Rating: 
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: I just finished reading all 10 of the Anita Blake books! Now I
can finally begin to sleep at night, rather than just read!
I absolutely loved all of the books. This one is as good as the rest.
Rating: 
Summary: Another personal opinion
Review: I'm overly fond of vampire stories, and the Anita Blake series is one of the best. The later books are better, but you will want to start at the begining.
Rating:
Summary: One of the better ones in the series
Review: Well, Circus of the Damned is one of my favourite books in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. It has great character development and introduces some new and attractive faces that show up quite frequently later in the series. Though because this book is rather early in the series and Ms. Hamilton's writing career, there are some rough spots in the plot and characters that are smoothed out in later books but are apparent in this one. Though the plot is rich and thick with intrigue and mystery, it has holes in it. In the beginning of the book Ms. Hamilton focuses on the investigation of the murders of two persons, and the vampire pack that did it. But once Anita Blake is caught up with Jean Claude and Alejandro and the Lamia, the murder investigation is almost forgotten. It is alluded to that Dolph and RPIT found someone connected to the murders but Ms. Hamilton never really says who did them or why. Another thing I noticed that seems to keep recurring in the Anita Blake series is that once Anita confronts the bad guys, she disposes of them in nothing short of light speed, despite the fact that earlier in the books the bad guys were incrediably powerful and/or old. The author seems to reach a point when she just wants to be done with the book, and the plot suffers. Surprisingly though, none of this really took away from the book. The characters are so interesting and deep and the events that happen are very rich in description that the book is still compelling and a good read. The writing is humourous as always, rich and full of style individual to Ms. Hamilton. Try this book, I've read it numberous times and it only gets better.
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, the series is getting better...
Review: I think the reason that I liked this book best so far of the series, which I'm reading in order, is that Hamilton spent less time describing the most gory crime scenes imaginable and MORE time on characters. However, I've begun to notice that she recycles her descriptions of things, such as Jean Claude, Edward, Irving, Luther. The words she uses to describe these people, even Ronnie, her best friend...are all the exact phrases/words used in the first of this series. I like having characters that go from book to book in the series, but, I think that as Anita grows/changes, so should the writer. I'm SURE Laurell K. Hamilton could give these characters new, different, fresher descriptions instead of pasting in the old, tired ones.. I mean, what about those of us who are reading each book....why bore us? We're your target audience, the repeat buyer! However, I enjoyed Richard in this one, but still can't figure out why Anita never asked why he was naked in Jean Claude's bed the first time she sees him. I'd need the answer to that before I went out with a guy. Better character development here....MUCH better than her last, the Laughing Corpse. That book was horrible. Just all about how many disgusting, gory scenes Ms. Hamilton could write. Ok, give us the violence, but ya gotta have character and plot too. This one is her best effort so far that I have read.
Rating:
Summary: A Hell of a Romp Under the Big Tent!
Review: I love Anita Blake! She's so human - (i think) flawed but brave, vindictive with a dopple of mercy if deserved! The world of Anita Blake goes beyond the possibilites in fantasy. After reading her stories you may believe that you'd find Animators Inc. actually listed in the Yellow Pages! Circus of the Damned is powerhouse story and will leave wanting any circus in your past or future! I finished this in six hours because I couldn't leave the book without knowing just what was next in store for Anita, Richard her werewolf love interest, and Jean-Claude, the suave and debonair Vampire who loves Anita with all of his undead heart! It may sound an undoable storyline, but under Hamilton's pen it works beautifully!!
Rating:
Summary: In Full Stride
Review: Having led off with "Guilty Pleasures" and "The Laughing Corpse," Laurell Hamilton has laid all the necessary groundwork to make this series work. In "Circus of the Damned" she builds on the previous to volumes give a fuller, and more frightening picture of an alternate earth where vampires, werewolves and other monsters are commonplace members of modern society. While helping the St. Louis Police investigate a pair of human murders carried out by an unknown vampire pack Anita Blake realizes that there is a new master vampire in the city. One that is intent on terrorizing the populace and challenging Jean-Claude as Master of the City. In a series of startling confrontations she finds out there are not one, but two such vampires. The first, Alejandro, was young when the Aztecs were spilling the blood of sacrifices. The other, Mr. Oliver, has roots that extend into time immemorial. Either vampire is powerful enough to challenge Jean-Claude, and neither has any intention of observing the uneasy truce between humans and the undead. In addition, Anita must deal with a Lamia, weresnakes, out-of-control zombies, and a whole host of vampires that are envious or opposed to her relationship with Jean-Claude. And Jean-Claude himself keeps pressuring her to take the third and fourth marks of the vampire, becoming his human servant. If dealing with all the really bad guys isn't hard enough, Anita has to deal with a new romantic interest, Richard Zeeman and an overly enthusiastic apprentice animator, Lawrence Kirkland. Did I mention Edward the assassin and a very large number of werewolves? When the conflict between the three masters come to a head, Anita finds that she has become one of the focuses for the battle to come. Not only Jean-Claude, but Alejandro as well, are intent on having her as human servant. Alejandro, however, has no intention of being polite, and is capable of forcing the role on Anita - the vampiric equivalent of rape. The story moves fluidly from scene to scene, building steadily to the inevitable and spectacular final showdown which has enough surprises to satiate even the most finicky reader. Hamilton has proven herself willing and able to handle complex plots and still keep her characters from becoming two dimensional. "Circus of the Damned" is no exception. All of the characters, from the illustrious Jean-Claude to the lowliest human servant come brilliantly to life. The effect is hypnotic, and I find Anita Blake stories too easy to read in one or two sessions, leaving me looking forward to her next book. With this, the third in the Anita Blake series, Laurell Hamilton fully demonstrates the strong writing skills that have made the vampie hunter a best-selling series.
