I got this book through NetGalley to review. This is the 11th book in the Jane Yellowrock series. I haven't enjoyed the last couple books in this series as much as the previous ones. The books are long and when I read them, instead of whipping through them, they feel long to me.

I think there’s been too much focus on all the political issues going on with the European vampires, I haven’t been enjoying this plot thread a ton. Additionally tons of new characters are thrown at the reader each book because of all the new players arriving in New Orleans as part of this story. It’s hard to read and hard to keep track of everyone.

There ends up being so much packed into the story that it feels frantic and a bit disorganized at time. Jane just runs frantically from one place to the next and very little time is spent on further developing her character. We also don’t get as much time watching her interact with those around her in a non-frantic setting and I miss that.

I still do continue to enjoy a lot of the characters in this book. The progress in understanding Jane’s skinwalker abilities and unraveling the magics within her was interesting. I also did enjoy some of the revelations about Bruiser and his developing powers.

I think the story may just be getting a bit too drawn out and complex. It feels like the book could have used better editing. I don't know...I've just been struggling to stay interested for the whole story; these are pretty long books and they are starting to feel very long to me. Don't get me wrong they are still well written and full of fabulous action scenes and characters; they just feel...long, and not in a good way.

Overall not my favorite book in the Jane Yellowrock series. The last few books have just felt very long to me and overly disorganized and complex. We are getting too many new characters thrown at us and the book pace comes off as almost frantic. I’ll read the next book in the series but if that one is similar to the last couple, I think I am done with the series. I would still recommend the series to urban fantasy fans; most of it has been amazing...it’s just these last couple books that have been disappointing for me.

The action just doesn't STOP!

Jane and her ever-increasing circle of family must circumvent the centuries-in-the-planning coup being attempted by the EVs in order to save her loved ones and keep their way of life. During the process Jane's inherent magics and her acquired ones cause her many issues... and may just be what save the day.

Things to love about this installment of Jane's story:
- the puns: Starting with the title...
- the action: It's fast, almost constant, and bloody.
- the verbiage: Faith's writing is descriptive, imaginative, and engaging... and STILL manages to use "big words"! ;)
- the characters: They are well-developed, charismatic, and intriguing. Sometimes Faith even makes you route for the bad guys... but not often.

Things to hate about this book:
- ummmmmm... that I finished it? lol

This series is definitely not for underage or immature audiences, but for those of us who enjoy strong female protagonists who become more complex as the series progresses and use sarcasm like a dollop of whipped cream (on top of her tea), Jane RAWKS!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from Berkley Publishing as part of a book blog tour in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts/comments are my own.**

Cold Reign begins in a storm. And it storms the whole way through the book. The storms are not natural, and are one big stumbling block to all that Jane and Clan Yellowrock are trying to prevent. I think I got just as sick of the rain and storms as everyone else.

The European Vamps are making moves towards New Orleans and it is a huge puzzle as to what their plans are. The hits start coming to NOLA and the Master of the City fast and furious. Starting out with some weird revenants with dog shaped teeth. The storm and the chaos all seem to roil together and keep everyone running a mile a minute. Every time we think that we are going to get a break to catch our breath, another attack of some sort happens that has Jane and the others suiting back up.

The appearance of Rick LaFleur brings an interesting side problem for Jane. She was done with him, and has moved on. But now he’s back. I felt kind of bad for Rick, but I am jumping into this series pretty late so I don’t know all of the back story between them.

Cold Reign brings together a lot of back story. The EV’s have been plotting this for a very long time, so it’s no surprise that a lot of back story comes up. Using the bits of that back story, Jane can determine who is working with or against them. Even then we still get some surprises.

There was so much action in Cold Reign. It was non-stop which made it hard to find stopping points. This was my first Jane Yellowrock novel so it was quite difficult for me to get into the groove of the characters and the writing. Despite the downside of my lack of familiarity with Jane & Beast’s abilities, the action and pacing kept me glued to the story.

I’m a sucker for romance, and Bruiser and Jane’s relationship had me breaking out in smiles. They make a really cute couple going through all the stuff new couples go through. I’m glad that Ms. Hunter was able to squeeze in these little gems to brighten the blood and death going on around them all.

