Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab Book 1)

Midnight's Daughter begins Clair, Dorina's roommate missing. Claire who is a magical null and the only person who's ever been able to keep Dory calm for any length of time. Many rumours are flying and Dory is getting desperate. Her father, Mircea, shows up wanting unexpectedly needing her help. Her Uncle Dracula is free from his prison, and Mircea wants Dory to help recapture him. If she does, he'll help her get Claire back. Mircea assigns Dorina a partner, a vampire named Louis-Cesare, and sparks fly in more ways than one.

Dory is strong and resourceful heroine who knows how to handle herself when the going gets impossible. She gives as good as she gets and refuses to die. Yet beneath that tough exterior lies someone vulnerable who has had more than her fair share of pain and loss.

Midnight's Daughter is a brilliant start to a new series and contains all the elements needed for a great urban fantasy. It is fast-paced and action-filled.

Louis-Cesare is my favorite vampire from the Cassandra Palmer series and I was over joyed to find the author was doing an off shoot series with him as one of the main characters. The storyline is good one, but I'd recommend reading the short stories before diving into this so you can get an idea of what's really going on, especially with Claire.

The introduction of new characters and old was nice and the pace was easy to follow and really didn't feel like the 100mph dash through the woods, (even if it was a bit quick) like it did with the Cassandra Palmer series. It was a nice change of pace (haha) from Cassandra to Dorina and her unhinged personality. She feels a lot more real to me than Cassandra which is a bit sad and strange, but it's nice to see a heroine who kicks butt, gets hurt, but keeps on going all while not freaking out.

This is a series I plan on following til the end.

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

I was totally confused at the beginning of this book. It had been awhile since I read any of the Cassie Palmer series and I didn't read any of the short versions of this that I now see some of the reviewers mention. I disagree with the reviewers who say you can read this book without reading the others because of this. I kept rereading the back cover and the reviews on the inside over to get clues about this book. I would recognize names but couldn't understand why I did not recognize this character. Augh! It was very frustrating. About 1/4 of the way in I finally started to get comfortable.

Those who need to know...Dorina is the daughter of Mircea from the Cassie series, but she was never mentioned before in the Cassie Series (go figure). There were overlapping story lines, for example: The scene when Cassie went back in time to England during the time of Jack the Ripper. Jack the Ripper, Mircea and his lover were there, but there was no mentioned of Dorina. Yet, in this book she plays a part of the history. She is even the reason Mircea traps Vlad in the box.

Dorina is a dhampir. Her mother was a servant and Mircea's lover in his home before he became a vampire and apparently soon after without his realizing he had turn. He took off and left her to "find himself" not realizing she was pregnant. She, upon urgings from others, gave up her child to gypsies.

I won't say more, because much of the story is like a search and find. I will say I liked it regardless of my problems with the beginning and would recommend it provided the reader was prepared with background information.

** spoiler alert ** First in the Dorina Basarab urban fantasy series revolving around a dhampir, Dory, Mercia's rebellious daughter.

As for how it fits into the Cassandra Palmer series, Louis-César has been brought over to battle Rasputin and the Black Circle have already raided MAGIC, putting the American Vampire Senate on a war footing with the Black Circle. AND Tony's machinations have been revealed.

Considering how similar Cassie and Dory feel about Vlad, I'd think the girls would get on well.

My Take
This story sets the background for future romance and adventures for Dorina with Caedmon, the light fey king, and Louis-Cesare, the European fencing champion. Some background history on Vlad the Impaler is also given. And, oh brother...talk about dysfunctional.

I do love Dory's attitude toward Daddy dearest! Crack me up! It's such a typical teen sort of reaction, except this is with vamps! She's cheeky, she's snarky, and she takes no prisoners when slagging off Dad.

Except Louis-Cesare isn't impressed, and he has his own ideas for capturing Vlad and none of them include a dhampir! But she's Mercia's get, so what choice does he have?? Dory isn't excited either---I do love when she learns who L-C is! Still, she is practical, and she'll perform illegal acts if it'll help out. She fights mean too as L-C discovers.

I love Uncle Pip's house!! Well, okay, there are some aspects I'd like to avoid, but the way in which it deals with trespassers and makes repairs?? Oh, yeah.

I do like how Chance pops in Dory's and Louis-Cesare's memories with those walls of emotion. A great way to provide backhistory without it being an info dump.

