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Cassandra Palmer #4
Curse the Dawn
Cassie Palmer may be the world's chief clairvoyant, but that doesn't mean people have stopped trying to kill her. And now, the self-styled god Apollo, the source of Cassie's power, is on the warpath - leaving her no choice but to face down her creator once and for all.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2009
266 people are currently reading
6586 people want to read
About the author
Karen Chance
62 books5,232 followersKaren 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 website or connect with her on Facebook here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 595 reviews
September 6, 2011
Series Overview Review
The rest of these books were a solid three-star review for me. They're interesting, sexy, reasonably well-written novels. The fourth novel, Curse the Dawn, is a far better read that the first three. In my opinion. Which is the only opinion that counts because this is my review.
PS. Jon Stewart is funnier.
Curse the Dawn is FUNNY. The rest of the series has definite moments of funniness to them but they don't compare to Curse the Dawn.
However, there are several problems with the series. Chance really just doesn't seem able to balance all of the timelines and contingencies in a way that makes sense. I could give examples but those would also be called spoilers and as we all know, spoilers are bad.
I knew that...
Also, sometimes I think she gets so caught up in the action that she sometimes doesn't quite write things clearly. There were several times where I had to read over a few paragraphs again and again and I still had no clue what had just happened.
Finally, there's one more serious problem with this book and that is that Cassie is a big ho. She has three paranormal hunks hanging. I mean, at least Anita came out and said, "Okay, you know what? I want seventeen boyfriends. So if you don't want to get in the sausage parade then please exit stage left."
Cassie doesn't let Mircea know that she and Pritkin are getting it on. Pritkin knows Mircea and Cassie are involved but it doesn't really bother him and Tomas is clueless but we're not supposed to remember him because he's been conveniently forgotten since a mere mention of him at the beginning of book three.
And what's even weirder is that Cassie never has a single moment of hangup on the fact that she's running around on Mircea. Not even a, "Hey... he's a first level master vampire likely to rip my throat out if he finds out about this... maybe I shouldn't."
The closest she ever gets to a possible guilt trip is when her and Pritkin are about to buck the bronco and he calls it an emergency instead of sex. She agrees thinking that's probably a safer idea. THEN NOTHING MORE!
UM HELLO!?
You know what, I want to live in Cassie Palmer world where I never need bother about manogamy again. Since I'm practically a giant slut, that would work out nicely for me.
Other than these three things, I really enjoy this series and I look forward to the next book coming out... so I can slut it up vicariously!
The rest of these books were a solid three-star review for me. They're interesting, sexy, reasonably well-written novels. The fourth novel, Curse the Dawn, is a far better read that the first three. In my opinion. Which is the only opinion that counts because this is my review.
PS. Jon Stewart is funnier.
Curse the Dawn is FUNNY. The rest of the series has definite moments of funniness to them but they don't compare to Curse the Dawn.
However, there are several problems with the series. Chance really just doesn't seem able to balance all of the timelines and contingencies in a way that makes sense. I could give examples but those would also be called spoilers and as we all know, spoilers are bad.
I knew that...
Also, sometimes I think she gets so caught up in the action that she sometimes doesn't quite write things clearly. There were several times where I had to read over a few paragraphs again and again and I still had no clue what had just happened.
Finally, there's one more serious problem with this book and that is that Cassie is a big ho. She has three paranormal hunks hanging. I mean, at least Anita came out and said, "Okay, you know what? I want seventeen boyfriends. So if you don't want to get in the sausage parade then please exit stage left."
Cassie doesn't let Mircea know that she and Pritkin are getting it on. Pritkin knows Mircea and Cassie are involved but it doesn't really bother him and Tomas is clueless but we're not supposed to remember him because he's been conveniently forgotten since a mere mention of him at the beginning of book three.
And what's even weirder is that Cassie never has a single moment of hangup on the fact that she's running around on Mircea. Not even a, "Hey... he's a first level master vampire likely to rip my throat out if he finds out about this... maybe I shouldn't."
The closest she ever gets to a possible guilt trip is when her and Pritkin are about to buck the bronco and he calls it an emergency instead of sex. She agrees thinking that's probably a safer idea. THEN NOTHING MORE!
UM HELLO!?
You know what, I want to live in Cassie Palmer world where I never need bother about manogamy again. Since I'm practically a giant slut, that would work out nicely for me.
Other than these three things, I really enjoy this series and I look forward to the next book coming out... so I can slut it up vicariously!
May 4, 2024
"Pritkin, haven’t you figured it out yet? We don’t get the easy jobs."
Curse the Dawn is the fourth book of the Cassandra Palmer series. Cassie is now free of the geis, but not free of problems. In this book, her main ambition is to reach an agreement with the Silver Circle, but of course it is not that easy.
Cassie
Cassie’s motto in this book: "I don’t get it."
Normally, I like Cassie, but now she is just dumb. The reader was already told in the previous books that she had been raised in a vampire court, therefore she knew a lot about vampire hierarchy, customs, and attitude. It can be reasonably assumed that she is still aware of them. But she behaves in this book as a newbie in the magical and supernatural community, having no clue about them. It’s weird and inconsistent.
She is also hysteric, careless, and reckless. She jumps into situations and fights without any plan or perspective.
She seemed to be so potent and skillful in the previous books, and I felt it evident that her skills would be shown now. But sadly she hasn’t developed neither in using her magic and power, nor in her social and political skills.
Fortunately, she is a very lucky girl, and despite the fact that the vast part of the magical community want to see her dead, there are also many she can rely on.
I also really felt for her as she was continuously accused unfairly. And what she had done at MAGIC, along with Pritkin and Caleb, was really heroic.
Mircea
Mircea is one of the fictional characters I totally fell in love with. Maybe I’m biased but I still like him. His character is consistent, and credible. He doesn’t take a 180 degree turn, change his opinion, views, strategy, and give up everything in general just because he is interested in a woman, and wants to impress her. He impresses her in other ways.
I love his emotional flashes that show his affection for Cassie.
Even so, I was surprised his reflexes had been good enough to catch me. He looked kind of shocked himself. Then he dragged me up, put a hand on either side of my face and kissed me full on the lips. From somewhere above, I heard Pritkin swear.
Pritkin
He is so cool! And dangerous at the same time. Not only because of his abilities, but because of his very being. I understand Cassie’s attraction to him, and they are really great together. I still don’t know if I want to see them end up with each other or not, and if so, what the solution will be for Pritkin’s hereditary problem. There must be a solution.
He is a real badass hero, and there is nothing I would change about him. I love his loyalty for Cassie, his sharp mind, his nonchalance, his incredible self-control, and his "stupid, stupid hair".
The Story
It is so unrealistic and unbelievable at times that I had to repeatedly remind myself that it is a fantasy book loaded with magic. And also with politics, corruption, revenge, rivalry, coup, treason, denigration, blackmail, and assassination attempts.
Interesting new characters appear, with special abilities, and the old ones surprise you as well in this regard. Special magical items are used, and new ghoulish beings make Cassie and Pritkin’s adventures more dangerous.
Mysteries reveal only to make things more mysterious. There is an almost apocalypse, and crazy, non-stop action. Lots of fighting, twists and turns, and of course humor. The sofa scene is hilarious, and Cassie’s body switch with Pritkin results many laugh-out-loud situations.
Clearly there are further possibilities for the future books, and I hope Cassie’s character will show a development soon.
My favorite quotes.
February 25, 2019
Entertaining.
I read the 4 first books of the series in a row. Then, I reread them in a row again so I had them fresh to read the 5th one. That means that I have them all scrambled in my mind right now which is why I can’t review each of them separately. This is more a general opinion of the combination of the 5.
