At Grave's End

Night Huntress Universe #3

by Jeaniene Frost

Some things won't stay buried... at grave's end

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

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

339 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2008

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

[Marianna Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah this is the early 2000s vampire diaries vibes I was yearning for I’m inhaling this series!!

BONES & CAT >>>>>>>

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Avenging Stars

*Spoilers below*



"Catherine Kathleen Crawfield, will you marry me?"-Bones

First read 2/24/2014
Reread 11/22/2015
Re reread 11/18
reread 4/17/2021
reread 4/23/22

At Grave's End, The 3rd book in the Night Huntress Series, was action packed and full of bombshells. Kidnap, torture, backstabbers, near death, and enemies of old trying to kill you and everyone you love. Just another day in the lives of Bones and Cat! I don't think I can't write a review on this book without spoilers, because so many major things happen in it, if I don't give spoilers there won't be anything to talk about.

"Actually, Justina, I didn't just ring you to chat about what an undead murderer I was...right, degenerate whore as well. Did I ever tell you my mum was one? No? Oh, blimey, I come from a long line of whores, in fact..." I sucked in a breath as Bones divulged yet another tidbit about his past to my mother, who must be frothing at the mouth by now. "...called to give you the good news. I asked your daughter to marry me and she accepted. Congratulations, I will officially be your son-in-law. Now, do you want me to call you Mum straightaway, or wait until after the wedding?"-Bones and Justina(on phone)

My Cat:



"I'm calling together members of my line, Ian's, and other pertinent vampire Masters to witness Max's torture." I blinked. "You're holding a rally just to beat on my father in public?" "Whoever aided Max and Calibos didn't fret over my reaction to you being tortured, murdered, and mutilated. It's obvious some people believe I don't care, or that I've gone soft. But soon everyone will see what happens to those involved in a scheme to harm you."-Bones and Cat

Bones and Cat go through so much in this book. Cat gets kidnapped, tortured, and nearly killed by her vampire father Max. They find out that Max was hired by someone else to kill Cat so they're off trying to find who wants Cat dead. Mencheres (Bones's grandsire) joined family lines with Bones and shares his power with him. We meet Dracula in this book. Bones almost dies and everyone thinks he is dead. They find out it's Mencheres wife Petra who tried to kill Bones and Cat, and she starts a war with them. This book packs so much into it, I mean WOW just WOW!

"Well. As I don't live and breathe. Justina, hair's a bit disheveled, luv, been cleaning house? No? And your face...if I didn't know better, I'd say it was flushed. Back when I was a degenerate whore, as you like to say, I'd see women look like you do all the time. After they were shagging."-Bones

My Bones:



"I've never been jealous before I met you," Bones went on, still in that same soft, menacing tone. "It burns, luv. Like silver through my veins. Some nights, watching you with other men on your jobs, I think it will drive me mad."-Bones

This book was an emotional one. When Cat was being tortured, damn it was rough, and when everyone thought Bones was dead. Heart wrenching! I mean I knew he wasn't dead because I have already read the whole series, but it was still hard to read Cat's pain. I was glad that Justina grew a little and realized what a close-minded and selfish bitch she was being to her daughter. Don't get me wrong she is still, pain in the ass Justina , small steps!

My mother let out a bitter laugh. "So both of us used her for our own selfish reasons. That vampire over there has treated her better than her own family."-Justina



"How do you want to die?" I asked, boring my gaze into his. "Because you will, you know. So pick your poison. Swords, knives, mallets, or skin on skin."-Cat

Cat was fierce as ever. She hit a ton of bumps in the road in this book, but she stood tall and brave through it all. She had honor in the way she carried herself when she thought Bones was dead. And she kicked ass when vampires in Bones line thought he was dead and challenged her. Bone was so sweet in this book. Bones has such a good heart and tries to make Cat happy. damn but the man is a saint for putting up with Justina and Tate. The fact that he didn't kill Tate shocks me still. Tate drove me crazy. Tate disrespected Bones ever chance he got. Rubbing his feelings for Cat in Bones's face. I can say that I 100% loved when Cat stabbed Tate in the heart (as a warning she didn't twist the blade and kill him ) , when she thought Bones was dead and Tate tried to touch her. When she told that if he touched her again she would kill him , I was like Hell Yeah! Eat shit Tate!

"Cat," Tate sighed when he hung up, putting his arm around me, "Don said-" He stopped and stared almost stupidly at his chest. The knife I'd pulled from my coat and jammed into him was less than an inch from his heart. I smiled, feeling my face crack like pottery that dried too quickly. "That was a warning. The next one won't be. Did you think you could just slide into Bones's place and I wouldn't miss a beat? You lay your hands on me again and I'll finish you, Tate."-Tate and Cat

I loved Mencheres, and Vlad so much in this book. My heart bled for Mencheres, he loved his wife Petra, and she didn't give a shit about him. Vlad was so damn funny, and OTT. Vlad was just awesome and really stood out in this book.

