Rating: 
Summary: Human Monsters
Review: As a fan of Anita Blake, vampire killer and professional tough chick, I wouldn't have missed this book for anything. A departure from the previous series, this book takes Anita out of St. Louis to a gig in New Mexico with her old friend Edward. As a frequenter of those parts, I was a little disappointed at how little of the flavor of Santa Fe is present in the book (aside from her description of the Indian casinos). Also, I figure that Laurell Hamilton is having difficulty figuring out what to do with the sort of menage a trois she had set up with Anita and her lovers Richard (a werewolf) and Jean Claude (a vampire); and consequently she left them out of this volume altogether. Anita is on a busman's holiday with her assassin friend Edward. This is too bad, because they are also enjoyable characters and the interaction amongst the three of them is highly entertaining. If you have not read the series, this is an fine place to start. It is probably one of the most tightly written of the series, and is both suspenseful and erotic. There is a great deal of violence in the book, as there is in all of them, and although Hamilton's focus has been on preternatural creatures for the most part, the real monsters in this book are the humans who torture and molest the two children in the story. Not for the faint of heart.
Rating: 
Summary: How can you not like it?
Review: I must vouch strongly for this book! It follows in the same "Anita Blake" style, but this time with many new twists. This book isn't a carbon copy of the rest of the books in the series - it explores a new and, until now, unexplored realm of Anita's world. Very refreshing and entertaining.Hamilton kept me reading from cover to cover, as usual. Her characters are fun, exciting, dangerous, and sexy! Anita's humor and sarcasm are just to die for (written in first person, this series lets you see just how spunky Anita is!)! Though the book focuses mostly on Edward and his life, I thought it was a needed break from the form the rest of the books have taken. Jean-Claude and Richard are put in the background as Anita goes out on her own for once (without the "boys" to keep her safe and sound..). I didn't find anything annoying about the characters. I thought it was great to find out about Edwards' "human" side, though it was just a little hard to believe he would choose Donna, of all people, for his lover (she was quite a weak character, but I think Hamilton meant her to be)! But there are always surprises in real life, so why not in Anita's world? The one complaint I would have is that the climax came too fast and wasn't explained in as much detail as the rest of the book. Maybe Hamilton was rushed to finish up? No, this didn't ruin the book by any means, but it was a bit disappointing. This book is well worth your money and well worth your time. If you have read any of the other Anita Blake books and loved them, try this one too! You won't be sorry... I promise!
Rating: 
Summary: Edward turns into ordinary Joe Shmo
Review: While still very entertaining, as all of her other books have been, I have to admit to being a little disappointed at the transformation of Edward from mysterious, cold, and creepy assassin into explainable, emotional, Joe Shmo.
Rating:
Summary: Detailed and Delightful
Review: I have always wondered about the man named Edward, and this book didn't disappoint me. I found out more about one of the most interesting characters in the series, but still ended up wanting more. What's his background like? Laurell--if you wanted, you could write a series just about Edward! I do agree with other folks on the Donna front. What a wimp. I know Edwards needs to protect someone, but couldn't that someone be someone like Ronnie, who's a human, but still has a brain and likeability? Donna is a doormat. Ugh. But still great work. Anita is still fun, and we get to see an interesting side of her with a fellow policeman. Basically I love the action, and the humor and the characters. One thing I would have enjoyed fleshed out (and this is why I gave the rating a 4 instead of a 5) is the character interaction with the normal people--notably Ramirez. Her relationship with him was fascinating because he's *human* and interesting. Still a great read folks--lots of stuff goin' on and more fun Anita and Edward (though I miss the boys too).
Rating:
Summary: It Just Blew Me Away
Review: I didn't think it was possible but once again Laurell K. Hamilton has created a wonderfully sarcastic and erotic novel. I have read every single book in the Anita Blake series and each one is better than the last. OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY is no different. Also, we finally get to know more about Edward, maybe even more than we wanted to. 10 stars for this one!
Rating:
Summary: Anita Does it Again!