This series have many elements that make it an entertaining and interesting read. It has compelling plots, action, miseries to solve, enemies, romantic tension, magic, friendship, humor, a strong female lead, deaths, attractive men, fantastic creatures, time travel, vampires, and much much more.
Nevertheless, I had a few problems with the books, which prevented me from giving them a higher rating:
To me these books have way too much action and the scenes are way too long. The books are a succession of action after action without rest, no pause to collect our thoughts. Due to this huge amount of action the information is dropped in the middle of it, which elongates the scenes. As a result, this can be a bit tiresome at times. With all that activity and turmoil, there is obviously no time for musings, there barely are any reflections; we only know what the characters are thinking because of what they do in each moment while affronting the situation in the middle of the action. I truly believe there is a serious need for more dialogue and thoughts communication here, it needs deepness.
The romance need to be explored further. There is just enough of it as well as enough sexual tension to keep you interested, but not enough to trap you. And after 5 books, it has become annoying to always be left wanting.
Mircea is your typical sexy vampire type. In fact, he is so stereotypical that there are exact copies of him on many other Urban Fantasy books. But I can’t fault the writer much for this since it seems to work every time for most female readers.
Despite my issues with the series, all and all, these books are ok, stimulating and intriguing . And, if I recall correctly, I liked the third one a bit more than the others.
I will continue reading this series.
I read the 4 first books of the series in a row. Then, I reread them in a row again so I had them fresh to read the 5th one. That means that I have them all scrambled in my mind right now which is why I can’t review each of them separately. This is more a general opinion of the combination of the 5.
This series have many elements that make it an entertaining and interesting read. It has compelling plots, action, miseries to solve, enemies, romantic tension, magic, friendship, humor, a strong female lead, deaths, attractive men, fantastic creatures, time travel, vampires, and much much more.
Nevertheless, I had a few problems with the books, which prevented me from giving them a higher rating:
To me these books have way too much action and the scenes are way too long. The books are a succession of action after action without rest, no pause to collect our thoughts. Due to this huge amount of action the information is dropped in the middle of it, which elongates the scenes. As a result, this can be a bit tiresome at times. With all that activity and turmoil, there is obviously no time for musings, there barely are any reflections; we only know what the characters are thinking because of what they do in each moment while affronting the situation in the middle of the action. I truly believe there is a serious need for more dialogue and thoughts communication here, it needs deepness.
The romance need to be explored further. There is just enough of it as well as enough sexual tension to keep you interested, but not enough to trap you. And after 5 books, it has become annoying to always be left wanting.
Mircea is your typical sexy vampire type. In fact, he is so stereotypical that there are exact copies of him on many other Urban Fantasy books. But I can’t fault the writer much for this since it seems to work every time for most female readers.
Despite my issues with the series, all and all, these books are ok, stimulating and intriguing . And, if I recall correctly, I liked the third one a bit more than the others.
I will continue reading this series.
June 7, 2011
Whew. As usual, what a ride!
This review is probably going to mostly be a response to a lot of the other reviews I have read of this book. I was surprised by the mediocre-to-poor response this book received. I loved it!
It seemed like most people's complaints fell into two categories: The break-neck pace, and Cassie's intelligence.
So to respond to issue 1, I have two points:
A. This is what the series is. It has always been this way. You're just figuring this out now? (See my roller coaster analogy in my review of book 3. This turned out to be a bit more literal in book 4.)
B. I think you may be taking this a little too seriously. I think these books are so cram packed full of action and adventure partly because Chance is such a skilled writer and can get away with it, and partly in parody of the genre. I'm pretty sure she's doing it on purpose, people. It's meant to be entertaining. You're meant to feel dizzy and exhausted at the end, and I think you're meant to laugh a little and say "Whoa, that was insane. And maybe a little ridiculous." It's part of the fun. It's meant to be just a little over the top.
C. Turns out I had a third point - there were actually about two pages (almost a full day for Cassie) where all she did was sleep, play poker and swim in the pool. This is actually more downtime than we've seen in the other three books combined.
As far as Cassie being "dumb as a box of hammers" as one reviewer put it: I don't really know how to respond to this, other than just to say that I disagree. I don't get that impression. I have read more than my share of TSTL heroines and I just don't think Cassie is one of them. She's leaps and bounds beyond Rachel Morgan in this area, if you ask me. I've never gotten the impression that Cassie was dumb. I actually like her a lot. I felt like she was a bit bland and one dimensional in book 1, but by book 2 she had become a very dynamic and interesting character. One of my favorites, in fact. She makes mistakes like anyone would, but I don't think she makes a disproportionate amount of stupid decisions. She's been thrust into a very overwhelming position with zero preparation or training. She has no idea what she's doing, and the people close to her (ahem, Mircea) won't tell her what's going on in order to protect her.
Another reviewer brought up the end of the book with the big "what's going on" reveal and used it as evidence of Cassie's dumbness that people had to explain this to her. Well, 1. This needed to be explained to the reader. I for one hadn't figured it out (I barely had time to try) and 2. It was hardly overexplained. Cassie understood immediately, and at the same time as Pritkin, I might add. He hadn't figured it out either. And it wasn't pages of people having to drill something into her head. It was just the big end-of-book reveal that every book has to have, and was done to exactly the right extent.
So basically - a great book in what's turning out to be a great series. Plenty of action, plenty of funny, a little bit of sexy. It's great.
If anyone would like to get into a Mircea vs. Pritkin debate with me, feel free to comment. This is an excellent love triangle, and one I'm hoping to see a resolution to soon! Or at least some kind of development that will provide some satisfaction. It doesn't have to be a concrete decision, just... something. Throw me a bone, Karen!
Re-read 6/6.
This review is probably going to mostly be a response to a lot of the other reviews I have read of this book. I was surprised by the mediocre-to-poor response this book received. I loved it!
It seemed like most people's complaints fell into two categories: The break-neck pace, and Cassie's intelligence.
So to respond to issue 1, I have two points:
A. This is what the series is. It has always been this way. You're just figuring this out now? (See my roller coaster analogy in my review of book 3. This turned out to be a bit more literal in book 4.)
B. I think you may be taking this a little too seriously. I think these books are so cram packed full of action and adventure partly because Chance is such a skilled writer and can get away with it, and partly in parody of the genre. I'm pretty sure she's doing it on purpose, people. It's meant to be entertaining. You're meant to feel dizzy and exhausted at the end, and I think you're meant to laugh a little and say "Whoa, that was insane. And maybe a little ridiculous." It's part of the fun. It's meant to be just a little over the top.
C. Turns out I had a third point - there were actually about two pages (almost a full day for Cassie) where all she did was sleep, play poker and swim in the pool. This is actually more downtime than we've seen in the other three books combined.
As far as Cassie being "dumb as a box of hammers" as one reviewer put it: I don't really know how to respond to this, other than just to say that I disagree. I don't get that impression. I have read more than my share of TSTL heroines and I just don't think Cassie is one of them. She's leaps and bounds beyond Rachel Morgan in this area, if you ask me. I've never gotten the impression that Cassie was dumb. I actually like her a lot. I felt like she was a bit bland and one dimensional in book 1, but by book 2 she had become a very dynamic and interesting character. One of my favorites, in fact. She makes mistakes like anyone would, but I don't think she makes a disproportionate amount of stupid decisions. She's been thrust into a very overwhelming position with zero preparation or training. She has no idea what she's doing, and the people close to her (ahem, Mircea) won't tell her what's going on in order to protect her.
Another reviewer brought up the end of the book with the big "what's going on" reveal and used it as evidence of Cassie's dumbness that people had to explain this to her. Well, 1. This needed to be explained to the reader. I for one hadn't figured it out (I barely had time to try) and 2. It was hardly overexplained. Cassie understood immediately, and at the same time as Pritkin, I might add. He hadn't figured it out either. And it wasn't pages of people having to drill something into her head. It was just the big end-of-book reveal that every book has to have, and was done to exactly the right extent.
So basically - a great book in what's turning out to be a great series. Plenty of action, plenty of funny, a little bit of sexy. It's great.
If anyone would like to get into a Mircea vs. Pritkin debate with me, feel free to comment. This is an excellent love triangle, and one I'm hoping to see a resolution to soon! Or at least some kind of development that will provide some satisfaction. It doesn't have to be a concrete decision, just... something. Throw me a bone, Karen!
Re-read 6/6.
September 15, 2018
I really wanted to love this series but four books in & Cassie is still shrieking (practically everything she says ends in exclamation points) & running around like a chicken without a head.
Four books in & there has been no character growth. No real new developments & each book is still chock-a-block full of major events in which the resolutions are soooo underwhelming in their simplicity, it's left me wondering if the author is purposely trying to paint her MC as an idiot b'c why did I even read the previous 400 pages ??
The author (Chance), wastes a TON of words. Too much for my liking. I don’t give a crap about dramatic, verbose scenery descriptions which are pure indulgences. I would MUCH rather have the best characters feature more (Mircea, Pritkin) & focus on some intelligent personal growth. How about some dialogue?
Most dialog is crammed in between action shots (and most are extraneous b’c they're so redundant) or at the VERY end of each book (like the last five pages).
Chance also has a habit of having big things happen to characters, who we know are still around but, they just seem to disappear (Tomas, Rafe etc.). Umm, I’d like to know what's been going on w/these guys a bit more & where the hell they've gone off to.
Chance to be a bit of a cock tease I guess as a way of drawing out sexual tension and it’s soooo tedious. How many times are we going to have Cassie allllmost have sex or close to it but then something dramatic happens to interrupt her? And even the few times you do get some down time & much needed closeness between characters, that also gets a dramatic interruption.
** SPOILER **
Also, Cassie doesn’t seem to process the fact that she essentially cheats on Mircea. She gets very sexual w/Pritkin a few times yet she's currently sleeping with Mircea (so cheating). It’s very bizarre. There's no processing of these events or their implications at all.
Sure it’s in the line of "duty" but ah...she is emotionally vacant. Afterward, it’s like it never happened.
Maybe it has to do with all the people trying to kill her every time she turns around so she can't really concentrate on the fact that she’s actually had oral sex with Pritkin? Yeah...maybe that’s it. If I was interrupted that many times, I suppose I'd ignore my frustrating sex life too.
Chance reminds me of Patty Briggs in this vein, she seems to try every trick in the book to avoid having to confront & therefore, write any sort of meaningful dialog between characters. It’s the curse of the emotionally stunted author, IMO.
Lastly, Chance seems to rip off many of Charlaine Harris’s concepts in the Sookie series. She just tweaked them to make them work in the context of this series and some of the dialogue is practically verbatim.
Overall, I felt after four books, I must be going back in time b’c I had an overwhelming sense of deja-vu.
It was extremely repetitive with lots of filler & no killer. Weak plot resolutions & an even weaker love triangle which has become lifeless already.
It’s a shame b’c the characters could be great, so could the series but usually by four books, the authors have hit their stride. Not this one.
Four books in & there has been no character growth. No real new developments & each book is still chock-a-block full of major events in which the resolutions are soooo underwhelming in their simplicity, it's left me wondering if the author is purposely trying to paint her MC as an idiot b'c why did I even read the previous 400 pages ??
The author (Chance), wastes a TON of words. Too much for my liking. I don’t give a crap about dramatic, verbose scenery descriptions which are pure indulgences. I would MUCH rather have the best characters feature more (Mircea, Pritkin) & focus on some intelligent personal growth. How about some dialogue?
Most dialog is crammed in between action shots (and most are extraneous b’c they're so redundant) or at the VERY end of each book (like the last five pages).
Chance also has a habit of having big things happen to characters, who we know are still around but, they just seem to disappear (Tomas, Rafe etc.). Umm, I’d like to know what's been going on w/these guys a bit more & where the hell they've gone off to.
Chance to be a bit of a cock tease I guess as a way of drawing out sexual tension and it’s soooo tedious. How many times are we going to have Cassie allllmost have sex or close to it but then something dramatic happens to interrupt her? And even the few times you do get some down time & much needed closeness between characters, that also gets a dramatic interruption.
** SPOILER **
Also, Cassie doesn’t seem to process the fact that she essentially cheats on Mircea. She gets very sexual w/Pritkin a few times yet she's currently sleeping with Mircea (so cheating). It’s very bizarre. There's no processing of these events or their implications at all.
Sure it’s in the line of "duty" but ah...she is emotionally vacant. Afterward, it’s like it never happened.
Maybe it has to do with all the people trying to kill her every time she turns around so she can't really concentrate on the fact that she’s actually had oral sex with Pritkin? Yeah...maybe that’s it. If I was interrupted that many times, I suppose I'd ignore my frustrating sex life too.
Chance reminds me of Patty Briggs in this vein, she seems to try every trick in the book to avoid having to confront & therefore, write any sort of meaningful dialog between characters. It’s the curse of the emotionally stunted author, IMO.
Lastly, Chance seems to rip off many of Charlaine Harris’s concepts in the Sookie series. She just tweaked them to make them work in the context of this series and some of the dialogue is practically verbatim.
Overall, I felt after four books, I must be going back in time b’c I had an overwhelming sense of deja-vu.
It was extremely repetitive with lots of filler & no killer. Weak plot resolutions & an even weaker love triangle which has become lifeless already.
It’s a shame b’c the characters could be great, so could the series but usually by four books, the authors have hit their stride. Not this one.
July 9, 2017
When something doesn't go right, take a break and try again. That's exactly what I did reading this book. Either I was in a ACOTAR hangover or I just needed something of a diferent nature, but for whatever reason Cassie didn't do it for me at first.
Then my dark heart had its fill with Take Me with You and everything was right with the world once again. Still, even though I like the series and the book was just fine, there's no exitement anymore. Me tinking I need a break from it.
Over and out
April 10, 2009
I dunno about this series. There are a LOT of fun moments, but sometimes Cassie acts too stupid to live. There are many times where she just acts dumb and bad things happen (I think getting your character in trouble is taken to the extreme just to get plot moving, as fun as the ride is)
And THEN ---->
SPOILER ALERT STOP READING IF YOU CARE!!!:
At the peak of the climax it literally takes 3 people to explain to her, for like 2 pages, how she caused everything to go wrong herself. Not only did she mess up a lot, but she totally DIDNT GET IT AFTER IT WAS EXPLAINED TO HER LIKE 3 TIMES BY THE BAD AND GOOD GUYS! I mean just catch UP already!
Also, there's a great love interest in this, Mircea, but this character is NEVER around him, and when they're around they say the same thing to each other over and over. He's controlling and overprotective, she doesn't like it. And there was a random love scene with another character that wasn't really built up to that well, so I was like WTF this is random.
I still gave it three stars because I do love the world and the secondary characters are a LOT of fun and there's great humor, so I dunno. If you like the genre this is definitely worth your look. I will stick by this author but grrr Cassie, get it together!
And THEN ---->
SPOILER ALERT STOP READING IF YOU CARE!!!:
At the peak of the climax it literally takes 3 people to explain to her, for like 2 pages, how she caused everything to go wrong herself. Not only did she mess up a lot, but she totally DIDNT GET IT AFTER IT WAS EXPLAINED TO HER LIKE 3 TIMES BY THE BAD AND GOOD GUYS! I mean just catch UP already!
