Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Washington, D.C. : National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, 2008.
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML:Meet Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, in the first novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that �blends the genres of romance, horror and adventure with stunning panache�(Diana Gabaldon). Laurell K. Hamilton�s bestselling series has captured readers� wildest imaginations and addicted them to a seductive world where supernatural hungers collide with the desires of the human heart, starring a heroine like no other... Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: re-animating the dead and killing the undead who take things too far. But when the city�s most powerful vampire asks her to solve a series of vicious slayings, Anita must confront her greatest fear�her undeniable attraction to master vampire Jean-Claude, one of the creatures she is sworn to destroy... �What The Da Vinci Code did for the religious thriller, the Anita Blake series has done for the vampire novel.��USA Today.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TadAD
There's some good news and some bad news.
The good news is that this is the starting book of what is one of the coolest horror/action series. If you like a scrappy woman kicking supernatural bad guy butt, this is a set I'd recommend. Anita Blake strikes just the right notes of vulnerability and
The bad news is that, after about book #8, it becomes one of the uncoolest porn series—by book #12 we spend the bulk of the novel in blow-by-blow (no pun intended) descriptions of our heroine in the sack with just about every male character in the books, singly or in groups. If you don't mind a lot of sex in your books, you'll still mind the total absence of plot and the thoroughly unpleasant woman you used to like.
Definitely read the first eight or so, then switch to Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff or their ilk.
The good news is that this is the starting book of what is one of the coolest horror/action series. If you like a scrappy woman kicking supernatural bad guy butt, this is a set I'd recommend. Anita Blake strikes just the right notes of vulnerability and
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confidence, the plots are good, the supporting casts well-drawn.The bad news is that, after about book #8, it becomes one of the uncoolest porn series—by book #12 we spend the bulk of the novel in blow-by-blow (no pun intended) descriptions of our heroine in the sack with just about every male character in the books, singly or in groups. If you don't mind a lot of sex in your books, you'll still mind the total absence of plot and the thoroughly unpleasant woman you used to like.
Definitely read the first eight or so, then switch to Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Tanya Huff or their ilk.
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
No, this isn't a deathless classic, but for what it is, it's top-notch. That is, it's a sometimes scary and creepy but throughout very entertaining book that straddles the line between dark fantasy and horror, with an appealingly kick-ass heroine and fine world-building.
Anita Blake is the first
And lately she's had a string of them. In her world, zombies, ghouls, weres are known to exist and a US Supreme Court case has recently given vampires rights as people. That doesn't mean they're not dangerous and when Anita's friend is threatened she must solve a string of vampire murders and deal with some of the most powerful and dangerous vampires of St Louis. I like all the thought Hamilton put into her vampires: they have "animals to call," "human servants" and there is a whole subculture attracted to vampires including a religious cult...and oh, a vampire stripper club called "Guilty Pleasures" that features a smexy owner--Jean Claude who is one of the most intriguing and prominent characters in the series. And the most chilling monster of all may be a human--Anita's sometime ally and colleague Edward.
I also liked LK Hamilton's style and pacing in this. I read this book in one sitting, feeling as if nothing was filler and liking how she can choose details that bring characters and settings sharply to mind. There are winning touches of humor as well--the book features witty and snappy dialogue.
Sounds like a rave, doesn't it? I do have to sound one warning note though. If you're the kind of person who, if you like the first book in a series, can't stop reading the others even once it jumps the shark. Well, you may hate taking me up on my recommendation. I think if anything, the books get better in the next 8 volumes. I liked Anita's arc up through Blue Moon. I thought Hamilton was working through some interesting themes about walking the line between fighting monsters and becoming one--and just what it means to be a monster. But imo the series badly, badly jumps the shark in the tenth book, Narcissus in Chains, of the jaw-dropping, book hurling, she-didn't-just-do-that! kind and with every book after that I thought Anita became more and more a caricature of herself. It's at the point that I'm absolutely astounded the most recent Anita Blakes are published, let alone inhabit the bestseller list.
Reading this first book though reminded me exactly why I persisted reading this series long after I should have given up. I was struck with just how rich Anita's world was in the beginning. She had co-workers, a boss, colleagues, family--her step brother is mentioned as someone she cares about--friends, neighbors. Later what she has...well, you might want to find out for yourself. But yes, this first novel is good. A guilty pleasure.
