Nineteen Stories from the World of Jane Yellowrock

Fast paced, surprising but always pure enjoyment. Jane Yellowrock is an unsophisticated moral superstar who is loyal to her friends and always ready to protect the innocent. Looking forward to the next installment.

I just loved these stories and novellas.Lots of questions answered,explanations and information given.If you have read some or all of this series this will be the icing on the cake.
AllI can say without giving away any secrets,what a ride,what a ride.

Any excuse to live in the world of Jane Yellowrock. This collection does not disappoint. Hunter is a brilliant world creator. The characters have depth and substance. I always recommend this series. The short story collection is a must have for any fan.

Let me start this review with a big warning recomendation: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU ARE CAUGHT UP ON THE SERIES!

OK, while that might not be a great selling point it will keep you from reading some major spoilers unless you are one of those people that really like spoilers (yes Virginia, such people exist) and to be honest you might be OK to read it if the only novel you have missed was Dark Heir but then again since that is one of the best books in the series I think I will stick with my warning. This is a top shelf series and I would never recommend skipping any of them.

Alright, lets get to this book. It is a collection of 19 stories of which 2 are brand new BUT this whole book is laid out in a timeline fashion with just enough info in between stories to keep you straight as to where and when you are in the Jane Yellowrock world.

To be honest, I really thought I would just kind of scan over the previously published stories since I have read most if not all of them, give it 3-4 Stars and move on (since I really did not have time to read almost 600 pages) BUT, it seems I forget how addicting these stories can be and how much I enjoy them and since I don't have a photographic memory (or anything even remotely close) you start reading and realize there is a lot of the stories you forgot and before you know it you are drawn back in just like a new book. Needless to say I read every word between the covers.

The thing here is that these stories are following a timeline so they carry you along on the evolution of Jane Yellowrock as well as the evolution of several of the characters in the series. The new stories just kind of fall in and become part of the whole storytelling timeline and you never really acknowledge that the 2 new stories have any greater weight or entertainment value than the previously published stories. While I am a huge fan of Faith Hunter I suspect there are some other folks that deserve some serious kudos for selecting and laying out these stories in such a way that somebody like me that has pretty much read them all can enjoy them as much as any new book in the series. I have to admit that a couple of them did make me wish I could reread one or two of the novels but alas as a reviewer I don't have that kind of time.

Normally with a collection like this I break down each story and give it a rating to itself (as many of my fellow reviewers have) but this collection flows together so well and it really sets up not only the next novel in this series a bit but a new spin-off series forthcoming later this year (I can hardly wait) so I expect to be able to overdose on the world of Jane Yellowrock this year if such a thing is possible so, rating this as a collection with an actual movement in time and reminding all of us why we love this series so much I have to give it 5 Stars just for being an amazing entertainment accomplishment in what I was sure was going to be a boring money-grab. Well done indeed.

Faith Hunter's stories in the Jane Yellowrock universe are excellent examples of world building and how to write Urban Fantasy with an ensemble cat of fleshed out characters you can cheer for. Don't miss anything she writes.

Even though some of these are repeats from other anthologies, the new stories in this collection read very well and fill in a lot of gaps in Yellowrock mythology. Where there are departures, they are a lot of fun.

Got the alert from BookBub, but I had already pre-ordered it. Been in and out of the hospital in the last week, my friend broke her leg, my cousin had complications with a chronic condition, and I had hand surgery. Faith is one of my favorite writers, and having this was like bringing comfort from home. I'll edit this review later for actual book content but I really enjoyed it, as I said it was like having a piece of home with me. If you read the series, I know you'll love it. If you don't, buy book one and then read this, and all the others.

Nineteen fabulous tales that fans of Jane Yellowrock must read.

If you are like me, then you can’t get enough of Jane Yellowrock, the tough, take no nonsense skinwalker that shifts into Beast, the cat with attitude. In every story she plows through obstacles to achieve whatever job she is on, to save whichever person needs saving or just taking care of business and in the case of Blood in Her Veins readers get a compilation of stories in Jane’s world where some are from her perspective and some are from others’ perspectives which gives readers a bit of insight on how other characters see our beloved heroine. All of the characters in the series are strong, captivating and demand reader’s attention, not as much as Jane of course but hey she is the main focus of the series and the stories in this book are all fast paced and flow smoothly ensuring that readers get all the thrills and chills along with the suspense, excitement and touches of romance.

