Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer)

Two and a half stars...

The only reason I probably got through this book with a decent understanding of it is because I happened to read her Dhampir series first. Had this been the first Karen Chance novel I read, I would have been left scratching my head in confusion at the end. She throws a LOT at you in the book, trying to set up the characters and world. So much so that I, like other readers, felt the book was abbreviated in some way-- as if parts had been edited out. Overall, it gave the book an unpolished, choppy air. (minus one star)

This book also contains time travel, out of body experiences, and memory diving. Personally, I really dislike books that frequently have the main character everywhere but in her own body/consciousness. I find it tedious and end up skipping a few pages ahead. (minus one star)

Lastly, her books really should be labeled romance. Sex is the front and center of her books. Heck, the main character didn't even have sex in this book and she still had to work in as much sex and nakedness as possible (if you read it, you'll see what I mean...). Her stories are good, and I honestly think that the sex actually hurts the book rather than helps it. Again, a personal preference. There are plenty of ways to add character building and romance without making the book fit for the Playboy channel. Found myself skipping pages for this as well. (minus one star)

Chance's world is intriguing (plus a half star), but it may be some time before I consider picking up book two.

This book was as interesting as any paranormal I have read lately, and I've read a lot of them. Well written, grabs your interest from the first page, good plot, lots of interesting characters, and leaves you wanting more in this series. (Hopefully it will be a series.) Waiting impatiently for the next installment.

When I started this book I thought it started out ok, but then the author introduced way too much information and it was somewhat distracting. It was as if she had all these great ideas and couldn't narrow it down and didn't have a clear way of putting it together the story-line. I read a review that it was very distracting when you have an action scene and then several pages of background in the middle of it. I quite agree. There was just too many different paranormal/mythical ideas in the first book. Not sure whether to blame the author, editor or publisher on this one.

This book was really hard to get through. The first half of the book seems to be nothing but a lot of rambling. There were points where I just simply skipped because it was useless information. There were even a number of points that were repeated more than once. This is were really good editor would’ve come in useful. Once you get about 60% of the way through the book it’s actually pretty good. But honestly that’s saying something. I don’t know that I could Recommend this book.

The storyline is interesting. Cassandra character cant decide if she's brave or cowardly or in love or in lust. I ended up skimming through some chapters because there is such a thing as too much description.
I just couldn't get over the fact that within the space of ten or so pages this character that was barely in the background for most of the book comes forward and they are basically humping like bunnies. I probably won't read the rest of the series.

Fun, book, lots of action--maybe too much. Likeable characters, some colorful ideas and humor. Would rate it higher but can't when there are writers out there like Jacqueline Carey or tamora pierce with her trickster series. Worth reading, I enjoyed it. But the second one is dreadful.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Touch the Dark by Karen Chance is a stunning adventure that speeds along to the thrilling conclusion... which is really just another new beginning.

Cassandra "Cassie" Palmer has a gift. She is a Seer, capable of seeing future actions and able to see and communicate with ghosts. Unfortunately for her, these gifts are coveted by many, especially vampires. For years she had been a prized captive of the vampire mafia, until she managed to escape.

For three years she's been on the run but even Cassie knew this "freedom" would likely be short lived. When the vampire don tracks her down, her only hope is to turn to the vampire Senate, who have their own plans for her, for assistance. This seems like the lesser of two evils... or is it?

Then there is the pesky problem of a surprising legacy Cassie doesn't want. With beings from every direction wanting to kill her it seems her only hope is one alluringly sexy vampire. But his price may be too high, costing Cassie her very soul.

Cassie has been on the run for so long that this is all she knows now. Her life was never really her own and as she discovers new levels to her abilities, her desperation to be in control of her own life grows. Determination to make it in a cut-throat world has made her into a strong willed individual with a more than healthy survival instinct. She's not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect herself.

One thing I love about Touch the Dark is the wide variety of supernatural beings found in the story from both the light and dark sides of magic... and the "dark" side is not always the more dangerous. We find vampires, ghosts, were-creatures of all kinds, elves, witches, mages, even satyrs and faeries. Don't forget the talking "shrunken heads." Every individual has its place in magical society and how they all interact makes for some fascinating reading.

Adventure is not at all lacking in this story as readers follow Cassie and company in its wake. Touch the Dark doesn't end, but stops after this leg of the journey. It is apparent Karen Chance still has a lot in store for Cassie and this reader is sure to keep going, looking forward to the next installment of this exciting world.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, May 2006. All rights reserved.

Was not worth time or money. There was little to no romance and what little might be called romance by some was just depressing. I couldn't even finish the book and kept skipping pages hoping to get to finally see any relationship forming...nope not even a speck. Wish I could get my money back... -_-

4 Stars... I enjoyed this introduction to a new series filled with every paranormal entity one can imagine from vampires, to mages, fey, werewolves, ghosts, and more... I will say that the writing style is meaty with world building and character development; at times it almost took away the momentum of the story but at the same time was very interesting with it's historical context... I am eager to see how the writing style progresses now that the initial introductions have been made... Cassandra Palmer was an intriguing character who battles being a part of the supernatural world with all of it's horror and desiring to stand apart as a separate being albeit quite powerful in her abilities... I am interested to see how she develops in her new role and the impact it has on the storyline... I am a little disappointed with the romance aspect of the read; not sure which direction it will ultimately turn but it fell somewhat flat for me at this point; it will be interesting to see how that piece gets pulled into the story... Overall, I am excited for this new series and look forward to continuing it:)

Started reading this and just could not get into the characters. Seemed the story was more important than finding out who was in it. So I put it down and read the other books I had. When I ran out I came back to this and started again. After I got through the first two chapters the back story filled in a bit and the plot became more enjoyable. The author did end up throwing a lot this book so you get her views on all kinds of paranormal "Races" Her view is a little different. Some of the differences kept nagging at me but that's my problem she was very consistent in developing her world.

By the end of the book I was sorry to see it end. So if you pick this book up my advice is stay with it. You'll be glad you did.

