Reading challenge I had no problem finishing - Anita Blake

The end of the year is upon us and it's time to wrap up things that can be wrapped up. One of them is my participation in the Anita Blake reading challenge.
I am really glad I participated as I loved Anita since I read the first book about her and I don't think that will ever stop. She is such a particularly unique character in the world of books that everyone who reads Laurell Hamilton's books has strong feelings about her (either good or bad, but strong). Which in my opinion says a lot.

I expect I will re-visit the series again as I like the books a lot and feel like a glutton when reading through them (no stopping me). Since this was my second time around, and this time I didn't have to wait for books to come out but could read the whole series through, I feel I got a better idea of the complicated inner world in which Anita battles each day, as well as the world of politics and metaphysics where she is forever trying to find a stable position. Even though she is a strong character (and ruthless when called for), she has a sof spot in my heart (and I know she has one in her heart due to all the love and friendship she displays throughout the books).
I know she is an imaginary character, but still she managed to show me how to be strong and persistent in the face of adversity, how much value should be put into true friendships and that love is always generous.

Hope you get to enjoy the series if you still haven't and here is the list of books I read.

1. Guilty Pleasures


2. The Laughing corpse

3. Circus of the Damned

4. The Lunatic Cafe

5. Bloody Bones

6. The Killing Dance

7. Burnt Offerings

8. Blue Moon

9. Obsidian Butterfly

10. Narcissus in Chains

11. Cerulean Sins

12. Incubus Dreams

13. Micah

14. Danse Macabre

15. The Harlequin

16. Blood Noir

17. Skin Trade

18. Flirt

19. Bullet


P.S. I just didn't read that one novella that I still can't remember the name of and which isn't listed on L. Hamilton's site as a standalone work (all these are).

Laurell K. Hamilton: Bullet

Who thought Mother of all Darkness was dead?!

I for one didn't. I mean there's no way they were going to kill her so easily. Turns out that was true and boy, is it going to be even more difficult killing her now.

But, they do have a plan by the end of the book, one that requires a lot of metaphysical pondering for us readers (I for one just went with the flow and didn't try thinking it through). I mean it really sounded complicated who had what powers and how they kept each other in check, and who went behind whose back in order to keep thing relatively even and then who is going to get killed slowly and painfully because of what they did... Anyway, I just wanted to get to the action so I just read through it and didn't try to find my way through the maze of political/metaphysical labyrinth.

One thing I can say for Mrs. Hamilton more than for any other author I've read is, she can sure take you a bit beyond your comfort level. Although I'm no longer surprised by that and it doesn't deter me from finishing the book. 

At the beginning of the series, it was all the gore and gruesome killings with some incredibly awful creatures. Then it went into sex and we're still in that territory but this time around, there are some man on man situations that might not be for everyone (and a bit girl with girl). Not much really and in my opinion not badly done. The one thing that surprised me though (and quite a lot as I still cannot really understand it but then again I could never understand Anita's mind) is the fact that she doesn't get jealous at one point in the book where I got the feeling it would be required. Although it's best for everyone that she doesn't.

I steered away from the Mother of all Darkness but there's not much else to be sadi. After realizing the mess they are in, the rest of the book is about what needs to be done to deal with it. And at the end of it, almost everything is in place for the next book to take us to war.

Laurell K. Hamilton: Flirt

I've been a bit disappointed when I first got that book but that was because it's not the standard Anita Blake size. It's a novella so I got to enjoy the excitement of Anita Blake's life for only a third of the usual story. Oh well, at least I got some.

I'm going to give some spoilers so you know not to read on if you don't want them. :)

I was a bit surprised to see that Anita got a bit more relaxed  in her dealings with men, so much so that she flirted a bit with a waiter until the bad stuff started happening.

This time there is no Mother of all Darkness (she got killed in the previous book, but I mean, who ever believed that was the end of it?) but Anita's everyday work (raising zombies) is what gets her in trouble. Anyway, she is kidnapped and forced to cooperate unless she wants her lovers killed and I'm not going into details how it was all set up but it works. The group that kidnapped her took into account everything except the fact that she carries weretiger strain of  lycanthropy as well. That's all I'm going to say on the subject.

The good thing about this book is that there's not too much sex and Anita's musings on how she's a bad little Christian and battling with her own conscience. What needs to be done that everyone is safe, needs to be done, even though the consequences are a bit grey (to say the least).

