Customer Reviews

Blood Cross (Jane Yellowrock, Book 2)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book -- I'd say about 3.5 stars, but the first book in the series was a *great* 5-star debut, so my hopes were pretty high.

This book still has Jane, so it has that going for it, and if you liked her, you'll end up liking this book, but let me (unfairly) set that aside and tell you my problems with the book:


*************************THERE WILL BE SPOILERS***************

1) Aside from Jane, all the other characters feel like shadows of theirselves from the first book. Rather than continuing to show why they are interesting, Hunter just assumes we will find them interesting based on their history.

2) This is particularly true of the vampire lord Leo, and is one of the worst failings of the book. In book one, Leo and Jane had an interesting, prickly but engaging back & forth relationship. In this book, for rather unconvincing plot reasons, *that* Leo is completely absent, and the Leo who does appear does things that will make it very hard to impossible to bring back that relationship. And he's not even *compellingly* crazy.

3) Jane's romantic life is a complete hash. We get one reasonably hot almost-sex scene that gives an interesting glimpse at what a full-on romantic encounter between two more-than-humans could be, then Jane ends up with Mr. Milk-toast, despite leading on the other guy time after time. Not to mention that even after the kids are kidnapped and the quest should be engaging Jane's full attention, we get several episodes of inappropriate flirting and innuendo.

4) A female vampire hints broadly to Jane that she has important information, and Jane smells the rouge-raiser on her, but never gets around to talking to her. Hey, didn't the exact same thing happen in book one? Didn't Jane beat herself up about it then? Unless there is some unrevealed spell or something and we're *supposed* to think this is odd, I call trainwreck.

5) The whole bad-guy plot seems overcomplicated and hard to explain. This causes lots of dead-time in the "woo-woo room" where Jane reads documents or gets info-dumps from other characters.

6) I didn't like the whole way the young-rogues were handled. Yes, they were raised by black-magic: Bad! But that's not their fault. Given that the ex-marines have nets capable of incapicating vampires, the whole business of taking their heads seems extreme. In self-defense, yes. To prevent a kill, yes. As a policy, no. In fact, the two encounters Jane has with young rogues seem to leave her sympathetic to their plight, but she doesn't make the leap that maybe putting a price on their heads is wrong.

7) In fact, the denoument seems to argue that anything allowing the ten-year feral period to be shortened is wrong. Yes, black magic, human sacrifice: wrong, we get that. But if there is a way to keep from having to chain potentially intelligent beings in basements for ten years, would that be so bad? Jane seems to buy into the whole visiting-the-sins-of-the-fathers thing the crazy priestess is pushing.

8) The whole shifting to a male saber-tooth thing is forced. Apparently it's to lay some important groundwork about beast/Jane's new abilities, but it's deployed very limply and does nothing other than establish that Jane can shift male now -- [s]he just sulks in a ward the whole time of the shift. How can you turn into a saber-tooth tiger and not do something awesome? (There are a few other forced bits/hints about Jane/Beast, like Beast walking in Jane's skin and her remark about Jane being only a killer. Interesting, but totally un-followed-up-on).

9) Lots of to-ing & fro-ing rather than plot. Jane goes places, then she goes back to places, then she goes a third time..

Anyway. Perhaps that list is too harsh. I *did* enjoy reading the book, it's just that I was looking for something as good as the first book. Next time for sure :-)

Charlaine Harris remarked about Jane Yellowrock: "You have to respect a character who requires boulders in her backyard as a pre-employment requirement."

As an American-Indian shape-shifter, Jane is a gun for hire. Picking up where Skinwalker left off, she is still under contract to the local New Orleans Vamp Council. Her assignment - to hunt down rogue vampires and bring to justice whoever is responsible for making them. Complicating her job: Leo, the head master Vamp of the city, is still grieving the loss of his son and he blames Jane for his death. Apparently, vamps under extreme depression(called "Dolore")suffer mentally and their reasoning is impaired. If that isn't enough, a vamp war is brewing in the Big Easy. Her best friend, the witch Molly, is visiting with her two small children. One of whom, 6-yr-old Angelina, has growing powers of her own. But, will they be caught in the crossfire?

