Something to Muse About: Necromancy

Released: 2003 405 pages

Publisher: Berkley Books

Format: Paperback

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.

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.