Customer Reviews

Obsidian Butterfly (An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 9)

5 star:		(163)
4 star:		(92)
3 star:		(52)
2 star:		(26)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

Anita Blake, Vampire Executioner and Animator, travels to New Mexico at the behest of super-assassin Edward (or Death as we're continually reminded) to investigate a series of brutal (what else) and inexplicable murders.

First of all, it's an enjoyable book. It sheds light on Edward (someone we've all wanted to know more about) and manages to extricate Anita from the tangled morass of her personal life in St. Louis. As always the story is fast-moving, evocatively written, and makes us care deeply about the fate of the protagonists..

Yet for those who have read the previous books, the old problems remain...

1. Anita MUST intimidate everyone she meets or die trying.

2. Anita MUST bemoan her status as a monster without actually doing anything about it.

3. Anita MUST threaten to kill both friend and foe with equal frequency.

And she does..it seems sometimes that Anita doesn't have conversations. she can only have confrontations. And sometimes I confess, it grows a bit tiresome. As does the constant threat of rape.

Yet still I and so many others read. Why? because in spite of everything, Hamilton tells a great story, creates a great world, and continues to top herself with action each time. Obsidian Butterfly is no different.

But Anita needs a vacation.

On an alternate Earth, preternatural beings live along side humans who fear and loathe them. Human Anita Blake is a renowned vampire hunter, needed by law enforcement but loathed by many nosferatu who believe she is a genocide executioner. Anita loves both a werewolf and a vampire. However, she obstinately has refused to see either one of them for over the past year. Because of their species, she is terrified of giving herself to either of them.

The only person capable of killing as well as Anita happens to be Edward, better known as Death. He has saved her life on several occasions and she owes him for killing one of his cohorts. Edward calls in his marker, asking for her help with a preternatural creature like none he has ever encountered before. Anita comes to Santa Fe to meet an Edward totally different then Death. Edward is engaged to a woman with children and he seems to cherish all of them. As she works with Edward to defeat this seemingly invincible creature, Anita now knows she cannot hide from her own nature.

The newest Anita Blake novel, OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY, is a great tale that is the best story in a wonderful alternate earth series. Part of the reason the story line is so good is that the enigmatic avenging angel Edward plays a starring role that makes him more complete and human. Anita retains her take no prisoners attitude, but is beginning to show signs of doubt and the need to choose that makes her even more complex of a character than before. This heart stopping, mesmerizing tale captures the audience's attention from the very first sentence and gives them a reading experience like no other. First time readers of this novel will scamper for this talented author's previous books.

Harriet Klausner

As expected this was an excellent book. For first-time Anita readers I would recommend starting with the first book before reading this or any of the other Anita books. Not because I don't think they won't be able to understand the story, but because this is a series and there is no other way to read it and really "see" the world through Anita Blake's eyes. Some reviews have said that this book doesn't further the storyline or Anita's character doesn't grow and I disagree on both counts. There are characteristics that are constant in all the books that Anita will probably always have, but the Anita in this book is still very different from the Anita in Guilty Pleasures. I actually found it a welcomed change of pace to have Anita not in her hometown surrounded by familiar places, or faces, focusing more on her and doing the job, as well as learning more about Edward, we --the readers-- finding out the same time she does. In a way, it seems she takes a closer look into herself being away from everyone she really knows and finds out more about herself, and... just maybe... that was the real purpose of this story.

This book reminded me of the Anita Blake we all grew to love before she got romantically involved with JC and Richard! I loved this book so much. Especially learning more about Edward. I thought he was a scary guy when he went cold and isolated. I was wrong. He's even scarier when he shows his emotions.

The book was more like the old style of Anita. How so? Anita is not the super woman she was in Blue Moon and Burnt Offerings. She had very few new magical powers. She relied more on her wits and firepower. The mystery was the key plot focus - not who she was going to sleep with next. This book was a GREAT way for Anita to get back into what she does best - killing the evil monsters who harm the innocent.

I had never heard of the Anita Blake series until a month ago when it became came up on the Amazon discussion boards-romance section. To fellow reviewers JP and Joss, thank you for letting me know about this fascinating series, I'm sure my eye doctor thanks you also since I have killed my eyes reading all nine books in two weeks.

