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For a Few Demons More (The Hollows, Book 5)

Kim Harrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 160 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

great read! 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Once I started I couldn't put it down until I was done. I can't wait for the next saga of the Hallows to see what will happen next. If you are in to the paranormal these books are for you!!!

The saga continues with incredible twists and turns 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Slipping back into Kim Harrison's world of Rachel and her friends and foes is very comforting. It makes me wish that I could never leave it because once I start reading her books I feel lost and amazed, the real world forgotten and far away in my mind. Each new volume beckons me to indulge in another fantastic adventure where the fights, jokes, puns, some wicked magic and charismatic characters hold me in a trance until the last page is devoured.

The fifth book of the series has been the book of changes, so much happens from when we last saw Rachel, her solid ground composed of Jenks, Ivy, Kisten, Ceri, David, Glenn and few others is unraveling in all directions. She is torn between her wild romance with Kisten and the lurking desires she's growing for Ivy, not sure whether she wants to be friends or more, debating with herself while fighting werewolves, pissed of demons, alluring vampires, tricky elfs, hilarious pixes and not so nice witches and all sorts of enigmatic creatures with agendas of their own. With power struggles happening between those at the top of the food chain, Rachel is caught in the middle with everything she holds dear at stake. I can't say any more, these books can be easily spoiled; something that I knew was going to happen did in deed happen and it didn't lessen the shock but it took something away form me. So for those who aren't up to this book, start from the beginning and don't go peaking at spoilers.

The ending was so intense that I was torn between being afraid of reading through it and not wanting to see how the whole demon tangled up mess would resolve and unable to wait for the sixth book to arrive in the mail so I can rip the box open and pounce on it. Each character has been so lovingly written and so incredible real that any pain they went through I felt as well. Reading their stories and following their dreams, victories and fights always made me feel close to them, as if they were part of my own family. I am embarrassed to say but by page 444 tears were bubbling in my eyes, and I was a sobbing mess, I can't remember the last time a book made me cry! I can honestly say that this is my favorite series of all the books I have ever read, I can't imagine anything being warmer and filled with more glow, magic and real heart than this gem of a series. Utter perfection in my opinion and the more the better.

- Kasia S.

Editorial Review:

Despite dating one vampire and living with another, Rachel Morgan has always managed to stay just ahead of trouble . . . until now.

A fiendish serial killer stalks the Hollows, and no one living in or around Cincinnati—human, inhuman, or undead—is safe.

An ancient artifact may be the key to stopping the murderer—a mysterious relic that is now in the hands of Rachel Morgan, fearless independent bounty hunter and reckless witch. But revealing it could ignite a battle to the death among the vast and varied local supernatural races.

Rachel's been lucky so far. But even she can't hide from catastrophe forever.

Claimed by Shadow (Cassandra Palmer, Book 2)

Karen Chance

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Loved It! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful read--unless you're like the previous reviewer and only read romance novels, which this isn't. It's a well-written, witty, funny and engaging urban fantasy. One of the best series in the genre, in my opinion.

claimed by shadows 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book was great I stayed up all night to finish. I recommend this book to everyon

Exhausting 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I think this author needs to review some principles of writing books. She has so much action in her books that you just get tired of jumping from one disaster to another. She fails completely on drawing a vivid picture of her characters. At the end of the book I have a bunch of names in my head and not a single defining characteristic sticks so I can get a true feel for them. The reviewer says nonstop thrill ride but even a good roller coaster has some slow places so you can catch your breath. Long descriptive passages of place and character provides these breathing spaces, something Ms. Chance does not excell at to put it mildly. Unfortunately her lack of desciption makes these characters and her story a forgettable jumble of exploding noise without much entertainment being offered.

It's clear Ms. Chance has a good imagination but she very much needs some help polishing her writing skills.

Editorial Review:

Clairvoyant Cassie Plamer has inherited new magical powers-including the ability to travel through time. But it's a whole lot of responsibility she'd rather not have. Now she's the most popular girl in town, as an assortment of vamps, fey, and mages try to convince, force, or seduce her-and her magic-over to their side. But one particular master vampire didn't ask what Cassie wanted before putting a claim on her. He had a spell cast that binds her to him, and now she doesn't know if what she feels for him is real-or imagined...

