Cerulean Sins (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series #11)

Great read!

I've read this series from book 1 (Guilty Pleasures) and have loved each book. Anita has become such a complex character and her supporting cast members are enigmatic and beautifully created. Yes, the books are much different than they were in the first few installments, but I don't believe that to be a bad thing.
Cerulean Sins carries on with a character introduced in the previous book (Narcissus in Chains). This character is Belle Morte, the vampire who turned Anita's boyfriend, Jean Claude, into a vampire. She also created Asher, Jean Claude's second in command. Both men are former lovers of Belle Morte. She is insulted (to put it mildly) that both Jean Claude and Asher chose to leave her, as she considers herself the most desirable woman/vampire in the world. Thus, she sends her second in command vampire to "visit" Jean Claude's territory. The troubles that this visit causes are the central plot in the story (and there's definitely a couple surprises). There is also a sub-plot involving a series of murders that Anita helps to solve.
Some readers of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter books believe the series has gone downhill since Anita began engaging in sex with multiple partners as a result of a condition passed on to her from Jean Claude. This condition (called the arduer) causes the person to experience intense sexual desire until "fed". I don't believe this is a problem in the books, or just an excuse for Anita to have sex. I think this condition represents the only thing Anita has found that she can't yet control or kill. It's something she has to face head-on and must be patient with until she learns control. In the books leading up to Narcissus in Chains, where Anita first learns she has the arduer, there are references to her reliance on guns to control situations. I think the arduer is to teach Anita that guns won't solve all her problems. Plus, she's not having sex with random people on the streets and, considering the length of the book, I didn't feel there were too many sex scenes in this book. I never felt like I wanted to just get past the sex and get on to the plot, as I do with some books.
I think the Anita Blake series is still going strong and Laurell K. Hamilton continues to add new elements of surprise.

10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Amazingly series with action, romance, eroticism , horror and humor. This series has it all!

I started the Anita Blake series out of order with Cerulean Sins and fell in love with the story and characters. I became a fan immediately and promptly bought the whole series. The first book Guilty Pleasures was bit dissapointing because it was very short and also because Anita's introduction to Jean Claude was not fully developed. The story line got extremely interesting after The Killing Dance, when Anita chooses Jean Claude over Richard (werewolf). My favorites in the series where Blue Moon (the section with Raina's Munin invokes the mating ritual was heart stopping and also I was so glad when Richard and Anita get together), Obsidian Butterfly (full of gore but kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time especially the part of the zombies at the hospital in the maternity ward!. Relationship development with Ted/Edward and his team of assassins and the Master Vampire, she was scary) Narcisus in Chains (the exploration of the SM and Bondage was very vivid and fascinating as well as the introduction of the ardeur and Anita with Michah), Incubus Dreams (personal favorite, HOT, HOT, HOT, what can I say I love Nathaniel, he is one of my favorites), Dansce Macabre (loved the cookie monster/Haven, was dissapointed she was able to resist making him her werelion to call), The Harlequin (LOVED it , the action was amazing especially the fight scene at the hospital with the weretigress Soledad) and Skin Trade (loved the developing plot around the weretigers and curious to see if Anita will choose a king among them like Victor he is hot, also loved the transition of the Wicked Truth into Anita's "food menu"). This series combines horror, action, erotic romance and some humor (Anita is a tough cookie and I love how she considers weapons as part of her dressing accessories). If you wish to escape to a new world of fantasy and excitement this is the series for you!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Another Excellent Anita Blake novel

I loved this one. You have to be familiar with Anita Blake and how she has gotten to this point, this is not a stand-alone read. To fully understand her thoughts, her actions, and her relationships, don't pick this up and start here, start from Guilty Pleasures.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

This isnt a book you can just pick off the shelf and read, you have to read the other books of the line. The Anita Blake books are a collection, and this is near the end of the line. Start with Guilty pleasures. Anyone who thinks this one was horrable didnt read the others. And those who are annoyed with Richared and the Aurder are just feeling the way Anita is. These books have a tendency to have you feed off the Main characters emotions. And all the metaphyisical stuff and sex is just a journy in Anitas life. Theres a reason for everything kids. Philip had a small part in the first book, but he forshadowed how Anita would be with other Characters, and told why she cares so deeply. Think outside the box people

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Horrible

This book, without a doubt, is on that list of the worst books I have ever read. Anita, the main character, has no personality in this story. She has no outstanding attributes. She's just the one everyone else wants to have sex with. All the supporting characters? All the people who want to have sex with her. The plot was not developed to the point where there was no plot at all, other than Anita having sex. The author tried to throw in some mystery and crime in, but it just seemed so random and out of place because there was no plot to support it! I couldn't connect with the characters because they had no personalities and nothing about this book interested me. I was very disappointed in this book and would not recommend buying it ever.

