Bullet by LK Hamilton

I have mixed feelings about Bullet, so depending on who you are, this review is going to be good or bad. I consider it a little bit of both.

The music came back up and the next group of little girls, slightly older, came out. There was a lot of that in the next hour and change. I liked dance, and it was no reflection on the kids, but my will to live began to seep away on about the fifth group of sequined children…

Anita Blake is back in St. Louis and trying to live a normal life-as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a U. S. Marshal. There are lovers, friends and their children, school programs to attend. In the midst of all the ordinary happiness a vampire from Anita’s past reaches out. She was supposed to be dead, killed in an explosion, but the Mother of All Darkness is the first vampire, their dark creator. It’s hard to kill a god. This dark goddess has reached out to her here-in St. Louis, home of everyone Anita loves most. The Mother of All Darkness has decided she has to act now or never, to control Anita, and all the vampires in America.

The Mother of All Darkness believes that the triumvirate created by master vampire Jean-Claude with Anita and the werewolf Richard Zeeman has enough power for her to regain a body and to immigrate to the New World. But the body she wants to possess is already taken. Anita is about to learn a whole new meaning to sharing her body, one that has nothing to do with the bedroom. And if the Mother of All Darkness can’t succeed in taking over Anita’s body for herself, she means to see that no one else has the use of it, ever again. Even Belle Morte, not always a friend to Anita, has sent word: “Run if you can…”

Bullet starts with a simple every day setting with Anita attending a play of sorts where children and some of her men are performing (dancing). From the start I was very happy to see more of the familiar men in Anita’s life, especially Asher and JC.

The plot kicks off with Asher having issues with his standing in JC and Anita’s life. And might I say its about damn time Asher! I was so glad that he was sticking up for himself and even more glad about the way it was dealt with.  We learn Mommie Dearest is not dead by her almost interrupting one of the best damn scenes in the Anita Blake series to date.  I kid you not…I squealed like a little girl when this scene started and proceeded to tell everyone I knew how good this book was simply from that scene alone (so in hindsight I feel like a tard). Plus, Hamilton almost redeems herself (at least for me) with what happens with Richard…almost.

So we have a kick ass baddie that even Belle Morte and the rest of the vampire council are afraid of and what do we get? A whole lot of talk about tigers and adding more men to Anita’s life. Don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes were outstanding, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of them in Bullet; however, where is the rest of the plot?  I have been on LKH’s side for a long time, defending the ardeur and her writing with all the additional sex, because it always had a purpose and the plot was strong. However, right now, I really feel betrayed because when I got to the last page of Bullet, the plot was no where to be found. It was like it seemed to have gotten lost amongst the pile of naked people.

The only saving grace in this book, at least for me, was the scene that Mommy Dearest about interrupted and I will say it again it was the best damn scene ever in the Anita Blake series. Regardless, even a bad book like this one I will enjoy because it lets me read about the characters I am so invested in and adore. So if you don’t care about plot and just want to read about Anita’s men and future men, you will love Bullet.

7 Comments

  1. I haven’t read the last 3 for lack of what I thought was plot and the missing of the original boys i.e. Asher — I am almost tempted to pick this one up for the scene you mentioned…hmmm almost tempted.

    Thanks for the review.

  2. i haven’t read the last few books in the anita blake series. i loved them. couldn’t wait for the next one to come out but when the sex scenes got to be every second page, it was too much for me. i felt it took away from the stories. i think if she started with sex in the first books then it wouldn’t have been so bad. i also read the merry gentry books and there was lots of sex from the beginning, not so much in the latest books. i miss reading the anita blake series, i think the best character was asher and of course richard. not sure if i want to start reading them again. i keep giving the new ones a try.

  3. Yah, I’m sorry, but I stopped reading a few books ago for the same reasons as Marnie and Dawn. The sex has been the focus for a long while now, it just took me a few books to realize she wasn’t ever going to tell a decent story again. Sounds like this one is more of the same, sadly.

    Let me know when they stop reading like a porno (in which the “story” is just there to get you from sex scene to sex scene).

  4. I hate that LKH has dropped her amazing story telling for sex scenes. Don’t get me wrong… I love a good erotica! But not at the expense of a great story. Even the Merry Gentry are the same way. Yes we get it…You need to have sex to feed the ardeuer. BUT…..can’t you skip filling a whole book with them? I will pick up BULLET just cause I’m a sucker for a complete set.

  5. I think that Hamilton has listened to the critics somewhat and tried to get back to telling the story (or ANY story) and cutting back on the sex scenes. The last couple books still have lots of sex, but a little less than her porno peak. I keep giving her chances because she is a damn good storyteller when she wants to be.

  6. I dunno Nancy, have you read Bullet? The sex was just about constant. I have lost all faith in LKH and she has been removed from my must read/must buy list.

  7. I feel the same way as all you guy. I miss the story line/plot and adventure and drama. I enjoy the sex scenes, but come on this is not a porn flick. LKH is no longer my fav author. And like the some of you, I continue to buy both series to see if there is improvement in her writing. Fortunately, I haven’t bought Bullet.

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