My Blood Noir Experience

I finished this book on Sunday. It took me a little over a week to finish; for most of the book, I had to force myself to read it. My rating would be 2 and a half stars out of 6. I really don't understand why there would be a pair of scissors on the cover. Oh wait - now I remember, but the pair of scissors used was pretty small, not like the huge pair on the cover.

Some people might like it. Except for 24 pages of suspense, unfortunately toward the end of the book, I really didn't like it much. If you like books about relationships, with lots and lots of dialogue regarding relationships and childhood memories, then you might like this book. If you like books with lots of dialogue, endless talking before, during and after the sex scenes, then you might enjoy this book. If you like most of your books to be the same, with similar arguements, disagreements, sex scenes, pointless episodes of Anita being challenged by macho men just because she's a girl, and the knowledge that no-0ne important to the main character is going to die, then this is the book for you.

Anita, Nathaniel and Jason start out the book with 4 chapters discussing, negotiating sex, and having sex. Then Jason and Nathaniel talk Anita into accompanying Jason to visit his dying father, who happens to be an angry homophobic who believes Jason is gay. Of course the trip goes wrong, Jason who looks like someone famous (along with half of the town), is of course mistaken for this famous person and they are deluged with the press and bodyguards of the famous.

There is trouble with visiting shapeshifters and Marmee Noir. There is trouble - again, who would have guessed? - with Richard. Anita suddenly is able to swallow Richard's rage. There is endless talking and angst, again. Then suddenly......

There is finally some excitement when Anita and Jason are kidnapped. Anita has to get herself free, and save Jason. She gets to kill some vampires. This is within 24 pages, toward the end. These 24 pages are worth reading. These 24 pages prove that if LKH wanted to, she could still write a suspenseful, compelling book. I wish she wanted to a little more. I became nostalgic for earlier Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books (rather than the more recent Anita Blake, Vampire Humper books). I feel like she is teasing her readers with this 24 pages. If it were only the added sex in the books, I think I could handle it, (even though it's been a little boring). What kills it for me is the ENDLESS TALKing. Before the sex, interrupting the sex, after the sex; before the danger, during the danger, after the danger; before the meetings (of anyone), during the meetings, after the meetings....you get the idea, right? Less angst, discussions and pointless confrontations, and I would have enjoyed the book more.

Here's hoping her next book (Skin Trade) has less angst, pointless arguements, and stupid confrontations. Here's hoping there will be more of Anita using her Necromancer skills, more suspense, more scary. But based on the current average reviews by readers, I am going to wait for the paperback of Skin Trade.