lynseyisreading's review against another edition
4.0
You know what's weird? Considering how many reviews I've written—especially this year after I set it as my New Year's Resolution to review every single book I read—what's weird is that most of my all-time favourite books don't even have a review at all because I read them waaaay before I discovered the joys of reviewing or having a virtual Goodreads bookshelf to keep a record of my books and ratings. So my favourites, like this one, just got slapped with an automatic 5-star rating based on hazy memories of awesomeness, and that was that.
So, it's a bit sad that I am, then, to find that after my recent re-read of this book, 3 years and around 600 books after my first go, I find I can't in all honesty still give it 5 stars, so I've dropped it down to 4. I still really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. But I'd be blind not to see that, although I love Chance's writing for its fast pacing and action-filled plots, a lot of it can be too chaotic and confusing with too much going on from too many directions and not enough exposition. For much of the book I was just waiting and hoping that any minute now I'd be told why Dory was doing what she was doing, or going where she was going, and who the heck are those people firing stuff at her now and why are they doing it?
I imagine it all makes perfect sense in Karen Chance's head, but it doesn't always translate perfectly to her audience. It's kind of a double-edged sword, though, because the confusion is a side effect of having such intricate, complex, multi-layered, thought-provoking and detailed plots. She literally fits more plotting, world-building and characterisation into one page than some authors manage in three chapters (or whole books in the worst cases). But unless you're paying absolute, 100% focused attention (which admittedly I probably wasn't this time as I did the re-read as an audiobook) then you'll blink and miss something vital and be all "What the hell just happened?"
But that's enough negativity!
This is my favourite urban fantasy 'world' after all, (although I do prefer the main Cassandra Palmer series over this, the spin-off). So let's get on to what I still loved—The world, the setting, the magic, Dory, the real historical characters, Louis Cesare, the complex and strained relationships, Stinky, the sexual tension, the funny dialogue, Radu, the hot vamps, the hot smexy times, Dory's house that won't let her redecorate or move anything, the intelligent writing, Louis Cesare in a towel.
That's quite a lot still to love, eh?
Dory is a great main character. She has a bit of a bad attitude due to being a misfit and held in contempt by almost all supernatural factions AND humans, and she suffers rage episodes and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour.
Louis Cesare on the other hand is cool, suave, laconic, honourable and protective. They make a great fighting team, as long as Louis Cesare can keep up, and I look forward to re-visiting them in the next book, which I believe, if memory serves, is slightly less hectic than this one.
Recommended to read after books 1&2 of the Cassandra Palmer series.
Click here for the series timeline.
4 Stars ★★★★
So, it's a bit sad that I am, then, to find that after my recent re-read of this book, 3 years and around 600 books after my first go, I find I can't in all honesty still give it 5 stars, so I've dropped it down to 4. I still really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. But I'd be blind not to see that, although I love Chance's writing for its fast pacing and action-filled plots, a lot of it can be too chaotic and confusing with too much going on from too many directions and not enough exposition. For much of the book I was just waiting and hoping that any minute now I'd be told why Dory was doing what she was doing, or going where she was going, and who the heck are those people firing stuff at her now and why are they doing it?
I imagine it all makes perfect sense in Karen Chance's head, but it doesn't always translate perfectly to her audience. It's kind of a double-edged sword, though, because the confusion is a side effect of having such intricate, complex, multi-layered, thought-provoking and detailed plots. She literally fits more plotting, world-building and characterisation into one page than some authors manage in three chapters (or whole books in the worst cases). But unless you're paying absolute, 100% focused attention (which admittedly I probably wasn't this time as I did the re-read as an audiobook) then you'll blink and miss something vital and be all "What the hell just happened?"
But that's enough negativity!
This is my favourite urban fantasy 'world' after all, (although I do prefer the main Cassandra Palmer series over this, the spin-off). So let's get on to what I still loved—The world, the setting, the magic, Dory, the real historical characters, Louis Cesare, the complex and strained relationships, Stinky, the sexual tension, the funny dialogue, Radu, the hot vamps, the hot smexy times, Dory's house that won't let her redecorate or move anything, the intelligent writing, Louis Cesare in a towel.
