Anita Blake 15: The Harlequin
Many fans of the Anita Blake series have become disheartened with the series lately due to changes in the writing style in the last 3 or 4 books. I have done some research on The Harlequin and found a few reviews that have me very excited. It would seem that Laurell has returned to a more action based storyline.
Anita fans will be happy to know that while there are still erotic scenes in The Harlequin, Anita's love life is not the main focus of the story. From what I have gathered in my search, Anita now has control of her ardeur. Edward will be returning (and Olaf, too), and Richard will have to come to terms with himself to save the triumvirate. I think we will also see more of the inner workings of both the vampire and lycanthrope communities.
While I have never waivered in my loyalty to this series, I will be happy to see a return to the Anita Blake of old. I enjoy the action and thrills this story brings. I don't mind erotic scenes, but I think Incubus Dreams and Danse Macabre were over the top. Many fans, I feel, will agree with me on this.
This lens features reviews and information on The Harlequin, a book list for the Anita Blake series, and more.
Reader Beware
If the novels listed on this lens were movies, they would be rated R for violence and explicit scenes. Please note that this lens also has a R rating. If this is not to your taste, please exit here. Anita Blake Overview
Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter is a series of erotic fantasy novels by Laurell K. Hamilton, narrated by the title character, Anita Blake. Anita lives in a fictional Saint Louis much like our own, save that, not only are things like vampires and shapeshifters real, but everyone knows that they're real and they are considered citizens of America, much like normal humans. The novels follow Anita's ongoing conflicts with the supernatural as she attempts to solve a variety of supernatural mysteries, come to terms with her own abilities, and navigate an increasingly complex series of romantic and political relationships.
The Harlequin Synopsis
Anita Blake is about to face the challenge of her life. Into her world - a world already overflowing with power - have come creatures so feared that powerful, centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names. It is forbidden to speak of The Harlequin unless you've been contacted. And to be contacted by The Harlequin is to be under sentence of death.Long-time rivals for Anita's affections, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, and Richard, alpha-werewolf, will need to become allies. Shapeshifters Nathaniel and Micah will have to step up their support. And then there's Edward. In this situation, Anita knows that she needs to call the one man who has always been there for her, but he responds in a way that she didn't anticipate. - Source
Sneak Peeks at The Harlequin
(Links will open in a new window)
- Chapter One
- Malcolm, the head of the Church of Eternal life, the vampire church, sat across from me. He'd never been in my office before. In fact, the last time I'd seen him, he'd accused me of doing black magic, and being a whore. I'd also killed one of his congregation members on church grounds in front of him and the rest of his congregation. The dead vamp had been a serial killer. I'd had a court order of execution, but still, it hadn't made Malcolm and me buddies...
- Chapter Six
- I opened that tie I had to Jean-Claude. Opened it, and thought, where are you? I felt him, or saw him, or some other word that they hadn't invented yet, for seeing and feeling what someone else was doing in another room that you couldn't see, or know about. He was on stage, using that voice of his to announce an act...
The Harlequin Reviewed
To receive a Harlequin mask is a warning that no vampire can ignore. When such a gift comes to first Malcom, head of the Church of Eternal Life, and second to Anita Blake, terror descends on the Executioner and all those around her. However, Anita does now cower when she is afraid, she takes action. Rallying the troupes means pulling in all her allies at home and summoning help. For the first time in years, she calls on Edward; yet, it seems that even Death will be no match for this new threat. The Harlequin's powers threaten to completely disrupt everything Anita has worked to achieve and to steal her life as well. This may be the confrontation she cannot win.Anita has control of the ardeur, and what that means for readers is that though there are some highly sensual scenes, they are not the focus. Action is fast paced and taut. Especially welcome is the return of Edward and the character development Olaf undergoes. If you are among those who have missed elements of the early books in the more recent entries, then with great pleasure I can tell you that this story restores most, if not all of those elements. Harlequin is the best Anita Blake book since Burnt Offerings and it has made me look forward to the next one more than ever.