Everything is "ramped up" in this installment.

Romance and sex:(Leo's human servant, George Dumas, and police officer Rick LaFleur vie for Jane's attention)

The mythology of Vampires, as well as Jane's Native American culture (and Skinwalker past), are further explored and expanded.

The Battles are fierce. Luckily, Jane has new human allies in the police force and in the community. A man named Derek, leads a group of ex-soldiers trying to take back their community and forms an alliance with Jane.

I really liked Skinwalker. But I think Blood Cross is even better, and I can't wait to see those Killer Legs in another Jane Yellowrock adventure.

I put this book down in disgust on page 174. I could see where the plot was headed literally from page one, but hoping I was wrong, and having enjoyed the first book in the series, I forged on anyway. Obviously, I was disappointed.

Without spoilers: Jane is a watered down version of herself in this book, and the other characters are weakly defined. As other reviewers have said, many of the characters from the previous book have undergone major personality shifts. The changes are understandable and pretty well explained by the events of these books, but it's still jarring. It felt like the people I had gotten to know and like had disappeared on me and I had to get to know an entirely new cast.

Jane also seems subtly against traditional Cherokee religious/spiritual teachings, favoring her Christian upbringing. I'm hoping this is an issue that will be developed in future books - she was Cherokee long before she was Christian - but it still grated on me. It casts a judgmental pall over all of the spiritual awakening she's supposedly undergoing. In all, the religious slant to this book wasn't something I found enjoyable in general (this series focuses a bit more on the crosses and holy water aspects of traditional vampire lore than many other books in the genre). That's certainly a personal taste however, so take that as you will.

I also got really tired of all the "I poured hot water over this kind of tea, which would have a lot of caffeine and be super tasty!" and the constant reminders that Jane is hungry after a shift. We get it, move on.

***Spoilers ahead***

But the killer for me was the kidnapping. I just cannot stand the use of children as a plot device. I read fiction - and whatever you call this genre, it is complete and utter fiction - as a get-away. I don't want to worry about a baby and a young girl being kidnapped by a vampire. Maybe it's the mother in me, or maybe I'm just too sensitive, but to me this was a cheap plot device. The author really couldn't have explored the ideas brought forth in this book any other way? Seriously? It's mundane and a low blow.

What was Jane doing inviting her friend and two young children to stay with her while she was in the middle of a dangerous project, anyway? She's already had vamps snooping around and even entering her dwelling before, and mentioned multiple times in the last book that the house wasn't very secure. And why did the mother think this was a great idea? I understand that they needed to get away from home, but this was not the best choice of relocation locales. What mother in her right mind would put her children in this kind of danger? Again, cheap plot device.

I also didn't quite get the Bruiser scenes. He's all hot and heavy in the car and at the party, then pretty much ignores her the next time they see each other. What happened? I liked the more aggressive Bruiser, vs the stand back and be silent version.

***End spoilers***

I really wanted to like this book, which I'm sure is part of why I was so disappointed by it. I skimmed the second half and don't think I'll be reading the next in the series. There was a lot of potential here that just wasn't fully realized. I gave the book two stars because while I was disappointed, I still found the basic storyline of the Cherokee skinwalker to be interesting. And I love Beast.

For me to get into Urban Fantasy, the world needs to be exactly parallel to my own, the laws of science obeyed, the cities not so changed as to be unrecognizable. The only difference is that the stuff of nightmares are normal, prowling the cities.

When I picked up the first of the series, Skinwalker, I thought, 'nice book'. But as I delved deeper, it reminded me more like a wine tasting, there was so much more in the glass. Nice wine, with subtle hints of oak, cherry, smoke. The series is a little different in that you need to read two shorts, one on her website called Kits, and one in the anthology Strangebrew to really get up to speed. Though not entirely necessary, it helps.