Also, there's a great love interest in this, Mircea, but this character is NEVER around him, and when they're around they say the same thing to each other over and over. He's controlling and overprotective, she doesn't like it. And there was a random love scene with another character that wasn't really built up to that well, so I was like WTF this is random.
I still gave it three stars because I do love the world and the secondary characters are a LOT of fun and there's great humor, so I dunno. If you like the genre this is definitely worth your look. I will stick by this author but grrr Cassie, get it together!
February 15, 2024
Jo. Qué bien me lo estoy pasando con esta saga!. No sé si será tan bueno como me parece o es que coincide que me pilló muy bien el gusto.
Eso sí, la acción constante me deja agotada. Es como estar corriendo sin parar.
Y siempre termina sus novelas en medio de una acción, así que hasta en eso te deja sin aliento.
No da respiro. Es un no parar. Eso puede que resulte agotador para algunos lectores, creo yo, pero desde luego yo lo disfruto muchísimo, sobre todo al estar unido a una imaginación desbordante, que compensó los pocos saltos en el tiempo (aunque en el espacio sí que hubo) que se produjeron en relación a otros libros de la saga.
Lo de Apolo ya fue el no va más🤣
Pritkin se perfila como un personaje cada vez más carismático libro a libro.
Estoy muy intrigada... ¡Qué va a pasar ahora!¡Con lo raro que acabó todo!. (Autores de GL Bis)
Eso sí, la acción constante me deja agotada. Es como estar corriendo sin parar.
Y siempre termina sus novelas en medio de una acción, así que hasta en eso te deja sin aliento.
No da respiro. Es un no parar. Eso puede que resulte agotador para algunos lectores, creo yo, pero desde luego yo lo disfruto muchísimo, sobre todo al estar unido a una imaginación desbordante, que compensó los pocos saltos en el tiempo (aunque en el espacio sí que hubo) que se produjeron en relación a otros libros de la saga.
Lo de Apolo ya fue el no va más🤣
Pritkin se perfila como un personaje cada vez más carismático libro a libro.
Estoy muy intrigada... ¡Qué va a pasar ahora!¡Con lo raro que acabó todo!. (Autores de GL Bis)
June 10, 2011
Come check out the review @ Under the Covers
I think I need a lie down and a nice cup of tea! I have read the four Cassie Palmer books back to back and frankly I am exhausted just reading the damn things! Which, makes me extremely grateful that I am not Cassie, the world's cheif clairvoyant (if they would only listen to her!), who has to put up with a lot of crap, from over protective sort-of husbands to a vengeful god who wants to enslave mankind. It all seems a little over the top when you think about it, how can one 5'4" strawberry blonde keep getting herself out of such impossible situations with only a few scars and a massive headache to show for it, well I guess you will have to read the books and find out!
So this was a nother fast and furious week or so in Cassie Palmers life and it doesn't look that much different from the last month, attacked by war mages, check! A dozen near death experiences, check! Wreck Dantes, check! A few out of body experiences, check! Ratchet up the sexual tension between herself and Mircea and herself and Prirkin, double check! Like the other books this was pretty non-stop as Cassie tries to make her wau through the magical world and get others to ackonwledge she is Pythia whilst trying to stay from the vampire senates control.
What I liked about this book was that it told you more of the inner workings of the Silver Circle, which is the organization the mages are under, and it finally allows you to see a way that Cassie can make peace with them. As much as I do enjoy that action in this book, it is going to start bein pretty repeatative unless it gets shaken up a little. We also see more about Cassie's parents which I imagine will have a further role in future books.
Pritkin is an onion, he has many layers and each one makes your eyes water, in this we a little more of the man behind the crazy war mage, and WHAT A MAN! The bits between Cassie and Pritkin were some of my favourite in the book. Not that Mircea is a slouch, but although I like him he doesn't come off the page like Pritkin does.
So I am still trying to catch my breath after the last 4 books! But can't wait to dive in to Cassie's next adventure when I finally get my hands on the book!
Something really hilarious happens in this book, so to give you a clue, here is my favourite quote!
"What's the problem?"
"There's no toilet."
"This is an old house," Pritkin said, like that explained anything.
"And they didn't need to pee in the past?" I demanded.
He groaned and threw an arm over his face. "There's a WC down the hall."
"A what?" I asked, a little desparately.
"A water closet. It's in a separate room."
"Why? Why not put it in the-"
"Because a bathroom is where one goes to bathe, hence the name."
"That's bizzare."
"No, Miss Palmer," Pritkin said savagely. "It isn't. What is bizzare is that I currently have a vagina."
September 8, 2016
I've been reading these books back to back, so I don't really remember what happened exactly in this book, but I think I liked it more than the others, possibly. My biggest issue with these books is Cassie is inept at everything and TSTL, granted she does it because she's the only Pythia, but she still spends all the books blundering around. My biggest gripe is the effing love triangle. Do you know of my loathing of a love triangle? It's top tier on book devices that I hate. Pritkin should not ever be a love interest. He should stay in the friend zone. The author is complicating Cassie and Pritkin's relationship just to have something else to write about. These books are already wordy enough and could do with some editing, stop adding to that mess.
What I like about these books - lots of action and myth, plus there are always new characters and I enjoy the side characters. More Mircea, please.
What I like about these books - lots of action and myth, plus there are always new characters and I enjoy the side characters. More Mircea, please.
March 13, 2015
“Stalking a time traveler is hard work, even if you are one.” - Cassandra PalmerYou know what else is hard? Not freaking squeeing! That's right I'm gonna say it: Love triangle done freaking right! This is why I keep torturing myself with bad love triangle after bad love triangle. Because when done right, it's A-mazing. See other authors, it took 4 books to build this spectacular chemistry and FIRE! Bless, you Chance. Bless you. Best part is I love both of the men vying for dear Cassie's heart. Which is pretty darn funny because when I first started the series I actually disliked Pritkin a lot. Talk about character development. Totally-head-over-the-hills-character-development-turn-of-obsession-
All right. I'll stop.
Man Curse the Dawn steps it up to a new level! While there is a moment—OK, many—where I found myself wondering why Cassie would not try to develop her natural gifts on her own. You know you're in a magical world where you're the underdog, use what you've got. The beginning of the book starts off bumpy with Cassie trying to get the previous Pythia to help her out. Or the past version of the old Pythia. Even I could have told her that that is a no-no. While it was cool seeing the two characters together, it felt like a huge waste to the story. Yes, I had fun. But it was one of the first times I felt like Chance was just doing too much when she needed to stick to the point, kind of like with the first book. Adrenaline boredom is a thing, and Chance can create it.
Other then that, this book was pure perfection for me. Ah! The way the time travel ties in may not be as flashy, but it's still at the top of it's game. Cassie is very much on her own, even as she tries to accept people into her life. This is the struggling point. Where she tries to show she is the right person for the job, and not get pushed over. Even though she's pretty much flat out says she doesn't want the responsibility of the office. She's not perfect and that's what I love about a good lead. They're always growing even if they don't want to.
My brain matter can't catch a break. I'm not even going to try and put it back in my skull. Too much boom-ka-boom. Pritkin and Mircea are perfection. There hasn't been a sexier vampire since Anita Blake's Jean-Claude. Nope. Mircea is hotter. And a bit more suave. Pritkin has to be the hottest and most beloved male character that I've gone from loathing to loving. Go Chance!
Now I can't go to in depth on the plot for fear of spoilers. But the death of a god—no I'm not saying which one—was so impressive in its grand simplicity. It always amazes me when Chance simply solves something when everything seems so out of control and unsolvable. That's the beauty of this series. The scale of it is insane, but impressive. So with a impressive mix of character development and insane characters the Cassandra Palmer series cements itself as one of my favorite series. Oh, and another solid entry into the series.
