Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton

I've been a big fan of this series in the past, despite all the ups and downs it went through. However, I can honestly say I'm not a fan of this particular book. At first, I thought "Yes! The Anita Blake I love is back!" since there was a lot police work at the beginning of the book. The first half of the book is dedicated to preturnatural police investigations and action. Dolph and Zerbrowski are back and I honestly thought the book was headed in the right direction until Anita's lovers made an appearance.

That's when most of Anita's internal dialogue switched from killing bad guys to describing her "sweeties." I've come to expect multiple lovers from Anita, and unlike many readers, it really doesn't bother me (the more, the merrier I guess). What does bother me, however, is the repetition. Each single lover gets several pages of description. After 20+ books, we get it, Anita's lovers are beautiful, handsome, fit, etc. I don't need to read the same description multiple times in the same book, except change the hair colour/length and eye colour depending on the man she's describing. Also, I don't see the point in describing their workout routines, especially when it's repeated multiple times in the same book, and why they need to keep fit. Don't get me wrong, a refresher is definitely okay when it comes to describing physical appearance, however, when I read more or less the same sentence a few chapters later, I feel like that's not just bad writing, but bad editing too.

Admittedly, Laurell K. Hamilton does know how to write a great sex scene. Even though the sex scenes are often filler, they are pretty intense, steamy and amazing. They never get boring. Variety is the spice of life, especially when it comes to lovers, in Anita's case. Another positive thing about the book is Zerbrowski, Anita's police "partner." Every scene he's in is great and I really wish we could have seen more of him. The new U.S. Marshall Brice is pretty cool too, especially since he's homosexual and doesn't want to sleep with Anita for a change (however, he would like a chance at some of her lovers).

I'm tired of seeing this series going nowhere. I've invested so much time (and money!) in the series. I keep buying and reading the books, in hopes that something new will happen. The series has failed to surprise me and really entertain me in these last few books. I fear this review has become a rant so I'm going to cut it short. Am I going to read the next book? Probably. I hate not finishing a series and I would feel even worse it the next book turned out to be amazing.

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by Tynga at Monday, April 20, 2015

 Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, Berkley, Laurell K Hamilton, Laurell K. Hamilton, Magic, necromancy, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Purchased, Review, shapeshifters, vampires  2 People left their mark

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A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton

Merry Gentry and her cadre of men are finally back! It's been five years since the last Merry book, DIVINE MISDEMEANOURS, and so I was quite looking forward to reading A SHIVER OF LIGHT. I'd planned to re-read the series beforehand but my recent move meant that I went into A SHIVER OF LIGHT without my little refresher. Thankfully, Hamilton does a lovely job of filling in the blanks while simultaneously throwing her reader into the thick of things, as she's wont to do.

A SHIVER OF LIGHT gets to the heart of the story very quickly. I thought Hamilton might build up to the birth but we hop right into it and, as the cover copy says, it's not twins -- it's triplets. Each of the babies has a unique appearance and unique powers, which tie them to their fathers and to Faerie. The kids are unusual because they have strong powers from birth (instead of developing them later in life) and it's added an element of uncertainty to Merry's life. The kids are completely unpredictable and no one knows what to expect with them. Their arrival also reveals a new side of Queen Andais. She's still a sadistic, mad, cruel woman but we see a surprisingly gentle side to the queen in this novel. Merry-as-mom also adds a lot to the story since she's suddenly got so many more worries (not that she didn't have tons before). Merry and her main men really take to parenthood and it shows us a lot about each of them. We get some great moments with each of my favourite men in Merry's circle: Doyle, Frost, and especially Sholto. With such a large cast of characters, it's easy to push some characters aside, and I will confess that I'd completely forgotten about some of the less prominent members of Merry's group, but Hamilton has a knack for giving everyone a moment.

In terms of plot, there were definitely surprises. It starts with the number of babies and goes on from there. Merry and company have to deal with some very down-to-earth issues, like making enough money to support their ever-expanding entourage and playing politics. It's a nice touch of reality in a very supernatural world.

Since it's a LKH book, you can probably guess that sex is a major feature in the novel. The book is not for readers who want a more romantic (and less sexual) level of smooching in their books. After all, Merry is descended from several fertility goddesses and has many sexual partners, as she has throughout the series.

