Shattered Bonds from Faith Hunter was enjoyable from start to finish. I must admit to having fallen away from this primary series of Jane Yellowrock a few books back as the series got more and more vampire focused (although I continued to enjoy her Soulwood series), but Ms. Hunter has won me back to team Jane/Beast with this book.

Jane Yellowrock tries to withdraw from the world but her new enemies find her with all new threats. ARC from NetGalley.

I used to read a lot of urban fantasy but sort of drifted away for some reason. This is one series I continue to read because of the great characters who stalk, stake & chomp their way through a New Orleans full of vamps, grindylows & skinwalkers. And if the human residents seem a tad nervous….well, perhaps that’s down to being viewed as potential snack food.

At the heart of it all is Jane Yellowrock, a shape shifting skinwalker who made her name as a vamp killer. She’s usually a force to be reckoned with but after events in the last book, Jane is now a shadow of her former kickass self. A hard won battle & weird magic left her fatally ill. To buy herself time, Jane packed up her crew & moved to a large estate in the Appalachian Mountains. Unfortunately it might not be far enough as there are those who’ld prefer she died sooner rather than later.

You know what it’s like when you’re sick…you just wish people would leave you alone. Whereas we might deal with demanding kids or an impatient boss, Jane is being pestered by an ancient vamp affectionately known as the Son of Darkness (SOD).

When the former Master of the City died, Jane inherited control of New Orleans & all who live there. She sent in a polite “Thanks, but no thanks” but it seems SOD didn’t get the memo. Now he’s on his way with a horde of undead to seize power & chow down on anyone who gets in his way.

This can only be described as epic. The battle scenes & political machinations will have fans nervously chewing their nails to the quick. The story is given depth by the inclusion of European history, First Nations folklore & ancient religions. It goes without saying not everyone will survive & frequent injections of humour give you a moment to catch your breath. It’s a world that jumps off the page in full colour & the author provides some answers to long running subplots. Characters are diverse & fully developed whether they be furry, fanged or human.

It’s an entertaining spin on the classic tale of good vs. evil that’s hard to put down. Just a heads up: if you haven’t read this series before, don’t begin here. This is book #13 & there is a complex story arc jam packed with story lines that lead to events in this instalment. Whatever Jane faces next, we know it won’t be boring. Here’s hoping she gets a well earned nap first.

4.5 stars

4.5 Hearts, SJ
Romance Junkies

New York Times bestseller Faith Hunter returns in this thirteenth volume of her bestselling Jane Yellowrock series about a Native American skinwalker and Dark Queen of the vampire community. (SHATTERED BONDS is best read as part of the series, as new readers might be confused.)

When we last left off with Jane, she had become the vampires' Dark Queen and was doing her best to find a cure for the paranormal cancer plaguing her. The usual crew are with her, including Beast (of course), Bruiser, Eli, Alex, Molly, and a few others who make the series the rich wonder that it is.

Faith Hunter writes complex plots, and this story is no different. At its basic, it's about Jane finding a cure to her disease and learning to live as the Dark Queen. But it's so much more than that. Jane's vampires are going missing back home. All signs point to someone making a power-play for her position. And then there's an ancient evil not quite as destroyed as Jane once thought. Or is it something new? Oh, and all this is happening while Jane is wasting away.

With so much going on, it would be easy to get lost. This is a thoughtful, lush, vibrant world of evil, goodness, and a mix of those who live in-between. Jane continues to mature as a protagonist, and Hunter never lets the plot or the characters stagnate.

I read the book in one sitting and now plan to go back and reread the whole series. Again! Jane Yellowrock is such a terrific character. She's not perfect, and she knows it. Beast, as always, is one of the best parts of the story. Jane's other half, the big cat from which she often shapeshifts, has deeper thoughts of her own. Seeing Jane finally realize just what Beast needs to be happy and how they might become more than two separate entities existing in one form really gave the book a boost in terms of interest and development.

A MUST READ for Jane Yellowrock fans. Hunter just keeps getting better! SHATTERED BONDS is another winner for urban fantasy lovers and those wanting creative, entertaining fiction.

Full review to be published online in late October.