Sexual Content: Oooooo, the tension. *fans self* (Again, this is very much for adults.)
4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.
Originally posted at Book Whispers.
September 12, 2015
Without a doubt, this has the best book yet in the Cassie Palmer series. It had all the great characters, action and smexy goodness of the previous books, without any head-scratching time travel conundrums.
Two main things are happening here: 1. The mages are redoubling their efforts to get their hands on Cassie; and 2. Something has destroyed a ley line and the MAGIC center where the North American Vampires had their stronghold.
The mage attacks throw Cassie and Pritkin even closer together than ever. And let me just say how much I love Pritkin. His interactions with Cassie absolutely make these books shine for me. Together, they face one disaster after another. Some threats are physical, while others are emotional... like Cassie's discovery of her father's dark past.
It's amazing to me how the author manages to sustain the Cassie/Pritkin dynamic, while Mircea stays very much in the game. There is a wealth of chemistry between him and Cassie, as well. Yet, even through her eyes, he remains mysterious; his motives, unclear. It goes a long way towards keeping their relationship fresh and sexy. And even though I have landed squarely in the Pritkin camp, I still enjoy Cassie's scenes with her vampire-beau.
The secondary characters continue to shine as well. I have formed quite an attachment to Rafe and Francoise. And even Marco, Sal, and Nicu managed to make an impression. There's a huge cast of characters, but the books have progressed to a point where I feel like I "know" them all and have a vested interest in their futures.
And I can't ignore the fact that this book has some really, really great one liners. I laughed out loud more than once. --And it has some really, really hot loving. Can't wait to see what happens next. 4 1/2 stars.
Two main things are happening here: 1. The mages are redoubling their efforts to get their hands on Cassie; and 2. Something has destroyed a ley line and the MAGIC center where the North American Vampires had their stronghold.
The mage attacks throw Cassie and Pritkin even closer together than ever. And let me just say how much I love Pritkin. His interactions with Cassie absolutely make these books shine for me. Together, they face one disaster after another. Some threats are physical, while others are emotional... like Cassie's discovery of her father's dark past.
It's amazing to me how the author manages to sustain the Cassie/Pritkin dynamic, while Mircea stays very much in the game. There is a wealth of chemistry between him and Cassie, as well. Yet, even through her eyes, he remains mysterious; his motives, unclear. It goes a long way towards keeping their relationship fresh and sexy. And even though I have landed squarely in the Pritkin camp, I still enjoy Cassie's scenes with her vampire-beau.
The secondary characters continue to shine as well. I have formed quite an attachment to Rafe and Francoise. And even Marco, Sal, and Nicu managed to make an impression. There's a huge cast of characters, but the books have progressed to a point where I feel like I "know" them all and have a vested interest in their futures.
And I can't ignore the fact that this book has some really, really great one liners. I laughed out loud more than once. --And it has some really, really hot loving. Can't wait to see what happens next. 4 1/2 stars.
May 7, 2013
No words. Just pictures.
One of the amazing quotes from the book:
“Sorry. It’s just—there’s a problem with the bathroom.”
“What problem?”
“There’s no toilet.”
“This is an old house,” Pritkin said, like that explained anything.
“And they didn’t need to pee in the past?” I demanded.
He groaned and threw an arm over his face. “There’s a WC down the hall.”
“A what?” I asked, a little desperately.
“A water closet. It’s in a separate room.”
“Why? Why not put it in the—”
“Because a bathroom is where one goes to bathe, hence the name.”
“That’s bizarre.”
“No, Miss Palmer,” Pritkin said savagely. “It isn’t. What is bizarre is that I currently have a vagina.”
Me while reading the book
Me after finishing the book
One of the amazing quotes from the book:
“Sorry. It’s just—there’s a problem with the bathroom.”
“What problem?”
“There’s no toilet.”
“This is an old house,” Pritkin said, like that explained anything.
“And they didn’t need to pee in the past?” I demanded.
He groaned and threw an arm over his face. “There’s a WC down the hall.”
“A what?” I asked, a little desperately.
“A water closet. It’s in a separate room.”
“Why? Why not put it in the—”
“Because a bathroom is where one goes to bathe, hence the name.”
“That’s bizarre.”
“No, Miss Palmer,” Pritkin said savagely. “It isn’t. What is bizarre is that I currently have a vagina.”
Me while reading the book
Me after finishing the book
March 3, 2024
Cassie's emotionally stronger in this one, and I am finally about to reach the point in this series that I stopped reading over a decade ago. I have been waiting for the PRitkn stuff to come.
It's crazy that during this entire re-read, it was Pritkin I kept wanting to see and didn't miss Mircea at all!
So many new subplots are opened in this one with a lot of new information to grow the base storyline along.
More witches, more mages, more ghosts. Cars in Leylines, Daddy Issues, Dark Mages, Drag Queens, Doing it for the Children! What fun!
5 Stars.
It's crazy that during this entire re-read, it was Pritkin I kept wanting to see and didn't miss Mircea at all!
So many new subplots are opened in this one with a lot of new information to grow the base storyline along.
More witches, more mages, more ghosts. Cars in Leylines, Daddy Issues, Dark Mages, Drag Queens, Doing it for the Children! What fun!
5 Stars.
July 12, 2017
When I read the first book in the Cassie Palmer series, Touch the Dark, I wasn’t too impressed. I enjoyed the plot, the storyline, the action, but it was very much a first book in a series; some things needed to be explained to the reader that Cassie already knew about, which disrupted the story line for several pages at a time, and left me confused. However, I was urged to continue with the series, assured that the series will definitely get better, and so on the assurance of those people, I picked up the next book. And the next. And then this one. Thanks to their encouragement, this series has become one of my favourite urban fantasy series, and Curse the Dawn doesn’t disappoint. Seriously amazing!
If you’ve read previous books in the Cassie Palmer series, you’ll know how busy and action packed they are. Amusing as it sounds, the blurb above barely just scratches the surface of what actually happens in this novel. There are some absolutely hilarious scenes in this book because of the body swap situation, and because of all people, it involves Pritkin, but this book is not all laughter. If you thought things had gotten serious in the other books, just you wait until you read Curse the Dawn!
Karen Chance never fails to blow me away with how many things can go wrong for Cassie in just one book. If someone was to describe the books to me before I had read them as one dangerous action packed problem followed by yet another dangerous action packed problem, and so on, I don’t think I would have picked them up. I’m generally not a fan of books where so much is going on, they get far too busy, and so very confusing. This is not a problem with these novels; Chance is just incredible at making sure every single detail is important, with things like a tiny little detail from a problem earlier on in the book having a huge impact on something else later in the book. These problems are all connected, and flow seamlessly, and create one amazing story!
As I said, things get pretty damn serious in this book. The lives of several characters we’ve come to love are in serious danger, and Cassie is at her wits end trying to make sure that everyone is safe, do her job without any training, and try to work out what a serious of disturbing visions mean, all at the same time. This book is not just the humorous adrenalin rush this series normally is, it’s an emotional rollercoaster when you have no idea how things are going to turn out, and are certain some people will not get out of it alive. I was close to tears at one point, and several times while reading this book, I was sure it was going to be the end of the series; I couldn’t see how there could possibly be a way for there to be a happy ending. And no, I’m not going to tell you if there was or not.
