Bullet

Bullet (#19 Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425234339
ISBN-13: 978-0425234334

From Amazon:

"Anita Blake is back in St. Louis and trying to live a normal life-as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a U. S. Marshal. There are lovers, friends and their children, school programs to attend. In the midst of all the ordinary happiness a vampire from Anita's past reaches out. She was supposed to be dead, killed in an explosion, but the Mother of All Darkness is the first vampire, their dark creator. It's hard to kill a god. This dark goddess has reached out to her here-in St. Louis, home of everyone Anita loves most. The Mother of All Darkness has decided she has to act now or never, to control Anita, and all the vampires in America."

(Note to new readers: If you are just beginning the Anita Blake books, it is highly recommended you start from the beginning with Guilty Pleasures and read your way to Bullet - with this being the 19th book in the series, Hamilton doesn't waste time with rehashing who each character is. You may be lost if you don't know who is who.)

When it comes to reviewing books by Laurell K. Hamilton, you either LOVE her writing or you HATE her writing - there is very little in-between. I am in the category of LOVING her work. I started out with the Merry Gentry books and absolutely loved her writing - then I moved on the Anita Blake, which I think is an even better series.

For those readers who are more interested in "plot" driven books vs. "character" driven books, then this may not be the book for you. Because this is the 19th book in a series, I am all about the characters over the plot, although I do realize you have to have some type of plot to keep the story moving.

For those readers who have turned against Hamilton's work because of all the real and metaphysical sex, again this may not be the book for you because Bullet is full of both kinds of sex. Personally, the sex is entertaining and takes me away from my everyday problems. The ardeur is present in this book, but it is not as prevalent as it was in the beginning. Anita seems to have more control over the ardeur and is able to feed on the power much better. Of course, there is lots of sex in the book - after all, it is an Anita book - but the majority of the sex is present without the ardeur.

The plot of Bullet is to keep Anita and her vamps and weres safe from the Mother of all Darkness. Supposedly Marmee Noir was killed off a few books ago by a bomb exploding in the "cavern" where she had been asleep for thousands of years. It is learned in Bullet that many on the Vampire Council absorbed bits of the Mother's power and energy. Now the European vamps want to take over and stomp out the American vamps.

After being absent for the majority of the past few books, Richard and Asher are again on center stage. We learn that Richard is beginning to finally accept the fact he is one of the monsters and he starts to work with Jean Claude and Anita instead of working against them. It is a nice change of pace from the arguments and fights found in the beginning of the series. Asher is finally stepping up to the plate and making demands on Jean Claude and Anita, up to the point of taking his werehyenas at going to Narcissus, but I am getting a little tired of Asher's continued pouting - he seems to have picked up where Richard left off. Jean Claude and Anita decide they must keep Asher in their power base, so they give in to a few of his demands.

Up to this point the wereleopards have been my favorite form of weres, but I am starting to have a soft spot for the tigers - brown, red, white, golden, blue - there is just something about them that appeals to me. Saying that, I am glad Anita finally took care of the problem with Haven (Cookie Monster). Nicky is kind of growing on me as a Bride - once I wrapped my head around the idea of a reverse "bride of Dracula"- interesting concept.

The Harlequins make a repeat appearance in Bullet - or at least one of their wereanimals does. The Harlequins are leaning more toward the side of Anita and her group and away from the Vampire Council. I even saw Belle Morte in a different light, especially when she seems as scared of the Mother of all Darkness as everyone else.

I enjoyed this book very much, but as I stated earlier, I am a big fan of Hamilton's work. My only complaint would be the book was not long enough - I would love to see more books closer to the 500 to 600 page range, like Incubus Dreams (2004; 650+ pages) or Danse Macabre (2006; almost 500 pages). I hate that I will have to wait another year for the next installment, but I will be right there on the drop date to buy my copy of the 20th book. Anita rocks my world ...

