Customer Reviews

First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Book 1)

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're not already familiar with Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, go no further than to your nearest bookstore or online connection and look them up, because First Drop of Crimson is a spinoff novel in an already well developed world. Frost doesn't waste a lot of time explaining that world to new readers here. It was done in a rather cursory (and if you're unfamiliar with the characters and world, confusing) manner. That's not a complaint, as I am very wonderfully familiar with the world and the characters, but it's something I believe a new reader should know. Also, if you're familiar with the series, but haven't read all four published to date, I don't recommend you read First Drop of Crimson (yet), as there are things and characters mentioned in this book that WILL be spoilers unless you've read them all.

Okay, now that the Public Service Announcement (PSA) is out of the way, let's talk about First Drop of Crimson. I was very excited when I learned of this spinoff, and like many other readers, thought it would be great to spend more time with Spade, as he's been a favored secondary character throughout the Night Huntress series. In First Drop of Crimson, Spade is called to the aid of Denise Macgregor (Cat's best friend from the Night Huntress series) when Denise gets stuck with a demon problem courtesy of a distant and deceitful relative. While Spade starts out as a slightly reluctant assist, he quickly changes his tune when the spark from their initial meeting (in the Night Huntress Series) turns into a conflagration. Even Denise's humanity (and Spade doesn't do lasting relationships with humans...anymore) isn't enough to keep Spade from giving up his heart when he lends a hand. What's an autocratic, former landed gentry in regency England, to do?

With a cast of characters that is pleasantly familiar, this novel is evenly and quickly paced, and after the abrupt start (Denise loses a cousin, finds a demon, and gets help from a vampire all within the first twenty-five to thirty Kindle clicks) the ride smoothes out and the story takes off in a pleasing direction.

That's not to say I didn't have any issues with First Drop of Crimson. I did. I wasn't as enamored of Denise for a main character as I was of Spade (who I just adore). I didn't dislike her, really, she just didn't make the sort of impact that I'm used to Frost making with her characters. The romantic aspects between the two of them developed in a relatively realistic time frame, but by the third or forth time Denise tried to control her wayward heart by assuring herself that Spade's behavior was an act (that'll make sense when you read the story), or that her feelings were too soon after the death of her spouse, I was bored with reading that as an excuse. Also, without including any spoilers, there were a few aspects of the denouement of the conflict between demon and vampire/human-ish that seemed a bit too pat to be ultimately satisfying.

On a brighter note, I was pleased that Frost was able to bring beloved (or fondly bemoaned, as in Ian's case) characters from the Night Huntress series into a new and expanded venue and still keep them recognizable. That's a big stumbling block for a lot of authors even book-to-book, let alone jumping series' and genres like Frost did here. And that's another PSA I should've mentioned - admittedly, I didn't do any research on it other than knowing that Frost was releasing an expanded-world novel in a spin off, but I was surprised (not unpleasantly, as I like the sub-genre) to find out that unlike the Night Huntress series, which is more a paranormal urban fantasy series, Night Huntress World series seems to be set to be more of a traditional paranormal romance series, in that each book features a different character finding an HEA (as much "ever-after" Frost allows, anyway - and she does tend to get a bit deadly to her secondary and ancillary characters, so who knows). I say "seem" only because the next book in the spinoff series (Eternal Kiss of Darkness, set to be out July 27th, 2010) features the mighty Mencheres - master vamp to the nth degree - and a new female lead, but I don't know for sure if that trend will continue with other secondary characters from the NH/NHW series.

I'd definitely recommend First Drop of Crimson, but I'd do it a bit more forcefully for those fans of paranormal romance series than urban fantasy junkies. And for newbies to the world, here are the books I'd recommend you read first:
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)
One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)
At Grave's End (Night Huntress, Book 3)
Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4)

I was entertained while reading the book, but something was just missing. I'm having a hard time putting my finger on it....just missing. I recently discovered Jeaniene Frost and really loved her Night Huntress Series. I was always intrigued by the character Spade, so was happy to hear he'd get his own book. I won't go into the book summery like others already have. The book jacket pretty well sums up the plot.

