Brilliant, fast paced - I got sucked in and enjoyed the ride - Rated 
I must admit that I was a bit shell-shocked for the first third of the book. The author dumps you right into the thick of a very complex world and you have to go with it. So much so that I spent a lot of time thinking that the back story should have been made into a separate book. However, by the end of it I really missed the style and pace and couldn't wait to start the next two sequels.
Don't expect full resolution in this book. It's more like a Janet Evanovitch 'Stephanie Plum' book in it's treatment of the heroine and the main male characters. I've read the sequels now and I still couldn't tell you who Cassie is going to end up with (although she has had some great encounters with some of them!). The suspense of that alone means that I can't wait for more from Ms Chance.
It's vivid, funny and perplexing. There are some fantastic characters and ideas. I'm hooked.
Unappealing descriptions - Rated 
The premise behind the story was a little hard to swallow. A girl brought up by her parents' killer who happens to be a mob-boss-type vampire. She's now grown up and hates him and is trying to live a normal life, but in hiding from him. Cue the rest of the story. But unfortunately, by the time I'd got through the first couple of chapters I had started to not care. I ploughed on.
I personally I found Ms Chance's style of writing awkward and stilted. I could suspend belief for some of the plot lines (which I'm happy to do for fiction - lets face it - its about vampires) and I tried to get immersed in the world and the characters that the author created. But it was tough going.
I've given this book two stars instead of one, because I feel that part of my dislike of the book is due to my difficulty with Ms Chance's writing style. Her descriptions left me feeling distant from the environment and characters, rather than being drawn in. I have read other vampire/preternatural fiction and usually enjoy it immensely. I'm sorry that I didn't with this book.
Vamp-tastic! - Rated
I happened across this book in the fantasy section of Waterstones. I was looking for some new material in that genre that wasn't necessarily a best-seller and therefore thrust in your face at every opportunity. I'm now very glad I took the time to look. I love vampire novels, and books about various ghosts and beasties and I was immediately drawn after reading the cover blurb of this one - "Can you ever really trust a vampire?"
Desperate to find out, I bought this book and the sequel. I was drawn in right from the beginning of Touch the Dark. The narrative voice is very easy to read, a very conversational style, with not many big words! As I continued to read I was grateful for this easy style as the novel is so action-packed with so many different characters and events, it's already hard to keep track!
The book begins right in the middle of the action. The main character Cassandra Palmer returns to her desk at work to find a note attached to her computer, containing an obituary. Hers. Most people would be horrified by this prospect, but as we soon find out, Cassie isn't just anybody. She's a clairvoyant with a great deal of power and this makes her both desired and feared by other magical people - not least vampires.
Cassie immediately goes on the run and takes flight to warn her roommate Tomas and let him know that she has to leave town. Just as she is trying to get away with explaining as little as possible, the two are attacked. Cassie tries to protect Tomas, but as the violence continues, she discovers he can hold his own - because he too, is a vampire. Once the threat has dissipated, Cassie wants answers. But they're not necessarily what she wants to hear...
Cassie's powers are sought after by many magical groups, some who would like to use them for good, others not so good. The problem is, Cassie has been brought up her whole life in the company of a most unsavoury vampire who exploited her powers to make himself rich. And now Cassie wants him dead and out of her life for good so she can continue with a fairly normal and quiet existence. But what she doesn't realise is many, many more people are looking for her... some to protect her, some to kill her. Before long, she has no idea who she can trust or where to turn... will Cassie ever get the quiet life she desires?
I thought this book was fab! It was completely action-packed from start to finish and you have to make sure you're paying attention to who's doing what, or you'll quickly get lost. But this book has everything; action, great characters, magic, and even a little bit of sex to spice things up even more!
Readers into this kind of genre will love this book. It's very dark and threatening; you can't take your eye off the ball for one minute, but once you start reading, you won't want to. It's definitely my favourite vampire novel so far, but then, I've yet to read the sequel... I'll post the review as soon as I'm finished!
Three and a Half Stars - Rated 
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.
A Must Read - Rated
I cannot recommend highly enough both Touch the Dark and Claimed by Shadow. I've read both books twice and I can't get enough of the characters. Karen Chance has created such an amazing world that you become completely emersed. I stumbled on these books by complete accident and they have been the best read I've had in ages. Looking forward to (Book 3) Embrace the Dark (out next April).
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