Oh, man, I'm not sure if I'm curious or appalled at the idea of that dinner at Radu's house. Little cows wandering around the table. People picking them up and popping them in their mouths or simply biting off the legs. It's so ewww and yet my taste buds are wanting that hint of beef!

We learn why Mercia is so anxious to keep Vlad alive. It'll make you cry. As will lots of backhistory on Dory, Mercia, Louis-Cesare, Radu, and Vlad.

It's fun and adventurous with a chunk of drama and a slab of tension with mage traps, trolls bashing down walls, great escapes, illegal auctions with...um...different...um...things.

Yuck, the...test? gauntlet? that Ǽsubrand makes her run!

It's also a courtship. Not one most people would choose, but it works for these two. Just, well, just not so well for Radu...he simply doesn't want to know why his niece is naked and tied up.

The Story

Claire's been missing a month and Dory is becoming more frantic. Worried enough to wipe out most of Michael's crew at the bar where Mercia shows up. Seems Daddy Dearest has a job for his recalcitrant daughter---recapturing Drac, Mercia's youngest brother---and isn't taking no for an answer.

Mercia does have a powerful incentive for Dory to pay attention to what he wants. And Dory is desperate enough to accept this rock and a hard place, she's so desperate to have Claire back.

The Characters
Dorina Basarab is a dhampir: half human and half vampire. Scum as far as vampires are concerned. The only thing that saves her is who her father is: Mercia. Doesn't cut him any slack where Dory is concerned. Stinky is the baby Duergar Dory rescues.

Claire, of House Lachesis, is a null who specializes in healing---she keeps Dory calm, is a strict vegetarian, and is Dory's fabulous roommate---she's also pregnant! It's Uncle Pip's house where Claire and Dory live. Warded up the wazoo. Claire ended up working for her cousin Sebastian at Gerald & Co. Although, later in the story, Chance says Sebastian finally tracked her down...huh?? Heidar is the Fey with whom she hooked up. A.K.A., Alarr. Miss Priss is one of Claire's cats, a cute white kitty kat that morphs. BIG. Seems that Jackanapes has the same "talent".

Louis-Cesare is on loan from the European Senate for his dueling skills with a rapier. Kit Marlowe is a vampire, playwright, and onetime Elizabethan bad boy as well as the head of intelligence for the Senate.

Mercia, Count Basarab, is Vlad Dracul's brother. He's also the chief diplomat for the American Vampire Senate. Radu is the littlest Basarab brother with an inquiring if vague intellect, horrible taste, and preferring to live in his past. Mehmed II was Radu's lover and political patron---sucking up to him kept Radu alive. Geoffrey is Radu's major domo at his wine country estate in California.

José and Kristie are a couple of miscreant friends of Dory's whom she's finagled out of jail. Benny is a Skogstrol, a forest troll. Olga, a Bergtroll, or mountain troll, was not only Benny's secretary, but his wife as well. She'll lead the pack. A friend, so to speak of Dory's, Benny specialized in weapons. Jay is a Nsquital demon packing up to get out of Vegas. Dory reckons when the demons start leaving, it's bad.

Uncle Drac was mean and nasty when he was alive. Now that he's dead, nothing has changed. He's following Rasputin. For now. Admittedly, after the way his father treated him and his brothers, he does have reason, but come on, it's been centuries. Get over it.

Alejandro, the leader of the Latin American Senate, kidnapped Christine a century ago, a friend of Louis-Cesare's to force him to fight Tomas in his challenge.

Kyle is a lowlife vamp. Yup, even lower than most. Michael is a low-level vamp. Jack the Ripper has been turned by Augusta back in the past which would make this story start after Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, #2), and Mircea and Cassie are hunting Dracula.

Jonathan is a Black Circle mage desperate to recapture Louis-Cesare. For the fun of it.

Caedmon is a cheeky Fey out having a good time. He encounters Louis-Cesare and Dory at the auction house while all three are looking for Claire. Three Houses of the Light Fey: Blarestri are Blue Elves and the current ruling house (the king has a son, Prince Alarr, but no heir; they followed the Vanir, older fertility gods); the Svarestri, the Black Elves, (the king's sister married a noble and they have a full-blood Fey son, Ǽsubrand); and the Alorestri, the Green Elves aren't much interested in politics. The Ǽsir, the Lords of Battle, ruled ages ago. Eluen Londe is Faerie.

