Guilty Pleasures
discussion
The "Anita Blake" Series: Not Worth It.
Lol thanks John, but I promise to keep my rants to a minimum.
The Anita Blake series was the first urban fantasy I got into, so I do have a certain fondness for them. I was getting off my mystery genre kick at the time and saw something that seemed like an interesting blend of paranormal mystery. I was intrigued because it was the first time I had seen a book meld the two in such a way.I kept reading on, but stopped after Danse Macabre because Hamilton took the books in a direction which held no interest for me. My interest was waning the 2 books before and it was clear that she was intent on taking the series somewhere else full steam ahead. Still, I don't agree that the whole series isn't "worth it", but I would say it's worth a read.
Do any of the books after flirt have Edward in them, and have Anita going out of town with him on a job. The best ones are the ones that have him in them. What does any one think will happen with olaf. It's strange that even he's wanting her. Edward doesn't seem to have fallen for her though. Which of the books after flirt are worth me reading, although there's only four or five so maybe I should just read them all. Don't think I could get through them all though.
Hit List and the new one Affliction both have Edward in them. Just brace yourself because Hamilton has been setting it up for them to sleep together.None of the books are worth reading; it's like watching Smallville- you got so invested in the series you stuck it out to the bitter, baleful end.
That's funny as my son's making me watch through smallville with him at the moment. We're up to season 8 and its pretty bad. I can't imagine Anita and Edward together, I mean would it just be the two of them, and would she use the aurder, he might kill her if she did and any way what about his wife. And what about Olaf, if he found out he'd go of the deep end. It would mean the end of the books though, her and Edward killing each other. It was what she allways thought would happen back in the first few books.
See... I will accept the ardeur forcing her into having so many partners but Edward really??? Part of the charm with him was that there was no lust or anything at all between them, they're just good friends... If the books do go down the line of them sleeping together I really wouldn't bother with them at all...I'd almost prefer she use the ardeur on Olaf than Edward (and even that is a horrible icky thought).
Dean wrote: "The Anita Blake series was the first urban fantasy I got into, so I do have a certain fondness for them. I was getting off my mystery genre kick at the time and saw something that seemed like an in..."I'll spend my money on sometime else....Thanks!
If Hamilton ever has Edward and Anita sleep together I'm done! After reading Kiss the Dead where I skipped 50% of the book cause it was just sex, if Affliction sucks then I'm done too. The series is spinning off into smut.
Lol, the books are all mostly smut anyway. Is she still sleeping with Richard, the last one I read was the novella, Flirt. I didn't buy the next one because Richard was going to join in the orgy. And it would have to end if she went with Edward.
Tabitha wrote: "If Hamilton ever has Edward and Anita sleep together I'm done! After reading Kiss the Dead where I skipped 50% of the book cause it was just sex, if Affliction sucks then I'm done too. The series i..."It's gonna happen. She's already blabbed about on social media.
OMG Anita and Edward sleep together would be the last thing I would want to see... being friends and working together at times but sleeping together yuk. What the f**k is ward doing.
John wrote: "Tabitha wrote: "If Hamilton ever has Edward and Anita sleep together I'm done! After reading Kiss the Dead where I skipped 50% of the book cause it was just sex, if Affliction sucks then I'm done t..."Ugh I'm done with her then. She took a great series and just destroyed it.
It's the only thing left she can plop in to try and maintain any semblance of interest in the series- 'the final frontier' more or less.
Pepper wrote: "I always enjoyed Hamilton's description of the supernatural politics in her books...So, if the basic idea and the 'feel' of Anita Blake are to your liking, check out Kat Richardson's "Greywalker" series ..."Thanks a lot pepper. I couldn't agree with you more. I've met Miss Hamilton on many occasions and had her sign many of my books. However, I'm in the same boat as many of you, where I loved the books, after a while it just got too porny for me. I'm no prude and appreciate erotica, but yeah, I felt like she just stopped bothering with plots and just filled the books with sex. I stopped reading them, but my husband kept buying the books for me, expecting me to pick them back up soon. I've heard she's coming back around full circle so I'll be giving the books a re-read, but I wanted to thank you for sharing Kat Richardson, I'll be sure to give her a read soon.
