PCR: Anita Blake Discussion

Most everyone reading urban fantasy has come across Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. It’s probably the one series that everyone  has a really strong opinion about and we want to hear them all. Join Jackie (Literary Escapism) and I along with Katiebabs (Babbling About Books) and Natasha (Wicked Little Pixie) as we discussion the series from Guilty Pleasures to Bullet. Do you love JC? Richard? The leopards? Or do you think the series just needs to end the erotica mess that it is? Whatever you’re opinion, we want to hear it. So join us at Talk Shoe on March 4th at 9pm EST and let’s discuss. 

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Warning: We will be focusing on the series, so spoilers are going to happen.

Haven’t read the series yet? What are you waiting for?

 

 

 

 

 

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Lala’s Book Corner: Guilty Pleasures [Anita Blake, #1] by Laurell K. Hamilton

 

 

“Anita Blake may be small and young, but vampires call her the Executioner. Anita is a necromancer and vampire hunter in a time when vampires are protected by law--as long as they don't get too nasty. Now someone's killing innocent vampires and Anita agrees--with a bit of vampiric arm-twisting--to help figure out who and why.

Trust is a luxury Anita can't afford when her allies aren't human. The city's most powerful vampire, Nikolaos, is 1,000 years old and looks like a 10-year-old girl. The second most powerful vampire, Jean-Claude, is interested in more than just Anita's professional talents, but the feisty necromancer isn't playing along--yet. This popular series has a wild energy and humor, and some very appealing characters--both dead and alive.”

From Goodreads.

• Publisher: Berkley Trade

• Release Date: May 4th, 2010

• My Copy: Bought (Paperback)

• Pages: 368

• Genre: Urban Fantasy

• Author's Website

• Buy This Book:

Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter)

I had learned of the Anita Blake series in a very unorthodox manner. About 7 years ago my grandmother gave me the tenth book (in English), Narcissus in Chains, and I just read it in one sitting. I was sort of in shock, because it was the first time I read sexually explicit scenes, but I fell in love with the characters and the story, so when I discovered it was part of a series I wanted to get the other books right away.

None of the books had been launched in Brazil, and at the time I was only able to get the following two books on Amazon.com. Years passed and I kind of had forgotten about the series. Years later my obsession with books in the supernatural genre began I decided to invest in the whole series. Glad I did, for I was then presented with a series that until this day, is one my favorites.

In Anita Blake’s world, vampires and other supernatural beings have “come out of the coffin” a few years before and are currently fighting for their rights in human society. Anita is an Animator, she has control over the dead and has the power to create zombies. Anita is also known as "The Executioner", the bogeyman of the vampires. She executes vamps who do not follow the letter of the law.

As a specialist in the preternatural world, she's consulting for RPIT, the police department who are responsible for crimes that are committed by or against supernatural creatures.

In Guilty Pleasures, Anita receives a job offer by the Master of the City that she can not refuse, especially since the life of a dear friend is on the line. Wrapped in a world where nothing is what it seems and everyone is trying to use her for their own nefarious purposes, Anita races against the clock to save those she loves and still keep her own head attached to her body.

Guilty Pleasures is the perfect beginning of this wonderful, fast, action-packed and sexy series. If you enjoy sexy and creepy Vamps, Zombies, Wereanimals and all those creatures that go bump in the night, this is an adventure you’ll want to join and never leave.

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Thanks so much for tuning in and I’ll see you soon!

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Lala's Book Corner: Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton

"You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. In the fey and mortal realms alike, my life is the stuff of royal intrigue and celebrity drama. Among my own, I have confronted horrendous enemies, endured my noble kin’s treachery and malevolence, and honored my duty to conceive a royal heir—all for the right to claim the throne. But I turned my back on court and crown, choosing exile in the human world—and in the arms of my beloved Frost and Darkness.

While I may have rejected the monarchy, I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAPD baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. My kind are not easily captured or killed. At least not by mortals. I must get to the bottom of these horrendous murders, even if that means going up against Gilda, the Fairy Godmother, my rival for fey loyalties in Los Angeles.

But even stranger things are happening. Mortals I once healed with magic are suddenly performing miracles, a shocking phenomenon wreaking havoc on human/faerie relations. Though I am innocent, dark suspicions of banned magical activities swirl around me.

I thought I’d left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. I had dreamed of an idyllic life in sunny L.A. with my beloved ones beside me. But it becomes time to wake up and realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever—even if they’re magical."

