Audiobook Review – This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) by Jeaniene Frost (4.5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon
Release Date: February 22, 2011
ISBN:  978-0061783180
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Night Huntress series
Source: Audiobook from Audible.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Night Huntress series, the 6th book in this series (One Grave at a Time) was released in August 2011 .  This was an excellent addition to this series and does an excellent job of wrapping up the story arc that started in the last book (where the ghouls were worried about Cat becoming an uber-powerful supernatural entity).  I listened to this on audio book and these audiobooks are extremely well done.  I would recommend the audiobooks over reading the books on paper, the narrator is just so awesome.

Cat and Bones are struggling to figure out how to predict and control Cat’s new powers.  They’ve been trying to keep her crazy new vampire powers secret, but some rumors have gotten out and the ghouls aren’t happy.  Cat and Bones thought Cat becoming a vampire would make the ghoul factions happy, but now that she has strange new powers the vampire-ghoul balance is being threatened again.  Cat and Bones will have to petition the super scary ghoul queen, Majestic, for help if they are going to avoid all our war between the two races.

This book wasn’t as emotionally wrenching as the last one, but it was a solid and entertaining story.  We learn a lot more about Cat’s new powers and get to watch Car try to master flying (some very entertaining scenes there).  There are lots of awesome action scenes and the pace moves quickly.

Bones and Cat are stable as a couple; it was nice to see their loving relationship for each other and for them to finally get a little bit of a break in this book.  There are some very well done steamy scenes between the two and I continue to adore them as a couple.

There were a couple things that completely floored me.  I had know idea where Denise had gotten demon blood, I was like what the heck!  Then there was Mencheres new girlfriend, who I liked, but was completely confused about where she entered the story.  Finally I figured out that those two stories are featured in the Night Huntress World books.  Of course now I totally want to read those books.  It would have been nice to get a little bit more background on those things though so I wasn’t completely confused in this book.  So, if you really want to understand what’s going on here go read the first two Night Huntress World books and then come back and read this one.

This book did a nice job of tying up the story thread about the ghouls being worried about Cat taking over the supernatural world.  It makes me wonder what is next for our favorite vampire couple.

Overall a very solid addition to the series.  I enjoyed the book, it was well written and well paced.  I continue to enjoy Cat and Bones as a couple.  I was a bit irked at being completely lost about what was going on with Denise and Mencheres; I wish a little more back story had been included.  Other than that I was pleased with this book and am eager to see where the story goes in the next book, One Grave at a Time.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:

– Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
– 100+ Reading Challenge
– Audio Book Challenge List