Reckoning

Night Huntress Universe #0.5

by Jeaniene Frost, Tavia Gilbert (Narrator)

In New Orleans, a pair of undead serial killers is about to turn Mardi Gras into a horror show - unless the immortal hitman Bones can hunt them down first. From Jeaniene Frost comes a thrilling novella featuring characters from her New York Times bestselling Night Huntress series. Originally appeared in the anthology Unbound.

Genres: Paranormal, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Novella

2 pages, Audiobook

First published August 18, 2009

About the author

Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. Works include the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Broken Destiny series, the Night Rebel series, and the Beautiful and Beastly series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty-three different countries. Jeaniene lives in Maryland with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies with her husband, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cook books frighten her.

For information on Jeaniene's books, please visit: www.jeanienefrost.com

Reviews

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good pre-Cat Bones story.

It takes place in New Orleans where Bones is contracted to take out the Lalauries (as ghouls), who have taken advantage of ghoul queen Marie Leveau's absence, and started to hack up Mardi Gras tourists serial killer-style.

It was kind of awesome. But then, I do love it when history (ESPECIALLY creepy history) is mixed in with UF. But maybe that's just me . . . *wink*

[Sophia Triad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short story about Bones before he meets Cat. It takes place during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It is a quite sad story as well as a scary story.
Bones is paid to hunt two immortal serial killers, a ghoul couple that like to play with their food before they kill it. They are extremely, disgustingly, horrible sadists.
Pretty soon Bones will not care for the payment, but only for the vengeance.
You will definitely love Bones more in this short story and if you a fan of the series, it is a must-read. I would recommend reading it after you finish a couple of full novels in order to understand Bone’s behavior more.

[Eloise Blaise | Bibliophel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series where the MMC is inspired by Spike?! As in SPIKE FROM BUFFY? Say less.

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reckoning is a prelude to the Night Huntress series. Not essential, but it’s definitely worth reading.

Bones arrives to New Orleans to hunt down two vicious ghouls, just before he travels to Ohio and meets Cat.

Bones left without looking back. His flight out of the city was already booked. By tonight, he’d be on his way to Ohio, searching out the undead accountant he’d been tracking before he got involved in this mess. This was over, but it was time for the next hunt.

Though it’s a prequel, it’s best to read after book one (or even later).

[Treece · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars

Bones on a secret job in New Orleans to track down and to kill a pair of serial killer ghouls was captivating and edgy. It was a fascinating glimpse into Bones' life pre-Cat aka The Reaper.
I would definitely read this one again for the thrill.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a quick little novella that takes place before Bones officially meets Cat. I feel like I can't genuinely say much about it because it was so short. But for most of it readers follow Bones as he travels to New Orleans to help find and get rid of a pair of ghouls that have a bad habit of attacking/eating tourist. There were quite a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming in this one and it made me wonder whether readers would have the opportunity to see Maria (queen vampire) in the following books in the series. This short novella also showcased a softer side of Bones that I didn't expect to see and it definitely illustrates why he has so much grace, respect, and compassion towards Cat. For me, I just see Bones as a gentleman when he's in a serious relationship so the end of this book really really tugged at my heartstrings. This paranormal romance series is definitely one that I'm enjoying and I can't wait to dive into the rest of the books and the novellas.

[Woman Reading (is away exploring) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3☆

Reckoning is a little hunting horror story, with a spooky atmosphere that only the unique setting New Orleans can confer. It's Mardi Gras season when unsuspecting and drunk tourists flood into the French Quarter. Voodoo practitioner Marie Laveau is the undisputed queen of the supernatural in New Orleans. Serial killers Delphine LaLaurie and her companion have become ghouls and feast upon their hometown of New Orleans during Marie's temporary absence.

Bones, a vampire, makes a living as a bounty hunter / hitman for hire. He has been invited to New Orleans to stop the two ghouls' carnivorous and essentially murderous spree, hopefully prior to Marie's return. This is Bones' story of pursuing the two wily ghouls while dodging a vampire who is stalking him with deadly silver-tipped arrows. Bones is all business, as this is a prequel set just before he meets his Kitten in Ohio in Halfway to the Grave (#1). This story also explains the somewhat frosty tension between Bones and Marie in their next encounter in This Side of the Grave (#5).

As usual for this series, Tavia Gilbert was the voice actress for the audiobook. Although I have no complaint with her performance, this story felt a bit lacking as there's no Cat for Bones to play off against.

