Published 6/7/11 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0425241134

The latest offering in the Anita Blake series, finds Anita out of town on official Marshal duty trailing a group of killers murdering non-clan tigers. Being on official duty is both a blessing and a curse for the story. It means none of her normal bevy of lovers are surrounding her, big yay and small boo cause that also means basically no Richard, which I know is a good thing, but I can’t help myself I do love him. But on the other hand there is not Nathaniel, Jean-Claude, or Micah, no vampire politics, which is kind of weird and wonderful. Is there no Master of the City here? But it also means we get lots of Edward time, which in turn leads to Bernardo and Olaf time which is always a good time.

The case brings Anita to Seattle, which could be any city really, since we don’t see the city, are only told it is Seattle and that the cops and Marshals on the case are unfamiliar. And as much as I love the Marshal aspect of the story, the pissing contest gets a little old, especially this far into the game. I get it, Anita is pretty and dainty and sleeping with the monsters, but the extreme prejudices and constant little dog syndrome/ Napoleon complexes is tiresome. Even if it is realistic, does so much time and woe is me, I’m a girl but I’m as tough as the guys and have to overcompensate to prove it crap have to take up so much page space? I think not, and really, in the Marshals’s defense there wasn’t a lot of actual case work done on her part because she knew the culprits the entire time, the Harlequin, that super-secret vampire and shifter group that cannot be named, and spent most of her time look for ways to go off and hunt them on her own. And she did bring not 1 but 2 of her lovers out, granted after the accusations had been made, but out with her on the case none the less, which did distract her.

And speaking of the big bad, the Harlequin and Marmee Noir have been built up in the series for a very long time, and here they were such a let down. I mean I’m not completely surprised, because how could she really go up against the legendary and survive but I expected a bigger payout. And since Jake was former Harlequin why was he not there, because wouldn’t that werewolf be a huge asset here? Maybe I missed something.

However a couple of key twists, which were probably the least surprising ever, have set up the next arc and their expected conclusion, which hopefully will have bigger surprises and a better conclusion than this one did.

Relationships have shifted. Anita has always been sort of awkward about sex, even if she does engage in a gratuitous amount, but her relationship with Edward has always been more mentor and ally, but never a hint of sexual. He’s always been the yin to her yang, but never so fiercely protective to the point of obsessive. I love Edward, he has the best toys, and that cold confidence is sexy, he always brings more to the table than the others but not everyone has to fall into bed with Anita, and this one feels more and more inevitable, which is sad. Same with Olaf, creepy, psychotic Olaf seems closer to hoping into bed with Anita than Bernardo ever could every time he steps on the page. And back a few books, I wouldn’t have minded a good tumble with Bernardo. And the new Olaf, may even be creepy than the old Olaf.

There is less arduer which is a blessing, a big huge hallelujah but doesn’t keep Anita from finding a new lover. And I mean seriously, when is enough, enough. She has so many men I lose track, most of which we never see, and many I forgot she slept with, why continue to add more unless they bring something to the story, more than filler, please be more than filler, because I this one doesn’t get on my nerves like some of the others. I feel like I need a spreadsheet to keep track, or a world book, can I get a world book with a neatly laid out sex track record?

Over all, the book was very Obsidian Butterfly, good bordering on great, but not one of the best of the series. For new readers, many of the relationships and some of her powers were explained or touched on so it was easy to catch up, though many may have been confused about  Anita being called Necromancer when no other hint of that ability was shown. And whatever happened to raising the dead? Or the animators of Animators Inc? Larry, anyone? For old readers it was a nice refresher.  The story could have used more action, but what action there is was really good. The plot had a good premise, though the ending ruined it a bit. Hit List by no means redeems the series, but brings back a little of that old Anita-world that many of us are fond of, which makes me more than hopeful for the next book.   

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Published 1/19/11 120 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0785146889

Anita Blake is back in a new graphic novel, sort of. The story has already been told, but now its being presented in gorgeous color. And this is the one I've been waiting for. If you couldn't tell by previous reviews I'm a Richard girl through and through, and well, this one is where we first meet the delicious junior high school teacher.

