Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #17) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Jan 26, 2012 Tilly Slaton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-completed

Skin Trade is a phenomenal book! The story, the plot, the characters and the relationships .. everything about this book just flat-out does it for me.

Blake received a package that contained a human head. Eww, right? I mean .. who does that?

I’d worked my share of serial killer cases, but none of the killers had ever mailed me a human head. That was new, I looked down at the head, ghostly through the plastic bag it was wrapped in.

Rushing home to pack for the trip, Anita does everything possible to...more

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Jan 05, 2010 Wealhtheow rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of the early Anita Blake

Shelves: paranormal_romance, urban-fantasy, fantasy

Hamilton burst into my awareness with Guilty Pleasures, a book that introduced us to a world where vampires were legal citizens, raising the dead was a viable career, and small women who collected penguin-themed tchotchkes could nevertheless be respected police consultants. Anita Blake was a young woman who just wanted to do the right thing, and although she could not deny her attraction to the sensuous vampire Jean-Claude (ahahahahahahah), she never let her personal life interfere with her job....more Hamilton burst into my awareness with Guilty Pleasures, a book that introduced us to a world where vampires were legal citizens, raising the dead was a viable career, and small women who collected penguin-themed tchotchkes could nevertheless be respected police consultants. Anita Blake was a young woman who just wanted to do the right thing, and although she could not deny her attraction to the sensuous vampire Jean-Claude (ahahahahahahah), she never let her personal life interfere with her job. The books were a little cheesy, but the plots were good and Anita's inner monologue was entertaining. But every book or so, Hamilton would introduce another magic power and another love interest--and by book 10, Anita had become the most Mary-Sueish Mary-Sue that ever Mary-Sued. Reading about her just wasn't fun anymore, and the plots themselves had turned from gorey police procedurals into excuses for increasingly shameless porn.

But. I just couldn't stay away. Hamilton was the first paranormal romance I ever read, and to my mind, the main progenitor of the genre. I wanted to know if she'd managed to pull herself from the brink of complete un-readability. And you know what? She actually did. Sure, Anita is still insanely overpowered. (She is the strongest necromancer ever, has vampiric strength, is psychic, has the strongest shields anyone has ever seen, can control at least five different breeds of were, has the most vampire kills in the world, plus has some sort of godlike "ardeur" power that makes her feed off of people's anger or arousal. And I'm probably forgetting a power or two.) And yes, Anita has so many beautiful supernatural boyfriends that I'm pretty sure she herself can't tell them apart. And ok, most of this book is just everyone talking to her about how she's so strong and badass and bold and sexy. And, it must be said, Hamilton has gotten increasingly awful with consent--Anita has sex with a mind-controlled sixteen year old, and in the climax of the book is basically blackmailed into sex. It's sketchy at best.

But there's a plot! And Edward's back! None of her boyfriends spend more than a few pages on-screen! Anita spends a lot of time talking about weapons and fictional laws about vampire crimes! The series has not returned to its glory days, but it's definitely gotten better since I last read it. And, though I take issue with Hamilton's views on what counts as sex, plot, and relatable characters, this was an enthralling book. Once I started it, I didn't put it down till I was done. (less)

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Jun 06, 2009 mlady_rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author__laurell_k_hamilton, genre_sub__lycanthropes_and_shifter, genre_sub__vamps, genre__urban_fantasy, series__anita_blake, abvh__us_hb_v2__horror, 2009, fiction__part_of_a_series, pov__first_person_female, 2011, genre_sub__necromancers_or_reapers, fiction__speculative, troupe__mindlink_mates, genre_sub__incubus_succubus, in_retrospect__remember_it_fondly, format__hardback

Given that this was an "out of town" book, with none of the primary male characters accompanying Anita to Las Vegas, I was expecting a stark police procedural, most similar to "Obsidian Butterfly". That wasn't what this book was, in the least. It had plenty of vamp politics, furry politics, and interpersonal character growth.

Yes, the police case took up more of the page count, but this was one of the books where the police case and the preternatural events were all linked, so things flowed from...more Given that this was an "out of town" book, with none of the primary male characters accompanying Anita to Las Vegas, I was expecting a stark police procedural, most similar to "Obsidian Butterfly". That wasn't what this book was, in the least. It had plenty of vamp politics, furry politics, and interpersonal character growth.

Yes, the police case took up more of the page count, but this was one of the books where the police case and the preternatural events were all linked, so things flowed from one to the other flawlessly.

Given my personal preferences, I would have dropped a scene describing Anita packing her guns in favor of her chatting with the new tigers, but that's just me. *g*

There were still plenty of moments where the preternatural world was more important than the mystery or the cops or playing with guns. I especially enjoyed Anita's conversations (via phone) with Jean-Claude and her interactions with Wicked and Truth. Their new understanding brought me to tears.

(Warning: speculation for the future of the series.)

Anita has been talking about being burnt out with the executioner work and the police cases for books now, but it's reached a head with this book. I think she's really going to pull back in the future, or find a way to change the focus. The Las Vegas SWAT looks at their job as saving lives, even the monsters. I think that's what Anita wants. Anita is becoming less Executioner and more Advocate of the undead, the furry, the monsters.

Things have also reached a head in Anita's personal life. She and Jean-Claude are both unhappy with the way Anita keeps adding not sex partners, but lovers. She cannot keep adding people she's emotionally attached to. Her heart cannot handle that many men.