Vlad must have picked the idea from my mind, too, because he started to laugh. "Oh, Bones, maybe you should have married a docile girl who didn't stray too far from the kitchen." "Get stuffed, don't you have more publicity stunts to pull?" Bones shot back. "How about chatting with another writer who can smear your name into greater popularity?" "What, did Anne Rice not return your calls,mate?" Vlad asked scathingly. "Jealousy is such an ugly trait."-Vlad and Bones



"Ah, hallo there, Anubus. Blimey, I think the last time I saw you was over fifty years ago. You recall, I had just met this very forward wench who took me back to her chalet and then nearly bored me to impotence with her shagging. Don't think she moved once under me the whole time, and it took hours, didn't it? Why, if the mattress would have had a hole of similar size, I wager I'd have had a grander time shoving my cock into that..."-Bones

So much happened in this book that there was never a dull moment. Cat and Bones relationship is tested at every turn and they are standing together stronger than ever. Truly this is one of the best series I have ever read. I love it so much and I recommend it to all that love paranormal romances. If you haven't read this series, you should totally check it out! At Grave's End was such a great addition to the series!

"If I thought for a moment you'd listen, it would be you going inside," he almost sighed. "Yet I know better. I love you, Kitten. There's nothing on this earth or under it that can change that."-Bones

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these books!

[KristenReviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ½ Stars

I enjoyed this book for the most part; however, I missed the strong connection and romance between Cat and Bones that was prevalent in the first two books. That's not to say there wasn't romance, because there was, it was just watered down considerably in this story. Plus, I'm beyond tire of Tate. Why Cat allows him to continually disrespect Bones is beyond me. I lost a lot of respect for her character in this book because of that.

At Graves End is a good addition to this series. Even though it leaned heavily toward the urban fantasy genre rather than the paranormal romance genre, I still enjoyed reading/listening to it.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... another fantastic installment from Cat and Bones!!!

This time I felt I made more contact with various other characters and grew to understand and know their personalities, but even with that happening, the adventure sprang up from all corners!

Tate! I've never liked him throughout this series and yet I had an unyeilding moment where I thought he was going to win me over.... Not a chance!!! However, I made an 'oops' and without spoiling the story, I had to eat my words! I still don't like him though!

Juan, Doc, Denise, Justine (mum) and Rodney became characters of fun, laugher and, for me, tears... Vlad, however, became someone that I want to know more about... I really enjoyed getting to know him a little more.... there are more characters, like Bones' Grandsire, that I grew to know just a little more and wanted to learn about... They joined in this fantastic novel and had me gripping the edge of my seat!

Cat and Bones, I loved even more than I did in the previous book, I love their interaction, their love and their fiesty personal life! Bones has grown somewhat since the last book and Cat has had more to contend with and it's made me enjoy this series even more. I never know what is going to happen, I incorrectly second guess what is going to happen and I'm once again left reaching for the next book.

I truly love this series!

[Sophia Triad · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride!

☆☆☆☆☆One marriage proposal☆☆☆☆☆
“Catherine Kathleen Crawfield, will you marry me?”

☆☆☆☆☆Two powerful enemies☆☆☆☆☆
1. Patra (daughter of the one and only Cleopatra)
2. Max (Hello daddy dearest)

☆☆☆☆☆More power☆☆☆☆☆
“War is coming, I’ve seen it. With your new strength and our combined lines, we’ll have a better chance to win.”

☆☆☆☆☆More of Bone’s “lovely” ex-flings☆☆☆☆☆
“She has no interest in you, Cat. Killing you was just a means to get to Bones.”

☆☆☆☆☆Many emotional goodbyes☆☆☆☆☆
1. “Fix him, fix him, FIX HIM!”
2. “Forgive me”, he whispered.
3. “Perhaps now you can rest in peace, friends. Someday, I shall see you again.”

☆☆☆☆☆One almost goodbye☆☆☆☆☆
“You’re alive, you’re alive…!”

☆☆☆☆☆Two new vampires☆☆☆☆☆
1. “You’ve wanted to kill me for months. Here’s your chance. Just do it.”
2. Bones, here? Now? Yes. Ready? Yes.

☆☆☆☆☆Few guest stars☆☆☆☆☆
1. The Walking Dead
2. Count Dracula
3. Chuck E. Cheese

But for me what stole the show was Cat’s mother (Justina) and Bones’ relationship:

“Actually, Justina, I didn't just ring you to chat about what an undead murderer I was...right, degenerate whore as well. Did I ever tell you my mum was one? No? Oh, blimey, I come from a long line of whores, in fact...called to give you the good news. I asked your daughter to marry me and she accepted. Congratulations, I will officially be your son-in-law. Now, do you want me to call you Mum straightaway, or wait until after the wedding?"

Lesson 1: Difficult Mothers-in-Law and How to Cope with Them

“Well. As I don’t live and breathe. Justina, hair’s a bit disheveled, luv, been cleaning house? No? And your face…if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was flushed. Back when I was a degenerate whore, as you like to say, I’d see women look like you do all the time. After they were shagging.”

Lesson 2: Difficult Mothers-in-Law and How to Humiliate Them.

“Hallo, Justina. It appears we’re still stuck with each other.”

Lesson 3: Difficult Mothers-in-Law and How to Inflame Them.

hahahaha

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better on a second read. Bones one of the BEST heroes out there.

Cat is finally settling into her role as both a half-vampire and a government agent. Her identity has been exposed and an old enemy of Bones showing up, things are getting more dangerous.

I love the growth in Cat and Bones’s relationship. Their bond deepens, and they face real tests, not just from external enemies, but from the emotional toll their dangerous lives take.