Anita is looking for a killer, which leads her straight to Jean Claude and his wicked little Circus, where she gets a little more than she bargained for. Throw in shapeshifters and a giant snake and its a pretty good time. A little gory, but that's what the mature content label is for.

Storywise it's pretty light, some small foreshadowing, but then this is only the collection of the first five of fifteen in the series, plenty of time to flesh out the story. It does stay right along with the original, which makes me very pleased with Jess Ruffner-Booth and Ron Lim.

Art wise, I absolutely love the style. My only complaint is with some of the head to chest ratios, namely Richard. Sometimes he is perfect as he should be, and other times he has a pin head and overly large body. It's distracting, but the everything else was so good I'm still left anxiously awaiting the next one.

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Released: February 28, 2006                       288  pages                          

Publisher: Jove

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978-0515140873

Taking place shortly after Incubus Dreams Anita finds herself called out of town to help out a co-worker and raise the dead. Because of her growing needs with the Ardeur one of her lovers has to accompany her, and that job falls to Micah, the one lover I could stand to hear less about.

Sex is less of a plot point, and more point of the story here, and all the talk about his size made the few pages seem impossibly long. So much emphasis is really not needed, I get it, the small guy is huge in the pants, but they have been together for a year and this is suddenly an issue seems a little reaching. His history is also greatly explored, but it wasn’t great enough to have its own book, it wasn’t even good enough for this tiny novella.

Micah is not only short in pages, its short in plot. For new readers, it’s a great as a standalone book and a nice introduction into Anita’s world, but for current readers its pretty much a throw away novel. Compared to previous novels is completely subpar. All in all the book is pretty boring, with little payoff in the end, and none of the previous plot points even remotely touched.

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Released: 2004                                 658  pages                          

Publisher: Berkley Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-425-19824-3

Anita is back with a whole new set of problems. There’s the Brown family, who want her to resurrect their murdered son, which is a major no-no, since the zombie would not only murder his murderer, but also anyone in his way, but she agrees to assist in the investigation. Anita is still struggling with her powers, and she’s not the only one having unexpected problems and increases, so are Jean-Claude, Richard and Damian.

There’s a new threat on the vampire front, this time coming from the Dragon who is preying on the vampire fraction not blood bounded to Jean-Claude, namely, Malcolm’s church followers, the Church of Eternal Light.

Anita’s love-life is again a mess. Between the crushes and jealousy from outsiders, some wanting more, and others, including Anita herself, unsure of what they really want ,its all more than one girl should really have to deal with. And Anita really isn’t dealing all that well.

And there are a series of vampire serial killings involving strip club workers and patrons.

This book is not only big, it’s a bit of a big jumble, and not so cleanly wrapped up in the end like the previous novels. In fact many things are left undone, but there are a few that take the first steps to resolution. Richard’s change in attitude is touched on, hopefully paving the path back to the old Richard. The vampire political intrigue looks as though it’s not going to go away any time soon, as more and more of the story is over taken by it. But Anita is lightening up a little, seriously just a teeny tiny bit and exploring her powers more, which means exploring the powers of those around her.

She takes yet another lover, and renews a former relationship, but little else gets solved. Although the there were plenty of holes in the story, and much left unresolved, it was still a decent read. Hopefully the next novel picks up slack and resolves the issues or at least the cases.

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Released: 2003                                 405  pages                          

Publisher: Berkley Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-425-18836-1

Cerulean Sins finds Anita again in a whole heap of trouble, but at least her love life is in order, kinda. She’s happily dating Jean-Claude and Micah, living with Micah and Nathaniel, and takes a new lover for a multitude of reasons one of which is for protection. Her professional relationship with Dolph is all but gone, which truly sucks since with Dolph goes much of the police cooperation that she really could have used.

There’s a series of brutal rapes and murders which appear to be the work of a shapeshifter, and if that weren’t bad enough Jean-Claude gets a visit from Musette and her entourage whom represent his maker Belle Morte, who of course have a hidden agenda. There is also a group of rogue mercenaries looking to recruit Anita for some super secret mission.

