The Diva Review:
Cat and Bones are back for the latest and third book in the Night Huntress Series and all I can say is WOW. OK, I plan on saying more, but that sums it up well. After a rocky start in book one, Ms. Frost put together a solid story in book two and now has taken it up a notch for book three. Did I say WOW yet?
The Red Reaper and Bones are now married (at least by Vampire Law) and they are both working for the government now. The love story has gone beyond the physical (thankfully) and it seems to have a deeper, more profound feel then the previous novels. This seemed more like a romance then before. It feels odd to me that so many other "romance novels" show utter disdain for monogamy. Odder still that it is only romance when the heroine is the one having the affair (if it is the hero than he is a pig). Hopefully, even though there is Tate in the background of this novel, the silly "I love them both" syndrome won't rear its ugly head like the lamest parts of the Twilight series and Jacob.
This book was a bit darker then the previous two, with the fights seeming more realistic and the antagonists being more intelligent with stronger motivations then just sex and food. Also we continue to learn about the Vampire Culture in Ms. Frost's world which makes for a richer world for future stories. Darker also means the humor was not as plentiful. There were a couple of places I laughed out loud, but not as much as the second novel. I am guessing some may not like that as much, but the action is much more intense.
We also meet a slew of new characters in this book. This is both good and bad. The bad is with so many new characters several don't get developed as much as I would have liked to see. The good is that the ones that are developed are strong and rich. The two standout characters in this story are Vlad and Doc, both of which are vampires. What I REALLY liked was that although both are familiar to us from history, only one of them is specifically named as a historical figure and you are left with clues about the other. Your favorite and not so favorite characters are back and being further developed. We learn more about Annette and Mencheres, their strengths and their weaknesses are more defined.
The pace of At Grave's End was decidedly faster then the previous installments. I actually felt that I was not reading it fast enough to keep up with what was happening. For me this meant that it was tough to put down and I was looking forward to picking it up again. It is very hard to say bad things about a novel that demands to be read like that. Ultimately that book comes to an end and maybe it was the pace but the ending sadly seemed rushed. Perhaps it was just the sadness that the novel was complete that left me wondering how it could be over so quick. I have to give At Grave's End all five stars for action and pace which outweighed the smaller nits.
Book three also marks the return of boots on the front cover after being oddly missing from the second one. They don't look to have silver heels, but that comes out in the course of the book. I only call attention to the cover (and the step page) as I am of the opinion that the series' cover art is some of the finest in the industry (and that I like my heroines in boots). There is a sneak peak at the next cover art at Ms Frost's blog site that shows the boots with the silver heels. Destined for an Early Grave is out July 28, 2009 (I can't wait!)
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