Where'd you hear that?
John, I've heard from a few friends that LKH has returned, to a small degree, to telling more of the early story style, though much of the erotica crap is still present. I personally still don't plan to go back to the series.
Only thing she's done is cut down on filling pages with useless sex scenes; now she fills them with endlessly repetitive dialogue.
I have to agree with John. You're mostly in Anita's head or having poor dialogue.
Isn't that maybe worse, I got to hating most of her dialogue anyway. I think it's probably to late to save Anita, she should make up a new character, or take someone else from the series and follow them for a few books before focusing back on A.B. Then maybe Hamilton might be able to save the Anita character.
Picked up one of the Merry Gentry books I have on my shelf and apparently haven't read. Crack it open to find that......
**SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW***
...Merry's pregnant with twins who have the DNA of like four men she's slept with. I rolled my eyes and put it back down again.
I have so much trouble with the way the author does this in ALL HER BOOKS. She just writes down her personal fantasies, no matter how unbelievable, wild and totally ridiculous.
"I CAN'T PICK WHO SIRES THIS MAIN CHARACTER'S KIDS!! WHY DO I HAVE TO!? THEY'RE ALL THE DADDY!"
Lol. Yeah Hamilton does seem to do that doesn't she? Both series are about major orgies....indecisive much is she? Can pick one so she takes all?
I love erotica, and I actually liked the first couple of books. I like the fact that Anita is hard and bitchy, if she was a guy nobody would even mention it. I like her dilemma over what makes a monster. It's the books after Incubus Dreams that drive me crazy. I keep reading hoping she'll make Anita resolve her moral conflict, but she just adds another man to Anita's bed partners. And unlike Anita's dynamic realization about being a monster, Anita refuses to poke at her sexual morals. There is no resolution she's constantly struggling with what she wants versus what is her reality. Most of the problems she experiences are ones of her own making. Try Kim Harrison's Hollows series next, I love how Rachel changes over the series.
Stephanie wrote: "I love erotica, and I actually liked the first couple of books. I like the fact that Anita is hard and bitchy, if she was a guy nobody would even mention it. I like her dilemma over what makes a mo..."Completely agree! What also drives me nuts is how Anita has become so freaking egotistical...ugh. Everybody is jealous of me because I am so wonderful.
I like the 1st 5 books- PBO's before they upgraded to HB status. The first 5 had a story in the forefront, but each book after put sex in the forefront! Don't get me wrong I don't mind the sex, but I expect a good story! If not, I'll just buy x-rated erotica at some smut shop! This author took the easy rout and put more & more smut while cutting more & more story! I stopped reading her after incubus!
I liked the first 7 books. I kept reading another 5 or 6, each time swearing off. It's hard for me to kill a series, but stopping at #7 would've been a good choice. Agree with most of your points. After meeting the author at a booksigning, my opinion was lowered further.
Has anyone else read her newest offering, Shutdown? It's a lunch date between Anita, Micah, Richard and his new fiance, Ellen, whom he apparently hasn't told jack-all about his situation or relationship with Anita yet wants her to marry him. It's up for free on her blogsite; it's called Shutdown in honor of our politicians. Go figure.
John wrote: "Has anyone else read her newest offering, Shutdown? It's a lunch date between Anita, Micah, Richard and his new fiance, Ellen, whom he apparently hasn't told jack-all about his situation or relati..."I read it and it sucked!
Kim Harrison is amazing! Also try Devon Monk with her Allie Beckstorm series. As far as Shutdown....Richard didn't tell the girl he's marrying anything? That is going to be one awkward meeting.
