Thursday, June 25, 2009

Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton

Blood Noir is the umpteenth (okay, actually I think it's the 16th) book in the Anita Blake series. I've read and enjoyed every one, some more than others of course. I'd advise reading them in order so you can understand all the relationships.

I have seen a lot of criticism of the author, primarily because of her sex scenes. I happen to enjoy sex scenes as long as they are well written and I think Hamilton's usually are. I think most of the time she uses them to advance the plot and they can be quite creative. My criticism is not about the lovemaking, but more about the angst. Anita Blake can be whiny and annoying at times, but she did seem to be more accepting of herself in this book.

One of Hamilton's strengths, besides her fascinating characters, is the way she builds suspense and creates fascinating mysteries. In Blood Noir, the ongoing story lines about the powerful vampire Marmee Noir and Anita's developing powers continue, but the main story is about Anita and Jason going to North Carolina to see Jason's dying father. Boy, does Jason have one dysfunctional family. He is mistaken for his look-alike cousin which causes all sorts of complications. I enjoyed getting to know Jason more, but I did miss my favorite, Jean-Claude, who was in the book very little.

I'll rate this book 8.0 out of 10 and look forward to the next in the series, Skin Trade, which is out now in hardcover.

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