Anita Blake is the first
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person voice of this tale--a female zombie animator and vampire slayer with the smart ass voice of a hard-boiled detective. She considers herself "tough of nails" but is willing to put her life on line for innocent bystanders, not just friends. She goes around with knife sheaths, and guns in trouser holsters and shoulder rigs--and she has a collection of stuffed penguins. Her favorite, Sigmund, goes to bed with her when she's had a really bad day.And lately she's had a string of them. In her world, zombies, ghouls, weres are known to exist and a US Supreme Court case has recently given vampires rights as people. That doesn't mean they're not dangerous and when Anita's friend is threatened she must solve a string of vampire murders and deal with some of the most powerful and dangerous vampires of St Louis. I like all the thought Hamilton put into her vampires: they have "animals to call," "human servants" and there is a whole subculture attracted to vampires including a religious cult...and oh, a vampire stripper club called "Guilty Pleasures" that features a smexy owner--Jean Claude who is one of the most intriguing and prominent characters in the series. And the most chilling monster of all may be a human--Anita's sometime ally and colleague Edward.
I also liked LK Hamilton's style and pacing in this. I read this book in one sitting, feeling as if nothing was filler and liking how she can choose details that bring characters and settings sharply to mind. There are winning touches of humor as well--the book features witty and snappy dialogue.
Sounds like a rave, doesn't it? I do have to sound one warning note though. If you're the kind of person who, if you like the first book in a series, can't stop reading the others even once it jumps the shark. Well, you may hate taking me up on my recommendation. I think if anything, the books get better in the next 8 volumes. I liked Anita's arc up through Blue Moon. I thought Hamilton was working through some interesting themes about walking the line between fighting monsters and becoming one--and just what it means to be a monster. But imo the series badly, badly jumps the shark in the tenth book, Narcissus in Chains, of the jaw-dropping, book hurling, she-didn't-just-do-that! kind and with every book after that I thought Anita became more and more a caricature of herself. It's at the point that I'm absolutely astounded the most recent Anita Blakes are published, let alone inhabit the bestseller list.
Reading this first book though reminded me exactly why I persisted reading this series long after I should have given up. I was struck with just how rich Anita's world was in the beginning. She had co-workers, a boss, colleagues, family--her step brother is mentioned as someone she cares about--friends, neighbors. Later what she has...well, you might want to find out for yourself. But yes, this first novel is good. A guilty pleasure.
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LibraryThing member verenka
The first book in the famous Anita Blake series. The things I noticed I didn't particularly like about this book were the same I already noticed in book 14 (or whatever). Then, I thought it was down to it, well, being book 14 in a series. Now I know it's not her being lazy, but her distinct writing
But hey, my friend was right - no sex in the first book!
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style. Short sentences. Anita's inner monologue. Yeah right. The other aspect I don't like is, the timeframe. All books I read so far cover only two or three days. During these days you find out everything Anita says and does, including what color shirt she wears despite the heat in order to cover the gun. I'd prefer to get some background on people, stories, even St. Louis and not exclusively Anita's inner monologue.But hey, my friend was right - no sex in the first book!
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LibraryThing member Jenson_AKA_DL
I have heard so much about this series. About how wonderful the first few books were and how lurid and sleazy they became later on. Anita Blake is a total legend in the paranormal vampire realm so I have to say I was really surprised by this book. Instead of anything resembling the romance which I
In this story Anita Blake is an animator, one who can raise the dead as zombies. A rather odd occupation. On the side she was apparently a vampire hunter, earning her the name of “The Executioner”. When we join this particular tale Anita seems to be partially retired from the active vampire hunting scene and even though she still has no love for them, she tolerates them. Jean-Claude is the vampire owner/proprietor of the bar, Guilty Pleasures. When vampires start getting murdered Jean-Claude arranges it so that Anita is brought in as an investigator. Unfortunately for all concerned he loses control of the situation causing Anita’s friend to become threatened and Jean-Claude to undergo a horrid punishment at the behest of his master. This story has Anita playing an investigator of vampire deaths while all the while trying to keep the master vampire’s fangs away from herself and those she cares about.
