It was quite good. Vlad rocks. :DAnd I would appreciate more of Ian. He was there like for five minutes and the author almost just mentioned him! Like all interesting characters are being pushed out of the pages to promote other characters that are just simply annoying.

Ask me if I sparkle and Ill kill you where you stand.My favorite of the series - 'The Side of the Grave' holds the best qualities of the Night Huntress books while mainly leaving the small annoyances behind.Cat has grown on me more since she's shed some of the annoying, in the face, immature attitude. Bones is still yummy and protective. Their relationship is in no way in the new stages anymore but they still keep it fresh. They work together as a tough team that - while some natural disagreements come up - have each others backs. There's some sex scenes but nothing too overbearing to where it ruins the plot. Most of the magic of that was lost on me after the first few books, but thankfully Frost mainly concentrates on story over steam.Vlad is hilarious and steals any page he walks on - he's definitely my favorite character, will have to try his side book although I have a feeling that through his viewpoint he may lose some of the mysterious charm he has now. He has a tough side that works with the series but he also brings in needed humor. Bones and Cat have some humor as well but it works even better with ol' Drac around.Marie as the voodoo queen is creepy and brings a dark grittiness to the series that it needed. Sure, it was dark before, but this brings in a different element when the actual dead become so heavily involved. It almost reminds me of old school Anita Blake black noir feel when that series was actually good.Mancheres and his new lady love bring in the charm too as more sides of the ancient are seen when sparks fly. Cat adopts some new powers that make her stand out compared to other UF series characters, and I'm glad the author embraced the vulnerable feel with these powers instead of letting it go to the main character's head. The villain was interesting to fit with the story's flow, although not a particularly strong opponent in the end.There's a truly sad occurrence with a family member, but there's a small cliffhanger on the last pages that holds a punch of humor and made me smile and feel better about that plot turn.Cat will never be a favorite of mine, but she's more endurable - and when paired when some creative side characters who make it impossible to turn my eyes away, the story shines. Now officially a fan of the series.

Ho hum. Meh. A little slow.I never would have thought that these would be words to describe a Cat and Bones book. Ive always loved Cat and Bones and was looking forward to an enjoyable read. I found this book was slower paced and a little bit dull. Dont get me wrong there are some great and exciting scenes in the book, but for the most part, it was a dull read for me.Cat and Bones were a little bland for me this time. Bones is subdued, very calm. Yes, he is still as sexy as only Bones can be, but he doesnt seem to have the Bones charm that he had in the earlier books. Married life, perhaps? Cat seems to have matured a little more and she seems to think before she speaks and acts. Mencheres, with all of his power, still felt like a flat character to me. I felt that his only concern was Kira and having sex with Kira. Nothing else really stands out about him. I was pleasantly surprised by several characters. I have grown to love Marie the ghoul queen. She is probably one of the most interesting characters in the book, if not the series. What a calculating, devious lady. Marie is certainly a scene stealer. I am looking forward to more of her in the next books. The story picked up when Vlad entered the picture. I love Vlad. To me, he seems like the real vampire. He also had a great line:What the hell was that? I gasped.Premature inflamulation, he replied. Happens sometimes. Very embarrassing, I dont like to talk about it.Cats mother, Justina always seems to surprise me. In the latter books of the series she seems to take a if life gives you lemons, make lemonade attitude. She is becoming a favorite of mine.A Night Huntress book does not seem complete without the steaminess and sexiness of our lead duo, Cat and Bones. Chapter 21 delivers on the hotness factor. A very interesting use of candles, Cat. I did think that the chapter was kind of thrown in, like it didnt belong so soon in the book, but Ill take it. I also loved the scenes where Bones is teaching Cat how to fly. Cats fears and frustrations at her lack of flying ability and Bones confidence guiding her were very well done.On to the villain, Apollyon. As a villain, he wasnt particularly evil, wicked, scary, or strong. I kind of saw him as an obstacle for Cat to overcome. The battle scenes were well done, but in the end we all knew what would be his outcome.For the OCD readers out there if you are reading this series in order a good way to read would be to read Night Huntress books 1 to 4, then go to Night Huntress World First Drop of Crimson and Eternal Kiss of Darkness before reading this book.