Rating: 
Summary: I've been Starving for Anita--But
Review: I've been starving for Anita Blake, but the story was written very haphazardly and the whole thing was choppy. I'm glad to have Anita back in St. Louis and a return to so many of the characters I love. I'll tell you now the book was a page turner, not because its prose, but because I had to find out what happened next. I finished the book with craving to find out what happens next. Its a good read but I found the plot, descriptions and the load of new characters incomplete. You won't be able to put the book down but you'll still be disappointed. A lot of people are slamming the book because of the amount of sex in the book. My advice is get over it. I've read worse; you've read worse. Stop trying to put yourself in the characters place and just enjoy the story. Stop projecting your morality on to others. GET OVER IT.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, interesting, but not the best
Review: I'd give all the rest of her books 5 stars, I love them, and while this one is good, its not as great as it could have been. The overall story in the series didn't advance much, her love life became even more complicated, and the entire book seemed to revolve around the evidence pointing at her becoming a wereleopard, though as was said earlier in the series, she seems to be immune to actually having that happen. Its still a good read, I love all the lycanthrope info, but I missed the normal mystery to solve that just didn't seem to be present in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Narcissus In Chains Is An Entertaining Read!
Review: Narcissus In Chanins by talented writer Laurell Hamilton is an entertaining read that will excite and delight its readers for hours on end. How can any woman be forced to choose between two such unique lovers-- one, a vampire by the name of Jean Claude, and the other a werewolf by the studly name of Richard (smile) a delightful read...
Rating: 
Summary: Best yet in the Anita Blake series
Review: This book literally left me thrumming with nervous energy. Ms. Hamilton presents a darker Anita Blake. Anita is beginning to come into her own and to accept herself. With the addition of even more intense erotic situations than any other book in the series, along with the omnipresent violent situations, character clashes and class warfare this book is a steamroller. It will bowl you over and leave you wanting more. The only aspect that I do miss, is the dark humor that pervaded the previous books. But then again, with Anita's acceptance of herself as a semi-human sociopath, I guess you can't have everything. All in all, the best in the series and this book definately left me anticipating the next.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, but not great
Review: I have to say, this one wasn't to my taste. It seemed that the series has step away from the strengths of the earlier books, which relied on innovation and the creation of a dynamic "universe". This one, seem to be focused more on shocking sex (which wasn't really that shocking or, well, sexy) and an almost preachy, judgmental tone--anyone who disagrees with the ethics of the heroine is portrayed as narrow minded and unrealistic....even God has to agree with the heroine to be acceptable. The contrasts between the normal world and the fantastic have disappeared, as has the strength and personality of the heroine. I enjoyed the strong, thinking woman who wasn't defined by the man in her life (if there was one), but now I find a heroine defined almost completely by her relationships or powers obtained from her relationships. Too, each situation seems to bring the heroine a new power which coincidentally works to resolve the current crisis. I accept this from many less skillfully crafted series, but I'd really hoped for more in this one. As other reviewer have suggested, several of the series' previous "rules" are broken--without true explanation. I often got the feeling the plot was designed to take me from one diaster to the next without true development...and without development of the characters.....Perhaps I've just enjoyed the first 4 books to the point I expect too much. Oh well, back to the book shelf for Circus of the Dammned...
Rating:
Summary: I waited so long for THIS?
Review: I love the Anita Blake series, but this installment was just plain awful. Anita would decide to take some kind of action (usually saving one of her were-leopards), would take a step toward it, then detour for 50 pages to sleep with someone or wring her hands over her sexual morality or whom she might love, etc. For it to happen once is unfortunate; repeatedly is unforgiveable. Hamilton has never been the strongest writer in terms of grammar and style, but in the past she had a handle on plot and characterization. Over the past two or three books, she's abandoned plot more and more, and her characterizations, though powerful, simply can't carry a book. The publisher needs to seriously consider getting a stronger editor to rein in Hamilton before the series suffocates from egoistic bloat.
