Writers Relief

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novels

I just read book eight in the Anita Blake series and all I can say, in a word, is Damn! These books just keep getting better and better. As the series started way back in Guilty Pleasures, and Anita meets Jean-Claude for the first time, she is already a kick ass Necromancer who raises the dead for a living, and starts to have some vampiric problems. But seven books later. . .

I was like the wood in the center of the fire. Richard was the flame, and the wereleopards warmed themselves against that heat. They took it into themselves, bathed in it, wrapped it around themselves like a promise. Standing there, caught between Richard's power, the wereleolards' needs, and that awful touch of Raina, like some foul perfume, I prayed: Dear God, don't let me fail them.
When she chose Master Vampire Jean-Claude over her ex-fiance, alpha werewolf Richard Zeeman, Anita learned that sometimes love is not enough. But though she and Richard won't be walking down any aisles, she can't turn her back on him when he's arrested on a rape charge in Tennessee. Anita knows firsthand that Richard has the morals of a saint-or at least a Boy Scout. But his guilt or innocence is not the issue. He's behind bars, and in five days a full moon will rise...

My take on this is that Anita is very loyal and I almost feel like I should capitalize loyalty when it comes to her. Although she left Richard it was out of fear: he shapeshifted right on top of her and then she saw him eat someone he had just killed. Nothing like a little cannibalism to make a girl squeamish. However, when she ran from him she just happened to run right into the arms of Jean-Claude. These three are what is called a Triumvirate. They share each others' power because Anita kept them both from dying by doing a Marking ritual of which there a four marks, and they share three of them. Making Anita the human servant of the city's Master Vampire, and Richard the Vampires' wolf to call. Now Anita has come into so much of her own power that it's uncertain who is master and who is servant.
To me Anita is an enigma in the sense that she will blow someones head off, sleep with the undead, and a few other naughty little things, but she is a total prude. However, she is working on it, and by the end of the book she is getting better. Which is a very good thing because she killed the Nimir-raj, Gabriel, who was the leader of the local wereleopards which left them without a leader, and they became anybodies meat . . . just so much meat. So, being who she is she couldn't allow that to happen because of something she had done, and she offered them her protection which made her their Nimir-ra. There is a lot of physical contact with animals and it's not always done for sex, but every time they try to touch her to be comforted she gets freaked out and thinks it's sexual, and won't allow it. I think it's because deep down inside she is a very sexual person and she fears that side of herself. Personally, I think there's nothing wrong with a healthy sexual appetite as long as both parties know what the rules and expectations are. See, great sex and no emotional trauma. Well, enough about me. I absolutely recommend this book, but it might be better, if you're not familiar with this series, to start with the first book, Guilty Pleasures, and work your way through.

Happy Reading!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

New Blog

Hi guys. Sorry I haven't been here for so long. I've gone back to school to major in Art and am loving it. I have a new blog page called Life Transparent, and would love for you to join me there. It's no longer just book reviews, although there are some there. The new address is kimberlynn-shaffer-silva.blogspot.com
Hope to see you there. Until then I wish you peace and love and happiness.