In the beginning of the story, we see how stifled Anita is feeling. I see a mirror path in the way that she pulled away from Jean-Claude post-"Blue Moon", then she returned to him in "Narcissus in Chains" ready to deepen their connection - marry the marks. I think this book is the echo of that. She pulled away again, but instead of being relived with the distance, she misses Jean-Claude and all his people. I think we're going to see a Jean-Claude centric book next time around. Hopefully with the 4th mark finally being undertaken.

06/06/2009

****

This is where I could really use a simultaneous currently-reading/read status. I finished the first round, but I'm going to dive right back in. You don't read these books once. Real review pending. But very very good. Better than I'd expected given the early reviews and the "out of town" thing.

06/05/2009(less)

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Jun 16, 2009 ♥Tricia♥ rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was absolutely horrid. First off, Edward didn't even act like Edward. Then you have LKH's aweful attempt to satisfy the whiney babies who claimed Anita wasnt the same as before. (and when I say this I mean the people who dont like the sex)

So here you have a story with less sex, and more plot. Yet the whole time Anita is so whiney that she isnt this kick ass heroine anymore. Even the other characters were whiney.

I would let this slide if it were say RICHARD, but no.. none of her sweethe...more

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May 23, 2010 Els rated it 3 of 5 stars

I felt like book #17 was a big improvement from the previous three. (In my own opinion everything past Narcissus in Chains was almost complete ~~shite~~). My bones about the book are that one: Anita is up to her "I can piss farther than you even though I'm a girl," even when she denies being the one twisting arms. Two: We all know her catch phrases so please limit their use. Three: Edward has gone a bit soft. And lastly, the ending was so rushed.

SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT

The entire deal with Marmee N...more

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Jun 21, 2009 Megan rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampire-romance, sci-fi-fantasy

This is book 17 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It starts out feeling very much like her first six novels in that Anita will be The Executioner tracking down a serial-killer Vampire, Vittorio. Anita is joined by long-time friend and vampire hunter rival Death (aka Edward, who is masquerading as his good alter-ego Ted), and two other vampire hunters: Bernardo and Olaf. Anita is mailed a human head at her job Animators Inc. from Las Vegas. So, she immediately flies out there to meet her...more This is book 17 in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It starts out feeling very much like her first six novels in that Anita will be The Executioner tracking down a serial-killer Vampire, Vittorio. Anita is joined by long-time friend and vampire hunter rival Death (aka Edward, who is masquerading as his good alter-ego Ted), and two other vampire hunters: Bernardo and Olaf. Anita is mailed a human head at her job Animators Inc. from Las Vegas. So, she immediately flies out there to meet her other fellow vampire hunter chumps during the day- so yes- Jean-Claude is still asleep. That means the only time we get to “see” Jean-Claude in this installment is through a couple phone conversations Anita has with him.

Now, this all SEEMS like a very promising book, and it is- for the first 100 pages. After that it’s a free fall. Not from too much sex- I believe there are only two very short sex scenes- but from pointlessness. There is nothing but bitter dialog in this book. Anita, once again, has to prove to cops (the LVPD) and SWAT out there that she is just as strong, oh wait, that’s right, that she is actually STRONGER than men. I’m all for women’s rights about equality, equal pay, and all that stuff… but OH MY GOSH- I do not need to read 300+ pages of this horribly pointless and BORING dialog! Oh yeah, additional dialog has to do with the same men who believe she is a petite weak little women also believe she is a slut- so she tries her best to defend herself on that front as well. Other than the boring dialog Anita and group run around trying to find and capture Vittorio. TRY being the operative word. There is no action, no suspense, no nothing… That means no gun fights either! During this whole book Anita never fires one shot from any (of her many personal arsenal) weapons!

The ONLY part that was interesting was her interaction with Olaf, fellow vampire hunter, and ex-serial killer. That was very amusing seeing Olaf shake Anita up a bit. Other than that (maybe 50-100 pages worth of good)… that doesn’t make up for the rest of this book. A terrible waste of paper. Can Ms. Hamilton ever write like she did her first six books? Does she not remember how to write action? Is the only thing she write well are metaphysical sex scenes? If she can’t then she just better switch to erotica and kill off Anita. I’ve been a loyal and long time fan of Ms. Hamilton… and the only reason I continue to read is for my love of her vampire characters Jean-Claude and Asher. If that means I will only read her series from the library and never buy another book of hers again, unless it is worth it, then so be it.
(less)

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Jul 21, 2009 Hilda Hernandez rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: laurell-k-hamilton

This was a great book. What I really loved about it was that we are taken back to Anita doing her Federal Marshal job and investigating a crime scene. Previously, the books had moved away from Anita and her job and had focused more on her relationships. Not that there is anything wrong with focusing on Anita's relationships, but it is nice to have a good mixture of both.

The book starts off at a fantastic start and assures that you won't put it down for a good amount of chapters. Edward is back i...more

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Nov 16, 2009 Cindee added it

Shelves: abandoned

How amazing... I am about 80 pages into it. And Anita still has her clothes on! There's PLOT. So far... WOOT.

Why, you might ask, would I continue to subject myself to mediocre smut? Laurell K is a pusher and the tiny kernel of actual plotline she puts into these books is crack. I HAVE to have it. I do think that her fans have complained and that she's heard it where it counts... in the pocketbook. It appears that she is making an effort to create a story and a plot with action not involving Anit...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books, fantasy, kindle-book, 2012-books, reread

Yet another book where we get to return to the Anita Blake of old-- there is very little sex in this book and lots of Edward. We get to learn more about Wicked and Truth, we learn more about Marmee Noir and her history, we meet a new Big Bad, and Anita doesn't get more power, but rather she gets to explore what she has.