Let’s talk characters; Cassie, Mircea, and Pritkin are all back, and how much I love them! Cassie’s narration, with her sense of humour, is always a joy to read, especially when she manages to make some bad situations something to smile over. Mircea is as charming as ever, and Pritkin is as angry as ever, but I wouldn’t have them any other way. There has always been a slight hint of a love triangle possibly raising its head, and after reading this book, if there aren’t any big love triangle issues in the next book, I’ll be gobsmacked. Personally, I’ll be rooting for good ol’ Pritkin. You’ve got to love that guy, even if he does have anger management issues. He does have a softer side, and softer it shines through in this book. We meet several new characters in this book as well, but I have to mention Jonas Marsden, the ex chief of the Silver Circle. He’s a complete nutter, but he’s just awesome! He puts me a lot in the mind of Myrnin from Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series. Marsden is cause for a fair few smiles throughout this novel!
I absolutely love this series, and, perhaps because this book was so emotionally, but I felt really quite sad when I reached the last page. I can’t wait to read the fifth book in the series, which is due to be released spring/summer 2010! I’ve caught up at last!
If you’ve read previous books in the Cassie Palmer series, you’ll know how busy and action packed they are. Amusing as it sounds, the blurb above barely just scratches the surface of what actually happens in this novel. There are some absolutely hilarious scenes in this book because of the body swap situation, and because of all people, it involves Pritkin, but this book is not all laughter. If you thought things had gotten serious in the other books, just you wait until you read Curse the Dawn!
Karen Chance never fails to blow me away with how many things can go wrong for Cassie in just one book. If someone was to describe the books to me before I had read them as one dangerous action packed problem followed by yet another dangerous action packed problem, and so on, I don’t think I would have picked them up. I’m generally not a fan of books where so much is going on, they get far too busy, and so very confusing. This is not a problem with these novels; Chance is just incredible at making sure every single detail is important, with things like a tiny little detail from a problem earlier on in the book having a huge impact on something else later in the book. These problems are all connected, and flow seamlessly, and create one amazing story!
As I said, things get pretty damn serious in this book. The lives of several characters we’ve come to love are in serious danger, and Cassie is at her wits end trying to make sure that everyone is safe, do her job without any training, and try to work out what a serious of disturbing visions mean, all at the same time. This book is not just the humorous adrenalin rush this series normally is, it’s an emotional rollercoaster when you have no idea how things are going to turn out, and are certain some people will not get out of it alive. I was close to tears at one point, and several times while reading this book, I was sure it was going to be the end of the series; I couldn’t see how there could possibly be a way for there to be a happy ending. And no, I’m not going to tell you if there was or not.
Let’s talk characters; Cassie, Mircea, and Pritkin are all back, and how much I love them! Cassie’s narration, with her sense of humour, is always a joy to read, especially when she manages to make some bad situations something to smile over. Mircea is as charming as ever, and Pritkin is as angry as ever, but I wouldn’t have them any other way. There has always been a slight hint of a love triangle possibly raising its head, and after reading this book, if there aren’t any big love triangle issues in the next book, I’ll be gobsmacked. Personally, I’ll be rooting for good ol’ Pritkin. You’ve got to love that guy, even if he does have anger management issues. He does have a softer side, and softer it shines through in this book. We meet several new characters in this book as well, but I have to mention Jonas Marsden, the ex chief of the Silver Circle. He’s a complete nutter, but he’s just awesome! He puts me a lot in the mind of Myrnin from Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series. Marsden is cause for a fair few smiles throughout this novel!
I absolutely love this series, and, perhaps because this book was so emotionally, but I felt really quite sad when I reached the last page. I can’t wait to read the fifth book in the series, which is due to be released spring/summer 2010! I’ve caught up at last!
May 24, 2011
I had forgotten how good this was! It's non-stop action all the way through.
The story is loaded with car chases, explosions, angry mages, hungry demons, drag queen divas, and intimate moments with one very sexy vampire. Also, Cassie and Pritkin's "mishap" had me laughing out loud for several pages.
I'm curious to see what happens with Cassie's relationships. I love how good Mircea is to her, but everything is more exciting when Pritkin is around. I can't wait to read "Hunt the Moon".
"He painted me with his breath, alternating between sketching patterns with soft exhalations and tracing them with the very tip of his tongue."
The story is loaded with car chases, explosions, angry mages, hungry demons, drag queen divas, and intimate moments with one very sexy vampire. Also, Cassie and Pritkin's "mishap" had me laughing out loud for several pages.
I'm curious to see what happens with Cassie's relationships. I love how good Mircea is to her, but everything is more exciting when Pritkin is around. I can't wait to read "Hunt the Moon".
"He painted me with his breath, alternating between sketching patterns with soft exhalations and tracing them with the very tip of his tongue."
December 29, 2011
The Good
I am actually smiling as I write this review. From the first few sentences of Curse the Dawn, I knew this was going to be a good book. I usually don't do this but I have to share the beginning of chapter one with you:
Stalking a time traveler is hard work, even if you are one. Especially when said traveler totally had you made. "Can we talk?" I screamed as I dodged behind a column to avoid a spray of bullets.
The women hunting me through the cellar slung her flashlight beam in my direction. "Sure," she said amiably. "Hold still for a second."
Yeah, right.
This is why I love Chance's books so much. She knows how to grab a reader's attention from the get-go. The action was super intense from beginning to end, and I found it hard to physically put down the book.
As always, we have Cassie. The adorable heroine who kicks ass and takes names. She may be new to this whole powerhouse Pythia thing, but she doesn't take crap from no one. Mircea is as sexy as ever. Though his constant arrogance may be astounding, you can't help but like him. And our hilarious Prikin is there as well. Powerful war-mag, sexy in his own right, and secretly in love with Cassie (I hope). I am happy to see way more Pritkin in this book. He is by far one of the most interesting characters I know. His and Cassie's interactions make this book.
I could barely stop laughing half the time because Chance knows how to write a great dialogue. Each character has their own sense of humor that can keep me entertained for hours.
The Bad
Sometimes Cassie's constant complaining can be annoying. The non-stop action is fun and all but it may have been just a smidge too much. I need to breath every once and a while. I would have liked to seen a little more character development instead of so much action.
The Snuggly
We get a sex scene and some nice foreplay as well. Nothing overdone.
Overall
I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to other urban fantasy and paranormal romance lovers. It was fast-paced. Had a whole bunch of Pirtkin. It kept me entertained.
http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....
I am actually smiling as I write this review. From the first few sentences of Curse the Dawn, I knew this was going to be a good book. I usually don't do this but I have to share the beginning of chapter one with you:
Stalking a time traveler is hard work, even if you are one. Especially when said traveler totally had you made. "Can we talk?" I screamed as I dodged behind a column to avoid a spray of bullets.
The women hunting me through the cellar slung her flashlight beam in my direction. "Sure," she said amiably. "Hold still for a second."
Yeah, right.
This is why I love Chance's books so much. She knows how to grab a reader's attention from the get-go. The action was super intense from beginning to end, and I found it hard to physically put down the book.
As always, we have Cassie. The adorable heroine who kicks ass and takes names. She may be new to this whole powerhouse Pythia thing, but she doesn't take crap from no one. Mircea is as sexy as ever. Though his constant arrogance may be astounding, you can't help but like him. And our hilarious Prikin is there as well. Powerful war-mag, sexy in his own right, and secretly in love with Cassie (I hope). I am happy to see way more Pritkin in this book. He is by far one of the most interesting characters I know. His and Cassie's interactions make this book.
I could barely stop laughing half the time because Chance knows how to write a great dialogue. Each character has their own sense of humor that can keep me entertained for hours.
The Bad
Sometimes Cassie's constant complaining can be annoying. The non-stop action is fun and all but it may have been just a smidge too much. I need to breath every once and a while. I would have liked to seen a little more character development instead of so much action.
The Snuggly
We get a sex scene and some nice foreplay as well. Nothing overdone.
Overall
I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to other urban fantasy and paranormal romance lovers. It was fast-paced. Had a whole bunch of Pirtkin. It kept me entertained.
http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....