 Anita too easily outwits and outmaneuvers her enemies. Either no one is smarter than Anita, or she just gets really lucky. Belle Morte looks to be positioning herself to go to war with the Mother of Darkness who of course seems to have an interest in Anita. Richard makes a showing when Anita needs him, but his part in the whole is very small. Asher takes on a bigger role in this one, but with as many emotional problems as he has, he’s surely to be more headache than he’s worth, and I say that with complete sadness since I do adore his wounded character.

Sticking with the previous formula, the pacing is good, with the action more intense in the last half, and the wrap-up very quick. Anita’s life outside of the vampire world is shrinking rapidly, and getting a little page time with Zerbowski was a little bittersweet.

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Released: 6/9/10             120 pages

Publisher: Marvel

Format: Hardcover

ISBN-13: 978-0785136347

The third and final installment of the Laughing Corpse, this edition complies the last ten issues. While the action in the series is always heavy towards in Mrs. Hamilton’s series, Anita spends much of the comics getting kicked around.

I honestly cannot remember her getting her butt handed to her so often in the book, but she clearly does in the comic. It opens with her trading insults with Dominga, a bad voodun priestess. You’d think she could control herself maybe a little, but no not our Anita. Shortly after she’s attacked by a zombie, who she doesn’t put away in short order, she has to be saved with some guys with flamethrowers. So much for not being a damsel.

With Dominga’s little pet disposed of, there’s still Harold Gaynor to take care of, he’s in cahoots with Dominga, and at odds with Anita. But Anita will power through, or pull it out of a hat.

Anita does get some fighting done, but I don’t feel that this story translated as well into the comic format. Laurell K.Hamilton is really good at telling a story without it being weighed down with dialogue, but in this format the dialogue seems cheesy, and the story really too slow to keep the reader enthralled.

The artwork is consistent, but nothing spectacular. If nothing else, it seems as rushed as the story line was.

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Released: June 1, 2010,   368 pages
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
ISBN: 9780425234334

After the novella Flirt I was excited to finally get a full length book. The last few books, have been well all about the sex, and while this one still does contain some sex, we're starting to get back on track. I'm willing to take the baby steps, if we get back to quality writing.

The Mother of All Darkness is back, because did anyone really think that she was gone when her body was destroyed? Ha! And thank goodness for that. Along with the trouble she brings, and because of it, so is the Police work. So Anita has more to do than just lie in bed with her bevy of lovers.

We see a few old characters, but not the ones that are really missed, like Dolph. And Richard,  is baaack. I know I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I am a Richard girl, and saying that I'm both happy and feeling a little off about him on the canvas. Richard over his hang-ups with like a snap of the fingers kinda rankles at me a bit, because well, he's too good for Anita, and he got over his issues way too fast. But as long as there isn't a dramatic relapse I'll take it, anything for more Richard, so long as he doesn't become her bitch boy.

And there are tigers, we've seen a lot of tigers in the last few books, and there seems to be no end in sight, there are new guys, both good and bad, and new alliances are formed  as everyone scrambles for cover in the war against Mommie Dearest.

The imagery is always great, the plotting has some holes in logic, but it's nice to see the story come shining through all the sex, and this one leaves the scene wide open for greatness. I only hope that Laurell capitalizes on it.

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Released: 2000                 386  pages                          

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-441-00684-1

Again Anita is headed out of town, but this time its to accompany Edward to repay the favor she owed him. They’re headed to New Mexico to investigate a series of supernatural attacks where the victims are skinned or dead.
Here Edward goes from contract killer/sometimes friend to an actual developed character. Edward has always been a favorite, so it was nice to see him actually fleshed out. Anita meets his fiancée and her children, and there’s a tenderness that had always been lacking in him in the past. It makes that cold front he shows when on a hunt all the more icy.
There is a severe lack of Jean-Claude and Richard, which is both fantastic and horrible. The sudden drop off from them feels like a huge gap in the story, that is not so easily explained away, since it wasn’t apparent after the last novel.
Anita comes face to face with Aztec Gods, and Ulfrics, necromancers, and all around bad guys without her usual posse, but instead there is Bernardo and Olaf. Bernardo the fun, flirty killer, and Olaf the crazy, calm killer. Again the unspeakable happens, and this time even more so with the innocents involved, and Anita has to rise to the challenge to help save the day.
The book took a further departure from the normal Anita books it was a very addicting story. Once started, I could not put it down. Although the love interests were absent, love was very much on her mind and it seems she may have actually learned something about herself, yay for character development. The story was written well enough that the holes in the plot could easily be forgiven.

