Review: Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

Hey Guys, hope you're all enjoying the Easter weekend! Another review is heading your way, this is Touch the Dark by Karen Chance, book 1 in the Cassandra Palmer Series.

Title: Touch the Dark
Author: Karen Chance
Publisher: Roc Fantasy
Release Date: 28th June 2007 (UK) | 6th June 2006 (US)
Series: Cassandra Palmer Series, Book 1
Source: My own personal copy

Blurb from Karen Chance's website:
Cassandra Palmer can see the future and communicate with spirits-talents that make her attractive to the dead and the undead. The ghosts of the dead aren't usually dangerous; they just like to talk...a lot.
The undead are another matter.
Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with vengeance on his mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection. The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire-and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay... 

Review:

First Line:  'I knew I was in trouble as soon as I saw the obituary.  The fact that it had my name on it was sort of a clue.  What I didn’t know was how they’d found me, and who the guy was with the sense of humor.  Antonio has never been much for comedy.  I’ve never figured out if that has something to do with being dead, or if he’s always been a morose son of a bitch.' 

This first line is pretty awesome, I know finding my own obituary taped to my computer would certainly freak me out. You think this is bad...Cassie can't even begin to comprehend how much her day is going to go down hill from here. Touch the Dark follows the story of Cassie Palmer, a clairvoyant on the run from the vampire who calls himself her master. A man she has caused no end of trouble for – but if he can’t use her gifts...no one can. Antonio wishes her dead, however his master and senate member Lord Mircea has other plans. Mircea is an old vampire. Tall, dark and handsome with eyes of liquid gold, Mircea is the Senate’s chief negotiator...oh and did I mention he’s Dracula’s older brother? Now the all powerful Senate has a favour to ask...vampires have been breaking from their master’s control and the blossoming new power Cassie has may well be the key to preventing all hell breaking loose. The use of these powers may yet save Cassie’s life but will also force her into a role she isn't sure she is ready for... that is if rogue vampires and crazy war-mages don’t kill her first.

Touch the Dark is one of my favourite books, it is also one of the very first adult urban fantasy books I read! I think I first read it when I was about 17 and absolutely loved it. The 3 main characters that feature heavily throughout the entire series are Cassie (obviously), Mircea (thankfully), and unstable but yummy war mage John Pritkin (who is just awesome). After finding the eerie obituary Cassie's life is turned upside down...not only does she find out that her room-mate is a master level vampire but something is changing with her clairvoyance. Before Cassie had only been an observer in her visions...now she is a part of them, something that can have disastrous side effects. Cassie is tough...but there are only so many betrayals one clairvoyant can take.

'I slipped again and fell on my butt, bruising it on something hard.  Some part of my brain that was still coherent recognized the shape of the object, and I snatched my gun from beneath me.  “Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill you.”  I pointed it at Tomas and, despite the fact that it was shaking wildly in my less than steady grip, I could tell he knew I meant it.  His eyes, usually soft and warm and open, were opaque black mirrors now.  I couldn’t see anything past them, and I didn’t want to.  God, I didn’t want to.
“Cassie, you must listen to me.”  I looked into that handsome face, and some part of me detached itself to watch another illusion shatter and die.  I thought I’d finally done something good, that I’d actually helped someone, saved somebody, instead of always watching every damn thing I did end in pain--either mine or someone else’s.  I should have known it was too good to be true, that he was too good.  Way out of your league, Cassie my girl, I thought as my back hit the door.  Maybe you should start smaller, adopt a kitten next time, only I knew there was very little chance that there would be a next time.'

Our heroine has to be one of my all time favourite characters, and not just because this was one of the very first books in the urban fantasy genre I’d ever read. No, Cassie wins this all by herself, she’s smart, funny and knows she’s not invincible despite the vast power she holds and the loyalty she commands. Though Cassie does have a habit of getting into the worst situations imaginable...and usually wearing the most inappropriate clothing too i.e. her ‘happy face’ t-shirt (which is covered in pieces of dead vampire) which is what she wears the first time she meets the senate...not exactly subtle or elegant. Cassie is also one of the luckiest people I know...and not just because she has Lord Mircea's attentions *sigh...*. Cassie tends to scrape through battles by the skin of her teeth she's not a trained fighter and sometimes wants to sit in a corner with her hands over her head repeating 'the big bad vampire isn't there' unfortunately that would probably lead her to getting eaten...so she fights the best she can and our girl isn't afraid to play dirty.

There is a new spin on supernatural politics and heirarchy that I haven't seen before. Plus vampires aren't the only ones who need to feed to sustain their lives...ghosts like Billy (a ghost that is anchored to Cassie's necklace) can feed off Cassie's energy. Cassie is the only one who can see the ghosts...so naturally they want to talk to her, in return they will do whatever Cassie needs...heck they even kill a master vampire for her! There is humour and suspense as well as awesome action scenes...mostly where we get to see the vampires come into their own and Cassie, not to be outdone, tries to control her newfound powers to aid them in the fight. It's gory without much romance, though you can see the beginnings of a relationship...or two. There are sex scenes but not exactly brimming with romance...though they are great to read you learn a lot about Cassie's character from them.

Touch the Dark kept me gripped throughout and I have re-read it several times (as attested by how battered my copy is becoming). Touch the Dark is a promising start and the entire series is one of my all time favourite Urban Fantasies. I can't wait for the newest addition!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

During this tour Emlyn will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter, clicking here will take you to a list of all the blog stops...the more you comment, the more chance you have to win. So leave me a comment for your chance to win :)

Hey guys, today I'm hosting a Goddessfish Promtional tour for Farsighted by Emlyn Chand. Get ready to enter Alex's extraordinary world.

