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kaos127's review against another edition
4.0
Anita Blake is a professional animator--she raises people from the dead. In vampire circles, she's known as the Executioner--a vampire slayer. In this alternate St. Louis, vampires, were-folk, zombies, etc., are considered people--they have open and legal status. Anita also works with the police on supernatural crimes.
Someone is killing vampires, so Anita is called in by the police, and the vampires--though they are not so nice in their asking. The master of the city is Nikolaos, a 1000+-year-old vamp who looks like a little girl. And she's stuck in cranky mode. Evil and dangerous, but Anita must work for her to stay alive, even though the partnership goes sour pretty quickly. She also ends up bound to another vamp, Jean-Claude, which has its own ramifications and problems. Anita eventually finds the killer, destroys Nikolaos, stays alive. Good intro to the series, but leans very much toward horror.
Someone is killing vampires, so Anita is called in by the police, and the vampires--though they are not so nice in their asking. The master of the city is Nikolaos, a 1000+-year-old vamp who looks like a little girl. And she's stuck in cranky mode. Evil and dangerous, but Anita must work for her to stay alive, even though the partnership goes sour pretty quickly. She also ends up bound to another vamp, Jean-Claude, which has its own ramifications and problems. Anita eventually finds the killer, destroys Nikolaos, stays alive. Good intro to the series, but leans very much toward horror.
kayee's review
3.0
Got this book as a gift from my MIL, who says that she went to the bookstore and asked for "Twilight, but for adults." I'm planning on reading it in airports and getting totally sucked into the series.
lanaerae's review against another edition
3.0
Eh, no real review. Not much to say, it was just okay. Perhaps because I've seen this series everywhere for so long I expected more. The again after what Windy said, I expected little. It's just kind of your run of the mill vampy novel. Doubt I care enough to go forward. Not great, not horrible, just average. I just didn't care about any of the characters that much.
jkpenny's review against another edition
1.0
Where to begin with this book? I suppose that, like the author, I could just jump right into the middle of things and make no effort to establish the story, world-building, or mythology in a clear manner. Because while it's one thing to say that you're writing a paranormal story with vampires and all sorts of other weird beasties, establishing the rules of the world you're writing about is pretty much a given. Not so in Guilty Pleasures!
I could also exhibit a form of mental disorder and jump around the story or focus on insignificant details which under some obscure definition might qualify as "characterization" or "plot development". But instead I'll try to be clear and concise when describing my issues with this book.
First, while this is ostensibly the first book in a series, there were times when I felt like I was dropped into a 3rd or 4th book. Characters were introduced in such a blase way that seemed to presume a level of recognition on the part of the reader.
Second, there was no obvious development of the relationships between the characters, and yet the reader was left to make the connection that somehow brief and insignificant interactions between characters had somehow led to deep and lasting connections between them. I felt like I was reading an abridged version of the novel, which would be fine except...
Third, the inconsequential details went on forever. The heroine could seemingly talk ad nauseum about the most trivial details. And instead of saying "No!" or "Nay!" or "Not so!" she insisted on saying something stupid or making an idiotic analogy and then saying "Naw."
Fourth, the villains (and yes I say "villains" plural, because why have one underdeveloped evil-doer when you can have more than one?!) were never terribly terrifying mainly because they just made no sense. Their motivations were unclear, something probably owed to a lack of adequate world-building, and their insistence on involving Anita Blake (the heroine, oh sorry, did I not mention her? Because she's apparently the biggest badass vampire hunter ever except that she seems to have no clue about vampires or their behavior... again, world-building!) in their misadventures.
I get that this book is the first in a series so presumably the world presented here is expanded and elaborated on in the later books. Presumably many of these characters will pop up again and will have their personalities and motivations elucidated. I presume all of this, because this book was it for me and Anita.
I could also exhibit a form of mental disorder and jump around the story or focus on insignificant details which under some obscure definition might qualify as "characterization" or "plot development". But instead I'll try to be clear and concise when describing my issues with this book.
First, while this is ostensibly the first book in a series, there were times when I felt like I was dropped into a 3rd or 4th book. Characters were introduced in such a blase way that seemed to presume a level of recognition on the part of the reader.
Second, there was no obvious development of the relationships between the characters, and yet the reader was left to make the connection that somehow brief and insignificant interactions between characters had somehow led to deep and lasting connections between them. I felt like I was reading an abridged version of the novel, which would be fine except...
Third, the inconsequential details went on forever. The heroine could seemingly talk ad nauseum about the most trivial details. And instead of saying "No!" or "Nay!" or "Not so!" she insisted on saying something stupid or making an idiotic analogy and then saying "Naw."
Fourth, the villains (and yes I say "villains" plural, because why have one underdeveloped evil-doer when you can have more than one?!) were never terribly terrifying mainly because they just made no sense. Their motivations were unclear, something probably owed to a lack of adequate world-building, and their insistence on involving Anita Blake (the heroine, oh sorry, did I not mention her? Because she's apparently the biggest badass vampire hunter ever except that she seems to have no clue about vampires or their behavior... again, world-building!) in their misadventures.
I get that this book is the first in a series so presumably the world presented here is expanded and elaborated on in the later books. Presumably many of these characters will pop up again and will have their personalities and motivations elucidated. I presume all of this, because this book was it for me and Anita.
laurabeth9's review
4.0
Anita Blake is a different sort of character. Totally conflicted between her religion, her job and her beliefs she sets off to raise the dead...and well kill the dead. Known as "The Executioner" she has a reputation for killing vampires, but the legal way (well sort of). Most of the time, she has a warrant and goes through the right channels, helping the police force anyway she can. Other times, she is fighting for her life and must come out on top or she will be dead. In this first installment, she has been forced to work for the vampires to figure out who is killing them off. Even though she doesn't want to take on the job, she must to save a very close friend. It seems as if everybody around her is in danger. In the process, she meets Jean-Claude (a very old vampire) with whom she forms a special sort of bond (but you'll have to read about that yourself). I just can't wait to see where it goes as well as what Anita Blake will be up to in the Laughing Corpse! I'm so glad I found this series!
olives903's review
3.0
I greatly enjoyed the Anita Blake character, even if some of the plot line didn't always make sense to me. I was really confused in a couple of places, and I'm not sold on this Jean-Claude character yet. I think I need a break before the next one.
shanvan17's review against another edition
2.0
After reading a bunch of young adult lit, I was ready for some steamy vampire stories. This one was good, but not so steamy. But from what I read at the back of the book, the series may get steamier. I will give it another chance.
lottiesmomma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
cillygirl75's review against another edition
4.0
If you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will like Anita Blake, Animator.
ccoleman813's review against another edition
5.0
I am so glad I started this series! I've heard a lot about Anita Blake, and they were all positive things. Guilty Pleasures was a great read. It kept my entertained with Anita's wit, and the plot never got boring.