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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
The tenth within the Cassandra Palmer World urban fantasy series and 6.5 in the Cassandra Palmer series revolving around those beings who touch on Cassie Palmer's life. The focus here is on Mircea Basarab's early days in Venice.
My Take
It's weird to see Mircea so vulnerable and powerless; he's kept busy being prettied up and shelling peas and whatever other tasks Cook can find for them. Mircea is also learning about vampire life. What he should have learned from his Maker, and why family is so important to a vampire. It certainly explains why Mircea is such a great lover, why he treats his family as he does, and how Mircea achieved his current position in the Senate.
In the background, we learn of the wild and woolly vampire world that the Lady and Mircea, separately, want to change.
It's not critical to the Cassandra Palmer storyline, but it is a fascinating look at Mircea's back history with a few memories of his beloved wife, of the night he had to leave her, and a slight bit of Dorina at the end.
It's also a time for Mircea to reflect on the difference between having the power of a prince to being commanded to strip by a woman.
Poor Bezio. He's loyal without having meant to be, and I do have to feel for his being waxed, lol. As for Sanuito, that poor boy is also loyal, for no one has ever stood up for him before.
It took quite a while and a lot of convoluted thinking to figure out Sanuito's place in this plot. Thank god I was taking notes and could re-read and re-read it over and over. Oy. It's probably because Chance was using third person protagonist point-of-view from Mircea's perspective, and he sure was confusing as he laid it out for us.
We get some back history on today's consul and the one who made her. It's handy as we learn what caused Cleopatra to become the ruler she is in the vampire world.
While Venice appears to be quite the party town with breasts bared and whores common — your feet had better be covered up! Yep, there is a variety of action in this, from Mircea's being pimped out, to his self-reflections, to the rescues and chases he instigated. You won't be bored!
It will be the start of a new era for vampires.
The Story
Told golden stories of Venice as a place of refuge for vampires without a family, Mircea arrives to find it's a cesspit of corruption and violence.
The Characters
Prince Mircea Basarab is no longer a prince of Wallachia, but a poor vampire. Sighisoara had been his hometown; Târgoviste was his father's capital. Horatiu is his still-human servant, the tutor of his boyhood. The young, nimble-fingered, mischievous Dorina is the dhampir daughter he never knew about.
Bezio (formerly a blacksmith in Salerno with a wife, Jacopo, and two daughters, Sonia and Mea), Jerome is fascinated by hats (originally an apothecary), and Sanuito (a pockmarked son of a whore) are/were his cellmates.
Martina, a vampire, runs a brothel and is looking for fresh meat. Paulo, also a vampire, appears to be her majordomo and a bowing master. Her employees include Auria, Marte of the dimples and tinsel earrings, Danieli, Zaneta, and Besina. Lucca is a human who does odd jobs and tasting for the Cook.
Convocation is...
...a conference meeting in Venice of the vampire Senates throughout the world, including Cairo, Cathay, and Paris. Its leader is the Consul, the creature, a vampire who is over 5,000 years old and lives in the Egyptian desert. He Changed Cleopatra, who is today's consul. Back then she was a powerful senator, the Lady living in Paris where the Senate normally meets. Gregor and Antony are also senators and friends with Cleopatra. Hassani is the African consul in the Consul's pocket. Lucilla is Senator Marcellus' wife. Anoubias had been the name of one of Cleopatra's human servants way back in the day.
The Watch are the Venetian police. Zuane and Guilio are vendors. Jacopo is a tailor. Hieronimo is a role which mages take turns playing at the pub.
The Cover and Title
The cover is split in half with red tones on the top coloring our perception of Mircea (from nose to mid-chest) with his long tangled hair past his shoulders and an embossed black mask on the bottom. At the ends of Mircea's hair is an info blurb in white with the author's name immediately below this, also in white with a black shadow. Below the eyeholes of the mask is the the title in yellow, the first letter given a simple elaboration. Below the title is an interesting bit of series information in red. The publisher's name and logo is in the top right corner in white.
The title is about the Masks we all hide behind.
