Saturday, December 26, 2009

Blood Cross - Jane Yellowrock Bk #2 - Faith Hunter

Picking up a few weeks after the events of Skinwalker, we find vampire bounty hunter and skinwalker, Jane Yellowrock receiving visitors. Jane's best friend and earth witch, Molly is there with her two children, Angelina and Little Evan. Together they are riding out the tail end of a hurricane at Jane's rental property in New Orleans. Molly is a powerful earth witch, but all of her wards are down because the storm was playing merry-hob with them.

The hurricane begins to let up and Molly and Jane decide to put the kids down for a little nap. Being the only one who stays awake, Jane begins to prowl the house because she can feel something's off. Suddenly, Jane smells smoke and races outside to see what the origin is. She skids to a halt in front of Leo Pellissier, leader of the vampire council of New Orleans and four of his blood children in her front yard. He's there to kill her because he believes Jane killed his only son and heir, and he intends to use fire to do it.

Even though Jane's original contract with the vampire council has expired it was extended so that the part Cherokee all skinwalker Jane could take care of the problem. Some rogue master is making scions and setting them free without the ten years needed to "cure" them. Young vampires generally must spend a decade chained up before they regain enough of the sanity needed to be let out into society again. This new master is skipping that step and basically releasing what amounts to be paranormal strength, fangs and hunger upon the streets of New Orleans. Jane's job is to find this rogue and end him along with any other children he has made.

Jane knows she cannot do this alone. She sets out with some local vigilantes, her witch friend Molly and her police detective friend Rick to end the dead bodies that begin stacking up around New Orleans again. To everyone's surprise except Jane it becomes apparent that it isn't just one lone vampire master who is doing this. It goes deeper then that. When loyalties run in millenia who amongst the vampires can Jane trust?

I truly do love the world that Faith Hunter has created with Jane Yellowrock. In Blood Cross she continues to walk the tightrope between amazing writing and doing what has come before. It would be so easy for her to fall off into derivative nonsense with her protagonist being a six foot tall, beautiful, shape shifting "Valkyrie" on a Harley, but Ms. Hunter never does. Not one part of this story takes you out of it by ringing false.

Just like in Skinwalker, Blood Cross has another stand out voice with Jane's other known as Beast. The parts of the book with Beast are funny and believable. When Beast is sitting alpha she has an inner monologue that makes it known that she considers Jane the interloper and that she should actually be in control most of the time.

Begin your year by picking up Blood Cross. Actually, if you haven't yet get the whole story beginning in the Strange Brew anthology (what I call Jane Yellowrock Bk #.5) and Skinwalker - Jane Yellowrock Bk #1. Blood Cross is a paranormal thriller that deserves to be read.

Blood Cross receives a classic rating of 4 out of 4 stars.

Please Support This Site and Pick Up a Copy Here: Blood Cross - Jane Yellowrock Bk #2 - Faith Hunter.

Make sure to stop by Ms. Hunter's Website.

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