From GoodReads.

I am a big fan of the Merry Gentry series, as you can tell by the review I did for the first 7 books in the series. I f you haven't read it, you can check it out here. Though I am a bigger fan of Hamilton's Anita Blake series, I have read both series, in their entirety, twice.

For that reason, I was really looking forward to get my hands on the new Merry book. Finally, Dec. 8th arrived and I ran to (more like clicked) on of my favorite eBook store to get a copy. I just couldn't wait for a physical copy to be delivered and I really didn't want to spend that much for a hardcover. But I digress.

I started the book yesterday, only because I had already a book planned before it, but I ended up going through it quite quickly. I think that is a good testament of how much I enjoy Hamilton's writing. There are some authors that write so amazingly, that I can go through a book in less than a day. If I don;t, it means that I procrastinated on purpose, just so I had more time in that specific world.

Divine Misdemeanors (DM) is not even close to being the best in the series, and at some point during it I thought I was going to really not like it at all. However, I had to stop and think on it for a bit. Because my biggest problem with it was a certain lack of action compared to the previous 7 books. I stopped and thought about it. I got to the conclusion that it made sense that this book had so much less action and I actually came to really like some of the decisions Hamilton made when writing this book.

Laurell has said time and time again that DM is a new chapter in Merry's life. She has gone through the whole, will she or won't she get pregnant, be queen and so on. However, to be able to start a new chapter, you have to close the previous one in a way and that is what this book feels like. It feels like a transition to bigger and different things.

Merry and her band of merry men's story didn't end when she refused the crown for love and they all have to deal with the consequences of that choice. How would the rest of her men feel about it? How would she deal with the women that went back with them to L.A.? How would the newest members of her "court" deal with living in L.A.?

There were a lot of questions that the end of Swallowing Darkness (SD) brought to us. To be quite honest, I hadn't even though of that and it kind of took me off guard that there was more talk than action in this book. After a while, though, I realized how necessary it was and got to quite enjoy it.

I enjoyed getting to see all those characters that I missed since the last book. It was was quite comforting to get lost in a world that you feel you know pretty well. It was also nice to learn new things about Merry's men. I mean, in the previous books they were always in a hurry or having sex, so actually talking and getting to know each other wasn't really a priority lol.

We got to see that the return of some of their lost power has brought some arrogance and prejudice to the front and I love how Merry dealt with it. I really liked Merry in this book, I think she has evolved nicely into a fair ruler and has become the Queen of her little Court out of Faery. Sholto is one of my favorite characters and it was so cool to see his and Merry's relationship evolve. I liked that the fact that she actually is still Queen of the Slough has not been forgotten, I felt that had been overlooked by the end of SD.

The plot was another weak point in the book for me. I liked how it turned out, but the result could have been guessed pretty easily and it just wasn't gripping enough for me. I think what didn't get me to the edge of my seat in that department, was that I never really felt Merry was in danger. Though, I am happy she wasn't, the fact that I wasn't scared for her life at any point, made me not feel much thrill during the novel. The murders were quite awful though and I found that the idea was nice (inventive) and well thought out by the author.

I also liked that we got to be introduced to new characters in L.A. Some new and some Merry knew but we didn't. It helped make her "new" world out of the Unseelie Court more interesting. However, I do think she might get involved in her aunt's court once again, since after Cel's death in SD, Andais has gone even crazier and things are not going well in that department.

The sex in this book was really nice and it didnt'e feel overwhelming at all. There wasn't the urgency for it, like in previous books, since Merry is already preggers. I liked that it was more about having sex and making love because they wanted to and not a necessecity, I felt it brought a different dynamic to the series.

All in all, I ended up enjoying the book much more than I thought I would in the beginning. I found myself quite sad when it was over and I am already looking forward to the next one. Merry's magic continues to grow and strange and cool things are happening, that I am sure will be much to be discussed and dealt with in the future books.

I will give this Book 4 out of 5 Loveys. Because though it wasn't perfect, it was a great read.

As a Merry fan. the pace difference might be a shock, but I think it was a great transition book and I can't wait for more.

