chez_jae | Entries tagged with series: jane yellowrock

Final Heir by Faith Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stayed up late last night to finish reading Final Heir by Faith Hunter, which is the 15th book in her "Jane Yellowrock" series. The main character is skinwalker and Dark Queen, Jane Yellowrock, and the story is in her first-person pov.

As the queen of vampires, it's up to Jane to keep the peace not just in her chosen city of New Orleans, but all over the world. She and her entourage are preparing for the coronation of Jane's primo, Edmund, as the Emperor of Europe when a new threat emerges. Jane learns that Mainet Pellissier is alive, and as the Heir of the Pellissier line, he is old and powerful and has aspirations. He wants to steal Jane's crown, along with the Heart of Darkness, and use the artifacts to bind both an angel and a demon, which would give him unlimited power in multiple dimensions. Jane will die before she lets that happen, but her people are intent on keeping her safe, rather than allowing her to fight. Jane will have to rely on her people--the humans, vampires, witches, and others to aid her in this battle. Because if she loses, they all lose.

This was a monster of a book at nearly 450 pages, but I flew through it. The narrative was engrossing and captivating and kept me on the edge of my seat. I am ashamed to admit a sneaked a peek at the back to see who survived. Oops? I couldn't take it; the tension was killing me! That being said, the author wove some down-time in there for Jane, giving her and the reader a bit of a breather now and again. Characterizations were top-notch, and the plot proceeded smoothly whether it was pelting along or slowing before the next heart pounding battle. Fight scenes were amazing and appropriately violent.

Favorite lines:
♦ I was better at busting heads than I was at diplomacy.
♦ Wild guesses were both my forte and my undoing.
♦ She knew I hated pink. If I reminded her I hated pink, would she shoot me?
♦ "If I die, she'll slap me alive, kill me all over again, and you all too."
♦ "Now he has a glass of wine and half the guys in here need a cigarette."
♦ She flipped down a night vision occular and looked ready to shoot anything that moved. So did all the team. Jittery. Tense. I hoped no one let their little yapper dog out to pee or it might end up blasted to pieces.
♦ I was tripping over my protective detail. If we were attacked, I would as likely die from being trampled by my own people as from enemy weapons.
♦ "It is always a child, or a young woman, with the greatest power. This is why men fear us so."

I do love me a bad-ass heroine, and Jane is one of the baddest asses out there. I love her as a character, and I love these books! Five stars.

jane

Artwork by Cliff Nielsen...I believe?

Current Mood: chipper

True Dead by Faith Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was up past my bedtime last night, but I wanted to finish reading True Dead by Faith Hunter. It's the 14th Jane Yellowrock novel, featuring Cherokee skinwalker, vamp killer, and newly crowned Dark Queen, Jane Yellowrock.

After healing in the rift, Jane is enjoying some well-deserved R&R in the mountains with her closest confidantes. However, she can't hide from her responsibilities forever. As the Dark Queen, Master of the City of New Orleans, and Bloodmaster of Yellowrock Clan, Jane has people depending on her. When an attack is launched at vamp HQ in NOLA, Jane is thrust back into the thick of things. Used to being an Enforcer, she is now forced to take a back seat in her role as the Dark Queen. Jane doesn't like it, and neither does her twin-soul, Beast. Not content to sit idly by, Jane begins delving into the history of vampires, specifically from NOLA, in an effort to learn who may be behind the recent attacks. What she learns is that the enemy may be closer than she thought, and that no one in NOLA is safe.

I love this series, period. This book was somewhat of a departure in that Jane wasn't involved in many battles except on the periphery. She still took an active role, working to unravel the tangled threads that had been in place for centuries as she sought to identify enemies and allies both. Near-immortal vampires can afford to be patient as they lay their traps and put their pieces into play. None of them counted on Jane, however. There was a lot of action in this one, stunning betrayals, and some sobering losses. Beast is present but not always forthcoming with Jane. In fact, a lot of people were keeping things from her, and Jane didn't like it.

Favorite lines:
♦ Beast liked secrets. All cats liked secrets.
♦ "I'll be annoyed if you paranormal psychos ruin my wedding."
♦ No way was I giving in to this hilarity.
♦ She was neither disdainful, nor in awe of my magnificent ears.
♦ Cats must always confuse humans. Confusion was why humans loved cats.
♦ I had never been pretty. But by all that was holy, I was badder than bad.

This didn't end on a cliffhanger, per se, but it created a nice set up for the future of the series. I am looking forward to it! Five stars!

jane

Artwork by Cliff Nielsen...I believe?