There were a few minor quibbles (once again, Anita is the UBER psychic!) but overall this was a really good read, more like Guilty Pleasures and the first few books than the overs...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Swimmingurl17 added it

I am incredibly pleased and surprised by this book. It was a wonderful return to form for Hamilton. I have always loved her writing but the thing that has kept me glued to this series is the main character. Anita's voice in this book has come back strong as ever. I am so glad to see the return of major plot instead of major smut. The sex had gotten to a level in the past books where it barley moved the story. In this book however the story flows and uses smut sparingly.
I am quite pleased while...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Andy added it

Ever started your day by receiving a severed head in the mail? This is how Anita Blake's day at the office starts in Skin Trade. Anita is lead into an obvious trap by a frighteningly powerful vampire serial killer that she has run into in the past, but she can't risk not taking the bait, too many people will die if she... hides at home. She is joined on the ground in Las Vegas by US Marshals Ted Forrester, Bernardo Spotted Horse, and Otto Jefferies. Now, Anita knows that they are also killers fo...more

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Mar 22, 2013 May rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-loved

To be honest, I found book one and book 17 on a sale without knowledge that the series is over 20 over books and that means I read the beginning and skipped the hell lot and jumped straight into this "Skin Trade". It's apparent that her story/her way with words has gotten better albeit some grammatical errors here and there (in skin trade) throughout the years and it's great that i can still understand the story even though i have not read the rest of her previous works. It's not easy to be able...more

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Dec 06, 2012 Christine rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, drek

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was in a horrible mood a few days ago and wanted a horrible, trashy novel to match it.

I will give LKH some props -- she made a valiant attempt to have a plot. Edward's appearance is always welcome. Otto was enjoyably creepy. There was also no Micah, Nathaniel or Richard, for which I was very grateful. However, since LKH can't be bothered to write a coherent story, I don't feel the need to write a coherent review. Instead, here are things I noted while reading Skin Trade:

1. The hatred and sex...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought that after Harlequin this series was going to pick up. Then I read the sub par Blood Noir and realized that it wasn't likely to happen any time soon. This is yet another example of post Obsydian Butterfly downward spiral that the series has yet to recover from.

Is it as bad as Incubus Dreams or Cerulean Sins? No. I think ID was probably the worst AB book out of the lot. Unfortunately, where I thought Harlequin was a promise of the book going back to its roots and would start to phase ou...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Sherri rated it 1 of 5 stars

Today we'll be making "Skin Trade," also known as "Bad Writing Soufflé." This desert will involve a lot of heavy violence, but not nearly as much as some of the others we've made over the years. Additionally, like many of the past recipes on this show, there will be lots of build up. And like the last 6-7, the goal will be to make SURE your soufflé falls as badly as possible, just to disappoint your consumers. The most important difference between this LKH desert and the last ten will be that, f...more Today we'll be making "Skin Trade," also known as "Bad Writing Soufflé." This desert will involve a lot of heavy violence, but not nearly as much as some of the others we've made over the years. Additionally, like many of the past recipes on this show, there will be lots of build up. And like the last 6-7, the goal will be to make SURE your soufflé falls as badly as possible, just to disappoint your consumers. The most important difference between this LKH desert and the last ten will be that, for all of you trying to watch your BDSM intake after too much Shades of Grey, instead of actual sex, we're going to substitute TALKING about sex. Preferably in a derogatory way. Now, to begin, take the beginnings of a reasonably good plot in a large mixing bowl. Dismembered heads are a great starting point. Marinate your plot in a quick change of scenery. When you drain the marinade off the plot, make sure to leave behind lots of hurt feelings and bad communication if you can. Now add some spice to the dish with a dash of confusion. What happened to the reasonable-sounding guy who we talked to on the phone? When did he become a rabid sexist maniac? Also, why does this killer's abilities and MO completely not match what we expected considering we've hunted him before? The more spice you can add, the better. A cup of macho-muscle flexing is good. Oops, we seem to have added the whole bag, but we'll work around it. An extra hundred pages should allow us to stir that in nicely. Add a few tablespoons of "whiny boyfriend" just so everyone remembers that they exist, but don't actually add enough to let it flavor the plot, we just want the texture. If you find your mix is too heavy, splash in some derogatory, sexist comments and stereotypical characterizations to keep it moving. This is also a good place to add that badly done, repetitive sex-talk. This may make the plot a bit lumpy, but who cares? Once your mix is ready, preheat the oven to "WTF" and bake for 20 minutes. Allow it to cool for awhile while you have nonsensical conversations that might be touching if we cared. Frost your soufflé with a thick layer of complete fan heartbreak. My favorite recipe for the frosting is to take 5 books of "super bad-guy build up" and then burn it to a crisp, offstage, with a "non-character" and a homemade bomb. It never fails to crush reader spirit and is the perfect topper to this nightmare. Color the frosting with some bad math like repeatedly referring to 6-7 animals as being 5. Also, you can add your own touches to the recipe. For instance, try adding some biologically impossible sex to the mix. While I did say we were substituting sex TALK, there is no reason you can't add a smidgen on the real thing here and there for decoration. Another thing you can try is making every character ingredient whiny, insecure, self-obsessed and unappealing. That is SURE to make your soufflé fall! If you really want to make sure your guests hate it, add in enough off-screen pedophilia to be really revolting. Remember, when you present this dripping slimy mess to your consumers, after choking it down they'll be delighted to have you return to those easy, empty-calorie sex books...I mean recipes...you've been writing!(less)

