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Author: Karen Chance
Title: Fury’s Kiss
Release: October 2, 2012
Series: Dorina Basarab #3
Reviewer: Believer
Source: Publisher
Purchase: | Book Depository

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. But so far, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing…

Dory is used to fighting hard and nasty. So when she wakes up in a strange scientific lab with a strange man standing over her, her first instinct is to take his head off. Luckily, the man is actually the master vampire Louis-Cesare, so he’s not an easy kill.

It turns out that Dory had been working with a Vampire Senate task force on the smuggling of magical items and weaponry out of Faerie when she was captured and brought to the lab. But when Louis-Cesare rescues her, she has no memory of what happened to her.

To find out what was done to her—and who is behind it—Dory will have to face off with fallen angels, the maddest of mad scientists, and a new breed of vampires that are far worse than undead…

Amazing! Without a doubt, Karen Chance has delivered her magnum opus with Fury’s Kiss. My ARC was composed of 536 pages of non-stop action, multiple complex story lines, and thrilling romance.  The book is massive. None of it is filler. It could have easily been divided into two smaller books. It is to Chance’s credit and of course her publisher, Signet, that she did not shy away from the magnitude of this project.

Chance writes with a skill level that is rarely challenged in this genre. Intense, detailed, and intelligent scenes that demand an involved reader.  At the same time, her characters are robust and sympathetic.

Dory is notoriously stubborn and emotionally detached – most times causing herself more harm than good. She carries the  proverbial “chip” the size of a boulder on her shoulder. In Fury’s Kiss, fans will be pleasantly surprised to see Dory finally make break throughs in several key relationships. Without giving too much away, Dory and her father Mircea will break new ground in their strained relationship in the most unexpected of ways.  This story line allows  Mircea to evolve from a secretive diplomat senator into a protective  dedicated father.

Ever stalwart, Louis-Cesar also plays a huge role in this novel. Dory is finally forced to decide if she will commit to Louis-Cesar and the risk of being hurt both by him or by others using him to get at her.

Claire is back along with a detachment of randy elf soldiers to protect her. This story line goes into some very funny places.

Fury’s Kiss brings back several characters from her previous novels and introduces Ray, a seemingly third rate vampire trying desperately to stay alive (relatively speaking). Ever scheming, slippery and the punch line for every joke, Ray is the comic relief and Dory’s Ace in the hole.

When a seat becomes available in the Senate during the investigation, all hell breaks loose as contenders fight each other in open season style combat. Last man standing wins the Senate seat.

The villains have new toys including vampire zombies, ice rays, and illegal ley line portals. But most of all – the villains have powers that no one has ever witnessed before making Dory and the rest of the crew feel completely at a loss. A mysterious winged stranger saves Dory from the zombies and introduces a whole new group into the mix – fallen angels.

Do not be diverted from this novel if you are new to Chance’s works because she will give you enough background to keep you afloat but you will miss out on the inside jokes (including a short scene between Dorina and Cassie  from Chance’s other series The Cassandra Palmer Series).

Fury’s Kiss is a game changer. Forget everything you ever knew about Dorina Basarab because a new Dorina is in town and she is larger than life.

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to read story books. She devoured them because they were full of magical possibilities with every turn of the page. Then the little girl grew up and school work occupied more and more of her time. Eventually the little girl graduated from school, trading in poets & prose for business management & autobiographies. Magic was left behind in her quest for the top and the world became a place filled with “paradigm shifts”, ROI & financial reports. Before she knew it, the girl was a woman who felt out of touch with the world’s magic until she met Birth and her sister Death. While Birth filled her with wonder & happiness; Death filled her with sadness & loss. And so one day she set aside the management books and instead picked up a paperback story filled with vampires, shifters & telepaths. Lo and behold, her passion for these stories blossomed and the woman became a believer in the magic of reading, again. My name is Believer9200 and I believe in the magic of stories because they give me hope.

Doll Believer

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