This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post to catch up--emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
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Hayes is really getting better at bringing books together as a novel. Still, it's basically four serialized short stories pretending to be a novel, but this one was a whole lot closer to being a whole.

While Krystal is off doing something to get her released from her prior engagement (Fae contracts aren't that easy to break), Fred gets a visit from the ruling Council for vampires to see if he and his clan are up to snuff. While they're at it, their representative is going to fill Fred in on all the stuff he should've learned from his sire.

Stuff ensues. Fred learns a lot but doesn't change fundamentally. He's still the same mild-mannered guy, even if he's determined he's going to have to be a bit more. There's some really good stuff about his ex-employee, Alfred, coming into his own.

This light UF series keeps getting better. ( )

This is the best yet of the Fred the vampire accountant series. The reason is good is that the series finally introduced an interesting and intriguing new character that shows real depth. Deborah has been sent to asses whether Fred is suitable as the leader of a vampire clan. Her observations and dialog with Fred make the book worthwhile. ( )

This installment was a bit disappointing to me. The entirety of the story was Fred being assessed by a member of the Blood Council, who are the leaders of the vampire community. There was a question as to whether he was a capable clan leader, thus the need for assessment. But really the council just wanted to know if Fred and his clan, with their powerful allies were a danger to them. The assessor was not completely awful, but not really likable either.

I just didn't like the direction this book took. Most importantly there was violence against animals, which I just can't stomach in my old age. Personally this took away from my enjoyment of the book. Thus the low star rating. Judging by the conclusion of the book, there is likely another sequel in the works. I hope the author gets back on track or I may have to break-up with this series. ( )