At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

Back Blurb: Some things won't stay buried...at grave's end.

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsucker, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself--and Bones--from a fate worse than the grave.


I admit 100% that I had a lot of trepidation going into the book. I really didn't like One Foot In The Grave all that much and wrote a pretty scathing review after I'd finished the book. I'd read some reviews out there that weren't all that promising, but since this is book 3 in the series, I had to see what happened. And I'm glad I read the book.

My biggest complaint about OFitG was how foul-mouthed and immature Cat was. She continually jumped into situations without thinking and she couldn't open her mouth without swearing. It got on my nerves VERY quickly and I was so afraid that it would happen again in this book. But...it didn't! Yay!

It seems that Cat is finally growing up. Hallelujah! I was beginning to wonder if that would ever happen. She's matured a great deal and finally thinks before opening her mouth. 'Tis a miracle!

Here are my thoughts. Good and Bad. :)


Bad:


Bones. He's definitely good, as always, but his appearances in this book are almost token. Cat gets hurt. He shows up, feeds her his blood, they have sex and then he disappears again. It was just a little odd.

Tate. Oh, my goodness. What an annoying creature he is! I wanted to smack him upside the head. He loves Cat. Well goody for him. He needs to get his head out of his butt and find someone else. His obsession was ridiculous.

Too many characters. This book is presented in first person. So, it's totally Cat's viewpoint. There were so many secondary characters in this book that my head spun. I think if the characters had been cut in half (0r more) the book would've been a tighter read. As it was, too many people taking up too much page count.

Good:


Cat. As I said, she's finally maturing. This book seemed to deal more with her figuring out who she was and what she wanted more than anything. I know Katie(babs) had issues with that, but I actually liked it. After the first two books, I never really fully believed that she was mature enough to have the kind of relationship she was supposed to have with Bones. Now, she's becoming a woman I can see him loving (if that makes sense).

The history. Wow! Some things were revealed in this book that were really surprising. A lot of Bones's history is revealed and I've begun to understand the man he is. There's still a lot not known about him though, so I hope more is revealed in the next book.

The characters. Justina has been a thorn in my side since book 1, but in this book she seems to have mellowed quite a bit. Thank goodness! She had a few appearances and actually caused me to have a good laugh in a particular scene. I'm glad she's not the psychotic shrew she was in the first two books. I know I complained about too many characters, but there were a few that I thought made the book. Mencheres, Vlad and Ian are the three main ones. One of the names is in white, because this character is pretty major and a surprise. :)


All in all, I really enjoyed this book. The tight pacing, the fast action and the overall world building are as good as they've been from the beginning. Here's hoping book 4 continues with the further maturation of Cat and more of the relationship between her and Bones. Bones needs more page time! Just saying. :)


Rating: B

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

So, I bought this book as soon as it came out. As I stated here, I greatly enjoyed HTTG, the first book in the series. I thought it was interesting & funny. I liked the interplay between Cat & Bones and even interviewed Jeaniene right after reading the book.


Here's the blurb for OFITG-You can run from the grave, but you can't hide...
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.

Being around Bones awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline rush of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head - wanted: dead or half-alive - means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard Cat tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever ... and Bones won't let her get away again.



Okeydokey...where to start? Over on Dear Author, Jane reviewed the book, giving it a C-. She brought up some very valid points as to her issues with this book & I agree with some of those views.

In Halfway to the Grave, Cat (the heroine), was an immature 23 year old vampire/human hybrid who lived to kill vampires. That is, until she meets Bones. Bones makes her rethink the reason why she hates vampires so much.

They fall in lust, have lots of hot sex, her mother hates him, so she leaves him kind of thing. Anywho, I'm digressing.

In OFITG, it's now 4 years later and Cat is now a special agent in a secret government organization that fights bad paranormal stuff (ie, vampires). Now she runs her own team of human men.

Hmm...how do I state this? Maybe I'll list things I liked & things I didn't like. It'll put things in perspective.


