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A review by merlin_reads
Burnt Offerings by Laurell K. Hamilton
4.0
Despite what Goodreads says, this is probably the bazillionth time I've read this book. I used to do this thing where when a new book in the series was released, I would go back and reread all the prior books. I have since stopped this with this series. But I've also lost where I stopped reading them. So I decided to just reread from the beginning with the intentions of getting caught up.
Burnt Offerings is number 7 in the life of Anita Blake and by now we mostly know her and the main players (Jean-Claude, Richard, Dolph, Ronnie, etc...). The book jumps right in with Anita being asked to help find a firebug loose in the city. While committing to this, she hasn't yet realized that the Council has arrived and they aren't happy with whatever her and Jean-Claude are setting up in St Louis. The shit hits the fan, needless to say, and our triumvirate are forever changed.
I've seen some of the other reviews on this one and there is one part I have to agree on. This book was really busy. Had Hamilton chosen to just focus on the fires or just the Council, I think the book may have flowed better and not been so compacted. Like I don't think Anita slept once, unless she was knocked out.
Another thing I'm noticing now that I'm rereading these at an older age than when I started is just how much Anita kind of annoys me. Her whole view of how she can't possibly be good because of all the bad things and good girls don't have premarital sex with vampires and blah blah blah. Girl, own your shit. You're a sexual being and there's nothing wrong with that. Also, the way she treats other females is really lacking. She's often like, yay another female around and then promptly finds a way to dehumanize them. There's a way to write a strong female character without putting all of the others down.
So why did I rate this four stars? All the other characters who aren't Anita, for one. Even when I read this years ago, I remember Anita not being my favorite. What held my interest was Jason, Richard, Jean-Claude, Jason, Stephan, oh, did I mention Jason? The background/side characters are so rich and witty and just fun. I love getting to know all of them again.
And then there is the cunning of the plots. Yes, they are busy and sometimes convoluted. But more often than not, I have an 'oh shit!' moment where either I figure something major out or I had just been fooled and I love it. So while it may not be the best vampire hunter series out there, it fits for me.
Burnt Offerings is number 7 in the life of Anita Blake and by now we mostly know her and the main players (Jean-Claude, Richard, Dolph, Ronnie, etc...). The book jumps right in with Anita being asked to help find a firebug loose in the city. While committing to this, she hasn't yet realized that the Council has arrived and they aren't happy with whatever her and Jean-Claude are setting up in St Louis. The shit hits the fan, needless to say, and our triumvirate are forever changed.
I've seen some of the other reviews on this one and there is one part I have to agree on. This book was really busy. Had Hamilton chosen to just focus on the fires or just the Council, I think the book may have flowed better and not been so compacted. Like I don't think Anita slept once, unless she was knocked out.
Another thing I'm noticing now that I'm rereading these at an older age than when I started is just how much Anita kind of annoys me. Her whole view of how she can't possibly be good because of all the bad things and good girls don't have premarital sex with vampires and blah blah blah. Girl, own your shit. You're a sexual being and there's nothing wrong with that. Also, the way she treats other females is really lacking. She's often like, yay another female around and then promptly finds a way to dehumanize them. There's a way to write a strong female character without putting all of the others down.
So why did I rate this four stars? All the other characters who aren't Anita, for one. Even when I read this years ago, I remember Anita not being my favorite. What held my interest was Jason, Richard, Jean-Claude, Jason, Stephan, oh, did I mention Jason? The background/side characters are so rich and witty and just fun. I love getting to know all of them again.
And then there is the cunning of the plots. Yes, they are busy and sometimes convoluted. But more often than not, I have an 'oh shit!' moment where either I figure something major out or I had just been fooled and I love it. So while it may not be the best vampire hunter series out there, it fits for me.