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!

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.

I've not abandoned you...

Hi folks, I just wanted to let you know that I haven't abandoned you. I'm working on my own book right now and it's taking up a lot of my time as well as draining me emotionally. It's a book called 'MEMOIRS OF A HEROIN ADDICT' and there are times that it feels as if it's trying to suck my soul, and my brain, right out of me. But, fear not, I'm tougher than that, and I will prevail *evil laugh*. Just keep me in prayer, for those of you that pray; and for those that don't, please send me good thoughts. Thanks so much. BTW, when I come back I'll have a couple reviews from Christina Dodd: her new book, Chains of Ice from The Chosen Ones series, and Scent of Darkness; the first book in the Darkness Chosen series. I strongly suggest that you not wait for me to tell you about it and you run out and buy them for yourselves. They are wonderful, and she's a writer worth reading. Until next time, all the best to you.

More on Christina Dodd...

Well, since I wrote that last blog this morning I have finished The Chosen Ones book that I was reading (as I said, I happened to fall into this completely backwards), and started in on the Darkness Chosen series, with Scent of Darkness (can you believe it? I, miraculously, began with the first book of the series), and I have not been able to put it down. I am just now paused at the beginning of chapter 16: this book is a serious page-turner. She is a really great writer that writes like people talk. Very exciting and easy to read. I'm off the enjoy the rest of the book. I just wanted to update you on its awesomeness.

New to me: Longtime writer, Christina Dodd

Ive recently been introduced to longtime writer, Christina Dodd and I'm very impressed with what I've read so far...
The Chosen Ones series: books about abandoned children that have been given gifts. Depending on the people that find and rescue these Abandoned Ones, they either become Chosen Ones, who fight on the side of good, or the Others, who fight on the side of evil. These books are well written, interesting, and very exciting. I will give you more information on this wonderful writer as I'm able. In the mean time, I would highly recommend any one of her many books. You can find her @
http://www.christinadodd.com/
I know I'm doing this backwards, but with me that's nothing new. I've just started to read the Darkness Chosen series that leads into the Chosen Ones series. I'm really excited to begin digging into these books. I'll keep you posted with the thrilling outcome...

Bad Moon Rising

Kenyon heats it up again in her latest book from the Dark-Hunter series, Bad Moon Rising. This book leaves you panting, pulsating and breathless on practically every page. I love the way it lets you reminisce on days gone by from other books while still sounding fresh and without leaving you feeling like, "oh, I've already heard that."
Fang Kattalakis, a shape-shifting wolf (by the way Fang, I think I might be in heat) has only two people...er...wolves that he can trust: his littermates, Vane and Anya. Due to a long-standing fight between their parents, Markus, their father has a seething hatred towards them. Well, except for Anya; and it's only her love of her brothers that has kept them safe from their fathers wrath thus far. When a chain of events brings a Daimon attack on their pack and Anya is killed its no-holds-barred revenge on Fang and Vane from Markus, who happens to have ulterrior motives (don't all bad guys though) for wanting their demise. However, things don't turn out the way Markus had hoped/planned/bargained for and they......read the book
Aimee is the darling of the Peltier bear clan. The only female in a litter of what seems like a dirty dozen, dripping with testosterone and sex-appeal
Oh Hell!!!..........there's a crisis that demands my attention. I will return later, (soon,I hope).

Ok, I'm back. And now for the rest of the story...
Aimee is the Peltier boys' excuse for mangling any unwary fool who happens to get too close to her. They are more than protective of her, and even have a coffin at Sanctuary; the Bar they run that is actually a safe haven for all those that are more than human: Dark-Hunters, Daimons, Apolites, gods, goddesses, and whatever else happens to need a safe place to stay for the moment. The main rule at Sanctuary is "Come in peace or leave in peices," and that's not just a cute saying, it's the absolute truth. I don't know about any of you, but it really pisses me off that Sherrilyn Kenyon's brain isn't bigger because I really want to rent a room there. And now Mama Lo (Mama Bear Peltier) is trying to get Aimee mated to someone from one of the other bear-clans because she's in heat, but Aimee is having none of it. She only feels heat for a wolf, and that could get them both killed. So they sneak around to make out, while all kinds of hell breaks loose around them. Wren, a tigard that Mama Lo raised but hates is kicked out of Sanctuary and has a death order hanging over his head for something he didn't do, and when he comes back to exact his revenge Vane and Fury (another brother) show up and offer their support to him. Fang takes Aimee and they all disappear. Now things really get interesting...

I fear that if I continue to write about all of the things that I love and that were absolutely wonderful and worthy of a Kenyon book I will tell everything and you won't need to buy the book. For those of you that are already Kenyon fans, you will not be disappointed with this book. For those of you that are new to her, you will become (like myself & so many others ) die hard fan as well. I'm a huge fan of all things Greek and when I stumbled on a book called The Dream-Hunter (I believe it's 11th into the series) I was so hooked that I went on a hunt for all of them. I went through them lightening fast, and always eagerly await the next release. Sometimes in front of the bookstore with drool sliding unatractively out of the side of my mouth.

Coming later today....

Later today I will be posting reviews of the latest in the Dark-Hunter series "Bad Moon Rising" about Fang Kattalakis and Aimee Peltier. It's an awesome story by an even more awesome author, so don't miss it. I know I had posted her first in the series first, and had planned to post them as written, but I think this needs to post now......