Narcissus in Chains, Cerulean Sins and Incubus Dreams by L.K. Hamilton

Narcissus in Chains, Cerulean Sins and Incubus Dreams share one common thread….sex. While sex has always been a prevailing theme throughout the series (who is Anita sleeping with now?), it becomes a part of the plot device when Jean-Claude’s incubus origins are transferred to Anita through their marks.

While I could go into the plot, and give a summary of what the bad guys want and what the action entails, I won’t because the plot only touches on the underlying theme of sex that Hamilton begins to include in her books. Plus, you should read it. If I give you the main plot devices and tell you what goes on, where will you get the motivation to read it?

Sex becomes a central focus in the series when Anita inherits Jean-Claude’s incubus in Narcissus in Chains. At least, this is where we find out about the inheritance. Now Anita needs to have sex like Jean-Claude needs blood and she isn’t exactly a girl who takes a lot of lovers. Truthfully, she has really only had two lovers throughout the books so far; once she finds out about the ardeur (incubus), she more than doubles that number. After all, that’s how she met Micah. An hour after she meets him, she has her way with him. By having this new feeding requirement, this puts Anita on Belle Morte’s radar. As the soure de sang (creator) of Jean-Claude’s bloodline, Belle believes that anything belonging to her children also belongs to her. Using metaphysics, Belle tries to get a picture on the situation through Anita, but it isn’t until she sends her people to Jean-Claudes in Cerulean Sins that she truly finds out what they are.

By sending an entourage of her people to act on her behalf, Belle tries to test the new additions to her line (Anita and Richard) and forces both of them to deal more with the ardeur. Richard doesn’t let anyone feed off of him, yet Anita is forced to have sex to feed and when she accidentally feeds on Richard, it throws their relationship into a tale spin. While sex is the main topic, it’s not the act that has everyone talking, but the definition. Whether this is true or not, Hamilton gives us two perspectives on the idea of sex. According to Europeans, sex involves any kind of sensual/sexual activity. According to Americans, and especially Anita, sex involves intercourse. This debate actually serves a purpose. Anita learns that she can feed the hunger without having sex with anything that walks. It’s kind of interesting to see the two sides of the debate.

Incubus Dreams just screams sex, doesn’t it? And that is exactly what you get. It seems like the entire novel is just one big orgy and there is no beginning and ending, only a change of characters. While this is kind of harsh, the main point is Anita has been able to lease the hunger to some extent, but she still needs to feed it. Jean-Claude and Anita use it to help subdue a problematic vampire; Anita develops problems with Richard’s beast and her own and tries to turn the blood lust into sex while driving down a highway (well, she wasn’t driving, but she was in the car); Damien and Nathaniel become closer to Anita when she uses them to feed the ardeur, which binds them together, and then Damien goes nuts so they have to have sex to save him. Are you getting the picture yet, because I can give you other instances in the book where sex is involved?

While I don’t have a problem with the theme of sex, it can be a bit much. Overall, the three books are good, I enjoy them all. However, the plot does begin to have an erotic thrill to it and if you’re into that kind of thing, then these books are for you. If you’re not, still read the books, but skip through the sex scenes. You won’t miss too much as long as you read the dialogue and skip the descriptions.

Just like in the past, here are the excerpts for each of the books. Just click on the titles to get the pages: Narcissus in Chains, Cerulean Sins, and Incubus Dreams.

Also reviewed by:

My Art Case

Read Order:
Guilty Pleasures – review
The Laughing Corpse – review
Circus Of The Damned – review
The Lunatic Cafe – review
Bloody Bones – review
The Killing Dance – review
Burnt Offerings – review
Blue Moon – review
Obsidian Butterfly – review
Narcissus In Chains – review
Cerulean Sins – review
Incubus Dreams – review
Micah – review
Danse Macabre – review
The Harlequin – review
Blood Noir – review
Skin Trade – review
Flirt – review
Bullet (June 2010)

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.