This was a much slower story than I thought it would be. In depth description, an abundance of characters to try and keep straight and convoluted loyalties and agendas made it all a bit confusing. I also figured out early on what was happening with Jean-Claude and kind of had an inkling of how thing would work out with Phillip and the majority of the other characters. I had to work a little bit at staying interested but I still enjoyed the story. At this point I’m kind of curious what will happen to Anita in her future adventures and may pick up the next in the series in the future. Personally I wouldn’t mind something a little bit steamier than what this was. I am happy to say that I’ve finally read what seems to be one of the main starters of the current vampire/urban fantasy genre and that it was a bit more unique than I had anticipated it would be.
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expected, the story was much more of an urban fantasy bordering on horror. Even more startling to me was the fact that I actually liked the main character. I was totally expecting one of the know-it-all, bitchy types but that’s not really what she’s like. Anita did border a bit on the preachy side of things and went on a little much about her stature (or lack thereof) but it was certainly quite tolerable and didn’t make me want to rip my hair out.In this story Anita Blake is an animator, one who can raise the dead as zombies. A rather odd occupation. On the side she was apparently a vampire hunter, earning her the name of “The Executioner”. When we join this particular tale Anita seems to be partially retired from the active vampire hunting scene and even though she still has no love for them, she tolerates them. Jean-Claude is the vampire owner/proprietor of the bar, Guilty Pleasures. When vampires start getting murdered Jean-Claude arranges it so that Anita is brought in as an investigator. Unfortunately for all concerned he loses control of the situation causing Anita’s friend to become threatened and Jean-Claude to undergo a horrid punishment at the behest of his master. This story has Anita playing an investigator of vampire deaths while all the while trying to keep the master vampire’s fangs away from herself and those she cares about.
This was a much slower story than I thought it would be. In depth description, an abundance of characters to try and keep straight and convoluted loyalties and agendas made it all a bit confusing. I also figured out early on what was happening with Jean-Claude and kind of had an inkling of how thing would work out with Phillip and the majority of the other characters. I had to work a little bit at staying interested but I still enjoyed the story. At this point I’m kind of curious what will happen to Anita in her future adventures and may pick up the next in the series in the future. Personally I wouldn’t mind something a little bit steamier than what this was. I am happy to say that I’ve finally read what seems to be one of the main starters of the current vampire/urban fantasy genre and that it was a bit more unique than I had anticipated it would be.
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LibraryThing member ankhet
For those of you who haven't heard of Anita Blake, let me give you the rundown: Anita Blake is an animator. She has an affinity with the dead - all dead. She raises zombies for a living, but also carries the title of The Executioner. She kills vampires for the court. And she is very good at what
In this, the first Anita Blake novel, the thousand-year-old master of St. Louis is gunning for Anita. Someone or something has been killing vampires, and has already managed to take out two of the most powerful vampires in the city. Nikolaos, the master, wants Anita to make these killings stop - and she will go to great lengths to ensure Anita does what she wants.
Having read most of the series in the past, and knowing what the series' reputation is, let me say that it starts off very good. The first half of the series is a horror series, with some mystery. Anita goes against different baddies, figuring out who is behind the recent slayings she investigates with the police. There is increasingly more sexual tension as the series progresses, and yes, the second half of the series is little more than porn interspersed with a little plot and bigger and badder bad guys.
BUT. The first few books are, without a doubt, very well written. I enjoy them immensely, and reread them every year for a reason.
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she does.In this, the first Anita Blake novel, the thousand-year-old master of St. Louis is gunning for Anita. Someone or something has been killing vampires, and has already managed to take out two of the most powerful vampires in the city. Nikolaos, the master, wants Anita to make these killings stop - and she will go to great lengths to ensure Anita does what she wants.
Having read most of the series in the past, and knowing what the series' reputation is, let me say that it starts off very good. The first half of the series is a horror series, with some mystery. Anita goes against different baddies, figuring out who is behind the recent slayings she investigates with the police. There is increasingly more sexual tension as the series progresses, and yes, the second half of the series is little more than porn interspersed with a little plot and bigger and badder bad guys.
BUT. The first few books are, without a doubt, very well written. I enjoy them immensely, and reread them every year for a reason.