This one was hard to rate - between three and four stars. On one hand I greatly enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down, it was pretty addicting stuff for awhile. On the other hand, I grew bored sometimes, especially with all the time-travel stuff, which is a major pet peeve of mine. I simply dislike time travel stories - whether done in books, movies, or TV shows. I could have let it pass, but it seemed to drift back and forth, leaving my brain lost and struggling to catch up. The action was almost non-stop, so sometimes it just seemed too crowded in these pages. There were many abrupt changes from setting to setting, scene to scene.

The main character, Cassie, IS likeable but her acceptance of the punishment was a little too nonchalant. This greatly bugged me! Pritkin, the war mage who doesn't trust Cassie, was disgusted at her about it (he's disgusted most of the time with everyone anyway!) but in this case he was right. She passes it off by saying it's because she grew up around it and it has to be done to teach a lesson, but I don't think anyone should be mentally tortured sex-wise either, leaving a permanent scar to teach a lesson like rape victims. I think it lost at least half a star for that, it bugged me that much.

In a lot of Urban Fantasies, the main female protagonist is the love interest of almost all the males. Here Cassie is the interest of the two main ones, but it comes to pass that it's due to other reasons than her attractiveness, which is a nice change of pace. I dug Mircea as one of the main guys. He was intriguing, dark when he needed to be, sensual and mysterious. Tomas surprised me, saw that differently and thought the author was going somewhere else with that character from the start. Pritkin is irritating like he's supposed to be, adding fun to the story sometimes. Billy Joe, her sidekick and hang-along ghost, is awesome! The villains and council were appropriately intimidating.

Overall I found this a mediocre start to the series. The rating is lower from the abrupt shifts that grew tiresome and some of the dullness that crept in with switching. I will keep reading the books, though, as I'm intrigued with what will happen with the rest of the characters. There's clearly plenty of territory left to explore. I especially like the ghost stuff and her abilities are a different take for the genre, there were many fun moments, a lot of yummy buildup and steaminess - super yum with the Mircea bed scene! - and invented legends for the story make sense, producing a good read.

I received this at an event from the publisher; it is the first in the Cassie Palmer series. It falls neatly into the urban fantasy category and while it was enjoyable to read (and I would read the sequels, if they are available in my library), it is definitely second-shelf.

The plot in a nutshell: Cassie Palmer can see ghosts and gets uncontrollable visions of the future. She has used her abilities to work as a private investigator while she is in hiding from the vampire who “owned” her as a child. A newspaper article with tomorrow’s date warms Cassie that some vampires are about to find her. She manages to avoid the ones who are trying to kill her, but ends up under the protection of the Vampire Senate. She finds out that the old Oracle (yes, of Delphi) is dying and Cassie’s fortune telling ability has made her a target for people who believe that the power of the oracle could pass on to her. If all of that wasn’t enough, her visions are increasing (with some psychic trips to the past) and there are some sexy vampires hitting on her a little too hard.

The book is short and fun to read, but it didn’t leave any lingering satisfaction. I found the heroine a little too “bad-ass and independent”. The “I will not let vampires control my life but I will antagonize them and declare my independence at every opportunity” thing starts to wear on me. For once I would like to the heroine to not be a magic vampire magnet and also deal with vampires in a way that suggests brains instead of brawn (if by brawn one means new, special powers and a bad-ass attitude). So yes, the main character annoyed me just a little bit, which can be the problem of the first-person perspective. Still, I liked the basic plot, the rest of the characters, and the world. So read it if you need an urban fantasy/vampire fix, but only after you’ve read the classics of the genre.

Karen Chance's `Touch the Dark' is a shining fantasy story with an engaging heroine who is a sensational main protagonist and likeable character. This is the type of book which grabs your attention instantly, pulling you into a thrilling world of blood-lust and sexy Vampires which is irresistible. Readers of Kelley Armstrong (author of Bitten & Stolen), or J R Ward or Charlaine Harris (True Blood) will simply love this book!

Cassandra Palmer is a fantastic main protagonist, whom you can really connect to and like easily. This supernatural tale is brought vividly to life, with magical ambience and sinister spinechilling moments that have you sat on the edge of your seat. Glued to the pages I completely lost myself within a tale of love, danger and deadly desire that is full of electric tension and chilling suspense...

Cassie can see into the future and communicate with spirits ~ she is an intriguing being to both the living and the dead! However, the undead are another matter.

Cassandra sensibly endeavors to stay away from the Vampires, but when the bloodsucking manifesto whom she escaped from 3 years ago returns, she has no choice but to seek refuge with the Vampire Senate. The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and so she soon finds herself working for one of the most powerful members (a dangerously seductive master vampire) ~ and the price he demands may come at too great a cost.

This novel I felt was an adult version of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, without the sparkly Vampire and a lot more realism and gore thrown in. This is a sensational supernatural story that sent chills running down my arms and which made the hairs on my arms stand-up, it was so intense and dynamic. I would highly recommend this to those who enjoy paranormal romance with a bloody twist and that will certainly get your pulse racing!

This is a brilliant book and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. 3.5 stars.

Quick Overview: Cassie is clairvoyant and finds herself on the run from the evil, ruthless Tony. At an ambush at a club, her roommate Tomas, turns out to be just another vamp. One supposedly assigned to protect her. She wakes up from the attack to find she is suddenly very popular. She wanted on all sides because she could be the Pythia.

I was very frustrated on the front end. I felt utterly lost. It seemed, to me, all things I needed explained were looked over while things that didn't really matter were covered thoroughly. Page after page. It did come together at the end, but by the time I got there I had found I had skimmed the better part of the beginning. My attempt to get less irritated and find what I needed to know.

I was fairly offended by one of the last scenes in title. In my opinion, it bordered rape. It was very uncomfortable and the writer's casual tone made it all the more unnerving.

I think the idea of the story is great. Really great. How it was put together, not so much. I don't think I will read any more from this particular series.

This book had the potential to be awesome. The story line is very unique and the world was one I wanted to get lost in. But I just wasn't. I kept waiting for the big twist, the big bang to pull me into this book and not let me go and it really just never happened. Plus it was an information over load kinda book. There was just way too much time talking about who was who and what creature did what, what happened in her past and just way too much info and not enough action.

I liked the book, and I am probably going to continue the series (but I will be borrowing from my library for the second book) It really has the potential to be a great story but it just needs more story, more action, more character interaction and not so many descriptions.

