"Get hooked on the darkly compelling world of Anita Blake."

Anita Blake -- necromancer, animator, and vampire slayer -- finds herself in complex sexual relationships with Jean- Claude and Asher, vampires, and Micah, a leopard shapeshifter. Her ex-finance, Richard, a schoolteacher and werewolf, is still angry and not speaking to her after their split, despite their psychic connection as a power triad with Jean-Claude, Master of the City of St. Louis. Detective Dolph, head of the Preternatural Investigation Team, seems unreasonably enraged by a couple of gruesome murders. The Circus of the Damned is surprised by the early visit of Musette, the deadly representative of Belle Morte, Member of the Council of Vampires.

The pace of CERULEAN SINS is non-stop as Anita resolves all these crises while trying to minimize the body count.

Rejoice Asher fans: his story and desires play a major role in this novel. More than any other Anita Blake novel (this is number 11), while they could all stand alone, CERULEAN SINS reads better if you understand the underlying history of the relationships among the men in Anita's life. The series is a fascinating study of Anita's development, from hating monsters to questioning if she has become one; from celibacy to ardeur. Anita's moral dilemmas shape the tone of each novel. I highly recommend CERLULEAN SINS as it explores her complex relationships.

Once you get hooked on Laurell K. Hamilton's imaginative and compelling world, you need to read all her books. Of course, her alpha heroes are to-die-for scrumptious, and Anita is a pint-sized powerful heroine. And you just have to love her stuffed toy penguins.

I almost did not read the first novel in this series, GUILTY PLEASURES, because I cannot normally read horror stories. But LKH is unique in that the violence is used to advance the plot and define Anita's development. You need to understand the violent and unforgiving world she lives in to understand the choices she makes. I always chuckle that part of her wardrobe always includes how she hides her weapons.

Sexual & Violence Content: When the ardeur hits Anita, her sensual nature needs to be fed at least twice daily. There are lots of sexual gymnastics with a loving overtone, threesomes, and shape shifting. Violent gunplay, bloody preternatural attacks, and gruesome crime scenes keep Anita on her toes.

Reviewed by Karen Williston for Sensual Romance.

Reviewed by Sensual Romance
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted April 26, 2003

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Summary

With her New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels, Laurell K. Hamilton wraps readers up in stories of suspense and sensuality. Cerulean Sins is no exception. Now, Anita learns what it's like to be at the new end of a centuries-old bloodline-and just how far she'll let herself get pushed around by one of the oldest vampires alive...or should we say dead?