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LibraryThing member AbundanceofBooks
Anita is an animator, she raises the dead (that's right people, zombies). As a side line she works as a police consultant and a vampire slayer. (Guilty Pleasures doesn't explain how she got into the slaying business, but I'm expecting it will come up eventually.) Some recent vampire murders cause
Anita had a nice since of humor, the story moved quickly, and the needed background information did not get tedious. I also kind of liked that Jean-Claude, who I think has a more prominent role in other books, was locked away for the bulk of the book.
I liked this book and would definitely recommend picking it up. Nice story, lots of action, moved quickly, didn't get hung up in the world building. And I really didn't think I would like this series, but I read Guilty Pleasures in one day! I have high expectations for the other 18 books in the series (wow, that's a lot of books). I'm hoping for a bit more character development with some of the side characters and more background information on Anita. I'm also hoping that Hamilton will not use the sarcastic question answered with a "Naw" so much in the future. I was really tempted to start counting how many times she did that.
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the city's top ranking vampire master (Nikolaos, the tween from Hell) to try to hire Anita to find the killer. Anita explains that she never works for vampires. Some business and a bachelorette party later, she is forced into helping in order to save her friend Catherine's life. There is a point when Anita is injured and Jean-Claude (now the city's 3rd strongest master thanks to the murders) shares his life force with her to save her life. This turns out the first in four marks into making a human a vampire servant. Along the way Anita unknowingly receives the second mark. The story moves quickly through assassination attempts, dealing with the scary Nikolaos, trying to solve the murders, and dealing with an untrustworthy sidekick (the sad but likable Phillip) and the far more dangerous occasional partner, Edward. Oh, and some ghouls and a thwarted vampire groupie orgy. Not necessarily in that order.Anita had a nice since of humor, the story moved quickly, and the needed background information did not get tedious. I also kind of liked that Jean-Claude, who I think has a more prominent role in other books, was locked away for the bulk of the book.
I liked this book and would definitely recommend picking it up. Nice story, lots of action, moved quickly, didn't get hung up in the world building. And I really didn't think I would like this series, but I read Guilty Pleasures in one day! I have high expectations for the other 18 books in the series (wow, that's a lot of books). I'm hoping for a bit more character development with some of the side characters and more background information on Anita. I'm also hoping that Hamilton will not use the sarcastic question answered with a "Naw" so much in the future. I was really tempted to start counting how many times she did that.
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LibraryThing member Nekosohana
This book series started out excellent. I'm not into "chick books" as it were, but this was had enough action and a dominant female charachter that was no joke. It was like a pulpy detective novel with a vampire twist. I've read them all, but I don't want to put the rest in here because after about
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the 4th or 5th book, they fell off and I didn't like it. Show Less
LibraryThing member heidilove
The Anita Blake series starts out well, but really begins to turn toward the victim-as-passion pretty soon. If you're into that, then these deliver, but it's really not my thing. By the time we get well into the series, Hamilton's Blake is pathetically power hungry and driven by a sense of
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acceptance from men that would have any truly independent person retching in the aisle. Eventually it devolves into farcical S&M exploration, delivering light porn, but not truly erotica. If you don't want to admit what your hungers are to yourself, then these are books made for you, as I Blake (and possibly by extension Hamilton herself) suffers from the same plight. My favorite character of all is Edward, and we really never do get to see enough of him. Show Less
LibraryThing member bjanecarp
Guilty Pleasures is a vampire novel in the urban fantasy genre, the first in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series is based in and around the city of St. Louis, where the heroine works as an animator, someone who raises the dead. To the vampire community, she is
The novel is in the “hardboiled detective” genre, and Anita Blake bears much resemblance to Sue Grafton’s character Kinsey Millhone: a no-nonsense woman doing a no-nonsense job. She is tough, no nonsense, hates seeing her friends hurt by her own actions--the usual stuff for a genre like this.
Guilty Pleasures takes its name after a vampire strip club, where we meet a number of the incidental characters of the novel, and where Anita Blake becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. Someone in the city is murdering the city’s powerful vampires, and they want to know why. We meet Jean-Claude, a vampire who will be featured more heavily in future novels.
The primary antagonist is a thousand-year-old vampire in a child’s body named Nikolaos, who rules the vampire underworld through fear.
The writing is solid, but not exceptional. The plot moves along nicely. My only gripes are with the character development. Anita Blake is, frankly, not a very likeable character. She is framed by all the things she dislikes: he hates blackberry pie. She can’t stand vampires. She is annoyed by her pager on vibrate... and the list goes on. Aside from her private detective friend Veronica, she has no close friends, and one wonders why Veronica bothers to hang around with her at all.
