Death’s Mistress ( Dorina Basarab 2) by Karen Chance

Hello!

              only 10days left before halloween, i can't wait to enjoy sometimes for me surrounded by books and candies ( and perhaps chatting with friends since i will go to bed later than usual which help with time difference^^).

 I hope to post a  review every two days until then , if no more, depending if i do read and finish my reviews on time...now i hesitated on which book to review today... until i saw that for Brenda on her Ghoulishly Good Monster Mix Mash Up it was Vampires day....so i had to share my opinion on a book which include vampires ^^ and after the review you will perhaps want to enter the link given to win some vampires books (if US/ CAN) or a book of choice ( this one?) if international^^. Good idea no?

 So when i looked at my TBR pile i saw i had several Karen Chance's books....in both her Cassandra Palmer series and her Dorina Basarab one.... i enjoy both series but since they are linked together there is a precise order to read them so i had to wait until i had everything..... which as you will learn i didn't have at the end ç_ç... You really need to follow the Timeline made by the author to fully enjoy these series. Anyway i picked Dorina Basarab book 2 and i was in for a lot of surprise.

 Happy reading!

Publisher: Onyx

Publication: 2010

ISBN:  0451412761

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 Dorina Basarab is a dhampir-half-human, half-vampire. Back home in Brooklyn after the demise of her insane Uncle Dracula, Dory's hoping her life is about to calm down. But soon Dory realizes someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if she can't stop the murderer, her friends may be next...

My opinion:

          I was really happy to jump back in the universe created by Karen Chance but i got a little confused i did read book 1 and i loved it, yes it was sometimes ago but still there were part i completely missed. What i mean is that some even with impact in this book i couldn’t recall at all  it wasn’t completely dramatic, you can mostly understand everything but if you are like mean and what’s everything you know something is missing…. And that’s partly one default of this series, it’s strongly linked to the Cassandra Palmer one and thus to get a full view of the universes you need to follow both…and read them accordingly…

 I do read both series and thus i was surprised to feel so at lost not understanding where the fey came from, the relations ally/enemies etc until i remembered the novellas….Karen chance write a lot of novellas that fit in the timeline of the universe, some you can miss without worrying they are simply great bonus, others you shouldn’t, as i just discovered, miss for anything if you don’t want to get really frustrated. It’s partly my fault i do have the free novella and i noted when they needed to be read but i didn’t check the timeline Karen gently did for us and which include all novellas even those not free by in anthology (thankfully print one) and thus i completely missed the existence of “Buying Trouble” in which we discover the elves. I really need to rectify that without delay. (conclusion: Check the timeline here if you plan on following this author!)

So what can i said about this book, definitively part of a series and even a more complex world “Death’s Mistress” show us new side for characters we though to know before and introduce us to new one. Dorina is confronted to the murder of several important vampires and the prime suspect is no other than Louis-Cesare, the vampire who her heart can’t resist.  However being an dhampir, this romance is frowned upon and she isn’t even sure she would want a long lasting relationship because of her dangerous nature.  However vampire are not the only problem Dory has to face because a fey relic has disappeared and they are hard bend to retrieve it that including her fey arch nemesis : AEsubrand , who nearly managed to kill her the last time they met.

On the run , with the body of a master vampire on her side (the head being sometimes there in a duffle bag sometimes in the hands on someone else) She must retrieve the relic to ensure the security of her best friend Claire’ son and discover who is the culprit before Louis-Cesare   loose is how head instead ( or face eternal enslavement)…. Now that’s far from easy when said vampire is determined to find his past mistress Christine and to protect Dory  no matter the risk.

I love how the author manages to balance dramatic part with a lot of humour because that’s something really present in this book like the little checkmate pieces, stinky and his drunken habits and Dory’s usual dry humour and her bickering with Louis-Cesare I couldn’t stop smiling and that really helped to keep me entertained and immersed in the story despite my questions about the fey and what I missed.

I really recommend this universe in a whole however if you do want to enjoy it fully, remember to check the available timeline it will avoid deception and unnecessary questions.

Score:  3/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

And  If you want to get this book, the first in the series or the anthology needed ( or any other vampires romance^^) you get the opportunity to do so by checking Brenda's blog Crazy four books and entering her special giveaway. A book choice for International or several Vampires Diaries books if you are living in the US or in Canada! don't hesitate to have a look and tell her a big Thanks! ( you have until halloween to enter)