Obsidian Butterfly (An Anita Blake - Vampire Hunter

"Obsidian Butterfly" is book 9 in the Anita Blake series. It is very well written, full of suspense and mystery. Even though we have already met Edward, we never actually got to know more about him, except that he is a scary character who kills monsters and has no remorse. He usually just appears and disappears without trace. But in this particular book we are invited in to his world......

Edward invites Anita to his home town, for her to help him solve an unusually messy crime. We meet his girlfriend and her kids. While Anita is in absolute shock after seeing the "new" Edward/Ted, or more like Edward's alter ego, she is working on solving the mysteries together with him.....

I really enjoyed this Anita Blake book. We get to learn much more about Edward in this book and I find him to be a really great character in this series. I did miss the interaction with Jean Claude and Richard, but I know they will return in the next book! This is my second time reading the Anita Blake series and they are just as good the second time around!

I started reading Hamilton with "Narcissus in Chains," the book that comes after this one in the series. While there was something that bothered me about the book, I couldn't put it down, and decided to start at the beginning. Well, I've now read them all, and while I think Hamilton has a fantastic imagination (and I had as much difficulty putting any of the others down), there are some things that need fixing. Superficially, the editing. I've never read a series of books with so many errors left in.
As far as the stories themselves, Hamilton is overly repetitious in so many ways, and frankly, Anita Blake simply isn't likable. Oh, at first I thought "Gee, isn't it nifty that there's a strong female character" but her attitude grows old real quick. The other characters grow equally tiresome, as half of them are complete bad-... with no redeeming qualities (why is it that 95% of the police introduced in the books are such jerks?), the remaining characters are either (for the most part) sex-obsessed, overly submissive, or otherwise unlikable?
With that said, though, I've noticed a definite improvement in Hamilton's writing style as the series progresses, and this particular book is significantly better than the previous ones... Narcissus is even better. So while I certainly recommend the series, I also recommend to Ms. Hamilton that she get a better editor and take a hard look at her characters.

Obsidian Butterfly. This was a novel which has redeeming qualities for the Anita Blake series. Edward, which has previously been a favorite and amusing character, is metamorphosized into a real live person. This in itself drew me into the novel with a force lacking from the previous novels, from the lunatic cafe up through blue moon. The previous novels were okay, but their focus was on Richard and Jean-Claude way too much. Edward was always the focus on the action and blood, and while he is here in full force, Edward is also coming into a depth unbeknownst before. The only problem I had with the novel was the main bad guy at the end. He was confusing, and although he was a vampire?, I am still left wondering as to how he became so powerful and unlike other vamps... The foreshadowing at the end about Otto and the guy who trained Edward, though leaves me in deep anticipation for the future Anita novels. This is a very good buy and novel in the Anita Blake series.

Obsidian Butterfly is one of those books you pick up and can't put back down until it's over, and even then with much regret. Laurell Hamilton knows how to keep her readers turning the pages. For those new to the Anita Blake series, here's a quick overview: The setting is present-day America, and the heroine is Anita Blake, the tough, sexy, and smart vampire executioner. She raises the dead for a living, quite legally, for such purposes as settling will disputes. Vampires and werewolves (aka lycanthropes) are legal citizens, only to be killed if they commit a crime. Anita actually has both a vampire lover, Jean Claude, and a werewolf boyfriend, Richard.
In Obsidian Butterfly, Anita leaves her hometown of St Louis to pay back a favor to her friend Edward, who is an assassin. He needs her help solving a string of murders, which were likely committed by something non-human. They team up with the local cops, the FBI, and Edward's mysterious accomplices to find the monster before it can mutilate yet another helpless family.
I would recommend this book to all fans of the Anita Blake series, even if many of the usual main characters are missing. You learn more about Edward and Anita, as well as the nature of her bond to "the boys".
It also goes well alone, precisely because there are not so many pre-introduced characters.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a smart, well-written plot that is a combination of horror, suspense, and mystery with a little romance mixed in. Anita's constant sarcastic thoughts and witty comments keep the mood light throughout the story. The characters are extremely well-developed and draw you into their world of magic, witchcraft and a constant good vs evil battle that will keep you turning pages all night.

I don't understand why this book got some of the horrible ratings that it did. If you are squeamish, its not the right series for you. I won't sit here and brag to you about how I read the whole series so I'm an expert and only read my opinion when choosing to buy. I just liked it, enough to write a review.