Current Mood: calm

Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I stayed up until midnight Thursday night (yikes!) to finish reading Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter. It's the 13th book in the "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series, featuring Cherokee skinwalker Jane Yellowrock.

Jane's ability to timewalk has come at a price; she has developed a cancerous tumor in her abdomen. Since her Beast form isn't sick, Jane has retreated to the Appalachian mountains and chosen to stay in puma form for now. She is unable to leave her old life behind, however. She has surrounded herself with her cobbled-together family, but enemies seek her out, even in her sanctuary. The second Son of Darkness (one of the two original vampires) has come to destroy Jane for killing his brother true-dead. He kidnaps someone close to Jane to force a confrontation. Even in her weakened state, Jane isn't about to let anyone harm her family. Now it's up to her and Beast to find a way to defeat a powerful enemy who is both vampire and magic-wielder. Fortunately for Jane, she no longer has to fight alone. She will need all the help she can get to not only prevail, but survive.

As per usual with these books, the action is virtually non-stop. Jane comes to realize that, by leaving New Orleans behind, she left people she was responsible for without protection. When enemies take advantage of that and begin attacking homes and property of friends and family, Jane is riddled with guilt, as well as determination to eliminate the threat. A good fight may be just what she needed to snap her out of her doldrums.

Characterizations are marvelous. Beast was very present in this installment, and I always enjoy her thoughts and perspective.

Favorite lines:
♦ I figured testosterone resulted in brain damage.
♦ Fun. Fun. Many more than five fun!
♦ "Now help me to my room so I can pack and strip and jump off the railing outside my second-story bedroom."

I loved all of it except ( Spoiler! )

Five stars!

jane

Artwork by Cliff Nielsen...I believe?

Current Mood: full
Current Music: "Carol of the Bells" ~ David Foster

Dark Queen by Faith Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Spent a good part of the weekend (and today!) reading Dark Queen, which is the 12th installment in Faith Hunter's "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series.

As Enforcer to Leo Pellissier, the Master of NOLA and all of the southeastern US, it's Jane's job to keep him and his holdings safe. However, the Master of the European Vampires has issued a challenge to Leo, in a bid to take over all of America. If Leo loses, it will spell disaster. The challenge is set to be in the form of Sangre Duello, a series of battles between American and European vampires and their retinues, and Jane knows she will need to fight some of those duels, either to first blood or to the death.

However, the Euro vamps aren't playing fair. They're sneaking people in, trying to undermine Leo's power before the duel even begins. Jane is kept busy, putting out one fire after another. It doesn't help that her personal life is thrown into upheaval when a man arrives at her doorstep, claiming to be a brother she doesn't remember, and Leo makes her the Master of Clan Yellowrock, giving her more responsibility and tying her even more firmly to NOLA.

Jane must navigate her way through intrigues and betrayals and treachery, and even as her power base strengthens, her physical health weakens. In the end, even her odd ability to bend time may not be enough to save her and all that she loves.

The story was certainly fast-paced. Brutal and wicked and bloody. I enjoyed the rare quiet times that Jane was able to spend with Bruiser, and in this book, Beast got far more "air time" than she normally does. If I was disappointed, it was in the deaths of some beloved characters and in the fact that Jane did not see as much dueling action as I'd anticipated. I love her fight scenes!

Favorite lines:
♦ It griped my goat that I knew all that.
♦ "Like I needed the candy sprinkles of a gun-happy cop dumped over my blood duel ice-cream cone."
♦ "Dude showed up unannounced, and tried to kill you. Double case of the rudes."
♦ I'd been flying by the seat of my pants so long I was surprised my undies didn't have wings.

Even the angst and anxiety this book caused me can't detract from how amazing it was. Five stars!

jane

Artwork by Cliff Nielsen...I believe?

Current Mood: drained
Current Music: "I Wish" ~ Stevie Wonder

Cold Reign by Faith Hunter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't have to work today, so in the wee hours of the morning, I finished reading Cold Reign by Faith Hunter. It's number eleven in her "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series, featuring skinwalker and rogue vampire hunter, Jane Yellowrock.

Jane and the established vampires in New Orleans are on high alert. A contingent of European vampires is planning a visit, and no one is naive enough to believe they aren't intent on a hostile takeover. While negotiations for the visit are ongoing, Jane is kept busy when revenants (dead and buried vamps) continue to rise from their graves and create havoc. In the meantime, an unnatural storm is making everyone edgy and leading to several riots in town. Jane can't help but think there is a connection between the two.

