The Bite Before Christmas (Anthology) by Jeaniene Frost and Lynsay Sands

 

The Bite Before Christmas is yet another anthology, though this one only has two stories. I read the Cat and Bones story but not the Argeneau story, so I'll just be reviewing half of the book.

After reading Down These Strange Streets, I wasn't really expecting much from yet another anthology. I was pleasantly surprised by Jeaniene Frost's entry, Home for the Holidays.

Fair warning, I have a feeling this story will be important to the series, so if you enjoy this series, you'll need to read the story at some point. The story does not fit the chronology though, as this story comes before the events of  One Grave at a Time. 

Here's the blurb:

Cat and Bones are looking forward to a normal holiday-at least as "normal" as it gets for the combustible vampire couple and their otherworldly friends and family. But their yuletide plans are shattered when a stranger shows up and reveals long-buried family secrets that threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer . . . and lives.

This story has it all - great plot, wonderful character building, more history and backstory on a character who is full of mystery, and a chance to spend time with old friends. This series was my favorite series for a long time, and is now merely in the top ten. Home for the Holidays reminds me of why it was once my favorite series.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was pure genius and creativity. The muse must have been working overtime on this one.
• Pacing was well done.
• Prose and dialogue were also nicely done.
• Character development was a large part of the book, even though I had thought these characters were fully developed already.
• World-building was consistent with previous books, but also brought more brain-twisting metaphysics into play.

I won't rate the entire book since I didn't read the entire book, but Jeaniene Frost's entry easily gets a 10 of 10 from me.

Also, the end of the book gives us a preview of  Once Burned, the Vlad book we've all been waiting for.  I love the set-up, and I hope the follow up is as good as the beginning. I was disappointed in the "Universe" books, let's hope the Night Prince series gives us something closer to the Night Huntress novels.
 


Night Huntress Novels
1. Halfway to the Grave (2007)
2. One Foot in the Grave (April 2008)
3. At Grave's End (December 2008)
4. Destined for an Early Grave (July 2009)
5. This Side of the Grave (February, 2011)
5.5 Home for the Holiday in The Bite Before Christmas  (October 2011)
6. One Grave at a Time (August, 2011)


Night Huntress Universe 
1. First Drop of Crimson (Feb 2010)
2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (July 27, 2010)


Night Prince / Vlad and Leila series
1. Once Burned (March 2012)
 

One Grave at a Time (Night Huntress, Book 6) Jeaniene Frost

 

The first three books of this series put it at the top of my list - it was my favorite series for a long while. It's still in the top ten, but no longer my favorite. 

With that being said, I enjoyed One Grave at a Time more than I thought I was going to.  I thought we were set up for the plot at the close of This Side of the Grave. I was kind of right, but that was actually a minor plot arc, not the major one.

In some ways, this was a bridge book, it sets us up for what I see coming as the next big series plot arcs. But I'm okay with that, it was a good book.

One of the best things it had going for it was that Cat and Bones are together, their relationship is solid, and they work great together.

Here's the blurb:

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' voodoo queen just keeps on giving--leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was good, if a bit predictable for much of the book. I thought I knew the basic general ending, and I was mostly right. But with a great storyteller, that's okay.
• Pacing was well done. I love how Jeaniene Frost tends to take her characters out of the action for a bit to let them reconnect. She blends action and non-action together beautifully.
• Prose and dialogue were flawless, beautifully written.
• Character development continues to be well done and very three dimensional.
• World-building was consistent with other books. Not much new in this one, but that's okay.

 One Grave at a Time gets a 9 of 10 from me, and I'll keep the series as a 10 of 10.

• Book Rating: One Grave at a Time: 9 of 10
• Series Rating: 10 of 10

Night Huntress Novels
1. Halfway to the Grave (2007)
2. One Foot in the Grave (April 2008)
3. At Grave's End (December 2008)
4. Destined for an Early Grave (July 2009)
5. This Side of the Grave (Feb 22, 2011)
6. One Grave at a Time (Aug 30, 2011)


Night Huntress Universe 
1. First Drop of Crimson (Feb 2010)
2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (July 27, 2010)


Night Prince / Vlad and Leila series
1. Once Burned (March 2012)
 

Under Her Skin by Jeaniene Frost, Ilona Andrews, and Meljean Brook

 

I read two stories in the Under Her Skin anthology.