Way Back Wednesday - The Harlequin

The Harlequin (Book #15 of the Anita Blake series) by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Harlequin has Anita and Jean Claude are in trouble with Vampire Council enforcers. Out of desparation, Anita calls Edward for assistance and he arrives the same day, bringing Olaf and Peter (now 16 yo), who we last saw in Obsidian Butterfly.

The Harlequin are the police/judge/jury for vampire leaders who violate various rules (one example is Malcolm's resistance to the blood oath). It was formed by the Mother of All Darkness, modeled in style on the Commedia dell'arte and by action on the wild hunt. It is a group of very old and powerful vampires who like to manipulate the behaviors and emotions of humans or younger vampires and wereanimals - Jean-Claude, Anita, and Richard come under their line of fire. Under this influence, Richard and Jean-Claude nearly kill each other, and Anita must also be repeatedly resuscitated. Anita keeps her guys alive by feeding on first Rafael (and through him, all the wererats in the city); Belle Morte; and later, all the swanmanes via Donovan. Anita's second triumvirate also comes online, with Nathaniel and Damien.

But if wouldn't be an Anita Blake book if something didn't go wrong, so all kinds of mayham ensues. The Harlequin are not following its own rules, so Jean Claude decides to strike back and it ends up being a free-for-all.

This book has it all: the wereanimals, the vampires, the Mother of All Darkness, the Munin, and of course, the auedur. Anita also comes into a new power, almost to the point she is surpasses Jean Claude in strength.

Way Back Wednesday - Danse Macabre

Dance Macabre is the 14th book in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton (2006)

Danse Macabre is the first book where Anita's job as a Federal Marshal or her job as a zombie animator plays no part of the story. This story has Anita juggling a series of problems arising from her own increasing power, Jean-Claude's vampire politics and her own personal life.

And then real-life seems to catch up with Anita as it becomes apparent that she may be pregnant. Oh what a tangled web we weave - because of Anita's increased need to feed the ardeur with sexual energy, the line-up of "baby daddies" starts to grow: Richard (here on again/off again boyfriend), Nathaniel (her own little snack cart), Jean-Claude (her number one main squeeze), Asher (still trying to find a definition for Asher), and Damian (her vampire servant). Of course, I have conveniently left out Micah, her new live-in love, but then again, Micah is sterile. One less man to worry about!

I don't want to give away any details, but this books involves a few of the major players of this series: Belle Morte and The Mother of All Darkness being the most prominent. We also get some background on Stephen and Gregory's past lives, see Regina rear her metaphorical head and meet an actual vampire named Merlin. All in all, this book is great fun!

The book title - "Danse Macabre" - comes from several sources. One is the name of the vampire ballet company that performs during the course of the novel's events. Two can be the general "vampire politics" that serves as the central conflict - i.e., "danse macabre", or "dance of death." And three, "Danse Macabre" is also the name of a vampire-themed nightclub owned by Jean-Claude, although the nightclub appears only briefly at the end of the book.

Way Back Wednesday - Micah

Micah (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter #13) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Although technically the 13th book in the series, this is not a full-length Anita Blake book. In Hamilton's words, this is a "novel-lite" book and represents a side-adventure starring Anita and Micah.

Rather than follow up immediately on the various plotlines left open in the previous novel, Incubus Dreams, Hamilton has written a much shorter work focusing primarily on Anita's relationships with one of her lovers, the eponymous Micah Callahan. Specifically, Anita is called to Philadelphia to perform an zombie animation and takes Micah on the trip. While in Philadelphia, Micah and Anita have sex, discuss their relationships and his earlier traumas, and encounter some strange twists in Anita's assignment.

Of all the books in the series, Micah is my least favorite. Although it is a good story, I'm used to having a 500 to 600+ page book to read.

Anita travels to Philadelphia on short notice to substitute for Larry Kirkland, who must remain in St. Louis because of complications in his wife Tammy's pregnancy. Although the assignment - reanimating a recently deceased federal witness in order to testify in an organized crime investigation - initially seems routine, Anita quickly begins to suspect that there is more to the case than she and Larry have been told.