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Oct 17, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Die-Hard Anita Blake Fans Who Like Soft Porn in a Respectable Cover

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: Crystal

Shelves: fiction, horror, mystery, novels, fantasy

I have to thank Laurell K. Hamilton and this book for teaching me life is too short to hang on even after a series jumps the shark. For me the Anita Blake series did in Narcissus in Chains, the tenth book. This is the 17th book in the series, but two things had kept me going. First, back when this book came out, once I had invested in a series, I kept going no matter what. (Hello, Gookind's Sword of Truth series, where I suffered to the end.) Second, this series once was good. I liked Jean-Claud...more I have to thank Laurell K. Hamilton and this book for teaching me life is too short to hang on even after a series jumps the shark. For me the Anita Blake series did in Narcissus in Chains, the tenth book. This is the 17th book in the series, but two things had kept me going. First, back when this book came out, once I had invested in a series, I kept going no matter what. (Hello, Gookind's Sword of Truth series, where I suffered to the end.) Second, this series once was good. I liked Jean-Claude, I liked Richard, I was liking Anita's arc as she saw other sides to creatures she had seen as "monsters" and faced her own darkness. So sheer momentum (and hope) kept me going. After Narcissus in Chains, the plots shrank and the sex scenes lengthened until they were taking over the books. I had a lot more problems than the (badly written, tedious) sex scenes, but yes, I did see it as a problem that if you took out all of the sex in the (endless) 752-page Incubus Dreams, you would get a slim novella. So, one might think the answer would be, get rid of the sex! (Anita btw was chaste until the sixth book--and those were the best in the series.) Or at least, don't let it dominate the story.

So I had hope when I heard there was less sex in this novel, that she had left her "sweeties" behind to go vampire hunting with Edward, Olaf and Bernardo, the marshals featured in Obsidian Butterfly, the last good book. I knew all hope was gone when that made no difference. The non-sex parts have now become as tedious as the sex. Anita seems tired, and I'm tired of her, of her constant more-macho-than-thou, yet-more-woman-than-you-ever-will-be posturing. The imagination, the creative edge this series had is long gone. Anita had been getting more and more unlikable with each book as, avatar for Hamilton that she is, she spent unbelievable portions of the books defending her lifestyle to all comers--and it has reached absurd lengths here.

This was the last book in the series I ever completed. I tried once more with the next book, Flirt, and gave up mid-read. No more Anita for me.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 David rated it 1 of 5 stars

Well... there's 5.5 hours I will never get back.

The first few chapters of Skin Trade actually felt like old Anita Blake. And, to my even-in-retrospect disbelief, in almost 500 pages I bet there is less that 20 pages devoted to gratuitous sex (btw - I love sex, just not poorly written sex that is used as a substitute for a plot). Instead, LKH thumps us on the head over and over again about boys not believing girls can be taken seriously and concludes with a trite ending to super-powerful villains...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the 17th book in the Anita Blake series that is still going and going. This is the first book in a long time that reverts back to the older style of Anita that we all knew and loved; at least for some of the book. For once this book is about Anita's job and her skills as a vampire executioner; there are guns, gore, and lots of action. This was my favorite book in this series for a long time.

When Anita gets into work (yes, she does still hold a job, believe it or not) she has a special pa...more This is the 17th book in the Anita Blake series that is still going and going. This is the first book in a long time that reverts back to the older style of Anita that we all knew and loved; at least for some of the book. For once this book is about Anita's job and her skills as a vampire executioner; there are guns, gore, and lots of action. This was my favorite book in this series for a long time.

When Anita gets into work (yes, she does still hold a job, believe it or not) she has a special package on her desk. It is the head of the vampire executioner from the Las Vegas area. It appears that Vittorio is back to his old serial killer ways. He is trying to lure Anita to Las Vegas; of course it works. Luckily for Anita, Edward and Olaf are there to cover her back. Of course given Olaf's own serial killer profile whether or not he is a danger or protection is up for grabs. Of course as the hunt progresses Anita's metaphysical junk comes into play, we find out that Vittorio is more than we originally thought, and Marmee Noir is restless (as Marmee Noir learns of plots to destroy her physical body) and wants a new physical body.

This is, by far, the best Anita Blake book in a long while. There are lots of guns and lots of gore; lots of shooting and lots of killing. It is not, of course, the Anita of the earlier books, as she has changed as a character. In this book Anita struggles a lot with how her preternatural powers interfere with her vampire slaying. You see that Anita is getting tired of killing and you see how she struggles with the fact that she now sees monsters as people with feelings and problems. She is also struggling with how to deal with the fact that she has so many people to take care of that need her (all those guys) and never gets a moment of alone time.

Edward is excellent in this book, as always. Olaf is super creepy and bothers me as a character, but I think that is his purpose. About 2/3rds or maybe even 1/2 way through the book a lot of metaphysics starts happening; then sometimes Anita starts channeling a bit of Meredith Gentry if you know what I mean. You see a lot of the Wicked Truth (Truth and Wicked take center stage for much of the end of the book). There are many different colors of weretigers involved also. This book actually wraps up a lot of major plot points rather nicely and leaves me wondering what the next book will be about.