Rating:
Summary: Hamilton improves a little with this one...
Review: I usually reserve four stars for items that I truly love that lack the fine sheen of perfection, but I found myself no choice but to give this four stars even though it is not a favorite of mine. I gave the first two books in this series three stars, they were average, sometimes enjoyable, but I never found them truly involving. At a friend's insistence I continued on through the third book, and although there are some major plot holes here and there, there were truly gripping moments for the first time in the series. The undauntable vampire slayer/necromancer finds herself going up against the oldest vampire she's ever faced, dancing around the edges of romance, and still warning off the master vampire that wants her as a servant and/or lover. In the mix are strange serpentine creatures and werewolves and lots of bloody battles. The conflicts in this book, while hardly believable since they all include vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters, are still compelling and sympathetically written. The plot holes, while sometimes jarring, are kept to the details (Blake wrecks her car, but then is driving around the next day and only later is it revealed where she got a car). Still, this is better than either of the two prior books and deserves higher marks although I will admit that reading the other two books is necessary since the relationships do develop over time.
Rating:
Summary: Anita Blake is a marked Vampire Hunter/Animator/Necromancer
Review: After her great success in "The Laughing Corpse," one of the finest horror novels I have ever read, Laurell K. Hamilton tries to reach the same heights again in "Circus of the Damned," the third volume in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. For the first time the focus is primarily on the vampires, although Anita's job as an Animator has always been more accurate a description than Vampire Hunter. Once again she is the target of every character in the novel: Jean-Claude the Master Vampire of St. Louis wants to put his final two marks on Anita to make her his human servant, but so does Alejandro, an even older vampire who wants to take Jean-Claude's spot. On top of that there are two other master vampires in town this time around: Yasmeen, who simply wants to rip Anita's heart out, and Oliver, who wants to slaughter humans so that this nonsense about vampires having legal rights will come to an end. Meanwhile, over on the human side of the equation, the leaders of Humans First want to take out Anita for not helping them slay the Master, Edward is back wanting the name from Anita so he can do the same thing, Dolph wants her help in tracking down a pack of vampires that are killing humans, Bert wants her to train Larry Kinkaid the college student turned animator, and just to make things really interesting, Richard, the middle-school teacher who hangs out with Jean-Claude at the Circus of the Damned, wants to go out on a date with Anita where they spend the day spelunking. While we do find out a bit more about Anita's discovery that she is a necromancer and the issue of her being the human servant of a vampire is finally (?) resolved, the conclusion of "Circus of the Damned" is a bit too reminiscent of the climax of the previous Anita Blake novel. However, Hamilton scores points by continuing the exploring the "real world" implications of her America where vampires have legal rights and the characterization of Anita Blake continues to develop nicely. There is plenty of action and the book is not as gory as its predecessor, but is still one of those "may be too intent for younger children" type reads. Do not come here expecting Buffy.
Rating:
Summary: ANITA BLAKE...WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY!!!!
Review: WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY. THIS IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE ANITA BLAKE SERIES. THE CHARACTERS WERE VERY DEVELOPED IN THIS ONE. WE MEET EDWARD AGAIN, ALONG WITH CUTE RICHARD. JEAN CLAUDE IS BACK AND NOW RICHARD AND JEAN CLAUDE BOTH WANT ANITA. HOW DID SHE GET SO LUCKY?
Rating:
Summary: In which Anita meets a sexy werewolf
Review: Circus of the Damned is the name of an entertainment center (sort of) owned by our favorite vampire, Jean-Claude. What we and Anita know, and what she doesn't want to let anyone else know, is that it is also the daytime resting place of Jean-Claude. By the way, when we get to _Killing Dance_ later in the series, Anita will spend some very important time in the basement of the Circus, herself. In this episode, we have one of the most interesting bad guys in the series, Mr. Oliver, the oldest vampire Anita will ever meet. How old is he? Hint: sloping forehead and chin, prominent brow ridge, short... yeah, homo erectus, not homo sapiens. However, just one enemy at a time would be boring for Anita. There's also another master vampire after her, one who would seem old if Mr. O wasn't around- he's an Aztec. And there's a rabid new offshoot of Humans Against Vampires, called Humans First. Oh, and a lamia - giant snake-woman. Well, aren't giant half-snake, half-women the sort of thing you expect at a circus? But the most important thing in the book is Richard. Richard is a very nice junior high school teacher who just happens to be a werewolf. And yes, Anita will be dating the occasionally furry Richard, though at the end of the book she's still refusing to date Jean-Claude. Furry is one thing, dead is another. Or, as she says, "Most women complain that there are no single, straight men left. I'd just like to meet one who's human." For those wondering about the whole series, you can find out more about the characteristics of vampire novels in general and how this series fills some of those characteristics, by reading my reviews of earlier books in the series, such as _Guilty Pleasures_.
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