Jane Yellowrock wakes up in a sweat after an unpleasant and unusual dream where some unknown and disturbing magic takes place. The Witch Conclave is only a few days away, and Jane and her partners Eli and Alex at Yellowrock Securities have been hired to make sure nothing troublesome happens to New Orleans's Master Vampire. A peace treaty between the witches and the American vampires is at stake, which would ensure the dreaded European Vampires would not try to overtake the American ones. While Jane never expected it to be a piece of cake, she never expected the mayhem that was to happen...

Is it sheer folly to pick up book 10 in a series while not having read the previous ones? Not in this case! While there are numerous characters interacting in a very complex world, I never felt lost, and this is the mark of a great writer! It's obvious that new information was added to events that happened in earlier books, still it was all clear to me. And what extraordinary characters they all are, so well defined, with so many layers, I'm sure there will always be something to add to everyone. Jane is a sort of shifter, and her inner Beast—a mountain lion—is really an alter ego: I found utterly fascinating to hear the animal part of a shifter reacting and being one with her human host. The world building in SHADOW RITES is simply astonishing, and Ms. Hunter enriches paranormal lore with her inventive twists on vampires and especially magic, which I thought absolutely breathtaking! The magic element is unlike anything I'd ever seen before, and so vividly described, I could almost see and feel it; what a thrill! I also adored Ms. Hunter's take on time manipulation: the Gray Between is a fabulous concept and so exciting, I think I held my breath a few times, and this from a reader who does not like time-travel that much!

To say a lot happens in SHADOW RITES would be a major understatement, and I'm astounded at how the story is tight and well-crafted, because I never lost track of what was happening. The first half of the book consists mostly of setting the scene for the grand finale, still it was enthralling, as so much is happening in the lives of several characters, but when the action really started, there was enough to fill several books! SHADOW RITES is so full of colours, sensations, scents in every way; the world of Jane Yellowrock was a most wonderful discovery!