My Take
It's weird to see Mircea so vulnerable and powerless; he's kept busy being prettied up and shelling peas and whatever other tasks Cook can find for them. Mircea is also learning about vampire life. What he should have learned from his Maker, and why family is so important to a vampire. It certainly explains why Mircea is such a great lover, why he treats his family as he does, and how Mircea achieved his current position in the Senate.
In the background, we learn of the wild and woolly vampire world that the Lady and Mircea, separately, want to change.
It's not critical to the Cassandra Palmer storyline, but it is a fascinating look at Mircea's back history with a few memories of his beloved wife, of the night he had to leave her, and a slight bit of Dorina at the end.
It's also a time for Mircea to reflect on the difference between having the power of a prince to being commanded to strip by a woman.
Poor Bezio. He's loyal without having meant to be, and I do have to feel for his being waxed, lol. As for Sanuito, that poor boy is also loyal, for no one has ever stood up for him before.
It took quite a while and a lot of convoluted thinking to figure out Sanuito's place in this plot. Thank god I was taking notes and could re-read and re-read it over and over. Oy. It's probably because Chance was using third person protagonist point-of-view from Mircea's perspective, and he sure was confusing as he laid it out for us.
We get some back history on today's consul and the one who made her. It's handy as we learn what caused Cleopatra to become the ruler she is in the vampire world.
While Venice appears to be quite the party town with breasts bared and whores common — your feet had better be covered up! Yep, there is a variety of action in this, from Mircea's being pimped out, to his self-reflections, to the rescues and chases he instigated. You won't be bored!
It will be the start of a new era for vampires.
The Story
Told golden stories of Venice as a place of refuge for vampires without a family, Mircea arrives to find it's a cesspit of corruption and violence.
The Characters
Prince Mircea Basarab is no longer a prince of Wallachia, but a poor vampire. Sighisoara had been his hometown; Târgoviste was his father's capital. Horatiu is his still-human servant, the tutor of his boyhood. The young, nimble-fingered, mischievous Dorina is the dhampir daughter he never knew about.
Bezio (formerly a blacksmith in Salerno with a wife, Jacopo, and two daughters, Sonia and Mea), Jerome is fascinated by hats (originally an apothecary), and Sanuito (a pockmarked son of a whore) are/were his cellmates.
Venice
Martina, a vampire, runs a brothel and is looking for fresh meat. Paulo, also a vampire, appears to be her majordomo and a bowing master. Her employees include Auria, Marte of the dimples and tinsel earrings, Danieli, Zaneta, and Besina. Lucca is a human who does odd jobs and tasting for the Cook.
Convocation is...
...a conference meeting in Venice of the vampire Senates throughout the world, including Cairo, Cathay, and Paris. Its leader is the Consul, the creature, a vampire who is over 5,000 years old and lives in the Egyptian desert. He Changed Cleopatra, who is today's consul. Back then she was a powerful senator, the Lady living in Paris where the Senate normally meets. Gregor and Antony are also senators and friends with Cleopatra. Hassani is the African consul in the Consul's pocket. Lucilla is Senator Marcellus' wife. Anoubias had been the name of one of Cleopatra's human servants way back in the day.
The Watch are the Venetian police. Zuane and Guilio are vendors. Jacopo is a tailor. Hieronimo is a role which mages take turns playing at the pub.
The Cover and Title
The cover is split in half with red tones on the top coloring our perception of Mircea (from nose to mid-chest) with his long tangled hair past his shoulders and an embossed black mask on the bottom. At the ends of Mircea's hair is an info blurb in white with the author's name immediately below this, also in white with a black shadow. Below the eyeholes of the mask is the the title in yellow, the first letter given a simple elaboration. Below the title is an interesting bit of series information in red. The publisher's name and logo is in the top right corner in white.
The title is about the Masks we all hide behind.
saphibella's review against another edition
3.0
I did not think I should ever read a book by Karen where I thought 'Where is the action?', I sometimes felt it just went on and on and on, without actually getting to a point.
Admittedly it was nice getting a look at Mircea's story, but until the very end I did not actually see it as anything else than that. The plot was very long-winded, with very few and very obscure clues as to the actual dispute, instead there was a lot of descriptions and explanations of things leading up to the actual story, which was nice bordering on boring, and not what I usually love about the Cassie Palmer books.