Tropes
Kickass heroine
Fated mates
Protective alpha H
Hot/sexy
Action-packed UF
Vampires & others

Cat and Bones are deeply bonded and meant to be, no matter the obstacles.

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whew! What a crazy, thrilling read...I feel like I just spent days in a gruesome, gory amusement park, on a ride that just wouldn't stop! I'm not sure where to begin in describing this book.

I'll start with the obvious. This book started out as almost all Urban Fantasy, with Bones and Cat and company going from one confrontation to another, fighting the baddies with lots of gore and mayhem, and their usual wit and sarcastic humor. My, how the heads rolled in this one (some literally)...for those who are a little bloodthirsty, this will be right up your alley! After about a hundred pages of this, I was getting a little tired of it. Where were the scenes of smoldering passion between Cat and Bones? I needed some of that romance to break up the monotony of all those killing sprees, and almost all of it was off the pages. Oh well, I decided to settle in and trust the author, since she hadn't steered me wrong yet, and endure all the madness. And in Jeaniene Frost's defense, once your characters have found love and are practically living happily ever after and you know nothing will break them apart, what more can you do to them to show their happiness with each other (except repeat the same bedroom scene over and over again?)

*************Possible spoilers******************************************

Some interesting things happen along the way. Readers will be happy to know that Cat's nasty vampire father is finally dealt with. Yea! Cat's mom gets a lover. Yea! One of Cat's men decides he wants to become a vampire--very cool proceedings, I must admit. Cat still has to deal with the unrequited love of one of her men--I swear I don't know how much more of that Bones is going to be able to take. Cat continually has to deal with all the women seemingly crawling out of the woodwork from Bones's promiscuous past--is there anyone, living or undead, who that man hasn't slept with before Cat?:) And once again Bones and Cat have to defend themselves from the many undead who would like to see them dead. These two lead a very stressful life! A cool new character is introduced, one who everyone has heard of, and he has some very funny moments with Cat and Bones, and a pivotal role in the book, I might add.
************************************************************************

Eventually, the main plot develops, and Cat and Bones find themselves facing a new and deadly foe from Bones's past who is desperate to see them both dead. An all out vampire war is declared, and Bones makes an alliance with one of the most powerful vamps around, and in effect, gains some cool new powers of his own. Finally, things heat up in the bedroom as well ( "When you get back, I'm going to cover myself in whiskey and nothing else. Then I'll pour gin all over you. We're going to drink from each other, in every possible way."--this is sexier than it sounds, since we know how much Bones likes his whiskey, and Cat loves her gin), and Bones and Cat each have to face the possibility of life without the other. There's a heartbreaking scene where Cat's worst fears are realized, and even though I knew it couldn't be true (afterall, there is a new book coming out, Destined for an Early Grave), I cried along with Cat when she thought her beloved Bones may be lost to her forever. (*sniff*)

It all leads up to one big fat undead showdown, straight out of 'Night of the Living Dead'. Oh my... ghouls, vampires, zombies, wraiths--what an absolute horror movie! Gruesome, ghoulish fun--but I hope I don't have nightmares!

Once again, Cat and Bones didn't let me down. They are an utterly devoted couple, even though they do have the occasional spat (Cat still doesn't like to be told what to do, even if it's for her own good, and Bones would be wise to remember that). I doubt that anyone can really come between them (that includes you, Tate), but certainly more than a few have already tried. What's in store for them next is anyone's guess, but I for one can hardly wait!

To sum up, not quite as good as my favorite, One Foot in the Grave, but darn good anyway. This series to me is a lot like JR Ward's BDB, in that you love the characters so much, you're willing to go where the author takes you. I know I can't turn down a chance to be with Cat and Bones again. I just have one question--what's in the letter addressed to "My Beloved Wife"? 4 1/2 stars.

[Kat Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It completely lacks in buttsecks. So other than that, there's not much to say other than Bones' overprotectiveness is getting on my nerves.

She's a big girl. Just because someone looks at her wrong, doesn't mean they need to be introduced to the business end of Mr Sharp and Pointy.

Also, they're totally an evil empire and they just don't know it. They've killed more people than most natural disasters can even manage. All in the name of buttsecks... err, love.

[Rachel L · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread November 2024

Honestly, this series reread is the only thing holding my sanity together right now.

reread 8/2020
--------------------------

No review this time. I just want to say that I love this series, I am already looking forward to reading the next one. Twenty pages into this one I was laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes (a certain part of the book that takes place at Chuck-E-Cheese). These books are like crack for the brain and they make me smile. Oh, and I'm Team Bones, how could I be anything else?

[Emily May · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third installment in the Night Huntress series just completely eradicated any 'buts' I had about the last two novels. I'd gone on and on about my love for the characters (especially Bones) and the fun, witty dialogue; but I still acknowledged that there was something lacking in Frost's plots that kept me from awarding the full 5 stars that I wanted to.

This book changed that. The plot was developed, fast-paced and sucked you in from the beginning. The other books were a lot more laid back and 'nice', even though the characters came up against troubles you always knew that they would come out on top and everyone you cared about would live to see another chapter. But this time, the author got nasty. The one really big shocking thing that happens right in the middle of the story nearly had me in tears - oh my god, could it be real? Is it true? How will the protagonist cope if it is? I won't say anything more.

