Smolder by Laurell K. Hamilton

Vampire hunter Anita Blake is no stranger to killing monsters. It’s part of her job as a Preternatural U.S. Marshal, after all. But even her experience isn’t enough to stop something that is bent on destroying everything—and everyone—she loves.

Anita Blake is engaged to Jean-Claude, the new vampire king of America. Humans think she’s gone over to the side of the monsters. The vampires fear that their new king has fallen under the spell of the most powerful necromancer in a thousand years.

In the midst of wedding preparations—including getting Edward, aka U.S. Marshal Ted Forrester, fitted as best man—Anita gets a call that the local police need her expertise at a brutal murder scene linked to a nationwide slaughter of vampires and humans, dubbed the Sunshine Murders.

But there is more than just a murderer to catch: an ancient evil has arrived in St. Louis to challenge Jean-Claude for his crown, his life, Anita, and all they hold dear. Even with Jean-Claude’s new powers as king and Anita’s necromancy, it isn’t enough; they must embrace their triumvirate or allow primeval darkness to spread across the country, possessing first the vampires and then the humans. Evil will triumph unless Jean-Claude and Anita can prove that love conquers all.

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series!
For book #26, Serpentine, click HERE.
For book #27, Sucker Punch, click HERE.
For book #28, Rafael, click HERE.

 

 

Book 29
Buy Links

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Apple Books  ~  B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  Kobo
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Berkley (PRH)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Smolder is the 29th installment in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. No, you can absolutely not read this as a standalone or out of series order. Do you need to read all 28 books prior? No. As long as you've read most of them, there would be no issue keeping up with the world building.

This review will have a different format than usual, a list rather than paragraph form, while trying to avoid spoilers. We're 29 books deep – fans will understand why I'm making a list. As someone who spent the last eight weeks rereading every novel and short in this series, I feel like a bit of an expert on what readers and fans are looking for in the newest installment, in order to gauge if they wish to read or skip.

1: Edward and Peter open the novel. It was some much needed dark humor and a strong emotional connection devoid of any agenda. Anita needs Edward in her life, as do the readers. We need Edward in Anita's life.

2: Anita finally speaks to her father after 29 novels. While only on the phone, it sets up the next novel in the series, which will include her entire family. Some heavy emotional labor is shown, which serves to make Anita much more relatable to readers. Human. Plucked my heartstrings and drew tears to my eyes, made me remember the Anita that captured my heart.

3: We get a glimpse of Jason. Sure did miss him.

4: Dolph is back, even if only a cameo. He may not speak as Dolph used to, but it was nice to have a grounding force back in Anita's life.

5: Richard is back and he threw one helluva curve ball.

6: We're still dragging a dead horse up a never-ending hill, but it is less than in past novels. The poly negotiations are still there, wish it was toned down even more, but it made sense this time around. I wish Anita didn't get coerced into being with people she doesn't love, let alone even like, but Anita has self-awareness of this fact. FINALLY. I do believe sexuality is fluid, but Hamilton seems to believe you can convince yourself, be coerced, or grit your teeth and bear it when it comes to sexual preferences. I'm not a fan of this narrative. I was born this way – life experience and knowledge made me aware and accept it. Being pestered or forced isn't going to change my orientation.

7: A big bad dragon blows into town. Lots of discussions over this, yet it was left dangling for the next installment. While not a cliffhanger, elements and plots that manifested during Smolder took a backseat, used as a vehicle to push something that has been on the horizon for 29 novels. I assume this will be picked back up during Slay. I just wish this long-anticipated element was more climactic.

8: This wasn't an orgy-filled erotic novel. There was one portion of the novel that was sex-centric. It was more like two scenes that bled into one. The first scene made me hot under the collar, the second was a scene fans have been thirsting for for decades. It fell flat to me. Anita was disconnected. As a reader, I was emotionally disconnected as well. It was almost fade-to-black-esque. It was happening with no details, which would have been fine, but there weren't many emotions either. I understood because Anita was conflicted. I just wish I could get this scene in another's point of view, better yet – two points of view. Anita wasn't the best person to show this "connection."

