Saturday 29 December 2012

Storm Front


Level: Explicit Lite
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Obtained: Borrowed from a friend
Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover
I can't say whether I like this cover one way or the other. It's a good cover for the book. It's gritter, like the books, and has a masculine feel to it so the good news is that it will more than likely bring in those interested in The Dresden Files. The downfall is it's not eye catching, which means many would end up passing it up. At least, they chose a brighter colour for the font so that should help a little with the eye catching factor.

About the Book:
Harry Dresden is a public wizard for hire (which doesn't make a lot of money when few people believe in magic). Recently, a wife ended up hiring Harry to find her husband, who she believes ran off due to magic. Meanwhile, Harry is also helping the police on a gruesome murder case where the victims end up having their hearts explode out of their chests. Of course, his involvement in the case lands him in a heap of trouble. First, he gets a visit from the mafia and later he has a mark on his head from the murderer. To top it off, The White Council, a secret organization that monitors wizards, believes that Harry is the one responsible for the murders, and if they find him guilty, there will only be one outcome for Harry -- death.

Rating: 8/10
I have been hearing how great The Dresden Files are for years now, and I have finally started the series. Although I still liked Storm Front, I wouldn't put it in the fantastic category. However, I have also heard that the series doesn't hit the fantastic level until about book three or four. That's not to say that Storm Front isn't worth reading. It certainly has a lot going for it. One of my favourite things about Storm Front us the main character himself, Harry Dresden. Even though Harry is a very powerful wizard, he still has plenty of flaws. He has trouble making rent, for one, and has a strong tendency to treat all women like delicate flower, even if they happen not to be (even better is the book calls him out on this). Butcher also adds little quirks to his world to make it more interesting such as the fact that technology tends to go on the fritz around wizards.

The plot was fairly interesting. It's a plot we see often enough in urban fantasy, but Jim Butcher executed it quite well. At first, I found it just to be okay. It was still easily readable, but the overall feel felt like something I have come across quite often in my reading. It did have a few spots that stuck out such as Butcher's vampires and a scene where Dresden ends up naked in a thunder storm. However, I didn't start really liking Storm Front until closer until the end, and the climax certainly made up for the rest of the book (which, again, wasn't bad, just not great). Once the murderer get a lock of Harry Dresden's hair, I didn't want to put the book down. Sadly, I had little choice since there was holiday cooking that needed done. Overall, though, I found Storm Front enjoyable. The first half wasn't as gripping as I would have liked, but the climax wouldn't let go. Not a huge fan so far, but we will certainly see where my fandom ends up down the road.

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Thursday 27 December 2012

Ninth Grade Slays


Level: Teen
Genre: Urban Fantasy > Vampire
Obtained: Borrowed from room mate
Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover
Hmm ... I'm not really sure what to say. My thoughts about this cover are pretty much the same for the Eighth Grade Bites cover. It sums up the material within quite well, and it's bound to bring in readers that would enjoy the work.

About the Book:
It's a new year for Vladimir Tod, and things haven't gotten any easier. Not only is he still being hassled by bullies and having troubles with Meridith, his crush, but Vlad has a slayer after him. To add to his troubles, a fellow student, Eddie Poe, is determined to out Vlad's biggest secret.

Rating: 6/10 (8/10)
Again, I have decided to give one of the Vladimir Tod books different ratings. In case you haven't read my review for Eighth Grade Bites, the first one is my rating for a general audience, and the second rating is the the book's intended audience. If you are going to be one of those people that complain about how I am judging this book on an overall level, shut up. I already explained why in my Eighth Grade Bites review.

I have to admit that I was leery about this series, especially after reading the first book. Personally, I still found the book okay (though on the higher end of okay), but I also found myself enjoying Ninth Grade Slays much more than its predecessor. The problems that I had with Ninth Grade Slays are pretty much the same ones I had with Eighth Grade Bites: the characters were still fairly two dimensional, and the twist were, once again, quite predictable. However, I did not find them to be as predictable as before. Hell, I could see a lot of teens not even seeing some of the twists coming. I'll admit I was even a little surprised at one of the twists. The only other issue I really had with  Ninth Grade Slays was the plot seemed a bit recycled. Again, we see Vlad being bullied by Tom, being shy around Meridith, and being hunted. Yes, we pretty much got the same plot as last time. I found it to be executed a little better this time around, but I still felt a bit cheated. Now, Heather Brewer did introduce the series arc in this book so it will be interesting to see where she takes that.

