Rating: 
Summary: Anita Blake to the rescue!
Review: Everyone's favorite kick-ass vampire executioner is back in a great new book, BURNT OFFERINGS. Anita has made her choice between Richard and Jean-Claude - or has she? While she deals with the continuing feelings she has for both, she is summoned to help RPIT solve the latest rash of crimes concerning the supernatural. It seems that someone, or a lot of someones, has a major grudge against vamps. And they're taking them out with fire, both the rogues and the legals. Meanwhile, Anita finds out that she's also the de facto leader of the were-leopards, having taken out the previous alpha. As if that all weren't enough, the Council has come to town, and they're NOT responsible government. Their group includes psychos, sickos, and sadists, and they've all come to investigate JC and discover why he has not taken the seat he earned by killing one of them. One specifically wants Anita dead in revenge for past deeds... Anita's back once again in this exciting, fast-paced novel. Highly recommended read - if you dare. :^)
Rating:
Summary: Another exciting story from Ms. Hamilton!
Review: A great story with lots of interesting complications. The only problem with this book is that it ended--I'm eagerly anticipating the next one!
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING(AS USUAL)
Review: On an Earth not much different than our own, monsters are real, sharing the same rights and freedoms as humans. It was about four years ago that the Supreme Court ruled that vampires should have equal treatment under the law. This judicial ruling makes police officer Anita Blake's job as a vampire executioner (as well as a zombie raiser and necromancer) much more difficult to accomplish if she wants to make a legal kill. Anita's life turns more complex when she allows the master vampire of the city to become her lover. She chose him over the gentle, kind-hearted Richard, a werewolf. Humans, including her co-workers, do not look at Anita the same way they used to before she hooked up with a nosferatu. This proves troublesome when Anita is assigned to deal with a psycho kinetic arsonist and a reckoning with the feared vampire council. Even Anita wonders if she has become more like the monsters than the humans she has been sworn to protect. BURNT OFFERINGS is a delicious addition to the enthralling Anita Blake series. The characters' personalities have cleverly evolved so that they are different from their first appearances. Although the mystery is quite complex and exciting, it is Anita's growing relationship with Jean-Claude that is the heart and soul of this work. From an entity she expected to kill because he (in her mind) was an evil monster, she has gone to sharing her bed and perhaps her heart with him. Is she becoming one of the monsters or is the vampire becoming more humane? That is the question Anita (and us readers) have to decide. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: great follows all others of her books!!!
Review: laurell hamilton is a great author!! she has pulled me into her books. I am just an eager reader who can't wait for the next one!!!
Rating:
Summary: The latest in the Anita Blake series, it was worth the wait!
Review: "Burnt Offerings" the latest in the Anita Blake series, was so worth the wait. (dramatic sigh) I just wish that Jean Claude was real! The growing romance between Anita and Jean Claude is the hook that lures me back every time. Although I feel sorry for Richard, Anita's jilted ex, I think that she truly belongs with Jean Claude.
The plot of the novel is lost a bit behind the menace of the Vampire Council's visit, but this is neatly tied up at the end of the novel. I find that Anita becomes more human the more she considers herself one of the monsters....self-doubt and all is very human. I got quite a laugh out of a master vampire's animal being a butterfly, and the humor that was a bit lacking in "The Killing Dance" is back in full force. I was a little disappointed not to see as much of Anita using her own Necromancy powers and more of her 'pack' powers instead, but this just shows the growth of the character.
All in all this was a fantastic book that I will recommend and read again.