Laurell K. Hamilton: Skin Trade

It doesn't really happen that often that I cannot remember what the book was about or that I actually forget I read it.  I was completely sure when starting Skin Trade that I never read it before. Which was ok because I felt like reading it for the first time (even after I remembered some parts but didn't remember how it ends).

So, Vittorio from Incubus Dreams (that's where we met him first) sets a trap for Anita in Las Vegas and she has no choice but to get there (while Jean-Claude is still asleep so cannot argue against it). But since this is an already known vampire serial killer, Edward, Olaf and Bernardo also come to play. This is where we get to see Olaf trying to get more quality time with Anita (from his perspective of course).

 Spoilers ahead again. :)

And since Master of Las Vegas animal to call is a were-tiger and Anita is carrying the top were-tiger lycnathopy, there is a whole new set of problems with that. Standard stuff of the last several Anita books. :) While trying to find the resting place of Vittorio through the were-tiger that is helping him, they also seem to realize that there was not only a vampire problem the police in Las Vegas was dealing with but a demon as well. That turns out to be a lesser problem because Vittorio is not just an ordinary master vampire. He is Father of the Day to Mother of all Darkness who she stripped of some of his powers but they seem to be returning in this book. Of course, Anita is there to deal with that problem. :)
What interests me more is what happened with Marmee Noir? I mean the vampire council feared her waking so much that they blew up her resting place. But for some reason I cannot believe that was the end of her. :) You don't get rid of the mother of all vampires just like that. We'll see.

Laurell K. Hamilton: Blood Noir

First time around I thought this book was kind of plotless. Now I'm wondering how in the world did I get to that? Probably because it felt it was just Anita and Jason visiting his dying father and getting tangled up in his childhood problems because of a really big wedding starring a guy who looks exactly like Jason. Which of course leads to a whole bunch of problems on top of which Marmee Noir makes a surprise visit out of which Anita comes out with a new animal to call and loss of memory. Richard also makes an appearance, again causing problems for everyone but at least he gets to lose Anita's rage he inherited through the triumvirate and Anita learns how to feed ardeur through something else than just sex.

You know, there is a lot of parts in all the books when Anita is trying to explain metaphysics and magic to people (usually police) who are not sensitive and cannot imagine what it is like.  That also serves as a good reminder that the readers might have problems with getting the idea but I cannot say I had that problem. I just accept whatever comes up as the part of the world in which Anita lives. Although sometimes I do wish people around her wouldn't get that terribly hurt (including her).

Laurell K. Hamilton: The Harlequin

I shouldn't be mentioning their name, should I? I haven't received a mask, meaning it's forbidden to discuss them. The vampire policing band of seriously old and powerful vampires. And they've arrived to St. Louis under pretense of checking the Church of Eternal life.

Spoilers ahead. :)

That was the official line. When actually the head of the Harlequin just wanted territory for himself before Mother of all Darkness wakes (that would mean some kind of protection which I managed to foget what actually it was). Too many metaphysical explanations to keep them all in my head. Anyway, Anita and company manage to deal with them. Company this time includes Edward and Olaf. :) Olaf being the serial killer whose type of women are exactly what Anita looks like. Yeah, her life is never easy. But since Anita knows what Olaf is like, she tries to keep contact to a minimum, until the end of the book when she practically fulfills Olaf's fantasy with him (meaning he is now seeing her as an attractive partner and not prey).  Which will get more obvious in Skin Trade.

You know, I wouldn't be writing about each of the books in the series if I didn't participate in the Anita Blake challenge. I am glad I decided to read them again, those books make me feel brave and ready to face the world. It's because Anita is a character that is at the same time fragile and extremely brave and tough. I'm sure she would get angry with me if she were real and saw this. :) She, along with Harry Potter are the two characters that feel most real to me. As if they really could exist in this world. Or, and this is worse for me, as if I could get lost in their worlds forever and never want to leave. There are some books/series that make me feel like that. Like I need to learn to live my life again ince I'm done with them. Which is at the same time proof that the author in question does some excellent writing and a problem for me because I tend to want to go back and feel a bit depressed that I can't. One more book that does this is The Lord of the Rings.

