The Laughing Corpse

The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K Hamilton

Summary
Harold Gaynor offers Anita Blake a million dollars to raise a 300-year-old zombie. Knowing it means a human sacrifice will be necessary, Anita turns him down. But when dead bodies start turning up, she realizes that someone else has raised Harold's zombie--and that the zombie is a killer. Anita pits her power against the zombie and the voodoo priestess who controls it. Notice to Hollywood: forget Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Anita Blake is the real thing.

Expectations
I really enjoyed the first book with the exception of one irritatingly unexplained character, Phillip. I was looking forward to reading this.

Writing Style
Hamilton draws you in with the delightfully kickass female character of Anita, providing a detailed and rich first person tale. It's fast-paced, witty, and perfect.

Plot
Pleasantly different from the previous book; although it's about murder and the supernatural, it puts a different spin on things, and it is interesting the way that Anita learns about her own powers. My only problem- not enough Jean-Claude!

Characters
Anita is a joy to read; powerful but with real weaknesses. We learn more about the people around her in this book. I liked the character work in this novel more than in the first!

Overall
Delicious novel, but I couldn't help feeling cheated out of more Jean-Claude.

4 Stars

Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

Summary
Anita Blake may be small and young, but vampires call her the Executioner. Anita is a necromancer and vampire hunter in a time when vampires are protected by law--as long as they don't get too nasty. Now someone's killing innocent vampires and Anita agrees--with a bit of vampiric arm-twisting--to help figure out who and why.

Trust is a luxury Anita can't afford when her allies aren't human. The city's most powerful vampire, Nikolaos, is 1,000 years old and looks like a 10-year-old girl. The second most powerful vampire, Jean-Claude, is interested in more than just Anita's professional talents, but the feisty necromancer isn't playing along--yet. This popular series has a wild energy and humor, and some very appealing characters--both dead and alive.

Expectations
A rather avid fan in the library forced me to check this out. I had heard good things about the series but had never felt much interest in it.

Writing Style
Well written! A gripping first person narrative, from the viewpoint of a character who was thankfully fresh and realistic; although brave, she was frightened, although a gun-toting alpha female, she still had realistic emotions.

Plot
A nice, fast-paced murder mystery with delicious supernatural elements. From the beginning, it moves quickly, drawing in the reader and never allowing them a moment to catch their breath. With gore, violence, and a delightfully simmering romantic theme, the plot has all of the key things to make it really excel. It's fresh and original.

Characters
Anita Blake is a well-written character, with many dimensions. The characters of the vampires are well-presented, and Hamilton reveals little about Jean-Claude, making the reader hungry for more. The only thing I might consider a flaw is the character of Phillip, and how he is never properly explained before his death.

Overall
A good read! Definately a must for supernatural fans, but even if this genre isn't your cup of tea, it's worth reading for the kick-ass heroine and the intriguing tale woven.

4 Stars