On a personal level, I didn't find much that I really liked about this book. It read at a fast pace, which was nice. Again, I really appreciated that Brewer's characters acted their age. There was also a nifty scene where we get to see a character's wound knit back together. Other than that, it was pretty on par with you typical teen novel. On a non-personal level, I think teens would probably enjoy this much more. The plot twists are less likely to be predictable, and they are bound to relate with Vlad more than I would. I still think there are better teen books out there, but many teens would, more than likely, enjoy this series. As for the parents, this series is showing Vlad as a good role model yet should still be relatable to a younger audience. To the general audience, the Vladimir Tod series is all right and enjoyable enough for a quick and very light read, but I wouldn't bother purchasing the books. 

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Monday 17 December 2012

The Laughing Corpse


Level: Explicit Lite
Genre: Urban Fantasy > Vampire
Obtained: Purchased at Borders.
Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover
I will be one to say that I really like the sexy Anita Blake covers. I find them to be very well done, intimately appealing, and sum up the books quite well. However, The Laughing Corpse cover always seemed a little odd to me. I still find it to be better than a good chunk of book covers out there, but what is going on here? First, the green colour that they chose just makes me think she is sickly, which kinda works for a zombie book, I guess. I could say something about her throwing her head back in what looks like erotic bliss, but that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is the tree. Why is there a freaking tree crawling up her skin? I understand it's supposed to be a tree in a graveyard, but you hardly notice the headstones, just this demmed tree. As I said, it's not a horrible cover. It's just weird.

About the Book:
Something is out there in St. Louis, and this something is tearing up families and leaving little more than chunks of meat. This is when RPIT, St. Louis' Regional Peternatural Investigational Team, calls in Anita to help solve the murders. This ends up leading her into a world of voodoo, where nightmares live even in the daylight hours. Then, if having an extremely powerful voodoo priestess after her wasn't enough, Anita also has to deal with Harold Gaynor, a wealthy man who is wanting Anita to commit human sacrifice so that she can raise a centuries old zombie. The problem is that he won't take no for an answer...

Rating: 9/10
Laurell K. Hamilton manages to write another thrilling novel that is bound to capture you in its pages. She had created a new villain for Anita that may even be more terrifying than Nikolaos. Dominga certainly always has me on edge when I read about her. Even in one book, she holds a lingering presence and a strong sense of character. The murders are also quite gruesome in this one. Although I have never considered the Anita Blake series particularly dark, the murders in The Laughing Corpse might not be for the faint of heart -- especially if it comes to gore.

Now, like Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse also has its problems. To be honest, they are pretty much the same issues that were in Guilty Pleasures. It seemed to me that the repetition had worsened though. However, that seemed to be the worst of it. The author does seem to be showing that Anita is one of the best when it comes to shooting and zombies, but I didn't find this the least bit annoying since Anita still has plenty of flaws, which is one of the things that endears me to her as a character.

Once again, Laurell K. Hamilton brings us a read that may not be the most well written, but its thrilling ride is bound to make any little issues fly by with very little notice. Even with my dislike of the later books, I would still highly recommend The Laughing Corpse (among a few other Anita Blake titles). What can I say? Hamilton knows how to create intriguing characters and a gripping tale with a near perfect blend of genres.

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Friday 14 December 2012

Guilty Pleasures


Level: Explicit Lite
Genre: Urban Fantasy > Vampire
Obtained: Purchased at an Archon book vendor
Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover
I have to admit that I have a fondness for the retro covers. What's more is I think they sum up the early books quite well. Sure, they are a little dated, but so is the book. Seriously, payphones and beepers are used. This cover gives the feel of an old horror or thriller type film, which suits Guilty Pleasures nicely. Sure, the cover is a bit cheesy. I mean, there's a giant floating head on it, but it tells you what it is. It's a cover that isn't going to suit everyone's tastes, but whether you take it or leave it, the retro covers will always have a place in my heart.