After receiving intel that some of the Euro vamps may have already made clandestine landing on shore, it's up to Jane to keep her people safe, track down the rogues, and restore order to NOLA. Fortunately, she has a strong support group of loyal sidekicks, as well as her own, inner Beast, to help her. Beast was very present in this book, and I always love her observations and commentary.

There was no let up in this story. The narrative careened from one action sequence to another, as Jane was pulled in different directions. The only bright spot for her is her growing relationship with George Dumas, or Bruiser, as she calls him. Even that is jeopardized, however, when her old flame, Rick LaFleur comes to town in his capacity as an operative of PsyLED. In addition, Jane's own evolving magics are a constant source of confusion and frustration for her.

Favorite line: "He's living in a Harry Potter room."

Fabulous, fantastic, frantic, and fun! Automatic five stars!

My only complaint about this book is, the cover and spine are white, whereas every other book in the series is black. It looks out of place on my bookshelf, and my OCD whimpers each time I glance in that direction. :D

jane

Artwork by Cliff Nielsen...I believe?

Current Mood: sick
Current Music: "Escape" ~ Rupert Holmes

Between last night and this evening, I knocked back Shadow Rites, which is the tenth installment in Faith Hunter's "Jane Yellowrock" series.

Jane is tasked with handling security for an upcoming Witches Conclave in New Orleans, one that is intended to broker peace between witches and vampires. A magical attack on Jane's home leaves her reeling, as it has far-reaching repercussions. Jane is convinced the attack is tied into the conclave, and now she must not only fulfill her role as Enforcer to the undead Master of the City, but she also needs to rid herself of the taint of a magical working.

This series is what urban fantasy is meant to be. Characterizations are superb, plots and subplots are expertly woven together, and the action/fight sequences are tense and gory and real. Jane continues to struggle with social niceties and personal relationships, but those closest to her are extremely supportive. I love her loyalty, determination, and snark.

Favorite line: It's hard to look badass in your jammies, with your arms bound behind you, but I'd give it a go.

Excellent story, first page to last. Difficult to put down, which is why I read it in about 24 hours. Five stars!

*****

Current Mood: full
Current Music: Blackhawks at Wild

Just finished reading Dark Heir by Faith Hunter, which is part of her "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series.

When Jane is called to check on fighting at the Council Home in New Orleans (aka, vampire HQ), she learns that an ancient, powerful, insane vampire has escaped imprisonment and is now on the loose in the city. Within hours, fifty-two humans at a bar in New Orleans have been killed, and Jane is thrust into the center of it all. The citizens and law enforcement want the vamp dead, but the vampires themselves warn it will bring about war with the European vampires. Jane is in a tricky position as the Enforcer for the Master of the City, which is why Leo relieves her of that duty to allow her to hunt the escaped vampire without ties to himself or his Clan.

Even Jane's newfound ability to bend time are no match for this vamp, because he is not only a vampire, but also a practitioner of black magic. When Jane is badly injured in battle with the vampire, she must learn to rely on her allies to help her defeat the menace before more innocent lives are lost.

The book was certainly engrossing. The battle scenes were tense and gory, while other moments were fraught with emotion. Jane is carrying a load of guilt, because she wanted to kill the vampire the first time she saw him, imprisoned in the cellars beneath the Clan home. Worse, Jane's injuries are making it impossible for her to shift, and she feels bereft without the ability to commune with the other soul that lives inside of her, that of her mountain lion.

Favorite lines:
♦ Officially, the day sucked. If I kept a diary, that would have been the day's sole entry.
♦ "Be careful which scriptures you pick and choose from to give you a reason to hate."
♦ "I ask God for help and he sends me a freaking werewolf?"

Good to know that Jane can keep a sense of humor about her, even in the darkest times! Very good book, although I am still suspicious about the fact that Leo kept telling Jane he couldn't recall what favor another vampire had asked of him, at the time when the ancient one was imprisoned. Either he doesn't want to admit it, or some sort of working was done on him, which may bite someone in the butt later on. Hm.

Solid five stars!

*****

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Music: "Christmas Eve" ~ Kelly Clarkson

I took advantage of my 3-day weekend to read Broken Soul by Faith Hunter. It's part of her urban fantasy series, featuring skinwalker Jane Yellowrock.