Like a good wine, the Jane Yellowstone series has a complex web of flavors. Jane is a woman who is discovering exactly what she is, who has lost many of the memories of her youth, and shares her skin with a Beast (Mountain lion), who has her own set of memories she occasionally shares with Jane.

Her abilities to walk in the skin of Beast, as well as other animals, give her the ability to hunt other top predators. She's a rogue vampire hunter, which seems like a trite role currently, but Faith Hunter's take is very different. Her best friend, a witch, brings out the softer part of Jane, a need to protect Molly the witches children (Kits, in Beast Speak)

The author is a master of weaving and closing off threads, only to weave another. She offers her own vision as to why Vampires are so closely allied to Christian Icons and explains the myth fully in Blood Cross. She brings in new characters, and finishes others, and gives Jane a chance to grow into her own skin.

To me, some of the most unique parts of the book occurs when Beast gets her chance to 'speak'. In the way Temple Grandin has explained how animals think more like an autistic, Beast thinks in action, smells, and the present. A very distinct voice to contrast against the very human voice of Jane.

I'm looking forward to more in the series, getting answers to the Cherokee Skinwalker legend and how Jane will grow.

Let me just say first that I really like the general premise of this series. I like the idea of the skin walker being able to shift and the inclusion of some different Native American supernatural characters. (It worked for the Rachel Morgan series). This series could be very good but unfortunately there are some issues that really left me unimpressed and this second installment pretty much guaranteed that I won't buy another unless I just can't find anything better to read.
I won't bother talking plot because everyone else already did that and over all the basic plot is ok I guess.
So on to my main issues with this series: (many are previously mentioned by another poster)

Spoilers included

1) Jane became completely weak. The only time she seems to not get the crap kicked out of her is when she gets lucky and the vampire just happens to land on the stake. I can't recall any fight she was in, in this book, that she didn't get saved by another character. Even though she's about worthless she continually talks and acts as if she's a bad @ss and no one could possibly defend themselves if she wasn't around. On top of all that she basically seems like she's just scared to use her own power. Beast is happy to shift without a problem but Jane is constantly scared of it. In the first book, I believe it mentioned that the shift into beast was easiest because it required very little if any mass change. Ok great, then why doesn't she shift into beast when she's about to be killed? She rarely shifts into other forms because of her fears yet beast can do it without a problem. If Jane was born a skin walker she should have at some point, even if she doesn't remember, have learned to shift without all this fear. It just seems that her powers are underused and worthless because she's too scared to use them.

2) Going along with the previous comment, I don't understand the secrecy of Jane's ability to shift. Understandable that she doesn't want it widely advertised because it gives her an advantage. However, vampires and witches are out and no one cares so I fail to believe anyone would have a problem with her. However, she takes it to such an extreme that she doesn't even shift when the vamps are feeding off her or when her life is in danger. Not have stone around is not a logical excuse (she could use the regular beast form) or much like the other shifter from the first book, pull from the very buildings that she was in. He pulled from the mausoleums and any old building, like the nunnery would have had some stone nearby either in the walls or foundation. It makes it appear that she's so afraid for people to find out she's a skin walker that she waits till she's on the verge of death to bother shifting.

3) Jane seems to suddenly be all overwhelmed and infatuated by the very characters that she didn't really show any interest in during the first book. Really with all the men around she becomes infatuated with a blood servant just because he has a hot body? Never once did it establish that he had a great personality.. Nope just that he's hot. Then she falls for the cop that she previously seemed to disdain because she thought he was a player. She hasn't really even had a date or been around him other than in the so called Woo woo room and now they're a couple? Please...needy much? I know beast is feeling the need but can't she just have a ride and go home?

4) Jane never actually seems to solve anything. She just runs around and gets lucky. On top of that, the very vampires that hire her never help her and only impede her progress. Why would they hire her in the first place if they all practically kill her every time she asks a question? In fact, since every one of them pretty much smacks her around and has very good sight/smell etc I don't understand why they need her at all. I can't believe that they're all just too stupid to figure out the same things that she did by just reading a file or two from the police.