One of the bad things about this book (because it is by no means flawless) is that Anita spends an inordinate amount of time "proving herself" to the other good guys because she is a woman. This is something I thought we worked out in earlier books but apparently it is still an issue Anita has trouble handling. I am also not sure sometimes what all the creepy scenes with Olaf were about; maybe they were there to prove that if Anita can relate to Olaf than she is definitely a monster and can understand monsters...I am not sure. I also missed Jean Claude; he was present mainly in passing and he mainly spent time whining that Anita should have told him she was leaving. Richard is not mentioned one iota, which I actually count as a positive.

Overall I actually enjoyed reading this book and liked it. The way it ends really made me wonder what is next for Anita though. I also constantly question how long this series is going to continue; last I heard it was contracted for 22 books...if anyone knows let me know.(less)

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Mar 01, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. I love how Ms. Hamilton has a such a way with moving a story along. I have to admit that I love an author who can make me actually gasp aloud and laugh out loud in the same book. I love Anita's spunky attitude! She doesn't take crap from anyone. I am really, really sad to be missing alone time with Jean-Claude though. Besides Anita, he is probably my favorite character. I like to go back to that scene in I think Book 6 where he finally seduces Anita, it is just so damn...more

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Jan 30, 2011 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, paranormal-romance, vampires, werewolves-shape-shifters, adult-fiction

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

I originally thought this book wasn't too bad. Then I reread the entire series start to finish and realized how downhill the whole thing had really gone. This book is just the culmination of that downhill slide. I am not sure how Hamilton can pull it back up. A fact checker would be a really good place to start. Some decent writing and a return to the good storytelling of the original books would be great. I wish Anita would give up the Marshall service. This would all...more This contains spoilers!****

I originally thought this book wasn't too bad. Then I reread the entire series start to finish and realized how downhill the whole thing had really gone. This book is just the culmination of that downhill slide. I am not sure how Hamilton can pull it back up. A fact checker would be a really good place to start. Some decent writing and a return to the good storytelling of the original books would be great. I wish Anita would give up the Marshall service. This would allow her to take the 4th mark and truly become JC's human servant. Than the books could focus on that and her being a necromancer. It could give Hamilton some new material and perhaps refresh the series a bit.

One of the glaring things about this book is the mistakes. Hamilton seriously needs to hire a fact checker, someone intimately familiar with the serious who can tell her when she gets details wrong. Reading Blood Noir and Skin Trade back to back I noticed that she had some facts wrong immediately. In the beginning she states she met the tigers when Max and Bibiana came to St. Louis - wrong. It was when she and Jason went to SC/NC (I can't remember which Carolina it was). She later corrects this about half way through the book. There are several other instances where she gets things wrong not just in this book but throughout the series - who can forget the disappearing/reappearing car in Circus of the Damned.

The other thing Hamilton relies to heavily on are her stock descriptions of people and places. Again, I didn't notice this as much until reading all the books together. She uses the exact same language over and over and over again. We get it! If you are reading Skin Trade, you know who Jean Claude is. We don't need detailed descriptions of who he is, what he has done, how they met, etc. But Hamilton does this for almost every character and it is ridiculous. What is worse is that it is the same in many of the books. It is like she has a database that she just cuts and pastes this information from. Bad writing!

We also get massive descriptions of every gun Anita ever carries, yet she never seems to use any of them. She is always absorbing some bad guys powers and using that to save the day instead. Why does she never fire a gun any more?

Also, why has she emasculated every man in her life? And why does every sex scene sound extremely painful and unsexy as hell? Even the scenes with the people Anita supposedly loves really have no emotion. It is like a switch is thrown and suddenly Anita falls on a penis or two.

The best part was that Anita didn't have sex until page 370! I am not sure how Hamilton restrained herself with writing no sex scenes for 370 pages, but good for her. And the sex wasn't over the top or strange, it was pretty normal for Anita. Not focusing on sex allowed her to focus on the case and Edward, Olaf and Bernardo. Yeah, they are back. I love Edward and any book he is in is just better, though he didn't have all that much to do in this one. Olaf is creepy and his interactions with Anita are always interesting. I'm not sure I really like where this is going with him wanting to date Anita. Why does every man want to date Anita? Seriously? Is she that irresistible? She seems pretty bitchy and like a pain in the ass to me. Bernardo is just a flirt and you are pretty sure Anita is never going to sleep with him.

The cops scenes in this book were very repetitive. We have seen them in almost every book where Anita has to interact with cops. It started with Dolph and has now infected every other cop. There is always some cop calling her a slut and thinking she is a monster because she sleeps with monsters. It is getting old. I can't believe that a serial killer vampire case is not as interesting as Anita's sex life to these cops - seriously! Can they really not focus on their jobs? I was intrigued by the idea that Anita was getting tired of being a Marshal. I kind of like the idea of her giving it up and focusing on being a necromancer and JC's girl. Would save us from all these cop scenes.

I didn't like the fact that we had another group orgy. First, we just had one in the last book and that one at least had some lead up to it and some meaning behind it even though it really wasn't necessary. Anita gained some tigers from it. This one just seemed to be there for no reason other than the fact that Anita slept with a 16 year old. We know this is going to ick her out for years and she is going to whine about it forever. That is going to get old. So if that is the only reason for it I think we could have done without it.

