Customer Reviews

Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, Dhampir)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is a fun offshoot of the Cassandra Palmer series set in the same world and time frame as those books; the majority of the secondary characters are originally introduced in the Cassandra Palmer series. In one of those books Cassie ended up causing Dracula to be freed from a trapped box where the vampire senate had been keeping him imprisoned. The Cassie books left this plot unresolved, but this book takes it up. Dory is asked by her father to take care of the problem for him and that's the main focus of the book. We also get some nice back story on Dory's and her family's past as well.

PROS:

1) This is a quick fun read back into the world of Cassandra Palmer. It was able to keep me interested through the whole book and still remains rememberable after a weekend spent plowing through a stack of books. I liked the world and I really enjoyed an alternate perspectve on characters I'd seen in the Cassandra Palmer series. It provides a more complete picture or the world and events taking place.

2) Caedmon. I loved this character. I have some complaints about others (see below), but this one I truly found to be my favorite. I didn't expect it and ignored him for a bit at first, but I ended up finding him very interesting. Maybe as a result of ignoring him, I ended up surprised by his behavior and information revealed about him. I really hope another book comes out that deals with him as a main character. It was hinted at near the end and I hope it follows through.

NEUTRAL:

1) Background of world and character. Depending on your experience with the author and her previous books this could be either bad or good. For me it was the perfect amount of background information. I've read the Cassandra Palmer books as well as the anthology contribution from On the Prowl. I hate when I read a book in a series and I have to read all this back story that I already know. I never felt that way here.

However, if someone isn't familiar with the other books I think a lot of the fun is taken away. I can easily see someone brand new picking up this series being confused or lost. I highly recommend reading the author's previous works in this world before jumping into this book. Minor details or plot twists will simply fly right by without that knowledge. I can't say how much this takes away from the book for a new reader, maybe it's a case of you can't miss what you don't have. It truly did make it more enjoyable, even if not necessary, to know all that history about the events going on and the history of some of the characters.

CONS:

1) Too many secondary characters seem very sissy. Aside from Caedmon and Dory's father all the other male characters are either evil or, well, sissy. Even Louis-Cesare has this feel and he's the dueling champion for the vampire senate. Yeah, he's shown as physically stronger but comes across naive and emotional.

If this were contained to Louis-Cesare I could understand that as there is some basis for it in the Cassandra Palmer books as well. However, it extended beyond him. Claire came off very air-headed and the Fey with her was just a complete coward. This is not how I remember them from the On the Prowl anthology where their story began. I just didn't feel that a lot of the characters were accurately portrayed to sync up with the other series and this left me feeling annoyed. I'll probably go back and reread the books to see if I'm remembering them wrong. Other characters had this same feel but these were the three big ones for me.

2) Dory's character could have been better. I didn't connect with her as well as the other main characters from the Cassandra Palmer series or even Claire from On the Prowl. I like the idea of her character a lot; it was just a bit off from getting me to really connect with her. I think with slight adjustments in changing some of the story it would have had a lot more impact for me. (see comments for more info. I want to avoid spoilers here that I will add to comments)

3) Romance element is not my favorite approach. If you've read the Cassandra Palmer books then expect similar types of romantic involvements. I don't want to give anything away but essentially while there is romantic tension nothing is directly addressed or resolved. It has a very similar feel to the first Cassie book and her situation. It's an okay approach but I would prefer either less or more. The amount of romance leaves me frustrated to the point that I'd almost prefer to have none at all.

Essentially I enjoyed this book a lot but some elements put me off. I prefer the Cassie books personally, but this was still very enjoyable and fun.

I ordered this book because I enjoyed the author's Cassandra Palmer series. Though at times that series strained my patience with constant time traveling, it was still a fresh urban fantasy with new twists on vampires, fey and whatnot. Midnight's Daughter is the first in a spin-off of that series starring a new protagonist, the half vampire (dhampir) daughter of the master vampire, Mircea. Dhampirs are natural enemies of vampires, and subject to homicidal rages that they don't remember. Cool.