Bloody Bones (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 5)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 126 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Bloody Good 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Geez, I'm running out of things to say about these books. Let's see: Anita has stopped seeing Jean-Claude as a monster, because she had yet another direct contrast between Jean-Claude and some real monsters -- several of them, in fact, and each was nastier and more gruesome than the last. We start with Xavier, the vampire pedophile who likes to kidnap young boys, rape and torture them, and then turn them into vampires so he can keep doing it presumably forever; right after him we get Janos and his twin rotting beauties -- and oh MAN was that one of the most horrible things I've ever read -- and then Serephina and her damned evil arrogance and thirst for power, and finally we see Rawhead and Bloody Bones, who kills children who have been naughty because that's who he is -- that's what he does. And then on the other hand we have Jean-Claude. Who is really -- annoying. Suddenly he doesn't seem that bad.

The characterization still progresses; Anita steps back from her changing self, horrified about what she may be becoming, and returns somewhat to her former self who doesn't really want to marry Richard and who has enough faith to use a cross against vampires and prays when she has the chance. In the meantime, Jean-Claude seems to mellow in his obnoxious pursuit of Anita; I think since he had some evidence that it isn't truly hopeless, that she can have feelings for him apart from lust -- she is willing to save his life, which is a big improvement from when she sold him out in Circus of the Damned -- he is willing to slow down and be patient; it seems the worst parts of his wooing were because he was desperate for something, anything, that would give him the will to continue. I was glad to see Larry, the new animator and apprentice Anita, turning into a person of his own, strong enough to disagree with Anita along with intelligent enough to listen to her when she makes sense; it was fun to watch their changing relationship. I didn't care for the Bouviers, but not because they were badly done characters, just because Magnus was a scumbag and Dorcas was irritating and has a terrible name. Rawhead and Bloody Bones was extremely cool, as was his place in the plot.

But it seems to me now that the strongest part of these books, apart from the evolving characters, is not the plots, as good as those are; it's the memorable moments. I don't think I've read another series that has so many scenes that strike me and stick with me. In past books it has been the murder scenes in The Laughing Corpse, along with the uber-zombies in that one; the lamia-in-the-cave scene and the child vampire working for Alejandro in Circus of the Damned, and the snuff film in Lunatic Cafe. Oh yeah -- and the swarm of stuffed penguins. Gotta love that. Now this book adds two to the list: the scene with the sheriff and his wife, which almost killed me, and the scene when Pallas and Bettina (worst . . . name . . . EVER) raped Jason, which has definitely ruined the sexiness of vampires for me. Larry asked Anita how she can kiss and touch Jean-Claude after seeing that, and I know it's because she sees him as something other, as somehow alive despite being dead, but I'm on Larry's side. If that's what happens when you get snuggly with vampires, then that is the end of that fantasy. Forever and ever. Luckily for me, the vampires in these books other than Jean-Claude and Willie McCoy are so freaking unbelievably obnoxious with their jaded cruelty and their impossible arrogance that there was never much fantasy to begin with.

We'll see where they go from here.

Editorial Review:

In Laurell K. Hamilton's New York Times bestselling novels, Anita Blake, vampire hunter and animator, takes a bite out of crime-of the supernatural kind. But even someone who deals with death on a daily basis can be unnerved by its power...

When Branson, Missouri, is hit with a death wave-four unsolved murders-it doesn't take an expert to realize that all is not well. But luckily for the locals, Anita is an expert-in just the kinds of preternatural goings-on that have everyone spooked. And she's got an "in" with just the kind of creature who can make sense of the slayings: a sexy master vampire known as Jean Claude.

Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 3)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 120 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Decent end to the first trilogy, great exit point for the series 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Anita Blake returns in this third installment of her well-known series. The police call Anita to consult on a murder and she quickly detects that the victim had been attacked by five vampires, mostly like a master and his pack. Since the few masters resident in St. Louis don't seem likely to have committed the crime, Anita starts looking for newcomers, but they just might find her first. As if this isn't enough, she receives a visit from her old friend Edward, the master assassin, who threatens to kill her if she doesn't reveal the name and resting place of the city's Master Vampire. All of this is just the start for Anita as she struggles to save the city, and herself, from a threat more ancient than anything she's ever faced before.

Circus of the Damned returns the focus to vampires and their politics after the voodoo detour of The Laughing Corpse. Jean-Claude, the city's Master Vampire, has given Anita two marks out of four toward becoming his human servant and very much wants her to accept the last two. Her refusal to do so is hurting is position among other vampires in the city. Other masters have come to the city ready to challenge Jean-Claude and try to woo Anita into joining their cause. Anita has to choose where her loyalties lie.

