Book Description

DESCRIPTION: In this riveting debut of breathtaking scope, a young girl discoversher father's darkest secret and embarks on a harrowing journey across Europe to completethe quest he never could -- to find history's most legendary fiend: Dracula. When a motherless American girl living in Europe finds a medieval book and a package of letters, all addressed ominously to "My dear and unfortunate successor..." she begins to unravel a thread that leads back to her father's past, his mentor's career, and an evil hidden in the depths of history.In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright:a hunt that nearly brought her father to ruin and may have claimed the life of his adviser and dear friend, history professor Bartholomew Rossi. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula, have to do with the 20th century? Is it possible that Dracula has lived on in the modern world? And why have a select few historians risked reputation, sanity, and even their lives to learn the answer?So begins an epic journey to unlock the secrets of the strange medieval book, an adventure that will carry our heroine across Europe and into the past -- not only to the times of Vlad's heinous reign, but to the days when her mother was alive and her father was still a vibrant young scholar. In the end, she uncovers the startling fate of Rossi, and comes face to face with the definition of evil-- to find, ultimately, that good may not always triumph. ... Read more

Book Description

When Sookie's brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a were-panther for the first time. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population-and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks, unless the killer decides to find her first. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

the only series i read
Every may, i wait for the newest book in the series.this book is full of surprises and funny and full of "Sookieisms"she once again saves the day, and her friends.This book deals with mostly the shifters.for any bill fans, well... maybe next book? cause he doesnt have a big part.the Weres are back including the big strong alcide.
all in all it was pretty great. it left me wanting more.

Oh, Sookie - You've ruined me for the other vamp novels!
This is book number 5 in the Sookie Stackhouse series.If you're just picking up this series, begin at the beginning and read everything!You won't regret it.

My biggest complaint is that I love this series so much that now no other vamp novels will do.Now, I love some Laurell K Hamilton and LA Banks vampire executioner/huntress novels.But, their shake you by the shoulders, screaming "GOOD vs. EVIL!" style is a bit like that overbearing cousin you avoid at family reunions when you compare them to Harris' laid-back, subtler style (your favorite ex-hippie uncle).I'll bide my time with the other novels, but I'd rather Harris just wrote a new novel every week to keep up with my reading needs.

So, Sookie Stackhouse, is not the chosen one or the most powerful of anything, which makes her a wonderfully sympathetic character for me.She is a working-class waitress in a small Southern town doing her best to ignore her unwanted disability - telepathy.Being a mind-reader is no picnic. Imagine knowing that, despite what your best friend says, she really believes that your new haircut makes you look like a cow.You can see the problems.But this ability has also given her entrance into a whole underground culture of supernaturals: vampires, werewolves, witches, and fairies.

This installment is more complex than earlier novels because it contains multiple storylines - the murder mystery, the werewolves, the bad vampire boyfriend, Sookie's varied, but tasteful, love life, and, hey, what's with the fairy godmother?I enjoyed all of it.I have a small complaint about the murder mystery.I knew who one culprit was in the first 30-40 pages of the book.It's not too difficult to tell.Let's see Arlene has been all the books, so has Sam. Eric and Bill are obviously long-running characters, but, hey, I've never seen this character before. It's an ongoing problem with murder mysteries.New characters are either cannon fodder or killers.That niggling little worry aside, I would still say this book is 100% worth reading.Way to go, Sookie!When can I have novel 6?

Bite into this series!!!
Can't help it - vampires have an allure - am not the only one - Sookie Stackhouse is the heroine that can drive the hunkiest vampire crazy out there. She is a telepath, and sometimes it gets her misunderstood as a kook, but she's a sweetie. The series is a not so gory vampire tale with vampires being integrated into the main stream human life. They drink synthetic blood the Japanese invented. In the previous books, the violence had been at a minimum, if you don't count vampires biting while making love, but this book has a few moments that hit you - being a were trying to be head hocho is a killer...
There is a character that has endeared us to him - Bubba - He is a vampire whose transition to vampire went awry - he isn't all there and loves cat blood...but he can sing great!!! He used to be a famous singer out of Memphis that people have been spotting at the Burger King!!! What a great addition to the cast of characters!! We know who Bubba was, but don't say his REAL name!
Ms. Harris is a wonderful writer and continues Sookie's adventures into the paranormal with ease and makes them real.
Who wouldn't want to have a fling with Eric???
Parting comments - buy the whole series if you haven't done so yet, or keep enjoying Sookie and friends with her fans.

Bill and Eric take a back seat in this one...
Sookie Stackhouse is a telepathic waitress in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Her ability to read minds keeps the normal people away from her. They fear her ability, even those who claim not to believe in it. However, the vampires and other supernatural beings flock to her.

Her brother, Jason, has recently been bitten by a werepanther. Once he makes his first shift, Jason finds that he enjoys his new ability. Problem is that a sniper has begun shooting the local shifters and Jason's new brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Sookie and her friends have until the next full moon to find out who the real sniper is.

Sam, Sookie's boss, is one of the shifters who has been shot. Unable to tend his bar, Sam has Sookie go to Eric for a temporary bar tender. Charles, a vampire, begins work the very next night. Charles is soon protecting Sookie. Seems someone is trying to kill her for simply associating with supernatural beings. If all this is not enough, the local packleader has died. Sookie must attend the funeral, as well as, witness the competition that will select the new packleader.

**** The vampires Bill and Eric take a back seat and play only secondary roles in this installment of the series. Focus is kept mainly on the shifters and the sniper. Author Charlaine Harris has a winning series with this cast of characters! Harris makes the night come alive with her imaginative, supernatural, and dark shrouded community. As usual, I find myself longing for Sookie's next adventure. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Good Story, Good Characters, but not quite quite.....
This is the fifth Southern Vampire book; all of these stories about the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse are enjoyable light reading. She is a delightful character, forever a wise innocent being overtaken by events that somehow always manage to get out of hand.

If you are new to these books, you should read them in order, since the story is progressive:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World

The characters we have come to know are here once again:Bill is protective, Sam is supportive, Eric is there to help out as needed, and Alcide is complicating everything. Tara is still living on the edge, and Jason is still in trouble.Somebody is shooting shapeshifters, old problems are coming back to haunt Eric, Alcide's father wants to be head of the werewolf pack, and Sookie is in the middle of it all.It's a good story, and a good addition to the continuing saga.

So why didn't I enjoy it as much as I did the others? It seems to me that this book lacks much of the joy and good humor that made the first four so memorable.It doesn't bubble.Sookie seems a bit tired; her sense of wonder isn't working well, and her curiosity isn't as relentless as it has been.Eric doesn't tease in this one; he's not his usual good-natured overwhelming self.Alcide seems actively unpleasant and manipulative.Simply, the whole book is not as much fun as the series has been until now.

The negative does not overwhelm the good.I still recommend it. I do hope that there will be more, and I hope that they will regain the brightness of the earlier books.
... Read more

Book Description

A bound man with a voracious appetite...A werewolf with human desires...A shape-shifter with one basic need...An immortal lover with a passion for mortal women. These are the stories of Hot Blooded. ... Read more

Book Description

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....

Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

A fun, fast, funny, and wonderfully intriguing blend of vampire and mystery that's hard to put down, and should not be missed. (Susan Sizemore)

Praise for Charlaine Harris:

Harris writes neatly and with assurance. (New York Times Book Review)

An author of rare talents. (Publishers Weekly) ... Read more

Reviews (152)

More "Love at First Bite" than Anne Rice
What this book has going for it is great gobs of Southern charm in the guise of its heroine Sookie Stackhouse, a small town Louisiana cocktail waitress who has this unfortunate gift of being able to read minds. Then she meets Bill, and can't read a thing he's thinking,which is a delight in her eyes.Her inability to read him is tied to the fact that he's a vampire, which in Sookies world is as common as any other race, creed, or national origin. They are referred to as "fangs" versus "humans", and it's not long before she's head over heels in love with him. The problem starts when bodies begin to pile up around town, and Sookie begins to fear for her life.
Sookie is a disarming and utterly charming character, and for me is what makes the book unique.Bill seems an interesting guy, but there's not much to him besides his lust/love for Sookie, but I'm imagining more will be revealed in subsequent books.Overall I found the tone of the book hard to classify; Is it a romance novel with an underworld twist, or a mystery novel with a romantic undercurrent? Either, both, I don't know. Whatever it is, it's amusing and worth reading providing you're not expecting Anne Rice.

Unique and Fun
Although several different people (as well as Amazon.com itself) recommended this book to me, I resisted reading it. It has enough surface similarities to the Anita Blake books (the main character has a unusual psychic gift, solves murders, and is romantically torn between a vampire and a werewolf), that I felt it was probably just a cheap knock-off and not worth my time. Boy, was I wrong! Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake are as different as night and day, and "Dead After Dark" was original, entertaining, and a delightful read.

Sookie is nowhere near as tough as Anita (nor does she wish to be), and as a consequence the books have an entirely different flavor. Instead of the hard-boiled, noir-ish tone of the Anita Blake books, "Dead After Dark" is pure Southern down-home-i-ness. Sookie has grit, determination, humor, and intelligence that she hides behind a mask of shy Southern femininity, but which she cannot hide from the reader -- not with the first-person narration the author uses, anyway. This book was told with a wit, charm, and style that I found irresistable. I highly recommend it.

A Kinder Gentler Vampire Love Story
Well, I read this book because of a reviewer who'd supported my positive review of a Laurell K hamilton Story.

It wasn't as good as promised but entertaining.

If you've read "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" novels this story will seem very familiar in the way it plays out.

Sookie Stackhouse, virgin telepathic barmaid, falls in love with a boring 150+ year old vamp named Bill, despite his kooky vampire friends who seem to want to kill her constantly and without reason.

At the same time women in town are being strangled to death with old vampire makrs proving they're "fang bangers"- Vamp lovers.

Sookie is most likely next and that seems prooved when her grandmother is strangled to death. Her brother is a suspect and things seem to be falling apart as people believe it's either Jason, the brother, or Bill the lover.

Well, this novel has promise. I have yet to read the following ones but I will and I hope they're better.

Bill is 2 dimensional, he always disappears whenever any action goes on and he has no emotions whatsoever. Sookie in contrast is hot headed and acts without thought. She's kind of selfish and self involved and every man in town is in love with her. That reminded me of Anita Blake and why on earth must these women in these novels be the subject of such blind adoration from man, vamp, and shapeshifter alike? Give me a break.

Her grandmother's death is convenient, I think it's because Ms. Harris had no further use for the character, and no one seems to really grieve the woman.

The writing seems hurried and more often than not the secondary characters in town are more interesting than the main players. However, it's a good premise and shows promise.

I really found it impossible to like Bill and see no reason to explain why a vampire lover is better thna a human. And his relationship with Sookie is kind of sad, she's very childish and impatient with him and he's a bit of a jerk.

At least Ms. Harris comes up with a thoroughly more plausible explanation for the heroine's seeming invincibility than Ms. Hamilton does with her heroine, but she makes it hard for us to love Sookie.

I do reccommend this to anyone who thinks Anita Blake books are getting too silly what with Anita sleeping around so much and denying her lovers freedom. I'd also recommend it if vampire romances in general make you roll your eyes, this one is so much better thought out and interesting than those.

However, if you're new to the genre start out with Sherrilyn Kenyon and the first few Laurell K hamilton books before trying Ms. Harris. You'll appreciate this book's refreshing viewpoint much more that way.

Pleasantly Surprised
I got this book because it was recommended to me and I really needed something to read while on an upcoming airplane trip. I brought the book home and had read the entire thing before I ever got close to the airport! I had to go buy the next two, Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead. I was so enthralled with the stories and with the wonderful characters (Sookie, Bill, Eric, Sam, Alcide, Pam) that I had read the other two before my airplane trip back. I then had to go out and purchase the 4th book in the series, Dead to the World, because I had to know what happened. I would have to say that the stories kept me so immersed that I read approximately a book a day without even realizing that the time had flown by. I highly recommend this and the other books in the series. You won't be disappointed!!

