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Cassandra Palmer #6
Tempt the Stars
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Paranormal Fantasy (2013)Being a goddess is a lot less fun than you might think. Especially when you’re only a half goddess, and you only found out about it recently, and you still don’t know what you’re doing half the time. And when you’ve just used your not-so-reliable powers to burglarize the booby-trapped office of a vampire mob boss.
Yeah, that part sucks.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Cassandra Palmer, aka the Pythia, the freshly minted chief seer of the supernatural world. After all, Cassie still has to save a friend from a fate worse than death, deal with an increasingly possessive master vampire, and prevent a party of her own acolytes from unleashing a storm of fury upon the world. Totally just your average day at the office, right?
Yeah, that part sucks.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Cassandra Palmer, aka the Pythia, the freshly minted chief seer of the supernatural world. After all, Cassie still has to save a friend from a fate worse than death, deal with an increasingly possessive master vampire, and prevent a party of her own acolytes from unleashing a storm of fury upon the world. Totally just your average day at the office, right?
357 pages, ebook
First published September 25, 2013
About the author
Karen Chance
56 books5,201 followersKaren Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in Florida near her family home. Visit her website or connect with her on Facebook here.
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March 26, 2012This had better be dedicated to a lot of Pritkin!
Come on you gorgeous hunk of war mage flesh! (... i did not just say that)
Come on you gorgeous hunk of war mage flesh! (... i did not just say that)
October 1, 2013
TEAM PRITKIN!!! I need more Cassie and Pritkin!!
September 29, 2013
Spoilers
Disappointing, I think this was probably the worst book in the series for me. It wasn't awful, I still kind of liked it, but it definitely wasn't as fun as previous books. To be honest I found the plot, the action scenes, the characters, and the dialogue all rather frustrating.
Random thoughts:
-The plot wasn't very engrossing, Cassie wanted to save Pritkin from hell/his demon lord dad - and to do that she went to various people/places/times for help and whilst there she got into various ridiculous situations that she needed to escape from. It was so repetitive and frustrating.
-There were way too many action scenes… Which I wouldn't have minded if they hadn't been overly silly/really long/confusing/hard to picture. I honestly had no idea what was going on most of the time.
-Cassie was a decent heroine in earlier books, but I kind of hated her in this one. Her whole clumsy routine was unbelievably annoying. For the most part she didn't know what day it was, she was all over the place, and she kept getting herself into more and more idiotic situations. It was like she had zero control over her own body and the things around her. I wouldn't have minded so much if there'd been at least some scenes where Cassie had her shit together… But she was an utter mess.
-Why does Cassie let herself be pushed around and manipulated so much? The vampires, the mages and everyone else act like they own her, she should tell them all to fuck off. Especially when she knows they've kept so many things from her. She barely knows how to use her powers, they've not even trained her in basic things… so why does she let them control her? It's not like they help her, so what does she need them for? She should go to her own court and demand to be taught about her powers and whatnot. She needs to stop being such a joke.
-The reunion scenes between Cassie and her parents were underwhelming. Her mum and dad didn't seem to even care about her, they talked to her as if she was just some random-not-special person. I wanted more emotion and parent-y feelings from them.
-I was disappointed that Pritkin pretty much gave up on Cassie - he seemed fine with never seeing her again, he didn't even fight for her when she begged him to, she had to do all the work in trying to save him. I guess he did kind of fight at the end, but it still pissed me off when he was all morose, ungrateful, and whatnot after Cassie had done so much to get him back.
-I liked that Cassie and Pritkin were finally realising their feelings for one another. Cassie still seemed to be mostly in denial, but she wasn't quite as ignorant as before. I hated that they were interrupted just when they might have had some sort of breakthrough in their relationship.
-I'm not a fan of Mircea in Cassie's books (I really like him in Dorina's though)… I find him really slimy, cringey, controlling and manipulative when it comes to Cassie. So yea, I thought I'd be glad that he wasn't in Tempt The Stars much but I actually ended up missing him. It just wasn't the same without him and his greasy ways.
-Casanova was really irritating. All he did was snarl and throw hissy fits.
-That Fred guy was just as irritating as Casanova. Who did he think he was stealing Cassie's breakfast?! That scene really pissed me off, Cassie should have punched the fucker.
-Why was it always so difficult for Cassie to find food when she lived in a Vegas hotel?!
-I'm sick of the mentions of Cassie's butt, and the amount of times she somehow ends up naked or near naked. It was somewhat funny at first but it's just gotten lame. I find it hard to believe that Cassie can't even get fully changed without some crisis occurring.
-There wasn't nearly enough Pritkin.
-I didn't like the fact that only 3 months had passed since the first book, it makes all the relationships and strong feelings seem less credible.
-Was I meant to care about Jules almost dying/turning human? He was such a non-character. What was even going on in that scene?
-There weren't really any other significant female characters, Cassie was surrounded by guys and spent all her time with them. She only briefly came in contact with a few women, one of them was dead, one betrayed her, and the others were forgettable.
-Rosier was a great character, I loved his attitude and his antagonistic relationship with Cassie. I thought it was sweet how much he truly loved his son.
-All the unfinished sentences were beyond irritating. The characters never let each other finish speaking.
-Some of the conversations felt very info dumpy.
-WTF?! Where was the scene where Cassie met Dorina and thought she was Mircea's girlfriend? Will that be in the next Cassie book?
-What does Mircea want with Cassie? Was he cozying up with young Cassie just so she'd save his brother? Or did he want her for something else?
-Why was the demon council so outraged and righteous at Cassie's mum/the other gods feeding off them when they do the exact same thing with humans? So it's okay for demons to feed off humans for survival and power but it's not okay for the gods to do the same thing to them?
-The cliffhanger ending was so fucking annoying. At the start of the book Cassie was separated from Pritkin and on a mission to save him, and by the end of the book Cassie was again separated from Pritkin and desperate to save him. The whole book felt a little pointless. At least the next book Cassie will be teaming up with Rosier to save Pritkin… Yea, I love Rosier/Cassie interactions.
All in all, not impressed. Cassie was still a clueless mess, the action scenes were impossible to follow, and every character pissed me off in some way or another. Hopefully, the next installment will be a more satisfying read.
Disappointing, I think this was probably the worst book in the series for me. It wasn't awful, I still kind of liked it, but it definitely wasn't as fun as previous books. To be honest I found the plot, the action scenes, the characters, and the dialogue all rather frustrating.
Random thoughts:
-The plot wasn't very engrossing, Cassie wanted to save Pritkin from hell/his demon lord dad - and to do that she went to various people/places/times for help and whilst there she got into various ridiculous situations that she needed to escape from. It was so repetitive and frustrating.
-There were way too many action scenes… Which I wouldn't have minded if they hadn't been overly silly/really long/confusing/hard to picture. I honestly had no idea what was going on most of the time.
-Cassie was a decent heroine in earlier books, but I kind of hated her in this one. Her whole clumsy routine was unbelievably annoying. For the most part she didn't know what day it was, she was all over the place, and she kept getting herself into more and more idiotic situations. It was like she had zero control over her own body and the things around her. I wouldn't have minded so much if there'd been at least some scenes where Cassie had her shit together… But she was an utter mess.
-Why does Cassie let herself be pushed around and manipulated so much? The vampires, the mages and everyone else act like they own her, she should tell them all to fuck off. Especially when she knows they've kept so many things from her. She barely knows how to use her powers, they've not even trained her in basic things… so why does she let them control her? It's not like they help her, so what does she need them for? She should go to her own court and demand to be taught about her powers and whatnot. She needs to stop being such a joke.
-The reunion scenes between Cassie and her parents were underwhelming. Her mum and dad didn't seem to even care about her, they talked to her as if she was just some random-not-special person. I wanted more emotion and parent-y feelings from them.
-I was disappointed that Pritkin pretty much gave up on Cassie - he seemed fine with never seeing her again, he didn't even fight for her when she begged him to, she had to do all the work in trying to save him. I guess he did kind of fight at the end, but it still pissed me off when he was all morose, ungrateful, and whatnot after Cassie had done so much to get him back.
-I liked that Cassie and Pritkin were finally realising their feelings for one another. Cassie still seemed to be mostly in denial, but she wasn't quite as ignorant as before. I hated that they were interrupted just when they might have had some sort of breakthrough in their relationship.
-I'm not a fan of Mircea in Cassie's books (I really like him in Dorina's though)… I find him really slimy, cringey, controlling and manipulative when it comes to Cassie. So yea, I thought I'd be glad that he wasn't in Tempt The Stars much but I actually ended up missing him. It just wasn't the same without him and his greasy ways.
-Casanova was really irritating. All he did was snarl and throw hissy fits.
-That Fred guy was just as irritating as Casanova. Who did he think he was stealing Cassie's breakfast?! That scene really pissed me off, Cassie should have punched the fucker.
-Why was it always so difficult for Cassie to find food when she lived in a Vegas hotel?!
-I'm sick of the mentions of Cassie's butt, and the amount of times she somehow ends up naked or near naked. It was somewhat funny at first but it's just gotten lame. I find it hard to believe that Cassie can't even get fully changed without some crisis occurring.
-There wasn't nearly enough Pritkin.
-I didn't like the fact that only 3 months had passed since the first book, it makes all the relationships and strong feelings seem less credible.
-Was I meant to care about Jules almost dying/turning human? He was such a non-character. What was even going on in that scene?
-There weren't really any other significant female characters, Cassie was surrounded by guys and spent all her time with them. She only briefly came in contact with a few women, one of them was dead, one betrayed her, and the others were forgettable.
-Rosier was a great character, I loved his attitude and his antagonistic relationship with Cassie. I thought it was sweet how much he truly loved his son.