SHATTERED BONDS is the 13th book in Faith Hunter’s wildly popular ‘Jane Yellowrock’ Urban Fantasy series. It picks up right where Dark Queen left off, where Jane has run from responsibility as she is dying from magical cancer. Her sense of duty, however, draws her back into the world of vampires, witches, and shape changers. As she takes up the mantle of Dark Queen and Empress of Europe, she will have to fight for the lives of all she lives. She is continuing to learn about her powers while trying to defeat the younger Son of Darkness; despite the fact she is still trying to recover from her magically induced illness.

LOVE!! I want there to be another book right now! Faith Hunter has this ability to suck me right back into the Jane Yellowrock universe in just a few sentences. I think this book is right up there with my favorites in the series. It feels different than the rest of the books, like the series is taking a different turn, but given the way The Dark Queen ended it's not surprising. There are so many directions that Hunter could've taken Jane's story I was surprised and pleased at the way it ended up. I can't wait to see where she goes from here. I have so many questions! More please!!

I recently discovered this series, and absolutely devoured it! I loved seeing a more vulnerable side to Jane, with her dealing with her illness and the roles her family stepped into to care for her. I adore the dynamic between them! I also really enjoyed more beast time! I cannot wait for the next one!

I’d like to start out that this book wasn’t bad but this was not the book for me. Right from the very start I did not enjoy the writing style. I understand why it was written the way it was but it set a tone right from the beginning that I couldn’t get past. I also definitely recommend reading the other books in the series first but the author does a good gob giving a quick description of past events so I wasn’t completely lost while reading.

Faith Hunter has done it again. I have really enjoyed all the other Jane Yellowrock books and this one did not disappoint. Jane has run from responsibility as she is dying from magical cancer, but her sense of duty draws her back into the world of vampires, witches, and shape changers. As she takes up the mantle of Dark Queen and Empress of Europe, she will have to fight for the lives of all she loves.

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Faith, you've done it again! A culmination of so many storylines, this book might have become my favorite in the series. It's got depth and darkness and light and hope and grief and connection. It's got a big bad that's actually pretty damn terrifying. It's got lots of twists and turns. It's got lots of emotion and heart. Most of all, it's got Jane truly recognizing, on a deep soulful level, what's most important - the bonds she has forged with the people and creatures that have become her Clan, and similarly, accepting *who she is*, every single aspect.

While the title of this book is Shattered Bonds, don't let that fool you into thinking that Legs will be alone. Change, reforging, making something stronger is the name of the game.

There were quite a few emotional moments, but one that really stood out to me was a moment between Jane and Beast. It hit me really hard, and was absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful. Might have been my favorite moment of the series.

I really adore this series (and its spinoff, Soulwood) but if you've not read it, please start at the beginning with Skinwalker. Trying to jump in on this one will just spoil things and devalue the emotional payoff that comes with the events of a long-term series. HIGHLY recommended. ALL THE STARS.

I laughed, I cried, I held my breath and I stayed up way to late reading. Shattered Bonds is excellent...Thank you Faith Hunter.

Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series is one of my favorites. I've loved it form the beginning, and I think it gets better and better as the series progresses. Jane's trying to heal from a magical cancer she's suffering from after all of her time-walking. However, certain events don't seem to want to let her rest, and she gets pulled into conflict again. Jane jumps back into the fray to protect her family.

I have loved everything by Faith Hunter and this book is no exception. It is a bit different from previous books in that it is a little more centered on Jane and what is going on internally than outside forces. We do get to see some of the other main characters but not too much about them. I don't want to spoil too much but by the end Jane seems to be going in a new and different direction.I feel like this book needed to happen so that all the gang can continue to grow and not become stale. I can't wait to see were these new developments take us.



I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The pace seemed nonstop and I just hated to put it down. I really should have waited until the weekend so that I'd have more uninterrupted time.

Jane continues to learn about her powers while trying to defeat the younger Son of Darkness despite the fact she is still trying to recover from her magically caused cancer.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review. - I truly appreciate this author's books.

Loved this book. Faith hunter writes an excellent world with kickass characters. Can’t wait for the next one!