Tempt the Stars (Cassandra Palmer, #6)

by Karen Chance

[Quirky Cat]

Tempt the Stars is the sixth book in the Cassandra Palmer series, and the series is still going strong! This novel starts off an epic journey on Cassie's part, one that is going to take some time for her to resolve. It also brings along with it plenty of twists, turns, and chaos for this heroine.
I've actually read Tempt the Stars before, several times. It's one of my absolute favorites of the series, so I'm probably a little bit biased here. And I'm okay with that. Cassie Palmer's series in general is one of my favorites, and I honestly feel like it deserves more attention than it gets. The series is just so unique!
Side note before we begin: I’ve actually read this whole series multiple times (it’s one of my favorites), but it wasn’t until recently that I realized that I’ve never reviewed the older books in the series. So here I am, reading them all again, and loving every minute of it.
Because I’m doing a reread with a group of people (the Karen Chance Street Team – message me if you want to know more about it) I’m also going to include the discussion prompts we’ve been using. That will be at the end of the review, so if you’re curious, check it out.


Cassie is constantly putting up with threats and danger. Some of from the enemy, sure. But just as many are coming from her supposed allies. That's one of the many things that makes Tempt the Stars so fascinating.
I mentioned above that Tempt the Stars is one of my favorites in this series, and that's true. Though honestly, I've loved all of the series so far, and am looking forward to more. But I think, for me, Tempt the Stars was the point where I became really and truly invested in the series.
Cassie's desperation to fix what has gone wrong...it's palpable. It's hard not to feel the tangled mass of emotions that Cassie must be going through here. And it reminded us of just how very human she really is. In that sense, it brought this series to a whole new level.
There were many moments that I loved in this novel. Most of them involved all the attempts Cassie had to make getting things put to right. And of course, in that process, she learned a lot about herself. Perhaps more than she would have otherwise liked to.
I also feel like the secondary characters were given more of a chance to shine in this volume. Marco in particular. Though maybe I always feel like that. He's kind of endearing, when you give him half a chance.
There were even some moments that made me squeal with joy. Which of course were immediately thrown back in my face, because Tempt the Stars is nothing if not an emotional roller coaster. And I love that about it.
I think my biggest complaint about the novel – if you could call it that – is that this novel kind of ends on a cliffhanger. It did a brilliant job of keeping me invested in the series. More than that, actually. I know the wait for Reap the Wind was pure agony, and that's putting it fairly mildly. But I made it! And now they're perfect for binge reading.

Reread Notes:

Tarot Card: The Star
“The Star is universally considered to be the most beautiful card in the tarot,” a smug voice informed me, from somewhere underneath my butt. “It is also one of the most fortunate, although not, perhaps, in the way that many people would prefer. The Star—” I fumbled around, groggy and still half-asleep, and didn’t find anything. “—indicates that success is possible, but only in time and through great effort. The Star shines in the night sky, a beacon of light in a dark world, pulling the querent forward onto a heroic quest—”

Favorite chapter/scene/plot point: The conclusion. It was an emotional roller coaster, but a good one.
“I did have regrets these past six months,” he told me quietly. “I found it a curse as much as a blessing, all that time to think. About the things I could have said, that I should have told you...”

Favorite quote: “According to Murphy, if something can go wrong, it will. But that wouldn’t work for my life. I needed a new rule. Cassie’s rule. Something along the lines of “if something can’t go wrong, because it is completely impossible for it to happen in the first place, it will somehow manage to go wrong anyway.”

MVP (not including Cassie): Marco. He has one heck of a time trying to be the bodyguard for somebody that can shift through time and space. But he tries harder than most other people would, in that given situation.

Favorite Political Quote: “But maybe one day you’ll learn, people are gullible. Often they’ll just believe what you tell them, if you sound confident enough—and if it’s something they like. They want to believe, so they do half the work for you.”

Interesting bits I noticed this time 'round: I was more aware of how this novel manipulated my emotions. But I mean that in a good way, of course.

What further research did this book inspire (historical, mythological, etc): None, yet.

Unanswered questions: I don't think I had any new ones this time around. But then again I literally picked up Reap the Wind the minute I finished Tempt the Stars, so I didn't give myself much time to wonder about that.


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