-All the unfinished sentences were beyond irritating. The characters never let each other finish speaking.
-Some of the conversations felt very info dumpy.
-WTF?! Where was the scene where Cassie met Dorina and thought she was Mircea's girlfriend? Will that be in the next Cassie book?
-What does Mircea want with Cassie? Was he cozying up with young Cassie just so she'd save his brother? Or did he want her for something else?
-Why was the demon council so outraged and righteous at Cassie's mum/the other gods feeding off them when they do the exact same thing with humans? So it's okay for demons to feed off humans for survival and power but it's not okay for the gods to do the same thing to them?
-The cliffhanger ending was so fucking annoying. At the start of the book Cassie was separated from Pritkin and on a mission to save him, and by the end of the book Cassie was again separated from Pritkin and desperate to save him. The whole book felt a little pointless. At least the next book Cassie will be teaming up with Rosier to save Pritkin… Yea, I love Rosier/Cassie interactions.
All in all, not impressed. Cassie was still a clueless mess, the action scenes were impossible to follow, and every character pissed me off in some way or another. Hopefully, the next installment will be a more satisfying read.
April 6, 2014
Ugh! That ending tho!!! Come on next book, I'm feenin for some Cassie/Pritkin action.... In more ways than one... *Wink wink*
May 2, 2018
"Pritkin looked surprised, the way he always did at the idea that anyone might actually care about him."
THIS, ladies. This.
He is soooooooo lovable <3
April 2018: (SPOILERY STUFF AHEAD)
(CAUTION SPOILERS)
Okay. So we start where we left off, Cassie being saved from ultimate death by our very amazing war mage, Pritkin, who in turn is send to hell, back where he (according to his father) belongs. This in turn is the final drop that convinces everyone to recognize Cassie as the new pythia because everyone saw how the Spartoi (big bad demigod) died and Cassie lived.
But Cassie is not interested in anything Pythia-related, at least not until she finds a way to go and get Pritkin back from hell. So she proceeds to look for help in doing that, the process take her back in time to enlist the help from a past Pritkin and latter on: HER OWN PARENTS.
Yes. She goes back in time to ask her mother for help on going to hell (and back of course) and she ends up in an era when she was a baby. It was a really awesome chapter having her interact with her folks, especially her dad, who she knew nothing about and ends up discovering quite a few things.
And then she knows what to do. And takes Caleb (Pritkin's war mage buddy) and Casanova (he is a vampire who is possesed by an incubus demon) and off they are to hell.
Of course this is a Cassie Palmer novel, so everything goes wrong, the misfortunes don't seem to end, and there are explosions everywhere. The usual fun.
Now I won't spoil the very end, because NOOOO WHYYY T_T but let me tell you: things aren't going to plan but at least there seems to be hope. Please let it be hope.
And please let Cassie dump Mircea soon!
THIS, ladies. This.
He is soooooooo lovable <3
April 2018: (SPOILERY STUFF AHEAD)
(CAUTION SPOILERS)
Okay. So we start where we left off, Cassie being saved from ultimate death by our very amazing war mage, Pritkin, who in turn is send to hell, back where he (according to his father) belongs. This in turn is the final drop that convinces everyone to recognize Cassie as the new pythia because everyone saw how the Spartoi (big bad demigod) died and Cassie lived.
But Cassie is not interested in anything Pythia-related, at least not until she finds a way to go and get Pritkin back from hell. So she proceeds to look for help in doing that, the process take her back in time to enlist the help from a past Pritkin and latter on: HER OWN PARENTS.
Yes. She goes back in time to ask her mother for help on going to hell (and back of course) and she ends up in an era when she was a baby. It was a really awesome chapter having her interact with her folks, especially her dad, who she knew nothing about and ends up discovering quite a few things.
And then she knows what to do. And takes Caleb (Pritkin's war mage buddy) and Casanova (he is a vampire who is possesed by an incubus demon) and off they are to hell.
Of course this is a Cassie Palmer novel, so everything goes wrong, the misfortunes don't seem to end, and there are explosions everywhere. The usual fun.
Now I won't spoil the very end, because NOOOO WHYYY T_T but let me tell you: things aren't going to plan but at least there seems to be hope. Please let it be hope.
And please let Cassie dump Mircea soon!
October 4, 2013
Disappointing. This is one of my favorite series and its such a drag to wait so long for a book that goes absolutely nowhere. Where characters regress, where others take on different personalities, and others still are absent altogether. Lots of issues are raised and none are really dealt with.
Mild Spoilers:
It's so freaking annoying! Cassie spends a week on Pritkin's room crying, but when she sees him, she can't tell him how she feels? The with avoidance thing with him and Mircea feels so drawn out and artificial.
And then the habit of cutting out of a scene to start a new one and then filling in the reader as to what we missed got freaking old halfway through the book and by the end I was ready to throw the damn book across the room except that I was reading on my iPhone.
The writing style was pretentious, coy, and drawn out- and I didn't appreciate being toyed with as a reader. I'm so pissed right now (just finished it) that I want to say FU to the KC....except that I really like this series. And Im hoping that KC cuts the bullshit and makes the series GO! Do what it can do, be what it can be. Cassie and Pritkin need to be a team, need to take care of business together and take the reader on more of their crazy adventures, cause that's where the strength of the story is- not in this pit (shithole) of emotional angst.
And the premise of the next book... Ugh, don't get me started...
Mild Spoilers:
It's so freaking annoying! Cassie spends a week on Pritkin's room crying, but when she sees him, she can't tell him how she feels? The with avoidance thing with him and Mircea feels so drawn out and artificial.
And then the habit of cutting out of a scene to start a new one and then filling in the reader as to what we missed got freaking old halfway through the book and by the end I was ready to throw the damn book across the room except that I was reading on my iPhone.
The writing style was pretentious, coy, and drawn out- and I didn't appreciate being toyed with as a reader. I'm so pissed right now (just finished it) that I want to say FU to the KC....except that I really like this series. And Im hoping that KC cuts the bullshit and makes the series GO! Do what it can do, be what it can be. Cassie and Pritkin need to be a team, need to take care of business together and take the reader on more of their crazy adventures, cause that's where the strength of the story is- not in this pit (shithole) of emotional angst.
And the premise of the next book... Ugh, don't get me started...
December 2, 2011
Save Pritkin. Keep Mircea. Easy. ;)
June 18, 2017
Stars in my Eyes
Can I just really quickly share my history with this series with you? I won't blather on about myself for long - promise. It's just that this series was kinda pivotal to my transformation from "occasional reader of mystery novels", to "carnivorous reading fanatic and devourer of all things paranormal" because it was the first true Urban Fantasy series I ever read and the one that opened my eyes to this amazeballs genre. It was also the first book I ever read with a sex scene in it! Are you having that? At the ripe old age of 29 I had the blinders firmly ripped off my eyes by a Ms Karen Chance and her scorching and (as I thought then) scandalous love scenes! I finished book one wondering what the hell I'd just read, and why the hell I couldn't stop thinking about it and all the amazing and endless possibilities there were for a character that could shift through time and space - and immediately ordered the rest of the series! The rest, as they say, is history and four years later I have the sixth book in the series as an ARC to review! If I had Pythian powers and went back to tell 29-year old me that little nugget of information, she'd probably say I was deluded or crazy or both.
I'm a lucky, lucky girl:)
So, with that intro in mind, I think it's safe to say that I love this series! And that's not only because of what it did for me as a reader, or because of any sentimental attachment I have to it, but because of its brilliance, its wit, and its unrivalled cleverness. I cannot even express how mind-boggling some of the time-shift stuff is! Scenes that take place in one book that don't make sense until much later when you realize how much time travel back and forth has been going on. The amount of planning and foreshadowing involved in all that... I can't even. It's just too awesome to compute. And Ms Chance's world, although complex, is so solid. There's not a single grey area in her worldbuilding, and even if there were, it would be because she planned for it to be there three books ago. 'Cause she likes grey. And because she can. Seriously, people quiz her nigh on a daily basis through her Facebook page as they try to get their heads around some of the more head-bending aspects of her plots, and she's thought of everything and then some. There are no chinks in her armour of awesome that I've found.
Moving on to this particular book, now that I've paid my dues for never really reviewing any of the others back in the day (lol). Cassandra Palmer - Cassie to most - has advanced as the series has progressed, as all good main characters should, and as evidenced here in TEMPT THE STARS. Resolutely putting the kibosh on people - vamps, mages, and now witches! - trying to manoeuvre her from point A to point B all the time, and just being more dominant and forthright in general. She could also possibly maybe hit the side of a barn with a gun now, too, thanks to Pritkin, and her power quotient has gone through the roof when compared to that of the smiley face T-shirt-wearing girl we met back in Touch the Dark. Having said that, it's not a complete transformation - the girl whose first instincts are to run and hide hasn't been completely smothered. Indeed, running and hiding are sometimes the best options available to a savvy heroine. But recently, and most especially in this book, she's been letting her "take no prisoners" side out a lot more. That, combined with the intelligence and common sense she's always shown around the vamps, who, in this series are about as sneaky and manipulative as they come, though rarely evil, and you've got yourself an incredibly well-rounded and sympathetic character - who now also kicks ass! Don't you just love it?
In TEMPT THE STARS, Cassie is also forced to take a look at her somewhat closed-off emotions. Not that she's ever been cold, exactly, but wary? Reserved? Oh, yes. Letting people in is extremely difficult when it's been proven time and again that those people will be the first in the firing line by any who wish to control her and her powers, which are now more than just potential - they're a smack-you-in-the-face reality. But being a closed book can be lonely, and there are certain characters who have been slowly chipping away at her emotional shields for quite some time now, and it might just be time to let them in, whether she wants to or not!
