Midnight's Daughter [Paperback]

MIDNIGHT'S DAUGHTER is Karen Chance's fourth novel, her first three being of the Cassandra Palmer series, and it is set in the same world with some of the characters we became familiar with in her previous novels.
If you haven't read the Cassie Palmer series, then I would highly recommend it, but have no fear because MIDNIGHT'S DAUGHTER can easily be read as a stand alone novel, although I do think readers of Chance's other work will get more from this novel.

The main heroine is Dorina Basarab, a 500-year old dhampir (half-human, half-vampire). Seeing as dhampirs tend to live very short, violent lives, hated and feared by vampires and humans alike, Dorina has done very well for herself. She's managed to retain her sanity by making sure she unleashes her anger on those who deserve it the most, demons and rogue vampires. The only reason the Senate (sort of Vampire Government) have allowed her to live this long is because of who her father is - Mircea Basarab, the darkly dangerous and seductive vampire lover of Cassie in TOUCH THE DARK, CLAIMED BY SHADOW and EMBRACE THE NIGHT. Now 'Daddy Dearest', as she calls him (just to get on his nerves), needs her help because her uncle Dracula has escaped from prison, and he is renouned for his cruelty and murderous ways even amongst the vampires...

I prefered Dornia as the main protagonist over Cassie, because she can really take care of herself - there are some delightful scenes where she wrestles for superiority and control with Louis-Cesare, the master vampire Mircea wants her to work with in order to capture 'Uncle Drac'. Previous readers of Chance will recognise him from the Cassie Palmer series, and we really get to know more about him and his past in MIDNIGHT'S DAUGHTER. I have to say I found him rather delectable :)
Dhampirs are certainly a lot tougher than humans, in fact one of the few things that can contest Dory's speed and strength is a master vampire. Despite this, however, there is a battle scene near the end of the book and I wasn't sure how she wasn't a corpse of the floor, let alone jumping back up to kill some more bad guys - she is one tough cookie that is all I can say!

In terms of style of writing, it is very Karen Chance - everything that could happen happens, every mythical creature you can think of is mentioned at some point, each a cliche in it's own right (ogres and trolls and beautiful fairies), but with their own Chance twist...very muddled, and yet it all works and comes together perfectly for an exciting, adventurous, unexpected, gory, sexy, funny novel! I think you can tell this her fourth novel, because it has more purpose and direction in terms of plot than her previous three; there is a clear goal set out from the beginning of the novel, and, with some twists and turns along the way, it is wrapped up nicely at the end, and yet it still has plenty of room for a sequal - personally I can't wait!

I would recommend MIDNIGHT'S DAUGHTER to anyone who loved her Cassandra Palmer series, or to anyone who loves fantasy novels with vampires and mages but with a modern feel, and with a good sprinkling of sexual tension and gorgeous lead men to spice it up :)

1. Midnight's Daughter
2. Death's Mistress - Due Autumn 2009

Oh I've been looking forward to this new novel by Karen Chance and I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed, it's a fabulous read, exhibiting what I've come to expect from Chance, fast pacing, a strong and interesting lead and good development plus complete and utter I'm going to put in anything slightly paranormal, mythical and magical then just throw it all in the air and see what happens mayhem. Brilliant.

Dory was conceived 500 years ago, a Dhampir and daughter to the first level master vampire Mircea, who we have already been introduced to through Chance's three previous books in the Cassie Palmer series. As with all Dhampir's our heroine is an undesirable so to speak, vampire's fear and distrust her because of her tendency to take her ya ya's out on them and anything else monstrous that gets in the way and humans are equally disgusted once she goes into one of her blacks outs. See Dory like all Dhampir's has trouble copping with the strain of having super human powers in a human body...in other words she has periods when she goes stark raving, kill anything in site mad.

Dory carries a lot of anger around with her and her mental state has only deteriorated recently with the disappearance of her room mate Claire, a null who has a calming effect on her. Determined to find her but having no luck does Dory have a choice when her hated father offers his very capable help? But "Daddy dearest" help comes with a price, he'll get Claire back but only if Dory helps track down and stop her deranged and single-minded "uncle Drac". Oh but she'll have help, a certain French swords man, Louis-Cesare, like all master vamps he's arrogant and has a server superiority complex, but could our heroine find something more in her reluctant partner than the usual mistrust and hate that is her lot?

I didn't like Mircea in the Cassie books and was initially annoyed that he would be a major player in this as well, but he didn't bother me at all when not manipulating and cajoling Cassie, although he does try similar tacks with Dory, she doesn't take any of his crap, which was refreshing. All in all the vampires are more fleshed out in this, I always found Louis-Cesare interesting, considering his back story, which was heavily explored in 'Touch the Dark'. The consequences to Cassie and Micea's actions are shown and I thought he's character was developed very well. We're also introduced properly to Radu, Mircea's less stable but much more exciting brother, his flamboyance and eccentricities were delightful.

And as for Dory, I really enjoyed her voice, yes she's strong, powerful and with other attributes that could seem old but she is given so much back story and deals with enough prejudice, pain and loneliness to make her if not a complicated character, one with enough depth and intrigue to carry the narrative and create sustaining interest in her first person dialogue.

If you thought there were an over abundance in supernatural entities in Chance's other books well there's more in this, as well as vampires, mages and weres, there's trolls and mutants and an arms dealing gnome. There's also much more on the fey, that I felt needed more fleshing out, the light and dark always seemed a bit boorish to me. Although there is a touch of mayhem to the plot, it is a lot more focused than her Cassie books, there is a set goal and it's achieved, which was also refreshing.

I would say that you will get more out of this book if you've read not only 'Touch the Dark', 'Claimed by Shadow' and 'Embrace the Night' which are the first three books in Chance's Cassie books but also the short story 'Buying Trouble' in the anthology 'On the Prowl', which is from Claire's POV and details what happened to her. I say this because you will understand more of the war that is mentioned, the characters back stories and be able to appreciate the fact that this is a decent spin off that develops and concludes a plot thread that was started in 'Claimed by Shadow'. I'd also check out 'Day of the Dead' a free short story on Chance's website that stars Thomas (also from the Cassie books) which I suspect is building things up for 'Death's Mistress' the next Dory Book (out Autumn 2009). But this is not necessary; Dory is such a solid and entertaining lead that this can be read as a stand alone.

All in all I loved it and would definitely recommend it, though I know Chance isn't for everyone, I find her writing highly entertaining because she doesn't take herself too seriously and her books always turn out quirky, well developed with a mesh of interesting characters.

Dory Basarab kills vampires? Check.
Dory hates vampires more than anything else? Check.
She has a well-known insane vampire uncle? Check. That would be Dracula.

This story is the assassination of Dracula and so much more. Set in modern-day New York, Dory has to kill Dracula, save her best friend from some crazy Fey and work with her uncle's obnoxious Sired son, Louis-Cesare, who happens to be indecently hot. What could possibly go wrong?