Review – Fury’s Kiss by Karen Chance

Publisher: Penguin
Publish Date: October 2nd
How I got this book: ARC from publisher

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…
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Dorina, Dorina, Dorina… One of my favorite female urban fantasy characters of all time. She lives in a world where people openly hate her, criticise her, and fear her. Yet she takes it all in stride and does the best she can to make some money, protect her friends, and sorta build a relationship with her family.

Dory has been working day and night to help the Vampire Senate take down the smuggling ring that was bringing illegal goods into the world. But when she wakes up and doesn’t even remember her own name, she knows that the whole mess has taken a serious turn for the worse. To top it all off, the Vampire Senate is holding a competition for new members, Louis-Cesare is pushing her for more, and a new breed of vampires seem to be popping up at the most inconvenient times.

There is sooooo much that happens in this book, I don’t want to give too much away, but I can’t even begin to tell you how awesome it was! Not only does Dory seem to kick ass and take names from start to finish, but we get some great romance with Louis-Cesare tossed in and so much history revealed that this book just might be my favorite in the series so far!

Probably the biggest thing I loved about this book was the fact that we did get to see so much of Dory’s history revealed in little pieces throughout the book. But not only do we get to see some of Dory’s past living with her father as a young girl, but we also get to learn so much more about the dhampire nature and why Dory is so unique within the vampire and dhampire world. The way that Chance describes the whole situation, from when Dory was a young girl to now is just absolutely mind-blowing and incredible. If I wasn’t already head over heels in love with the world building and way of life for Dory, that alone would have me shouting in the streets the awesomeness that is Karen Chance.

Another aspect of this series that continues to pull me in is the romance between Louis-Cesare and Dory. It’s rocky at times, especially since Dory is dhampire and Louis-Cesare is the Senate golden boy, and all their acquaintances and friends don’t get them. But they are devoted to each other, they are committed to making some kind of relationship work (even when Dory claims she isn’t), and they are always there for one another. Supporting each other, pulling each other out of the mess that is their lives and moving forward together as a solid force. Their relationship is one that I constantly root for, because I know that they will always make it through the fire.

I absolutely love Micrea and the supporting cast of characters in the Dory series. Even though I started reading Chance with the Cassie Palmer series, I have to admit that even after one Dory book, this series far surpassed anything Cassie ever did, and I might have even given up a little on the first series. Micrea plays such a pivotal role in this book, and although he is a Senator on the Vampire Senate and known for being protective of Dory, he can also be ruthless when he needs to be. I loved that he got the chance to really prove to Dory, in more ways than one, just how much he loves her and is devoted to her. And to top it all off, I love that Dory was FINALLY given the chance to really see that, to acknowledge it, and to come to grips with it.

The end of the book gave us a HUGE twist as well, in relation to the state of the Vampire world. Again, I don’t want to give anything away, but Oh.My.God! I am so excited about this new development, and I can’t wait to see where Chance takes the series now that such a huge wrench has been thrown into the mix!

All in all I can’t even say enough good things about this book! Dory was awesome, and the action never seemed to stop from the moment the book started. She was constantly proving just how strong she could be, while also getting the chance to show everyone she has a softer side as well. The romance continues to play out in the best possible way, with Dory and Louis-Cesare building a stronger and stronger foundation together. The history that is revealed and the future that is already beginning was all so mind-blowing, and I am already anxiously awaiting the next Dory book! I think that all I want for Christmas is another Dorina book! =)
I give Fury’s Kiss an A-

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