Publisher: Penguin
Author: Karen Chance
Released: November 3^rd, 2015
Received: Own
Rating:

Reap the Wind is the seventh novel in the Cassandra Palmer series. And as if she didn’t have enough to deal with, her plate seems to be getting fuller and fuller. Now she’s got her court to deal with – and protect – along with trying to win or prevent a war, save a friend, and so much more.

I love the energy and adventures that follow Cassie. She’s a chaotic force, and very talented at getting herself into trouble. But that just makes her and her series all the more interesting. It’s one of the reasons I love her series so much.

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.

Reap the Wind lives up to its name; it’s a whirlwind of an adventure, never stopping to give Cassie a break. She may not appreciate that, but it leaves for a fast-paced and entertaining read for all of her fans!

I love how many new elements were added into this novel. Specifically, I adored the introduction (or rather, the inclusion) of her court. We really got a chance to know some of them this time around, and it made them feel more real. While the added responsibility probably didn’t help her stress level, the fact remains that they were a grounding force for her. Among other things.

There was a lot of tension in this novel. Cassie was trying to right a wrong. She knew how to, in theory. But getting there has proven harder than she expected. And then there was the emotional side of things…because the times they are a changing.

Once again Cassie’s desperation was palpable, but perhaps slightly less than in the previous novel. Which is certainly better for her emotional state. There was still plenty of emotion to be found though, I promise you that.

The politics really amp up in this novel. Everybody wants something from Cassie, and nobody seems to be treating her with the respect her title deserves. Or really, the people with the power to make the change are too used to having all the power, and not used enough to sharing it. So they won’t.

I knew that things were going to hit a head with that. The mages and the vampires aren’t treating Cassie as Pythia. They’re treating her like a weapon. But her realization really brought that whole mess home, it was amazing. It was emotional. It was powerful. And it was so well done.

Maybe it’s because I never shipped them, but there were a few moments in this novel where I thought to myself ‘man, if somebody treated me that way, I’d walk’ but I suppose Cassie is more determined than I am. Though she knows Mircea better than I do, and thus understands the intent better.

On the whole I loved every minute of Reap the Wind. But Cassie’s journey isn’t over. She still has quite a long way to go, and I imagine us fans are more than okay with that.

Reread Comments:

Tarot Card: The Devil

“The devil card signifies that the querent feels stuck or restricted in life, bound like the figures in chains on the card’s surface. But while these bonds may seem unbreakable, a closer look shows that the chains are in fact quite loose, and that the querent therefore has it in his power to slip free of them whenever he chooses. The people on the card are not bound by real chains, but by fear, lack of hope, and lack of belief in their own abilities. The devil card teaches that, as long as you are willing to allow others to exploit and restrain you, they can and will. But no one has power over you unless you give it to them. And what you give, you can take back again.”

Favorite chapter/scene/plot point: That’s a tough one. Probably the moment where Cassie learned the truth about Rhea? That moment was tense!

Favorite quote: I have a few

“The absolute certainty that he knew better than me about every damned thing, yeah, that was familiar.”

“Why has Emrys not killed you? Why has everyone not killed you?” “They’ve tried.” “Not hard enough!”

MVP (not including Cassie): Rhea. She is so sweet and loyal, and I really think that being in Cassie’s court is the best thing for her right now.

Favorite Political Quote: “If we were going to survive, we needed to at least start stumbling around together. But we weren’t, because Jonas didn’t trust me, Mircea didn’t respect me, and nobody believed in me. And as long as I kept backing down, they were never going to.”

Interesting bits I noticed this time ’round: Knowing the truth about Rhea this time around helped me to spot all of the little hints about her. It made that a lot more interesting, at least for me.

What further research did this book inspire (historical, mythological, etc):

Unanswered questions: