Fury's Kiss (Dorina Basarab, #3)

by Karen Chance

[Quirky Cat]

**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** Fury's Kiss is the third novel in the Dorina Basarab series, but it also fits in well with the Cassie Palmer series. If you're new to both, I strongly recommend that you read both in order together, because they tend to interact a lot more than you might expect.
Dory is a dhampir, and perhaps my favorite of her kind. Dhampirs are half human, and half vampire. The most famous example is probably Blade, but Dory is what usually comes to mind for me.
Dory is forced to do all sorts of different things in this novel, all in an attempt to stay a war. A fact that wouldn't normally be her problem, if not for her friends and family being at risk during the war.
This is one of my favorite series. I adore Dory and the absolute chaos she tends to bring with her. She's sassy, determined, and not afraid to do what is right – regardless of what it costs her.
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.


Fury's Kiss is one of my favorite novels in the Dorina series, and I'm not just saying that. I love how much happens in this novel, and trust me – a lot happens! Dory is constantly moving from one thing to another, dealing with both external and internal threats. It's as fascinating as it is fast-paced.
Honestly, so much happened in this novel, that even with this being a reread, I'm not even sure where to begin.
I love that Dory's abilities – and the reasons behind them – were explored further in this love. More than that, I love how they were explored. Karen Chance did an amazing job of having the revelation be as dramatic as possible.
I swear the secondary characters were truly shining during this novel. Or at least, at specific moments during Fury's Kiss. It cracks me up how many house guests Dory and Claire have right now. Probably more than it otherwise would, if not for Claire clearly being a bit put out with who (or rather, what) they are.
The conclusion to this novel was...epic. As were all of the fight scenes leading up to it, actually. But the conclusion was an amazing fight, fascinating politics, and personal moments all blended into one dramatic series of events. And I loved every minute of it. Reading it all again made it come to life once more. And honestly, I could have read it all again on the spot and said the same thing. It'll never get old. Not for me.
I'm lucky, in a way, that this is a binge reread for me. I don't have to wait a year (or more) before picking up Shadow's Bane. So I'm probably going to go right on and read it next. Because I've never been known for my self control when it comes to books.

Reread Comments:

Toy/Weapon: Normally I'd list a specific weapon, but in this instance I think it was all of the improvised weapons that I really enjoyed.

Favorite chapter/scene/plot point: The fight scene where Dory is trying to get inside the council headquarters. I couldn't fully explain why, but I loved that whole series of events.

Favorite quote: “Thank you, Captain Obvious.” “I’m on the Senate,” he reminded me. “It’s Lord Obvious.”

MVP (not including Dory): Louis Cesare!
“He was honest and honorable and ethical and generous, in a culture that was exactly none of those things.”

Interesting bits I noticed this time 'round: I tried to pay more attention to the politics going on behind the scenes this time around. I'm not sure if I picked up anything new, but I did enjoy it more!

What further research did this book inspire (historical, mythological, etc): I looked into the fae a bit more. Just a few of the less common creatures they mentioned here and there.

Unanswered questions: None!


For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks