Review: Death's Mistress by Karen Chance

Death's Mistress by Karen Chance - WARNING! I cannot review this book without spoiling the first in the series. Do not read any further if you're planning on reading Midnight's Daughter and don't want it to be spoilt for you.

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir - half-human, half-vampire - and the only way she can stay sane is by unleashing her sometimes uncontrollable rage on demons and vampires that deserve killing. After the fortunate demise of her insane uncle Dracula, Dory is back home in Brooklyn, hoping that life will calm down for a while. But then two visitors arrive: her friend Claire, asking for Dory's help in finding a magical Fey relic, and the gorgeous master vampire Louis-Cesare, desperate to find his former mistress, a vampire named Christine. Dory and Louis-Cesare soon discover their problems may be connected: the same master vampire Christine is bound to is also rumored to be in possession of the relic. But they soon realize there's more at stake when Christine's master turns up dead. Someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if Dory and Louis-Cesare can't stop the murderer, they may be next... From Amazon UK

Oh, I cannot tell you how much I am in love with the world and the mythology in Karen Chance's novels! When I read Touch the Dark, the first in the Cassie Palmer series, for the first time last year, I wasn't a massive fan, but on the advice of others I continued. And my love for Chance's novels just grew and grew. Death's Mistress is the second book in the Dorina Basarab series, set in the same world as the Cassie Palmer series, even with some of the same characters. I loved it!

As in all Chance's novels, so much happens in this book, it's a little difficult to know where to begin, and what to talk about without spoiling anything. Dory is just as kick-ass in this book as she is in the last one. I can't count the number of fights she gets in, and each is just brilliantly choreographed, I'm amazed at the detail!

Dory is also softer in this book too. Death's Mistress is a lot more emotional for Dory in a fair few ways, but especially in regards to her mother, and in turn, who she is. She makes a discovery regarding her father, Mircea, and the circumstances of her conception.

The plot of ths story is just as exciting and twisty-turvy as you would expect from Chance. As brilliant as she is, I'm still surprised at how fresh and original her stories can be, while keeping up the same pace, the same excitement, the same amount of action, and the right level of romance. It's just incredible, I'd love to see how this woman plots her books!

I really don't think I can go into any more detail without spoiling anything, but it's just brilliant, and oh, what a satsifying ending! Oh, I loved it! Really, you must read this series if you haven't already! It's amazing!



Published: 7th January 2010
Publisher: Penguin
Karen Chance's Website

My other reviews from the series:
Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab Book 1)