Rating: 
Summary: Hilarious dialogue, deft plotting & fine characterization
Review: I read mysteries and horror/fantasy only occasionally because I can usually guess whodunit (as I did here) or because I find the fantasy too unconvincing (Tolkien being an exception), so why bother. However, in this case, I wasn't absolutely CERTAIN whodunit until Hamilton revealed the villain at the end (so, in Anita Blake's terms, "Point for her"). Anita is a delightful character, though she seems both too cynical and too experienced for a mere 24-year-old (I think Anita thinks and acts more like a woman in her 30s, quite frankly), but her comments, both to herself and to the other characters had me chuckling out loud every few pages, which is a rare experience for me, and made up for some of the sloppy writing and editing. Jean-Claude is a great addition to the pantheon of fictional vampires and a worthy romantic partner and Hamilton deserves credit for being able to create distinct personalities for even many of the minor characters. A fun read at the beach even for readers who don't ususally enjoy this genre but do enjoy a strong, self-sufficient heroine.
Rating: 
Summary: Practice makes Perfect
Review: The first book I ever read by LKH was the eighth in the "Guilty Pleasures" series, "Blue Moon". Blue Moon was such and excellent read that I decided I wanted to start at the beginning,which of course is Guilty Pleasures. Guilty Pleasures isn't as well written as her later books but the story is a great beginning for the series. As I read each book in it's order it was so intriguing to be able to see how much her talent improves with each story. They are a little gory at times but there is also great humor (womens). If LKH were to rewrite Guilty Pleasures it would get 5 stars easy.
Rating: 
Summary: MUST BUY NOW!!!!1
Review: This is a must buy. This is the first installment of the Anita Blake series. If you like horror, humor and a good sense of writing you have to buy this book. Get it used or get it brand new. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Not terrible, but Hamilton could do better
Review: I picked up the first two books in the series on the recommendation of a friend. I love hard-boiled detective novels and I love horror books, but I was pretty disappointed to find this book was short on both. The plot has Blake being forced to solve the murders of vampires, who she doesn't particularly like, by the Master Vampire of the City, who is a sadist. Meanwhile, she catches the attention of the runner-up for the title of Master Vampire and finds herself caught in the struggle between these two vampires as they battle for power. There is a complete rogues gallery of characters, both living and dead, and many of them are going to become constants in the series. Anita Blake, at least in this installment, seemed to me to be a little whiney, and, although this is absent in the second book (The Laughing Corpse), it was pretty annoying in this installment. Also, as is typical of at least the first two books in the series, there is little mystery. Bad guys are bad guys from beginning to end and Blake does little investigation. She typically seems to have a page long realization of who the killer is, which doesn't really shock the reader and is usually right after some kind of confession or telling event, rather than the assembling of clues. The vampires are mysterious, the writing and descriptions pretty decent, but the book lacks a lot overall. It's sort of an average attempt in what continues to be a pretty average genre (which is unfortunate, because it's a genre with a lot of potential). The second book is better, but not by much. I might continue in the series, but only if I'm desperate for something to read. This certainly wouldn't be a series I'd follow avidly.
Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Title for a Perfect Book
Review: This is the best first book of a series I have ever read. Laurell K Hamilton creates a wonderful new character. Anita Blake is tough as nails and as moral as a nun. She makes raising the dead as ordinary as selling insurance. While introducing this new character the author is very wise. She does not tell us everything about Anita and her friends. So at the end of the story the reader wants more. I know I was. The story of a serial killer of vampires is refreshing. The action is non-stop. The romance is delightful. Even Anita's friends are dangerous, so you are never sure whom she should trust. I recommend this book to all horror and alternate history fans.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks depth
Review: The other reviewers who gave this book 2 stars or less have already summed up the weaknesses of this book nicely. The storyline definitely had potential but lacked that depth that makes for riveting reading. I finished the book but only just (wanted to see "who dun it!).On the whole, I did not find the undead legions in this book very scary or evil (when compared, for example, with the exquisitely horrific vampires in Brian Lumley's books). I won't be reading any more novels in this series.
Rating:
Summary: Jean-Claude is so cool--or is he HOT...!!!
Review: This book is a wondrous introduction to the dangerous, erotic world of Anita Blake, vampire hunter/necromancer/animator. Of course, my fave character is Jean-Claude; isn't he just about the sexiest vamp in any book??? I mean, those midnight blue eyes can bewitch you with a single stare; that pale, gorgeous face that should belong in a 17th century painting; that hard, lean body just exuding danger and sexuality; those long, curly black tresses that any woman would love to run her hands through; that soft, seductive voice whispering French sweet-nothings in the middle of the night (oui, ma petite?); that powerful mind and aura just rolling you under and out until you lose yourself in his embrace; that killer fashion sense (white lacy shirts--giving a glimpse of his strong, naked chest--tight black pants, high black boots)... He is just driving me plain crazy with desire--I can't think about anything or anyone but him!!! He is definitely the person who calls out most strongly to me in the series--his personality just overtakes you, you stop and shudder, and you want to become a part of him, become a vampire, become a part of the everlasting night...