Strong Points:

- For once, delving into Anita without the pesky, nagging presence of her supernatural sex toys. I love Richard and Jeane-Claude, but it gets a LITTLE dull reading through pages of "I love him, no, wait, I love HIM. Oh forget it, I'll screw them both." It was interesting to get some insight into how she thinks, how she feels, etc. without the outside influence of two men she is torn between.

- Finally, a deeper look into Edwards. I know a lot of people were dissapointed to find out he had some kind of emotional life, but I think it was a refreshing suprise. And I don't see it as having caused him to lose any of his formidability as a character. If anything, its made him more dangerous.

- I was very pleased by what a detailed book this was. The imagery was right-on, which maybe isn't good when you're reading about horrific murders and mutilations. However, it takes very strong imagery to push you into being able to visualize such horrible things, and she pulled it off very well without being over the top.

- The ending wasn't too rushed. Blue Moon's ending seemed a little... abrupt to me, but this ending got into things a little deeper than "blam, dead bad guys."

- Not as many sub-plots as some of the previous books. I like the little twists and turns, but when you hit the last 80 pages of the book and the 5 sub-plots aren't resolved, you have to wonder how decent the ending will be.

- Conceptually, it was just interesting. It gave the more human, naive side of vampires, blended tradition with the supernatural, adressed several forms of prejudice, and for once let us see her concept of love as something other than just sex.

Weak Points

- As always in her writing... overly descriptive of people's clothing. I don't care what someone is wearing enough to hear about it every page.

- Too much focus on Olaf, not enough on Bernardo. Olaf was a pretty simple charactor; you could define him in a few sentences. Bernardo remained fairly one-dimensional throughout the book.

- Yes, there was a child molestation scene. Though, without harming them physically, how else were the bad guys supposed to torture them? I certaintly don't think a few sentences alluding to a kid being molested should keep you from reading a good book. You could always skim past it.

Anita Blake is always interesting and entertaining, and a withhold the 5th star only because the surprises keep coming and how can I give this one 5 when there's more than 10 more books to read? I root for the characters, feel their pain, try to understand them, and Hamilton keeps me guessing and wanting to know more.

This book is about Anita in an entirely new New Mexico setting where she finds out a lot more than she bargained for about Ted... Edward's personal life, broods on her own, guns down a few bad guys, takes out a few zombies, deals with a couple of vampires with dangerous god complexes, and plenty more.
This was definitely fun to read. A lot of fresh, interesting characters are introduced. I feel that she could have delved into a few of them a bit more, but then again, there are A LOT of them.
It's a bit strange seeing Edward in this new setting. His personality (or lack thereof) takes a HUGE leap in this book. And you may find yourself giggling... or gagging. I personally did a little bit of both.
If you can get past Edward's new persona and love for the word "honeypot" (You'll see what I mean), there is a lot of development between him and Anita that I very much enjoyed. Though some of it can be considered gag worthy as well.
It seems that Hamilton's series started off crude and it keeps getting crazier. The bad guy this time around is one of the worst I've read about so far. Gore fest, much?
Not much Jean Claude and nothing but mention of Richard in this one, folks. Sorry. But I didn't miss them, and you probably wouldn't either. This book is so alluring and attention grabbing, adding them to the mix just might have been a bit tacky.
It just saddens me to know, from my friends and reviewers on here, that after this, the series goes downhill. I'm not going to be sure of that until I personally read the next book. Hopefully it's not as bad a picture as some here have painted.
Well, I hope this review helped!

This was my first exposure to the work of Laurell Hamilton, and I really enjoyed her style of writing[her sentence construction/phrases].However, I found myself putting this book aside on numerous occasions because I grew impatient with the endless series of graphic scenes that, while interesting, seemed to diminish the continuity of the plot. I was overwhelmed with spectacle...like a tv movie, broken by an endless series of commercials. By the time I was two-thirds of the way through the book, I was just exhausted and ready to read something else. Nonetheless, due to her skills as a writer alone, I will probably try an earlier installation of this series.

