Smolder

Laurell K. Hamilton

Mar 2023 · Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Book 29 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Kimberly Alexis

About this audiobook

Vampire hunter Anita Blake is no stranger to killing monsters. It’s part of her job as a Preternatural U.S. Marshal, after all. But even her experience isn’t enough to stop something that is bent on destroying everything—and everyone—she loves.
 
Anita Blake is engaged to Jean-Claude, the new vampire king of America. Humans think she’s gone over to the side of the monsters. The vampires fear that their new king has fallen under the spell of the most powerful necromancer in a thousand years.
 
In the midst of wedding preparations—including getting Edward, aka U.S. Marshal Ted Forrester, fitted as best man—Anita gets a call that the local police need her expertise at a brutal murder scene linked to a nationwide slaughter of vampires and humans, dubbed the Sunshine Murders.
 
But there is more than just a murderer to catch: an ancient evil has arrived in St. Louis to challenge Jean-Claude for his crown, his life, Anita, and all they hold dear. Even with Jean-Claude’s new powers as king and Anita’s necromancy, it isn’t enough; they must embrace their triumvirate or allow primeval darkness to spread across the country, possessing first the vampires and then the humans. Evil will triumph unless Jean-Claude and Anita can prove that love conquers all.

Ratings and reviews

I was dismayed that the book didn't resolve any of the plot lines. The entirety of the book felt like a careful negotiation through one out burst then another. The world that has been built is an intricate balance of political power and true power; The web is difficult to maneuver, fine... but this book never got out of that moment to do anything. I love the series as evidence that I have follow 29 books... it will be the only motivating factor to read the next edition.

I was very excited for this book to the point where I went back through the series just for this book... I get world building and such but this book was basically just therapy hell and it felt like a strong repeat of the first visit from the harlequin.. everyone being pissy and bitchy and nothing really happening. I certainly hope this build up leads to a better round in the next one otherwise I would strongly suggest dropping the price of this one by a good bit.

Disappointed. What happened to the plot?New villain? Check. Possible plot? Yep. And then....Down the rabbit hole of polyamory therapy. If I wanted a therapy book, I'd buy one. If I wanted polyamory therapy, I'd get my own group of lovers. I haven't bought an Anita Blake book in years. I borrowed them from the library. I bought this one hoping for a wedding, or even a plot. But this should have been named Dead Ice II. I can't even give you a spoiler if you read the last 5 books... Richard? Yep. Asher? Yep. Kane? Ew. New characters' emotional issues? Yep. I'm not even sure I care about the wedding after this. Maybe I need therapy because I haven't forgiven her for killing Cookie Monster, AKA Haven..... And what happened to Olaf?! He's a lion... there's a plot for you... maybe he'll crash the wedding when we get that book in 20 years. Oh, but we finish the book after the emotional shoveling and don't truly defeat any enemies or solve any crimes. Where's the plot?!

About the author

Laurell K. Hamilton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry, Fey Detective series. A Terrible Fall of Angels, the first book in an exciting new series, features Detective Zaniel Havelock in a world where angels and demons walk among us.

With more than forty novels published, Laurell continues to create groundbreaking fiction inspired by her lifelong love of monster movies, ghost stories, mythology, folklore, and things that go bump in the night. Her love of the macabre, books in general, animals, and nature led her to degrees in English and biology. She is a nonpracticing biologist but uses her science background to add an extra level of realism to her fiction.
 
She currently lives in St. Louis with her family, two spoiled Japanese chins, a house panther, and a house lion. In her free time, Laurell trains in Filipino martial arts with a specialization in blade work, and travels to scuba dive and bird-watch as often as she can.