the Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake) thread

[dhaupt]

Some of these responses are what I have read on other sites about the direction her books went after the first 4 or so. I read somewhere and I'm not sure if it's all true or not that when she was married to her first husband she wanted the series to take the look that it now has and he didn't want her to go there. She is now married to her soul-mate and he says that however she wants the books to go they should go, after all they're her babies. And I say more power to her. I happen to like the stories yes they're x-rated but they do have great story lines and Anita is trying to be true to herself in her new powers and not wanting things the way they used to be like her character in the books Richard, but learning from the new powers and being happy with what life has given her. I like the way Anita has matured during the series, she was very narrow minded in the first few books.

[Nyx]

I remember when I first began to read the Anita Blake books....in high school (freshman year to be exact). I had never heard of her before and believe me I read *a lot* of books. A friend had loaned them to me and I tore through them within a week. I was *hooked*. I remember when she refused to loan me Narcissus because it was too graphic for my innocent mind. I scoffed and eventually she let me read it. When I think about that now, I laugh, because later bits of the series were much more...explicit.

But, I love the world she's written. I eagerly anticipate every book she writes. I mark it on my calendar and by the gods, I will have that book in my hand at 9 am when the bookstore doors open and if I don't have that book read by noon that day then I've done something wrong.

But, I totally agree that LKH is the reason for the paranormal genre. So many of the books out there are very similar to hers. I looked at my books the other day and I realized that most of them were in the paranormal genre. It's her fault!

And I started two paragraphs with but. I'll stop now as I've utterly lost my train of thought.

[SciFiCanuck]

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TiggerBear wrote:
Cerulean Sins- shower scene, first sex with Micah

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Actually it was Narcissus In Chains.

I don't know if this is appropriate or not but I'm just going to say it, LOL....

Being a girl and all....first thing that came to my mind, was that using soap like that would burn like hell!!   

[RavenKnight]

You know I used to love reading Laurell K.Hamilton's books. Her first books were right up my alley. They were intriguing, funny, and full of suspense. They also had maybe a light love scene or two, but as time has gone on her character (Anita Blake) who used to have morals has lost them all. I don't mean to offend but as of late her Anita Blake character is little more than a concubine. She used to be a necromancer/detective of sorts. I am so disappointed in Laurell K. Hamilton. Her books have become nothing more than some super x-rated erotica. Now don't get me wrong a little erotica in a book is fine but not to the degree that she has in her books now. The last book I read was about nothing more than her worrying about being pregnant, her worrying about who the father was, and her having sex with everything that moved. If you were to strip away all of the sex scenes I would have to say that there wasn't enough story to make a small booklet. I would love it if she would go back to her old writing formula, but I fear that she never will. I really can't stand to see how her books have degraded.

I just want to say that I don't mean to offend anyone. If you are looking for vampire erotica then her books are just what you're looking for.

[LordRuthven]

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paulgoatallen wrote:
Derek:
I used to get upset when I read blogs or reviews or boards like this of people complaining about authors or books I like but then I realized that the idiom "there is no bad press" is true.

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I don't really get upset when I see people complaining about her books, I just think the virulent attacks on her are misplaced. As this genre has shown, if someone doesn't like her books, there are other writers to check out.

[Jaelin]

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LordRuthven wrote:

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paulgoatallen wrote:
Derek:
I used to get upset when I read blogs or reviews or boards like this of people complaining about authors or books I like but then I realized that the idiom "there is no bad press" is true.

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I don't really get upset when I see people complaining about her books, I just think the virulent attacks on her are misplaced. As this genre has shown, if someone doesn't like her books, there are other writers to check out.

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I love your point of view. 

[TiggerBear]

SciFiCanuck
Actually it was Narcissus In Chains.
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correct, I read both the same week, looks like I switched the paper covers.

