Death's Mistress
Authors: Karen Chance
Tags: #Fantasy - General, #American Science Fiction And Fantasy, #Horror, #Fiction - Fantasy, #Fiction, #Fantasy, #Suspense, #Occult fiction, #General
Table of Contents
“Karen Chance takes her place along[side] Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, and J. D. Robb.”
—SFRevu
Praise for the Novels of Karen Chance
Midnight’s Daughter
“Karen Change doesn’t disappoint. Once again we have an action-packed adventure with a strong female character that, while tough as nails, and a dhampir, is also very human.”
—SFRevu
“In dhampir Dorina Basarab, Chance has created a sassy, tough heroine who never says die. Following these first-person adventures is going to be an adrenaline high.”
—Romantic Times
“Glorious fight scenes, eerily still moments of fractured memories, steamy romps that set the heart pounding—it is little wonder that Chance has caught the attention of so many fans. . . . She delivers in every way—utterly staggering.”
—The Truth About Books
“Karen Chance has done it again . . . a brilliant start to a new series and contains all the elements needed for a great urban fantasy.”
—Vampire Romance Books
“Karen Chance knows how to write. Not just the action scenes, or having the butt- kicking heroine throw out pithy one-liners, but the setup is clever, the involvement of the various factions in the simmering war is well thought-out, as are the repercussions to various actions characters take in the book.”
—Monsters and Critics
“There is plenty of action, a bit of romance, and a fascinating look at the Dracula brood. . . . Karen Chance is by far one of the best authors writing urban fantasies today.”
—Genre Go Round Reviews
Claimed by Shadow
“Ms. Chance is a master at fleshing out her secondary characters and keeping her story line moving at a lightning-fast pace. . . . This is a series well worth getting hooked on.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A nonstop thrill ride from beginning to end, a wildly entertaining romp with a strong, likable heroine. The story is fast-paced and barely lets up from the word ‘go,’ lightened with plenty of wry humor and more than a dash of romance.”
—Rambles
“Chance is a great writer of supernatural fantasy that is on a par with the works of Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, and Kelley Armstrong. . . . There is so much action in
Claimed by Shadow
that readers will never stop until finished.”
Claimed by Shadow
that readers will never stop until finished.”
—The Best Reviews
Touch the Dark
“A really exciting book with great pace and a huge cast of vivid characters. This is one of my favorite reads of the year.”
—New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris
“A grab-you-by-the-throat-and-suck-you-in sort of book with a tough, smart heroine and sexy-scary vampires. I loved it—and I’m waiting anxiously for a sequel.”
—New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs
“Exciting and inventive.”
—Booklist
“Fast and heavy on the action,
Touch the Dark
packs a huge story. . . . A blend of fantasy and romance, it will satisfy readers of both genres.”
Touch the Dark
packs a huge story. . . . A blend of fantasy and romance, it will satisfy readers of both genres.”
—Fresh Fiction
“A very promising start to a new series, and an exceptionally entertaining first novel.”
—Locus
“A wonderfully entertaining romp with an engaging heroine. Here’s hoping there’s a sequel in the works!”
—New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong
“The action never stops . . . engrossing.”
—SFRevu
“[A] plucky heroine with special powers dealing with the supernatural . . . exciting and fun.”
—The Weekly Press (Philadelphia)
“Sexy vampires and interesting magical powers set up a thrilling and suspenseful environment in
Touch the Dark . . .
combines humor, action, and the paranormal into a scintillating story that will leave readers begging for more.”
Touch the Dark . . .
combines humor, action, and the paranormal into a scintillating story that will leave readers begging for more.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“An intensely captivating paranormal adventure with a capable heroine who possesses great strength and a wry sense of humor. . . . Karen Chance has created a wildly rich and seductive world sure to keep many readers hungry for more.”
—The Romance Readers Connection
“A gifted author who pens a tale of vivid imagery, paranormal excellence, and draws her readers in . . . a unique and awesome paranormal tale that sets itself apart. . . . Ms. Chance makes the genre her own with memorable characters, fast-paced action, and brings some of the best vampiric creatures ever created to life. . . . Readers won’t want to miss this one!”
—The Road to Romance
“Entertaining [and] action-packed . . . a strong tale that will bring much acclaim to Karen Chance.”
—The Best Reviews
“An entertaining romp.”
—Romantic Times
“An interesting take on the vampire mythos that includes all kinds of supernatural forces and beings. Cassie is the perfect heroine . . . [and] her story is exciting and will keep you turning pages. . . . I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.”
—BellaOnline
ALSO BY KAREN CHANCE
MIDNIGHT’S DAUGHTER NOVELS
Midnight’s Daughter
CASSIE PALMER NOVELS
Touch the Dark
Claimed by Shadow
Embrace the Night
Curse the Dawn
ONYX
Published by New American Library, a division of
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First published by Onyx, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
First Printing, January
Copyright © Karen Chance, 2010
All rights reserved
eISBN : 978-1-101-17127-1
REGISTERED TRADEMARK—MARCA REGISTRADAWithout limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Chapter One
There was no sign on the abandoned church, but someone had scribbled “Let us Prey” above the main doors. As a Catholic, I didn’t approve. As someone bent on doing exactly that, it seemed oddly appropriate.
I pushed open the heavy wooden doors and went in. It looked like I’d guessed right in going with office chic when I’d gotten ready for the evening. There were a minority of Goths and some tourist types in the church-turned-nightclub, but most of the crowd seemed to be composed of those recently released from corporate hell.
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