Of course, the BIG thing everyone wants to know about TEMPT THE STARS is where the heck Pritkin is, right? Well, I'm not going to tell you. Ms Chance herself is notoriously strict about spoilers so it would be more than my life's worth to spill the beans. But, let's just say that being the world's chief seer - officially now, even - has its perks as well as its pitfalls. And it also has the potential to make the impossible... slightly less so.
And that's it. That's all you're getting from me.
As with all instalments in the series, TEMPT THE STARS is bursting with incredible action scenes with spells whiz-popping here, there and everywhere, often followed directly by the most exquisite introspection scene or a hushed conversation with one of the now treasured stable of characters such as Marco (LOVE him!) or Billy Joe (LOVE him, too!). Some people might say the pacing is too up-and-down, but not me. I think the balance is perfect. For fans of the series who already know this world well, I'll just say that it was business as usual - though with a slightly different feel to it as we explored different settings and magics - and just as incredible as you thought it would to be. Plus twelve. Some authors just seem to have a Mary Poppins-like carpet bag full of endless ideas, and Karen chance is definitely one of them.
There's not a lot else to say without revealing naughty things I'm not supposed to, so I'll just leave you with this: TEMPT THE STARS IS THE BEST OF THE SERIES SO FAR - BY A COUNTRY MILE!
And I love John Pritkin.
5 Stars ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Can I just really quickly share my history with this series with you? I won't blather on about myself for long - promise. It's just that this series was kinda pivotal to my transformation from "occasional reader of mystery novels", to "carnivorous reading fanatic and devourer of all things paranormal" because it was the first true Urban Fantasy series I ever read and the one that opened my eyes to this amazeballs genre. It was also the first book I ever read with a sex scene in it! Are you having that? At the ripe old age of 29 I had the blinders firmly ripped off my eyes by a Ms Karen Chance and her scorching and (as I thought then) scandalous love scenes! I finished book one wondering what the hell I'd just read, and why the hell I couldn't stop thinking about it and all the amazing and endless possibilities there were for a character that could shift through time and space - and immediately ordered the rest of the series! The rest, as they say, is history and four years later I have the sixth book in the series as an ARC to review! If I had Pythian powers and went back to tell 29-year old me that little nugget of information, she'd probably say I was deluded or crazy or both.
I'm a lucky, lucky girl:)
So, with that intro in mind, I think it's safe to say that I love this series! And that's not only because of what it did for me as a reader, or because of any sentimental attachment I have to it, but because of its brilliance, its wit, and its unrivalled cleverness. I cannot even express how mind-boggling some of the time-shift stuff is! Scenes that take place in one book that don't make sense until much later when you realize how much time travel back and forth has been going on. The amount of planning and foreshadowing involved in all that... I can't even. It's just too awesome to compute. And Ms Chance's world, although complex, is so solid. There's not a single grey area in her worldbuilding, and even if there were, it would be because she planned for it to be there three books ago. 'Cause she likes grey. And because she can. Seriously, people quiz her nigh on a daily basis through her Facebook page as they try to get their heads around some of the more head-bending aspects of her plots, and she's thought of everything and then some. There are no chinks in her armour of awesome that I've found.
Moving on to this particular book, now that I've paid my dues for never really reviewing any of the others back in the day (lol). Cassandra Palmer - Cassie to most - has advanced as the series has progressed, as all good main characters should, and as evidenced here in TEMPT THE STARS. Resolutely putting the kibosh on people - vamps, mages, and now witches! - trying to manoeuvre her from point A to point B all the time, and just being more dominant and forthright in general. She could also possibly maybe hit the side of a barn with a gun now, too, thanks to Pritkin, and her power quotient has gone through the roof when compared to that of the smiley face T-shirt-wearing girl we met back in Touch the Dark. Having said that, it's not a complete transformation - the girl whose first instincts are to run and hide hasn't been completely smothered. Indeed, running and hiding are sometimes the best options available to a savvy heroine. But recently, and most especially in this book, she's been letting her "take no prisoners" side out a lot more. That, combined with the intelligence and common sense she's always shown around the vamps, who, in this series are about as sneaky and manipulative as they come, though rarely evil, and you've got yourself an incredibly well-rounded and sympathetic character - who now also kicks ass! Don't you just love it?
In TEMPT THE STARS, Cassie is also forced to take a look at her somewhat closed-off emotions. Not that she's ever been cold, exactly, but wary? Reserved? Oh, yes. Letting people in is extremely difficult when it's been proven time and again that those people will be the first in the firing line by any who wish to control her and her powers, which are now more than just potential - they're a smack-you-in-the-face reality. But being a closed book can be lonely, and there are certain characters who have been slowly chipping away at her emotional shields for quite some time now, and it might just be time to let them in, whether she wants to or not!
Of course, the BIG thing everyone wants to know about TEMPT THE STARS is where the heck Pritkin is, right? Well, I'm not going to tell you. Ms Chance herself is notoriously strict about spoilers so it would be more than my life's worth to spill the beans. But, let's just say that being the world's chief seer - officially now, even - has its perks as well as its pitfalls. And it also has the potential to make the impossible... slightly less so.
And that's it. That's all you're getting from me.
As with all instalments in the series, TEMPT THE STARS is bursting with incredible action scenes with spells whiz-popping here, there and everywhere, often followed directly by the most exquisite introspection scene or a hushed conversation with one of the now treasured stable of characters such as Marco (LOVE him!) or Billy Joe (LOVE him, too!). Some people might say the pacing is too up-and-down, but not me. I think the balance is perfect. For fans of the series who already know this world well, I'll just say that it was business as usual - though with a slightly different feel to it as we explored different settings and magics - and just as incredible as you thought it would to be. Plus twelve. Some authors just seem to have a Mary Poppins-like carpet bag full of endless ideas, and Karen chance is definitely one of them.
There's not a lot else to say without revealing naughty things I'm not supposed to, so I'll just leave you with this: TEMPT THE STARS IS THE BEST OF THE SERIES SO FAR - BY A COUNTRY MILE!
And I love John Pritkin.
5 Stars ★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 18, 2014
I love this series but am rather disappointed with the author. Only one book a year isn't working. I'm not even reading her other series she has going but I have to wait two years per Cassie Palmer series. It feels like I'm loosing momentum with the characters she has. I know I will be continue reading this series until it stops being entertaining but what about other readers? Not everyone is going to even remember the authors name in two years.
"Honey remember that book series I was reading? About vampires, mages, and a modern world full of magic? Do you remember what it was called?"
"Doesn't that describe all paranormal series? There are so many of them it's hard to keep track".
"Oh well it can't have been that good since I've forgotten. I mean if it hadn't been TWO YEARS since I've seen a book from the series I might have remembered. I'm going to go read some books from Darynda Jones she pumps out awesome books fast. Sometimes two in a year!"
Now I'm not angry just a bit frustrated. I enjoy this series and it kills to have to wait so long. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to pump out a Cassandra Palmer book every year...maybe even twice a year?
What too greedy?
"Honey remember that book series I was reading? About vampires, mages, and a modern world full of magic? Do you remember what it was called?"
"Doesn't that describe all paranormal series? There are so many of them it's hard to keep track".
"Oh well it can't have been that good since I've forgotten. I mean if it hadn't been TWO YEARS since I've seen a book from the series I might have remembered. I'm going to go read some books from Darynda Jones she pumps out awesome books fast. Sometimes two in a year!"
Now I'm not angry just a bit frustrated. I enjoy this series and it kills to have to wait so long. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to pump out a Cassandra Palmer book every year...maybe even twice a year?
What too greedy?
October 5, 2013
Sooo dont kill me but i dont like Pritkin I love Mircea.. You Just Have to Read The Dory's series to know him better.. Man Can't wait for this Book.
Want to read
November 8, 2011Go team Pritkin!!!!!!!!!!
April 26, 2023
Sample chapters are up!
http://www.karenchance.com/tempt_the_...
http://www.karenchance.com/tempt_the_...
October 1, 2013
I need Pritkin. I need this book. I need Pritkin.
PRITKIN YOU BETTER BE ALIVE OR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU.
Sample chapters:
http://www.karenchance.com/tempt_the_...
But but but Pritkin? WHERE ARE YOU?
PRITKIN YOU BETTER BE ALIVE OR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU.
Sample chapters:
http://www.karenchance.com/tempt_the_...
But but but Pritkin? WHERE ARE YOU?
October 9, 2013
Sooooooo this installment of of the Cassandra Palmer series was pure filler and ZERO plot advancement. I guess Ms Chance plans to NEVER rap this series up or Cassie's love triangle grrrrr SMDH
October 25, 2017
I'm not sure what to say about this book, other than it was bonkers. We're talking hell dimentions, flying carpets and freaky sex daydreams. And did I mention flying carpets?
There's just so much going on that I'm getting tired just reading about it and that's why I'm taking a break from it. Just think that all this took place in just over 3 months for Cassie. I don't know how she does it, I would be dead from exaustion alone, never mind all the murder attempts.
Over and out
There's just so much going on that I'm getting tired just reading about it and that's why I'm taking a break from it. Just think that all this took place in just over 3 months for Cassie. I don't know how she does it, I would be dead from exaustion alone, never mind all the murder attempts.
Over and out
October 3, 2013
Rating: 3 out of 5.
To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I finished reading this book last night and I decided to give myself a couple of hours to calm down. It didn't help. I am as upset and disappointed as I was last night.
I remember reading a review for this book, where the reviewer said that this book felt pretty much like a filler to her. I can see where she is coming from. This is especially frustrating when the author releases a book from this series, one every two years.
Because a lot happens in this book, but I felt like nothing really happened. Sure there were lots of action scenes and the plot was so twisted, a couple of hours later, I couldn't even tell you what really happened. But I felt like with the ending, we came back to a full circle with this novel. Like the Novel started at Point 0 and came back at Point 0. Sure under different circumstances, but it was still Point 0.