The ending was pretty shady. I don’t know Leo well enough to foretell what he is up to, but he is definitely trying to make some new moves on the chessboard. He obviously has plans for Jane, but he’s pretty sneaky about what he is up to. Bruiser must have had an idea and tried to prevent it, but I think it will be in upcoming books where we will get to see just what Leo thought he was doing and if it worked.

Even though I didn’t have any back story going into this book, I still enjoyed the action, mystery and little nuggets of romance. I need to grab the first books and get caught up in this world so I will be prepared for Dark Queen!

Favorite Quote: ME? CRAZY? I Should Get Down Off This Unicorn And Slap You.

Jane Yellowrock is back and badder than even in the eleventh installment of Faith Hunter’s bestselling urban fantasy series-Jane Yellowrock. Already a force most won’t reckon with, she has increased her power and prestige as the Enforcer for the MoC of New Orleans-Leo Pellister-and the unintentional creation of her own clan. When New Orleans falls victim to a wave of revenants and an unnatural storm, Jane discovers the European Vampires Delegates have chosen a deadly way to announce their arrival. Allies and enemies come out of the woodwork as Jane and her crew attempt to keep the residents and their loved ones safe but centuries of secrets, lies, and betrayal may spell death for them all.

Jane Yellowrock, a Cherokee female dual nature skinwalker, has been slowly and steadily settling into her new life. She and Beast have found common ground and become an almost unbeatable team. Jane has begun to rely more on her Indian heritage to cleanse her soul of the black magic it’s collected due to her guilt over things she has done. Her love life is flourishing and she has a strong show of strength at her back through Clan Yellowrock which consists of Younger Brothers, her new primo-Edmond, the Truehearts, her lover-Bruiser, and Brute. For the first time in a long time, Jane is content.

“I love you more than bacon. Unless I’m hungry.”

As always, Hunter gives readers a nonstop action packed, kick arse, magically enhanced story with a continuous flow of controlled chaos and humor as Jane once again finds herself cleaning up behind one of Leo’s political long games. Hunter continues to increase her character base, introducing new players while expanding on the older more established ones as she guides readers through Jane’s latest and convoluted adventure.

They wanted to own the world.

Readers will be pleased to see the arc surrounding the European Mithran Vampire delegate (EVs) has finally reached fruition. And what a fruition it is. Hunter has dropped plenty of clues throughout the series concerning the Europeans and their ties to Leo and his people. It’s only in here do you realize just how long and deep those ties run. Centuries. The sheer magnitude and duplicity Hunter reveals in here is staggering and I applaud Hunter for her skill. She makes wonderful use of history and I admit I was fascinated by the liberty Hunter takes as she bends and twists it to her will. Jane and the crew certainly have their work cut out for them as they are pulled multiple directions as the EVs launch their agenda on various levels with all roads leading to back to Leo Pellister.

Leo needed a good lesson in manners, but I had to survive this situation first.

I would remiss if I didn’t mention that after the initial out of the gate one two PUNCH the storyline slows down considerably as Jane deals with some personal issues concerning her family while investigating what the EVs are up too. It’s really around the 30-40% mark that the story resets its focus, picks up the speed, and races towards the end.

“You ever try to crown me again, I’ll cut you head off and shove it up your arse.”

Hunter finally addresses the Rick LaFleur situation and seemingly lays it to rest but if you’re not reading her Soulwood series, some of the information here might be confusing and/or a spoil-y. Let’s just say Ricky Bo is back and Jane makes it perfectly clear who holds the key to her heart. And it ain’t Ricky Bo. It was nice to see Rick finally apologize for his actions. Not only for when he humiliated Jane in front of everyone but from the very beginning.

“I’m sorry I hurt you, Jane. I’m sorry I shamed you. I’m sorry I was such a lousy human being that every single person who matters to me in New Orleans wants to punish or kill me. Including my mom.”