Truthfully, I enjoyed A SHIVER OF LIGHT but not as much as I'd hoped. It's been so long since we've had a new Merry book and maybe I've changed but A SHIVER OF LIGHT didn't deliver all of the bang that I've hoped for. It's a nice entry into the series and I'm glad to finally know what's happening with Merry and her men but it wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped.  All the same, it's nice to have them back and I hope it won't ben another five years before the next instalment.

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by Tynga at Monday, July 07, 2014

 Adult, Fey/Faeries, Laurell K Hamilton, Laurell K. Hamilton, Merry Gentry, Netgalley, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Review, Urban Fantasy  2 People left their mark

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Daring You To Read… Guilty Pleasures Laurell K. Hamilton

A few weeks ago, I posted my review of Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton and I also mentioned that I was trying to catch up with the series, for its newest release coming this June. Before I read the next one on my list, I wanted to go back and read the book that started it all, Guilty Pleasures. This book is what really started my addiction to vampire and paranormal books. Thanks Laurell!

I know it might sound tacky, but Guilty Pleasures is one of my guilty pleasures. This is probably my fourth time reading it and since I enjoyed it so much, I decided to get all of you hooked on it too, by Daring You To Read it!

In this first installment, we are introduced to Anita Blake, vampire executioner and necromancer (or zombie raiser). She is also on retainer for the police, helping them with cases because of her expertise on everything vampire and supernatural. She is one kick-ass female who owns many guns and knives—and she  isn’t afraid to use them. We are also introduced to a multitude of other great characters, like Jean-Luc, one of Anita’s main love interests throughout the series. He’s a very sexy, centuries old vampire and one of the strongest in the city of St-Louis. For many reasons, Anita has caught his attention. He seems to be attracted to her because of her outright refusal of his advances. She can also withstand his vampire wiles, which seems to add to the challenge of seducing her. Their chemistry is pretty intense and it’s what makes you come back for more. Obviously, in this book, she resists his charms, but eventually he does becomes one of her main love interest.

Anita’s hatred for vampires isn’t limited to Jean-Claude. At first, she ignores the vampire killings happening in the city but after a little coercing from the vampires, she agrees to look into the murders. However, taking the case might not be the safest option for Anita. She might not be able to come out of this alive—not without help.

What I like most about this series is that Laurell K. Hamilton makes the existence of vampires almost ordinary. Even if there’s nothing ordinary about these vampires, they have integrated themselves so well into this society, that it’s hard to believe they don’t really exist. This series is full of action, mystery, humour, and blood. You won’t be able to resist the first few books. With time, Anita starts to gain a following of lovers, which personally, I really don’t mind, but might be offensive to others.

If you haven’t already read this book, I urge you to pick it up. You won’t regret it!

 

My name is Anita Blake. Vampires call me “The Executioner”. What I call them isn’t repeatable.

Ever since the Supreme Court granted the undead equal rights, most people think vampires are just ordinary folks with fangs. I know better. I’ve seen their victims. I carry the scars…

But now a serial killer is murdering vampires—and the most powerful bloodsucker in town wants me to find the killer… “

“In a world where vampires, zombies and werewolves have been declared legal citizens of the United States, Anita Blake is an “animator” – a profession that involves raising the dead for mourning relatives. But Anita is also known as a fearsome hunter of criminal vampires, and she’s often employed to investigate cases that are far too much for conventional police. But as Anita gains the attention of the vampire masters of her hometown of St Louis, she also risks revealing an intriguing secret about herself – the source of her unusual strength and power.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Here is a look at the rest of the series.There might be a lot of books, but trust me, they are all worth reading!

Want to participate in Daring You To Read? Here’s how:

- You choose a book you’ve read, loved and would dare your readers to read!

- The book you choose must be an older release (at least 6 months ago), because let’s be honest, we’re all quite aware of the latest releases.

- Write your own blog post, using the button and linking back to Tynga’s Reviews, inviting your readers to read your chosen book.

- Come back on Tynga’s Reviews and put your link in the linking tool.

- Browse other bloggers Dare and let them know if you’ve read their featured book, or plan on reading it.

- Super easy and an awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

Don’t forget to add your own Daring You To Read… post in the linky below.

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by Unknown at Thursday, April 05, 2012

 Daring You to Read, Laurell K Hamilton, Penguin  3 People left their mark

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