Anita also continues to deal with her personal relationship with Micah, who accompanies her on the trip. Anita must come to terms with Micah's decision to reserve a nice hotel room for the two of them without telling her. She also tries to help Micah get over the trauma of narrowly surviving a wereleopard attack that left several members of his family dead.

This is a must-read for Anita fans, but just be warned - this is a paperback book and it is not an "in depth" book like the rest of the others.

Way Back Wednesday - Incubus Dreams

Incubus Dreams is the twelfth in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton

As usual, in Incubus Dreams Anita must juggle several problems simultaneously. First, she is asked to raise a couple's murdered son to find out who killed him. Anita tries to explain this is not possible because murdered zombies only have one goal - kill their murderer. Second, Anita, Jean-Claude, Richard, and Damien are all experiencing unexpected increases in their magical power and they are trying to figure them out. Speaking of Jean-Claude, Anita is also having to deal with a problem of vampire politics regarding vampires not under a blood oath. And to top it all off, Anita is working with the police to solve a series of vampire murders.

All these problems are on top of her increasingly relationship with wereleopards Michah and Nathanel, her vampire servant Damien, her renewed relationship with Richard, and deciding what to do with two new vampire warriors Wicked and Truth. Our little necromancer has been a busy, busy girl!

Similar to most of the books in the Anita Blake series, Incubus Dreams is titled after a fictional location within the book. In this case, "Incubus Dreams" is the name of a strip club where some of the later events in the book occur.

Way Back Wednesday - Cerulean Sins

Cerulean Sins is the 11th book in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton and was published in 2003.

Continuing the adventures of our favorite necromancer, Anita continues to try to bring some order to her personal life, while simultaneously confronting a power play by Jean-Claude's vampire master, Belle Morte and attempting to solve a series of brutal killings by an unidentified shapeshifter.

Anita is happily living with newcomers, Micah and Nathaniel, while simultaneously dating Micah and Jean-Claude. She is contacted by a professional assassin who wants Anita to reanimate one of his ancestors to assist in genealogical research, but this is only his cover to get closer to her. Elsewhere, Jean-Claude is unpleasantly surprised by an early visit from Musette and her entourage, all of whom are representatives of the founder of Jean-Claude's bloodline, Belle Morte and represent an attempt by Belle Morte to test and possibly punish or capture Jean-Claude and his followers.

Asher is front and center in this book and more of his storyline is coming into focus. Richard is still mostly absent from this book, but it looks like he is finally over his self-destructing ways. Dolph and Zerbrowski are present again, helping Anita track down the shapeshifting serial killer, who turns out to be a werewolf member of the mercenary team sent to watch Anita herself. Oh, what a tangled web we weave ...

The meaning behind this book title is not clear, but may refer at least in part to the sheets in Jean-Claude's bed, which Anita refers to several times as cerulean blue in this novel. It may also refer to Asher's eyes, which Anita describe as cerulean blue, seeing as the novel has a very Asher-oriented plotline. It was at one time suggested by Hamilton that "Cerulean Sins" was the name of another of Jean-Claude's businesses, a store dealing in lingerie and other 'adult' products, but this was deemed too racy for the books and eliminated before publishing.

This is one of my favorite books of the entire series.

Way Back Wednesday - Narcissus in Chains

Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter #10) by Laurell K. Hamilton was first released in 2001.

This book continues the adventures of Anita Blake, as she attempts to reconnect with her friends and allies after a lengthy separation. Can she undo the damage caused by her absence?

As Anita attempts to repair the damage and come to terms with her newly developing powers, she is also threatened by a series of attacks and disappearances within the shapeshifter community.

Narcissus in Chains takes place shortly after the events of Obsidian Butterfly and Anita has been out of contact with Jean-Claude and Richard, as well as the other vampires and werewolves. Anita is determined to renew her connections to Jean-Claude, Richard, and their followers, but she encounters several new problems as a result of "marrying the marks" that Jean-Claude has placed on Richard and herself.