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Released: 1998                 418  pages                          

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-441-00574-8

Anita gets out of town, but not for any vacation. Richard, studying Trolls in Tennessee has been accused of rape, and he’s refusing to lawyer up, so Anita runs to the rescue knowing Richard would never force himself on someone nor would he need to, which of course is laden with trouble. The Master of the City of Tennessee denies Anita entry, and sees her coming for any reason, even to save the handsome Richard as an act of war. And someone wants the trolls and Richard’s project off the land.

Anita does get some good advice about the Wereleopards, most of whom accompany her, which should have been common sense. They are a broken group who need to be molded into a more cohesive unit, like the wolves. Asher and Damian also come with her, and their characters are fleshed out more.

Anita’s and Richard’s relationship is explored a little, but Richard is too submissive to Jean-Claude, and I hate him playing second fiddle, he deserves better. Anita also learns more about Jean-Claude, which should raise far more red flags than it does. He’s using her in more ways than she realized. And even knowing that he still has a greater hold on her than Richard can manage.

Anita learns more about the werewolf culture, when she unleashes forces she is unprepared for. And her morals and limits are pushed and stretched to the breaking point as she learns who is behind all the trouble in Tennessee, which also puts her and Richard to the test.

I loved the greater focus on the werewolves, and lesser on Jean-Claude and his manipulations, though they are definitely still there, even when he’s not on the page. There were a couple of really good twists, and some great writing, making this one of my favorites.

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Released: 1996                 370  pages                          

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-441-00374-5

Bloody Bones opens with another job for our favorite animator, this time a mass zombie raising, in Branson, Missouri in order to build a resort on the graveyard. All the corpses are at least 100 years old, some much older and she’s probably the only person in the world able to raise them without a human sacrifice. But of course it can’t be that easy where Anita is involved, there is some dispute over the land, and elsewhere in the city there is a crime scene of mangled teens that point to a sword wielding vampire.
Soon an additional suspect winds up on her radar in the form of a half fey, who has both the spped, agaility, and magic to have killed those teens, and his family is the ones who are holding up resort’s building.
Another police call, brings on a vampire hunt, when a local girl appears to have been  turned. Anita spends much of the books jumping from one disaster to another, until she tracks whose actually at the bottom of the deaths, the turning, and what is actually going on with that graveyard.
While Dolph is only seen via phone, Jean-Claude and Jason do show up to help, but no Richard. I love Jason, but he’s no Richard, and Jean-Claude is using Jason to try to deter Anita from marrying Richard. We’re introduced to a new kind of vampire, rotting vampires, and the ick factor knows no bounds. Anita’s will is put to the test in more ways than one, as is Larry’s stomach.
It is a quick read, that had few dull moments. Some of Jean-Claude’s history is explained, and the death of Anita’s mother is very vivid. The story’s has subplots that are a part of the entire series, however the way that the story’s main arc is written it is able to stand on it own without giving a new reader too much trouble to follow along. For the best effect all of the books should be read in order. The story wrapped up quickly and fairly cleanly as most of Mrs. Hamilton’s stories do.

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Released: 1998                 392  pages                          

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-441-00524-1

The next book in the Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series brings Anita investigating a series of arson incidents, and dealing with the fallout of the last book.

Having killed the local wereleopard’s leader, they’re in need of protection, and Anita’s obligated to provide it. Although she and Richard are no longer together, she’s still his Lupa and there’s the issue of dominance and gaining their trust for the wolf pack. And, as if that weren’t enough to deal with, the Vampire Council is feeling a little threatened since Jean-Claude has killed a councilmember but turned down a council seat, and they send their representatives.

Anita is constantly put to the test to prove herself, and she always comes out on top, though at times the odds are impossible. As the stakes continue to rise, and the pyrokinetic’s path of destruction widens the story delivers plenty of action and devastation.