There was some action but it was at the end and it happened so fast, I was a little confused. I must have missed something when they were planning or something because there were a few moments I just did not understand at all what was going on.

Okay so this is not a glowing review, but you know me I really won't finish a book without liking it. So you see I did like it, but I was just unsatisfied at how it all played out. I am hoping book 2 will be better, because like I said this really does seem like a neat world and could be something I fall in love with.

Quite frankly, I find this book hard to review. I liked the premise and the characters, but I find myself left with mixed feelings about the novel. It is difficult for me to put a finger on what exactly about this book made me like it less than I should have.

I liked the protagonist, Cassie. As a clairvoyant essentially raised by a vampire mafia, she is an interesting character with an intriguing background and an fascinating set of abilities. So, it's not the main character that bothered me. The rest of the cast of characters includes a plethora of vampires, several of them representing famous faces in history such as Cleopatra, Jack the Ripper, Rasputin, and more. There are also ghosts (with whom Cassie communicates), and mages. They are pretty well-developed for the time spent with their characters and the lens through which Cassie sees them, so it's not that either.

There is action. Oh, there is action. I am nearly certain that this is my problem with the novel. Karen Chance doesn't give you the feeling that you are reading the first book in what will be a somewhat long series (I believe there are 5 books out now). When you start reading the novel, you hit the ground running, and never stop. Cassie is thrown through events and characters and situations at such a breakneck speed, neither she nor the reader really ever gets a chance to rest. As a result, it is sometimes hard to keep track of what is going on, which characters are currently involved, and how Cassie feels about it. There was just so much happening in this book. In a way, it felt like the last novel of a series. Not because events were resolved (because they largely were not), but because it felt like the author and the characters were in a hurry to get all of the events packed in before the end.

Despite the general feeling that you are reading a novel in the middle or end of the series, the ending seems very abrupt. I contribute this to the fact the the novel runs full-steam from page 1, thus any ending seems like a train running off a cliff. Since I liked the characters, the world, and the plot, and I want to see what happens next to Cassie, I will at least give the next book in the series a chance. Hopefully, Chance has provided a novel which feels more complete.

Keep a look out for my review of Claimed by Shadow to see my recommendations regarding this series!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Cassandra Palmer has been living on the run. She’s a clairvoyant that can see the future (and sometimes the past) and can communicate with spirits. She grew up in mafia style vampire, Tony’s, home after he had her parents killed. She’s escaped a couple of times and is hiding out from him now. That is until she gets a warning of sorts on her work computer, her obituary shows up as her computer’s wallpaper. And it lists that evening as her time of death.

“I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the obituary. The fact that it had my name on it was sort of a clue.”

So, she does what any sane person would do –runs! But first she stops off at her roommate’s work to tell him. However, they get ambushed there by a bunch of vampires. Cassie is taken to the Vampire Senate who puts her under their protection. There is a war brewing among the magical users of the area and they all want Cassie for their own! Cassie just wants her freedom and she doesn’t know who to trust. But thankfully there are a few familiar faces at the Senate, Rafe and the always sexy master vampire, Mircea, both of which she grew up around in Tony’s home. She relies on them for her protection, but soon finds out that it could come at a great cost to her.

I’ve actually read some of the books at the end of this series and decided to actually try the first book in the series. I found a lot of this novel to be hard to follow. There was just so much going on and so many players that it really was quite confusing. I’m never much for vampire politics in my paranormal reads and unfortunately that’s mostly what this book was.

The book did start getting much more interesting toward the end, when I finally started understanding what was going on. It was also when things started getting steamy with a certain male as well.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this book, but hopefully the next installment will be better. I’m sure this will not be my last foray into the Cassandra Palmer series.

I enjoyed this book immensely! There was action all over the place, a few steamy like scenes. If I didn't have a must read list for my next 3 books I would immediately start on the second book.

There were a couple things that did get irritating. I also didn't like that there was maybe a bit too much detail about some things and not enough about important things. Or maybe the detail was all in the same paragraph and I skimmed over it. I tend to not care what every piece of furniture looks like and skim over the paragraph that details all the stuff in the room. I found it was harder to do that in this book as she would slide an important sentence in with all the non-important ones....annnd this bugged me a bit. But hey that's just me.

Also, I agree with the info dumps thing that other people are talking about. There were too many info dumps during action scenes. AND, I disagree with people saying there is too much Anita like stuff going on. I didn't even think to compare the two until people started talking about it in reviews and I love love love Anita. Yes, there are some minor similarities, but you can find similarities between all kinds of books...just sayin. And the famous people thing, didn't bother me. I don't mind learning some stuff while reading and sometimes it even makes me interested enough to go learn what history has to say about the "real" person.

I enjoyed the story line and the vampire politics and I liked the twist. I love Mircea! And I like Cassandra.

Anywho...read if you want, I enjoyed it and I hope you will too. :)

Cassie Palmer isn't your average kick-butt Urban Fantasy heroine. Maybe because she doesn't kick ass. She's not especially tough. She's not even snarky. But I think it's the fact that the series feels so unique that I enjoyed it so much.

Cassie is a clairvoyant. She also sees and communicates with ghosts. In fact, one serves as something like a guardian angel... or as close to a guardian angel as the ghost of a gambling, alcohol and lady-loving cowboy can be.

She grew up surrounded by vampires, and was raised by a horrible vamp named Tony. He had her parents killed and then used her gifts as a seer for his own gains. She got away from him and has been living her life in hiding, until now. She's been found and targeted. But the vampire senate steps in to save her. They realize there is more to her power than even Cassie recognized. And they want to nurture her gifts in the hope that she will be loyal to them.

Cassie's powers are growing, even in the short time she is with the senate. She must deal with that, the growing threats to her life, and the distinct attentions of two vampires who want her for themselves. Frankly, for much of the book, I didn't know who I was rooting for. One minute, I figured it had to be Tomas... then I was drooling for Mircea. The sexual tension is fantastic in the second half of the book and there are two really hot scenes that give us some payoff as well.

There is a lot of world-building to be done. And there are times that it intrudes on the flow. For me, this was more true in the first half. What gave me a little more pause was the time-travel element. Whenever you start talking about changing history, things can get really hairy. I think it worked out ok, but it slowed down the wheels in my brain once or twice.