This is the first book in which we see the ardeur, a rare power seen only in vampires of Jean-Claude's bloodline. Jean-Claude has passed this power on to Anita and she begins to develop powers of her own. Although this power allows Anita to draw energy from lust, it also requires her to "feed" on this sexual energy every day, sometimes multiple times a day.

Many of Hamilton's critics cite this book with the beginning of the increased sexcapades throughout her books. Many claim she has moved more into eroticism instead of the supernatural thrillers she is know for. Many others - like me - only think her writing has improved with the later books. You will have to read them to judge for yourself.

As with previous novels, "Narcissus in Chains" refers to a location within the novel itself. In this case, "Narcissus in Chains" is the name of a dominance and submission nightclub operated by Narcissus, a werehyena who is himself named after Narcissus of Greek myth.

Way Back Wednesday - Obsidian Butterfly

Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter #9) by Laurell K. Hamilton

In this book, Anita travels to New Mexico in to help Edward, aka Ted Forrester, investigate a series of supernatural attacks. To Anita's shock, she discovers that "Ted" has a fiancee, Donna, who is a new age bookstore owner. Donna does not know Edward is an assassin; she becomes a target by trying to stop an unauthorized (but profitable) archaeological dig. Before this is resolved, Donna's children are kidnapped and abused.

Anita acquires a new power from the vampire Obsidian Butterfly, the first instance of her picking up a power from a vampire. She is nearly killed by another vampire; her "closing" of the marks with Jean-Claude and Richard has weakened her abilities, making her more vulnerable to metaphysical attacks. By the end of the book Anita is convinced that she needs to return to her relationships with Jean-Claude and Richard.

As with previous novels, "Obsidian Butterfly" refers to a location within the novel itself - a nightclub operated by Itzpapalotl, a vampire who claims to be the Aztec goddess of the same name. "Obsidian Butterfly" is one of the English translations of Itzpapalotl.

This is the first book in the Anita Blake series to be originally released in hardcover. From this point on, all the books were first printed in hardcover, then later released in paperback. You realize books are becoming popular when first editions are hardcover.

Way Back Wednesday - Blue Moon

Blue Moon is the 8th book in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton

Blue Moon takes Anita to Myerton, Tennessee to help clear Richard of rape allegations. In the process, Anita and her allies are drawn into a supernatural conflict with the Master Vampire of that city, Colin, as well as the criminal scheme that Richard's frame-up was meant to conceal.

During Richard's investigation, Anita juggles being a leader among both the werewolves and the wereleopards, a job that is getting harder and harder. Anita and Richard reconcile during the book, with Richard offering to accept Anita's continued involvement with Jean Claude as long as Anita accepts that Richard isn't monogamous either.

This is the first book where we see Marianne, Anita's magical Wiccan mentor. Marianne is not a lycanthrope but works with the local werewolf pack in Tennessee and she begins teaching Anita how to be a better leader of the wereleopards.

We learn Damian is showing signs of being Anita's vampire servant and that Jean Claude gains power from sex. The latter frightens Anita enough that she demands a break from both Jean Claude and Richard; Marianne helps her to temporarily close off her metaphysical "marks" to them.

As with previous novels, "Blue Moon" refers to a location within the novel itself. In this case, the "Blue Moon cabins" are a set of rental cabins owned by Verne, the local Ulfric of the werewolves. "Blue moon" is also used to refer to an upcoming full moon, the second in that calendar month, which is a rare occurrence.

Way Back Wednesday - Burnt Offerings

Burnt Offerings is the 7th in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton.

Burnt Offerings continues the adventures of Anita Blake, as she attempts to solve a series of arsons and other crimes, and deal with a threat to one of her lovers, the vampire Jean-Claude, as he fends off a political challenge from the Vampire Council. Anita must also balance her romantic life with her roles as supernatural police consultant, vampire executioner, zombie animator, human servant and lover to the vampire Master of the City and Richard, the Ulfric of the local werewolf pack.

