Rating: 
Summary: Interesting entry in the Anita Blake series
Review: This is an interesting entry in the Anita Blake series. I liked it that Ms. Hamilton has now introduced another option for Anita to be in love with. Micah is an interesting new character, who, from the way the series is going, is going to replace Richard as Anita's main love interest. Jean-Claude is still there and up to his old tricks, but with a twist that now that he, Anita and Richard have completely merged their marks, Anita seems to have inherited some of Jean-Claude's and Richards habits and preternatural needs. The book is fast paced, has lots of action, quite a bit more sex than the previous entries in the series and lots of Anita's usual gunplay. Plus you have the suspense throughout the book of whether or not Anita is going to become a shapeshifter, due to an accidental possibe infection with lycanthrophy. A must read for any Anita Blake fan.
Rating: 
Summary: The last straw
Review: This book represents, for me, just about the final nail in the coffin of what began as one of the neatest series ever. All the things that made me love the series to being with, and kept me buying them (with increasing reluctance) as they came out, are now pretty much dead.Great plots/suspense/humor? There almost isn't any. All of the fascinating and funny stuff in the early books, attempting to integrate monsters into modern American life with all the questions about the legal rights of the undead, etc.., have been pretty much forgotten. Great action? What made the early books so tense and exciting was watching the gutsy little human woman go up against awesome evil creatures with vast superhuman powers, and somehow come out on top. Now Anita is the mighty Queen of werewolves AND wereleopards, Master of Vampires, the greatest necromancer of all time, always right, all-powerful, and everybody, but everybody wants her hot bod ! I find myself almost rooting for her poor victims/enemies, especially now that the distinction between Anita and the "bad monsters" isn't that clear anymore.Great support characters? The terrific Jean-Claude is now Anita's faithful little pet; merely one of her many lovers, he dutifully shows up to explain stuff and help out a little when needed, and then scampers back to his coffin at daybreak with a pat on his head. What a waste! Richard, who showed signs in Blue Moon of finally coming to grips with his bad furry self, is once again the self-loathing bleeding-heart trapped in a predator's body.... another waste! The only thing left to wish for, for those of us who cared about the Richard character, is to see him get the first cure for lycanthropy, marry the nice scientist from Blue Moon, and get the heck away from the Executioner. Our brand-new "hero", the new man in Anita's life, Micah? His only relevant characteristic is a you-know-what even bigger than Richard's, but he adds nothing, since "he doesn't mind bodies lying all around" -- that is, he automatically agrees with everything Anita does. Oh, he IS something of a rapist who doesn't take "no" for an answer, however -- but that's ok, since Anita really "wanted it", right? Great heroine? Worst of all is what Hamilton has done to Anita herself -- fearless in fights, but nervous and insecure in her "dating" life (which used not to necessarily mean "sex" -- now that's the only thing it means). Over the last few volumes, she stopped being likeable -- now she's not even that interesting. In Blue Moon, we found her worrying whether a magical ward against evil beings would work against her; at the end of Obsidian Butterfly, she was horrified to find out that a certain psychopathic serial killer saw her as his kindred spirit or even "soulmate". All of these interesting concerns about the direction her life was heading seem to have suddenly disappeared, replaced by her smug contempt for Richard and HIS self-doubts. And, of course, the shy, "good Catholic", girl who was flustered by her attraction to Jean-Claude is long gone, replaced by something of a, well, slut. The downward moral slide, which began when she violated her own most important rule -- uncompromising loyalty to the people she cares about -- by betraying Richard (her fiance at the time!) in the most cruel way possible, has just about hit rock-bottom now. Great romance/passion? In the meantime, the amazingly well-written eroticism of the early books has crossed the line into something more like porn: lots of graphic sex for its own sake. Judging from the new racy covers (even for the new printings of the older books in the series), this represents a deliberate marketing decision on Hamilton's part. As I said, what a waste...
Rating:
Summary: Unless you are desperate for a Jean Claude fix, skip it.
Review: Narcissus in Chains was definitely the worst book in the series so far. Devoted fans of Anita Blake, Jean Claude and Richard will more than likely be left scratching their heads, wondering how it all went wrong. People first reading a Laurell Hamilton book should bypass NIC and proceed straight to Guilty Pleasures. The sad truth of NIC is the complete lack of respect for rules that the author created so painstakingly through the first nine books. The plot was disjointed and haphazard. The sex lost its emotional relevancy and has proceeded to gratuitous and not very interesting. There was a really lame plot device used to manipulate characters into unnatural situations that was just such a farce. If you expect a mystery- forget it. If you expect the usual exciting, edge of your seat climactic ending- forget it. I actually chuckled through the last twenty or thirty pages, so that is a big clue as to the degree of writing involved. The author has handed us a mishmash of story lines, Jeckyl and Hyde characters and confusing alleys. When we expect a zig, she zags, and not in a good way. She has wrapped all this up in a tidy bow entitled "Epilogue" that should have been what the story was about, but just ended up tacked on like an after thought. My advice is to skip it and hope the next one brings us back to where the series belongs.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome!
