Rating: 
Summary: The lines between Anita and Merry blur
Review: The problem is this: I remember Anita Blake from Guilty Pleasures , when she wasn't sleeping with every creature that so much as blinked at her. I remember when there was Story and Plot and Interesting Things. Anita Blake has evolved and I'm not entirely sure it's for the better.Narcissus in Chains finds Anita in hot water. No surprise there, because it's been that way from book one. Anita has inherited a heap of problems, as well as a pack of shapeshifters, and she doesn't want any of them. She needs to find them a new keeper, but hasn't been having much luck. Wouldn't you know, it may be the perfect Nimir-Ra is right under her own nose--it could be her. Things remain tense between Anita and her boys, Richard and Jean-Claude. Anita has been away for six months--away and celibate. She's still trying to decide what to do about them. Does she accept the third mark and complete their union? Or does she remain on the outskirts, shunning the power and passion she finds with these men? Anita accepts the mark, and just when you think Hamilton means to explore what this really means, she doesn't. The book goes in another direction entirely, sending Anita into the arms of Micah, a powerful Nimir-Raj, the male counterpart to her own role in the shapeshifter pard. It's because of the ardeur, you understand, the burning hunger, that she finds herself tangled against his body. Anita, once again, has no control over her body or her power. She's helpless. She can't possibly be a slut, because it's the ardeur controlling her. And she surely doesn't enjoy what's happening to her, because she resists and objects at every turn--yet still manages to fall. This mindset reminds me of the Victorian age, when it wasn't believed that women could enjoy sex and that those who did were evil or somehow ill. There is little new in this book. If you thought the sex was hot in Obsidian Butterfly, it gets even hotter here. Narcissus introduces bondage, submission, and discipline to the Anitaverse. Plot, Storytelling, and Interesting Things have fallen by the wayside, while Anita gets her freak on with every beasty within reach, reminiscent to me of Hamilton's newest series of books, those about Merry Gentry. In fact, it's become far too easy to confuse Anita and Merry. Again in her opening notes, Hamilton apologizes to her writing group for not having time to get the manuscript to them before it was sent to New York. Perhaps had they seen it, we readers wouldn't be faced with a final product such as this, wherein the author all too often stops the story to describe the clothes, hair, and eyes of every creature Anita encounters. Then again, I suppose it's important to know such things before you leap into bed with someone. "I don't want to turn into slut-girl," Anita moans. Honey, it's too late.
Rating:
Summary: Never thought that...
Review: ...For curiosity's sake, I did flip through the remainder of the book, and found nothing to make me continue reading. This from a long-time fan of the series, who had heard rumors about this book not being great, but was willing to read and find out for herself - I was so disappointed in this limp, lifeless, excuse for a story and the constant sex that seemed joyless, forced, and written in a highly self-conscious style. I had to go back and Laughing Corpse to get the bad taste of this book out of my mouth.
Rating:
Summary: Worse of the Series....
Review: When I heard that there was going to be another Anita Blake book, I was very excited. I mean, who can resist Anita? Well, feel free to resist this book. It's pretty bad. There is just so much wrong with it. One of the things that bothered me the most was the lack of a plot. Anita wasn't going aganist a vampire, ghost, goulie, zombie or witch. This is just about Anita dealing with her change. She' not human, werewolf, or vampire. Antia's something new, something that we've never seen. Anita could have done her "selfexploring" but have some sort of plot with it. Richard is annoying as usual. I can't stand him, never could. He seems to want the best of both worlds, but he can't have it. In the past, he's said at times he wants to be a wolf, and at times he doesen't. Well pick one, that's what I say. To me Richard was one of the reasons why I disliked this book so much. If you get offended by sex, then you best skip NIC. It's pretty heavy on the sex (more so then in past books) and Anita does some interesting things...she did somethings that I did't expect she ever would do. If you like the series, then I suggest that you wait for the paperback to come out. Either that, or get it from the library or a used bookstore. I don't think it's worth the hardcover price. I hope the next book is better.
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Summary: WEREWOLVES MATE FOR LIFE!
Review: To all who think Richard is gone, guess again. In NIC, it is brought up that werewolves behave like regular wolves. In this, thet Alpha male, Richard, picks his mate, Anita, for life. This is the explaination for his comment during "Blue Moon" where he is upset with Anita for finally giving him a "choice" and not giving up other men. The problem with all of this is that Anita has had classes in supernatural beings in college, per "Blue Moon", so why in the world does she not understand that Richard wants her for his mate. NIC is horrible because of the retread plot, Anita's ... attitude, new characters without explianation, Anita's gaining more vampire powers, and a lack of explainations for past actions, especially from "Blue Moon". Anita was spending 6 months learning about a werewolf pack, WHAT DID SHE LEARN? LKH has made Anita all powerfull and perfect (P U - hold your nose). This series is great, except for this book.
Rating:
Summary: What the hell happened??
