So I fianlly got around to reading this book and I haven to admit to slight, very slight disappointment. For me this book wasn't quite as good as the previous. It didn't have as much humour, some of the characters weren't there, i felt the mentioning of short stories as just kind of thrown in there. etc etc.
Dont get me wrong still an excellent book, and after reading it again, I might change my mind. Chance is known for hiding secrets within her work that you don't pick up till you give it a few trys.
I did find some of the writing a bit messy? but I've also had that happen before is some of her action scene's (the one coming to mind was the dragon scene in the city)
I'm intrigued and maybe a little concerned about Pritkin upping his game, I wonder how cassie is going to handle this in the next book!!

I kind of wished there was more.... War Mage action going on as well. <3 love those nutters.

I noticed this time of re-reading the whole series, that the relationship status didn't impact me as much, while i still think Mircea is devious, I don't feel as negatively towards him or as positively towards Pritkin (though still 100% on the Pritkin train) so maybe that had something to do with why I'm rating this book 4 stars instead of 5?
Who knows. Either way I'm excited to get my hands on Reap the Wind.

Side note - I wonder if Pritkin can have sex now? if he can Mircea better put on his game face, at the moment he isnt doing so well, and the mage will give him a run for his money.
And when will there be another Dory book!? I'm waiting for them to finally meet up!!! mainly to see cassie from dory's POV man that is bound to be hilarious!!

So I've read 3 books in 3 days. Touch the Dark, Claimed By Shadow and Embrace The Night. With Embrace the Night probably being my least favorite so far, not sure i can 100% pinpoint as to why, probably along the lines on the love-spell and Mircea, I know whats coming up next, he's a devious bastard and so far in the books i've read he hasn't totally slipped up yet in front of Cassie (though she's more forgiving on most things than i would be) also I'm super desperate to get to book 6 as book 5 ended in an epic cliff hanger!! plus cassie is way more kick butt in those books, but I'm still enjoying re-evaluating everything again along with her, looking for those hidden 'easter eggs' Chance mentions now and then.

I believe my book reading buddies are still unfortunately on book 1, though if there on track they should be on book 2 but i havent heard from them in a few days - maybe they fell into the cassie trap? and they won't come up for air until all the books to date have been read. I hope not because I won't be moving past here (ETN) without confirmation my buddies arn't in some kind of book-coma-state, and that would be very unfortunate for me.... haha.

I suppose least i have some Pritkin shorts to satisfy myself with until they reappear!

Not only does this series have excellent and hilarious quotes:

“My new 9mm didn’t fit my hand as well as my old one, but it was rapidly becoming a familiar weight. At first I’d decided it was okay to wear as long as I shot only at supernatural bad guys who were already shooting at me. Lately, I’d had to broaden that definition to anytime my life was in danger. I was currently leaning toward a slightly more comprehensive rule somewhere between proactive self-defense and the-bastards-had-it-coming, which, if I survived long enough, I intended to blame on my deranged partner rubbing off on me.”

 

And thats just the second page! but i also have an superb imagination, which involves pritkin looking like this:

really whats not to love? (besides Mircea - bahaha sorry had to be done)

'I was willing to bet that my sexual experience gave their pure-as-the-driven-snow sybil a run for her money, although not for the same reasons.Eugenie had guarded me like a hawk, and when I wasn't with her, I was running for my life. I'd never trusted anyone enough to get that close. It also helped that most of the vamps at Tony's had rivaled Alphonse in the looks department, and that they'd been warned off me anyway. The most temptation I'd experienced had been with Tomas, the Senate's spy who had been feeding off me without permission, and Mircea, who was probably plotting some nefarious scheme. I have no taste in men.'

 

hahaha. gotta love Cassie

I'd forgotten how funny Chance could be and why this was my favorite series for so many years. ahh Mircea and Pritkin you funny buggers.

'Mircea was regarding him [Pritkin] the way a good housewife looks at a bug crawling across her newly cleaned kitchen floor.'

 

 

 

it's even funnier because i now know their personalities so well, i've read these books so many times (though not for at least a yr or so now) re-reading this series again (for the 5th? time now was the best idea - i use to re-read the books every time a new one came out, I'm currently two behind)