Because Anita killed the leader of the local wereleopard pard (pack) in The Killing Dance, the wereleopards are now looking for a leader. She accepts the role of Nimir-Ra, leader of the wereleopard pard. She is already the Lupa of the werewolf pack.

This is the book were we discover Anita has developed 3 new powers. She was able to raise 2 vampires (like she does the zombies), when she accidentally raises Damian and Willie. She now has the ability to cause harm from a distance with a slashing attack similar to some vampires. We also get another glimpse of Raina when Anita is able to call Raina's munin (sexual energy) to heal wounds or cause harm.

We are also witnessing the reconciliation between Jean-Claude and Asher, a vampire almost as old as Jean-Claude. We also see Jean-Claude push for his relationship with Anita to become more public. As with the other later novels in the series, Burnt Offerings blends elements of supernatural, police procedural, and erotic fiction.

As with previous novels, "Burnt Offerings" refers to a location within the novel itself. In this case, "Burnt Offerings" is a vampire-themed theme restaurant where some of the events of the novel take place. (The fictional restaurant is itself named after the real-world 1976 haunted house movie, Burnt Offerings.) As with the first 6 books, Burnt Offerings was originally released in paperback, but has been reissued in hardcover.

Way Back Wednesday - The Killing Dance

The Killing Dance by Laurell K. Hamilton

The Killing Dance is the sixth in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series and continues the adventures of Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard, and it takes place about one month after the previous novel. This book starts out with Anita sizing up a potential client for her necromancer (zombie raising) skills with Animators, Inc.

However, the tables get turned on Anita when she is contacted by the assassin, Edward. Apparently, Edward has received a contract to kill Anita. Anita is as close of a friend as Edward will ever have, so he turns down the contract and advises Anita to start making plans for her own protection. It will only be a matter of time before someone else accepts the contract for her life.

On the shapeshifter front, Richard is forced to protect one of his wolves from Raina, a sadistic werewolf with a thirst for violent pornography. Raina is the mate of Marcus, the current Ulfric (leader) of the local pack. Richard is forced to make a move as pack leader and declares Anita his Lupa (mate). Anita eventually kills Raina (ah, but this isn't the last we'll hear of her).

This is the first book in the series where we see Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard as a true trio. Both Anita and Richard received the first two vampire marks from Jean-Claude, so they are now tied together by blood. The sexual tension in this book has reached a fevered pitch - from this book forward, Hamilton only increases the sexual adventures.

This book title represented a slight variation on Hamilton's practice of naming the novels after a fictional location. The werewolves in this book refer to both sex and dominance fights (particularly the fight to become Ulfric which must end in either the death of the current Ulfric or the death of the challenger). This fight is known as "the killing dance."

Way Back Wednesday - Bloody Bones

Bloody Bones (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter #5) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Bloody Bones has Anita travelling to Branson, Missouri, where she has been hired to raise, not one zombie, but an entire graveyard of zombies in order to determine who owns the land the cemetery is located on. As usual, she quickly becomes involved in a series of supernatural murders and disappearances. Anita's relationship with Jean-Claude takes a large step forward in this novel. For the first time, Anita begins to see Jean Claude as a person, not just a source of information. Her role as Larry Kirkland's mentor is also further developed and she is forced to relive the trauma of her mother's death.

Anita and Larry then go to a restaurant owned by "part-fey's" Magnus and Dorcas Bouvier, named "Bloody Bones," to investigate the land dispute involved in the upcoming zombie raising. The Bouviers are contesting the land dispute over the graveyard, claiming they own the land. During dinner, Anita gets a call from Dolph about a vampire related crime. In order to help solve the problems, Anita is forced to accept help from Jean-Claude. As with other books in the Anita Blake series, Bloody Bones has a very high body count.

Anita's relationship with Jean-Claude takes a huge leap forward in Bloody Bones. For the first time, Anita needs more substantial help from Jean-Claude than just a source of information. This book also has Anita seeing Jean-Claude "die" with the dawn and her giving him blood to save his life. Because this book focuses more on Jean-Claude than Richard, Jean-Claude becomes a more substantial rival for Anita's affections.