One of the greatest developments in this book that I never saw coming was that of Cat's mother. Justina started off as an annoying and bigoted character that you could maybe forgive because the poor woman was raped by a vampire... and then we find out she made it all up and just kind of hate her. But not anymore. Frost has turned an annoying throwaway character into one of the most hilarious in the book, giving her wonderfully witty sarcasm and some of the best scenes (like the whole thing at Rodney's house - will not spoil it). My opinion of her has escalated beyond my previous imagining, I only hope she has more hilarity to offer.

Ah, and Bones, jealousy actually looks great on you. Yes, after poor Cat having to run into countless old flames from Bones' past, the tables have finally turned for a change. When Cat and Tate are forced to make out when on a job, Bones gets more green-eyed than usual... this apparently serves to make him even better in bed, if that is actually possible (look, I for one am still recovering from the whole blindfold thing in the last book). This book teaches women that if they make their boyfriends jealous they will go down on them repeatedly - awesome. I honestly can't believe that Frost manages to create hotter and hotter scenes as the series goes on... god knows what we can expect from #4.

Also, zombies?? Didn't see that one coming and to be honest it was a refreshing change from finding out that it was just another big powerful vampire with a century more of maiming and killing than the last big powerful vampire. This series really is so good, I can't wait to see what will happen next, but thanks to ebay I should be finding out shortly.

[Alp · Rating 5 out of 5]

THOROUGHLY AWESOME!

At Grave's End is the third installment in Night Huntress series and I found it was far better than the two previous ones. I wonder why it took me so long to start this book. The story was more intense, more dangerous, more dramatic, more thrilling, and more emotional. More everything! There was so much going on that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next.

In this book, Bones completely stole my heart. He’s tough, amazingly strong, and hard to kill! Cat is his everything; she’s his wife, his breath, his strength, and also his weakness. Damn! I loved this vampire!

Cat is still Cat. She seems more emotionally mature though. I liked that she could keep her temper under control and finally acted like a grown woman by making some smart decisions. It amazed me that she could be patient and understanding, and somehow she became less annoying.

And Mencheres, oh Mencheres! What a powerful vampire he is! I loved him in his book, Eternal Kiss of Darkness (I already read Night Huntress World series before discovering I should read this first.), and I loved him even more in this one!

The ending was great, literally beyond my imagination. Loved it!

By the way, this series gets better and better with every book. I’ve officially become Jeaniene Frost’s fan.

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, it was hell of a ride! Let’s see what we’ve got here:

♡ a vampire war (against Mencheres’ ex-wife Patra)
♡ a new, powerful alliance (with Mencheres)
♡ new abilities (of Bones)
♡ new friends (Vlad, Annette)
♡ a pretty new ghoul (Dave)
♡ newly turned vampires (Tate, Juan)
♡ a new couple (Justina and Rodney)
♡ an enemy becomes an ally (Ian)
♡ too many devastating losses
♡ dark magic



The story is really emotional, exceptionally imaginative, and there are some truly hilarious scenes.

It’s closer to horror than to paranormal or to urban fantasy, there are nonstop-action, and unexpected turns.

Cat finally has matured a bit, she really surprised me here.

Bones doesn’t disappoint, of course.

“Actually, Justina, I didn’t just ring you to chat about what an undead murderer I was…right, degenerate whore as well. Did I ever tell you my mum was one? No? Oh, blimey, I come from a long line of whores, in fact…”

He’s amazing and gorgeous, as always.

Bones was shirtless, those luscious muscles moving under his crystal flesh as he danced. It took me a minute to even notice his pants, and then I did freeze. Bones’s pants were made entirely of thin metal chains linked together. Skin peeked through the gaps whenever he moved, and anyone could tell he wasn’t wearing anything under them. He caught my eye and grinned, running his tongue over his lip slow enough for me to notice that his nipples weren’t the only thing he’d pierced.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, these books should have a warning on their cover:
WARNING!
Once you start, you can't get enough. They are like a drug; you get high on Bones.

Do I need to say more?

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars – Vampire Romance/Urban Fantasy

Another WOW of a read in the Cat and Bones saga! Way too much happened in this book for me to try and recount everything and to encapsulate it all logically or with enough fervor to do it adequate justice, but here’s a rundown of what I liked about At Grave’s End and why I love this series.

Cat and Bones are back together and their love is stronger than ever, having been recently married the good old fashioned vampire way, via a sacred blood bond that ties them together until death. So things should be smooth sailing now for the happy half-breed/vampire couple, right? Not in a world filled with powerful, vengeful, scornful ancient Egyptian vampires like Petra and her undead vampire and zombie minions hell-bent on war with the couple. It’s a good thing C&B have lots of equally powerful undead friends in their alliance to keep things interesting. This time around, there is more involvement from previous characters like Tate, Ian, Spade, and Mencheres, and we get lots of additional dark humor courtesy (and often at the expense) of several new, intriguing characters that join the fray. Who knew the notorious Vlad Tepesh/Dracula was such a flirtatious charmer with a fun, wicked sense of humor?

