Vampire Hunter Novel - Circus of the Damned - An Anita Blake

There is a dose of politics in this one, both the human kind, and the vampire kind. The human issue is one of separatism, basically, as the Humans First organisation wants more information on and the ability to get rid of, the vampire power structures in the city.

This book again has Edward, which is always good.

Imagine if the Executioner or the Punisher got bored with hunting and killing crims and decided on something trickier, and you have a bit of an idea what Edward is about. Except that he is not so keen on the girls as the Executioner.

Another powerful group of supernaturals also roll into town, and there is a nice, big, battle, which is action packed and a lot of fun.

Not bad. I liked this one better than I did The Laughing Corpse.

As far as the story went, I liked it just fine. It isn't one of my favorite books, by far, but the story wasn't bad. To be honest, I don't really like Anita. It isn't that the creation of Anita is bad, I just don't like who she is. I appreciate her loyalty and hard-working attitude, but I'm really over her "better than you" speeches and tackiness that she constantly exudes.

I typed this review six times already, and I keep erasing it. The gist of it is there are a few things about Anita I just don't like, and it makes it hard for me to like her as a whole. While I like the overall story, I get tired of Anita always trying to piss people off, always being so angry, and always jumping on everyone's toes. Why should I, the reader, give a crap about an aggressive, self-righteous antagonistic person who acts like that? Just because she also works out with her friend and offers REAL coffee when someone comes over? It's hard to like the story, and most of the characters, but not the MAIN character.

The third installment of the Anita Blake series,is one of the best, in my opinion. It has a little of everything, suspence, horror, mystery, romance. You definatley should read this series in order, as each book builds from the last. This one, not only builds on the Jean-Claude character, which we all love, but introduces a new love interest for Anita. The triangle is forming, the horror is getting more horrific, and Anita is as tuff as ever. Love her style. Read the first two, that will hook you, and be prepared to get totally engrossed in this series, when you read this intstallment of Anita Blake.

i read this book because a friend of mine had bought it but had not gotten around to reading it, so i did. i'll start with the bad things. It was way to much action. It seemed like it was just one big action scene after another. if your an action guy then this is a good book for you. if on the other hand you like your books with a little more depth and insight, then this would be a wasteful read. it also doesn't have a lot of character analysis and you dont have any sympathy or empathy for any of the characters. The ending was bit cheesy as well. It was unreal and it could have been played out better. Plus the author writes vamire lore to her liking to go along with the story, not with what is more widely known.
What i can say for the plus side is that i was into the story and couldn't put it down (i finished it in 2 days and missed a days worth of classes.) the action scenes were well written as well and the author is very descriptive.
i personally think that it would have been better if the book was longer so that we could get to know Anita Blake and the people invovled in her lives a little better. also it would allow a little breathing time between the action scenes. again, if you like action then buy it. it just wasn't in my taste of books.

I am religiously reading these in order, and each one is progressively harder to put down. Obviously one has to suspend a lot of disbelief - Anita beats a lot of baddies who are bigger than her - but Ms Hamilton writes will enough to persuade you to do this. These are great stories of the supernatural and magic, which move at a fast pace - none of your languid Anne Rice-style eroticism here. But then, this is what makes them entertaining. The other thing that lifts this series above the ordinary is the characters, which are well-drawn, and appealing. It's nice to read stories populated by people with feelings. I am looking forward to seeing how Anita's new relationship is handled.

The third installment of the Anita Blake series pits our favorite necromancer against a vampire looking to make her his human servant and a giant cobra. Of course, Jean-Claude's none too thrilled about that as he wants Anita for himself. She needs him, too, but she also has her reservations.

This series introduces us a bit more into the world of lycanthropes and we meet another big player in the series, Richard Zeeman. He's Jean-Claude's wolf to call, and more competition for Anita's heart.

Building on the themes of the first two books, Anita grows more into her powers. I was glad to see Jean-Claude get more screen time in this book compared to the second. There is plenty of action and I enjoyed this book a bit more than the second. It's less gory, but you still feel the grit of the underworld. At this point in the series, I recommend continuing onto book 4.

I know it's only the 3rd book in the series, but each book has its own storyline and keeps getting better if that is even possible!! Circus if the Damned is no exception. It feels to me that Anita always gets in way over her head and she survives every time. With every book new "monsters" gets introduce, I mean a lamia. I didn't even know what it was!! This book has it all - love, danger, fights, betrayal.
I love the writing style of Laurell K. Hamilton. It adds to the enjoyment of reading this series. And it will keep you wanting more of the world that Anita Blake lives in.