Rating: 
Summary: *Yawn*
Review: I was a big fan of the first few Anita Blake novels, which is surprising since i don't like most fantasy novels, and absolutely hate vampire novels (don't like the erotica in them... which seems to be what all vampire novels written by women are). But i have to admit, i enjoyed the first few Anita Blake novels. I liked her, like how a small girl can kickass, and eventually even enjoyed how some of the monsters really aren't monsters... but over the past few novels, the books have degenerated into way too much magic that simply seems silly, her sexual relationships with a vampire and werewolf, and plots that are completely predictable (the main reason why i enjoyed her first few books because they weren't predictable). Hamilton's development of Anita was absolutely fantastic, as well of Dolph and the rest of the characters. But now with Richard, who was developing nicely in the beginning, is just absurd now. Alright, i can understand the fact that he has a plastic Barney the purple dinosaur view of the world, but does he really have to sound and act that pathetic? And Jean-Claude... who was once a great character who was trying to win Anita and who could set things in motion, is nothing but a boy toy now and doesn't even play any significant role... sure, he's got a lot of lines in the books, but his power is so dependent on Anita, that he's no longer that sinister vampire we were with ulterior motives. Trust me, i can appreciate the irony that Anita, the Execution, fell in love with Jean-Claude, Master of the City... but their relationship doesn't even seem equal now... not even close. And the love triangle is sooooo old. I guess there's one thing i learned from this series, and it's that some women have similar fantasies as men do: both find physical attraction very important (i am literally sick to death of reading about how nice these guys nippples are... SICK TO DEATH), and the desire to have more than one love/lust (which Nancy Friday's My Secret Garden also seemed to agree with). But this love triangle is getting old, repetitive, and just BORING. And the last few books were nothing but about this love triangle. Really, i wouldn't be surprised if in an upcoming book Anita will have a double penetration night with these two men.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as gripping as the previous six, but still great...
Review: Anita Blake is involved in vampire politics in Burnt Offerings. She meets the vampire council and its quite unconventional methods. The council, especially Yvette, wants Jean-Claude to replace Oliver (from Circus of the Damned), but for sinister reasons. To make matters worse, a pyrokinetic (someone who can call fire physically) has burned various people and vampire establishments with the hope of illegalizing vampires again. Anita and Jean-Claude have to put a stop to this before it is too late. But first Anita has to deal with Fernando, a wererat and son of a sadistic vampire. Fernando is the kidnapper and rapist of various were-leopards and other shape shifters. By doing so she has to become the were-leopards' leader and protector -- something that does not sit well with ex-boyfriend Richard. He decides to make her as miserable as he has been since she broke up with him. Her hands are quite full. Will she be able to save the monsters, even those who aren't worth saving? There various twists throughout the novel... Several interesting things happen in the seventh installment. The most important part is that there are a few new characters. The ones that I think will play important roles in the other novels are Asher, Jean-Claude's former best friend and nemesis, and Nathaniel, a were-leopard with submissive tendencies. Asher is the one that intrigued me the most. Hundreds of years ago, he and Jean-Claude had loved the same woman. Asher blames Jean-Claude for Julianne's brutal death. This is a great subplot -- one that I hope Ms. Hamilton delves deeper into in the other novels. I wonder if this love triangle foreshadows the future of Anita, JC and Richard. Asher is gripping, almost as sensual as JC, and I look forward to reading more on him. I don't yet know what to make of Nathaniel. I'll have to read more on him, though I must say that I'm not crazy about the aforementioned character thus far. Another good thing about this installment (other than Asher and his subplot) is that we are reacquainted with some of my old-time favorite characters, like Larry and Dolph. Though others were notably absent (I missed Edward!). And, of course, I was happy to read that the relationship between Anita and Jean-Claude has solidified into something loving as well as sexual. They're so cute together! Also, there are a few semi-erotic scenes in this novel and I think I know where LKH is headed. Burnt Offerings is another great installment, but it didn't grip me the way the previous six novels did. There are things that I did not like about this one. The thing that bothers me most is that this book has far too many subplots. I felt that LKH was going around in circles, not really stopping to delve into a particular subject. The story was hard to follow at times. Also, I don't like the direction the characters Richard and Dolph are headed. Richard is understandably hurt and angry with Anita, but his ranting and whining are too over the top for me. And since when did Dolph become a vampire hater? His attitude with Anita has changed since she started dating Jean-Claude. I do miss their friendly banters. Other than that, this is another great Anita Blake novel and I look forward to reading the next one.
Rating:
Summary: The Triumvirate vs. The Council - Best Blake Book Yet!!