About the Book:
In the modern day world, vampires and other paranormal creatures are known. However, in America, vampires are also legal citizens so if you kill a vampire, you may find yourself up on murder charges. Enter Anita Blake. She is an animator (someone who raises the dead), paranormal consultant for the police, and legal executioner for the vampires who get out of line. Recently, there has been a series of vampire murders happening, and Nikolaos, vampire Master of the City, wants Anita to look into these crimes, whether Anita wants to or not...

Rating: 9/10
I originally started reading the Anita Blake series back in 2000. I have lost track of how many times I have read the series. Personally, I despise where the series has gone and find myself grinding my teeth at the author's personal attitude, but even with a strong disliking of the author and the progression of Anita Blake, I still find myself loving Guilty Pleasures (and most of the early books).

Now, I could rant and rave about where the Anita Blake series has gone, but that's not what this review is about. I will be focusing on Guilty Pleasures, not the Anita Blake series. Honestly, I was a bit worried about reviewing Guilty Pleasures after all this time. I have to admit that I was worried that my dislike of Laurell K. Hamilton would taint these books for me so much that I would no longer enjoy them. I am glad to say that this is not the case. I still find myself falling in love with Hamilton's characters all over again. I find myself getting lost into the world she created every single time. Guilty Pleasures still has its downfalls, and it is hardly the best written book, but it is highly entertaining. Laurell K. Hamilton has me rooting for a character that I know I would despise in real life.

As I said though, Guilty Pleasures still has its issues. One would be the repetition. I lost count of how many times she used the term "tough as nails vampire hunter" (or a close variation there of). The mystery in the plot was also a little lacking (seriously, the bad guy ends up confessing to Anita; she doesn't figure it out on her own). However, the plot was a fun ride, and Hamilton gave the story a strong sense of character like no other. Hamilton's writing will have your imagination working overtime as you start to feel the St. Louis heat and fear for Anita as more and more dangers come her way. It may not be Hemingway, but it's a book that is bound to pull you in its pages and not let go. 

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BONUS COVER!!!!
I don't usually do this, but I am in love with the 2000 revamp of the Guilty Pleasures cover. As much as I love the retro covers, this one will always have a place in my heart. Maybe it is my fascination for men's stomachs and dead roses, but every time I see this cover, I cannot help but think of the Anita Blake series that I loved. It looks cold and dead yet sexy and tantalizing at the same time. It is perfect for the first half of the Anita Blake series, and it was this cover that had caught my eye all those years ago.
   

Eighth Grade Bites


Level: Teen
Genre: Urban Fantasy > Vampire
Obtained: borrowed from room mate
Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover
I remember seeing this book in Border's (I shall miss you, Borders), and it drew my attention right away so point for the cover there. The high contrast style of the art was unique to the cover world. Well, I am sure there are more out there, but it's not something you see often. The happy vampire face on his hoodie is also a great choice as it creates a symbol that will be linked with Vladimir Tod. What's more is it's a symbol you will remember. Now, the other thing I ended up thinking when I saw these covers was that it was probably going to be some emo type vampire, or, at the very least, a book that would gear to teens only. Well, Vlad isn't really overly emo, but I did find the book was suited for pretty much young teens only so the cover did a great job at marketing for its intended audience. So, all in all, I would rate this cover as fantastic!

About the Book:
Vladimir, for the most part, is your typical thirteen year old. He dislikes school, has problems with bullies, and is battling his courage so that he can talk to his crush. Oh yeah, he also happens to be a vampire. It is Vlad's nature that starts to cause problems when a mysterious man starts hunting him down. What's worse is that his aunt doesn't seem to be taking him seriously, and he still needs to finish that math homework...

Rating: 5/10 (7/10)
You're probably wondering why I have two different ratings. This is because I felt that the book, in general, was merely okay, but I also think that it will hold more merit for its intended audience. Now, before you start griping to me about how this is a book for teens therefore I should judge it for teens alone, I ask you why? Why hold youth and young adult books to a lower standard? There are several youth and young adult books that can be enjoyed by those other than the books' intended audience (IE Howl's Moving Castle, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter), and this is why I refuse to rate something for only its intended audience. Of course, that's not to say I will ignore who it is intended for either so expect this review to have both pros and cons for both teens and broader, more general audience.