The last few chapters, basically everything after she got back to the hotel, seemed very rushed as if Hamilton realized she had a page limit and had to finish quickly. There wasn't a lot of thought put into how all the story lines were tied up (see the orgy). The Marmie Noir thing was just so odd. Is she really dead? If so, that was the biggest let down ever. I have to admit I am tired of that storyline. It was getting really repetitive and tiresome, but I didn't expect it to end the way it did. I really thought that with all the things happening with the psychics and witches in this book Anita was gathering an army to fight her in the next book. So if she is dead I am glad in a way, but very disappointed in the execution of it. I also thought the end of Vittorio was a huge letdown. He has been the big bad in 2 books and his end basically takes a couple of paragraphs. Again, sloppy execution on Hamilton's part. And the whole sexual playground thing he set up for Anita at the end was just weird. Anita has pages of angst about casual sex because of the arduer but will give a guy a blow job with no problem. Again just sloppy writing and not well done on Hamilton's part.

My last compliant is about the 4th marks. Anita is becoming much more practical about all things vampire and supernatural in her life. I can't understand why there hasn't been more discussion on the 4th mark. Especially since it has been used against them so often. I can't remember how many times, but Vittorio threatens to break the marks and make her his human servant in this one too. It is ridiculous and becoming an overused plot point for Hamilton. She needs to resolve it. Hamilton needs to stop relying on Anita absorbing other powers and the ardeur as plot devices. She needs to come up with valid stories and tell them.

Don't get me wrong, I am still going to read the Anita books. I just wish they were as good as the first ones in the series. I think they have a lot of potential. Hamilton comes up with some good ideas; she just doesn't always execute them very well. I wonder if she just rushes through them so she can get an Anita and a Merry book out each year.(less)

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Jan 11, 2011 Ithlilian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I was seriously considering not reading this series anymore after Blood Noir. I decided to continue since I heard good things about Skin Trade. It didn't hurt that Edward and Olaf, two of my favorite characters, made an appearance. However, this book falls into the same trap that Obsidian Butterfly fell into. The characters are interesting but there isn't much for them to do. In Skin Trade we have Vittorio sending Anita a head, killing strippers and mutilating cops. I guess there is a bit of mys...more I was seriously considering not reading this series anymore after Blood Noir. I decided to continue since I heard good things about Skin Trade. It didn't hurt that Edward and Olaf, two of my favorite characters, made an appearance. However, this book falls into the same trap that Obsidian Butterfly fell into. The characters are interesting but there isn't much for them to do. In Skin Trade we have Vittorio sending Anita a head, killing strippers and mutilating cops. I guess there is a bit of mystery as to what monster killed the cops in Las Vegas, since the marks don't match a were, a vamp, or a human. The author, as usual, fails at writing a suspenseful, thought provoking, twist and turn mystery. Instead we are given a huge hint about what the killer could be, then it is ignored for 400 pages, and in the last 10 pages we get our answer. It's typical of this series, so I'm not too upset by it. What I am bothered by is the lack of character development and plot progression. I think the author could continue to write these books forever if she wanted to, with readers no closer to finding anything out. Anita has not grown as a character no matter how much her 300 pages of inner conflict and monologue would try to lead us to believe. She's upset about having sex with some vampires one minute and then gives oral sex to a cop 50 or so pages later with no problem. She says she isn't into casual sex with strangers yet she continuously does it, sometimes without a fight. I've never read about a more hypocritical and frustrating character. This is yet another novel with stereotypical angry biased cops that give women a hard time, Anita giving everyone an attitude, and a big bad vampire that gets killed way too easily. Oh, by the way, Anita gets more powerful. You weren't surprised by that I hope.

This novel reminds me of Obsidian Butterfly due to it's inclusion of Edward and Olaf, but this one kept my interest a little more. I am a fan of the weres and their social structure. All of the passages in Skin Trade about the tigers were very interesting and enjoyable. I can barely understand how so much nothing fits into such a big book and managed to keep my interest, but here it is. All I can hope for is that we get some progression on Marmee Noir, since she is the only large plot line this series has. Learning about Vittorio's abilities and his banter with the mother of all darkness was great, too bad it didn't even last a page. I'd love to learn some more about the different vampire lines and powers, and less about Anita's inner struggles. I've had enough of that thank you. (less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Jimyanni rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror

I understand the point of view of the people who dislike the direction this series has taken; the initial few books were very much detective novels, in which the hard-boiled detective character was played by a tough-as-nails Anita Blake, a relatively normal human who nonetheless was able to kill super-tough vampires through skill, grit and determination. Gradually, she has become less and less normal-human, and more and more psychically powerful, and while the violence and blood-and-gore rating...more I understand the point of view of the people who dislike the direction this series has taken; the initial few books were very much detective novels, in which the hard-boiled detective character was played by a tough-as-nails Anita Blake, a relatively normal human who nonetheless was able to kill super-tough vampires through skill, grit and determination. Gradually, she has become less and less normal-human, and more and more psychically powerful, and while the violence and blood-and-gore rating in the series has always been high, the sexual content started out at the PG level, and has increased to the point that several of the books have been unquestionably pornographic. I understand why all of that would turn some fans of the early books off, and cause them serious irritation.

