tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post1632733024645982196..comments2023-09-01T10:14:30.179+01:00Comments on Graeme's Fantasy Book Review: ‘Flirt’ – Laurell K. Hamilton (Headline)Graeme Floryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15411505049326440010noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-91099156284325771552011-03-30T02:47:55.341+01:002011-03-30T02:47:55.341+01:00I'd say that the books all before Incubus Drea...I'd say that the books all before Incubus Dreams were very good, never a dull moment, even if there was angst due to Anita's moral hangups and Richard's self hate.<br /><br />Richard did not just hate himself for being a werewolf either. It was more than that (which comes out later). He was an idealistic fool through and through, especially with his tiresome "we are humans, not animals" nonsense. (Yah, animals give up when they lose a fight, they don't come back to murder each other, or do any of the violence that humans do to other humans!)<br /><br />Anita also had/has? self hate problems and bottomless pit rage - and it comes out that it was an ethnic kind of problem for her - and who her father remarried, her siblings and then the guy she chose to date up until an engagement and (she should have expected it) rejection - due to ethnic reasons. Nothing supernatural. Just ethnic stuff. All this self hate and rage Anita had was prior to vampires and weres in her life. <br /><br />The problem with Richard and Anita is that he wants the ideal fantasy picket fense home and she was brainwashed into believing that she SHOULD want that. But the two were never compatible, she knew this when Richard was at her house cooking when she got home, and she felt him invading her space, she did NOT like it - and as for him, he even hated her animator job, he hated her cop work, all of it. The two were not for each other and that was more than obvious. <br /><br />This again, is Anita choosing to get involved with a guy that CAN NOT accept her - her step mom and siblings due to ethnic reasons, later, fiancee due to ethnic reasons, and Richard due to everything, her personality, all of it. Prior to the arduer, Anita had a nasty habit of choosing men that WILL reject her, can NOT accept her. <br /><br />Fans should have rejoiced at Anita's immediate "get along" with Micah. He IS the man for her. <br /><br />Still, aside from all that, the plots were dynamite, never a dull moment, and more than one mystery going on. <br /><br />Then Incubus Dreams came along. Honestly, the book is not erotic at all. It is hard core XX rated porn, the type not usually sold in stores or available in any libraries. And the "who is killing the strippers" mystery is barely dealt with. Of course, the trick used to make hard core porn out of what WAS urban fantasy and mystery - is the arduer. And OMG, it is BORING. There could have been very short and sweet and interesting ways to get into all that, not the hard core boring porn that LKH wrote. Anyone can get these books from a library! That is NOT the case with books labeled X-rated hard core porn. <br /><br />I'm still reading them, after Bullet - Hit List is the next book. Anita better very quickly get that fourth mark. Or does Anita WANT dangerous vampires to want her as a power base and try to take her from Jean Claude? That would be par for the course, considering her psychological history with her ethnic issues. <br /><br />Now, the Rachel Morgan series - THAT IS GOOD. I also like Patricia Briggs, Susan Krinard, Kerrylin Sparks, Lindsay Sands when she doesn't bog down in chapters of boring sex, Yasmine Galenorn, TP Marsh (one book from that, I can't find more but think there must be more). I also have others I'll get to eventually, like Jim Butcher.Ronovenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-34622576743069713162010-07-13T01:33:34.478+01:002010-07-13T01:33:34.478+01:00I always find it interesting to read reviews of th...I always find it interesting to read reviews of the most recent Anita Blake books, since I stopped them reading at book 6. Each time, I feel vindicated that I did.<br /><br />Someone else suggested you try up to Bloody Bones (book 5) and I would second that. By book 6, The Killing Dance, Anita shat me to tears! Her hypocracy was too great to put up with further.GBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06285294225570281353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-35295862223332535452010-07-12T09:25:16.360+01:002010-07-12T09:25:16.360+01:00This was a very entertaining review. It is always...This was a very entertaining review. It is always nice to know that others also get tired of contrived/over the top plot and characters. And the conflicted strength and weakness really does only work under particular well written circumstances.Betshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16311515917227146002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-49815183008016401362010-07-12T07:58:31.540+01:002010-07-12T07:58:31.540+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Betshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16311515917227146002noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-82120092755025841562010-07-09T15:13:56.112+01:002010-07-09T15:13:56.112+01:00You’ve heard people described as “such as flirt;” ...You’ve heard people described as “<a href="http://www.dirtytalk101.com/" rel="nofollow">such as flirt</a>;” and you, too, want to be able to harness that skill. Flirting is fun because it not only fulfills some of your instinctual needs to interact with others, but it also demonstrates to others your degree of interest in them. Likewise, the response to your flirtation indicates the degree of interest in you.Dom Casashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08678841601721339720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-3381522689228052582010-07-09T14:17:30.173+01:002010-07-09T14:17:30.173+01:00Sarah:
As some of the other commentators have chim...Sarah:<br />As some of the other commentators have chimed in, part of the reason that LKH engenders such contempt is that her early books were really good. She set the mark for the kind of norish strong-female protaganist that now seems to define Urban Fantasy. Up to at least Bloody Bones, they're great.<br />However as Graeme points out, it's just a series of random sex and domination games.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-91924767904483837342010-07-09T09:41:09.435+01:002010-07-09T09:41:09.435+01:00Hi Graeme - I would encourage you to give the earl...Hi Graeme - I would encourage you to give the early books a go, just to see the contrast with the later books. Honestly, this is why so many of the Anita Blake fans are so disappointed. Up to book nine, you had some interesting paranormal mysteries, a lot of powerful monsters, and a heroine who agonised over doing the right thing (and who, by the way, didn't want to have sex with everyone and everything because of her good upbringing). The utter shift in tone to the point where Anita is, basically, a slut turned off long-time fans. But there is much to enjoy about the first few books for sure.Magemandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08986754628836562869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-23984775604985116162010-07-09T08:29:47.965+01:002010-07-09T08:29:47.965+01:00Hi Anon - Funnily enough, other books by Laurell K...Hi Anon - Funnily enough, other books by Laurell K. Hamilton have scored a lot less here. Have a look and you'll see them around and about ;o) This time round there was at least some attention paid to the fact that was meant to be a story to go along with the endless relationship angst and bad sex. It wasn't full of glaring typos either (and I've read some of those) so that bumped things up a little more. If you have a blog, I'd love to read your thoughts on 'Flirt' if you ever read it.<br /><br />Jo - I was sent a review copy of 'Bullet' and I may yet give it a go. What made you put it down so soon (if not the stuff that irked me about 'Flirt')?<br /><br />Sarah - I haven't read the early books but the general consensus appears to be that they were the best books of the series. The quality of the more recent books vary, at least as far as I'm concerned.Graeme Floryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15411505049326440010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-75936396670549845462010-07-09T06:13:44.469+01:002010-07-09T06:13:44.469+01:00So, I'm not sure if anyone will answer this qu...So, I'm not sure if anyone will answer this question or not but I've not started the Anita Blake series because a few people told me that the series starts with a bang and then really fizzes out toward the mid-point-current point the books are at. Is that accurate? This review seems to suggest that, but as someone else mentioned, everyone has their own criteria for reviewing. <br /><br />I should just get off my butt and give the series a shot. :-D Thanks for the honest review.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-2699932505003999112010-07-09T03:48:56.483+01:002010-07-09T03:48:56.483+01:00We each have our own criteria for reviews, oh brav...We each have our own criteria for reviews, oh brave "anonymous". Exactly what is it that makes you so sure your idea of a 2 out of 10 should match up to Graeme's? Perhaps for Graeme competent storytelling and good grammar equals a baseline three; perhaps for you, a book you just out and out don't enjoy is an awful book. You do get that criticism is subjective, right?<br /><br />Honestly, if you're going to call Graeme on scoring books too high, at least have the good grace to say who you are instead of hiding behind anonymity. Sign in and maybe you'll get a discussion. Otherwise, take your damn trolling elsewhere.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08713791516631476930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-56422654297195711092010-07-09T02:24:34.801+01:002010-07-09T02:24:34.801+01:00I picked this up because I was curious, and becaus...I picked this up because I was curious, and because Jennie Breeden, who writes The Devil's Panties (which I love) was part of this whole real-life story. I read it, I tolerated it, and then I recently picked up Bullet. And returned it to the library after getting 1/3 of the way through it. I am giving up on Anita. I'll keep reading the Merry Gentry series ... for now.Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03456689516505172959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8679457768571800783.post-66998918943692003802010-07-09T01:18:54.202+01:002010-07-09T01:18:54.202+01:00This sounded (to me at least) more like a 2 out of...This sounded (to me at least) more like a 2 out of 10. How does it get a whole mid-score of almost 5 ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com