But for the most part, I really enjoyed it. The ending isn't exactly a cliffhanger, but there is clearly more story to tell. And I want to read it! A dark, sexy start to the series. 4 stars.

The Cassandra Palmer series is really interesting. Karen Chance does a wonderful job of combining paranormal with mystery and romance. Touch the Dark starts with the protagonist, Cassandra Palmer, nicknamed Cassie, living in hiding. She has been on the run for three years from her vampire "master," Tony. He killed her parents and took her in as a clairvoyant when she was a little girl. Now, in her 20s, Cassie works as a tarot card reader at the same club as her roommate, Tomas. One night Tony's men come to find her, and kill her. She manages to escape, thanks to a mysterious tattoo and Tomas. Cassie is now in the hands of the vampire Senate and Lord Mircea. All Cassie wants to do is be free-she doesn't want to belong to Mircea, Tony, or the Senate. Simply running away isn't going to help. Those who don't want to control her, want her dead because she has inherited the powerful pythia's power.
Touch the Dark is filled with time traveling, sexy men and vampires, and a lot of action scenes. Cassandra Palmer has one goal in mind-to get her father's ghost from Tony and be free. Everything she does is to get that done. She doesn't want power. She doesn't want to be under the protection of Mircea and the vampires. By inheriting the pythia's power, Cassie finds herself thrown back in time. This is mostly because Myra, the girl who was supposed to become the next pythia, has decided to mess with the timeline.
Lord Mircea, a very sexy vampire, has appointed himself as Cassandra's protector. He knew where she was when she "ran away." I'd love to believe that he loves Cassandra, but I'm not sure. His actions show that he does. But at the same time he's a first class manipulator so I'm not sure. Same thing with Tomas, I think he has feelings for Cassandra, but at the same time, not too sure.
Karen Chance made sure the reader is never bored. There is so much going on that you feel like you ran a marathon by the end of the book. The only problem I had was that I felt thrown into the middle of everything. There were so many action scenes, I would have loved it if the story slowed down for bit. The time traveling scenes were a bit confusing, but still quite interesting to read. The series is quite interesting-mixing mages/magic, vampires, fey, and even historical figures into a series of books. I will definitely keep reading the series.
Warning:18 yrs. and older.

Three years ago Cassandra Palmer betrayed the vampire mafioso who killed her parents, to the human authorities. According to a cryptic computer message her past has finally caught up with her and it's time to run again. However, when escaping is no longer an option, she has to turn to the Vampire Senate for protection, but their help doesn't come for free.

Karen Chance can tell a rollicking good story. Her characters are fantastic, her dialogue is witty. And she is very good at building up sexual tension.

She starts off with a great first line:-

"I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the obituary. The fact that it had my name on it was sort of a clue."

The story powerhouses from there.

Some of it is hysterically funny. Possibly my favourite section of the book is when they're trying to get Jimmy out of the cage. It's like a textbook example of things rapidly going from bad to worse. And when Cassie initially possesses Tomas and is telling Louis-Cesare to shut up, and LC thinks it's Tomas (not understanding it's Cassie in there), is just hilarious. Karen Chance pulls this three-way conversation off brilliantly.

I love how all her characters are individuals with their own little quirks. Pritkin in particular. It's a great name and fits him to a tee. He reminded me of a banty rooster with apoplexy whenever he came on-page.

However, even though I loved the story I did have a few problems.

The author often stops in the middle of the action to infodump - whether it's on magical wards during the first fight scene, why people become ghosts, or magical theory. It's annoying. Yes, I'm interested in this stuff if it's going to be important to the story, but not halfway through some major action.

The number of times that other characters say to Cassie either that she belongs to the Silver Circle, or that she is a sybil. And she just ignores them. The reader has clearly heard the comments but somehow they pass Cassie by. This happens not once, but on several occasions. She doesn't question this 'til page 223. It's as if she has selective deafness.

Things happen and I wasn't always clear about what's going on or who's present. Cassie needs to pay better attention to her surroundings so it's not so confusing for the reader. You wouldn't know people were in the same room as Cassie until they started talking or fighting, then it's like `Who are these people?'.

Finally the ending, which I think in another story might have annoyed me. There isn't really a conclusion as such. Do we assume that the good guys won the day? Cassie left Mircea in the past, we never come back to the future, so we don't know for sure what happened. But somehow this ending fits with the rest of the story. I wasn't disappointed I just wanted to get onto the next book.

This is an extraordinary first book in a series. It's a complicated world to describe while keeping the action spinning. Cassie Palmer is a compelling character, wise beyond her age and amazingly intuitive, probably as a result of the environment in which she was raised. While there were segments of the story that lagged when background information was provided, the book didn't waste too much time and would quickly resume the action.

My head was spinning trying to keep track of the obvious villains and those who might be. Nothing was ever as clear as it might seem and I had to keep my wits about me to keep up. I'm normally frustrated with a heroine like Cassie who might make silly decisions in the midst of all the chaos but she's formidable. Cassie is quick-witted, funny and talented. And, she's not intimidated by any of the power around her.

I'm a fan of the series and am looking forward to the next book.

Cassandra Palmer may be developing a few trust issues. Three years ago she found out that the vampire who raised her was actually the one who slaughtered her parents so he could make use of her ability to see the future and interact with ghosts. Needless to say she did a runner and she's spent the last 3 years looking over her shoulder whilst the bloodthirsty Tony sends his henchmen after her. Now she's got a new roommate Tomas, and just as she feels herself opening up to him she finds that he's been sent my the Vampire Council to watch her. It seems like everyone wants a piece of her, literally and she's finding it hard to keep dodging. The only way she can see out of this is teaming up with the Devil you know, in this case Tony's master, Mircea, Vlad Dracul's older brother, but even there she's not safe and you'll love the scene when you find out what he's actually after. Karen Chance has created a wonderful group of characters, and we know we should feel sorry for Cassie in her plight, but hey she's surrounded by enough gorgeous testosterone to squash any pity, and we eagerly await the next installment.

