. She has a bit of a bad attitude due to being a misfit and held in contempt by almost all supernatural factions AND humans, and she suffers rage episodes and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour.
Louis Cesare on the other hand is cool, suave, laconic, honourable and protective. They make a great fighting team, as long as Louis Cesare can keep up, and I look forward to re-visiting them in the next book, which I believe, if memory serves, is slightly less hectic than this one.
Recommended to read after books 1&2 of the Cassandra Palmer series.
for the series timeline.
4 Stars ★★★★
Read
April 1, 2009Atrocious. Really. Author cuts all sorts of corners, using black-outs and convenient memory dumps to garner sympathy for her main characters, while telling constantly. She also puts the entire novel in at high gear, but when all of Dorina's allies end up dead, she's got no weapons, is horribly injured and weak and has no options -- for the third time in short succession in the book -- well. You're less concerned, more, right then. Get on with it.
There were two things I liked about the book -- male lead goes off to sulk at the end of it, and Radu turned out to be surprisingly interesting. However, those couldn't make up for the rest of the book. Dorina is a collection of cliches thrown together without enough personality to make her something beyond them -- no, not even having aubergine hair helps, sorry. Dialogue that was supposed to be cutting and witty was just flat and unfunny. Writing was good except for some clumsy moments where it called attention to itself. The family politics which could have been interesting explored more fully got lost under a needlessly violent and confusing mash of Fey versus Dark Mage versus Good Vampires versus Rebel Vampires and Dracula thing -- an attempt to up and ante even further. I can't recommend this one at all.
There were two things I liked about the book -- male lead goes off to sulk at the end of it, and Radu turned out to be surprisingly interesting. However, those couldn't make up for the rest of the book. Dorina is a collection of cliches thrown together without enough personality to make her something beyond them -- no, not even having aubergine hair helps, sorry. Dialogue that was supposed to be cutting and witty was just flat and unfunny. Writing was good except for some clumsy moments where it called attention to itself. The family politics which could have been interesting explored more fully got lost under a needlessly violent and confusing mash of Fey versus Dark Mage versus Good Vampires versus Rebel Vampires and Dracula thing -- an attempt to up and ante even further. I can't recommend this one at all.
July 5, 2018
3.5 stars
Dory kicks ass, and she doesn't put up with shit from anyone especially those who think they are better than her. Since she's a dhampir, most people think they're better than her. Being Mircea's daughter has its benefits and complications. The benefits being part of a powerful vampire family. However there are more complications mainly in the way of more enemies just because of who her family is.
Dory was coerced into doing a large favor for Mircea. She was forced to work with Louis-Cesare, who has been in the Cassie Palmer series. He was an ass at first but grew on me. He and Dory are well matched in many ways.
I decided to reread this since the 4th book in the series is finally coming out soon. It was a good thing that I did because there was a hell of a lot I couldn't remember. Many characters are in this and the Cassie Palmer series, but this has a completely different feel since Cassie and Dory aren't alike. The one thing that remains the same is the overly long action scenes. Sometimes I skim through them. Other than that it's an awesome book.
Dory kicks ass, and she doesn't put up with shit from anyone especially those who think they are better than her. Since she's a dhampir, most people think they're better than her. Being Mircea's daughter has its benefits and complications. The benefits being part of a powerful vampire family. However there are more complications mainly in the way of more enemies just because of who her family is.
Dory was coerced into doing a large favor for Mircea. She was forced to work with Louis-Cesare, who has been in the Cassie Palmer series. He was an ass at first but grew on me. He and Dory are well matched in many ways.
I decided to reread this since the 4th book in the series is finally coming out soon. It was a good thing that I did because there was a hell of a lot I couldn't remember. Many characters are in this and the Cassie Palmer series, but this has a completely different feel since Cassie and Dory aren't alike. The one thing that remains the same is the overly long action scenes. Sometimes I skim through them. Other than that it's an awesome book.
October 14, 2012
Dorina Basarab is a rare breed; dhampir, half human and half vampire. Hated by vampires but unable to fit in with humans she has carved her self out a niche; hunting rogue vampires, not something that endears her to the vamp. But, when her father come calling needing her help with a family matter, her ruthless and insane uncle the Dracula has escaped from his prison and is once again on the loose and gunning for all those who helped imprison him, with Dory at the top of the list...
What a fantastic read! Karen Chance has started off her new series, an offshoot of her Cassie Palmer series, with a bang. This is a fast paced, action packed and enthralling read.