With that being said, I would like to start off by saying that one of my favourite things about this book is that Vlad actually seems to act like a thirteen year old boy! Now, this makes a good chunk of the characters annoying to me, but it pleased me greatly that they acted their age. All too often you come across teenage characters that come across as either too young or too old. With Vlad seeming more like a typical teenager, this would more than likely get more teens relating to him. It is because of this that I feel many teens would end up enjoying this book.

My main annoyance with Eighth Grade Bites was the writing and depictions of the characters and the story line. Everything was overly simple, making it where I could see what was coming from a mile away. Now, this isn't always an issue. There have been several books that I have read where the plot was nothing extraordinary yet the writing style and/or the characters made up for it. Sadly, this was not the case with Eighth Grade Bites. The characters remained flat throughout the book and never filled in their basic outline. All I know of Henry is that he is good looking and Vlad's best friend. Vlad's crush, Meridith, is pretty and nice. D'ablo is dark and clearly a villain. As for Mr. Otis, well, he was a little better though I think that was due to the fact that I kept envisioning him as John C. Reilly's Mr. Crepsley from The Vampire's Assistant so it had little to do with the author's skills. Again, he was little more than an outline. In this case, we have the kooky and eccentric character type, but as I have already said, the problem is there is no colour, flair, or flesh to these characters, causing the, to be little more than words on the page.

But what about the plot? You would think that with a vampire hunting Vlad down that it would be quite interesting. Not really. It may be with a younger audience, but the problem is that you could predict nearly everything that would happen, making it where there is little tension. Now, be aware that my examples will contain


Heather Brewer introduces two characters in Eighth Grade Bites: D'ablo, a man in black who is clearly a villain of sorts, and Mr. Otis, the kooky and mysterious character that has taken an interest in Vlad. Throughout the book, Vladimir is wondering what evil Otis is up to. We also see clues that seem to point out that Otis is a bad guy. We see his hat in a deceased teacher's house and also see Otis consorting with D'ablo. However, the problem is that the book is so overridden with cliched character types that was more than aware that Otis would end up being the helpful good guy. Maybe this obviousness wouldn't be as clear to a twelve year old, but I am still certain they could see it coming.

The other bit that stood out to me was when Otis and Vlad go to save Vlad's aunt from the vampires. First, Otis tells the vampires that he has brought them Vlad, and this causes Vlad to think he was right about Otis being evil all along. A few pages later, Vlad is led to believe that Otis killed his aunt instead of saving her. Once again, we have the "person I trusted betrayed me, but it turns out they actually didn't." Again, this can work sometimes, but I say once more than this book was so overflowing with tropes and cliches that you can't help but see it coming.
END SPOILERS

Even with these downfalls, I can still see plenty of young teens enjoying this book. Another reason I could see it being enjoyed by a younger age bracket is due to the humour. The jokes were a little cheesy, in my taste, but they were also cute. You get to see Vlad drinking "tea" and his Twinkies are filled with blood capsules so that he never gets to enjoy switching lunches with other students. We also get to see Vlad dress up as Dracula for Halloween, which is bound to bring a few smiles to faces. Personally, I thought the jokes seemed to be trying too hard, but I would imagine the intended audience would enjoy them well enough. 

Overall, this book is fairly simple, but even simple things can be enjoyed. I think the fact that Vlad acts his age will endear the younger audience. As for the general whole, I would not find myself recommending this to many outside the book's intended age bracket. As for recommending it to the intended audience, I probably would, but it would be on the lower end of recommendations. Of course, this is only the first book so there is a chance that The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod could become interesting. I may not have been a fan of the first book, but I still plan on giving the second book a chance so expect another Vladimir Tod review in the future. So far though, I will be sticking with my earlier mentioned recommendations: good for teens but others should probably stay clear -- you will probably just be bored.