The Cover
The cover is of Dory's backside in her tight-fitting black leather jeans and her black cropped tank top. There's a complex arrangement of straps at and around her waist. She's holding a gun---smart girl-- and looking out over the water to a city.

I dunno about the title. Obviously Dory is Mercia's daughter and I reckon the midnight could well refer to Mercia's state, functioning in the night, leaving us with Midnight's Daughter.

First off, reading the story in "On the Prowl" is not necessary to understand what's happening in this book but I recommend it.

This was a fantastic read for most of the book but the last hundred pages or so was just battle after battle, which left me annoyed. Dorina is a Dhampir (half vampire/half human). She pretty much is a walking abomination and is rejected by pretty much everyone. Claire, her roommate (the one person in her life she seems to truly love) has gone missing and she moves heaven and hell to find her.

There is a lot happening in this book all at once; maybe too much. I like that Dory's world consisted of so many races. From Fey, Vampires, Trolls, humans to lab-created hybrid creatures. I recommend this book and look forward to the next installment Death's Mistress.

Dory has a challenging, powerful father and a cool best friend. She is admired for her fierce, effective security services. She has it all. . .except, she doesn't. She's broke. She has no boyfriend (not that there's anything wrong with that). She gets impossible assignments. Will she prevail? This trilogy is fun, and Dory is great. Louis-Cesare is a love interest made in supernatural fiction heaven. Indulge yourself!

Fantastic! Karen's book don't get the shelf space they deserve. I stumbled upon 'Touch the Dark' series when it first came out and was hooked. What a talented writer. That series is one of my faves, so I wasn't sure if I'd like Midnight's Daughter. I usually don't like my authors to do 'side' series. Stick with what your audience likes! BUT..Midnight's Daughter (I'm finally getting to it), is just as good as the Cassie Palmer series. I love Dorina, I love Louis-Cesare (love him, love HIM, LOVE HIM!). It all takes place in the same universe as her first series, and I couldn't be more happy.

If you like your heroines strong, sassy and able to appreciate a strong alpha male, you'll love Midnight's Daughter. I promise!

After three books, Cassandra Palmer was starting to get on my nerves but I still enjoyed the world she created. Midnight's Daughter was the perfect answer since it featured the characters I liked and included a heroine with some backbone. In my view, Karen Chance made a fatal error by giving Cassandra too much power. Where is the suspense if the heroine can go back in time and fix any problem she encounters? Dory is a much more believable character in that she is constrained by her half-vampire heritage. There is a real chance that the challenges she faces could kill her and she doesn't waste any time whining about it. I can't wait for the sequel.

There were many battles in this book. Battles in the background with vampires and mages, or Dark Fey against Light Fey and battles in mind dealing with certain things, and battles going on with family members and then just regular battles. There is also a lot of mythology around the vampire and Fey some new mixed with some old. I'd have to say I liked reading about the mythology more then the battles. I also liked reading about the attraction of Dory and Louis-Cesare. I didn't love this book though. It is weird because when I first started I was sucked in to the world but something changed maybe because at the end of some of the chapters you were already told what was going to happen next. The end was okay I think there are some unanswered questions there though, which is probably why it is the start of a series. I just don't think I will read the next one.

For fans of the Cassie Palmer series, this newest walk on the dark side in Cassie's world is a welcome addition. For readers who have never met Cassie, you are not left in the dark. You can easily pick up this book & fall into the wicked fun & adventure in this world of vampires, and other creepy crawlies.
Dory is a strong, layered character, and fans of paranormal romance & adventure will delight in the escapades & the banter in this book.
And hey, if you like this, go back & pick up the first three books in the Cassie Palmer series. For those of us who took a chance on Chance back int he beginning, this is just one more keeper for the book shelf, and a taste of wichedness to come when book four in the Cassie series comes out in April 2009.

This book is a fun offshoot of the Cassandra Palmer series set in the same world and time frame as those books; the majority of the secondary characters are originally introduced in the Cassandra Palmer series. In one of those books Cassie ended up causing Dracula to be freed from a trapped box where the vampire senate had been keeping him imprisoned. The Cassie books left this plot unresolved, but this book takes it up. Dory is asked by her father to take care of the problem for him and that's the main focus of the book. We also get some nice back story on Dory's and her family's past as well.

