Tempt the Stars (Cassie Palmer)

A greatly entertaining book, and a wonderful new installment in the Cassie Palmer series. It was jam packed full of the action, adventure, and wit that has made these books such a delight. The plot twists and continued world building were clever, and the characters were, as ever, sharp and vibrant. Rarely does a book make me laugh and want to tear my hair out at the same time as much as this one did. A very satisfying read.

The most recent book in the series is a frenzied, chaotic mash-up of one action sequence to the next. There is very little plot advancement or character development, which was extremely disappointing. Most paragraphs read like one extremely long run-on sentence

**Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy**

An action packed romp through the Cassandra Palmer universe, TEMPT THE STARS doesn't give the reader a second to get their breath from one scene to the next. With multiple fight scenes, jumps through time and dimensions, and new characters to meet, TEMPT THE STARS will satisfy a reader who is already in love with the series, but I wouldn't suggest a first timer start here. There were times when even I had trouble remembering who was who (it has been two years since our last visit with Cassie).

TEMPT THE STARS takes place over about two days, from what I could tell. Like I mentioned, there were jumps in time and dimensions that made it hard to discern the timeline. It felt a bit like a filler book, with lots of little pieces to lots of different plots being revealed, but no clear step in one direction. Plus, there was a definite cliffhanger ending- so much so that I seriously thought something was wrong with my book- how could it end there?! It was a little frustrating to have some resolution but then so many new questions brought up. Lots happened in TEMPT THE STARS, and my head is still spinning a bit.

One noticeable absence was Mircea, who sadly didn't make an appearance the entire book. However, it felt like every other character did manage to pop in- including some new ones, as we learn more about Cassie's heritage and her new role as Pythia. She's definitely coming into her powers, and whether or not that's a good thing is up for debate, since she's had almost no training, and there are a few magical mishaps both amusing and scary.

So, while I definitely recommend the Cassandra Palmer series as a whole, I wouldn't say that TEMPT THE STARS is my favorite installment, and if you're new to the series, you should really start with number one, or, even better, try the Dorina Basarab series first- that was my gateway drug to Cassie. Being a fan of Cassie makes it hard for me to rate TEMPT THE STARS, though, since I love her and love the world, but this book didn't live up to what I've come to expect. I'll still be on board for the next book, and maybe in the meantime, I'll reread the series and make a cheat sheet of who's who, just in case.

Like some other reviewers I was generally disappointed in this book and the direction of the series. It seems that this series is stuck in a rut with the main character staying.... well, a ditzy klutz who charges ahead without any plan or reason. I actually forgot most of the previous book by the time this one got out so the running start the action took left me behind quickly. I have some remnant of hope for this series, or else I'd make it 2 stars.

The pace was almost too frenetic, but Cass is just as over her head as usual. Not sure where things are going with Pritkin, since she is allegedly married to Mircea. I did miss him in this book, but I assume his absence is related to the events in the Midnight's Daughter series. It's gratifying to see the Pythia finally starting to emerge, and for Cassie to start demanding respect,and answers.

Another great book for the series! As usual, great action scenes, never a dull moment. I am hoping to see more Mircea in the next book, hopefully don't have to wait for two years for the next one.

I got the audiobook version, Allyson Ryan does a decent job. I can't stand Cynthia Holloway who narrated the previous books, which I had recently re-listened in anticipation of the new book. Just glad we have a different voice this time.

I have become totally addicted to this author and this series. Her characters are easy to connect with and there is a lot of humor in her books. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because the fight scenes get drawn out too much and the constant battles get a bit tiresome, although some of the funniest scenes are in the midst of the battles.

This has been another book that I waited for years for - I definitely don't remember too much of the finer details of the last book. But I slipped right into this book with high expectations - I mean - Mircea! Pritkin! I'm even found of Marco. Cassie's one of those characters whom I love and hate - sometimes I think she's way too stupid to live and other times it's like 'you go, girl!'.

Anyways, back to this book...can you read it as a standalone? I'm not so sure I'd recommend it, because you're going to not have a clue what's going on. Especially as this book is about getting Pritkin back - you'll be like - 'who's Pritkin? what happened to him?' I also think you'll lose out on the other characters that the past books would have expanded on for you.
So, definitely, pick up the previous books and read them before trying this one.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would, but I'd still only recommend to those who had previously read the other books. I think you also definitely have to be more into urban fantasy than romance - because this is definitely not a romantic book.

