Club Vampyre

I was reluctant to try this series because I've heard so many disparaging remarks about how the series devolved into a formula of sex scene-transition-sex scene; repeat.
But I read an interview given by Laurell K. Hamilton in Writer's Digest that painted a different picture. She said that there isn't a single sex scene in the first five books. And even then its hardly the crux of the books.
So I decided to give this omnibus of the first three a try, and guess what? No sex. There is romance of course, but primarily these are mysteries, and fun ones at that. I am prepared to jettison this series if and when they begin to live up to (or should I say down to) their bad press, but in the meantime, Go Anita!

A compilation of the first three books in the Anita Blake series. Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse & Circus of the Damned.

These three books introduce Anita Blake and her world. There are amazing and genre changing. And although the author has/had no fashion sense ultimately what these three books have in common is how Hamilton looks at the world she had constructed and how it stands on its own. At the core is the character of Anita Blake, who has horrible scars on her body from her battles against the undead, her dreams are tormented by what she has seen and done, she is terrified by her current situation and does not know who she can trust or turn to for help. The fact that she feels fear, cries, gets sick to her stomach add to show more her heroism because despite all these obstacles, she gets the job done. There is a much harder edge here than what you find with other vampire slayers.

I can't convey how excited I was at the beginning of this series. show less

I really liked this book. If you like strong leading women characters in a vampire novel then Anita Blake is right up your alley. I must say that I was taken with Jean-Claude and am curious to read more about him. This book was full of action, sex, and the paranormal.

I have to say with all of the hype I've heard on Anita Blake I was disappointed.
I had heard that the beginning of the series was fantastic, awesome, great. I didn't think so. I am now hearing that the last few didn't quite measure up to the rest. That scares me. I started them anyway thinking that if they started getting stale or just not for me I'd stop. I think I've already gotten there. I have so many books on my to-read/review list that I can't waste any more of these.
Very disappointing.

I liked the early ones. Supernatural crimes and tons of UST. JUDGE ME.

Enjoyed & am finally donating as I need to cull bookshelves before moving.