First off my biggest complaint about this book is that I am FROM NM and from Albuquerque. So all I can say is that Ms. Hamilton's claim that she actually visited the state to do research on this book must be a joke. If you go to NM you realise quickly that there is a HUGE difference between Mexican and New Mexican food. And why use the name of a real restaurant then butcher the name of the street it is on? And if the most notable mountains you see are the Sangre De Cristos in the distance you must be blind. Like another reviewer pointed out she mispelled the name of the mountains..And further more the Native tribes of NM have plenty of legends and folklore that would have suited the purpose for the story why bring up a tribe all the way from Mexico??
Ok so blah blah this is a book of fiction and she used her "artistic license". But frankly Anita Blake didn't kill all the bad guys. The so called bad guy vampires really aren't evil or bad...the pot hunters were and they got what they deserved but Olaf is a serial killer and he just gets a pass because he was useful.
And Anita is annoying.
This book was a HUGE disappointment. And the editing of the books just gets worse and worse as the series goes on. Does her publishing company have an editor or proofreader? Is she now so popular they are afraid to tell her some parts of her books can just be cut out so it flows better and makes sense?

While waiting at another airport after another plane delay, I picked up this book. It appealed to me b/c I had a long flight and it was almost 600 pages...enough to take me across several time zones.
I read the book through its first 400 pages non-stop and the flight attendant actually complimented me on my endurance. She said that I was the only person to ever stay awake during this flight...not only was it long, it was also a red-eye. I told her I couldn't put the book down. Having been newly introduced to the world of Laurell Hamilton, I was fascinated by how she merged the fantasy world with our definition of reality.
I must admit that after finishing the book, I started reading up on the rest of the series. I unfortunately didn't do it in order. Reason being that some sounded better than others and that's how I chose to read them. I've finished the Lunatic Cafe and The Killing Dance so far. I can honestly say that Obsidian Butterfly is not the best of Hamilton but it will get you hooked on reading the rest of the series. I found that the Killing Dance was the best and I think many people will agree with me.
To conclude, Obsidian Butterfly is a lot of action and horror with some suspense. Anita is as heroic as always but some parts did drag on. I would recommend this book after you've read some of Hamilton's other books first. The only thing about this book is that the teaser at the end makes you anticipate her next book. Anita finally succumbs to her desires...but to whom?
Enjoy!

Just when you think Laurell just won't go there, she suprises me and does! As a new fan of this author after reading one of her books on the plane during a business trip, the description of "Obsidian Butterfly" didn't sound promising. No Jean Claude, no Richard, but, I was wrong. Getting to know her cold blooded killer pal Edward was a wild and unexpected ride. She made him more human but not any less dangerous and still left some layers of his character to explore.
The story spins out from a phone call in the wee hours from Edward claiming a promised favor from Anita. She jets out to Albuquerque to join Edward trying to solve some hideously creative murders. Along the way she encounters some new monsters, both human and otherwise. She further explores her increasingly complex feelings for Jean Claude and Richard with several personal insights.
There is an action sequence that takes place in a hospital that involves Anita and others chasing a zombie wanting to feed that just takes your breath away. All I could think was, Dean Koontz, eat your heart out, literally!
Anyway, this is her ninth book I have read in alittle over two months and I found it just as satisfying as the first. The only downside being I can hardly wait till her next release!

The last book of this series that I read and actually loved. It probably should have gotten a four from me but it revisited one of my favorite characters- the hitman Edward himself and it introduced a couple of others that were more then worthwhile to meet. It's a shame what Ms. Hamilton has written since. And absolute shame.

I fully recommend this series as four and five star all the way up to here. All the ones that come after are unreadable tripe.

This book was a little different than the rest in her series. The book does allow you to get to know Edward a lot better but it completely changes how you view him. I'm not sure I liked that. It was nice to have a bit of a wild card in the series to throw things off balance a little. The book it self, though, was another wonderfully discriptive work by this fabulous author. Another page turner even if it did seem a little outside the box (in comparison with the other books in the series).

I liked this one the most. I think what is most interesting about this novel is it weaves many different plots within the story. The sex is really absent here - focuses on the STORY and no whisper of the ardeur that is to come.

Edward comes into focus here. He is the true enigma here, the complicated killing machine. He actually has, GASP, a soul! Wow.

I also liked the colorful characters in the novel. No usual cast of St. Louis - absent here of those completely (with a brief mention, thats it). Truly awesome.

Read this one. Its worth the buy.

Enjoy!

I am flying thru the Anita series and Laurell Hamilton has one active imagination. This time Edward calls in a favor and Anita answers. It's great ride. Over the top and the last is so exciting you cannot put the book down. Edwards business associates are so scary Anita has to really stay on her toes as well as fighting the bad guys. I never thought this genre would interest me but Laurell Hamilton is worth the try. Anita definitely needs a vacation after this one. Nail biting time!