5) Finally, the whole blame Jane thing when the kids get taken. Really? Jane warned her friend over and over that she was in New Orleans working. Meaning there is danger. Yes, Jane could have told her no but ultimately it is up to her friend to decide what's best for her and her children. Yet even though she knows that someone is taking witch children she decides to bring her two witch children to NO. Then when they get taken everyone including Jane blames Jane. Hello, if I was that woman's husband, the only person I would blame is the mother for being stupid. Then they agree to stand back and stay out of the fight at the end of the book even though it's their children in danger? No, that wouldn't happen and sane parent would be right there fighting for their kid and if they are powerful witches it would be stupid to not have them there. Which we found out...

Anyway, to be fair it wasn't horrible it just seemed like a departure from the first book and really could have used a good rewrite keeping the same basic plot ideas.

The plotline for book one is Jane Yellowrock, vampire huntress, is hired by vampires to destroy a vampire rogue in New Orleans. Guess what the plotline for book two is? (If you said kill a vampire rogue who is making more rogues, you win!) So this time Jane also manages to sniff out the evil at a vampire party, but not talk to the key person. Oh, and she spends several chapters flirting with and hitting second base with both Bruiser and Rick. It's mostly beast playing Jane's libido.

The main novel changes locations often, but little plot comes of it. Probably the biggest 'dumb character gaffe', was the witch visit. Jane's best friend in the world, a witch with two young witchy kids, comes and visits her in the middle of this extremely dangerous case. To compound the stupidity, one of the kids is even precognitive! I think a ten-year old can figure out if the author puts the unusually powerful witchy child on the mantle, she'll be kidnapped in act two. So the finale is both a 'stop the baddies' and 'rescue'.

While the pacing is fast, I found the plot structure unimaginative and average. World building occurs, but the beast/Jane interactions which added so much in book one, were minimized in book two. Overall a book in the urban fantasy genre that hits all the cliches.

Blood Cross is the second book in the Jane Yellowrock series. Jane is Cherokee, a shape-shifter with the soul of a mountain lion (or other large cat) inside her, and a vampire-hunter for hire. This book picks up where the first book - Skinwalker - ended, and I think that this book will be much more enjoyable and understandable if Skinwalker is read first.

Jane's current assignment is to find the vampire who is creating rogue vampires and bring him or her to justice. Her life is complicated by the fact that Leo, the master vamp in New Orleans, has it out for her because he believes that she killed his son (this was the climax of Skinwalker). Jane's friend, Molly, a witch, and her two children have come to stay with Jane, and Molly's daughter has some scary powers herself.

I hate to say much more about the plot because I don't want to include spoilers. I really enjoyed this book. The action was awesome, and I liked that we learned more about Jane's background and got to hear more from Beast. Also the originality of Jane/Beast co-existence is refreshing in a market that is glutted with urban fantasy. The world in the book is well-detailed, and there's even a romance plot. The secondary characters of Molly and her children also get a larger role in this book.

The only thing that I didn't like so much is that Jane doesn't seem quite as strong in this book as in the previous one. Strong women are one of the things that appeals to me about UF, so this was a bit of a disappointment - not enough to dock a star, but something that folks should be aware of.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