There are plenty of belly-laugh-out-loud moments that nearly had me falling off the couch (including Cat’s finest use of her seduction skills and sarcastic, barbed wit while on an undercover mission at an S&M club called The Marquis), and there’s exciting action and mayhem, hot romance with our beloved duo, and some shocking twists and turns that had me in surprised tears. The ending, while not an outright cliffhanger, left a lot frustratingly unresolved, and it made me glad that I started the series late and only have to wait 16 days until Destined for an Early Grave hits shelves on July 28th! Can Cat and Bones hold on to their precious, hard-fought HEA? Will they ever find the time in between raging bloody vampire battles to have a wedding? I for one can’t wait to find out! Big 5 stars!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really enjoying the Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost, which has a great mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, with good Buffy/Spike vampire/slayer vibes between the two leads. In AT GRAVE'S END, the third book of the series, the books turn much darker and Cat/Bones face threats from all around them. I would say there is more of a war/revolution theme present rather than the sexy playful vampire romance vibe there was in previous books.

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

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I had a great time with this book during this re-read! I fell in love with this series quite a few years ago and decided to get the audiobooks since I knew that I would want to revisit this world. This is the third book in the Night Huntress series, which really does need to be read in order. There were parts of the book that I did remember but I had lost quite a few details over the years. I am very slowly working my way through the series for the second time and found it to be just as enjoyable as it was the first time around if not more.

I love Cat and Bones. More accurately, I like Cat but I LOVE Bones. There are actually a lot of great characters in this series but Bones is my favorite by far. Bones can do just about anything and doesn't make apologies. His love for Cat is sincere and unquestionable. I do like the two of them together. I must admit that there were a few times in this book that Cat got on my nerves just a bit. I like Cat and I understand that she has some great ideas but it just seemed odd that all of these really old vampires were taking her lead. I wanted to be quiet for a minute and maybe learn something from the very capable people she had around her. I also thought that Cat took some unnecessary risks and put herself in some uncomfortable positions which illustrated the fact she still has a lot to learn. I did think that Cat really showed her strength when everything went horribly wrong and she was forced to take a leadership position.

The secondary characters played really important roles in this book. I believe that this is Vlad's introduction in the series and I was quickly reminded why I love his character. The background that we learn about his character in this book was very touching. Mencheres was in the spotlight for a lot of this book and I have always enjoyed his character. I liked the developments in vampire politics that revolved around him and found his backstory to be rather eye-opening.

This was an exciting story. There were a few scenes that stayed with me over the years which really says a lot about the book. There were some rather emotional moments in the story which I thought were handled very well. I liked that there was such a wide range of emotions in a single story and it all worked so well.

Tavia Gilbert did a fantastic job with the narration of this book. This story has a pretty large cast of characters and she handles all of their different voices very well. I am actually rather amazed by the wide range of accents and voices that she does use in this audiobook. I thought that she expressed all of the emotion and excitement of this story expertly. I would say that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this series to others. This is an exciting installment in a series filled with wonderful characters and intense situations. I can't wait to continue with my re-read of the series!

Initial Thoughts
I had a great time with this. This was a re-read for me but it has been several years since I last read this book. I really didn't expect to remember much of anything but I did remember some parts of the story. Maybe my memory isn't as bad as I think it is. Bones is my favorite character in this series by far but Vlad is right up there so I was thrilled to see him play a role in this installment. Ian, Spade, and Mencheres are also around which made me a happy camper. Cat did get on my nerves a time or two but I do like her character and thought that she was rather strong in this book. There is quite a bit of action and some pretty intense scenes that kept the excitement going.

Book source: Audible Purchase

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Slightly better than One Foot in the Grave, but not good enough.

Like One Foot, incidents in this book are strung together with little thread. They go here, they go there, they kill someone, someone tries to kill Cat, someone tries to kill Bones, they go somewhere else, they shuffle Cat's friends & family between safehouses, they go another place, they kill someone else. Absurdly complicated plots were brainstormed for seemingly needless reasons (usually revolving around Cat's safety). Eventually I gave up trying to figure why things were happening -- I just wanted to close the book with a sense of completion. This one, at least, had more interesting side characters. Mencheres is a blessedly sedate personality in Ms Frost's sea of frothing extroverts. I also liked Vlad, but I liked Ian even more. Ian is my kind of anti-hero -- snarky, moody, proud, & badass. You don't know if he's going to snuggle, make a smart remark, or rip your head off -- and that's a good thing.

Unfortunately, the handwriting is on the wall.

Cat & Bones are well on their way to being The Awesomest People Ever. Clearly they're being established as the sexiest, smartest, most devoted, most capable, most deadly, most powerful, & most envied couple in the universe. They are the ultimate Mary Sue & Gary Stu -- a pairing all the more perfect because they lurve each other so much.

*yawn*

In Book 2, Bones displayed some abilities we hadn't seen before. Now Bones has collected MORE power -- an upgrade in every possible sense, including a really dreadful pulled-from-the-ass excuse for dying enough to fool the villain, yet Not Dying & walking through the front door before Cat went batshit insane without his steadying influence. (My eyes nearly rolled out of their sockets.) Cat's powermassing, meanwhile, is a less tangible variety. Not only is she desired by almost every male character, but she's the equivalent of all but the most powerful Master Vamps. While Bones' perfection is somewhat tempered by his personality, Cat isn't so fortunate. She's rude. She has no social grace. She swears, blurts her opinions, & throws fits whenever anyone tries to protect her. (How dare they!) She claims to have a best friend, but we never see them interact. She's trying to make amends with her mother, yet Justina disappears for long stretches of narrative. It seems the author has decided she can't have a softer personality outside of lovey-dovey scenes with Bones.

