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Death's Rival

(Jane Yellowrock #5)

Faith Hunter (Goodreads Author)

4.29 · Rating details · 13,782 ratings · 560 reviews

Jane Yellowrock is a shapeshifting skinwalker you don’t want to cross—especially if you’re one of the undead…

For a vampire killer like Jane, having Leo Pellisier as a boss took some getting used to. But now, someone is out to take his place as Master Vampire of the city of New Orleans, and is not afraid to go through Jane to do it. After an attack that’s tantamount to a wa ...more

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Kindle Edition, 338 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Roc

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Most Anticipated Books of 2012! {PNR, UF & PNYA}

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4.29 ·

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· 13,782 ratings · 560 reviews

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Mar 03, 2017 Choko rated it really liked it

Shelves: kick-ass-ladies, urban-fantasy, vampires

*** 4 ***

A buddy read with the Wednesday UF fanatics @ BB&B - because we love the Beast in all of us!!!

I was not planning on writing a review, but I felt I had to say couple of words about this very important point of Jane's development in the series. When we left her at the end of the last book, Jane's boyfriend went the way of a separate from her life and somewhat blames her for being a cheating douchebag and screwing his life up; her best girlfriend turned her back on her and blames her *** 4 ***

A buddy read with the Wednesday UF fanatics @ BB&B - because we love the Beast in all of us!!!

I was not planning on writing a review, but I felt I had to say couple of words about this very important point of Jane's development in the series. When we left her at the end of the last book, Jane's boyfriend went the way of a separate from her life and somewhat blames her for being a cheating douchebag and screwing his life up; her best girlfriend turned her back on her and blames her for everything going wrong in her life, despite Jane saving her and her family over and over again and protecting her from making difficult decisions; the vampires whom she used to hunt now she has to protect, and all those who are supposed to have her back either abandon her or turn against her.... She has no home, no loved ones who would stand by her, and all the guilt the people around her keep on piling up on top of her, for some reason she accepts and caries on her shoulders... On top of everything, Beast has been very quiet since the meeting with an angel... She feels lonelier than ever and maybe more than ever needs her friends to stand by her, but not one of them is!!!! It is heartbreaking!

So, here she is, in the lowest point since we met her, and her boss, Leo, entraps and abuses her in such a despicably cruel and unforgivable way, enslaving her and eventually Beast, that this strong and independent warrior we have come to love, is debased beyond what any of us could have expected. It is painful, it is disturbing, it is horrible!!! What happens to our beloved Jane Y. is abominable, but the story itself, the writing, and the extreme feelings it provokes are amazingly strong!!!! Although I was enraged by the way Jane is treated and the constant betrayals and entrapments by characters Jane should be able to trust explicitly, the drama and growth those situations provide are very well thought out and planned by the author. She has not tried to create a world where things go Jane's way, and it pains me to have to watch our girl be bitten down and demoralized by the darkness that the author surrounds her with. But I am glued to the story not because of the horrors which bring Jane to her knees. I am hanging on every sentence and word because of the way Jane never stops trying to get up! It is because despite all of her friends turning their backs on her, she is still going to find it in her soul to forgive without forgetting, and to always try to stand up for what is right! I am rooting for her because I have been down in the dirt and I know what it takes to be able to gather the emotional strength to raise your head up and try to get up one more time!!! And yes, it is ugly, it's unfair, and it is very, very painful, but there are things, people and concepts which are worth trying to get up for! And this is why Jane speaks to my heart, despite how angry I get with the rest of the cast most of the time.

No, the book is not perfect, the story can be a bit disjointed at times, and even I want to tell Jane to stop it with the guilt already, but despite all of that, this is one addictive series which is very compelling with the strength of the world building and storyline. The characters could have more debt and I am all for more Beast and Pia getting more page time, but I will be happy with just being in this world!

I would recommend this series to the UF fans out there and those who enjoy adventure and some crazy vampires:-)

Now I want to wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you need in the pages of a Good book!!! ...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it liked it

Oh Jane I want to love you but you make it really hard sometimes. At least I always love beast.

description

Honestly I was the most engaged in this book for various reasons and I had probably my strongest emotional reaction to this one so I think that in ways FH’s writing is getting a better but I struggle with Jane’s incessant need to take responsibility for abso-freaking-lutely everything. If a meteor hit near New Orleans I’m sure Jane would find a way to make it her fault and her responsibility to clean u ...more

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Jul 15, 2016 Denisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: impressive, better-than-i-expected, favourites, uf-or-paranormal, great-female-char, cute, fun, interesting, wow-i-didn-t-expect-that

Wow, this was the best one so far!

