BLOOD NOIR ANITA BLAKE

Blood Noir
Laurrell K Hamilton
Berkley
May
ISBN 0425222195
Urban fantasy
****



To help out Jason, one of her many men, Anita Blake agrees to exaggerate their relationship and accompany the young werewolf home so he can hopefully reconcile with his dying father. Yet, once there, it is clear that her efforts are not only in vain, but may have put Jean-Claude, the Master of St. Louis, in danger from those who crave his power. On top of that, Anita's powers are continuing to evolve and grow, making her the focus of attention for Jean-Claude's rivals, not to mention the fact that the Mother of Darkness is still obsessed with the necromancer. However, it is another, completely unexpected enemy that will nearly cost Anita a piece of her heart.



Despite a few gratuitous sex scenes, which are easily skimmed past if you are among those who love Anita's world except for that angle, this is a fantastic story where character development is the main focus. Jason has been an intriguing man who lingered on the edge while the Alphas of various forms took center stage. Now, featured in his own right, he truly comes to life and is revealed to be a more complex, vulnerable and very loveable soul. The continuing cold war with Marmee Noir remains one of the more fascinating sub-threads to this saga, and I anxiously await its full blown treatment.