Kits!

One of my more recent discoveries is Faith Hunter. Her second Jane Yellowrock novel Blood Cross came out not too long ago, but I only managed to get my hands on it a week ago. I enjoyed the first book in the series, Skinwalker, very much, so I had rather high expectations. Hunter delivered. The shape-shifting Jane is one of the coolest heroines I've ever read and her constant dialogue with her inner Beast is wonderfully written and often surprisingly endearing. The action is nonstop and the spiritual elements are engaging, as is the exploration of Jane's Cherokee heritage. I particularly like the detail of Hunter's descriptions on various rituals, environments and sensory perceptions, both through Jane's and Beast's eyes. One of the sweetest things in the book(s) is the way the ferocious Beast relates to children. To the Big Cat, children are kits and they need to be protected.

An interesting take on the usual horror/fantasy characters (vampires and shape-shifters) and an excellent urban fantasy novel. Warmly recommended to anyone who enjoys slightly darker urban fantasy with a good helping of mystery thrown in. Vampires are featured, but since Jane is a vampire-hunter by trade and good at her job, Twilight this is not.