Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: When good series go bad.....
This series used to have a strong female lead, conflicted by her prejudices in a brave new world of the undead, fairies, werewolves, etc. It was a great premise, and the reader got to follow Anita as Dorothy in her trip through the author's facinating new Oz.In this book, Dorothy goes to Oz's red light district and becomes every man's nympho fantasy. Anita's role in this book was to have sex with just about everyone, because....well, there's no other way to highlight group sex scenes and slash (that's same sex action), which we are now to understand Jean-Claude will be pursuing on the side, now that he's been given "permission" by Anita. As for Ms. Blake, she continues taking on every power, sleeping with every male within the city limits, and becoming de facto head of every shapeshifter group....in between group sex. The last few books convinced me that this series had run out of steam....except for the porno kind. I almost didn't pick this one up, but I was in an airport and had a long flight......any lingering hopes I had that this series or character could be redeemed were totally blown away. This book cannot be read with ANY suspension of disbelief. If you just want the sex, go right for it-there's plenty to be had. If you are looking for the original Anita Blake character and her moral conflicts, forget it. She's gone. And unlike her zombies--she ain't rising again.
Rating: - Series Continues To Slide...
Unfortunately, this series continues to go downhill, sinking into a morass of gore, sex, S&M, rape and complete immorality. So hey, if thats your cup of tea, this is the book for you. Sadly, many of the things that made this series so interesting and unique initially are now gone. Getting through this book was like pushing jello uphill with a pitchfork. Slow, frustrating and ultimately pointless. The book is mostly about Anita's love life, so.... In a nutshell, Richard is out and apparently having a nervous breakdown (bummer, but nobody seems to care anyway), JC is still the same (but more big brother/teacher than passionate lover), Micah is the new hot stud and soulmate ("who needs a personality when you have a big tool?"). Damian went on a murder spree and killed 2 people, but he's feeling much better now so its ok with Anita (this plot twist is covered in about 2 pages). Asher is still moping and feeling unloved (why doesn't he find his own city to be master of?). Nathanial is still doing his best to audition for the lead in the Perils of Pauline ("oh Anita, I fell down a well...HELP ME!!"). Jason fares the best, bless his furry little heart. And of course, they are all anxious to throw themselves at the feet of Anita and have sex with her(I suggest they take a number, at this rate, she'll . . . them all eventually...but it won't be because she WANTS to, but because she HAS to). Can this series be saved? Sure, but I doubt Ms Hamilton is up to it. Stick with the Merry series, I understand that one is still fresh and fun.
Rating: - This is a train wreck!
Anita is so far from the original character we fell in love with when the series began and not for the better. She's not a vampire but now has a vampire as her human servent, she's not a werewolf but is now lupa and enforcer of Richard's pack, she's not a were leopard but managed to be leopard queen of her pard and now Micah's. Anita is always the best, always the one in charge, always the most powerful, always the one that rescues, always the one that beats the bad guys, always the one everyone is afraid of. The list goes on and on, it's too much for even my level of disbelief and I no longer root for her. The author keeps telling us that God still thinks Anita is good all the while telling us over and over again how she can kill and feel nothing. Who is she trying to convince, herself? LKH has really painted her into a corner and there is no going back. I never thought I'd say this but this is it for me, I doubt Laurell can pull the series out of the mess she's made with it nor recapture the magic of previous novels. Too much, too fast for our heroine. I not only don't recgonize her anymore but my biggest surprise was that I don't even like her either.
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