Review ~ Up From The Grave by Jeaniene Frost

"I'm the Red Reaper, and you're dead.” 

There’s always one more grave to dig.

Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war…

A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death…because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives—and those of everyone they hold dear— will be hovering on the edge of the grave.

Title: Up From The Grave
Author:  Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress #7
Length: Mass Market Paperback,  343 pages
Publisher:  Avon
Original Publication Date:  January 28th 2014
ISBN13: 9780062076113

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I really hope that Frost also provides at least a couple of short stories later on because I was not willing to let go of this crew before, but now I really am not ready to let them go!

Up from the Grave was better than I expected, although sometimes I was a bit bored, but when the story revved up, despite the fact that many of the dramatic scenes was pretty predictable, and Cat (still) was a bit slow-minded, I really enjoyed it.

I loved that the whole team came together (although Vlad 's absence is inexcusable! I understand that he has a book, but dang, he's Cat 's Best Friend .... sort of). Sometimes it reminded me of Resident Evil, Underworld or Twilight (not to be afraid, this book does not contain sparkly creatures), but despite all these similarities I liked every solution/twist.

I approve of the big bad enemy. It was great and unexpected (to me anyway). And I like that it wasn't just one human SOB. The conflict was great as it's - although we have not seen it before - arcs over the whole series. There was less humor than used to be, but it was enough for this kind of story. Same with the hot romantic scenes, less romance and more adventure (in "hell"). 

Is Up From The Grave a worthy ending for the series? Halfway through the book I would have said no. In the end I say HELL YEAH! Of course it could have been better overall, but at the end, I felt that we're finally home and dry. I felt that spark of peace Cat wanted so badly. Neither was it rushed nor dragged out.

Any open door remained? Yes. Not one either, therefore I would like a short story despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of short stories. I want to see what happens next with the small group, even if nothing exciting. No cliffhanger, more like an open thread for everyone to imagine themselves how our favorite vampires live off their hopefully long life.

Certainly I am looking forward to Ian 's book and I also have an idea of who's going to be his heroine - Cat is not going to like it , if it's confirmed ;) (I am not sure about this idea after the hangout chat with Jeaniene but it sure would be an amazing book/series)

And now a minute of silence in memory of the best series of my life! :(

Favorite scene(s): Either the "infiltrate" scene or the last battle scene with the follow up scenes.
Favorite character(s): EVERYONE!! Okay not everyone, but all of the good guys.
Favorite quote(s):

"I would never hurt you that way save for one reason: to keep you safe. I can live with your anger, your retribution...bloody hell, despise me if you must, but don't expect me to behave as though you aren't the most important thing in my life. You are, and I will let no one, yourself included, bring you to harm.”

“The day you love anyone but yourself is the day I’ll take your marital advice, Ian,” Bones bit back in an icy tone.
“Then today is that day,” Ian replied sharply, “for I love you, you wretched, pig-headed guttersnipe. I also love that arrogant, overprivileged dandy smirking at us”—a wave indicted Spade, whose aforementioned smirk vanished—“as well as the emotionally fractured, malfunctioning psychic who sired me. And you, Crispin, love a bloodthirsty hellion who’s probably killed more people in her thirty years than I have in over two centuries of living, so again I say, don’t bother trying to convince her that she isn’t who she is.”

“That's how two vampires, a medium, and a dog came to sit around a Ouija board in the back room of a floral shop.” 

"Holy crap, you're a closet Trekkie!”