Of all of the vampire books I have read, this is my favorite. This is a book you can read and read again. Each time finding something different. It makes you start to wonder if they realy are out there.
It is also one of the most believe able vampire book I have read. And believe you me, I have read them all. Or atleast all that I could find. Not many people have a the same flair for combining fiction with reality.
Anita Blake can almost come off the pages. My friends and I have a full set of her books. They are all well read, and the spines are crumbling off of the books. And yes I have read all of the Anita Blake books through Bloody Bones.

I love Anita Blake! She's so human - (i think) flawed but brave, vindictive with a dopple of mercy if deserved! The world of Anita Blake goes beyond the possibilites in fantasy. After reading her stories you may believe that you'd find Animators Inc. actually listed in the Yellow Pages! Circus of the Damned is powerhouse story and will leave wanting any circus in your past or future! I finished this in six hours because I couldn't leave the book without knowing just what was next in store for Anita, Richard her werewolf love interest, and Jean-Claude, the suave and debonair Vampire who loves Anita with all of his undead heart! It may sound an undoable storyline, but under Hamilton's pen it works beautifully!!

My wife has been pushing and pushing to get me to read one of these books.
Heh. I'm pretty impressed. New readers to the series won't find this to be too bad of a starting off point. Everything is pretty nicely explained, and the action is fast and grisly.
There's plenty of violence and lust to go around. Anita is portrayed pretty vividly, and it's clear that she makes some pretty tough choices as she goes along. She's got a great narration voice.
The ending is a little pat, and it doesn't really explain why Anita puts up with Bert, her boss, but otherwise, this is a pretty fun book.

This is the third in LKH's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series, and as usual this book is excellent. I'm sure that someone out there doesn't like this series and can tear it to pieces, I'm not that person. In this book Anita is having problems (again) with Jean-Claude, her nemisis and walking fantasy. Jean-Claude is a vampire who wants to possess Anita in more ways than one. Someone bigger and badder than Jean-Claude is in town and Anita has to decide who she wants to back in the final confrontation. The in/famous Richard is introduced in this book. I'll let you form your own opinion, you either love him or hate him. I am partial to the witty repartee between J-C and Anita. The secondary characters in this book just won't stay secondary. You'll fall in love with moody Asher, fun-loving Jason and too many more to name. This is a must read series!

The Anita Blake series is truly addictive (it even managed to snare a friend who pooh-poohed the rest of us for years). Circus of the Damned has a lot of great action and introduces some new characters and plot elements, but it has one very annoying timing flaw I wish they'd correct. At one point Anita's car is wrecked, totalled. She then drives out to a meeting (and makes a special point of it, since she is characteristically--and rightfully--paranoid about riding with someone else) then back to the office to talk with her boss. It's only later that night (and several chapters further) that she explains that there'd been no time to rent a car and that they'd had to use Larry's to make her work appointments-- leaving us with the question, what on earth was she driving all that day? This should never had made it past the editor. It would be fairly easy to correct, and I'd hoped they would do so before reissuing it in paperback and book club editions, but no such luck. In a series with relatively few and minor inconsistencies, some of which can be forgiven as the characters and plot matures, this one annoys me every time I read it. Otherwise, it's a great read, good bad guys, good action, etc. It's not my favourite in the series, but it has some of the best pageantry and sets up the rest of the storyline. Besides, how can you go wrong with giant and/or seductive snakes?

Jean Claude is having problems in his new position as Master of the City. He has hidden his powers for so long that the local vampire population is underestimating him. Weakness also attracts stonger predators and some very old vampires are coming to take over his city. It would help if his putative human servant would be more cooperative. Anita Blake is noone's servant and isn't shy about telling Jean Claude. Another vampire might see this as a challenge and an opportunity to take even more of the Master's power. Will Anita help him consolidate his powers or destroy him?
Ms. Hamilton has written an incredibly gripping story here. I read it in one sitting. The series is progressing nicely and the new characters add much to the story line. Great series.

Of the first three Anita Blake's novels this is surely the worst.

This hit me as totally unexpected and I am very disappointed.

The problem lies in the plot, misconstructed, discontinuous, a heap of unrelated events thrown together with little sense, not to mention a mass of inconsistencies spread throughout the pages. Inconsistencies in characters descriptions and details are to be found in all the first four books but here we have mistakes such as Anita driving her car which was wrecked the night before and is again the day after. Hard to swallow.

In such a context that some ideas are really good and some characters very interesting matters very little.

Anita Blake is the best Vampire Hunter ever and coming from me, one of the biggest Buffy fans ever, this is a huge huge compliment! The action is almost non-stop in this book, which is part of a powerful series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Anita is strong, witty and still seems human. She feels like a real character and though her world is more fantastic than ours, her self admitted flaws and her undoubtable strengths make her seem like a real human being. I have read up till Cerulean Sins and I advise everyone else who is a fan of either Buffy or Vampires and the supernatural in general to read the whole series as well! =^) I love this book!!

