Kiss the Dead
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Hamilton's twenty-first Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, novel sees Anita reveling in her cop identity as a member of the Preternatural Branch of the U.S. Marshals. The case she is on involves a surprising number of fairly recently made vampires who were turned as either youths or the elderly. They seem to be masterless, which can result in a plethora of major problems coming down on the preternaturals of the city. As Anita's abilities become more sharply honed, she begins to worry that she is, herself, a monster. The movement promoting vampire independence, free of allegiance to a master, threatens not only the peaceful coexistence of humans with vampires and werecreatures, but also Anita's beloved family, which includes various heteroflexible weres and vampires. As usual, Hamilton provides exquisitely detailed descriptions of the bondage-loving Anita's multiple sexual encounters with multiple lovers.--Tixier Herald, Diana Copyright 2010 Booklist

It's a few more typical days in the life of Anita Blake, U.S. marshal and vampire hunter, and in her fast-paced if formulaic 21st adventure, that means an even balance of bloody police work and athletic preternatural sex. When Anita and her fellow marshals respond to the kidnapping of an underage girl seeking vampirization in their alternate St. Louis, they uncover a coven of rogue vampires whose terrorist fringe will put readers in mind of certain displaced contemporary cultures. The premise extends the series' depiction of vampires as second-class citizens seeking equality in their human-dominated world, and illuminates the difficulties of Anita's life as a mortal who takes preternaturals as her lovers. Anita's interactions with those lovers are fraught with just as much tension as the violent S.W.A.T. assaults. There's nothing here that Hamilton (Hit List) hasn't done already, but there's enough to sustain readers until Anita's next escapade. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

U.S. Marshall/vampire hunter Anita Blake spends half her latest outing dealing with a blood-drinking sect who owes allegiance to no master and the other half trying to manage her overwhelming romantic life. She'll take the vamps any day because her love life has become far too complex for any one person to follow, let alone handle. Kimberly Alexis, the regular narrator of the series, seems distracted. Micah Callahan, as Midwestern as they come, has an Irish accent. Other known characters sound as though she didn't remember her past recordings. Hamilton's stories are fast listening no matter how long they are, and this is no exception. VERDICT Fans will expect this to be available, but it's not the audiobook to sell newcomers on the series.-Jodi L. Israel, Birmingham, AL (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The status quo of paranormal society is destabilized, and Anita Blake must vanquish the enemies while managing her complicated love life and overcoming her own growing internal demons. When a teenage girl is abducted by vampires, it's up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to save her. But she and her team find something disconcerting in the rescue--a group of recently turned vampires who are either very young or very old, who are violently against any sort of master and who are willing to die for their cause. Everyone knows that a martyr is a problematic enemy, but martyr vampires are even worse, since they can cause a significant amount of damage when they have little left to lose. As Anita Blake tracks down angry, violent adversaries with her own preternatural abilities, she must also fight long-lived insecurities as a cop, vampire hunter and human, while dealing with the relationship stresses in her household that are due to her myriad lovers and their complicated emotional and supernatural bonds. Fans will find much of the same from Hamilton in this, the 21st installment of the popular Anita Blake series, the erotic paranormal books that put vampires on the map before Twilight had them going viral. But while there's not much new, there's also plenty of action, excitement, hot sex and emotional turmoil that will keep most fans of the series satisfied until the next book. A dizzying cast of characters may keep newbies at bay, but Hamilton does a good job explaining relationships and past and present frictions without it being too burdensome on the current story. Nonetheless, it's likely that this book will be more enjoyable to the legions of existing fans than for new ones, who will probably want to start a little earlier. People who've been turned off by Blake's growing stable of sexual partners and increasing preternatural powers will want to avoid it, but then, they've probably already done so a few books back. Typical recent Anita Blake fare--exciting, erotic paranormal romantic adventure--that gets the job done for its intended audience.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Hamilton's twenty-first Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, novel sees Anita reveling in her cop identity as a member of the Preternatural Branch of the U.S. Marshals. The case she is on involves a surprising number of fairly recently made vampires who were turned as either youths or the elderly. They seem to be masterless, which can result in a plethora of major problems coming down on the preternaturals of the city. As Anita's abilities become more sharply honed, she begins to worry that she is, herself, a monster. The movement promoting vampire independence, free of allegiance to a master, threatens not only the peaceful coexistence of humans with vampires and werecreatures, but also Anita's beloved family, which includes various "heteroflexible" weres and vampires. As usual, Hamilton provides exquisitely detailed descriptions of the bondage-loving Anita's multiple sexual encounters with multiple lovers. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

It's a few more typical days in the life of Anita Blake, U.S. marshal and vampire hunter, and in her fast-paced if formulaic 21st adventure, that means an even balance of bloody police work and athletic preternatural sex. When Anita and her fellow marshals respond to the kidnapping of an underage girl seeking vampirization in their alternate St. Louis, they uncover a coven of rogue vampires whose terrorist fringe will put readers in mind of certain displaced contemporary cultures. The premise extends the series' depiction of vampires as second-class citizens seeking equality in their human-dominated world, and illuminates the difficulties of Anita's life as a mortal who takes preternaturals as her lovers. Anita's interactions with those lovers are fraught with just as much tension as the violent S.W.A.T. assaults. There's nothing here that Hamilton (Hit List) hasn't done already, but there's enough to sustain readers until Anita's next escapade. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House. (June)