I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Hunt the Moon
by
Karen Chance
It is part of the Cassandra Palmer #5 series and is a urban fantasy in Paperback edition that was published by Signet Select on June 7, 2011 and has 419 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Curse the Dawn, Death's Mistress, Chicks Kick Butt, Fury's Kiss, "The Gauntlet", "The Queen's Witch", "House at Cobb End", Midnight's Daughter, Claimed by Shadow, Touch the Dark, Embrace the Night, Tempt the Stars, "In Vino Veritas", Updating Pritkin, Reap the Wind,, Ride the Storm, "Black Friday", Brave the Tempest, Masks, Shatter the Earth, Shadow's Bane, Queen's Gambit
Fifth in the Cassandra Palmer urban-fantasy series about Cassie Palmer, the unexpected heiress to the position as Pythia, the ultimate arbiter in the supernatural world. Brought up at a trash vampire’s court, all the other vamps look down upon this…this human. Well Cassie changes all that in Hunt the Moon!
My Take
Even as we run from one catastrophe and shift to another, you can’t help but laugh in between. I do enjoy how well Cassie understands how vampires operate and how well she has them dazed and confused — poor Marco, he’s turned into such a sweetheart.
It cracked me up when Jonas and the Circle’s PR department were so concerned about Cassie’s dating Mircea that they think if she appears to be dating several different “species” it will look better. So they send up a mage…talk about smooth…NOT. I can’t believe he asked for his chocolates back!
Then there’s the sudden burst of information — don’ch’a just love it when the bad guys feel the need to spill? — where we learn the backstory on everything that’s happened so far!
The ladies in one of my book groups at GoodReads got me hooked on paying attention to interesting quotes. Some of my favorites from Hunt the Moon are:
“I keep hitting escape, but I’m still here.”
“Because we don’t drink it iced over, thereby leaching right out whatever flavor you Yanks accidentally left in?”
“Boyfriend wanted, Hazardous-Duty Pay”
Cassie’s love life follows right along with the characters of her lovers…Mircea is smoothly amazing while Pritkin is ruggedly incredible. Along the way, Cassie realizes how she feels about Mircea and Pritkin. And how they feel about her…it should be an interesting Tempt the Stars.
The Story
You’d think that having killed Apollo that Cassie’s life would settle into a peaceful pattern. Well, now what would be the fun in that?
Her coronation as Pythia is coming up, Pritkin is wearing her out with all the self-defense gauntlets he’s putting her through, and Antoine is refusing to let her see her coronation dress. Then her deal with Mircea pulls her into her mother’s flight…er, fight…er, flight…er…
The positive is that Cassie finally gets to see a Pythia in action…and how incredible her mother truly is. The negative is all the opportunities Cassie has to figure out who the mages are who are after her mother. It’s not good…surprise! Then Jonas confirms it with his stories of similarities between the gods worshipped by cultures around the world and his worry about Ragnörak. What it will take to prevent that world-ending event.
Even the Gracae get in on the act much to Casanova’s consternation! I do love those broads!
The Characters
Cassandra “Cassie” Palmer is a 24-year-old seer. For the past few months, she has been fighting for her life as well as trying to get rid of the power of the Pythia. She doesn’t want it. She just wants as normal a life as she can manage. And her coronation is coming up. A ceremony Cassie sees as pointless for who is going to pay attention to her? The mages think she’s a mongrel and that the power should have gone to someone more worthy. Someone in their control. The vampires see her as weak. After all, she was brought up in Tony’s court. She’s human, therefore, she’s a servant to be ordered about. Hah!
Mircea is the oldest of the three Dracul boys, yup, Vlad, a.k.a., Dracula, is his younger brother. He’s also a breathtakingly gorgeous master vampire who still thinks women are a decoration on one’s arm, a member of the American Senate (for vampires), in charge of negotiations for that Senate — particularly, the groundbreaking alliance between all the other Senates to prepare for the coming war, and he’s in love with Cassie. Well, technically, he’s married to her. A vampire marriage.
Pritkin is a half-demon war mage — and his demon half is incubus. He carefully, sometimes violently, keeps trying to avoid making love to Cassie who is confoundingly attracted to him…and to Mircea. Both make her feel safe in the most basic way. Both press her buttons…in the most basic way.
Marco is the most practical-minded vampire! In previous stories, he’s been rather disgruntled at having to babysit Cassie but that all changes by Hunt the Moon.
Jonas is the newly reinstated head of the Silver Circle whose task it is to bring Cassie up to snuff, teach her what he can about using her powers.
The Cover
Okay, this is weird. We don’t get to peek at Cassie’s back! Is this because the Ward is tucked up in her jewelry box??? Other than that, it appears as though Cass is ready for Armageddeon, hip cocked in her sexy, short red dress, pistol pointing at the ground all in a snowy, ashy-looking, deserted street.