Truth be told, I didn't expect more than a 3.5, 4 star rating on this book, saw some pretty bad reviews. But wow, I absolutely loved this one!

I mean, I don't even know where all those pages went, it was a really fast paced novel that I couldn't put down. I love the Jane we find here, and the plot was brilliant!

What more can you want from a book, great characters, an excellent plot, really good writing and a fast-paced story. It's the kind of book I'd read again ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 mrsj rated it really liked it

Shelves: must-get-list

Not a bad read, more likely a 3.7 rating for me but Jane has to really decide who the hell she wants??

Everyone is good mate...
Everyone wants a piece of Jane...

Leo... Bruiser... Rick... Eli....

Damn vampire politics.
Damn the crazy vamps.

What I really hope not to read again?
What type of gear she is wearing.. what weapons she has on.
Just go out and kill someone.

And really.. the romance.
Fix it, if not sleep with everyone and move on!

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Mar 15, 2016 Aisling Zena rated it liked it

Shelves: vampires, werewolves-dragons-shifters

3 stars

Incoherent rant ahead, more as a reminder to me, why I will put this series on pause.

(view spoiler) ...more

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Oct 25, 2012 carol. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, multi-culti, urban-fantasy, female-lead, my-library, vampires

So I've had a nasty migraine lurking all day, getting breathers for an hour or two after i take some drugs. It's my sister's birthday and she kind of insisted on having lasagna, and by 'insisted,' i mean that she threatened to have a temper-tantrum. So I had to run to the grocery store with a pounding headache because she was only in town for ten days. Drugs kick in again and I'm feeling almost human, so I drop off the groceries with my mom, so she could do the truly dirty work of putting the la So I've had a nasty migraine lurking all day, getting breathers for an hour or two after i take some drugs. It's my sister's birthday and she kind of insisted on having lasagna, and by 'insisted,' i mean that she threatened to have a temper-tantrum. So I had to run to the grocery store with a pounding headache because she was only in town for ten days. Drugs kick in again and I'm feeling almost human, so I drop off the groceries with my mom, so she could do the truly dirty work of putting the lasagna together while I tried to recover from the headache. I pretended I was laying down to take a nap but instead read Death's Rival.

Yes, it was that good.

A disease is spreading through the vampires, the first time anyone had heard of vamps getting sick. The illness seems to come with a challenge; accept a new master of the city or die. Jane heads off to Arizona to collect blood samples from the infected and check in on one of Leo's former lovers who is sick. She's attacked. She meets up with the Arizona vamps. She's attacked again. She completes the mission by checking in on Seattle vamps and getting a blood sample from an infected. Then it starts getting convoluted.

Jane starts to realize she's overly dependent on her current network of backup, consisting of Derek and the gang, and her hacker, Reach. Someone's been leaking information to the enemy. She works on developing her business and disentangling herself from reliance on the vampires. A smart move that is more in keeping with Jane's initial character development, so I appreciate a return to her core values. It also provided opportunities for entertaining interactions between her and a pair of brothers, one ex-military and one hacker (a little convenient, but I'm okay with it). Events also spark memories for Jane, so she makes several trips to the sweat lodge. Once again, sections with Aggie One Feather shine as Jane continues her journey of understanding her past and accepting her dual nature. Sections with Beast, her cat-soul, were enjoyable. Hunter achieves an unique voice, but has stepped up Beast's thought process and sophistication as she and Jane continue to actively learn from each other.

Romance readers beware--there isn't much here but hints and flirts. Since I'm not a romance/paranormal romance reader, I enjoyed the fact that there was very little focus on Jane's romantic relationship(s). A section with Rick that made me felt like I was missing an in-between story, although I've bought all her paper books, as there were underlying issues that I don't remember from the last book.

One detraction for me is (view spoiler)

Overall, a good read and a nice step forward in character development. Anything that can grab me despite a headache is something worth reading. ...more

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Mar 02, 2017 Maria Dimitrova rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, br-bbb, buddy-reads, urban-fantasy, br-bbb-2017

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Buddy read with the amazing Wednesday UF Freaks at BB&B!

This was the best book in the series so far. I was tempted to give it 5 stars but the beginning was a bit disconnected from the previous book and that annoyed me enough to knock out a star from the rating.

