Bullet by Laurell K. Hamilton Thoughts
Jul. 30th, 2010 05:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaHonestly, I actually enjoyed it. I'm a bit shocked. I mean I still wouldn't say these are good books, nor recommend them, but since I'm apparently not going to stop reading them I am so glad that they're heading back to being more enjoyable.
- The biggest surprise/shock, of the good kind, was that this book was full of women. Despite have some reoccurring background female characters for the most part the books, especially the last half dozen, have been all about Anita and the boys. Even the background characters of the books tend to be male more often than not. But in this book there were women everywhere and while none of them had roles that could compete with the men in Anita’s life they were there everywhere you looked. It was almost as if woman made up half the human population or something. I was very pleased. I mean at one point we get a fight scene that involves Anita, Claudia and Kelly fighting Haven (with Rosamund and Travis in the background wanting to help but not being good enough) which was great.
The book actually starts as it means to go with three other women, previous characters in the series, making appearances in the first two chapters – Monica, JJ and Vivian. Vivan disappears after the first couple chapters and so does Monica though she’s mentioned a couple times, and JJ is ‘seen’ a couple times but mostly in the background (though she is given a magic-caused infatuation with a swanmaine, and is mentioned to want an open relationship with Jason). Claudia is back and shows up throughout the book, Meng Die is back, Gretchen is mentioned and shown once, both Belle Morte and Mother of All Darkness make appearances, Bibiana has a fair length phone conversation with Anita. There’s Cardinal, Damian’s lover, who shows up a couple times though I can’t remember if we’ve ever heard of her before. Lillian shows up once as does Valentina. We get a white tiger named Julia and a red tiger named Reba appearing at the end in an antagonistic way towards Anita.
- We get introduced to four new female characters that appear to be sticking around for future books (though probably in the background). That would have been enough to shock me and it all makes me wonder if LKH has gotten a lot of criticism lately about the lack of female characters in her Anita Blake books?
There are two new female were-lions – Kelly Reeder and Rosamond – who stand with Anita against Haven. Plus we get the revelation that a lot of the lion prides are actually run by women. It makes me hope, though still doubtful, that instead of Anita getting yet another guy in her life via a Rex for her lions she will instead rule it herself or with Kelly elevated to her second/‘mate’ and have her basically take over a ‘Micah’ type role for Anita. I believe it’s stated at some point that Kelly is the daughter of a Regina and she seems pretty capable. I think this could be an excellent direction for the next book to go in to deal with the lions.
Then there is Envy, a gold tiger, who kisses Anita and then has sex with Jean-Claude/Richard and who appears to be joining the menagerie. She doesn’t really have much of a personality yet but hopefully in the next book.
The final new reoccurring character is Yīyú (Black Jade) who is a black tiger who Anita ends up not only kissing but having sex with. Huh. It’s pretty tame for sex for Anita and she doesn’t bring Jade off with her hands or mouth, nor does Jade really touch Anita and part way through Domino joins them but it is something. Afterward Anita doesn’t react with regret or disgust and Reba’s disgust serves to make her protective and defensive of what happened. Maybe we’ll actually get more of that in the next book.
- With so many female characters in this book and the introduction of four new reoccurring characters I have hope that in the next book Anita will get an actual female friend. The whole idea of her adding female lovers is great but she seriously just needs a girl friend. I am nominating Kelly Reeder to become her new best friend.
- Richard stopped being an ass and the original triumvirate was back together! This makes me happy. The whole point of his return appears to make the triumvirate whole by completing the fourth mark but they don’t actually end up doing that. I wonder if that will be happening in the next book? I hope so. I do not want Richard going off again.
- I loved the direction of Jean-Claude and Anita starting a new vampire Council with him as the head of it. I was a bit irritated with it being called, and I suppose being, an American Council and apparently having dominion only over the USA since it makes a lot more sense to me for it to also include Canada and Mexico. Anyway I love the idea and I can’t wait to see how that plays out with the vampire/were politics in the next book, but especially, how it plays out with human politics. What is the president going to think about it? What are the various law enforcement agencies going to think about it? How will it affect Anita’s job as a US Marshall, her work with the police and just generally her interactions with the police/politicians? I’m really excited to see that. Will it mean that Anita will have to come out as Jean-Claude’s human servant?
- Anita becoming Mistress of Tigers made me roll my eyes a little but it makes sense in universe and the fact that they’re actively trying to make Jean-Claude Master of Tigers, to give him dominion/power of tigers as well helps.
- There was the implication in this book that Anita loves Nathanial (and possibly Micah) more than she does Jean-Claude. Richard falling in her affections makes sense but I find that I want Jean-Claude to be number one in her heart so it irritated me.
- I found myself feeling pretty bad for the various guards who once again found themselves caught in the middle of a romance tiff this time with Jean-Claude, Asher and Anita. Working for Jean-Claude must be like watching a live action soap opera. Plus, sure working for them is great because they are good and fair leaders unlike so many other Masters but then there also those random orgies that keep happening. Possibly a negative or a plus depending on who you are.