As always, Hunter ends the story a climactic note as she wraps up the main storyline with cheers, jeers, and more than one jaw-dropping moment. Though the EVs are on the run, the long game is still in play with some interesting clues towards the future. Jane is not done in her evolution but she may wish she was when it’s all said and done. Hunter writes another winner and I’m more than ready for book twelve, title and release date to be announced.

Grade: B

It's finally time for the European vampires to arrive, but with any Jane Yellowrock novel, event's didn't exactly unfold like I thought they would.

COLD REIGN is chock-full of action, a TON takes place, and it felt like the stakes were higher than they had ever been before. It seems like Jane has been getting her butt kicked in the last few books and COLD REIGN was no different. If she wasn't the main character, I would have thought she was a goner at quite a few points in book 11.

Jane has a lot of 'family' already and it seems like more members are added to her household with each installment of the series. She hasn't always been OK with that, but it seems like she is finally starting to accept that everyone is there to stay. Jane's relationship with Bruiser continues to grow in strength and I really love the scenes with them being lovey, but I was a little concerned when Rick showed up. There were a lot of ways his showing up could have gone and I don't want to spoil anything for you by saying more, so I won't.

I was shocked with some of the revelations that came out in COLD REIGN. I don't want to say I didn't see them coming, because I think there was always a niggling in the back of my mind, but I was still really shocked with all that came out and the way in which they were revealed. I don't think there is much more I can say about COLD REIGN without giving away spoilers. I very much enjoyed watching Jane and her allies fight their newest conflicts and I look forward to seeing what will come next now that the storm that was the European vampires came through.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Forever ago, I primarily read Urban Fantasy and little else. Now I read mostly everything, but I was pleased to have found this series about a year ago, with so many books in the backlist to binge-read.

Jane Yellowrock is one of the most consistent Urban Fantasy series I’ve read to-date. I immerse myself in the novel, finding it a comfort while reading, and it never fails to re-spark my love of the genre.

As a fan, why am I giving four instead of five stars? Cold Reign had a bit of a slow start for me. There was a comfort in seeing the same characters with little changing, like visiting an old friend, but it felt as if it took forever to get to the meat of the storyline. After which, while it was thrilling and exciting, it had a bit of a wash-repeat feel to the storyline. Jane would encounter baddies, get filthy in the pouring rain, run home to change (or not), fight more baddies, go to HQ, run home to save Alex, wash repeat, all in the same limo, in what felt like a never-ending day.

While I enjoyed the story, some deviation would have been appreciated. Then there are always the baddies from past books popping up because they weren’t eradicated when they should have been.

Other than the redundancy, I struggled with all the European vamps and their histories. While I don’t doubt that it all tied together, was well researched, and the author did a good job, it all sort of just went directly over my head, and it was recently that I’ve read the latter books in the series. A case of too much, too soon, in a complicated info-dump I just skimmed because it was making my head hurt. I still got heads and tails, but I didn’t feel like I needed a history lesson to keep up.

Jane and Beast, her business partners (Eli and Alex), Bruiser (her boyfriend), Edmund (her primo), Brute (the werewolf stuck in wolf-form), the vampire gang and their entourage, and last but never least, Leo (MotC) all make an impressive showing on the pages. Even Ricky-Bo makes a rare appearance.

The wash-repeat of the storyline didn’t erase my overall enjoyment. I adore Jane’s interactions with her posse, especially Beast’s commentary never failing to tear laughter out of me. I read Cold Reign with a happy grin on my face, even while frustrated.

As Leo’s enforcer, Jane and company are trying to rid New Orleans of a little reverent problem. Long-dead vampires are rising in cemeteries across the city, a never-ending storm is plaguing the landscape, Jane is struggling with her magic as lightning keeps opening up the gray between, and the European vampires are sneaking into New Orleans long before they were due to arrive. Everything is falling apart, and only Jane Yellowrock can save the day.

Even with it being slightly redundant, I loved reading Jane’s adventures. Rick popping back up into her life, and every page featuring Bruiser, was angsty deliciousness. The werewolf messing up Alex’s bed had me hooting in laughter. Then there were the heartwarming moments as Jane tried to draw her clan together into a real family.