The major strength of this book shows in the action scenes. They take up a significant portion of the book and are uniformly suspenseful, even gripping at times. Anita lives in a very dangerous world and the author does an excellent job of portraying this. The weakest portion of the novel shows up whenever there is a conversation or Anita's narration includes her own thoughts. If Anita is talking to the police, they basically have the same conversation every time they meet at a crime scene. If she speaks to Jean-Claude, she has the same conversation every time. Even her own thoughts take on the exact same form over and over again.

After enjoying Guilty Pleasures (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter), I was disappointed by The Laughing Corpse (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: Book 2). I was hoping that Circus of the Damned would be a tie breaker of sorts to see if I would keep reading more or not. This is certainly a more entertaining book than The Laughing Corpse and provided a welcome return back to vampires as the chief villains. Unfortunately, Laurell Hamilton's writing style has grown so stale and cliché for me that I don't have the desire to go any further with Anita Blake. These books all read like a poor imitation of Dashiell Hammett and the style never grows or varies in the slightest. I'm glad I bought this book because it ties up all the loose ends from the prior two books, but there's nothing here compelling enough to make me want to keep coming back for more.

Editorial Review:

In Circus of the Damned-now in hardcover for the first time-a rogue master vampire hits town, and Anita gets caught in the middle of an undead turf war. Jean-Claude, the Master Vamp of the city, wants her for his own-but his enemies have other plans. And to make matters worse, Anita takes a hit to the heart when she meets a stunningly handsome junior high science teacher named Richard Zeeman. They're two humans caught in the crossfire. Or so Anita thinks...

The Killing Dance (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 6)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 165 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great story in a great series 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This one went a different way for me than the last few have, which I think was the author's intention. In the last few books, the best part has been the character development and the memorably written scenes -- usually of gore and horror. This one had both, but the part I liked best was actually the plot: I liked that the danger Anita faced this time came from humans, rather than from monsters, and that it almost got her, twice. It was a nice reminder that as deadly and horrifying and brutal as the vampires and everyone are made out to be, they're a sight less so than good ol' humankind, which is neither one, as the bumpersticker says. I also thought the final villain showdown was wonderfully well set up; I had no idea it was going to go the way it did, neither the person behind the contract on Anita's life nor the surprise that comes after it, though I suspected the vampire. After the scene with Damian, in which yet another newly introduced vamp takes advantage of humans and tries to add an element of cruelty and manipulation to his encounter with a person, I find myself always suspecting the vampires. They're so often guilty.

I was also glad to see the romantic plot come to some kind of . . . well, "climax" seems both appropriate and highly inappropriate, so we'll go with "resolution," instead. I'm also intrigued by the possibilities of the triumvirate, especially now that the romantic story has gone where it has. And may I just say: oh, my. My, my, my, that was quite a scene. Yes indeed, quite a scene. I was also gratified to see the explanation of the vampires' fear of necromancers, and the power that Anita has over them; that is an incredibly clever idea of Ms. Hamilton's. Finally, I can't wait to find out how the promise Anita gives to Edward will play out. Lot of possibilities there, though I was sorry to see Harley go. He seemed a promising chap.

These books are now standouts in my mind not only because they are more entertaining than most other books -- especially horror books, a traditionally dry genre in my opinion -- but interesting as well. I just keep getting happier and happier with them.

Editorial Review:

Dating both a vampire and a werewolf isn't easy. But just to complicate Anita's already messy life, someone has put a price on her head. Love cannot save her this time, so she turns to Edward, hitman extraordinaire, for help. But finding the person behind the threat won't be easy, because as both a vampire hunter and zombie reanimator, Anita has made a lot of enemies-both human and otherwise.

Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 7)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 163 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Book 7 in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Laurell K Hamilton certainly has a way with words - her books draw you in and the reader never knows quite where the story is going next. These books are all very unpredictable with unexpected events unfolding and an ever-widening cast of characters.

