Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4)

Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4)
Destined For An Early Grave - Night Huntress, Bk 4
Author: Jeaniene Frost
ISBN-13: 9780061583216
ISBN-10: 0061583219
Publication Date: 7/28/2009
Pages: 385
Rating:
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 384

4.3 stars, based on 384 ratings
Publisher: Avon
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

31 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
So I was really looking forward to this book. I was so not happy with it. The first three were awesome. But this one was good in the beggning and the end. What she had Cat and Bones go through was just to much. I really think she should have left them alone and go after Gregor together. Not sure if I will read the next book in the series.
mitabird avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 188 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I have to say that this was my least favorite of the series, but enjoyable nonetheless. I just want Cat and Bones to be happy and there was way too much emotional angst going on. I get that things need to be a bit spicy to keep things interesting, but it was almost like a soap opera. There was one point that I was really wondering how things were going to get resolved. It almost seemed hopeless, but the author did a great job with the resolution. She has a knack of keeping things real and I can't help but get sucked into the upheaval as well. The ending was a bit abrupt, but I am anxiously awaiting the next adventure featuring Cat and Bones.
sharalsbooks avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 259 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
I love this series and this installment really pulled at my heart and emotions. This book also had me laughing myself silly, tears running down my face with one of the best scenes Ive read in a while between Cat and Bones sire, Mencheres

"Then you remember the dream, Mencheres stated. That bodes ill.

The fear of that made my reply snappy. Hey, Walks Like An Egyptian, how about for once you drop the formal stuff and talk like you live in the twenty-first century?

The sh**s gonna splatter, start buggin, yo, Mencheres responded instantly. I stared at him, then burst out laughing, which was highly inappropriate considering the very grave warning hed just conveyed."


In this story, we learn a little bit more about Cats life before she met Bones. We find out theres a vampire who is much older than Bones who is staking a claim on Cat, demanding she be returned to him as she is apparently his wife and has bonded with him. Obviously, Bones isnt going to accept that lying down and compliance is definitely not in his vocabulary either. The scary thing about this vampire is that he can snatch Cat away through her dreams.

Bones also does a very convincing job of making Cat think they are through after she goes to Gregor to try to help the situation by convincing him to leave her alone. I should say the operative word here is try and of course it doesnt work. Gregor is insistent that she belongs to him and is very persistent and its not in a good way at all. Bones even convinced me that he and Cat were through and it made me sad and a little annoyed at Cat for creating the situation, no matter how good her intentions were.

There are some major events in the book that came as a shock and a surprise. I wont go into them so as not to ruin the story for any of you who havent yet read it. I struggled with the rating for this book because I love this series and I did love this book. However, something devastating occurs that I felt didnt need to and I think it will make the series lose some of its charm. Its not enough for me to stop reading, but I feel like the author chose a path that didnt need to be travelled.

The devastating event notwithstanding, I highly recommend this book and the series. Fans of this series will enjoy the witty dialogue and snarky comments we have come to expect and enjoy. The awesome in your face fight scenes and the smoking hot love scenes all combined to deliver another fantastic installment to the Night Huntress series.
froggarita avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Let me start off by saying WOW...I was up until 3 am this morning finishing this book because I could not put it down!! Another fang-tastic read from Ms Frost! This book revolves around Gregor believing he was bound to Cat when she was 16 and wants her to return to him. Cat and Bones try to keep 1 step in front of him but he keeps invading Cat's dreams and following her trying to get her back. There is so much I could say plot wise but I don't want to ruin the book for anyone! I Loved it...and I am DYING for the next book!!
robinmy avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 2050 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
A powerful vampire named Gregor claims that Half-Vampire Cat Crawfield is his wife. Bones is not about to let Cat go anywhere near Gregor. They begin moving around the world, trying to stay one step ahead of Gregor who is a "dreamsnatcher" and has the ability to take Cat away from Bones while she is sleeping.