Even though blood cross starts were skinwalker left, the story is (thank God) a different one, this is a series no duology or trilogy or anything like that (the: to be continued is just stressing). Jane Yellowrock is hired by the vamp council to stop a vampire master who is letting rogues loose on the street, in addition to that there's a mystery about some missing witches and Jane has to find out if there's anything that link the two cases.
Let's star with what I like. Most important Beast, I don't get tired of Beast; Angie baby; the story; this entire world of vamps, witches and skinwalkers.
What bothered me but I'm still not sure if I like or dislike is the many changes in the characters, first Jane: she cries and cries and cries, but that's not all, she blushes a lot, and I'm guessing Beast was on rut, because she wants to go to bed with everything male, I suppose that the quest for finding about her past are in fault for this changes but still, is like another Jane from Skinwalker; then we have Rick: where did the beautiful and sexy player go? The one who plays an instrument in a very, very sexy way, I can't tell you but left in his place a really cute guy who puts his hands in his pants' pockets when asking a girl out and he's tender, don't get me wrong, really great attributes in a guy, but I will prefer sexy and cute together, my guess here is the near death experience for that dramatic change; Bruiser went from shadow to aggressive and I think is because when the cat isn't home the mice play or what is the same when Leo is a little nuts Bruiser can come out and play; and finally Leo who went from Master of the city to a nut job and a shadow in importance. So as you see the characters went completely to the other side of their behavior.
I however didn't like that the famous rogue hunter was about to die several times if it isn't for somebody saving her, I mean one ok, two well, more... come on! The choice of Jane and not because who she chose, but because it wasn't really a choice, my heart aches for him; and finally the repetitive writing, how many times do we need to read the same over and over again? We know how the snake works, we know the little bag make her look like a San Bernardo, we know the shift requires calories, we specially know how to make tea, we don't want to read it again every time somebody makes tea, or every time there's a shift, but that's me ;-)
All and all is good story, but hey that's why we read, to enjoy, even if it is a master piece or just a fun book and here you have fun, puzzles, suspense, lust and little bit of romance.

Jane Yellowrock seems to be making herself indispensable to the vampire community. Which is a little ironic considering she is a vampire hunter. She is fresh off the heels of killing a shapeshifter, masquerading as the son of the Master Vampire of the City of New Orleans, Leo. Now, she has been tasked by the vampire council with figuring out who has been creating new vampires and letting them run wild in the city. Oh, and did I mention that Leo has gone 'round-the-bend crazy since he found out his son is dead? And he blames Jane.

But despite Leo's crazy-factor, Jane has a job to do. And Leo's human servant Bruiser is there to help her do it. (There is a very, very hot limo scene between the two of them which may have been the high point of the book for me. But I digress.)

Jane's best friend (and witch) Molly is staying with Jane, along with Molly's two kids. Witches are a big focus of the book in general... as several witch kids go missing --which may or may not have something to do with the rogue vamp-maker. Oh, and rounding out our cast of characters is Rick LaFleur, who we found out at the end of "Skinwalker (Jane Yellowrock, Book 1)" is a cop. There's still a spark between him and Jane. And unlike Bruiser, he doesn't have a vampire (or anyone else) in his life that he'll put before her.

********SPOILER**********
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I have say, I'm not terribly disappointed that Jane chooses Rick in the end. But I am VERY disappointed that their loving takes place entirely off page. Our author gave us a very sexy scene in the book with Bruiser and I was sweating even though he didn't get past second base. Now finally Jane gets some action, and we don't get to be there... not even for the warm-up? I feel robbed.

****SPOILER OVER*****

I enjoyed this sequel as much as I liked the original. Jane has a unique voice, made even more distinct by the voice of her Beast. It was great to see her expand her humanity with Molly and the kids. And I hope we continue to learn more about her roots. 5 stars.

I have to agree with E. Nolan "See Jane Run". It is a good book, but disappointing compared to Book 1. There wasn't any real action until the latter part of the book. Jane didn't even let Beast out until halfway through the book and Beast's rare and very short forays were touched on only superficially. The internal chatter between Beast and Jane was that of allies and friends rather than the uneasy alliance permeating the first book in the series. Beast talked more like a human than as a wild animal and she was far more reasonable. All disappointing.

The characters were not well fleshed out and too much time was spent on trivia rather than the important scenes.

Having said that, though, the book was well written. You can't help but love Jane, although little Angelina stole every scene she was in. I wish I had a friend like Molly, too. It is still well worth the read; and, for those reasons, I'd rate it 3.75 stars.