Nightcap with the Huntress: Series Review + Favorites

It's the end of October and you know what that means - my best friend Rachel & I are going to share our thoughts on a paranormal series that we read together during the year! We've hosted a BDB Party with our friend Kelly, held a Vampire Academy Gala and a Fallen Angels Fête, and last year, we had a Guild Hunters Ball. This year, we decided to read the Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost together!

Half-human, half-vampire Catherine “Cat” Crawfield is hunting down vampires in order to find the deadbeat one who sired her and effectively ruined her mother’s life. She finds herself captured by vampire bounty hunter Bones and coerced into an unlikely partnership: she’ll train with him to hone her fighting skills and he’ll help her find her father. They’ll soon find themselves facing down a group of killers, the first in line of a series of enemies that they’ll have to work together in order to defeat.

The Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost is so, so much fun. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself so thoroughly when I was reading a novel, and I especially can’t remember the last time that every single book in a series had me cackling loudly while I was reading.

I love that there are many familiar tropes at play throughout the series; it’s generally twists and plot devices I’ve come across before in other series. But Frost has a deft hand at weaving it all together in a way that was entertaining and exciting. The author gives us plenty of action-packed moments, fun plot twists, and swoony romantic encounters, and I was here for every single second. There’s always some new obstacle or mystery or enemy that appears in each book, and it’s just so easy to roll with it.

My big love for the series is very much due to the fact that I adored the cast of characters, but most especially loved Cat and Bones. Cat is intelligent, determined, feminine and loyal; she’s an undeniably badass fighter who can totally hold her own whether it’s using her weapons or using her wits. Bones is a smart, equally badass vampire and bounty hunter who has a wicked sense of humor and an irresistible charm that will draw readers (and Cat, of course) in.

Personally, I do think that the earlier titles in this series -- specifically books one through four -- are the best. The last three books are still wildly entertaining and so easy to devour once you start them, but they felt more episodic and lacked a little bit of the magic that made the first four so compelling to read. Still, the Night Huntress series in its entirety is a really a stellar addition to the adult urban fantasy romance genre. It's funny, it's swoony, it's captivating and it's really just a whole heck of a lot of fun. I'm so glad we ended up reading this series for our joint spooky read this year, and definitely intend to check out more of Frost's work (including the series spin-offs that exist)!

As we've done every year, Rachel & I will be sharing our series favorites! I've gone out of my way to keep my answers non-spoilery, so you have nothing to fear by checking out my answers to our questions below.

Favorite book? This was a tough choice between two books, but I ultimately decided to go with the third book in the series, At Grave's End. I thought this installment balanced romance, action, tension and series reveals really well!

Favorite quote? "Life is a bitch and then you get stabbed." When I first heard this quote (I primarily listened to the series on audiobook), it made me cackle out loud. But it also feels really relatable for those times when life already takes a turn for the worse and then something else piles on top of that...

Favorite heroine? There's really only one answer to this question and it's our titular character, Cat Crawfield. When it comes to longer adult urban fantasy romance series like this one, the heroine we start off with has the tendency to make or break my interest in the series. Luckily, I immediately fell in love with Cat! She's sassy, smart, stubborn and capable of taking care of herself (and taking down some very badass supernatural beings to boot), and I just adored coming along for the wild ride that is her life after she crosses paths with Bones.

Favorite hero? There's also only one answer for me when it comes to this question, and of course I loved Bones. How could I not love the vampire who proves his loyalty to those he cares for and his love and devotion to Cat over and over again as this series goes on? The same vampire, mind you, who can be extra sassy and incredibly commanding (and terrifying) when the situation calls for it, who makes me laugh with his commentary and tear up with his sweet declarations and go "aww" when he does something sweet.

Favorite secondary character? One of the most enjoyable aspects of this series is that there are so many excellent secondary characters that we're introduced to along the way -- and it's all too easy to fall in love with most of them (despite some of them having rather obvious flaws). I'm rather torn on this one, because I actually enjoy quite a few of the secondary characters, but I ultimately had to pick Denise, who is Cat's best friend. She's brave, loyal and honestly just as kick-ass a lady as Cat is!

Favorite couple? Not to be a broken record, but obviously, the answer to this is Cat and Bones. While they have their fair share of a relationship learning curve (and it takes some major wild turns at times that turns it into a real roller coaster), it's clear to everyone that their love and devotion to each other is the kind of lifelong romantic bond many of us aspire to find. I loved watching them fall in love, and seeing their relationship evolve as the series went on.

Don't forget to check out Rachel's post!