In the third installment of Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake" series, all doubts dissappear. This is great fun!
Where the first two books seemed a little "simple", this one really keeps you guessing. She brought in a fun love-triangle between Anita, Jean Claude and a new beau which heats up through the story.
We also meet a few new & very cool monsters - (A half-snake/half woman with retractable fangs, and a master-vamp so old, he is technically a cave man!).
The ending is exciting and not at all predictible... I am glad to see the novels becoming more intracate - #4 here I come!

Well, darn! I read this one and really enjoyed it, and after I finished it, I realized I read it out of order. I'm bummed, because now I have to go back and read the second one.. But this one was a great read, and the character-development continues to be fun..love the humor and sarcastic-wit as it continues on. There is lots of blood, and a few deaths that bummed me out, but overall, an excellant read.

Of all of the vampire books I have read, this is my favorite. This is a book you can read and read again. Each time finding something different. It makes you start to wonder if they realy are out there.
It is also one of the most believe able vampire book I have read. And believe you me, I have read them all. Or atleast all that I could find. Not many people have a the same flair for combining fiction with reality.
Anita Blake can almost come off the pages. My friends and I have a full set of her books. They are all well read, and the spines are crumbling off of the books. And yes I have read all of the Anita Blake books through Bloody Bones.

I love Anita Blake! She's so human - (i think) flawed but brave, vindictive with a dopple of mercy if deserved! The world of Anita Blake goes beyond the possibilites in fantasy. After reading her stories you may believe that you'd find Animators Inc. actually listed in the Yellow Pages! Circus of the Damned is powerhouse story and will leave wanting any circus in your past or future! I finished this in six hours because I couldn't leave the book without knowing just what was next in store for Anita, Richard her werewolf love interest, and Jean-Claude, the suave and debonair Vampire who loves Anita with all of his undead heart! It may sound an undoable storyline, but under Hamilton's pen it works beautifully!!

My wife has been pushing and pushing to get me to read one of these books.
Heh. I'm pretty impressed. New readers to the series won't find this to be too bad of a starting off point. Everything is pretty nicely explained, and the action is fast and grisly.
There's plenty of violence and lust to go around. Anita is portrayed pretty vividly, and it's clear that she makes some pretty tough choices as she goes along. She's got a great narration voice.
The ending is a little pat, and it doesn't really explain why Anita puts up with Bert, her boss, but otherwise, this is a pretty fun book.

This is the third in LKH's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series, and as usual this book is excellent. I'm sure that someone out there doesn't like this series and can tear it to pieces, I'm not that person. In this book Anita is having problems (again) with Jean-Claude, her nemisis and walking fantasy. Jean-Claude is a vampire who wants to possess Anita in more ways than one. Someone bigger and badder than Jean-Claude is in town and Anita has to decide who she wants to back in the final confrontation. The in/famous Richard is introduced in this book. I'll let you form your own opinion, you either love him or hate him. I am partial to the witty repartee between J-C and Anita. The secondary characters in this book just won't stay secondary. You'll fall in love with moody Asher, fun-loving Jason and too many more to name. This is a must read series!

The Anita Blake series is truly addictive (it even managed to snare a friend who pooh-poohed the rest of us for years). Circus of the Damned has a lot of great action and introduces some new characters and plot elements, but it has one very annoying timing flaw I wish they'd correct. At one point Anita's car is wrecked, totalled. She then drives out to a meeting (and makes a special point of it, since she is characteristically--and rightfully--paranoid about riding with someone else) then back to the office to talk with her boss. It's only later that night (and several chapters further) that she explains that there'd been no time to rent a car and that they'd had to use Larry's to make her work appointments-- leaving us with the question, what on earth was she driving all that day? This should never had made it past the editor. It would be fairly easy to correct, and I'd hoped they would do so before reissuing it in paperback and book club editions, but no such luck. In a series with relatively few and minor inconsistencies, some of which can be forgiven as the characters and plot matures, this one annoys me every time I read it. Otherwise, it's a great read, good bad guys, good action, etc. It's not my favourite in the series, but it has some of the best pageantry and sets up the rest of the storyline. Besides, how can you go wrong with giant and/or seductive snakes?

Jean Claude is having problems in his new position as Master of the City. He has hidden his powers for so long that the local vampire population is underestimating him. Weakness also attracts stonger predators and some very old vampires are coming to take over his city. It would help if his putative human servant would be more cooperative. Anita Blake is noone's servant and isn't shy about telling Jean Claude. Another vampire might see this as a challenge and an opportunity to take even more of the Master's power. Will Anita help him consolidate his powers or destroy him?
Ms. Hamilton has written an incredibly gripping story here. I read it in one sitting. The series is progressing nicely and the new characters add much to the story line. Great series.