Review: Anita Blake, Executioner, necromancer, human servant to a Master Vampire, lupa, acting-Alpha of a pack of werewolves, and leoparde-lionee to a pard of leopard lycanthropes, is changing...more so all the time. When Laurell Hamilton introduced her to us in "Guilty Pleasures," Book One of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, Anita was a 24 year-old dynamo - smart, attractive, feisty, super-independent - who raised the dead for a living. She was almost a normal 21st century career girl. Of course she staked rogue vampires as a sideline, but we all have our quirks. Anita's preternatural powers have been steadily increasing, and in "Burnt Offerings" the lines are really beginning 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. In this novel she is ready to kill a werewolf who had betrayed the pack, even though murder is not necessary to punish the shapeshifter. She is indifferent about whether or not to pull the trigger. Killing means nothing to her, she realizes. Anita thinks, "I didn't want to kill anyone that coldly. Killing doesn't bother me, but it should mean something." Sergeant Rudolph Storr, the detective in charge of the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team, which Anita is a member of, tells her, "You just spend too much time with the damn monsters, Anita. You've played by their rules for so long, sometimes you forget what it's like to be normal."
Ms. Hamilton's plots are extraordinary, but the reason I am so addicted to the Anita Blake books is because of the characters. Anita is not the only one who has developed in a major three-dimensional way through seven novels. The other main characters: Vampire Master Jean-Claude; Werewolf Ulfric, Richard Zeeman; Larry Kirkland, vampire executioner trainee; Ronnie, Anita's best friend, and several minor personages have also grown, as have their relationships with Ms. Blake and each other. As exciting as the storylines are, I am constantly drawn back to the folks who people these novels. And the characters are what makes the series so unique and special.
"Burnt Offerings" has Sergeant Storr asking Anita for assistance with an outbreak of serious fires throughout St. Louis. Both Storr and Anita think the culprit may be a "firebug," a being who uses supernatural power to cause conflagrations. In the previous book, Anita, Richard, (her old boyfriend), and Jean-Claude, (her present lover), had formed a Triumvirate of power. In other words, when the three connect, they exude tremendous force and are able to do much more magic than any one or two can do alone. The three are still bound to each other, even though Richard is furious with Anita for dumping him, and jealous of Jean-Claude for obvious reasons.
Their Triumvirate has attracted the attention of the Vampire Council. This body of old and magically powerful vampires decide policy, and will condemn those who question their authority to a terrible undeath. They travel to St. Louis to investigate Jean-Claude, Richard and Anita, whom they view as a threat to their power. Some of these ancient beings have hidden agendas which make it almost impossible for our gang of three to survive the trials and tribulations before them. Anita is put in a position where she is forced to rescue not only friends, but enemies as well.
Ms. Blake's narrative is written with much flair and pizzazz, mixing fantasy with mystery, romance and dark humor. Her take on this derivative genre is a most unusual one. As I mentioned before, the characters and their relationships take precedence over the plot - which certainly doesn't suffer. The novel is chock-full of action, suspense and adventure, of the intelligent sort. Big pluses: introduced here are the Traveler, a Master Vampire who does not inhabit a body of his own, but moves from vampire to vampire, and Asher, someone from Jean Claude's past. The humor, dark as always, adds much to the novel....and there are plenty of laughs to counteract the violence. Overall, I cannot recommend this series enough. "Burnt Offerings" is the most complex novel yet.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: Well....really a 4 and 1/2
Review: Great book. The ending of this one was much more satisfying than the previous novel. Although, I must say that at times, Richard got on my nerves, I was glad to see some sort of agreement met with Jean Claude and Anita.
The introduction of the council was a great addition, although the atrocities hinted at make me hope that LKH explores the council members' pasts a bit more in a future novel.
It definetely helps to read the previous books, as while the books can stand along not all the background information is revisited.
The new character of Asher has intrigued me, and I must admit Yvette does as well. All in all, great book. Lots of fun!
Rating:
Summary: Loved It, But...
Review: Things I liked:
1. Triumvirate becomes stronger.
2. We meet Asher!
3. Get a look into The Coucil. I think The Traveler is cool.
4. Was afraid that there will be a mob of neighbors trying to get rid of Anita in the last books. Now she has a home away from those innocents.
5. Her best friend is dating a lycanthrope, so she has a chance to be more involved.
6. More Jason!!!
Things I didn't like:
1. A lot of the scenes between Anita and Richard made me want to cry. Why they got to be so mean to each other?
2. She already had enough to deal with, what with the pack and all. Now she has to deal with being in charge of the wereleopards.
3. Where is Larry? and Bert? Need more of them.
4. What? She can call up Raina now? Why? There is no need for that kind of power in Anita. She got enough of it.
At least the reasons I like the book overrides the reasons I don't like the book a little. It could have done without a lot of things, but overall it was great and I can see the series is going to get better.
|
