Blood Noir by LK Hamilton

One of my favorite authors, Laurell K Hamilton’s newest novel, Blood Noir, is out and it focuses on a favorite character of mine. Personally, I think it’s about time that we get to learn more about Jason, but I think we ended up learning more than we wanted to.

A favor for Jason, vampire hunter Anita Blake’s werewolf lover, puts her in the center of a fullblown scandal that threatens master-vampire Jean-Claude’s reign and makes her a pawn in an ancient vampire queen’s new rise to power.

My first thought when I saw the novel was “what was with the cover”. It seems so tame compared to the previous 15 novels, that I wasn’t sure what to think about it. It still doesn’t make sense to me, but I can live with that. I will also say I’m a little confused about the title as well. Blood Noir is an awesome name, but I don’t get the connection it has with the story. With all of her previous novels, you knew by the title that it was going to be something. Either the name of a club that was spotlighted, a person[s] that were going to cause trouble, or even some metaphysical crap that always seem to pop up in Anita’s life. This time, I never once saw the words “blood noir” appear in the novel. When I hear the word noir, I see the old black and white sam spade movies and I do not get that sense from the novel. In fact, the feel of the novel is an exact opposite from her previous novels. Everything up to this point has had a bit of a dark and twisty feel. Anita is more comfortable in the dark and you could tell that’s where her world was. However, with this novel, it had a whole different feel…like the sun was shining and the birds were singing. So not what I’ve come to expect from Anita. But, in reality, this so completely worked.

Even though Blood Noir was originally intended be a novella, like Micah, the fact that it went longer was a really good thing. We finally get to learn more about Jason, the one member that has known Anita longer than all of her lovers, which ends up leading to a lot of revelations that center around Anita as well. She’s finally starting to get a clue on what her actions mean for Jean-Claude and his power base. The book is definitely a turning point in the ongoing story arc and resolves a lot of things that were getting a bit tiresome. Maybe resolves is a bit strong, but it definitely makes some serious changes that is going to change the way the triumvirate works in the future. I’m really curious to see these changes take effect, especially considering the changes Richard went through. I think things are going to get more complicated and interesting in the next couple of novels. Not just with the vampires and their struggles with the Mother of All Darkness, but with their personal lives as well.

Overall, the novel was just as exciting and amazing as Hamilton’s previous novels. We still have the eroticism that came with the ardeur, but it’s not as overblown as when it first arrived. Anita has learned more control and it shows in her interactions with everyone. We’re given more plot and more conflicts, but without all of the sexual overtures that have been prevalent in the past. Well, Jason is still Jason, so we don’t get as much sex as we do flirting and teasing. Blood Noir had a different feeling, but it was a good feeling and so worth the read. I don’t usually buy the hardcovers since I have all the other novels in paperback, but since I’m going to see her next week, I wanted to read the story. I have to say, I don’t regret buying it now. I’ll be able to go back and reread it again and again. Hamilton is getting back to some great story telling without the sex and anyone who doesn’t want to read this novel is crazy.

Also reviewed by:
Books and Myth
Darque Reviews
Graeme
Books Line

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)