Of the first three Anita Blake's novels this is surely the worst.

This hit me as totally unexpected and I am very disappointed.

The problem lies in the plot, misconstructed, discontinuous, a heap of unrelated events thrown together with little sense, not to mention a mass of inconsistencies spread throughout the pages. Inconsistencies in characters descriptions and details are to be found in all the first four books but here we have mistakes such as Anita driving her car which was wrecked the night before and is again the day after. Hard to swallow.

In such a context that some ideas are really good and some characters very interesting matters very little.

Anita Blake is the best Vampire Hunter ever and coming from me, one of the biggest Buffy fans ever, this is a huge huge compliment! The action is almost non-stop in this book, which is part of a powerful series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Anita is strong, witty and still seems human. She feels like a real character and though her world is more fantastic than ours, her self admitted flaws and her undoubtable strengths make her seem like a real human being. I have read up till Cerulean Sins and I advise everyone else who is a fan of either Buffy or Vampires and the supernatural in general to read the whole series as well! =^) I love this book!!

In the third installment of Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake" series, all doubts dissappear. This is great fun!
Where the first two books seemed a little "simple", this one really keeps you guessing. She brought in a fun love-triangle between Anita, Jean Claude and a new beau which heats up through the story.
We also meet a few new & very cool monsters - (A half-snake/half woman with retractable fangs, and a master-vamp so old, he is technically a cave man!).
The ending is exciting and not at all predictible... I am glad to see the novels becoming more intracate - #4 here I come!

Well, darn! I read this one and really enjoyed it, and after I finished it, I realized I read it out of order. I'm bummed, because now I have to go back and read the second one.. But this one was a great read, and the character-development continues to be fun..love the humor and sarcastic-wit as it continues on. There is lots of blood, and a few deaths that bummed me out, but overall, an excellant read.

Of course, I loved it - but no one is surprised since I love anything by LKH. I think most of the characters in this book are well developed as, of course, is the world they inhabit. I liked the vampire politics as well as the conflicted nature of vampires being US citizens. One of the inhuman creatures wasn't well developed. Her "race" just didn't seem well developed the way the shapeshifters and vampires are. I didn't quite feel like I understood what was going on with that, but I suppose Anita didn't either, so it worked in context. I liked the introduction of Richard. Very fun. ***** Spoiler, read no further***** The ultimate bad guy as a "really old rogue master vamp" kinda thing seemed a little hokey - but it was dramatic. Anita's Deus Ex Machina act at the end I found frustrating, I'd have preferred something more real.

If I could give 3 and a half stars, I would. With the exception of the spelling and grammatical errors and the way-too-quick ending, this was a very enjoyable read. A million-year-old vampire??? Please! But the rest of the book was good enough for me to overlook those problems. Finally, Anita is developing real relationships with other characters, both with friends and possible lovers. The action is fast and the body count is high. Hamilton's world is shaping up nicely and I'm looking forward to book # 4, THE LUNATIC CAFE, which I hear is one of the best.

So far I have read three of the nine Anita Blake books and I have not been diappointed so far. This third novel is exciting to the core. Even though you sense that Jean Claude will not be killed in this novel you still find your-self wondering how Anita will get herself out of this particular jam. The author keeps adding interesting characters. Richard and his story line seem promissing. Edward adds a dangerous touch. I must admit to being a Jean Claud fan.I read books 1 to 3 extreemly fast. I was just too excited about what would happen next. I am now waiting for books 4 to 9 to be deliered to my door. Let's hope the rest of the series is half as interesting as the first three.

Hamilton has once again done an excelent job balancing character development with action and of course a plot (always a good idea for a work of fiction)...
This was the first Anita Blake book I read after picking it randomly off the shelves of my local [book store], and now I've been eating up her books like chocolate. I think my favorite part of Anita is the way I can relate to her so well insofar as personality and physique are concerned.
Definitely worth the money and the wait to buy her books!

Love this series. This book has character development and action so if you're worried that Anita is going to (spoiler?) hate Jean Claude forever then don't because you can see something going on there. Not sure what that something is but it's there.
My cover wasn't the same but as the saying goes. Don't judge a book by it's cover :)

Laurell K. Hamilton again conquers the world of vampires and shapeshifters with cutting wit and outstanding action.
Anita Blake is back, and better than ever. I think this is one of the best books in the entire series--and I love the whole series.
Jean-Claude is enough to make you drool and we get to meet a new love interest in Richard.
This is Hamilton at her best. A must for any vampire fanatic and I am convinced that Anita is a cult favorite with ever growing popularity.

