Customer Reviews

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2)

5 star:		(114)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cat is back and One Foot in the Grave is one of the best sequels I have read in a long time. Jeaniene Frost has written a new super-heroine that can play as dirty as the boys and won't take the injustices of life sitting down. The only other character I can compare her to in recent memory are Anita Blake from Laurel K. Hamilton or Eve Dallas from JD Robb.
One Foot in the Grave takes place four years into the future. Cat is no longer that naive, uncontrollable girl with a chip on her shoulder. Cat has grown into a sharp and intelligent woman who still kicks butt and comes up with the best comebacks and one-liners you can imagine. Cat is still a bit down on herself in terms of self-esteem and still thinks of herself as an outcast. She has become the head of an undercover group that works for the government. Even though she was basically blackmailed into taking this position, she has fought very hard to be in control and the "go to" person in almost every situation that arises.
Cat is half-human, half-vampire, and the department she works for is comparable to Homeland Security but for watching and experimenting on vampires. The powers that be want to know where vampires come from and how they can be stopped.In Halfway to the Grave, Cat hated her vampire side, now she is more comfortable in her skin and embraces it in a way. And the reason she does is due to her vampire lover she had to leave behind, Bones.
Cat has a hard time giving and receiving love, but when it came to Bones she was a goner. Cat has a lot of questions about her lost love. Has Bones wandered the world looking for her? Has he totally forgotten her and gone onto another lonely girl? Could Bones be dead? All these questions will be answered in ways you will not believe! I guess you can say it is not much of a spoiler since Cat and Bones are the ultimate couple, so you can expect to see him make an appearance. And with his appearance, Cat is yet again launched in uncharted waters. Bones may come across as a witty playboy type of guy, but he has great insight on a person.
One Foot in the Grave has quite a few twists and gasps that I did not see coming. Every thing comes out with a bang and you will meet some over the top characters that will make you laugh till your stomach hurts.And, the other thing Jeaniene can do very well is write a good quality love scene.
One Foot in the Grave is an excellent, paranormal urban fantasy that did not disappoint in the least. Jeaniene tightened up certain problems I had with Halfway to the Grave and wrote a story that is fast and furious.
One not to be missed!

Katiebabs
Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of One Foot in the Grave since the moment I finished the first book in the Night Huntress Series --Halfway to the Grave -- in October. My hope was that the sequel (One Foot in the Grave) would be every bit as good as the original. Guess what? It's even better!

The witty sarcastic tone of the first book (along with Cat's hilarious inner banter) is even more honed than before. This book retains the perfect balance of romance, suspense, action, and humor that made book one such a joy to read (and re-read.) The humor is funnier, the romance is sexier, the action is more edgy, and --as unbelievable as it seems-- Bones is even hotter. I would be lying if I said I wasn't grinning like an idiot throughout much of my marathon read today.

The main characters have evolved without changing the core of who they are. I was pleased at the presence nods to some of the characters from book one, and there were new characters that quickly become important to the reader, (which I hope to see again in book 3, At Grave's End)

All in all, it was everything I hoped it would be, and more. There is no doubt that Jeaniene Frost is comfortably finding her place amongst the most talented authors in the genre, and I expect to see many more great things from her.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll just order takeout for dinner and curl up for a reread of my new favorite book.

To save the man she loves from the government, Cat Crawford left Bones years ago. In the meantime, she has adapted to her new life, exacting justice on rogue vampires as an agent of the United States. Thanks to Bones, who is himself a vampire, she is among the most adept at what she does, which makes her a target for assassination. Once again, she needs him in her life, although everyone else says it's a doomed relationship and he should be avoided. Bones is possibly the only person better at what Cat does than she is, and he does bring out her best. Though Cat planned on keeping things professional, Bones had other ideas.

***** If you want to read a book that follows a formula and is virtually indistinguishable from the last urban fantasy romance you read, or reads like a standard romance, except for the fact that the hero or heroine has fangs, fur, or both, then look elsewhere. The Night Huntress series is fresh, though it does have some of the hallmarks of the genre. Cat and Bones are a fantastic pair, perfectly simpatico, even when they are at odds. What's more, he's one of the most compelling heroes since J.D. Robb's Roarke. Don't just take my word for it though, read the books. *****

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews

I guess that I wasn't playing close attention when I bought this. I love vampire stories WITHOUT this much trashy romance. The characters and the plot are predictable and stereotypical. The dialogue is adolescent. There are a few funny moments, but not enough to keep me interested. I love Patricia Briggs's books. This author is just not for me.

