Obsidian Butterfly (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 9) (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter) 
asked by nexus on November 9, 2006 7:33 PM
Anita Blake, the tough, sexy vampire executioner, zombie animator, and police consultant for preternatural crimes in St. Louis, hunts monsters in New Mexico in the ninth book of Laurell K. Hamilton's excellent series. Edward, Anita's mentor in slaying, asks Anita to return the favor that she has owed him since she killed a backup he brought in to protect her. He needs Anita's preternatural expertise as well as her firepower. Something is skinning and mutilating a few of its chosen victims, and dismembering others. Edward has no idea what creature could be responsible for such heinous crimes.
Summoning Anita has its downside for Edward, since it means letting her onto his turf. Anita is surprised to find that this normally aggressive man has a personal life, and shocked by his ability to be entirely different from the stone cold killer she's known. She also has problems with the cop in charge in Albuquerque, who believes her powers must be evil, and with the other backups Edward has brought in. Most of all, she has to deal with her own vulnerability--she's tried to shut down her ties to her vampire and werewolf lovers and go it alone, but it turns out to be harder than she thought.
Anita's usual supporting cast is missing, and she's taking time out from her complex love life, but there's plenty of bloody action, vampires, werewolves, and Aztec ritual. Plus a lot more about Edward. Fans will find this installment similar to the earlier books in the series, particularly The Laughing Corpse. --Nona Vero.
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In book number nine of Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake vampire hunter series, our hero Anita is out of her territory visiting her psychopathic hit-man friend Edward in New Mexico. Apparently something is killing in New Mexico that has even Edward worried. Anita helps Edward to discover what has created bloody mayhem in a town ruled by a ruthless Aztec vampire.
Anita has cut her ties with her preternatural freak boyfriends--werewolf Richard and master vampire Jean Claude, and has spent the last few months studying magic to discover how to retain her identity with the magical influences in her orbit. Despite her natural talent even Anita is getting overwhelmed.
Hamilton's alternate universe where magic and magical creatures exist alongside the everyday world is fascinating and the way she describes it, believable. Her masterpiece is the hard-boiled detective, necromancer, zombie queen, vampire executioner Anita Blake with her mordant humor and nasty quips in the face of very serious bad guys. This latest installment has a page-turning suspenseful story and many opportunities for Anita to exert her skills--both in magic and combat. A word of caution--Anita's world is gory and violent. Those who are squeamish should read with caution!
Anita has cut her ties with her preternatural freak boyfriends--werewolf Richard and master vampire Jean Claude, and has spent the last few months studying magic to discover how to retain her identity with the magical influences in her orbit. Despite her natural talent even Anita is getting overwhelmed.
Hamilton's alternate universe where magic and magical creatures exist alongside the everyday world is fascinating and the way she describes it, believable. Her masterpiece is the hard-boiled detective, necromancer, zombie queen, vampire executioner Anita Blake with her mordant humor and nasty quips in the face of very serious bad guys. This latest installment has a page-turning suspenseful story and many opportunities for Anita to exert her skills--both in magic and combat. A word of caution--Anita's world is gory and violent. Those who are squeamish should read with caution!
reviewed by smiling on November 19, 2006 9:55 PM
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It is spring time in St. Louis and Anita Blake is up to her usual trick of killing chickens and goats in order to resurrect the dead. Just like another working night for the pint-sized necromancer... except her nights almost never end up normal like some people. This time, Death has called in his favor.
Once upon a time, Edward - a ruthless bounty-hunter and assassin - has come to her aid along with a backup. Things went wrong and Anita ended up killing Harley, a deed that Edward had taken personally. Now it is payback time and Anita finds herself in New Mexico to help solve the preternatural crime that sees the local citizens mutilated and dismembered. And if someone like Edward is asking for her aid, Anita knows that she will once again be elbow deep in trouble. And she's darn right!
From the time she steps out of the plane, New Mexico has provided her nothing but one shock after the other. It appears that there is certainly more to Edward as she learns about how he has been living his life for the last couple of years. Surprise, surprise, Edward is engaged! And with Anita struggling to come to grips with her own conscience, she isn't happy with the news knowing what's in store for any regular human who gets close to them. However, that's only one of her problems. Remember that she's been called in to stop the monster that lives by the rule "mutilate and dismember".
OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY is the ninth book in the series that has hooked me from the beginning. While it is the longest Anita Blake book so far, the never-ending action, blood and gore keep the story going, although be warned that some readers may be disappointed to see the lack of participation of Jean-Claude and Richard. However, this book is more like a time-out for Anita to sort her personal issues involving her growing powers and the men in her life and do some soul-searching. In a way, it is also the turning point for the whole series for Anita's return to St. Louis would mark the change to the tone of the storyline when she takes their triumvirate a step further as we will see in the next book.
Whether or not you like the change in the setting, fans of the series will definitely appreciate getting to know Edward. Some say this is the last decent book in the series, but you have to read the books and form your own opinion.
Once upon a time, Edward - a ruthless bounty-hunter and assassin - has come to her aid along with a backup. Things went wrong and Anita ended up killing Harley, a deed that Edward had taken personally. Now it is payback time and Anita finds herself in New Mexico to help solve the preternatural crime that sees the local citizens mutilated and dismembered. And if someone like Edward is asking for her aid, Anita knows that she will once again be elbow deep in trouble. And she's darn right!
From the time she steps out of the plane, New Mexico has provided her nothing but one shock after the other. It appears that there is certainly more to Edward as she learns about how he has been living his life for the last couple of years. Surprise, surprise, Edward is engaged! And with Anita struggling to come to grips with her own conscience, she isn't happy with the news knowing what's in store for any regular human who gets close to them. However, that's only one of her problems. Remember that she's been called in to stop the monster that lives by the rule "mutilate and dismember".
OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY is the ninth book in the series that has hooked me from the beginning. While it is the longest Anita Blake book so far, the never-ending action, blood and gore keep the story going, although be warned that some readers may be disappointed to see the lack of participation of Jean-Claude and Richard. However, this book is more like a time-out for Anita to sort her personal issues involving her growing powers and the men in her life and do some soul-searching. In a way, it is also the turning point for the whole series for Anita's return to St. Louis would mark the change to the tone of the storyline when she takes their triumvirate a step further as we will see in the next book.
Whether or not you like the change in the setting, fans of the series will definitely appreciate getting to know Edward. Some say this is the last decent book in the series, but you have to read the books and form your own opinion.
reviewed by gilbert on November 27, 2006 10:50 AM
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This entire series is worth the price of admission. They do get wierder as you go.
reviewed by runabout on November 28, 2006 6:58 AM