Rating:
Summary: A Werewolf, A Vampire And Thou
Review: Narcissis In Chains is a fun read by talented writter Laurell K Hamilton the tenth in this series. How can any woman be asked to choose between her two loves especially when one is a vampire by the name of Jean Claude and the other hunk a werewolf by the name of Richard! Ummm, it doesn't get any more complex than that in love my friends! A super read by a super writer. Very entertaining read I must say...
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing drivel
Review: I was one of the fans waiting anxiously to read NIC. I heard the opening chapters read in Dallas, and, if I remember correctly, asked for a cigarette when it was over. It was that viscerally gripping.The drivel that it devolved into in the finished work was a complete disappointment. I found it barely readable. A few of the highlights (or would that be lowlights?): 1) The atrocious grammar, spelling and foreign language errors that have plagued the series from Day 1 were SO pronounced that, unlike in most of the earlier books (which also abounded with sloppy mechanics/editing), I couldn't ignore them. There was no story going on to distract me from them 2) Major characters exhibited illogical and contradictory behavior reeking of plot device (not only contradictory to their behavior in previous books, but from chapter to chapter in this book). 3) A new major character was introduced, apparently as a continuing romantic interest for Our Heroine. However, this is one of the creepiest "romantic" characters (if he can be dignified by the term character) I have ever encountered. From his description, he sounds more like a sideshow attraction than a romantic leading man. And I DON'T mean tentacles! (Now THEY were sexy.) 4) The endless tedious, joyless, loveless carnal acts.
5) The Anita-who-isn't-really-Anita. Plot device, again. It has been maintained, in various discussion fora, that, in NIC, Anita has "come to terms" with her sexuality. This is not in evidence on the page, as she continues to indulge in juvenile "THAT wasn't sex" arguments throughout the book. The fact that Anita simply accepts certain plot devices thrust upon her is SO far outside the scope of the character's evolution over the course of the series, that it might as well be a series about another person entirely. 6) Beloved supporting characters' mouths are filled with "Anita is the most wonderfullest being on the planet" pap. Virtually all the characters in this book exist to validate Anita as the best, baddest, most intriguing, alluring, etc. One that ever was. Including the bad guys. 7) There is no context for the events in this book. What made the series gripping and entertaining was the juxtaposition of the preternatural world with the mundane one. I remember the feeling I got reading the first couple of books that I, PERSONALLY, had been awake for days, living on coffee and adrenalin, as Anita shuttled from zombie raising to crime scene to preternatural face off, with an hour's sleep snatched here and there. I felt that THAT world truly lurked around the edges of ours. NIC lacked that spice of normalcy. This is an ill-crafted work that does a disservice to a writer with a marvelous imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Good book not on par with rest of series
Review: The Anita Blake series has always been vastly entertaining and this book is no exception. The good and bad part of this book is that it deals pretty much just with Anita's life at this moment as confusing as it has become. The event that occurs within the book adds further complications but it is not the prime focus of the book and at time seems a little disjointed when it does become the prime focus. I would have much rather had a novel dealing just with her coming back together with Richard and Jean-Claude. But that I realize is not entirely realistic particularly since one of this novels strongest parts is that even though Anita has put everything on hold for the last six months other peoples lives have moved forward and not always for the better. I do not want to spoil this book for anyone and have tried to be as vague as possible. I will say that it creates an excellent stage for future novels to build from.
Rating:
Summary: It was a disappointing porn novel.
Review: Where were our beloved characters? Where was the sexy, mysterious JC/Asher? Where was the winsome Nathaniel? Where was our strong boy scout Richard? Not in this book. The good ol' characters that we've come to love, and the villians that we've come to hate are gone. They've been replaced with bad copies of themselves. Anita is now the all powerfull Master Vampire Human Necromancer Nimir-raj and NOTHING can kill her. I would've liked to see her learn to use what powers she has instead of gaining new ones. I'd actually like to see Edward or Richard finally kill her off so that we don't have to read about Little Miss Slut and her problems anymore. Her problems are all the same, who can she sleep with? Who is she going to kill now? Who's trying to kill her pard? *sigh* I was happy to see LKH put out a new AB book, but, just maybe it's time to see her stop writing about our now-un-loved AB before she ruins the characters anymore.
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