What I liked:
1. Spade--We finally learn details about Spade's past including how he ended up at the Penal Colony and who his Sire is. His personality is well done. Oh, and he's hot.
2. Story--The plot was well thought out and was completely different than anything Cat & Bones ever had to go through.
3. Romance--it was hot. I mean, this is Spade. He's not going to romance a woman like Bones does, he's doing it his own way. He's got a seduction plan and not afraid to use it....and it's hot.

What I haven't liked:
1. Denise--She was just flat. She didn't really mean anything to me until the last 15 pages or so. It seemed as if Denise's character was created in the Night Huntress series just to round out Cat, but no life was given to her. It seemed like now Denise's role was just to have someone for Spade to pursue romantically.
2. Repetitive--Denise & Spade repeated themselves in their inner-dialogue a lot.
3. Convoluted reasoning--Somehow Denise "blackmails" or "guilt-trips" Spade into helping her. I couldn't follow the logic. It all seemed a bit "made up" just to throw the 2 characters together. Also, in order for Spade to help her she must pose as his lover, which requires them to touch each other in public, sleep in the same room, etc etc. So how is a girl to know if it's real or not when they are faking for everyone to see?
4. More Romance than Urban Fantasy--This book kept switching POV between Spade & Denise. It was a constant rehashing of what the character was feeling based on what the other one just did. I like romance...as a subplot. Here, the romance was the majority of the plot.
5. Friendships? What friendships?--So Cat and Denise are supposedly best friends. Denise slowly pulls away as she grieves over her loss. When Cat finally does show up....they never have any conversation other than "oh, you didn't know this?" and "I'm so sorry I never called you back." They never have any girlfriend talk or show them catching up. When Denise and Spade have a fight, it's Bones who comes to her to talk to her about her relationship with his friend....not her best friend. It also seemed out of character for Cat to all the sudden let Bones talk her out of "storming the castle" to talk to Denise. It was just weird. I think it could have helped with Denise's character development.

All in all, I'm glad I have read the book since I love the Night Huntress series. Just know that it's not her best work, but it's still fun and a good read.

Oh, how I hate to write a lukewarm review about First Drop of Crimson. I am a huge fan of Ms. Frost's other books. Fortunately, I read them first, or I would have been very wary of reading another of her books.

After finishing up with the "Grave" series to date, I had fallen in love with Spade. I was stoked that he had his own book and couldn't wait to read it. First Drop of Crimson wasn't up to par with the "Grave" series. It was written in such a different style from the other books that it caused me to wonder if FDC might not be one of the author's earlier manuscripts before hitting her stride with Cat and Bones.

Other readers have commented that they couldn't quite put their fingers on what was wrong with First Drop of Crimson. I think I can. It's written in a passive voice without the use of exciting action words and without much complex language. The mediocre plot passed as a thin excuse to throw the two main characters together. Denise had little substance and less courage. It was implausible that Spade could fall for someone like that. Combined with spending way too much time in the characters' heads going over the same things time and time again (I'd say at least half the book), it was a difficult book to get through. However, as soon as Bones and Ian showed up, things livened up. That's what saved it from a 1-star rating.

Such a shame . . . because I adored Spade.

It has been a year since Denise lost her husband by paranormal means. It's only normal that she wouldn't want to have anything to do with that world after such a loss. But when evil rears its ugly head, she'll have no say in the matter. With Cat and Bones on the other side of the world, Denise's only help comes from Spade, master vampire. Ever since meeting they've always felt a pull towards each other. Plus there's definitely an attraction on both sides, and at the same time neither of them will admit it. Spade refuses to fall in love with a human again and Denise wants nothing to do with the world of vampires. Stubborn creatures, but you gotta love them.