Obsidian Butterfly is the 9th book featuring Anita Blake, vampire executioner and animator. Edward, the mysterious assassinator who has made several appearances in previous books, gets his own story, and what a story it is! Edward calls on a favor owed to him by Anita. No questions asked, Anita goes to his aid and finds a side of Edward she didn't know existed. Side one is the cold-blooded killer she knows, but side two is Edward's second identity as a bounty hunter who is engaged to be married to a widow with two children.

There is something terrorizing people, it skins its victims and takes parts of the bodies. Those who are lucky, die from this assault. Those who are unlucky, end up in the hospital in horrible shock and pain. Edward calls in favors to help him find out what it is and to destroy it before it kills many more.

Thrown into this mess, are two other assassinators who owe Edward favors. Apparently people don't refuse to repay Edward the favors they owe him, not if they want to live. One is called Olaf, and frankly, he scared the daylights out of me. He is truly one sick individual who takes enjoyment from terrorizing and brutalizing people. As the way things stand, I'm sure we will be seeing Olaf again.

While I was fascinated by this story, part of me was disappointed we didn't see the other two main characters play a larger part in the story. Let's face it, there aren't many compelling characters as Jean-Claude, master vampire and Richard the Alpha wolf. Final word, don't expect this story to follow the former books. Laurell K. Hamilton takes us out of the dark underworld of vampires and werewolves and shows us that evil exists on the outside.

As Laurell Hamilton said in the opening acknowledgements, this book is for the Edward fans out there. (Edward is the sociopathic bounty hunter we know from the earlier Blake books.) People who haven't read the rest of the Anita Blake series won't get much out of this one; unlike its predecessors, it doesn't bother explaining past events and relationships, and new readers may be completely lost. However, assuming you've read the first eight books of the series, there's a lot to be enjoyed in Obsidian Butterfly. The author does a wonderful job with the characters in this book, especially Edward, and watching them develop and interact in new situations is a treat. Though only Anita and Edward are familiar from the previous books, a new supporting cast of surprisingly deep characters makes its appearance. It's enough to make most readers overlook the shallow, muddled plot and the irritatingly repetetive self-analysis by the hero, who narrates the book. Despite the excellent character development, witty dialogue, top-notch action sequences, and morbidly fascinating gore, this is not one of Laurell Hamilton's best books. Add the fact that this book is unsuitable for readers new to the series, and it becomes a poor choice for Laurell Hamilton's hardback debut.

If you are a fan of this series, then this book is a must-read. Hamilton wrote it to give all those Edward fans a serious look into his personality, his past, his motivations, etc. However, if you are new to this series: skip this book and go back to the beginning! This one would just be too confusing for anyone unfamiliar with the history of these characters.
In OBSIDIAN, Anita flies to New Mexico when Edward calls in a long-standing favor she owes him. What ensues is a good-vs-evil tale involving ancient aztec rituals, revenge and good old fashioned monsters. Edward also reveals a personal life which is downright startling considering his "career". Anita is her usual sarcastic, tough broad self; I have always loved the old detective novel feel in the dialogue and action of this series. But one thing this novel is very heavy on: Anita constantly questions her relationship with Jean Claude and Richard and is in major personal turmoil throughout the story.
I love this series. It's fun, it's fast-paced, and the characters are fascinating. Anita has quite an edge, but we've watched her mature with the progression of the series. In OBSIDIAN I enjoyed "meeting" the new characters, especially psychopathic Olaf who seems to waiting in the wings for future installments. Was this the best in the series? I don't think so. But it has its own merits and has to be read to keep up with the characters and storyline. I enjoyed it; I applaud Hamilton for being able to maintain consistency with the history of this alternate reality. As for those who question if Anita has lost her edge---Anita herself keeps questioning this, and I think this is going to lead to some interesting sequences in future episodes. This is not the constantly kicking-butt Anita that is ever present in the other novels (although there is a fair amount of serious butt kicking). Anita is more introspective and is coming to terms with some life issues in OBSIDIAN. For me, Anita Blake is always worth a read, and I am a diehard fan of this series. I recommend OBSIDIAN to any Anita Blake fan or to anyone interested in alternate reality/vampire fiction.

I'm a huge Laurell K. Hamilton fan and avid reader, so I was waiting eagerly for this latest installment of Anita Blake's strange strange life. I must say this is the first book of hers that has really left me disappointed.

