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Review: Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress #7.5)

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Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost // VBC ReviewOuttakes from the Grave (Night Huntress #7.5)
Jeaniene Frost
Published: December 22, 2015 (NYLA)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review source: purchased

Reviewed by: Jannelle

Rating (out of 5): 5 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it does make reference to previous books. If you haven’t started this series yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, Halfway to the Grave.

Outtakes from the Grave is a collection of—you guessed it—outtakes from the original Night Huntress series that were never published. Jeaniene Frost looked through all her files (hard disks included) to place together all of the deleted scenes from all of the published Night Huntress novels, giving history and a brief explanation before sending us back into this world.

I thoroughly enjoyed Outtakes from the Grave. For me, it was more than just reminiscing about one of my favorite (currently concluded) series of all time. It was so easy to fall back into this familiar world with Cat and Bones at the center. There was also something romantic about immersing myself into a series that left only positive feelings to be nostalgic for. Basically, it gave me all the feels.

All of the deleted or altered scenes are set up perfectly. And while Frost does a fantastic job at setting up each individual scene, mentioning the novel and exactly where in the story the scene was taken from, I wouldn’t recommend Outtakes from the Grave if you haven’t already read the series in its entirety. Yes, some of the scenes can be read as short stories and are wonderful on their own, but you’d just be doing yourself a disservice by spoiling the overarching storyline of the entire series by reading this first.

Funnily enough, most of the outtakes are sex scenes or alternate beginnings to the novels previously published. Most (if not all) of these altered scenes are centered on Cat and Bones’ relationship and while the scenes are different from what was originally published, they still highlight the deep love and utter magic of who they are together. This makes for some lovely midday pondering of how the series could have been different had these initial writings been published instead.

There was no overarching storyline to this novel and no pacing involved. Frost went in chronological order of books published and briefly discussed the scene before showcasing it. I read it thoroughly and took my time; I was in no hurry to wrap up this world I love so much (well, again). And although it is essentially a collection of deleted scenes, all of these scenes combined amount to a mid-length novel (383 pages of awesome).

I was worried that reading Outtakes from the Grave would tarnish the originally published works and the phenomenal ending to the series with Up from the Grave. But all it did was make me appreciate the series even more with the backstory to their original edit. It was a truly great read from beginning to end.

Outtakes from the Grave was a fantastic addition to the Night Huntress series and a necessary read for every fan of the series. If you couldn’t tell, I enjoyed every word. 5 out of 5 stars from me.

Sexual content: graphic sex

3 Responses to “Review: Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress #7.5)”

  1. Yvonne says:

    I loved this series and am currently reading Mencheres story, Eternal Kiss of Darkness. Love all the characters in this world.

  2. Sarah says:

    Oh this series was one of the highlights of my life!!! That is not an exaggeration, her characters are some of the best I’ve ever seen. I can wait to read Outtakes!!!!

  3. Sarah says:

    I really loved this extra glance into the world I miss. I loved seeing their relationship in different ways.

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