What I liked-

Bones, of course. He's just so...yummy! Yes, he makes me think of Spike from Buffy, but that's not a bad thing. I loved Spike! :D

The world-building. It's interesting & different.

The writing-Jane had issues with the writing, but I don't. I think Ms. Frost's writing is crisp & fast-paced. I hate sssssllllloooowwww build-ups, especially in urban fantasy/paranormal romance.


What I didn't like-

Cat. The book is written in 1st person, so everything is told from Cat's POV. This would be fine if she wasn't so bull-headed and just plain stupid at certain points of the book. Instead of admitting she was wrong for leaving Bones behind, she makes up stupid excuses and is just a witch! And the fact that she just kept putting her foot in her mouth made me want to slap her upside the head! *headdesk*

The end of the book. Obviously I will not go into details for anyone who is interested in reading it, but the end just killed me (and not in a good way). The so-called "resolution" just left a sick taste in my mouth. And what is up with a certain character who will not be named but is a major player & the reason why Cat is who she is? What a jerk!

And the language! Cat went from calling vamps suck-heads to swearing with a hard-core potty mouth throughout the whole book. I wanted to wash her mouth out with soap. I don't mind a few swear words sprinkled through books for flavor, but when every other word is a word I HATE with a passion, well it got annoying very fast.

Oh...and Cat's mother! Argh! What a freaked out shrew! There is one point in the book near the end where I snorted out loud because it was just too...funny to me. But, wow, she's the ultimate freakshow of a parent. I just wanted Cat to shoot her & put her out of her misery.

So where does this leave me? In some ways I greatly enjoyed OFITG. As always, it's a fast-paced romp through kicking vampire butt. In others it was downright annoying. I always feel so bad when I don't like a book as much as I hoped. Will I read the 3rd one? Yes, but specifically for Bones. I just want to smack Cat upside the head for her stupidity.


My Rating: D for Cat & her psychotic mother
B- for Bones

Equals out to about a C, I'm thinking. It wasn't horrible, but I was disappointed.

Interview With Jeaniene Frost

Hey, All! I'm back, but not officially. I'm still not able to type much. I'm trying very hard to type with a brace. Let me just say this...it's very, very difficult.

I've been lucky enough with this blog to get in contact with some wonderful authors. If you've read my blog, you'll see I reviewed Ms. Frost's book Halfway to the Grave not that long ago. We started emailing & she very generously has agreed to be interviewed by lil' ol' me. :) I hope you enjoy!


Question 1: How did you come up with the idea of Cat & Bones?

From a dream. In my dream, this guy and girl were arguing, and I knew she was a half-vampire and he was a full vampire. The story grew from my wondering about the reason why they were arguing, who they were, and what had gotten them to that point.

Question 2: Exactly how did Bones get that nickname? I don't remember if you explained that in the book.

Bones picked that name because when he was changed into a vampire, he woke up as a vampire in a burial ground with scattered bones all around him (explained in Chapter Seven). Actually, I knew his name before I knew the reason behind it. It's odd - and fun - how characters will leak information out while I'm writing.

Question 3: How long did you write before you got published?

Hmm, I started writing just before I turned thirty (early mid-life crisis, anyone?). I got the call that Harper wanted to buy my books one month before I turned thirty-three, so almost exactly three years.

Question 4: What made you want to write? Was it some big thing or did you always know it was what you wanted to do?

I knew I wanted to write since I was twelve. I'd always loved to read, and as far back as I can remember, I've had vivid dreams that I would make up stories about. But procrastination is a killer. I did the "I'll start to write a book...later," thing for well over a decade.

Question 5: Can you tell me anything about book 2?

Sure...but then I'll have to kill you ;) Seriously, I can't say much until my editor gives me permission, but I can say that yes, Bones will be in book two. I get asked that question the most from readers.

Question 6: How do you keep track of your characters? Are you one of those really organized writers or is it more by the seat of your pants?

Me, organized? *laughs* Ah, no. I keep track of my characters by re-reading, chanting particulars in my head, and general seat of the pants method. My main characters are easy to remember particulars about, of course. It's some of the minor characters that I have to watch to make sure I don't call a blond a brunette or something like that.