I only hope that I don't have to wait two more years for the next book in this series (I don't like the author's other series btw, I did try it and couldn't even finish the first book.)
I also hope that we get more Mircea - this book was rather devoid! And I really, really, really like him. I also really like Pritkin. Tough call on which one I like more!

Anyways, I hope you find a book that you'll really enjoy even if it's not this one.

When I started this book, I intended to spread my reading over at least three days to savour it for longer, but by the second day it rapidly became un-put-downable!

Since finishing, I've read a bunch of other reviews where people are saying either 1) the actions scenes were too confusing or 2) they didn't like something or other about Pritkin/Mircea in this book. I would have to respectfully refute these points.

If you take the time to read, rather than skim, I don't get the first complaint at all. Crazy, chaotic, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants action scenes have been a trademark of Karen Chance's since her first book, and you either love them or you don't. But they're not new. I'm honestly a little bemused by this complaint.

As for the second point, well, my take on this is quite different. I would sum up this book in a single word: epic. I think we need to look beyond the fangirling over Pritkin or Mircea. Karen Chance is on record for saying she dislikes her books being confused with romance novels. That's not to say we can't fall in love with her characters, but this is firmly an Urban Fantasy story. And the story in this book was amazing!

I love a series where each book builds on what went on before, and where the author drops hints towards a far greater story arc. I love to pick over mysteries and clues and there's enough fodder in this book to easily tide me over till the next release. We learn a great deal about Cassie's parents, who really weren't quite what I expected (understatement), and Pritkin's rescue naturally dominates much of the story, but it's the revelations about 'the big picture' that we get along the way that make this a five star read for me.

I love a hot book boyfriend as much as the next guy/gal, but I feel judging this book in terms of what Cassie did or didn't do with Pritkin or Mircea is a colossal injustice. KC has created an amazing, huge world in her books, and her characters become more deliciously grey with every release. You can see Cassie developing and growing before your eyes, as she juggles the burdens of responsibility and dependency (and she's not the only one.)

Finally, on the "cliffhanger" ending ... I didn't even class it as a cliffhanger. I found myself grinning with anticipation as I read the final sentences.

Desperately waiting for Reap the Wind.

In my opinion five stars is for perfection. I have not yet found an item that is perfect so I have a hard time giving anything five stars. I would however give this book 4 and 1/2. It is the best yet of the Cassie Palmer series. I pre-ordered it because it was at a great price but it really was worth it even if I would have had to pay full price. I am not sure who edits books any more because almost every book I have read in the last few years has editing issues and this one is no exception. There are not very many though and they are not that distracting. This book has character growth and plot movement and action. It really is a great read. I will not do a plot summary here because there are plenty of reviews with that and there is a summary in the description. I will say that I love the interaction between Cassie and Pritkin. I am really looking forward to where the author takes that. I am also really curious about what is going on between Cassie and Mircea. In every book it seems like something has to go wrong with that relationship but they just keep hanging on. I can't wait for the next book.

I enjoyed the previous books and with the amount of time between the last book and this one I was hoping for something more than this. There was no character or plot growth, only endless action scenes with short breaks for eating and sleeping. There is so much description in the fleeing/action scenes that it just gets boring and somewhat confusing. I ended up skimming most the book in a search for the actual plot. Nothing is resolved, we learn a few things out of left field about Cassie but that is all you get from this book. The end doesn't even make me want to read the next one since we come full circle, only we get to travel through time instead hell in the next one. It made me feel like this book was a complete waste of time. I think I'm going to try and find some good trilogies or books where the author cares more about her characters rather than how many books she can say she has in a series. Really hoping the Dorina series doesn't start to suffer like this one is.

I expected Cassie to develop as both a person and the Pythia in this story but it turned into slapstick action instead of advancing a decent plot line. Cassie races from one madcap adventure to another in her efforts to retrieve the war mage Pritkin from the demon realm. Bizarre events happen that are never explained, new people drop in preparing for the next installment and Mircea is missing in action for the entire book. Cassie and the reader are both exhausted by the frenetic action. As the story dragged on, I didn't care how it ended. I just wanted it to be over. I kept starting a chapter and getting distracted by bright shiny objects because it wasn't holding my interest. Cassie's personality seems to have devolved so her reactions now seem more like a teen than an adult. Although the book is over 400 pages, it's only half a story. Nothing is resolved in this book and it ends with Cassie still on a quest. Until now, this series was an automatic pre-order for me but I'll wait until some reviews come in for the next one before I spend my money.

