Danger waits on both sides of the grave.
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.
This Side of the Grave
by Jeaniene Frost
Series:
Night Huntress #5
Genre:
Urban Fantasy
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Avon Romance
Publication Date:
February 22, 2011
Jeaniene Frost is just hands down one of the best traditionally published, paranormal romance/urban fantasy writers that I read. I have books I HAVE to read for review, and then there are the ones that I Want to read, and of course this series, Night Huntress, falls into the last category.
Cat was born a vampire/human hybrid, one that didn’t realize what she was until she reached adulthood. By then she had been slaying vampires on a regular basis for years. Driven by her mother’s deep hatred of vampires, she risks her life at every turn. That all changes when she meets a vampire much stronger than she has ever met and killed-Bones.
Five books in, and I can’t really encapsulate everything that has happened easily. Suffice it to say, that Cat is now a vampire, Bones is a master vampire, and they are bonded in a forever marriage before the whole vampire nation. Nothing is ever simple in their lives and they have faced violence, extreme danger, and have come close to death, many times throughout this whole series.
This time around there are vampires being slain by ghouls as a precursor to war between the ghouls and vampires. It’s up to Cat and Bones, to find out the who, and the whys about why this is happening. Along the way, many of the characters from other books come back into the story. Spade, Bones best friend and his wife Denise, Cat’s best friend, and Mencheres(former pharaoh and ancient)and his new wife Kira, and Vlad-also known as the real Dracula-all make appearances-and help with the fight. Her characters are so fleshed out that the reader feels like they are old friends by this point. All books have to have a villain, and this book has one in Apollyon, leader of the ghoul rebellion. But there is also another villain of sorts, and one way more interesting. Marie Laveau(and former voodoo queen, in life) has been a character in the previous books; she is an extremely strong ghoul and head of all of them in New Orleans, and is devious to the extreme. Marie is a sometime helper of Bones and Cat, but never does anything that won’t help herself in the long run. She outdoes herself in this book.
I have to admit that I am in deep love with this series, and all it’s characters. In addition, Ms. Frost’s spin off series, Night Prince, features Vlad, and is also a favorite of mine. These are very adult reads due to sexual situations, violence, and sometimes extreme gore. The romance as always, is off the charts, and the action is almost ever present. Even if you are burned out on vampire romances, this is one series that should not be missed. I can guarantee a thrill ride from beginning to end, and I can’t wait to get to the next book.
The review copy of This Side of the Grave was purchased by the reviewer.
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES
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Please note: Book images shown in reading order.
ABOUT JEANIENE FROST
Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series and the new Broken Destiny series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in North Carolina with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cook books frighten her.
For more information on Jeaniene’s books, including reading the first 20% of her novels, deleted scenes, and more, go to: http://www.jeanienefrost.com/
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