The vampire world itself is very dark and chaotic. Nikolaos is near-insane in her despotic rule over St. Louis, and is presented as, basically, an evil creature without a redeeming value whatsoever. This doesn’t sit well with me: I prefer my villains with a little psychological meat on their bones.
This was, by all accounts, Hamilton’s first novel, written in 1993, and time has worn the story around the edges. It seems odd that she has no computer, and that she uses a pager, and there are no cell phones. The novel holds up quite nicely though, and as an adventure, managed to keep me interested enough through its 260+ pages.
I will be reading the second novel in the series. My wife assures me that Hamilton gets better as a writer, and Anita Blake becomes a more interesting character.
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simply known as “The Executioner” because she has killed dozens of rogue vampires who need to be brought to justice.The novel is in the “hardboiled detective” genre, and Anita Blake bears much resemblance to Sue Grafton’s character Kinsey Millhone: a no-nonsense woman doing a no-nonsense job. She is tough, no nonsense, hates seeing her friends hurt by her own actions--the usual stuff for a genre like this.
Guilty Pleasures takes its name after a vampire strip club, where we meet a number of the incidental characters of the novel, and where Anita Blake becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. Someone in the city is murdering the city’s powerful vampires, and they want to know why. We meet Jean-Claude, a vampire who will be featured more heavily in future novels.
The primary antagonist is a thousand-year-old vampire in a child’s body named Nikolaos, who rules the vampire underworld through fear.
The writing is solid, but not exceptional. The plot moves along nicely. My only gripes are with the character development. Anita Blake is, frankly, not a very likeable character. She is framed by all the things she dislikes: he hates blackberry pie. She can’t stand vampires. She is annoyed by her pager on vibrate... and the list goes on. Aside from her private detective friend Veronica, she has no close friends, and one wonders why Veronica bothers to hang around with her at all.
The vampire world itself is very dark and chaotic. Nikolaos is near-insane in her despotic rule over St. Louis, and is presented as, basically, an evil creature without a redeeming value whatsoever. This doesn’t sit well with me: I prefer my villains with a little psychological meat on their bones.
This was, by all accounts, Hamilton’s first novel, written in 1993, and time has worn the story around the edges. It seems odd that she has no computer, and that she uses a pager, and there are no cell phones. The novel holds up quite nicely though, and as an adventure, managed to keep me interested enough through its 260+ pages.
I will be reading the second novel in the series. My wife assures me that Hamilton gets better as a writer, and Anita Blake becomes a more interesting character.
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LibraryThing member NicolefromCarmel
I read this series a long time ago. I was hooked on book one. Captivated by book two, still interested in book 4 and then it turned in to "romance" novel status. Yes, I continued to read the rest of the series, I'll admit it. But the urban part was gone and it really was just fantasy. Hamilton took
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a great character with a ton of potential and turned her into a sex goddess with so many lovers, who could keep track. What happened to the short, crazy haired, black nike wearing Anita. In it's place a nymphomaniac arose and I just can't find the interest to check out the most recent novel. Show Less
LibraryThing member RachaRolla
The only reason I went here was because everyone was raving about this book! Bad idea. I couldn't get into this book, the first however many chapters she spends in a vampire strip club watching sexy vampires be sexy. No.
LibraryThing member sublunarie
My reasoning for picking up this book was one that happens to me a lot. I have worked in a bookstore for 3.5 years now, so after awhile when you see a book for long enough you convince yourself it might be interesting. In the case of the Anita Blake books, there are like 20 of them, so I see a lot
Here is the bottom line on this book: it is so terribly written. Hamilton writes like a 14-year-old that doesn't understand the finesse of the English language, or the difference between inner thought and conversation. It was incredibly painful to read at times because you know that Anita could actually be pretty kick-ass if only she had better PR. However, the world that Hamilton has created here is really interesting. And the characters, even though their mouths are not connected to their brains (Hamilton), are somewhat endearing.
It is for the world that I have decided to move on to the second book. But it's books like these that wish books could be more like movies, where another author could come along and write a re-make and give Anita the personality and world that she deserves.