With a looming visit from a delegation of European vampires in the future, it's up to Jane to help Leo, the Master of the City of New Orleans, beef up security at vampire Headquarters. Everyone involved seems to think this meeting is a prelude to war, and tensions are high. Jane, however, has bigger issues. A being made of light seems bent on attacking her, she's being tailed wherever she goes, and Leo's former primo, George (whom Jane affectionately calls Bruiser), seems bent on seducing her. Worse, Jane's inner cat, Beast, likes Bruiser.

This particular book was less engrossing/gripping than others, but it featured much more in the way of vampire history, Jane's abilities, and more from Beast. While I enjoyed and appreciated that, it still took me all weekend to read. Had it been a "normal" Jane Yellowrock book, I probably would have knocked it all back on Saturday. The battle scenes weren't as intense, due to Jane's newfound ability, but they were still gory and exciting in an edge-of-your-seat manner. It was interesting to see how carefully Bruiser courted Jane, as well as to witness Leo's jealous rage over it.

Favorite lines:
♦ Call me a lover of slasher porn, but some dudes just deserved to lose their heads. Both of them.
♦ New beginnings often started with the broken bits and shattered pieces of the old.
♦ "Religion as a political entity is always horrible."

In spite of the deviation from the "norm" (for this series), I really enjoyed the book. Five stars:

*****

Current Mood: peaceful

I forced myself to go to bed last night, rather than finish my current book, but I polished it off today. It was Black Arts, which is part of Faith Hunter's "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series.

When the husband of Jane's best friend, Molly, comes to New Orleans looking for his wife, Jane has no idea that Molly is even missing. Desperate to find her friend, Jane launches an investigation. Her activities are curtailed when she is called upon to fulfill her role as Enforcer for Master Vampire Leo, but recent shifts in vampire activity and protocol lead Jane to believe that the events may be related. It seems too coincidental that Molly would vanish as a contingent of strange vamps comes to NOLA for a diplomatic gathering.

Jane's world is further rocked when her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Rick, seems taken with a new wereleopard in town. Jane's anger helps fuel her focus as she searches for Molly. The search leads her into frighteningly familiar territory--that of vampires and witches working together.

Fabulous, as always. Jane seems so bad ass, but she has character flaws and foibles that make her a likable heroine. She is still learning about her own heritage as a skinwalker, and some of that learning enables her to let go of guilt she has been carrying around.

Favorite line: The mental image of a two-hundred-year-old vamp with a dog nose in his crotch was giggle-worthy, but not something I could share under the circumstances.

Five stars!

*****

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Merry Christmas, Baby" ~ Sheryl Crow

Finished reading Blood Trade, by Faith Hunter, last night. It's part of her "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series.

Jane's secret is out, and people now know she's a skinwalker. Jane's Beast has been magically bonded to Master Vampire Leo, which makes Jane reluctant to shift. As a result, she's getting cranky and restless. When an opportunity arises to travel to Natchez and help another Master vampire deal with rogues, Jane jumps at the chance. She takes along her own, small team, leaving Leo and New Orleans behind.

Before she can begin hunting rogue vamps, however, Jane makes a side trip to meet up with a former childhood acquaintance. Misha wants to interview Jane for a book she's writing on vampires. Janes suspects there's more to Misha's story than that, and she's right.

Jane and Eli meet with the Master vampire, then go hunting. They soon discover that these rogue vamps are unlike any vampires they've encountered before. The rogues are morphing into something faster and more dangerous than normal vampires.

To make matters more difficult, Misha goes missing, leaving her sick child in Jane's care, Jane's former boyfriend comes to town, and then Leo's primo, Bruiser, shows up. Both men are in contention for Jane's attention, and they aren't planning on playing nice with one another.

As with other books in this series, the story was fast-paced and engrossing. The battle scenes are brutal and bloody. Jane has to survive on her skill, her wits, and pure moxie.

Favorite line: Never admit you're wrong when silence lies that you're right.

Fabulous! Five stars!

*****

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "Funkytown" ~ Lipps, Inc

Stayed up a bit late last night, but I did finish Death's Rival by Faith Hunter. It's the fifth installment in her "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series.

When Master Vampires are being defeated without a fight and their territories taken over, Jane's boss Leo wants her to look into it. Jane soon learns that the vamps are being sickened, which shouldn't happen to their kind, and that everything seems to be pointing straight back at her. A man she killed in self-defense was the Enforcer for an old and powerful vampire, who is now using that as an excuse to make a move on Leo's territory.

Jane is convinced that Leo has an informant in his entourage--someone who is giving intel to the rival vampire. Now she has to contend with a potential blood-feud, a traitor, and her ignorance regarding vampire politics, all while still trying to keep her nature as a skinwalker hidden.