9: Who here wants to see Kane get TKOed by a human?

10: There are still characters that I just feel are a waste of page-time. They pop up out of nowhere, lend nothing to the story or the series, but are just in the way. There are less of these every book as Hamilton gives Anita self-awareness to not cave to the boundaries she's set. There needs to be more boundaries. The biggest issue is how these characters are devoid of character traits outside of appearance and neediness. They're just there, in the way, popping up out of nowhere, and I'm unsure why they're included. There's no emotional connection. Most of Anita's tigers to call and two of her three brides are just one-dimensional cards tossed on the table in the discard pile to muck up the game.

There was an entire section, that even JC commented on how these people kept stepping in their path to distract them from the matter at hand, minutes from dawn when he dies for the day.

Imagine you're running to the bathroom before you pee yourself, but everyone you pass grabs your arm and forces you to talk for an hour about things that happened a decade ago. The closer you get to the bathroom, the more people who refuse to hear your no or pleas for a toilet. They grab you and refuse to let you go, ridiculous, unnecessary conversations. One has the audacity to tell you to suck her breasts. (You have to pee, remember. In this case, JC is about to crash for the day and needed to do some metaphysics before that happens.) Then all the sudden, your creator forgets you were on the way to the bathroom and doesn't even make you pee your pants. This is Anita with all the people around her, with Hamilton driving the bus.

Dawn is in a matter of minutes, JC is in a panic, why is kissing Angel important RIGHT NOW? WHY? Just kiss her and get it over with and walk away, why discuss it. Why even stop in the hallway. Nod and walk by – King and Queen in a crisis, no you don't matter right now, Angel.

I read this entire scene in pure frustration, unsure why I had to deal with this tedium. It always feels so forced and cringy. It ultimately tied together, but it could have been tied together without Angel. She wasn't the tie, her brother was.

As a woman who enjoys other women, I find pushing women at Anita uncomfortable and cringy. Society pushes us enough, experiencing this via Anita's eyes is not sexy – it's exhausting and painful. At least we don't have to suffer through Jade, but I wish Envy and Angel would go away. The guys with them aren’t the issue. But insufferably dealing with Angel being demanding when they're in a metaphysical crisis seemed ridiculous at best. It just left me thinking, "Go away! I'd rather have Kane on scene. At least he fits the dynamic happening." (My wish was granted seconds later. Ha!) Hamilton forcing Anita to pretend to want women... the readers don't buy into it. It's like lying to yourself and everyone around you realizes but you.

11: I'm glad the characters are in therapy, but mentioning this in every conversation is now another dead horse being dragged up yet another mountain. Is it a conversation? A negotiation? Verbal combat? They're all so insufferable. It's not as bad as in previous installments but I hope Hamilton keeps whittling this down to a minimum. I couldn't have people like this in my life, yet everyone in Anita's life is like this. It's why I understand Anita's need to go out of town for Marshal business with Edward. How refreshing that violence is easier than clingy, needy, emotional vampires. All of them start to sound the same when the whining begins. I wish Hamilton would write a scene where Anita just walks off and they don't realize until later that they've been whining to one another and mommy left. I think they all need more therapy. Less talking to each other and more to their doctors.

12: JC screaming "Enough!" "You will keep a civil tongue in your head toward my queen, or I will tear it from your head and let you wait in silence for it to grow back." JC's balls dropped. I just wish he would do this more often. Tell people to step off and get out of his face and leave Anita alone. Stop the whining. Be king. Why suffer from the weight of all the power if you can't tell your underlings to back off?

Overall Thoughts: Anita seems more self-aware, less likely to be coerced, even though numerous characters are nonstop manipulating her for their own ends. While not a cliffhanger, Smolder felt like half a novel since the plot threads introduced led to nowhere. I don't mind this, as I understand how difficult it is to successfully write what should be two novels because the plot was so big. But that doesn't mean that it wasn't obvious that the novel took three or four misturns, as if it wasn't sure which type of novel it wanted to be. Wedding. Cop. Relationship BS. Metaphysical Crisis.