This book was originally released in paperback in 1996. With the success of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, it has been re-released in hardcover.

As with earlier books, "Bloody Bones" is the name of a restaurant that is operated by two of the principal characters in the novel, Magnus and Dorcas Bouvier. The restaurant itself is named after a character in the novel, Rawhead and Bloody Bones.

Way Back Wednesday - The Lunatic Cafe

The Lunatic Cafe (Anite Blake: Vampire Hunter #4) by Laurell K. Hamilton was first released in 1996.

The Lunatic Cafe is the 4th book in the adventures of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. Anita attempts to solve a series of shapeshifters disappearances at the same time she is examining her relationship with Richard - her werewolf boyfriend, and avoiding the advances of Jean-Claude - master vampire of St. Louis. Like the first 3 books in the series, The Lunatic Cafe blends elements of supernatural, hardboiled and police procedural fiction.

The Lunatic Cafe picks right up where Circus of the Damned left off. Anita is out on a date with Richard when she learns he is not only a shape shifter, but the Alpha werewolf of the local pack. This is the book where we are introduced to the mentally unstable Raina, a rival werewolf who is also a sexual sadist. Raina will come back to haunt Anita in future books.

Because this is an earlier book, we get to see some of my favorite recurring characters: Edward, Dolf, Zerbrowski, Ronnie (Anita's best girlfriend), and Jason. As with earlier novels, the "Lunatic Cafe" is the name of a restaurant operated by the St. Louis area shapeshifters, as Hamilton continues naming the novels after a fictional location within each book.

Like the first 3 books, The Lunatic Cafe was originally released in paperback. With the growing succes of the Anita Blake series, the early books have been re-released in hardcover.

Way Back Wednesday - Circus of the Damned

Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter #3) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (April 2004)
ISBN-10: 0425194272
ISBN-13: 978-0425194270

Circus of the Damned continues the adventures of Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter. Anita works to solve a series of murders by an unknown vampire pack, while fending off the advances of her would be vampire master, Jean-Claude. She is also dealing with various people and creatures who wish her to reveal Jean-Claude's identity and location.

As with the first 2 books, Circus of the Damned is not just the title of the book. Circus of the Damned is the name of a supernatural circus that operated by Jean-Claude and serves as one of the main locations within the book.

We get to see some regular characters: Jean-Claude (naturally, this is before Anita falls in love with him), Dolph and Zerbrowski, Richard, and Edward. This is the pivotal book that sets up the love triangle between Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard. It is also the first look we have of Richard and his hatred at being a werewolf.

This book was originally released in paperback format, but has since been re-released in hardcover.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Ace (May 1995)
ISBN-10: 0441001971
ISBN-13: 978-0441001972

You can read more on Hamilton's website about Circus of the Damned

Skin Trade

SKIN TRADE (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #17) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425227723
ISBN-13: 978-0425227725

When a vampire serial killer sends Anita Blake a grisly souvenir from Las Vegas, she has to warn Sin City’s local authorities what they’re dealing with. Anita heads to Vegas, where’s she’s joined by three other federal marshals, including the ruthless Edward.

It never ceases to amaze me at the number of bad reviews Hamilton gets on her books, but people keep on reading them. I am a HUGE fan of Hamilton's work, and I would probably read the telephone book if she wrote it.

That being said, for me, the last few books have not as good as some of the earlier books - and not because of all the sex. I thought there were too many characters for each to get any screen time in the books. SKIN TRADE is more like these earlier books and I am happy to say, Hamilton is back on top of her game.

Our little necromancer, vampire executioner, wereanimal queen and human servant - Anita Blake - receives a severed human head in the mail and instantly knows it is from the big bad of Las Vegas, Vittorio, a vampire who almost killed her several months ago.