One last thing about the book. It's even more vampire politics complicated with spies, rules, council politics etc. getting all mixed up in the story. I should have paid more attention when reading it because I got a bit surprised in the end with trying to figure who did what and why. :) Well, I am on a vacation after all. :D

Laurell K. Hamilton: Danse Macabre

Is it just me, or do other people get lost among the titles of Hamilton's books? I mean this one and the last two (I'm not including Micah here) get mixed up in my mind. Oh well.

I'm behind writing about the books again (vacation will do that to you - make you lazy I mean). So today I want to go through those I read  and then it feels like I'll be able to retain my writing schedule - I read a book and I can write about it.

Danse Macabre is the book where a vampire dancing troupe comes to St Louis to visit along with other Masters of City who want to offer people to Anita to choose another pomme de sang (apple of blood even though she is not that kind of vampire). You get a lot of vampire politics, machinations, metaphysical surprises (which are almost by definition related to sex), some gay sex with Anita at the same time (so be warned). The one thing that I remember this book by the most is the part where Asher and Anita  are not allowed to have sex alone after it. I won't say why now, if you read it you'll know, if you didn't, it's better like this.

One thing I realized while re-reading this series is that it's really not in the author's/series' best interest when you have to wait for a year to read the next one because you just forget so much. And reading through the progression of Anita's powers (not just the ardeur) and reading a bit interviews with LKH, made me realize that Anita's world was always about violence and sex even though at the beginning it might not have appeared so much in the novels. But I think the idea was always there for LKH. And if you are a prude, these books are so not for you (Danse Macabre is the book that will make you figure out if you aren't sure). :)

Laurell K. Hamilton: Cerulean Sins and Incubus Dreams

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

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Laurell K. Hamilton: Narcissus in Chains

Yes, I did manage to through another Anita Blake novel without reading anything else in the mean time. But it seems the urge is slightly lessening (and some other interesting books have found their way toward me) so I might be reading something else soon (after I finish Cerulean sins first).

Narcissus in Chains is interesting because we learn more about Jean-Claude's past and by that I mean more of the sordid details of what he had to go through to become what he is. Anita has to learn to deal with a bad side effect to being a vampire servant - and this is the book where the sex starts appearing everywhere and with some new people (the number of people is just going to grow from now on, so if you decide in this book it's too much, stop reading the series). :) I don't mind - especially because - SPOILER - it is going to be Asher's time soon.

Narcissus from the title can be attributed not only to the head of werehyenas (he is called Narcissus) but to several characters who are either chained in this book for real or chained i life by circumstances.

We also learn that werehyenas are matriarchal and that there exists something called a panwere - a were person who can change into several animal forms.

And even though Anita seems to contract the leopard variant at the beginning, which leads to serious problems with werevolves who consider the possibility of Anita becoming a wereleopard as losing her as the lupa. And of course Richard being Richard has led to some serious problems inside the pack.

Of course, all these problems are resolved by the end of the book, except for ardeur which is here to stay and Anita isn't terribly happy she needs to feed it by sex regularly. Especially since she cannot feed on the same person all the time.

But more on ardeur in the following book.

I like it that still in this book we are following again two parallel stories that end together and there is quite a lot of happening - you never get bored reading through Anita's life.

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Laurell K. Hamilton: Obsidian Butterfly

Yes, I was late writing about Blue Moon, so I'm doing both books at the same time.

Since Obsidian Butterfly is still so fresh in my mind (I only finished it yesterday), I have to say I think this one is up to now the most aggresive, gory and horror-like book in Anita series (and that series is among the genre the goriest in my opinion).

This is also the book where we get to know Edward better. And Anita is not communicating with either of her beaus until the end of the book, and then only with Jean-Claude.

This time around, the vampires are of Aztec origin and think of themselves as gods, they also come with some seriously scary monsters and powers.

As you can guess by now, there is never only one situation Anita is involved in, but in the end they always seem to be connected.

And not only is this book extremely violent, Anita gets to be the recipient of quite a lot of that. Good for her she is not your regular human otherwise she wouldn't be alive anymore.

Anyway, the book ends up with Anita having another guy thinking she is the woman for him (actually soulmate) and hoping she never gets to see him (not gonna happen). :)

This is just the beginning of the series of man that are going to get into that same situation. Oh, so much more problems are ahead for our little necromancer (only in stature and nothing else).