I enjoyed Smolder, read in two sittings as I needed to go to bed for the night. It wasn't as frustrating and tedious as previous installments. It's always a homecoming to read characters that you know like the back of your hand. As Anita gets more powerful, now that she will be queen, I understand how everyone and anyone around her would need her, push her, pressure her, and hide behind her. Heavy is the head that wears the crown. I just wish Hamilton would write Anita's nearest and dearest to be soft places to fall, to be her equals, to help instead of hurt. Otherwise, this experiment in the ultimate poly group is more like abuse than love with Anita as its victim.

 

 

LAURELL K. HAMILTON is a full-time writer and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.

Connect with Laurell K. Hamilton

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ARC provided by

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided with a free copy of Smolder (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #29) by Laurell K. Hamilton to read and review.

Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton

Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk everything to be at his side…

But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only room in America for one supernatural king, and Rafael will turn them into nothing more than food for the bloodsuckers.

Among his enemies, a new challenger has arisen who is younger, hungrier, and has dark secrets that could destroy both the wererats and the vampires. Rafael will go into the magical heart of his people to find the power and violence that he needs to save them all, or die trying.

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series!
For book #26, Serpentine, click HERE.
For book #27, Sucker Punch, click HERE.

 

 

Book 28
Buy Links

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B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Paperback (US)

 

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars

I love the rats! Rafael’s book feels overdue and I really enjoyed getting a glimpse of his kingdom. We’ve had multiple books about wolves, leopards, lions, and hyenas while the rats stayed an unobtrusive constant in the background.

It feels odd to admit that I don’t particularly love Rafael in his own book. He’s interchangeably calculating, self-serving, whiny, and self-defeating. He’s supposed to be an old soul, but his actions are naive and his interactions with women need work. But he’s interesting. And his world feels fresh and new. Even after a couple dozen books, I was intrigued by the politics and the hierarchies in the rats’ world.

The highlight of this book is the final 40%, where Rafael has to fight a challenger for his title and his life. I love the gladiatorial style fighting arena and the complicated rules of engagement. Anita is strong and she is flanked by Claudia (always a favourite) and Pierette, who really comes into her own in this story.

The weaker part of the story is everything that comes before Anita’s trip to the rats’ warehouse. At book 28, readers who’ve managed to stick with the series know all about the sexual dynamics between Anita and her lovers. We know the power dynamics between Anita and her various lovers, triads, animals to call... Two thirds of this book just rehashes all of these dynamics in long, complicated conversations. I feel like we’ve even read identical conversations before. There’s only one (very vanilla) sex scene in the book and it doesn’t involve any of the men I particularly like. We get a glimpse of Micah and Nathaniel and a moment with Jean-Claude, but the rest is just talk. The strategy conversations are interesting. The power and sex conversations are just tiresome. I'm starting to wonder if any of the long-planned weddings will ever happen – and if I'll still care by the time they do.

My advice? Hardcore Anita fans like me can probably wait until this is released cheaply on Kindle. I’d also suggest fans skip to chapter 15 for an exciting look at Rafael’s world without missing anything in the first 60% of the book. Anyone who isn’t a massive fan of the series will be completely lost and should probably start at the beginning of Anita’s adventures.


Erica – ☆☆☆
4 stars for the latter portion.
1-2 stars for well over the first half.
3 stars in total

Rafael is the 28th installment in the Anita Blake series. No, it cannot be read as a standalone. However, I don't believe there to be much confusion if a longtime reader of the series jumped ahead and read the novel if they weren't up-to-date, especially if they've read at least 20 or so of the novels.

As a fan of the series, a fanatic of the author, I'm going to be brutally honest. If you're not into the tedium of wading through relationship drama that has been rehashed for books upon books, I suggest you skip to around the 60% mark in the novel and read from there.

The first 40% of the novel takes place in a hallway, Anita debating to take a shower, with whom (as to not hurt feelings), with how many (as if after working out you want to do anything but wash the sweat off yourself in privacy), who watches the shower take place (it's a freaking shower!), what will occur in the shower (other than washing herself).

Anita is so conflicted, she can't seem to make a decisive choice, use her voice, or trust her feelings, fearing she will hurt someone else's feelings over what she truly thinks or feels, to the point Anita has lost herself.