[dhaupt]

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Jaelin wrote:

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LordRuthven wrote:

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paulgoatallen wrote:
Derek:
I used to get upset when I read blogs or reviews or boards like this of people complaining about authors or books I like but then I realized that the idiom "there is no bad press" is true.

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I don't really get upset when I see people complaining about her books, I just think the virulent attacks on her are misplaced. As this genre has shown, if someone doesn't like her books, there are other writers to check out.

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I love your point of view. 

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I agree with both of you. And I think that people who don't like her books really don't understand the concept of her series it's not about a vampire hunter it's about living in an unreal society where the main characters aren't human and if people read it like that and think outside the box they might like it better.
Or not - after all to each his own.

[SciFiCanuck]

I finished Blue Moon...WOW!  It has, IMHO, been her best one so far that I have read.  This whole munin business though I dunno...of all the people to be channeling it had to be Raina.  Yikes!  I am interested to see how she uses that to her advantage...if that's possible.  I founded it pretty hilarous that yeah, okay, she's finally slept with both the guys now, and then at the end of the book, she's decided to go celibate!  LOL!  I guess it's the calm before the storm because I sort of know she gets out of control in the later books.    I am about half way through Obsidian Butterfly...loving it so far.  I am really glad she's written a book about Edward and the story has taken a holiday from all the craziness of Anita's love life and the other "regular" characters for a bit.

As for other favorite characters I thought I would throw in as a comment....of course I love Jean-Claude but I also really like Jason, and as a newer character, I am getting quite attached to Asher. 

Cheers!

Teresa

[dhaupt]

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SciFiCanuck wrote:

I finished Blue Moon...WOW!  It has, IMHO, been her best one so far that I have read.  This whole munin business though I dunno...of all the people to be channeling it had to be Raina.  Yikes!  I am interested to see how she uses that to her advantage...if that's possible.  I founded it pretty hilarous that yeah, okay, she's finally slept with both the guys now, and then at the end of the book, she's decided to go celibate!  LOL!  I guess it's the calm before the storm because I sort of know she gets out of control in the later books.    I am about half way through Obsidian Butterfly...loving it so far.  I am really glad she's written a book about Edward and the story has taken a holiday from all the craziness of Anita's love life and the other "regular" characters for a bit.

As for other favorite characters I thought I would throw in as a comment....of course I love Jean-Claude but I also really like Jason, and as a newer character, I am getting quite attached to Asher. 

Cheers!

Teresa

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I liked Edward too, he's been absent for awhile after Obsidian Butterfly and I just finished Danse Macabre so I hope he comes back sometime. I also like her Merry Gentry series.
Happy reading

[JeanneStein]

Hi all-- just wanted to drop in to let any subscribers to LKH's fan newsletter that I'll have an article in the next edition.

I especially appreciated Derek's comment: I don't really get upset when I see people complaining about her books, I just think the virulent attacks on her are misplaced. As this genre has shown, if someone doesn't like her books, there are other writers to check out.

No matter what your opinion of the direction the books have taken, every one of us writing in the Urban Fantasy genre owes her a debt of gratitude. She paved the way.

Best, Jeanne

[Cemetery-Cat]

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JeanneStein wrote:
Hi all-- just wanted to drop in to let any subscribers to LKH's fan newsletter that I'll have an article in the next edition.

I especially appreciated Derek's comment: I don't really get upset when I see people complaining about her books, I just think the virulent attacks on her are misplaced. As this genre has shown, if someone doesn't like her books, there are other writers to check out.

No matter what your opinion of the direction the books have taken, every one of us writing in the Urban Fantasy genre owes her a debt of gratitude. She paved the way.

Best, Jeanne

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I totally agree with you Jeanne. Laurell paved the way for many writers who now have great careers. She made it acceptable to write about things that were taboo before!

Synde

[JeanneStein]

I totally agree with you Jeanne. Laurell paved the way for many writers who now have great careers. She made it acceptable to write about things that were taboo before! Synde


Well said-- she's also gracious to fans. At RT a year or so ago she stayed long after the rest of us were finished to make sure everyone in line got their books signed. She didn't have to do that.

