REVIEW: Serpentine by Laurell K. Hamilton

Publisher's Summary:A remote Florida island is the perfect wedding destination for the upcoming nuptials of Anita's fellow U.S. Marshal and best friend Edward. For Anita, the vacation is a welcome break, as it's the first trip she gets to take with wereleopards Micah and Nathaniel. But it's not all fun and games and bachelor parties...

In this tropical paradise Micah discovers a horrific new form of lycanthropy, one that has afflicted a single family for generations. Believed to be the result of an ancient Greek curse, it turns human bodies into a mass of snakes.

When long-simmering resentment leads to a big blowout within the wedding party, the last thing Anita needs is more drama. But it finds her anyway when women start disappearing from the hotel, and worse--her own friends and lovers are considered the prime suspects. There's a strange power afoot that Anita has never confronted before, a force that's rendering those around her helpless in its thrall. Unable to face it on her own, Anita is willing to accept help from even the deadliest places. Help that she will most certainly regret--if she survives at all, that is.
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Unfortunately, Serpentine is yet another entry in the Anita Blake series that loses the bite and luster of the series' heyday circa books 1 thru about 10.  There is too much repetitive nonsense that readers of the series have endured for the past 15+ books.

Yes, Anita lives an unconventional, polyamorous life. Yes, she and her partners are okay with it. Why then do readers have to go through the same conversations each book? It feels like a vicious cycle.  If we're still reading, we get it, we can deal with it, so move on and get back to good paranormal monster/police investigations plots with a smidgen of steamy romance fun and not these droll dialogues that go in circles.

Serpentine is a step up from Dead Ice but again lacks storytelling flare. The is too much wedding and relationship drama while the connecting paranormal aspects are not fully explored and wrapped up too quickly in the last 10% of the novel. Elements I did like were appearances by Jean Claude, Micah, Nathaniel, and Nicky. Edward is always a treat and scary Olaf aka Otto shows up - plus eek freaky prediction for a future story tie-in w/ him as Anita's lion to call. I missed some of the other regulars and couldn't tell you a thing about the bodyguards who were present this book.

Why do I keep reading? I'm a glutton for punishment I suppose. Anita and Jean Claude have been a part of my live for more that 15 years. I can't quite give them up even if I'm disappointed with their current journey.

Final rating: 2 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: Crimson Death by Laurell K. Hamilton

Crimson Death is the 25th book in Hamilton's Anita Blake series. Blake continues her job as a Federal Marshal and vampire executioner.  She's called by friend and fellow executioner, Edward to consult on a series of grisly vampire related crimes in Dublin--a unique land of its own regarding its history with magic, vampires and She Who Shall Not Be named AKA Damian's former vampire mistress.

This is very much a Damian centric book.  He hasn't been too involved in much of Anita's life even though he's part of her Triumvirate with Nathaniel.  All this changes based on Damian's apparent connection to the situation in Ireland and the role the trio needs to play in each other's lives.

Overall, I enjoyed the book far more than last year's Dead Ice; however, the narrative dragged quite a bit.  It is the same format as the past number of series entries-- introduce crime, then deal with WAY too much relationship and power struggle antics, then finally get on with the crime solving only to have the end action happen too quickly and wrap things up in far too few pages.

What I liked...

The actual Jean Claude interactions, that Damian was back and had a role, that Nathaniel is maturing and stepping up for what he wants. I always like when Edward shows up but he needed to be around more and this government tie-in that is probably going to become important in future books is interesting.

What I didn't like...

The pacing. There's just too much of the same relationship and political woes.  Poor Asher. Poor Anita. Poor Nathaniel. Etc...Etc...Etc. When we finally get into the 'meat of the crime, all the action happens way too quickly and then there isn't a lot of time for readers to process the outcome of character deaths and new metaphysical powers.

Anita spends far too much time justifying her lifestyle choices. It is time to move on and stop being repetitive.

Final rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars



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