I don't care; I continue to love the series. I love a good pornographic read, and while some readers have claimed that the books aren't even good porn, that's simply wrong. The changes in Anita all fit the storyline, and make for a fascinating multi-book character portrait, in which we get to see how a character, in spite of her best efforts, is changed by her life's experiences. This book had less sex than most of the recent books in the series, and more detective novel, but if the sexual content is down, the metaphysical power level is definitely high, and so the fans of the early novels who have not been able to accept the changes in Anita still have plenty to complain about. If you enjoyed the early books in the series and haven't liked the direction the series has gone since then, and if the reason for your dissatisfaction is due to the increasing metaphysical power that Anita wields, you will not want to read this one. If your objection was to the sex, you might actually enjoy this book so long as you don't mind a FEW sex scenes and a lot of references to Anita's sex life. If you have come to read the books primarily for the sex scenes, you may be disappointed by this one. On the other hand, if, like me, you just plain love the series, you'll love this one too. It is one of the better-rounded offerings, providing a bit of everything that makes the series so great, and it's better written than some.(less)

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Nov 19, 2010 Carmel (Rabid Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was exactly what I have come to expect from the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It didn't blow my socks off but it was a good read with plenty of action and paranormal goodies. However, Skin Trade did stray slightly from the typical pattern of a book in this series. Mostly because Anita was in Las Vegas the whole time helping the police with an investigation and for once she didn't have her men in tow. She intentionally left them at home. So the usual Jean-Claude, Micah, Nathaniel a...more This book was exactly what I have come to expect from the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. It didn't blow my socks off but it was a good read with plenty of action and paranormal goodies. However, Skin Trade did stray slightly from the typical pattern of a book in this series. Mostly because Anita was in Las Vegas the whole time helping the police with an investigation and for once she didn't have her men in tow. She intentionally left them at home. So the usual Jean-Claude, Micah, Nathaniel and Richard orgy was missing. Which wasn't a bad thing!

In Skin Trade Anita teams up with Edward, Olaf and Bernado; her fellow executioners to investigate a series of murders that are similar to ones that happened previously in St-Louis. They go into the investigation already pretty confident on who the villain is. Anita is forced to go to the master of the city and his wife, queen of the L.A. tigers for leads and that's when things get weird as is typical of these books.

I really like Edward (a.k.a Ted) as a character in this series and I especially enjoy the camaraderie between him and Anita. They compliment each other very well as partners and nothing surprises them about each other. These two executioners have each others backs no matter what. The interaction between them is always fun. Anita can't really joke about her line of work with anyone else because well... it's just morbid. Their friendly competition on who's the better vampire hunter makes light of an otherwise rather dark career.

The thing that caught me a little off guard in this novel was the lack of sex. Normally that's one of the main parts of the later books in this series. There's still plenty of sexual tension and dirty jokes but Anita doesn't actually get it on with anyone until the last 150 pages. However, once the ball starts rolling she definitely makes up for lost time! Jean-Claude's presence was minimal in this book and was comprised of a few phone calls between him and Anita. I found that to be a little disappointing as he's one of my favorite characters not to mention hot! (see my meme list of my top 10 fictional crushes).

In conclusion, Skin Trade is a great book that aligns perfectly with the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. If you're more of a fan of Hamilton's earlier books stay away as she hasn't reverted back. Kinda hard to do that now what with how the story has progressed! But if you've enjoyed her later books, you know what to expect and this one is more of the same. It's not a page turner from beginning to end but it's a solid book packed full of paranormal greatness. I don't gobble these books up like candy but I do keep coming back for more and have yet to read a really bad one. There's a reason why Hamilton is a role model for many authors in this genre: she knows her stuff!(less)

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Oct 28, 2010 Chibineko rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Another reviewer stated this opinion earlier & I have to admit, I agree with that statement. This book is far better than the last 2-3 books that Hamilton has released, but as far as books in general goes the book just doesn't cut it. The book's plot line isn't that bad- not as much potential as the plot in Harlequin had (a plot that was ultimately wasted to make way for more badly written sex), but it had some.

The plot line for this book finds Anita traveling back to Nevada in the attempt t...more Another reviewer stated this opinion earlier & I have to admit, I agree with that statement. This book is far better than the last 2-3 books that Hamilton has released, but as far as books in general goes the book just doesn't cut it. The book's plot line isn't that bad- not as much potential as the plot in Harlequin had (a plot that was ultimately wasted to make way for more badly written sex), but it had some.

The plot line for this book finds Anita traveling back to Nevada in the attempt to once again face down Vittorio & bring him to justice. (I.E., kill him.) Along the way Anita experiences more trouble with Marmee Noir as well as trouble in the form of Olaf- the serial killer with a major crush on her. Meanwhile Vittorio is still out there, killing strippers & hunting Anita Blake for his own mysterious ends.

Ok, I had one HUGE major problem with this book. And no, it wasn't that there was more badly written plot or endless sequences where people talked each other to death, repeating the same thing. No, what bothered me the most was how Anita & company were CONSTANTLY referring to being a girl as being a bad thing, as in the scene where Edward told Anita to "stop being a girl & be the man I know you can be". Being a woman in an Anita Blake novel is apparently a bad thing, as everyone treats Anita as inferior because she's a woman, everyone refers to being weak as being "girly" & that being a "man" is preferable. If it were just one or two mentions, I could deal with this, but this is strung out throughout the ENTIRE BOOK. I'm not a raging feminist, but I was sort of offended at this.

