Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab #1) by Karen Chance
I absolutely LOVE this series - at the moment, this and Downside Ghosts are the only Urban Fantasy series that haven't disappointed me *cough cough* Kate Daniels *cough cough*. And, as usual, when I love something, I keep postponing my reviews because distance helps me get out of the ~omg fangirl!!!~ mindset and see the series strengths more clearly.
Karen Chance introduces us to the peculiar life of Dorina Basarab, a Dhampir - daughter of the vampire Senator Mircea Basarab (of the Cassie Palmer series, which I haven't really read and, quite frankly, don't think they're my cup of tea).
Dorina's best friend and roommate, Claire, has a gift: her presence dampens others' magical abilities. Seeing as Dorina, as a dhampir, is prone to blackouts during which she experiences uncontrollable rages and awakes surrounded by carnage (reason as to why most dhampirs lead very short lives), Claire is a very handy friend to have, even if it weren't for the genuine friendship between her and Dory.
...That is, until Claire goes missing and word on the street is that she was taken by a vampire - evidence leads to Dory's uncle Dracula.
Dorina's father, Mircea, wants Dorina to recapture Dracula, and for that mission she has to team up with the Master Vampire Louis-Cesare, the only vampire Dorina's eccentric uncle Radu Basarab "made".
But the mission doesn't turn out to be as straightforward as they thought...
What has me absolutely obsessed with this series is Dorina's relationship with her father, Mircea.
Dorina's memories are fractured. She longs for her father's love and approval, and he, in turn, seems to yearn to bestow upon her all the tenderness of a loving father... but, as with most well written relationships, things are extremely complicated between them.
If you're looking for a well researched series, featuring POC in positions of power, LGBT characters with vital roles in the plot, fast paced action, a complete lack of sappiness, a hot dash of romance, and hilarious situations, then this is the series for you!
Karen Chance's official site
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