I have been hooked on this series since book one. Tempt the Stars has been the best so far.
LOVED IT! Not only did it have the fast paced, keep you on the edge action as the previous books, but it had so much more emotion! Hats off Karen.

I liked this series when it started, but the last two books, as other reviewers noted, have degenerated into a series of fights in which Cassandra demonstrates little growth and nonstop violence abounds. She's had time ever the numerous books to grow as a character, to begin learning how to use her powers and develop more skills, but hasn't. The author has had time for Cassie's relationship with Mircea to grow over the course of the series, but it hasn't. What has she been writing about instead? An increasingly tedious, and seemingly endless, number of situations in which she escapes through mostly the intervention of others, or luck. And where was Mircea in this book?!? Completely absent, aside from a one-page dream sequence.

I couldn't even read all of this one. I'll try one more, but I may have to strike this author off my to-read list. I found myself skipping almost entire chapters to reach the end of one fight scene, just to listen to how tired and hungry she is before another starts. I find the "heroine's" incompetence and whining to be boring, not entertaining. The series started with such promise. When an author does that, then takes the lazy way out (hello, Karen Chance, ongoing character development is needed if you're going to keep writing), it's beyond disappointing, it's aggravating. Too bad, as it could have been so good - and convinced me to try other books she's written. Not likely now.

I liked this book. Even though everything had to happen in this book, it seemed a little dragged out. I was hoping to see the tie in from Dorina's latest book, where we see a sneak peak of Cassie, be in this book. It wasn't. Perhaps in the next. :)

Holy crap! What a ride. So much action covering so few days. It's so frustrating to have to wait for more! I loved this book. I'm very curious as to the course of Mercea and Cassie. Fear changes what is? Since I am in love with both of them too I am a bit afraid of the future.

No way. Another great book, but left us hanging. Please don't take so long for the next book! Your writing is so good you have me rooting for the smelly, not handsome, grumpy war mage over the suave intense powerful vampire! Go figure.

The series is getting old. Every book is the same. Cassie suffers from a lack of confidence, battles different foes, ends the book discovering something about her powers and kicks ass, then then next book it all starts over. Her character is not progressing. She is whiny and reckless. She expects everyone to respect her because of her position but she doesn't earn it. The overall plot...the god's are coming back and there's going to be a war...is not progressing either. Part of the problem is that from book one to book seven there's been maybe four months. The books are packed full of action, but not enough dialogue between characters. Cassie keeps saying "I need to talk to him" or "I need to take care of this" but she never does. There's not enough time between her trying to survive. Also, and I know I may be alone in this, I really dislike that she seems to be leading on two different guys. And, unless one of them dies, I don't see how Chance can have her choose.

Gah! Bad Karen Chance for leaving us with that crazy cliffhanger at the end of Curse the Dawn! I was an anxious and a nervous wreck (like when Han Solo was frozen in carbonite) wondering how in the hell Cassie is going to get Pritkin back. I was screaming in frustration. To top it off with that mother-effing cliffhanger, we had to wait two years to find out what happens. *sobs fat ugly tears* Okay, rant over. I will humbly admit it was totally worth the wait.

Tempt the Stars picks up a week after Pritkin saves Cassie by giving her energy to live; resulting in Pritkin being taken by his demon father and essentially losing his freedom. Ever since Cassie's coronation (the one she wasn't invited to), where she officially became Pythia, aka as the world's chief seer, she's had to deal with all kinds of supernaturals knocking on her door; always wanting something from her. Cassie's also had to deal with finding out her mother is a goddess, which means she's half goddess. With all that is going on in her life her, she's stressed out and tired. But she refuses to leave Pritkin in the hands of his father and has dropped everything to find a way to get Pritkin back. And this is not going to be an easy mission. She doesn't know much about the demons and their world and she needs help. The one person who can help her is none other than Pritkin himself. But she must be careful with history. Time jumping has its benefits as long as she doesn't reveal or change history. Cassie's handled much worse, right? Right. She's got this.

Chance continues to thicken the intricate plotline as many things are revealed about Cassie's family and ancestry history. I'm curious to see where Chance is taking this storyline; because the twists and turns just keep on coming. There's action aplenty as Cassie continues on her adventure and eventually finds a way to get into the demon realm where Pritkin is being kept. Joining her on her mission is the vain and snarky Casanova and the angry war mage Caleb, Pritkin's buddy. I had a blast hanging out with these two characters.

Mircea Basarab, a powerful senate master vampire and also Cassie's boyfriend, took a backseat in this installment. Mircea fans will be highly disappointed but Pritkin fans will be blissfully on cloud nine with the many scenes we get with him. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a HUGE Pritkin fan. I adore that angry, green eyed war mage. I've loved him since he blazed onto the pages in the first book. This love triangle (if you want to call it that) is complicated and well written. Obviously, Cassie has feelings for both Pritkin and Mircea, but she isn't exactly sitting around angsting over them. She's just trying to survive the day half the time. The story barely touches on her feelings for either men, but there is an undertone of heartfelt emotions and feelings Cassie has for them both. But with everything that has happened in this series, Pritkin and Cassie have become quite close. There is a mutual respect and affection between them. Pritkin would fight tooth and nail to save her, which means she would do the same. And she does. One very emotional and touching scene between Cassie and Pritkin had my heart in my throat. I can't express how badly I want these two to get together.

This was another fantastic and wild ride with Cassandra Palmer. Karen Chance has created a fabulous heroine that is smart, sassy, loveable, and who pretty much stumbled into her role as Pythia. Well, sort of. Since the beginning of this series, I've found that Cassie has really grown into a strong protagonist. She is the kind of gal that goes with the flow and tries to do right thing but has a lot working against her. I love how we are able to see Cassie's vulnerabilities, especially when she is not above admitting that she has no clue what she's doing half the time. Cassie knows she is underestimated and secrets are being kept from her, but that doesn't stop her from trying to save the world; all while dodging bullets and spells, jumping tall buildings, popping in and out of time eras, and flying on carpets.

"Why do these plans of yours always involve me getting naked?" he yelled, making me blink again. And then scowl, because damn it, brain, this was no time to lose it.
"You're not naked!" I yelled back, because it was true if not by much. He still had on a pair of silky gold trousers, ruffling in the wind and looking ridiculous next to the hard lines of his body. And because what else do you say to a grinning, windsurfing demon?
He said something that sounded like "disappointed?" but wasn't because that would be absurd.

Heh... priceless. I find it quite funny that Cassie and Pritkin always end up naked in every book.

Tempt the Stars is an enthralling, superbly written story that left me breathless and gripping my kindle during the action-packed scenes. All of the characters are written phenomenally. The world building is unique and entwines mythology into the story - which makes for a very thrilling, complicated, and intelligent storyline that flows from one book to the next. I do highly suggest starting with Touch the Dark. Starting with Tempt the Stars will have you scratching your head in confusion. And, good lord... Another crazy ending that had me screaming in frustration. I'm mad at you Karen Chance. *wink* I really hope it's not going to be another two years to find out what happens next. I'm not sure my heart and nerves can handle another long wait.

Rating: A

--Romantic Book Affairs

To newbies: This was a well written story with good and interesting characters. Please buy the series! And Dorina's series!

To Fans: This isnt what I was hoping for... Like a lot of the other readers said, I found myself looking for more 'meat', character advancing dialogue vs the internal dialogue or the 'circle-banter' Cassie sometimes has (going in circles with someone and then doing the same thing anyway) before an action or event. While this is fun to read for a paragraph or two, I found myself at times skipping 2-3 pages, and still having not missed anything of consequence, for example "Cassie still hasnt gotten her snack".

To be fair - I will re-read this 2-3 times more slowly and likely listen to it on audio as well, to make sure I get every detail just in case something important did happen on the way to get Cassie's cheesy bacon biscuit. As for now, I'll say the most interesting scene further developed the connection Mircea and Cassie have shared since their 'marriage' but their interaction was very limited in what seemed out of character to both the over protective Vampire, and over obsessive Cassie that we have seen in the previous books., Their relationship was otherwise absent from the story, on the flimsy excuse of possibly avoiding each other. These two people love each other, they've continually risked their lives for each other, they melt for each other. Regardless of anything that might get in the way of that, it remains true and to let this go does a disservice to the characters. How an entire book in the series was written without it is beyond me.