The descriptive writing and plot is sometimes fun to read. It may sometimes make the reading a richer experience. But when the description is about something inane, that doesn't really matter, then it ended up taking away from my enjoyment of this book.
There were so many times when conversations consisted of paragraphs of saying: "What?" And the other party replying with "Oh, I shouldn't be the one telling you this. You should wait for X to explain it to you." And Cassie replying with a "Tell me now!". But this basically goes on for pages! It was so damn frustrating! Who cares! Well I certainly don't. Not if this inane chatter and description comes at the expense of the real story, the real issues THAT WERE NOT SOLVED.
Like Mircea for example.
Cassie never really resolves the issue of how and why Mircea keeps things from her. It made me crazy and feel like there was not an issue. But there is, isn't there? I mean is it okay, even in an Urban Fantasy setting, if your boyfriend lies and keeps you in the dark intentionally?
And there is Pritkin.
And so what happens between the obvious love triangle (or not so obvious to Cassie) between Cassie, Mircea and Pritkin?
Answer: NOTHING...
Cassie does not even think about it! This was another area where I thought I was going nuts. Is there or isn't there a love triangle here? If there is, why isn't it being addressed?
While reading this book, I had one of the: I-am-so-frustrated-I-want-to-chuck-this-book-out-of-the-window moments, and realising that I-can't-because-it's-not-a-book-it's-a-kindle!
To say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. I finished reading this book last night and I decided to give myself a couple of hours to calm down. It didn't help. I am as upset and disappointed as I was last night.
I remember reading a review for this book, where the reviewer said that this book felt pretty much like a filler to her. I can see where she is coming from. This is especially frustrating when the author releases a book from this series, one every two years.
Because a lot happens in this book, but I felt like nothing really happened. Sure there were lots of action scenes and the plot was so twisted, a couple of hours later, I couldn't even tell you what really happened. But I felt like with the ending, we came back to a full circle with this novel. Like the Novel started at Point 0 and came back at Point 0. Sure under different circumstances, but it was still Point 0.
The descriptive writing and plot is sometimes fun to read. It may sometimes make the reading a richer experience. But when the description is about something inane, that doesn't really matter, then it ended up taking away from my enjoyment of this book.
There were so many times when conversations consisted of paragraphs of saying: "What?" And the other party replying with "Oh, I shouldn't be the one telling you this. You should wait for X to explain it to you." And Cassie replying with a "Tell me now!". But this basically goes on for pages! It was so damn frustrating! Who cares! Well I certainly don't. Not if this inane chatter and description comes at the expense of the real story, the real issues THAT WERE NOT SOLVED.
Like Mircea for example.
Cassie never really resolves the issue of how and why Mircea keeps things from her. It made me crazy and feel like there was not an issue. But there is, isn't there? I mean is it okay, even in an Urban Fantasy setting, if your boyfriend lies and keeps you in the dark intentionally?
And there is Pritkin.
And so what happens between the obvious love triangle (or not so obvious to Cassie) between Cassie, Mircea and Pritkin?
Answer: NOTHING...
Cassie does not even think about it! This was another area where I thought I was going nuts. Is there or isn't there a love triangle here? If there is, why isn't it being addressed?
While reading this book, I had one of the: I-am-so-frustrated-I-want-to-chuck-this-book-out-of-the-window moments, and realising that I-can't-because-it's-not-a-book-it's-a-kindle!
Want to read
January 17, 2016Karen Chance is not happy with negative comments about her books
I wrote a reply about her latest book "Tempt the stars" on facebook fan page. It was my decision why I don't want to read the book , very innocent reply . Here is the screencap
The link of the post https://www.facebook.com/KarenChanceB...
where's my reply???
Because they deleted and banned me from page. Now I don't have the right to reply anything at all. Why Karen? I'm very disappointed. I was a fan of your books from the beginning , I adore mircea and dorina. Now I'm not your fan anymore, just your book characters. No matter what I will continue to read the series. But I didn't deserve this....
Gerçekten neye uğradığımı şaşırdım. Sanki küfür etmişik kendisine. Benim ne büyük bir mircea fanı olduğumu bilenler bilir. Kitabın %90'ında bu karakter yoksa benimde okumakta isteksiz kalma hakkım olmalı. Okumaya can atmıyorum bu da benim en büyük hakkım. Hemen yorum silinmiş ve sayfadan uzaklaştırılmışım. ne yorum ne beğenme yapabiliyorum. Gerçekten allahından bul diliyorum sana karen. yakıştıramadım.
I wrote a reply about her latest book "Tempt the stars" on facebook fan page. It was my decision why I don't want to read the book , very innocent reply . Here is the screencap
The link of the post https://www.facebook.com/KarenChanceB...
where's my reply???
Because they deleted and banned me from page. Now I don't have the right to reply anything at all. Why Karen? I'm very disappointed. I was a fan of your books from the beginning , I adore mircea and dorina. Now I'm not your fan anymore, just your book characters. No matter what I will continue to read the series. But I didn't deserve this....
Gerçekten neye uğradığımı şaşırdım. Sanki küfür etmişik kendisine. Benim ne büyük bir mircea fanı olduğumu bilenler bilir. Kitabın %90'ında bu karakter yoksa benimde okumakta isteksiz kalma hakkım olmalı. Okumaya can atmıyorum bu da benim en büyük hakkım. Hemen yorum silinmiş ve sayfadan uzaklaştırılmışım. ne yorum ne beğenme yapabiliyorum. Gerçekten allahından bul diliyorum sana karen. yakıştıramadım.
October 19, 2018
PRITKIN PRITKIN PRITKIN PRITKIN! SEX WITH PRITKIN HOPEFULLY!!FINALLY!!
September 8, 2016
My attention span is waning for these books. I skimmed/skipped over the whole fight scene in the garden/forest whatever to get to the dialogue. These books are full of a lot of action, but sometimes that gets old when it feels like filler and the plot is stagnant. This whole book is about Cassie trying to learn any info she can about the demon realms, because she really knows nothing. Under most inept and uninformed person, you can find her name in bold font. Also, her relationships with her friends and Mircea are put on hold this entire book. She does nothing but blunder around and avoid issues. I hate books where the characters don't talk and it's all about lack of communication causing issues. The only things I liked in this book were the witches, Marco, Fred, and Casanova. Everyone else was a bust. And what the hell, there's absolutely no Mircea in this. None. How do you seemingly forget to talk to your vampire lover for an entire book? Yeah. You don't.
October 4, 2013
When I started this book, I intended to spread my reading over at least three days to savour it for longer, but by the second day it rapidly became un-put-downable!
Since finishing, I've read a bunch of other reviews where people are saying either 1) the actions scenes were too confusing or 2) they didn't like something or other about Pritkin/Mircea in this book. I would have to respectfully refute these points.
If you take the time to read, rather than skim, I don't get the first complaint at all. Crazy, chaotic, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants action scenes have been a trademark of Karen Chance's since her first book, and you either love them or you don't. But they're not new. I'm honestly a little bemused by this complaint.
As for the second point, well, my take on this is quite different. I would sum up this book in a single word: epic. I think we need to look beyond the fangirling over Pritkin or Mircea. Karen Chance is on record for saying she dislikes her books being confused with romance novels. That's not to say we can't fall in love with her characters, but this is firmly an Urban Fantasy story. And the story in this book was amazing!
I love a series where each book builds on what went on before, and where the author drops hints towards a far greater story arc. I love to pick over mysteries and clues and there's enough fodder in this book to easily tide me over till the next release. We learn a great deal about Cassie's parents, who really weren't quite what I expected (understatement), and Pritkin's rescue naturally dominates much of the story, but it's the revelations about 'the big picture' that we get along the way that make this a five star read for me.
I love a hot book boyfriend as much as the next guy/gal, but I feel judging this book in terms of what Cassie did or didn't do with Pritkin or Mircea is a colossal injustice. KC has created an amazing, huge world in her books, and her characters become more deliciously grey with every release. You can see Cassie developing and growing before your eyes, as she juggles the burdens of responsibility and dependency (and she's not the only one.)
Finally, on the "cliffhanger" ending ... I didn't even class it as a cliffhanger. I found myself grinning with anticipation as I read the final sentences.
Desperately waiting for Reap the Wind, due out at some point in 2014.
Since finishing, I've read a bunch of other reviews where people are saying either 1) the actions scenes were too confusing or 2) they didn't like something or other about Pritkin/Mircea in this book. I would have to respectfully refute these points.
If you take the time to read, rather than skim, I don't get the first complaint at all. Crazy, chaotic, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants action scenes have been a trademark of Karen Chance's since her first book, and you either love them or you don't. But they're not new. I'm honestly a little bemused by this complaint.
As for the second point, well, my take on this is quite different. I would sum up this book in a single word: epic. I think we need to look beyond the fangirling over Pritkin or Mircea. Karen Chance is on record for saying she dislikes her books being confused with romance novels. That's not to say we can't fall in love with her characters, but this is firmly an Urban Fantasy story. And the story in this book was amazing!
I love a series where each book builds on what went on before, and where the author drops hints towards a far greater story arc. I love to pick over mysteries and clues and there's enough fodder in this book to easily tide me over till the next release. We learn a great deal about Cassie's parents, who really weren't quite what I expected (understatement), and Pritkin's rescue naturally dominates much of the story, but it's the revelations about 'the big picture' that we get along the way that make this a five star read for me.