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Friday 30 November 2012

Kiss the Dead


Level: Explicit
Genre: Urban Fantasy > Vampire
Obtained: Borrowed from a friend
Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover:
Can't look away from heaving cleavage... Is it a great cover? No. However, I do think it works for the recent Anita Blake books, and it's certainly a step up from the Hit List cover. Kiss the Dead continues the same look and feel as Hit List, but unlike Hit List, Kiss the Dead doesn't look at it was slapped together at the last minute. Personally, I think the worst thing this cover has going for it is the model's vacant expression. Well, that and she looks a bit cheap, but this is a post Narcissus in Chains Anita Blake book we are talking about so cheap works. I have to admit I really like the lettering in the tears and the texture on the girl. It gives it something extra, a bit of grime and grit, if you will. Of course, this cover is bound to bring some blush to a few cheeks since it screams you are reading something naughty, but at the same time, this cover ought to bring in those that would be interested in the newer Anita Blake books.

About the Book:
In the 21st installment of the Anita Blake series, Anita finds out some disconcerting news while she is rescuing a kidnapped girl. It turns out there is a large group of vampires made mainly of teenagers, soccer moms, and grannies, that are living without a master. They are quite adamant about never having one and therefore refuse an oath to Jean-Claude. Meanwhile, Anita is still having personal issues concerning her men, mainly Cynric. Anita is still rather upset about how young he is and the fact that he loves her but she's not sure if she loves him. At least, not in the same way.

Rating: 3/10
Wow. I actually didn't hate this book as much as I anticipated. Of course, with the more recent Anita Blake books being utter dreck, my expectations were extremely low. Of course, just because I didn't dislike the book as much as I expected did not mean I would say it was good. This book still had plenty of points that had me seething, Some have been annoyances with me since Guilty Pleasures, such as the hatred of women and Anita constantly saying how guy she is (IE "It took us one sentence, two looks, and a nod -- with another woman it would have been at least five minutes of out-loud talking. Lucky for me I spoke fluent guy."). Sure this issue has only gotten worse as the series progressed, but it has always been there. Then, we have the whole Anita getting into a tiff with authority, because they are prejudiced against her due to the fact that she is sleeping with the monsters, is half Mexican, is polyamorous (polyandrous maybe), is a woman, is take your pick. Now, this has irritated me for many books now, but not as much with Kiss the Dead. The reason for this was mainly because the "brass" Anita was arguing with were actually quite pleasant and honestly, the concerns they did have were justified (for more on this check out my post).

The other major tiffs I had were specifically with this book. Now, I am not going to go into every little one, but here are some major irritants of mine. The first of these involved Larry Kirkland. For those who are unaware of who he is, he is also a vampire hunter/animator, and he was trained as a hunter by Anita. Throughout their relationship, Anita and Larry have had many disagreements yet remained friends. First off, that is flushed down the toilet in this book. However, this is far from the first time that LKH has had a character act, well, out of character. What had me grumbling was that not a single person sided with Larry, including the newly introduced Marshal Brice. Now, you might expect RPIT to side  with Anita against a stranger or someone they dislike, but this is Larry, and it is never shown that the cops had an issue with before hand. 

The second issue I'd like to focus on in Cynric. The Cynric issue seems to be one that hits the nerves of several people since Anita originally slept with him when he was a sixteen year old virgin. I never had a huge problem  with this since both Cynric and Anita had been mind fucked by the original vampire herself, Marmee Noir (though there are plenty of arguements that point out that is probably could have been prevented, but I am not going to get into that here). The fact is that Anita did not choose for Cynric to be that young. Now that he is eighteen, Anita had agreed to take him in as a lover and his guardian. Because those two things mix so well... In fact, Anita and Cynric even have a conversation about it. After they come to a conclusion (where Sin tells Anita to stop going to parent teacher conferences), what is literally seconds later, Anita is pawing and rubbing up against Sin (aka Cynric). Now, I have absolutely no objection to the age difference, but do remember that Cynric and Anita had just finished having a conversation where Anita felt that she was too much of a parent figure to also be Cynric's lover so needless to say, those thoughts of him being in the child type position more than likely would still be fresh in her mind. However, we are supposed to believe that Anita is wigged out about being Cynric's lover while being his guardian when she starts snogging him seconds after the conversation. Yeah, don't think so...

Now, I am going to go into one final tiff that was specifically Kiss the Dead (though the longer I work on this review, the more issues I am realising exist). Again, this deals with another character Hamilton has completely ruined. I am speaking of the once snarky and once likable Asher.