-Overall: This was a Pritkin novel. He really could maintain a spinoff series on his own, and possibly should have with this being book 1. The entire story centers around Pritkin, and no, we dont find out anymore interesting details about who he is or what his abilities might be, and the rescue from hell, which works as a theory for an entire novel feels stretched here. The author could definitely grab this and re-write it from Pritkin's perspective, adding on whatever happens next and whoever his *next* love interest might be. Id buy that book.

-Other thoughts: While main character is strong enough on its own without what is now a 3way love triangle, (did we forget her guy in faerie?) it seems to have now lost its way in trying to become another twilight, true blood, or even a typical harlequin cliche. I still really like this series and the characters, and hope the author finds her way back. A strong, well developed heroine (Cassie) can maintain a monogamous relationship. It can be somewhat interesting in its own right, but possibly get in the way occasionally. The focus could be on the story, things are going haywire in their world, but it seems to drift farther and farther towards generic romance. I very much hope that when they rescue Pritkin *again*, Mircea is on the team this time.

Personal:(and to repeat what Ive seen elsewhere) Cassie, who was once virginal is now almost slutty? Get your hormones under control, tell Pritkin he's like a brother, downgrade it to that, let Pritkin find happiness perhaps with Cassie's new roomie (Rhea?) and let Mircea and Cassie somehow survive total honesty to enter a future together. Partners against whatever is coming.

TeamMircea

I was under the impression that the Cassie character was in a relationship with the Mircea character...but now she is a ho bag for Pritken? Does no one have ethics anymore? I've lost all interest in this series...and this review.

This one shows Cassie dealing with her powers as Pythia and learning how to lead a court. it's highly amusing to see jeans-loving Cassie go up against a court trapped in the Victorian Era. We also get to see the depth of her relationship with Pritkin, and just how far she'd go for him. I'm definitely rooting for Pritkin over Mircea. ;)

After enjoying Hunt the Moon so much, this one was a bit of a letdown. Most of what worked so well for the fifth was absent. We get little of Pritkin and little of Mircea, who were not only included a lot in the sequel, but who also left a lot of unanswered questions that I'd hoped would progress with this one. Unfortunately the questions weren’t really answered, they still exist and were shelved for the next book coming instead. Egads, frustration! I was so eager to see some progression finally with her personal life after the other teasers but we will have to wait for that.

Another thing that irked me was the ending. It was a cliffhanger type. Not a horrible cheesy kind, but on the brink of the next adventure to come. The ending almost killed me, then gave redemption/hope, although I’m hoping that this plot point is wrapped up quickly in the seventh book. We have already gone back in time once to see this person in a different light and unaware of the present, and we have finally in the present progressed so much with them, that the promise that next book we are again going back to where they are unaware and not knowing what’s going on with all the work undone is frustrating. If the author speeds through that it will work well; if not, it may make the next book disappointing. We shall see.

Mircea is frustrating because he’s hardly seen except for a certain scene, and there’s so much that seems hidden there, not just with him but the Vampire Council in general. It’s suspicious and I’m surprised Cassie isn’t wondering about it more than she is. I’m curious what’s really going on and what will end up happening. I don’t trust it. These suspicions already existed in the other book too, so to not have any progress at all in this one with that is troubling.

When Pritkin is finally seen, it’s awesome, especially their dialogue exchanges. Billy I love but he’s still not used much, and I can’t wait – and not sure if it will ever happen – that the author more fully explores Cassie’s powers with the spiritual world and how this will turn out. There’s a lot of unexplored possibilities there.

I like Cassie. She’s not the sharpest crayon in the box and I think some of her feelings towards the vamps being family is misguided, but she’s sweet, compassionate, figures things out as she goes, admits to being overwhelmed but doesn’t let that stop her, is independent but works well with other people. She could make better decisions sometimes but her dialogue works and I the humorous thoughts on her head during disasters and downtime.

The interactions with her parents was interesting and odd at the same time. It’s interesting how the author added that in and all the hidden surprises coming into more light from the last book. The meeting at the end before the decision with the mother was awesome. Fred is hilarious as the cowardly vampire. There’s a lot of potential with the witches that showed up too so no idea where that’s going. So many questions to be answered!

Fans of the series should read this one, and there are good scenes and moments, but ultimately it’s a filler.