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Rafael
(Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #28)
by
Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk everything to be at his side.…
But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only r ...more
But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only r ...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 272 pages
Expected publication:
February 9th 2021
by Berkley Books
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Start your review of Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #28)

Let's get some of the housekeeping taken care of first.
If you're still reading Anita Blake, you know what to expect. Perhaps 3/5ths of the opening of the novel will be relationship angst with a particularly high focus on -- you guessed it -- Rafael. A quick note: every one of these novels that have a name as a title are all rather short, focused, and almost entirely relationship stuff.
That being said, this particular novel DOES pick up in both action, consequence, and a whole bunch of new metaph ...more
If you're still reading Anita Blake, you know what to expect. Perhaps 3/5ths of the opening of the novel will be relationship angst with a particularly high focus on -- you guessed it -- Rafael. A quick note: every one of these novels that have a name as a title are all rather short, focused, and almost entirely relationship stuff.
That being said, this particular novel DOES pick up in both action, consequence, and a whole bunch of new metaph ...more

Nov 17, 2020
Kathy Davie
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-paranormal,
horror
Twenty-eighth in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter paranormal fantasy, horror series and revolving around an incredibly conflicted tiny woman many fear to take on. The focus is on Anita proving herself to a mischief of rats! If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books on my website.
This eARC was sent to me by NetGalley and Berkley Books for an honest review.
My Take
Whoaaa, get out the bandages! I've always liked the rats. It appears that's because ...more
This eARC was sent to me by NetGalley and Berkley Books for an honest review.
My Take
Whoaaa, get out the bandages! I've always liked the rats. It appears that's because ...more

Dec 01, 2020
Amy Imogene Reads
marked it as to-read
Y'all I am a longstanding fan of this series, regardless of its flaws and other weirdness. Very excited to read this one too.
Thank you to Berkley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Thank you to Berkley for my copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

I like these quick books focused mainly on a single character and their relationship with Anita.
This was a much-needed break after Sucker Punch (which was the first Anita Blake book I hated). Sucker Punch was a repetitive mess with a horrible ending.
Rafael was a look at a character we've only caught glimpses of before. This book really showcases the King of Rats and the world of the rats including their rules and their magic. It opens the doors to a whole new world of possibilities for the oth ...more
This was a much-needed break after Sucker Punch (which was the first Anita Blake book I hated). Sucker Punch was a repetitive mess with a horrible ending.
Rafael was a look at a character we've only caught glimpses of before. This book really showcases the King of Rats and the world of the rats including their rules and their magic. It opens the doors to a whole new world of possibilities for the oth ...more

Review under construction
The relationship angst is beyond tedious. Talking everything to death, even when to walk into a communal shower. Currently 20% of the novel has been back and forth, dragging relationship drama like a dead horse, while debating whether or not to shower.
Anita Blake is one of my favorite series, many things written deeply resonating within me. But sometimes the tedium is exhausting. I could empathize with Anita running away and never coming back. Going out of town on a ca ...more
The relationship angst is beyond tedious. Talking everything to death, even when to walk into a communal shower. Currently 20% of the novel has been back and forth, dragging relationship drama like a dead horse, while debating whether or not to shower.
Anita Blake is one of my favorite series, many things written deeply resonating within me. But sometimes the tedium is exhausting. I could empathize with Anita running away and never coming back. Going out of town on a ca ...more

OMG I CAN'T WAIT
...more

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I absolutely love love love Laurell K. Hamilton's stories. Both of her current series are amazing and I devour them every time a new book comes out. Raphael is an insightful story into the life of the wererats. They have so many rules I don't know how they keep up with it all.
With any culture comes politics. Someone always wants to be on top. Once Raphael is King of the Rodere he faces challenges often enough to bring this one to Anita's at ...more
I absolutely love love love Laurell K. Hamilton's stories. Both of her current series are amazing and I devour them every time a new book comes out. Raphael is an insightful story into the life of the wererats. They have so many rules I don't know how they keep up with it all.
With any culture comes politics. Someone always wants to be on top. Once Raphael is King of the Rodere he faces challenges often enough to bring this one to Anita's at ...more