Anita is deep in there somewhere, and she needs to leave town and all of these emotional vampires behind (some of them actual vampires, namely Asher) and get some perspective, allow herself to be herself, and be around people who actual care for her happiness and mental health. Return with some perspective and break off romantic relationships with individuals who should just be family/friend/metaphysically bound/coworker – they do NOT need to be her partner. The power imbalance of being in a romantic partnership with someone who is your subordinate is creepy at the very least. Partners are equals. If Anita is their Queen, she cannot be their equal.

This would solve the marriage conundrum as well. At this point, I hope Anita never marries, as I do not like many of them in how they do not put anyone but themselves first, coercing Anita into a position they all know she doesn't wish to be in. Toxic. Abusive.

In the end, after 40% of a novel, Anita takes a shower, and after such deliberation, said shower takes half a page. I was at a loss with that, to be honest, and closed out the novel because of it.

Rafael, a strong character I've adored since he debuted in the first in the series. The Rat King, a force to be reckoned with, loyal and logical, selflessly putting himself at risk to protect his people and the people of others. Almost a male version of Anita. The voice of reason, older than Anita, acting as a mentor and advisor when she needed advice the most.

To be honest, I wish Rafael had stayed in the same category as Edward, with no sexual interaction between them. I could respect him more had it stayed that way.

Toward the latter portion of Rafael (the novel), the reader learns how the magical system for the rats differs from the other wereanimals.

What bothered me greatly, especially in the first 60% (other than dragging their relationship like a dead horse) was the hypocrisy. Anita is upset with Rafael for taking advantage during a metaphysical event, leaving her feeling as it was nonconsensual.

After the reader was subjected to over a hundred pages of various characters shaming and coercing Rafael for not sleeping with a woman they specifically picked out for him (in that shower that barely took place, his NO making the shower short). Not once had Rafael shown interest, acted as if he needed to bed anyone else. Perfectly content in his position in Anita's life. (One of the easiest people in her life, but since he wasn't being demanding, clearly he was lying and needed more attention, right? Versus taking a King at his word.) Anita took his NO, after demanding explanation, as if Rafael had to defend his reasoning for not wishing to have sex with a random character.

As a long-term fan, having read the initial books numerous times and the later books several, I still do not know half of the later people added to their poly group. They're just there, coming on scene to mix things up, so many that they have zero personality and take away from the character development for the initial characters, lessening their relationships with Anita. This particular woman's name starts with a P, and I've never found her particularly remarkable or memorable, only the name sparking my recollection when she randomly pops up. Why P was so necessary at all in Rafael's novel, I have no idea. Perhaps just so readers didn't forget her, because I forget her the instant her name isn't on the pages.

After Anita pushed this woman onto Rafael, where he had to give his entire history as to why he didn't want to sleep with P, "Told" instead of "Shown" in a long dialogue... Nathanial comes in, also guilting/shaming Rafael for not sleeping with the woman, because she's so beautiful and it will hurt her feelings. Nathanial just couldn't rationalize why Rafael said no.

Which of those scenarios features nonconsensual themes? Overstepping during metaphysical powers, or actual rape culture shown on the pages?

I wish LKH would worry more about these characters professions, friends, hobbies, and getting lives of their own, instead of focusing on who is going to sleep with whom. There is so much emotional baggage Anita is dragging, adding more people to occupy the people before, but then she takes on these new people's problems as if they're hers, and so on... that I'm starting to loathe every single one of these needy, clingy, emotionally stunted individuals, many hundreds of years old acting as children. These are not her problems. I have problems in my own life, and it just stresses me out, the tedium and mental/emotional abuse from having these individuals in Anita's life. It's beyond toxic and not a good representation of a poly relationship.

My suggestion, skip to the end, where the action starts, where information of how the rats function both mystically and as a society, as that was interesting, but buried beneath so much filler that has been regurgitated over and over so many times.

Recommended to long-time Anita Blake readers and LKH fans. If you're in the relationship angst camp, read the entire novel. If you find it tedious, skip to the part where that ends. Most of the novels are on my reread list, Rafael is on par with Jason, where I wished I hadn't read it the first time.