The description intrigued me and I've seen the series a lot. I thought I would give it a try, especially since the library had all 4 books. I was overwhelmed 60 pages into the story. There is far to much going on to get a good grip on. It's not a very good opening into a series. Introduce elements and characters a little more slowly, and let the reader have a chance to get to know the lead character. It's especially hard to get to know and connect with Cassie because she doesn't even fully understand herself. It took me 4 days to read this, which is double what it normally does. I just wasn't invested into the story. I like the idea behind it. It's just way to bogged down with the details. I think some of it could have waited until the second novel. I will continue with the series but for 2 reasons. First, I already have the 2nd checked out and in my hands. Second, everyone tells me the second is way better than the first. I hope they're right!

I started off with Karen Chances Dory Basarab series. Dory is the daughter of Mircea, who plays a main role in the Cassandra Palmer series. I loved them and thought I would try this series also, but I must admit this first book didn't appeal to me the way Death's Mistress and Midnight's Daughter did. Maybe because Cassie is so timid and shy in the first book, whereas Dory is loud and out there. Cassie is being chased by a vamp master Tony she escaped from and the only friend she has turns out to be working for the other side, or is he? Cassie has the ability to see, talk to and channel ghosts. She also has a heritage that seems important to the vamps, except she would rather just be left alone. This is a slow start into the series, but having read the rest I know it just gets better with time, just like a mature wine. Highly recommend this writer.

*copied from my goodreads review:

I decided to read this series again to prepare for book 6 and let me just say, the main reason I'm continuing with the series is Pritkin/Cassie. It's been a long wait so I've forgotten most of this series! So book 1 is not stellar to me. Being a Pritkin fan, I like the later books better. But for a first in a series, there was waaaayy too much going on and none of it simple. Do not start this series if you don't want to think! On the other hand, if you like non stop action, crazy characters and time travel, this one's for you.

As a whole, I enjoy this series, but a LOT is thrown at you in this book so be prepared to take some notes!

"Touch the Dark" occurs in a fantasy varianet of modern day, where vampires, clairvoyants and mages live secretly among us. The main character, C, is a young lady clairvoyant on the run from a gang of vampire criminals. Another group of vampires are willing to rescue her -- for a price. Now C's powers are changing, and altogether too many people (creatures?) are interested in what she may become.

C is an outgoing, brave lady, who is quite worldly. Her adventures capture the imagination and leave you wanting more. The setting is fascinating and well ballanced. Some explicit adult topics & violence are included, so young or sensitive readers may want to look elsewhere for entertainment.

Alas, the author is altogether too fond of Nancy Drew -- you know, where the villain corners Nancy and spends a chapter telling her why he did what he did & how & when? Well, this happens with great regularity throughout, with a particularly long & borring section of gut-spilling toward the end of the novel, in what should have been a tense (or perhaps sexy) scene. The other flaw is an occasional writing glitch, where it reads like someone accidentally deleted a few pages.

Altogether, I enjoyed C's adventures. Good but not great, "Touch the Dark" provides a fun interlude, suitable for a lazy afternoon.

I listened to this book as an unabridged audio book so I may spell character names and places incorrectly.

Cassie Palmer was raised by the vampire mafia but as she grew she realized they had murdered her parents in order to keep her all to themselves because she is a powerful clairvoyant. When the book begins she has escaped them and has been successfully hiding for 3 years or so. Because she is clairvoyant and also has two helpful ghosts hanging around she has managed to stay out of danger but her luck has run out. As she's trying to make a run for it and warning her roomie Tomas of danger they meet up with the vamps. It's here that Cassie discovers her friend Tomas is much more than he pretends to be and breaks her heart a little.

This book starts off with a bang and a great leading character but there were a few info dumps that seriously hurt my brain. I don't like info dumps and I especially dislike them when the book is first in a series. Start at the beginning or leave all of the useless crap out. Don't stop the action to explain a whole lot of stuff that happened previously, leaving me a bit confused and frustrated and bored.

Once the action starts it doesn't really let up. Okay, that's not exactly true because it does get stalled for the many info dumps and flashbacks in time and the author seems to lose her focus quite a bit. I'm not a big fan of all action, all the time and this is where I usually start to fade but the characters and storyline are engaging enough that I am still interested in seeing where this will go. The author also uses the heroine's talent to the best advantage for some creative voyeuristic sex scenes without tainting her heroine.

There is too much going on here, too much for my pea brain to keep straight, and the author's writing is a bit scattered. There are time flips and body hopping and lots of characters and I had a difficult time staying focused enough to figure things out. Darn, that's disappointing. Still, the heroine and storyline were strong, the world-building pretty good and because this is a first book I'll try #2 and see if she's improved on the focusing and info dump issues. As of now, my head aches.

The last 1/4 of the book picks up and gets extremely interesting as some major plot twists are revealed and the author focuses a bit more on the sensuality of her characters. I'm hoping the next book slows down a wee bit and focuses more on the tangled relationships between the characters. All in all I thought this was a promising if somewhat difficult start to a new series.

Cassandra Palmer's parents were murdered by the henchman of the vampire who raised her. When she was young, she didn't know that. Growing up in the world of vampires, she didn't think anything of the lifestyle; everything was normal. However, she did know that she could speak to ghosts and no one else had that power. Also, she was a clairvoyant, could have visions of the future. Even though she couldn't control her visions, she was still valuable and made her surrogate vampire father millions in the process. Then she noticed that he didn't always act on her warnings of impending crises, that he let people die when it would bring him profit. Shortly after that, Cassandra learned that Tony the vampire gangster ordered the hit on her parents. Three years ago, she escaped. Now the vampires have found her again. But it isn't just the vampires who apparently want her dead. A group of mages known as the Silver Circle want her dead as well -- before she gets caught up in a destiny unlike anything Cassandra could have guessed at. With her ghostly compatriots at her side, with every bit of knowledge and magic spell she has at her command, Cassandra fights to survive and learn the mysteries that are her life.

TOUCH THE DARK is Karen Chance's first book. She's working on a sequel. Her degree and interest in history shows up a lot in Cassandra's story, giving her an excellent range to weave and borrow from.

