Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress
Publishing stats: August 30th 2011 by Avon Books (USA)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Cover Blurb: How do you send a killer to the grave when he’s already dead?
Having narrowly averted an (under)World War, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans’s voodoo queen just keeps on giving—leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.
Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity—forever. But one wrong step and they’ll be digging their own graves.
First line: “Donald Bartholomew Williams, get your ass back here now!”
What I liked: I liked how Ms. Frost gave history her own vampiric twist. This wasn't the first time of course - what with Vlad the Impaler running about in modern times and Joan of Arc having been a dhampir, to name but a few instances - and I very much doubt it will be the last. What I love about this take, however, was that it took a real and true villain and served him up the just desserts reality denied him.
What I didn’t like: The past books in this series must have spoiled me because there wasn't nearly enough of Cat interacting with established characters. I mean, sure all the characters we know and love - Bones, Spade, Ian, Justina, Denise, Tate - were in the book but they were more equitable to furniture that characters. I mean, yes, the characters were present but their contribution to the plot was minimal; they came, they did their part, they moved off screen. Even Bones, who was with Cat almost constantly, didn't seem to be as involved as usual. The mission took center stage for this book, and in my opinion it was in detriment to the characters.
Overall: I liked this book and am a big fan of Ms. Frost's work. That being said, this was not my favourite of her books. In fact, if I'm too be honest, it was a disappointment in comparison to past Cat and Bones books. Don't get me wrong, on its own, it's a terrific book. But we're talking about the series with the infamous Chapter 32 here - there are standards! I loved the mission - stopping a ghost who was a real monster in life and who had only gotten worse in death was definitely a unique take on your traditional ghost story. I also loved the subplots that went on concurrent to the mission. In particular, I enjoyed the introduction of Don's replacement, Madigan; an ambitious man with several hidden agendas at play, at least one of which having something to do with Cat. I can definitely say I'm looking forward to seeing how that plays out in books to come. No, like I said before, my main problem with this book was the lack of participation from characters besides Cat and the newbies. Taken as a stand alone, however, this book was most certainly a worthwhile and engaging read.
Would I read this author again: Yes - I love Cat and Bones!
My rating: ♥♥♥/5
To purchase the book for yourself, you can find it at Chapters.Indigo.ca, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or The Book Depository. Enjoy!
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