Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

Book 7 in Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series, Up from the Grave is the final installment centered on Cat and Bones. For the uninitiated, Cat and Bones are in paranormal romance what Jay-Z and Beyonce are in the music industry: sexy couples who kick ass in their world. And, narrator Tavia Gilbert brings vampires Cat and Bones to life (pun very much intended).

With the Night Huntress series, Ms. Frost and Ms. Gilbert are a match made in reading/listening heaven. Ms. Frost built a world where vampires, slayers of rogue vampires, and ghosts covertly live among humanity with very real human drama. Her characters have been likened to Buffy the Vampire Slayer – with variations in steam, snark, and twists. I fell in guilty pleasure with Ms. Gilbert’s narration of this world. After listening to the first in the series, Halfway to the Grave, I didn’t bother with a print or e-book. Ms. Gilbert gets Bones. Some listeners can’t help but hear only the Cockney accent delivered in a tenor. But more than that, Ms. Gilbert’s performance lets you actually see (without being told) the centuries-old complicated anti-hero that Bones is. Ms. Gilbert’s portrayal of Cat shows her fierceness and vulnerability all at once. Then, there’s Ms. Gilbert’s characterization of all the secondary players, which is clearly distinct and consistent across the series. Finally, her pacing is spot on—hitting the ground running during the action and appropriately slow in those tender moments.

Most followers of the series point to Books 1 to 3 (maybe also Book 4), as the entries that made them Cat and Bones fans (and I would have to agree). By Book 7, Cat and Bones are firmly devoted husband and wife. They are finally leading a normal life – Cat is unloading groceries – when she and Bones are drawn in to save Cat’s former teammates who also happen to be Bones’ vampire descendants. Cat and Bones are in a race against time if they are to save their friends and avert war between vampires and ghouls, and humanity becomes mere collateral damage.

Up From the Grave is also a road trip down memory lane, with stops at haunts that were high (at times deliciously gory) points in the series: a visit with Majestic in New Orleans, infiltrations of secret U.S. government facilities, an Event at Dracula’s castle in Romania, etc. Unforgettable characters we met as Cat and Bones’ relationship developed also show up and play key roles: Cat’s shapeshifting BFF Denise, Bones’ literally-forever best friend Spade, Ian, Mencheres, Vlad, Tate and the rest of Cat’s team, the medium Tyler and his dog, the ghosts Fabian and Don, and even Cat’s college friend Timmy. Of course, we also get one or two hot sex scenes between Cat and Bones (but nothing like the famous Chapter 32).

The tour of Cat and Bones’ world is the highlight of Up From the Grave. Nostalgia aside, the trips to various settings and character visits do move the action along. As Cat and Bones rescue their friends, they uncover secrets, betrayals, and (not-so-shocking) developments. The hilarious character interplay, awesome action, and plot devices will be familiar and highly entertaining to fans. And, boy, what a sendoff!

Like being on a road trip with an old school friend you no longer get to see all the time, Up From the Grave is not flawless, but Ms. Gilbert delivers it flawlessly. Thank you, Ms. Frost and Ms. Gilbert, for bringing Cat and Bones into our lives!

Megan

Narration:  A

Book Content:  B+

Steam Factor:  For your burning ears only

Violence:  Escalated fighting

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Publisher:  Blackstone Audio

Up from the Grave was provided to AudioGals for review by Blackstone Audio.