dark fantasy

As if life wasn't hard enough for Anita Blake: vampire hunter/executioner, zombie-raiser, necromancer - now someone has a contract out on her for half a million dollars. She is notified about this from her seemingly only HUMAN male friend, Edward, who was offered the hit but passed it up. Now, while trying to dodge unseen enemies, she also must try and help a rotting vampire get rid of his icky disease, and try and talk her werewolf boyfriend Richard into becoming more of a - get this - killer. Then, add to all of that the huge decision Anita must face: should she choose Richard, or the vampire Jean-Claude? I'm rooting more for Jean-Claude personally, but I kind of wish she would just choose someone a little more human.

I read a lot of reviews from people saying that this is their favorite Anita Blake novel. I can't say it is mine. I was hoping more for the hit-man story to develope, but a lot of the book had to do with ho-hum Richard and his rat pack of wereanimals. However, there was one scene that made this book irresistible, and it started at about page 335. At about page 344, I wanted a cigarette - and I don't even smoke! I'd say this particular part is worth the read alone, and will satisfy any fan who has been loyal all the way up from "Guilty Pleasures". Still, though it is not my favorite novel so far, it kept my interest up until the end, like all of the rest. Needless to say, I can't wait to get onto book seven.

I have read all of the novels in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and the "The Killing Dance" is one of the very best and my own personal favorite. Readers would be well-advised to start the series with the first novel "Guilty Pleasures" and enjoy the development of each of the characters instead of starting with this novel.

The book explores the growth and development of each of four main characters; our heroine Anita Blake, junior-high school teacher and alpha werewolf Richard Zeeman, mysterious bounty hunter Edward, and master vampire of St.Louis Jean-Claude. A huge bounty has been placed on Anita's life by an unknown money-man and Anita must somehow protect herself until the time limit expires. Anita puts a lot of effort into survival, a skill at which she has had a lot of practice and at which she excels.

Several plots run simultaneously throughout the book with the action being non-stop and rivetting. Everything ties together nicely at the conclusion, with just enough dangling ends to make us want to start the next installment "Burnt Offerings" right away.

Anita's hard-boiled attitude and biting sarcasm provide several instances where the reader can't help but laugh such as her commentary on a dinner party; "There were three kinds of people at Catherine's dinner party; the living, the dead, and the occassionally furry." Her dry sense of humor serves to break the tension at just the right moment; "What do you say to boyfriend A when he finds you naked in the bed of boyfriend B? Especially if boyfriend A turned into a monster the night before and ate someone. I bet Miss Manners didn't cover this at all."

Readers will devour this novel like an ice cream sundae; satisfying yet leaving you wanting some more. Top ratings are well-deserved.

These Anita Blake novels get better and better with each installment and Laurell K. Hamilton has outdone herself with The Killing Dance. What I love most about this novel is that it contains a particular unforgettable chapter. More on that later. The strong, independent, trigger-happy heroine's new dilemma is way out of her league. Someone has put a price on her head and it is up to her and her assassin friend (of sorts) Edward to find out who wants her out of the picture and why. Many people have wanted Anita dead, but this one's an unknown enemy, something that does not sit well with her. Seeking refuge from her two boyfriends, vampire master of the city Jean-Claude and alpha werewolf Richard, will give her enough time to investigate the murder of a vampire and a declared battle among lycanthropes before the hit man finds her...

The sixth part of the series is centered more on shape shifters, lycanthropes and whether or not Richard decides to be courageous (a sugarcoated way of putting it, really) enough to fight to the death with another alpha werewolf. His self-righteousness got irritating at times. Richard was fun and flirtatious in Circus of the Damned, but I no longer see anything remotely appealing about him. Why Anita loves him so much is beyond me. Jean-Claude on the other hand becomes sexier and more compelling in each installment. The love triangle between Anita, Richard and JC comes to a head in this one and readers will finally get some of the erotica that's been promised to them since Guilty Pleasures. But Ms. Hamilton makes us wait awhile until we get to read the juicy chapter I mentioned earlier. You can cut the sexual tension with a knife before said chapter comes along. But it was worth the wait. This is by far by the best part of the series! I cannot wait to continue to read more of these great characters, especially Jean-Claude. He's truly one sexy vampire! He can call me "ma petite" any time. :-)