This Side of the Grave

I had fun with this re-read. It appears that I did like this one a little more the second time around since I only gave the book 3 stars when I read it in 2012. This isn’t the best book in the series but I still found it enjoyable. I hadn’t planned to listen to this book when I did but none of the audiobooks I started were working for me but everything seemed to work when I gave this one a try. I ended up listening to the entire audiobook in just a couple of days and enjoyed my time back in the Night Huntress World.

The last two books in the Night Huntress Universe focused on other couples so I was glad to see Cat and Bones back in the lead for this installment. Cat and Bones find themselves in the middle of a conflict between ghouls and vampires. They have to play their cards very carefully in order to get the outcome they hope to see. I really enjoyed seeing a little more in regards to Cat’s developing powers and some of the more interesting side effects she encounters in this book. There are some other developments in this story that aren’t easy for Cat to deal with.

I love the characters in this series. Cat and Bones are always awesome and together they are amazing. I love the way Bones has no problem telling Cat what he feels and doesn’t hesitate to do so. I also have a lot of love for the larger group. I loved getting to see Spade, Denise, Mencheres, and Kira play a part in this installment. Vlad was amazing in this book. I love his scenes with Cat even if he tends to steal a lot of her spotlight. I cannot wait to get to his books as I re-read this series.

Tavia Gilbert does such a fantastic job with this series. I love all of the voices that she uses for the different characters but I think she might deserve some kind of award for the voice she uses for Bones. It is absolutely perfect. I think that one of the reasons that I enjoyed this book more than I did the first time I read it is her narration. She was able to bring this story to life in the most amazing way.

I would recommend this series to others. While I don’t think that this is the strongest book in the series, I had a good time with it and can’t wait to read more books in this wonderfully crafted universe.

Myth: 4/5

The ghoul queen of New Orleans has been one of my favorite periphery characters. Shes powerful, smart and a little crazy, and we get more time with her in this story. We also of course get the supporting characters weve come to love, sigh, Vlad.

Frosts world building also kicks it up a notch in this book as we further explore the political power balance between the different races.

Magic: 4/5

Cat is a different kind of vampire. Her differences threaten to upset a complicated power balance between vampires and ghouls. And of course where there is potential for upheaval, there are those scheming to upset the power balance for their own gains. I enjoyed this book because it continues to highlight Cat as a different kind of vampire (even after she became a full fledged vampire). She and Bones and their friends are discovering her powers together, and while there is a lot of potential, there is also a lot of perceived threat.

Overall: 4/5

The fifth book in the Night Huntress series delivers on everything youve come to love from the world.

I was very disappointed in this book. The rest of the books have been so good, couldn’t put them down, read straight through. This one took me days to finish and I had to make myself finish it. I skipped pages at a time looking for conversations or anything that would grip me to keep reading. The story was boring, no action, the sex wasn’t anything like before, way too much thinking about the past in their heads, even deaths of people close was kind of blase’, like oh dang, oh well. I’m not sure I will read the next book in this series, it’s like the author ran out of ideas for a story line and I hate that because all of the other books, in 2 series, so far, have been 5 star books for me. 3 stars on this one was pushing it but I didn’t want to hit it with 2 stars.

I started this series when it first came out. Time, work, family constantly interrupted, but I set aside time for reading the books as each came out. Now retired, I have been going through my books and replacing paper with ebooks. Since I had already read this series in the past, I started rereading this series by character and began with Ivy and Adrian, then Vlad and Mencheres. Lastly, I began the story of Bones and Cat. This is a fabulous world, with a storyline that holds your attention, well developed characters, action, romance and humor. There are lists online giving the order of reading. I recommend following the reading order. If you like the supernatural, romance, vampires, action, humor in a well written series, then please, jump into Ms. Frost’s world.

Cat and Bones still got it going. You would think after a while their relationship would get comfortable and things would level off. Not with these two. Maybe it’s all the different things happening in their lives, or the really hot sex. Whatever it is, they manage to entertain while keeping me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t put this down and can’t read their next adventure.

This book is superbly written, the worldbuilding is vividly realistic, and the characters, both the main ones and all the side ones are unique yet relatable.

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