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of damn covers. Here is the bottom line on this book: it is so terribly written. Hamilton writes like a 14-year-old that doesn't understand the finesse of the English language, or the difference between inner thought and conversation. It was incredibly painful to read at times because you know that Anita could actually be pretty kick-ass if only she had better PR. However, the world that Hamilton has created here is really interesting. And the characters, even though their mouths are not connected to their brains (Hamilton), are somewhat endearing.
It is for the world that I have decided to move on to the second book. But it's books like these that wish books could be more like movies, where another author could come along and write a re-make and give Anita the personality and world that she deserves.
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LibraryThing member Flamika
A great start to a great series. It hits on all the majorly important elements of Anita's life: vampires, zombie-raising, police work, entanglement with the preternatural community of St. Louis. A very fun read even if Hamilton's writing style isn't too much to get excited about. She leans a bit to
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heavily on short sentences and passive voice, but it work well with Anita Blake's very straightforward and attentive POV. Show Less
LibraryThing member averitasm
As the first Laurell K Hamilton book I have read , i have to say I was pleasantly surprised , this was not your normal paranormal romance type book, it was dark and gritty and way to addictive. I love this series now and yes it has some steamy moments and as the series goes on it gets more so but
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it was great I recommend this series it was fun to read and I look for all her other books now. Show Less
LibraryThing member madamejeanie
Anita Blake is an animator, working for Animators, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri. Petite and beautiful, with long black curly hair and an almost elfin face, Anita resembles a delicate china doll, but looks can be deceiving. She's also known as The Executioner because she's dispatched over a dozen
Hamilton's vampires are of the Anne Rice sort -- easy to look at with usually impeccable manners and absolutely lethal personalities. The universe she has created is one of horror and fear, and you definitely have to suspend belief when opening the pages of one of these novels. The writing is just a tad too straight-forward and blunt. The action starts immediately and seldom lets up, and the writing style reminds me of those old "noir" crime novels, but with a heroine who is anything but dainty and delicate. Still, it all comes together oddly enough, and I've managed to collect several more in this series so I'll be revisiting Anita fairly often, I think. This first episode was a tad too blunt, with characteristics that have little of no backstory to explain things. I'm hoping that further books in the series will begin to flesh out these characters just a bit more. The fact that it takes place in St. Louis is a plus for me, too. I don't live too far from there and an pretty familiar with most of the places she mentions in this book. I'll give it a 3 and hope for better in future reads.
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vampires (found guilty of murder -- feeding is fine, just don't overdo it and don't approach the unwilling) along with her regular job raising zombies. She doesn't date vampires, even if one of the strongest vamps in the city, Jean-Claude, is one of the sexiest beings she's ever been tempted by. She knows better than to get close to any of the undead. But when someone starts killing off vamps methodically, Anita is forced to find the killer by the thousand year old Master of the City, Nicolaos, a sadistic creepy vampire who just happens to be a 13 year old girl.Hamilton's vampires are of the Anne Rice sort -- easy to look at with usually impeccable manners and absolutely lethal personalities. The universe she has created is one of horror and fear, and you definitely have to suspend belief when opening the pages of one of these novels. The writing is just a tad too straight-forward and blunt. The action starts immediately and seldom lets up, and the writing style reminds me of those old "noir" crime novels, but with a heroine who is anything but dainty and delicate. Still, it all comes together oddly enough, and I've managed to collect several more in this series so I'll be revisiting Anita fairly often, I think. This first episode was a tad too blunt, with characteristics that have little of no backstory to explain things. I'm hoping that further books in the series will begin to flesh out these characters just a bit more. The fact that it takes place in St. Louis is a plus for me, too. I don't live too far from there and an pretty familiar with most of the places she mentions in this book. I'll give it a 3 and hope for better in future reads.
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LibraryThing member siubhank
The first of the fourteen (so far) Anita Blake, Vampire Slayer books is very much like the first piece of fine chocolate you ever ate. You are spoiled for any other kind. This is the intro book of the series, I like the way the story picks up with Anita established as an Animator and Vampire
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hunter, you pick up the back story through out this book and the others. I read this book in September and have now finished all the series that is published. I don't usually read all the books in a series at one time, but once you start on these, you find yourself transported to another, more dangerous world and you just cannot get enough of it. If you like books that literally take you to another place, you will love this one and all the others Show Less
LibraryThing member acl
I've heard both good and bad things about the Anita Blake series (particularly the more recent installments), so I wasn't sure what to expect when I started Guilty Pleasures. I was pleasantly surprised with this quick, readable, and fun supernatural thriller. I'm often turned off by hard-ass female
Some of the vampire characters were pretty stereotypical, particularly Jean-Claude and Nikolaos, but that didn't negatively affect my enjoyment too much. I had a good time reading this book, and I'll be picking up the next in the series.
