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auntiemaleficent's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
amarieb's review
4.0
Great read, had it done it one siting. I was sad though, ...you can totally tell where Brett Booth's art stops. He just really knew how to capture those characters. Oh well, still want to read the next one.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review
4.0
Good book, a different kind of vampire hunter, who is strong and capable, and very loyal to her friends. There were quite a few things that were repeated a lot throughout the book, though, and that kind of annoys me a little, I can totally remember what happens between the first and the fifth chapter. Sometimes, I even get a little annoyed if things are repeated too much in different books, even if I can understand that better, since it's for readers who haven't read the whole series. I don't see the point of in-book repetitions.
Apart from that, the book was very exciting, Anita is a great heroine, and I will definitely read more!
Apart from that, the book was very exciting, Anita is a great heroine, and I will definitely read more!
shutupnread's review
4.0
Link: https://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/2017/03/anita-blake-vampire-hunter-series-by.html
Oh mannnn, what to say about Anita Blake? So many things to say yet so little time to say it. Plus, I don’t want to write like a 500 page essay about the pros and cons about this series. I remember reading this series back when I was in high school, many, many years ago, and I caught up to, I think the most recent at that time, which was Skin Trade (I think, not 100% sure) and I was still engrossed enough to continue with the series. I told myself to come back to it later and finish the series. 8 years later, I finally have the chance to come back to it and I’m not sure what the fuck I was thinking at that time.
Okay, the first, I want to say 8, books were great. I enjoyed reading about Anita Blake and even enjoyed the love triangle between Jean Claude and Richard. I also liked Nathanial a lot as well as Micah so I was fine with those four men. Even though I think that’s 3 too many but, as a female, I can appreciate having many men woo and love me. However, I think there comes a time when you need to draw a line between a few and way too fucking many. I don’t think Laurell can draw that line. Anita, by the end of Bullet, had at least TWELVE men plus others that she slept with on a “pinch” or because she had some sort of “emergency.”
The biggest issue I had with this book isn’t the number of men, but the fact that Anita went from a relatively prude woman (I mean, in the first book she wasn’t with anyone at all and by around book 3 or 4, she was still relatively shy about men and sex and was essentially only with Richard and/or Jean Claude.) to someone who was willing to just sleep with almost anyone even females. It was like she lost her morals or something.
Another thing I really disliked was the fact that she became so needy of these men. She used to be relatively strong, mentally and physically, when she was doing police and investigative work as well as raising the dead. And then all of the sudden, due to the “ardeur”, she became a sex fiend. She had to have sex or die. And even other books that had succubus in it was never like this. Since she was “forced” to have sex with men, she became very, very dependent on the men around her. It was like she could never be without them and couldn’t be just herself anymore.
The one thing that I kept thinking after around book 10 was the fact that I’m 99% sure that these books are a direct link to the author’s own issues. She even mentioned it somewhere either on her website or on Goodreads or something where she herself was often in group sex/orgys and that there was nothing wrong with it. I mean, that’s your own prerogative but I think there comes a time when you need to remove your fictional characters from your own personal problems. It was like she needed some reassurance that it was fine to be so out there like that so she put it in her book. It was honestly to the point that each book had about 80% sex scenes. There was no real content anymore and no real action other than sex and more sex. Also I’m pretty sure that even Laurell herself got tired of writing some parts of the book because she kept repeating herself in explanations and whatnot.
Honestly, I kept with the books mainly because I wanted to see what the end result was between her, Jean Claude, Richard, Micah and Nathaniel. These were the core men that I was actually interested in. The rest could just disappear for all I care. However, by book 19, I can see that there was no end in sight for the sex scenes and how she became so powerful with both mystical stuff and with her magical vayjay. Seriously, I just don’t understand how men can sleep with her and then suddenly be in love with her. Like WTF. Plus I’m just tired of reading about sex over and over again in different situations and with different men. It’s like a rotating board. Also, it is not at all realistic to be like “omg, Anita, you’re so tight.” Girl, you’re probably wider and looser than any woman I know. You have TWELVE men you’re constantly sleeping with and they’re all “very well-endowed”plus all the other men you sleep with once or twice. There is NO FUCKING WAY you’re “so tight” after all that. Please. Laurell, be fucking realistic here.
Oh mannnn, what to say about Anita Blake? So many things to say yet so little time to say it. Plus, I don’t want to write like a 500 page essay about the pros and cons about this series. I remember reading this series back when I was in high school, many, many years ago, and I caught up to, I think the most recent at that time, which was Skin Trade (I think, not 100% sure) and I was still engrossed enough to continue with the series. I told myself to come back to it later and finish the series. 8 years later, I finally have the chance to come back to it and I’m not sure what the fuck I was thinking at that time.
Okay, the first, I want to say 8, books were great. I enjoyed reading about Anita Blake and even enjoyed the love triangle between Jean Claude and Richard. I also liked Nathanial a lot as well as Micah so I was fine with those four men. Even though I think that’s 3 too many but, as a female, I can appreciate having many men woo and love me. However, I think there comes a time when you need to draw a line between a few and way too fucking many. I don’t think Laurell can draw that line. Anita, by the end of Bullet, had at least TWELVE men plus others that she slept with on a “pinch” or because she had some sort of “emergency.”