The novel is rich in history and backstory, though neither is completely revealed and enough clues are left to keep readers coming back for the sequel. Cassandra is an interesting character as the story goes along. At first she comes across really thin, just a woman on the run kind of riff that's been seen before. But there are enough interesting things going on that the reader will keep turning pages.

Things get more weird and intense toward the middle of the book, but that's where heavy doses of backstory and history come in that truly bog the pacing down. Also, the book felt "small", like what television producers would call a "bottle" episode. Very few sets and scene changes, so the overall pacing again seemed slow. The sex is blazing hot and very graphic, so those sensitive to such issues might want to consider. And those who don't want to read a lot of backstory and history should know there's a reason to keep reading if that's what is desired.

Fans of paranormal romance will eat this one up. But readers wanting more of a "big world" fantasy novel or a developed sideways view of the "real" world might find it lacking. However, it's a good story and shows real promise for Karen Chance.

First in the Cassandra Palmer urban fantasy series revolving around Cassie, a very reluctant Pythia-to-be and taking place mostly in Las Vegas and any where and any when.

My Take
I loved this story. Chance has taken clairvoyants, witches, and vampires and created a whole new twist on it. One that is too funny and brimming over with drama and tension.

It's a HUGE cast of characters with so much going on that you may need to read it a few times to pick it all up. I know I've enjoyed every re-read I've done of it, and I do adore Chance's cast. They ran the gamut from sweet to way too wicked and the main characters are complex creatures who are both good and bad. I find myself cheering and booing throughout!

It's action, oops, actions and actions that never stop and are constantly evolving and twisting about.

I hate Pritkin for his leaping to conclusions and unwillingness to listen to anyone but himself, but I did enjoy the description of his weapons "which hovered in front of him in an obedient little line, each weapon waiting its turn."

"Pritkin looked disgusted. 'So they're not monsters and murderous beasts, only misunderstood; is that it?'

Mircea was trying not to laugh."

The Story
Damn. Damn, damn, damn. They'd found her. That obituary blinking on her computer announcing her death as occurring later that evening. Damn. She had to run. She had to warn Tomas. It wasn't fair on him and she had to warn him.

And so begins Cassie's next adventure in her escape from Antonio. It's been a few years since she ran away from that master vampire who raised her. Raised her because he killed her parents and wanted a tame psychic of his own. She couldn't bear being the cause of so much death and destruction and she chose to run. And it's this compassion that forces her to warn Tomas...and leads to Cassie's doom.

Too bad that psychics can't foresee their own futures or Cassie would have run the other way and not wound up...so quickly...in the center of this roiling conflict of passions.

For who will control or kill this budding Phythia.

The Characters
Orphaned when she was four years old, Cassie Palmer is a strong clairvoyant who sees ghosts and who is taken into "care" by Tony, a master vampire, who uses and abuses her powers. Laura, a ghost of an old German family, was her best friend as a child. Lizzy, the original heir to Agnes, and Roger are her parents. Tomas is a street kid Cassie befriended and took in; she found him a job as a waiter at Mike's bar.

Jerry Sydell was the FBI agent who put Cassie into witness protection and helped her pick out a gun. He didn't believe in the supernatural world, right up until a couple of Tony's vampire goons tore his throat out. Billy Joe is a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking Irish-American gambler who played the wrong hand in 1858 and was drowned in the Mississippi. Due to a chance purchase in a junk shop, Cassie has inherited him and his dubious services.

Tony and his stable of vampires
Tony is a third-level master who was turned by Mercia in 1513 and has a thug's mentality. Raphael (the Renaissance artist) is a vampire and one of Tony's. He should'a never said no to Tony. Alphonse is Tony's chief enforcer. Jimmy the Rat is Tony's favorite hit man. Danny is the shrunken head who didn't pay his vig.

The Vampire Senate
The thirty-year-old-looking Mercia Basarab is Vlad Dracul's older brother and a member of the Vampire Senate as well as their chief negotiator. A VERY powerful vampire. Tony is one of his and supposedly subservient to him. Radu is Mircea's younger brother.

Louis-César, a.k.a., GQ, is the European Vampire Senate's fencing champion on loan to the American Vampire Senate. The Consul was Cleopatra before she was turned; now she leads the American Senate. Jack is the Jack the Ripper whose career came to an abrupt end...thank god. Now he tortures for the Senate. Augusta is one of the Senators. Mei Ling is the Consul's second, her Enforcer. Chris Marlowe is the Senate's spymaster.

John Pritkin is a war mage for the Silver Circle and hates Cassie with an obsessive passion! He is sooo totally clueless about what really is harmful to a vampire and how they live that Cassie wonders what they're teaching mages these days. I do love how Chance describes him! "...his T-shirt was crossed with enough ammunition to take out a platoon, and he had a tool belt slung low on his hips that, along with a strap across his back, looked like it carried one of every type of handheld weapon on the market. I recognized a machete, two knives, a sawed-off shotgun, a crossbow, two handguns...and a couple of honest-to-God grenades. There were other things I couldn't identify..."

Agnes is the current Pythia, mistress over all supernaturals, and not long for this world. The current heir to Pythia is Myra, and she's missing. Françoise is a witch who was being tortured in the past at Carcassonne.

Portia is an antebellum ghost who likes to scare the tourists on Atlanta's streets. There are different kinds of ghosts in Cassie's world: the imprints are "like a supernatural theater that shows the same move over and over, and haunters are mobile with a fixation. Captain Beauregard Lewis is a ghost friend of Portia's who brings his Confederate troop to Cassie's rescue.

At last, we discover why Rasputin was so hard to kill back at the turn of the last century. Nowadays, he's leading an insurrection. Jonathan is the Black Circle mage whose swords bracelet leaves him and cleaves unto Cassie during the parking lot fight.

There are three types of wards: energy wards which influence people's minds; perimeter wards used to camouflage activities; and, protection wards which may be personal shields or guards, which operate independently of a person's power.

MAGIC is the Metaphysical Alliance for Greater Interspecies Cooperation, a.k.a., party central for things that go bump in the night, with its headquarters just outside Las Vegas. Think of it as a supernatural U.N.

The Silver Circle is the "good" witches' policing agency while the Black Circle is, well, black mages. About the only real difference is that the Black is open about what they're doing while the Silver is like our politicians: all talk, no action unless it benefits them.