Lots of spine tingling tension builds throughout the stories, ensnaring the readers and refusing to let go with lots of dangerous excitement as Jane faces some serious foes and cheerful excitement as she meets new people and makes new friends and allies. The stories are well written with vivid details that capture the imagination and bring the stories to life and are a well-rounded overall look at the series that really gives the readers insight into the various characters and nuances of Jane’s life and her abilities. And of course the readers don’t want to miss the two never before published stories “Cat Fight” and “Bound No More” which are thrilling additions to the series.

Some stories are shorter than others but I had so much fun jumping around Jane’s world as I read the stories that I couldn’t quit reading until I had them all.

I got this to review through NetGalley. This is a collection of nineteen Jane Yellowrock stories/novellas. Many of these stories have appeared in other places (for example there are a lot of stories from Have Stake Will Travel in here). However, there are a couple new and original stories as well.

I considered listing all the stories and commenting on them all, but let’s face it nineteen stories is a lot to provide a story by story summary for. That being said this was an awesome addition to the Jane Yellowrock series. This is a very long running series and the stories in here are in chronological order. Hunter also comments before each story letting you know exactly where in Jane’s timeline the story takes place.

I have read a lot of these stories in previous anthologies, so I was planning on skipping over those stories because this is a vveeerryy long book; however, I ended up reading them all again because they are just so enjoyable and so addictive. It was also incredibly fun to see how far Jane Yellowrock has come over the course of the series. This was just such a fun look at Jane’s journey and did a great job of reminding me of all the things that have happened throughout this series. It was great to read this before the next book in the series, Shadow Rites, which comes out in April.

There are some new stories in here as well. I especially enjoyed Off the Grid which introduces us to Nell Ingram who will feature in Hunter’s new urban fantasy series. There is also a story called Cat Fight in which Jane has to return to the Bayou and deal with some witch vs. vamp trauma. There is a fantastic story that wraps up the book called Bound No More in which we see how powerful Angie Baby is becoming...this was just spectacular.

Additionally there are a lot of stories from other characters’ POVs. There are a few from Ricky Bo’s POV; this gave more insight into what Ricky Bo’s been through...although they were kind of tough to read knowing where things went for Ricky Bo and Jane. There are a couple of very good stories from Bruiser’s POV as well; I especially enjoyed the one where he first meets Jane.

The only complaint I have (and it’s a small one) is that some of the early and mid stories get a bit repetitive if you read them one after another. Ideally I think this would be a book best read a few stories at a time...not devoured over a couple days like I did (I got it for review and was trying to get it read quickly).

Overall this is a fantastic, and complete, collection of stories from the Jane Yellowrock universe. It was an entertaining and nostalgic trip through Jane’s journey and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book reminded me how entertaining and addictive this series is. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the Jane Yellowrock universe and fans of urban fantasy in general.

Jane Yellowrock and urban fantasy just go together. Yes I've had the deep joy of dipping into this world the last few days and it's been truly eye opening. No gushing because although I've enjoyed previous books in this series I would never say every story is five star but this collection? Just fabulous. So why am I such a happy reader? Well firstly there are nineteen short novella length stories here so plenty of goodness to read at leisure. Ok some readers might have already read some ( I'd previously read just two) but there are two brand spanking new additions to this authors world that revolves around Jane but not every story is Janes! Yes we get to see through the eyes of her friends which truly advances the world building and then of course there is the introduction of Nell! Yes a spin off series is scheduled for summer 2016 and the main character begins her journey in this anthology.
So if you love Jane and her Beast you will want to get your hands on this book. If it's more information about Molly, Rick, Angie or dare I say Ed then this anthology is a must read. I thoroughly enjoyed being sucked in and getting to know even more about this motley assortment of characters and happily recommend this book to both old and indeed new readers
This is a voluntary review of an arc from Netgalley and is my honest opinion

4.75 stars

“Blood in Her Veins: Nineteen Stories from the World of Jane Yellowrock” by Faith Hunter is a collection of paranormal urban fantasy short stories and novellas. Ranging from the early 19th century to more modern times, these tales give an overview of the progression of Jane the skinwalker’s life and development of her powers in snapshots that tie together the stories portrayed in the books of this series. There are glimpses of the beings that have had profound influences on her journey, including her ups and downs at forming connections with others who are acceptable to both her and Beast, particularly the Everhart family. Some of the folks who have ostensibly been secondary characters get their own time in the spotlight, particularly one very precocious witch-child who threatens to turn the world on its ear, just the way she upsets all of the plans of the adults around her. There is a plethora of details about vampires, the problem of were-taint, the struggle to form a useful council to deal with vampire-witch relations, and the ever-evolving details about the mysterious Anzu. Also introduced is a character (Nell) who is about to star in her own series who has indeed been “Off the Grid”.

