Blood Noir
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
Thank you Amazon for the picture
“I came home to find two men sitting at my kitchen table. One of them was my live-in sweetie. The other was one of our best friends. One of them was a wereleopard; the other was a werewolf, both of them were strippers. At least once a month they took off more than just their clothes on stage. They changed shape on stage in front of a live audience. Those nights the club was standing room only. I mean you can go to other clubs to see men take their clothes off, but their entire skin and body . . . well, that was unique.
Nathaniel came to greet me with a kiss and a hug. I let my hands play in the long, thick auburn hair that trailed down his broad shoulders, the curve of his waist, the tightness of his ass, and the long muscular legs. He was 5′ 7″ now, an inch taller than when I’d met him. In my three inch heels I was still an inch shorter than him. At twenty-one he was finally growing into the promise of those shoulders. His face was less soft than it had been, and more masculine. He would always be beautiful rather than handsome, but the bone structure had changed minutely so he just suddenly looked his age, instead of like jail bait.”
Check the shelves on May 27, 2008 for Laurell Hamilton’s new book Blood Noir. Readers can’t seem to get enough of the #1 New York Times bestselling author.
Jean-Claude’s pomme de sange Lycan Jason visits his master’s human servant vampire executioner and living vampire who feeds off of sex. He asks Anita Blake to accompany him as his pretend lover when he visits his dying estranged father. Anita agrees when Jason informs her that his father refuses to speak to him not due to his lycanthropic condition, but because the older man believes his son is homosexual.
Jason and Anita arrive to find out that Keith Summerland, who looks like Jason’s twin, is getting married this weekend. Pretending affection in public Jason kisses Anita in front of a reporter causing a scandal in which other Masters consider grabbing the seemingly weakened Jean-Claude’s territory. To prevent this Jean-Claude will have to display anger in public and punish his errant servants.
Meanwhile first vampire Marmee Noir, the Mother of All Darkness and has been asleep for a millennium, is attracted to Anita’s powers. She strikes at Anita and Marmee Noir makes her have sex with two shape shifters including a were tiger. Anita feels another metaphysical tiger in her body. Jason and Anita still worry about an enraged vampire because Keith married the wife of the Master of the City; and the Master Vamp wants the interloper dead. The authorities fear for the lives of Jason and Anita while she also has to deal with Marmee Noir without the help of Jean-Claude
Blood Noir is very different in tone than the previous books in the Anita Blake saga as the heroine for the most part costars with one man rather than her usual male queue. This allows the audience to see another side of the vampire slayer as she shows she can relate to a man without being in love with him; an extraordinary concept. Although well written, too many key unanswered questions involving Marmee Noir exist, which subtracts from an otherwise strong tale as Anita proves to herself she can enjoy without love sans guilt.
I believe that Blake fans all over will appreciate how far the star goes for a friend. As for me well if you can’t pick up a copy for yourself, I may be persuaded to loan you my copy.
Happy Reading
Sarah