Cassie Palmer has only had a few weeks to get used to her new position as Pythia, chief clairvoyant of the world and as such, the "official" head of the supernatural society, a position she inherited against all her wishes.

Cassie’s latest is to track down the legendary Codex Merlini, a book of spells written by Merlin himself. She needs this book to find the only spell that can break the geis magically binding her to Mircea, (see Claimed by Shadow) one of the most ancient and powerful vampires around, brother to Vlad himself. If the geis isn't broken soon, Mircea will be driven insane and his second death will soon follow.

Cassie must jump through time and space to find the Codex, break the geis and save Mircea's life. Her only ally is a former enemy, War Mage John Pritkin, who has many secrets of his own. As she continues her search for the Codex, she begins to discover there is a very good reason why it has been missing for so long. If the wrong beings get their hands on it, it could bring about the destruction of all mankind, human and supernatural. And what is the huge secret Pritkin will do just about anything to protect?

I adore the Cassie Palmer series and I eagerly look forward to each new installment. Embrace the Night delivers more of the pulse pounding excitement that Karen Chance is becoming famous for. Keep in mind though, this is a series best read in order. Each book expands on the universe Chance has created, making many references to preceding books. While the stories do stand somewhat on their own, many of the delicate nuances to the story would be lost without knowledge of the earlier books.

Action begins immediately on the first page and the drive to the conclusion is so fast paced you’ll be out of breath just from reading about it. The beginning to end of the story’s timeline is quite short, covering about a week or so of time but with Cassie’s shifting through time and space makes it seem like more time passes. We also have the pleasure of seeing Cassie grow in strength and pride, coming into her own magically. She also continues to explore her abilities, uncovering new talents at the exact times she needs them most. Unfortunately, her control of same abilities is lagging far behind, which makes for some lively scenes.

Fast paced adventures, physical attraction between characters that is positively electrifying, engaging characters, a whole passel of supernatural creatures from demons to fairies and everything in between, these are trademarks of Karen Chance’s books. Embrace the Night more than meets the expectations of readers like me who have become fascinated with Cassie’s story. I loved my most recent visit with Cassie, Pritkin, Mircea, and even Radella they warrior fairy. We have a very satisfying conclusion to the book though I sure hope we don’t have to wait too long to visit again!

© Kelley A. Hartsell, March 2008. All rights reserved.