I don't think it's unfair to say that when I discovered Laurell K. Hamilton in high school, I was at just the right age and maturity level to appreciate her work. Anyone who reads the current incarnations of Hamilton's work, specifically the later Anita Blake novels, and the whole Merry Gentry series, would probably find such a statement a bit shocking. As time has passed, Hamilton's works have gone from being fun paranormal mysteries, with high tension romance, and some smatterings of Harlequin (no pun intended in this specific review) sex scenes, but nothing too overboard. . .
Looking back, I recall that the first novel in the Anita Blake series, my beloved Guilty Pleasures, had naught but one single kiss in its pages. The necromancer, zombie raising, vampire executioner heroine didn't even have sex with anyone until probably book 4 or 5. Instead Hamilton focused on crimes, and mysteries, and the books were hella fun to read. Then, some time following Obsidian Butterfly (my first encounter with the series, but the 9th actual book in the series) something began to change.
Anita got a little. . . slutty.
But dedicated as I was, I kept right on reading, I even bought several of the books in hardcover because I wanted to know so badly how things would progress. And sadly, they progressed poorly. By book 14, Danse Macabre, I was getting more than a little annoyed with Hamilton and her over-sexualized series. So much so, that I said enough was enough, and swore to never venture into the series ever again.
Then people began to tell me "no, Ashley, we swear, it's gotten better." I scoffed and argued that Danse Macabre's actual plot could have been compressed into 2 chapters of the 50 chapter novel. The remaining 48 chapters had been largely smut, and most of the prose therein was overwhelmingly purple. But they kept insisting, and so I caved. I coughed up $9 and bought book 15, The Harlequin, in paperback.
And you know what? It wasn't bad. It was at least 1/3 into the book before ANYONE had sex. It by no means lived up to the expectations set by the original Blake novels (I suggest reading books 1-9 and then stopping, or venture forth at your own risk). There was, however, one thing that bothered me INTENSELY.
With about 1/4 left in the book, just prior to the confrontation with the novel's "big bad" (to borrow a Buffy phrase), Hamilton suddenly and without warning, changes the name of her villainess from Mercia to Columbine. Not only does it demonstrate poor editing, but for such an error to pass from hardcover into paperback just seems sloppy. Worse, still? It's not the first time it's happened. In Blue Moon (Book 8) she makes a similar error, changing a character's name from Betsy to Betty. It is a frustrating and jarring error. However, I was willing to forgive it somewhat because of Hamilton's return to focus on plot over porn.
Hopefully Book 16, which I refuse to buy in hardcover, will carry on the trend.
**.5 out of *****
2.5 out of 5
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