Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer)

A real snooze fest

I originally read this book 9 years ago. I just did a reread. I never did a review the first time around. And since it has been so long since I read it, its like reading it for the first time. I think I enjoyed it even more. There is so many elements to the story. Vampires, weres, ghosts, fairies etc. And the all surround Cassandra. I enjoyed being reintroduced to the characters. So many personalities. Poor Cassie as she tries to figure out what's really going on. Who's friend or enemy. So many choices to make. This one of my favorite series. I can't wait to reread them all again and fall in love with the characters once again.

I long ago lost track of how many times I’ve read these books. Touch the Dark is the doorway to an amazingly detailed and fantastic world of characters and chaos of which I’ve yet to see the equal. Cassie is a wonderfully ‘real’ heroine with her personal flaws, insecurities and honest reactions. She is supported by a cast of characters so rich and vivid that any one of them could carry a series all of their own (...and I sincerely hope that they do!!) I love the emotional depth of the characters connections and Karen’s chaotic ‘warts and all’ approach to creating a wonderfully 3 dimensional read (4 if you count time travel!!)

This is the first book in one my absolute favorite series, Karen does a fantastic job of creating the world and characters. If you like the Mercy Thompson series, the night huntress series, the Kate Daniels series, or the hollows series you'd probably enjoy this series!

I’m re-reading this series...again (that’s how much I LOVE the Cassie Palmer and Dory Basarab series!) and wanted to finally post reviews of all the stories in the intertwining timeline. In Touch the Dark we meet Cassie who is a clairvoyant. She has visions of future and past horrors while also being able to see/talk to ghosts. And as if that isn’t enough to deal with, she’s on the run from the vampire who raised her...after murdering her parents. Now the North American Vampire Senate needs her help and promises to protect her from the Silver (“good” mages) and Black (bad mages) Circles. Yeah, right. I love Cassie because while the world isn’t real, she is. She has flaws, she’s not perfect. And while she does ok at protecting herself she’s not kicking major a$$. But she’s also smart. “Where my life was concerned, I’d learned long ago that everyone wanted to use me for something.” What made me pick up the next book is the writing. Karen Chance is absolutely amazing. I also love the world. In this book you’ll meet satyrs, weres, witches, a pixy and war mages. And there are so many more throughout the series. Plus it’s almost non-stop action. One of my favorite bits: “I just stood there, not able to believe I was watching a pixie have a conversation with a shrunken head. I think that was about the time I gave up on logic and just decided to go with the flow. If I was lucky, someone had spiked my drink and I was hallucinating.”

Cassie Palmer works at a travel agency, but she isn't an ordinary human. She's clairvoyant and can see and communicate ghosts to<i> start</i>. She was raised in a vampire court and made enemies with the Master, Tony, who killed her parents. Her revenge was to collect his crimes and give the information to the FBI. Now he wants her dead and she's been in hiding for three years. She's been found. The supernatural world wants her for more than retribution, however. Cassie's life is about to get much much more complicated. As the first book in the series there is (like always) a good bit of info dumping. Not only the world building kind, but Chance knows her history and will go on the occasional tangent. The story drags during them. On top of that, Cassie is one of the lowest powered people in every room. She doesn't have a lot of agency when surrounded by Master vampires. When she breaks free of their grasp, Cassie makes an impression. She may not be as powerful as most of the introduced characters, but she uses all of the weight she has and it works. She leaves everyone stunned by what she can accomplish. Touch the Dark is an okay start to my all time favorite series. 3.5 stars.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Both Touch the Dark and Claimed by Shadow were original, exciting and substantial reads. I've read both books twice and I can't wait until next April for the third, Embrace the Night. Chance has created an amazing world that has completely sucked me in. I don't want to say too much about the plot, because the book has a strong mystery element and I don't want to be responsible for spoilers. But, essentially, Cassie Palmer is a clairvoyant on the run from the vampire who brought her up and used her psychic talents for his own nefarious purposes. She escaped him and lived a fairly normal life for three years. But, as the book opens, he has caught up with her. She returns from a break at work to find her obituary displayed on her computer screen. She assumes that it's a warning from her old master, and that she must flee immediately. From there on, Cassie and the reader are transported into a world of magic, danger, intrigue and secrets, where nothing is what it first seems and everyone is a possible enemy. Vampires, werewolves, fey, time travel, assassins, witches-the book has it all, but it is all very well done and quite believable. It's obvious that a lot of time was taken on the worldbuilding, something that I found very refreshing. I'm tired of reading so-called fantasies which are little more than romance novels in disguise, with poor world-building and little attention to detail. Touch the Dark has none of that. The characters are well drawn, the writing is solid, the mystery was excellent, and the pace just never lets up! Highly recommended.