2 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

More Ardeur-as-Plot

This is a continuation of Hamilton's policy in later Anita Blake books to replace the plot with ardeur driven sex. It's a little better than some of the others, but that's not saying a whole lot. It wouldn't be that bad if Hamilton was better at doing sex scenes, but really they're just dull. So dull you find yourself turning pages looking for it to be over, but since it's most of the book by the time you're done skipping the sex you've only read a short story.

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Overall Good...

I love the characters of this series, and this book started out particularly strong and witty. Somewhere in the middle, it got a bit repetitive, almost like Hamilton forgot she had already covered some things. Either way, I still enjoyed it thoroughly, and look forward to seeing where the story goes next. If you like this series, you will definitely like the Riley Jensen series by Keri Arthur, the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, and perhaps the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Too much sex

A friend of mine pesterred me for years to read this series. I started out with book 1 and immediately became addicted. The last few books, tho (I've read through "Micah") have become more like an XXX story with a little bit of zombie raising & a few vampire kills. Mostly she's having sex with every creature she meets, the ardeur is tedious and a little (?) over the top. I had intended to buy a few more in the series, but after re-reading I got sick of the highly descriptive passages of unrelenting (and increasingly violent) sex and the neediness of all the "men" she surrounds herself with. Tired of reading about "pile of puppies" (how many times can she mention that in 2 pages?). I definitely wouldn't recommend this series for anyone under 21, and am disappointed in the direction the overall story has taken.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Boo!

I loved the series up until 10. I have now read up to 14 hoping the "sucubis" phase would pass and the books would be about action again. I am no prude, but these books are all about sex and who all she is having sex with. If i wanted trashy romance novels i would buy my books at the supermarket. It's a shame. Stop now! Dont waste anymore money! They dont get better after this. 1-9, great reads.

Disjointed mess

I have now read my last book of the series. I don't mind a little sex in a book... but I insist on a plot that tells a flowing story... PICK A MONSTER AND STICK WITH HIM! By the end of the book, Anita had had sex wtith every man that breathed and 4 others thrown in. The only ones she missed were the law enforcement officiers. Doff, the one character I liked, HAS GONE MENTAL. I am now finding another series. BLECK!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book I feel ties Anita even more closely to all of her 'monsters'. She has definitely become much closer to being one of them, which seems to help with the RPIT stuff she is called on to do. A little more sex than I'd like, but I don't think it is there for no reason. It is something else in her life she needs to learn to control. I can't wait to get started on the next book!

Another Great Book

I am so impressed with this book. After awhile.you would think Laurell would write a bad book, but this is not it! Love this book.I cant wait to read book 12!

A disappointment

Since discovering laura hamilton, I have been racing through her books, this one is heavy on pages, scarce on plot, and reads like a description of a bad X rated movie. Steamy is fine, but lets find the plot!

the anita blake series/laurell hamiliton

these books are so great, there are alot in the series but well worth it. i recomened these highly.

A melting pot of horror,lust, and good old fashioned crime fighting.

This book continues to touch on the recent changes in Anita's life. We learn more about her dilemmas, plus we get a reasonable dose of Anita in action. A lot of people would say that the series is getting highly sexual at this point and I would agree but there is a method to this madness.If your new to the series I recommend you start at Guilty Pleasures which is book one and continue reading from there, you will be confused if you do otherwise. Younger audiences need not apply.

fun series

I picked up the Anita Blake series on a whim and have enjoyed it a lot. It's like nothing else I've ever read...romance, mystery, horror all wrapped into one. Throughout the series, Hamilton has started to develop each character more and more and this book the focus was on Asher, which was fun and interesting.

Cerulean Sins (Sins of a writer)

Everytime I pick up an Ante Blake book I really question myself, yet I continue to buy them. I wish she was more of the Vampire Hunter she used to be not the crazed sex fiend that she has become. And as I stated before some reason I am still reading her.

Anita Blake - #11

Execellent book - Laurell Hamilton delivers as usual. Love Anita and the Guys.

Great

Love all the books !!!