Another great addition to the Night Huntress series. Frost's characters are very well drawn and feel like real people. It was very upsetting to have a vampire from the past try to come between Cat and Bones. This plot has lots of twists and turns. Just when I thought I figured out what would happen next, the story would go in a completely different direction. I can't wait for the next book in the series. My rating: 5 Stars.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 119 more book reviews
I really love this series. Not as good as the other ones but still very good.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 276 more book reviews
It's hard to realize that you can hate a character in a book as much as I did Gregor. What a slime. Of course I love Kat and Bones. Hmmm I'm beginning to wonder if I get a little too invested in a series.
This book was very emotional and sensual as usual. What a great series.
ra7 avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 1009 more book reviews
This entry in this series has a few sad points for me. I wondered what would happen with Gregor (don't get me started on those vampire laws). I liked how Cat and Bones were figuring out their relationship, but I felt the make-up was to fast and thought more explanation was needed. I think it would have been nice to read some of it from Bones' perspective. Looking forward to Spade's book.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 4 more book reviews
Good - but not as good as the first two.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 21 more book reviews
I've so enjoyed the other books in the series, but was really disappointed in this one. The plot was good, but the constant anger between the two main characters was depressing to me. There were some surprises in the book however and these I enjoyed.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 28 more book reviews
I have never tired of this series of books. The stories and characters are so varied, I never got bored. I couldn't put them down. Great books!
cuilidh avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 13 more book reviews
I'm completely in love with this series. I devoured every episode, and highly recommend them allllllll. Great characters, great settings, interesting plots, lovely continuity from one story to the next. I'm all about the romance, and this romance sings its way through all the books. Read them!
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 28 more book reviews
I absolutely adore this series. Cat & Bones are my favorite paranormal couple. That being said, this is my least favorite of the series. I don't like the premise, the antagonist(I know I'm not supposed to like him but this one just bugs me), Mencheres part in this or Cat's lack of faith in Bones. She isn't a stupid woman but for me she comes off pretty stupid here.

Bones is his normal, loves her no matter what, self. Frost always does a great job and I did enjoy it and have read it several times (as well as the rest of the series). Just don't love it as much as the others.
zzonielady avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 90 more book reviews
I could not put down this book read it in less thab 12 hours. Never-ending action. This one book of this series ranks 2nd only to the Anita Blake series which is my favorite. Not to say that Books 1 - 3 weren't worthy. I am looking forward to the rest of this series and the spin-off series developing from this one. Spade and Denise and her demon-dodging relative . . . sounds very interesting. I will be looking for "First Drop of Crimson".
ophelia99 avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 2527 more book reviews
This is the fourth book in the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. The sixth book, One Grave at a Time, will be out on August 30th of 2011. I enjoyed this book a lot more than the third one. A lot happens, a lot of the characters go through some drastic changes. The majority of the book had me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait to find out what happens next! I listened to this on audio book, as with the previous books on audio, this audio book is extremely well done. I think listening to these is even more fun than reading them!

This takes place about a year after, At Grave's End. Cat and Bones are finally trying to take a vacation when they find out Cat is being hunted by a vampire called the Dreamsnatcher who says he is her husband; Cat has no idea who he is. Of course this ticks Bones off to no end. Things are very dangerous for Cat because the Dreamsnatcher can kidnap humans in their sleep. Add to this rumors that Cat wants to be turned into some sort of uber-ghoul and it makes the vampire politics in this book very tense.

Cat and Bones are really put through the ringer in this book. The first part of the book is very dark. Bones is angry at Cat, Cat is upset about her lost memories and can't even sleep because of fear of being snatched. Both Cat and Bones do a number of stupid things that could have been avoided had they communicated better.

The good thing that sets off all of the bad in the first half of the book is Vlad. Vlad is present in a big way in this book and proves his steadfast friendship to Cat over and over again. It was fun to learn Vlad's history and to watch him interact with Cat; he is one of my favorite characters in this series.

The other good thing about all the bad that happens in the beginning of the book is that we get to see Cat and Bones work through all these issues and become a stronger couple after it all. Lots of interesting things happen to Cat's powers later in the book, this was fun and exciting to read about. I was a bit confused with how the whole deal about Bones gaining a bunch of power from Mencheres was dropped in this book, but whatever, hopefully it will come up again in the next book.

As with previous books this is more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance. The plot moves quickly, there is never a dull moment. Parts of this book will break your heart, but fear not it gets better! The book ends well and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book with Cat and her new abilities.