There are revelations to the characters that I can chew on later and think "Wow..that's a neat turn!" but it wasn't the writing that I'm used to. The book seemed hurriedly done, with very sloppy editing and lots of typos that detracted from the readability. OB listlessly slithered onwards for 3/4 of the book at a pace that made it seem drawn out and dull. Anita has always made comments about her moral dilemnas, but in this latest installment, nearly the entire book is her repeated insights into her own moral standing. If I had to hear "I felt nothing, and that scared me." at the end of one more paragraph I was going to give Anita Blake up as dead and gone, burn the book and leave. I wonder what was different with this book...perhaps Ms Hamilton is tired, or perhaps the strain and deadlines of her first hardcover took its toll. I hope to see Anita Blake go back on track, with the quality of writing I'm used to, the characters I love, and the latest details and insights that could be salvaged from OB.

I'm a big Edward fan, and for that aspect, the book offered plenty of him. More than I've heard him say the entire series.

Overall the book *was* an Anita Blake, which is an endorsement. The violence was over-the-top, the characters bountiful. Some of the history of Edward and Anita, his feelings towards her, their friendship was built on and revealed this book, which was neat to see. Unfortunately, the packaging for that story seemed stilted and awkward in its writing. Definately a shame..can't wait for the next one.

Obsidian Buttrerfly has an "OK, So here's one more" feeling to it that the other Anita Blake novels do not have. The book is largely an exploration of the Edward character, a frequently appearing extra in her works. Edward (professional killer and associate of Anita's) seems to have a softer side and needs Anita's guns and attitude to help him out. Along the way are the usual cast of undead folk, a new Master Vampire, and were-pack (with a web-site), and just some of your casual CIA killers (out of control, of course) just to liven things up.

The action is up to par but Edward lacks the captivating and engaging evil of Jean Claude, or the all-American werewolf attractivness of Richard. And I missed the other were/wierd folk in the St. Louis based books. It was still a quick read for me and, yes its a page-turner, but I wanted a better transition from Blue Moon and the evolution of Anita's own powers. I enjoyed it, Laurell, but I'm still waiting for the final menage a trois of power with a final determination of who is the servant: Jean Claude or Anita.

A good, but flawed entry in the series that is badly in need of an editor. It has the humor, gore, action, body count and tension that all her other books have up through this novel and I think, with regard to literary quality and being true to the writing, this is one of her better efforts, despite its flaws.

I was ambivalent about the changes in Edward, at first, but realized that the his character required these changes to have some depth and make him, and the story, more interesting.

Anita's growing moral ambiguity was good to see but it grew repetitive, bordering on whiny at times. The juxtaposition of her own flagging ethics and those without any ethics at all was a nice touch. The character of Donna is, sadly, not as much a caricature as one could wish.

Clearly some thought went into this novel; thoughts about how characters relate and change, thoughts about the consequences of actions and relationships, more so than in most horror novels and I appreciate that. There is one flaw that editting can't save and that's the nature of Anita herself.

I get the feeling that Ms. Hamilton is beginning to write herself into a Mary Sue corner with Anita. The charcter is getting more powerful so the Big Bad has to be more powerful with each encounter. It will get to a point where Anita will become TOO powerful to be interesting or to be challenged by the bad guys she has to face. Perhaps that's why the most recent novels have devolved into almost farcical sex romps and not the stated reason of 'they don't want women writing sex so I write it and write it raunchy'.

Beyond that the recurrent editting problems drag this book down and and turn a good read into mediocrity at times.

Ms. Hamilton's publishers seem to hide their editors when her manuscripts arrive in their offices and it appears her first/second draft efforts are sent immediately to the presses without the most cursory of reads. Frequent repetition of metaphors, obvious repetition of a point the characters covered before, restating, in almost the same words, thoughts and feelings frequently throughout the book, spelling mistakes... a good 50 to 100 pages could have been cut by making these simple edits and this would have been a better novel.

I do have to say, though, introducing the penultimate bad guy in the last 80 pages (a few previous mentions not withstanding) was slipshod. That storyline, alone could have been better handled and made the connection to the Big Bad more seemless. As it was, it was a set piece for some tough guy action and some squick that made me truly uncomfortable.

I like this series; the books are fun, engaging without requiring too much mental heavy lifting but I'm irritated by the carelessness.

I give it 3 stars because it was better than I expected but it could have been a 5 with some care and a third/fourth draft.