I absolutely loved this book, a must read. First Drop of Crimson was a fun, enticing read. This story was refreshing, dark and passionate. Spade and Denise are magic, their chemistry jumps off the page. Jeaniene Frost is a master at pulling you into a story from page one, and that's exactly what you get with this book. I love that Spade got his own book. I found him quite interesting in the Night Huntress series and was hoping we get to learn more about him.

*This review contains minor spoilers if you haven't read the Night Huntress series*


My thoughts:
First Drop of Crimson is the first book in the Night Huntress spin-off series, Night Huntress World. Those who have read the Night Huntress series will be familiar with Spade, Bones friend from his penal colony days, and Denise, the only person that Cat has ever considered a friend. Denise's husband Randy died during an attack on Cat and Bones. Denise slowly withdrew from Cat's world and friendship because she had lost so much. And her friend's world was too dangerous, too violent.

Spade and Denise is no Cat and Bones. What made the Night Huntress books so great (chemistry, humor, witty banter, a strong heroine) was sorely missing in First Drop of Crimson. I found the relationship between Spade and Denise to be lacking in chemistry and heat. Denise was constantly whining about how much money Spade was spending to help her locate her relative and Spade had to constantly reassure her that he would help her at any cost. The entire book was Spade putting Denise at ease. She would whine and he would have to talk her down. How these two end up having sex was beyond me because I did not find the attraction between them to be believable or natural. I also question Denise's decision making skills. She would do things in the name of keeping those who are helping her out of danger not realizing that it's gone way beyond that. They are already helping you so they are already in danger. By doing something stupid, she is making the situation worse. Why ask Spade, Cat, Bones and their crew to help if she wasn't going to listen and follow their rules? Denise has seen them at work and knows that they can and will get the job done.

Thank goodness for Ian to provide much needed humor and wit to ruffle Denise's feathers. If it weren't for Ian's character breaking up the monotony of Denise's whining, I don't know if I would have been able to finish the book. I hope that Ian gets his own book soon!


The sexual chemistry between Spade and Denise was tepid. What he saw in her, I have no idea. I didn't find any redeeming qualities in Denise and by the end of the book, I still didn't like her. I found myself constantly comparing FDOC to the Night Huntress series. It's hard not to. I've heard that the second book, Eternal Kiss of Darkness, is much better. I hope so. I love Jeaniene Frost's writing but something in this book was missing.

Denise is a hypocritical bore. One of those women who condemn others for taking care of the violence into which she has dragged them. Plus, enough with the pity party and meaningless 'I'll pay you back.' I'm so tired of her repetitive internal dialogue, jumping to conclusions and getting mad at others who stop her from doing idiotic things. Could we maybe hear a "thank you, I really appreciate what you are doing for me?" The scene with Bones after the first time she sleeps with Spade has finally done it. I'm not finishing. She is childish and ridiculous. I'm so bummed this is what Spade got. And from the other reviews it sounds like his supposed HEA is someone from whom he can't even drink? He was robbed.

Plus, I didn't feel any chemistry between these two.

I do like the interactions between Spade, Bones and Ian.

I won this ARC in a contest and I was just thrilled to read it. That was a near heart-attack moment for me. I'm a huge Jeaniene Frost fan. I devoured all her previous book in the Night Huntress series. She is on my autobuy list and this book didn't change that.

First Drop of Crimson is the first book in Ms. Frost's spinoff series, the Nighthuntress World. We will meet secondary characters of the Cat & Bones books again in this series and I'm so curious about that. One of the things that make Ms. Frost's books so special to me are her wonderful characters and I can't wait to learn more about them.

This book is story of Spade and Denise. Okay I have to admit one thing first: Denise wasn't one of favorite characters through the whole series and that didn't change while reading this book. I know that she lived through hell not only because of Randy's death but she never reached my heart as the other characters did.