4/5 Loveys

Smut Level 3.5 =)

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!

xoxo

***Don't forget to check out the Giveaways. Contests and Challenges going on! They are all on the left sidebar right at the top or just go to the Menu Bar or click HERE =)))

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Lala's Book Corner: The Merry Gentry Series by Laurell K. Hamilton

"Laurell K. Hamilton revitalized vampires, werewolves, and zombies in the popular Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books. In this new series, she updates faeries. A Kiss of Shadows introduces Merry Gentry, a.k.a. Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess of the Unseelie Court, where politics is a blood sport. Merry, who's part sidhe (elvish), part brownie, and part human, never really fit in. She's short, not skilled in offensive magic, and mortal because of her human blood.

These are real liabilities when your family, especially aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, is out to kill you. Merry has been in hiding for three years, living in Los Angeles and working for the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in "supernatural problems, magical solutions." A new case sets her against a man who uses forbidden magic to seduce fey women and drain their power. A plan to trap him goes awry and Merry's cover is blown. Now Andais knows where she is.

But things have changed in Andais's court, and Merry is changing too.

Despite the selkies, brownies, goblins, and ogres in this book, it's not for children. The fey are "creatures of the senses"--and in the Unseelie court, sex and pain go together. Merry is sexually adventurous and surrounded by gorgeous, powerful males, most of whom want her badly. She's politically savvy and no coward, though she's not the warrior Anita is. Hamilton fans and readers of adult fairy tales like Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy will want to give Merry a look."

From GoodReads (A Kiss of Shadows)

Since I am waiting for the 8th Book of this series, coming out in a few days, I decided to review the rest of the series. =)

I have to say, I love Laurell K. Hamilton's writing style. One Book of her Anita Blake Series was my first introduction to the paranormal. At the the end of 2008, after I finally got to read the whole Anita Series, I decided to check her out her Meredith Gentry one.

I have to say, I was not disappointed. Merry is a very strong character. I felt that throughout the series she has learned more and more to use her strength and be proud of who she is and see herself for what she has and not what she is supposed to have.

Merry is of the fey. She is a Sidhe, part Brownie, part Unseelie court and part Seelie court. That mix brings a lot of problems to Merry's life and after a long time in "hiding", she has to face the music and deal with them.

Meredith's is a journey of discovery. Finding out who she is, who wants her dead, who she loves, who loves her, her place in the world and her purpose. She is pulled in many different directions in this journey, but her heart has the strongest pull and that is the ultimate force that drives our Heroine.

There is a LOT of hot, steamy sex in these books. However, it is so, in no detriment to the story, in my opinion. Laurell has been able to present us with intricate and intriguing plots, that keep your eyes glue to the page.

Merry's man are so freaking hot LOL. Seriously, she practically acquires a harem in time and that can make any women out there so jealous hehe.

I love this series and am looking forward to Book 8, Divine Misdemeanors, coming out Dec. 08.

I give it 4 Loveys and Smut level is 4/5 hehe =)))

The Books from the Merry Gentry series:

#1 A Kiss of Shadows

#2 A Caress of Twilight

#3 Seduced by Moonlight

#4 A Stroke of Midnight

#5 Mistral's Kiss

#6 A Lick of Frost

#7 Swallowing Darkness

Thanks for tuning in and I'll see you soon!

xoxo

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Accepting a Challenge...

Hey guys, How you doing? I am still working on finishing the Dante series by Lilith Saintcrow, but this last couple days life got in the way. I am at the last half of the last book, so I plan to have the review up this weekend :)

For now I wanted to post about a Challenge I just accepted and am very excited about. The Anita Blake Reading Challenge 2010! Hosted by the one and only Book Chick City.

I love that series so much that it was a no-brainer that I should do it. I read the whole series 2 times and the last book "Skin Trade" once (a couple other books I've read 3 times). Since that book I have been planning on a re-read of the series and this the perfect opportunity to commit to it.

There are 17 books in the series so far, including the novella "Micah". A new novella ("Flirt") and a new novel ("Bullet") are coming out next year, so they will be also part of the challenge.

I can't wait to dig into Anita's world again and as the challenge goes on, I will be posting reviews of the books, one by one :)

Timeline: 1st Jan 2010 - 31st Dec 2010

Rules: The goal is to read or re-read the entire Anita Blake series in 2010.
The Books in The Anita Blake Series (In Reading Order):
1. Guilty Pleasures

2. The Laughing Corpse

3. Circus of the Damned

4. The Lunatic Cafe

5. Bloody Bones

6. The Killing Dance

7. Burnt Offerings

8. Blue Moon

9. Obsidian Butterfly

10. Narcissus in Chains

11. Cerulean

12. Incubus Dreams

13. Micah

14. Danse Macabre

15. The Harlequinn

16. Blood Noir

17. Skin Trade

18. Flirt (Jan 2010)

19. Bullet (June 2010)

If you wanna know more or take part on the challenge click Here.