I got it of the website but just couldn't really be bothered to read it. Richard's fiancee, does the woman know that Richard has that power that won't let a woman say no to him? He got that power a couple of books back if l remember right.
I feel like I've started reading a series, so will now finish it, but it doesn't go anywhere. All the problems she had at the start of the series, when she maybe wasn't the strongest, toughest, etc. have now disappeared. Her life is practically perfect, with tiny minor problems that she over comes easily. Plus most of the men in her life seem to be a bit 2-d, they're basically talking heads. It's just a bit disappointing when there was potential for development and actual hardship; instead everything's just staying very perfect.
Angie wrote: "I got it of the website but just couldn't really be bothered to read it. Richard's fiancee, does the woman know that Richard has that power that won't let a woman say no to him? He got that power a..."Well, that sounds - quite disturbing.
Ok,I am an Anita Blake fan but I love her other series -Meredith Gentry.I am not a big fan of all the sex but I love the characters and the premise. The secondary characters are what really make it for me-like Truth & Deadly.
I didn't get past he first four. I didn't even bother to wait for her to have any sex. Life is too short for my only chance at escapism to be about some whiny bloody person who is whiny for no good reason. I only got to book two of Merry Gentry, because the sex was so ridiculous. One minute this thing is drying to dry hump her leg then she is having sex with it. I love paranormal romance but this was just silly. Sorry if it offends, just saying.
The Richard situation is disturbing, but I which she could dial it all down a bit, does L.K.H have to keep on adding more sex people on the overflowing bed. It would be so gross on there after less than an hour!! That might be why she analyses all of it very time, it's so boring, all the 'oh your to young, oh ok then you can do that but come tomorrow I'll blame all the problems on you, yes do that but I'll just run away !!'I loved some of the characters in the Meredith gentry books as well, Frost and Darkness?( is that what he was called) were my favourite s, at least she had sort of an an excuse of the sex!!
The series had a really cool concept when it started - the necromancy, Anita's family/the friends and then after the first what 4 - 5 books it became just too much (I am suprised that Anita hasn't caught anything by now, sorry) - I just gave up it just has a really flimsy plot for me to read.
Desiree wrote: "I'm forcing myself to go through this Anita Blake series, because I was given 15 of the books for free. Unfortunately, this series is beyond the pale and has the exact same problem as Twilight and ..."I'm totally into this series, but have to admit it's basically Mary Sue on steroids. Everything you said is true, but something about Anita's brand of bitch works for me on some level. Strip away the paranormal elements and she speaks my language. I do have to agree that my problem isn't the over abundance of sex; it's how utterly unsexy it tends to be. I am starting to like this series again now that Anita is back raising the dead and solving crimes again. For a while, reading it was starting to feel like homework instead of fun.
I enjoy the books and have read every one of the Anita Blake series. Yes they can have an idealized version of the characters on occasion but to be honest any book you read that is fiction is a somewhat idealized version of characteristics in someone, good or bad qualities. So what if there is sex and the author has written the main character to be "irresistible" lots of writers do that who aren't in erotica. There are a lot of books in this series beyond the first 10 books that have more than just sex in them if that is a readers objection. If your objection is about the idealization of Anita Blake herself as a character then that's fine, but almost all books have a character like that.
Caitlin wrote: "I enjoy the books and have read every one of the Anita Blake series. Yes they can have an idealized version of the characters on occasion but to be honest any book you read that is fiction is a som..."Caitlin, I'm still a fan, but can admit there were a few books after arduer was introduced, like
, that were almost unreadable. Not because of the sex, but because the sex became the whole point instead of zombie raising and crime investigations. What really bothered me the destruction of the Ronnie character. This series that had a feminist slant became decidedly anti-woman when every female besides Anita had to be portrayed as horrible and bad leaders. Why can't powerful women work together and still kick but? I was able to invest back in the series in the recent novels that did a better job of integrating storyline and sex better. I read UF expressly for super hot bad ass chicks, but most manage not to purposely diminish all surrounding female characters as a way to prop up the lead. The thing that keeps me reading is I like the way Anita's mind works and the great quotes this character has. I am also trying to see if absolute power will turn her into the new Mother of the Dark.
