From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Hamilton's Anita Blake, police consultant, executioner, necromancer, private eye and wereleopard protector, returns in her amorous 10th adventure, driven more by conflicting desires for the lovers she neglected in her last outing, Obsidian Butterfly (2000), than by the urge to solve any mystery. Once again, in a world where vampires and werecreatures are protected by law, Blake attempts to resolve her libido's constant crisis. Plunged into the netherworld of a leather D/S (dominant/submissive) bar, Narcissus in Chains, by the abduction of one of her inherited wereleopards, Blake finds herself deep into shapeshifter politics and a were creature power struggle that is all a metaphor for her own inner struggle. Whom should she choose werewolf Richard or vampire Jean-Claude? Or should she take a new lover? Who cares? Blake is eventually infected by the "ardeur" from the vampire clan and tinged with shapeshifting abilities from the were clan. As she becomes more like the fantastic creatures she protects or kills, she, alas, doesn't get any more interesting as a character. Her obsessions with lust serve mainly to overwhelm a rickety plot. Blake needs to put her clothes back on and get back to work. Too much flesh and not enough plot leads to the old but so true saying, "Less is more." (Oct. 9) Forecast: With a 15-city author tour and 100,000 first printing, this should be as successful saleswise as previous books in the series. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Wounded in battle at a bondage club while trying to save one of the were-leopards she is protecting, Anita Blake, vampire hunter, wakes up naked in bed with a couple of strange men and discovers that the wounds she suffered in the rescue may be turning her into a werewolf herself. As usual in this series, there's lots of sexual tension as Anita tries to balance her two lovers, vampire Jean-Claude and alpha werewolf Richard, but this time another love interest develops. Cynthia Holloway's reading is outstanding. She provides passion without melodrama, maintaining just the right understated tone for this erotic horror story. D.T.H. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Hamilton's vampire-hunting Anita Blake faces a plethora of foes in her tenth outing. Just returned to St. Louis after six months away, Anita is still no closer to choosing between her lovers--Jean-Claude, a vampire, and Richard, a werewolf. But she has to rely on both for help after two of the wereleopards that she has been watching are abducted at a seedy club called Narcissus in Chains. Anita and her boyfriends rescue the wereleopards from the sinister people holding them, but Anita is wounded in the fight and put at risk of becoming a wereleopard herself. Richard angrily captures the wereleopard he believes is responsible and threatens to execute him. Anita must now rescue that wereleopard from Richard and the werewolves he leads, even as she mourns the apparent end of her relationship with him. Then she realizes that those who kidnapped the first two wereleopards are targeting other lycanthropes. Maybe she will be next. With plenty of steamy sex and graphic violence, this is engaging reading for vampire cultists. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
The "steamy" (Booklist) Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel that took Laurell K. Hamilton to a whole new level is now in paperback.

Includes a bonus excerpt from the next Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel, Cerulean Sins, coming in January 2003.


Download Description
"With the highly-acclaimed Obsidian Butterfly, Laurell K. Hamilton?s vampire hunter, Anita Blake, came into her own. She survived a supernatural onslaught unlike any she had ever faced before?and she did it without the two men in her life. Now, six months have passed since Anita has seen either Jean-Claude or Richard. Six months of celibacy. Six months of indecision. Six months of danger. For her body carries the marks of both vampire and werewolf, and until the triumvirate is consummated, all three remain vulnerable. But when a kidnapper targets innocents that Anita has sworn to protect, she needs all the help she can get. In a earth-shattering union, Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard merge the marks?and melt into one another. Suddenly, Anita can harness both their powers. She can feel their hearts?hear their thoughts?know their hungers? Nothing can save Anita from a twist of fate that draws her ever closer to the brink of humanity?to finally surrender to the bloodlust, the beast, and the desire transforming her body and consuming her soul? "

FROM THE PUBLISHER

With the highly-acclaimed Obsidian Butterfly, Laurell K. Hamilton's vampire hunter, Anita Blake, came into her own. She survived a supernatural onslaught unlike any she had ever faced before￯﾿ﾽand she did it without the two men in her life.

Now, six months have passed since Anita has seen either Jean-Claude or Richard. Six months of celibacy. Six months of indecision. Six months of danger. For her body carries the marks of both vampire and werewolf, and until the triumvirate is consummated, all three remain vulnerable.

But when a kidnapper targets innocents that Anita has sworn to protect, she needs all the help she can get. In a earth-shattering union, Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard merge the marks￯﾿ﾽand melt into one another. Suddenly, Anita can harness both their powers. She can feel their hearts￯﾿ﾽhear their thoughts￯﾿ﾽknow their hungers￯﾿ﾽ

Nothing can save Anita from a twist of fate that draws her ever closer to the brink of humanity￯﾿ﾽto finally surrender to the bloodlust, the beast, and the desire transforming her body and consuming her soul￯﾿ﾽ

SYNOPSIS

"I've never read a writer with a more fertile imagination - and fewer inhibitions about using it." (Diana Gabaldon)

Six months of celibacy have made Anita crave the two men in her life like never before. But merging their powers together will give this mortal woman a taste of immortal hunger that she'll never be able to forget...

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Hamilton's Anita Blake, police consultant, executioner, necromancer, private eye and wereleopard protector, returns in her amorous 10th adventure, driven more by conflicting desires for the lovers she neglected in her last outing, Obsidian Butterfly (2000), than by the urge to solve any mystery. Once again, in a world where vampires and werecreatures are protected by law, Blake attempts to resolve her libido's constant crisis. Plunged into the netherworld of a leather D/S (dominant/submissive) bar, Narcissus in Chains, by the abduction of one of her inherited wereleopards, Blake finds herself deep into shapeshifter politics and a were creature power struggle that is all a metaphor for her own inner struggle. Whom should she choose werewolf Richard or vampire Jean-Claude? Or should she take a new lover? Who cares? Blake is eventually infected by the "ardeur" from the vampire clan and tinged with shapeshifting abilities from the were clan. As she becomes more like the fantastic creatures she protects or kills, she, alas, doesn't get any more interesting as a character. Her obsessions with lust serve mainly to overwhelm a rickety plot. Blake needs to put her clothes back on and get back to work. Too much flesh and not enough plot leads to the old but so true saying, "Less is more." (Oct. 9) Forecast: With a 15-city author tour and 100,000 first printing, this should be as successful saleswise as previous books in the series. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile