Review: Wicked Bite by Jeaniene Frost (Night Rebel #2)

Wicked Bite (Night Rebel #2)
Jeaniene Frost
Published: Jan. 28, 2020 (Avon)
Purchase at: Amazon
Review Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference previous events in the series. If you haven’t yet started, check out VBC’s review of Shades of Wicked.

After literally saving Ian’s soul by making a bargain with her father, law guardian Veritas is about to break every rule in the book as she searches out the remainder of the souls she released from demon Dagon’s grasp and sends them on their way before Dagon can reclaim them and the power he lost.

Of course, since returning Ian’s soul to his body meant he lost all memories of the few weeks they spent together, Veritas will be completing this mission solo. Also a good thing since she’s drawn Dagon’s attention and he’ll take any opportunity to strike at her by going for Ian. No, better she keeps Ian as far away as possible.

Thing is, Ian didn’t entirely forget Veritas or their weeks hunting down Dagon. He knows she’s somehow important to him, but not why. Now, he’ll stop at nothing to put the pieces together, and if there’s anything we know about Ian, once he’s dedicated to something, there’s no stopping him.

I came into this series late. For whatever reason I did not jump on the Shades of Wicked bandwagon the moment it came out in late 2018. Honestly, good for me because right after I did get to it and finish it up I was able to jump immediately into Wicked Bite. Moral of the story: sometimes it pays to wait.

Coincidentally, it also came after a long period of not having ready anything by Jeaniene Frost so I’m liable to overlook any negatives due to the fact that it felt like I was being welcomed back into a group of friends again. Because, yes, the gang pretty much all shows up in one way or another.

But for all that we’re back in common territory, it’s the new things that impress me the most. Mainly, Wicked Bite deals a lot with Veritas and her dual nature as vampire and demi-goddess. Still trying to suppress her other half for reason we, and she, don’t fully know, I like that readers are right there with her when we learn what, exactly, it is that she’s capable of. For a character that first popped up as tertiary, at best, I think it’s awesome how much she’s been expanded upon. All the new things we learn, all the new depths, don’t seem misplaced or out of left-field. It’s been a real shining moment of the series that I wasn’t really expecting when I first started.  

Probably the only quibble I can make is the fact that I wanted more to be done with Ian’s losing his memories. I had no doubt that somehow Ian and Veritas would reunite so I would have loved to have the tension drawn out a bit, but it seemed to be more of a quick passing phase.

Because the search for Dagon continues from Shades into Wicked I feel like these first two books go more hand in hand, and the third book will deal more with the fallout, as well as Veritas claiming more of her suppressed other half. Even though it’s a somewhat natural progression for the series, Jeaniene Frost is a pro at throwing curveballs and I’m looking forward to things being shaken up a bit.

My only problem is I now sit in the same position as everyone else: waiting for the next book. 

 Sexual Content: Graphic sex