The Cover
The cover is a smoky interior with Cassie's back towards us. The blinds are almost completely down in the window and Cassie is wearing a wine-red slipdress, the ward tattoo centered between her shoulder blades.

The title is a subtle introduction to the series and one in which Cassie must Touch the Dark.

Fans who have loved Anita Blake or Sookie Stackhouse or Merry Gentry will fall in love with Cassie Palmer. She's the kind of girl who really doesn't want to kick butt however fate has different plans. She also has a unique magical ability: she's an extremly powerful clairvoyant. She's so powerful that the extent of her gift is only now starting to become apparent.

Raised by a vampire who has inserted himself as the head of a mafia family, Cassie has been used as both a threat and a money making machine her whole life. But three years ago she escaped into the witness protection program after ratting her former boss out to the FBI. Ever since she's been in hiding until the night the book starts when she comes back from a dinner break to find that someone has posted her obituary on her computer desktop. Ready to run again she first makes a stop at the club her room mate and she sometimes work at to warn him. That's when all heck breaks loose!

Not only is Cassie attacked by nine vampires at the club but it turns out that her roommate is more than meets the eye.Tomas is the highest level of master vampire possible and along with the help of Cassie's ghost freinds he saves her, puts her under a sleep spell and carts her off to Nevada. She comes to outside the chambers of the Senate, the highest vampire governing body on this continant, and is almost immediatley attacked again.

As Cassie is dragged back into the world of vampire politics not only does the plot thicken but the reader is treated to a fantastic world of intrigue, history, and delightful characters. The men in Cassie's life figure prominently in the great character category and I can not wait to see more of her relationships with Mircea Teppish, Tomas, Louis-Cesar, and Rapheal. This story has everything: betrayal, humor, suspense, magic, lust, love, and action, action, action. I can't wait till the next installment arrives in April!

TOUCH THE DARK by Karen Chance. This book would be the opposite of ANGELOLOGY (which bored me to tears). There was too much going on in TOUCH THE DARK. The author wrote in first person, which I do love. BUT she never really explained the whole paranormal world. You're thrust into it like a chicken who's lost their head. Everything is so jumbled together and confusing. You're stumbling blind. The majority of the book is spent in a room with way too much dialog explaining stuff instead of actions speaking for themselves. A big no-no in my book of pet-peeves. And the love interest/weird sex comes out of left field. Literally. There is no spark. No flirting. Just wham and bam and their clothes are off. REALLY? I mean . . . really? Right, then. Next.

(It's like I'm herding cattle.)

This book is the first in the Cassandra Palmer story. Cassandra is a clairvoyant. She has been hiding for years from the master vampire Tony who raised her after her parents died. Tomas was sent by the vampire senate to watch her for them. She also has multiple dark mages along with other things after her. Basically everyone is chasing her and wants her and she has no idea why.

Cassandra doesn't know much about what her powers are or mean. She was raised with vampires so she knows all about them but not people like herself. I actually listened to the CDs for this, which I wouldn't recommend because I feel it would have been better to read.

I'm going to start with the positives. The vampires in the book stayed true to multiple myths. They did have some aspects of the way they feed that I hadn't heard before. I think that they were creative. There were also mages both on the light and dark sides along with alliances between various creatures. I enjoyed the amount of myths from vampires, weres, mages and fae in this book. It was basically packed with so many that it felt like an entirely different world. I also like the amount of Greek myth in there, which revolved around Cassandra herself. The character herself was not that interesting but the supporting characters were. They all had their personalities shine and the multicultural aspect was nice. It had some action in there that actually sounded interesting. Magic with things flying and vampire attacks, which were interesting. Towards the end without any spoilers I found myself actually surprised about a turn of events. It's always nice when it's not so predictable.

Like I said Cassandra herself was not that interesting of a character to me. She was strong willed but at points I thought she could just get on my nerve. Talking about her fashion style was boring to me and did nothing to enhance the story. The whole thing was about everyone running after her yet it all seemed to take place in a day or two? It was all just really odd. It felt like all was happening was people talking and trying to explain things. So to me it was one long never ending conversation about who Cassandra is and why everyone wants her. There was a hint of romance in there but again was very odd and felt kind of forced and out of place.

My guess is this book was meant as an introduction into Cassandra's world. In that case it succeeded but plot line wise it was a bust. I'm interested to see where the second one leads and hoping that it's not a two day conversation like this one.

If you like non-stop action involving vampires, fae, black and white mages (magic), a dose of humor, and all that goes with it - you'll love this book and the series. Cassandra Palmer is a hot commodity by all. She "successfully" hides for three years until discovered and the fun begins. Her side-kick is a ghost who tasted the bottom of the ol' Mississippi after a poker game he was cheating at didn't go too well (for him). Considering this is the first major book by Ms. Chance, I am looking forward to a long reading experience with her. This is the first in a series of four books (the fourth book isn't finished yet). I highly recommend the whole series.

Over three years ago Antonio the Mafioso vampire killed his parents who were in the way when he went to abduct Cassandra Palmer so that he could control her clairvoyance skills. She escaped and felt relatively safe until now when she reads her obit on her computer screen. Deciding not to wait for her death on Atlanta's Peachtree Street, Cass races home to insure her roommate Tomas is safe. However vampires attack both of them. They survive the assault with help from some of Cass' more spirited friends and it helps that Tomas is a vampire too.

Tomas escorts Cassie to the Metaphysical Alliance for Greater Cooperation (MAGIC) headquarters for a who's who of supernatural and mythological species. She pleads with the vampiric Senate for protection against avenging literally blood-thirsty hitman; instead the senators demand much more unsafe escapades from her. Cass is beginning to comprehend for some unknown reason she is the center of a supernatural war. As Cassie begins to understand the scope of her power, she finds herself attracted to Senator Mircea, but fears he just wants to make her dinner not take her to dinner.

TOUCH THE DARK is an entertaining supernatural thriller starring a bewildered beleaguered brave woman struggling to survive in a world that makes no sense to her, which is saying a lot since she regularly speaks with ghosts. The action-packed story line never slows down for a nano second so wear the seat belts and set some time as this is a one read thriller. The creatures of the dark seem genuine whether they are vampire, ghost, or a were-species and the senate is a fascinating mix of historical and literary figures while a seemingly bittersweet star-crossed romance augments a strong tale that will bring much acclaim to Karen Chance.