Overall, I loved Cold Reign, and I can’t wait to see what adventures Jane and Beast are up to next. Faith Hunter is a writer who has mastered the Urban Fantasy genre, with intriguing, intricate world-building, relatable characters, and raw emotion.

Recommended to Urban Fantasy fans. However, this absolutely cannot be read as a standalone. It’s best to read the series from the beginning, to truly experience the evolution of the characters, the politics, and their magical abilities.

Cold Reign starts off with Jane and her team taking on revenant vampires appearing in New Orleans causing havoc and harm. Though these revenants are a lot harder to take down than the ones Jane has faced before. However, are these revenant vampires and other strange occurrences coincidence or are they connected? Could they have to do with the European Vampires visit? Makes you wonder if its some other threat or if some European Vampires decided to arrive earlier than expected in order to cause some trouble before the visit to ensure the repossession of the American lands. Either way, its up to Jane as the official Enforcer for Leo Pelissier, the Master of the City of New Orleans, to get rid of the problem.

Overall, Cold Reign is definitely an installment you have to read of you’ve been following the Jane Yellowrock series. It was great to learn more about European Vampires. I could name a couple we might see again in future installments as potential villains. Oh, also be prepared because Rick Lafleur appears in Cold Reign. Glad Faith Hunter did not wait a couple books to reunite Jane and Rick after the events in Cursed on The Land. I think many fans will enjoy the reunion of these two as much as I did. I should feel bad for Rick after the confrontation with Jane but I can’t because it was too much fun. The only thing that has me down is now we have to wait once again for the next installment of Jane Yellowrock series but I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.


*I received Cold Reign from Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley in return for an honest review.*

Well here we are on book 11, took us awhile to get here but this is not a series stumbling along on past glories, it is still vibrant, full of surprises, and secondary characters that have not only become part of Jane's "family" but have become integral parts of the enjoyment of this series.

Missing from this installment is the overdone introspection of some of the recent books, we have some but it does play a part and the mystical part of Jane's nature is part of why we read this series since Jane Yellowrock is one of a very few totally original characters in urban fantasy.

The plots and subplots are so many and so involved it made my head hurt to try to keep up with things but Faith Hunter weaved them all together by the end (and gave us a couple more to ponder for the next book). Make no mistake, the long awaited arrival of the European vampires is here and it is not a friendly visit.

Clan Yellowrock is gaining members, there are some surprises and some long sought after justice. The whole book is a plot we never saw coming (or at least I never did) and leaves you in a good place (another thing I love, no cliffhangers) but after 11 books I still cannot figure Leo out and what motivates his actions.

Bottom Line: A GREAT book, full of action, full of surprises, characters that grow a little in each book (as opposed to series I have read where the characters never seem to get any smarter or mature). Overall I think this may be one of the better books out of the last 4-5 because of the balance of action, multiple characters involvement, just a small bit of introspection and the sign of a really good book, you hated to see it end. this is NOT the same Jane Yellowrock we discovered 11 books ago, this is a improved version who is not only stronger, she is also becoming a power in her own right in this world. 5 Stars and can't wait to see more.

In the Eleventh installment of author Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series, Cold Reign, Jane and her Clan Yellowrock family have their hands full right out of the gate. Revenants walk New Orleans, and as the official Enforcer for Leo Pelissier, the Master of the City of New Orleans, it is her job to put these rogues down. But, as the European Mithrans are making noises on their way to a parley with Leo, it becomes very clear that something even more dangerous is at play. After all, Mithrans love to play the long game, and if Jane and her allies aren't ready, it might mean the end to everything that Jane holds dear.

So, let's get to the nitty gritty quickly. As readers of this series, we've known for a while now that Hunter has been working up a confrontation between Leo, Jane, and the European suckheads. In Cold Reign, the first shots of that confrontation take place in a huge way. A way that has Jane scrambling to put the pieces together before the EV's can gain a foothold in her city. New Orleans has now become a battlefield where Revenants connected to Leo's family rise up, which they should be able to, and a contingent of EV's come after Leo in a sneak attack that puts Jane right into the middle of stopping the EV's from getting to Leo.

