Narcissus in Chains

Rating:
Summary: Incredibly disappointing
Review: I got hooked with the Anita Blake series with Obsidian Butterfly. I found Anita Blake to be a strong, smart, attractive character, a woman who charts her own course amongst so many characters who would love to chart her course for her. But here, Anita Blake has lost her way, seems helpless at times, and unable to do anything except give in to the events surrounding her. Many people who might read this understand that her helplessness is not her fault, as she is afflicted with something I won't describe that causes her personality to change and her willpower to diminish. Nonetheless, her fault or not, she is far less interesting this way, and truthfully, things happen within this story that alter the way I will view her character from now on. Unfortunately, I view this book now as the end of the series, because Anita Blake no longer appeals to me as a human being.

Rating:
Summary: confusing, silly, boring.
Review: The first books in the Anita Blake series are really fun novels. Nothing Laurell Hamilton has ever written could classify as Great Literature, but she has the gift of entertaining storytelling. That is what makes this book so very dissappointing: what went before it was really engaging, fun reading.

'Narcissus in Chains' furthers the life story of Anita Blake, vampire hunter, a crime sleuthing tough woman with a triple handful of supernatural gifts. For this installment, though, the brains and mystery solving plotlines are thrown out the window in favor of cold, emotionless sex scenes (including one rather disturbing quasi-rape of our heroine by a well-endowed and overly enthusiastic stranger). The already large cast of characters of Anita's St. Louis is further added to, making this book confusing and hard to keep up with for readers unfamiliar with this series. The plot is rather meaningless, and key players from the earlier books act in completely irrational ways, very against their previously written personalities. New readers will wonder why there was so much buzz about this series in the first place.

As a side note, let me assure you that the 'thumbs down' vibe of this review is NOT due to a dislike of either Ms.Hamilton or erotica in general. I liked a lot of her other work, and don't take offense to dramatic sex in my books. This one was just poorly written. Do yourself a favor, and pick up the beginning of this series, but stop before you hit the train wreck that is book 10.

Rating:
Summary: Not great, but not bad, and definitely not pornographic!
Review: I read many of the reviews before buying this book, and I wanted to see what all the controversy was about. I was prepared for the best AND worst and guess what? I didn't get either. No, the plot is not real strong and the dialogue drags ( and repeats) in many parts, but this book is suppossed to be more character defining than just another Anita Blake shoot em' up. This is a practical approach in series of books about the same character.

Could have been done better, certainly- but it wasn't that bad. I personally enjoyed "Blue Moon" a lot less. In fact, this is the first Anita Blake book I read since "Blue Moon" because I reall couldn't stand that Richard character.

As for the sex, I'm totally confused by people saying this was porn. There were only like two real scenes where "true" intercourse was involved. The rest was mostly silly magic abstract vulcan mind melding stuff that hardly qualifies as porn. I didn't even think the sex scenes were that graphic. Yes, there was a little biting here and there but it's a vampire novel. Biting is still allowed :-) As readers we all bring our own background and experiences to a book, and if we "see" pornographic sex on every page it is literally all in our heads.
That's the magic of reading.

Final Review: Ok rating for an Ok book. Not worth the hard back price, and too much repetition but if you enjoy the series then it's a worthwile stop over to the next novel. IF you're looking for erotica and romance- DON'T BUY THIS BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: EXTREAMLY GOOD!!!!
Review: I've read all of the Anita Blake series, and by far - this has to be THE best one yet. I can't wait til the next one!!!! I have to admit, Obsidian Butterfly was the most boring and I had to push myself just to get thru it so I could move on. I wish I had 1/2 the talent Ms. Hamilton has. Those people who complain about it, should try writing and book with this much imigination and have it published and be a best seller. When they do, then I will take into consideration their critiques. The point to reading a book is to escape and enjoy. And this book with all the twists and turns and plots and sexuality/sensuality was enough to keep me smiling, laughing, teary-eyed, and holding my breath waiting til the next page. Hated to have to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Trose
Review: I think that this is one of the best of the Anita Blake series! Obsidian Butterfly being the most boring. I had to literlly push myself thru it so I could move onto this book. All the people who thought that there were things left off or not thought thru in this book.....let them try writing a book with this much imigination and thought and let it get published, then they can complain. I adore Anita's humor and logial thought process as well as her "I am not putting up with anyone's [stuff]" attitude.

Rating:
Summary: A thrilling fantasy with a sexual twist
Review: Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton is the best book I've read in years. It's thrilling from the first page to the last, filled with action, lust, love, devotion, and a few crazy twists. This recent Anita Blake novel introduces new characters and a plot that could make anyone like were-animals.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Addition to the Series
Review: I've been a fan of the Anita Blake series since I came across it a few years ago, and I have to say that while I can't call this the best of the series, Narcissus is a very solid addition. I'm looking forward to Anita going back to her "normal" job and hearing more about the people there, but I'm thrilled at the development of Anita's pard, and there just isn't room in one book for both. This book introduces a lot of new characters, and adds depth to the existing ones, and it follows Obsidian Butterfly's pattern of making you wonder how much you really know about any of them. Anita develops a lot of new abilities in this book, but considering they're mostly triggered by marrying the marks w/ Jean Claude and Richard, I'd say that's about right. I can't wait until the next book in the series to see what happens as the triumverate gets used to the marks being merged and Anita being back in town, not to mention what will happen if Anita ever accepts the forth mark from Jean Claude! Bottom line, if you like the Anita Blake series and go into the book with an open mind, you won't be disappointed. Yes there are a few inconsistencies at the end, but nothing that interferes with the overall enjoyment of Narcissus in Chains.

Rating:
Summary: Hamilton OUTDID HERSELF WITH THIS BOOK
Review: I have read everyone of Laurell K. Hamilton's books about Anita Blake. They are wonderful, well-written and have soul!!! Narcissus in Chains is the best! She has taken all the characters and given them more humanity and made them real. Hamilton makes you live what Anita experiences where you sometimes cry, sometimes get angry and, most of all, feel the ups and downs of love. I am really anticipating the publication of her next book with Anita Blake and the wonderful characters in her life.

Rating:
Summary: It SUCKED!...And in a BAD way!
Review: I have followed the exciting heroine, Anita, through all of her nine thrill rides in the past books. However, when I read this one, I got sick! I didn't think that it could get this bad.

It seems that Anita has lost so much of herself. She has gotten all of her marks in this book and a new lover also. Richard, at the end, is thrown out of the picture, having not completley accepted his werewolf nature. Jeane-Claude is not as important as he used to be to Anita, and i'm sorry to say that she has become a slut, nothing like she was in the first books.

I'm so sad it has to be this way, but hey, I can make up my own ending where Anita ends up with Jeane-Claude and only Jeane-Claude, Micah is gay, and Richard finds a new lupa. I'm a sucker for good endings!

Rating:
Summary: Where can I find a Vampire who has an orgasmic bite??
Review: This was definatly not my favorite Anita Blake book. Im not sure what it was but it just didnt do much for me or add much to the aura surrounding Anita and the people surrounding her.

This book picks up with Anita reinstating herself after a 6 month hiatus. She is planning on choosing between Jean-Claude and Richard but everything, as usual, goes wrong. First some of her pard is kidnapped and she calls in her boyfriends. Before they go in to rescue her "family members", Jean-Claude and Richard marry the vamp marks so that the power is shared between them all. Something goes wrong and a huge fight breaks out where Anita is almost killed and is severly scratched by one of her pard members while he was trying to protect her. Richard, being the type of person he is, finds out about this and jumps to the conclution that the clawing was on purpose so he captures Gregory, the were leopard, to punish/kill him for possibly convreting Anite (which means she can no longer be lupa to him). Anita is now forced to go against her friends and ex-lover to gain back one of her pard.

After the marrying of the marks, Anita begins to notice differences in herself that causes her to become very uncomfortable. She gains an inner beast from Richard and Ardeur from Jean-Claude, which is basically the ability to feed off sex and blood. She battles with this throughout the rest of the book along with the moral dilema that craving sex or blood from strangers causes her.

Micah, an attractive wereleopard king, is introduced to us in this book. He immediatly falls for Anita and tells her that the need she feels around him is meant to be considering she is his equal in the pard. I, personally, did not care for Micah much. He seemed to roll over for Anita too much. He will get on her nerves soon enough when she realizes that he relies on her judgement in an extream way. Because of the attraction that is seen between Micah and Anita, Richard all but gives up on her and in the end he cant live with the possibility of her being a monster like himself. He cant accept the beast within himself so he knows he cant love Anita when she has the same "affliction". He would be perfect for her if he would just suck it up and be a man.

Overall, I would say its a pretty good book. It has its good parts and its weak parts. There isnt TONS of sex like I thought there was going to be after reading some of the reviews. There was a bit more intimate moments as Anita was trying to conquer the Ardeur.

Ya know, there are times where I wish she would just go with Asher. Hes strong and ancient and accepts her for who she is. *shrug* If she doesnt want him.. Ill take him! :)