Skin Trade

It has been a year for me that I have waited for this book. Finally it was out and I needed to wait further for my payday in able to buy the book but... It was worth the wait.

Skin Trade, 17th novel of Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake Series. I am a bit disappointed, Micah was not in the book. That's like 2 succeeding books without my favorite NimeRaj "wereleopard king" When I was reading this book, it took me back to Obsidian Butterfly. Why? with reasons that Edward was there, Olaf and Bernardo and it didn't happen in st. Louis, it happened outside state like in Obsidian Butterfly.

Now we all know that Vittorio is back in this book, with a vengence. He mailed the head of the local executioner of Las Vegas to Anita, so she flew to Vegas with out even talking to Jean-claude. It is nice for a change that Richard isn't mentioned in this book. Good ridding, his becaming a pain in the ass for both JC and AB anyway. But a lot of interesting revelation has been uncovered in this book. For example, Marmee Noir, a.k.a mommy dearist was a necromancer before she became a vampire. I did not add shapeshifter coz we already know that in the previous books. Also Vittorio isn't really Vittorio his name was Father Day or Father of the Tigers. Apparantly in the book it hinted that Vittorio and Marmee has some pass and eventually their greed of power has became the reason the two of them has turned agianst each other. This time Skin Trade is not full of sex and sex in almost all pages and no more crime solving thing as compared to the middle books of this series which most fans back when this series started actaully hated. Skin Trade looks like it revive the essence of the series from the very beginning. Murder investigations, police work and a lot less of the vampire politics. But the sex is still there in the later part. hehe.

LKH hasn't disappointed me yet in her ABVH novels. I'm still going to collect them all and read them all. Its unlike any vampire books I have read. Not to mention, its the only vamp series I know where vampires and other preternatural creatures are legal citizins of the world. For me nothing could beat the ABVH series. I hope the TV series that they are making will not a disappointment. But I believe LKH's desision on that. I mean look at the marvel version of ABVH, it is word for word with the book. I hope it will be the same in the TV series.

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series

ABVH has been around for more than a decade already. Most reviews on it has been compared to Buffy the vampire slayer. But Anita is far more than Buffy. Shes a kick ass cynical girl. I think thats the reason why i like her bec she doesn't take crap with anyone and definitely doesn't kiss asses.

Series Started with GUILTY PLEASURES. The book tells how JEAN-CLAUDE raise to power as the new master of the city of St. Louis MO. How he placed the 1st and 2nd mark to Anita to make her his human servant. A Human Servant is the eye and ears of the vampire when the vampire is asleep at day. Well by the word SERVANT i believe you already know what that means. The servant make sures the master he/she serves will be taken cared of. its like having a private secretary in the same time having an elf like santa's little helpers. lol. But Anita doesnt really want to be JC's Human servant so she constantly denys his claim, GP is already released as a graphic novel under the debel brothers which is now under MARVEL.

The next book in the series is LAUGHING CORPSE. Theres nothing much in this book. Only that you tend to know more about our heroin in the series. How she came into her necromantic powers, how she got the job in Animator's Inc. And a touch of voodoo magic is in the story. CIRCUS OF THE DAMN is something you need not to miss in the series. Here, you will learned about more in vampire politics and the Vampire Council. The council is composed by 12 individuals. One of this individual is Oscar other wise known as the Earth mover. WEll bec his power can move the earth, can cause tremors on the very ground your standing. He challenges JC and offered ANita to get rid of JC in exchange that she herself will be free from his bounds. She nearly betrayed JC in this book. It is also in this book where we will meet Richard for the first time. Which eventually you will find out to be an emotional unstable werewolf.

Next book is LUNATIC CAFE. Here we get to know the local wolf pack of st. louis. And the ever wicked sexy Rianna, the werewolf LUPA... in plain english... werewolf queen to Marius's Ulfric "king". Also we get to know Gabriel the ever sadistic nimni-raj "wereleopard king" and star of Rainna's wickedly sex videos.

Bare with me everyone, This series has "atm" 16 books and the 17th book is scheduled to be release in June2009.


BLOODY BONES and BLUE MOON are books which is set outside St. Louis.

The book after it is the KILLING DANCE. Its where Anita first saw Richard turn into a werewolf right above her and she was forced to accept the 3rd mark to save both JC and Richard. Its also in this book that Anita ran away from Richard when she saw him eat the former ulfric and took the throne for himself. She ran away from him to the arms of JC for comfort thus beginning her dating the master vampire and accepting him in her life.