Admittedly it was nice getting a look at Mircea's story, but until the very end I did not actually see it as anything else than that. The plot was very long-winded, with very few and very obscure clues as to the actual dispute, instead there was a lot of descriptions and explanations of things leading up to the actual story, which was nice bordering on boring, and not what I usually love about the Cassie Palmer books.
amerasuu's review against another edition
2.0
I felt it didn't flow as well as the Cassie Palmer books although the story was interesting
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at Vampire Book Club
Venice in the 15th century was supposed to be a ‘free’ place for vampires. Somewhere masterless vampires could go without the fear of persecution. It’s the place where Mircea Basarab finds himself after being cursed with vampirism for only two years.
He hadn’t been there long before he was taken in by the Watch for reasons unknown. From there he was sold into a brothel to be a courtesan. Mircea’s new role is especially important now because the Consul is coming to Venice for the annual convocation. When Mircea finds himself in the bed of a very powerful senator he doesn’t understand that this may be the opportunity he’s been looking for to get back to his former princely glory. But when tensions rise between Consul and senator, Mircea has to decide what he really wants his future to be.
Masks was interesting in that we get to see a Mircea pre-power. He doesn’t have all the confidence and powers that we’ve come to associate with him in the Cassie and Dory books. He doesn’t yet understand the power structures of a vampire family and the benefits and disadvantages. Everything else, for me, in this story felt secondary. Karen Chance tries to spice things up a little giving Mircea a mystery to solve which only further serves the purpose of showing Mircea’s true personality.
I’ve never been a particular fan of Mircea’s in the Cassie series. I don’t know what to think of his oftentimes-mysterious motives when it comes to Cassie being the Pythia and his connection to her. I much prefer the Mircea we see in Dory’s series—the father. It definitely puts him in a completely different light, one I actually like.
Masks accomplishes the same thing. The reader gets to see Mircea as newly turned. To see the beginnings of the vampire/man he will become when both series start. Upon first starting Masks I didn’t understand why Karen Chance chose to tell this particular time in Mircea’s life from his POV when he’s lived such a long life, but after finishing the story I understand. This is the moment that not only shapes him, but is also the beginning of what will turn out to be the senate and Consul that we know from the two main series.
Masks is definitely a book that can be read separately from the other series. If you have read Dory and Cassie’s stories, Masks only enhances those two worlds. Chance took this great opportunity to show a sympathetic yet still strong, if a bit naïve, Mircea. My attitude as a whole has been changed toward Mircea (although not in regards to Cassie), and I would definitely be interested in reading more about his early life should Chance choose to write it.
Venice in the 15th century was supposed to be a ‘free’ place for vampires. Somewhere masterless vampires could go without the fear of persecution. It’s the place where Mircea Basarab finds himself after being cursed with vampirism for only two years.
He hadn’t been there long before he was taken in by the Watch for reasons unknown. From there he was sold into a brothel to be a courtesan. Mircea’s new role is especially important now because the Consul is coming to Venice for the annual convocation. When Mircea finds himself in the bed of a very powerful senator he doesn’t understand that this may be the opportunity he’s been looking for to get back to his former princely glory. But when tensions rise between Consul and senator, Mircea has to decide what he really wants his future to be.
Masks was interesting in that we get to see a Mircea pre-power. He doesn’t have all the confidence and powers that we’ve come to associate with him in the Cassie and Dory books. He doesn’t yet understand the power structures of a vampire family and the benefits and disadvantages. Everything else, for me, in this story felt secondary. Karen Chance tries to spice things up a little giving Mircea a mystery to solve which only further serves the purpose of showing Mircea’s true personality.
I’ve never been a particular fan of Mircea’s in the Cassie series. I don’t know what to think of his oftentimes-mysterious motives when it comes to Cassie being the Pythia and his connection to her. I much prefer the Mircea we see in Dory’s series—the father. It definitely puts him in a completely different light, one I actually like.
Masks accomplishes the same thing. The reader gets to see Mircea as newly turned. To see the beginnings of the vampire/man he will become when both series start. Upon first starting Masks I didn’t understand why Karen Chance chose to tell this particular time in Mircea’s life from his POV when he’s lived such a long life, but after finishing the story I understand. This is the moment that not only shapes him, but is also the beginning of what will turn out to be the senate and Consul that we know from the two main series.