The biggest issue I had with this book isn’t the number of men, but the fact that Anita went from a relatively prude woman (I mean, in the first book she wasn’t with anyone at all and by around book 3 or 4, she was still relatively shy about men and sex and was essentially only with Richard and/or Jean Claude.) to someone who was willing to just sleep with almost anyone even females. It was like she lost her morals or something.
Another thing I really disliked was the fact that she became so needy of these men. She used to be relatively strong, mentally and physically, when she was doing police and investigative work as well as raising the dead. And then all of the sudden, due to the “ardeur”, she became a sex fiend. She had to have sex or die. And even other books that had succubus in it was never like this. Since she was “forced” to have sex with men, she became very, very dependent on the men around her. It was like she could never be without them and couldn’t be just herself anymore.
The one thing that I kept thinking after around book 10 was the fact that I’m 99% sure that these books are a direct link to the author’s own issues. She even mentioned it somewhere either on her website or on Goodreads or something where she herself was often in group sex/orgys and that there was nothing wrong with it. I mean, that’s your own prerogative but I think there comes a time when you need to remove your fictional characters from your own personal problems. It was like she needed some reassurance that it was fine to be so out there like that so she put it in her book. It was honestly to the point that each book had about 80% sex scenes. There was no real content anymore and no real action other than sex and more sex. Also I’m pretty sure that even Laurell herself got tired of writing some parts of the book because she kept repeating herself in explanations and whatnot.
Honestly, I kept with the books mainly because I wanted to see what the end result was between her, Jean Claude, Richard, Micah and Nathaniel. These were the core men that I was actually interested in. The rest could just disappear for all I care. However, by book 19, I can see that there was no end in sight for the sex scenes and how she became so powerful with both mystical stuff and with her magical vayjay. Seriously, I just don’t understand how men can sleep with her and then suddenly be in love with her. Like WTF. Plus I’m just tired of reading about sex over and over again in different situations and with different men. It’s like a rotating board. Also, it is not at all realistic to be like “omg, Anita, you’re so tight.” Girl, you’re probably wider and looser than any woman I know. You have TWELVE men you’re constantly sleeping with and they’re all “very well-endowed”plus all the other men you sleep with once or twice. There is NO FUCKING WAY you’re “so tight” after all that. Please. Laurell, be fucking realistic here.
katekat's review
5.0
I really loved Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series books but I did feel like she lost the thread a bit in the middle of the series. I am glad to say that it seems like she is focusing more on the story line and less on the sex of late which makes the books better in my opinion. I think Anita is a great character and Laurell K. Hamilton can write a great plot but her overly complicated sex scenes can somewhat take away from the book.
ilyanna's review
5.0
My first time reading this book, I had found it on a shelf at a friends house and snagged it for a long drive out of country. I didn't expect to actually fall into the story as much as I did, but I did.
I have reread this book a lot, and of course, by now, have read all but the latest release of the series. So, as I give my review, please forgive me as I struggle to keep what happened solely in this book separate from later books.
I love Anita, especially at this stage in her life. She has lived with strong opinions on Vampires and the lot. She is human, what she perceives as " on of the good guys," though her stance on that seems like its falling further into a Gray area. Shes relatively young, so she has a smart mouth on her which is ( I feel) her biggest downfall at this point in her life. AND she, as the book ends, has what I always reference back to later on in the series, has a moment of failure that I feel is the driving force for her later on.
This is the foundation of Anita, one of my favorite Heroines of all time. And for those who are just getting into these books, I must warn you, the violence and heartbreaking moments only get worse from here HA HA.
I did, however, listen to this book on Audio for my recent "reread," and I have a bit of a criticism there. I don't know about you guys, but I did not expect Jean Claude to have a French accent, and his words coming from a females voice drove me nuts and ruined mental illusion I had on what he was suppose to sound like . I have recently discovered audio books, and of the few I have listened to I have found I enjoy Audio books ( sidebar: if you read The Illumine books you MUST listen to the audio books along with it. Its awesome). However, I feel the audio book for this ruined the story A LOT for me. So, warning do not listen to the audio book if this is your first time reading the books. let your imagination work with it.
I have reread this book a lot, and of course, by now, have read all but the latest release of the series. So, as I give my review, please forgive me as I struggle to keep what happened solely in this book separate from later books.
I love Anita, especially at this stage in her life. She has lived with strong opinions on Vampires and the lot. She is human, what she perceives as " on of the good guys," though her stance on that seems like its falling further into a Gray area. Shes relatively young, so she has a smart mouth on her which is ( I feel) her biggest downfall at this point in her life. AND she, as the book ends, has what I always reference back to later on in the series, has a moment of failure that I feel is the driving force for her later on.
This is the foundation of Anita, one of my favorite Heroines of all time. And for those who are just getting into these books, I must warn you, the violence and heartbreaking moments only get worse from here HA HA.
I did, however, listen to this book on Audio for my recent "reread," and I have a bit of a criticism there. I don't know about you guys, but I did not expect Jean Claude to have a French accent, and his words coming from a females voice drove me nuts and ruined mental illusion I had on what he was suppose to sound like . I have recently discovered audio books, and of the few I have listened to I have found I enjoy Audio books ( sidebar: if you read The Illumine books you MUST listen to the audio books along with it. Its awesome). However, I feel the audio book for this ruined the story A LOT for me. So, warning do not listen to the audio book if this is your first time reading the books. let your imagination work with it.