For those who hate Rick LaFleur, here is your one and only warning. He makes an appearance in this book. Now that Jane is officially hooked to Bruiser in every way possible, this becomes perhaps a way for Jane to finally cut ties with the man who betrayed her and left her. Moving on! Ok, so, as Jane, Eli, Alex, Bruiser, and Edmund put the pieces together as to what is actually happening, you get a sense that things are going to get a whole lot more exciting & dangerous.

Jane, as always, is a badass who is trying to understand her past, and how her connection to Beast has grown and been made her more powerful with a certain Angel's interference. Her connection to Alex and Eli is strong as ever. Alex grows up as a character and proves that he isn't just Eli's younger brother. See what I did there? I do love that Jane and Bruiser are in a very good place. I love to see the romance between the two, and was happy that Hunter cut the cord between RickyBo, and Jane in a way that leaves no doubt with readers who Jane really truly belongs with. And, no, I don't mean Leo!

Cold Reign is a story that is filled with action, suspense, romance, backstabbing, betrayal, and a whole lot of suckhead politics. Jane isn't a character who can look the other way, or stay away from danger. She is fully engaged in every way possible in what happens in this book. Readers will find some humor among the darkness. Especially where it concerns a certain were named Brute. Terrific story, and I definitely can't wait to see where Hunter goes from here.

After delivering two fantastic books in her new series, Soulwood, Faith Hunter is back with a dynamic offering in the long-standing Jane Yellowrock series. I was a late-comer to this series, discovering it after I read the Soulwood books, but Jane and Beast quickly became one of my favorite heroine/duos in urban fantasy. This is a series that you must read in order as its a continuing storyline, but I also recommend that you read it in publication order in conjunction w/ the Soulwood series, as there is some character crossover.

Cold Reign picks up not long after the end of Shadow Rites, and we are getting our first look at those pesky European Vamps who believe La Nouvelle Orleans is their rightful territory as that no-good Napoleon had no right to sell it to the American government! But we knew the Euro-Vamps weren't going to come easy. No, they are bringing big problems to New Orleans in the form of revenants* and wonky weather. As usual, it will be left up to Jane and the Yellowrock clan to solve the city's problems, and this time they got a lot more bloody and battered while trying to do so. I like that Jane has surrounded herself with a family of her own making, and they are becoming a more cohesive unit, even with the new additions.

Beast didn't get to come out to play very often, and I'm missing her. I love Beast's personality and cattiness. But Jane seems to becoming more magical with every story, and we are seeing her and Beast become more symbiotic as the series progresses.

This series has an abundance of secondary characters, and I love them all. Even the seemingly ineffectual master of the city, Leo Pelissier. I can't tell if Leo is really that bad at underestimating a situation, or if its all part of his game plan to use Jane to solve his problems. Rick Lafleur shows back up in this installment, which is why I suggested you read the Soulwood books before this one - so you will know what happened with old Ricky-Bo while he has been missing from Jane's life. I can't say I felt bad for him, I'm on Team Bruiser all the way.

The action was good, and the history of the Euro-Vamps was interesting to me. They definitely offer some villains that everyone will love to hate, particularly Gregoire's sire, Le Bâtard, an illegitimate son of François d'Angoulême. I think we can expect to see this story arc over another book or two, and I am looking forward to it.

So this is actually the first book of the series that I have "read" - as I did the earlier books in an audio binge earlier in the month. I have to say that I missed the audio! The narrator, Khristine Hvam, does a fabulous job if you are inclined to listen to audiobooks. I missed her affectation of Beast's character and found myself trying to copy the voice/mannerisms in my head. This one may be worth a re-read in audio format on my next road trip!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from the publisher, Ace.

*Okay so one thing bothered me about the revenants. <spoiler>It was mentioned that they were "in the ground" in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1. But as everyone in New Orleans knows, especially for that most famous cemetery of Marie Laveau, no one is put in the ground there. If you are entombed in St. Louis No. 1, you are either in a vault or a mausoleum that is designed to cook a dead body in one year's time. Seriously - it gets like 500 degrees in those things. So how in the world was there anything left of those revenants to rise? They should have been nothing but bones, man.</spoiler>

Vampires have long memories. So it’s entirely possible that some undead former kings of France are holding a grudge over the Louisiana Purchase. That’s what Jane Yellowrock and her team have to figure out as they finalize details for the arrival (finally) of the European vampire delegation. Jane finally realizes how the events in earlier books, as far back as Skinwalker, tie in to “the long game” the vampires are playing. But first she’ll have to deal with a series of revenant vampires rising from the grave and the return of a certain wereleopard ex-boyfriend.