The rest of the book's failings comes from the constant talking going from person to person & some of the inconsistencies that came in the book. Anita & Edward tell Olaf that they're dating to keep him from pursuing Anita. Later in the book she tells Olaf that they're not dating, that it was an act. Then about 10-20 pages later you see them all acting like Anita had never said anything of the sort. Major inconsistency.

As far as the talking goes, maybe it's just that now I'm getting used to the inaction in the Anita books & perhaps that's why I gave this as good of a score as I did. The book is far more readable than the previous books were & there is a bit more movement in the book than there was in previous ones. (Movement as in stuff actually happening rather than "bang bang go the guns" action.)

My statement of Hamilton needing a better editor to improve the pacing of the book & remove the inconsistencies still remains. (less)

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Oct 27, 2010 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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Jul 06, 2010 DDog rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: at-home, borrowed, fantasy, horror, mystery, sex, vampires, werewolves

Much better! Edward and Olaf are back, there's a new city to explore, new wereanimal politics to learn, and Anita actually has a case to solve. Tiger problem that started in the last book was more interesting this time. I didn't remember the baddie from Incubus Dreams which probably would have helped. And again, Edward felt wasted because most of his action is off-screen while Anita is otherwise occupied. More blackout sex.

It seemed like every new character they met referenced the "Death" and "E...more

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Jan 05, 2010 Wealhtheow rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal_romance, urban-fantasy, fantasy

Hamilton burst into my awareness with Guilty Pleasures, a book that introduced us to a world where vampires were legal citizens, raising the dead was a viable career, and small women who collected penguin-themed tchotchkes could nevertheless be respected police consultants. Anita Blake was a young reanimator who just wanted to do the right thing, and although she could not deny her attraction to the sensuous vampire Jean-Claude (ahahahahahahah), she never let her personal life interfere with her...more Hamilton burst into my awareness with Guilty Pleasures, a book that introduced us to a world where vampires were legal citizens, raising the dead was a viable career, and small women who collected penguin-themed tchotchkes could nevertheless be respected police consultants. Anita Blake was a young reanimator who just wanted to do the right thing, and although she could not deny her attraction to the sensuous vampire Jean-Claude (ahahahahahahah), she never let her personal life interfere with her job. The books were a little cheesy, but the plots were good and Anita's inner monologue was entertaining. But every book or so, Hamilton would introduce another magic power and another love interest--and by book 10, Anita had become the most Mary-Sueish Mary-Sue that ever Mary-Sued. Reading about her just wasn't fun anymore, and the plots themselves had turned from gorey police procedurals into excuses for increasingly shameless porn.

But. I just couldn't stay away. Hamilton was the first paranormal romance I ever read, and to my mind, the main progenitor of the genre. I wanted to know if she'd managed to pull herself from the brink of complete un-readability. And you know what? She actually did. Sure, Anita is still insanely overpowered. (She is the strongest necromancer ever, has vampiric strength, is psychic, has the strongest shields anyone has ever seen, can control at least five different breeds of were, has the most vampire kills in the world, plus has some sort of godlike "ardeur" power that makes her feed off of people's anger or arousal. And I'm probably forgetting a power or two.) And yes, Anita has so many beautiful supernatural boyfriends that I'm pretty sure she herself can't tell them apart. And ok, most of this book is just everyone talking to her about how she's so strong and badass and bold and sexy. And, it must be said, Hamilton has gotten increasingly awful with consent--Anita has sex with a mind-controlled sixteen year old, and in the climax of the book is basically blackmailed into sex. It's sketchy at best.

But there's a plot! And Edward's back! None of her boyfriends spend more than a few pages on-screen! Anita spends a lot of time talking about weapons and fictional laws about vampire crimes! The series has not returned to its glory days, but it's definitely gotten better since I last read it. And, though I take issue with Hamilton's views on what counts as sex, plot, and relatable characters, this was an enthralling book. Once I started it, I didn't put it down till I was done.(less)

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Oct 16, 2009 Shelley rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Never

All I can say is wow, what has this writer become? This is probably my last attempt to read any of Hamilton's work. Her first books in this series were entertaining, and I have stuck with her and Anita even after Anita started losing herself, and my interest. This book is nothing but the same few sentances of dialog repeated over and over in a different way. Nothing new is ever said. The cops all think Anita is a traitor/monster/slut, Anita is constantly trying to prove that just because she's a...more

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Aug 25, 2009 Kayez rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: vamp lovers, shapeshifter fans

I recently read Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton and I have to say overall not bad. If I had a number system I'd give it a four out of five. Anita gets a head in the mail from a serial killer, she decides to rush of the Vegas to confront the vamp in question. Now we get to the interesting parts. Lots of Edward in this book, and that's always good. A lot of Olaf too, which oddly is also good. And to top off all the testosterone Bernardo's sexy self, just for the eye candy. Anita's finally getti...more

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Aug 17, 2009 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: vampiresupernatural

Yay, yay, yay! Anita's back and this is a fun one! I am sure (after reading the comments, news and reviews on the Internet) that Ms. Hamilton was extremely disgruntled over fan and critic reception of her most recent additions to the Anita Blake series, however I am glad that she took some of it to heart! She has returned to what made this series so fun to read: twisty-turny murder mysteries, lots of interesting magical details to add to her so-creative world-building, and lots of interesting ne...more

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Anita Blake Vampi...: Skin Trade (Book 17)	16	44	Mar 15, 2013 09:54pm
The Mother of All Darkness?	12	57	Oct 03, 2011 06:21pm

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Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #17)

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