A lot of her arrogance and her foolish rushing into dangerous situations is missing from this story. A great cast of supporting characters written to be exciting and dangerous (and occasionally funny too) – check.Īs expected This Side of the Grave provides all that – yet compared to earlier series offerings this book seems to lack the dramatic tension that made the earlier ones such compelling page turners.Ĭat appears to be a more subdued character in this story.Evil monsters that cry out for someone to make the world a better place by killing them – check.Due to the long-running story arc that has been developing both the characters and their relationships throughout the previous books I’d recommend for Night Huntress newbies to read the series in order rather than starting here.Įstablished fans of the Night Huntress series should know by now what they are getting when they read a Cat and Bones story.

Without getting too hung on the finer points of the genre just know that these highly readable books are a mixture of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, giving them a large appeal to fans of both genres. They follow the long-running romantic development between the central vampire characters Cat and Bones, whose intense passion for each other provides plenty of opportunities for steamy scenes, while they also get to have regular adventures fighting all sorts of supernatural bad guys instead of enjoying their happy-ever-after laying on a beach somewhere (or whatever it is vampires do for fun when they aren’t saving the world.) The Night Huntress books are best described as urban fantasy romance. This Side of the Grave is the fifth novel in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost.

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. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous 'ally' – the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumours abound that a species war is brewing. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance…

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. Published 2011 357 pages Summary (from the book jacket)

Jeaniene frost this side of the grave