Here are links to my reviews for the rest of the Night Huntress series -

#1 Halfway to the Grave 2.5 ☆
#2 One Foot in the Grave almost 3 ☆
#3 At Grave's End 3 ☆
#4 Destined for an Early Grave 3 ☆
#5 This Side of the Grave 3 ☆
#6 One Grave at a Time 3 ☆
#7 Up from the Grave 3 ☆

[Glass · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gah... I'm skipping novellas.

[Melindeeloo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Jeaniene Frost's "Reckoning" as part of the Unbound anthology - Before he met Cat, vampire Bones is on the hunt in New Orlean's for a pair of brutal supernatural serial killers - I am a huge fan of Bones and Cat, so it feels weird to see him on his own. And though Frost still tells an interesting story, with the way things go down, the Bones here is a lesser one - he doesn't seem as smart or powerful as usual. (4 Amazon stars/3 goodreads stars = I liked it)

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! I love Bones who is the featured character in this short story. The story was entertaining and the narration of the audiobook was excellent. It was really nice to see a bit of Bones in his pre-Cat days.

Book source: Public library via Hoopla

[SheriC · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read any of the other books in this series, but that was not a barrier to enjoying this fun little novella about a vampire-for-hire and deadly ghouls. The author had more fun with the gruesome than with the romance, which was decidedly one-sided, but I thought the girl's hopeful crush and the vampire's gentle accommodation of her feelings was poignant, especially at the end.

Audiobook, borrowed from my public library via Overdrive. Competently read by Tavia Gilbert.

Read for the 2017 Romance Bingo, but I haven't decided yet which square to use for it. Applicable squares:
Urban Fantasy: Supernatural creatures in the city of New Orleans
Interracial Couple: in this case, interspecies (vampire/human)
Love is Murder: because the ghouls get her in the end, and because the entire plot revolves around one vampire hired to kill the ghouls, and a second vampire hired to kill the first one

[Camila (previously the opinionated Catruler) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bones is one of the few heroes whose looks I've never paid much attention to because his actions and words are much more interesting and compelling. Since there's no Cat here, I could appreciate his whole self a lot better, not just his persona. And me likey.

[taylor ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5⭐️

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a couple of books from this series years ago and decided to do a reread starting from the beginning


This is before Bones met Cat when he's hired to find two ghouls who are murdering and eating people in New Orleans. Bones also has an assassin oh his heels, there were some action packed moments, a brief love interest who unfortunately died and a satisfactory conclusion to the plot.

Moving on

[Britta ★ Nachteule ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 16.12.2015

It was interesting to see what life was for Bones before Cat. Though I think in this story he was lacking.



If it would have been about any other vampire but Bones I would have given it 3 stars. But since I'm so biased when it comes to this series it's 4 stars for me. ;-)

Originally read somewhere 2013 or before.

Read in Unbound

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and fast, about 2 hours on audio. Bones hit New Orleans where he is hunted, hunts and questioned by a queen. I enjoyed seeing Bone pre-Cat and watching his skills come into play.

[Lyn *Nomadic Worlds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uh, uh, is it a good idea or bad to re-read the Night Huntress series? What if the stars Bones put in my eyes when I was younger fall off like scales and I end up not liking him anymore?
A necessary evil if I want to read the newer books.

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

I'm always jonesing for my next Cat & Bones fix so when Reckoning was released as a stand-alone novella I just jumped at the chance to start from the very beginning of this series. This short story was only previously available in the Unbound anthology and it's installment 0.5 in the Night Huntress series. I didn't love this tale but then again, there's no such thing as a bad read when this series is concerned IMO.

I'm just going to come out and say it. I found Bones severely lacking in this novella. His pre-Cat personality is dark and sad. There's no wit; he's just going through the motions to get the job done. After reading Reckoning I'm curious as to how Jeaniene Frost made the leap from this to the amazing book that is Halfway to the Grave. Even though I found this novella to be somewhat deficient; as a avid fan of this series, it's still a must-read for me. Reckoning is probably not the best introduction to the Night Huntress world but if you need something to tie you over until the next book comes out, what do you have to lose?

[Malinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was a very good short story about Bones before the beginning of the Night Huntress series. Bones gets called in to New Orleans to take out two undead killers that are causing havoc in the city. There ends up being an unexpected issue when his hiring doesn't end up being quite on the level. Also, Bone has some trouble with someone trying to cash in on a price in his head while he's busy trying to hunt the killers. It's an interesting little story but fair warning, it does have a bit of a sad ending. It gives a good sense of who Bones is before we get in to the first book of the Night Huntress series where he meets Cat.