Masks is definitely a book that can be read separately from the other series. If you have read Dory and Cassie’s stories, Masks only enhances those two worlds. Chance took this great opportunity to show a sympathetic yet still strong, if a bit naïve, Mircea. My attitude as a whole has been changed toward Mircea (although not in regards to Cassie), and I would definitely be interested in reading more about his early life should Chance choose to write it.
leabookjoy's review
4.0
In fact more or less 3,5 =)
A book I struggled to rate because there is very good stuff and not-so-good stuff.
To sum up the story, we discover here the beginnings of Mircea as a vampire, immersed in a conspiracy to kill the future Consul, and how he came to mix with the most prestigious circles while he was only a mere newborn vampire.
First, the negative stuff.
Some parts (including the beginning)seemed a little too long and fastidious (especially the sex scenes ... I'm not usually against sex scenes but here ... Well I don't know, I felt like they were in the way). The story took a lot of time to set up and the action was sometimes too slow, which is a shame because that makes me almost give up and I would have missing out on a real great book.
Because yeah, the book was up to what the author had told us !! The historian in me squealed with joy when I discover the Venice of the fifteenth century with its strange habits and customs, its colorful inhabitants (even there, mages were already mad =)), its so special architecture and all the little details which made me read this book in one go !! And all the little allusions to famous people who are in fact vampires (This one goes out to the vampire who says he discovered a land on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean ... and nobody believes him =))!
I loved discovering Mircea younger, always noble and so endearing, but I especially loved seeing the two future Consuls, Cleopatra and Antony, caught up in the midst of a political turmoil. Usually, we only have glimpses of Cleopatra (I'm not talking about Antoine whom we only see in Dory series but he was already a badass warrior =)) but seeing her this young and learning all this stuff about her story ... it was great !!
I loved the characters of Bezio, Jerome and Auria (who is the only one with whom the sex scenes were not superfluous !!) who added a welcomed touch of humor =)
In short, a to-read especially if you have already read the other books of the other series because it sheds a new light on the complex and mysterious Mircea =) (though Pritkins stays my favorite ... But well it's another story ><)
A book I struggled to rate because there is very good stuff and not-so-good stuff.
To sum up the story, we discover here the beginnings of Mircea as a vampire, immersed in a conspiracy to kill the future Consul, and how he came to mix with the most prestigious circles while he was only a mere newborn vampire.
First, the negative stuff.
Some parts (including the beginning)seemed a little too long and fastidious (especially the sex scenes ... I'm not usually against sex scenes but here ... Well I don't know, I felt like they were in the way). The story took a lot of time to set up and the action was sometimes too slow, which is a shame because that makes me almost give up and I would have missing out on a real great book.
Because yeah, the book was up to what the author had told us !! The historian in me squealed with joy when I discover the Venice of the fifteenth century with its strange habits and customs, its colorful inhabitants (even there, mages were already mad =)), its so special architecture and all the little details which made me read this book in one go !! And all the little allusions to famous people who are in fact vampires (This one goes out to the vampire who says he discovered a land on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean ... and nobody believes him =))!
I loved discovering Mircea younger, always noble and so endearing, but I especially loved seeing the two future Consuls, Cleopatra and Antony, caught up in the midst of a political turmoil. Usually, we only have glimpses of Cleopatra (I'm not talking about Antoine whom we only see in Dory series but he was already a badass warrior =)) but seeing her this young and learning all this stuff about her story ... it was great !!
I loved the characters of Bezio, Jerome and Auria (who is the only one with whom the sex scenes were not superfluous !!) who added a welcomed touch of humor =)
In short, a to-read especially if you have already read the other books of the other series because it sheds a new light on the complex and mysterious Mircea =) (though Pritkins stays my favorite ... But well it's another story ><)
hollydoesstuff's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this. I like Mircea a whole lot more after reading this, than I had previously with just Cassie and Dorina's impression of him.
woad674's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
lynseyisreading's review
4.0
The Masks We Wear
A whole book from Mircea's POV? *le sigh* Is there a more dignified, refined, sophisticated man on the face of the fictional planet? I think not. And even here, in his humble vampiric beginnings, during the rags phase of his riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches-again story, he was still the Mircea we know and love. Yay!