NOTHING predictable about this second in the series! Cat and Bones get back together, but in the most unpredictable way! Other reviewers have summarized the story so I won't. As I said in a review of the first book, I love these characters! Bones is now one of my favorite alpha male vampire heros. He is scorcing hot. One of the best erotic hot love scenes in the genre is in this book. Cat is one of the best strong females in the genre. As previously stated in my review of the first book, all of the characters, the good, the bad and the ugly have surprising depth and grow with the story from book 1 to this book. Humor, sex, action, mystery, sex, love, betrayal,REALLY hot sex, and a sterling cast of characters, really well written characters. As stated in my review of the first book, I just galdly tossed the series by J.R. Ward, in the trash bin of "What was she thinking" when she went off the rails she had laid in her first 4 books. I am so delighted to have been led to this Night Huntress series! Jeaniene Frost is now on my "Pre Order" list with Alex Ivy, Lara Adrian, Jacki Frank and Christine Feehan. These are "THE' best "goes with the story" book covers I've ever seen.

One Foot in The Grave was exactly where I wanted to see the story line go. Once again Jeaniene Frost sucks you straight into the world of Cat and Bones. If I say too much I am afraid I might ruin the book for others. I just have to say, if Halfway to the Grave left you with any feelings of injustice for Cat and/or Bones, One Foot in the Grave will clear all that up and put a smile on your face!

I enjoyed the first novel involving Cat as the main character, it was a 4 star book. This book, however, I can't. I was bored out of my mind with Cat. This is my gripe, may be yours too, we'll see:

Spoilers:

* Superwoman takes on disposable lame villains. See, this is the reason why I ended up reading Spade/Denise book first because I tend to avoid books and movies with vampire hunters in them, especially those involving half-breeds of some sort. It's never consistent and every enemy in the story is made out to be some dimwitted, slow-moving, screw-up in order for the hero/heroine to come out on top. By the third page of this book I had rolled by eyes at least twice.

*Not only was Cat super strong, but she just HAD to talk SOOOO much crap in between each blow. How clichéd. This book was overflowing with bravado, each page was drenched in it.

*Can someone please tell me why not ONE vampire in the books was able to dodge one of her many, many, daggers? It was almost as if every vampire in the book just stood still and waited to get stabbed in the heart with her daggers. No one deflected a dagger, or caught one in mid air. You'd think with vampires being super fast, they'd see a big silver knife headed their way, but I guess not.

*Can someone explain to me why it seemed that cat was stronger than EVERY vampire in the book other than Bones and Mencheres? She even defeated Ian, who is Bones's sire. She took on a cave full of vampires on her own and managed to not end up dead, even outrunning a possible master vampire who may have been 500 years old. If Bones can fly and he's not even 300 years old, then why couldn't the other vampires as old as Bones or older?

*It got to the point, I skipped Cat's fight scenes, because they were far too unbelievable for me choke down with a straight face.

* Another reviewer mentioned the new characters, saying they didn't have enough personality for you to really develope a liking to them and it's true. Not only did the men on her team seem like a bunch of brown-nosers, they just didn't grab you. Tate with his constant whining seemed to border on self-masochism, and didn't make me feel one way or the other about him. The other two men where just "there". Then we have Denise who's supposed to be Cat's best friend, but you don't hear about her any more after the wedding which did seem like a plot device to get Bones and Cat together again. But Denise wasn't even an after thought when Cat was thinking about protecting the people she loved from her enemies. They watched her mom's house and her ex-boyfriend (forgot his name), but no thought about Denise.


The plotline with Ian, seemed unnecessary. It could have been handled easily just by them telling the truth. Ian only went after her because he thought she was free and unprotected, so he could claim her. Had Bones told him when he first spoke to Ian, "no, that's my woman and I'm going to get her back. I need you to back off." I'm sure Ian would have stayed away. Instead, it was like they wanted to grind an ax for no apparent reason. As if kicking Ian's butt wasn't good enough, she had to rub his nose in her crap too. That brings up the point another review made about "too much wish-fulfillment" and I couldn't agree more.

What I did like:

Bones is an attention grabber and he keeps me glued to every page with his name on it. I didn't mind him being strong, just seemed he was the only strong vampire in the world, even stronger than Ian and I don't see how that's possible if Ian is his sire. Didn't seem right.

I did like some of the scenarios in the books, the cat fight was fun, but it would have been better if Annette didn't get the floor wiped with herself and managed to save some face, having been a 2 hundred year old vampire. But no one could defeat the Cat, I guess.

I'm still intrigued enough with the other characters to continue reading this series, but I have officially wiped my hands clean of Cat, she's become a too overblown character in my opinion. There's no suspense in that.