I was happily surprised to find I like this series much better. Dorina Basarab is a more independent heroine who is aware of her own power and limitations; unlike Cassie, she isn't in near constant need of rescuing, and winning battles isn't out of sheer luck. Dory has lived on her own for over 500 years. Mircea shows up to ask his estranged daughter for a favor - help recapture Uncle Dracula. She only grudgingly agrees after he offers to use his influence to help locate Dory's best friend and room mate, Claire, who has gone missing. Dory helped capture Drac last time he escaped, and he is the only thing that truly terrifies her. A huge bonus for me was the inclusion of master vampire Louis-Cesare in the plot as a main character. He first appeared in Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)and I liked him immediately. I'm not even sure why - possibly because even then there seemed to be a vulnerability about him. Mircea has ordered them to work together on this. Naturally, they are attracted to each other and the sexual tension is high. But both of them are emotionally damaged, and get on each other's last nerve. It's a battle of wills from the start, with lots of sexy and funny confrontations. The dialog is sharp, and no holds barred. The author doesn't do a disservice to the characters either by having them become devoted lovers at the end. They have a tentative understanding, even friendship, that could become more (and I REALLY hope it does) in later books. Readers get more history on Mircea and his family than in the other series, and the world-building is continued; the Fey figure prominently in the plot.

The book is fast paced and action packed with a lot of combat. There is more blood and mayhem than the Cassie series, but it worked well for this new protagonist. There were a few things that I didn't care for - the author frequently invokes memory flashbacks that entailed several pages of italicized text. Once or twice that's fine, but it happened a few too many times here and wasn't really necessary. The second problem was that the ending felt rushed. [slight SPOILER] Claire was missing the entire book, with many scattered clues as to what may have happened to her, and she just shows up at the end "here I am" and proceeds to tell Dory, in the middle of a battle, where she's been? Despite these small flaws, I enjoyed the book a lot and can't wait to read the next one.

Highly recommended - but new readers should start with the first 3 Cassie Palmer books. This can be read as a stand alone, but a lot of nuances would be missed. I didn't read the short story in "On the Prowl," but intend to now.

So, I really enjoyed the author's Cassandra Palmer Series. This book is set in the same world but stars a different protagonist, much as Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series has multiple heroines. [[ASIN:0452286034 Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)] Happily, Dorina Basarab is an outstanding butt-kicking supernatural antiheroine. The 500-hundred year old daughter of Dracula's brother, Mircea, she is secure in her power yet emotionally vulnerable. Violent yet capable of a startling compassion. I enjoyed her more in many ways than Cassie. The sexual and emotional tension between Dorry and Louis-Cesare (another carry over character) smokes and the novel paces well, fast with lots of action though a lot of flashbacks.

Buy and enjoy!!

SB Frank Recommends:
If this book interests you, try reading the first book of Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, Touch the Dark. Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)

If you're interested in Romance and Dhampir, you might try Aussie Author Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen, Guardian Series. Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 1)

And then for newcomers to the urban fantasy genre there is the ever popular and fun-to-read Kim Harrison "The Hollow" series that starts with Dead Witch Walking: Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)

Meet Dorina; she comes from perhaps the most dysfunctional family in existence. She's the niece of Dracula, the bastard daughter of Drac's older brother Mircea. Dracula, Mircea, and their third brother, Radu, are all vampires, and centuries of bad blood lie between Drac and the other two men. Dorina's own place in the clan is shaky. She is a dhampir, the offspring of a vampire and a human, a creature subject to berserk rages and ostracized from both human and vampire society. Most dhampirs die early, violent deaths. Dorina has lasted five hundred years, and she has no desire to end her winning streak now.

As Midnight's Daughter begins, Dorina's roommate Claire is missing. Claire is a magical null, a descendant of one of the most venerable witch families in existence, and the only person who's ever been able to keep Dory calm for any length of time. Rumor has it she's been kidnapped by vampires and is pregnant with a dhampir baby. Dory is getting desperate, and that's when her father, Mircea, shows up wanting her help. Dracula is free from his prison, and Mircea wants Dory to help recapture him. If she does, he'll help her get Claire back. Mircea assigns Dorina a partner, a vampire named Louis-Cesare, and sparks (both angry and hormonal) fly instantly.

