Cerulean Sins
Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 11
by Laurell K. Hamilton
My review guidelines can be found HERE.
Anita Blake is trying to get her life back to "normal" after a break-up with her werewolf lover. She has settled into a pattern of domesticity, which means that the new man in her life, the leopard shapeshifter Micah, has no problem sharing her with Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City. Things are as peaceful as they ever get for someone who raises the dead, when Jean-Claude receives an unexpected and unwelcome visitor: Musette, the very beautiful, very twisted representative of the European Council of Vampires. Anita soon finds herself caught up in a dangerous game of vampire power politics.
To add to her troubles, she is asked to consult on a series of brutal killings, which seem to be the work of something un-human. The investigation leads her to Cerulean Sins, a vampire-run establishment that deals in erotic videos, videos that cater to very specific tastes. Anita knows one creature of the night who has such interests — Jean-Claude's visitor. But if Anita brings Musette down, the repercussions could cost her everything she holds dear.
Once a sworn enemy of all monsters, Anita is now the human consort of both Master Vampire Jean Claude and leopard shapeshifter Micah. When a centuries-old vampire hits St. Louis, Anita finds herself needing all the dark forces her passion can muster to save the ones she loves.
Anita Blake returns to find hell hath no fury like a vampire scorned.
COVER ART
- The cover shown is the edition I am reading. A new cover has been released in the UK (cooler).
- Vague symbolism that I only now am beginning to pretend to understand (after three reads of this book). Twinned roses: Jean-Claude & Asher?
- Title is a reference to the color of Jean-Claude's sheets and what happens in his bed; Anita's cerulean sins.
- I want those shoes.
PARANORMALITY
- Vampires
- Shifters
- Witch
- Racists
- Terrorists
SEXUALITY
- M/F
- M/F/M
- Sexy Water
- Magical Orgasms (with and without a partner)
- Violent Murderous Rape: the act is suggested, not described in detail
REVIEW
- Anita is starting to get on my nerves. Whining all the time. You can only deny yourself so many times, and get reminded so many times before it should stick! Geez.
- Anita's harem of men are starting to get sick of her denial as well. She adds two more men to her bed, and one of them gives her some very wise advice and insight into her actions.
- A deep founding phobia in Anita's psyche is starkly revealed by Jason's wise perceptions.
"I'm afraid of being consumed... I don't want to want anyone so much that is they aren't with me, I die." pg 216-17
- Richard is an ass.
"I realized in that moment that Richard was still living in that other world. The world where people played fair and horrible things never really happened. It must have been a peaceful place to live, the planet that people like Richard called home. I'd always admired the view, but I'd never lived there. The trouble was that Richard didn't live there either." pg 436
- Anita is also a bit stagnant: I have powers. I hate my powers. I want to be human. I'm not a monster. I hate myself. I hate you.
- At this point, I am enjoying the series for the development of the secondary characters. Jason, Nathanial, Asher...
- Anita is getting tired:
"I was overdue. Overdue for so many things that didn't involve guns of killing people." pg 527
"And I'm learning that you have to make time for what's important. You have to fight to carve little pieces of happiness out of your life, or the everyday emergencies will eat up everything." pg 529
And if Anita is good at anything, it is fighting.- A good summary of every underlying plot in the Anita Blake series,
"Neither love nor evil conquers all, but evil cheats more." pg 425
- I love this series, but from a distance. I have set myself up to read the series all the way through for the Anita Blake Challenge, but right now I really really really want to just jump to the last two books that I haven't read yet. *sigh* Too much of a good thing?
2 comments:
Oh wowo.... number 11... You still going strong with this series! Great job honey!!!
Hugs!
*yawn*
Tired of Anita by this point? :)
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Thanks so much for delving into my head. It's scary in here sometimes, so it is nice to have company! Don't step on the zephyr...