Denise is still convinced to leave the supernatural world behind. She wants to live a normal life without horrible deaths and gruesome monsters. She hates that the vampires think about humans only as replaceable property. She only sees the bad sides of this society and to be honest I can totally understand that but with the time she should learn to see the good in the vampires around her too. She always complains about being degraded for being human but after all she does the same with the vampires- a hard case of hypocrisy in my eyes. She met good vampires, Bones and Cat for example but she still see them all as the bad guys. After she gets in trouble with this demon she has to depend on Spade for the survival of her family and her own. She gets attracted to Spade and I can't blame her for that, I would be putty in his hands for sure, but she still can't stop her own prejudices. That annoyed me through the whole book. Don't get me wrong Denise is a nice character with good morals and quite an attitude but she doesn't reach my expectations.

Spade is a real prick at the start. At the beginning of the book I thought: "That can be fun. I don't like heroine and the hero. Just great!" But Spade only needed a few pages to sneak into my heart. He had a horrible incident with a human he cared for and her death in his past. After this event he swore to himself that he will never get emotionally attached to one again. When he realizes that there is no way around being in love with Denise he tries to do everything in his power to save her and win her heart. The latter includes for him to turn her into a vampire and as you can imagine that is a thing Denise won't be so fond of.

The chemistry between these two is sizzling. They need a bit time to get going but OMG the wait is worth it. It's nothing like chapter 32 but damn near.

Quote Denise:
"If this is dying, Denise thought, I highly recommend it."

I so agreed with that!

As in all of Ms. Frosts book we have witty comments and snarky remarks in this books too. They made me laugh out loud more than ones.

Quote: Denise to Spade:

"Don't you 'Denise' me," she snapped. "I don't care how old, powerful, or strong you are. If you ever do something like that again, I'll stab you in the heart. Son of a bitch, I can't believe you throw me out of a plane."


As you can see the book is full of action and the story sucked me in from the start. I couldn't put this book down and was so frustrated as I had too.

One tiny thing I noticed: The name of the bad guy is Raum- in German that means room. Really confusing for me but probably not for the rest of you. LOL

I recommend this book to everyone who read the Nighthuntress books. I really think it would be better to read the other books before starting this one cuz it relates to many events of the previous books.
First Drop of Crimson is a great addition to this world and I can't wait to get the next spinoff.

I'm sorry to say this book wasn't very good and I couldn't finish it.

Denise's character is horrible. In the Night Huntress series, she seemed like the token best friend character for Cat. I thought her character would be fleshed out for this book; it's not. She remains flat and undeveloped so I can't relate to her or care what happens to her at all.

The plot seems completely contrived. It seems like some BS that Jeaniene Frost threw together to have a romance between Denise and Spade. On that note, the romance between Denise and Spade seems contrived as well. Frost basically just says "oh they were already interested in each other before" and that's the premise for their love affair.

The only redeeming aspect of the book is Spade's character. In the Night Huntress series he's much more developed than Denise and that holds true for this book as well. Unfortunately, Denise's character can't stand up to Spade's character at all due to the discrepancy in their respective development.

Spade and Denise are NOTHING like Cat and Bones. Whereas Cat and Bones were funny, maddening, adventurous, exciting and romantic Spade and Denise are boring, boring, BORING. AND, worse, Denise is the biggest hypocritical whiner I have ever come across in a supposedly paranormal romance. Ugh. I was so looking forward to Spade having a story, but his character and they way he interacted with Denise was just horrible. Do not waste your money or time reading this book. However, the 2nd book in the Night Huntress World Series is about Mencheres and was surprisingly enjoyable. I did not particularly care for Mencheres in the Cat and Bones books, but his story portrays him as a completely different person. Luckily I read book 2 (Mencheres) of the Night Huntress World series first, otherwise I never would have due to the hideousness of book 1 (Spade).

This is the first book that I've read from this author. I can't believe that this book got such high rating. The book has potential. However, I might have enjoyed the book if I wasn't so annoyed by Denise. I guess I'm not a big fan of reading about a weak insecure female character. Her reasoning and deduction skills about Spade's motive for helping her is highly rediculous.