Desiree wrote: "Picked up one of the Merry Gentry books I have on my shelf and apparently haven't read. Crack it open to find that......
**SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWAY NOW*****SPOILER, LOOK AWA..."
This is also when I gave up on the series. I tried so hard to like it, but I just could care about anything that was happening anymore. An it took so long for anything to happen. The charters are either having sex, or negotiating about who is going to have sex and how. Sorry, but I need a little more than that to stay interested.
Like many others I gave up on the books once the sex became the dominating theme. The first couple of books were OK. They weren't great by any measure, but they weren't outright bad either.I don't mind sex in books, or even graphic descriptions of it, so long as it's well done. Unfortunately Hamilton's sex scenes aren't well written, in fact I'd go so far as to say that to me they're the very definition of IKEA sex. This wasn't a huge issue in the first couple of books because there was plenty of story going on and the series still had the equivalent of new car smell to cover up the lack of polish. Once the sex scenes began to dominate the books and the plot became nothing more than a way to introduce the next
I gave up on them and gave all the books away, I was never going to reread them. Sex in books doesn't bother me, but it was so crap having all the talk about the sex first then have Anita blame everyone for it after. And the story lines were going nowhere either. She couldn't work as a Marshall while having lots of crappy sex.
The same for me. I got gave up after four. I have no problem with sex scenes, but hers just aren't well done. I wasn't impressed, and I won't continue with them.
I agree with the assessment of this series that there has been no personal growth of the character, and that the series now reads like personal fantasies. It's basically boiled down to sex scenes, Anita denying her hunger, something happening--that could have been avoided if she had just accepted her need and fed it--where she is even more of a ho and collects another man or several, and then a chapter dedicated to actually getting the bad guy, and somehow in the course of the book Anita gains a new power and becomes even more of a bad ass. I had such high hopes for the series, Hamilton was writing UF before most other people, but she's like Anita doing the same thing over and over again expecting to go some place new. She needs to kill some main characters, have Anita manage her condition like an illness, or have her lose. Or maybe just kill Anita off entirely and move on. Merry at least never pretends to be anything but porn. I'm kinda pissed that a series I actually liked turned to same shit/different book.
I agree Stephanie, and I really wanted to like it, but it just couldn't invest in it. In the end I just didn't like Anita. Something about her just grated on me. There are a lot of others I'd rather read instead. Naughty naughty Angie has got me hooked on Chloe Neill and I can't let go, lol
LKH recently said that having to write 2 a year drove her crazy.. I like her books, but i admit to skipping pages when there is too much talk and no action. I too started missing "police work" and though I enjoy sex, two can be fun, three is just work.. I am old and had fun when i was young.. so more then 3 partners at a time well, i just read it. But a lot of the vampire genre works are good and repetitious. Feehan, Kenyon and others, I read them get burnt out, put them away for awhile go back and pick up where i left off.
I gave up Anita half way through Affliction when she started hinting at beastiality. I will never pick her up again.
I read the first two books of this series and I found Anita Blake to be stupid and annoying. Every one else seemed to be pretty pointless and crazy. The people that were supposed to help her had pretty much nothing to bring to the table. I gave up. Maybe I'll read the third one day if I end up giving it a chance again.
The most irritating thing about Laurell K Hamilton is that she does not listen to her readers, readers have been complaining about the excessive sexual content since the seventh book. She then whined saying that she was actually going somewhere with it.. ugh.. five books later its more of the same. Her books should go in to the "Supernatural Erotica"/ Pornography genre not in the genre of fiction.
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Yes- Nicky is actually one of the main squeezes now, replacing Haven as the local Rex.
And yes- in Kiss the Dead Anita describes JC's bed as not King Size or Queen Size but... ORGY SIZE!!!