Danse Macabre: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel, Book 14

In the last year I discovered the Anita Blake series and Laurell K. Hamilton. Fortunately, I read the series in its intended sequence so that I have watched Anita grow and progress as a character/person over time. What I've enjoyed the most about the series is that Anita is flawed, judgmental, opinionated, passionate, hyper-caring (to the point of having co-dependency issues, I think in many situations), funny, intelligent and young - esp. when we're 1st introduced to her; she's just in her early 20's. In sum, Laurell has created a very human character, one with whom I haven't always agreed with or liked - but I respect because she's tried to work through the events in her "life" as they've occurred, she's courageous and appears to learn along the way (even if at times begrudgingly or having to re-adjust to choices she's previously made); again all very human and real attributes. Indeed, it's these very qualities that kept me interested in reading her story because I never knew what to expect from her and I was interested in the world that Laurell was creating around her.I should let you know, I am not a huge fan of Sci Fi or vampire tales in and of themselves. I am a fan of an interesting, well-told story and enjoy stories with romantic, and yes erotic themes. Thus, if you're looking for more traditional Sci Fi/vampire tales with more action, less romance and likely no sex then I'll tell you now Laurell's stories are probably NOT for you - maybe her 1st 2 books but after that - you'll see Anita developing as a sensual woman - and becoming more intricately involved in a world where sexuality is very much a dominant part of the world order. (If you wonder which ones have more sexual themes - read the reader reviews, I've always found them to be helpful.)Thus, when people critique Laurell and say that (1) she's slipped into "vampire porn" or (2) lost a sense of her character's realism, story and development, I wonder if they've (1) read the series in sequence and (2) noted that Anita grows with each circumstance and book due to the events and circumstances she encounters. I appreciate Laurell's care in taking the time to flesh out the intricacies of Anita's personal life - because that's REALITY (how we deal with our relationships very much impacts our work, hobbies, choices, and other interpersonal relationships) and it's also consistent with her obvious desire to write a character dominant story (focusing on the lives & emotions of her central characters) rather than (as it seems some of her fans/critics would prefer) have a situation/event docminant story (that focuses more on theme and action with the character studies only included as they bolster the overarching events). Both styles are good and interesting to read - yet, it's important to understand and appreciate that Laurell has chosen her style (character dominant) - and seems committed to it.Each book has had Anita adapt to her growing powers and relationships, and each book has steadily exposed her to worlds that are more sexual than the life she had been living up to that point (e.g., Jean Claude in Guilty Pleasures was certainly a sexual character and her writing of his affect on Anita held sexual tension - that was bound to grow and be explored the closer Anita grew to him). Laurell has a wonderful handle on providing the perfect balance of details to help flesh out our imagination as we read without being overwhelming whether she's describing the effect of the ardeur on Anita or her ability to work with the dead. She brings it all to life for me so vividly with Anita's point of view (POV) flavoring it all.While a reader may not enjoy the life that Anita is leading, I think it's unfair to say that Laurell has gotten off-course in regarding the personality and story that she's been writing and developing with each book. It's clear Anita is growing up, gaining wisdom, and learning to choose the type of lifestyle that best suits her, and the work that she feels compelled to do in the world.Regarding Danse Macabre, the current book is a closer look at what's happening to Anita and how's she's adjusting to her new powers as a succubus and the impact that has on her lifestyle and relationships. One reader critiqued that the sex in this book lacked the emotional tension, passion and build up of earlier sexual encounters and blamed that on Laurell's resting on her laurels and losing the original story's foundation. However, I think the sexual scenes were appropriate in their frequency and description because Anita is having to come to terms with having to "feed off of sexual energy" vs. "having sex as an outgrowth of love" and thus the encounters aren't going to have the same emotional content b/c they're not meant to. Also, it's clear that the very moral, judgmental and Catholic Anita is having to come to terms with all she's known and believed to date with each "new power". I like that Laurell addresses these issues in Anita because I believe Anita would take the time to worry and focus on them and thus the fact that the entire 400+ paged book is really only several days in the life of Anita works for me. Again, it's important to remember that Laurell is developing a character and is remaining true to that development thus her reactions to the sex and even how it happens and is experienced is in support of that expression.This is why Laurell has become one of my favorite authors, she's not lazy and doesn't cheat. No matter what she describes or discusses she's consistent to her character's POV and doesn't shy away from the difficult themes or situations just so we'll "enjoy" her writing, story or characters more. That integrity in an author is laudable and rare these days - esp., in popular fiction.For those of you who are new to her series, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND starting at the beginning of the series with Guilty Pleasures so you can follow Anita's development and the world that Laurell is creating. Danse Macabre is a good read as a stand alone, however, I doubt it will provide the full flavor, creativity and background that I think is needed to fully enjoy it as it is intended.All in all, I think you can tell I am DEFINITELY A HUGE FAN of Laurell's writing and her series! As we're seeing many authors are trying their hand a other worldly tales in particular vampires, were-animals and the like. Some tales are humorous, some horrific, some romantic, others action packed. I enjoy the Anita Blake series mainly because she's a fabulous writer and storyteller - so she has all of the aforementioned elements with, unabashedly, a larger dose of romance and sex than the others. It is an incredibly fast-paced fun read! I can't wait for the next installment!

