Rating: 
Summary: Dark, Slick, Clever -- with a Cool Heroine
Review: Mystery, Preternatural Studies, Guns, Drama, Fear, Heart, Interesting Characters -- This book has it all. "Obsidian Butterfly" reads very much like James Patterson ("Along Came a Spider", "Kiss the Girls") -- fast-paced & creepy, with a few surprises thrown in to keep you on your toes. The difference is that Laurell Hamilton throws in a fierce heroine, wandering spirits, and the undead. Good stuff! As I understand it, this is the latter in a series of books about these characters. I had never read these previously releasd texts. Despite this, I did not feel I was missing out on anything. Hamilton subtlely throws in enough background information to make you feel whole with the characters and the story. This is what sets the book apart: Anita, the herione, is fabulous! I like that she didn't fit any existing female stereotypes/prototypes. She was a strong-willed, gun-toting woman who uses her intelligence and draw upon her rich, dark history to do her job. Why it didn't get the "5": A common theme in the book is the characters' quest for power (physical, mental) in a variety of situations. (Note: For those interested in man vs. himself themes -- this is a great look at how different characters deal with the personal dilemma of good vs. evill.) Often, the characters make statements to the effect of, "You know, I could kill you if I wanted to." At first these encounters were exciting, then became grating in their repetition. Regardless, this book is a great mix of horror, action, and intelligence. I'm hooked. I can't wait to read the whole series.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting, but not the best of the "Anitaverse".
Review: Fans of Ms. Hamilton are very familiar with the world that her character, Anita Blake, dwells in. It's our present day world, the only difference is that monsters, ie...Vampires, werewolves, zombies, are a natural part of everyday life. To say the "Anita" world is highly creative and immensely entertaining is an understatement. I couldn't read the series prior to this book fast enough. This novel, however, I did not find as fasinating as the prior installments. Dealing more with Edward, one of Anita's human friends, the plot, though well developed, was not the gripping adventure that I'm used to seeing in her books. Also, I must point out that Edward is not one of my favorite characters. He is the least well defined, and also hard for me to learn to like, even though, in this book, he is a little less cold blooded. I also have to say, being a fan of her prior stories, that I do miss the regular characters that normally bring humor, action and interest to storylines. Even though Anita is the main character, I'm a little more fond of some of the "monsters" than of Anita herself. I also happen to be a Jean-Claude fan, her main Vampire, and his absence in this book was keenly felt. This book is an interesting read, but it is also quite violent. The other books have also been very violent, which I don't have an adversion to, as it normally fits well within the story. I think I just noticed the darker side in this book was thicker because the characters were less easy to like or understand. For those who are familiar with the Anita universe, I would recommend reading this book. For those that are not, I would recommend starting with the earlier books to understand Anita and her world a little better.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit different to the others, but in a good way
Review: This is my favourite of the entire sequence, and a bit of a departure from the others in that all the characters are unfamiliar (apart from Anita and YAY! Edward). There a couple of standout action sequences and being removed from Richard & Jean Claude meant that Anita concentrated more on kicking ... On the down side Edward's 'romance' is rather impractical and unconvincing, but that's love I guess. Also it seems impossible for Anita to make it through a whole book without obtaining ANOTHER superhuman power. The new character Olaf was great, maybe the series needs a few more humans, and the twist at the end was both funny and menacing.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but...
Review: I started reading Hamilton with "Narcissus in Chains," the book that comes after this one in the series. While there was something that bothered me about the book, I couldn't put it down, and decided to start at the beginning. Well, I've now read them all, and while I think Hamilton has a fantastic imagination (and I had as much difficulty putting any of the others down), there are some things that need fixing. Superficially, the editing. I've never read a series of books with so many errors left in.
As far as the stories themselves, Hamilton is overly repetitious in so many ways, and frankly, Anita Blake simply isn't likable. Oh, at first I thought "Gee, isn't it nifty that there's a strong female character" but her attitude grows old real quick. The other characters grow equally tiresome, as half of them are complete bad-... with no redeeming qualities (why is it that 95% of the police introduced in the books are such jerks?), the remaining characters are either (for the most part) sex-obsessed, overly submissive, or otherwise unlikable?
With that said, though, I've noticed a definite improvement in Hamilton's writing style as the series progresses, and this particular book is significantly better than the previous ones... Narcissus is even better. So while I certainly recommend the series, I also recommend to Ms. Hamilton that she get a better editor and take a hard look at her characters.
Rating:
Summary: This is what i like to see!