Overall a very strong addition to this series. I enjoyed this book a lot and have no complaints. I loved that we get our witty Cat and Bones banter back. The beginning of the book is very dark and parts of it will break your heart, but that just makes the second half of the book even more awesome. It was great to spend so much time with Vlad in this book. Some really interesting things happen with Cat and her powers too, so I am very excited to see where Frost goes with all this in the fifth book, This Side of the Grave.
ads265a avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 7 more book reviews
The fourth installment of the series is by far my least favorite. Cat and Bones did nothing but fight and bicker for the ENTIRE book. I felt like I was reading a paranormal version of Kate and Jon Gosslin sans kids. I love the characters, especially those introduced in the 3rd installment, however this book was almost painful to read... The only reason for the 3 stars is the dynamic characters and wonderfully sarcastic banter.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 76 more book reviews
The least favorite of mine in the series. The attitude of young Cat was too far from the present day Cat for me to believe. And the fact that she didn't kill that old pervert dream snatcher when she had the chance is far fetched from the Cat we know and love. Still worth reading and interesting story line. But not my favorite.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 929 more book reviews
Not as funny and biting as the first one, but I still enjoyed it. I skipped book two and three so I had some guessing to do to figure out what happened where. Can't wait to find a copy of those two.

I had a really hard time reading certain scenes between Gregor (the vampire trying to steal Cat from Bones) because he is such a dirty old man. I literally wanted him destroyed right then and there. What a gross man. The good thing is you get to see how Cat's image of herself has grown since she was a teenager.

In this book both Cat and Bones act high-handed and basically like idiots, so typical but in a sweet good way. I like that they are still working out kinks in their relationship. Add on all the stress they have to face and the lack of sleep (Gregor is kind of the Freddie Grueger of dreams), no wonder they are snippy. So be prepared with a lot of melodramatic scenes between the two.

I read this much quicker than the first book but I think the first book was better. Part of the thing I enjoy about this series is that Cat, Bones, and pals have no problem lying, cheating, and not exactly being "good guys" to get the job done. I do wish some of the side characters were developed a little better. Most of them are too hollow and interchangeable with exception of a few. Overall it was worth the read.
Bookfanatic avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on
If you like Cat and Bones, you'll either really like this book or you won't. I loved it. A lot happens in this book. It's going to definitely tug at your heartstrings. It's a very emotional ride. When you get to the fourth book of a series, the series starts to become predictable. That doesn't happen with the fourth Night Huntress story.

An older Master vampire claims Cat is his wife. He claims to have married her when she was sixteen. Cat's memory of that event is hazy so it's not clear whether she's truly the wife of Bones or this new vampire, Gregor. A lot of distrust and distance develops betweens Bones and Cat. What happened in this story needed to happen. Cat and Bones aren't together because it's destiny or mating hormones or the gods at work. They're together because they love each other, and like any other genuine relationship, there are times when people drift apart for various reasons. Despite how close they had gotten in the past three books, they still had big issues to resolve. Those issues come to a head in this book in a very big way. He needed to say what he finally said, and she needed to open herself up more to him too. The piano scene was such a ringer. I didn't cry when I thought he died in the previous book, but the piano scene almost did me in. It is a hard scene to read because he reveals how much he cared for her, and just how much he put up with. You realize the depth of his pain and anguish. Yet at the same time you realize she doesn't realize how impulsive and stubborn she is, and how destructive she is to herself and him because of those qualities.

I liked this book because in the previous books it's Bones who seems to get all the attention from the women, but here he had to deal with jealousy and fear of losing Cat to another vampire. It's something she's had to wrestle with from the beginning since he's been with so many vampire females. Cat's line to the French woman at the opera house is too funny. I won't reveal it here, but there are some funny quips though this book doesn't have nearly the same level of witty repartee as the first two books. The secondary characters like Vlad will really grow on you. Who would have thought a vampire like Vlad would turn out to be so likable?

I was satisfied with this book. You really see an evolution in their characters, their bond together, their love for each other. If there is one fictional character that I could have, it would be Bones.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on
This is a MUST READ series. The story between Cat and Bones is wonderful. Pure romance & some friction, that they will hopefully always get through. I recommend this series to everyone.
chellb avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 6 more book reviews
I really like Jeaniene Frost's night huntress books. they only get better!
nantuckerin avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 158 more book reviews
As soon as I turned the last page of Destined for an Early Grave, I felt a stab of anxiety. I had officially burned through all the published Night Huntress novels to date, and in an instant, had joined the throngs of fans anxiously waiting for book five -- due out in February 2011.