Pack by Jeaniene Frost captured me fairly quickly and held me. Ms. Frost usually writes vampires, but it turns out she is capable of writing werewolves, too. I give this story a 9 of 10.

Grace of Small Magics by Ilona Andrews didn't grab me quite as strongly, though I was still intrigued by the characters. I'll give this story an 8 of 10.

To my knowledge, neither of these short stories fits in with any of these authors' established series, so don't get the book thinking you'll be getting insight into a secondary character you already know.

If you've got a spare evening and want to read a few well written short stories then this would be a good anthology to get.

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) Jeaniene Frost

 

The Night Huntress Series used to be my favorite series. Now it's struggling to stay in the top five, in large part because it's been so long since we've had a Cat and Bones book. Jeaniene Frost focused on books in the Night Huntress World over the past year and a half, giving Spade and Mencheres their own HEA book. I did not care as much for the NHW books as I do the Cat and Bones books.

This Side of the Grave is the fifth Cat and Bones book, and I think Ms. Frost is feeling her way through a long running series at this point. I applaud her for not making Cat and Bones fight with each other - that was fine while they were working things out, but now they are married and that should be behind them. It was great to see them getting along, working together, communicating with each other, and trusting each other. We also saw a decent amount of the other couples who have formed, and it was nice to see them getting along with each other and working together, as well.

Here's the blurb:

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.

I figured parts of the plot out long before Cat did, which was a touch annoying. I wanted to shake her and get her to think. I knew how it was going to end at about the halfway point. Sure, there were details I didn't know, but I had the general idea of the ending.

I love that Cat got to spend so much time with Vlad. He fascinates me. Also, I like the idea of the Master Vampire powers coming to them when they are strong enough to wield them - and Cat has trouble handling them when she's gifted with them as a baby vamp. It's just one of many worldbuilding details that makes Jeaniene Frost such a great Urban Fantasy author.

As for the writing elements:

• The plot was so-so, and I figured it out long before the main character.
• Pacing had a few issues.
• Prose and dialogue were superb.
• Character development was once again excellent.
• World-building continues to be creative and detailed with just enough of our reality thrown in to make you go hmmmm.

The Cat and Bones books have all recieved a 10 of 10 from me in the past, but This Side of the Grave is going to get a 9 of 10. I will keep the series at a 10 of 10.

• Book Rating: This Side of the Grave: 9 of 10
• Series Rating: 10 of 10

Funniest line comes from Bones to someone just learning about vampires and asking the basic questions -- "Ask me if I sparkle and I’ll kill you where you stand".

We were given a preview of the next book in this series, One Grave at a Time, and I think I'm going to like the premise of the next book. We only have to wait six months this time, as it's scheduled for release August 30th of this year, thank goodness.


Night Huntress Novels
1. Halfway to the Grave (2007)
2. One Foot in the Grave (April 2008)
3. At Grave's End (December 2008)
4. Destined for an Early Grave (July 2009)
5. This Side of the Grave (Feb 22, 2011)
6. One Grave at a Time (Aug 30, 2011


Night Huntress Universe 
1. First Drop of Crimson (Feb 2010)
2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (July 27, 2010)
 

 

Death's Excellent Vacation (Anthology) edited by Charlaine Harris

 

Death's Excellent Vacation is another of those anthologies with only a few stories I was interested in. I'm tired of paying hardback novel prices when I only want to read a few short stories, so I confess that I spent 30 minutes hanging out at a local bookstore reading the stories I was interested in and skipping the rest.

I read three stories from this anthology:

• Two Blondes by Charlaine Harris: A Pam and Sookie short. Reminded me more of True Blood than the normal Sookie books. I wasn't impressed. I expect more out of Charlaine Harris. But, the odds are that we'll need to know what happens in this short in order to understand the events of a future Sookie book. Still, this really felt like the Pam and Sookie of True Blood and not the Pam and Sookie that Charlaine Harris normally writes. It bugged me. This story would get a 4 of 10 from me.
• One for the Money by Jeaniene Frost: A nice Cat and Bones Night Huntress short. Who knows whether it will be important for future books, but it's been a while since we've seen this couple as the focus of a book, and it was nice to spend some time with them again. Also, there is something I'd wondered about at the end of Destined for an Early Grave, something that gets mostly answered in this short. Without giving spoilers, I'll say that it has to do with Cat's mom. This story would get a 10 of 10.
• The Heart is Always Right by Lilith Saintcrow: Not a bad little short. I have no idea if this is part of a series or not, and I should probably look to see. I like stories that involve gargoyles, so I had to check it out. World building was exceptionally well done, so while the story was just so-so, the descriptions of the gargoyle, and the details given to character building, was nice. This story would get an 8 of 10