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heroines, because their "toughness" comes off as forced, but Anita is a very likable heroine. Some of the vampire characters were pretty stereotypical, particularly Jean-Claude and Nikolaos, but that didn't negatively affect my enjoyment too much. I had a good time reading this book, and I'll be picking up the next in the series.
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LibraryThing member SunnySD
Early days for Anita - before all the hot sex with multiple partners, before the pack, Mama Noir, and the loss of so many friends.
When Anita turns down a request from the local vampires to find out who's been leaving mutilated vampire corpses strung about town, she unwittingly endangers not only
When Anita turns down a request from the local vampires to find out who's been leaving mutilated vampire corpses strung about town, she unwittingly endangers not only
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herself but a friend. Blackmailed into helping, Anita finds herself backed into a corner and forced to accept assistance from a most unlikely quarter. She may be known as the Executioner, but the things that go bump in the night are darker and more dangerous than even she has guessed. Show Less
LibraryThing member crashingwaves38
My introduction to the Anita Blake series began with "Incubus Dreams" which, after finishing, I immediately decided to start at the beginning to read what seemed like could be an interesting personality development series. So I went to the bookstore and bought the first four books.
Obviously, after
This was a good introduction into Anita's sphere, a world built off of the idea of an alternate history based on the supernatural being real and not just myth or legend. Anita is an established animator (which is who she is), vampire slayer (which is something she does), and preternatural expert-on-call for the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team (which is really more of a sideline in this novel, though it plays a much larger role in future novels). Anita is approached by an old human friend turned vampire about solving the recent slew of vampire murders that have occurred in Saint Louis. When she refuses, the Master Vampire of the City turns to more inventive methods of convincing Anita that she should solve these crimes. Because of Anita's absolute insistence on never doing anything that could cause an innocent harm (a very central theme to the entire series), she is drawn into the underworld. There we meet several vampires, including Jean-Claude (who, while a somewhat minor character in this novel, becomes a very important character) and the current Master of the City, Nikolaos; the rodere pack of wererats, including their king (who becomes a fairly major minor character and one of Anita's good friends); a werewolf; strippers; Edward (hitman for the preternatural--humans just weren't good enough); and an assortment of other characters who turn up in various books.
This novel sets up the fairly standard Hamilton method of writing Anita books--background is set up, nothing happens, nothing happens, and then suddenly in the last fourth of the books, everything explodes and suddenly there's a conclusion. Don't get me wrong--there's action all the way through, and it's a fun read. But it can be somewhat disconcerting to feel like you're getting down to the wire and still no closer to a conclusion than you were before (though I'm sure that's what Anita feels like most of the time).
I enjoyed reading the book. It's not my favorite in the series, and if I had begun with it I don't know that I would have continued reading. It doesn't have enough of a draw into the full preternatural world that we come to expect in later books. I also feel like there were a couple of inconsistencies (if vampires have to have an invitation to enter someone's domicile, as shown vividly with Jean-Claude in a later book, why is Anita so worried that vampires have broken into her home?), almost as if Hamilton hadn't finished fleshing out the details of how some of the preternatural works in her world. However, it was still a great introduction into Anita's world, and it was fun to read.
