KISS THE DEAD (Anita Blake 21) by Laurell K Hamilton-a new release review

KISS THE DEAD (Anita Blake 21) by Laurell K Hamilton -release date June 5, 2012

Is Laurell K. Hamilton STILL writing about Anita Blake??? Yes. Kiss the Dead, the latest installment in the long-running Anita Blake series is STILL full of vampires, wereleopards, weretigers, werewolves, etc. Anita is STILL killing bad guys and STILL raising the occasional zombie for Animators, Inc. Problem is Anita is STILL stuck in relationship drama with all of the above. In truth, Anita Blake has deteriorated into a standstill character for many books now.

Kiss the Dead, Book Number “Who really cares anymore?” lulls you into a false sense of security with a strong beginning. Ms. Hamilton regales us with honest, gritty details of Anita’s job duties as a Federal Marshall. A 15 year old girl has been kidnapped by vampires who have already killed 2 police officers. When one of the “slower” vamps is caught and is being interrogated by Anita (who has earned two (2) nicknames in the supernatural community as “The Executioner” and “War” for having the most “kills”), and exercises a juicy amount of psychic techniques to extract information, Barney (really?) reveals someone is setting up Anita.

A disgruntled group of vampires has been organized to rally against Anita and her long-time lover, and MY only reason for continuing this saga, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City. This bazaar group, comprised of geriatric vampires, (grandmas, people!) and the very youthful, which is actually forbidden, were advocating for vampire “freedom”; the right to not belong to any particular “master” (blood-oathed) nor the newly-founded, American Vampire Council. To support this “cause”, the motley crue was purposefully assembled to appeal to the human audience and thus reduce Anita’s ease when delivering legal execution. However undeterred, because she does manage to enter with a SWAT team and save the girl with procedural expertise, the action affects Anita personally and sets off a level of introspection that lasts throughout the book.

Anita isn’t only a Federal Marshall, vampire executioner and necromancer (ability to raise the dead), she’s also the human servant of Jean-Claude and a pan-were (multi-animal shifter due to an attack) without the ability to shift, in the middle of a crisis of conscience. Yikes! Just when you think Ms. Hamilton is taking us back to the Anita of old, the kick-ass Anita who was sent out to kill the “monsters”, BAM! You’re sucked right back down into the cesspool that is Anita Blake’s love life.

We learned long ago that Anita inherited Jean-Claude’s “gift” of the ardeur, which means she basically has to “feed” off sex every few hours. No joke. To say this subject is complicated, if not perplexing, is putting it mildly. When Anita accepted Jean-Claude’s blood (3 times thus far, but she’s refused the 4th exchange which would grant her immortality), she did it out of love for him, but had no idea the ardeur would be a consequence of her commitment. Putting it crudely, but it is just that, if fed “properly” through means of sex (and now anger), Anita can battle down the ability to shift. If she doesn’t, Anita seduces anyone in her line of vision. I said crude, remember?

I could go on, endlessly, about all that I loathe about Anita Blake, but it would be unfair to Kiss the Dead. Believe it or not, I was on Chapter 18 and not one sex scene was yet described! I’m rather elated to say LKH does NOT give Anita a new, never-before-met, lover. Instead, we’re relegated to suffer the same cast of characters and they’re worthy of hair-pulling and exasperation alone. My beloved Jean-Claude is still at the “helm”, inasmuch as Anita allows his involvement (HATE this declining role), Asher is still as whiny as ever (but is actually being “disciplined” for this new level of whine), and Micah and Nathaniel are still on hand as Anita’s shadows. But Cynric, Anita’s blue tiger to call, is another disaster in the making. Aside from nearly draining Nicky the werelion aka, her own “Bride of Dracula”, Anita is dealing with Cynric, her 18 year old tiger (to Anita’s 30) and she basically can’t escape feeling creeped out by his presence in her bed. To be fair, it was Marmee Noir aka, the Mother of All Darkness’, fault that Cynric even made it to Anita’s bed, but if we’re going to start pointing fingers…It IS that confusing. This is not a stand-alone book.

This series is over-saturated with overlapping lovers, over-indulged lovers, jealous lovers, neglected lovers, etc…Given the controversy surrounding Anita Blake, could the downward spiral of this series have prompted Ms. Hamilton to give Anita pause? It sure seemed like it. Vacillating between keeping her badge and keeping her lovers safe is the core of this book. How can Anita continue to sleep with vampires and shifters and remain impartial in her duties as a Federal Marshall? A hostage situation involving several of her lovers brings that issue to a head. There has to be a conflict of interest at some point, right?

Ultimately, all the contemplation afforded Anita does little else but force the reader to accept, or not, that Anita’s lifestyle is unique and that she is under no obligation to explain why she thrives as such. Will Anita’s personal choices affect her professional reputation at the expense of her beloved badge one day? In praise to Anita, the police agencies lack the fortitude she delivers. Anita embraces her inner “monster” and dispenses justice according to the law; no matter who she loves. They’d be crazy to let her go.

I am disheartened by this series to say the least. Ms. Hamilton’s writing style is also showing signs of trouble. Several scenes described were followed by variations of the same description. This isn’t a YA audience, Ms. Hamilton; we got the picture the first time! There are authors who I follow and subscribe to their websites to keep informed of new developments. I’ve never done that for LKH and perhaps that’s what’s kept me so critical of her series? If I read more about characters’ nuances and the reasons behind their choices…maybe then I could offer a more neutral opinion? Problem is….I’m STILL not that interested.

Reviewed by Carmen