In this fourth installment, Cat Crawfield is enjoying her time off with Bones and is bound for Paris on a trip that is all pleasure, and no business. Unfortunately, although her waking hours are peaceful, danger is creeping into Cat's dreams. An ominous Master Vampire called the Dreamsnatcher is after Cat and claims she is rightly bound to him -- not Bones. Cat unexpectedly becomes embroiled in a political conflict between the ghouls and the vampires, encounters more historic figures (with hilarious results) and is forced to recreate events long banished from her memory to protect what she loves most.

Unsurprisingly, Destined for an Early Grave does not disappoint. I love how the series expertly maintains an overarching story thread while also engaging readers in episodic conflicts to keep things interesting. The Dreamsnatcher concept was suitably creepy and fresh, and while I wouldn't say I enjoyed the problems that faced Cat and Bones in this novel, it did keep me glued to the pages.

I liked the unexpected "solution" provided for Cat's mother and will look forward to seeing that storyline play out further in future books.

Thanks again, Ms. Frost, for the last in a string of books I couldn't put down. Now I have to go catch up on all the laundry I put off while reading this awesome series.
MissCovington avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 34 more book reviews
I abosolutely loved ALL in this series, didn't want it to end!
chefbeyerlein avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 53 more book reviews
The fourth Night Huntress novel continues to develop Jeaniene Frost's character of Cat, the half-vampire, by pulling her into a situation where the danger haunts her dreams. The first place she is aware of it is as she and her husband, Bones, are recuperating from the previous book, and she has a nightmare Bones cannot wake her from. As they travel to Paris, the nightmares become worse, and finally admitting the problem, they discover a chapter from Cat's teenage years that neither were aware of. Someone from her past is determined to take Cat from Bones, and is using every power to do so. Without spoiling anything, I found the cameo of Marie Leveau, the famous VooDoo queen to be a nice touch.

This installment of the series has just as much action as the previous ones, but the relationship aspects are even more intense and heart-breaking. I'm looking forward to the future of Cat and her friends.
annapi avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 334 more book reviews
I said about the previous book that it was easy to go through like candy. Well, reading 3 books in this series in a row is making me sick like I've eaten too much candy. Once again Frost feels the need to place her protagonists in contrived situations where they get all hot and bothered over each other in the most eye-rolling places, and it's really getting old. Worse, she manufactures an estrangement built on misunderstanding that is an overused ploy in mediocre romances, which forces the reader to endure both our hero and heroine's broken-hearted suffering and martyrdom (more eye-rolling there). Then she backfills Cat's history by the cheesy ploy of memory-wiping to introduce an new vampire villain who insists that he is Cat's husband as he got to her before Bones did, when she was 16, and now he wants her back. It was getting boring enough for me to rate the book 2 stars, but amazingly enough, she redeems herself by introducing an interesting twist in the story when Cat decides to become a vampire, and then ups the ante by an even more intriguing twist in the end involving her vampire-hating mother. That earns her 2.5 stars, but I may just wait awhile before returning to this series, as I need more substantial fare to sustain me.
asausy74 avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 80 more book reviews
I love this series!
solarawynn avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 724 more book reviews
There is alot of conflict in this story,and it seemed unnecessary. Felt forced,not one of my favorites
4fabfelines avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 112 more book reviews
I really wanted to like this one but the constant immaturity of Cat and Bones acting like whining teens really got on my nerves. I love the dynamic that Cat and Bones had in the previous books, and hopefully they will return to best buds and lovers spats but not the drama queen crap that was in this one.
I was also highly disappointed that Rodney died. He was one of my favs..
The new Ghost friend is awesome though.. look foward to the next installment with trepidation.
rea115 avatar reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 29 more book reviews
Great series.
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 6 more book reviews
This is by far my favorite series of all time!!! It's definately a must read!
reviewed Destined For An Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) on + 6 more book reviews
I really think that this book and all the other Cat & Bones books belong in an adult book store. Hard core graphic porn thinly disguised as a supposed story. If it wasn't for the pages and pages of graphic sex scenes this book and all the other would be about 20 pages in length.