Question 7: What's your favorite aspect of the world you've created? Is there anything you wish you could have changed before it got published?

Like most authors I know, if I could go back and rewrite parts of HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE, I would. There's some things I think could be tighter, some parts that could have been better explained, and some aspects that should have been altered. I have to let go, though, and remember that what I've learned as an author since then can be applied to future books, but not that one.

What's my favorite aspect of HTTG's world? That vampires aren't automatically evil. I don't like when choice is taken away from someone - or some species - and therefore I made my vampires have the free will to do right or wrong. Personal accountability is a big thing for me, so that bled through to the world I made.

Question 8: What do you do for fun when you're not writing?

I am going to come across as so boring, but I read. Or watch movies with my husband. Go out to dinner. See my family. Occasionally I get to traipse through cemeteries, which I really like, but not so often, as there's few takers on that when I suggest it as an outing.

Question 9: What's your favorite animal & why?

Right now I'm going to say dogs, because my spoiled doggie daughter might read this and get very offended if I named another creature, lol.

If not for their criminally high cancer rate, I'd say ferrets. I had six ferrets and loved them to pieces, but they get every disease known to man and die too young. It's a real shame. They're wonderful pets otherwise.

Question 10: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be?

Alaska. I so want to go there. Between the scenery and the animals, it's the place I most want to visit.

Question 11: Do you like to listen to music when you write or are you more into peace and quiet? I know for myself I always have to have music playing in the background.

I listen to music to get in the mood for writing, and to get my thoughts together. When I actually write, though, I prefer quiet.

Question 12: Favorite color?

Blue. I tend to gravitate toward that.

Question 13: What do you do to write love scenes? Does it come naturally or do you have to psych yourself up?

Ha ha, if this weren't a public post, I'd have so much fun coming up with joking answers to that *wink*. But in reality, I don't do anything different before writing those scenes than I do for any others. I try to get into my character's heads. Push my own preferences/morality aside and write what I see happening. I can tell you I NEVER write a love scene with the thought that other people - like my parents - are going to read it. They'd have a whole different, highly-censored content if I wrote them with that mentality.


I want to thank Jeaniene for answering the questions & just being awesome! Thank you!

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE BY JEANIENE FROST

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost: Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership.

In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner – are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side…and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

My take on it? I really, really liked this books. Cat is a heroine that I really enjoy. She's tough, she's funny, she's not afraid to use her strengths and Bones really gets to her.

The chemistry between Cat & Bones is great! There's really great dialogue between the two of them. Here's a taste of what I mean...

“What’s your name?”
“Does it matter?”
I glanced to my right and met his eyes. They were so dark brown they could have been black. There was that cool note of challenge in them again, almost a silent dare. It was disconcerting, to say the least. All the other ones had been perfectly willing to chat.
“I just wanted to know. Mine’s Cat.” I exited the freeway and turned onto a nearby gravel road leading to the lake.
“Cat, hmmm? From where I sit you look more like a Kitten.”
My head jerked around and I shot him an annoyed look. Oh, I was going to enjoy this, all right.
“It’s Cat,” I repeated firmly. “Cat Raven.”
“Whatever you say, Kitten Tweety.”

Bones is one hot vampire hero. He's not afraid to use Cat as bait, but he's always there to save her bacon. Their relationship is very complicated, which is my favorite kind.

This book is definitely a romance. Sex is very prevalent throughout the book. Not that that is a bad thing by any means. Ms. Frost writes a very hot love scene. Sometimes love scenes written in first person don't work very well, but she does it right.

My only complaint with this book is that it's definitely sequel bait. You know that there's another book after this one. The book ends kind of on an...I don't know if I'd say it's an unknown ending, but there's definitely a switch that made me mad. If you read the book, you'll know what I mean.

All in all, I 100% recommend this book. It's a nice twist on the halfbreed vampire character.


Grade: B+

You can visit Jeaniene here