Claimed by Shadow by Karen Chance

This is the second book in the Cassie Palmer series, I reviewed the first book a couple of months ago. I like this book more than I did the first. Part of the reason I like this book more than the first one is because a significant amount of the world building had been done in the first book. Sometimes, world building can be fun and exciting to read, but for the me, the first book felt at often times confusing for me to really sink my teeth into. Because of that I spent a lot of time being confused by what was going on within the first book. But in this second book, I had enough of a foundation to really get into the book. Not to mention the characters in this book had already been established and I already had a vested interest in them.

One of the things about this series of books is that they take place over a very short period of time. Because of this there is seldom a time where there isn't any action in the book. This is a good thing because it keep the reader really involved in the writing. However if you are going to be reading this book in more than one sitting, I might suggest reading a few of the pages you have already read before delving into new material, the action happens so quickly you may need a bit of a refresher.

One thing I would have liked to have seen more of in this book is Mircea, he is by far one of my favorite characters within this series. Although I understand that this book is primarily about the journey Cassie takes, I still wish there had been more of Mircea in the book itself.

As I just mentioned this book is really about Cassie coming into her power. In the previous book Cassie had received the power of the Pythia, but she did not complete the rituals (she needed to no longer be a virgin). I am not going to say who she slept with but I will say by the end of the book Cassie becomes a full blown Pythia.

In a lot of ways this book feels a lot more like a set up for the future of this series. It give Cassie the power of the office of Pythia, with no more chance that it goes to someone else. It also sets up several other scenerios/problems that are going to need to be resolved, and sooner rather than later. Dracula makes an appearance, and it is clear that the vampire community does not want him alive. Dracula is clearly going to play a role in the books to come. Cassie has still not been accepted by the Circle, so there is that to be resolved, or at least hope they stop trying to kill her with every chance they get. A deal was made with the a King that Cassie needs to complete. And of course the geis that caused Cassie so much trouble throughout this book needs to be removed, not just for Cassie's sake but also for the sake of Mircea, if not dealt with it is completely possible that both Cassie and Mircea will be driven crazy.

Overall this book was a much more enjoyable book to read than the first. On top of that it left me wanting to read the third book in order to continue on with Cassie's journey. That is a huge skill for an author, the ability to get the reader to want more. I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes Urban Fantasy. I would recommend reading the first before though, the background information contained in the first is invaluable. I hope all of you enjoy this series as much I as did.