Review: I cannot begin to express how amazed and delighted I was by this book. Or how frightened I was when I picked it up to begin reading. I have been dreading this book for months, frightened that it was impossible to resolve the issues raised in Blue Moon and previous books regarding Anita's abilities and relationships without destroying her character. I was THRILLED as I read this book, to discover that, not only was the character preserved, but Anita became an even more compelling personality. The new characters introduced in this book were also intense, and make me look forward to new novels involving them with incredible anticipation. I can't wait to see much more of all the new characters. The only thing better than the new elements they add, was the return of old friends neglected by two books on the road. I was so glad to see the St. Louis gang again, I had definitely missed the RPIT squad, although I was disappointed that Anita's coworkers at Animators, Inc. didn't make any appearence at all. I am constantly amazed at Laurell K. Hamilton's ability to write above and beyond my expectations. That she managed to write her characters out of what I thought could only be a lose-lose situation with such finesse makes me awestruck.
Rating:
Summary: Tears Of Joy
Review: The newest novel in the Anita Blake series lives up to and beyond my expectations of it. I was overjoyed to find out that she was going depper into the shape-shifting world. Panweres, shape-shifting soulmates, werecobras, bears, foxes, and tigers! I don't know what more a guy could ask for. Well-written and well-loved this book has become one of my favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Old friends save the day...
Review: This installment of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series is testament that good characterization makes for a good read. Because frankly, without the distraction of all my favorite characters, I'd be wondering "what happened here...". The plot, never in my opinion, a strong suit in this series, is skimpier than usual this time round. Anita makes decisions and acts in a manner that is inconsistent with the character as described in the previous nine books. The sleaze factor is at an all time high, but the main problem is the artificial circumstances of these encounters. This is Hamilton's "reality", but she's punched too many holes in her own illusion with this outing. The entire book reads as if a major alteration in Anita's life has occurred, but in the end, Hamilton pull's what amounts to a "just kidding, folks". The explanation, introduced as a possibility mid-book, is just too trite. That being said, the secondary characters are becoming more and more developed-- I found myself wishing they'd dump the suddenly oversexed Anita and go off and star in a better plotted more coherent book. But, you'll note the four stars... I really like the secondary characters!
Rating: 
Summary: Another exciting addition
Review: While I might have my own preferences when it comes to the themes Ms. Hamilton focuses upon, for instance I enjoy the strong mystery and mystical angles more so than the lycanthrope political thread, I always thoroughly enjoy the journey into Anita's world. She is the only author whose work I gleefully anticipate. For as long as she continues the series, I will always read, hoard, devour and re-read her books. That is what being a fan is all about. Thank you!
Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: WoW, this book was great. I really enjoyed this book. It was exciting and went where I thought Anita and the boys should go. It introduced new people and new relationships. I can't wait to see what Hamilton has in store for Anita and the gang. If an Anita Blake movie ever comes out, they will have to incorporate all 10 books, because to leave out one would be a sin. I hope who ever reads about Anita Blake enjoys.
Rating:
Summary: still a hard book to put down, but something is missing....
Review: Narcissus in Chains was a book I eagerly anticipated. Like the rest of the Anita Blake series, I waited until I had a whole day fre to read it, knowing I would have a hard time putting it down. That much was true, but with the end of the book I felt something was missing. I'm not sure I can pinpoint exatly what it was, but the plot, while filled to bursting with new characters and old, just did not make it. I've been waiting for some sense of closure, insight, or sercure attachment on Anita's part, and while that happened more or less with Anita's wereleopards.... the rest of her actions seem less thought-out as usual, when I was hoping for more. Color me dissapointed and searching for that indefineable something that made the previous books worth reading and keeping.
Rating:
Summary: A Book To Read While Ovulating
Review: Whew, Laurell K. is ready to break out into writing sheer erotica! While I couldn't rate this book a 5, it is a book that I could not put down. Sexy, fun, and scary. A great read. I really grew to like JC in this book, as well as Nathanial. And it was refreshing to see Anita get rid of at least some of her burdensome guilt and middle-class morality. I really enjoyed this and plan on reading it again, at a slower rate this time, ;). If you are a fan of Anita Blake, this is a must-read, and also, I believe, a book you'll be glad to read.
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