Anita Blake is back having chosen vampire Jean-Claude over alpha werewolf Richard Zeeman. She is Richard's lupa (like werewolf Queen) despite not being his girlfriend or a werewolf herself (she is a necromancer who shares marks of power with both Jean-Claude and Richard). Richard hasn't taken the rejection well, but must live with her choice. They live in a world where vampires, werewolves etc are recognised as legal citizens although there are factions still massively against this.

Life is never dull or easy for Anita. First she has to deal with fires being started across the city that are targeted at the monsters (mostly vampires) only. Then she has to contend with the werelepords. She killed their sadistic leader in the previous book without realising it would leave them powerless and at the mercy of all the other supernatural creatures out there. If that wasn't enough the vampire council are in town trying to get answers from Jean-Claude and Anita as to how they killed one of their most powerful members and why Jean-Claude hasn't taken the spare seat for himself.

Tonnes of violence and interesting language, not too much explicit sex (I think that comes in later books), but much is hinted at and implied. This series isn't for everyone and I wasn't too taken with it myself at first. Coming back to it after a couple of years break, I am really appreciating it much more. Either this book was a lot better than the first 6, or I am just enjoying it more. I like Anita, she doesn't take any crap (although she does have an obsession of listing her guns and knives repeatedly). I like that it is violent and sexual and there is no holding back on the language. If I was being attacked b supernatural creatures with super strength who wanted to tear my throat out, I don't think I would care who heard me swearing! Definitely a happy homecoming and I am looking forward to the next in the series, Blue Moon. ( )

Still going strong. I love this series! ( )

See Guilty Pleasures. ( )

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 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. ( )

This is the Seventh in the Anita Blake series, though at this point it has become the "Vampire Porn" series. The plot, such as it is, revolves around a mysterious someone who can start fires (and thus torch vamps) using only the power of their mind, a vampire council member stirring up problem, and and Jean-Claude's former BFF Asher is in town. Of course the real meat of the story (heh) is Anita angsting over breaking up with her werewolf boyfriend, angsting about banging her vampire boyfriend, angsting about if she should bang some of the weres she now is the pack leader of.

It's fun, it's trashy, it won't tax your brain too much. ( )