Stay tuned below for a review, contest information, and an excerpt of Final Heir by Faith Hunter!
Series: Jane Yellowrock #15
Author: Faith Hunter
Publisher: Ace Books
Released: September 6, 2022
Received: NetGalley/Blog Tour
Warnings: Graphic violence/gore
There comes a time for every series when we must say goodbye. For Jane Yellowrock‘s series, that time has come. The fifteenth novel in the series, Final Heir, is appropriately titled, as this is the final novel in the series.
Jane has come a long way from her vampire hunting days. Now she is the Dark Queen – queen to the vampires and their only hope for stopping the war that seems to always be on the cusp of occurring.
The last few years have been a struggle as Jane fights to protect her friends, family, and all of New Orleans. Now she and her allies must stand up one more time, as an ancient enemy is about to make his final moves against her.
It’s always difficult to say goodbye to a series, especially one that has run so long as Jane Yellowrock. Yet I do firmly believe that Final Heir is the conclusion we’ve been waiting for.
But I should probably take a few steps back before discussing the ending to this delightful and deadly series. Jane has changed SO much over the years. Those changes were dispersed throughout fifteen novels, so much of those changes felt subtle, making it difficult to track the progress over time. However, I feel like Final Heir did an excellent job of reminding readers of Jane’s origins – and therefore putting everything into perspective.
That makes Final Heir a powerfully introspective novel. Her character is well aware of the battles she’s survived and how much they have changed her. Looking into her past allows us to get the chance to give her a proper goodbye, in a way.
Admittedly, this level of introspection did result in a slightly slower pace than is perhaps typical for the series. It added weight to the words (and ensuing events), which I think balances out the pacing concerns, but it is still worth mentioning.
Likewise, it is worth mentioning just how emotional this novel is. Faith Hunter’s words will cut long-term fans to the core, forcing us to feel each shift, loss, and decision as it comes to pass. It is an intense read, though it does have spots of humor sprinkled throughout. Angie-baby and Beast getting most of the credit there, as far as I’m concerned.
As always, I fangirled all over the place regarding vamp/paranormal politics, especially as they clashed with city politics. This was one of several highlights found within Final Heir, so if this is your jam, you’re in luck.
As for the conclusion of this series? I have strong opinions about it. I expect any fan will also have strong opinions about it. After all, it’s the end of an era. I’m still very much processing everything that has happened – and that’s a good thing. I will say that the ending is very much in keeping with the storytelling up to this point, and I legitimately enjoyed seeing it all come together.
Okay, the fact that we are still getting more Soulwood novels is definitely helping to reduce the feeling of loss. We may be saying goodbye to a series, but we’re not saying goodbye to this world!
Thanks to Ace Books and Let’s Talk Promotions for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
About Final Heir:
The stakes couldn’t be higher in the newest novel in the New York Times bestselling, pulse-pounding Jane Yellowrock series.
Jane Yellowrock is the queen of the vampires, and that makes her a target as she fights to maintain control and keep peace in the city of New Orleans. She has enemies at every turn, because vampires live forever, and they keep their grudges alive with them. That includes the Heir, the vampire sire of the Pellissier bloodline, which gave rise to Leo Pellissier himself—Jane’s old boss and the former master of the city.
With the Heir and all the forces of darkness he can muster arrayed against her, Jane will need all the help she can get. She’ll find it in her city, her friends, her found family, and, of course, the Beast inside of her.
Please Note: Print & ebook copies of FINAL HEIR will be published Sept 6. The Audible version will release in October.
ISBN: 9780593335819
Preorder links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | The Book Depository | Kobo | Google Books | Apple Books
Tour-Wide Giveaway!
There’s a tour-wide giveaway open to US residents!
- 1 winner will receive a Yellowrock Securities leather bracelet
- 5 winners will receive a Beast is Not Prey leather bracelet
- 4 winners will receive their choice of a $25 gift card from Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Excerpt:
FINAL HEIR Excerpt 5
Aggie was sitting across from me, wearing her linen shift. She rubbed something onto her knees, as if they ached. When she saw me looking, she shrugged and reminded me, “Werewolf? Demon? Angel?”
“There were two werewolves inside Evangelina Everhart’s circle with a demon. The demon was eating them. The angel appeared and—” I stopped. There had been a burst of light at the demon circle when the angel appeared, Hayyel doing something, changing something. “The angel did something to all of us.” But the most obvious change had been to Brute, the werewolf I thought I’d just now caught a whiff of. Brute was bound to the angel in some way, probably even more than Angie.
The memory of the werewolves in the demon circle vision was overlapped with memories and visions of the Mughal blade, the prophecy attached to it, and me in armor. Which was strange unless what I’d seen was a combination of all these three: memory, prophecy, personal spiritual vision.
I closed my eyes and pulled the visions back to me. “What do you need?” I whispered, not fully sure who I was talking to. Hayyel? Aggie One Feather? God? “What do you want me to do?”
The memories and visions shifted, as if being shuffled like cards in a deck. In the overlapping of it all, things came clearer, almost as if the sun rose and shone light into the space, ruby and sapphire light, like a prism. In the vision, in the strange place, the people who watched the angel came clear.
The people standing along the walls wore brightly colored clothes—robes. Like people wore in Biblical times. I inhaled in shock. Not a vision. Not my soul home. The red and blue light seemed to flow across the walls, bright- ening the angel wings. I took it all in, memorizing everything.
Something scratched on the sweathouse door. “He’s here,” I said. “At the door.”
Aggie tensed. “The angel?”
“No.” I’d been out awhile again, and my voice slurred. I swallowed to try and moisten my throat. “The werewolf.”
Check out all the tour stops for Final Heir!
8/22: The Irresponsible Reader (review, excerpt, Q&A)
8/23: I Love Books and Stuff (excerpt)
8/24: Slippery Words (review, excerpt)
8/26: I Smell Sheep (excerpt)
8/29: Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks (review, excerpt)
8/31: Words about Words (Q&A)
9/2: Gizmo’s Reviews (review, excerpt)
9/5: Welcome to My Hoard (review, excerpt, Q&A)
9/6: drey’s library (review, excerpt, Q&A)
9/9: Angel’s Guilty Pleasures (excerpt)
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 