Midnight's Daughter [Mass Market Paperback]

This book is a fun offshoot of the Cassandra Palmer series set in the same world and time frame as those books; the majority of the secondary characters are originally introduced in the Cassandra Palmer series. In one of those books Cassie ended up causing Dracula to be freed from a trapped box where the vampire senate had been keeping him imprisoned. The Cassie books left this plot unresolved, but this book takes it up. Dory is asked by her father to take care of the problem for him and that's the main focus of the book. We also get some nice back story on Dory's and her family's past as well.

PROS:

1) This is a quick fun read back into the world of Cassandra Palmer. It was able to keep me interested through the whole book and still remains rememberable after a weekend spent plowing through a stack of books. I liked the world and I really enjoyed an alternate perspectve on characters I'd seen in the Cassandra Palmer series. It provides a more complete picture or the world and events taking place.

2) Caedmon. I loved this character. I have some complaints about others (see below), but this one I truly found to be my favorite. I didn't expect it and ignored him for a bit at first, but I ended up finding him very interesting. Maybe as a result of ignoring him, I ended up surprised by his behavior and information revealed about him. I really hope another book comes out that deals with him as a main character. It was hinted at near the end and I hope it follows through.

NEUTRAL:

1) Background of world and character. Depending on your experience with the author and her previous books this could be either bad or good. For me it was the perfect amount of background information. I've read the Cassandra Palmer books as well as the anthology contribution from On the Prowl. I hate when I read a book in a series and I have to read all this back story that I already know. I never felt that way here.

However, if someone isn't familiar with the other books I think a lot of the fun is taken away. I can easily see someone brand new picking up this series being confused or lost. I highly recommend reading the author's previous works in this world before jumping into this book. Minor details or plot twists will simply fly right by without that knowledge. I can't say how much this takes away from the book for a new reader, maybe it's a case of you can't miss what you don't have. It truly did make it more enjoyable, even if not necessary, to know all that history about the events going on and the history of some of the characters.

CONS:

1) Too many secondary characters seem very sissy. Aside from Caedmon and Dory's father all the other male characters are either evil or, well, sissy. Even Louis-Cesare has this feel and he's the dueling champion for the vampire senate. Yeah, he's shown as physically stronger but comes across naive and emotional.

If this were contained to Louis-Cesare I could understand that as there is some basis for it in the Cassandra Palmer books as well. However, it extended beyond him. Claire came off very air-headed and the Fey with her was just a complete coward. This is not how I remember them from the On the Prowl anthology where their story began. I just didn't feel that a lot of the characters were accurately portrayed to sync up with the other series and this left me feeling annoyed. I'll probably go back and reread the books to see if I'm remembering them wrong. Other characters had this same feel but these were the three big ones for me.

2) Dory's character could have been better. I didn't connect with her as well as the other main characters from the Cassandra Palmer series or even Claire from On the Prowl. I like the idea of her character a lot; it was just a bit off from getting me to really connect with her. I think with slight adjustments in changing some of the story it would have had a lot more impact for me. (see comments for more info. I want to avoid spoilers here that I will add to comments)

3) Romance element is not my favorite approach. If you've read the Cassandra Palmer books then expect similar types of romantic involvements. I don't want to give anything away but essentially while there is romantic tension nothing is directly addressed or resolved. It has a very similar feel to the first Cassie book and her situation. It's an okay approach but I would prefer either less or more. The amount of romance leaves me frustrated to the point that I'd almost prefer to have none at all.

Essentially I enjoyed this book a lot but some elements put me off. I prefer the Cassie books personally, but this was still very enjoyable and fun.

I ordered this book because I enjoyed the author's Cassandra Palmer series. Though at times that series strained my patience with constant time traveling, it was still a fresh urban fantasy with new twists on vampires, fey and whatnot. Midnight's Daughter is the first in a spin-off of that series starring a new protagonist, the half vampire (dhampir) daughter of the master vampire, Mircea. Dhampirs are natural enemies of vampires, and subject to homicidal rages that they don't remember. Cool.

I was happily surprised to find I like this series much better. Dorina Basarab is a more independent heroine who is aware of her own power and limitations; unlike Cassie, she isn't in near constant need of rescuing, and winning battles isn't out of sheer luck. Dory has lived on her own for over 500 years. Mircea shows up to ask his estranged daughter for a favor - help recapture Uncle Dracula. She only grudgingly agrees after he offers to use his influence to help locate Dory's best friend and room mate, Claire, who has gone missing. Dory helped capture Drac last time he escaped, and he is the only thing that truly terrifies her. A huge bonus for me was the inclusion of master vampire Louis-Cesare in the plot as a main character. He first appeared in Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)and I liked him immediately. I'm not even sure why - possibly because even then there seemed to be a vulnerability about him. Mircea has ordered them to work together on this. Naturally, they are attracted to each other and the sexual tension is high. But both of them are emotionally damaged, and get on each other's last nerve. It's a battle of wills from the start, with lots of sexy and funny confrontations. The dialog is sharp, and no holds barred. The author doesn't do a disservice to the characters either by having them become devoted lovers at the end. They have a tentative understanding, even friendship, that could become more (and I REALLY hope it does) in later books. Readers get more history on Mircea and his family than in the other series, and the world-building is continued; the Fey figure prominently in the plot.

The book is fast paced and action packed with a lot of combat. There is more blood and mayhem than the Cassie series, but it worked well for this new protagonist. There were a few things that I didn't care for - the author frequently invokes memory flashbacks that entailed several pages of italicized text. Once or twice that's fine, but it happened a few too many times here and wasn't really necessary. The second problem was that the ending felt rushed. [slight SPOILER] Claire was missing the entire book, with many scattered clues as to what may have happened to her, and she just shows up at the end "here I am" and proceeds to tell Dory, in the middle of a battle, where she's been? Despite these small flaws, I enjoyed the book a lot and can't wait to read the next one.

Highly recommended - but new readers should start with the first 3 Cassie Palmer books. This can be read as a stand alone, but a lot of nuances would be missed. I didn't read the short story in "On the Prowl," but intend to now.

So, I really enjoyed the author's Cassandra Palmer Series. This book is set in the same world but stars a different protagonist, much as Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series has multiple heroines. [[ASIN:0452286034 Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)] Happily, Dorina Basarab is an outstanding butt-kicking supernatural antiheroine. The 500-hundred year old daughter of Dracula's brother, Mircea, she is secure in her power yet emotionally vulnerable. Violent yet capable of a startling compassion. I enjoyed her more in many ways than Cassie. The sexual and emotional tension between Dorry and Louis-Cesare (another carry over character) smokes and the novel paces well, fast with lots of action though a lot of flashbacks.

Buy and enjoy!!

SB Frank Recommends:
If this book interests you, try reading the first book of Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, Touch the Dark. [[ASIN:0451460936 Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1)]]

If you're interested in Romance and Dhampir, you might try Aussie Author Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen, Guardian Series. Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 1)

And then for newcomers to the urban fantasy genre there is the ever popular and fun-to-read Kim Harrison "The Hollow" series that starts with Dead Witch Walking: Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)

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