Jane is in a bad place at the beginning of Death's Rival. She's lost the foundation of her life - Molly has turned her back on her, Ricky's gone to be a supernat cop and most important of all Beast is silent. Somehow Jane has turned fr Buddy read with the amazing Wednesday UF Freaks at BB&B!

This was the best book in the series so far. I was tempted to give it 5 stars but the beginning was a bit disconnected from the previous book and that annoyed me enough to knock out a star from the rating.

Jane is in a bad place at the beginning of Death's Rival. She's lost the foundation of her life - Molly has turned her back on her, Ricky's gone to be a supernat cop and most important of all Beast is silent. Somehow Jane has turned from a vampire hunter to one of their servants - a nasty realization for our girl. And she's sinking farther and faster into the world of vampire politics. Thanks to the suckheads predisposition for never providing adequate information Jane has gotten herself in quite the bind by claiming to be Leo's Enforcer. I have a theory about that particular problem that I'll share in a minute. That little title becomes the source of all the problems in this book, including a blood feud with a wacko vampire. Even though it's just an excuse for the fangheads and they all know it. It doesn't stop Leo from acting the jerk that he is and blaming Jane for the mess and using it as an excuse for mind-rape. And we circle back to my theory. Jane got the idea of claiming she's Leo's Enforcer from the info Mr. Pellissier provided. As always the information is incomplete and comes to bite Jane on the ass. And it suits Leo's agenda splendidly because he wants Jane bonded to him (though I personally prefer the term enslaved because let's face it - it's slavery in all but name) when she bites and uses the title to save lives. To me this whole set up felt like a trap, one that didn't spring immediately. Until now, when in one of the most emotionally taxing scenes of this series, Leo forces a feeding and binding. He betrays Jane and forces Bruiser to be part of it. This part convinced me that being bonded to a vampire is essentially slavery because even if you want to disobey, you can't. Yet again Leo acts like a jealous teenager and drives another wedge between Jane and Bruiser. He could have done this without his primo's "help" but he wants to destroy what little feelings Jane and Bruiser have for each other and punish them both for... I don't know what! Having the audacity to like Bruiser more than him (on Jane's part) and being unwilling to share his woman with his master (on Bruiser's part). Seriously, Leo is just a petty tyrant that throws a fit when things don't go his way. If I was Jane, I would have started killing Leo's vamps one at a time, working my way to Katie and Leo in a bloody revenge for that insult. I'm so mad at that bloodsucker that I can't see straight!

And since I'm in the mood to rant let's continue with the topic of Jane's "best friend" Molly. Such a good friend she is! Time and again Jane saves her life and the lives of her family *cough* the binding of Angie's powers *cough* but when things get rough Molly turns the cold shoulder. I get it that she has conflicting emotions about her sister's death but surely she has the brain capacity to grasp the fact that it was inevitable. Would it have been better if she was the one that has to kill Evangelina? Or for Evil Evie to have drained them all, her children included, of their magic and unleashed a demon on the world? And would you like to bet that when things get bad for the Everhearts again they'll run to Jane to fix things? Jane needs better friends and to stay away from the fangheads!

The bright spot of the book were the two new characters, the brothers Eli and Alex and Beast of course. Beast rules! The brothers are new recruits that work for Jane directly, unlike Derek's boys. I like both of them and it seems they'll be much better friends to poor Jane than the current batch. I have to admit I would like to see Jane and Eli as an item but I doubt it'll happen. Which is too bad because he is amazing and most importantly not on Leo's chain! I don't think I'll live down that betrayal anytime soon and the ending of the book did nothing to make me feel better! I WANT TO STAKE THE BLOODSUCKER!!!

Okay, I should get away from the keyboard before I descend back into ranting about the stupid vampire. Have a great day, ya'll!

P.S. Special thanks to Steven for translating all those French lines! ...more

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Aug 30, 2014 Mandapanda rated it did not like it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I'm trying to stick out this series because a) I love urban fantasy and there's not enough of it, and b) I'm still (unreasonably) hoping for some romantic resolution or character growth for Jane.

I'd also like to give a big shout out now for all those liar-liar-pants-on-fire reviewers who said this series is like Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson. That could not be further from the truth. If you're looking for a good comparison think Anita Blake (and getting more cray-cray by the minute) or Sookie S ...more

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Aug 23, 2018 alicat ♡➹♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-urban_fantasy, complicated_mc, detective_time, emotions, adorable_dork, undead_zombies, awesome_dudes, audio, dark_past, own

3.5 stars. A bit of a rant review.

At the start Jane is lonely, she has lost her best friend and boyfriend and says she goes to work for Leo Pellissier "to do the right thing" but really I think she doesn't know what else to do with herself.