Rating:
Summary: Vampires in St. Louis, where the nightlife is - unusual...
Review: The start of a great vampire series! Those who already know that they like vampire novels, anything at all that features a vampire, can skip this review, and likewise, those who hate the whole idea of vampires can skip it. But for those trying to decide whether or not to read more of this genre, or whether the one vampire novel you've already read was a fluke, it may help to have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide. First, most authors of vampire novels approach from one of the main genres of genre fiction; thus their background may be primarily in romance, or in science fiction/fantasy, or in murder mysteries, or in horror. Second, many vampire novels come in series; knowing whether this is one of a series, and where in the series it falls, may be helpful. Then we have some particular characteristics: - Is the vampire character (or characters) a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? Or are there some of each? - Are there continuing characters besides the vampire, through the series? - Are there other types of supernatural beings besides vampires? - Can the vampire stand daylight under some circumstances, or not stand daylight at all? - Does the vampire have a few other supernatural characteristics, many other supernatural characteristics, or none other than just being a vampire? (E.g., super strength, change into an animal, turn invisible) - Does the vampire have a regular job and place in society, or is being a vampire his or her entire raison d'etre? - Does the vampire literally drink blood, or is there some other (perhaps metaphorical) method of feeding? - Is sex a major plot element, a minor plot element, or nonexistent? - Is the entire vampire feeding act a metaphor for sex, part of a standard sex act, or unrelated to sex? - Is the story set in one historical period, more than one historical period, or entirely in the present day? - Does the story have elements of humor, or is it strictly serious? - Is the writing style good, or is the writing just there to manage to hold together the plot and characters? Laurell Hamilton's series starts from the thriller, and is a continuing series, with new books appearing each year for the last several years. _Guilty Pleasures_ is the first book in the series. The "hero" or main character of the story is not a vampire, it's Anita Blake, zombie reanimator and occasional vampire executioner. However, Jean-Claude, the vampire who in the course of the series becomes the Master vampire of the city, also eventually becomes Anita's lover, and is, we might say, the assistant lead character. The continuing characters include the various vampires living in St. Louis, a few police detectives and officers whom we see regularly, and Anita's neighbors. There are other supernatural characters, lots of them - zombies, ghouls, werewolves, wereleopards, wererats; for all I know, were-wombats may show up sometime. Jean-Claude and the other vampires have the usual super-strength and super-speed; in addition, they have the traditional "power to cloud men's minds." The master vampires occasionally turn out to have other, unexpected, powers. Many of the vampires work for or in nightclubs; the city of St. Louis in this universe seems to have a really kinky nightclub district! The vampires do drink blood, human, and by no means necessarily from consenting adults. The drinking of blood doesn't have to be associated with sex, but sometimes is. There are a lot of sexual undertones, overtones, innuendo, and atmosphere in the books, and after the first couple in the series, the rest have a generous amount of explicit sex. And some of it is inter-species, sort of. This series is not for the prude! Hamilton's characters have a nice sense of irony and sarcasm, and both Anita's thoughts to herself and the dialog can be quite funny, but the stories and plots themselves are quite serious. No cutesy fantasy or playing it for puns here. In _Guilty Pleasures_ we first meet Anita, at her "day job" - make that mostly a night job - as a zombie animator: she deliberately raises corpses from the dead, usually in order for their relatives to ask them questions about where the missing will is. Hey, it's a living. She is also on contract to the police - the "Spook Squad" which investigates crimes in which the supernatural beings are suspected to be the criminals or to have played a part. In this role, she meets Jean-Claude and other master vampires, as well as some of the relatively ordinary vampires. Incidentally, the titles of the books are taken from the names of various nightclubs that the vampires own/run; Jean-Claude owns "Guilty Pleasures." We also meet Edward, who is more of a freelance killer of the supernatural; keep an eye on Edward, as he will play a large part in later books.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: The first book of the Anita Blake-Vampire Hunter series "Guilty Pleasures" is so truly stunning. The way this book was written is absolutely wonderful in many ways. The story is breathtaking, the characters are life-like and interesting,the book itself is written in a way where you actually start to believe this stuff is real..you see what the main character sees. You hear her thoughts,you hear what she wants. In the end of the book,I thought I knew Anita. This author is fascinatingly mysterious and I love it!
Rating:
Summary: better than I expected
Review: I jumped into this book with low expectations, but it turned out to be a very good book. In the begining I was a little turned off by the idea of ghouls and zombies, I thought it would produce some what of a childish atmosphere. In my case, hamiliton produced a world that only existed when I opened the book and it was never interrupted by reality. The zombies and ghouls were supposed to exist, that's how it felt. She did a good job. Whether or not you'll love this book, I'm not sure, but I can almost say with certainty that you'll at least enjoy it.
|
