Anita Blake Series by L.K. Hamilton

DMRob · Dec 11, 2002

With the release of D20Modern, and my work at converting the world of Mrs. Hamilton into my base setting, I got to wondering, are there any others out there who like the series, or its companion series about the Fae court? If so, which book or main protagonist do you like the most? Which villain was the best? Or barring that, why did you not like them?

DMRob

Umbran · Dec 11, 2002

DMRob said:
Or barring that, why did you not like them?

I myself have not read them. My girlfriend, however, has. Her opinion of them is... very, very low. She's talked to me about them:

For one thing, the books are terribly "Mary Sue", munchkin fiction. The main character is the best at everything, the most beautiful, the most desireable, the smartest, etc.

For another, the books are gratutiously (and frequently inaccurately) violent. Human bodies only contain so much blood, and it just doesn't fountain like that.

Next comes the gratutious sex. It's bad, poorly justified soft-core pornography, trying to desperately pretend that it's plot-relevant. I won't go any further into it, as I'd offend Grandma.

Poor stuff. 'Nuff said.

Jamdin · Dec 11, 2002

I have read all but the last book. The early books are not so bad but the sex seems to outshadow the horror in the later books. They have also gotten really kinkier. She should have stopped after the third book or so. I think that's why I haven't read the latest one.

Whodat · Dec 11, 2002

I stopped reading the series after book three.

The reason?

Umbran’s girlfriend is right – but one thing in particular: Anita has a big reputation even amongst the undead. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it is completely undeserved. Most of the time she escapes through sheer luck – not skill. She gets herself into these situations that are way out of her league… and she somehow survives. Every time.

She also has a big mouth when you consider some of the Big Bads that she has gone up against, and ticked off because she doesn’t know when to shut up.

Lurks-no-More · Dec 11, 2002

They are quite readable once, not twice.

I have to agree on the gratuitous violence and gratuitous sex. Not that I have anything against either, as long as they are well written and fit the story (sort of non-gratuitous gratuity, if that is possible).

Another problem is that I don't find Anita a very nice person. She seems... well, I can't put my finger on what's wrong with her. Maybe she is too cold. It's like she has found out that monsters are people, too, and gone on to think that people are also monsters.

In fact, I think the story would work better if she was a monster herself; maybe a werewolf. I like fuzzy things with big teeth.

Ghostwind · Dec 12, 2002

Personally, I enjoy them because they are light "popcorn-fiction" reading. You don't have to put much thought into while reading. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. I agree that Hamilton's focus has leaned more towards the sexual aspect than the original vampire-slayer approach of earlier books.

The atmosphere of the books would translate very well into d20 Modern and I am surprised no one has chased the license other than the fact that I know that both Hamilton and RandomHouse are very protective of the use of her characters. I recall reading an interview where Hamiliton positively brusseled at the thought of her characters being used in a different medium (I believe the question revolved around a Hollywood option).

Most likely, the world of Anita Blake would fit better into a V:tM setting, but I would mind seeing a d20 version of her characters including the ones from her 2 fey books.

CaptainCalico · Dec 12, 2002

They are fun light reading. I got a few folks from my gaming group hooked on them. Under the sex and gore there is a strong "soap-opera" element that can be a bit addictive (if that is to your taste). I admit to a macabre fascination with just how high (or low) she is going to place the bar when it comes to the sex.

The main attraction though, is the premise of a world where all this supernatural stuff is out in the open - The ACLU concerned about lycanthrope rights, EMTs riking thier lives to evacuate vampires from a burning house during the day...... It has potential for d20Modern.

WayneLigon · Dec 13, 2002

I've read them all, and generally liked them, but I did wind up returning the last one, like I returned the first book of her other series. I'm certainly not one to argue with there being sex in the book, but it went far too over the top for me in both cases. If you didn't like the sex in the last couple of books, her other series is far, far more offputting in that regard. It might have gotten better, but I stopped reading about page 50 or so.

I originally liked it because the series explored more about this world where vampires were only recently granted rights as people. All sorts of other things exist, and people know about them. Then the series gets off on this tangent about her relationship with Jean-Claude and Richard. OK, enough already. She should have made some kind of decision about that situation about three books back and either accepted what was going on or just walked away. Well, OK, she can't really DO that, but still...

I want to see more of Anita's real job (which at this point I can't remember if she even has it anymore): zombi-raising. I want to see Richard and Jean-Claude resolve what it happening whether she likes the result or not. Honestly, I think it's Jean-Claude that has the tremendous upper hand here. I get this feeling he could just become the master of them both if he wanted.

Yeah, Anita's personality has become more and more disturbing, but that part at least I can see. She's evolving into something that is apparently so rare that only a couple ever exist at any one time. That, coupled with the fact that she's also fallen in love with a corpse that just happens to walk around, could give anyone pause.

I think she gets out of most of her situations in the later books through sheer charisma, by making others that could easily destroy her back down and leave. The Marks she bears probably greatly enhance her own natural 'bad-ass-ness'.

Oogar · Dec 15, 2002

I like the books, Though I do not enjoy what LKH has done to a few characters of which I am very fond. I liked Anita as the young, strong woman who did not think highly of casual sex. I enjoyed Anita, as she dealt with grey situations and was sad when there was really no good solution. I like Anita when she needs Sigmund, or is annoyed that she will miss, or be late for church.

I like Edward, as a character, and as a foil for the other characters, good guys, or bad.

Richard is a moron. JC is how much older then Anita? There are reasons why she should just swear off sex, and take a break.

The world is interesting, Anita used to be fun (in a bloody, tounge in cheek, PI book kinda way). Sadly, I feel the sex came out of some personal part of LKH, some issue. And I fear that this issue may not be resolved in a way that can return to me the Anita Blake I enjoyed for the first time 4 years ago.

*sigh*

Black Omega · Dec 16, 2002

I've used the LKH World in a campaign before and it went pretty well. I still have all my notes tucked away, and my next Modern Horror game will also be in the world she created.

For my group it was perfect because vampires are legal, everyone knows the supernatural exists (even if they do not know much about it). The 'supernatural creatures exist, but no one knows about it' had been done to death in previous games.

As far as I can tell, the fae books seem to be a different world, but with related themes.

Favorite character is Edward. Not because he's a stonecold bad ass with a trunk full of guns. but because he's the only real human in the whole series who can hold his own with the monsters.

Least favorite is Richard. At his best he had the interesting struggle between lycantrope instincts and the desire the retain humanity. Most of the time he's so pathetically annoying I want to take a baseball bat to him.

Best villain...hm. The voodoo queen working on making zombies that were more humanlike was good. As were the witches preying on lycantropes for their shifting spells.

Worst Villain...the bad guy from Blue Moon, though the baddies in Narcissus in chains had the same trouble. they got so squeezed out by the soap opera elements, they never got a chance to really build up as villains. Instead, bad things suddenly happen as LKH seemed to finally remember the bad guys need to do something bad before it's ok for the good guys to kill them.

Best element of the books. The world. It lends itself very well to RPG's and it feels like she's given some thought to how the world would be different if the supernatural was real. From the Chruch of the Vampires (Which can -really- offer eternal life) to the idea dragons are mythological only because they were hunted to extinction to how the laws change to deal with magic.

Worst thing about the novels. The loss of the 'human' side. Anita used to have a job, but it's basically disappeared without explanation in the last two novels. all her non-monster friends have been phased out except Edward. Her ties with the police have been nearly cut. All that's left is a fairly cool vampire and a pack of pathetically co-dependent shifters.