Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, book 2) by Karen Chance
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Edition Reviewed: Paperback
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Claimed by Shadow (1)
Clairvoyant Cassie Palmer has inherited new magical powers-including the ability to travel through time. But it's a whole lot of responsibility she'd rather not have. Now she's the most popular girl in town, as an assortment of vamps, fey, and mages try to convince, force, or seduce her—and her magic—over to their side. But one particular master vampire didn't ask what Cassie wanted before putting a claim on her. He had a spell cast that binds her to him, and now she doesn't know if what she feels for him is real—or imagined…
Review:
Any day that stars off in a demon-filled bar in a casino designed to look like Hell isn't likely to turn out well. - Cassie
Claimed by Shadow has always been a favorite entry of mine in the Cassandra Palmer series. OK, so it's book two. But Chance hits everything right! Gosh it feels so good! The pacing is perfect matching the present day scenes with time travel perfectly! This is the title that will show readers what this series has to offer with some of the best time traveling plotting ever. No really. And the fact that it only gets better and better with each addition to the series makes it perfect!
Cassie is still reluctant to take on the role of Pythia. Who wouldn't be daunted by the task of being guardian of the time line? Much like Oracle of Delphi, but with way more cool tricks. Oh, not to mention that each powerful magic group wants to have total control of the reigning Pythia and might still knock her out of the running to get a more amiable heir in position. What I love is the reasoning behind why Cassie decides she should take up the role of Pythia, even if it's the last thing she ever wants. And as Pritkin says:
“No one who wants power should ever be allowed to wield it.”
On top of that is plenty of drama! The ritual for Pythia entails Cassie to lose her virginity ASAP, but her—secretly placed—magical chastity belt is giving her a magical whammy to only be with one particular vampire . . . Everyone wants poor Cassie to seal the deal. All Cassie wants to do is find Myra, the rival heir, and get things set so she doesn't have to protect the timeline from her. The fat vampire, Tony, is still out there probably wanting revenge and gloating over her paperweight dad. And so many other things! What I love is that every thing is balanced out so well, and Chance does not try to dump everything in at once. Because there is way more going on here then I could put down.
Ah! All of the characters new and old are soooo cool. I loved that Casanova is a incubus who possesses bodies throughout time and is currently in a vampire’s body. (Strange politics!) It's so fun seeing the twists on historical figures that we love, or hate. Oh, and the gargoyles—tee-hee—there are not enough words to express how much I love them! And-and-and, I could keep on gushing! Some of Chance’s takes are so original on the mythology and mythological creatures that it just makes me giddy. Pritkin has turned into a much more tolerable character as the book goes along and I don't want him to die. He gets interesting. Which is great considering how annoying he was in the first book. Mircea and Cassie's time line tango is so hot, and just plain cool. It's going to be a treat to watch their relationship crash-clash-unite, and develop their relationship. Thomas also gets some redemption, but what I like is that he's not a white knight. And I can't say he's horribly bright. He is what he is, and Cassie—and readers—truly don't know him. Which makes it all the more fascinating.
The dark side of the Cassandra Palmer universe is definitely here. Now, I'm not saying the last book was sunshine and roses. But this brings the fear and the horrors of all factions. This is a world where everything is a power play and if I was in it I'd like to be one of those silly humans on the side lines with no clue. (OK, after I had my way with some of the characters.) Despite that there's a perfect balance with the humor and character banter that makes the darkness wonderful.
At this point Claimed by Shadow will let you know whether this series is for you. It's all polished up and shiny! Which, as said before, only gets better. These books are not ones that you can skim or just kind of pay attention to. They need your full attention because there are plenty of juicy tidbits sprinkled through out them, and not all the time traveling events will be wrapped up in one sitting. The books are connected, one of my favorite things about a good series. Cassie still has the vampire senates, Black and Silver circles, Faye, and so many other factions to deal with. Can't wait to have my head go topsy turvy with the next installment!
Sexual Content: An almost rape scene that is pretty chilling, sex, and sexual humor. This is an adult title.
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
| Previous book(s) in series: | ||
| Reviewed on BW: | Amazon: | Goodreads: |
| Touch the Dark (1) Claimed by Shadow (2) Embrace the Night (3) Curse the Dawn (4) Hunt the Moon (5) Tempt the Stars (6) Reap the Wind (7) Ride the Storm (8) | Touch the Dark (1) Claimed by Shadow (2) Embrace the Night (3) Curse the Dawn (4) Hunt the Moon (5) Tempt the Stars (6) Reap the Wind (7) Ride the Storm (8) | Touch the Dark (1) Claimed by Shadow (2) Embrace the Night (3) Curse the Dawn (4) Hunt the Moon (5) Tempt the Stars (6) Reap the Wind (7) Ride the Storm (8) |
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