I love a hot book boyfriend as much as the next guy/gal, but I feel judging this book in terms of what Cassie did or didn't do with Pritkin or Mircea is a colossal injustice. KC has created an amazing, huge world in her books, and her characters become more deliciously grey with every release. You can see Cassie developing and growing before your eyes, as she juggles the burdens of responsibility and dependency (and she's not the only one.)
Finally, on the "cliffhanger" ending ... I didn't even class it as a cliffhanger. I found myself grinning with anticipation as I read the final sentences.
Desperately waiting for Reap the Wind, due out at some point in 2014.
October 3, 2013
So much action and so fast paced sometimes you had a hard time keeping up especially during the fight scenes, some were confusing. I had to re-read things several times to get the meaning of it. Also the writing is very detailed at times it was to detailed. With everything that happened in this book it really just seemed nothing much happened at all - the book seemed like filler. Sure you learn some new things, but really the plot didn't go forward at all. She just really ended up were she started.
It seems that almost everyone is trying to use her or is using her - or they just keep her in the dark about important things more than half the time. Though I think that she is finally realizing that and hopefully in the next books she stands up to it. I want to see her to get stronger with her magic and to believe in herself. I hope these new ladies she meets in this book helps her out with that.
The only thing that saved this book is the scenes with Pritkin, which there wasn't as many as I was hoping for. But I do believe something big happened in this book towards the end dealing with Pritkin and Cassie and how they feel about each other.
I dislike Mircea more and more with every book I read. I wish she would just get rid of him he just seems so slimy with everything she learns and how he treats/acts towards her. Their relationship is a fucking joke.
This book was just frustrating. I did enjoy the others in this series they all got 4 or 5 stars. And of course I'm already dying to read the next one.
These books have very little to no romance in them.
It seems that almost everyone is trying to use her or is using her - or they just keep her in the dark about important things more than half the time. Though I think that she is finally realizing that and hopefully in the next books she stands up to it. I want to see her to get stronger with her magic and to believe in herself. I hope these new ladies she meets in this book helps her out with that.
The only thing that saved this book is the scenes with Pritkin, which there wasn't as many as I was hoping for. But I do believe something big happened in this book towards the end dealing with Pritkin and Cassie and how they feel about each other.
I dislike Mircea more and more with every book I read. I wish she would just get rid of him he just seems so slimy with everything she learns and how he treats/acts towards her. Their relationship is a fucking joke.
This book was just frustrating. I did enjoy the others in this series they all got 4 or 5 stars. And of course I'm already dying to read the next one.
These books have very little to no romance in them.
January 31, 2016
What an emotional rollercoaster ride!
That Pritkin and Cassie scene...This is how I imagined it:
Why oh why can'tKaren Chance fate, The Circle, the Demon Lords and every other annoying group/person in the multi-verse let them have a moment and give use readers what we need to see. Just let Pritkin say what he needs to say dammit!
I just need a moment to get over that brutal ending.
***RTC***
That Pritkin and Cassie scene...This is how I imagined it:
Why oh why can't
I just need a moment to get over that brutal ending.
***RTC***
July 12, 2024
This one had a different feel from the rest. I was not a fan of the Pritkin line.
This also has turned into the weirdest love triangle I have ever read.
The God line could be very exciting, but it has somehow turned into something boorish.
The vamps and demons were the highlight characters in this one. Everything with Jules was GOOD.
I guess it was good that Cass finally got to talk with her dad? Maybe? I don't know?
Why is Pritkin's dad somehow better than Cassie's mom?
The ending brought back some anticipation for the next book at least.
3 Stars
This also has turned into the weirdest love triangle I have ever read.
The God line could be very exciting, but it has somehow turned into something boorish.
The vamps and demons were the highlight characters in this one. Everything with Jules was GOOD.
I guess it was good that Cass finally got to talk with her dad? Maybe? I don't know?
Why is Pritkin's dad somehow better than Cassie's mom?
The ending brought back some anticipation for the next book at least.
3 Stars
October 5, 2013
Because I get to read about John Pritkin.
Because this is about rescuing John Pritkin.
Because Cassie stubbornly refused to leave John Pritkin.
Because it's JOHN PRITKIN!!!
Book 7 pls!!!
And Cassie.. it's JOHN PRITKIN!!!!!
Because this is about rescuing John Pritkin.
Because Cassie stubbornly refused to leave John Pritkin.
Because it's JOHN PRITKIN!!!
Book 7 pls!!!
And Cassie.. it's JOHN PRITKIN!!!!!
November 16, 2014
-- A Romantic Book Affairs Review
Gah! Bad Karen Chance for leaving us with that crazy cliffhanger at the end of Curse the Dawn! I was an anxious and a nervous wreck (like when Han Solo was frozen in carbonite) wondering how in the hell Cassie is going to get Pritkin back. I was screaming in frustration. To top it off with that mother-effing cliffhanger, we had to wait two years to find out what happens. *sobs fat ugly tears* Okay, rant over. I will humbly admit it was totally worth the wait.
Tempt the Stars picks up a week after Pritkin saves Cassie by giving her energy to live; resulting in Pritkin being taken by his demon father and essentially losing his freedom. Ever since Cassie’s coronation (the one she wasn’t invited to), where she officially became Pythia, aka as the world’s chief seer, she’s had to deal with all kinds of supernaturals knocking on her door; always wanting something from her. Cassie’s also had to deal with finding out her mother is a goddess, which means she’s half goddess. With all that is going on in her life her, she’s stressed out and tired. But she refuses to leave Pritkin in the hands of his father and has dropped everything to find a way to get Pritkin back. And this is not going to be an easy mission. She doesn’t know much about the demons and their world and she needs help. The one person who can help her is none other than Pritkin himself. But she must be careful with history. Time jumping has its benefits as long as she doesn’t reveal or change history. Cassie’s handled much worse, right? Right. She’s got this.
Chance continues to thicken the intricate plotline as many things are revealed about Cassie’s family and ancestry history. I’m curious to see where Chance is taking this storyline; because the twists and turns just keep on coming. There’s action aplenty as Cassie continues on her adventure and eventually finds a way to get into the demon realm where Pritkin is being kept. Joining her on her mission is the vain and snarky Casanova and the angry war mage Caleb, Pritkin’s buddy. I had a blast hanging out with these two characters.
Mircea Basarab, a powerful senate master vampire and also Cassie’s boyfriend, took a backseat in this installment. Mircea fans will be highly disappointed but Pritkin fans will be blissfully on cloud nine with the many scenes we get with him. Anybody who knows me knows I’m a HUGE Pritkin fan. I adore that angry, green eyed war mage. I’ve loved him since he blazed onto the pages in the first book. This love triangle (if you want to call it that) is complicated and well written. Obviously, Cassie has feelings for both Pritkin and Mircea, but she isn’t exactly sitting around angsting over them. She’s just trying to survive the day half the time. The story barely touches on her feelings for either men, but there is an undertone of heartfelt emotions and feelings Cassie has for them both. But with everything that has happened in this series, Pritkin and Cassie have become quite close. There is a mutual respect and affection between them. Pritkin would fight tooth and nail to save her, which means she would do the same. And she does. One very emotional and touching scene between Cassie and Pritkin had my heart in my throat. I can’t express how badly I want these two to get together.
This was another fantastic and wild ride with Cassandra Palmer. Karen Chance has created a fabulous heroine that is smart, sassy, loveable, and who pretty much stumbled into her role as Pythia. Well, sort of. Since the beginning of this series, I’ve found that Cassie has really grown into a strong protagonist. She is the kind of gal that goes with the flow and tries to do right thing but has a lot working against her. I love how we are able to see Cassie’s vulnerabilities, especially when she is not above admitting that she has no clue what she’s doing half the time. Cassie knows she is underestimated and secrets are being kept from her, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to save the world; all while dodging bullets and spells, jumping tall buildings, popping in and out of time eras, and flying on carpets.
“Why do these plans of yours always involve me getting naked?” he yelled, making me blink again. And then scowl, because damn it, brain, this was no time to lose it.
“You’re not naked!” I yelled back, because it was true if not by much. He still had on a pair of silky gold trousers, ruffling in the wind and looking ridiculous next to the hard lines of his body. And because what else do you say to a grinning, windsurfing demon?
He said something that sounded like “disappointed?” but wasn’t because that would be absurd.
Heh… priceless. I find it quite funny that Cassie and Pritkin always end up naked in every book.
Tempt the Stars is an enthralling, superbly written story that left me breathless and gripping my kindle during the action-packed scenes. All of the characters are written phenomenally. The world building is unique and entwines mythology into the story – which makes for a very thrilling, complicated, and intelligent storyline that flows from one book to the next. I do highly suggest starting with Touch the Dark. Starting with Tempt the Stars will have you scratching your head in confusion. And, good lord… Another crazy ending that had me screaming in frustration. I’m mad at you Karen Chance. *wink* I really hope it’s not going to be another two years to find out what happens next. I’m not sure my heart and nerves can handle another long wait.
Rating: A
Heat: Sweet
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October 1, 2013
Five stars. Easily my favorite in the series.
This book is all about Cassie's parents, their powers and history. Pritkin's fate is a consequence of that.
Cassie decides she must go retrieve Pritkin from Hell, and goes back in time in order to speak to her mother to get advice on how to deal with demons, since she has experience with them.
Cassie then sets out with Casanova/Rian and Caleb to Rosier's home world and after a mad chariot drive through walled gates, they find Pritkin in a luxurious room in his father's palace. What is not divulged is if Pritkin was whored out during his 6 months. He now wears silk trousers. He is not happy that Cassie risked her life to come get him, but he does attempt to escort her to safety.
This is where I get mad, because Cassie SHOULD HAVE KNOWN there would be automatic repercussions if Pritkin leaves Hell in violation of his sentence. How TSTL is she?