If you have read the Cassie Palmer series then some of the characters will be very familiar to you and I love how all the people across both the series tie up. Dory is Mircea's daughter, one of the main characters from the Cassie Palmer series, and although he is no doubt a fearsome vampire, a fantastic diplomat and a fabulous lover, his dad skills require a little work. Raised as an outcast and relying only on herself Dory is one of the tough-as-nails, kick ass heroines who isn't afraid to rush head first into fight, most of the time without thinking through the consequences. I adored her!
As this was a first book there was quite alot of information thrown at you, but as I had read the Cassie Palmer series most it was familiar. But the world that Karen Chance has crafterd over these two series is interesting and very well thought out.
There was also a little romance and alot of sexual tension between Dory and Louis-Cesare (another familiar face!) that vampire that Dory has been forced to work with to help bring down Dracula. It was contempy on first sight for both of them, but I loved seeing their opnion change as they got to know eachother properly and I can't wait to see what happens next between them in the next book.
Midnight's Daughter had fast paced action, magic and a little bit of romance all the best ingredients to make an unputdownable read.
What a fantastic read! Karen Chance has started off her new series, an offshoot of her Cassie Palmer series, with a bang. This is a fast paced, action packed and enthralling read.
If you have read the Cassie Palmer series then some of the characters will be very familiar to you and I love how all the people across both the series tie up. Dory is Mircea's daughter, one of the main characters from the Cassie Palmer series, and although he is no doubt a fearsome vampire, a fantastic diplomat and a fabulous lover, his dad skills require a little work. Raised as an outcast and relying only on herself Dory is one of the tough-as-nails, kick ass heroines who isn't afraid to rush head first into fight, most of the time without thinking through the consequences. I adored her!
As this was a first book there was quite alot of information thrown at you, but as I had read the Cassie Palmer series most it was familiar. But the world that Karen Chance has crafterd over these two series is interesting and very well thought out.
There was also a little romance and alot of sexual tension between Dory and Louis-Cesare (another familiar face!) that vampire that Dory has been forced to work with to help bring down Dracula. It was contempy on first sight for both of them, but I loved seeing their opnion change as they got to know eachother properly and I can't wait to see what happens next between them in the next book.
Midnight's Daughter had fast paced action, magic and a little bit of romance all the best ingredients to make an unputdownable read.
October 12, 2013
4.5 stars: Love, love this new urban fantasy series!
This series has it all--high action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, a little romance--wow! Loved it--couldn't put it down. It is set in the same world as the Cassandra Palmer series by the same author.
The main character is strong, humorous, imperfect and likeable. She is a kick b*tt character, reminicent of Kate Daniels (another fav UF series). I also liked seeing more of Louis Ceasar and Micea who were in the other series. And I liked the hint of a romantic triangle between Dory, Louis Ceasar and the Fey King.
There is a great short story in which should be read after this book and before . The short story is about Claire and occurs in time with the first book. Claire is Dory's missing friend who Dory is searching for in book one. The short story gives the details of what Claire is going through. Very good read. The short story collection is a good one--I also liked the Briggs and Wilks stories. Death's Mistress the next book in the series was downright fantastic. I liked it even better than Midnight's Daughter--non stop action with a lot of plot twists and turns.
You don't have to read the Cassandra Palmer series before reading this one, but it would give you more backstory about some of the characters who appear in both series. Karen Chance is now on my 'must buy' list!
This series has it all--high action, adventure, fantasy, mystery, a little romance--wow! Loved it--couldn't put it down. It is set in the same world as the Cassandra Palmer series by the same author.
The main character is strong, humorous, imperfect and likeable. She is a kick b*tt character, reminicent of Kate Daniels (another fav UF series). I also liked seeing more of Louis Ceasar and Micea who were in the other series. And I liked the hint of a romantic triangle between Dory, Louis Ceasar and the Fey King.
There is a great short story in which should be read after this book and before . The short story is about Claire and occurs in time with the first book. Claire is Dory's missing friend who Dory is searching for in book one. The short story gives the details of what Claire is going through. Very good read. The short story collection is a good one--I also liked the Briggs and Wilks stories. Death's Mistress the next book in the series was downright fantastic. I liked it even better than Midnight's Daughter--non stop action with a lot of plot twists and turns.
You don't have to read the Cassandra Palmer series before reading this one, but it would give you more backstory about some of the characters who appear in both series. Karen Chance is now on my 'must buy' list!
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