 

 

LAURELL K. HAMILTON is a full-time writer and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.

Connect with Laurell

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Rafael (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #28) by Laurell K. Hamilton to read and review.

Sucker Punch by Laurell K. Hamilton

A brutal murder, a suspect in jail, and an execution planned—but what if the wrong person is about to be killed?

When a fellow U.S. Marshal asks Anita Blake to fly to a tiny community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on an emergency consult, she knows time is running short. When she arrives, there is plenty of proof that a young wereleopard killed his uncle in the most gruesome and bloody way possible. As the mounting evidence points to him, a warrant of execution is already under way.

But something seems off about the murder, and Anita has been asked for her expert opinion on the crime scene. Despite escalating pressure from local cops and the family’s cries for justice for their dead patriarch, Anita quickly realizes that the evidence doesn’t quite add up.

Time is against Anita, as the tight-knit community is up in arms and its fear of supernaturals is growing. She races to uncover the truth and determine whether the Marshals have caught the killer or are about to execute an innocent man—all in the name of justice.

Book 27
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
No sex. Really. This is an Anita Blake book without any on page sex. It’s an out of town police procedural with an edited cast – and it’s really rather good.

As much as I do enjoy a good supernatural orgy, I also love Anita’s growth in her role as a US Marshal. This book is more of a conventional murder mystery than anything I can remember previously in the series. Fans of the series will find the slightly Agatha Christie style investigation (including a mansion and a dysfunctional wealthy family full of suspects) fairly surreal. But I’d urge readers to give it a chance. I really enjoyed this.

I think the highlight of this book is the way it questions the ethics and morality of policing and the dangers of ‘othering’ communities to the point where the law considers a human life of more value than a supernatural life. I may be guilty of reading too much into this series from the start, but the questions Anita asks, the positions various law enforcement officers take, and the various perceptions of justice in this story seem terrifyingly poignant at a time when America is grappling with racism, the ‘othering’ of very human communities, and horrific police brutality. There aren’t easy answers here but there are some passages that really made me stop and think.

I always love the books which focus on Edward and Olaf and both are great here. And while we don’t get any on page sex – of course, there are lengthy discussions and several long internal monologues explaining all of Anita’s preferences, proclivities, and emotions. And while some of this is repetitive and tiresome, by book 27 readers either love Anita or they’ve given up on the series. Personally, I love the many twists and turns this series has taken and I've come to terms with my slightly unhealthy but completely unconditional love for Anita.


Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
5 Olaf Stars. Seriously, just give Olaf all the stars.

Olaf "Otto" Jefferies, the ultimate scene-stealer.

Sucker Punch is the 27th installment in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. Can it be read as a standalone? No. Can it be read out of series order? Also no. Do you have to read the 26 installments prior? No. But I'd suggest you better have read around the first 20 or so.

Okay, so readers only want to know two things.

Is Sucker Punch an LKH erotic orgy of a sex-fest or a police-procedural? I'd add vampy politics to the list, but that generally goes hand in hand with the sex-fest.

Police procedural. Full stop. Angsty overthinking and too many in-depth conversations (but that is classic LKH). There was zero sex, not even metaphorical sex. You read that right. No sex. None. Nada. Just kissing. Mostly chaste kissing.

Are you feeling Sucker Punched by that? I know I was.

Does Edward "Ted" Forrester, aka Death, show up on scene?

Oh, yes! Mr. Mentor was there, more in the background. But his comforting, reassuring, mentoring, logical presence was a cool wash of sanity. Fingers crossed we see his family in the next installment. I want to see how Peter is growing up.

I won't go into detail over the plot, simply because it's a whodunit. A leopard is caught up in the murder of his uncle-pseudo father figure, and Anita and company try to discover the truth of who killed the billionaire patriarch, refusing to be used as the weapon employed by the true murderer to execute the person they framed, the person in their way to inherit billions.

Tons of back-and-forth cop posturing, which can become tedious. But it was so classic LKH that I loved every second of redundancy.

