Book Review – Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance

Title:  Curse the Dawn
Author:  Karen Chance
Publisher:  Onyx
Publish Date:  April 7, 2009
Format:  Paperback

Curse the Dawn by Karen Chance is the fourth book in the Cassandra Palmer series.  Cassie Palmer is a clairvoyant.  Young, untrained and raised by Mafioso vampires after her parents died at a young age, she has been thrown into a life she never expected.  Her clairvoyant powers are not up to par – never having been trained.  And yet, she has still managed to unite the Silver Circle – against her – and has inspired a centuries old vampire to love her – under geas.  All of this and she has also been chosen, against her will and, again, without any training, to be Pythia.  The Pythia is the world’s protection against magicians attempting to change time.  Her powers allow her to travel through time to keep the timeline safe from change.  All she wants is a break to discover her new life but will she get it?  Not this time.

The book opens with Cassie frantically trying to get some advice from the former Pythia – who is attempting to foil a wizard’s plot to change time.  Unfortunately they are both in a room full of gunpowder and being shot at by evil wizards out to change the world.  After this quick, painful and not so fruitful, trip to the past, Cassie gets back to Dante’s only to be thrown into more trouble with vampires and wizards everywhere.  With the help of Mircea, her vampire lover, Pritkin, the war wizard of all war wizards and other familiar friends, Cassie helps to defeat some corrupt wizards, save the lives of some talented kids and learn a bit more than may be comfortable about Pritkin.

I like this series for several reasons.  One of those is the hint of the ridiculous that pokes fun at the genre and life in general that cannot help but make you smile.  Also, while Cassie Palmer is young, full of herself and a bit of snark, she is not your typical kick butt heroine.  She is petite, untrained, unknowledgeable and pretty much ends up doing all right anyway.  In this she is like a smarter Inspector Clouseau – while here eyes are wide open she does seem to end up in some crazy situations.  Plus, you get all that with lots of magic, vampires, succubi, demons and wizards.  What’s not to love? 

This fourth book is the most action packed yet.  Poor Cassie doesn’t get a breather from dodging bullets, avoiding vampires, and being stalked by wizards until at least two thirds of the way in.  After this brief respite (for both reader and heroine) Cassie gets thrown back into action and it does not slow down until the very end.  I found this book to be a frenzied romp full of danger, transvestite cabaret, magic and lots of fun.  The story is not over yet so let us hope the next Cassie Palmer story will come out soon.

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About amberdrake

I'm a 40 year old desk jockey who amuses herself with lots and lots of reading. My favorite things in books are dragons, steampunk, wizards, comedy, and lots of action!