PROS:

1) This is a quick fun read back into the world of Cassandra Palmer. It was able to keep me interested through the whole book and still remains rememberable after a weekend spent plowing through a stack of books. I liked the world and I really enjoyed an alternate perspectve on characters I'd seen in the Cassandra Palmer series. It provides a more complete picture or the world and events taking place.

2) Caedmon. I loved this character. I have some complaints about others (see below), but this one I truly found to be my favorite. I didn't expect it and ignored him for a bit at first, but I ended up finding him very interesting. Maybe as a result of ignoring him, I ended up surprised by his behavior and information revealed about him. I really hope another book comes out that deals with him as a main character. It was hinted at near the end and I hope it follows through.

NEUTRAL:

1) Background of world and character. Depending on your experience with the author and her previous books this could be either bad or good. For me it was the perfect amount of background information. I've read the Cassandra Palmer books as well as the anthology contribution from On the Prowl. I hate when I read a book in a series and I have to read all this back story that I already know. I never felt that way here.

However, if someone isn't familiar with the other books I think a lot of the fun is taken away. I can easily see someone brand new picking up this series being confused or lost. I highly recommend reading the author's previous works in this world before jumping into this book. Minor details or plot twists will simply fly right by without that knowledge. I can't say how much this takes away from the book for a new reader, maybe it's a case of you can't miss what you don't have. It truly did make it more enjoyable, even if not necessary, to know all that history about the events going on and the history of some of the characters.

CONS:

1) Too many secondary characters seem very sissy. Aside from Caedmon and Dory's father all the other male characters are either evil or, well, sissy. Even Louis-Cesare has this feel and he's the dueling champion for the vampire senate. Yeah, he's shown as physically stronger but comes across naive and emotional.

If this were contained to Louis-Cesare I could understand that as there is some basis for it in the Cassandra Palmer books as well. However, it extended beyond him. Claire came off very air-headed and the Fey with her was just a complete coward. This is not how I remember them from the On the Prowl anthology where their story began. I just didn't feel that a lot of the characters were accurately portrayed to sync up with the other series and this left me feeling annoyed. I'll probably go back and reread the books to see if I'm remembering them wrong. Other characters had this same feel but these were the three big ones for me.

2) Dory's character could have been better. I didn't connect with her as well as the other main characters from the Cassandra Palmer series or even Claire from On the Prowl. I like the idea of her character a lot; it was just a bit off from getting me to really connect with her. I think with slight adjustments in changing some of the story it would have had a lot more impact for me. (see comments for more info. I want to avoid spoilers here that I will add to comments)

3) Romance element is not my favorite approach. If you've read the Cassandra Palmer books then expect similar types of romantic involvements. I don't want to give anything away but essentially while there is romantic tension nothing is directly addressed or resolved. It has a very similar feel to the first Cassie book and her situation. It's an okay approach but I would prefer either less or more. The amount of romance leaves me frustrated to the point that I'd almost prefer to have none at all.

Essentially I enjoyed this book a lot but some elements put me off. I prefer the Cassie books personally, but this was still very enjoyable and fun.

This book is an offshoot of the author's Cassandra Palmer series, but it isn;t necessary in my opinion to have read the CP books to understand and appreciate it. It's fun, fast and a captivating read, the sort of book that's hard to put down once started. It's also very funny in places, with Chance's usual macabre sort of wit. I had a lot of fun with this one, and look forward to Death's Mistress, the sequel, coming in Jan.

I absolutely love this book/series. Karen Chance is one of my two favorite paranormal authors. (Jeaniene Frost being the other) I have read this series twice now and it is just as exciting the second time. I definitely recommend this series as well as her Cassie Palmer series (which you might want to read first to become more familiar with the world she creates). Overall a wonderfully exciting read.

I have to say this book was absolutely AMAZING. I have been highly disappointed with a lot of new books in series by well names authors this year, but this book DID NOT DISAPPOINT. I could not put it down!! i highly recommend this book for anyone interested in this genre. I can't wait until next year when book #2 get released!

I enjoyed this book. It explained in a little more detail the world that Cassie is in and who she comes into contact with from a different view. I would love to see more on Dorina's she has potential. It did seem a little rushed and had a lot of information in it to follow, but you did not have to know Cassie to read this book. It may be a little hard to beat this one with the next story line.

I really enjoyed this story! The characters were terrific and I absolutely love Dory! But I think my favorite character was Olga the Bergtroll and I hope she is in future stories too! I also really like Claire and even little Stinky!!! I am starting on the next book in the series right now!