Yummy, just like southern pecan pie
Charlaine Harris has captured the small town atmosphere perfectly with her cast of characters. Everyone knows everyone else's business and if it's too brutal or out of the ordinary, you do the polite thing and ignore it. This is a marvelous fun read with romance, mystery and danger popping up on every page. Some of the ideas in the book are predictable but the character studies and relationships are what really carry the book. The introspection of the main character with her 'disability' of being psychic and her growing confidence throughout the book in her abilities and herself as she gains her first boyfriend and then realizes that he's not the only man that is interested in her is a fine psychological study of what a lot of people go through. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what other adventures and discoveries await Sookie and her town. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (75)

3 & 3/4...? A quick, interesting, & sexy read
This book is both funny and touching. Kyrian, if a little too perfect physically, is both tortured and very likable. Certainly all his co-workers like him. He is torn between protecting both himself and Amanda and his overwhelming attraction to her. Kenyon writes truly tortured heroes. Amanda tries so hard not to be like her wacky family, and then she finds herself handcuffed to a vampire--worse, she falls in love with him. Her unlimited accaptance of him is the key to both their relationship and the evil they face. Still, Kenyon's female leads are less well-developed than the males.

I happened upon "Dance with the Devil" first, so I had a major learning curve getting into Keyon's Dark-Hunter world. This book, at the beginning of the series, is much clearer about creatures who inhabit this imaginative world. I was quite impressed with Kenyon's ability to take Greek myths and morph them into this paranormal world.

My complaints are a heavy preponderence of gratuitous sex scenes; only a few truly further the relationship. More damning is that the sex overshadows the love rather than verifying it. We know the love is there, but it is rarely shown in any fashion other than sex. The relationship could have been richer. Finally, except for being told briefly about the rest of her family, we're never given clues to Amanda's supernatural powers until Kyrian says she has them. Then, at the crucial moment, they suddenly appear.

It's a good if imperfect read. Kenyon is not Teresa Medeiros, but she's interesting enough and her Dark-Hunter world is a fascinating creation.

I love Sherrilyn's Books!
I have to say it again. I love Sherrilyn's books. Her books are always filled with excitement, danger, humor, tenderness, passion, and love. Her characters come alive and you feel as though you know them personally. I've been lucky enough to chat with Sherrilyn online and she's a wonderful person. I eagerly await everyone of her books whether she is writting under the name Sherrilyn Kenyon or under Kinley MacGregor.

This book is the first book in the Dark-Hunter series but it has its roots in the novel FANTASY LOVER. The hero Kyrian of Thrace was the best friend of the hero in FANTASY LOVER, Julian. Both are from ancient Greece. Julian was cursed and has spent the centuries as a drawing in a book only to be released to pleasure women for a short time, that was until he met Grace who freed him and gave him a life. Kyrian was his best friend who gave up his soul to become a Dark-Hunter. He's a protecter of the innocent against Daimons who are "vampires on Steroids with a God Complex" In other words bad dudes. The dark-hunters are also a bit like vampires. They can't go out in the sun and are immortal. Kyrian is doing his job when he finds himself handcuffed to Amanda.
Amanda is a very quiet person. She is the stable one in her family of vampire hunters, fortune tellers, and witches. She doesn't believe in all that and it takes some convincing to bring her around. Being attacked, handcuffed to a vampire and watching him battle Diamons might just do it though. In the middle of all of this they fall in love.

Amanda finds a tenderness and passion in Kyrian that has been lost for centuries. He has been deeply hurt before and that pain is what helps drive him. She must show him that she can be trusted with his heart before he can be truely free of his demons.

I laughed and cried and laughed some more over this story. Its very exciting and thrilling and is a wonderful lead into other stories. I can't wait to read the future books.

This is definately a keeper!

Am I missing something?
I'm a fan of romance, but I just don't get the vampire thing here. Aside from not really being able to care about the characters, I failed to sense anything dark enough to be disturbing or erotic enough to be really sexy. The book was mildly entertaining--adequate to break up an 8 hour international flight--but I can't agree with all the rave reviews. Perhaps I've read too many Anne Rice books to switch to vampire romances.

Too Hot for words
It's fun, it zizzles and it's different from anything you've read before. Great escape reading for any time of the year...

Yummy leather guy!
Kyrian of Thrace traded his soul two thousand years ago and has been a Dark Hunter since, an immortal who rids this world of the dangers of the vampire like Daimons who feed on the soul of humans. One day in New Orleans he wakes up to find himself handcuffed to Amanda Deveraux, an accountant who leads a normal boring life and likes it that way. They have been captured by Desiderius, a powerful Daimon who can only be killed by a Dark Hunter with a soul. The only problem is no Dark Hunter has a soul. A dark hunter has to win back his soul. Kyrian and Amanda managed to escape and they must hunt down Desiderius before they become the ones who are hunted down.

Kyrian of Thrace was gorgeous (as with all of Ms Kenyon's heros) and you can just imagine all those rippling muscles, 6 pack abs jumping off the page. Amanda was a tough heroine and stuck by her man even though she wasn't sure there was any future for them together. The sex scenes are hot. Your fingers will get burnt turning the pages. I also like the introduction of other Dark Hunters such as Acheron and Talon (who is featured in the following book Night Embrace). Ms Kenyon's writing is full of humour and modern slang which adds a certain pizzazz to the book which is unique. A thoroughly good read and I can't wait to read the following books.

Lealing ... Read more

Book Description

When a vampire asks Sookie Stackhouse to use her telepathic skills to find another missing vampire, she agrees under one condition: the bloodsuckers must promise to let the humans go unharmed. ... Read more

Reviews (82)

4.5 out of 5, better than the first!
(...)I thought Ms. Harris had lots of potential. In this book I really feel she's living up to it!

It's great. Sookie gets loaned out to Dallas vamps to find a member of a vampire nest that's gone missing. She goes with her boyfriend dull vamp Bill and Bill's boss Eric who's incognito.

She uses her telepathy to find out the missing vamp has been taken by a cult out to kill all vampires.

She and a fellow human-in-love-with-a-vamp try to spring him and it gets messy. They meet a suicidal pedophilic vampire, a huge shapeshifter community, and honest-to-goodness werewolves.

It's really similar to Anita Blake, minus the Dirty Harry atitude. In this novel Sookie is so much more real than the first story. Sadly, Bill is once again dull (what does she see in him? he so irritates me) and he's ALWAYS missing when there's action going on. Once again as I read this I have to wonder what makes vamps better lovers than humans? We get no real explanation at it, so be ready to suspend your disbelief.

This one made me laugh and had some sad parts. Not nearly as erotic as the first, but we see Sookie growing more to understand her own sexuality by bits and pieces.

I think this is a big improvement over the first and it shows not only Sookie growing but Ms. Harris as well. I've read the next one and the series just gets better with every book.

I'm recommending this to all my friends and I would to anybody who's ever enjoyed a vampire book or movie in their life. It's great!

You Have Got to Love Sookie!
I normally expect my heroines to be tough, women who can coolly assess a situation then kick butt. What I got in Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris, is a heroine who is kind of kooky, reads minds, dates a vampire, and isn't afraid to yell for help when she's in a situation way over her head. While this sounds like a turn off from what I normally expect, believe me, it isn't. There is no way not to like cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse. She's got a figure to kill for, the uncanny ability to read minds, doesn't care about conventional society, and is pretty content with her life until she is reminded she is on loan out to help the vampires.

It seems that Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill have agreed for Sookie to help the vampires when they need help. The leader of the local nest of vampires, Eric is sending Sookie to Dallas to look for a missing vampire. For those of you who have read the first book in this series, take heart, the gorgeous Eric plays a larger role. Now take a backwater gal out of her little hometown and send her by plane to Dallas with her boyfriend traveling in a coffin and see what happens! Sookie ends up way over her head dealing with vampires, werewolves, and fanatics who want to end the existence of all supernatural beings. There is also a subplot with Sookie dealing with the death of one of her friends who just happened to be a member of a sex club. Use your imagination and you can pretty well guess what happens with this plot!

Charlaine Harris has taken Sookie to another level. While she is still the ditsy waitress we were first introduced to in Dead Until Dark, she has managed to develop into a likeable heroine, who while still unconventional, captivates our attention and makes us root for her throughout the book. Like everyone else, I can't wait until the next book to see what new mess Sookie manages to get into.

A well done follow-up
Not only does Charlaine Harris give another good mystery yarn with her sequel but she effortlessly increases your knowledge of the main characters introduced in 'Dead Until Dark' and introduces additional characters in the periphery that you just know are going to show up again. The characterizations are deepened and expanded upon while the 2, or is it 3, mystery subplots are resolved.

As so often happens, when things start happening in your life events can get complicated as Sookie, our heroine, finds out. Trying to come to terms with her vampire boyfriend, Bill, isn't helped by other supernatural beings standing in line to show her their appreciation also. And associating with supernatural beings, that have a hierarchy akin to the mob, can drag you right into the middle of touchy political agendas when you least expect it. Friends in unexpected places and her own determination had seen Sookie through her first adventure, will the same pattern hold for her deep in the heart of Texas?

This is a fast, fun read, really well done escapist literature. Good characters, fast action and a plot line that curves back on itself just as you think you're getting lost. Pick this one up.

Avid Reader & Reviewer
Our favorite cocktail waitress is back again for another adventure. Living Dead in Dallas introduces us to the various political goings on in the vampire world. Sookie and the Vampire Bill have been invited to Dallas. The Dallas Vampire's need Sookie's telepathic skills and she is drafted by Eric, the Viking vampire sheriff of Area 5 to help them. Sookie feels obligated to Eric as he has recently saved her from a very nasty creature with a venomous bit. Off to Dallas she and Bill will go.

Of course things are not as they seem. With a very scary group of religious nuts and a suicidal vampire, Sookie is soon overwhelmed with all that is happening. To complicate life even more, back in Bon Temps one of Sookie's co-workers meets a grisly end. Life will never be simple for Sookie and Bill, but Sookie never expected this much action.

Living Dead in Dallas is another fantastic adventure created by Charlaine Harris. From page one we are thrust into Sookie and Bill's world and the action does not slow down much at all. I loved the description of Dallas with its vampire airline and hotel. This is the kind of book you read all day and night because you are unable to put it down.

Charlaine Harris is the other of three more Sookie novels; Dead Until Dark, Club Dead, and Dead to the World, to be published May, 2004. She is also the author of two popular mystery series; the Aurora Tegarden series and the Lily Bard Shakespeare series.

Sookie Lives On
Living Dead in Dallas is a wonderful follow to Dead Until Dark! The story began quickly and never slowed down. I am especially impressed with Harris' ability to perfectly develop each character. These characters are not only believable, but they are likable ... and lovably dislikable for that matter :) Living Dead in Dallas has a perfect amount of plot, humor, action, and insight into the characters' relationships. In this series addition, we join Sookie on a murder mystery adventure to Dallas! We get a better look at vampire-to-vampire politics as well as society-to-vampire politics. This is very convincing and engaging material!

I highly recommend this series to people who perhaps are not fond of the Anita Blake Series because The Southern Vampire Series is lot lighter than the AB Series. Conversely, I think you can still enjoy this series even if you are an Anita Blake fan because the difference in tone is complementary, refreshing and entertaining. ... Read more

Book Description

The "steamy" (Booklist) Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel that took Laurell K. Hamilton to a whole new level is now in paperback.

Includes a bonus excerpt from the next Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel, Cerulean Sins, coming in January 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (495)

Narcissus in Chains
I have read all of the Anita Blake books in order through the entire series. I have also bought all the books except for Creaulan Sins which I am waiting for a paper back copy. I love this series and have recomended it to all my friends. I and most of my friends are avid readers and once we started reading this series we could not put it down. I bought Guilty Pleasures (the first Anita Blake book) on a whim, the very next day I had finished it and went back for the rest of the series. I read the entire series in one week, hardly even stopping to eat. And I have reread them more times than I can count. Being a poor college student I could not afford to buy Creaulan Sins in hard back, but as soon as I heard my local library has it I started haunting the place waiting for it to come in. I recomend if you enjoy anything even remotely Sci Fi or just want to try something new Read Guilty Pleasures. But be forwarned the series is very addictive.