Anita delves deeper into bed with the vampires, and a new, intriguing character is introduced, Asher. He’s beautiful, horribly scared and broken, which makes him a perfect addition to the story.

The story dragged at times, bogged down with vampire one upmanship, and the plot wrapped up quickly with a sudden finding of faith, but other than that, a very good read.

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Released: 1997                 387  pages                          

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-441-00452-0

After the last novel was almost devoid of Richard, this one is full of him, which makes me a happy girl. Again we start with a job for Anita, but this time it’s to save a vampire. The master vampire Sabin, has developed a condition where he is irreversibly rotting away, and he wants Anita’s help to stop it.

The ongoing struggle between Anita, Richard and Jean-Claude continues. Jean-claude slaughtering his way to power, and Richard refraining. And Edward is back, which to me is always a good thing. Edward’s received a contract to kill Anita, and although he refused it, he wanted to warn her someone else won’t.

And as if that wasn’t enough on her plate Raina is acting up again, forcing poor Weres to star in her pornographic movies. As always more is going on than meets the eye, and bad goes to worse pretty quickly as Anita, and Richard are constantly tested. Anita sticks her big foot in her mouth, and inadvertently challenges the Lupa before she can semi-save the day.

Anita comes to some hard realizations where Richard is concerns and it nearly breaks my heart. Anita uses herself as bait to draw the killer, but finds herself in additional trouble until a vampire is staked in an unusual fashion.

Relationships and power positions are greatly changed in this one, and Anita does eventually get to address Sabin’s problem. While the story moved along, this was not one of my favorites. There was action and emotion, but all of Jean-Claude’s manipulations of Anita and her letting him fill her with doubts grate on my nerves. Richard is overly noble, and Anita comes across as selfish very often, but we do finally see Richard as a wolf, though I wish it were under better circumstances.

There are a few steamy almost moments, which are well written, and one very complete one. I need more. Blood, lust and magic are a powerful and seductive combination that are surely to show up in future novels, as well as the bond that Anita formed under duress.

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Released: 1996                 

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN:  0-441-00293-5

For those who have ever wanted a reset button, Anita kind of has one as the fourth book starts. She no longer bears a single mark to Jean Claude or any vampire for that matter, but that does not mean that she is free.

As she explores her relationship with Richard outside forces keep threatening to tear them apart. Richard being a werewolf is a little off putting as he watches people like prey, there’s also pack turmoil threatening to kill him, Jean Claude will not take no for an answer, and there is also vampire obsessed with jean Claude who wants to kill her.

And if her love life wasn’t messy enough, there’s also Dolph who needs help identifying what did the slaying of a victim. And after some trouble at the crime scene she comes back to find Irving, in need of protection. He’s torn between his alpha Marcus, and Richard, so Anita agrees to protect him.

At the Lunatic Café, the Were’s world of dominance and submission come into play, and the more Anita learns, the less she wants to know. We are introduced to a bevy of characters, including Swan king Kaspar, and new wolf Jason, the rat King Raphael makes an appearance as well.

Edward is back with a snuff film, he’s been hired to kill all those involved, and Anita is happy to help, though that forces her to dive even deeper than she ever expected in the were culture. Some scars will never heal.

The story keeps a wonderfully quick pace, and the twists are fantastic. Imagery is very real, and horrifying. A wonderful read, keeping with the momentum, and quality expected in the series.

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Released: 2/2/10 192 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Format: Hardcover
ISBN:978-0425235676

Anita meets with prospective client Tony Bennington to resurrect his recently deceased wife, but she politely turns him down. She knows what its like to lose a love one, to want them back. He wants his wife back, but even as good as Anita is, it will never be his wife, not for long.

This is the same story that has been told before rehashed, to introduce yet another character into Anita's bed. It opens up with some of her current lovers teaching her the art of flirting, not the in your face, cleavage bared kind, but the subtle art that truly seduces.

The plotting is fairly light on this "novel," it should have been marketed as a novella, and the pacing is excellent. It was nice to see Anita really get back into the necromancy, or would have been without all the show boating, and prostrating. We learn little other than a lycanthrope death fuels a resurrection better than a plain old human one.

