Black Friday

Cassandra Palmer #8.1

by Karen Chance

Also available on Karen Chance's Website as a free short.

Cassie needs to do her Christmas shopping, so where better to go than Hell, after all they have the best prices, especially on Black Friday.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Short Stories, Fantasy, Vampires, Demons, Magic

10 pages, ebook

First published December 20, 2017

About the author

Karen Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in Florida near her family home. Visit her website or connect with her on Facebook here.

Reviews

[Marta Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

This freebie on the authors website is fast, furious and funny ! I won't lie it's very short but it truly is the shopping trip from hell . Cassie is determined to get all her present shopping done but enemies and other things get in her way. It's hilarious, it's also kind of sad but the ending was just so typical of everything that those around her usually bring to the story. Poignant and full of atmosphere and now I'm champing at the bit for Dorys book plus of course there's the matter of Cassie , Mircea and his wife !

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun short story about Cassie taking Fred, one of her vampire guards with her for a Christmas shopping trip in the Shadowlands where all hell breaks loose. It was light, fun, and had a poignant quality as Cassie ponders holidays and family and tradition and making a bit of her own family tradition while dodging a murdering fae.

[Choco Con Churros · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quitando el lugar donde se realizan las compras, que me chocó, y el perro que me hizo gracia, me ha parecido una anécdota prescindible que no sé muy bien a qué viene, la verdad. Autores en GL Bis

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even on Black Firday in the Shadowland, Cassie still manages to get herself in trouble. This was a nice little holiday snippet of Cassie and Fred.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story, 8.1, in the Cassandra Palmer urban fantasy series and revolving around the Pythia who's shopping for Christmas presents in Hell. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Cassandra Palmer books on my website.

My Take
Chance caught me with that whole gift shopping in Hell routine. I mean, our own "Black Friday" is its own kind of hell, but without the fun gadgets you can find in a magical world.

It is hard to imagine a hell region that puts on the image of a cozy, snowy Victorian village, but then again, Shadowland is a marketplace. Of course they want to make money. Then there's the animated food! Oh, boy...I don't know if I'd eat it or run from it, lol.

It's in first person protagonist point-of-view from Cassie's perspective and gives us the opportunity to discover the lack of Christmas memories in Cassie's past.

My one major, major niggle in this was when Chance had Fluffykins bite his leash in half, and yet Cassie is still being dragged around the marketplace. How does this happen??

Okay, a secondary, minor niggle is that I would have liked it if Chance had made that crazy fey more recognizable. I read through the short story three times to ensure I understood he was the same guy throughout the story.

And in spite of this, I did enjoy it...

The Story
Where better than Shadowland to find the best gifts for the ones you love? Lie-detecting cufflinks. Memory balls. And attacking toys!

Eek!

The Characters
Cassie Palmer is the Pythia, the head seer of the supernatural world. The portly Fred is a vampire who adores food and is one of her bodyguards.

Pritkin is a war mage and Cassie's boyfriend. Jonas is the Lord Protector of the Silver Circle of mages. Tami is one of Cassie's best friends and the current majordomo of the Pythian Court.

Shadowland is...
...the closest hell region to earth and is a neutral zone where everyone can shop.

Aeslinn is the king of the Svarestri and Cassie's enemy. Fat Tony was the crooked vampire at whose court Cassie was raised.

The Title
The title is all about the sales and Christmas shopping, yep, it's "Black Friday".

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Source* http://www.karenchance.com/blackfri.html
*Genre* Fantasy / Paranormal
*Rating* 3-3.5

Cassie travels to Shadowland, the closest hell region to earth, with Fred, her tiniest bodyguard, where she does her Christmas shopping. This novella is fairly short at 10 pages and just the right thing to read when trying to make your Goodreads reading goal for the year. It's also quite funny!

[inkspell_blu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this free short and it’s got everything! Demons! Shopping! Holiday spirit! Shopping! Eating! Quipping! Presents!
I fully appreciate this charming addition to my favorite series! Keep em coming, baby 💜

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Rikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute!! The toys freaking out was legitimately a bit creepy; what a great security system to have. I wish I had read this before Tempt the Stars; in that, Cassie makes it seem like she's been to the Shadowland before, which I don't believe she'd visited in books one through six (i.e. up until that point, unless in another Cassie Palmer universe story). It was nice to see Fred in a less contemptuous role and not stealing her food--for once. The ending was especially sweet and made me giggle aloud.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Friday is a very fun, free short story. It is set after Ride the Storm and should be read in that order to avoid spoilers.

Cassie and Fred take a shopping trip to hell for Christmas presents. And as always, someone is trying to kill Cassie. This story is super short but it’s always good to see more of Fred and we get to see a softer side of Cassie too. Plus a hellhound puppy — nothing better than that!

[keikii Eats Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cassie goes Christmas Shopping. A cute little short story where Cassie somehow manages to find trouble doing an innocent activity...in hell. Completely nonessential to the main story plot, but makes me want more of the series.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, short novella that was probably the best Black Friday story I've read :P

[Heather♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story about a seriously funny shopping trip in hell. Really. I so love this series!

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4. Kind of OtT and crazy, but fun and unique.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cassie takes on Black Friday in Hell. Gotta love this series. Also: I want a hellhound.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuter than the average holiday story. About a 10 min. read.

[Kimi5564 · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUN! I want to shop in Shadowland!! Mircea's gift is the best; they will light up continuously!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute short. Always enjoy Cassie.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great story, so funny, I really enjoyed it!

[Natari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some good fun with our favourite Pythia.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cassie and Fred voluntary go back into Shadowland to get a little Christmas shopping done. However, nothing is as easy as it should be. A fun little short.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little short in the Cassie Palmer series. Who said Christmas shopping was safe, or easy? Definitely not Cassie, but it is still fun.

[Beate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, shopping in Hell (Shadowlands) with Cassie is fun. Especially with a snarky companion. Nuff said.

[Sibil · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jessica Patzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this at a pretty appropriate time, which is weird for me and actually just random happenstance. But anyway, it was short and cute and I enjoyed it.

[Chandni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was surprisingly a fun short story, but I think I read it out of sequence because I didn't know one of the main characters. I still thought it was a sweet holiday story.

[CONNIE BALTHROP · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has everything you would expect from Karen Chance.

[Tom Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

amusing little side chapter

[Laurla2]

reread.
free on authors website. http://karenchance.com/free_stories.html

cassie and fred do a little black friday shopping in hell and run into a fey bent on killing them, and reunite a hellhound puppy with its mother.

"Pritkin would like them, I was pretty sure. Anything lethal tended to go over well."