After talking with the Las Vegas police, Anita packs up and leaves St. Louis without waiting for her main sweetie, Jean Claude, the Master Vampire of St. Louis, to wake up for the evening. Anita knew Jean Claude would try to talk her out of leaving town to pursue this dangerous vampire. Joining up with Edward (aka Death) and prior associates Bernardo and Olaf, they work with the local police and psychics to track this vampire before he kills more people.

Although I missed the interaction between Anita and Jean Claude, Nathanial and Micah, have a smaller number of characters to deal with made this book a much faster read. And as for the growing sexual situations in recent books, this aspect was greatly toned down. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sex in Hamilton's books, but it was quickly becoming the main focus of the book.

SKIN TRADE reminded me more of some of my favorite Anita Blake books: Obsidian Butterfly, Narcissus in Chains, and Cerulean Sins. For Hamilton lovers and people who enjoy a good vampire book, this is a definite "must read."

Way Back Wednesday - Guilty Pleasures

With the current release of the 17th book in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton, I felt the urge to go back and review the earlier books in this series.

Guilty Pleasures was originally released in 1993 in paperback format and introduces the character of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter and her world of magic, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural elements.

Anita is a zombie animator (able to raise dead people from the grave and then put them back again) and licensed vampire executioner (with legal sanction to kill vampires that break the law). This book gets its title from the Strip Club/Bar owned by the second most powerful vampire of St. Louis, Jean Claude - Guilty Pleasures is the only legal business for vampires currently living in St. Louis.

In this book, Anita investigates a series of vampire murders and comes into contact with many of the supernatural creatures that fill this alternate world. The city's most powerful vampire, Nikolaos, is 1,000 years old and looks like a 10-year-old girl. In dealing with Nikolaos, Anita must also fight off the romantic intentions of Jean Claude, who feels a powerful connection to the vampire executioner.

What makes this series unique is the strong-willed, tough-fighting character of Anita. Before Guilty Pleasures, vampire stories rarely had female leads, so Hamilton's character helped to fill a void. Her characters are in the same vein of Anne Rice - beautiful, deady, but morally just.

Jean-Claude is my favorite modern romantic vampire, easily winning my heart long before Edward Cullen was conceived. He also has qualities of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Spike with easy to look features and style.

This book is fast paced and filled with a mixture of horror, suspense and supernatural experiences. There is a steady sexual undercurrent, although the first books in the series are lacking the sexual exploits of later books in the series. Guilty Pleasures it is an effective plot device that keeps the heat turned up. If you are a vampire fan, I cannot recommend Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series highly enough.

With the current bestselling success of the Anita Blake series, the original six books have been reprinted in hardcover format.




Books in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series:

Guilty Pleasures (1993)
The Laughing Corpse (1994)
Circus of the Damned (1995)
The Lunatic Cafe (1996)
Bloody Bones (1996)
The Killing Dance (1997)
Burnt Offerings (1998)
Blue Moon (1998)
Obsidian Butterfly (2000)
Narcissus in Chains (2001)
Cerulean Sins (2003)
Incubus Dreams (2004)
Micah (February 2006)
Danse Macabre (June 2006)
The Harlequin (2007)
Blood Noir (2008)
Skin Trade (June 2009)

Blue Moon

Blue Moon (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book #8) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425223833
ISBN-13: 978-0425223833

For all those interested in the vampire genre, the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series is for you. Anita makes a living as a necromancer – someone who raises the dead. She also executes rogue vampires and other villains. Vampire marks bind her to Jean-Claude, the Master vampire of St. Louis, and to Richard, her ex-fiancé, a powerful werewolf who heads up the local pack. Anita shares some of their magic, and her own power over the dead keeps growing.

In Blue Moon, Richard has been thrown in jail and Anita arrives to save the day, only to realize the local cops are very corrupt. Once again, Anita finds herself in over her head having to rely on her quick wit and skills, in addition to reinforcements from the vampire and were-pack communities.

To better understand the world of Hamilton’s vampires, it is best to read the earlier books in this series. But if you love vampires, they are well worth the read.