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Laurell K. Hamilton: Blue Moon

I'm annoying myself with talking exclusively about Anita Blake books so I'll keep this short.

As I already mentioned, the series is going to dive into some pornographic details down the road, but here it is still all ok, even though Anita finds herself in the end in a bit of a problem, having slept with both of the important guys in her life. Well, at least she got Richard into her bed, even though not for long.

At some point in the book, I got really impressed (and annoyed) for the amount of tolerance she shows to people (or in this case werewolves) who say lies in the name of love. But, that is mine problem, I just have no excuses for lies that are meant to make someone jealous and someone can get hurt in the process.

In this book, Anita needs to help Richard who ended up in jail for alleged rape (of course he didn't do it - he's the ultimate boyscout in Anita's opinion) but he needs help with the situation even though in his mind, the fact that he is innocent should be enough. In what world does he live?!

Anyway, typically for Anita's world, she ends up in some personal metaphysical problems but will get help from a really nice witch she meets there, has problems with the Master of the City of the city she visits, is forced to kill quite a lot of vamps, some people and torture some as well. It might sound real bad if you never read Anita Blake but the thing is, she never does anything unprovoked and all the bad things she is forced to do (she calls it letting parts of her soul go to save someone), she does in order to save the life of someone innocent. I cannot find a single thing to judge her for, even though I don't think we should be judging anyone (except tolerating lies in the name of love - other people's of course, she doesn't do it).

The book ends up with Anita deciding to let go of both of her lovers until she learns more about what their triumvirate stands for and what exactly she needs to know to control it.

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Laurell K. Hamilton: Burnt Offerings

I know, I know. You all wish I'd read something else for a change. :) I wish it too. I just can't seem to stop but I think I will as soon as sex becomes the main story. It still hasn't.

In this book, Jean Claude and Anita get into a lot of trouble with the vampire council (they are some really nasty vampires and they rule) so there is torture and part of the story are not for the weak of heart. I mean, I remember being quite shocked with stuff Mrs. Hamilton put her characters through and I know I was reading complete fantasy. It's just nasty. I do wonder what LKH has against her female heroines (I'm including Merry Gentry here as well). I mean, the s..t just keeps piling higher and higher on them - there is no break from it. Ok, there probably is some months in between the stories but it doesn't feel so to Anita, so it doesn't feel so to me either.

Now that I'm going through the series a second time, I cannot but help wonder how strong a character Anita Blake is that she feels like a real person and I view her so in my reviews.

Anyway, the book is about the council visit (not all of them, just an envoy) and they come unannounced. Really bad. And it just goes downhill from there. At the same time, police is asking Anita for some advice and we learn what is Inferno for the vampires. Among other things. The triumvirate is needed to save the day and some serious political and diplomatic manouvering. Some nice twists to the plot, and Asher arrives on the scene. :)

In the end, you know it has to end as Anita's side being the winning. Btw, I shouldn't forget to mention her hospital stay this time around. I will take care and try to find a book where Anita doesn't get physically hurt - is there one? I don't know.

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Laurell K. Hamilton: The Killing Dance

This is the book where I can say Finally!!!

After being celibate for so long, Anita finally has sex with someone in this book (those who have read know but if there is someone who hasn't I don't want to spoil it).

And I did say just now finally but at some point during my first time through the series, I kept thinking it started turning into porn and not being supernatural crime-thriller stuff.

There was no sex before because if she slept with Richard, and Jean Claude having the same opportunities to woo her, that would put her in a somewhat sticky situation and Richard wanted her to see him shift before they sleep together.

Well, she sees him shift. And she also sees him go against his boy scout mentality and kill the pack leader (sorry for this spoiler) which goes completely against what he stands for.

There is also a new vampire in town (just visiting) who needs Anita's help. Especially so after it seems that the three of them formed a triumvirate of power. Ok, not seems, they actually do form it and it's going to land them in so much trouble later. :)

Of course, what else would one expect in Anita's life but more trouble whatever choice she makes.

There is so much more happening in the book that can never all appear here, and while writing this I realized that all Anita Blake books are filled with a lot of stuff happening. Never a minute to take a breath.

www.laurellkhamilton.com

Laurell K. Hamilton: Bloody Bones

Like I said in my previous post, this book has some months passing somewhere in the fantasy world.