The ever-widening epithet also describes Anita Blake's powers and responsibilities. Not content with 'merely' being a necromancer, as the books in this series have unfolded she has gained position as a lupa (female alpha wolf), leopard pack leader, vampire human servant and more. However this reader has found that the more this series continues, the more abstract and distant Anita Blake seems. In the first few books it was possible to identify with her as a woman trying to hunt monsters and not to become one. However at this point in the story I have found that Anita has become someone fairly unlikeable with her idiosyncratic set of rules that just don't work for this reader.

This story contains all the complexity of the previous stories, if more. The love-triangle is settled for the moment so more time is spent on the difficulties of Anita's life as she juggles her varied tasks. She is asked to investigate a possible supernatural firestarter, she finds herself getting involved with were-leopard and werewolf politics and her lover, Jean-Claude, needs her help with the European Vampire Council. The level of violence in this book seems rather over-the-top at times and some aspects of the plot seem rehashed from previous books, plus I have serious doubts about Anita's sanity and her self-awareness as to her limits. The author's skill in telling the tale lift this book above many in this genre but I didn't feel it was a patch on the first four in the series.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Editorial Review:

In Laurell K. Hamilton's New York Times bestselling novels, it's often hard to tell the good from the evil. Just ask Anita Blake. She seems to be developing a soft spot in her heart for vampires-one in particular. So, when an arsonist's fires begin licking at St. Louis's undead, it's up to Anita to save the very monsters she's sworn to destroy.

Obsidian Butterfly (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 9)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 328 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

There are a lot of monsters in Anita Blake's life. And some of them are human. One such individual is the man she calls Edward, a bounty hunter who specializes in the preternatural. He calls her to help him hunt down the greatest evil she has ever encountered. Something that kills and maims and vanishes into the night. Something Anita will have to face alone...

Praise for the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels:

"In Obsidian Butterfly, Laurell K. Hamilton delivers an erotic, demonic thrill ride. Her sexy, edgy, wickedly ironic style sweeps the reader into her unique world and delivers red-hot entertainment. Hamilton's marvelous storytelling can be summed up in three words: Over the top. She blends the genres of romance, horror and adventure with stunning panache. Great fun!"-- Jayne Ann Krentz

"Hamilton has endowed her heroine with a charming mix of male bravado, feminine guile, and self-deprecating humor."-- Publishers Weekly

"Ms. Hamilton's intriguing blend of fantasy, mystery, and a touch of romance is great fun indeed."-- Romantic Times

"Hamilton takes her world by the teeth and runs with it, devising a whipcrack adventure that moves like the wind, grips you by the throat and doesn't let go."-- Locus

"Mayhem, madness, old spells and older vampires. And Anita Blake at the center of it, struggling to stay on top...perfect!"-- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows, Book 2)

Kim Harrison

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 126 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Just slap a little pixie dust on that... 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I admit that, while it has its flaws, I really enjoy this series. It's just so much fun. It's not high literature, or full of deep meanings, and there's nothing spectacular about the writing (if I hear one more description of Jenks's wings `blurring to nothing' I might scream!), but it's so enjoyable to let yourself get lost in this world among these characters that it's high on my list of favorite series so far. Rachel is not the perfect heroine, and yes, she's a bit on the edge, but she's basically a nice person... er, witch, and I find myself rooting for her. There's plenty of action and interesting side characters, good dialogue and a touch of mystery. With each mystery that is put to rest, another situation crops up.

In this book, we learn the mystery of Trent but gain even more complications of a demon...

I might get blasted for this, but in a lot of ways this series reminds me of the Harry Potter series, slightly grown up. It has the same fluid writing that drags you into the story, the same type of action-packed storyline with twists and turns, the same brand of main character (the main character bumbles through on luck and with the help of friends), and the same enjoyable supporting cast. The writing isn't high-brow and I'm sure there are plenty of plot holes, but it's just so... addicting. The story is plain fun to read, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

And a note on the audiobook: the reading isn't as smooth as it could be, with some odd pauses mid-sentence that were occasionally distracting, but the vocal work was good and it's still one I'd say is good to listen to.

Editorial Review:

It's a tough life for witch Rachel Morgan, sexy, independent bounty hunter, prowling the darkest shadows of downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night.

She can handle the leather-clad vamps and even tangle with a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is definitely pressing the limits.

Confronting an ancient, implacable evil is more than just child's play -- and this time, Rachel will be lucky to escape with her very soul.

Mistral's Kiss (Meredith Gentry, Book 5)

Laurell K. Hamilton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 240 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne of faerie. My day job, once upon a time, was as a private detective in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, princess has now become a full-time occupation.