8/25/16 - I just did a reread of this story because I was in the mood for some Bones. My review above still applies. :)

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well!!! Having a taste of Bones was just the tonic I needed and what a scrumptious taste it was!!!

This short story was fabulous and well written by Jeaniene Frost (as one would expect) and even though this was a 'short' story, it didn't stop Jeaniene from including the 'edge of the seat' sensations when you wanted to know what was happening...

There was even a touch of sadness within this short journey, one I didn't expect but it made the story what it was.

I just adore Bones!!!

[Cereja Cult · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on 01/15/2012

I’ve read this after reading the first book and about 50% of the second book so I knew exactly who Bones was and what he did for living, well, not living, but, oh,, you know what I mean. What he does to get money, anyway.
The story is in New Oreland and is before he meets Cat. It’s in 3ºpeeps POV, not my fave, but it was cool enough. It still got me somewhat inside Bones. He is still hot and still Bones, but there was no talk back and all the feisty stuff I love about this series.
The ghouls where cool and now I know more about them and how they come to be. There’s more background for them.
We get to see Mardi Gras and all the festivity in it. Also, now I know how Bones got his platinum hair that I love so much LoL

I’m Brazilian and Voodoo is not something new to me.



In some very light level, of course, I practice a little. My gran is a gypsy and magic is not something foreing for me as I grew up. So I was pretty excited about Queen Mary. She is a really shadowy character and I sure hope to see more of her in the future.


This reading is part of the following reading challenge:

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 60 page short story is part of the Night Huntress world of Jeaniene Frost, and provides background information to events and characters that we see later in the 4th book, Destined for an Early Grave. This is absolutely a story to search out, if for no other reason than to enjoy a few moments from Bones' POV. In the novels, Cat is often chided because she doesn't think like a vampire. So, it is sweetly refreshing, after umpteen hundred pages of Cat's often immature and wishy-washy observations, to see Bones' world in a confident, no-holds-barred manner. At its heart, this is a mystery, where Bones is hired as a hitman to take out two sociopathic ghouls during New Orleans’ Mardi Grais. The reader is able to get a glimpse into what life was like for Bones before Cat, and that under his kickass Master vampire ruthlessness, he truly had a caring soul. His difficult, heart-breaking decision at the end of the story helps to shed light on the tenacity of his relationship with Cat later on.

And the “later on” is actually quite immediate. The end of the story insinuates that his next assignment is to take him to Ohio, where he ultimately meets Cat and the beginning of the series takes place. I would suggest reading this story after Book 2, so the reader has a solid grasp on the Night Huntress universe, but definitely before Book 4.

[Pam Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Reckoning Stars

It's worth the read for sure, we get to meet Bones before he is with Cat.
You get to see him as a bad as Bounty Hunter and who wouldn't want to read about that!

So if your thinking you will pass I am here to say its a great beginning to the series and you should read it if you have read the series because BONES... Enough said. :D

*All my Reviews are 100% honest and my own.*

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5 star read. this is a prequel to the Night Huntress series, Bones before Cat and does answer some interesting trivia, including the origin of Bone's platinum hair colour and why Marie had banned him from New Orleans.

A nice little read but they're better as the dynamic duo, Cat and Bones than solo.

[MountainKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread September 28, 2022
Same thoughts as below. I am really looking forward to rereading the whole series!!

August 3, 2012
*3+ Stars*

I liked it, but like most novellas it was too short. It was typical Bones, but he was missing the heart that I am used to - of course he hadn't met Cat yet.

[Teresa Mary Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love Bones! This was a fun little addition to the Night Huntress series and I loved spending some more time with Bones. I did miss the dynamic duo that was Cat and Bones though to be honest, but still a great and super quick read.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of Bones in times pre-Cat. It also provides the backstory of his tumultuous relationship with Marie.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Che strano leggere di Bones senza Cat!
Bones si reca a New Orleans su richiesta di un Ghoul, che gli ordina di trovare e uccidere i coniugi LaLaurie, due ghoul che mangiano gli umani. Inizia la caccia di Bones, ostacolata però da Ramniel. In una seccata caccia Bones giunge sulle tracce della coppia e...
Breve novella prequel della serie, con Bones che attira sempre l'attenzione, una Marie prima latitante, poi indulgente e due ghoul davvero cattivi che gettano il terrore nella città durante il Mardì Gras.
Ritrovare Bones mi ha invogliato a finire finalmente la serie!

[Nadene (Totally Addicted to Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and interesting look into Bones life before he met Cat. Intense and suspenseful but lacked the humour prevalent in book one.

[Melis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeni büyük paranormal bir seriye başlıyorum :) Heyecannn