Now... onto the shock, probably the sucker punch, if you will, but I assume that twist at the end is the true sucker punch.

Olaf.

Olaf and Anita.

Olaf behaving.

Olaf the lion to Anita's lioness.

I've never experienced such a chaste Cat vs Cat hunt before, with Anita the prey to Olaf's predator. The sexual tension was off the charts, not smoldering but slow-burn that ignites. I want more. Gimme more, Laurell K. Hamilton. Please, give us more.

Never thought LKH was hilarious, but I've spent hours chuckling in discomfort and second-hand embarrassment blushing, in a shocked combination of "Holy Hell, what am I reading?" and "How the Hell does Anita have such chemistry with Olaf, reminiscent of the first few books where she battled Jean Claude's creepy affections?"

What I didn't enjoy, other than the predicable mystery sleuthing (but it was fun in a frustrating sort of way) is that we didn't need Nicky to bring Ethan, Angel, and the others. Death, War, Plague and others were on the case, there was no need, not even metaphorically. Their intrusion was unnecessary, and it was more than a speedbump, more like a roadblock. It tore me from the story, took away most of the "What am I reading? excitement and just made it chaotic, with too many characters on scene, none of it necessary, muddying up the entertainment I was experiencing. I like Nicky, that's isn't it. It just wasn't needed and changed the pacing and the flow of the story.

(Hands Olaf a couple more stars) I'm a sucker for a sociopath, especially since I'm his victim profile. Snort.

Highly recommended to Anita Blake fans, especially those who enjoyed the first ten novels in the series before Anita picked up the need to feed metaphorically through sex.

Laurell K. Hamilton is a full-time writer and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.

Connect with Laurell

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Sucker Punch (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #27) by Laurell K. Hamilton to read and review.

Serpentine by Laurell K. Hamilton

Vampire hunter Anita Blake has managed to overcome everything she faces. But this time there's a monster that even she doesn't know how to fight...

A remote Florida island is the perfect wedding destination for the upcoming nuptials of Anita's fellow U.S. Marshal and best friend Edward. For Anita, the vacation is a welcome break, as it's the first trip she gets to take with wereleopards Micah and Nathaniel. But it's not all fun and games and bachelor parties...

In this tropical paradise Micah discovers a horrific new form of lycanthropy, one that has afflicted a single family for generations. Believed to be the result of an ancient Greek curse, it turns human bodies into a mass of snakes.

When long-simmering resentment leads to a big blowout within the wedding party, the last thing Anita needs is more drama. But it finds her anyway when women start disappearing from the hotel, and worse—her own friends and lovers are considered the prime suspects. There's a strange power afoot that Anita has never confronted before, a force that's rendering those around her helpless in its thrall. Unable to face it on her own, Anita is willing to accept help from even the deadliest places. Help that she will most certainly regret—if she survives at all, that is...

Book 26
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
Anita’s road trip books are always my favourite and they are always better when Edward and the four horsemen take center stage. This is the story of Edward’s wedding weekend – a wedding weekend that is quickly overshadowed by murder and the discovery of a terrifying family of snake shifters.

As always, this story starts slowly. Really, really slowly. It takes a good portion of the book for Anita to explain her current relationships and attempt to help her men through their various insecurities. There is actually much less sex than I’ve come to expect from this series and once the murder mystery starts, the focus is almost completely on Anita’s work as a Marshal. The actual murder mystery is exciting and after so many books, I was pleasantly surprised that the author managed to come up with a few fresh plot devices.

I find it interesting that Anita now uses the language of the polyamorous community to describe her complicated relationships because Anita’s experimentation with polyamory started years before there was much public awareness of polyamory. I was intrigued by various characters’ desires for alone time in this book and I was also interested in the way Anita’s circle of partners has shrunk considerably since the ardeur-fuelled orgies a few books back. This book focuses on the relationships between Anita, Jean-Claude, Nathaniel, and Micah. With engagements in place and a long history behind these four, there are some thoughtful observations about the work that goes into sustaining long-term relationships. Maybe not as sexy as the orgies once were but probably more meaningful.

