Blood Trade (Jane Yellowrock #6) by Faith Hunter
Urban Fantasy
April 2, 2013
ROC

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “You gonna put on your big girl panties and fight with the boys, now?“
“Who says I wear panties?”

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires—those who follow the Naturaleza and believe that humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted—are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care. (Goodreads)

Blood Trade picks up not long after Death’s Rival ended. Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker and vampire enforcer, is still incredibly angry that her employer and Master Vampire Leo Pellissier forced a bond on her beast with the help of his primo, Bruiser  Add in her argument with Rick and her guilt over killing her best friend’s sister; Jane is suffering from severe depression. She decides that getting out of town for awhile would be good for her and when she’s offered a job by the Master Vampire of Natchez, she grabs her boys and jumps on it. His city is being overrun by plague carrying vampires who have gone rogue. When she arrives in Mississippi, she is contacted by an old “friend” who needs her help. Misha was raised in the same group home as Jane and is now carrying for a mutual disabled friend of theirs and her daughter, who is deathly ill.  Misha wants Jane to help her with writing her vampire book, but she goes missing and leaves both her charges with Jane. As Jane struggles with the rogue vampires who are like nothing she has seen before and trying to find Misha, she discovers a link between the two which if not brought into check, could spell the end for everyone-human and supernatural alike.

Faith Hunter’s Jane Yellowrock series is a high octane Urban Fantasy that follows its own rules and keeps you guessing until the very end. Heavily character driven, each one is able to hold a story in their own right. I only wish sometimes that we could get more perspective from other characters, in order to explain their motivations better. As it is, we are only privy to Jane’s thoughts and interactions concerning other characters and as she is a bit of a fatalist, she only imagines the worse. A well plotted storyline dips back into the past as Hunter brings forth previous events to help explain what Jane is facing now. Explanations are expanded upon as we learn the history of the vampires (with a surprise angle) and the roles both the witches and Jane play in those origins and the outcome.

When the MOC of Natchez hired Jane, he conveniently forgets to tell her a few things. One, that the plague carrying vamps are morphing into super vamps-almost resistant to normal extermination. Two, there is witchcraft involved. Three, he asked for her specifically. When the link to witchcraft is discovered, Jane is forced to call the PsyLED, who sends her old boyfriend Rick, and Leo sends Bruiser in to help, unbeknownst to Jane. This forces Jane to examine certain feelings and resentments she wasn’t ready for. As stated earlier, Jane is furious and unbelievably hurt at Bruiser for his betrayal. And her unresolved feelings for Rick causes her to yo-yo from anger to sadness at the drop of a hat. Luckily, both Rick and Bruiser are more honest and forthcoming then normal, concerning certain events, but Hunter doesn’t give away much and there is still long way to go before this love triangle resolves itself.  I did like that Jane doesn’t bury her head in the sand in this installment and we get more of her emotions concerning this fiasco. None of this situation though is helped by Jane’s Beast whose distinctly inhuman way of looking at relationships keeps Jane’s emotions on high alert. Beast wants Bruiser and Rick as mates and doesn’t see why she can’t have them both.

Secondary characters continue to develop and elevate the storyline; no two more than Eli and the kid (Alex). With their addition to the storyline, Jane (and Beast) finally has her pack. More than just employees, Eli and the kid watch Jane’s back with the same single minded determination they use to watch each other’s. Funny, sarcastic, kick arse, and with no hidden agendas concerning her, Eli and the kid are exactly what Jane needs right now. I especially enjoy the fact that Eli isn’t scared of Rick or Bruise.  Bobby’s introduction also went far into expanding Jane’s emotional awareness in a way I greatly appreciated. I think if I had to pick a theme for this story, I would say family. Whether blood or not, family is an important part of your life and Jane is finally finding hers.

Multiple subplots intertwine through the main storyline and only towards the end do you begin to see the big picture these individual threads create. The ending is climatic with Jane forefront in all her arse kicking weapon welding glory. We are also clued into Jane’s next big adventure. I know long time readers will be happy to see at least one major loose thread that has coasted for a few books is tied up and I hope we see more of that addressed in book seven-Black Arts-release date to be announced .

Blood Trade is a well written installment and a fine addition to the Jane Yellowrock series. Readers, old and new, will appreciate the convoluted storyline and action packed plot. I don’t recommend starting here though. Though each book has a resolvable conflict, the arc is long reaching not much background from previous books is carried forward. My only bone of contention remains, as always, the love triangle. The lack of advancement in it is beginning to interfere with the main storyline.

Rating: B

Recent Reviews:
 All Things Urban Fantasy – 4/5
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