From here the story is pretty fast paced and exciting as Jane is drawn deeper into vampire society whether she wants to or not. Jane seems irresistibly drawn to work for the vampires and ends up entrapped by something that is somewhat her fault, though this i 3.5 stars. A bit of a rant review.

At the start Jane is lonely, she has lost her best friend and boyfriend and says she goes to work for Leo Pellissier "to do the right thing" but really I think she doesn't know what else to do with herself.

From here the story is pretty fast paced and exciting as Jane is drawn deeper into vampire society whether she wants to or not. Jane seems irresistibly drawn to work for the vampires and ends up entrapped by something that is somewhat her fault, though this is questionable. (view spoiler)

Continuing the trend of the previous books Jane has the absolute worst taste in men - all of them have questionable loyalty and sanity. Her friends are actually the same way (view spoiler). Beast's tastes are even worse (view spoiler). Yet I still like Jane, I really feel for her I want her to be happy. She is truly a caring, protective person. (view spoiler)

Also -- where are the women in this series?? There is Jane surrounded by a ton of men and while there are a few women sprinkled in none are really possible strong friendships or working partners. It's hard to believe all the vampire security and former marines are exclusively men except Jane. This is a pet peeve of mine with some urban fiction and I like nothing more than seeing some female friendships, plus it is fun to have some side romances that help if the love life of the main character sucks.

Finally the guilt, the guilt! Jane needs a damn friend!
(view spoiler)

And wow this review is ranty. Despite all that I do like Jane! I liked the new brothers who come to work for Jane, Alex is awesome and funny, Eli is hot and hopefully not getting entangled in Jane's romantic life unless he becomes the one and only (doubtful). I loved learning more about Jane's past, Aggie One Feather, and Jane beginning to accept more of heritage and align it with her religious beliefs.
...more

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Jun 10, 2017 Angela (Angel's Guilty Pleasures) rated it really liked it

Shelves: fav-urban-fantasy, fav-shifter-books, favorites, 4-stars

Death’s Rival is book five in Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter.

Jane, kicked-ass and Beast, really shined.

I was pulled in from the first to the last page. So much happens that you just can’t help, but get pulled in. The story is action-packed, full of suspense, secrets, and shocking moments. The story was set at a perfect pace and gives readers no excuse not to gobble this one up.

I enjoyed Jane. Loved Beast, Eli and the Kid. It was great to get some new characters. I hope Eli and the Kid ...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own

Once again another awesome Jane Yellowrock novel. I loved the ending of the book where she got revenge for her Native American Heritage. Awesome series.

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Mar 27, 2012 Steph rated it it was amazing

Shelves: cliffhangers-suck, sos-games-bsb-r6, year-read-2012, favorites-2012, author-웃, series-i-love, series-ongoing

Death's Rival is the 5th book in Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. If you haven't read the first 4, stop reading this and get 'ta readin' those! Spoilers may exist throughout - consider yourself forewarned.

I'll let Jane give ya a rundown of the sitch ~

I'm Jane Yellowrock, and I used to kill vamps for a living. Until I started working for them. It wasn't easy money, and I'd dumped the contract with Leo Pellissier, the chief fanghead of the Southeastern U.S., when the retainer ran out. But wh

...more

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Jul 18, 2013 Lady Jaye rated it liked it

Shelves: magic, owned-kindle-or-ebook, liked-it, underwhelming, people-magic-users, pb-werewolves-or-shapeshifters, fantasy-urban-fantasy, pb-vampires, stars-3, read-in-2014

Three stars do not accurately reflect my feeling/appreciation of this entry in the Jane Yellowrock saga, but more than three stars ignore the many problems that plagued this book.

This series has been something of a surprise to me from the beginning, and after reading I am still very impressed with the scope of the plot Ms. Hunter has created. I find myself reading to find out what has happened, which is out of character for me- I usually read to follow a character, not the plot.

However, Jane cha ...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Jen Davis rated it really liked it

I have to say, I didn't love the last Jane Yellowrock book, but this one came back for me with a vengeance. I was absolutely enthralled in the story from the beginning to the unexpected ending --which left me gaping like a fish.

This latest installment follows Jane as she investigates a mysterious illness that is infecting some of the vampires. It seems an unnamed vamp is making a power-play, using the illness to force other vampires to swear fealty to him. Leo thinks it's the same person who att I have to say, I didn't love the last Jane Yellowrock book, but this one came back for me with a vengeance. I was absolutely enthralled in the story from the beginning to the unexpected ending --which left me gaping like a fish.

