Karen Chance – Death’s Mistress

The second book in the Dorina Basarab, Dhampir series, published January 5, 2010.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: strong, I like it



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.

Back home in Brooklyn after the demise of her insane uncle, Dracula, Dory’s hoping her life is about to calm down. But then she gets some visitors. A friend wants Dory’s help in finding a magical Fey relic, and the gorgeous vampire Louis-Cesare is desperate to find his former mistress, Christine.
Dory and Louis-Cesare quickly discover the same master vampire Christine is bound to, is also rumoured to be in possession of the relic. But when the master vampire turns up dead, they realize that there’s more at stake than a missing mistress. Someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if Dory and Louis-Cesare can’t stop the murderer, they might be next.


Dory just came home from an easy job for her father, Mircea, when she hears something or someone stumbling around in her house. And almost gets squashed by a dragon. But that dragon is her friend Claire, who also owns the house. It has been Claire’s uncle’s house, and he has warded it inside and out, as he was making moonshine Elfen wine. Dorina has discovered that with Claire gone to fairy, and no longer surpressing her Dhampir rages, the Elfen wine does just about the same, although it has some unpleasant side effects. But why is Claire back home, with her baby? Claire asks Dory’s help in retrieving a stolen rune that was supposed to keep her little son Aiden safe from attacks, and there have been plenty on his young life already. Her husband doesn’t seem to take them seriously, but Claire is determined to keep her son safe, and that means not in Faery. The Fae they defeated in the previous book, Aesubrand, has escaped his prison, with the help of his mother, and now he has come after Dory, Claire and the little Prince again. They barely escape with their lives, and the house is completely ruined after being attacked by some Fae conjured elementals.

And then Mircea has another job for her, which seems to be too easy. And it is. There are more vampires after the vampire she has just beheaded than she can deal with. It is not an easy job to keep his body alive and well, while taking his head with her, so Mircea can interrogate her. And when her previous lover, the vampire Louis-Cesare tricks her badly, and steals it from her, along with her clothes, Dory is furious. She will get the head back, and get even with Louis-Cesare. And so Dory keeps running from vampires intent on killing her, or the body she has with her, and more parties than she knows are after the stolen Rune. But it does not matter to Dory who wants it and why, her best friend needs it to keep her baby safe, and that is the most important matter.
That Louis-Cesare wants to safe his former mistress, who has been captured a century ago, well, certainly it can wait a few years longer. Vamps life forever if they are not decapitated. Or caught out in the sun. But somehow, Dory ends up helping Louis-Cesare and his beloved, against her better judgment.

A very fast paced book, with almost non stop action, and a lot of it almost lethal to Dorina. She doesn’t get much rest in this book at all. But it was fun, and not hard at all to step back in this world. I enjoy Karen Chance’s writing style, and her fun and original characters. They are true hard ass and kick ass, and they don’t need to be saved by some man, be he vampire or mage or were.
The scene where she set the vampires and Fae who were after her, against each other was brilliant.
Dorina also learns more about her mother, and that her father truly loved her. And she is completely surprised by that. Now if only Mircea starts being honest with her, instead of treating her like an employee, perhaps she will be nicer in return…

9 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian