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This Side of the Grave
by Jeaniene FrostSeries: Night Huntress #5
Published by Avon on February 1, 2011
SubGenres: Urban Fantasy
Format: AudioBook, Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 357
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Length: 9 Hours And 28 Minutes
Source: Library - Libby, Purchased
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Danger waits on both sides of the grave.
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance...
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage.
Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally" - the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war... to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.
This Side of the Grave is the fifth book in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Honestly, the series just keeps getting better, and I can’t believe it took me so long to start reading it. I’m making up for lost time now by working my way through the Night Huntress series, plus the spin-offs this year (2026).
Just a heads up: there might be some spoilers in my review if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series.
In this book, Cat and Bones face a new threat, this time because Cat has gained new abilities after becoming a full vampire, which puts everything at risk. I thought they might finally get a break after all they’ve been through, but no such luck. Now, Cat has additional people wanting to harm her, but that isn’t really new. To handle it, Cat and Bones turn to a dangerous ally, but convincing this person to help won’t be easy, especially after what happened last time they asked for assistance. Honestly, I wouldn’t trust this person either if I were Cat, and it added on what this person did to her in this book. What’s clear is that Cat and Bones need to stop a war from happening amongst their kind and ghouls, or humans will end up caught in the middle, plus keep Cat protected at all costs. (Believe me, Bones won’t let anything happen to Cat.)
I really enjoyed this story, even though it frustrated me at times because I just want Cat and Bones to finally have some peace. Still, without all the drama, there wouldn’t be much of a story, and I love how Jeaniene packs her books with action, drama, humor, and memorable characters.
Cat is still adjusting to being a full vampire, and I like seeing her figure out her new abilities. There’s also a funny part where Bones teaches her how to fly, and he does it in a way that reminds me of a mother bird pushing her young out of the nest to figure it out on their own. He’s just trying to encourage her.
My favorite parts of this book are the scenes with Vlad and Mencheres. These two made the story really funny. Vlad, especially, has a way of putting Cat on the spot that always makes me laugh. He definitely enjoys teasing her. I can’t wait to read his spin-off series. Mencheres is also great; he’s a Master vampire who shows up in outfits you wouldn’t expect. He’s changed a lot since meeting Kira, and I love reading that growth in his character. He’s a laid-back master vampire who can still be scary, though with his powers.
This book was also an emotional one for Cat. I felt bad for Cat when she learned what her uncle was going through, especially after everything else she’s faced. She doesn’t need any more heartache in her life
Once again, I’m giving this book five stars, and I wish I could give it more, because dang it, it deserves more.
If you haven’t started this series yet and you enjoy action-packed and steamy Urban Fantasy with vampires, ghouls, ghosts, and more, you’re missing out. I highly recommend the audiobooks because the narrator is amazing. She does different accents for each character and really brings the story to life. Just go read the books; you won’t regret it.
About Jeaniene Frost
Jeaniene Frost is the New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, the Broken Destiny series, and the new Night Rebel series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in Florida 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, book trailers, deleted scenes, creature mythology, and more, please visit: www.jeanienefrost.com
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