Here is where we get to meet fairies for the first time in Laurell's world (later she started writing another series that deals with fairy world, Merry Gentry series).

I don't want to give away much details because first, if I start, I will just keep adding another and another, and I don't want to tell you much about the book, it should be read.

But I'll give a few teasers. :)

Jean-Claude and Anita come up against some new types of monsters (some of which are vampires but are just eeww and plain evil. And this time, the bad guys are actually stronger than they are (meaning Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the city of St. Louis and Anita with her faith and guns - you can't use a cross unless you are a believer).

So, the plot gets complicated again, I actually forgot how much until I read the book again, and in this one Anita actually gets offered something by a vampire she cannot refuse. And that's as far as I'll go. :)

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Laurell K. Hamilton: The Lunatic Cafe

I was lazy the last few days so I'm 3 books behind with reviews of Anita Blake. :) Now is the time to fix that.

As you might be aware, Anita is by now dating the Master of the City and Richard, a werewolf alpha (not yet pack leader though). In this book, she is helping the police with some nasty murders while at the same time being asked by the leader of the pack Marcus to help find 8 missing shifters. And not tell the police which she is helping with some shifter murders that some of the shifters are missing. Complicated?

At the same time, she gets in some pissing contest with the sheriff department (they are all agressive idiots, but some are cunning). Anyway, the standard troubles follow her, as well as slowly getting a new enemy, Raina (Marcus's lupa, werewolf partner - she is just evil).

With some help and threats from Edward (they are always considering what would happen if they really had to fight against each other).

And I just realized I shouldn't do this to mayself in the future, I got confused now about which is the book that has that problem in the time passing by too fast (it's the end of this, and the beginning of next).

What else I can say - the usual Anita stuff, dark, bloody, and very interesting (honestly sometimes she is just too funny). :)

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Laurell K. Hamilton: Circus of the Damned

This is worse than first time around. Now I know what great adventures await me with Anita and I cannot stop reading, I am completely hooked. I was reading until 1 a.m. last night even though I had to get to work this morning, but I just had to finish so today I could start another (which I will do as soon as I finish this). :)


Btw, I need to warn you there may be some spoilers ahead. When I started reading it, I thought I knew which story this was. Then I got through half of the book and started wondering if I mixed some stuff. It turned out I was right at the start, but it just took longer than I expected. And I actually learned something. It bugged me the first time around when she recognizes a vampire and later figures it is a million years old and a Homo Erectus. So today I went googling and Homo Erectus really was that old. :) Wow! It just proves I wasn't paying much attention in school. Ok, I forgot.


I already mentioned in previous posts how I'm getting much more this time around when reading and it was proven again. Like when Lamia (if you haven't read, I'll let you discover her yourself) said that a woman should always have more than one man. :) Boy, is that going to become true for Anita. I can't wait for it. :) You know that means less sleep for me (and I do need enough sleep). But it's just too tense to let go. Especially now I know what to expect.
I just realized I didn't say much about the story - but it's the standard Anita, blood, violence, vampires after her, helping the police, a new guy coming into picture...



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Anita Blake - The Laughing Corpse

Since I am participating in the Anita Blake book challenge, I will give a quick post on each of the book as I read them.

You know, those books are addictive, especially the beginning of the series. I am again enjoying them immensely (if you haven't realized that yet). ;)

I get the feeling that the series started with some very interesting and original cases (although terribly gory and dark) and that as it progressed, it got harder to keep up with such great beginning. But that didn't stop me from getting all the books. :)

Anyway, in this one, Anita is asked by a bad rich guy to raise a 300-year old corpse but in order to do that, one needs a human sacrifice and there is no money in the world for Anita to take the case. At the same time, she is helping the police with some seriously bad murders which are it seems performed by a zombie (a flesh eating, very scary kind). That investigation brings her to a voodoo priestess and from that point on, it just gets worse and worse for Anita. Did I mention that she gets hurt in each book? :) Sometimes seriously bad and sometimes just a few bites and bruises (not necessitating a hospital stay).

When I was first reading AB, I have to admit I was a bit astonished at the violence, blood, guns and all those aggressive parts but they are part of Anita Blake universe and probably one of the reasons the series is/was so popular. I mean, I don't know how popular it is at the moment, but for me it's one of the cult series of the genre. Like what Lord of the Rings did for fantasy. Ok, LOTR is a category by itself and nothing can ever be compared to it, but you get my meaning.

