Is Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire hunter or mystic whore? (spoliers) Danse Macabre.?

Question

I've been a fan of Laurell's from the start. I had read Nightseer and loved it. Later the Anita books

Anita was a great character. I especially loved the religious aspect of the novels and that Anita was devout follower. So many vampire novels want to get rid of the whole christianity angle. She once said she attended church 3 days a week.

Now its about sex. Gone are the narrow escapes, the gun and magic battles, the homicide investigations, and watching Anita put it all together and solve the mystery. In its place are sex with multiple partners and strangers.

I remember early when Anita would worry about flashing her panties accidentally. Now she's naked and having sex in a room with onlookers. the various locales of New Orleans are replaced with a bedroom. Danse Macabre takes place in the bedroom from chapters 4 to 45. With the characters just talking or having sex or talking about having sex. However I found a replacement for Anita in Eve Dallas by J.D.Robb. Give it a try.

Answer 1

I love sex. I love reading about sex. I love to masturbate while reading hot porn sex stories. I have dark fantasies like rape, incest and seduction. So I'm not a prude when I say I'm like everybody else. I don't like the new slutty Anita. If this had been any other character. I would have been OK with it. I like Meridith cause she started this way.

Sometimes I want a mystery or horror story and other times I'm in the mood for humor or fantasy. It used to be that if I wanted a fast paced action story with a killer ending I would look no farther than LKH.

NO MORE!

Why? cause she's gotten lazy. It happens to the best of writers. Remember Rocky and the Eye of the tiger. That determination and hunger to see your dream realized. Well LKH succeeded. She had attained the coveted spot of successful published author. And with that success she has lost the eye of the tiger. She no longer cares to work out a plot and generate subplots. To figure ways to heighten the level of suspense by adding more peril. all of this requires time and hard work. She's got a following now. she doesn't need to work so hard. So she did away with the research centers and writing groups. Later the people that were helping her with advice weren't getting advance manuscripts. Gone is Sgt. St.Clair of Missouri PD. First she call him on the phone for last minute advice but no longer.

Its so much easier to write porn. Check the Internet if you don't believe me. Everybody can write a "Hot for Mom or Librarian sex slave" stories there are tons of sites dedicated to every fetish. but a police thriller or mystery on-line are a little harder to find. The reason for this is that writing dirty is a turn on. Which feels good. So as long as you are feeling good you keep writing. Only problem is that we all have different taste when it comes to sex.

And LKH has a thing for effeminate girlie glam rockers. You know like Cinderella or Bon Jovi of the 90's. All the guys were lace like 1700 fashion and have long manes hair going down to their butts. And there's the Homo erotica she's pushing. If a guy sucks another guys penis,I am simply put off by it. I like straight men. So I don't find Jean Claude humping Augustine while he banged Anita a turn on in the least. Now Anita in a little girl on girl action, like forcing Ronnie to lust for her with a taste of the ardeur. Maybe. But then I'm projecting my lust on the story (see I'm not a prude) and after all it is her story. If LKH wants to do this she can. The books still sale as the audience goes into a transition from Vampire hunter fans to Porn (cause erotica has more plot than this) BDSM orgy sex fans. The real question is with every book she loses more and more of those fans will the new fans be enough to keep the series going.

On her web site she glad announces that taiwan wants to translate the books but only asked for gulity pleasure to obsidian butterfly. this is probably due to the fact that the next book in the series, narcissus in chains, is when the sexfest began.

I started J.D. Robb after reading "Out of this world" an anthology with a preview of an upcoming Anita novel. I liked the Lt. Eve Dallas story and decided to read more. I've been hooked ever since. Eve reminds me of the earlier Anita. Trying to help people even at the cost of her own health. but that's where the similarities end. Eve is a futuristic police drama/romance. and well Anita is just.... porn. *sigh*

Answer 2

I didn't buy Danse Macabre in hard back. I haven't read Micah either. I read the first chapter of DM online and it turned me off. Anita thinking her old "human" friend was jealous, because she has sex with everyone. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Anita used to be conflicted by her religion. Vulnerable enough to need a stuffed penguin at night, but tough enough to stand with Edward. Now it's all about the arduer and sex. I read an interview with LKH saying that the fans that left her were prudes. Call me prude. I don't care.

I like JD Robb. Every six months I buy the new one. There an addiction and I just can't stop. Even though they can be more than a little repetative.

Answer 3

I'm starting to wonder the same thing. I stumbled upon her book two years ago. (the first one I read was Bloody Bones). I liked it so much that I read every other one available in two months.
I waited patiently for Danse macabre to come out. I finally got it a month ago, and I can't make myself read anymore of it. I got to about chapter 8, put the book down, and haven't touched it since. I'm just as disappointed about the whole change in things. Granted everyone likes some sex but she has no storyline anymore except for sex. Her books have reached an all time low.
I even told my husband that she had to be pretty hard up to put that book out. So far it sucks.
Thanks for the warning on the sex draw out in the chapters.

Answer 4

I've actually been reading J.D. Robbs books for a while now and only discovered the Anita Blake series last week, I find both have very different styles and genres so I wouldn't compare the two.

Answer 5

I'd heard that her later books focused too much on sex. I can see them moving in that direction, but just picked up Incubus Dreams. Haven't read it yet.
She had such great action sequences in the early books. Really nonstop. I liked that Anita didn't back down to anyone and the novelty of vampires and werewolves in modern day St. Louis life. Too bad she couldn't stay in that arena.

Answer 6

Hamilton has really made a mess of her once fabulous series. Her Meredith Gentry series isn't much better. I'm still kicking myself for buying Danse Macabre. I too miss the witty banter, the saved by the scruff of the neck killing sprees. Obsidean Butterfly was the last descent one in my opinion.