by Leola Washington

Created on: August 02, 2008

As someone who has read every novel in the series more than once I remain torn about whether to praise or trash the books in terms of literary merit. For those who haven't read the series, it would take pages and pages to explain the details of the plot. Suffice it to say that Anita Blake is a necromancer who also advises the police on how to catch "monsters". The only problem is that the monsters- Vampires and Shifters become some of Anita's closest friends and lovers.

My gripe about the series is the tonal shift between the first eight books ( up to "Obsidian Butterfly") and the novels which come after Obsidian. Most people complain about the increased sexual content in the series and how Anita has fallen into moral decay, but I'm surprisingly okay with that. The problem for me is the shoddy writing. It feels like the books have gone from being lovingly infused with the main character's sardonic wit and powerful voice, to being hastily scribbled together, typos and all. The voice and attitude of the main character which initially drew me into the series and kept me reading all through high school and college, have dwindled to scarcely nothing. The only reason why I keep reading is for the tantalizing glimpses of this voice in the current novels.

Another complaint I'll voice is the unbelievability of the later novels. All morality aside, the fact that Anita has a magical Ardeur which makes her have to have sex with multiple men, multiple times a day somehow doesn't wash. Wouldn't they get tired, wouldn't they hate sharing, how does she have time to continue working for Animators Inc. and the cops and fight off bad guys while having all this sex? Apparently, we're just supposed to clap our hands and believe in the magic. Because the initial eight books were presented so realistically, die hard fans of the series are rioting in the streets over this ridiculousness.

Still I just can't seem to let go of the characters. One of Hamilton's greatest gifts is presenting three dimensional characters which become beloved old friends we can't wait to see every year when the latest books come out. Even Edward, the psycho killer/bounty hunter guy is interesting to follow. Instead of the usual two-dimensional background characters interspersed throughout other supernatural novels, Hamilton makes sure to provide each character with a history and a context in which to judge all of their actions. Jean Claude is around 375-500 years old and has been nursing a broken heart since his lover Julianna was burned as a witch and neither he nor the other third of his menage a trois (Asher) could save her. Asher, who is introduced in book 7 of the series ( Burnt Offerings) has a three dimensional presence in the series because of this relationship to Jean Claude and Anita's supernatural connection to him. The other peripheral characters (Richard, Micah, Jason, Nathanial, and Damian) all have a resonance throughout the series because of similar back stories.

Overall, I have decided that I will keep spending my $17.95 every year at the bookstore because I am determined to hold out for the good stuff. If you feel like embarking on one of the most uniquely entertaining, (yet sadly decayed) series of all time, I suggest you get you 17 dollars ready and get behind me in line.

Learn more about this author, Leola Washington.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.