I really enjoyed this story – but I don’t think I’m capable of an impartial response to any book in this series. I’ve been a fan from the very start and beyond the vampire porn there are moments and observations in so many of the books that have resonated with me. So many of Anita’s musings about identity, relationships, and power have made me reflect, made me think, and have ultimately made me stronger. I have taken different things from these books at different moments in my life and after twenty-six books, I am way too emotionally invested in Anita Blake to offer a neutral critique. I’m already looking forward to the next book.


Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Disclosure: I had not read past Hit List, reading the previous books in the series dozens of times each. However, being so far behind didn’t offer much confusion. I easily caught up to speed, without spoiling much that may have happened in those books I own yet have yet to read.

At the start, I found the relationship issues to get rather tedious, reminding me of parents (the characters) bickering in front of their children (the reader). Wading through this manufactured strife/angst, during the beginning 25-30%, I was close to DNFing multiple times. They fought over everything big or small, taking offense to everything, where the plot stopped for the reader to sit through their conversational therapy. Everything was tedious, difficult to get through, with the entertainment value of watching loved ones fight.

Things readers will want to know: This simmers down. There is little to no sex, what is there is fade-to-black-esque. The bickering is classic LKH, so I rolled with it. No fangy fun. No hungry Anita, needing a harem to feast. Shifters, not vamps. Police procedural.

Finally, once the cast gets to the Florida Keys, the novel flows into a mystery to solve, which had me reading quickly, wishing to know what happened next. This was classic Anita Blake.

What I loved: The feeling of homecoming as my favorite characters made an appearance. Edward ‘Ted’ has always been one who most intrigued me, and I’m thankful and applaud LKH for maintaining Anita and Edward’s best-friendship by keeping it platonic yet emotionally connected. Olaf ‘Otto' Jeffreys. If Olaf is in a book, I’ll read every word, and Anita and Olaf's interactions were fascinating and had amazing payoff for the reader. Peter. Peter. Peter. I need more Edward, Peter, and Olaf monster hunting with Anita. Peter needs to join the Four Horsemen, make it five somehow, because Bernardo is awesome too. The Four Horsemen was pure perfection.

What I didn’t love: The parents bickering in front of the children (characters vs reader). The polyamory discussions that went past educational. I am a firm believer in polyamory, but this went beyond organically unveiled. These two issues roll into one, and felt like beating a dead horse (the reader's patience). The swimming pool scenes were beyond irrational, with women written that give the female gender a bad name, while emasculating men for their inability NOT to flirt or tell women NO.

Overall, I struggled at the start but eventually fell into the storyline. I do believe Serpentine was a worthy installment and recommend to fans, as I never pass up the chance to push Guilty Pleasures at new readers. I plan on reading those books I’ve missed before the next installment, which I cannot wait to get my hands on.


Kris – ☆☆☆
Well, I'm not sure where to go with this review. I’ll start by saying that I've been a fan for many years of the Anita Blake series and I've read them all. But did not read book #23 or #24. After Jason's book (book #22), I pretty much gave up. When this came up for review I decided I'd give one of my favorite authors another chance. I have to say, I'm pretty indifferent. I don’t think things have gotten any better for my longtime favorite. I was over 40% into the book and not a single thing was happening in the plot. You're in for total over descriptiveness (which was always present but exacerbated in the past few books) of clothing, scenery, hair color, facial expressions. There's bickering about who gets to have Anita's attention, and even Nathaniel became a bit whiny! Micah's character is usually my rock when things get crazy, but he was sort of never really present, always on the phone or out of town. There's hardly any Jean-Claude in this one except a brief scene in the beginning. Not even really good steamy scenes. The story FINALLY kicks in around the 80% mark with a murder scene and abduction and then does this Scooby Do ending where it all wraps up with one bad guy giving all the plot points and who-done-its. I was determined to finish this, and it took quite a bit of skimming. I love these characters, they're like old friends to me after 22 books. I'd love to see something better come out of this!

Laurell K. Hamilton is a full-time writer and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She lives in a suburb of St. Louis with her family.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Serpentine (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #26) by Laurell K. Hamilton to read and review.