Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress #4) by Jeaniene Frost

Another great and VERY emotional installment in the Night Huntress Series. I think up until now it's my favorite, even though as usual there are too many jealousy scenes between Cat and Bones (hence 4.5 stars and not 5 stars). 

After the emotional ride in the previous book, both Cat and Bones needs a little vocation. While on a nice little cruise Bones asks Cat - "where to?" and she answers - "Paris!"  Even without this being a re-read for me, it's obvious that if they are headed to Paris it WON'T be a romantic get away, it would be a another version of "get away"..


Before I get into the details of the plot a little bit about the side characters, there's A LOT of Vlad Tepesh which is ALWAYS SUCH A PLEASURE. He and Cat became good friends after his "friendly advice" when she considered killing herself after thinking Bones is dead. Well, Bones still dislikes him but considering how YUM Vlad is, I can understand the jealousy there even though it's obvious it's something Cat (or Vlad) wouldn't act upon. Who says a guy and a girl can't have an platonic relationship?! Another two characters that have a bigger role are Spade / Charles - Bones' best friend and also the main character in the next book in the out side series / world of Night Huntress ("First Drop of Crimson). So I guess it's Jeaniene's way of giving us a little taste of him ;) Last but not least there's Mencheres that as usual has ulterior motives to right about ANYTHING he does. I'm not mad at him, especially since I remember the explanation he gave to this in HIS book which will be the next after Charles' book ("Eternal Kiss of Darkness"). 

After this book there is a small "pause" in the series to introduce two more couples in the "Night Huntress World" after that the series continues almost until the end before the "Night Prince" out side trilogy of Vlad is introduced. 

This book, as I said in the beginning, is very emotional. A lot of things makes both Cat and Bones question themselves as well as each other, the whole book was a sort of a test for them, to see if they can pass it and still be together. They are too similar in a way, they are both willing to do anything and everything to protect one another and most of the time they decide on their method on their own - resulting in a later on clash. In this book it's even more pronounced since as it seems, there's a Vampire named Gregor who says that he is married to Cat and have been married to her since she was 16 years old.. needless to say Cat doesn't know what to answer to that since she don't even know who he is! But since he is VERY persistent and since he keeps invading her dreams in an attempt to snatch her from her dreams to his side (which is his special power), Cat and Bones tries to out run him both in their waking hours as well as in Cat's sleep. 

There is a VERY significant meaning to this book for Cat in her progress into the Vampire world and there were prices she had to "pay" for her attempts to run from Gregor and from her many enemies (ones that Gregor created / aligned himself with). 

The mythological Mary Louvre makes an appearance as well as Cat and Bones seek her help as the Queen of New Orleans and she is definitely not what Cat expected but surly one powerful dead woman!

All and all a GREAT installment in the series. A very fast paced book, even in the more relaxed moments there was always a threat in the air that gave this book a feeling of a chase, mostly of Gregor but also of Cat starting to realize she need to find her place in this world she is a part of, even if she isn't really (a vampire).

Before I "sign off", recently Jeaniene uploaded to her website a deleted alternate sub plot from this book (starting close to the end of Chapter 20). Since it's quite long she uploaded it in 4 parts. I don't think there is any sense in writing a review of something that was deleted / wasn't published so I'm just adding it for you to check out if you didn't know of it's existence. 

Part one / Part two / Part three / Part four 

Additional Details: Audiobook, 9:34 Hours, 3-5 Augustl 2014 / On GoodReads

 

 

ABOUT THIS SERIES

 

The Night Huntress is a great, action packed, funny and romantic Urban Fantasy Series by Jeaniene Frost. The Series follows Cat the half breed Vampire and Bones her Vampire lover. Together they fight humans as well as mythological creatures (like other Vampires, Ghouls, Ghosts and more). The Series contains a total of 7 full novels and one short novella finishing their story line. Besides these, there are also 2 more short novellas, one of Bones before he met Cat and another of the both of them with no real connection to the main plot line (published after the 4th novel). There is no significant to the series in reading these two. After the series was finished another book was published - Outtakes from the Grave containing a "Director's Cut" of deleted scenes and alternate versions. 

There are a few more outside novels listed as "Night Huntress World". Two short novellas of outside characters (Happily Ever After & Devil to Pay) with no significant or relevant to the Night Huntress series as well as two full length novels of Charles and Denise - First Drop of Crimson / Mencheres and Kira - Eternal Kiss of Darkness. I inserted those books in the right reading / publishing order in the list bellow. Even though you don't have to read them to understand Cat and Bones' series, the two full length novels explain how the two couples came together and mind you, both of them are GREAT! :) They have a different feel to them since they have alternation POV of the MC and also, naturally they are not Cat and Bones, yet it is in their world and there are "guest appearances" of our favorite characters. 

There are two spin-off series to the Night Huntress World. First "Night Prince" of Vlad the Impaler finding his HEA with Kira which is currently my absolutely FAVORITE PNR / UF books! Second is "Night Rebel" of Ian and Veritas these are superb as well! While these two sub-series can totally be read as "stand alone" series, just bare in mind, characters from all over the Night Huntress World at times make an appearance. I don't think it's necessary to read them if you don't feel like it though.  

I really recommend this series to all PNR and UF lovers. Though Cat CAN be a overly stubborn and sometimes childish she is one hell of a Grim Reaper (with red hair :)). She kicks ass, and it's always fun reading of a strong woman who can handle her opponents as well as hold her liquor. I enjoyed the extra "Night Huntress World" novellas but mostly loved the two full length novels of Cat and Bone's friends as well as Ian and Veritas' spin-off. The absolute joy, the cream and the cherry as well as the chocolate cake and banana muffins are the Night Prince novels. MY GOD I don't know how I lived before reading them..

 

Books:

-- Reckoning (Short- Bones) (published 29 November 2011) ★★★½
1. Halfway to the Grave (published 30 October 2007) ★★★★½
-- Happily Ever After (Short- Chance & Isa) (published 19 July 2011) ★★★★★
2. One Foot in the Grave (published 29 April 2008) ★★★★½
3. At Grave's End (published 1 January 2009) ★★★★★
-- Devil to Pay (Short- Mencheres, Elis & Blake) (published 23 August 2011) ★★★★★
4. Destined for an Early Grave (+ deleted alternate sub plot August 2014) (published 28 July 2009) ★★★★½
4.5 Magic Graves: One for the Money (published 1 September 2011) ★★★
-- NH World 1. First Drop of Crimson (Charles & Denise) (published 9 February 2010) ★★★★★
-- NH World 2. Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Mencheres & Kira) (published 27 July 2010) ★★★★★
5. This Side Of The Grave (published 22 February 2011) ★★★½
6. One Grave at a Time (published 30 August 2011) ★★ 
[ Night Prince 1 + 2 ]
6.5 Home for the Holidays (published 5 November 2013) ★★★★★
7. Up From the Grave (published 28 January 2014) ★★★½
7.5 Outtakes from the Grave (published 22 December 2015)
[ Night Prince 3 + 4-> Night Rebel Series ]