90% Sex, 10% Crime/Mystery
I started the Anita Blake series during my senior year of high school. I was totally hooked. I am now entering my junior year of college, and I have become very disappointed since I read Narcissus in Chains.

The story is full of mindless sex. I enjoy sex in novels; it's great, but most of these sexual scenes are out of nowhere and not tied to the actual plot.

More and more, I can't stand Nathaniel. He's a whiny little baby who looks to Anita for EVERYTHING. It's like someone suddenly yells FREEZE and the plot suddenly halts because Nathaniel needs something. I'm surprised that he isn't dead yet, really.

The villian in this novel was terrible. LKH pushed aside almost all of the plot's mystery so she could present us with smut. Suddenly, as the book is winding down, she has the gang drive over to the club and the gun fight is on. It's just too random. There was no extreme detective work. And LKH presented the villian as though we were supposed to know who it was all along. What the hell?

The series was wonderful when she was animating, solving crimes, and suffering under the weight of the sexual tension. LKH uses the arduer as a poor excuse for all the sex in her novels now.

This is the worst of all the novels in this series in my opinion. I'm going to read Incubus Dreams because I've already been a long time fan, but I don't have much hope for it.

Soft Porn for the supernatural lover
While I understand the evolution of Anita's life, this book takes her love life well into the porn field. If you like a half dozen scenes of sex, including group and S&M sex (biting), then you'll appreciate the entire book. Otherwise, if you overlook it, you can still enjoy the book by skimming those sections you don't wish to read. I like Laurell Hamilton's writing, but perhaps she should develop other new worlds of fiction to explore.

Because I can't give it 4.5 stars
I liked this book with the one major exception of the introduction of a new romantic lead that is one of the worst uses of CPD-- Although, I don't like this new character and hope that he will eventually be written out of the series. I still liked the book.

There was some obvious editing problems with this book and there were other issues, but it still was an entertaining read.

I would not start with this book first.

Anita Blake rebuttal
Okay -- I do not do reviews, but I read these reviews and they were so negative in general that I felt I had to. One reader complained that LKH "has taken a wrong turn with Richard's character." Well, Richard is LKH's creation so she can change him anyway she wants. And actually Richard has been like this from day one -- it's just coming our more. Someone else called Richard whiney(sp?). Richard wants to be a normal person and not a werewolf. He also (mentally) lives in a world where people are honorable and do the right thing -- boyscout syndrome. But real life is not like this and it causes him a great deal of conflict. This really adds to the story. Someone else wrote that Anita's new boyfriend being small enough to wear the same clothes she wears "was just too disturbing." Why? Anita is about 5'5" and so is her new boyfriend. It disturbs you to read about short people? Your'e a biggot! And for those of you who haven't been exposed to this series, Anita usually wears shirts and jeans and tennis shoes so her boyfriend is not going in drag! Someone else complained about the kinky sex. Huh? Re-read this book. Are you referring to kinky sex as sex with more than one sex partner at a time? That's pretty tame by today's standards! Someone else complained about Anita losing control of her life. Anita dealing with the "ardeur" which takes away her self-control, of which she is extremely proud, this just helps develop the character even more. She is becoming more and more a "maternal but strong heroine" which adds more depth to her character.

Someone else complained that "the carnage is so over the top" they lost interest. You need a heavy dose of reality. Read some true crime stories or something -- people are this violent on a daily basis -- women slaughtering their children, husbands murdering or torturing their wives. No, this just adds to the realism, besides which it helps set the feel for the story -- about how horrible the violence is. Another reviewr complained about Anita saving Gregory, then Damian, then Michah, etc. Guess what -- she is a strong character and saves people in every book. That's the whole point -- she saves people. Someone said that original the "plot stormed along" in earlier books. Well if you want action read a western, or an action/adveture book, not a vampire story! SOmeone had a problem with Anita becoming something she originally despised -- a monster, but if you notice she never becomes a monster, the real question she is really asking is -- who are the monsters? The monsters or the people? One of the werewolves points out that more monsters are killed by people than people are killed by monsters. Remember Adolph Hitler? A perfect example of what she's talking about! SOmeone else complained about Anita giving in to "mystical wanton lusts" -- like you're a 50-year old virgin? Come on, get real. And one final note -- if you don't like the way a writer tells a story, just remember it's her story and not yours. Go write your own -- but you can't can you? ... Read more

Book Description

Once a sworn enemy of all monsters, Anita is now the human consort of both Master Vampire Jean Claude and leopard shapeshifter Micah. When a centuries-old vampire hits St. Louis, Anita finds herself needing all the dark forces her passion can muster to save the ones she loves. ... Read more

Reviews (299)

Book 11
This book is pushing the series in a new direction. Anita's powers are further developing and she doesn't know how to handle it. The arduer is a way to gain power remember, not just a way to add a bunch of sex into the mix. If the arduer hadn't been added a certain very old vampire wouldn't have a way to control Anita. (Anita doesn't like feeling powerless and if the she hadn't gained the arduer she could have easily fought Belle in book 10.) This book feels like a prelude to something much bigger that will happen in the next. Anita's personal life is becoming extremely complicated because of the power she seems to be gaining. She is developing a mix of powers that she shouldn't be able to receive. I don't think you will be disappointed if you read into what is going on in the story. I thought this book was fine, but I think it is building up to a battle royale in the next book. Something much bigger and badder than before is what Anita will be up against soon. It doesn't have a lot of explosive situations like in the previous books. I think the only thing that I didn't like was the story seemed to be over too quickly. All I can say is something big is brewing and if you don't read the book you'll miss out.

Magic is fading
I was so starved for this next book by LKH, I pre-ordered in anticipation. After getting half way through, I wish I had waited for paperback, or better yet, checked it out of the Library.

I love the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, and I especially love the characters she interacts with. In this latest, it's still full of sex, much more than any of the first five or six, but suffers from non-engaging plots and page turning danger and intrigue--not to mention grammatical mistakes. The Lunatic Cafe, Burnt Offerings, even The Killing Dance had more suspence--and more importantly, more Richard.

There are pages of mystical dreams that Anita goes through--because of Belle Morte--as the Ardeur can't make up its mind whether it wants sex or to feed, and I ended up skipping pages in boredom. There's also a sketchy dream sequence that seems to start in a car and ends up in Jean-Claude's bedroom. What?

Anyway, a fantastic sex scene between Anita and a certain wereleopard, and before that a threesome with two favorite vampires, was mindblowing--LKH knows how to write them! but they don't make up for a preternatural murder plot that is tertiary, (even it's not supposed to be). In earlier novels we could identify with Anita because she was afraid of the monsters even if she associated--and loved them, she was scared of losing her humanity and it made her cautious and a lot more real.

She has given up that fight, and is edging toward being more like Edward every day. I hated that there were about six pages combined with Richard, who still hasn't learned to accept himself or be able to channel his anger into postive things. Reality eludes him and his suicidal tendencies and low self-esteem are both sad and disturbing.

I adore Jason and was satisfied to find an ample amount of him in the book, as well as Jean-Claude. In fact, the threesome of Jean-Claude, Asher and Anita was very interesting, as well as deep thoughts with Jason, who is a very interesting and perceptive character. By the time I finished, however, I was happy. The murder plot was wrapped up with a bow, and we're still left hanging with the Anita/Richard thing. One good quote that I can think of, and incredibly gruesome murder scenes are still the standard with LKH.

Still, I don't know how many more books are in the series, but I hope to focus more on Anita's personal developments and her relationship with Richard, who seems bent on self-destructing without Anita. An okay book, but not one of her best. I can't believe I was bored! Get it at the Library first.

Actively Nauseous
Having begun with Guilty Pleasures and read with constant enjoyment up through the first hundred pages of "Narcissus in Chains", I feel tricked and cheated. I had hoped with the last book that Hamilton would steer the series back on course, and that hope was hideously thwarted. Both "Narcissus in Chains" and "Cerulean Sins" are colossal disappointments for anyone who read for mystery, crime drama--or anything, really, other than sex.

Almost all of the major relationships in these books have been destroyed or relegated to the back burner, and anyone who disagrees with Anita gets pages full of badmouthing. It's tiresome, tedious, poorly plotted, and not much more than an endless and emotionless sexathon. The edge Anita's tangled love life gave the books is gone. The promise of the TRI--the metaphysical and emotional entanglement between Anita, Richard the Ulfric, and the vampire, Jean-Claude--has been destroyed by Anita's unceasing selfishness and incredible demands.

I adored Richard, and Micah, Anita's "soulmate" as introduced in "Narcissus in Chains", is a one dimensional, contrived, gutless wonder, and an absolutely pitiful substitute for the vastly fulfilling Richard and Anita dynamic. He is much more of a Stepford Wife than any kind of believable partner, with only one endowment to recommend him. Fans that look to "Cerulean Sins" for resolution of Richard and Anita's dilemma will be sorely, and bitterly, disappointed. Richard gets little page space, and most of that is spent with Anita's internal wondering of "how long it would be before she hated him." Less time than it takes for the devoted to begin to hate you, Anita.

There are no good aspects of this book. The mystery is underhand, poorly developed, and is more an afterthought than any active device of the plot. It is resolved in a slipshod manner that is to me indicative of Hamilton's poor opinion of her readers. The plot devices are contrived, the vampire villainess less than believable. It is remarkable that a villainess can consume so much page space and still manage to accomplish so little.

Most importantly, as far as being relevatory of Anita's abrupt personality transplant, is the destruction of her relationships with all of the human, or humanish, characters in these books. It is only the characters that embrace Anita no matter what that win Anita's and the author's stamp of approval; Dolph, Ronnie, and Richard in particular have been treated abominably. Dolph was throughout the series a rock, and his breakdown is poorly planned and poorly executed. Anita speaks repeatedly of getting rid of Ronnie, her long-time "best girlfriend," apparently for the dastardly crime of daring to question Anita's lifestyle choices. The characters have been reduced, almost in toto, to poor caricatures of what they once were. It makes for bland and occasionally offensive reading.

With "Narcissus in Chains", I was looking for the book I had somehow missed between pages 100-101. With "Cerulean Sins", I'm looking for the other half of the book that was somehow swallowed up by meaningless automaton sex. The ardeur, which might have had interesting possibilities, is merely a device for Anita to sleep with almost all the main and secondary characters...and the ones Anita managed not to sleep with this time are assured of getting their turn in the next book. I am disgusted with the way the promise of the TRI has been sold out, and disgusted with the author for such sloppy writing. If she can't write two series well, don't try. The readers are getting shortchanged on both ends of the spectrum.

The only way I would consider continuing with this increasingly Anita-worshipping cult of a series is if Anita were to get over her fiance in college, Richard was restored to the man we fell in love with back in "Circus of the Damned", Micah were killed, and the ardeur was relegated to the background it deserved: another need, and not one that we need to hear every detail about fulfilling. I have no problem with sex and violence, but only when they serve the plot. Largely due to the sex, there is, in "Cerulean Sins", not much plot to speak of.

I hope it does not get any worse then this
Well I have all the books for this series and all I can think of is how far the series has sunk.
From the start the series was excellant with a great storyline but the last 3 books have been for the most part trashy sex novels.
While this novel was a bit better then the last two I will NOT be buying the next book in this series until I read it from the library as my money is limited and I cannot and will not waste it on a bad book or a series that has become bad.
To the author I say this.

Get back to writing the story and bring back the mystery but please stop using the sex as filler.
If you are having problems getting to the x number of words you are supposed to have for the novel then take a break and delay it for a year or two. I would rather have a novel of the past quality I know you can do rather then a roll of toilet paper that most of the last 3 books for the series have been.