The story was fraught with excitement and bloody battles, as well as UST between Jane and Leo's primo, George. It was difficult to put down, which is why I read it so quickly.

Favorite line: Walk softly and carry a big stick. Or stomp loudly and carry enough firepower to start a small war. Whatever worked.

Five of five!

*****

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: "Counting Stars" ~ OneRepublic

Last night, I finished reading Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter. It's the fourth book in her "Jane Yellowrock" urban fantasy series.

So much going on this book:

♦ Jane is heading security for a meeting between two vampire factions
♦ Two rogue werewolves are slaughtering campers in the area, and Jane is tasked with investigating
♦ Jane's sorta-kinda boyfriend, Rick, is struggling to accomplish his first shift, while the shifter that Jane assigned to assist him would rather kill him, leaving Jane to mediate
♦ Jane's bff Molly, along with her witch sisters, is being spelled by their eldest sister and coven leader

And, oh yeah, Jane is still hellbent on keeping her own nature as a skinwalker a secret.

This was a long book, but I rocked through it in only a few days. It was difficult to put down. As she tries to keep tabs on everything falling to hell around her, Jane starts seeing how it's all tied together, and just when you think things are finally resolved, BAM! Something else happens. Very exciting!

I love how Jane is so competent as a warrior, but she still struggles with relationships and intimacy and her own ineptitude in social situations. She's a well-developed character, and I also enjoy the secondary characters, including those we've met in prior books and ones first introduced in this book. Can't wait to read more!

Five out of five:
♦♦♦♦♦

Current Mood: good
Current Music: "3" ~ Britney Spears

I stayed up too late last night, but I just had to finish reading Mercy Blade by Faith Hunter. This is the third in her series about rogue vampire hunter/skinwalker Jane Yellowrock.

Jane's job becomes more difficult when weres (werewolves, werecats) announce their existence to the world at large. A contingent of werecats is set to meet with the vampires of New Orleans, and Jane is expected to help with security. When she is attacked by a group of rogue werewolves, Jane is saved by a stranger who claims he used to be the Mercy Blade to New Orleans' vampires, tasked with killing vamps who've gone insane. In the meantime, Jane's boyfriend, undercover cop Rick LaFleur, seems to have disappeared. It's up to her to make sure the vamps and weres play nice, find Rick, and help the police solve a murder.

There was a lot going on in this book, as Jane learns more about vampire history and politics, as well as more information about her own background. The action was fast-paced and engrossing, which is why I stayed up late to finish it.

Five stars!

★★★★★

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: "Love Runs Out" ~ OneRepublic

I stayed up too late on Wednesday night, finishing Blood Cross by Faith Hunter. It's the second book in her series featuring skinwalker heroine Jane Yellowrock.

After doing a job for the vampires in New Orleans, they contract Jane to stay on and help rid the city of a vamp who is creating young rogues and allowing them to run loose. Jane has to juggle her investigation, while playing hostess to her best friend Molly (a witch) and Molly's two children, and simultaneously staying away from Leo Pellissier, the Blood Master of the city. Complicating matters are two potential suitors for Jane, as well as the fact that witch children are being abducted in the city.

Jane begins to see a correlation between the abductions and the creation of rogue vampires. When Molly's children are taken, Jane is in a race to save them before they can be sacrificied in a bizarre ritual.

This is top-notch urban fantasy, and I really enjoy the times when Jane's "other half", a cougar she calls simply Beast, comes to the fore.

Five stars for this one!

★★★★★

Current Mood: mellow

I stayed up late last night to finish the book I'd been reading at home. It was Skinwalker by Faith Hunter. It's the first in her urban fantasy series featuring Jane Yellowrock, who is a skinwalker of Cherokee descent.

Jane makes a living hunting rogue vampires, and she's been hired by the Vampire Council of New Orleans to kill a rogue who has been savaging people in the French Quarter. Jane has never interacted with "sane" vampires, and dealing with them and their politics is a learning experience for her.

The book had a unique premise, in that Jane carries the spirit of a mountain lion in her. When she shifts, she typically takes on the form of Beast, and the story then shifts to Beast's point of view. The story had me guessing right up to the end, as it was difficult to discern who were the good guys and who was the bad guy.

I know I have at least one more in this series, and I plan to look for the others.

Four stars!

★★★★

Current Mood: mellow
Current Music: "Good Feeling" ~ Flo Rida