Fury’s Kiss ( Dorina Basarab 3) by Karen Chance

Hello to all!

                       Really there isn't enough time in the day to do all we want, or have, to do... at least in my case. Right now i'm back at making list to make sure i'm not forgetting any task and it's time for the review of the week!
This time i'm going back in a universe i really enjoy via it's spin off which i think i'm even starting to like more than the main one but honestly i can only recommend to read both series and jumping from one to the other following the reading line the author kindly provided it makes the experience a lot more pleasurable.

 So without waiting here comes " Fury's Kiss" third book in the Dorina Basarab series by Karen CHance

Happy reading!

Publisher: Penguin

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  0451413237

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

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. But so far, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing...

Dory is used to fighting hard and nasty. So when she wakes up in a strange scientific lab with a strange man standing over her, her first instinct is to take his head off. Luckily, the man is actually the master vampire Louis-Cesare, so he’s not an easy kill.

It turns out that Dory had been working with a Vampire Senate task force on the smuggling of magical items and weaponry out of Faerie when she was captured and brought to the lab. But when Louis-Cesare rescues her, she has no memory of what happened to her.


To find out what was done to her—and who is behind it—Dory will have to face off with fallen angels, the maddest of mad scientists, and a new breed of vampires that are far worse than undead…

My opinion:

          I loved this book but I must say it was far from the easiest to read in the series…. It can even be really confusing at time with the memories from different characters, the time shifts and the mind speaking added.  I’m not sure I’ve grasped all the details either honestly but at the same time strangely I was never lost if it makes sense…

Karen Chance mastered her story in a very interesting way leading you one way then another without a reprieve but you do glimpse some info along this tortuous path and you can’t be driven wrong. In a sense, while I would not recommend it at all, this book could even works as standalone probably, though it doesn’t represent all the instalments. It has been years since I’ve read the precedent books or one in the other series Cassandra Clare (both series intertwine in the time line) but really it was not a problem for the understanding of the plot.

Dory is a damphir, as the daughter of a senate member she isn’t hunted but works with the vampires at the moment which doesn’t means she trusts them or like them….Things get complicated when she is the sole survivor of a mission and worse a mission she has no memory of….. She wants to discover the truth and for that she is taking risks….

I loved how Dory was maturing, able to put her prejudices aside for what she believes in and… getting some elements of her past was both informative and entertaining….we start to understand Dorina, the vampire part of Dory, in a new light….the author really did well by using the method of storytelling and memories travel to give them to us it fit wonderfully with the world building and what we learned in past instalments…even if it can leads to some confusion yes.

You see when Dory get full damphir mode, survival mode, it’s Dorina personality that is at command and normally one doesn’t remember what the other did ( as we were told)…so we get part from Dorina point of view and other from Dory…some actual , some from the past and the transition is sometimes abrupt.

For example we have the case of a child…but I still don’t understand how Dory/ Dorina “lost” it during their escape…because Luis Cesare never speak of him/her either….we have another mention later but is it the same child? I guess but I’m not sure and that moment I don’t know where to put it in the story frame time….. there are so many  jump between past nights and present ones that left me confused on some elements like this one.

However the main plot, the investigation, what happened etc. is perfectly clear and so enjoyable… I did guess the culprit ( a talent of mine) too quickly but discovering the “why “and “how “ along the ride kept my interest  well focused on the story which I’ve read in one sitting.

I don’t want to tell you too much because all the mysteries are part of the story in itself and you should savour it. So, I can tell you that the action is intense, the romance finally takes more importance and with Dory personality and snarky remarks the humour is a big part of this book as well. Some characters will surprises you other will moves you and you will want to beat others . It’s a great story and I can only regret that the next book, which promises to be something, isn’t released yet nor will it be soon because it’s a series I really want more of.

If you love action romance and dark humour ^^ it’s a book/series for you!

Score:  4/5

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

Challenges:

Buying Trouble ( Dorina Basarab 1.1) by Karen Chance

Hi!