When her pathology reports told Don that Catherine "Cat" Crawford was not totally human, he blackmailed her to be the leader of his branch in the Homeland Security. Cat is a hybrid of human and vampire. Her team is affectionately known as the "Death Squad from Hell". She had previously left her lover and mentor, Bones, as an act of mercy, when she disappeared from Licking Falls, Ohio, and left her old life behind. Cat's team hunts down and kills creatures of the night. With every vampire she exterminates, Cat hopes it was her biological father.

As the story opens, Cat is after an old and powerful vampire called Liam Flannery. She is only a second away from twisting her silver knife and ending his existence when she learns he is Bones's sire. To repay Bones, Cat let the vampire escape. However, Flannery is a collector of rare things and he now wants to collect HER. Add to this, someone has put a bounty on her head and every super natural being is after the Red Reaper, her nickname among the supes.

When Cat least expects it, Bones reappears in her life. Bones has been searching for Cat ever since the night she disappeared. They have unfinished business to attend to. Knowing of the bounty and Flannery's infatuation with Cat, Bones is determined to stick around whether Cat likes it or not. One thing is for sure, Cat's team members do not like it one bit. They tolerated her being half vampire and it took awhile for them to believe she would not succumb and become totally vampire. Cat earned the respect of everyone on her team. But they wanted nothing to do with Bones, nor for Cat to have anything to do with him. Too bad, because Cat and Bones are still attracted to each other and are seriously considering continuing where they left off.

***** This is the second book in the Night Huntress series. It picks up pretty much where the last left off. The author let readers watch as Cat went from amateur to pro in her Night Huntress skills. Doing so was a stroke of genius, in my opinion. I watched a normal girl slowly become a deadly assassin, making the character very realistic to me. I came to thoroughly understand Cat and to care for her. The other characters are just as well developed. Filled with almost non-stop action, a romance, and more than a few new twists, this story will sky rocket straight to the best seller lists! Jeaniene Frost has found her niche! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Cat Crawford has adjusted to her life as a Special Agent, tracking down and killing vampires as part of her team. Her half-vampire skills have come in handy in her new role. She still hasn't forgotten Bones, the vampire who trained her, no matter how hard she has tried. Someone has now targeted Cat for death, bringing Bones back into her life. Will Bones and Cat be overcome the differences between them?

What a fabulous second entry in the Night Huntress series! If you haven't read HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE, stop right now and read it first. The relationship between Bones and Cat is a complicated one and the author establishes the grounds for the events of ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE quite well in the first story. Without reading the first novel, I'm not sure if readers will get the full flavor of the depth of the emotions between Cat and Bones.

Jeaniene Frost splendidly adds to the world of intrigue she carefully crafted in HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE. Vampire politics are beginning to emerge and the intricate details that make up this world are starting to pull together into one very interesting picture. ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE is not simply a book about vampire slaying but is instead a very rich and deep world in which we are given some new twists on vampires.

I love the way Cat's character is developing. She is still young but she is growing up rapidly. And who can't help but love Bones? The secondary characters that have been introduced add a lot to the storyline and I look forward to seeing more of these characters in future books as I suspect Jeaniene Frost has a few surprises in store for us.

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE solidifies Jeaniene Frost's place in the ranks of the top urban fantasy writers. If you are craving a new vampire series, the Night Huntress series is definitely one to check out!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

I prefer Urban Fantasy to Supernatural Romance, and I knew going into this series that it was SR. (Frankly the covers drew me in, and the jacket promised enough kick-buttery that I felt I could probably overlook the romance angle). I felt the first book was quite entertaining, but this one never quite connected with me.

I'm not entirely sure why that was, but here, I think are some factors:

a) New facts about the supernatural world revealed when they make for convienient plot twists. I'm thinking of two items in particular, which I'm not convinced the author had thought of during her pre-series "world-building".

b) The heroine's "job" never felt right to me. I've worked with (though not for) an number of government agencies, and "freewheeling" is not a term that pops into mind when I want to describe the process. The heroine gets to call her own shots with no oversight or paperwork way too often to be credible.

c) Too much "wish fulfillment". For instance, the fate of the cad who deflowered the heroine in book one comes to mind. Yes he was a cad, but he didn't rape her, and the continuous dishing out of punishment to him just seems spiteful and over the top.

d) Too few consequences. I'm thinking particularly here of a scene near the end of the book, which devalues an earlier scene.

On the plus side, the sex level is amped up from book one, there is some good humor (the two actually cross when the heroine decides a screaming orgasm is the best revenge..) and the government seems to be getting some idea about "good vampires" and "bad vampires".