In this book, Asger now has a boyfriend (Dev/Devil ... yeah, I'm sure you are wondering who that even is), but Dev also wants to see women. Apparently, Asher is very jealous and wants Dev to be with him and him alone. This causes Pod Asher to start acting up, and he ends up cutting Anita's lip to the point where she would have needed stitches if she didn't heal super fast. First off, the wound was only as bad as it was because Anita loves Asher too much to hurt him. This is from the once tough as nails vampire hunter who may have hesitated at killing Jean-Claude at one point but not hurting him if needed. However, she suddenly can't hurt Asher to defend herself, because she loves him too much. Don't worry. The stupid only worsens. So because of Asher attacking Anita and wounding her lip, she is now unable to perform oral. The outrage! There can only be one punishment! Asher must leave for another city by tomorrow. Okay, it's only supposed to be for a month, but it's still utterly ridiculous. Just ...


     
END SPOILERS

Okay, okay ... for those of you who have read my other reviews should know by now that I try to find both good and bad in every book, and even with all the issues that this book holds, I did not have to overtax my brain to think of some good. In fact, compared to the recent Anita Blake books, I think this one was grand. Kiss the Dead, first off, actually had a plot (I had a plot once! It ended up biting me and running away). What's more is this plot took up about half the book ... Well, stuff that related to the plot, but for a post Narcissus in Chains book, that is quite the feat. We also get Anita working with RPIT again, Of course, all the women are jealous of Anita, and all the men think Anita is the toughest and bestest there ever was, but it was really nice to see old friends. I will admit that I found myself grinning when Zerbrowski was on the page. Besides seeing old faces, it was also nice to see Anita doing some police work through a good chunk of the book. Have I mentioned there was also some sort of plot? An author should not make me this excited about having a plot, even a weak one.

Now, as much as I was excited there was a plot, I did feel it fell flat. As noted in the summary, Anita ends up running into a group ... sorry, a kiss of vampires that refuse to be blood oathed to Jean-Claude. That could have been terribly exciting and would have even given Anita the excuse to internalise her problems. She could wonder why this kiss was so adamant to not be oathed to Jean-Claude and Anita. Perhaps Anita and co. aren't as good as they think they are. All of this potential is overlooked, however, so we are left a fairly poor plot. Speaking of missed potential, Anita's constant angsting of whether she is a monster or not. Now, a lot of people have complained how repetitive this ordeal was (both within the series and in this book). I do agree that it is brought up way too often. However, if there was actually a solution to it (besides Anita's lover patting her on the back and telling her that she isn't a monster and that she is overly wonderful), I don't really think I would have minded it so much. Instead, we are bombarded with "monster, monster, am I a monster?" but no answer to it or even really seeing Anita actually take the time to think on it.

Now, with me looking at the overuse of the "am I a monster?" drama, I now would like to focus on more general overusage and repetition. What was the editor doing during this book?! I'll tell you one thing, he certainly wasn't doing his job. Okay, I understand giving a brief reminder of what a character looks like or who they are, especially for those new to the series (though why they are starting at book 21 is beyond me). Key word: brief! We also do not need twenty million reminders. We certainly do not need to be reminded two pages later (this is not an exaggeration). What's worse is that Laurell K. Hamilton isn't just repeating just the eye or hair colour. No, she literally repeats the entire paragraph! Even from the beginning, the Anita Blake series had some issues with repetition (bench press a Toyota, anyone?), but no where near as bad as this. Seriously, if you removed all the repeated descriptions, I would not be surprised is Kiss the Dead ended up half its size. Hell, I would put money on it. There is also the overly detailed desciptions. I am actually one of those people that love knowing what a character looks like, but there is a point where it becomes too much. Not only were the physical descriptions repeated too often, but they went into so much excessive detail that I was bored to tears. Hamilton actually tells us what Cynric's hair looks like in the sinlight versus what it looks like in the dark. Again, I love physical details, but this is too much.

I could continuemore, but this review is already quite lengthy. I found Kiss the Dead to more interesting than the last few Anita Blake installements. I didn't find myself grinding my teeth through most of this book either. Kiss the Dead still had lots of problems, both new and old, and a good amount of missed potential. This book is still far from the charm that the earlier Anita Blake books had, but it is a step in the right direction. For an Anita Blake novel, Kiss the Dead isn't bad, but in general, it's still pretty rank.

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