Title: Farsighted
Author: Emlyn Chand
Publisher: Blue Crown Press
Release Date: 17th October 2011

Series: Farsighted Series
Source: I recieved this book as part of a Goddessfish promotional tour in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

Alex Kosmitoras’s life has never been easy. The only other student who will talk to him is the school bully, his parents are dead-broke and insanely overprotective, and to complicate matters even more, he’s blind. Just when he thinks he’ll never have a shot at a normal life, a new girl from India moves into town. Simmi is smart, nice, and actually wants to be friends with Alex. Plus she smells like an Almond Joy bar. Yes, sophomore year might not be so bad after all.
Unfortunately, Alex is in store for another new arrival—an unexpected and often embarrassing ability to “see” the future. Try as he may, Alex is unable to ignore his visions, especially when they begin to suggest that Simmi is in danger. With the help of the mysterious psychic next door and new friends who come bearing gifts of their own, Alex must embark on a journey to change his future.

Review:

First Line: 'Today is the last day of summer, but I’m not doing anything even remotely close to fun. I’m just lying here in Mom’s garden, running my hands over the spiky blades of grass—back and forth, back and forth until my fingertips go numb. Until everything goes numb. I sigh, but no one’s around to hear.'

To be honest this first line doesn't tell you an awful lot about what the book is going to be like other than the fact that it is written from Alex's perspective. Alex is like any normal teenage boy, he goes to school, has problems talking to girls and is sullen and moody at least 50% of the time. There is one big difference though...Alex was born blind. Not only that but Alex has begun seeing visions of the future and these visions aren't always pleasant. Death and destruction haunt his dreams, his visions repeatedly show the death of Simmi, a girl Alex has come to care deeply for. With a little help from his gifted friends, Alex tries to change the outcome of these awful visions. But there are two types of prophecy, those that can be changed...and those which destiny has set in stone.

When I first realised the book was written from Alex's perspective I was a little apprehensive, I mean how would a person with sight be able to write in a realistic way for someone who is blind. These fears were not justified, Emlyn Chand has made what we experience through Alex believable. He relies on his other senses and had to memorise where things like his classes are way in advance. He has Braille textbooks and computers to help during school and Alex uses a cane to help him navigate obstacles but this is not always enough to stop him bumping into things or stubbing his toes. He assigns everyone a scent and has to rely on this and remembering voices to be able to identify people. He also gets frustrated because people constantly ask him how he became blind (he was born that way)...it kind of reminds me of when someone asked a blind friend of mind if he dreamt in colour...to which he replied 'Yes, but you can't even imagine the colours I see'. Though the story doesn't weigh heavily on Alex's blindness...if it had I would have enjoyed it less.

Alex has visions where a boy called Dex is wreaking havoc on the world with his telekinetic powers. Several of these visions show Dex killing Simmi...something Alex cannot allow and so with empathic Simmi and Medium Shapri in tow (as well as a few grown-ups since these psychic abilities are genetic) the gang become determined to find Dex and stop him before his awesome telekinetic powers rip their lives apart for good.

Alex is an everyday kid who just happens to be blind...and seeing the future. His interactions when he is being bullied reflect on this, though he does end up in a fight it's portrayed as a kid who can't take the abuse any more rather than Alex going out looking for a fight. Also the bashful way he tries to strike up conversation with Simmi is quite cute and when he makes a mess of it he gets angry and embarrassed so lashes out with words...again like any teen would. I think that the normality of Alex's everyday life despite the visions is refreshing, and one of the reasons this book works. Alex does have a tendency to sulk a lot and sometimes comes off as irrational, he's moody and won't do something if he doesn't feel like it. However he is very protective of his mother and throws all his energy into saving Simmi... and does eventually show some level of maturity. 

I will admit it was a lot of fun watching Alex's interactions with the two girls who feature heavily in his life, Simmi and Shapri. Basically Alex sucks at trying to woo girls and resorts to what must be some of the cheesiest lines and gestures in the 'How not to chat up a girl' textbook. I mean seriously Facepalm, head in hands going 'noo what on earth possessed you to think that was good???' I mean take this point for example:

'One arm continues to hold her body the other reaches across to hold her hand. “And how are you going to eat your lunch, lover boy?” Shapri asks with an unnaturally slow tempo. She’s not a very good actress, if even this small performance is giving her stage fright. “I don’t need lunch,” I answer, deepening my voice to sound manly. “I’m full of love.” 

WHAT WAS THAT!!! Uber cringe...though totally accurate haha. Got to give praise because this took me right back to secondary school when my Chemistry partner was trying to ask me out...the result was about as elegant as Alex's effort was. I love these parts...childhood memories here we come :)

Farsighted gives you everything you could possibly want from a novel, humour, great writing, creativity and a fabulous ending leaving you with a desire for more (though I must say that I am not a big fan of the cover). I enjoyed Farsighted so much I demolished it in one sitting! It's a completely unique story and I loved every minute of this Young Adult adventure. I certainly can't wait until book 2 Open Heart is released!

My Rating 4/5

About the Author:
Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

Author Website: www.emlynchand.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/emlynchand
Twitter: www.twitter.com/emlynchand
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/emlynchand