... or whatever is responsible!
My Thoughts:
Guilty Pleasures was first released back in 1993. I am baffled as to how I could have overlooked this series for so many years, but in exchange I've had the pleasure of reading the series back to back from book one straight through to book fifteen, ... Read review
Advantages: fascinating world, intriguing characters,interesting crimes Disadvantages: none that I can think of!
...Thoughts:
Guilty Pleasures was first released back in 1993. I am baffled as to how I could have overlooked this series for so many years, but in exchange I've had the pleasure of reading the series back to back from book one straight through to book fifteen, The Harlequin, over the past three months. Things have a way of evening themselves out. Hamilton's first book in this series set its hooks deep into the mind of this reader, and ... ...own guilty little pleasures. I prefer reading to audio, but this was fun to clean house to.
For those, like myself, who have been blithely ignorant of Anita's world, I offer this small warning before you rush off to pick up the first book. The series starts out innocent enough, but somewhere around book six the series begins focusing more attention on Anita's complicated love life... in detail... Hot, sweaty, aerobic, and often, rather ... more
Zip her up, and she's about as hidden as she's gonna get! Anita Blake raises zombies from their graves for Animators Inc, and is also the legal vampire executioner for the fine state of Missouri. In fact, her kill record has caused the vampire community to refer to her as The Executioner with all the implied capitals. One of her best friends, Edward, is a cold-hearted professional killer known in the same circles as simply Death. Edward may give her the creeps sometimes, but he does let her play with all his best toys. Yeah, Anita may appear delicate, but it's best to remember that appearance are often deceiving!
Someone has begun killing vampires in St. Louis and while Anita would be happy to help her local RPIT (Regional Preternatural Investigation Team ) team figure out the who, what and why of it all, being summoned before the city's Master Vampire has kinda made this case a priority. Nikolaos appears an unlikely Master of the City when Anita first lays eyes on her, but behind that smiling child's face is a devious and ruthless mind with centuries of experience. Nikolaos insists that Anita help them by finding out just who is behind the brutal deaths of her people, and she is not used to taking "no" for an answer.
Anita barely escapes Nikolaos' supernatural hissy fit when she gets a bit too flip for the Master's liking. Jean-Claude, the second most powerful vamp in the city, is already quite taken with our feisty heroine, and he tries to act as a buffer between these two powerful and pugnacious souls. Jean-Claude's interference on her behalf may have cost him more than he planned though, and Anita finds herself wondering if the handsome and dangerously charming vamp may never surface again now that he's defied his Master. Hmm, on the other hand, perhaps she's better off never having to deal with his particular brand of temptation again? Either way, Anita's determined to put an end to these killings, along with whomever... or whatever is responsible!
My Thoughts:
Guilty Pleasures was first released back in 1993. I am baffled as to how I could have overlooked this series for so many years, but in exchange I've had the pleasure of reading the series back to back from book one straight through to book fifteen, The Harlequin, over the past three months. Things have a way of evening themselves out. Hamilton's first book in this series set its hooks deep into the mind of this reader, and I'd have to admit that it's become one of my own guilty little pleasures. I prefer reading to audio, but this was fun to clean house to.
For those, like myself, who have been blithely ignorant of Anita's world, I offer this small warning before you rush off to pick up the first book. The series starts out innocent enough, but somewhere around book six the series begins focusing more attention on Anita's complicated love life... in detail... Hot, sweaty, aerobic, and often, rather kinky detail. Yes, graphic violence isn't the only thing that earns this book it's adult status. OK, you've read the obligatory warning label. We can move on now...
Anita is a strong woman, and whatever her faults, she tries to be honest about them... at least to herself if no one else. I admire that. She likes quality guns, shiny knives, really good coffee, and stuffed penguins, although not necessarily in that order. She's not shy about the scars she's acquired both before and since her in-statement as a legal vampire executioner. She is who she is, and Anita tries hard to be OK with who she is, all of who she is. Her softness is well-hidden, and she's all about show you the sharp edge of herself. A girl's gotta protect herself after all. I find Anita's no nonsense, witty, and uniquely skilled approach to be very appealing in what have been traditionally, male dominated roles.
In book one, Anita says, "I bet she thought I'd be scared of her. She was right on that. But I spend most of my waking hours confronting and destroying things that I fear. A thousand-year-old master vampire was a tall order, but a girl's got to have a goal." She's got soft heart but she guards it well, and I find that appealing too. There are many characters who come and go throughout the series, and many who become valued friends as time passes. All of them revolve around Anita though, and if her blend of humor, sensuality and action doesn't appeal, then this series is not for you. This first book is a wonderful gateway into Anita's world.
I love the diversity of characters. This world is very much like our own, it's just that some of the people aren't human. I enjoy Hamilton's depictions of vampire and were societies, and find Anita's natural abilities to be quite intriguing. Anita is an animator, something in the core of her soul calls out to the dead and undead alike. With her will and a little ritual she can raise the dead from their graves to testify before a judge, reveal the location of a lost will, or to help someone find a little closure from those that have passed out of this life.
Guilty Pleasures is the name of the strip club Jean-Claude runs, but it is also an apt description of Anita's feelings about the events that unfold in this book. Here, we are just being introduced to Anita, her powers, and her world. All the books to follow just help add a little flesh to these rather appealing bones.