Thanks Book Chick City for the challenge :)

Thanks for Joining and see you soon!

Stay Tuned!

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On My Wishlist [#1]

New feature on the blog guys :)

"On My Wishlist" is a Weekly Blog Meme hosted by Book Chick City which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the book we haven't bought yet, but are dying to get and devour. My wishlist gets longer by the day, so I will have plenty of treats to share with you every week :)

If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here.

The first book is The Host, Stephenie Meyer's, of "Twilight" fame, incursion in the "adult" public. I LOVED The Twilight Saga and I heard about this book a little while back and I am very interested to see if she can do well with this public and genre. The Host dwells more in the Sci-Fi arena and I think it might be really interesting. There are two potential sequels for The Host; The Soul and The Seeker, though it has NOT been confirmed.

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Genre: Sci-fi / Fantasy

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: 06 May, 2008

The Host @Amazon

Summary:

"a gripping story of love and betrayal in a future with the fate of humanity at stake.

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed.

Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer

's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves-Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love."

From GoodReads

Divine Misdemeanors is the 8th book in the Merry Sentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton. According to LKH, Merry was born from her need to take a break from Anita. LKH was in the 5th books of the Anita Blake series in 2000 when "A Kiss of Shadows" (Merry #1) came out.

I love this series. It's not Anita and it does not try to be. Merry has her own rich world and her story is in the wonderful hands of Laurell, who has brought so many great books to the fore.

Title: Divine Misdemeanors

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Genre: Urban Fantasy (Romance)

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: 08 December, 2009

Divine Misdemeanors @amazon

Summary:

***CONTAIN SPOILERS***

"You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. In the fey and mortal realms alike, my life is the stuff of royal intrigue and celebrity drama. Among my own, I have confronted horrendous enemies, endured my noble kin’s treachery and malevolence, and honored my duty to conceive a royal heir—all for the right to claim the throne. But I turned my back on court and crown, choosing exile in the human world—and in the arms of my beloved Frost and Darkness.

While I may have rejected the monarchy, I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAP

D baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. My kind are not easily captured or killed. At least not by mortals. I must get to the bottom of these horrendous murders, even if that means going up against Gilda, the Fairy Godmother, my rival for fey loyalties in Los Angeles.

But even stranger things are happening. Mortals I once healed with magic are suddenly performing miracles, a shocking phenomenon wreaking havoc on human/faerie relations. Though I am innocent, dark suspicions of banned magical activities swirl around me.

I thought I’d left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. I had dreamed of an idyllic life in sunny L.A. with my beloved ones beside me. But it becomes time to wake up and realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever—even if they’re magical."

From GoodReads

The Books from the Merry Gentry series:

#1 A Kiss of Shadows

#2 A Caress of Twilight

#3 Seduced by Moonlight

#4 A Stroke of Midnight

#5 Mistral's Kiss

#6 A Lick of Frost

#7 Swallowing Darkness

I found Jeri Smith-Ready's WMVP series a few months ago and love her Vamp DJs. I ended up reading her Aspect of Crow trilogy and simply fell in love with it (I will be reviewing that series here soon =] )

Shade is Jeri's Young Adult (YA) debut. The first in a new series that I am definitely looking forward to try out :)

Title: Shade

Author: Jeri Smith-Ready

Genre: Urban Fantasy (YA)

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: 18 May, 2010

Summary:

"When Aura's boyfriend dies a most untimely death, she is forced to reconsider her relationship with the living and the dead alike"

From the Author's Website

Shade @amazon

Well, this is it for now guys. I haven't finished the Dante series by Lilith Saintcrow yet. I'm on the last book and I plan to finish it in the next couple days. I wanted to finish tomorrow, but I have study statistics (ARGH!!) for Thursday and I have a midterm on Dec 1st, therefore I have some catching up to do. I will post the next review this weekend at the LATEST. Promise :)

Hope you guys like my Wishlist. This is just a taste :)

Thanks for Tuning in! See you soon!

Soundtrack: Shakira - Did it again

*Edit*

I learned from The Aspect of Crow Trilogy through Danielle87's blog, ALPHA reader.

It's a great blog with awesome reviews :)

Check it out HERE

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