I'm already quite late in writing about Anita Blake novels so I decided to group these two together because honestly, they are mostly about sex and Anita's problems with the ardeur.Before I go on, there are going to be spoilers ahead so if you haven't read them, be warned.
Cerulean Sins brings us into vampire politics territory. Belle Morte has sent her envoys who have arrived too early and all manner of problems are occurring - one of them is that she wants Asher back (who of course doesn't want to go) and unless he is sharing Anita's and Jean Claude's bed, he will have to. Of course that Anita and J-C defeat all the problems they face with both their enemies and people who should know better (Richard and Dolph who bullies Anita because of her ties with the "monsters" since his son wants to marry a vampire). Told you there would be spoilers. :)
I don't want to go into details but Marmee Noir makes into the story and the start of the Anita's pornographic ardeur trip starts. There's been a lot of talk about how the series have downgraded from here (and honestly, re-reading the series I kind of got stuck in the middle of this book because I just didn't feel like reading through so much self-torture done by Anita through her I'm a lousy Catholic and shouldn't be having so much sex with so many people attitude). So I finished Cerulean Sins after reading some other books in the mean time. And then I went on to Incubus Dreams.Which goes deeper into the whole ardeur=food=sex territory but is less problematic to read (unlike Danse Macabre I'm reading at the moment where there's so much ardeur philosophy and sex that it feels there is no story underneath it).
Although honestly, I just now take the books in the series as they come. I just hate it when people trash authors for taking the characters and story to a territory not approved by some of the readers. I mean, if you don't like, write your own books. Or just don't read them. There is really no need to add to the negativity we are surrounded with in our everyday lives. I love Anita Blake world even though it's darker and more pessimistic than I usually go for but it still displays that one should stick to one's own ideals and character even when it means going against the world. Because good is the choice one should take even though it would be so much easier to go the easier route. And faith is something we should never question or presume to know what the deity in which we believe thinks of our lives. We try. That is the best we as humans can do.
Ok, so, this has nothing to do with the story. :) But it seems I have some strong opinions about the series.
Well, again a lot of problematic sex. A new triumvirate. Richard eases his way back into the original triumvirate but is still making problems for everyone.
It just feels like the crime stories in these two are there just as the backdrop for all the sex. I know this sounds awful but it's still the truth. It's not that the books are bad, quite the contrary, they are easily read (ok, maybe some sex scenes are not for the faint hearted - ok, not maybe but for sure) but it still lacks the darkness and seriousness of the first several novels.
The interesting thing is, everyone (or almost everyone) who got hooked on Anita through those first books will forever read any story in her world because we are waiting for her to master that ardeur and start dealing with serious crime. And well, it's not like the sex is bad. :D
Pic by: http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/
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