Really good book from an amazing series.

It sounds like you are going to be reading about a vampire dance program but it’s all about what happens before the dance and the scary maybe baby. Not saying it was a bad book because it was so interesting and informative but I would have loved to read more about the ballet. Highly recommend this book and series

I'm here to defend Laurell K. Hamilton's storytelling, so those of you who do not share my opinion may simply agree to disagree - your opinion makes no more difference to me than mine will to you. But I hope my comments will help those who have not yet formed an opinion or read this book by providing a different perspective.The sexual elements in Danse Macabre, for the most part, serve a purpose. Granted, there were times like the scene in the limousine, for example, where the author could have simply told us that the ardeur had been fed then opened the next chapter back inside the theatre. But that's just my opinion and I am not the author here.Real people either grow and change or they stagnate and die. One result of Anita developing relationships with the paranormal community is that she is learning to let go of the fear of intimacy she carried around after her failed college engagement. And more and more as we progress through Anita's story I see what is emerging from her powers and what kind of reactions that emergence is causing. The lycanthrope community is more cohesive than ever, Jean-Claude's power base is becoming more secure as more master-level vamps are opting to enter St. Louis under his leadership because (1) they're more secure from extraction by other masters they don't wish to serve, (2) they know that Anita is part of their protection team and (3) they prefer the freedom and luxury of making their own choices over servitude wherein they would have no freedom of choice. And other paranormal individuals seek Anita out because she has a reputation for being fair and just above and beyond her own emotions or appetites. Those very qualities are drawing the interest of ancient powers that she would just as soon not deal with such as Belle Mort and Marmee Noir.I, for one, can't wait to see what happens next. Especially Anita's rendezvous with the son of the siren Thea and the Master of Cape Cod, Samuel. Also, Laurell has been promising us a return of both Edward and Olaf for a while now and I'm looking forward to that in a big way.Laurell has been getting some flack for the increased volume of sex scenes in her books since Narcissus in Chains came out, and it reminds me of when Joss Whedon killed off Tara's character in the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". There were various fan communities who constantly ragged on Joss and threatened to boycott the show, etc. for the artistic decisions he made. But he is still pursuing his art and none of those fans made a dent in his creative vision.An artist does what the artist does. You can't redirect their artistic vision any more than you could ask Monet to go back and put a few more waterlillies in the pond or tell Robert Frost that "The Road Not Taken" should have contained a few more lines. You can either support the artist and their work or not - what they create is out of the audience's (or the consumer's) hands. And I for one wouldn't have it any other way.Keep writing Anita, Laurell. There are still fans who have been with you since the beginning who trust you as an artist. And thanks for the mermaid - I've been hoping you'd write one for a long time.