So I needed a Vamp fix after Black Dagger Brotherhood (best series I have read so far action, drama, passion, romance ...the works). So I decided to check out Anita Blake, it was not what I expected there has been no romance, or steamy scenes of any kind so far Im on book 3....but I AM NOT disappointed the action and drama is fast paced. I love a cycnical kick @$$ chick. I bought the first 11 and intend to read them all. It's a great series, very gory, gritty, and abit scary I LUV it;)Hard to stop reading once you start! I just wish she would get with Jean-Claude already...

I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. The writing style at times leaves much to be desired. However, the humor and the originality in the story far outweighs the writing. I found myself laughing out loud in many places. Anita Blake is a character whom is brave and funny. The book is filled with humor, yet there is something seductive about the vampire Jean-Claude being in love with Anita. This is great light reading, and it sent me scrambling for more of Laurell K. Hamiltons stuff!

This book was great once I got in the mood for it! If you can take all the sex and just add the adventure with it then you get a deep engaging read. If you get hung up on all the sex like it's a porno or something then you won't like it. I think of it like an adult situation. There is adventure, there is sex with a mate and there is violence then comes breeding and death. So I really think you should give this 3rd installment a go.

I really think I am beyond obsessed when it comes to the Anita Blake series. At first, I felt the book was going at a fast paced. Towards the end I was kind of glad that it was, because i wanted to know what happenes right away. I am upset that Laurell K. Hamilton gave Anita a new beau but I could almost see why she did it. In every romantic plot, you need to give a huge surprise to keep readers interested. At least that is what i think. Everyone expected Anita to give in to Jean-Claude, but she didn't. It makes me want to see what happens in the next book.

I love this series!
I love Anita Blake, she is one of themost entertaining lead characters I have come accross. You can't help but love her.
Hamilton continues to develop, and bring us more and more into this world she has created in this series.
I highly recommend this series, but don't start here you will have missed to much. Start at the beginning with Guilty Pleasures. You won't be disappointed

Of all the Anita Blake novels; I find this one to be one of the best...and also one of the most important to read. The action scenes are amongst the best Laurell K. Hamilton has ever written and the story was well thought out and delivered. Also in this story are many plotlines that are continued throughout other books, so it's fairly important to read this book if you're to understand the series...a good read...and an even better series!

This author was suggested to me by a friend. I am pleased to report that it was all and more than they had boasted.

Laurel K. Hamilton is an amazingly brilliant author. Her writing is elegant and captivating, yet simple and effective. Truly a series of novels that keep you wanting more from beginning to end.

I highly recommend this book to everyone - Especially if you like vampires!

Anita Blake does it again! Only this time she gets to choose between two hotties(^_______^), Jean-Claude, the vampire hottie extrodanaire, and Richard, the nice guy from next door. This proves wildly entertaining! (CHOOSE JEAN-CLAUDE, ANITA, CHOOSE JEAN-CLAUDE!)There is nothing wrong with the boys from next door, but personally I think Anita needs to get herself a huge piece of Jean-Claude!:D

Have you read Mercedes Lackey's Diana Tregarde novels and wished there were more out there like them? This is where you need to be looking. Anita is certainly her own character and she has an attitude I love. The characters in these novels are gripping and seem realistic, for a bunch of supernatural creatures that is. The relationships and characters all feel like real people. I have read them all and it only gets better.

I love the way Anita desribes Jean Claude. He is too fantastic, this book got me hooked on the whole series. Her adventures are always such page turners, she gets beaten up nearly every night, and then goes home to drink a cup of coffee. Anita Blake is too cool, but she needs to go for JC.(she makes me feel proud to be a tough woman.)

Circus of the Damned is a great addition to the Anita Blake series. This time around Anita is fighting against a rogue vampire, keeping at arms length with Jean-Claude, and becoming attracted to hunky werewolf teacher, Richard. The great thing about this book is that Ms. Hamilton is becoming a better writer. Her plot is well-crafted, suspenseful, and great fun.

Anita is getting better and better. This is exciting reading but if you do not like snakes, look elsewhere. They even grossed Anita out. This is a 'cannot put down' book. Her relationship with Jean-Claude has reached a sticky point, and she is getting closer to Richard in this book. Edward is a great character and his and Anita's interaction is so cool. On to the next!

Absolutely in love. Once again I was locked in on another rollercoaster ride. I'm pretty sure I like this book better than the Laughing Corpse. It has a lot more insight to Anitas true feelings toward Jean Claude. Onto the next book!