The first half of Midnight's Daughter follows Dorina as she travels from place to place, trying to amass information, allies, and kick-butt magical weaponry, stalked by Dracula all the while. I found this part of the novel slow going despite the frequent action scenes. I think this is mainly because I read Midnight's Daughter without having read the Cassie Palmer novels first. I kept getting the idea I should know these characters well, but I didn't. Some of them are based on historical figures, but while I know who Kit Marlowe and Casanova are, I don't know how they fit into vampire politics and history, or how they fit into Dory's life.

Then, about halfway through the book, something clicked and I couldn't put it down. What sucked me in was a combination of some Dory backstory, some Louis-Cesare backstory, and further information about what has been going on with Claire. (That, and Olga, whom I absolutely adored.) I felt like I suddenly understood much more about what made these characters tick, and the result was that I became deeply emotionally invested in them just in time for some harrowing action! I spent most of the second half of the book on the edge of my seat, frantically turning pages.

I liked Karen Chance's prose style a great deal. It's vivid but never pretentious, and she's equally at home describing a horrific scene of gore and a delicate faerie glamour. Here's my favorite image from Midnight's Daughter:

"Caedmon laid a hand on my forehead. His power surrounded me, like sunlight on my skin. Despite the fact that we were undeground, it threw a pattern of gently waving branches acruss my body and gilded the dusty air until everything glittered. The sounds of the cleanup became a distant background noise, overwritten by musical laughter and voices singing unknown songs. I breathed in a rich forest smell, and vague shadows swirled up around me in a storm of green and gold, like leaves caught in a high wind. For an instant I thought the cave would disappear altogether; then a phantom leaf brushed my cheek and I jerked away, scrambling to reinforce my shields. The sensations hadn't been threatening, but neither is the sun until it burns you."

Also, I thought the romantic subplot worked well. I can be a bit like Goldilocks when it comes to how much romance I like in my fantasy, and Karen Chance gets it just right: enough romance to add spice to the story and raise the emotional stakes, not so much romance that it eats the plot for lunch.

Recommended, with the caveat that you might want to read the Cassie Palmer books first, and I've gathered that the Claire subplot has its roots in a short story in an anthology called On the Prowl, which you might also want to read first.

If you have read and enjoyed the Cassandra Palmer series (Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1), Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, Book 2), Embrace the Night (Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 3)), you'll probably enjoy this spin-off. There are appearances by several of the characters from the Cassandra Palmer series which I thought was a huge plus. It was intriguing getting to see a different side of the war and a different side of the characters because the POV is a different individual.

I read the story from On the Prowl before reading this book and it was probably for the best. In the story from On the Prowl, you are introduced to Claire and Heidar... Claire is Dorina's roommate in Midnight's Daughter.

You can probably pick up Midnight's Daughter without reading the other books first, but you'll miss some of the backstory that makes the world that Karen Chance has created some well-imagined.

Looking forward to the next book in this new series!

I know this is a spin-off of the Cassie Palmer series, but I haven't read those books. I read the short story about Claire in On the Prowl, so decided to give this series a try.

I loved this book. Karen Chance crafted amazing characters. I've found in this genre, the female heroines tend to be too over-the-top and annoying. Not true of Dorina. She's likeable and believable. It seems like none of the primary or secondary characters are one-dimensional, so you can get invested in all of them.

The story is action-packed, easy to follow, and interesting. I love the way Dory, Luise-Cesare, Mircea, Radu, ect...all relate to eachother. The strained father-daughter relationship & romance elements are all nicely done. There's also a good dose of humor - real humor that made me laugh, not the kind that's only funny to the characters in the book.

As someone not familiar with this world through the Cassie Palmer books, I had no problem following the story. And it wasn't b/c the author overloaded the book with background info to get you up to speed - the necessary info was naturally weaved though the story. So, I don't think you need to read the other books to enjoy this one.