The next book BURNT OFFERINGS is a struggle of power and the test by the council to JC's teretory and power. They were visited by two vampire council member. PAdma "the BEast master" since he can control any wereanimal that existed. And Traviler coz he can transfer his soul "if vampires have soul" to any being. Here they have invaded JC's daytime resting place and held hostage all his people. So its in this book were Anita need to give a good show to the council that she is a good human servant. This is also when you gets to know more about vampire politics and the vampire council members.

OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY is a book sit in New Mexico and JC and Richard is out of the picture in this book. The only male alpha in this book is EDWARD (NO! his not a vampire and his more than a kick ass male alpha than pathitic emo Edward in twilight). EDWARD the oh so sexy bounty hunter... and cruel if i may add. He kills without mercy. He's a bounty hunter for hire once he was hired to kill humans. But lately humans has bored him so he hunted wereanimals or vampires or anything that goes bumpy in the night. Both he and anita might not admit it but they are sure is a match made from hell. not in the since of love if i may point that out. oh wait, edward did said in this book that anita is his soulmate. lol and she didnt went gogo eyes on him, thats what i like about her. This book is one of my favorites in the series.

The next following books - NARCISUS IN CHAINS, CERELIAN SINS,INCUBUS DREAMS are the reason why some readers of the searies have stopped reading the series. Well for me it gave me more reasons in collecting the series. Its because of the sizzling sex with vampires and with the wereanimals. Some found it sickening I on the other hand find it... no words can describe it i just cant stop giggling and oggling over it. There were less murder scenes in this book and has centered into stablishing Anita's relationship with the vampires and how her power and JC's power is growing increasing. CS we meet Belle Morte through her servant and by the end of the book JC is already declared his own fountain head. Meaning he has his own blood line now no longer known under the blood line of Belle morte.
with all the many men of Anita's men Micah the ever perfect boyfriend of Anita got to have a novel of his own. Much to many disapointments the book didnt really showed the reader about Micha's mysterious past. Only that he is a sole survivor of a wereleopard attack.

DANSE MACABRE is the 13th book in the series. Its the first time in the series that 3 master vampires from other city will visit St. Luois for a grand ballet. Here we met the Master vamper of Chicago which will play a major role in the up coming book in june2009 tittled "SKin Trade".

In THE HARLIQUIN we know more about Marmee Noir "mother of all darkness" Here it is known that she is nearly awake from her thousand years sleep in the darkness. No one really knows if she wants Anita for herself or if she wants her eliminated after all it was Marmee Noir who declared a decree on death on all necromancers in her time.

Lastly but not the last... BLOOD NOIR is a full novel story set in North Carolinia in the city of JAson. Our well loved werewolf, pom de sang of JC. inshort... his the master's food. Here we look into the life and times of Jason the werewolf. It also brings an over view on what will be the next big thing in the next book. As you can see, in this book Marmee Noir is starting to control anita's hunger of sex "the adhoir" (i dont know if i got the spell right ^_^)

I have never been sooo addicted to an author before that i actually bought all her books even the anthologies. I also collect her Merry Gentry Series but thats for another blog coz this is going too long already. AS i was saying, even though i already have her books and the comic version of GP and LC are like mirrors of each other i still cant help myself in buying them and collecting them. So yes.. im an LKH fanatic. LKH is actually the 2nd author i knew about in writing vampires. And oh no her vampires are not the Anne Rice vampires nor Bram stoker's dracula. In her world Vampires and all other supernatural/paranormal creatures have rights and actually own businesses in the city. They have human servants and animal to call. in this case JC's animal to call is werewolves. With all vampire novels sprouting in the market i still say LKH vamps are the best. SOon if everything goes smoothly a t.v.s series will be aired soon under MGM productions. There are talks about making it into a movie. But i dont know about it, I mean Anne Rice got famous bec of interview of the vampire and Stephanie Meyer became an over night sansation bec of her twilight movie. Well with Anne Rice i read her books after i saw the movie. With twilight i remember being amazed of its wonderful cover but then returned it to the book shelf while rolling my eyes saying "oh god not another vampire cliche" well as a friend told me who bought the books for the sake of the pretty cover.. "dont bother reading it, you'l just get annoyed.. its like your reading an ANita wannabe..." LoL So i would still say ANITA BLAKE still kicks ass on all those vamp novels out there. ^_^

to know more about the Series visit the official LKH Philippine Book Circle.