Source: Amanda at The Eternal Night
Order The Harlequin
The Harlequin (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 15)
Amazon Price: $17.13 (as of 07/25/2008)
The Anita Blake Series
- Guilty Pleasures (1994)
- he Laughing Corpse (1994)
- Circus of the Damned (1995)
- The Lunatic Cafe (1995)
- Bloody Bones (1996)
- The Killing Dance (1997)
- Burnt Offerings (1998)
- Blue Moon (1998)
- Obsidian Butterfly (2000)
- Narcissus In Chains (2001)
- Cerulean Sins (2003)
- Incubus Dreams (2004)
- Micah (2006)
- Danse Macabre (2006)
- The Harlequin (2007)
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Anita Blake Novels 1-5
Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 1)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 2)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 3)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 4)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Bloody Bones (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 5)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Anita Blake Fan Videos
Anita Blake Novels 6-10
The Killing Dance (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 6)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 7)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Blue Moon (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 8)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 9)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 10)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
The Harlequin Reviews Continued
Anita Blake returns in the fifteenth installment to the vampire hunter series that begins with Malcolm, a powerful vampire and head of the Church of Eternal Life seeking her assistance. Given Malcolm's animosity towards Anita and Master of the City Jean-Claude, something must be very wrong to have him seeking their help and the cryptic message Anita is to rely to her master does nothing to ally her fears. When she receives the gift of a plain white mask there can be no doubt the boogiemen of vampires, the Harlequin have come to St. Louis. The Harlequin serve as judge, jury and if need be, executioner for the vampires, they cannot be bought or bribed nor their decisions changed. The "gift" of a white mask is a good thing as it means the local vampire community is being watched only, yet it soon becomes obvious that something or someone is messing with them as vampires and werecreatures alike begin acting strangely.Anita calls for trusted backup from Edward, known among vampires as Death and this time Death arrives with backup in the form of Olaf, an ex-special-ops spook who's idea of a good time involves being elbow deep in a body. Richard, Ulfric of the werewolves and part of a powerful triumvirate must either come to terms with Anita's complicated personal life involving Jean-Claude, Micah, Nathaniel and others or allow his deep-seated anger to destroy what they have attempted to build. Carrying four forms of lycanthropy in her blood plus dealing with the ardeur and keeping the Mother of Darkness out of her head demands hard won control from Anita as it becomes increasingly difficult to tell friend from foe. The inevitable showdown between St Louis's preternatural community and the Harlequin will shatter old ties, forge new ones, and expose a serious flaw within the Harlequin ranks while revealing Anita's importance in controlling the Mother of Darkness.
Fans of the old Anita Blake will be happy to see a departure from the gratuitous sex seen in Danse Macabre and Incubus Dreams as this book focuses less on Anita feeding the ardeur and more on the dynamics of the triumvirates and the interaction between the paranormal community. It is nice to see a return of old characters including detective Zerbrowski and Edward's stepson Peter along with Anita's character embracing what she is rather then constantly wondering if she is a slut.
Rafael, the rat king goes to great lengths in order to forge a stronger alliance between the wererats and vampires yet that thread is left hanging so it will be interesting to see where this subplot goes in future stories. Overall, there is more substance to this installment then fans have seen in a long time, hopefully this is a trend to look forward to.
By Sandy Amazeen - Monsters and Critics
Anita Blake Novels 11-15
Cerulean Sins (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 11)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Incubus Dreams (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 12)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Micah (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 13)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
Danse Macabre (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 14)
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 07/25/2008)
The Harlequin (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 15)
Amazon Price: $17.13 (as of 07/25/2008)
Anita Blake In The News
Anita Blake Collections
Club Vampyre: Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, and Circus of the Damned
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
The Midnight Cafe
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
BLACK MOON INN (Burnt Offerings, Blue Moon)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
Nightshade Tavern (Obsidian Butterfly & Narcissus in Chains)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/25/2008)
My Sites Devoted To Anita Blake
Anita Blake Merchandise
My Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter Blog
Visit my blog devoted to Anita Blake for my reviews, more information on the novels, and lots of fun links. You'll also find information on the author, Laurell K Hamilton.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byOther Novels by Laurell K Hamilton
Swallowing Darkness (Meredith Gentry, Book 7)
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A Lick of Frost (Meredith Gentry, Book 6)
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Mistral's Kiss (Meredith Gentry, Book 5)
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Seduced by Moonlight (Meredith Gentry, Book 3)
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A Stroke of Midnight (Meredith Gentry, Book 4)
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Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series
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Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake Series
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The Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton is an alternate reality storyline, set in modern day Saint Louis, where vampires are not only real, they are legal citizens. They have families, jobs, and hobbies. Many of them own businesses, like Jean Cl...
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If you enjoyed this lens and want to learn more about the Anita Blake novels, visit my blog devoted to the series for more reviews, detailed information on the novels, and lots of fun links. For a short description of each novel, visit my Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series lens.
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~ Crystal Booth
Recent Visitor Comments
Anita Is a smart as woman that takes no shit and Love her wit charm and everything Anita Blake Rules
Posted January 04, 2008
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rms
I've got to get this book! Thank you for joining the Gothic Temptations Group. This lens is fabulous! Posted October 23, 2007 |
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Crystal_Booth
Thanks so much for your comments, Maria. I haven't got the comics yet, but I am considering collecting them along with the novels. Posted September 02, 2007 |
I love the Anita Blake series, I also collect the comic book. I can't get enough of her! I'm on my 6th book now, and I read them in like 2 months. Great site! If u haven't yet, get the comic too, there is a prequil to guilty pleasures when she first meets Jean-Claude (2 issues)
Posted August 21, 2007
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CliveAnderson
WOW! Now this is a really cool lens Crystal, I've had a good look around and not found anything I'm not interested in... All sounds great to me. I'd also have to say you look great in the Vamp costume. 5 stars of course. Thank You. Clive Anderson. Posted June 08, 2007 |
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The Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton is an alternate reality storyline, set in modern day Saint Louis, where vampires are not only real, they are legal citizens. They have families, jobs, and hobbies. Many of them own businesses, like Jean Cl...
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