That's quite a lot still to love, eh?
Dory is a great main character. She has a bit of a bad attitude due to being a misfit and held in contempt by almost all supernatural factions AND humans, and she suffers rage episodes and has a dry, sarcastic sense of humour.
Louis Cesare on the other hand is cool, suave, laconic, honourable and protective. They make a great fighting team, as long as Louis Cesare can keep up, and I look forward to re-visiting them in the next book, which I believe, if memory serves, is slightly less hectic than this one.
Recommended to read after books 1&2 of the Cassandra Palmer series.
Click here for the series timeline.
4 Stars ★★★★
bookwife's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! So much better than Cassie's books. Dory is a badass and I love her. Of course I love Louis Cesare. I think that's why this is better than Cassie's books... Im not a fan of Mircea and I like the love interest in this book.
The action was pretty much non stop. I didn't want to stop listening to it. I cannot wait to start the next one tomorrow!
The action was pretty much non stop. I didn't want to stop listening to it. I cannot wait to start the next one tomorrow!
snarkymotherreader's review against another edition
4.0
I absolutely loved getting an insider view on Louis-Cesare. Mircea isn’t exactly my favorite, so his back story didn’t move me as much (beyond the whole dhampir daughter thing of course), but Louis-Cesare’s story was agonizing to uncover. His interactions with Dory were well choreographed, beginning with obvious disdain to an even more obvious attraction, to a “Aww..that’s so cute!” development of feelings.
Full review available here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=2914#more-2914
Full review available here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=2914#more-2914
mallaidhsomo's review against another edition
4.0
The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because Pritkin isn't in it. I may be slightly obsessed with him.
lizzy_22's review against another edition
3.0
Very similar to the Cassie Palmer series obviously since this is set in the same universe with some of the same characters. Dory was a character that had to grow on me and as I read the first half of the book she had me checking to see how much I had left. But as usual the last quarter or so was a roller coaster ride to the end as the plot took all it's momentum and careened down the hill to an entertaining and blood soaked finish. I'll probably go with book 2 but so far I prefer the Cassie books and more specifically Pritkin!
bookladysreviews's review against another edition
5.0
i have to admit that, when i started reading midnight's daughter, i wasn't really impressed and i was actually a bit bored because only a few things happened at the first chapters...but then it was like something happened and the plot started getting really interesting..i loved the characters and especially dory because instead of giving up when everyone abandoned her, when she was still very young, she kept going and she lived five centuries...something really impossible for people like her...dhampirs, cause that's what she is...no one likes her and everyone wants her dead but she survives and only god knows how...louis-cesare is also a really fascinating character and i bet he's been through a lot of things in his life too...but in the end when he left without even talking to dory, i was a little pissed...he left to find that girl he saved and it was unacceptable because she's been gone for like one century and what...he just remembered her?what was he doing all those years...i think this book and all of the books in the dorina basarab series(although i haven't read them yet), are a lot better than cassandra palmer...i don't know i wasn't really impressed when i read it because the whole thing that was going on there didn't actually made any sense, not at all..but this book, had something like a mission in it for the characters and they were meant to accomplish that mission and reach the end...the story it self had a purpose and that's what kept me reading it....can't wait to read the next one and i hope louis-cesare comes back for his own good!!!
nicolelin23's review against another edition
4.0
I really like the Cassie Palmer books. So I wanted to read the Dorina Basarab books. Overall I like the book but I found it a little hard to follow at times. I was trying to figure out the time line from the Cassie Palmer books. And the fae story is complex but really interesting.
eb00kie's review
4.0
Character development is shit. I felt like reading the stone(brick wall) over and over again
eimsy7's review against another edition
4.0
More a 3.5 but I couldn't justify giving it a 3!
Starts off slow but it really comes into its own!
Starts off slow but it really comes into its own!