BOOK #11 IS ANOTHER SUCCESS!!!
Laurell K. Hamilton has done it again! This newest book, #11 in her Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, is a unique look at how the entire world of Anita Blake, necromancer, human servant to the vampire master of the city, member of the local werewolf pride and nimera of the local wereleopards, will fit together with ancient vampire relatives of Jean-Claud's coming to visit unannounced and ready to cause big trouble. While Anita fights her ever increasing urges of lust brought on by her association with vampire magic, she must keep herself together enough to play vampire and werecreature politics and avoid being kidnapped, while she solves a serial murder case in St. Louis. She takes two new lovers - Guess who? Let's just hope Richard comes to help in time! Or... do they really need him at all? ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Sexy!
This is a great book for people who enjoy reading about strong heroines and undead people with raging sex drives. Frankly I wasn't particularly impressed with the first book in this series (Guilty Pleasures) but the books are getting better and better. It should be noted that Ms. Hamilton is not particularly adept at developing an original plot - her books generally follow a predictable course. 1) Anita Blake is called in to help with a case involving gruesome murders and mutilations. 2) Anita Blake meets unbelievably powerful supernatural beings (with or without master vampire sidekick). [Note - the order of these events may be reversed] 3) Anita Blake impresses the hell out of everyone she meets and/ or pisses them off. 4) Anita Blake kills time by searching for clues and/ or schmoozing with master vampire/ alpha werewolf. 5) Anita Blake confronts/ is attacked by Evil People. 6) Anita Blake and (at least) one sidekick get hurt. 7) Anita Blake gets Angry. 8) Anita Blake kills all Evil People. [Note: Bouts of angst appear at strategic moments in novel.]

Was that a bit harsh? Sorry! I don't pull my punches. Now let's get to the good bit. The main reason I liked this novel was that the relationships between Ms. Blake and her friends/ lovers are explored well. I really enjoyed the playful dialogue between Jean-Claude and Anita and the way her relationship with the shapeshifters is developing. I liked the humour and the new characters who were introduced. I really liked the sexual tension in many of the scenes. I'm not sure I like the way Anita is becoming all-powerful but that is just a small annoyance. What is interesting is that it becomes clear in this novel that Jean-Claude (unlike most male characters in this genre) is weaker than Anita and that his current elevated standing is due more to his foresight in picking Anita and Richard as his partners than to raw power. Lastly, Ms. Hamilton is leaving open the possibility that Anita will eventually be involved in a cozy threesome with Richard and Jean-Claude, which I would really like to see happen. That outcome is more than hinted at in this novel with the appearance of Asher (who shows that Jean-Claude has had prior experience with a three-way relationship), Jean-Claude's own statement that it is in his best interest to keep Richard happy and a suggestive bit of dialogue between Padma and Richard near the end of the novel. All in all, a very good installment of the series. I urge you all to read it and am eagerly waiting for more.

Not One of the Better Ones
The main reason I am giving Burnt Offerings only 3 stars, where I have given all the rest in the Anita Blake series 5 stars, is because it took me so long to read. I'm talking months. This is because I would read a chapter, then go on to a different book, then come back to it a few weeks later and read a few more pages, then abandon it again, and so on and so forth. I'm not saying I did this because the book was bad (it isn't that bad, really) - it's pretty much just because nothing that exciting happened. Throughout the last installment, The Killing Dance, I couldn't wait to get to the next page to see what would happen (especially between Anita and Jean Claude), but I never felt that way with Burnt Offerings. It felt like more of a chore to read it than a pleasure. The same old stuff is happening here: Anita is having major problems in the love department; she is having major problems with the Wereamimals; and she is having major problems with the vampire council. And once again, every male character in the book seems to want to sleep with her. Nothing new here. Despite the summary on the back of the book, this installment seems to have more to do with the Pack than vamps - which is okay, I guess, but I can only take so much of the Wereamimals.

Call me crazy, but my two favorite characters in the series are her mysterious "friend" Edward, and her sometimes partner-in-training Larry - both 100% human. Larry appears in the novel only briefly, and Edward not at all, which is a shame if you ask me. As much as I love Jean-Claude and Richard, I think Anita should start spending more time with her fellow humans. Maybe then she won't have so many problems. Then again, we also wouldn't be getting any more new books from Hamilton. If you have read the entire Anita Blake series thus far, you should definitely still read this one (you wouldn't want to skip one, no matter how much you may not like it). If you have never read any of the books in the series, do not start with this one - it most likely will not get you hooked. Start with Guilty Pleasures and work your way up. It's a great series - and even the best series have at least one in the bunch that's not as good as the rest. Be warned: this is it.

Not as gripping as the previous six, but still great...
Anita Blake is involved in vampire politics in Burnt Offerings. She meets the vampire council and its quite unconventional methods. The council, especially Yvette, wants Jean-Claude to replace Oliver (from Circus of the Damned), but for sinister reasons. To make matters worse, a pyrokinetic (someone who can call fire physically) has burned various people and vampire establishments with the hope of illegalizing vampires again. Anita and Jean-Claude have to put a stop to this before it is too late. But first Anita has to deal with Fernando, a wererat and son of a sadistic vampire. Fernando is the kidnapper and rapist of various were-leopards and other shape shifters. By doing so she has to become the were-leopards' leader and protector -- something that does not sit well with ex-boyfriend Richard. He decides to make her as miserable as he has been since she broke up with him. Her hands are quite full. Will she be able to save the monsters, even those who aren't worth saving? There various twists throughout the novel...

Several interesting things happen in the seventh installment. The most important part is that there are a few new characters. The ones that I think will play important roles in the other novels are Asher, Jean-Claude's former best friend and nemesis, and Nathaniel, a were-leopard with submissive tendencies. Asher is the one that intrigued me the most. Hundreds of years ago, he and Jean-Claude had loved the same woman. Asher blames Jean-Claude for Julianne's brutal death. This is a great subplot -- one that I hope Ms. Hamilton delves deeper into in the other novels. I wonder if this love triangle foreshadows the future of Anita, JC and Richard. Asher is gripping, almost as sensual as JC, and I look forward to reading more on him. I don't yet know what to make of Nathaniel. I'll have to read more on him, though I must say that I'm not crazy about the aforementioned character thus far. Another good thing about this installment (other than Asher and his subplot) is that we are reacquainted with some of my old-time favorite characters, like Larry and Dolph. Though others were notably absent (I missed Edward!). And, of course, I was happy to read that the relationship between Anita and Jean-Claude has solidified into something loving as well as sexual. They're so cute together! Also, there are a few semi-erotic scenes in this novel and I think I know where LKH is headed. Burnt Offerings is another great installment, but it didn't grip me the way the previous six novels did. There are things that I did not like about this one. The thing that bothers me most is that this book has far too many subplots. I felt that LKH was going around in circles, not really stopping to delve into a particular subject. The story was hard to follow at times. Also, I don't like the direction the characters Richard and Dolph are headed. Richard is understandably hurt and angry with Anita, but his ranting and whining are too over the top for me. And since when did Dolph become a vampire hater? His attitude with Anita has changed since she started dating Jean-Claude. I do miss their friendly banters. Other than that, this is another great Anita Blake novel and I look forward to reading the next one.

*Yawn*
I was a big fan of the first few Anita Blake novels, which is surprising since i don't like most fantasy novels, and absolutely hate vampire novels (don't like the erotica in them... which seems to be what all vampire novels written by women are).

But i have to admit, i enjoyed the first few Anita Blake novels. I liked her, like how a small girl can kickass, and eventually even enjoyed how some of the monsters really aren't monsters... but over the past few novels, the books have degenerated into way too much magic that simply seems silly, her sexual relationships with a vampire and werewolf, and plots that are completely predictable (the main reason why i enjoyed her first few books because they weren't predictable).

Hamilton's development of Anita was absolutely fantastic, as well of Dolph and the rest of the characters. But now with Richard, who was developing nicely in the beginning, is just absurd now. Alright, i can understand the fact that he has a plastic Barney the purple dinosaur view of the world, but does he really have to sound and act that pathetic?

And Jean-Claude... who was once a great character who was trying to win Anita and who could set things in motion, is nothing but a boy toy now and doesn't even play any significant role... sure, he's got a lot of lines in the books, but his power is so dependent on Anita, that he's no longer that sinister vampire we were with ulterior motives. Trust me, i can appreciate the irony that Anita, the Execution, fell in love with Jean-Claude, Master of the City... but their relationship doesn't even seem equal now... not even close.

And the love triangle is sooooo old. I guess there's one thing i learned from this series, and it's that some women have similar fantasies as men do: both find physical attraction very important (i am literally sick to death of reading about how nice these guys nippples are... SICK TO DEATH), and the desire to have more than one love/lust (which Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden also seemed to agree with). But this love triangle is getting old, repetitive, and just BORING. And the last few books were nothing but about this love triangle. Really, i wouldn't be surprised if in an upcoming book Anita will have a double penetration night with these two men.

It Could Have Been Better
The story centers around the Vampire Council and the legalities of vampires as citizens, and uses a lot more of vamp and lycantrope politics. As much as I like seeing more of lycantropes *other* than werewolves, the fact that Anita is the shining hero for them too just annoyed me to no end. 5 stars of 5 for all characters except Anita, 3 stars of 5 for having to put up with the Superwoman Lead Character.

As much as I like the series, Anita Blake is the most annoying, superwoman, I can outdo everyone around me, hypocritical, hyper-feminist character I've ever had the displeasure to read. I was starting to root for the bad guys to take her out. However, I kept reading because I really like Jean-Claude, Edward, Larry, Dolph, Jason, Stephen, and other supporting characters, and wonder about what happens to them, even if they don't have enough sense to tip Anita in the nearest tar pit and move on with their lives. If the series gets any more Anita-Worshipping, I may have to periodically gag in between chapters. The friend who got me started warns me that it does, and that after the next two novels, I should give up rather than continue to read the author's worship of Anita.

As you can tell, there are NO strong female characters allowed in these books, other than Anita herself. Any female who seems to be a dominant character soon meets an unfortunate demise or fate worse than death, usually at Anita's hands because of course, she's the Ultimate Evil of the novel. The only recurring female supporting character is Ronni, Anita's best friend. Despite initial promise in the early books, Ronnie is little more than a puppet for her so-called best friend to dangle about when she needs to have girl-talks. And the men all seem to be joining Anita's harem, which is annoying, since she's a rather hypocritical wench when it comes to the bedroom.

*bah* If my friend hadn't promised me that the book after the next is an Edward centered novel, I'd give up on this series while I was ahead. Edward, for those who haven't read it, is a sociopathic assassin. Scary that he's more truly heroic as a character than Anita Blake, isn't it? ;-) ... Read more

Book Description

Sookie's boyfriend has been very distant-in another state, distant. Now she's off to Mississippi to mingle with the underworld at Club Dead-a little haunt where the vampire elite go to chill out. But when she finally finds Bill-caught in an act of betrayal-she's not sure whether to save him...or sharpen some stakes. ... Read more

Reviews (85)

Sookie goes undercover to Mississippi to save Bill
Bill the Vampire has been obsessed with a computer program that he is developing in secret. He has withdrawn from his human girlfriend Sookie. So, when he disappears on a business trip to Mississippi, she isn't all that surprised to find out that he was planning to leave her for another woman, a vampire ex-lover named Lorena. She isn't all that thrilled to be ordered by Eric, Bill's boss, to go to Jackson to try to find him. She is accompanied by a were named Alcide, who owes Eric a favor. Most of the action revolves around a bar for the supernatural and their guests called Josephine's, or Club Dead by the weres and shapeshifters. Sookie has to rescue Bill, fend off Eric, and protect herself from a pack of werewolves. Alcide's ex also wants her dead. Fending off drunks in Merlotte's suddenly doesn't seem that bad.