The established relationships aren't further, few known characters are seen for more than a few pages. And other than for the introduction of some new characters that will definitely come up in future books, this one is skipable.

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Released: 1995                

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0-441-00197-1

The Circus of the Damned is the third book of the Anita Blake series, opens with Anita turning down job from the vampire hating group who wants her to reveal to her the resting place of the Master of the City, whom Anita does not even confirm knowing, and then she’s off to investigate a crime for the police. The victim has multiple bite marks, of different sizes, pointing to multiple vampires, which is highly unusual. It also means that Anita has to seek out Jean-Claude’s help, and she head to the Circus of the Damned, a supernatural circus.

There she meets Yasmeen, a master vampire ally of Jean Claude’s, and super hot human Richard Zeeman, but before she can get the information she came for the main ring’s attraction a giant Cobra, reeks havoc eating the snake charmer. Anita, as his vampire servant, is forced to allow Jean-Claude to combine their strengths to defeat the snake.

Richard emerges as a romantic interest, though she doesn’t know much about him, she is instantly attracted to him, which I have to admit I’m loving him much more than Jean-Claude. Edward is back, and issuing threats, or rather promises. He’s after the Master of the City and he’s willing to do anything, even torture Anita to get it. And Anita has to tread a fine line to keep this dangerous man as an ally. And Larry Kirkland, an inexperienced fellow animator is introduced.

As the bodies stack up, some coming back as dangerous animalistic vampires, and more people endangering her life to get to get to Jean-Claude, she discovers that some aren’t who she thought they were, and further becomes what she was avoiding.

The story has some wonderful plot twists, even if some of the villains are a little cartoonish at times. But the action is pretty nonstop, making this a hard one to put down. The further development of headstrong Anita is excellent, and the level of danger she’s in is greatly ramped up as the book progresses making this story one not be missed.

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Released: 1994                

Publisher: Ace Books

Format: Paperback

ASIN: B000NR69Z0

The Laughing Corpse is the second in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. This time there is a greater focus on her job as an Animator when a wealthy man wants her to raise a very old corpse. She refuses because the only death big enough to raise a corpse of that age is a human death, and there are some things that even Anita won’t do. Again the name of the book refers to an establishment in the book, this time a comedy club.

In the midst of more serious problems, Anita is being fitted for a bridesmaid dress, where her scar are an issue. Which is the least of her worries, she also comes face to face with a voodun priestess whose learned how to put a person’s soul back into their decaying body. When Anita raises the dead they have a shelf life, and they aren’t really back, but Dominga’s are a whole new breed and she’s selling them. And Jean-Claude, the new Master of the City, whose given her the first two vampire marks wants her to start acting like the human servant he wishes she’d be.  

This book builds upon the world of the first and is as interesting as it is inventive. It is much darker than the first, and the body count just may be higher, definitely the zombie body count is. It is a bit gruesome and not for the faint of heart, but is beyond excellent. Anita is more likeable even as her morals are stretched to the extreme, and even at his pushy insistent moments Jean-Claude is charming.

The action is nonstop, and the ending is surprising and satisfying. A very enjoyable read.

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Released: 01/6/10 120 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0785136330
The second book in Laurell k. Hamilton's Anita Blake series to be adapted into a comic book form, this is book two of three.
It picks up where the last one left off with a zombie attack. But the action pretty much stops there, hopefully to pick up in the final edition. The pacing just didn't work this time. Lots of dialogue, hardly any detective work, did Anita really do so little and have everything just fall into her lap in the books.
I wasn't all to impressed with the artwork. Anita is a hard character at times, she's small, and she's overly tough, but her expression range from surprised to angry with nothing in between, and at times when that face couldn't be the correct one, making it hard to gage her response to the situation. The panels of course were dialogue heavy, but with everything hastily drawn a lot of the feeling you get from the book is lacking in this translation.
The frustration felt over Anita being hard headed in regards to being Jean-Claude's human servant and eventually lover felt more empty and less consequential. I loved the book, but this one just didn't measure up.

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