While I am a big fan of the Hunter Kiss series in general, I have always had a soft spot for Maxine's boys. THE MORTAL BONE is their book, the Reaper Kings, the family and protectors that have always lived so close to Maxine's heart. The seismic upset of the world that fractured through the previous book is still sending out little aftershocks, but THE MORTAL BONE is one of the most linear and accessible books in the series. Not that it won't test your assumptions, not that it won't stand you on your head, not that it won't break your heart... but it will do all of things in a straightforward and easy to follow manner.

It's always hard for series books to get five bats for me, as so much relies on the preceding books. And while I went back and forth between four and five bats for THE MORTAL BONE, I can say with no hesitation that it is my favorite book of the series thus far. You have to put in the time to read three, but oh what a payoff. Liu doesn't pull any punches when it comes to mythology or character building, and there were times when my fascination battled my emotions for top billing. I often struggle to remember names and plot points from prior books, but Liu laid everything out in an accessible fashion. More than that, it was so easy to understand the absolute emotional high stakes that were at hand. Maxine's family, her world, her future, all on the line.

This is a series with a complex world inhabited by infinitely complicated characters. The nature of good, the burden of forgiveness, and the reality of protective, familial love all come into play as the old wars and immortal enemies come back to the light of day. Maxine is the conduit that takes this infinite struggle and brings it down to a human level, both for the reader and for many of her fellow characters, and Liu utterly succeeded in putting this complex magical war into terms that I could relate to. Amidst all the magic and the life or death struggles, there is laughter and hope and a future waiting to be born. The next Hunter Kiss book will be an instant pre-order as soon as it comes to light, both out of concern for the fate of humanity and our world as well as a love for Maxine's little family, both human and non.

Sexual Content: Kissing and references to sex.