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bookwormlukas's reviews
595 reviews
The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton
4.0
After not being able to finish 'Danse Macabre' I really wasn't looking forward the next Anita installment, but I have to say I really enjoyed this one. Yes, some of the old problems are still there, and the ardeur plot line continues to get more of a page count than it deserves, but at least there was a case and an enemy in this one.
I liked the overall idea of 'The Harlequin' being the vampire police, and I like that LKH made a point to show that the majority of the supernatural community are wary of the expanding power of the Jean-Claude and Anita. Anita even Mary-Sue's it up in this one with another new power but I didn't mind so much in this one. I think it's because the writing felt a lot more purposeful, the last entry felt unfocused and amateurish in way, but this one improved on that.
If I have anything bad to say about this entry, it would be that the cast of characters are getting out of control...there simply doesn't need to be this many people featured in the novel. Some of them hold little purpose, or are just plain cheesy, I'm talking about you, Wicked and Truth. Too many characters mean old favourites get less time in the story...Jason, Damian and Asher get barely a scene this time around, although any entry featuring Edward will always get extra stars from me.
I also miss the action, the fights, the gun battles....the first nine Anita's were so full of action sequences that it felt like the pace never let up. In the last few though, we have nothing but metaphysical mind battles that just get repetitive after a while. There are only so many times you can read 'His power washed over me...' before it gets old. So thats my complaint, too much metaphysics, not enough shotguns!
Overall, I may have given this a higher score than it deserves due to the actual presence of a plot but it felt more like old Anita in certain places and is easily the best entry since number eleven.
I liked the overall idea of 'The Harlequin' being the vampire police, and I like that LKH made a point to show that the majority of the supernatural community are wary of the expanding power of the Jean-Claude and Anita. Anita even Mary-Sue's it up in this one with another new power but I didn't mind so much in this one. I think it's because the writing felt a lot more purposeful, the last entry felt unfocused and amateurish in way, but this one improved on that.
If I have anything bad to say about this entry, it would be that the cast of characters are getting out of control...there simply doesn't need to be this many people featured in the novel. Some of them hold little purpose, or are just plain cheesy, I'm talking about you, Wicked and Truth. Too many characters mean old favourites get less time in the story...Jason, Damian and Asher get barely a scene this time around, although any entry featuring Edward will always get extra stars from me.
I also miss the action, the fights, the gun battles....the first nine Anita's were so full of action sequences that it felt like the pace never let up. In the last few though, we have nothing but metaphysical mind battles that just get repetitive after a while. There are only so many times you can read 'His power washed over me...' before it gets old. So thats my complaint, too much metaphysics, not enough shotguns!
Overall, I may have given this a higher score than it deserves due to the actual presence of a plot but it felt more like old Anita in certain places and is easily the best entry since number eleven.
Red Glove by Holly Black
4.0
In all truthfulness, I wasn't really looking forward to this book. I found number one to have a great concept, that was a bit muddled in it's storytelling to the point where I didn't truly understand the world that the author had created. Maybe I was having a bad day when I read that one, because this entry was not confusing to me in the slightest, everything was clear....and actually kind of brilliant.
The characters also stood out a lot more, and I really got a feel for the main character Cassell, he's definitely one of the more interesting protagonists I've come across in a while, and while some of his morals seem a bit questionable, he is undoubtedly a likeable lead. I enjoyed the way that he constantly makes reference to 'the con' and you really feel that he is a kid who has grown up within a family of criminals. The supporting cast was really good too, the mother, Daneca and Lila all have good moments and character growth within this one that sets up some exciting possibilities for the next entry. I think the only weak link is the character of Sam, whose interest in special effects make up is referenced too much, to the point where you know the author needed those skills for plot points.
Overall, this book was a real surprise for me and I can't wait to read the next entry in the series. Apparently it was suppose to be a trilogy but has been extended to at least a fourth book by the author, I'm not sure how I feel about that, but if she can keep up the quality, I welcome another series to add my collection.
The characters also stood out a lot more, and I really got a feel for the main character Cassell, he's definitely one of the more interesting protagonists I've come across in a while, and while some of his morals seem a bit questionable, he is undoubtedly a likeable lead. I enjoyed the way that he constantly makes reference to 'the con' and you really feel that he is a kid who has grown up within a family of criminals. The supporting cast was really good too, the mother, Daneca and Lila all have good moments and character growth within this one that sets up some exciting possibilities for the next entry. I think the only weak link is the character of Sam, whose interest in special effects make up is referenced too much, to the point where you know the author needed those skills for plot points.
Overall, this book was a real surprise for me and I can't wait to read the next entry in the series. Apparently it was suppose to be a trilogy but has been extended to at least a fourth book by the author, I'm not sure how I feel about that, but if she can keep up the quality, I welcome another series to add my collection.