Boy the series just keeps getting better, Anita not only does she have the Master of the City after her she also has a really HOT werewolf chasing after her too along with zombies and vampires boy how exciting to be her.

this series is basically my paranormal encyclopedia. . . it always seems like every book i read after is just a book but these are the "real way its supposed to be" hahahah. . . .definately the best vampire/paranormal series ever written i think

I picked up this book at a used book store for cheap hoping for a fun easy read about vampires and the supernatural. It was an easy read and that was about it. I had heard the series was interesting in the beginning, but the truth is the writing is awful and the narrator is completely unlikable and comes across as a narcissistic mary-sue right from the get go. The supporting cast are bland pieces of cardboard who exist either to fawn over Ms. (don't get me started how pretentious that is) Blake or to threaten her (often for ambiguous reasons). I also sincerely hope Nike paid the author big bucks considering every character seems to own a pair.

_Circus of the Damned_ is the third Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter book. Anita Blake is an animator who makes a living raising the dead. In this book, Anita is drawn into the vampire politics of St. Louis when new vampires come to town and want her for a human servant. Anita is a clever, humorous, tough heroine, and I highly recommend this book.

Never before has a charector been portrayed as Witty, fearless, tough, and yet very feminine, all at once! Laurell K. Hamiton blows away all Sci-fi/Suspense/Horror writers. If your one for chills, nervous laughter, and a few romantic highlights...read the Anita Blake series.

Anita Blake and Jean-Claude are great together. When Anita goes to get Jean-Claude and asked him to help her. She tells him that she doesn't want him to keep calling her Ma-petite. He just laughs at her.But she is secretly in love with him but she can't love a vampire one of her rules.

Fantastic read. I couldn't guess the end the book was full of suspense action and betrayal. We saw Anita's life hand in the balance alongside Jean-Claude - will they ever get together..... already ordered the next book. Absolutely loved this book very short read (two nights) couldn't put it down. There is also a new possible love interest for Anita in this novel and we are left hanging for the next installment as to who she will pick! can't wait.

I just can't seem to get enough of Anita Blake. I have loved all of the first 3 books and can't wait to start Lunatic Cafe. Ms. Hamilton is an amazing writer who is able to create a world that is part science fiction, romance, suspense, mystery, thriller, horror, erotica and more. I love these books and would recommend to anyone.

Just ordered the whole series...geez. Yeah she is a master storyteller. LOve the conflicts she sets up in the main character...little but tough...hates monsters but loves a vamp and a werewolf...pretty but mean...has a friend that may kill her...or she may kill him... conflict conflict conflict

I found this book to be one of the best in the Anita Blake series. For me, it started off a bit slow but quickly sucked me in. I don't want to give up any details, but the wonderful detail of the 'fight' scenes, the tension between Anita and Jean-Claude, and everything in between makes this out to be a very good read.

Wow! What an incredibly fun read!... Brilliantly written with a well developed story line, and all-out heart pounding action. Anita Blake is a heroine worthy of respect and admiration. Thank you, Laurell K. Hamilton!

I recommend that if you're reading the Anita Blake books you make sure and read this one before you go on to the next ones in the series, as it has some important explanations about what happens to Jean Claude's marks, and introduces a couple of new characters who play a big part in later books. And it's a DAMNED fine read!

Anita goes back to her love-hate relationship with Jean Claude in this third installment. Again, Hamilton uses the same, tired phrases. Flaws aside, I still give her 4 stars for the entertainment value. I must admit, I even stayed up late one night to finish it and begin the next book. I felt obsessed. The characters are simply to hard to give up.

This time there's another vampire out to make her his human slave. If that's not enough, the oldest vampire wants something from her. Add in snakes and werewolves and you get another Anita Blake story that will keep you flipping pages until it's done!

I just finished reading all 10 of the Anita Blake books! Now I
can finally begin to sleep at night, rather than just read!
I absolutely loved all of the books. This one is as good as the rest.

this has to be the best series that i have ever read. anita blake is this kick ass chick who has her own rules and answers to no one. she is short and sexy and legally get to kill vampires and anything that goes bump in the nite. i love dangerous women as main characters and this is the best ive ever read you will not be disappointed....

I was very happy that this was such a step up from #2 LC. I was worried. It was much more interesting and exciting. My only complaint is Anita's toughness is almost rediculous. At least a little passion would be better than none. I hope she loosens up just a bit and seems to be woman and not she-man.

Clipped from wheelsofterror.com review:

They say three times a charm; here all three were a charm, but it's a mark of a great, important new sub-plot that's born in this installment.

Richard, a powerful lycanthrope who from here on stays throughout the series as an important character, is introduced. This creates more havoc on the goal Jean-Claude has, as well as major changes in Anita's personality. This delicious sideline isn't explored more until the next book, but the introduction of it here is intriguing.

As always, the action kicks off in the first chapter, and the ending is another delightful show down between powerful creatures where it seems that nothing will be right again. As before, it ends with a depressing note between the lines, a sense of realism that's impossible to ignore when it's pushed right up in your face.