Review: I wasn't tremendously impressed with "Blue Moon", the Anita Blake book previous this one, but Obsidian Butterfly redemed Anita for me. The action sequences are back up to speed with the other AB novels (Circus of the Damned and Bloody Bones were especially good in this respect) and the narration is back to where it should be. After two or three books of almost constant romance we finally see a little action and detective work. My only complaint is that Edward, my absolute favorite character, has lost a little bit of his mysterious edge for me, making him seem more normal and less "Edwardy". The mystery of him was what made him a great character...but i'll live. This is the Anita Blake i like to see, and you probably will too! If you're a first time AB reader, you wouldn't be too bad off to start with this book, but go ahead and read the whole series from first to last...you won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: I adore this one!
Review: This is my favorite book of the series. The action and detail are outstanding. Anita's moral dilema, accompanied by a perplexing mystery and disgusting murders, make this book very absorbing. It's not for the faint of heart however, so be carefull. Some of the scenes, one in particular involving children, are very disturbing. All in all a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Well written but not enough Jean-Claude or Richard!
Review: This book feels separate from the rest of the Anita Blake series in that Jean-Claude is missing. He has been one of the "red threads" in the series, and although Edward is fascinating, it was a bit too much Edward at times. This book also had the most blood and guts to it. I started the series with the 11th book "Cerulean Sins" because it was available to me, and then read in mixed order through the rest of them. My favorites are "The Killing Dance", "Narcissus in Chains" and "Cerulean Sins"; primarily due to the involvement of Jean-Claude and Richard. Although it's best to start from the beginning, each story stands well enough alone that you can read them in any order and still follow along.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced romantic mystery/horror story
Review: Obsidian Butterfly is one of those books you pick up and can't put back down until it's over, and even then with much regret. Laurell Hamilton knows how to keep her readers turning the pages. For those new to the Anita Blake series, here's a quick overview: The setting is present-day America, and the heroine is Anita Blake, the tough, sexy, and smart vampire executioner. She raises the dead for a living, quite legally, for such purposes as settling will disputes. Vampires and werewolves (aka lycanthropes) are legal citizens, only to be killed if they commit a crime. Anita actually has both a vampire lover, Jean Claude, and a werewolf boyfriend, Richard.
In Obsidian Butterfly, Anita leaves her hometown of St Louis to pay back a favor to her friend Edward, who is an assassin. He needs her help solving a string of murders, which were likely committed by something non-human. They team up with the local cops, the FBI, and Edward's mysterious accomplices to find the monster before it can mutilate yet another helpless family.
I would recommend this book to all fans of the Anita Blake series, even if many of the usual main characters are missing. You learn more about Edward and Anita, as well as the nature of her bond to "the boys".
It also goes well alone, precisely because there are not so many pre-introduced characters.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a smart, well-written plot that is a combination of horror, suspense, and mystery with a little romance mixed in. Anita's constant sarcastic thoughts and witty comments keep the mood light throughout the story. The characters are extremely well-developed and draw you into their world of magic, witchcraft and a constant good vs evil battle that will keep you turning pages all night.
Rating:
Summary: School Book Review.
Review: Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the best books I've ever read. The book is about Anita Blake's newest adventure. She is called by Edward to help him solve a mystery in New Mexico. "I was running full out and skidded on my high heels, grabbing the receiver as I slid into the wall and nearly dropped the phone. I yelled into the receiver as I juggled the phone, "Edward, Edward, it's me! I'm here!"' (p. 2) Edward needed her help since she's a necromancer and has solved murders before with the St. Louis police. The theme of the book is really about Anita finding out about herself. She didn't know much about herself, but in this book she finds out more than she ever thought she would. I do agree with it in the fact that everyone needs to find out about themselves. It doesn't relate to my life lately, but I used to try to hide information about myself from myself. I realized, after other people told me, that I can't do that. I would recommend this book, simply because it's one of the best books I've ever read. Granted it's a bit unusual, but it still is the best book of this series. Don't read this book without reading the rest of the series, but it's an awesome series to read if you like magic, Vampires, Werewolves/Werelepords/ect, and a female good guy beating the bad guys.
Rating:
Summary: another good read
Review: I love all of Laurel K Hamilton's novels. I have read and reread them all many times. Obsidian butterfly is a good one. Even though there are no romantic interests for Anita, the detail about Edward's life and the other characters introduced in this book make it a good read. I liked all of the action and the introspection that Anita does about the her own morality. She does seem to come to terms with her own violent nature a bit. She finds out that humans can be monsters as well.
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