My aunt, Queen Andais, will have it no other way. And so I am virtually a prisoner in faerie–trapped here with some of the realm’s most beautiful men to serve as my bodyguards . . . and my lovers. For I am compelled to conceive a child: an heir to succeed me on the throne. Yet after months of amazing sex with my consorts, there is still no baby. And no baby means no throne. The only certainty is death at the hands of my cousin Cel, or his followers, if I fail to conceive.

Now Mistral, Queen Andais’s new captain of the guard, has come to my bed–defying her and risking her terrible wrath in doing so. But even she will hesitate to punish him in jealous rage, because our joining has reawakened old magic, mystical power so ancient that no one stands against it and survives. Not even my strongest and most favored: my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not even Mistral himself, my Storm Lord. But because Mistral has helped to bring this magic forth, he may live another day.

If I can reclaim control of the fey power that once was, there may be hope for me and my reign in faerie. I might yet quell the dark schemes and subterfuges surrounding me. Though shadows of obsession and conspiracy gather, I may survive.

On the Prowl

Patricia Briggs, Eileen Wilks, Karen Chance, Sunny

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Mostly worth the money.... 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Someone at a bookstore put me on to Patricia Briggs and she's mainly the reason I picked this one up. On the whole I was happy with it, but only because I knew going in what to expect. As some of the other reviewers have said, at least three of the stories are partials or starter stories with the full story in novel form to come. After saying that, two of those stories could really 'almost' stand alone in that they meet and fall in love with a mate. THe full novels (and I can only speak for Briggs story as that's the only one I've read) just extend out the rest of their story.

Okay, first off...despite the title and the cover art, not all of these books are about werewolves. Maybe I'm the only one who though they would be...anyway, they deal with werewolves, hellhounds, dragon/fae and a group of people who get their power from the moon.

Brigg's story was enjoyable, mainly, I think because I'm already familiar with her world and it's characters. This story is the beginnings of a new shoot-off series from her main "Mercy" books. It deals with the werewolf pack she grew up in. This story is Charles' and his mate. These werewolves are a mixture brutal (but without any gory details) and elegance. I mean that in the sense that Brigg writes them without the language and crudeness that are often found in paranormals nowadays. It's a good teaser story and the book (Cry Wolf) was pretty good too.

Wilks' story was interesting and could pretty much stand alone, though I think it's also part of a series. The characters were likeable and the story was okay until the twist with the murderer. It was a little hard for me to change gears. The romance was good, the world building was similiar to other authors worlds (paranormals out in the open but human groups resenting and hateful, religious persecution, that sort of thing). All in all, worth the read.

Chance's story was also a good read and could stand alone. I'm not a big fan of Fae stories, they tend to creep me out, but this one was well done and didn't have any of that drugged out, party all the time and steal babies that other fae stories do. I liked the set-up of different groups of fae and other magical creatures. I actually liked both the main characters, they had a sense of humor and the hero, while being very 'manly', could laugh at himself. Don't be put off by the auction scene in the beginning. The villains, while having bad intentions, never quite got to that creepy, evil villains often have. They seemed more comedy villains to me.

The last story was really, really odd. partly because, unlike the other two, this one was an erotic story. Beware of authors that only use one name!!!! Basically, the main character is a queeen of these moon people. Previous queens have put men and women out to stud to increase her power. No one has the right to choose their own mate-or even if they get to marry. What put me off was this queen is basically skanky. She's got multiple lovers( one love scene was 15 PAGES!! That's right-15!). Two thirds of this 'story' was her having sex with multiple partners. Not much of a story, actually. I have to admit I just skimmed through this one. It starts out with her mourning one dead lover and then a few pages later she's met up with another lover and is happily running through the forest naked. Yeah. It's hard for me to connect with a woman who can't really emotionally connect with a man enough to make a commitment to one of them.

So...to sum up...if you're looking for complete stories that stand alone-only one of them really does that. If you're looking for starter stories to give you a sense of an authors series, than this is a good place to start. Read the first three, skip the last (you'll thank me).

Editorial Review:

These all-new paranormal romances from today's hottest authors feature a female werewolf who comes into her own; a Lord who crosses paths with a fiery mage; a mixed-blood Child of the Moon who faces an uncertain future; and a woman whose sixth sense proves to be a dangerous talent.