Review: Narcissus in Chains was one of the most disappointing, peices of writing i've read. Months on top of Months, Anita fanatics waited for the book to come out. For months we had no Anita, no Richard...yeah and no JC either.And then its released and...its Trash. I've have come to expect alot more of Laurel over the years. She completely destroyed her characters and everything they stood for, in this book. She degrated Anita. I wont even go into what she did to Richard. And She Slept with everyone in the book Except the people she wanted to sleep with in past books. And come on what the hell happened to Damian? Lets get Damian out of the box, and then send him to the basement for the remainer of the book. Hopefully LKH will realize, whats shes done, and try to fix it with the next book, or just end the series because frankly Anita doesnt deserve it.
Rating: 
Summary: I hope Laurell Hamilton reads these reviews
Review: Like many of the readers reviewing this book, I eagerly looked forward to reading the next Anita Blake installment and immediately pre-ordered the book last summer. What a disappointment. This isn't the Anita Blake we've come to know. I absolutely believe that a character needs to change to keep a series fresh, but in this case Anita's gone from being an interesting in-charge woman to some sort of emotional victim. The AB books have always had a sensual storyline going on, but NiC went way beyond that. I wouldn't have minded the sex so much if it had been true to the Anita character. Every real fan knows the moral backbone Anita has had throughout the last nine books. Maybe Laurell Hamilton is tiring of Anita and wants to pursue her Princess Meredith series. In that case she should put Anita on hold until she's ready to give the character the type of story she (and the fans) truly deserve.
Rating: 
Summary: chained
Review: Narcissus In Chains was different from the rest of the Anita Blake books,I liked Narcissus In Chains cause it dealt with more of the were policts and not just the vampires, Loved seening Richard and all my other favorite characters and true there was way to much sex but that was ok too and yes there could have more to the story but there is always the next book.
Rating:
Summary: Worst of the series
Review: Plenty of other readers have elaborated on the reasons this book isn't nearly as good as the others. I miss the old Anita Blake. This has been my favorite series of books for years. I'm so very disappointed. The plot gets so bogged down with sex and gore. I couldn't devour this book as quickly because the plot just wasn't very interesting. Definitely wait for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Laurell Hamilton taking the Anne Rice course of writing
Review: I absolutely loved all of the previous Anita Blake books as they were the anti-dote to the bizarre overwrought works of Anne Rice. Anita was a moral character that was able to hold her own. Sadly, in Narcissus in Chains, she has become Anita Blake Necromancer extroidinaire and part time Porno Queen. It is my hope that Laurell Hamilton chalks up this work as some sort of anamoly and starts fresh with a new and improved storyline.
Rating: 
Summary: NiC- not as good as it should have been
Review: I'm a big fan of LKH's Anita Blake series. I do have to say, however, that this book was surely not one of the best she has written. Anita has changed enormously from the first book to the 10th. She was once morally sufficient, and now every moral she's ever had is now being questioned. Since when has she had sex with strangers? The number of new characters became confusing as well, and there were miniature sub-plots left un-answered from this book and previous ones. For instance, what is going on with Asher now? Is he going to get some kind of surgery for his scars? Is he going to be sleeping with Anita? Is Micah's pard joining Anita's completely now? And how is Anita able to trust Micah after we find out what he was REALLY up to in the second to last chapter? If it were the real Anita, she wouldn't be able to. I am, however, realeaved that the Richard/Jean-Claude situation is coming to an end. I've always been a bigger fan of Jean-Claude than Richard, and I'm happy for the way things are going. But once again, Anita is still being shared, and in this book, there is way too much sex. When is Anita going to stop gaining new powers? It was amazing and fun in Bloody Bones and Burnt Offerings, but it is now becoming tedious. Eventually it has to end. She's going to become more powerful than Jean-Claude, and the readers know that that is going to upset him. The ending as well was a twisted one. But one that seems to be more LKH's typical ending. Knowing Orlando King's identity was shocking, and finding out Richard's true feelings about himself was heart-wrenching. On the brighter side, this book played with Anita's emotions as well as the readers. Personally, I know that the thought of losing the pack, and no longer being the pack's lupa was more upsetting than the loss of Richard as Anita's boyfriend. Through each book, including this one, there is a tighter bond between Anita's friendships with the preternatural beings. Showing that Anita has formed a truely healthy pard among her leopards is a highlight of what Anita really is and how she really feels for the "monsters." But now her human friendships are faultering. Ronnie and Catherine are once again on the back-burner. Dolph doesn't trust Anita anymore, but at least now we have some insight as to why, and hopefully that will change some things. Zebrowski is definately cooler with what is going on now between Anita and "Count Dracula." But where is Larry Kirkland? And how is Edward going to take all of this? Overall, I do find this to be a well-written book with some faults and un-answered questins among it. It does seem a bit final at the moment, and I do hope there will be more Anita Blake books to come.
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