Blood Trade by Faith Hunter – a Review

Links to order Blood Trade: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Kobo

Description:
Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker who’s always up for a fight—even if it means putting her life on the line…

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires—those who follow the Naturaleza and believe that humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted—are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care

Review:

Blood Trade by Faith Hunter is the 6^th book in her wonderful Jane Yellowrock series.  I have loved this series since the start, and Jane and Beast are two of my favorite characters.  For those who may not know this series, Jane is a skinwalker, and Beast, is her other soul, who is a mountain lion. 

Blood Trade picks up not long after Death’s Rival left off.  Having revealed her other soul, and being a skinwalker, Jane no longer hides what she is.  But when we start, she is depressed, having lost her boyfriend Rick, angry at the betrayal of her other suitor Bruiser, and most importantly afraid of the binding of Beast to Leo, the Master of the City (MOC of New Orleans, and more).   Poor Jane, she does have a lot of reasons to be depressed.

But nothing like a case that will cure her depression.  She is off to Natchez, to meet Hieronymus, the vamp leader in that territory. In Death’s Rival, Jane and her team helped destroy the enemy, but in doing so, much of Natchez was left in ruins.  But Hieronymus needs help, as a mutate group of vampires are killing humans, and they still have their own vamps effected by the plague.   Jane brings Eli and Alex with her, as they set out to find who is behind the mutation that is also behind the disappearance of witches.

But as soon as she arrives, she meets some friends from her childhood, Misha and Bobby.  In a short time, Misha, who is writing a story about vamps, disappears, and leaves Jane a note to take care of her sick child, Charly.  Jane does not like being distracted but feels a sense of loyalty to Bobby, and Charly.  Jane will learn that Misha’s disappearance has to do with the other missing witches, and Misha, she learns is a witch.

The story can be at times difficult keeping up with all the details that Jane discovers, but the story flows, and becomes very very exciting.  I love Eli, and though I know they are like brother and sister, I so wanted him with her.  But Jane is locked into her triangle with Rick and Bruiser, though she seems to care more for Rick.  Of course Beast just happens to want both Rick and Bruiser. Lol

I adore Beast, and get a kick out of her listening, watching, and helping Jane overcome the enemy.  But one of the best parts was when Jane shifted to Beast, and Eli came face to face with Beast, a ferocious mountain lion.  I laughed when Beast walked up to Eli, showing teeth, then jumped up with paws on his shoulders..chuffing (laughing).  Very cool.

Without giving away spoilers, the last half of the book was non stop action, with Jane trying to understand the clues given to her by an old time witch.  It was fun to watch Jane & Beast work with some of the wonderful characters Faith has given us in this series.  Rick, Bruiser, Evan (miss Molly & Angie), a little of Leo; and some wonderful newer characters, such as Eli, Kid, Soul, Sylvia, just to name a few.  I really enjoyed how some things from earlier books were tied up at the end, not to mention the climatic ending.  Of course, we do not have a resolution to Bruiser and Rick. Everyone is on team Rick, but I like Bruiser.  Faith Hunter continues to give us a wonderful story, and each book opens up Jane and Beast even more. Faith, do not ever stop writing this series. If you have not read this series, it’s time to meet Jane Yellowrock and Beast.

Reviewed by Barb