The stories I did not read:

• The Boys Go Fishing by Sarah Smith
• Meanwhile, Far Across the Caspian Sea... by Daniel Stashower
• The Innsmouth Nook by A. Lee Martinez
• Safe and Sound by Jeff Abbott
• Seeing is Believing by L A Banks
• The Perils of Eferjim by Katie MacAlister
• Thin Walls by Christopher Golden -
• The Demon in the Dunes by Chris Grabenstein
• Home from America by Sharan Newman
• Pirate Dave's Haunted Amusement Park by Toni L P Kelner

I've lamented before about authors making their short stories an integral part of a series, so I won't climb up on that soap box again. I'm pleased that I was able to read a few of the stories from Death's Excellent Vacation without having to spend hardback price for less than 30 minutes of reading. In a few months, when the demand at the library is down, I may check it out and read more stories. Maybe.

I'm not going to give a rating for the entire book, since I only read three stories. Based on the three stories I read, the books rating would be pretty low, though.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

 

I've been waiting for Eternal Kiss of Darkness for some time. I mean, really waiting for it. Mencheres fascinates me. The ultimate man of mystery. Right? And all of that power wielded without emotion. Someone that Bones, the ultimate bad ass, is in awe of.  He's supposed to be one of the good guys, but he was still scary.

I was a bit disappointed by First Drop of Crimson, and I was afraid I would feel the same way about Eternal Kiss of Darkness. How do you write a book about a strong man of mystery without blowing the whole reason everyone is fascinated by him? I mean, if you answer the questions, let us get to know him, he's not a mystery anymore. Right? Well, yes. Mostly. But after getting to know him, I still like him. And I have a feeling there is still much we (and Kira) don't know about him. Eternal Kiss of Darkness is much, much, much, better than First Drop of Crimson.

Here's the blurb:

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness...and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears - this fearless, beautiful....human who braved death to rescue him. Though her burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

Who makes an appearance in Eternal Kiss of Darkness? Well, obviously Mencheres is a big part of the action. We also see Vlad a decent amount, and Bones and Cat, of course. As well as a couple of the Law Guardians.

As for the writing elements breakdown: The plot was good, something a bit unexpected that worked well to give a lot of action around the budding romance. The pacing had some pretty big issues for me. Prose and dialogue were very well done, that's never a problem with Jeaniene Frost's writing. Character development was exceptionally well done, and the world building is consistent with what we've learned in earlier stories. There was something that bugged me (a world building continuity thing) when I was reading the book, but I've skimmed back through it to refresh my memory and I can't remember what it was, so it must not have been that big of a deal.

I'm going to give Eternal Kiss of Darkness a 9 of 10. It's a good story, but there were some pretty significant pacing issues, and some issues with the ending. I mean, the ending told us what we needed to know, but it was... well... we never really get to see how the couple interacts in a normal day, when there aren't people trying to kill them. The ending came faster than I realized, and I felt a bit cheated out of seeing what happens when the threat is removed.

Book Rating: Eternal Kiss of Darkness: 9 of 10



I loved the peek we got of This Side of the Grave. It looks like This Side of the Grave is going to happen in the same time frame as Eternal Kiss of Darkness.



Night Huntress Novels
1. Halfway to the Grave (2007)
2. One Foot in the Grave (April 2008)
3. At Grave's End (December 2008)
4. Destined for an Early Grave (July 2009)
5. This Side of the Grave (Feb 22, 2011)


Night Huntress Universe 
1. First Drop of Crimson (Feb 2010)
2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (July 27, 2010)

Eternal Kiss of Darkness cover and excerpt

 

Jeaniene Frost posted the cover shot for Eternal Kiss of Darkness. She's also posted a very short (two paragraphs and one sentence) excerpt, which can be found here.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness is scheduled for release July 27th. Another four months.

Is he scary enough to be Mencheres? Considering he's probably not trying to be scary here... probably. He's always seemed so much bigger than life to me.