Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #1) in Crazy Challenge Connection

May 30, 2014 ☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ rated it really liked it

Shelves: death, mystery, adult-fiction, carmen-s-reading-challenge-of-2014, horror, paranormal, adult, re-read, z-ammp-team-trogan

This is my first book with this author and I have to say that I really liked the characters and the story. It was a really intense book. Anita is a really tough female or it's like she always says "either I'm tough or just crazy" I think she's both, which is not a bad thing. I saw we can't have one without the other and she had both and she also had a great heart too.

Update
I decided to do a re-read of this book since I wanted to continue the series and needed to refresh my head of what happened ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 Cecily Black rated it really liked it

Honestly, I am not all that much into paranormal or vampires or anything of the sort really. I just usually end up feeling bored. Of course there are a few exceptions and I am happy to say that I think this series could be one of them. I really thought the settings and the different creatures described were just weird enough that I couldn't honestly say that I didn't like it because I kept finding reasons why I did. I am definitely interested in seeing where this series goes from here. I really ...more

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Jun 24, 2025 Olivermagnus rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: horror, 2025, fantasy, vampires, june-25

Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. Anita is a petite, tough woman who works as an Animator (she raises the dead) for a company in St. Louis Missouri. She also spends time working with the FBI in their supernatural investigations division. Anita’s role as a gun-toting necromancer who raises the dead adds a unique twist to her character.

During a bachelorette party, Anita finds herself at a strip club called “Guilty Pleasures”, featuring male vampire and l Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. Anita is a petite, tough woman who works as an Animator (she raises the dead) for a company in St. Louis Missouri. She also spends time working with the FBI in their supernatural investigations division. Anita’s role as a gun-toting necromancer who raises the dead adds a unique twist to her character.

During a bachelorette party, Anita finds herself at a strip club called “Guilty Pleasures”, featuring male vampire and lycanthrope strippers. It is owned by Master Vampire, Jean Claude, who is tall, dark, erotic, and French.

After things get bad at the club, Anita finds herself suddenly entrenched in the vampire world against her will. They want her to investigate why vampires are being murdered, and why the police investigators are not having much luck solving the crimes. They threaten her best friend as a bargaining chip to force Anita’s hand.

The story unfolds in a dark and twisted alternate reality where vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures coexist with humans. There are some truly bad creatures involved in Anita’s investigation.

I first read "Guilty Pleasures" when it was published back in 1993. Back then it was a hugely popular series and there weren't that many vampire/ paranormal series around. It was interesting to read about old school scary vampires for a change. You don't seem to see as many of those in more recent urban fantasy stories, which focus a lot more on romance. This book is definitely more comfy in the horror genre.

Reading it now, in 2025, it didn't appeal that much to me. My vampire reading tastes are more linked to the Black Dagger Brotherhood than the more violet and scary Anita Blake universe. Anita is still one of the very best characters created in the urban fantasy genre. What sets this novel apart is that it predates the urban fantasy genre’s rise, making it a classic in that genre. I enjoyed revisiting, but I probably won't continue the series. ...more

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Nov 09, 2016 Maggie Shanley rated it liked it

At times I just had to laugh out loud at this story. I hope this story was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek because that was how I read it. This book had vampires, ghouls, zombies and were-rats. Yes, you read that right, were-rats. Scarred "executioner" Anita Blake is coerced into investigating the vampire murders, although she probably should have been the number one suspect. Logic will not help you with this story, just be prepared for a wild, and nonsensical ride. ...more

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Jan 10, 2020 Carissa Brown rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Anita Blake is a re-animator, she brings people back from the dead. She also has a reputation as the executioner because she is very good at killing vampires. Vampires are being killed in the area and the vampires want Anita to find out who is killing them. Initially she refuses but ultimately they threaten her friend and force her to work on solving the murders.

The story was ok, no big surprises which would have helped.

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