by Laurell K. Hamilton
An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel
Reviewed by: April Dawn Duncan
About April Dawn Duncan
So who says being five-foot nothing isn't intimidating? If you're asking concerning Anita Blake, you'll most likely get the same answer. She's the Executioner, she can be as short as she likes, thank you very much. You know what they say about books and their covers? Well, Anita Blake is one book you don't want to miss. Her cover is deceiving, petite and pretty, but what's inside is tough-no-nonsense, savvy, witty, and keen. This five foot nothing puts the fear of God into the supernatural. Pretty neat accomplishment, wouldn't you say? Come along for a heck of a ride as Anita let's you inside for a look through the Executioner's eyes. You might be surprised what you find.
Sometime in the near future, in an alternative universe, the world is more accepting of the supernatural. In fact, it is a part of everyday life. In the United States, vampires have just recently been given citizenship. For Anita, a full-time Animator and sometimes vampire hunter, it's a real pain in the ass. Before, if a vampire bothered anyone, she'd find them and take care of them. But now, she has to have a court approved warrant for their death. As if that's not enough, her boss Bert, has loaned her out to the R.P.I.T., the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team as an advisor. Thing is, most times after she does her job of advising, she gets caught up in the investigation. She's got the scars to prove it. Of course then there's her normal job as animator. That's right, she animates the dead, or in simpler terms, raises zombies. For a short period of time, a zombie has its memories of its life intact and can often answer questions. This becomes very useful when a will and testament is being contested, or say, when that zombie was a witness to murder, maybe even its own. Not the most uplifting job in the world, but, its what she was gifted with. And you either use it or lose it. People with a gift like hers who tried to ignore it, often took trips to the loony bin. You had to embrace what you were, simple as that.
In "Guilty Pleasures" by Laurell K. Hamilton, things suddenly get very personal, and Anita doesn't like that one bit. It isn't fair play when the monsters stop going after you and start going after your loved ones. But that's where Anita finds herself. And now she has to work for the monsters, or lose her friend. As long as she doesn't become one, that's fine. She'll play it cool. But God help them if they give her an inch. For the first time in her life, Anita finds herself compromised. She's in way over her head and there's no sign of dry land ahead. One thing's for sure, if she survives this one, she won't be the same.
I think the first thing that grasped my attention about this book was the fact that the supernatural wasn't totally hidden in the shadows. Everyone knows about vampires and werewolves, ghosts and ghoulies. They are fully aware of them, but some still try to pretend they don't exist, and others thrive on the fact that they do. The potential of exciting things that can happen to an individual in this world is astounding; not to mention breaking open new moral ground. And Laurell K. Hamilton uses that fact to its fullest extent. The second thing that drew me in and held me spellbound was the author's writing style. Her language is modern, hip, and fast-paced. She's humorous and witty, sometimes sardonic, and always tongue-in-cheek. She makes her descriptions very tactile because we as readers need our senses to be completely involved to fully appreciate the subject matter at hand. From word to word, sentence to sentence, chapter to chapter, she never once lost my full attention. I devoured the book in a matter of hours and was hungry for more. Lucky for me, Miss Hamilton has kindly written many more books in this series. Bully for her.
I loved this book cover to cover, and so will you.
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Guilty Pleasures
Copyright © by April Dawn Duncan, 2003
Reviewed by April Dawn Duncan:
--Threshold: A Novel of Deep Time - by Caitlin R. Kiernan
--Yarrow: An Autumn Tale
- by Charles de Lint
--The Morgaine Saga
- by C. J. Cherryh
--Tigana
- by Guy Gavriel Kay
--Ender's Game
- by Orson Scott Card
--Foreigner: A Novel of First Contact - by C.J. Cherryh
--Guilty Pleasures - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--The Laughing Corpse - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Circus of the Damned - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--The Lunatic Cafe - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Bloody Bones - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--The Killing Dance - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Burnt Offerings - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Blue Moon - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Obsidian Butterfly - by Laurell K. Hamilton
--Narcissus in Chains - by Laurell K. Hamilton
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