Btw, I just realized with this book that Anita is only an animator in book 1, it is by the end of book 2 she realizes she is actually a necromancer. Biiig difference as will be revealed. :)

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Laurell K. Hamilton: Guilty Pleasures

With the beginning of this year, I decided to participate in several reading challenges. One of them was Anita Blake. Ah, Ms Blake. :) She feels like a real person to me now. We've been hanging together for 5-6 years now. Practically friends. Even though she doesn't have that many female friends. One or two maybe. Even though we have nothing in common. She is a petite tough as nails vampire hunter. That's what you get from book one. I am not going to discuss what I already know about what happens with Anita in books to come since I am re-reading the whole series. I've been meaning to do that for some time now (it gets hard keeping track what happened at the beginning of the series when series reached book 17 or something similar) and this challenge came at the right moment.

So, I think I already talked about Anita and that she is a necromancer (raises the dead, i.e. zombies) and is also a bounty vampire killer. There is no vampire hunter, once you get to hunt them, the end is going to be someone's death. Even though she is very young in the book (I am not 100% sure but I think she is either 24 or 26), she already has life experience for a life (and scars as well).

She is a terribly dark personality, by that I don't mean she is negative but has a seriously dark outlook on life even though she is a firm Catholic. Now, that I think of it, it kind of isn't that strange. :)

This is the first time I am re-reading Anita Blake and while doing it, I realized that every book you read and enjoyed should be read at least one more time. You just can't get everything from a book from just one reading. I was seeing so much more now that I was reading it again, since I knew what was to come, I could better understand many of the situations. And even though the story is dark (as always), I was genuinely happy to be back in the world of Anita Blake. I could actually feel her feelings towards vampires this time around. In the beginning, they are quite bad. But, there are interesting things to come, and I will let you know what happens.

And just a short recap of what goes on in this book - Anita is asked by the head vampire of St. Louis to look into some vampire murders (she works as a necromancer and is on retainer with the police regarding supernatural crimes) but when she refuses, through some manouvering, she is forced to help them and she should do it fast. And this is the book where we meet Edward. :) But more about him (a.k.a Death) soon when there is more to tell.

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WoW: Laurell K. Hamilton

If you're a fan of kick-ass heroines from vampire/werewolf stories, Anita Blake series is definitely not to be missed. It's how I got started and hooked. :) The series has progressed to some 17 books or something (I don't really bother remembering the number, I just check periodically to see if something new is coming out).

As you can probably guess that many books usually mean the quality might be questionable at some point. Well, that guess would be true. The good thing though is that it seems with this last book, Mrs Hamilton is on her way to what we came to expect from Anita Blake. The last book in the series "Skin trade" is finally back on track with some serious problems and typical Anita. Strong in her convictions, constantly questioning the rightness of her choices (which are usually one of lesser evils) and standing firm in the face of danger. But, there are many heroines which come with a sense of humor, if that's what you are looking for, forget it. Anita is not a light, humorous being. She's dark (on the outside as well) and ironic as hell. She is also constantly conflicted, due to her strong convictions and Catholic upbringing.

It's actually interesting to follow the books from the beginning and see how they progresses. If I got it right, Mrs Hamilton wasn't married at the time she started writing and several books in the beginning have no sex in them. Just some physical attraction, and that's it. At some point though, sex started appearing in all manner of situations and it almost went into porn category (the quantity and explicitness). It just deteriorated with each following book. Now, there's still sex but the book is much more story oriented. Thank God. :) And I got the feeling that the original Anita is back. With all her lovers. ;)

It's funny, there's one more series written by LKH, the Merry Gentry which revolves around Fae. And again you have there the heroine who without any wish or inclination ends up having a whole bunch of lovers. :)

Oh, I almost forgot to say, Anita is not a simple human. She's a federal marshal hunting vampires, called the Executioner by the vampires, and the strongest Necromancer in the last couple of centuries. :) I'll keep the rest of what she is to myself, if it sounds interesting give it a try. You're bound to be frustrated and angry at several points but it's still dark and interesting.



P.S. It's evident from what I wrote that I have all the books from both series, right? :)



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