This was a very good addition to this series. The relationships between Sookie and the vampires is more fully developed, especially the Vampire Sheriff, Eric. The introduction of werewolves looks promising for future books, as Sookie's personal relationships are getting more and more complicated. Great book, I hope I don't have to wait so long for the next one.

Horror + Humor = An Entertaining Read
Another light hearted episode in this Southern Vampire mystery series featuring the irrepressible Sookie Stackhouse, telepath and cocktail waitress, who we first met in 'Dead Until Dark' and 'Living Dead in Dallas.'

Sinister and sexy, this tale takes Sookie from her Louisiana home to the underworld of Jackson, Mississippi as she searches for her boyfriend Bill - who has disappeared while on a secret assignment for the Vampire powers of his home state. A twisted plotline keeps you jumping, and the usual mix of Harris's urban shape-changers, vampires and werewolves make for a highly entertaining story.

Simply a pleasure to read; and if you are a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton's 'Anita Blake' series or an aficionado of Anne Rice's tales, you may find these a humorous diversion for a sunny afternoon.

Best One Yet! (Well, haven't read the 4th)
I give it a 5 of 5, not because it's perfect but because if you read the first two this book is exactly what you think it should be, hope for, and expect.

Sookie finds out that Bill (the dullest and most tedious vampire ever imagined) has been cheating on her! (A-ha! knew I didn't like him for a reason). He's working on a secret mission for the Queen of LA (yes the sate) and he direly tells her if he goes missing to check her crawl space.

So, scene two, Bill goes missing (yipee!). She finds some computer disks but doesn't look at them, wierd, then Eric, Bill's boss asks her to find him.

She finds out he was leaving her for his vampire lover when he was kidnapped in MS. She has to investigate that kingdom and her entree in is sexy werewolfe Alcide.

So she goes to find her errant lover and shack up with the very tempting wolf. Eric comes in disguise to follow her repeatedly almost seducing her (lord but he's so much sexier than Bill, I wish she'd chose him) and the hijinks begin. It's a little darker than its predcesors, but the characters grow as you'd expect them to.

Sadly, Sookie has a few TSTL (too stupid to live- got that from another reader) moments. I mean, she wants to forgive Bill even though he was leaving her and had been cheating on her. Gimme a break, no man is worth that humiliation. And she turns down Eric though she wants him badly, even comes dagerously close to full blown sex. In fact, what they do would be considered in many countries sex, but not by most Americans' standards.

It's highly entertaining and had me laughing more then the first two and the characters seem so much more fleshed out, so much more real. Totally worthy read! The ending had me hooting with laughter and I've got to read the fourth. Once again I highly recommend!

Great series with a sense of humore
I rate all three books so far in the series a 5. It's rare you find a good story written with a sense of humor and a protagonist who is flawed but you like and respect. These stories have all of the above. There is plenty of action and interaction with more than a touch of romance. Charlaine Harris does an excellent job of balencing all aspects of the story - romance, fantasy, action without falling too heavily into one genre. I love the Anita Blake series as well, but this is much lighter and funnier. And the Blake series has entirely too much dialog that rehashes the "I'm tougher than anyone on the block"- we get the point. No similar complaints here. Can't wait for the fourth in this series!

It ain't no country club...
Club Dead is, by far, my favorite installment of the Southern Vampire series.

Club Dead tells the story of Sookie's adventures to find and rescue Bill, who has mysteriously gone missing. With the help of Eric and Alcide (a newly introduced Werewolf), Sookie travels to Mississippi to immerse herself into night culture to find out was has become of Bill.

The first two books were introductory books where we were given overall assessments of all the characters. The marvel of this book is that we are now neck deep in DEVELOPMENT!!! All of the characters go through believable changes, just as We Real People go through changes in our own lives. We find out what kind of "person" Bill really is; we get a better look at Sookie and her insecurities and emotional quirks; and at the same time, we meet some new people too! And let me not forget to mention the better glimpse of Eric; which, by the way, I am reluctantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I must wait for the 4th book to see if it ever does drop.

Club Dead has about the same amount of violence as the first two books and about the same of sex as Dead until Dark. The plot of Club Dead a little weaker than the plots of first two books, but it is not detrimentally so. It still carries its own weight within the series especially considering the growth of each of the characters, which is this book's strongest point.

If you have read Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas, I recommend you read this one for some interesting and frustratingly entertaining developments - it's amazing how this book sensibly mirrors real people and how we can be disappointed with and hurt by one another.

If you have NOT read Dead Until Dark or Living Dead in Dallas, DO NOT read this one. You MUST first read Dead Until Dark then Living Dead in Dallas in order to fully appreciate the characters' growths that Club Dead represents in the series. ... Read more

Book Description

There are a lot of monsters in Anita Blake's life. And some of them are human. One such individual is the man she calls Edward, a bounty hunter who specializes in the preternatural. He calls her to help him hunt down the greatest evil she has ever encountered. Something that kills and maims and vanishes into the night. Something Anita will have to face alone...

Praise for the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels:

"In Obsidian Butterfly, Laurell K. Hamilton delivers an erotic, demonic thrill ride. Her sexy, edgy, wickedly ironic style sweeps the reader into her unique world and delivers red-hot entertainment. Hamilton's marvelous storytelling can be summed up in three words: Over the top. She blends the genres of romance, horror and adventure with stunning panache. Great fun!"-- Jayne Ann Krentz

"Hamilton has endowed her heroine with a charming mix of male bravado, feminine guile, and self-deprecating humor."-- Publishers Weekly

"Ms. Hamilton's intriguing blend of fantasy, mystery, and a touch of romance is great fun indeed."-- Romantic Times

"Hamilton takes her world by the teeth and runs with it, devising a whipcrack adventure that moves like the wind, grips you by the throat and doesn't let go."-- Locus

"Mayhem, madness, old spells and older vampires. And Anita Blake at the center of it, struggling to stay on top...perfect!"-- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction ... Read more

Reviews (245)

Obsidian Butterfly / The Edward Book
As Laurell Hamilton said in the opening acknowledgements, this book is for the Edward fans out there. (Edward is the sociopathic bounty hunter we know from the earlier Blake books.) People who haven't read the rest of the Anita Blake series won't get much out of this one; unlike its predecessors, it doesn't bother explaining past events and relationships, and new readers may be completely lost. However, assuming you've read the first eight books of the series, there's a lot to be enjoyed in Obsidian Butterfly. The author does a wonderful job with the characters in this book, especially Edward, and watching them develop and interact in new situations is a treat. Though only Anita and Edward are familiar from the previous books, a new supporting cast of surprisingly deep characters makes its appearance. It's enough to make most readers overlook the shallow, muddled plot and the irritatingly repetetive self-analysis by the hero, who narrates the book. Despite the excellent character development, witty dialogue, top-notch action sequences, and morbidly fascinating gore, this is not one of Laurell Hamilton's best books. Add the fact that this book is unsuitable for readers new to the series, and it becomes a poor choice for Laurell Hamilton's hardback debut.

A Frighteningly Good Read!
"Obsidian Butterfly" by Laurell K. Hamilton is an enthralling addition to the Anita Blake series. It is filled with expertly rendered horror and action sequences that will have readers nervously looking over their shoulders for days!
In this 9th instalment of the series, Edward the cold-blooded assassin calls in the favour Anita owes him for killing one of his back-ups some time ago. Edward, alias Ted Forrester, needs Anita, tough-as-nails necromancer and vampire executioner, to come act as his back-up in a case that has him seriously spooked (and Edward being spooked is absolutely unheard-of!). So, Anita packs her bags and travels to New Mexico.
Anita is horrified when she sees the gruesome and gory murder victims and the even more horrific "survivors". Everyone is at a loss as to what would be capable of committing these atrocities. In hope of gaining some insight into the case, Anita seeks the help of the local Master Vampire Itzpapalotl (English translation: Obsidian Butterfly), a self-proclaimed Aztec goddess. From that point on, Anita runs into all kinds of nasty people and preternatural creatures, and readers are treated to some fantastic (and violent) action-adventure sequences. Anita is determined to stop whatever is committing these heinous crimes, and as she tries to do just that, she has to fight her way through many perilous situations. The non-stop conflict builds to a wonderfully simple but thrilling climax that is sure to satisfy readers.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a fascinating departure on Hamilton's part, though it is certainly not appropriate for the faint of heart. "Obsidian Butterfly" provides a refreshingly different storyline and a very interesting up-close look at the inner workings of Edward. Edward is a highly intriguing character, and his contrasts and mysteries, along with the exciting storyline make the nearly 600 pages of this book fly by. I couldn't help but miss Jean-Claude a little, but the strengths in this story more than made up for his absence. Anita continues to grow and evolve as a person, and I think she is a fabulous character. "Obsidian Butterfly" is truly wonderful entertainment, so don't miss out. It is suitable for first time readers of the series as well as long-time fans, and is sure to be enjoyed by all!

Best book so far!
I've read all the previous Anita Blake books, and I have to say this book gave me a pleasant surprise after the crap that was "Blue Moon". Blue Moon was the previous book and had so much sex and porn inclinations in it, that I was skipping whole sections at one go. Now I'm just a regular guy who loves the occasional porn, but Blue Moon really went overboard. In Obsidian, the story was interesting, and there was surprisingly little sex. It felt like Laurell finally woke up and concentrate on writing a good story instead of trash. Well done!

Ok, Just ok
When I first started reading this series I enjoyed it. But up to this book I started to find Anita very annoying and this book seems to cultivate all her annoying characteristics into one rollercoaster ride. Basically Anita has turned into an overly aggressive teenager with a mine is bigger attitude. Which makes you hope one of the monsters would just eat her and get it over with. The story line is still predictable and the dialog is weak. I'm not sure what happened to the series but I hope the next book is better.

I adore this one!
This is my favorite book of the series. The action and detail are outstanding. Anita's moral dilema, accompanied by a perplexing mystery and disgusting murders, make this book very absorbing.

It's not for the faint of heart however, so be carefull. Some of the scenes, one in particular involving children, are very disturbing.

All in all a good read. ... Read more

Amazon.com

From Emma Bull'sWar for the Oaks to Laurell K. Hamilton'sAnita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, fromThe X-Files toBuffy the Vampire Slayer, creators are mixing old European myths and legends with modern American pop culture. Incorporating influences ranging from blaxploitation movies and erotic novels to tabloid staples like UFOs and Elvis, authors and directors are creating a new mythology for the strip-mall, tract-house, cell-phone America of the new millennium.

One of the best-known and best writers of the new American mythology is Charlaine Harris. Dead to the World is the fourth novel in her Anthony Award-winning Southern Vampire series. It continues the story of psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who has fallen out with her undead lover, Bill. Bill has no sooner departed for Peru, than Sookie finds the head vampire, Eric, running naked and terrified through the rural night. She helps Eric, and discovers his memory has been destroyed by a coven of unscrupulous, astonishingly powerful witches, newly arrived in her small Louisiana town, and offering a huge reward for Eric. Sookie tries to hide Eric, but her brother sees him--and immediately disappears. And Sookie finds herself caught in a war among witches, vampires, and werewolves. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Reviews (50)

I love this series
Each time I finish another book in this series, I wish they were longer. Unfortunately, this book is the latest in the series, so I'll have to wait a while for Ms. Harris' next installment. I've also read Laurel K. Hamilton's vampire series and I like them as well, but Sookie is a little easier to stomach; not as bloody as Anita, but she is getting tougher. It's been a neat and believable evolution of her character. I loved Eric in this book and wasn't too broken up about Bill. Can't wait to see what happens next!

O Sookie...
I really enjoyed this latest in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I finished it in a couple of hours but that was a combination of me being a fast reader and not being able to put the book down! In short, Bill leaves the country, Eric loses his memory (thanks to a bad coven of witches), Sookie's brother disappears, Bill comes back into the country, and then Sookie ends up saving the day (again). Of course its not as simple as I made it seem but I think you would much rather read it for yourself than have me tell you all about it. Bottom line its a good entertaining read and I can't wait for the next book in the series. For those who like to compare Sookie Stackhouse to Anita Blake I say apples and oranges- they are two very different women. And those who say that Harris has read too much Hamilton, I say since when did Hamilton invent vampires and weres?