December 10, 2009
Thoroughly enjoyable, can't wait till the next one!
The fourth book in the Cassie Palmer series was well worth the wait. It had lots of action punctuated by periods in which Cassie could actually think. I found my mind wandering a little during these slow scenes but they were important to the story and to getting to know Cassie a little more.
I liked how the events in this book are concurrent with the ones in Midnight's Daughter... no wonder Mircea is so tired. I wonder if Cassie and Dorie will meet in the next book?
The fourth book in the Cassie Palmer series was well worth the wait. It had lots of action punctuated by periods in which Cassie could actually think. I found my mind wandering a little during these slow scenes but they were important to the story and to getting to know Cassie a little more.
I liked how the events in this book are concurrent with the ones in Midnight's Daughter... no wonder Mircea is so tired. I wonder if Cassie and Dorie will meet in the next book?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2009
Why can't Mircea be in the whole book? Seriously, there is too much inane action going on. Could care less.
July 13, 2015
Best one in the series so far :)
June 9, 2009
I like this series. I really do. But I really, really wish that the plots in each separate book would have a better, more polished structure. The plot in this book, much like the other three in the series, rushes headlong from the first page until the last with very little in the way of downtime. You’ve got to give your reader breaks! They need to relax for a minute and assimilate everything that you’ve thrown at them. This book was pretty exciting, but at the same time, I needed more tension breakers. Chance leaps from fight scene to fight scene, to the point where I was wondering how the hell Cassie hadn’t collapsed of exhaustion. There are references to her being wiped out and hungry, which is a good acknowledgment of the overly-fast pace, but still. Every book is like this. The plot needs to be paced out better.
I’m also getting frustrated with Cassie’s complete and utter lack of common sense or self-preservation. I know, I know, the plot wouldn’t do anywhere if she didn’t do stupid shit all the time, but for heaven’s sake. I’d like for her to show a little bit more intelligence than she does. She leaps right into stupid situations so often that I want to slap her.
And this book needed more Mircea. I keep hanging on for more of him, but he always seems to make brief appearances and then skitter off into the background. More Mircea! And a better plot structure!
I’m also getting frustrated with Cassie’s complete and utter lack of common sense or self-preservation. I know, I know, the plot wouldn’t do anywhere if she didn’t do stupid shit all the time, but for heaven’s sake. I’d like for her to show a little bit more intelligence than she does. She leaps right into stupid situations so often that I want to slap her.
And this book needed more Mircea. I keep hanging on for more of him, but he always seems to make brief appearances and then skitter off into the background. More Mircea! And a better plot structure!
August 4, 2009
Cassie Palmer: TSTL. Within the first few chapters I was groaning aloud and and telling her to "Stop already and just listen to what other people are telling you!" But no, she just blunders on her merry way, causing mayhem as she goes.
That said, it's still four stars from me. Why? Because as infuriating as Cassie can be, this book is still fun, fun, fun all the way! I love the breakneck pace, Pritkin, the supporting characters, Pritkin, the vampire politics, screaming dresses, and er... Pritkin.
So, while I constantly feel the need to slap sense into Cassie as I'm reading about her exploits, I know I'm going to feel that way and just see it as part of emotional rollercoaster that this series subjects me to.
Also? Pritkin.
That said, it's still four stars from me. Why? Because as infuriating as Cassie can be, this book is still fun, fun, fun all the way! I love the breakneck pace, Pritkin, the supporting characters, Pritkin, the vampire politics, screaming dresses, and er... Pritkin.
So, while I constantly feel the need to slap sense into Cassie as I'm reading about her exploits, I know I'm going to feel that way and just see it as part of emotional rollercoaster that this series subjects me to.
Also? Pritkin.
September 17, 2012
The first three books of the series were ok, but left me conflicted if I really liked the story. This fourth installment was really wacked, I had a lot of fun. The battles and the plot in general were so far out there, it was surreal. Lots of action, battles, crazy magic, very entertaining.
Now I just wish the characters were more captivating. I am starting to warm up to Cassie and Pritkin, but Mircea is still pretty one-dimensional. All other charactes pop up so rarely, that there is barely any development at all.
Now I just wish the characters were more captivating. I am starting to warm up to Cassie and Pritkin, but Mircea is still pretty one-dimensional. All other charactes pop up so rarely, that there is barely any development at all.
December 18, 2015
i loved this book, i thought it was fabulously funny. it was great to get to know pritkin better and for his and cassie relationship to become more closer. billy the ghost was just as funny as always. and the end was a splendid finish to the book, i cant wait till i get my hands onto the next book in cassie palmer's series
July 24, 2024
Most of the book was an overwhelming amount of problems and chase scenes. Normally, I enjoy that in a book but Cassie is not a trigger happy heroine. Therefore today’s problems to live to add to tomorrow’s troubles.
I would have given this three stars but the body swap was hilarious and the ending was excellent!
I would have given this three stars but the body swap was hilarious and the ending was excellent!
August 14, 2017
So this book was WAY better then the last one IMO. I was enthralled from beginning to end. It was wonderful! Pacing was amazing. I love how much you get to watch Pritkin and Cassie interact one on one. (Fyi, I totally ship them. Just saying. Don't start with the whole Mircea thing with me. P & C could totally be a thing!) Oh, good luck trying to stifle your laughter while reading this! This has some amazingly funny parts!
This wonderful book starts with Cassie tracking down the previous Pythia by going back in time for the sole purpose of convincing her that she needs help with her new powers. LOL! If any of you remember Agnes you'll understand why this was hilarious. After Agnes gives her some not so helpful advice Cassie is thrown back into her own crazy life trying to figure it all out herself. So she's back to trying to stay away from the Circle, who wants her dead, Apollo, who wants her dead, Rosier, who wants her dead... starting to see the pattern here? I'm pretty sure Pritkin is thinking along those lines sometimes as well. Anyways, as we delve deeper into the series so much gets revealed! (don't worry no spoilers!!!) So join Cassie as she fights for her claim as Pythia and discovers some deeper magic.
This wonderful book starts with Cassie tracking down the previous Pythia by going back in time for the sole purpose of convincing her that she needs help with her new powers. LOL! If any of you remember Agnes you'll understand why this was hilarious. After Agnes gives her some not so helpful advice Cassie is thrown back into her own crazy life trying to figure it all out herself. So she's back to trying to stay away from the Circle, who wants her dead, Apollo, who wants her dead, Rosier, who wants her dead... starting to see the pattern here? I'm pretty sure Pritkin is thinking along those lines sometimes as well. Anyways, as we delve deeper into the series so much gets revealed! (don't worry no spoilers!!!) So join Cassie as she fights for her claim as Pythia and discovers some deeper magic.
January 12, 2011
A large part of this novel is nonstop action. Everyone is out to kill Cassie, all of the time. The poor girl never gets a break! When she is not running from enemies, she is complaining about not having a teacher to help her with her powers. I'd really like to find out more about the black circle, Pritkin, and Mircea, and hear less from Cassie. I'm not a fan of main characters that complain about the situation they are in. Make the best of it please. Also, constant action with no purpose does not make a novel to me. One or two dangerous situations, sure, add some plot progression in between, great. Page after page of action with no break for any type of plot from page 1 to 245? No thanks. This novel was a big disappointment for me, and I loved all of the other novels in this series so far. I loved finding out more about Pritkin's past, about Cassie and her pet ghost, and about Cassie becoming Pythia. I'm not a fan of this installment, however. Hopefully we get some plot progression in the future, I can only take so much of everyone being out to get the main character all of the time.
May 18, 2019
Edited on reread:
I think this one might be my new favorite in the series. There is a ton of action and you get to see some more of Mircea and a whole new side of Pritkin revealed. Dangerous happenings are occurring
and Cassie is dealing with figuring out her powers and letting her visions come to her.