Review: If you know Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake already, you don't need to read this review. If you like Anita's style, you'll like this. The action moves right along; the tension stays high; the pov is steady. It's always Anita's voice and thoughts. The bad guys are really nasty, the crimes awful, and the carnage (if you don't mind carnage) satisfying. There are a few caveats, and some of them are my problems, I suspect, not Hamilton's. But here they are. First, while she writes violence extraordinarily well, she doesn't write the people committing it all that well. Part of that is the limitation of first person narration. You only have her view, and Anita isn't that profound an observer. Second, the climax goes on long enough that I began saying, "Come on, get on with it, will you?" Not long enough that I began yelling it, granted (which I did with The Killing Dance), but that bothered me. Third, and this is personal and persnickety, Laurell Hamilton has a persistent I/me error. This is not a major fault, and it sure didn't keep me from reading the book, but it was there, and every time, I stopped and muttered, "For heaven's sake, figure it out!" This may be a characterization thing -- that is, the error is Anita's, but it bothered me to no end. Subject, I. Object, me. There were other things like that. Not enough to stop me reading, not enough to ruin it, but enough to distract me. Enough to break the flow of the story for me, and that's not good. Overall, though, this is a nice ride. You won't be wasting your money or time.
Rating:
Summary: Strengths and Weaknesses
Review: For the most part, I enjoyed the book. I enjoyed that Anita, for the first time, had to confront humans who possess significant skill and clout. I enjoyed Anita's introspection regarding her relationship with the boys, for instance, and her acknowledgement that she thought she was good in a gun fight and was wrong. But I agree that Anita still resists embracing her powers and this is disappointing to me. For instance, when she confronts the zombie, she resorts to shooting at it before invoking her powers. Sigh. The secrecy that Edward maintained throughout the book regarding the crime got real old real fast. I could empathize with Anita's frustration with him. I was also irritated with his choice for a romantic interest, Donna. I don't mind the puncturing of his cold as steel persona as much as I mind that Donna resembles a doormat too much for my taste. I thought the characters of Lt. Marks and Special Agent Franklin were useless. It's like watching an action movie and having the protagonist inhibited by officials who are stereotypically suspicious, misogynistic, bureaucratic, whatever. It may be realistic, but I still think it's a weakness in the book. Another weakness is the writing. We need some editing, people. I understand that Laurell is writing 1st person from Anita's perspective and that long sentences can reveal a train-of-thought approach, but please don't be afraid of a comma! Since I appreciate recommendations from others regarding not to miss books, I'll offer my own choices. For those interested in werewolves, I highly recommend Donna Boyd's, "The Passion." Boyd reveals werewolves as overwhelmingly sensual, highly intelligent, with an almost intolerable air of superiority that is both insufferable and refreshing after the torment we constantly witness from Richard in Laurell's books. Boyd's writing style is exquisite and sophisticated. For light hearted, laugh out loud action/mystery, check out Janet Evanovich's, "One for the Money," series starring Stephanie Plum as a former lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter from hell.
Rating:
Summary: Of Gods and Men...
Review: Death calls in his favor. Anita rushes to his aid in New Mexico. Someone or something is killing people in a most brutal way. Anita is a little to chaste in this book for my taste, especially with some of the beautiful men surrounding her, but she has enough lust in her mind to keep the reader satisfied. This was a good and quick read, but for those JC and Richard fans, you will be disappointed that the boys are only mentioned in the book and not participants. For Edward fans, you will love it. The Undertaker has more personality and becomes more of a real person in this book and his presence is irresistable.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting and eye-catching
Review: This is one of Laurell's better books. The new characters have depth and width. They add to the background complexity of the novel, bringing it into a wonderful, colorful life. And the new twist and information on Edward is shocking at best. I may not like all of it, especially the part about Donna and the kids and his feelings toward them, but as a whole, he is a beautifully created character. Laurell really needs to include him more and more in her works. And one more thing: Anita admitted that she is a type of monster. About time!
Rating:
Summary: It Keeps Getting Better With Each Book...
Review: Obsidian Butterfly was similer to the kinds of stories we got with the earlier books like the "Laughing Corpse" and "Bloody Bones." It was more plot driven, which keeps the story tighter. I love Edward, wouldn't want to date him, but I love him never the less. I thought revealing his background would ruin his mystery for me, but it only enhanced my facination. I must admit to missing the relationship aspect of the series. I know for some, Anita's relationship with the boys is secondary, but to me it seems to balances the series between the the horror and mystery and her personal life. I think the senuality of the series is necessary because of who and what JC is, and it gives the it a sexy feel - which I like. I think that for a story that took place completely apart from the setting the readers are used to, apart from character we know, it did a great job of establishing a whole new set of secondary character that were fleshed out and not cardboard. I really liked this book, and I look forward to book 10.
|