Hmmm...
I am one of the world's largest vampire fans. There isn't a whole lot of vampire films (even bad ones) or books I haven't read. As being from the south, I really enjoyed this series. The first two books were beyond excellent. I found myself as a mother of two staying up to all hours of the night to finish them, but with these last two books I have been slightly disappointed in how the book has been led to almost make Bill non-existant. I found him the strongest lead man in the first two books and now I am finding myself missing him. Although Eric is very appealing, I want Bill back!! I like the monogomy in the first two books and I find Sookie being kinda handed around in the last two. All in all, the book has some high points to its appeal. I just miss my vamp man!!

Maybe the best Sookie yet
With her vampire ex-boyfriend heading out of town, Sookie Stackhouse looks forward to more peaceful (and lonely) times in small-town Louisianna. But when her brother starts dating a shape-shifter and hunky vampire Sheriff, Eric loses his memory and Sookie finds him running naked near her house, she realizes that the times will be anything but peaceful. With his memory intact, Eric was a jerk but he's sort of sweet without it--and Sookie has a hard time fighting the attraction. Still, she's made a new year's resolution--no more getting beat up. And if she hangs with Eric and the other vampires, she knows she's going to get hurt.

When her brother turns up missing, though, Sookie realizes that she can't just lay low. And with witches trying to take over nearby Shreveport (where Eric is from), it doesn't take long before she's in the middle of the fight of her life. There is one bit of good news. Despite a great figure and good looks, Sookie's mind-reading always scared away the normal males. But as she meets shifters, witches, vampires, and even a fairy, there are plenty of non-human and half-human males who find Sookie just what they are looking for--assuming she can survive long enough to create a relationship.

Author Charlaine Harris mixes up humor, suspense, magic, and a really nice character in Sookie Stackhouse for an especially strong entry into her Southern Vampire series. In a world where amoral vampires and amoral humans wage war for control, Sookie provides an ethical perspective and a bit of balance. Her concern for her missing brother and her ambivalent feelings toward Eric increase reader empathy with Sookie and our stakes in the outcome.

I've enjoyed each of the Southern Vampire novels but DEAD TO THE WORLD may just be the best.

Give the poor girl a break!
I was going to hold out till this book out came in paperback, so all four in the series would match. My resolution lasted about a month, and I devoured the book yesterday. I've really enjoyed this series, but it's just getting depressing. So my main impression I had as I closed the book was "give poor Sookie a break!"

The first two books were a lot of fun. But the third one made me cry at the end, with the heartbreak that Sookie endures. When I started reading this one, I had hopes, but by the end of the book I was sad again. I don't want to feel sad when I spend $20 on a book and it compells me enough to read it in the space of one day. I enjoy spending time with Sookie in Bon Temps, and the characters that I feel I have grown to know very well in the past four volumes.

But I just want something *good* to happen to Sookie. I want her to find love that will last. (And I had to laugh at the reviewer who called her a "bed-hopping nympho." I didn't realize that sleeping with two guys in 26 years made you a nympho!!) Her self-worth has taken a beating her whole life, I would for once like to see her find someone who respects her and wants her.

Which means, of course, I'll be lining up to get book five, whenever that may be. I just hope it doesn't make me cry. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the most influential vampire novels of the 20th century, I Am Legend regularly appears on the "10 Best" lists of numerous critical studies of the horror genre. As Richard Matheson's third novel, it was first marketed as science fiction (for although written in 1954, the story takes place in a future 1976). A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else. Employing a stark, almost documentary style, Richard Matheson was one of the firstwriters to convince us that the undead can lurk in a local supermarket freezer as well as a remote Gothic castle. His influence on a generation of bestselling authors--including Stephen King and Dean Koontz--who first read him in their youth is, well, legendary. --Stanley Wiater ... Read more

Reviews (218)

Gripping, emotional, killer ending.
I was turned on to Matheson after watching Charlton Heston in the Omega Man years back, the movie based loosely upon the book, I Am Legend. You may find that the only regret from reading I Am Legend is the length of the story: It leaves you aching for more. What is particularly remarkable about Matheson is that he can compose a truly compelling story in so few pages, as he deftly details the tribulations of the last man alive in the world...or is he? Combining interpretations of vampire lore with an excellent interweaving of science fiction, Matheson achieves in his one main character greater fulfillment of plot, tension and irony than many horror or sci-fi authors are able to gain with a full cast. Positively riveting and fear inspiring, Matheson appeals to the reader emotionally as well: The chapter involving the protagonist and his relationship with a stray dog is heart breaking, but is evidence of what a truly fantastic author can do with the right material. Oh, and the killer ending....if you can't see this bittersweet conclusion play out in your mind's eye like a motion picture, you need to read this story again. Simply the best.

The best short Science Fiction novel ever written..
A novel about vampires taking over the Earth at first sounds incredibly hokey and stupid. Trust me folks, I Am Legend is anything but that. It is not your typical vampire story. Forget all the others. This is a master writer of science fiction and horror at work, and this is easily his best. I have read I Am Legend so many times, I've lost track. It is absolutely spellbinding, mezmerizing, and riveting. The book has been turned into motion pictures twice.. once about 40 years ago with Vincent Price in the lead. That one is far superior to the 1970s remake "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston. The plot of the remake is so terribly twisted, that anyone seeing it, if they can withhold laughing at its stupidity, would certainly never pick up this book to read if they thought it was the same as that film. Just forget "The Omega Man." Pretend you never heard of it. Matheson is one of the legendary kings of science fiction, right up there alongside Ray Bradbury. He wrote the screenplays for about a quarter of the original Twilight Zone series shows. His writing style is fluid, literate, and very easy to read. "I Am Legend" is about Robert Neville, a regular but smart kinda guy in the 1970s who watches the population of Earth die around him, infected by a world-wide plague which cannot be stopped. Somehow, he's not sure, he is immune. His friends and family die. Bodies are burned in huge pits until even those doing the burning die. Society shuts down. Some of the dead return as living zombies, who hide and sleep during the day and come out at night to raise Hell.. He spends his days combing the empty streets of Los Angeles for clues, for supplies, food, gasoline, to take back to his suburban home which he's turned into a sealed fortress, and looking for the undead into whose hearts he drives wooden stakes that he tediously grinds himself on a lathe. He rummages libraries to read medical texts for clues as to what it all means. At night when the undead come out to taunt him, he hides in his home, cranking up his hifi to shut out the noise of their howling. He's the last man on Earth, as far as he knows. How long can he last? How long can he keep his sanity in this totally insane world? Are there any other normal people out there or is he totally alone? Read this short novel and you will never forget it. Perhaps it'll become your favorite, as it became mine the first time I picked it up in the 1960s.

Great Book - DON'T READ ANY MORE REVIEWS FURTHER ON!
Great book - genuine masterpiece of SF and horror.

However, don't read any more reviews as half of the reviewers seem to think that a review consists on revealing all of the plot (including twists) and will definitely spoil your enjoyment of this book.

The only plot a person can reveal without spoiling it is the stuff that's in the blurb (the bit on the back cover). If you want to know what the book is about then go read it! The only people who won't like it are the people who think that Freddy Kreuger is the pinnacle of intellectual horror.

Not very impressed
This book isn't worth all the hype. It's historical. But it isn't great compared to most horror stories written today. It is boring, repetitive, and very slow paced. The book is solely based on a single man who is immuned to a "disease". This character, Robert Neville, watches everyone he loved die of the "disease" (which is shown in the book through several flashbacks). Robert Neville is very hard to relate to, and even harder to feel sympathy for. He basically spends his evening locked up in his house listening to records, drinking. Most of the time the character just sits there, in the verge of hope and hopelessness.
It's also hard to understand why the living never killed him earlier; they saved him for almost 3 years! They send this woman to spy on him (I don't know why. I never really saw Neville as such a great threat, and even if he was, why did they keep him alive?) You tend to ask yourself that after you finish this book, because that's close to the ending when he spots the woman.
If you're thinking about reading it, read it because you want to, not because you're bored; it won't entertain you much if you are bored. It will fascinate you, then the fascination just slowly tappers off, leaving the whole book with just words.

2nd only to Stoker.
This book, which is sadly short, is easily the second greatest vampire story written, behind Dracula of course.

Once i started reading I Am Legend i just could not put it down and finished it in one long sitting. It starts off superb and doesnt let up one bit. The ending also is beautiful, smart, and tragic. Truly original.

And what many people arent mentioning is that I Am Legend only takes up half of this book. The second half is a compilation of Matheson's short stories and are extremely entertaining also.

Buy this book. Now! ... Read more

Reviews (78)

Bloody Bones
While Hamilton won't ever win any awards for her writing, in the technical sense, she is a great storyteller, and her characters are among the most vivid of any genre. Anita Blake is probably the strongest heroine I've ever read, and she continues to grow as the series progresses. Jean-Claude is the bad boy who is much more caring and vulnerable (emotionally) than he seems at first. By this time, Jean-Claude and Anita ought to be set in stone, almost predictable, but they're not. Even the secondary recurring characters have depth and are clearly defined: Jason, Bert, Edward, Larry, Ronnie. You feel like these are people you know.

While this book isn't the best of the series, dragging out far too long and wrapping up too tidily, the scene where Anita stays with Jean-Claude at dawn merits 20 stars. It is both heart-wrenching and horrifying, one of the most memorable scenes of the entire series.

One thing that bothers me about all of Hamilton's books: Tons of typos and other assorted errors. It's almost laughable at times, and distracting as hell.

Anita Blake is really put through the wringer this time
The titles of Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels always refer to some sort of establishment frequented by monsters and while "Bloody Bones" is the name of a eating place out in the sticks it is also the name of something much, much worse. Anita Blake and her trainee Larry (not Lawrence) Kinkaid are out in the sticks of Missouri to raise a bunch of really old zombies to settle a development issue. But then Dolph calls Anita to tell her the local cops need her help with a murder investigation that sure looks to our heroine like an incredible fast vampire using a really big sword. Of course, these and every other plot line in the book are all related. The "romantic" triangle between Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard is pretty much on the back burner this time around, although Jean-Claude and his pet werewolf Jason show up to help Anita meet Serephina, the local master. Boy, does that ever turn out to be a mondo-mistake.

"Bloody Bones," the fifth book in the Anita Blake "Vampire Hunter" series, is similar to the previous couple of books. The menagerie of monsters continues to grow, with faeries and worse being added to the roster, while Anita's powers as a Necromancer continue to grow at the most opportune moments. In terms of writing pure horror, Hamilton knows how to lay it out big time. If Hollywood ever dared to film these books as she writes them they would be NC-17 (at least). Yes, Hamilton tends to play the same cards in getting Anita out of her dire predicaments, but as a writer of horror novels with scenes of disquieting intensity that will make it difficult for you to sleep at night, she has Lovecraft, King and Barker beat. She is so good at coming up with scenes of outright horror that go on and on, that I will not let my teenager daughter read these books.

The best one yet! Lots of Jean-Claude!!
It is official that I'm addicted to this series. I've even neglected the Merry Gentry series, Laurell K. Hamilton's faerie novels, which I started reading before the Anita Blake one. This is my favorite one to date. This series just keeps getting better and better! And the best part is that there is a lot of Jean-Claude in this one. The most I'd read him was in Circus of the Damned, and there are only bits and pieces of him in the other three, but he plays a more prominent role here. Bloody Bones illustrates the most challenging monsters Anita has ever had to deal with. Teenagers have been slaughtered in a small city of Missouri. The culprit is a creature unlike anything Anita has ever seen. It is stronger than a vampire, more dangerous and immortal to the core. To make matters worse, she has to raise an entire graveyard of three-hundred-year-old corpses to determine the fate of the graveyard's rather lucrative land, which is owned by a family of immortal faeries. Anita suspects that the graveyard raisings and the murders are connected, and with the help of her friends she is determined to bring all of those involved down...