OK. Yes, the female lead has supernatural powers, an able, highly skilled fighter with a vamp boyfriend who has a French name. Still this new series is so very well written, has excellent plotting and characterizations that I highly recommend joining me out on a limb and saying, jump in-- the derivitive water is just fine. This time the role of family is bigger and hilarious in their dysfunctional way. Also, the "friends" are not so apparently tedious in reflecting issues in the authors' own life. After a "misunderstanding" between the two "adult" supes interested in our lead female, a loud, ineffective and highly destructive battle occurs all over the upstairs while the object of the battle and family await downstairs and listen to the battle royale. It was completely hilarious.
All the action scenes are spectacular in this book. Many lasting for over 10 pages, they are meticulous in choreography and easily visualized. Commendations to this author for jumping into a highly competitive genre and coming up with the gold medal. Can't WAIT for the next installment--maybe in January.

I have loved the supernatural world of oracle Cassandra Palmer since the first book "Touch the Dark". Now Ms. Chance sends us back into that same world but flips the coin. Instead of Mircea, older vampire brother to Dracula, being the hero of Cassie's world we now see things from the prospective of his estranged daughter, Dorina, who also just happens to be a supernatural dhampir - the berserker offspring of a human and a recently dead vampire.

At nearly 550 years of age Daddy sets an errand for her to track down and imprison her Uncle Dracula. She grudgingly agrees only because he tempts her by offering to find her bestfriend, Claire, who has disappeared. I recommend reading the very entertaining short story "Buying Trouble" in the anthology "On the Prowl" to read more about Claire and her troubles, really it will help to understand this book a bit more. Anyway, Mircea also gives her a sidekick. Low and behold she gets a pain in the rump and a love interest in the form of Louie-Cesare, another major, enigmatic, master vamp from the Cassandra Palmer series! You couldn't help but love his character in Ms. Chance's first book and since he is still dealing with its aftermath I was delighted she focused on him.

What Dorina naturally does best as a dhampir is kill things and along the way to hunting her Uncle Dracula she gets ensnared in a whole heap of trouble. There are trolls, demons, mages, a Fey king and part-fey experiments involved and Dorina and Louis-Cesare are kept incredibly busy. It was thrilling, excitingly unexpected and a blast to read! The only thing barring this book from 5 stars is that there was a stupendous - and sometimes really not needed- amount of carnage. If you're not the type who can stomach gore and blood in abundance than you may want to pass on this. But it would be a shame. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Sometimes when spin off characters are given their own book, let alone more than one, it can feel like a rushed effort to capitalize on the popularity of the original series. Dorina and her extension of Cassandra Palmer's world are just as vivid and intriguing as if Cassie had never existed. The writing is fresh and fleshed out, very well done.

For fans of the Cassie Palmer series, this newest walk on the dark side in Cassie's world is a welcome addition. For readers who have never met Cassie, you are not left in the dark. You can easily pick up this book & fall into the wicked fun & adventure in this world of vampires, and other creepy crawlies.
Dory is a strong, layered character, and fans of paranormal romance & adventure will delight in the escapades & the banter in this book.
And hey, if you like this, go back & pick up the first three books in the Cassie Palmer series. For those of us who took a chance on Chance back int he beginning, this is just one more keeper for the book shelf, and a taste of wichedness to come when book four in the Cassie series comes out in April 2009.

This book is the first in the new Dorina Basarab series, and is based in the world of Cassandra Palmer. I liked how characters I met in the other series show a very different aspect--Particularly in this case, Mercea, who is Dorina's dad. And their history is a stormy one.

The basic plot is that Dorina is a dhampir, half vamp, half human, and doesn't fit in either world. She's a vampire slayer and searching for her missing roommate and best pal. But Mercea shows up and offers to put the weight of the Vampires behind the search...if she does him a little favor and helps to lock up Uncle Dracula, who's escaped from prison.

While Dori is on the hunt for Drac and her roommate, people crawl out of the woodwork to kill her. Fay, vampires, black mages and assorted thugs keep trying to kill her AND the sexy and arrogant vampire her father has saddled her with as babysitter. There is also a war going on as the vampires, light mages, fey, and dark mages are all duking it out. (I haven't read the last two of the Cassie Palmer series, so I don't know how the war started--which I will rectify soon--and that is the only thing that really bugged me about the story, not knowing why they were fighting.)

Enjoyable, lots of action, and I have ordered the sequel. I pretty much read it in one setting.