As for Tate...no thanks. He's supposed to be some military-bred macho man, yet he's reduced to a mewling mass of fanboy worship whenever Cat walks into the room. Urgh. (Speaking of which...the supposed Bones/Cat/Tate love triangle is one of the weakest I've ever read. There ain't no way he'll come out a winner, & the dreaded triangle only works if both parties have equal chance to get the girl.)

So, yes...not as bad as #2, but not enough for me to continue with the series. (Sorry, Ian.)

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another fun instalment in the Night Huntress series.

Cat and Bones are back to their ass-kicking best as they fight off an assassination attempt from her evil father and then get caught up in a full blown vampire war as it becomes apparent that a 2000 year old master vampire from Bones and Mencheres past supported the assassination attempt.

The plot was fast paced with plenty of intense action scenes. We also had plenty more of the romance and humor that was such a big part of the first few books.

I do love Cat and Bones as a couple. I only wish now that we could get rid of the whiny Tate! The guy really has to let his feelings for Cat go.

With Cat embracing her vampire side more and more all the time it should be interesting to see where the next book takes her.

Rating: 4 stars.

Audio Note: Tavia Gilbert was great as always. Though again I'm not keen on one of her chosen accents. This time for Dracula!

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read with the UF group of Buddies Books and Baubles

“How could you be nervous about asking me to marry you, Bones? I'd die for you. Why wouldn't I want to live for you as well?”

While there was a slight drop off between the first and second book this one rebounds quite nicely and is as good if not better than the first. Cat and Bones are back with great banter, dark humor and fun shenanigans again with an even more deadly adversary.

I will say that the author gave me a few serious heart palpitations and moments of worry for our couple and friends. There were even a few scenes I actually teared up at and that is hard to do to me in a series like this one. One of the things I like the most about the Dark Huntress series is there isn’t a lot of down time. Even when Cat is on hold waiting for a development with the bad guy there are other fight scenes or adventures happening in between. Always a lot of movement to the story and Bones always comes through with some sort of surprise. I have a great time reading how Bones still antagonizes Cat’s mom. Those to me are some of the funniest scenes.

Great story with a lot of action! Never a dull moment.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cat: Large as life, and twice as natural.

Bones: THE best, most well-rounded hero I've read in a long, long time. Perhaps ever.

The Plot: Fast, easy to follow, and packed with action - yet balanced with romance and humour.

I don't usually give 'random' books in a series (i.e. those without any key scenes) five stars, but the first four NH books are just universally phenomenal.

[Elise ✘ a.k.a Ryder's Pet ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Bones is the life of the series*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱

Second re-read: 06.11.2018
The third book in the series starts almost right after book two. Half-vampire Catherine ‘Cat’ ‘Cathy’ ‘Kitten’ ‘Commander’ ‘The Red Reaper’ Kathleen Crawfield (27) and her vampire bounty hunter/hit man Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III (Crispin was his human name) ‘Bones’ (247), are both now working for the government. Well, Bones does it for Cat. Both are also now married by vampire law. Someone is out to get Bones by killing Cat. The book has action, betrayals and heartbreak. Overall, it's a nice addition to the series, though it's the least good one compare to the first two. On to the next one!

“How could you be nervous about asking me to marry you, Bones? I’d die for you. Why wouldn’t I want to live for you as well?”

Other Character:
→ Justina Crawfield (45), Cat's mother.
→ Baron Charles ‘Spade’ DeMortimer, Bones' best friend.
→ Liam Flannery aka Ian (over 200), Bones and Spade's shire/master.
→ Rodney, a ghoul and friend of Bones.
→ Donald ‘Don’ Williams (around 50), the head of a unit in the FBI called the Paranormal Behavior Division; a combination of CIA, FBI, and the armed forces. He's Cat's boss and he's Cat's uncle; her mother's rapist's brother (Max).
→ Tate Bradley (late twenties), had been a sergeant in the Special Forces, a very select unit of them, is now on Cat's team. He's Cat's second-in-command. Gets turned into a vampire by choice by Bones.
→ Dave and Juan, Cat's other two captains. Dave gets killed by a vampire and at end of the book two, Rodney and Bones makes him a ghoul. Juan gets turned into a vampire by choice by Bones.
→ Denise, Cat's friend for over three years. Cat saved her from a vampire. Randy, her husband. Randy get's torn apart by zombies at the end of the book; dead.
→ Cooper, a member of Cat's team, he’s smart, fast, and ruthless. His years as an undercover narcotics officer probably helped there. He’s performed well in training operations, so they are now trying to see how he does in the field. He doesn’t like Cat; thinks she’ll turn on them one day because she a half-breed. He becomes Cat's third captain.
→ Mencheres (Cat guess him to be well over 2000, though from his appearance, you wouldn’t think he was a day over 25), the vampire who made Ian, so that makes him Bones' fang granddaddy/grandsire. He’s a very powerful vampire who Ian wouldn’t want to cross. Since Cat's father, Maximillian ‘Max’, is a member of Ian’s line and still under his protection, any attack against Max would be the same as an attack against Ian in the vampire world. Mencheres sees things; visions, glimpses of the future, that sort. It’s one of his powers. He can also read humans’ minds, and it seems, half-breeds, too (but not vampires’ minds).
→ Annette (looks around 45), the first vampire Bones had ever made. She had help him when Bones was human, and Bones wanted to return the favor; to become a vampire, she accepted.
→ Rattler (turns out to be a traitor), Doc, Zero, and Tick Tock, vampires of Bones. Bones has well over two hundred vampires (direct members of his line), and that didn’t count the ghouls he’d had a hand in siring, which was roughly another hundred. Zero and Tick Tock gets killed in the zombie attack at the end of the book.
→ Patra (over 2000), a master and Max’s mysterious benefactor. She chose her vampire name in honor of her mother, one of Egypt’s most famous rulers, and merely shortened it when she changed over. Patra is the daughter of Cleopatra, and Mencheres refuses to kill her because she’s his wife.
→ Vlad Tepesh (several 100 years old.), ummm, the original one; Dracula, a Master. He, too, can read minds and is pyrokinetic.

