Incubus Dreams (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #12)

by Laurell K. Hamilton

book data

3,830 ratings, 3.57 average rating, 114 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		28%
4		25%
3		25%
2		13%
1		6%

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published

September 28th 2004 by Berkley Hardcover

binding

Hardcover, 658 pages

characters

Anita Blake, Jean-Claude, Richard Zeeman, Malcolm, ...more

setting

The United States

isbn

0425198243 (isbn13: 9780425198247)

description

As Incubus Dreams opens, Anita Blake may be America's most powerful vampire hunter and necromancer. So it's no surprise that the Regional Preternatura...more

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 5,022)

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08/07/08

Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

recommended to Lisa by: No one needed to!
recommends it for: Fans of Jim Butcher & Kim Harrison

Yet another one of my faves in the Vampire Hunter series. A lot of fans are against the current storyline and how Laurell has turned the lead character into a full-blown Succubus, but I know she has a plan and we just have to be patient and wait for it all to unravel.

If she were a man writing such detailed sex scenes, no one would have a problem with it. Sorry, but this is the 21st century. I have yet to see her write anything that didn't have some semblance of purpose as the storyl...more

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03/10/09

Preeti rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Read in January, 2005

Holy mother of God. I remember reading the reviews for this book - they said there was a lot of sex. Well. They weren't lying. She has sex every few pages or so. As someone pointed out, how is she even able to walk after that?

Now, I am as much of a fan of sex as the next person, and maybe even more than the next person, but come on! How much can a person (I mean the person reading not the person experiencing :P) take? Speaking of which, how much can the person experiencing take too? ...more

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05/22/08

Bec rated it:

bookshelves: vampire-novels

Has a copy to sell/swap — Read in January, 2005

I kept reading the books because I had loved the first 5 or 6 of them, at this point I was wondering why I still kept reading them - to tell the truth, I guess I keep hoping that there will be some further character growth, and that the series will return to its roots of an ass-kicking heroine who has a very unusual job

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02/01/09

Sharon rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Read in January, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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11/27/08

slayra rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: in-english

I’m not even putting up a small blurb of the book. Because Incubus Dreams is just pages and pages of mindless writing. There’s no conducting thread, no visible plot. Just endless and most of the time meaningless conversations mixed with sex scenes. The `murder story’ makes one or two brief appearances never be heard of again. It is also unfinished, meaning the case is never completely solved.

I actually thought Hamilton was picking the pace again, with Cerulean Sins. I mean, I d...more

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06/23/09

Twoina rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Read in June, 2009

This is the first Hamilton book I've read in a while. I loved her first two books and recommended tham to my friendsWhether they asked or not. But after that she put in so much gratuitious sex that I wasn't interested anymore. The books got to be more porn than adventures of a vampire hunter/dead raiser. I have nothing against sex or porn but it's not what I want in my everyday reading.

This book isn't quite as porn-like as others I've read by her but it's still too much for me. I lov...more

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03/26/09

Carrie rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Read in April, 2009

This was another long book in the Anita Blake series. While it brought more of the original main characters back into the plotline, I found it to be so similar to the last book that I got a little bored. And I still miss Edward being in the storyline. This story was good, don't get me wrong, but I have been feeling like they needed some giant plot twist to wake me out of this lull they've put me in. The story usually goes "Anita gets a job, job goes wrong, lots of sex, menmenmen, blood ...more

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02/06/09

kaysootee rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: adult-fiction, dark, fantasy, sex, shapeshifters, vampires, violence

Read in April, 2005

If you’ve read one Anita Blake book, you’ve read them all… Actually, this wasn't always the case, but lately, since Anita lost all or most of her scruples, we just find her in bed with a bunch of guys, vamps, lycanthropes, every few pages. She is living the orgy. And while this might make some of us tingle with jealousy, and some of us just tingle lasciviously, mostly, it just gets exhausting. Does Anita sleep? I’m exhausted on her behalf. And in this particular book, I was DYING fo...more

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10/09/08

Merredith rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: 4-or-5-stars, other-supernatural, vampires

Read in September, 2008

recommends it for: vampire lovers

incubus dreams by laurell k hamilton is a long book… 722 pages with small print… This is another Anita Blake novel, and in all these pages, solving the crime really seems to take a back seat. It gets done, mostly, but the focus is Anita and her burgeoning powers. In some ways, I loved this book, and in others I didn't. Each of the Anita books gets a little more farfetched, more porn-like… the fact that Anita and half the people in here get their powers from sex means that she spends most o...more

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06/25/08

Kristine rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: horror, own, sci-fi-fantasy

Read in November, 2004

I enjoyed this book. I really did. I didn't want to believe the reviews that said it was the worst book ever and how big of a waste of time it turned out to be. I'm glad I read it. I think it's a good continuation of the Anita Blake series and it wraps up a lot of unfinished storylines that were hanging around in the background.