Bloody Bones, like its predecessors, is nonstop action from beginning to end. The suspense is incredible, the fast-paced plot riveting. But it's more than just the action and suspense that kept me glued to this book. I loved that I finally got to know Jean-Claude in a deeper level. We learn more about Jean-Claude's background and history in a rather sexy bubble bath scene. JC and Anita fans will love to know that there is some closeness between them in this offering -- a fleeting closeness, but an important one nevertheless. And the best part is that Anita's werewolf boyfriend Richard is not in the way. I loved it! Laurell K. Hamilton describes Jean-Claude's sensuality in such a way that he's almost tangible. He's definitely one of the sexiest characters I've read. I also got to read about some great characters that were back after some notable absence, like Larry. I also like werewolf Jason. Anyway, this is my favorite offering. As said earlier, this series keeps getting better and better. I cannot wait to read the next one. In the meantime, I recommend Bloody Bones most highly...

Way To Go Anita!!!
The Anita Blake series just keeps getting better and better. And Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of the City (St. Louis) is back in business. Anita has to leave her werewolf-boyfriend Richard and her vampire-boyfriend Jean-Claude (In a previous novel she agreed to date both of them to find out who she wants (to have sex with)) back in St. Louis, when she is asked to travel to another part the country and raise a whole cemetery. A builder wants to use some land, but a local family is agaist him, because they say that the old cemetery beneath the ground is their family-burial ground. Anita has to raise the dead and ask them exactly what their family relations are. All is well, until something starts killing young boys in the woods, and a teenage girl dies from a vampire bite in her room. Anita has to look into a lot of stuff, being helped by her assistant, vampire-hunter-in-spe Larry. She is away from her usual turf, and the police in this part of the country are not too happy about the famous vampire-hunter doing what they think is their job. Anita has to call for help, and the only one who can help her is Jean-Claude, the gorgeous vampire who wants Anita as his lover and human servant. Anita has resisted him for a long time, and she is not so sure what she feels. There is a lot of drama, a lot of bad vampires and the fey are introduced in this book, which make for some new and exciting ways to cheat, do magic and much more.
Another triumph for Laurell K. Hamilton

She just can't stop!
Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita" series just keeps getting better and better. I cant put them down! ... Read more

Book Description

Published over ten years ago by Ace, Guilty Pleasures marked the debut of a series that was destined to grow from cult favorite to a major New York Times bestseller. Now, for long-time Anita Blake junkies and newfound fans, Guilty Pleasures makes its trade paperback debut. Readers will learn how Anita Blake started raising the dead-and killing the undead. And how she met Jean Claude, the master vampire destined to become not only her biggest nemesis, but her greatest lover... ... Read more

Reviews (303)

An excellent guilty pleasure!
Having read and loved A Kiss of Shadows, I decided that it was time I gave the Anita Blake vampire series a whirl. Guilty Pleasures is a fast-paced, enthralling horror novel that kept me turning the pages until the wee hours of the night. The series starts out when Anita, a professional vampire executioner, is forced to investigate the recent murder of various vampires. But Anita's job is to execute vampires, not help them, but the master vampire Nikolaos is not someone you can turn down. There are various twists throughout the novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat...

I love Anita's narration and the story's steady motion. There isn't a single boring moment in this novel. I can see why so many people have become addicted to this series. Laurell K. Hamilton is a great talent of paranormal fiction. There is plenty of horror and suspense throughout the novel, but there isn't a trace of romantica. That's the only thing I didn't like about the first installment. But I was told that the romance and erotica come along later in the series (and I hope that Jean-Claude, a dark and sensual vampire in the story, will be part of said romance and erotica). Even though I prefer vampires as sex gods rather than evil, this is one series that I intend to read from cover to cover. A great start to the Anita Blake series! This novel is definitely a guilty pleasure...

Buffy of the Literary World
The paralells between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Anita Blake series are virtually infinite. Both are tough, slim, short hot girls whose main goal in life is to free the world from the baddies. Both seem to have more than their fair share of relationships with some of these supernatural "baddies". Both of them love weapons. And both of them kick major .... while cracking tongue in cheek jokes.
I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And I love these books.
I read several reviews pertaining to the lack of sex in this first book. Well if you want sex, read on....the series soon becomes permeated with it. Ms. Hamilton seems to either give us too much or too little. Personally I prefer too little. I'm more on the ride for the action and plots, not the sex. If I want sexual satisfaction from a book I'll read a romance novel. This is not a romance novel.
In the same way Buffy the Vampire Slayer has become more and more "sexual", so do Hamilton's books. Since it is a series, some of the books are more for setting the scene and creating sexual tension than supplying a release for it. I would say on the whole though this series (taken as a whole) has something for everyone. Humour, Horror, and lust.
An easy writing style and a killer character make this book a must read for anyone who likes things along the line of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

GUILTY PLEASURES
HAVE L.K.HAMILTON'S COMPLETE SERIES ON "ANITA BLAKE VAMPIRE HUNTER' HER BOOKS WERE VERY BLOODY READS. BUT I STUCK WITH THE
SERIES, FOR I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT ANITA IS DOING NOW. I WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST PERSONS TO BUY CERULEAN SINS. JEAN CLAUDE, RICHARD ARE THE FAVORITES IN ALL THE SET. THESE ARE KEEPERS.

Not worth your time
This book was slow-moving and had way to many pop references.

I will agree to disagree
As the starting novel in the Anita Blake series, it was pretty good. Although, I couldn't get over the fact that she was scared all the time. I mean if you're scared of someone, then I don't think that you should crack stupid jokes. Nikolaos is the wrong one to piss off. For a thousand year-old vampire, she does not have a sense of humor. The dialog, however, was a lot better than the other books. Aubrey and Theresa are really well thought out characters and I like that. I also liked the scenes between Anita and Jean Claude, they brought a little romance to the book. The end has a nice twist to it that I wasn't expecting. What I didn't expect was for the next book to be so SORRY, but enough about that. If you like vampires, ghouls, and zombie's, then this is a good book to start with. It's not an excellent book, but it'll get you through the weekend. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Macalister does it again!
I first stumbled across Katie Macalister's historical novels and fell in love with her unique approach to the genre. Her humor and three dimensional characters make her work stand out from the pack of regency romances and rightfully so.

Later, I found her contemporaries and saw that the same sense of humor and irreverence existed.

Sex and the Single Vampire is, lucky to say, as good as her other books. The banter and sexual tension between Christian, the old school vampire who hates independent women and Allie, the former battered wife, now independent woman who hates arrogant men is lovely. The secondary characters, be they ghosts or summoners or vampire groupies, are written just as well. In fact, the dear abby ghost mentor Esme and her advice on love and sex is one of my favorite things about this book.

Yes, you have the typical tortured alpha male who is looking for his other half. Only, his other half is flawed and scared and yet she sticks it out. The humor, the way the characters are all flawed in some way, it lends a touch of realism to the story that makes Macalister's books stand out.

Warm, witty, sexy and entertaining, Sex and the Single Vampire is definitely worth a read.

Sex and the Single Vampire
If you're in the mood for comedy, love, sex, and a gaggle of interesting, yet often comical ghoulie creatures, I recommend MacAlister's newest novel. A sequel to "A Girls Guide to Vampires," (AGGTV) this novel shows us how Christian--a vampire of whom some of you might be familiar with--meets his mate, Allegra.

The book starts off capitally and manages to keep itself on a higher level of entertainment. Readers that missed AGGTV might be a bit confused at the onset of the book, but in due course all is explained in brief sentences sprinkled here and there throughout most of the first half. The characters are huorously true to their form, and Allegra is a very interesting addition to the group. Her occupation is Summoner, a person that can call forth ghosts lurking about and demons from hell ... though she'd be the first to admit that she isn't very good at it. It is through her voice that this book is told.

I highly recommend this book, and hope that MacAlister, who has openly admitted to her love for the work of Christine Feehan, manages to keep churning out various novels with more variation than the latter.

-Embyr Bradson (5/13/04)

Sexy, Witty, Fun!!
Sex and The Single Vampire by Katie MacAlister is one of my all time favorite books, and I don't have all that many, it's not easy to get on my keeper shelf. It had all of the elements that I enjoy in a novel. I am not a huge fan of contemporaries, but since there was a paranormal element, I read it.

Christian Dante is a gorgeous, Dark One searching for his Beloved while on a book tour for his newest novel. Allegra ( Latin: meaning Joyful, merry) Telford is in England to find ghosts, her job as a summoner is in danger of extinction if she doesn't summon one soon. Her first night there she dreams of a magnificent man bleeding from cuts all over his body, and asking for her help. The next day after summoning the ghost of a three-legged cat, she sets out to explore a haunted house. Once there she discovers the man in her dreams, except that he's not a ghost, and he doesn't want her help, much less want her there.

She runs into him yet again at a book signing, where there is an altercation that ends with him on top of her, and giving her a soft kiss. From then on, good luck on ever wanting to put the book down. The scenes with Christian and Allegra are funny, endearing, and very sexy. The sexual tension is palpable. The heroine is not perfect, so if you like yours that way, I wouldn't recommend reading this. Allegra was a victim of domestic abuse, has a scarred leg, walks with a limp, and has two different colored eyes (which she usually hides behind dark glasses, since the sight of them freaks people out).

Christian, like most heroes, is tall dark and gorgeous. His eyes change to all different shades of brown, from walnut to mahogany depending on his mood. He is arrogant, yet gentle. He can communicate with Allegra telepathically, and the scenes where they converse this way are wonderful! I almost forgot to mention the multitude of other ghosts, demons, and returning characters from the prequel A Girl's Guide To Vampires. (I haven't read that one yet, but if your a stickler for going in order read that one first). It is told in the first person (again if you don't like this don't read it). I hope that if you decide to pick up Sex and The Single Vampire that you enjoy it as much as I did. Christian and Allegra have a special place in my heart, always.

A bit weak
Okay, so you have this somewhat crippled woman, Allie, (by the way her name is Allegra--like the medicine! It drove be batty--what kind of author would name a character after an allergy medicine?) who meets this vampire. Now this girl is painted by the author as having all these issues about being in control. Apparently she had this real lame husband who beat her as well as other things I won't bother to mention for those of you who want to read the book.

Then you have this vampire, Christian, (Another name that drove me crazy because I kept forgetting this was his name and then she would use it in a sentence and I thought she was talking relegion--how weird is that?) Who is desperate to find the love of his life in order to complete him. (This entire plot practicaly stunk of a very popular series by another author who I will not name--which cause another problem with me because I cannot stand authors who steal plots.)

Okay, so the author goes on and on about how perfect Christian is physically, but is a real pig when it comes to women's rights. All she says about the heroine is that she has weird eyes and a messed up leg. She doesn't tell you anything else about how she looks, so you are left with a limping shadow woman when you picture the scenes in your mind. Yet, they are maddly drawn together. Next thing you know it they can't get enough of each other. This premise totally goes against what she set up in the beginning.

Ultimately, the author's characterization bites the big one. And I don't know about you, but if the characterization stinks--the book stinks.

I gave it two stars because the sex scenes were okay.
Hope this helps.

A book that truly grabs your attention from start to finish!
I thought this book had the perfect mix of romance, humor and fantasy. I started it and stayed up all night just to finish it. Every once in awhile you find such a book and I would suggest any avid romance give it a try!! ... Read more

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I cried...
... and not in a good way. The whole book was one long cringe from beginning to confused end. It felt like a really badly written Mayfair/Vampchron crossover spec with a bit of supernatural James Bond thrown in for the 'big climax'. I seriously cried at the end, because this IS the last of the Vampire Chronicles and I can not believe that one of the most beautiful, eloquent series of novels I have ever come across has ended in such a pathetic attempt at ...... well, I'm not sure WHAT it was an attempt at actually. Not worth any stars whatsoever, but Amazon demands minimum one. I am so disappointed. Merrick was bad, Blackwood Farm was OK but definatly not up to par ( Why bring Lestat or the Mayfairs in at all ? Why not bill it as one of the 'New Series' like 'Vittorio' ?) but Blood Canticle was a farce. What did we die-hard fans do to deserve THIS finale ?