“Get stuffed, don't you have more publicity stunts to pull?" Bones shot back. "How about chatting with another writer who can smear your name into greater popularity?"
"What, did Anne Rice not return your calls, mate?" Vlad asked scathingly. "Jealousy is such an ugly trait.”

Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy?.
Series: - Series, Book Three.
Love triangle? - No.
Cheating? - No.
HEA? - No.
Favorite character? - Bones.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Probably.
New Rating - 3.5 stars.

Re-read: 20.04.15
Bones *sigh*. I love him.

First read review:
I want Bones for myself.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads is being weird right now, so I'll make it short.

After Chapter 32 of the last book, this one could not possibly have lived up to it, but it was still fun.

Also, according to Cat's descriptions, Bones looks like this:



And, the other guy in love with her, Tate, looks like this:



Now, I'm not trying to be superficial here, I just am. But, I would personally pick Option B. And to prove it's not only about his looks, Tate also has never uttered the words "Old Chap", so there is more motivation.

I mean, come on!! Seriously? "Old Chap"? Is Bones supposed to be a romantic lead or an uptight butler from the 19th century?


This guy can pull it off, but Bones can't.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I have to say is one word... BONES

This series is so F-ing good. Jeaniene Frost writes urban fantasy just how I like it: Funny, sexy, action packed, and silly-drama free.

I'm not going to do a whole analyze-y review because I'm just going to circle back inevitably to the idea that "Bones is a sexy god... me likey" over and over. Let's just say that whenever I pick up a book in this series I get consistently amazing stuff.

This book is just so quotable. Here is one that made me laugh out loud:

"Why Cat, you seem edgy." Ian baited me after my silence at the table grew pointed. "You're not still cross at me over kidnapping your ex-boyfriend last summer, are you?"

I resisted the urge to hurl my plate at him. "Of course not, Ian. It's just normally at this hour, Bones and I are fucking like rabbits, so I get twitchy when I have to wait for him to climb aboard."

Jeaniene Frost, you just get me.

[Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't get enough of those two! A little sweet, a lot of sexy, and a bit of heartbreak - onward to the next!

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually more of a 3 1/2 star.

While reading my review, keep in mind that I did enjoy the book. I plan to continue reading the series and get the fourth book, but if my problem with this book consumes the next book I think this series and I will have to break up.

I loved a lot of the side characters in this one. Mencheres continues to be intriguing, although at times I just wanted to smack him and tell him to man up. Spade and Annette are back for more page time too. Who really caught my attention in this book was Vlad. He cracked me up. I loved watching the tension between him and Bones. Also, his power was pretty cool. He and Cat have a very powerful scene when Cat is at her lowest. I loved the glimpse we got into his motives and his secret pain.

The plot in this one is pretty simple. There aren't a lot of complicated subplots or hidden motives. That's okay, sometimes simple can be a good thing. Bones and Cat are still together and in love. They actually have some surprising news which Bones takes enormous delight in informing her mother of. The action was fun and I enjoyed the ending. I guess when you get as old as Mencheres you have some pretty wicked powers.

Now, on to my rant:

***SPOILERS***

What the hell is wrong with Cat? Why is she still friends with that little ass, Tate? Argh! I hate how she refuses to give up friendships/relationships that do nothing but drag her down. If she's supposed to be this kick ass girl why is she letting herself get walked all over by people that are supposed to care about her?

In the first book she let her mom ruin her relationship with Bones and made herself miserable. In the second book she let her mom spew her filthy opinion all over Bones. Why? Why would she still have a relationship with her mom if her mom doesn't add anything to her life? In this book she's resigned to their relationship, but she's still irritating! She's also extremely hypocritical. It's not okay for her daughter to share air space with a vampire, but it's okay for her to sleep with a ghoul? Where does she get off?

Also, why did no one ever confront her on her false rape charges? They acted like she didn't actually do anything wrong because Cat's dad turned out to be a bad guy. That still doesn't excuse her making a false rape charge and using that lie as a club to beat her daughter into the prejudicial mold she cast. Why did no one call her on it? It made me so mad!