However, I found it hard to keep going in some parts. The scenes with Nathaniel, the cops, Micah, Richard, Jean-Claude, etc. were great. But once each scene ...more

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03/31/08

Cherie rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Read in October, 2004

I hedged between 7 and 8 for this particular book but finally settled on 7 since I don't feel it measures up to LKH's past work. Though others have claimed it's awful, I just like LKH's writing style way too much to give this book anything less than a 7.

That said, there was very little substance to the story beyond the Ardeur. I'm not saying that that was the only story line, but it was the primary one, and it took up at least 75% of the book, which is a quite hefty 658 pages to ...more

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02/13/08

Athena rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: paranormal, trash-can, vampire

The story was missing. And by story I mean plot. This was a sex-fest. In a span of about three books she has changed this series from a paranormal-detective-suspense-drama to porn. I KID YOU NOT! Once she hit that New York Times Best Seller List it was all lost. More sex, less...well less everything else. I feels it's like a Trump situation. There is no one telling her that her toupee looks bad. Her fans talk about it in message boards, but I heard she has bad mouthed a few for criticizing. Ever...more

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02/08/08

Crystal rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: bleh, bookburning-poster-child, from-the-library

Read in January, 2008

recommends it for: No one

Oh, if only you could choose less than one star for a rating.

I had heard such good things about Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake series. Obviously they weren't talking about this particular installment. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter? That's obviously a typo that got past the editing team. Anita Blake: Vampire Humper would be the correct turn of phrase.

I picked it up expecting a fast paced, semi-noir, vampire-staking extravanza. But no. NO, No, no. Not even clo...more Oh, if only you could choose less than one star for a rating.

I had heard such good things about Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake series. Obviously they weren't talking about this particular installment. Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter? That's obviously a typo that got past the editing team. Anita Blake: Vampire Humper would be the correct turn of phrase.

I picked it up expecting a fast paced, semi-noir, vampire-staking extravanza. But no. NO, No, no. Not even close.

What I got was 500+ pages of smut. The sex begins almost immediately and ends somewhere around the next-to-last page. There is a small break of about three or so pages for Anita to make a trip to the office (where she ends up having sex), another minor break for her to raise a zombie and put it back to rest (but guess what she stops for on the way there?), and even a couple of minute respites for shooting vampires and arguing with an ex-boyfriend (who she ends up sleeping with again).

Don’t get me wrong here folks. I don't begrudge an author a little steam in a novel, really I don’t. But give me a break here lady! How about at least a little novel to go with the sweat-lodge??

I checked the flyleaf twice just to make sure I hadn't accidentally picked up the script for Anita Does St. Louis by accident. But then I realized that, even if I had, I would still have expected better from it. At the very least it would have been more succinct.

But hey! Some people like smut and far be it from me to judge. I know that there must be some talented authors out there that specialize in the genre. That’s why I’d still recommend they find a different book to read. Hamilton’s writing in Incubus Dreams is more what I would expect (and excuse) from a novice. Exposition is plentiful and imagery sparse (although, given the content, that may not be a bad thing), while the sentence structure from paragraph to paragraph was similar enough to become monotonous. The scenes themselves felt poorly blocked and choreographed--imagine Michael Bay directing this novel while he's peaking on four tabs.

That the characters come across as flat and contrived as the prose just adds insult to injury for the reader. I've felt more emotion projected from faceless paper dolls cut out of copy paper.

I know, I know. You want to know if I can’t find just one good thing about this novel. Surely there must be some redeeming quality about this book, right? Personally I thought that there had to be. It’s the only reason I bothered to read through to the end. How about the dialogue, was there anything good there? Forget it. If any of the supporting characters had something interesting or insightful to say it was drowned out by the main character’s repeated screaming orgasms. Don’t look for anything spectacular from the Vampire Humpress either. Anita’s own internal chatter makes you realize why the other characters give her something other to do than talk.

On the bright side, there were at least a couple of times where I saw pieces of a plot timidly creeping around and felt some hope. But Hamilton was on the ball (so to speak) and dutifully stomped them into oblivion like Godzilla moving through Tokyo.

That being said, I will still give an earlier novel from this series a shot. But if I get the urge to try a later book I’ll just make a dentist appointment instead. I’ll probably find it just as enjoyable and more satisfying in the end.