Obviously, after
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reading "Incubus Dreams," I was shocked to see that Anita started out as a fairly untouched little prude who has serious issues with anything pertaining to the supernatural or vampires. Both her attitudes towards vampires and towards sex didn't seem as odd in this book as they will in future books, so I will admit that having read further into the series before starting the first colored how I read the books.This was a good introduction into Anita's sphere, a world built off of the idea of an alternate history based on the supernatural being real and not just myth or legend. Anita is an established animator (which is who she is), vampire slayer (which is something she does), and preternatural expert-on-call for the Regional Preternatural Investigation Team (which is really more of a sideline in this novel, though it plays a much larger role in future novels). Anita is approached by an old human friend turned vampire about solving the recent slew of vampire murders that have occurred in Saint Louis. When she refuses, the Master Vampire of the City turns to more inventive methods of convincing Anita that she should solve these crimes. Because of Anita's absolute insistence on never doing anything that could cause an innocent harm (a very central theme to the entire series), she is drawn into the underworld. There we meet several vampires, including Jean-Claude (who, while a somewhat minor character in this novel, becomes a very important character) and the current Master of the City, Nikolaos; the rodere pack of wererats, including their king (who becomes a fairly major minor character and one of Anita's good friends); a werewolf; strippers; Edward (hitman for the preternatural--humans just weren't good enough); and an assortment of other characters who turn up in various books.
This novel sets up the fairly standard Hamilton method of writing Anita books--background is set up, nothing happens, nothing happens, and then suddenly in the last fourth of the books, everything explodes and suddenly there's a conclusion. Don't get me wrong--there's action all the way through, and it's a fun read. But it can be somewhat disconcerting to feel like you're getting down to the wire and still no closer to a conclusion than you were before (though I'm sure that's what Anita feels like most of the time).
I enjoyed reading the book. It's not my favorite in the series, and if I had begun with it I don't know that I would have continued reading. It doesn't have enough of a draw into the full preternatural world that we come to expect in later books. I also feel like there were a couple of inconsistencies (if vampires have to have an invitation to enter someone's domicile, as shown vividly with Jean-Claude in a later book, why is Anita so worried that vampires have broken into her home?), almost as if Hamilton hadn't finished fleshing out the details of how some of the preternatural works in her world. However, it was still a great introduction into Anita's world, and it was fun to read.
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LibraryThing member Tudorrl
Wow! I came across the Anita Blake series of books purely by chance - and I am so glad I did.
I found this book totally engrossing and I really warmed to the lead character, Anita Blake, who reminds me a bit of a more serious Stephanie Plum.
I hope the rest of the series keeps up this high standard.
I found this book totally engrossing and I really warmed to the lead character, Anita Blake, who reminds me a bit of a more serious Stephanie Plum.
I hope the rest of the series keeps up this high standard.
LibraryThing member LiteraryFeline
A mystery set in a world where vampires, ghouls, and wererats own the night. This particular book was recommended through an Internet mystery book group. Having been a fan of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I decided to give it a try. I was quite impressed in the end. The heroine in
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the book, Anita Blake, is a sarcastic, tough woman who can hold her own in any situation, and yet there is also a vulnerability to her that shows through in this first person narrative. She is asked to investigate a series of vampire murders and finds her own life in grave danger. I look forward to reading more books about Anita Blake. Show Less
LibraryThing member Rachaell79
This entire series is fantastic for those people who like to disappear into a fantasty world when reading.
LibraryThing member schmootc
Vampire hunter Anita Blake makes her first appearance in this quick paced short novel set in an alternate reality in which vampirism is legal. An Executioner who is sent after vampires that get out of line, Blake also has a full-time job as a necromancer. When someone or something starts killing
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the vampires of St. Louis, the local vampire-in-charge wants Anita on the case. She more-than-reluctantly ends up on the murderer’s trail. Along the way, she fends off the advances of sexy club-owner and vampire Jean-Claude. Readers should be prepared for a smattering of gruesome details, violence, and some sexual content. Show Less
LibraryThing member stnylan
A very readable tale, but there is something ultimately irritating about Anita Blake. It is not so much that she is over-the-top - though she certainly is. Brazen is the word that comes to mind, and there is plenty of energy in the character, but it lacks depth. There is a superficiality to her.
That said, I will probably pick up the next book of the series at some point.
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Like lightening, all very fierce, burns brights, but quickly gone. Unfortunately there is no accompanying rumble of thunder. That said, I will probably pick up the next book of the series at some point.
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LibraryThing member JBookLover
I just finished reading Guilty Pleasures and it was okay. I think there is a potential for much more so I will read the next in the series to find out. Though I would recommend finding someone who read it and will give a synopsis of it instead of going through the whole first book. 3 1/2 stars. I
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go a little easy on the staring. :) Show Less
Awards
Language
Original publication date
1993-10
Other editions
Guilty pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton (Paper Book)