Bloody Bones

 

Level: Explicit Lite

Genre: Fantasy> Urban Fantasy > Vampire

Obtained: Purchased at Border's

Reviewed by: Nic Echo

Cover:

I have to say that I really like this cover. First, I think it portrays the book really well: a mix of horror, romance, and sexuality. The photo also pertains to things inside of the book and although the photoshopping isn't perfect, it's still done quite well (much better than Circus of the Damned). The cropping draws your eye to it, and the colouring works well with its blue green hue (blue covers do tend to sell more). I'd say it's a great cover for the book!

About the Book:

A client has Anita visit Branson so that she can raise some zombies to dispute a business transaction. While there, she finds out something is murdering children and that Mr. Stirling, her client, is hiding some major information which can be potentially dangerous. Once again, Anita is finding herself surrounded by vampires and even something more unusual: fae.

Rating: 9/10 

One of my favourite Anita Blake books. Laurell K. Hamilton certainly manages to entertain once more. She creates a steady mix of mystery and the supernatural. Like many of the past Anita Blake books, this one also focuses on a particular creature (vampires for Guilty Pleasures and  Circus of the Damed, zombies for The Laughing Corpse, and werewolves for The Lunatic Cafe). This time we get fairies (though we still see tons of vampire action). Honestly, I am just disappointed that this is the only time we get to see the fae in Anita's world. They were certainly interesting. Sure, Hamilton has the pretty type fae, but they still have a bite to them. She also introduces us to a much meaner looking type. Now, I will admit that I know very little about the sidhe, but from what I can tell (and what others have said), LKH does an excellent job at blending her world and the sidhe mythos together. I certainly enjoyed it and found them to be quite believable.

Then, we have the vampires. Bloody Bones have some of my favourite vampire villains. First, Hamilton introduces us to a new type of vampire (for her world, at least): one that can rot and later reform. Bloody wicked! Give me more! Also, I really enjoyed the way she introduced them. It was an introduction that stuck in my mind for years. Absolutely vile and I am extremely glad that it ended up having a lasting impact on Jason instead of just being glossed over. The other vampire that I found to be quite amazing was Serephina, Master of the City of Branson. First, she is actually older. Always nice to see a vampire that isn't young and pretty. Secondly, her animal to call is ghosts! I mean, how cool is that? Finally, I love how Serephina tries to win people over by promising them something that they truly desire so that they want to be taken and often end up going willingly and happily. That is a frightening thought. This also creates a great moment at the climax of the book where Serephina gets into Anita's head so that Anita will try to save her. What's even better is that Anita knows she cannot win against her. She pretty much wins through luck and a strong enough will to ask for help.

So Bloody Bones had some neat supernatural aspects, but what about the plot? Well, like the other books, the plot is fairly simple, but the characters and the world manage to draw you in. There was a few times that there was needless repetition, but not enough to really be annoying. What's more is I didn't see the characters getting hit with a case of stupid, and Anita actually figures out the murder case instead of the bad guy just telling her. Granted, this isn't the case with the fae plot, but in Anita's case, she is working with a new supernatural creature and took one class on them. She is bound to make a few mistakes and not connect everything.

Overall, Hamilton has managed to bring us another enjoyable junk food type book. Again, it's not the most well written, but it is fun, entertaining, and engaging. Laurell K. Hamilton has a gift and manages to get me to come back to these books over and over again. I would think that speaks for itself.

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