- The biggest surprise/shock, of the good kind, was that this book was full of women. Despite have some reoccurring background female characters for the most part the books, especially the last half dozen, have been all about Anita and the boys. Even the background characters of the books tend to be male more often than not. But in this book there were women everywhere and while none of them had roles that could compete with the men in Anita’s life they were there everywhere you looked. It was almost as if woman made up half the human population or something. I was very pleased. I mean at one point we get a fight scene that involves Anita, Claudia and Kelly fighting Haven (with Rosamund and Travis in the background wanting to help but not being good enough) which was great.
The book actually starts as it means to go with three other women, previous characters in the series, making appearances in the first two chapters – Monica, JJ and Vivian. Vivan disappears after the first couple chapters and so does Monica though she’s mentioned a couple times, and JJ is ‘seen’ a couple times but mostly in the background (though she is given a magic-caused infatuation with a swanmaine, and is mentioned to want an open relationship with Jason). Claudia is back and shows up throughout the book, Meng Die is back, Gretchen is mentioned and shown once, both Belle Morte and Mother of All Darkness make appearances, Bibiana has a fair length phone conversation with Anita. There’s Cardinal, Damian’s lover, who shows up a couple times though I can’t remember if we’ve ever heard of her before. Lillian shows up once as does Valentina. We get a white tiger named Julia and a red tiger named Reba appearing at the end in an antagonistic way towards Anita.
- We get introduced to four new female characters that appear to be sticking around for future books (though probably in the background). That would have been enough to shock me and it all makes me wonder if LKH has gotten a lot of criticism lately about the lack of female characters in her Anita Blake books?
There are two new female were-lions – Kelly Reeder and Rosamond – who stand with Anita against Haven. Plus we get the revelation that a lot of the lion prides are actually run by women. It makes me hope, though still doubtful, that instead of Anita getting yet another guy in her life via a Rex for her lions she will instead rule it herself or with Kelly elevated to her second/‘mate’ and have her basically take over a ‘Micah’ type role for Anita. I believe it’s stated at some point that Kelly is the daughter of a Regina and she seems pretty capable. I think this could be an excellent direction for the next book to go in to deal with the lions.
Then there is Envy, a gold tiger, who kisses Anita and then has sex with Jean-Claude/Richard and who appears to be joining the menagerie. She doesn’t really have much of a personality yet but hopefully in the next book.
The final new reoccurring character is Yīyú (Black Jade) who is a black tiger who Anita ends up not only kissing but having sex with. Huh. It’s pretty tame for sex for Anita and she doesn’t bring Jade off with her hands or mouth, nor does Jade really touch Anita and part way through Domino joins them but it is something. Afterward Anita doesn’t react with regret or disgust and Reba’s disgust serves to make her protective and defensive of what happened. Maybe we’ll actually get more of that in the next book.
- With so many female characters in this book and the introduction of four new reoccurring characters I have hope that in the next book Anita will get an actual female friend. The whole idea of her adding female lovers is great but she seriously just needs a girl friend. I am nominating Kelly Reeder to become her new best friend.
- Richard stopped being an ass and the original triumvirate was back together! This makes me happy. The whole point of his return appears to make the triumvirate whole by completing the fourth mark but they don’t actually end up doing that. I wonder if that will be happening in the next book? I hope so. I do not want Richard going off again.
- I loved the direction of Jean-Claude and Anita starting a new vampire Council with him as the head of it. I was a bit irritated with it being called, and I suppose being, an American Council and apparently having dominion only over the USA since it makes a lot more sense to me for it to also include Canada and Mexico. Anyway I love the idea and I can’t wait to see how that plays out with the vampire/were politics in the next book, but especially, how it plays out with human politics. What is the president going to think about it? What are the various law enforcement agencies going to think about it? How will it affect Anita’s job as a US Marshall, her work with the police and just generally her interactions with the police/politicians? I’m really excited to see that. Will it mean that Anita will have to come out as Jean-Claude’s human servant?
- Anita becoming Mistress of Tigers made me roll my eyes a little but it makes sense in universe and the fact that they’re actively trying to make Jean-Claude Master of Tigers, to give him dominion/power of tigers as well helps.
- There was the implication in this book that Anita loves Nathanial (and possibly Micah) more than she does Jean-Claude. Richard falling in her affections makes sense but I find that I want Jean-Claude to be number one in her heart so it irritated me.
- I found myself feeling pretty bad for the various guards who once again found themselves caught in the middle of a romance tiff this time with Jean-Claude, Asher and Anita. Working for Jean-Claude must be like watching a live action soap opera. Plus, sure working for them is great because they are good and fair leaders unlike so many other Masters but then there also those random orgies that keep happening. Possibly a negative or a plus depending on who you are.