Blackwood Farm Revisited
I've read each of Rice's books, save for the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy. If I didn't like her work I would have never done this. If Blood Canticle truly is the coda to the Vampire Chronicles (and, by implication, to the Mayfair Chronicles as well) then her audience has been rudely cheated. Rice can't live in a vacumn; surely she knew the Blackwood Farm setting was not the source of her greatest inspiration. The inhabitants of that dire old mansion are self-indulgant and silly to the point of farce. And their insipid nature all but nullifies the semi-high bearing of her finest creation: Lestat.

I know this novel was, at best, written under the duress of grief for the loss of a spouse. The author would earn nothing but plaudits for simply taking up both Chronicles as if BC never happened, ala an Ira Levine like "it was all one long bad dream" and finishing each series in a way befitting the obvious merits of both.

In the mean time nothing is left to me but her full foray into erotica to quell my taste for blood. "Mon Dieu!"

An absolutely wonderful book
Blood Canticle was the first book by Anne Rice that I had read. I immediately fell in loe with it and couldn't put it down once I had started it. Shortly After I finished it, I read the Vampire Lestat. Although there were some major changes in Lestat's personality, I still love Blood Canticle. I love how Lestat is talking directly to you, throughout the entire book.

I have heard that this is going to be the last book in the Vampire Chronicles, and I am deeply saddened by it. There were many loose ends in Blood Canticle and that was one of the few things that I did not like about of the book. Hopefully, this will not be the last book in the series.

This is not Anne Rice's writing
Anne Rice is a very detailed writer. Even when her books are mediocre (Pandora), she still makes the reader feel as if they were in the room, you can almost smell the atmosphere. her descriptions of places, cities, homes, feedings, hatred, and death are exquisite.

That is why I do not think this book was even written by Anne Rice. The characters are there, they are on an interesing tale, a tale that could have/should have been one of the best Anne could ever write- bringing Lestat, the brat prince, and the Mayfair witches together.

The story is told in the most boring, dull and distant way. There are pages and pages of dialoge from people sitting and blabbering. This is not Anne Rice's work-it just can't be. Lestat has lost the ability to speak properly, Rowan has become some type of Zombie, Michael Curry a cuckhold wimp, the servants and relatives from Blackwood Farm have become one-dimensional charicatures. How can you make Oncle Julien boring? The characters and a great story are here- but the writing is a failure.

Please Anne, if you read this, we, your loyal fans will forgive you if Lestat awakes and we find out this book was a dream sequence, (ala Dallas) and you decide to do this right.

Please, this isn't the Last is it? Bring back the Old Lestat
I adore these books, I am in love with the works of Anne Rice! The movie Interview with the Vampire started me off and since I have read all the Vampire Chronicle books, the New Vampire Chronicles, several of her single works and am now just beginning to read The Mayfair Witches.

*In French Accent* "Lestat, Je Vous Adore!" I was SOOO incredibly happy when I first found that Lestat would again be narrating a book. I caught up with the Vampire Chronicles in time for the release of Merrick and have since been waiting through Blood and Gold and Blackwood Farm (very good read this one!) for a book by our beloved Brat Prince.

So, what happened? I give this book a four star rating simply because Lestat is back full-time in his superb supernatural body. But what happened to him while he was gone? This is not the Lestat I remember! Where is the irreverence? Devil-may-care attitude? Strength of character? To me, Lestat still seems to be quaking from his, er, "experience" with Memnoch. He's disorganized, scattered about like the remains of some of his more evil victims. He's too, I don't know, sedate here! What happened to our party boy?

And where, oh where, is the beautiful Louis??? After Merrick sacrificed herself you would think that our poor Louis would still have some issues to resolve! AND WHAT ABOUT THE TALAMASCA??? What happened to their threats? Lestat has taken yet another of the Mayfair family, why aren't the Talamasca still after him? They were threatening anhilation! Did they suddenly forget about Lestat altogether? Impossible! And hey, I want to know who these elders are who are behind the whole organization, secret, ancient cult thing! THIS CANNOT BE THE END!!! IT SIMPLY CANNOT BE!!! SOOO many unanswered questions! Plus, the ancient of the Vampires warned Lestat not to make any new members, he's done it again though, what about their reaction?

Not much happens altogether really. Mona becomes a vampire, she cries a lot, runs away, comes back, runs away again, cries some more, acts childish, then turns into an old woman. Michael and Rowan are both rather insane, Quinn seems to be the only voice of reason. Lestat is not back on his game yet, I want the old Lestat!!! I mean, I love that he only preys on criminals but he needn't be a complete saint about it! Why does he eternally behave so sorrowfully? Can't he see that he's doing humanity a favor now? The only interesting part about this book was the Taltos and their private island, other than that, it was just a big whine-fest between Lestat, Mona and Julien. Why is Lestat so bothered by a ghost? He did the best thing he could for Mona, tell Julien that he isn't the omnicient master of the clan and GET OVER IT!!!

I really hope Anne Rice has more in store for us, I mean, I can understand that with the death of her husband (my most sincerest of sympathies Mrs. Rice) she is likely having a hard time putting her best into a novel. But please, I hope her gift comes back soon and we are able to find out more about our Eternally Beloved Brat Prince and all the other Children of Darkness/Dwellers of the Savage Garden that we have come to know and love so dearly and the Society who keep watch over ALL. ... Read more

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Anita Blake has fallen for the leader of a local pack of werewolves. She's survived a lot, but this love affair may kill her yet. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

More Reasons to Never Date a Werewolf
In Laurell K. Hamilton's fourth installment of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, Anita gets a glimpse of boyfriend Richard's furry side. His werewolf side, that is. After 7 shapeshifters go missing, it is up to Anita to try and find them. While doing that, she is having to deal with a marriage proposal from Richard, a dating proposal from Jean-Claude, and a murderous proposal from the werebeast community. Busy, busy, busy.

This is not the best book I have read so far in the series. I took a long break from reading it in the middle of it, but I started back up the other day and had it finished off fairly quickly. I think maybe one of the reasons it seemed slower is because I'm not a huge fan of Richard. He's a nice guy and all, but a possible romance between Anita and vampire Jean-Claude seems much more exciting. This is definitely an Anita/Richard novel. Still, this book was fast-paced, fun and creepy all in one. This is all you could ever want in a series.

A Crazy Good 'ol Time
No more marks should equal no more powers, right? Sure, whatever. But alas, Anita is getting stronger, much more so than anyone realizes.

The fifth book in the series is more of a soap box love triangle thing than about the gore and raising zombies. After the bloodyness and violence of the 4th book, it's a nice change, which came at a perfect time. Although Anita gets really beat up in this book and there is violence and death, the usual.

Oh, yeah... Finally, for the second time, Anita Blake-tough as nails Animator a.k.a. The Executioner-has found love. Really, she has. We all know him as Richard Zeeman a.k.a. jr. high teacher; a.k.a. werewolf and second in line for the pack. Who could resist an idealistic-at times really annoying, strong, dark handsome werewolf? Anita sure can't, she can't get enough of him. Hmmm, yeah.

Of course Jean-Claude is duly pissed and there is some...tension...between the two. By some occurrence, the current pack's leader Marcus, whom Richard is fighting for leadership, offers Richard's services to Jean-Claude. Since the wolf is Jean-Claude's animal-each master vampire has power to call their own animal like Oliver had with snakes-he can also control werewolves as well. Basically, Richard is supposed to do what the Master of the City wants. I emphasize supposed to. Of course, that doesn't happen. A lot of anger and jealousy happen' here.

To add to the chaos of confusion, Marcus, the leader of the wolf pack and Raina, the alpha female wolf wants, needs Anita's help in finding out who is killing lycanthropes, werewolves specifically. In the past weeks, 8 werewolves have disappeared or ended up in violent death. With help from Edward and some reluctance help from Richard, Anita plunges forth.

Mind you, there is one part of the story line dealing with porno/snuff film. That's Edward's reason for being, he's been hired to kill the lycanthropes involved in the killing of a human girl in a film. It's not crude, it's just frankly stated. While not necessary, it does reveal a little part of Richard's character, which is really important in the story.

The sacrifice? Her new relationship with Richard as well as Jean-Claude. As Anita learns more and more about the world of werewolves, she rethinks Richard's proposal of marriage. Yeah, he asked her to marry him.

Jean-Claude of course is very pissed and threatens to kill Richard but Anita complies with his terms of dating BOTH of them at the same time, he may let Richard live. Oh, yeah, it gets really interesting. It's the only reason I like Richard; you'll enjoy what Richard brings to the story if your a Jean-Claude fan.

It's interesting how Hamilton is able to only give small bits of information and yet maintain such intense interest. You really don't know Jean-Claude or Anita, but each gives a small glimpse of who they are and what they are, what they believe. Great writing at its best. Great sci-fi fantasy with elements of moral, ethics and belief aspects about everything, yourself, the world. All the humor, sarcasm, intelligence, the aura of the other books is still ever so present. You won't be disappointed; it just gets better and better.

A werewolf or a vampire for a lover... Decisions, decisions!
Once again, Laurell K. Hamilton hits a home run with this exceptional novel. The Lunatic Cafe is the fourth Anita Blake installment and my favorite thus far. Though this one has a bit of a slow start action-wise, it has a far more compelling plot that centers on Anita's personal life. Anita is dating Richard, something that doesn't sit well with Jean-Claude, the vampire Master of the City. Jean-Claude wants Anita as well and he, too, wants to date her. She's always said she wouldn't date one of the monsters, yet she is involved with a werewolf. But Richard has great human qualities. He is a schoolteacher, a genuinely nice guy, a boy next door of sorts -- minus the small fact that he's the leader of a pack of shape shifters with a secret and animalistic penchant for a mixture of blood, sex and violence. Jean-Claude is the proverbial bad boy -- a fearful leader and a shameless seducer who doesn't bother to hide his monstrous side, but irresistible all the same. In order to keep Jean-Claude from killing Richard, Anita acquiesces to his proposal of dating both men at the same time. But the reader knows that Anita is attracted to Jean-Claude, no matter how much she denies it. If this interesting little love triangle isn't bad enough, she has to find out why eight shape shifters and lycanthropes are missing. There are various twists throughout the novel...

This is the most exciting part of the series I've read thus far. Laurell K. Hamilton keeps you in suspense from beginning to end. Richard is a great character, but he's nowhere near as compelling and sensual as Jean-Claude. I am still hoping that he and Anita will get together. The building of tension is so slow it's torturous! But the aforementioned tension is delectable beyond compare. The characters are always excellent. The most interesting character in this series is Edward. He's a caricature of a character with an unreadable personality. Perhaps this is intentional, but I'm not sure. I hope to get to know this character in a deeper level in the future. Anyway, as said earlier, this is the best Anita Blake offering. I cannot recommend The Lunatic Cafe enough. A great summer read to enjoy resting on a hammock overlooking the sunset.

Excellent!
I havnet read the series, my friends recommended "The Lunatic Cafe" to me so i started reading and i LOVED it! It's face paced, intriguing and a great read! This may be the best book I've read in a long time! I cant wait to read more by Laurell K. Hamilton in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Novels and her other works! :)

Before Richard got annoying...
One of the better books in the series. This read through reminded me how much I use to like Richard. It made me feel all nostalgic. Sadly, Richard and the wolves get on my nerves in a big way now but I'll always have the memories. I really liked the mystery(s) in this one and it was great to read about Anita interacting with her cop buddies again. Jean-Claude is kind of scarce in this book which may annoy some of his hard core fans. It's not really a big problem for me. ... Read more