One of the joys of reading stories by this author is the sheer immensity of details that she provides, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. I’m always hungry after reading about the delicious meals they are consuming (although I draw the line at cold oatmeal and probably at the fried gator, lol) which add such realism to the stories. I was grateful that there were little pockets of peace described while the various characters consumed their edibles, because the stories provide an experience that is like a strobe-lit picture of Jane’s evolution over the years, jampacked with pivotal struggles.

I fear that this book has plenty of spoilers for those who haven’t been keeping up with the series, but it is a great overview. Those who are squeamish should be forewarned that there is plenty of violence and death depicted (and ew, leaving a piece of one’s liver on a branch!), and it is awe-inspiring to watch the way the author provides such depth and texture to change the one views the paranormal creatures populating this series. There are moments of levity to give one a quick respite from the occasionally very heart-wrenching struggles, but one never forgets what a kickass combination this motorcycle-riding female is, nor how unique and powerful a relationship she and Beast have. This is an enthralling and exciting collection of tales that is sure to delight fans of the series and seduce plenty of new readers into falling under the spell of this fantastic author.

A copy of this collection was provided to me for review.

First, I love having all the shorts and back stories in one place! Second, the two new novellas left me speechless! In Cat Fight, Jane heads back to take care of some Cajun vamps and witches. Jane learns something new about one of the Nolo vamps that raises some interesting questions. In Bound No More, Jane has company. Molly and Angie Baby are in town. Some things Angie Baby has kept secret come out, and we see another side to the Kid. You won't be disappointed!

Blood in Her Veins by Faith Hunter hooked me from the first page. I've read all of the Jane Yellowrock series and these short stories fill in some of the events between books I had wondered about. It's just awesome. I would recommend it to my friends and family.

Faith Hunter returns to the world of Jane Yellowrock in this collection of nineteen stories that will leave readers wanting to re-read the entire series. Jane Yellowrock is fantastic Urban Fantasy heroine and readers who are looking for a good introduction to the genre will love this series. This new book has only two new stories about Jane but the other seventeen will take the reader back in time and introduce them to parts of Jane they may not have seen before. A must read for fans of the Jane Yellowrock series!

What I liked:

There are so many things I could talk about here. The Jane Yellowrock series is one my favorite Urban Fantasy reads ever. Jane is a skinwalker. If you know anything about Native American folklore you have heard of skinwalkers before. Basically, Jane is a shape-shifter and she can communicate with her other form, which she has named, Beast. Did I mention that Jane is a vampire-hunter? There is that.This series has interactions with many different paranormal characters from witches to vampires, skinwalkers to werewolves. You get a little bit of everything here and it is soooo worth the read.

Blood In Her Veins is not a book I would recommend reading as a stand alone unless you have read all the other books in this series. These nineteen stories happen all throughout the series and I feel like the reader would miss so much if they haven't read the surrounding stories. There are two new stories as well that will broaden the readers idea of Jane and her world. I liked having all of the shorter novellas in one place and in order. That made it easy for me as a big fan of the series to keep everything in perspective.

I liked the fact that Hunter gives us stories not only from Jane's point of view but from those of her friends as well. I love Molly and Angie and I'll have admit to having a love/hate relationship with Rick. I didn't like him to start with but he grew on me. Bruiser is pretty awesome and loved reading more about him as well.

What I didn't like:

This one is close to 600 pages. If you are not into chunky books this one might not be for you. It's a bit lengthy but if you are a fan of the series you will fall right back into the addiction that is Jane when you start reading it and the time and pages will fly. Over too soon in my opinion.

Bottom Line:

If you haven't read this series, you really have to give it a try. Hunter's writing is fantastic and you won't regret the read. This collection of stories from Jane's world was a big hit for me, but it might leave you scratching your head if you aren't caught up on the series. I loved it!