MASKS is kind of everything you're thinking it's going to be, and a bit more besides. Yes, I missed the mad-cap narration of my girl Cassie. Yes, I missed all the regular Cassandra Palmer World peeps. But Mircea is, in my opinion, Chance's most well-crafted creation. I would never accuse an author of playing favourites - I mean, my goodness, it would be like picking your favourite kid, surely - but if the time and effort spent establishing a character is any indication of favour, then... he's totally hers!
So what is MASKS about? Well, it's set 2 years after Mircea was cursed with vampirism. Long enough for him to get a grip on his initial uncontrolable urges, but not long enough to establish any kind of position within the vampire world. As a masterless vampire, Mircea is easy pickings for anyone in search of a new plaything. So he, and his trusty, still-currently-human tutor, Horatiu, head to Venice, a supposedly "free" area and haven for masterless or abandoned young vamps. Or that's what it said on the brochure, anyway. Unfortunately for Mircea, it seems they used a fair bit of poetic license with that word "free"...
You may notice the page count here. 400-some pages. This is most certainly not novella length or novella-like in its plotting. It's well-crafted and exciting, just like all KC's other books. It does have a completely different tone, thanks to it being from Mircea's POV, but I really feel like, having read, it, I understand his character, and also his relationship with the consul, a whole lot better. So it's absolutely worth a read for that sneak peak alone. And aside from that, it's just a good read. I suppose it could be read as a stand alone, but I'm not sure I would recommend it. Better for fans of the series to use it to meet the "real Mircea", than for new readers to try and sample the Cassandra Palmer series via this entry, because, like I said, the tone is so completely different from all the other books, it wouldn't be a good indicator of what's to come.
A suave and elegant 4 Stars ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A whole book from Mircea's POV? *le sigh* Is there a more dignified, refined, sophisticated man on the face of the fictional planet? I think not. And even here, in his humble vampiric beginnings, during the rags phase of his riches-to-rags-and-back-to-riches-again story, he was still the Mircea we know and love. Yay!
MASKS is kind of everything you're thinking it's going to be, and a bit more besides. Yes, I missed the mad-cap narration of my girl Cassie. Yes, I missed all the regular Cassandra Palmer World peeps. But Mircea is, in my opinion, Chance's most well-crafted creation. I would never accuse an author of playing favourites - I mean, my goodness, it would be like picking your favourite kid, surely - but if the time and effort spent establishing a character is any indication of favour, then... he's totally hers!
So what is MASKS about? Well, it's set 2 years after Mircea was cursed with vampirism. Long enough for him to get a grip on his initial uncontrolable urges, but not long enough to establish any kind of position within the vampire world. As a masterless vampire, Mircea is easy pickings for anyone in search of a new plaything. So he, and his trusty, still-currently-human tutor, Horatiu, head to Venice, a supposedly "free" area and haven for masterless or abandoned young vamps. Or that's what it said on the brochure, anyway. Unfortunately for Mircea, it seems they used a fair bit of poetic license with that word "free"...
You may notice the page count here. 400-some pages. This is most certainly not novella length or novella-like in its plotting. It's well-crafted and exciting, just like all KC's other books. It does have a completely different tone, thanks to it being from Mircea's POV, but I really feel like, having read, it, I understand his character, and also his relationship with the consul, a whole lot better. So it's absolutely worth a read for that sneak peak alone. And aside from that, it's just a good read. I suppose it could be read as a stand alone, but I'm not sure I would recommend it. Better for fans of the series to use it to meet the "real Mircea", than for new readers to try and sample the Cassandra Palmer series via this entry, because, like I said, the tone is so completely different from all the other books, it wouldn't be a good indicator of what's to come.
A suave and elegant 4 Stars ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
mdlaclair's review
3.0
An Interesting back story on Mircea. Made me wonder if i could find some of the secondary characters in the rest of the series.
rclz's review
5.0
I really liked this and we need many more stories centered around Mircea. I would love it if we'd get some in the present time also. I love Cassie to death but I think Mircea needs a series of his own.