I was so excited when I thought Tate might be a bad guy. I did a happy dance when I thought I might be rid of him. I was so bummed when it turned out that he was innocent. Why can't he just go away? He's such a skeeze! He took waaay too much enjoyment out of touching Cat when they were only playing a role. He knew Cat wouldn't let him touch her like that if she wasn't forced to by circumstances, but he is such a pathetic stalker that he didn't care. He groped her and enjoyed it while she sat their trying to figure out how to get out of the situation. I was so uncomfortable with the whole thing. I was really glad when Bones told her he understood why she did it, but it would never happen again.

As much as I hate Tate, it's really Cat's fault that the situation has developed like it has. She should have ended their friendship right when she realized that he had no intention of respecting her relationship with Bones. He tells her he loves her and he's better for her than Bones and tries to touch her all in front of Bones! Bones holds back because Cat would freak out if he didn't, but he should only have to take so much! He was ready to throw away a couple hundred years worth of friendship with Annabelle over her just trying to put doubt in Cat's mind. Why isn't she as committed as he is? You don't subject your husband to your obsessed friend's lustful disrespect. How hard of a concept is that?

Cat said she was realized her priorities and was going to put Bones first. She plans to quit her job, and I pray that means no more Tate.

One more thing that was really well done was Cat's reaction to Bones' disappearance. I hated Tate for trying to mack on her, but I loved her for her reaction to it. I felt her agony while he was gone. When he came back and she didn't want to wake up because she didn't want him to be gone...so sad.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is third in a UF series and character, plot, and story arcs carry over from previous books. I definitely recommend reading them in order.

By now you mostly know what to expect. Except that this one is a good deal bloodier, including some intense torture.

On the personal relationships side, Tate has moved into "most aggravating", overtaking Cat's mom who mellows a little bit in this one. I seriously want to stake that guy and wonder that Bones hasn't done it, yet. Yeah, it'd make Cat upset but it's not like Tate hasn't given plenty of cause. I did like a scene where Cat takes him down a notch, though.

On the romantic relationship side, I loved developments there. Cat is a little immature but I'm willing to roll with that because she has zero experience. So I liked that they had discussions where they were able to communicate why something bothered one or the other and come to useful solutions. Their biggest problem has been unilateral decisions by one for the other and I liked seeing that dragged out into the open.

I feel like I should care more about the milieu and setting developments, but I don't, really. There's nothing wrong with them, I just get the feeling like a fan would care and I don't, despite liking the story quite a bit. It helps that the plot is cohesive and the action well-paced.

Anyway, this is five stars with my only real reluctance built around Tate being a snot—which is particularly annoying when Annette has turned around so well and I worried she'd be a similar thorn. I'll definitely be looking for the next.

A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. It might not have made it that far, but there's lots of extraneous talk of sex and who's doing what and stories of past doings so it feels like more.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, the fun does NOT stop in this 3rd Installment of the Night Huntress series. The ride takes you on a roller coaster of ups and downs and happies and sads... It was a fun time, and a TON of stuff happens in this book! So much! So pay attention.

My main complaint... As a love of Egyptology, I was sad that Patra/Anubis were not celebrated and made out to be evil :(

Otherwise, I can't wait for more.

4 Stars for me.

[It's just me Shelly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sorry but these books are soooooooo GOOD I can't even stop and review them!!!! The weird thing is....this is the second time I've read them and they are STILL THAT GOOD!!!


Mother of sweet baby rabbits I f*cking love Bones and Cat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you haven't read books 1 and 2 in this series, don't start with this entry. Really, just... don't. If you haven't read books 1 and 2, don't read this review.

Of the three books in this series to date, this entry was my least favorite.

What I liked:

- Bones. He can do no wrong. As a side note, it seemed like every sentence he spoke had some British-ism in it. Don't know why I noticed that, but I did. It didn't bother me - just had to his smoking hotness.

- Vlad. I was like, oh yeah, when I first saw his name. But he ended up adding a lot of comic relief to the story. I'd like to read more about him in future entries.

- Um. That is pretty much it.

What I didn't like:

- Except for one SHORT scene in the middle of the book, there are no scenes between just Cat and Bones connecting on an intimate level. Their passion when they come together has been well explored in the past two books (see chapter 32 in the second book), but it seemed like that all got cut - except for the one measly scene mentioned above - for the constant fighting going on.

- I do like Cat's character, but there were times in this entry that I wanted to smack her upside the head for being TSTL. I swear, in almost every single scene, Cat was getting stabbed, bit, shot, etc. How did she get through the day before having Bones's all-healing love juice, err, blood?

- Time is just flying by in this book. We're talking jumping ahead by two weeks between chapters. I don't remember this happening in the previous books - except for, you know, the big four year jump between book 1 and 2. It is jarring, to put it mildly. It seemed like we jumped from action scene to action scene with no downtime. This may sound exciting, but to me, it was choppy and felt like an editor had a hayday with the story. "Action, action, character-building scene, action, love scene, action, etc."

- In the previous books, I liked Tate. During the reading of this entry, I was gritting my teeth with his BS. By the end of the book, I was wishing him dead. Shut the hell up, Tate. Go get stuffed. I'm just going to have to trust that the author has a grand plan for making Tate an unbearable prick.

The next book comes out last this year and I'm hoping it gets back on track with five stars.