This book was a fantastic read, i really got into the character of Cassandra. She is a strong and Sassy character who lives up to her given name. The characters that surround her are just as interesting, the world that Karen chance has created is intriguing and leaves you wanting more after that last page has been turned. If you like this then definitely get book 2, Claimed by Shadow. I am eagerly awaiting book 3, can't wait to read it!

if you are a big fan of Anita Blake and the Dark hunters then you need to get this book pronto. I finished this fabulous book in five hours. I couldn't put the book down. Great new super-natural characters. I can't wait for the next book to come out. The only thing I wish is that the book is in third person. I hate reading book in first person. I had the same problem with the Anita Blake series. So, if you guys haven't purchased this book, you need to go out and get it. Enjoy!

I was lucky enough to pick this up a few days before it was released, and after I'd read it, I wasn't sure if I should be glad of the early pickup or not! I'll tell you why. I'm glad of it because I really loved the book. On the other hand, now I have a long time to wait before her second installment of Cassie's story is released! But there is good news--Karen Chance will be publishing the sequel through Roc and it's entitled Claimed by Shadows; look for it in June of 2007. After you read Touch the Dark, I can almost promise you that you'll be equally as eager as I am to preorder a copy. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you what Touch the Dark is about. Cassie Palmer is being hunted by assassins out to kill her. Why? Well, she suspects it may have something to do with her hated Mafioso ex-mentor, whom she ran away from. Her only chance to survive is to run for her life. Her sexy roommate Thomas won't have any of that though--if Cassie's leaving, he wants to go with her. In the process of trying to escape from said assasins, there is a bloody battle, and when it's over, nothing in Cassie's life will be the same again. She is taken to the vampire Senate, and surprisingly, they are willing to help protect her. But Cassie's not sure she's willing to bargain with a bunch of untrustworthy vampires. What do they want from her? And will she be able to afford the price? I had a few minor gripes with Touch the Dark. There was a lot of backstory to wade through, and a lot of history and introduction to the world of vampires and ghosts, etc. that Cassie lives in. However, I enjoyed finding out more about her world and her powers (she can communicate with ghosts). There were also tantalizing bits about her past and her parents which remained unresolved. That's okay, because I feel pretty confident that Karen Chance will take care of these things in the next book. I think the worst part for me was the ending, because it was kind of sudden and left things very unsettled. But please keep in mind these are minor problems I had with the book. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Cassie and her adventures. I don't want to say too much, but there is also a very seductive and delicious character with a strong interest in Cassie. I had to keep a supply of tissues on hand to wipe away the drool that appeared every page he was in. I highly recommend this book. I hope you pick up your copy soon, because I know this is one you won't want to miss. Karen Chance has a very promising future in this genre.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques Touch the Dark by Karen Chance is a stunning adventure that speeds along to the thrilling conclusion... which is really just another new beginning. Cassandra "Cassie" Palmer has a gift. She is a Seer, capable of seeing future actions and able to see and communicate with ghosts. Unfortunately for her, these gifts are coveted by many, especially vampires. For years she had been a prized captive of the vampire mafia, until she managed to escape. For three years she's been on the run but even Cassie knew this "freedom" would likely be short lived. When the vampire don tracks her down, her only hope is to turn to the vampire Senate, who have their own plans for her, for assistance. This seems like the lesser of two evils... or is it? Then there is the pesky problem of a surprising legacy Cassie doesn't want. With beings from every direction wanting to kill her it seems her only hope is one alluringly sexy vampire. But his price may be too high, costing Cassie her very soul. Cassie has been on the run for so long that this is all she knows now. Her life was never really her own and as she discovers new levels to her abilities, her desperation to be in control of her own life grows. Determination to make it in a cut-throat world has made her into a strong willed individual with a more than healthy survival instinct. She's not afraid to do whatever it takes to protect herself. One thing I love about Touch the Dark is the wide variety of supernatural beings found in the story from both the light and dark sides of magic... and the "dark" side is not always the more dangerous. We find vampires, ghosts, were-creatures of all kinds, elves, witches, mages, even satyrs and faeries. Don't forget the talking "shrunken heads." Every individual has its place in magical society and how they all interact makes for some fascinating reading. Adventure is not at all lacking in this story as readers follow Cassie and company in its wake. Touch the Dark doesn't end, but stops after this leg of the journey. It is apparent Karen Chance still has a lot in store for Cassie and this reader is sure to keep going, looking forward to the next installment of this exciting world. © Kelley A. Hartsell, May 2006. All rights reserved.