Cold Reign felt longer to me than some of the other books in the series. It features a lot of intelligence gathering, time bubbling and magic using, and relatively little action. But I was happy to finally understand the motives behind so many of the vampire machinations we’ve seen throughout the series. Jane started to connect the dots in the previous book, but I was still a little confused. And notice that I said “relatively little action” because Jane and crew still get to use their guns, knives and swords more than once.

But we also get some long-awaited personal details about some of the guys, like Eli’s time in the military and bits of Edmond’s history. (Have I mentioned how much I love the men in this series?) Despite the new information, Edmond is still an enigma and I have some questions about his relationship with Leo. Especially after the bombshells Leo drops at the end of the book.

Jane and Bruiser have some ooey-gooey moments as well. She’s finally starting to feel comfortable in their relationship. So of course that’s when Ricky-Bo returns to NOLA, ostensibly to work on the revenant case, but the rest of his Psy-LED team is noticeably absent. I’m happy to see Jane get some closure, but Rick just makes me sad. He’s still just as lost as he was in Curse on the Land. I’m hoping that the in next Soulwood book he starts to move on, and that I get a better sense of the timeline.

Even though Cold Reign answers some questions about the vampire politics throughout the series, it leaves just as many threads hanging. I’m excited to see how those events play out in future books.

Cold Reign (Jane Yellowrock) is an example of Faith Hunter’s writing at her best. While Jane and the rest of her crew are getting everything ready for the European Delegation to show up, When someone starts raising revenants, but these are not your ordinary revenants. They are harder to kill. So who is raising them and why? Jane will be kept very busy in solving these questions and more. I love this series and the complexity of the characters. They are always evolving.My favorite character is Beast. You will not be disappointed with this book. I urge you to get it and the rest of the series if you have not read any of them. I give COLD REIGN 5/5 STARS.

In COLD REIGN, Jane Yellowrock #11, Jane finally takes on the much anticipated, dreaded European Vampires while dealing with her own changing magical nature. This book will get your heart racing and mind whirling in so many good ways. We have your sneaky Eurovamps coming to town before the official meeting under cover of a magically fueled storm that just will not let up. They are hiding in several places looking to divide and conquer, while doing all they can to kidnap, maim, and torture Leo, Gregoire, and their prime people, vamps and otherwise. Jane, with her associates and Bruiser, spends much of her time running back and forth between Vamp central attacks, strange human riots, and violence around the city while torrential rains and supernatural lighting nearly immobilizes NOLA. Revenant vampires are causing havoc and harm; they are much harder to put down than the usual ones so all of Jane’s fighting and supernatural skills are needed. There is so much amped up magic around that seems to be driving these revenants as well as the relentless tempest.

Jane has been having “issues” with her magic so she goes back to her Cherokee elders for help after getting advice from Angie baby’s angel. So much has changed with the way she deals with the supernatural domain and as usual, Jane is scrambling to figure out what the heck is going with that world and in her own body. The mystical state of her grey-in-between plays a big role here as well as Jane’s learning to control and use it.

On a personal front, Jane and Bruiser’s relationship seems to be going in a particular direction that is deeper and a bit scary for the loner that she is. Jane would rather fight off zombie vampires than deal with emotions especially her own. And who should show up but Jane’s old lying, cheating, heartbreaker ex-boyfriend, Ricky Bo. He is leading an investigation for PSYLED which is one of the many government agencies trying to deal with the chaos both on the human and supernatural front. Ricky Bo has more than a professional interest in Jane along with some unfinished business. People have strong feelings about Rick LaFleur so prepare to be riled up at their interactions

Followers of the Jane Yellowrock series will be pleased to finally see some action between the dreaded Eurovamps and Leo, who as usual has so many plots and strategic moves going on, some dating back centuries, which are so complicated, it makes Jane’s head spin. As usual, Leo seems to delight in making Jane as uncomfortable as possible with his physical presence and sensuous innuendos while trying to trick her into doing his nefarious bidding. This book hits the ground running with such a thrill ride pace that you may feel breathless at the end, but well satisfied with the journey.