J.

[TiggerBear]

I liked Edward too, he's been absent for awhile after Obsidian Butterfly and I just finished Danse Macabre so I hope he comes back sometime. I also like her Merry Gentry series.
Happy reading
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Fear not! He does reappear.

[PhyllisJ]

I have the first two books in the Merry Gentry series, but have yet to read any of the Anita Blake books, going to check a few out at the Library.

[nitza]

LKH is the Queen.  I hope Anita gets back to helping find monsters with the cops and using her necromancy.  The Merry Gentry series is right on track.  Before MKH there was Linda Lael Miller who had a good series going and Maggie Shayne who also has a good series.  Let's hear it for Paranormal Romance and alternate universes

[dhaupt]

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nitza wrote:

LKH is the Queen.  I hope Anita gets back to helping find monsters with the cops and using her necromancy.  The Merry Gentry series is right on track.  Before MKH there was Linda Lael Miller who had a good series going and Maggie Shayne who also has a good series.  Let's hear it for Paranormal Romance and alternate universes

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Here Here!!
I love Laurell and Linda and now I guess I'll have to look up Maggie too.

[SciFiCanuck]

There seem to be mixed reviews about her MG series, but I think I will check them out as well.  I love her writing style so much...I will probably pick up the first book and see if I like it.  :-)

On another note, I'm glad Laurell finally gave Anita a sword! (the one she carries down her back)  LOL!  From her very first book, I was thinking it would be much easier to kill a vamp or were just by beheading them with a sword, and always wondered why she had all these guns and small knives but didn't take a sword or something similar with her when she went out to get the bad guy!  I guess they are a lot faster than the time it would take to get it ready and take a swipe but at least it would give her a bit of an advantage.

Oh, and I love that Edward gave her a mini-uzi....  LOL!

[paulgoatallen]

Okay friends and fantasy lovers:
I just finished LKH's newest Anita Blake novel, Blood Noir, and I have two distinct trains of thought here – the first is that, as many of you have stated, her latest is definitely supersaturated with erotica. The first four chapters are basically one prolonged sex scene. The graphic nature of the sex scenes isn't as in-your-face "pornographic" as some of her novels but it's definitely there. So, that being said, some readers may continue to find this series devolving, so to speak. My second thought is that LKH is sloooowly leading this series towards a much broader storyline... one involving Marmee Noir (the Mother of All Vampires), Jean-Claude and basically, the power over all supernaturals. It's moved forward a little bit in this novel but there's still a long way to go before the cataclysmic event happens...

Which leads me to this question: would you rather read an Anita Blake saga that is action-packed and breakneck paced (and would encompass way less novels) or one that is drawn out like the current series, where there is much more emphasis on character development, inter-personal relationships, etc.?
Paul

[dhaupt]

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paulgoatallen wrote:
Okay friends and fantasy lovers:
I just finished LKH's newest Anita Blake novel, Blood Noir, and I have two distinct trains of thought here – the first is that, as many of you have stated, her latest is definitely supersaturated with erotica. The first four chapters are basically one prolonged sex scene. The graphic nature of the sex scenes isn't as in-your-face "pornographic" as some of her novels but it's definitely there. So, that being said, some readers may continue to find this series devolving, so to speak. My second thought is that LKH is sloooowly leading this series towards a much broader storyline... one involving Marmee Noir (the Mother of All Vampires), Jean-Claude and basically, the power over all supernaturals. It's moved forward a little bit in this novel but there's still a long way to go before the cataclysmic event happens...

Which leads me to this question: would you rather read an Anita Blake saga that is action-packed and breakneck paced (and would encompass way less novels) or one that is drawn out like the current series, where there is much more emphasis on character development, inter-personal relationships, etc.?
Paul

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Definitely like the current series.