Rating: 
Summary: As Satisfying as an Ice Cream Sundae
Review: I have read all of the novels in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and the "The Killing Dance" is one of the very best and my own personal favorite. Readers would be well-advised to start the series with the first novel "Guilty Pleasures" and enjoy the development of each of the characters instead of starting with this novel.The book explores the growth and development of each of four main characters; our heroine Anita Blake, junior-high school teacher and alpha werewolf Richard Zeeman, mysterious bounty hunter Edward, and master vampire of St.Louis Jean-Claude. A huge bounty has been placed on Anita's life by an unknown money-man and Anita must somehow protect herself until the time limit expires. Anita puts a lot of effort into survival, a skill at which she has had a lot of practice and at which she excels. Several plots run simultaneously throughout the book with the action being non-stop and rivetting. Everything ties together nicely at the conclusion, with just enough dangling ends to make us want to start the next installment "Burnt Offerings" right away. Anita's hard-boiled attitude and biting sarcasm provide several instances where the reader can't help but laugh such as her commentary on a dinner party; "There were three kinds of people at Catherine's dinner party; the living, the dead, and the occassionally furry." Her dry sense of humor serves to break the tension at just the right moment; "What do you say to boyfriend A when he finds you naked in the bed of boyfriend B? Especially if boyfriend A turned into a monster the night before and ate someone. I bet Miss Manners didn't cover this at all." Readers will devour this novel like an ice cream sundae; satisfying yet leaving you wanting some more. Top ratings are well-deserved.
Rating:
Summary: Did you ever have to finally decide?
Review: Wow. One of the things I really like about this series is whenever I finish one of the books, I'm on this incredible emotional rush. Yes, they're pretty light reads, yes, they are your standard "tough-girl" fiction...but they're so much more. Anita Blake is the sort of person I'd like to be and yet would really hate being. Constantly in situations that require absolutely clear judgement, hers is oft clouded by her two boyfriends, both monsters. Richard, mild-mannered werewolf-cum-teacher, whom she loves desperately for his heat and "aliveness" or Jean-Claude, exquisitely beautiful Master Vampire, who has pursued Anita for the entire series, usually with something up his sleeve, but she finds herself lusting after him any way. Trying to keep myself from offering up too much of the story, perhaps Anita finds a way to love both of them and keep them in her life. Or not. This is a great series, and a wonderful book in it. Go out and buy this. It starts with Guilty Pleasures. Go. Buy it. Read it. You won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the best in the series so far.
Review: As always in this series, the character of Anita Blake is a delight to listen to; the series is told through her very colorful first-person voice. As usual, there is a fairly high amount of violence in this book, and those who object to such things should avoid it. This book also has a bit more blatant seuxal content than the previous books in the series, so those who don't mind a bit of bloodshed but who are uncomfortable with descriptions of sexuality may also want to steer clear. But for the reader who enjoys seeing adult themes handled in an adult fashion, who enjoys compellingly complex interpersonal relationships between characters, and who enjoys a legitimate moral dilemma or two being handled with nuance and subtlety, this book is a can't-miss pleasure. Book six of a superb series, this book may very well be the best of the best so far, and there's every indication that it's only going to get better from here.
Rating: 
Summary: Anita's Powers Increase & Her Love Life Expands!
Review: "She is the Executioner and has more vampire kills than any other human. She is a necromancer of such power that you have traveled halfway around the world to consult her. She is my human servant, without a mark to hold her to me. She dates me without vampire glamour." So speaks Jean Claude, Master Vampire of St. Louis, as he describes the love of his very long life, Anita Blake, to a perspective client - one of the undead. And Anita is back, in Book 6 of Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels, as feisty, savvy, sexy and talented as ever!
Anita's preternatural powers are increasing, and in "The Killing Dance" the lines begin to blur between her humanity and the supernatural. Always an uncompromising and tough lady, she's is developing a hardness, a detachment, that frightens even herself. An assassin has been hired to murder Anita. There's a $500,000 price on her head...and she's only a human! No one knows who, or what, is responsible for contracting the killer. Anita's friend, of dubious nature, bounty hunter Edward, alias Ted Forrester, has volunteered his services as detective and bodyguard. Her two love interests, Alpha werewolf and wannabe "leader of the pack," Richard Zeeman, and the aforementioned Jean Claude, are the ones most capable of protecting her. They attempt to put rivalry and jealousy on hold until the emergency is over. Meanwhile, the brutal werewolf king Marcus and his sadistic lupa Rania, producer of S&M porn movies between shapeshifters and humans, are determined to fight Richard and Anita to the death - although Raina would like to film them first. Ha! An extremely powerful, unpredictable new vampire enters the picture. Centuries-old Sabin is dying of an illness lethal to vampires and needs Anita's skill to help cure him. Dominic Dumare, Sabine's human servant and necromancer extraordinaire, accompanies his master to St. Louis. The pair have a malevolent air about them. Could their intentions be equally so?