       Have you recovered from Christmas? Ready for New Year Eve? To be honest, i'm not and i should definitively be resting if i hope to be able to stay up all evening but that's the last line to finish 2013 challenge and i hate failing so much that i'm doing my best. I still need to read 2 sport romance but first i wanted to close some gaps in the series i've read this year.

When I was reading the Dorina Basarab series, book 2 in particular I suddenly got the impression I was missing a lot on the story and then I was reminded that there was a novella set between book 1 and book 2 “ Buying Trouble” that centered on Claire. I had to read it and I was happily surprised to see that it was available in digital but also in a print anthology (that I owned).

For my own peace of mind I had to read this before New Year as to start 2014 on the good base without any blank in my series.

Have you reached all your reading goals already? Working to tie some gaps?

Happy Reading!

Publisher: Berkley

Publication: 2008

Genre: paranormal romance
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

In Midnight's Daughter, New York Times bestselling author Karen Chance took us to a new corner of Cassie Palmers world and introduced us to the lives of the mysterious vampires who rule the night. Now, read the eSpecial, Buying Trouble, the companion novella to Midnight’s Daughter, and learn why vampires aren't the only creatures to fear.


Claire just wants to keep out of trouble. But that isn't always easy when you’re a mage with the extremely unusual ability to block all magic around you. And when Claire’s sleazy boss decides Claire herself is the most valuable rarity to sell at a magical auction, trouble finds her. Now, her only hope for survival is to trust a mysterious and handsome stranger, a Fey Lord named Heidar. As their pursuers close in, there's one thing for sure, savior or threat, Heidar can show Claire things she never imagined in this world, and in herself. . .

My opinion:

         Definitively a novella that you have to read (preference: in order) if you want to have a better understanding of Dorina Basarab’s universe.  The fact it exist both in digital and print is really a bonus and I was really happy to discover Faerie and part of its politic  because the relation between the different “ clans” are explained but only a little since the story focus more on Claire and her real nature, identity.

To be honest I wasn’t remembering from book 1 how Claire had a difficult childhood and thus now I understand better how she came to stand by Dorina and why she never give up… Dorina was after her uncle the only one to really care for Claire as a person not for her magic which is the opposite of what her family did, selling her to be a slave after making life difficult for all the childhood. Here we get a glimpse of said childhood by Claire’s memories and really it hasn’t been easy. It was also really interesting to learn more about her magical talent but what I enjoyed even more was discovering her second-nature and those who come with it^^ like the tending Harpy surprisingly kind ( at least with Claire).  Yes it wasn’t a total surprise since I’ve read Dorina Basarab book 2 but learning how it happened the first time was simply too funny .

I also enjoyed how Claire met Heidar and how their relationship built in crisis time however I guess I was surprised at how little careful he was…. They are in danger, he knows thing Claire ignore totally and despite all that he set things in motion without thinking more about the consequences…. As much as he was making me smile before and I liked him I just wanted to slap him then ( glad Tanet did a little to put some weight in his head).

Nevertheless I couldn’t love this story…. I liked it yes but I was expecting so much more from the hints in Dorina Basarab book 2 so I’m still feeling like I’m missing something and that’s what I hate in a series…. Yes we learn about elves, yes we discover Claire’s nature but nothing about the “pet” Dorina got ( supposedly when she was looking for Claire) we don’t get the big clash between Dorina and the villain elf who is determined to have her head no Dorina is only cited has having paid Claire’s cousin a visit….nothing else.

Also when the romance is in place, the end of the novella feel a little rushed it’s not bad no and if you read it in order you will probably not feel this missing element feeling but if you read it  after the rest of Dorina series it’s good yes but not as excellent as it could have been.

However, this could even work as a stand alone if you which because there are nearly no reference to the main series. So if you are a lover of Karen Chance books, I can only recommend that you read this one in it’s place in the series, if you just want a funny paranormal romance with elves and others kinds of characters  you can pick this one for a fun ride.

Score:  3/5

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

Challenges:

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)