In the 5th instalment of the Anita Blake series, Anita is summoned to resurrect a whole hill of scrambled zombie mess. When she arrives, the police wa...moreIn the 5th instalment of the Anita Blake series, Anita is summoned to resurrect a whole hill of scrambled zombie mess. When she arrives, the police wants her opinion as monster expert on a slaying of a couple of teenagers.
Of course, nothing is what it seems and throw in some master vampires and fey magic and a boggle, and you get Anita in a whole lot of trouble.
It is fast paced, as we are familiar with from the other books, but this one sees a lot of growth in some characters. Anita is still the ass-kicking heroine we are used to, but finally, she's learning an important lesson: not every vampire belongs to the monsters.
We see Larry grow from shy animator to a relentless vampire killer. It's good to see that he still has compassion and isn't as pitiless as Anita, but he is getting close.
The bathroom scene I totally loved. Jean-Claude for once isn't the arrogant bastard, and he's actually... kind of cute.
The clothes thing is starting to bother me. I don't need a total description of someone's wardrobe. Hamilton is actually ruining some scenes for me because, I'm just not into white suits with lace and blouses with long sleeves that cover hands and jackets that hit mid waist. If she would have said nothing about his clothes, he would have been so much sexier in my imagination. Okay, I admit, Larry in leather pants was kind of funny.
There are also a lot of repetitive sentences that once you notice them, start to get on your nerves. Sharp and immediate pain, anyone?
I just wish Hamilton would leave that final chapter. It doesn't add to the story, and overall feels a little anti-climactic. We spend 300 pages fighting the baddies and she closes off with, "Ah well, everyone's hurt but okay. And the lesson we learnt today children, is that not all monsters are that bad".
Overall, fun book to read, gets you on the edge of your chair, we get to see more of Anita's powers which is nice, we get to see a sensitive JC, which is nice, and Richard isn't there to play jealous alfa-werewolf, which is even better.(less)
One of the best urban fantasy novels I've ever read. I completely adored the storyline, I adored the characters, and I have a weak spot for werewolves...moreOne of the best urban fantasy novels I've ever read. I completely adored the storyline, I adored the characters, and I have a weak spot for werewolves. You even start to love the strange anti-social Clay and his cute attempts to get Elena back.(less)
I liked Anita very much. She isn't the whiney kind of protagonist, but an independent woman with a lot of guns. The zombie-raising stuff was fun and t...moreI liked Anita very much. She isn't the whiney kind of protagonist, but an independent woman with a lot of guns. The zombie-raising stuff was fun and the investigation part was exciting.
I did think the vampire-addicts were a bit creepy, but maybe that's the whole point. I just think the idea of being covered with scars is kinda disturbing.
Still, Jean-Claude is interesting, and I would like to see where this series goes. I know they really change after a few books, but we'll see how that turns out.
In honour of the release of Pale Demon, the ninth book in the Hollows series, on the 22rd this month I'm rereading the whole series.
When I first read...moreIn honour of the release of Pale Demon, the ninth book in the Hollows series, on the 22rd this month I'm rereading the whole series.
When I first read these book I didn't even know the "urban fantasy" was a genre and I devoured these books, enjoying every bit of them. They introduced me to this wonderful world where humans, vampires, werewolves and witches all live together in a contemporary world. Every detail about this world was new for me, never having read anything like it.
And even though my innocent fascination is gone after reading my share of urban fantasy, this series is in my opinion one of the best out there. It has the right mix of fast-paced action, suspense, true friendships, drama, character development and even some romance to keep the story interesting.
In this book the FIB (the investigation bureau for non-Inderlanders, also known as those boring human beings) contracts white earth witch Rachel to help find something or someone that's killing ley line witches one after the other. The trail leads to extremely rich and attractive young bachelor Trent Kalamack, that also runs most of Cincinatti's underground. But as always, nothing is what it seems...
Rachel is flawed, but that makes her so much easier to relate to. She doesn't always make the right decisions and is extremely stubborn at times which makes me love her even more. She cares about her family and her close friends/business partners and she tries to make the best out of everything. Throughout the series we see her struggling with her morals. What is the line between good and bad? In this book she starts to realise not everything is black and white. Even though she has sworn never to deal with demons (as people who are stupid enough to do that usually end up dead or worse) the smut on her soul is only increasing. And what to do about that demon-summoning boyfriend?
These books are quite long (about 450 pages in paperback) you read through them at an incredible speed. I like reading about how Rachel deals with her blood-craving living vampire roommate, her delicate relation with the FIB, the investigation part of the story. Kim Harrison's writing is clear and adds to the story, describing the witch spells and other magic in detail.
I would also like to give Ms. Harrison credit of her incredible cast of secondary characters. They all have their distinct personalities, and I love them all for that. Especially the mysterious Trent is awesome, and the tongue-in-cheek pixy Jenks is hilarious.
Even if you've already know where the story is going these books are extremely engrossing. I would recommend them to everyone interested in paranormal stories. Even if the books take some time to get into at the start, they are totally worth it.(less)
I really like Elena. She's one kick-ass werewolf. She doesn't whine when she has to kill a person or two or... around twenty (and that's a very optimi...moreI really like Elena. She's one kick-ass werewolf. She doesn't whine when she has to kill a person or two or... around twenty (and that's a very optimistic count). Ah well, she's used to it.(less)
This is one of those books where plot is actually secondary to characters. It is fast paced and well thought through, but a little predictable at time...moreThis is one of those books where plot is actually secondary to characters. It is fast paced and well thought through, but a little predictable at times. The great strength of this book is all the little quirky manners that make every character so unique and makes it have them their own distinct voice. The dialogue flows and feels natural and made me laugh out loud at times. Eve seems like an interesting person, I'll enjoy reading more about her in the next instalment, Haunted.(less)
The Anita Blake series is a guilty pleasure of mine. I just don't know why, but I enjoy reading them. I like to see main character Anita struggling wi...moreThe Anita Blake series is a guilty pleasure of mine. I just don't know why, but I enjoy reading them. I like to see main character Anita struggling with herself and her countless "I'm bigger and badder than you" enemies. I like the horror side of the series. Ms Hamilton definitely has a sick mind sometimes, but it works.
Burnt Offerings was perfect for satisfying my Anita Blake fix. I'm glad Anita is still (kind of) monogamous in this one, from what I've heard she won't really stay that way. The infamous vampire council comes to town, which brings a big bunch of amazing characters like the tortured Asher and another triumvarate.
Anita, as always, runs around waving with her gun and generally kicking ass. She's getting some very interesting powers with Richard and Jean-Claude behind her. But I see a bit of a change in this book; she's mellowing down a bit. Don't take me wrong, she still has attitude problems. But she knows when a person needs a bit of comfort, and she doesn't shy away of giving it.
There was a lot of plot going on in Burnt Offerings. Anita has to deal with the vampire council, an arsonist on a rampage, two kinds of shifters that vie for her attention, and a jealous boyfriend. I wasn't completely satisfied by the way everything wrapped up. Probably just because I wasn't expecting it to be that way.
The Anita Blake series is one that you can't recommend or discommend. You either hate it, or love it. Some people love the early books, but hate the latter. There is just one way to find out to which team you belong, and that is to try it. I personally know for sure, I'm not done yet with Anita.(less)
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