Lots of wild action, from fighting robots and accelerated-growth trees, to windsurfing a flying carpet through a hell dimension, to a demon bar fight and mad dash down zip lines to get to the demon council chamber, this was a typical non-stop Karen Chance explosion. And as usual, Cassie is a mess and still looking for something to eat...several times.
I didn't care for Pritkin's fate, but the way ahead (next book: Cassie and Rosier on a road trip, through time!) was made known so it was not so much of a cliff hangar as could have been.
In the end the characters' growth shows. Cassie learns much about her parents, experiences new powers, and grew to realize she needed Pritkin, not just any war mage but HIM and tells him so.
Pritkin spent 6 months in his father's demon realm thinking about what he was missing, and came to realize he wants Cassie and it was high time he told her. So he tried to.
The only scene with Mircea turned out to be a mind thing and not in person, and the meeting between Cassie and Dory did not take place in TtS.
There were no info dumps, and the plot fill-in came as a Princess Lea type projection in the demon council chamber, and a discussion in a demon bar.
This book is all about Cassie's parents, their powers and history. Pritkin's fate is a consequence of that.
Cassie decides she must go retrieve Pritkin from Hell, and goes back in time in order to speak to her mother to get advice on how to deal with demons, since she has experience with them.
Cassie then sets out with Casanova/Rian and Caleb to Rosier's home world and after a mad chariot drive through walled gates, they find Pritkin in a luxurious room in his father's palace. What is not divulged is if Pritkin was whored out during his 6 months. He now wears silk trousers. He is not happy that Cassie risked her life to come get him, but he does attempt to escort her to safety.
This is where I get mad, because Cassie SHOULD HAVE KNOWN there would be automatic repercussions if Pritkin leaves Hell in violation of his sentence. How TSTL is she?
Lots of wild action, from fighting robots and accelerated-growth trees, to windsurfing a flying carpet through a hell dimension, to a demon bar fight and mad dash down zip lines to get to the demon council chamber, this was a typical non-stop Karen Chance explosion. And as usual, Cassie is a mess and still looking for something to eat...several times.
I didn't care for Pritkin's fate, but the way ahead (next book: Cassie and Rosier on a road trip, through time!) was made known so it was not so much of a cliff hangar as could have been.
In the end the characters' growth shows. Cassie learns much about her parents, experiences new powers, and grew to realize she needed Pritkin, not just any war mage but HIM and tells him so.
Pritkin spent 6 months in his father's demon realm thinking about what he was missing, and came to realize he wants Cassie and it was high time he told her. So he tried to.
The only scene with Mircea turned out to be a mind thing and not in person, and the meeting between Cassie and Dory did not take place in TtS.
There were no info dumps, and the plot fill-in came as a Princess Lea type projection in the demon council chamber, and a discussion in a demon bar.
Want to read
November 14, 2011I absolutely can't wait for this book! After the ending of the last one? Oh, this will be good.
Want to read
October 13, 2012Ok since this book hasn't been released yet, I am going to write my thoughts here as I keep reading the books published so far (yeah I just found this series). Until now I have read the first three books and hav just started with the fourth. I love the books. Karen did a great job. BUT they aren't free of flaws:-
1) I hate how it's been three books and Cassie is still bitching about how she hates the power. Yeah I get the whole thing about people gunning for her because she is the Pythia and all but come on. She keeps talking like Agnes MEANT for her to receive the power. How many times does she have to be told before she gets it into her head that the power chooses where it goes. No one can control where it goes!!! It has been told to her over and over and over again by everyone. But she is just so smart that she just never understands. Yeah Cassie. Can totally see how smart you are. Another example of her smartness: that extremely powerful spell from the Codex Merlini. Um....everyone has told her that it's an EXTREMELY powerful spell and should at any cost NOT be found. Yet she goes: so what's so special about this again? Does she by any chance have short term memory loss? Cause I can totally see that happening. And by the way she didn't care about the most extremely spell becoming an open knowledge and only cared about the geis, well.....I can already see the makings of a self-interested Cassie who is gonna piss me off this series. Also, does NOBODY find that scene in Book 1 when, while eating, she suddenly asks Mircea if he could off her just to show Pritkin. It was the most memorable scene for me cause it was so awkward how it was played out. I dunno why. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was.
2) In Book 1, Pritkin was this awesome top-notch assassin who no one could beat. He could take on a cavalry without so much as breaking out in a sweat. Yet right after Book 1, Pritkin has either BARELY escaped getting killed by war mages or completely losing when it comes to vampires. He became an average low-grade war Mage, rather than the top assassin who could kill a cavalry of supernatural beings. WHAT happened? Where are his skills!!! Are you telling me, that Pritkin can kill any number of demons but not even one vampire? Bullshit! The book has carved out demons and dark mages to be the most powerfu amongst the supernatural beings. If he can kill demons with ease, then he can definitely take on a vampire! I mean come on! The war mages and vampires, hated each other right? If their #1 assassin is Pritkin and he can't even kill ONE vampire, then how the hell didn't the war mages get extinct yet? Vampires could have crushed them easily. And don't tell me they didn't have reason to, cause the treaty between them is fairly new. Before that, they always waged wars on each other. So yeah, I keep expecting Pritkin to, for once, not look weak in Book 2 & 3 but so far I was majorly disappointed. Also, he is not only half demon, but he is MERLIN!!! Even the vampires said that Merlin was THE GUY. Heck if let's say that Pritkin was not supposed to be strong physically but magically cause he is Merlin the great who was a powerful mage. Ok then. Why doesn't he use his magic powers? When is he going to use them? After the vampires or anybody else kills him? Cause I doubt you take your skills to the afterlife. So WHAT happened! Why do I not see any evidence of the strong guy that Pritkin is supposed to be. It looks like so far, he has only been able to defeat Cassie.
3) Well there is something I noticed in Book 3. When Fançoise and Radell chained Cassie to a fence and left to talk to Jimmy about the hidden portal, Cassie shifted back in time. She shifted after Françoise and Radell were fairly far away. And yet, they shifted with her. According to the book, she needs skin contact to shift another person. Also if she can shift without contact, she could have shifted her and Mircea from the past to 1793 without having to going through all that trouble to touch Mircea. And also if she can shift other people from a distance, then other than Françoise and Radell, there must have been many people in the same diameter cause hello it's a CLUB. And yet it was only Françoise and Radell. When noticed this, I just moved on thinking that I better not dwell too much into this, which also brings me to another point: long drawn out action sequences. Now I like action sequences but some scenes are just too drawn out, so much so that I lose track of what happened before that particular sentence and have to back-pedal and read the previous passages again.
4) now the big thing. The love triangle. Wow where do I start. For starters. I have hated Cassie & Mircea together since the very first book, even when I hated Pritkin. During Book 1 i had hoped she would go to Tomas. That couple, while good didnt have much chemistry but still it would have been better than her Mircea (starting Book 2 i became the member of Team Pritkin not only because I don't like CassieXMircea but because Pritkin and Cassie had chemistry and were well perfect together). She hadn't even chosen Mircea then, and I already knew what kinda relationship theirs would be: Mircea bossing Cassie around, Cassie bitching that she doesn't like it but only in words cause she caves in every time he starts seducing her, which he will do every time they meet. Also because of this they will never talk. So in the end, it will always be Mircea telling her not to do something, Cassie saying no, them having sex so that Cassie won't oppose him, she caves, and then both of them leaving. And judging by the reviews of Book 4, I think my guess was bang on. Their relationship is based on NOTHING but sex. Yeah they both might love each other, but a relationship can't last long based on only sex. People out there, PLEASE do not copy Mircea & Cassie's relationship cause it is one of the worst kinda relationship possible. And why do I feel like Cassie doesn't really love him? It feels like she loves him more like family. When she was young, Mircea was the only one (according to her) who cared for her and she found in him a family that she always wished she had. I feel like she is confusing this with the actually man-woman love. Mix in her infatuation with him when she was younger and yup it damn well looks like a confusion. Also I haven't liked Mircea from the start. I mean as a friend he would be great but as a boyfriend? I am sorry but no. I could never love a guy who sees me like a child who doesn't know anything and then has sex with me to just shut my mouth before I can defy him instead of seeing and talking to me like an adult, like an equal. And Cassie is at fault here too. She whines about how she doesn't like being controlled and hence she will never allow anyone to control her, even Mircea, but she caves the moment sex comes in, and then after that, she whines about the same thing again. I am sorry but I hate hypocrites. Pritkin on the other hand is awesome. Yes he scolds her a lot but do you see what he is doing in the process? He is making her realise her mistakes so she doesn't repeat them. He lets her do whatever she wants provided it is not something stupid. He is always there for her when she needs him. Also their relationship is DEVELOPING. Instead of humping each other like bunnies, they TALK. They bicker, drive each other insane with rage, get pissed off at each other, hurl things at each other, claw each other's eyes out, etc etc etc. But at the end of the day, they fight side by side. Most of all, he actually tries teaching her how to fight so she can defend herself like a grown up. Does Mircea do this? No. He just wants to lock her away in his bedroom so that he can fuck her all day. Their relationship is developing the way a real relationship would and should. Mircea and Cassie's relationship which starts at sex, ends at sex and which has everything in between as sex, well......I think this sentence itself says it all.
5) Now this is a minor complain but I don't really like the nicknames for Cassie. Dulceata, Chica, etc. um.....what happened to good old Cass or K if you can't be bothered with even that. Another reason why I like Pritkin more XD!!
HOPES:-
1) Cassie to acknowledge her gift.
2) Cassie to stop being so thick-headed.
3) Less confusing action sequences.
