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Cerulean Sins: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel

Review

Cerulean Sins: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel



CERULEAN SINS is the eleventh book in the Anita Blake Vampire
Hunter series. In this episode, Ms. Blake is contacted by a man she
quickly pegs as a hired assassin who says he wants to hire her for
the purpose of raising one of his ancestors from the dead. As you
follow the story, you discover that Ms. Blake is more than a
"vampire hunter." She is an animator, macromancer, part
shapeshifter, and the girlfriend of the Master Vampire. After
completing a successful session of "animating" (raising a dead man)
to settle an insurance claim between the insurance company and the
man's widow, Ms. Blake becomes involved in trying to find a serial
killer. At the same time, she has major problems in her love life
and with the international politics of vampires, werewolves, and
various "other worldly" creatures.

This is the first book in the Anita Blake series that I have read.
I admit I was quite excited about reading the book, as I had heard
good things about some of Laurel K. Hamilton's earlier works.
However, I was extremely disappointed as I began to read the book.
Most of the first half of the book was really one long, group sex
act. Unfortunately, the sex had little to do with the plot and
serves only to fill a good number of pages. The second half of the
book did have more of a plot, with some mystery and detective work.
For me, it was too little too late. If I had not been reviewing the
book, I would have stopped reading after the first 50 or so pages
and tossed it in the trash.

Ms. Hamilton's writing is quite good and I believe she could have
produced an excellent book with the serial killer plot, if she
would have gotten down to business and developed the plot, instead
of turning out page after dreary page of vampire sex. Taken as it
was written, the characters are ok, though the author really didn't
make me care about any of them. Some of the characters had so many
problems I should have felt some sympathy for them and should have
continued to read with an expectant hope that their problems would
come to a positive conclusion. That, however, was not the case.
When I finished the book I said to myself, "That's nice," but I
truly had no vested emotions in any of the characters. Furthermore,
I was very disappointed that, in something called a "vampire hunter
series", the hunter didn't "hunt" any vampires; instead, she had
group sex with them. What is that about?

I really wanted to like this book. I like stories about vampires
and other scary subjects. What I didn't want was a pornographic
tale that ran for some 200+ pages of a 400-page book. It is a shame
because I believe Ms. Hamilton could have produced a great book. To
say I was let down is an understatement. I am sorry to say that it
will likely be a very long time before I read another Laurell K.
Hamilton book.

Cerulean Sins: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel
by Laurell K. Hamilton

  • Publication Date: April 1, 2003
  • Genres: Fiction
  • Hardcover: 405 pages
  • Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
  • ISBN-10: 0425188361
  • ISBN-13: 9780425188361