This latest installment follows Jane as she investigates a mysterious illness that is infecting some of the vampires. It seems an unnamed vamp is making a power-play, using the illness to force other vampires to swear fealty to him. Leo thinks it's the same person who attacked his people and he wants the threat identified and neutralized. Even though Jane was planning to stop working for him, the money was too good to pass up one last job.

There's a lot going on here. One of my big complaints in the last book was how Jane's personal life felt ignored for much of the book. Not here. Jane is mourning the loss of Rick (though to be honest, I hadn't realized they had broken up.) She is still crazy-hot for Bruiser. And there is even a new guy in the mix (I'll get to that in a minute.) The Rick issue didn't bother me -- I have never been a big fan of his and after the whole cheating thing, I was ready for him to get lost. Bruiser, on the other hand... Well, I've always had a soft spot for Bruiser. But every time I feel the slightest bit validated in these feelings, Faith Hunter pees in my Cheerios and reminds me that he will never put Jane first. And while the near-sexual encounters are hot, they're getting old. Do it, don't do it, or move on.

Then, all of a sudden there is Eli. At this point, I started having Anita Blake flashbacks. No, wait, hear me out. The writing is much, much better here. There is no comparison on that front. And Jane is not having dirty monkey sex with 15 guys. But... every time I open one of these books, I am hoping that we'll narrow down her pool of potential love interests. And instead, it keeps growing. Add to that, the very premise that Jane is a former vampire hunter who now uses her bad-ass killing skill to work for her one-time enemy. Add to that, she is beginning to sympathize with the monsters. She becomes part of their clan. And she's got all kinds of really conflicted personal morality she is trying to work out. It is very reminiscent of pre-porn Anita in those ways. (Though again, with much better writing.)

I don't understand Jane's choices, especially in the second half. Something Very Disturbing happens to her and it utterly baffles me why she does not cut her losses and get the hell out of dodge Why she would want to do anything for Person-X after what happens makes no sense to me. She should hate that person! And then, in the end, she's really screwed. (*sigh*)

Though I didn't love everything that happened, I most assuredly did not want to put this book down. And I am ~~scared~~ eager to see what happens next.

Rating: B+

*ARC Provided by Roc ...more

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Jul 07, 2016 Jenni Lea rated it really liked it

Shelves: bite-me, urban-fantasy, growl-and-howl

Much better than the last one. Love Eli and the Kid. Don't like Leo. Not sure about Bruiser. I'm not even sure I like Jane right now. And Rick... well, we'll see in the next book. I'm reserving judgment on him right now.

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Nov 30, 2017 TJ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2017-reads, urban-fantasy

4.5/5.0
There is a point in a few very rare series that one must admit that no matter what is happening in the storyline, the writing is near perfect and there is very little one can honestly fault. This is one of those books. So no matter what I think of the events in the book please remember, the overall is almost pitch perfect.

NOW... what I think about certain aspects? Oh My GOSH. The scene where Jane was betrayed about tore my heart out! After growing to love this character for four previous ...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it it was amazing

Shelves: vamps, urban-fantasy, commence-insanity, supernatural, werecats, hawt-heroes, adult, awesome-heroines, dat-twist, did-that-just-happen

This latest installment of the Jane Yellowrock series has me so ready for the next one!

So much happens in this one and it all seems that it is a direct result of Jane killing a man in her hotel room during Raven Cursed. Poor Jane. How was she supposed to know that guy was the Enforcer of another MOC come to check her out so that he could challenge her to fight so that a Blood Challenge could be made against Leo? But like others said, why did he come into her hotel room, at night, while she was s ...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Mindy Mymudes rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Review: Death’s Rival

The latest installment of Jane Yellowrock’s story, Death’s Rival could also be called Jane’s Revenge.

Jane walked out of the forest as a young child, without memory of who she was and not speaking. As an adult she becomes a vampire hunter, killing rogue vampires for a living. I guess it’s as good a profession as any.

In Skinwalker we discover Jane’s dark world, a universe filled with vampires and Jane, the last (?) Cherokee Skinwalker. Skinwalkers are able to shift into variou ...more

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Feb 01, 2014 Jacob Proffitt rated it really liked it

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Well good. We get back to the Jane we know and love with this book and the story elements I care about got some definite... progress (even if some of it was retrograde).

This one starts off a bit slow and, for me, boring. I mean, fighting a disease is dramatic and all, but it's all labs and blood samples and infection avoidance. It doesn't help that all the fighting is by proxy--neither Jane nor those close to her are infected... yet... Still, the whole time she's wandering around trying to get t ...more

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Feb 18, 2018 Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* rated it really liked it

Shelves: needs-review, cover-hate, fairytalechallenge

In some ways one of the best - and in many ways one of the worst and most frustrating. I'm at the point of the time lately to WANT Jane to try to leave just to see what would happen. Molly is pissing me off, Derek is pissing me off, and screw Reach now too? There is a horrible scene with Leo and Katie (can't stand that twisted vamp) that made me turn against the master vamp - although again there was some redemption at the end of it. Bruiser is still my favorite - a particularly steamy scene mad ...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Sheyla ✎ rated it liked it

Jane, our little Vampire Hunter is still working for Leo. She is now sent to two different states to retrieve blood samples from sick vampires.
A new master is getting vampires under his wing, if they don't plegde to him, they get infected with a disease that can kill them.
During these two trips, Jane is attacked. Again, Beast comes to the rescue.
As Leo's Enforcer she is to have a blood Bond with Leo. She is trying to avoid this.
Jane decides to hire two guys to form her own team. The older broth ...more

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May 16, 2019 Theresa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-books, romance-books, paranormal-vampires, 5-star-reads-of-2019, library-books-2019, paranormal-shifters, top-20-favorite-books-of-2019, book-series-faith-hunter, faith-hunter-books, urban-fantasy

5 Stars... This read left me feeling an array of emotions from anger, to sadness, to disgust, and ultimately to relief... There are acts of betrayal that cut deep as well as acts of loyalty that are a testament to the strength and dignity of the characters' relationships... The storyline in and of itself is intriguing and challenging; built with multiple layers of history and paranormal myth that paint a picture of several of the characters' backgrounds and true nature... Although I find some of ...more

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Apr 16, 2012 So, I Read This Book Today rated it did not like it

Jane is raped, tortured and betrayed by everyone she held dear. Beast was raped, tortured and betrayed, and is now enslaved. And you people think this is good? The total annihilation of yet another strong female character?

Hunter did a crap job in this one. Leo sent her to Ashville to do a job, she protected herself from death, and protected his scions also, and she was punished for it.

A man breaks into her room in a hotel while she is sleeping, naked, and shoots at her, TWICE, before she respond Jane is raped, tortured and betrayed by everyone she held dear. Beast was raped, tortured and betrayed, and is now enslaved. And you people think this is good? The total annihilation of yet another strong female character?

Hunter did a crap job in this one. Leo sent her to Ashville to do a job, she protected herself from death, and protected his scions also, and she was punished for it.

A man breaks into her room in a hotel while she is sleeping, naked, and shoots at her, TWICE, before she responds, so SHE is guilty of starting a war, NOT him. Yet she is punished by the most vile rape scene I have had the unhappiness of witnessing in an author I used to respect.

And then, Hunter has Leo give and take Jane's blood - - - which, remind me if I am wrong, turned the last Skinwalker into a raving lunatic. So, she is going to use the vaunted next three novels she was just awarded for this stupidity into us watching Jane turn into a raving lunatic, killing and eating humans until she is hunted down and destroyed?

Hunter has lost my respect, and my money. I am sickened and disappointed, not only by the turn the books took, but by the number of people who found this sort of rape and destruction of a once strong character both exciting and wonderful. Where are your minds, people? I don't know what is worse - the fact that I am so deeply sickened by the people that liked this book, or the fact that I am so deeply HURT by Hunter's betrayal of her character - and her betrayal of me, as a reader.

I liked and admired Hunter's portrayal of Jane Yellowrock. She has known more pain in her life than any one person should have to stand. She lost her life, her friends, her self respect, and yet still she helped people, she met her responsibilities, and she gave of her heart, her body and her soul. Everyone. EVERYONE. Betrayed her. And yet she soldiered on, only to be demeaned, raped, and tossed aside like a used come rag. And everyone read it and called it good. I suppose I feel so deeply betrayed because I, like Jane, have been so brutally betrayed through my life. I too was used, betrayed, and thrown aside. Brutalized and yet I still tried to do my best. I Identified with Jane's strength and caring. Only to have her turned into a broken mess, with even Beast ripped from her, chained to Leo, a prisoner in her own mind. Her life, her very soul, is destroyed. Sort of like mine.