Harriet Klausner

I suppose at first glance a reader might think this is another Anita Blake novel - we have a feisty heroine who is surrounded by vampires and keeps getting herself into complicated situations. Like the Anita Blake series, you're never entirely sure what's going on and the roster of things-that-go-bump-in-the-night seems to grow as you move through the book.

I don't think this IS another Anita Blake book - our heroine Cassandra Palmer isn't a vampire hunter, for a start - she's a Clairvoyant. She was raised by Tony a vampire after he had her parents killed and she eventually managed to escape him. The book starts with her discovering her obituary on her computer with the details of her death - to take place in an hour's time. She knows that Tony must have found her and is sending his vampire hit squad after her, so she must flee. First of all, though, she needs to warn Tomas her roommate as he is at risk. When at the club with Tomas the vampire hit men arrive and Cassie has to try and escape and to defend herself and Tomas and, at this point, she is plunged into something a lot more complex than she had ever imagined.

This complexity is at the heart of the book - Cassie finds herself dealing with vampires, ghosts, mages, witches, sybils... the list goes on and on and I, for one, got a bit confused between the Dark Circle and the Light Circle and the Vampire Senate and all the rest of it. The story is packed with events, discussions, characters... it is difficult to keep up with everything and all the plots, twists, different viewpoints, changes of motivation etc.

Cassie is certainly not Anita Blake - she doesn't kill vampires, for a start. She's perhaps more passive than some heroines - things seem to happen around her. A lot of the action takes place in words - people discuss what events mean, what happens. Cassie also finds herself possessing other people's bodies now and again which is a very interesting aspect to the story but gets confusing again.

I presumed there would be a vampire love interest in the book as we have four or five eligible vampires paraded before us. However this doesn't work out quite as you might expect either, and in fact the sex scene towards the end of the book felt rather like something the editor had requested the author included rather than an integral part of the plot. It felt tacked on, somehow, and I think the book would have been just as good, or better, without.

Her vampire characters were good though. Of course many of them are people famous from the past (Raphael, Dracula's relatives, Rasputin and other well-known names) and they all have their own charms and scary sides. The vampires were particularly well described and were great characters - there's even a French double-barred vampire; no, not Jean-Claude, this one is Louis-César. I liked it when Cassie interacted with the vampires because they were such complex characters and Cassie was aware of this and read the deeper meanings in a lot of what they said. That was well written.

I have some criticisms of this book, the main one being I wasn't really sure what was going on and, now I've finished it, I don't think I really understand it - and I don't consider myself dim. Maybe a re-read would help but I don't know if I enjoyed it enough for that. I felt that the world Karen Chance had built was perhaps a little overcomplex for the first book - maybe she should have added aspects over time rather like Laurell K Hamilton did (although she added way too much over time).

Although I enjoyed reading Touch The Dark I also read three or four other books over the time I was reading this one. In other words, it wasn't unputdownable at all. It's all set up for a sequel but I don't know whether I enjoyed this one enough to search out the next book in the series when it's published.

First off, one star was subtracted from this book because IT IS OBVIOUSLY THE SETUP TO A SERIES. You get to the end, and it's like they should have written "To Be Continued..." If you like being teased by publishers, take this up to 4 stars.

OK, now, this is a vampire book. I've read lots of vampire books. This reminds me of Kim Harrison (the heroine in particular reminds me of Harrison), Tanya Huff (with all the history stuff), and OLD Laurell K Hamilton (action PACKED). It is not at all like the romance-vampire novels that have been the rage the last few years (Kenyon, Feehan, and the like). The vampires are not quite monsters, but they aren't poor, misunderstood souls either.

There is a big question throughout the entire book of who exactly is on the side of good and who is on the side of bad. People change guises so fast it makes your head spin.

The story tried to cover, in my mind, perhaps a bit too much. And the lead character's background was too spottily explained, leaving me routing for someone I just didn't know at all. I enjoyed it, though it was very complex, but I won't be buying the sequels. I HATE publisher tricks.

(*)>

With the huge number of reviews already posted, this writer obviously has a large fan base already.She WILL deserve it someday, but this is a rather weak start. A lot of time is spent discussing who or what our lead character is, which team wants her, who--out of a large supporting cast--wants her for their own reasons of power, lust, love--take your choice. Additonally, most of this discussion takes place in a ROOM. Not a lot of action, more a lot of set-up. Of course, the female lead is out of the LKH school of loner, kick-butt, paranormal,female with the mysterious death of her parents haunting her, but she is likeable and hasn't yet become a sex addict. This is a worthwhile, but slow, beginning book. I already bought the other two of the series AND a back-up book for when this one bogs down. Might be a used book store choice--still worth the read just for the future books. I know they will get out of that darn room someday. I just need to stay awake long enough for it to happen....

This book had so much potential - the alternate reality that Karen Chance has created is new and refreshing and could be very interesting to read about, which is why I gave it two stars instead of one. I thought the quality of the writing was absolutely dreadful - Chance just couldn't translate the story on paper. They way Chance bounced around between subjects was confusing at best. The typos were horrendous and sometimes the dialogue just didn't make sense. Chance also tried to jam pack too much information in this first installment when since this is a series, it would have been beneficial to reveal things in later books to keep the reader interested.

I absolutely loved this book! Cassie is a strong, intelligent heroine and I like the new twists Ms. Chance weaved into her story about vampire and magical lore and politics. I also liked that there are many different types of supernatural beings in this world from Seers, Vampires and Weres to the lesser known Satyrs and Mages. I do agree that there was alot of backstory but, I think that it was necessary so that the reader understood the main plot line. This book almost reminded me why I loved Laurell K Hamilton's earlier work in her Anita Blake series: the heroine is strong, the vampires are powerful and sexy and the story is so well developed that you kind of get sucked into this world. I looked up Ms. Chance's website and was excited to find that there will be a second book, 'Claimed by Shadow', coming out June 2007. I would recommend anyone who reads LKH, Kim Harrison or Charlaine Harris to go out and buy this book!