Review: This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

 This Side of the Grave, Jeaniene Frost

Release date: February, 2011

Publisher: Harper Collins
Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 357
Series: The Night Huntress
1. Halfway to the Grave
2. One Foot in the Grave
3. At Grave's End

4. Destined for an Early grave

5. This Side of the Grave

Danger waits on both sides of the grave…

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance…

With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing.  A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war. …to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.

*Spoiler warning - don't read if you don't want to find out what happens during the book and series!*

So this is the fifth book in Jeaniene's The Night Huntress series. As readers of this series will know, Cat is now a vampire, and things have finally settled down with her and Bones, so they can start planning their wedding and generally being a happy couple. So totally wrong - sadly! Trouble just keeps on following them! This time in the form of a certain ghoul named Apollyon claiming that Cat will be the destruction of them all because he reckons she can be a half-vampire half-ghoul.

I was so excited to read this book, because I became a huge fan last year after reading them all. I devoured this as soon as I got home after school today, and finished it half an hour ago. Oh my gosh. I loved it. Cat is a great protagonist - she's strong, loyal, sticks to her morals, and tries not to let things get her down. She and Bones are both stubborn, and that leads to some pretty hilarious situations... like when Bones tries to teach Cat to fly, and threatens to push her off a bridge into the Misissipi river. Which he does do. Lovely couple, they are.

Jeaniene surprised me with the plot. It was interesting, funny, fast-paced, sad - basically everything a good book should be. I couldn't put the book down, and I think a certain Bones is part of the reason! Once again, I find myself falling in love with Bones! He's hot, sexy, strong, awesome, witty and is willing to go head on with Cat if they don't agree on something. I would be absolutely devastated if something were to happen to him!

Cat and Bones are just part of the reason that I love this series: it has some awesomely badass vampires, creepy ghouls, friendly ghosts, a ghoul queen, and Kira and Mencheres making a cameo in it. I don't particularly like Mencheres, but I have to admit that without him (and who could forget Vlad!), the story wouldn't be as cool. This book made my heart race, my sides hurt from laughing and I'm totally eager to read the next book in the series, which comes out in (sadly) autumn of this year.

My verdict: If you haven't read this series, you need to. It's attention-grabbing, hilarious, sexy, fun... from the moment I picked it up, I was hooked. The fifth book rocked, and I am eager to read the sixth.