This shorter than average entry into the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series still managed to fit in all the usual subjects. Anita is dealing with a new superpower: super strength this time. She is still very concerned with her complicated sex life including a jealous guard who resents her for "stealing" the object of his infatuation and her feelings for Rafael the Rat King who is a friend with benefits.
Rafael has a problem. Because of his relationship with Anita and Jean-Claude, members of his r ...more
Rafael has a problem. Because of his relationship with Anita and Jean-Claude, members of his r ...more

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I began reading this series twenty years ago and for the longest time Obsidian Butterfly was my favorite. I, like many other hardcore LKH fans, had put the books aside as the series became more erotica/relationship-centric and less action/mystery/badassery. I was thrilled when I read Sucker Punch and saw a return in personality to the older books. With Raphael I expected that excitement to wane as many of her character titled books focus on relations
...more

I’m a fan of the Anita Blake series. I love the early books (up through 10 or so) and stuck with it through the later ones. Rafael wasn’t one of my favorites, though I don’t think the fault lies entirely with the plot. The later Anita Blake books simply have so many characters who are in so many relationships, that it is hard to follow without a diagram. The multitude of relationships also means that it is hard to really connect or focus on a particular character. So, in principle, I like the id
...more

I lost interest in this series when LKH decided that polyamorous was the way to go. I see nothing wrong with it; I just got tired of her books being porn and not the action stories they used to be.
However, this book and LKH's last book Sucker Punch made me reconsider reading the rest of the series. There was a little less sex and a bit more action. However, I will say that we do spend at least half of the book discussing (ad nauseam) everything within an inch of its life! Some things will never ...more
However, this book and LKH's last book Sucker Punch made me reconsider reading the rest of the series. There was a little less sex and a bit more action. However, I will say that we do spend at least half of the book discussing (ad nauseam) everything within an inch of its life! Some things will never ...more

The sort of 'standalone' novels within the Anita Blake series that focus on one particular character are great additions to this series! They don't necessarily advance the running plot line much but they give a great behind the scenes focus on one aspect of the paranormal societies that they are embroiled in.
The Wererats have been a constant since fairly early in this series and with Rafael (book) we finally get a closer look at their customs, history, and hierarchy. Although this book was almo ...more
The Wererats have been a constant since fairly early in this series and with Rafael (book) we finally get a closer look at their customs, history, and hierarchy. Although this book was almo ...more

I will never not want more Anita Blake novels. Literally this series could go on for another 30 books and I would be happy as can be.
If you are picking this up then you have read all the other books int he series and you know as well as I do that it will be amazing. The last few books have had some big changes to our crew and that took a little side stepping in Anita's world but I felt like this one brought it back full circle at least little.
Technically this is a standalone in the Anita Bla
...more
Rafael, the rat king, has been challenged for leadership. With Peirette by her side, Anita goes to the heart of the rat people to be by his side to support His fight for leadership.
I loved it. This story reminded me of the original Anita Blake books. Though there were a few steamy parts, the metaphysics and character development was the main thrust of the story.
Blood, magic and nitty gritty fighting made this story not only a must read, but a must read twice book.
I received this book free fro ...more
I loved it. This story reminded me of the original Anita Blake books. Though there were a few steamy parts, the metaphysics and character development was the main thrust of the story.
Blood, magic and nitty gritty fighting made this story not only a must read, but a must read twice book.
I received this book free fro ...more

Another great book in this series, it takes place in less than a day, and a lot happens, and I can't wait to explore some of the implications of things that were raised in this book!
...more

Anita is backing up Rafael in his bid to hold onto his control of the rats. There is a new challenger to the leadership and he is using Antia’s bonds with Rafael to say that he is no longer fit to be king. Turns out there is magic within the rats that Antia didn’t know about. I enjoyed this book. There was feeding of the ardeur but it didn’t consume huge sections of the book. During that scene, Anita finds out that the challenger is a servant to another vampire that is hiding from everyone. The ...more
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Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the leading writers of paranormal fiction. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Hamilton writes the popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels and the Meredith Gentry series. She is also the creator of a bestselling comic book series based on her Anita Blake novels and published by Marvel Comics. Hamilton is a full-time writer and lives in the suburbs of St. Louis
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Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter
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