If you’ve read the Cassandra Palmer series, definitely check out Midnight’s Daughter.

I’ve read the Cassandra Palmer series to date — three books, the fourth is coming out in April 2009 — and when launching into this novel, I was glad I had. Karen Chance definitely made me feel as if I needed to have not only read all three of those books but also the short story in the anthology On the Prowl (which I have read), too, to really get an appreciation for the story’s situation. That said, that’s not necessarily a bad thing on her part — plenty of authors love confusing me with that sort of thing, so she’s not alone! — but I still felt a little annoyed because it didn’t really mention that anywhere on the book before I’d started reading it. So yes, having read those helps, but in retrospect they weren’t entirely necessary, as her vampires and the magic system is fairly basic and works off of a lot of canon lore (her vampires have all the usual strengths & weaknesses, plus levels of mastery that yield interesting results). 

Basically, Midnight’s Daughter was all right, but then again, I’m the first to admit I’m both easy going about saying I enjoy a ton of books while having ridiculously high standards for books that go that next step from enjoyment to adoration. (Or obsession.) I wasn’t obsessed with this book, but you know, that’s quite all right. I didn’t race through it — honestly, some of her language tripped me up a little and I had to reread things to be sure I was getting the meaning, and still wasn’t entirely sure I’d gotten it — but I definitely was grabbed by the plot and characters. Louis-Cesare is Mmm, of course — I was wondering if he’d get his own book when he featured so prominently in the Cassandra Palmer books – and Dory was a fun character, if a little abrasive with a voice that didn’t really match her character. (Would a 500 year old half-vampire — dhampir – really speak like that? Really? Oh, first person narration when it’s not quite there.) But I sort of loved Radu (teehee) and the whole thing with the “Dracula” family? The brothers, Dory’s place in it, the history, I have to admit, it kept me interested.

Having gotten used to Karen Chance’s style, I can’t say I wasn’t expecting the way a lot of this book was going to unfold. Her unpredictable plots are predictable in a strange and amusing way. I like the way she’s imagined the Fey (proper creepy/pretty Fey, yes! None of this cutesy crap) and I definitely am a fan of any series that has battle mages and people who are half-things and therefore have to deal with crazy family or genetic issues that result. (More Claire! More Claire!) Plus, I have to admire a writer who just plows forward with world-building and drops detail without getting heavy-handed with the explanation — she doesn’t really explain about magic or they Fey the way she might, the way other authors have, and I like that. She left the end open enough for a sequel or sequels and I admit, I’ll check them out.

So yes, Midnight’s Daughter was quirky, fun, random, and it definitely helps to have read Karen Chance’s other books, but it was still enjoyable.