One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost is actually the second in the series. We catch up with "Cat" Crawford 4 years after the end of Half Way to the Grave where we learn Cat is an anomaly with her half-vampire/half-human blood. She has dedicated her life to hunting vampires and making them pay (her mother was an unwilling victim of a newly turned vamp who ended up fathering Cat). Now its really hard to get too into the plot of this one without ruining the first. But perhaps I'll stick to character profiles to help draw you in.Cat is as I said a dual blooded sort of girl. She has all the perks of vamps, though not quite the extent, and all the perks. Quicker healing time, ability to recognize a vamp, awsome reflexes and skills. All that jazz. She is driven by her mother to "destroy the monsters" because of what was done to her. Any time Cat deveates from this it is blamed on her vamp blood.
This leads us to the fateful night in the first book where we meet Bones the vamp.
Bones: Bones is a vamp with considerable age and skill behind him. When he and Cat meet in the first book much craziness ensues and they end up partnering up. His sarcasm is quite on par with Cat's.
Now my review: I absolutely love both this book and the first in the series. I know it sounds much the same as alot of urban fantasy out there but Frost's characters have all the...ahem...bite...of a snarky Spike from the Buffy days. The true clincher in this series is the strength of these characters and their relationship with eachother. Book one ends with sharp breath and I was holding it till I got to see the outcome in book two. And Whoo boy chapter 32 is a steamer. Give them both a shot and see what you are missing. I for one am eagerly awaiting book three.
Next we have The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter. Here's the blurb from Gena's site:
An immortal warrior cursed to die every night, only to awaken the next morning knowing he has to die again. A mortal woman with a power beyond imagining...
All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member – a man trapped in a hell of his own.
Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments. . .and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction—and a soul-shattering test of love...
Whoo baby. Like most of Gena's men these are some alpha males tortured and in need of a good woman with some redemption. I know I'd offer myself up any day. But beyond the obvious hot guy thing, Showalter puts and interesting spin on the old Pandora myth. Pandora wasn't a weak willed woman but a warrior of acclaim betrayed. She was betrayed by other warriors, jealous of her charge and they are the ones who break open the box and release all the plights upon the world. As punishment they take these demons...the attributes into themselves and must endure. Notably darker Gena has built a world that I'm sure will only be painted more vividly as the series progresses. The next should be out the first of June.
P.S. Check out Gena and her friend Jill Monroe at their amazingly funny website http://authortalk.wordpress.com/ . They do mock interviews with authors that will leave you in stitches (if you get sarcasm and have the ability to mock yourself).
Alright I know thats not much but I've had a long day. I have an idea for a running post on here that may make an appearance tomorrow. So keep your eyes peeled!
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