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01/01/08

mlady_rebecca rated it:

bookshelves: 2004, 2009, abvh__us_hb_v1__bodyparts, author__laurell_k_hamilton, genre_sub__lycanthropes, genre_sub__vamps, genre__urban_fantasy, series__anita_blake, __read_more_than_once

Read in September, 2004

First, the cast list:

Of the vamps, we saw plenty of Jean-Claude and Damian, plus Buzz (who hasn't been around much lately) and Malcolm, plus we were introduced to Requiem, Byron, Wicked, and Truth. With the wolves, we saw plenty of Richard and Jason, and we were introduced to Clay and Graham. With the leopards we saw plenty of Nathaniel, Gregory, and Micah. With the wererats, we saw Dr. Lillian, Claudia, and Louie. We saw Ronnie. With RPIT we got Tammy, Jessica Arnet, Zerbrowski, and...more

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08/29/07

Lou C rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Read in November, 2004

The twelfth novel in the “Anita Blake Vampire Hunter” series, the book has Anita investigating the serial murders of several strippers. The police find multiple bite marks on the victims. The killer(s) seem to be vampires, and the police call her in as their paranormal expert. The investigation turns action packed as it progresses, with a fast and furious conclusion, a common theme to her books.

The series can be read separately, but is best enjoyed and understood if read in ord...more The twelfth novel in the “Anita Blake Vampire Hunter” series, the book has Anita investigating the serial murders of several strippers. The police find multiple bite marks on the victims. The killer(s) seem to be vampires, and the police call her in as their paranormal expert. The investigation turns action packed as it progresses, with a fast and furious conclusion, a common theme to her books.

The series can be read separately, but is best enjoyed and understood if read in order as Hamilton constantly mentions parts from previous books in the series. There have also been several storylines that have been building over the last several books. The increase of her natural
necromantic powers as well as new powers she has picked up along the way. Anita also struggles with her humanity because as her character has developed she has crossed moral lines she never would have dreamed crossing earlier in the series. She wonders if she has become one of the monsters.

The main storyline has been Anita dealing with the men in her life. Anita’s ongoing relationship with Jean Claude, Master Vampire of the City of St. Louis, where the series originates. She also struggles with her feelings Richard, an ex-boyfriend werewolf who has a hard time dealing with his beastly nature. There is also Micah, a shape shifting wereleppard; their official relationship status is up to interpretation. There are other characters in Anita’s love life, but you get a general idea of her dilemma.

At 658 pages, this is the longest novel in the series. The extra room is needed as Anita as besides the action packed sequences one has come to expect from our take charge heroine, there are quite a few sex scenes, which is a lot even by Anita’s standards. The series has become very sexual, and the scenes sometimes are not conventional because her lovers are of a supernatural nature. Graphic violence has always been a staple in the series that has not diminished either.

The series is a cross between a detective novel and a horror movie. Character development seems to be the best quality of Hamilton’s books. She likes to continue using characters and build a back story around them. This gives a rich background for the stories. The only problem is trying to remember who is who sometimes when she makes a reference to the lesser used characters.
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05/26/09

Susan rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

Like wow, Anita Blake, vampire executioner has become her own master vampire. Not only that, a succubus that needs to feed every 6 hours. Don't get me wrong, I still love Anita, she is a strong heroine that acts like a man that needs to comes to grips with her love life. I also love Jean-Claude, so 3 chapters worth of sex is like... okay! Book 12, definitely has less of a plot, but what not to love in Laurell's books; blood, sex, beastly fur and some good executions. It's all good.

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08/09/07

Sherry rated it:

(review of isbn 1590862732)

bookshelves: 2007, audiobook

Read in September, 2007

recommended to Sherry by: Courtney

"Already metaphysically connected to master vampire Jean-Claude and to Richard, the Ulric of the St. Louis werewolf pack, Anita finds herself in another supernatural triumvirate, this one with the seductive, shape-shifting stripper Nathaniel and the beautiful bloodsucker Damian. With so many preternatural bonds, Anita finds herself struggling to come to grips with the potentially deadly disadvantages -- and the mind-blowing benefits -- of the complicated arrangement. As Anita is just beginn...more

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01/23/09

fbuser1516092922 rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

I hated this book. The "author" turned one of my favorite character into a very lame and needy character. She actually started the downward spiral several books back in the series. I kept telling myself she would turn it around but she never did. I will never buy another book from this author because I'm so pissed off at her.

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12/24/08

Brenda cranmer rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

What is up with the soft porn? I wish the plot would be put back into the novels and less sex. I love Laurell's books, but, it seems in the effort to churn out a book every 6 months to a year the story has been lost. I hope in the future the stories become adventures again and less of a sex novel.

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02/04/09

Ebby Wilhelm rated it:

(review of isbn 0515139750)

bookshelves: paranormal, vampires

And this series started out so well... I'm really disappointed by this. It seems as though the story line turned into an orge. I'll try the next book when it comes out in paperback, but to be honest if I wanted to read about sex I would have gotten a different book.

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