I suppose I shouldn't allow myself to become so tied in with a character in a book. But with my own life of pain and betrayal, I had found a friend in Jane. Through Hunter's betrayal of her character, I have again been betrayed. It hurts. I sit here, crying, once again being reminded that my world is nothing but pain. And knowing that, not even in books, can I ever escape.

Go me. ...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Jage rated it liked it

Shelves: series, vampires, native-american, irritating, idiotic-heroine, pointless-romance, ruining-series, stupid-heroine, ugh-jane-you-re-working-my-last-ner

This review might bounce all over the place. I might clean it up later, but most likely I won't. To summarize I liked the plot, but not the characters or the 'romance'.

So, I started this book this book when it first came out and had to put it down because the way Jane spoke worked my last nerve. I want to say she used 'peeps' or something and it was just so out of nowhere that I had to stop until I was clearly less irritable to pick it back up.

Started it this morning, was enjoying it until the ...more

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Jan 31, 2014 Lauren rated it really liked it

Shelves: bikers, urban-fantasy, feline-shifters, flashbacks, kick-ass-heroines, new-orleans, outbreak, southern-comfort, vampires, audiobooks

Death's Rival
4 Stars

Leo Pellisier, Master of the City of New Orleans, hires Jane to discover the identity of an unknown master vampire, who seeks to supplant him by using a deadly plague that targets the Mithrin. As Jane gets closer to uncovering the truth, her role in the mysterious vampire’s dangerous game becomes more personal and she will have to deal both with threats from afar and betrayals closer to home…

Unlike the previous books, the storyline in Death’s Rival is less convoluted and eas ...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Feminista rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy

An explosive addition to the Jane Yellowrock series. I had almost lost interest in this series, but this book revived it!

Jane is back to working for Leo as a strategic plague strikes the vampire population. There are two new character additions to the novel, the Younger brothers, that the readers will love. We also learn a lot about Jane's past. And finally, there is the ever present Beast. She is such a hussy :) I love her. She always keeps pushing Jane to take more mates, because why have one, ...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Alex rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, reviewed, favorites

I loved this series from the beginning. I love Jane, the way she walks, the way she talks, the way she kills and her regrets aftwerwards, her relationship with Beast, her indecisive nature regarding Leo, her interactions with Bruiser and especially the fact that she (view spoiler)

I think she will eventually have to give in to Leo and be his mate, because if Beast wants to submit to him, then Jane will desire him too.

All in all, excellent installment! Looki ...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Kathy Davie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, urban

First read November 24, 2012.

Fifth in the Jane Yellowrock urban fantasy series based in New Orleans and revolving around a skinwalker who works security for a kiss of vampires.

My Take
Arghhhh!!! I do NOT want to have to wait until April 2 for Blood Trade . No…don't make me!! Faith Hunter, you are so unfair leaving us as you did in Death's Rival!

This was so excellent! Resolves that Rick/Jane question that's been floating around GR! Even as it opens some new ones. We learn about a very formative e ...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Fangs for the Fantasy rated it really liked it

Vampire Masters of the City across the US are being afflicted by a plague. Which should be impossible – vampires are immune to disease. Yet Sedona and Seattle have both been afflicted – and when in their weakened state, they were threatened with take over. Both cities now look to a new, unknown master. And to make it even more worrying, some of Leo’s own vampires are being afflicted with the disease.

Time for Jane Yellowrock to do some investigating, using her new team to track down how the disea Vampire Masters of the City across the US are being afflicted by a plague. Which should be impossible – vampires are immune to disease. Yet Sedona and Seattle have both been afflicted – and when in their weakened state, they were threatened with take over. Both cities now look to a new, unknown master. And to make it even more worrying, some of Leo’s own vampires are being afflicted with the disease.

Time for Jane Yellowrock to do some investigating, using her new team to track down how the disease came about, where it is from, how it is being transmitted – and, ultimately, who is behind it. But the mystery vampire has far more than the disease at his command and Jane quickly finds herself under attack – and Leo facing a fullscale war; all complicated by there being a spy in the ranks.

Through all this, Jane’s secret Skinwalker identity is yet further frayed, even as more of her forgotten past emerges and she has a painful reminder of how difficult and dangerous it is to get involved with vampires – even vampires she thought she could trust.

I loved this book, it seemed to get just about everything right with the balance.