There's a great mystery on who hired Edward (another favorite character, the cold hit man you can't help but adore) to kill Jean-Claude, whether Jean-Claude will end up surviving, and what the other Master vampires in town want with our favorite necromancer.

Besides all this, Anita's personal life is being ran through the cleaners. More about her secret self and powers are explored, and as always the police work is dark, fascinating, and gore-laden. Jean-Claude's previous ambitions from Laughing Corpse are shown here more than ever - they have one or two truly steamy scenes that rocked my boat. With what happens at the end, the spark ignited by this series in my mind was lit even further. Powerful stuff.

Another A+ installment in the series. Read book 1 to 3 for a small slice of Anita Blake paradise.

Yeah well of course this is not Anne Rice material, I bought this book and the previous title at a discount after reading all the reviews I thought it would be a sexy dark read. Laurell K. Hamilton reads more like a gutsy thriller with a strong headed female protagonist (Anita Blake) and supernatural elements involved. It's a fast paced read and easy to digest, but Anita is a serious vampire hunter/neocromancer(raising the dead). She wears a cross and dislikes vampires in general, and yes of course she's a Christian. So it means she doesn't engage philosopical debates about life and death, she doesn't like erotic involvement with creatures of the night, she just shoots and kills.

Anita Blake once again is in a heck of a lot of trouble fighting monsters, zombies, human enemies and friends. As she comments, in the last four months Anita has been stabbed, beaten, shot strangled and vampire bit. In this book she has even more violence both physical and magical directed at her. And she manages to prevail through a combination of tenacity, toughness, talent and training.

In Circus of the Damned Anita continues her feud with Jean Claude who tries everything to get Anita to succumb to his wiles and become his human servant. Other master vampires are also interested in Anita due to her necromantic powers and reputation. In addition she is assisting the police in an investigation of several murders that are perpetrated by a rogue vampire pack, breaking in a new animator at work who is naïve and dangerously enthusiastic, and she has a new romantic interest and therefore is trying to go on a date. Fat chance because it's Halloween so business is booming.

Th."e tale of Anita Blake continues to fascinate. She a tough cookie with a heart of gold and cannot bear to see people victimized. Nor will she tolerate any attempts to dominate or intrude upon her. Anita has a strong bullshit detector and does not have time for some of the hierocracy and niceties that most people expect--particularly from a female. She has a sarcastic sense of humor that allows her to see the funny side even in the face of death, and a laconic yet rich style of narration. Highly enjoyable non-stop read!

I loved this book. I read the first 2 and enjoyed them, but after reading this one the series moved from "filler series" to much loved for me.
Anita is a kick ass heroine who can take care of herself..most of the time. I really appriciated how quickly the book sucked me in..there is nothing worse than reading 100 pages or more waiting for something to happen. It's never like that in the Anita books. This one in particular had me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next.

I've been trying not to judge this series to harshly, although I have not really liked anything in the first 3 books. The universe created by Hamilton is interesting. Voodoo is real, vampires have night clubs, zombies can be brought from the grave etc. etc.
These books, although well imagined, feel like they've been written by a melodramatic, emo, 13 year old girl. Flipping through some of the later books (16? I don't know I really just grabbed one off the library shelf) it seems that our little emo chick starts to get into some crazy stuff. The series seems to spiral into nothing but porn.
If you must, give it a try. If it were me, I would stick to Anne Rice for vampires and Jane Austen for interesting women.
Twilight was better. seriously.

I really like this series because it is about the paranormal, and features a very strong female character. My one problem with this series is the character of Jean-Claude, or rather, with the way Hamilton always chooses to dress him. He is almost always wearing lace and see-through shirts. That's just a little too effeminate for me. And there are way too many descriptions of his nipples. Sorry, but I am just not a nipple girl. I think Anita should forget Jean-Claude and go for Richard or Edward.

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY. THIS IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT OF THE ANITA BLAKE SERIES. THE CHARACTERS WERE VERY DEVELOPED IN THIS ONE. WE MEET EDWARD AGAIN, ALONG WITH CUTE RICHARD. JEAN CLAUDE IS BACK AND NOW RICHARD AND JEAN CLAUDE BOTH WANT ANITA. HOW DID SHE GET SO LUCKY?

Since reading Twilight and more so the Sookie Stackhouse series I have been craving good vampire/supernatural reads however this series has not been able to hold my attention. I forced myself through books 1-3 hoping it would get better but have not been able to pick it back up again even though I bought them all! I don't like the way Anita Blake is described physically with cuts all over her body, she almost seems mutated. Her attire seems outdated and frumpy and I don't feel what lure she could have to the master vampire. Bottom line is that I have not been able to connect with her character. Soon, I'll run out of books on my reader and I'm hoping when I pick up the next book in this series and I'll be hooked. I love a book that I can't put down and unfortunately this series hasn't shown me one yet.

