Jeaniene Frost introduced readers to her vampires with the release of her Night Huntress/Cat and Bones Series. She expanded our vampiric horizons by branching out beyond Cat, her halfbreed superhero with bite, and sharing stories centering on some of the other powerful supporting cast, bringing them to the front lines. First Drop of Crimson was the first book in the subset series, telling the story of the romance between Cat’s best friend, Denise, and Bones’ best mate, Spade. That first book was an enjoyable romp through the shadows, but it still felt rooted within the Cat books, and dependent upon the reader’s familiarity with the characters from the original series. Eternal Kiss of Darkness, while still very much seated within Cat’s Universe, has its own punch, independent of the other books.

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows. Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking.  But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn.  Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master Vampire who thought he’d seen it all.  Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him.  Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life, yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose between the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

I am not someone who ever urged people to “just start in the middle,” when asked for book recommendations. I’m an “all or nothing” sort of reader. That said, I think readers could enjoy Kiss on its own merits (although there’s a real depth you’d be missing; and all of the Cat and Bones books are great reads.) I think this may be due in large part to deliberately moving away from the core group of characters, while playing to the fans’ desire to learn more about the mysterious, powerful vampire, Mencheres. Add to this a leading lady who wasn’t part of the supporting cast in any way, prior to her introduction in this book, and you have a story with characters, motivations and plot points that have their own bite. Mencheres, a vampire who described himself as “old as dirt,” has lived a long life…well, vampirically speaking, anyway. He can literally trace his lineage back to the Pyramids. (Yes, THOSE Pyramids.) He has lost that spark, that joy in life, and is looking towards a final resolution with an arch enemy before making final arrangements for his line. Enter, Kira Graceling; a strong, independent woman who has made some hard choices of her own, and understands the “shades of grey” mentality necessary to exist in a world of shifting powers, moralities and loyalties. Fans of the series will delight in the opportunity to finally learn about Mencheres’ past, his powers and his heart. New readers will enter the world along with Kira, picking up the salient points in Frost’s sanguine world with Kira. This approach – introducing fans and newbies, alike, to different aspects of her established universe – was brilliantly applied. Many authors of established series find it difficult to bring new readers into their worlds, without defaulting to, “go back and find book one of the series if you want to understand….” Eternal Kiss of Darkness is a good gateway book and an enjoyable stand alone story. The characters are well constructed; the pacing flies faster than a vamp racing sunrise; and the balance between romance, suspense and kick ass action holds all the way through the story. In addition, as a fan of the series, I thoroughly enjoyed the addition of Kira to the Night Huntress world. I think she’ll be an interesting character to watch over the next few books, and see her grow into her own power. If you get Kiss‘d, first, I’d still recommend going back to Halfway to the Grave, afterwards, and catching up, because the Night Huntress Series is a mainstay on my top 10 Vampire Series List. Frost always gives good bite.

If you want to get Frosty online:

Jeaniene Frost Official Site – news, sitings, etc.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness Book Trailer on YouTube

Jeaniene Frost Fan Site – contests, chat forum, freebies like wallpapers, etc.

Coffee Time Romance Author Newsletter Opt In/Sign Up Page

You have time to become intimately acquainted with Cat, Bones and the rest of the denizens of Frost’s world – the next Cat and Bones book, This Side of the Grave, will hit stores February 22, 2011.