The story is an excellent mix of action and investigation. The unknown enemy spreading disease isn’t a force they can just take down nor is it something they can just hunker down and defend against. It’s not a mystery since there are no clues we’re expected to follow, but nor is it a series of loosely connected fight scenes. There’s a plot to follow, a nice, tense tracking down of the clues while trying to protect themselves all of which has the added complication of there being a leak in Leo’s organisation. The pacing was excellent, there was no down time even when Jane was exhausted, the plot didn’t get distracted or deviated and at no point did it start to drag – which can be a problem with mysteries as the questions build up and there’s no concrete actions to take or answers given. Instead we had solutions and answers, appropriate red herrings and show down moments, clever plans, interesting plots and a chance to truly see the new characters introduced.

I also liked how much the emotional impact of what was happening wasn’t downplayed. Jane has been through several losses of friends and that still haunts her. Trauma leaves her shocked and stunned – even in shock. Killing people, torturing people bothers her and preys on her mind. They’re not just downplayed events that just happen and they move on, but nor do they require chapters of self-pitying angst as well. It’s a nice balance and really well executed.

I liked the character development and interaction- Jane realising how she sees things differently since working with the vampires, in particularly how money has affected her. Going from having to count the pennies to being able to casually lay out large sums of money – to Reach, for plane tickets, to fund her 2 new employees. In turn that reflects on her willingness to keep working for the vampires even when she has strong reason not to – because can anyone underestimate the value of such financial confidence?

The way the supernatural touches Jane has also developed – I love the way her secret being revealed is being handled. She is trying to hodl what secrets she can and not having a big reveal moment, but nor is she trying to pretend to be fully human when it’s blatantly obvious to everyone that she isn’t. She isn’t happy with her skinwalker status being more known, but she’s not whimpering and trying to put it back in the bag – she’s living with it and making it work for her.

Read More ...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Annie (Under the Covers Book Blog) rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-requests, read-in-2012, vampires, genre-urban-fantasy, author-faith-hunter, books-i-own, arc, shifters, series-jane-yellowrock

Posted on Under the Covers

The impossible has occurred. Vampires are now victims in a plague that is stretching across Seattle and Sedona. More and more vampires are being taken down due to this outbreak. This shouldn’t happen. Vampires should be immune to disease, and yet Jane Yellowrock gains further proof that curse is spreading as she sees the deterioration in people who should be eternally resilient. Sent in to investigate, Jane Yellowrock is placed right in the center of it all. Added to th Posted on Under the Covers

The impossible has occurred. Vampires are now victims in a plague that is stretching across Seattle and Sedona. More and more vampires are being taken down due to this outbreak. This shouldn’t happen. Vampires should be immune to disease, and yet Jane Yellowrock gains further proof that curse is spreading as she sees the deterioration in people who should be eternally resilient. Sent in to investigate, Jane Yellowrock is placed right in the center of it all. Added to that is the fact that now she finds herself working for Leo Pelliser, the Vampire Master of New Orleans. In a sudden and very high threat, Jane is placed right in the center of the action when someone looks to take over Leo’s land. War is coming and Jane knows what she will be doing – she will fight to the bitter end.

DEATH’S RIVAL is book five in the Jane Yellowrock series. Expert storytelling makes this book a very easy read. So tightly-written and perfectly-paced, Hunter gives readers no excuse to gobble this right up.

Readers get a more in-depth look into Jane’s personal history. Her skinwalker identity makes her unique. With a Beast inside her, Jane has another weapon in her arsenal. But this weapon is also her weakness. Her memories are frayed and putting the pieces together is much more difficult than she anticipated. I loved reading about this side of her. It makes Jane feel more down-to-earth, more vulnerable, more real.

Hunter showcases her talent as a storyteller as she expertly weaves a story that is action-packed and smoothly written. There is plenty to action to keep readers satisfied yet, Hunter knows when to slow down and give readers a chance to breathe and take in events. There were no slow moments in this book, nothing that could be taken out because it was frivolous. Everything inside this book needed to be there and that’s a true testament to Hunter’s writing. This book is compacted with suspense, secrets and shocking events!

Fans who enjoy Patricia Briggs’ novels will surely find Jane Yellowrock and her world enjoyable. With her Cheerokee heritage, her Beast prowling just beneath the surface and the action that Hunter brings forth, readers will find a new heroine to wish they were friends with!

*ARC provided by publisher ...more

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About Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter

4,115 followers

Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series is a dark urban fantasy. Jane is a full blooded Cherokee skinwalker and hunter of rogue-vampires in a world of weres, witches, vampires, and other supernats.

Her Rogue Mage novels—Bloodring, Seraphs, Host, and the RPG Rogue Mage—feature Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage in a post-apocalyptic alternate reality.

The Soulwood series is a dark-urban fantasy / paranormal ...more