Cold Reign by Faith Hunter is the 11th book in her fantastic Jane Yellowrock series. I love this series, and Jane Yellowrock is another one of my favorite kick-ass heroines. Cold Reign picks up a short time after the previous book ended, as Jane, her team and the Master of the City’s team prepares for the upcoming arrival of the European Vampires.

Being Leo’s Enforcer, Jane once again is in the neck of things trying to stop the current attacks by revenant vampires, as well as the horrible violent storms that are happening. In a short time, Jane will realize that these revenant vampires are different, and seem to be dead ones coming back to life. Suspicion becomes apparent that the European vampires have been working behind the scenes to cause havoc and destruction against Leo. The unnatural storm is also the works of witches, and magic.

What follows is an exciting, wild, intense adventure that has Jane, Eli, Alex, Edmund and Bruiser running all over New Orleans to stop the killings. We have little time to breath, as one after another finds Jane in the middle of death defying situations. It also becomes clear that the long thought dead European vampire leaders have planned this for a long time, and along the way, Jane will discover that there are traitors in the midst. Will Jane be able to stop the ultra powerful enemies? Will Leo survive or will the European vampires succeed in their takeover attempt?

In between all of this non-stop action packed story, we get to spend time with Jane’s ever growing team, some of whom we have come to love. Eli has become so great, as Jane’s second; Alex. Eli’s brother and techie, has begun to mature more; Edmund, a ancient powerful vampire, is Jane’s Primo and is slowly becoming another favorite; I also like Brute. Jane has evolved so much since the first book, Skinwalker. She is much stronger, confident, and caring, and totally in sync with Beast. I love Beast, and now they are fully one; stronger, better, smarter, and unbeatable. It was great to see Jane open her heart and look at Eli and Alex as family, and also care about Brute, and Edmund. I loved how her romance with Bruiser just keeps getting better and sexier; watching them both falling in love. Just love them together. I happily note: who needs Rick LaFleur.
Most importantly, Jane has become so much more powerful, with her own magic, and strength, as well as her stronger abilities with Beast, such as shifting much faster; her understanding and use of the gray between. Cold Reign was another fantastic edition to the Jane Yellowrock series. Bravo to Faith Hunter for another sensational story.

Faith Hunter writes one of the best urban fantasy series out there. We always buy for our library.

Cold Reign is Jane Yellowrock at it's best. This was another fantastic addition to this series.

If you want a definition of Urban Fantasy, you have it in Faith Hunter's work. After eleven books she has not lost her touch if anything I want to read more about her characters and their evolution.

Jane Yellowrock started as a solo heroine. Now, she is part of a family which includes the two Younger brothers, Ed, Bruiser, Molly and Co, and now Brute. It seems some home renovations are in order. She might consider a bigger home too since she keeps on adding more people to her "clan".

So what evil is Jane fighting this time? Well, it seems like the Revenant Vamps are back. They are popping up in different places in New Orleans and killing humans without a care. The European Vamps might be behind their attack. Jane as Leo Pellisier's enforcer is responsible for cleaning the area of the nasty revenant vamps. She's also Leo's security team and of course, Leo never makes things easy by hiding so much from Jane. I do agree with her, she must show him some manners. He pissed me off big time here. Or maybe, she should let Beast do the talking. He's really asking for it.

In regards to the romance, If you had read my prior reviews you know I'm a huge Bruiser lover. He's still perfect for Jane in my eyes. I'm very happy Mrs. Hunter makes it extremely clear who deserves Jane in this book.

Cold Reign is an unstoppable action-packed book. From the moment it begins, poor Jane and her friends don't get enough sleep or good food. I was devouring the pages in a desperate attempt to find out what Janie was going to encounter. I feared for everyone's lives in this one. No one seems to be safe. My heart was in my throat too many times.

