Jeaniene Frost
Halfway to the Grave (2007)
Cat is half-vampire, and since her mother has told her of her history, has dedicated her life to killing every vampire she can find. Her heritage gives her heightened senses and strength beyond that of a normal human, but her hunt is surprised one night when she meets a vampire far stronger and more wily than she expects, and from there her changes dramatically as she learns what vampires are truly capable of.
Halfway to the Grave kept coming up as a recommendation, so I decided to try it out. When I started reading, there was something about the way Jeanine Frost wrote that rubbed me the wrong way, however, I was immediately drawn into the story, so whatever it was that bugged me quickly fell by the wayside as I read quickly to discover what would happen.
Before we go any further, there is a LOT of boinking and sexual talk in this book. Cat starts out as a prude, and Bones really enjoys embarrassing her. But what I like is that Bones has a very good reason to force her to get over being a prude: if she’s going to serve as bait–as a young woman who wants to pick up men in bars–blushing is going to give her away almost immediately.
And that was a very fun part of the story. It’s funny to see her learn to primp and learn how to troll for men, so she can effectively serve as bait. She hates it, but she sees the necessity, so she’s going to do it well.
I think what made Bones so likable so quickly was his disgust at the way Cat had been treated throughout her life. Even if Cat sees nothing wrong in the way she was treated, the reader does, and Bones’ indignation immediately put me on his side.
As with other supernatural books, I find it fascinating to see what vampire mythology is used and included as part of the way vampires work, and what is brushed off in the books as ‘folklore’. Her vampires are quite different from many other I’ve read about, not just in their strengths and weaknesses, but also in their morality and ethics. (Also, ghouls? Ew. At least she wasn’t calling them zombies.)
I also really liked the creation story for vampires. That was a very nice touch.
The other thing I liked was Cat’s relationship with her mother. There is so much going on that remains unsaid, but that makes you really wonder about the woman and her sanity–as well as her relationship with Cat.
If you like supernatural fantasy, and you don’t mind boinking (because there is a lot of sex in those book) then I recommend checking out Halfway to the Grave. I’ve already ordered the next two books in the series, in the hopes they’re as good as the first.
Rating: 8/10
One Foot in the Grave (2008)
It’s been four years since Cat walked away from Bones–four years that she’s been working for a special group in the FBI to deal with the undead. But her past is now coming back to haunt her–not just the fact that she still loves Bones, but also the fact that she’s been killing rogue vampires and ghouls for four years, and, and so has made members of the supernatural community unhappy with her.
First, I like the fact it’s been four years that Cat has spent away from Bones. She’s had a chance to grow up and mature, and she’s also had a chance to know herself and what she truly wants.
I also liked the fact that everyone has secrets, and those secrets are both to her advantage and her disadvantage. Some secrets she can use, while other secrets come back to haunt her and cause her problems.
Just to get it out of the way, like the first book there is a lot of boinking in One Foot in the Grave. It’s very well written, but it’s also extremely explicit. So be aware of that if you think you’re interested in this series.
One thing I noticed, is that the story is rather biblical in it’s justice: if you cross Cat’s line, vengeance is swift and deadly.
I’m also fascinated by Kat’s morality. She’s willing to take her boss’s word that a vampire or ghoul is bad and thus metes out that swift justice, and she doesn’t seem to have any qualms about keeping vampires prisoner in their center, yet at the same time she fights for herself and some other vampires to be seen as moral beings capable of making ethical and rational decisions.
That’s quite a contradiction, but then she is an assassin (and a very good one) so I suppose those abilities come with the territory.
That isn’t to say that these things distracted from the story–I really only thought about them after I finished–but it does make the story a little more shallow than it could be otherwise.
Despite that, Cat is still a fascinating character. She is fiercely loyal to her men, willing to break or bend the rules as she feels necessary, and loyal to her mother, despite everything (a mother who is perhaps even more complex by the end of the story that she was previously).
One other small negative–Cat and Bones are both starting to become extremely powerful, and both have a sense of invincibility about them in this story. Again, I didn’t find it distracting while reading, but after finishing the story I do have to wonder if the following book keeps this invincibility–that could get frustrating after awhile.
However, I keep pointing out the negatives when actually thoroughly enjoyed the story. I particularly liked the complications arising with Don. Those were unexpected by a nice twist.
All in all, it was a quick romp and sucked me in quickly: a fun break.
Rating: 7/10
At Grave’s End (2009)
Cat and Bones are still working for Homeland Security, but Cat’s been working long enough that her disguise has worn thin–especially since Bones has become quite recognizable in the vampire world. To make things worse, Cat’s father is still looking for her, and doesn’t want a happy family reunion.
I’m really enjoying the Night Huntress series. Although Cat occasionally does dumb things, she doesn’t so stupid thing, if you know what I mean. Yes, she makes mistakes, but not the mistakes that have the reader yelling (perhaps mentally, perhaps not) DON’T BE SO STUPID! (Unfortunately, I’ve come across more than one supernatural fantasy series where the heroine was really too stupid to live.)
One of the things I particularly like is that Cat and Bones fight and argue–and they have good reason to fight and argue–but they don’t hold grudges and they get past their problems. Sure Cat sometimes has doubts and worries, but she knows how Bones feels about her, and how she feels about him. It’s a very nice change from most books where there is constant upheaval between the heroine and her love.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed in At Grave’s End were the vampires that came in with Menchares. Yes, Vlad was good, but I just loved the idea of Doc. It almost makes me wish that part was true, because it’d be awesome if he was still around.
Although you could probably read At Grave’s End without having read the previous two books, I don’t think I’d recommend it. Each book contains a complete story arc, but the stories build upon each other, and events in later books have greater meaning if you’ve read the earlier books. So if you like supernatural fantasy, I strongly recommend the Night Huntress series–as long as you don’t mind some serious boinking.
Rating: 8/10
Destined for an Early Grave (2009)
Cat is no longer working for the government slaying rogue vampires. She and Bones are off to Paris for a well-deserved vacation. Unfortunately, Cat remains the only living half-vampire, and her unique position remains a threat to the undead.
Although the initial story seems to have come from out of left field, the book is actually a culmination of the story arc of the first three books. The series probably won’t end here, there are still unanswered questions, but it was a nice conclusion to the arc that started in the first book.
Did I enjoy the book? Yes. I have to admit that initially I was annoyed at the turn the story was taking, especially the powers of the Dreamhunter. But as I said, the story broadened to include the questions that have remained unasked since the first book. I won’t actually tell you what those questions are, since they hadn’t really occurred to me, but they may well have occurred to other readers. And they were important questions.
If you have not read a previous Night Huntress novel, this is not the place to start. You’ll want to go back to the first book and follow the story forward. But if you like supernatural stories, and don’t mind boinking, it will be worth your time to go back and start at the beginning.
Rating: 8/10
Night Huntress: Halfway to the Grave (2007), One Foot in the Grave (2008), At Grave’s End (2009), Destined for an Early Grave (2009)