4) Cassie to choose Pritkin. Now I am going to guess who the author will make THE pair. The thing that worries me here are that at the end of Book 3, Cassie says how Mircea's voice hummed through her. How their passion was humming through both of them, with equal need. While with Pritkin, it was just a sexual arousing. Yeah she wanted him but she didn't describe it as well passionately as with Mircea. Then Pritkin (sigh I so don't want to say this) has been made weaker than Mircea (at least so far) and we all know that the damsel always goes to the most powerful guy who here has been projected (again so far) as Mircea. What gives me hope is how everyone wants Pritkin to win. Most probably the author will hear us........right? And I learned that Pritkin gets taken to the underworld at the end of Book 5. Well if so, then I am hoping that maybe somehow all his memory will somehow get erased and he would become evil, having been influenced by his dad, and also becoming 100 times more kick-ass, powerfull and invincible than even a vampire (maybe his dad will make him his chief bodyguard and henceforth give him some special powers and amplify his already present ones so that he can protect his dad. Also when Cassie kills him, the powers will stay with Pritkin) Then Cassie would try to bring him back to his old self henceforth realising in the process that she loves him and not Mircea. Also I want Cassie to realise her love for Pritkin first cause that small agonising period when she thinks her love is one-sided, will teach her not to cheat on Pritkin the way she did on Mircea.
5) this series shouldn't go one for long. Max 7 books. The next one dealing with Pritkin's dad and the 7th (hopefully last) dealing with the ultimate villain Rasputin (he IS the ultimate villain right?) cause I seriously CANNOT wait 1 year for each book! I am already an impatient person. This is why I stick to completed stories! Damn it! But this story is really good so I will wait TT_TT. But only if Pritkin gets chosen in the end cause otherwise, this whole sEries will be my worst series ever.
1) I hate how it's been three books and Cassie is still bitching about how she hates the power. Yeah I get the whole thing about people gunning for her because she is the Pythia and all but come on. She keeps talking like Agnes MEANT for her to receive the power. How many times does she have to be told before she gets it into her head that the power chooses where it goes. No one can control where it goes!!! It has been told to her over and over and over again by everyone. But she is just so smart that she just never understands. Yeah Cassie. Can totally see how smart you are. Another example of her smartness: that extremely powerful spell from the Codex Merlini. Um....everyone has told her that it's an EXTREMELY powerful spell and should at any cost NOT be found. Yet she goes: so what's so special about this again? Does she by any chance have short term memory loss? Cause I can totally see that happening. And by the way she didn't care about the most extremely spell becoming an open knowledge and only cared about the geis, well.....I can already see the makings of a self-interested Cassie who is gonna piss me off this series. Also, does NOBODY find that scene in Book 1 when, while eating, she suddenly asks Mircea if he could off her just to show Pritkin. It was the most memorable scene for me cause it was so awkward how it was played out. I dunno why. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it was.
2) In Book 1, Pritkin was this awesome top-notch assassin who no one could beat. He could take on a cavalry without so much as breaking out in a sweat. Yet right after Book 1, Pritkin has either BARELY escaped getting killed by war mages or completely losing when it comes to vampires. He became an average low-grade war Mage, rather than the top assassin who could kill a cavalry of supernatural beings. WHAT happened? Where are his skills!!! Are you telling me, that Pritkin can kill any number of demons but not even one vampire? Bullshit! The book has carved out demons and dark mages to be the most powerfu amongst the supernatural beings. If he can kill demons with ease, then he can definitely take on a vampire! I mean come on! The war mages and vampires, hated each other right? If their #1 assassin is Pritkin and he can't even kill ONE vampire, then how the hell didn't the war mages get extinct yet? Vampires could have crushed them easily. And don't tell me they didn't have reason to, cause the treaty between them is fairly new. Before that, they always waged wars on each other. So yeah, I keep expecting Pritkin to, for once, not look weak in Book 2 & 3 but so far I was majorly disappointed. Also, he is not only half demon, but he is MERLIN!!! Even the vampires said that Merlin was THE GUY. Heck if let's say that Pritkin was not supposed to be strong physically but magically cause he is Merlin the great who was a powerful mage. Ok then. Why doesn't he use his magic powers? When is he going to use them? After the vampires or anybody else kills him? Cause I doubt you take your skills to the afterlife. So WHAT happened! Why do I not see any evidence of the strong guy that Pritkin is supposed to be. It looks like so far, he has only been able to defeat Cassie.
3) Well there is something I noticed in Book 3. When Fançoise and Radell chained Cassie to a fence and left to talk to Jimmy about the hidden portal, Cassie shifted back in time. She shifted after Françoise and Radell were fairly far away. And yet, they shifted with her. According to the book, she needs skin contact to shift another person. Also if she can shift without contact, she could have shifted her and Mircea from the past to 1793 without having to going through all that trouble to touch Mircea. And also if she can shift other people from a distance, then other than Françoise and Radell, there must have been many people in the same diameter cause hello it's a CLUB. And yet it was only Françoise and Radell. When noticed this, I just moved on thinking that I better not dwell too much into this, which also brings me to another point: long drawn out action sequences. Now I like action sequences but some scenes are just too drawn out, so much so that I lose track of what happened before that particular sentence and have to back-pedal and read the previous passages again.
4) now the big thing. The love triangle. Wow where do I start. For starters. I have hated Cassie & Mircea together since the very first book, even when I hated Pritkin. During Book 1 i had hoped she would go to Tomas. That couple, while good didnt have much chemistry but still it would have been better than her Mircea (starting Book 2 i became the member of Team Pritkin not only because I don't like CassieXMircea but because Pritkin and Cassie had chemistry and were well perfect together). She hadn't even chosen Mircea then, and I already knew what kinda relationship theirs would be: Mircea bossing Cassie around, Cassie bitching that she doesn't like it but only in words cause she caves in every time he starts seducing her, which he will do every time they meet. Also because of this they will never talk. So in the end, it will always be Mircea telling her not to do something, Cassie saying no, them having sex so that Cassie won't oppose him, she caves, and then both of them leaving. And judging by the reviews of Book 4, I think my guess was bang on. Their relationship is based on NOTHING but sex. Yeah they both might love each other, but a relationship can't last long based on only sex. People out there, PLEASE do not copy Mircea & Cassie's relationship cause it is one of the worst kinda relationship possible. And why do I feel like Cassie doesn't really love him? It feels like she loves him more like family. When she was young, Mircea was the only one (according to her) who cared for her and she found in him a family that she always wished she had. I feel like she is confusing this with the actually man-woman love. Mix in her infatuation with him when she was younger and yup it damn well looks like a confusion. Also I haven't liked Mircea from the start. I mean as a friend he would be great but as a boyfriend? I am sorry but no. I could never love a guy who sees me like a child who doesn't know anything and then has sex with me to just shut my mouth before I can defy him instead of seeing and talking to me like an adult, like an equal. And Cassie is at fault here too. She whines about how she doesn't like being controlled and hence she will never allow anyone to control her, even Mircea, but she caves the moment sex comes in, and then after that, she whines about the same thing again. I am sorry but I hate hypocrites. Pritkin on the other hand is awesome. Yes he scolds her a lot but do you see what he is doing in the process? He is making her realise her mistakes so she doesn't repeat them. He lets her do whatever she wants provided it is not something stupid. He is always there for her when she needs him. Also their relationship is DEVELOPING. Instead of humping each other like bunnies, they TALK. They bicker, drive each other insane with rage, get pissed off at each other, hurl things at each other, claw each other's eyes out, etc etc etc. But at the end of the day, they fight side by side. Most of all, he actually tries teaching her how to fight so she can defend herself like a grown up. Does Mircea do this? No. He just wants to lock her away in his bedroom so that he can fuck her all day. Their relationship is developing the way a real relationship would and should. Mircea and Cassie's relationship which starts at sex, ends at sex and which has everything in between as sex, well......I think this sentence itself says it all.
5) Now this is a minor complain but I don't really like the nicknames for Cassie. Dulceata, Chica, etc. um.....what happened to good old Cass or K if you can't be bothered with even that. Another reason why I like Pritkin more XD!!
HOPES:-
1) Cassie to acknowledge her gift.
2) Cassie to stop being so thick-headed.
3) Less confusing action sequences.
4) Cassie to choose Pritkin. Now I am going to guess who the author will make THE pair. The thing that worries me here are that at the end of Book 3, Cassie says how Mircea's voice hummed through her. How their passion was humming through both of them, with equal need. While with Pritkin, it was just a sexual arousing. Yeah she wanted him but she didn't describe it as well passionately as with Mircea. Then Pritkin (sigh I so don't want to say this) has been made weaker than Mircea (at least so far) and we all know that the damsel always goes to the most powerful guy who here has been projected (again so far) as Mircea. What gives me hope is how everyone wants Pritkin to win. Most probably the author will hear us........right? And I learned that Pritkin gets taken to the underworld at the end of Book 5. Well if so, then I am hoping that maybe somehow all his memory will somehow get erased and he would become evil, having been influenced by his dad, and also becoming 100 times more kick-ass, powerfull and invincible than even a vampire (maybe his dad will make him his chief bodyguard and henceforth give him some special powers and amplify his already present ones so that he can protect his dad. Also when Cassie kills him, the powers will stay with Pritkin) Then Cassie would try to bring him back to his old self henceforth realising in the process that she loves him and not Mircea. Also I want Cassie to realise her love for Pritkin first cause that small agonising period when she thinks her love is one-sided, will teach her not to cheat on Pritkin the way she did on Mircea.
5) this series shouldn't go one for long. Max 7 books. The next one dealing with Pritkin's dad and the 7th (hopefully last) dealing with the ultimate villain Rasputin (he IS the ultimate villain right?) cause I seriously CANNOT wait 1 year for each book! I am already an impatient person. This is why I stick to completed stories! Damn it! But this story is really good so I will wait TT_TT. But only if Pritkin gets chosen in the end cause otherwise, this whole sEries will be my worst series ever.