Cassie attempts to meet the Lord Protector of the Silver Circle to call a truce, only a truce isn't what they want.... it's her head. Cassie struggles to fight the Silver Circle knowing that any damage that occurs would further her true opponent, Apollo's plan to destroy all the mages.
Cassie flexes her power a little in this book and shows that despite her lack of training she is capable Pythia.
I think this one might be my new favorite in the series. There is a ton of action and you get to see some more of Mircea and a whole new side of Pritkin revealed. Dangerous happenings are occurring
and Cassie is dealing with figuring out her powers and letting her visions come to her.
Cassie attempts to meet the Lord Protector of the Silver Circle to call a truce, only a truce isn't what they want.... it's her head. Cassie struggles to fight the Silver Circle knowing that any damage that occurs would further her true opponent, Apollo's plan to destroy all the mages.
Cassie flexes her power a little in this book and shows that despite her lack of training she is capable Pythia.
May 25, 2019
One of my favorite books of the Cassie Palmer series. It has some of the funniest scenes in the series. The book also deals with one of the major early series plot points. It actually ties up the previous three books quite nicely while setting up plot for the next story arc. We find out more about Cassie's background in this book, but much is still left unknown. Pritkin also goes through some rather interesting character development here. Fun new reoccurring characters are introduced in this book and we get to visit with some previous side characters as well. Solid book all around.
June 30, 2020
Maljka - per RFS
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Finalmente un libro degno del primo volume di questa serie! In questo racconto ritrovo la scrittrice che mi ha fatto innamorare di Cassandra Palmer amore che, purtroppo, è stato messo a dura prova con il secondo e terzo capitolo della serie.
Cass è ormai la veggente più potente del mondo, la Pitia, ma nessuno le ha mai spiegato ancora bene come funzioni questo suo potere, né le responsabilità che esso derivano.
Si trova quindi costretta a tornare nel passato per chiedere ad Agnes, la precedente Pitia, di addestrarla. Ritornando al presente, scopre che il Cerchio d’Argento ha deciso di toglierla di mezzo al fine di sostituirla con una Pitia più docile e meno indipendente, mettendole alle costole orde di magi guerrieri. Con l’aiuto del socio John Pritkin, un magio guerriero rinnegato dal Cerchio, Cassie cercherà di depistare i propri inseguitori nascondendosi prima in un vecchio e polveroso saloon, poi in un cottage nella vecchia Inghilterra e infine percorrendo alla velocità della luce le linee di forza che circondano il globo terreste.
Le visioni di una distruzione imminente che assalgono Cassie, tanto tremende quanto indecifrabili, hanno forse a che fare con il ritorno sulla terra del dio Apollo?
La distruzione della magic è alquanto sospetta, senza contare lo squarcio della linea di forza di Chaco Canyon, a memoria d’uomo (o meglio, di magio), niente del genere è mai capitato prima. Quale è la connessione tra Cass e questa falla temporale? Qualcosa mi dice che le vicende dei precedenti volumi hanno un qualche legame…
Anche la sua connessione con Mircea è fonte di problemi. Quest’ultimo è nato nel XV secolo in una nobile famiglia romena, in un’epoca in cui una donna è considerata al pari di un oggetto da esibire, meno importante anche di un cavallo.
Lui è un vampiro davvero potente la cui parola è considerata come legge e con parecchi guerrieri e servitori al seguito. Ma non per Cass.
I protagonisti hanno un carattere ancor più predominante rispetto ai precedenti volumi, molti dubbi riguardanti il passato vengono svelati e anche il triangolo amoroso Mircea- Cass-magio, appena accennato nei capitoli precedenti, trova nuovi risvolti (sebbene l’autrice non si è ancora completamente sbilanciata). Dovrebbe essere l’ultimo capitolo della serie ma, poichè molti fatti restano ancora senza risposta, ritengo sia lecito pensare che ci sia ancora in giro qualche libro non tradotto.
Tutti coloro che hanno seguito questa coraggiosa viaggiatrice nel tempo hanno imparato ad amarla, con i suoi pregi e difetti (soprattutto questi ultimi). Perché Cass è un mix di testardaggine, arguzia, carattere e determinazione.
“La maledizione delle tenebre” è un romanzo ricchissimo di azione e colpi di scena che mi sento di consigliare. Non abbiate paura se a volte la narrazione risulta “pesante”, alcuni volumi della serie sono più prolissi di altri purtroppo, ma si riprendono in un batter d’occhio, non facendovi mai pentire della scelta fatta.
Buona lettura!
.
Finalmente un libro degno del primo volume di questa serie! In questo racconto ritrovo la scrittrice che mi ha fatto innamorare di Cassandra Palmer amore che, purtroppo, è stato messo a dura prova con il secondo e terzo capitolo della serie.
Cass è ormai la veggente più potente del mondo, la Pitia, ma nessuno le ha mai spiegato ancora bene come funzioni questo suo potere, né le responsabilità che esso derivano.
Si trova quindi costretta a tornare nel passato per chiedere ad Agnes, la precedente Pitia, di addestrarla. Ritornando al presente, scopre che il Cerchio d’Argento ha deciso di toglierla di mezzo al fine di sostituirla con una Pitia più docile e meno indipendente, mettendole alle costole orde di magi guerrieri. Con l’aiuto del socio John Pritkin, un magio guerriero rinnegato dal Cerchio, Cassie cercherà di depistare i propri inseguitori nascondendosi prima in un vecchio e polveroso saloon, poi in un cottage nella vecchia Inghilterra e infine percorrendo alla velocità della luce le linee di forza che circondano il globo terreste.
Le visioni di una distruzione imminente che assalgono Cassie, tanto tremende quanto indecifrabili, hanno forse a che fare con il ritorno sulla terra del dio Apollo?
La distruzione della magic è alquanto sospetta, senza contare lo squarcio della linea di forza di Chaco Canyon, a memoria d’uomo (o meglio, di magio), niente del genere è mai capitato prima. Quale è la connessione tra Cass e questa falla temporale? Qualcosa mi dice che le vicende dei precedenti volumi hanno un qualche legame…
Anche la sua connessione con Mircea è fonte di problemi. Quest’ultimo è nato nel XV secolo in una nobile famiglia romena, in un’epoca in cui una donna è considerata al pari di un oggetto da esibire, meno importante anche di un cavallo.
Lui è un vampiro davvero potente la cui parola è considerata come legge e con parecchi guerrieri e servitori al seguito. Ma non per Cass.
I protagonisti hanno un carattere ancor più predominante rispetto ai precedenti volumi, molti dubbi riguardanti il passato vengono svelati e anche il triangolo amoroso Mircea- Cass-magio, appena accennato nei capitoli precedenti, trova nuovi risvolti (sebbene l’autrice non si è ancora completamente sbilanciata). Dovrebbe essere l’ultimo capitolo della serie ma, poichè molti fatti restano ancora senza risposta, ritengo sia lecito pensare che ci sia ancora in giro qualche libro non tradotto.
Tutti coloro che hanno seguito questa coraggiosa viaggiatrice nel tempo hanno imparato ad amarla, con i suoi pregi e difetti (soprattutto questi ultimi). Perché Cass è un mix di testardaggine, arguzia, carattere e determinazione.
“La maledizione delle tenebre” è un romanzo ricchissimo di azione e colpi di scena che mi sento di consigliare. Non abbiate paura se a volte la narrazione risulta “pesante”, alcuni volumi della serie sono più prolissi di altri purtroppo, ma si riprendono in un batter d’occhio, non facendovi mai pentire della scelta fatta.
Buona lettura!
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