"Pity is an emotion that can get you killed. The only thing more dangerous is blind hate, and maybe love." Anita may not be comfortable with the "monsters", but she's even more uncomfortable with the thought that she may be a bigger monster than some of the humans, vamps, and weres she encounters. Anita often seems to dig her heels in and insist on sticking with the definitions of self, humanity, and acceptable dating material with a pig-headedness that foreshadows her need to bend before she breaks. Buckle up, readers, it's gonna be a rough ride!
Advantages: Readable, scary(in parts)and action packed Disadvantages: not much depth to it
I read this about a week ago after picking up a cheap copy. I'd heard a lot about this series as it seems to have been well publicised (this may just be me). The plot concerns Anita Blake, vampire hunter, and raiser of the dead. The vampire hunter part is a bit of a misnomer as she spends much of the book helping them. It would be more accurate to say she dislikes vampires but only kills them if they become to much of a nuisance. Anita is employed ... ...She is also asked(coerced)to investigate these killings by Jean Claude, a master vampire. The plot therefore is fairly easy to follow. The vampires turn out to be being killed by ..(but that would spoil the book), suffice to say it has to do with a desire for immortality.
The strength of this book is that it happens in our near furture, a time when vampires are liscensed citizens and zombies are regularly raised to help in court cases. As well as ...
Telute 16.02.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton
Advantages: Smart, funny, horrifying - a glorious action/adventure tour-de-force. Disadvantages: You might be waiting for the big message to jump out at you. Unless you really need to be told to be careful around vampires, you won't find one.
'Guilty Pleasures' is the first novel in the series by Laurell K. Hamilton detailing the life and times of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. Now calm down - before you start yelling 'Buffy rip off!', I should point out that this novel was first published in the States way back in 1993. At the time, Buffy was nothing more than a dismal movie flop starring Kirsty Swanson, and Anita Blake was coming into her own. Still, if I hadn't heard from some American ... ...been put off by the tacky covers, and that same thought that this might be a cheap cash-in.
In Laura Hamilton's fictional world, vampires have just been declared legal citizens if the United States of America, with rights equal to those of the living citizens. They have merged into our society, if not seamlessly, then at the very least enthusiastically. Vampire immigration is at a peak, understandably given that the rest of the world has no such ...
RichardW 03.01.2001
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton
...is an entertainer at club Guilty Pleasures
This is a very good book to read. There’s a lot of humour and wit used to keep you amused and intrigued. The humour can be very dark, though. Laurell K Hamilton has a very easy to read style so there’s no sense of confusion. Even if you have never read a vampire or a supernatural creature book before, it will still draw you in. This book isn’t set in a fantasy world, its set in a place that you can be familiar ... ...It’s a very captivating book. Guilty Pleasures has enough supernatural action to please even the most hardcore horror fans. And then with the support of very interesting and unusual characters, a highly clever and witty plot, and with a very easy to read and steady pace, you have a book that is almost impossible to put down.
If you haven’t read a vampire book, then this book will the best book to start from, there’s a heap of mystery added with ...
madhatter7880 30.07.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton
Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
How does it compare to ...
Quick review of Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton
I read this book after getting throuth a lot of mills and boon books. wheni found this book it sounded alright for the back so what do you know
i wos very suprized when it had vampires,werewolves, and zombes in
it . and it is all wraped around a human girl who rises zombies for a living and much more . it is very steamie and makes you not want to put it down. you will just have to read the next book in the too see what happens to everyone ...
MMBKST 25.10.2007
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton
Advantages: its a good starter book to a great series Disadvantages: none
this is the first book in the Anita Blake series. Anita blake is an Animator and vampire slayer, living in a world where the monsters are all legal. Laurell K. Hamilton writes these books superble and includes a theme for everyone to follow. if its romance you're after, pay attention to Anita's list of lusts, and if you have a good imagination, its one hell of a good list! If you're reading for gruesome remains, visit a crimescene with Anita. Its ...
shibby69 12.07.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton
Would you read it again?
Story
Characters
Readability
How does it compare to ...
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton"
Advantages: witty, entertaining, fascinating crimes and supernatural creatures Disadvantages: gruesome scenes of graphic violence and some language
of the framework provided by the first book, GuiltyPleasures. After this, Anita's life becomes even less boring, dangerously so in fact, and new characters lives' begin to rapidly entwine with her life. Laughing Corpse manages to tell a great story while evolving the main characters and the world they live in; subtle rather than simple with plenty of action to keep Anita's mind off of her personal life. Gritty, witty, bursting with creation and death, we are drawn further into her dynamic world that cannot help but be flavored by her own dominant nature. Ignorance may be bliss, but Anita's more of a "rip the band-aid off" kinda gal.
GuiltyPleasures
http://www.ciao.co.uk/GuiltyPleasuresLaurellKHamiltonRevie w5735685 ...
Product Information for "Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Science Fiction
Title
Guilty Pleasures
Author
Laurell K. Hamilton
ISBN
0450595609; 1841490466
Manufacturer's product description
Anita Blake, the heroine, is a zombie animator, raising the newly dead - and killing them again. It's a tough profession, made tougher by St Louis's vampires who hate and fear her as "The Executioner". Led by the master vampire, Nikolaos, they set out to destroy Anita.
Compare Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton to other similar Science Fiction Books »