October 4, 2013
This is what I love about Karen Chance:
1. The World. While, yes, there are some UF series that reinvent the wheel a bit, and travel outside the overused tropes and typical Vampires-and-Werevoles-and-Fae,-Oh-My! drudgery, there are very few that do it with this much creativity and intricate attention to detail. Yes, Chance features vampires pretty heavily in this series, and yes, they are actually pretty "common" in origin/nature/etc. But then she gives you the Pythia. And gods and goddesses. And the freaking WAR MAGES. It's all fresh and fun and not very common. She's consistent with her imagined world. And above all, she pays actual attention to history, instead of ignoring it outright, as many UF tales involving immortal creatures do. It adds an element of authenticity, and another layer of interest.
2. The Writing. At this point, Chance might be my favorite UF novelist in terms of actual writing style. Is it literature? Nope. Is it a future classic? Not a chance. What it is, is consistent, ADHD-level lightning fast, well-paced, and note-perfect with regards to characterization and voice. It's one of the best first-person perspectives I've ever read. It moves SO quickly that the reader is forced to pay attention. Try to skim ahead, and you miss an important point. The books tend to be relatively short, however, so it works out well.
3. The humor. It may very well be Chance's refusal to let any of her characters take themselves seriously that really makes this series for me. Sassy sarcasm in a UF narrator seems to be a popular thing, but Chance elevates it to an art form. Cassie is the perfect mix of sweet, self-deprecating, sassy, and sarcastic, and never takes herself too seriously. Most of the main players have regular "derp moments" that make them all that much more believable, all that much more lovable, and also offer perfect comic relief.
4. PRITKIN. I have never been so enchanted with a fictional character as I am with Pritkin. As a writer myself, I am in awe of the utter perfection of his character arc. He has changed between each new novel, slowly and believably morphing from the bigoted, rage-inducing ass from the first novel, to the temperamental, sweet-but-still-a-bad-ass dude we've met in Tempt the Stars. I am ATTACHED to this character. I'm not saying this from the perspective of a romantic interest, either. Pritkin was just masterfully-crafted. Honestly, I'm often shocked that Mircea, as the "other love interest," has much of a fan base, because there is no comparison in sheer technical character development. He is likeable enough, as a stock PNR love interest, but it just doesn't hold up.
I adore this series. I adore Cassie. I adore Billy Joe. I LOVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE.
Tempt the Stars was everything I'd hoped for: more nonstop action, zany antics, a nice break from Mircea and his one-dimensional heroics and borderline-abusive, egomaniacal control freak behavior. Also, Pritkin. Not much else I can say without spoilers. The push-and-pull between Cassie and Pritkin just continues to be adorable - shouting at each other one minute, desperately embracing the next. Arguments and sarcasm are like terms of endearment with the two of them. It's awesome. I downloaded this book last night after work, and finished it before I went to bed, the same night. Devoured isn't strong enough a word.
So why did this one only get 4 stars?
Because ENOUGH WITH THE F@)*@!&!)*!&^#$(@() CLIFFHANGERS, please.
I can only imagine that this was a marketing ploy, something that the publisher pushes for. Because as the series has progressed, the cliffhangers have gone from being good jumping points for the next book/story arc, to blatant, full-stop, nothing-gets-resolved, screw-you-constant-reader crap. I just can't see any writer would want that for their beloved creation. Chance isn't exactly quick at churning these out, either. So end the story with a few chapters of emotional devastation, a last-minute burst of hope, and then... Sorry, schmuck, we just spent hundreds of pages building up a story arc and now WE'RE STOPPING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE! Who needs payoff, anyway? Gotta wait 2 years and pay out another $7.00 to find out how it ends!
No more of this. I hate that I love this series so much, because I would love to say that I won't spend another penny on these books until they stop this crap (I've definitely already done so with other, less-beloved series). Alas, publisher games aside, Cassie Palmer remains a gem, so I'm as depressingly-hooked as the next gal.
But seriously. Stop that.
1. The World. While, yes, there are some UF series that reinvent the wheel a bit, and travel outside the overused tropes and typical Vampires-and-Werevoles-and-Fae,-Oh-My! drudgery, there are very few that do it with this much creativity and intricate attention to detail. Yes, Chance features vampires pretty heavily in this series, and yes, they are actually pretty "common" in origin/nature/etc. But then she gives you the Pythia. And gods and goddesses. And the freaking WAR MAGES. It's all fresh and fun and not very common. She's consistent with her imagined world. And above all, she pays actual attention to history, instead of ignoring it outright, as many UF tales involving immortal creatures do. It adds an element of authenticity, and another layer of interest.
2. The Writing. At this point, Chance might be my favorite UF novelist in terms of actual writing style. Is it literature? Nope. Is it a future classic? Not a chance. What it is, is consistent, ADHD-level lightning fast, well-paced, and note-perfect with regards to characterization and voice. It's one of the best first-person perspectives I've ever read. It moves SO quickly that the reader is forced to pay attention. Try to skim ahead, and you miss an important point. The books tend to be relatively short, however, so it works out well.
3. The humor. It may very well be Chance's refusal to let any of her characters take themselves seriously that really makes this series for me. Sassy sarcasm in a UF narrator seems to be a popular thing, but Chance elevates it to an art form. Cassie is the perfect mix of sweet, self-deprecating, sassy, and sarcastic, and never takes herself too seriously. Most of the main players have regular "derp moments" that make them all that much more believable, all that much more lovable, and also offer perfect comic relief.
4. PRITKIN. I have never been so enchanted with a fictional character as I am with Pritkin. As a writer myself, I am in awe of the utter perfection of his character arc. He has changed between each new novel, slowly and believably morphing from the bigoted, rage-inducing ass from the first novel, to the temperamental, sweet-but-still-a-bad-ass dude we've met in Tempt the Stars. I am ATTACHED to this character. I'm not saying this from the perspective of a romantic interest, either. Pritkin was just masterfully-crafted. Honestly, I'm often shocked that Mircea, as the "other love interest," has much of a fan base, because there is no comparison in sheer technical character development. He is likeable enough, as a stock PNR love interest, but it just doesn't hold up.
I adore this series. I adore Cassie. I adore Billy Joe. I LOVE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE.
Tempt the Stars was everything I'd hoped for: more nonstop action, zany antics, a nice break from Mircea and his one-dimensional heroics and borderline-abusive, egomaniacal control freak behavior. Also, Pritkin. Not much else I can say without spoilers. The push-and-pull between Cassie and Pritkin just continues to be adorable - shouting at each other one minute, desperately embracing the next. Arguments and sarcasm are like terms of endearment with the two of them. It's awesome. I downloaded this book last night after work, and finished it before I went to bed, the same night. Devoured isn't strong enough a word.
So why did this one only get 4 stars?
Because ENOUGH WITH THE F@)*@!&!)*!&^#$(@() CLIFFHANGERS, please.
I can only imagine that this was a marketing ploy, something that the publisher pushes for. Because as the series has progressed, the cliffhangers have gone from being good jumping points for the next book/story arc, to blatant, full-stop, nothing-gets-resolved, screw-you-constant-reader crap. I just can't see any writer would want that for their beloved creation. Chance isn't exactly quick at churning these out, either. So end the story with a few chapters of emotional devastation, a last-minute burst of hope, and then... Sorry, schmuck, we just spent hundreds of pages building up a story arc and now WE'RE STOPPING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE! Who needs payoff, anyway? Gotta wait 2 years and pay out another $7.00 to find out how it ends!
No more of this. I hate that I love this series so much, because I would love to say that I won't spend another penny on these books until they stop this crap (I've definitely already done so with other, less-beloved series). Alas, publisher games aside, Cassie Palmer remains a gem, so I'm as depressingly-hooked as the next gal.
But seriously. Stop that.
July 22, 2022
(Content warning: mild spoilers.)
One of the weaker installments. Part of the problem was the resolution (or rather, non-resolution) to Cassie & Pritkin. At the close of this book we're right back where we started, which begs a question:
What is this book's function?
…Filler. Placeholder. One long lead-up to Reap the Wind.
My other issue is that awesome secondary characters like Marco & Billy continue to be under-used. Example: the incident with Jules. Who cares? He's essentially an extra in the sprawling cast of Cassie's universe. And while that scene is red flagged as important, the incident itself has little impact because Jules dropped in from nowhere. Now if Cassie had saved Marco's life…? Yup, instant transformation from "who cares" to "key plot point." Maybe I'm biased because I love so many of the secondaries in Cassie's world. Marco, Billy, Alphonse (RIP), Rafe, Rosier, the three pervy witches that share an eyeball...these are all great creations. I want them involved, not just hanging around the fringe to observe.
...But whatever. *shrug* It’s entertaining, so at least there’s that much.
One of the weaker installments. Part of the problem was the resolution (or rather, non-resolution) to Cassie & Pritkin. At the close of this book we're right back where we started, which begs a question:
What is this book's function?
…Filler. Placeholder. One long lead-up to Reap the Wind.
My other issue is that awesome secondary characters like Marco & Billy continue to be under-used. Example: the incident with Jules. Who cares? He's essentially an extra in the sprawling cast of Cassie's universe. And while that scene is red flagged as important, the incident itself has little impact because Jules dropped in from nowhere. Now if Cassie had saved Marco's life…? Yup, instant transformation from "who cares" to "key plot point." Maybe I'm biased because I love so many of the secondaries in Cassie's world. Marco, Billy, Alphonse (RIP), Rafe, Rosier, the three pervy witches that share an eyeball...these are all great creations. I want them involved, not just hanging around the fringe to observe.
...But whatever. *shrug* It’s entertaining, so at least there’s that much.
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