Everytime I read one of the books in this series I think that one is my best one yet.
It’s no different this time. Things only get better I tell yah. Only better.
So at the risk of annoying you with repetitions….Circus of the Damned is most definitely the best of the three I’ve read so far.
Here comes a million year (yes million) year old vampire wanting to enslave Anita, Vampire Hunter and she now has to choose between the two evils, the one who will do it by force or the one who wants her to be is slave willingly. This is such an exciting story I cannot even begin to tell you what a thrill it was to read.
I dont know how she does it. But each novel is unique and out of this world creative, the creatures, the legend and story lines are flawless in my opinion.
I do know a bit of mythology but one of the things I appreciate about this author is how she makes everything new. I either come away finding things that leave me astonished by her depth of knowledge, as in the voodoo in Book 2 (The Laughing Corpse) or creatures I have never heard of such as the Libyan Lamia of Greek Mythology as used in this novel.
Small Spoiler Alert…ok the sexual tension between Anita (Vampire Executioner) and the Master of the City was getting ri-damn-diculous so I was quite happy and relieved when in came devilishly handsome and angelically sweet lycanthrope hottie whom she has now taken a serious interest in. Just in time too because at this point I tell you…someone has to get on with it and do the deed with somebody already. I should also mention that it does help that although he is not on equal footing with the undead master, in terms of magic and strength, he does have something that counts seriously in his favour, he is alive.
I will most probably read this book again. I enjoyed this story too much for it to be a one time deal.

Source: I bought thsi paperback at a local book store.

Reviewed by: Wendy @[...]

This was the first Anita book I read, and now I've read them all, and own several. This was one of the best books in the series, along with Burnt Offerings. READ THEM ALL! You WON'T regret it one bit. Go Jean-Claude!

Superior horror novel to the fourth book, Lunatic Café (which I read first, oops).

I've seen critics complain that there is not enough romance and I must disagree. This is a horror book and it has horror, blood and gore enough to satisfy even Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans.

Dead bodies strewn the lawns of this town, thanks to a group of rogue vampires. The police are clueless and so they call in Anita as part of their "preternatural crimes" unit. Anita is not a cop and at times she wishes she were, as she gets pushed around by the police and feels she knows better. I am wondering if she will actually get a cop license.

New creatures and activities abound: We learn of a Lamia, a snake shapeshifter that can kill with the gobs of poison dripping from its fangs. We meet Oliver, a million year old vampire who wants to become master of the city and defeat current laws that let vampires open businesses and saloons.

One of these businesses is of course Jean Claude's Circus of the Damned, a place that people go to to get frightened out of their wits safely (they hope). Unfortunately the place becomes a fight to the finish between Oliver and Jean Claude.

We learn more about Edward, bounty hunter, who wants to kill as many vamps and other monsters as she can.

Anita meets Richard and begins to fall for him, until she finds out what he really is (which is further developed in Lunatic Café).

My favorite scenes include training Larry, a new animator, in the fine points of zombie-raising, where he taxes himself beyond his powers and creates a zombie that could potentially kill his own family!

Or Anita being trapped in a dark cave, with the vampire Alejandro, who has seen the Aztecs rise and fall, and wants her for his own. She stumbles and screams but gets her licks in with a Browning automatic filled with silver bullets!

Gore and blood without being overly fascinated with it, Laurell Hamilton really pounds out the story that is easy to read, fun to imagine and exciting as any Buffy story has a right to be.

Pick this up!

Since reading Twilight and more so the Sookie Stackhouse series I have been craving good vampire/supernatural reads however this series has not been able to hold my attention. I forced myself through books 1-3 hoping it would get better but have not been able to pick it back up again even though I bought them all! I don't like the way Anita Blake is described physically with cuts all over her body, she almost seems mutated. Her attire seems outdated and frumpy and I don't feel what lure she could have to the master vampire. Bottom line is that I have not been able to connect with her character. Soon, I'll run out of books on my reader and I'm hoping when I pick up the next book in this series and I'll be hooked. I love a book that I can't put down and unfortunately this series hasn't shown me one yet.

This was the first Anita book I read, and now I've read them all, and own several. This was one of the best books in the series, along with Burnt Offerings. READ THEM ALL! You WON'T regret it one bit. Go Jean-Claude!

I just couldn't put the book down. In the first couple of pages Anita was already getting herself in trouble.... it was just so hard to put the book down. With the way Anita deny's what she is becoming and how Jean Claude trys to seduce her.. I just couldn't put it down. It was wonderful