Rating: 
Summary: Excellent insight
Review: I happened to stumble across a copy of this book at my local library. Not realizing it was the ninth book in a series, I devoured it nonetheless. Edward was riveting and the 'testosterone' throwing was highly engaging. Now I can't wait to actually start the series from the beginning...
Rating: 
Summary: Peeved
Review: I am a big fan of Edward, and was delighted when I learned the book was going to be about him. Much to my irritation the "mine's bigger than your's" confrontations start off in the first chapter. I know the main characters of books are supposed to have conflicts, but this is ridiculous. It's so highschool. Ms. Hamilton can do better. This is one of her worst books.
Rating: 
Summary: Not The Best of Series
Review: Obsidian Buttrerfly has an "OK, So here's one more" feeling to it that the other Anita Blake novels do not have. The book is largely an exploration of the Edward character, a frequently appearing extra in her works. Edward (professional killer and associate of Anita's) seems to have a softer side and needs Anita's guns and attitude to help him out. Along the way are the usual cast of undead folk, a new Master Vampire, and were-pack (with a web-site), and just some of your casual CIA killers (out of control, of course) just to liven things up. The action is up to par but Edward lacks the captivating and engaging evil of Jean Claude, or the all-American werewolf attractivness of Richard. And I missed the other were/wierd folk in the St. Louis based books. It was still a quick read for me and, yes its a page-turner, but I wanted a better transition from Blue Moon and the evolution of Anita's own powers. I enjoyed it, Laurell, but I'm still waiting for the final menage a trois of power with a final determination of who is the servant: Jean Claude or Anita.
Rating: 
Summary: This pushed my biggest button
Review: I've read the entire series and enjoyed them. Great characters, fast pacing, fascinating world. But I have a major problem with books or movies that depict the torture/murder of children. I can cope with it happening to adults, but not children or infants. If I had had any idea what happened in the hospital scene, I would never have checked this book out from the library. At least I didn't buy it. And I won't be buying it, hardcover or paperback. I really enjoyed the earlier books in this series. But a depiction of the slaughter of newborns is NOT entertaining to me.
Rating:
Summary: Set it in ST. Louis!
Review: I like Hamilton's style, but she leaves out her key characters and only has Anita in this book. It's better when she sticks with the old cast of characters and setting in St. Louis--this was the only disappointment. The book sizzles with sex which was not disappointing. Also, Ms. Hamilton needs to be more accessible to readers--she never responds to comments.
Rating:
Summary: A new fan for a great series
Review: Obsidian Butterfly is the Anita Blake book that got me started on the rest of the series, and I found it highly entertaining and a quick read. The world that is created in the pages is fascinating, and a little scary. At the same time, it is highly complex and very enjoyable. Though each book CAN be read independently of the series, I would recommend starting at the beginning to follow the progression of the relationships with all the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Ugghh... wish I had read these reviews earlier
Review: I am about 150 pages into this book and talk about draaaagggginnng.... Anita spends so much time disecting Edward's love life and so very little action. I am totally bored with hearing about this Donna and the kids. I picked up this book for some interesting Vampire/Mystery killer action and all I have gotten so far is nothing more than an hour at the therapist office dialoge. Many here praise her earlier works and perhaps I should go back and give those a try but this book has got to be one of the few books that I have ever contemplated giving up on before. I almost wanted to jump to the back and read the end just so that I could be done with it and move on to more interesting works. I am all for witty tough women but her attitude borders on such low class smart alec comments that you are suprised she is still alive. I am going to hang in there and finish it since I spent close to nineteen bucks on the darn thing but I would recomend waiting for the paperback. If it's tough women and adventure you like, I suggest a Patrica Cromwell book.
Rating: 
Summary: Edward, the homicidal hero!
Review: The most innovative character in Laurell K. Hamilton's novels is easily Edward. In her previous books she had only provided enough information to wet our appetites about this intriguing charater who is as brutal as the monsters themselves. Finally a book dedicated to this unsung hero! Readers not familiar with the first eight books of the series will, however, find little interest in this latest installment. Edward is however brilliant, almost enough to overlook the reptitive neurosis of Anita. The story does lack depth without the vital characters of Richard and Jean-Claude. Edward's starring role doesn't divert the reader from the tedious repetition of this predictable plot. Average story, but being a huge Edward fan, I was quite happy to read it in one sitting!
Rating:
Summary: Obsidian Butterfly
Review: I'll admit that I waited so eagerly for this book that I might have sabotaged myself through over-expectation. Regardless, I found this installment in the series flat, largely due to the absence of both Anita's vampire & werewolf leads. [Hello? Why do we read the series?] I can't help but wonder if Hamilton felt she couldn't give adequate coverage to Edward's story with the usual cast of characters in the picture. Compared to the other books in the series (which I have memorized), I couldn't remember anything about this book (except how disappointed I was) a week after I read it.
Rating:
Summary: Jury is still out
Review: Have been a long time fan of Nancy Collins Sonja Blue series since Sunglasses at Night so I picked up Obsidian Butterfly quite by accident and haven't decided whether I like it or not. I'm approx. 50+ pages deep into the book and while the characters are 'real' enough to make me care about them, I have to wonder what the deal is with Anita Blake. She's a really strong female character but to the point where if you didn't know you were reading about a female vampire executioner, then one would tend to think this character was a male in drag. Anita must have a Y chromosome floating around in her DNA or something, but I digress. Storyline is entertaining and the unraveling the Edward character is amusing, particularly since he seems to be caught up in his own pretend non-sociopathic persona as Ted Forrester. Will the storyline get any better remains to be seen. Thus far Edward & Anita and the two "backups" Edward hired are still trying to figure out who or what is perpetrating supernatural acts of human torture. Hope it picks up soon.
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