There are major pluses in "The Killing Dance, and a few minuses also. The best of the best: Anita is inducted as a lukoi, (pack member) and Richard's mate; she also sees Richard "change, an event which alters their relationship significantly; a triumvirate of power is formed with unlikely members; a gala opening of "Dance Macabre," Jean Claude's newest enterprise, is held and the costumes are even wilder than the guests and the entertainment. On the downside, after five episodes of struggling through relationship problems with Ms. Blake, I think the resolution here is a bit facile. And there is a major and surprising denouement in "The Killing Dance" which may disappoint readers.
Ms. Blake is an excellent writer who, with much flair and pizzazz, mixes fantasy with mystery, romance and dark humor. Her take on this derivative genre is a most unusual one. Unlike the other novels in the series, the characters and their relationships take precedence here over the mystery. The humor, as always, adds much to the novel....and there are plenty of laughs to counteract the violence. Ms. Hamilton's descriptive prose is outstanding, whether depicting room decor, landscapes, unlikely beings and characters, or the results of Jean Claude's outrageous penchant for designing clothes. These novels are addictive and will rivet the reader. I suggest reading them in order for maximum reading pleasure.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: Keeps getting better and better! (a few spoilers!)
Review: The only real problem I had with this book, is how quickly Anita resolved her feelings. The first five books had her so conflicted about her feelings regarding monsters, that her reconciliation of them was rather quick.
But I enjoyed this book, as I have the first five. Anita, isn't like you and I, she has abilities of her own, and this book explores that. I was never a huge fan of Richard, so I am glad that his true colors are starting to show. Marcus always struck me as weak, so again, I am glad his character got his come-uppance. I do not think we have seen the last of Raina, and while she got on my nerves in this book, you can't deny that she is a good villian.
This is one series that I do think it really helps to start at the beginning. If you are looking for a fun read, this series will NOT disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: Oh My God!
Review: I think this book is going to go down as my favorite.
1. You learn more about Anita's necromancing.
2. You find out more about Jean-Claude's past.
3. Hot and steamy scene between Anita and Jean-Claude.
I was a upset in the beginning thinking this was going to be another book like The Lunatic Cafe, all about the pack. It wasn't. So many things stirred up that I kept getting angry every time I was interrupted from my reading.
I know there are split opinions between the fans on Anita choosing Jean-Claude over Richard. Personally I'm glad with her choice. I don't really like how she made her choice but still it was a great one.
The sex scene was shocking because I was starting to get the feeling that Hamilton was steering clear from pornagraphic scenes but I guess not. Her version of their sex was not very original but it was satisfying.
All I know is that this book ended a little too soon. It's time to get the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Best Anita Blake book so far
Review: So far this has been my favorite Anita Blake novel. I'm rather new to the series, I bought the first three novels and read all three within a week, thats how much I liked them. During the past novels however, I have been drawn to Jean-Claude. Throughout the novels you can literally feel the sexual tension between Anita and him, with the added bonus of Richard the book makes my heart skip beats. I usually find romance novels boring but this series has intwined romance and horror so its not so "romance" driven. This book has a lot of action, its more plot driven although you can figure it out rather easy, much like most of the novels but its a good fun fast paced read. I would recommend the whole series to anyone a fan of vampires and romance novels.
Rating:
Summary: Well, its about time!!
Review: A rolicking romp (or should I say smoothly-gliding sojourn - seems to fit more with the general theme of the books). Many issues finally coming to a head (no pun intended - much!), and fast-paced actions with many (perhaps too many) snappy one-liners and petite-sized, but by no means diminished in effect, firepower.
A well wrought effort. Thoroughly enjoyable; and she just keeps building her just slightly canted world history in leaps and bounds.
Good stuff!!
Bex
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