Frankly, this is the sort of book I mean when I say I enjoy reading urban fantasy, which is a relief, since I haven't come across too many in the genre lately to make me gleeful. The tone is similar to Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson books, so fans of that series should take a look at Karen Chance's writing. The prose is a little clunky on occasion, but there was so much to like in here it's easy to forgive a few awkward sentences if it means I get a little deeper into what turned out to be a very fun story. Chance's take on vampires puts a few twists on the standard, adding a freshness that helps her story stand out from others in the genre. I also loved the powerful vampires she finds herself surrounded with, and the way they manage to alternate between scary and seductive. Her interactions were always very fun, especially with the various ghosts she comes across. There are a couple of (very necessary) infodump moments, which are welcome if for no other reason than to give both Cassandra and the reader a chance to stop and catch a breath in between fight scenes and assassination attempts.Ĭassandra is a very likeable heroine, strong and snarky without taking either trait to extreme. There's a lot to keep track of in the complex plot, and it blows my little brain to see how much Chance managed to stuff into only 307 pages. Touch the Dark is incredibly fast-paced, so much so that at times it's almost hard to keep up.

Read the full (spoiler-free) review here.

Touch the Dark by Karen Chance