I can honestly recommend this book 100% to any UF lover.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by the Ace via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Another top notch instalment of this urban fantasy series with its unusual heroine of Cherokee skin walking Jane Yellowrock. Jane may be an enforcer for Master of the City Leo but she hasn't forgotten her human roots no matter how many Vampires she walks amongst. It's her job to put down those who cannot be controlled but that's not always easy as Leo believes he can utilise all his resources be they his Vampires or not! So when rogue Vampires start killing its up to Jane to dive in but these are no ordinary Vampires no these are revenant the most feral of all and someone is deliberately raising them to undermine Leo's authority!
The author has been leading up to this book for quite some time now as we've been expecting a delegation of European Vampires ( Mithrans) to visit the city. Well perhaps all that preparation won't be going as planned because you just know there's something very fishy going on and yep it's all pointing to those from across the ocean. Problem is perhaps not all Leo's enemies are far away!
Vampire politics aside it was fabulous seeing how the dynamics within Janes own 'happy family' are changing. The two brothers that work with her are shown to be pretty awesome in this story with Eli being his usual bad ass although his personal life is going through changes. The Kid aka Alex is really growing up and pretty much proving invaluable plus there's quality time for Jane and Bruiser. Best of all though is Beast making her presence felt numerous times which adds so much humour to this story. Oh and there's someone back and there's no way Jane will let him walk all over her again! Yes a fabulous edition to this series with twists , magic and of course bloodthirsty action. Enjoy!
This voluntary review is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts are my own honest opinion

So I ran across Jane Yellowrock in the Earth series and now after reading Cold Reign I am hooked. Going back to #1 and buying backlist....great book

I have read Faith Hunter's books for years. Her Jane Yellowrock series was one of my first introductions to the fantasy genre. I was a mystery gal, and rarely strayed from that genre. I am so glad that I expanded my horizons to Faith Hunter aka Gwen Hunter. She writes her characters with such warmth and care. She stays true to their personalities as they grow and adapt with each book. Cold Reign is the 11th book in the Yellowrock series that includes some novellas and companion pieces. In this one, some of the oldest and most dangerous vampires from Europe have unexpectedly arrived in Louisiana. Hunter has built up to this book over the last couple of years. I knew the Europeans were coming and their arrival would mean chaos for Jane's world. I think that their Machiavellian plan/the Long Game was perfect for their introduction to this reader. Hunter writes in such realistic terms that a reader can easily fall into her world; and believe that if you drive to New Orleans -- you may actually run into Jane and her buddies.

SPOILER ALERT for those who wish to stop reading -- please do!

My only criticism is that I hope that the antagonism between Ricky and Jane is nearing its end. By now, it seems drawn out and tired. I hope that this book has put a period on it. I know that Ricky left her, but the way it was written seems to have left Ricky little choice in the matter. Jane has a new life with a fantastic lover/boy friend/companion; and her adopted family with the brothers/partners in Yellowrock Security, thus the continued animosity towards Ricky seems petty. Towards the end of the book when the big showdown occurs between the "good" guys and the Europeans, Ricky, now able to change into a were-leopard (read her Soulwood series to get the full scoop) is not part of most of the action. Allegedly, it's due to the fact that it takes some 20 minutes for the actual shift to occur, and the action takes place within most of those 20 minutes. Ricky's courage was called into question by the others because he was not there fighting with Jane and her group. I think that Hunter is trying to free Ricky's character from this series and move him to the Soulwood series exclusively. That seems like a good idea, but the way she chose to do it provides one of the few false notes in the book.

SPOILER ALERT ENDS!

I greatly enjoy this series and enthusiastically await her next Jane Yellowrock book. Faith Hunter has become a must read for me along with Karen Chance, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Seanan McGuire and Kalayna Price. There are many more authors in this genre that deserve a read. I strongly urge anyone who wants to read this author, or any of the others mentioned above, to start at the beginning. These books, and the amazing characters found within, are worthy of being read in the order in which they are written. I think that you will get so much more from the series if you follow this advice.