This woman needs to hire an editor. I love the concept of Anita Blake. She's tough and she can kick some serious ass. The problem with these books is that the character always has to tell us that she's tough and that she can kick some serious ass. Anyone familiar with comic book writing can relate. Every time a new character enters a room, the character announces his or her name, lists all his or her superpowers, and gives us a brief personal history of his or her life. Anita Blake is always telling us that she is a sociopath. Less talk. More action. If this were a comic book, they would be huge bubbles filed with this character's thoughts, but nothing would ever happen. Anita always gets called to the gruesome crime scene. The stuff she sees always give her nightmares. Anita's reactions to the crime scenes in this novel are almost identical to the scenes in "The Laughing Corpse." Also, if you are going to write pulp fiction, then you should have more exciting, erotic sex scenes. This heroine is a prude. She dresses badly. Actually, all the characters dress badly. All the cops hate Anita. All the monsters want her. She keeps getting newer and newer powers. Enough.

Anita Blake, Vampire Slayer goes on down to New Mexico, because she needs to find out what is slaughtering humans in new mexico. Then enter a right wing fanatic, who believes that the only good witch is a dead witch, and happens to be the Cop in charge of the investigation. Then enter a Cop, with just a hint of sexual appealto poor old sex starved Anita. Then enter a Bodyguard/Assassin/Bounty Hunter, whith no morals, and who wants nothing more than a good peice of tail. Then enter Olaf, the German Sociopathic Serial Killer, whose idea of the perfect victim is small, pettite, and in general just looks like Anita. And the only person to referree this match is Edward, the Sociopathic killer, who trained Anita in the art of Killing Vampires. Then enter Obsidian Butterfly, the Vampire that thinks that she is a god, who has killed every vampire that has entered her region. Mix that all together, and throw in a Varagamour that wants to overthrow his wolf Pack leader, a human Servant that can turn a living body into a mummy, and some weird Psycho that is killing, and disecting, and skinning his victims.

Very disappointing 9th book in the Anita Blake series. It takes 340 pages before any action happens. The rest of the book is 2% action and 98% soap opera. It's very predictable and feels like the series is running out of fuel. At 585 pages, this novel should have a lot more story. Hamilton stretches out each scene in painstaking detail. Unfortunately, this is not one of her better books. Yes, we learn more about the interesting Edward character, but Anita is so boring (even her choice of clothes is horrendous), you just don't care anymore. This book needs to be more edgy and dark, not like a TV movie-of-the-week.

Uncompromising, moralistic, stubborn, determined - these are all adjectives which have been applied to the character of Anita Blake in the past. Unfortunately, they can no longer be applied with the same degree of accuracy. Anita Blake has been a favorite of mine since the beginning of the series, in no small part because of her tenacity, because of the consistent refusal on the part of the author to have her character cave for the sake of expediency. In the past, Hamilton took the extra minute, thought hard, and found a solution which allowed Anita to maintain her code of honor while managing to survive. Well, not any more. Obsidian Butterfly has her fighting alongside a convicted rapist who is, in all probability and in his own words, a serial rapist /murderer. Quote: "I thought you were convivted for rape" ... "The police got there too soon". The Anita of yesteryear killed people for doing the former alone - let's think back to Burnt Offerings and blue Moon. The newer version doesn't even have a paragraph to explain her reasons for a lack of reaction (i.e., solving the greater crime first, circumstances beyong her control, etc.). She assimilates the information, and moves on as though the character in question had admitted to a predeliction for, say, performing unspeakable acts upon stuffed toy penguins (which, in retrospect, probably would have gotten a stronger reaction). The book does seem to suffer from a certain lack of editorial attention - things like a set of mountains named the Blood of Christ are mentioned, pondered by characters, and never spoken of again - but misspellings and loose ends are par for the course. In and of themselves, they wouldn't have spoiled the effect. The lack of consistent charecterization from the last novel to the new one does.

"Obsidian Butterfly" by Laurell K. Hamilton is an enthralling addition to the Anita Blake series. It is filled with expertly rendered horror and action sequences that will have readers nervously looking over their shoulders for days!
In this 9th instalment of the series, Edward the cold-blooded assassin calls in the favour Anita owes him for killing one of his back-ups some time ago. Edward, alias Ted Forrester, needs Anita, tough-as-nails necromancer and vampire executioner, to come act as his back-up in a case that has him seriously spooked (and Edward being spooked is absolutely unheard-of!). So, Anita packs her bags and travels to New Mexico.
Anita is horrified when she sees the gruesome and gory murder victims and the even more horrific "survivors". Everyone is at a loss as to what would be capable of committing these atrocities. In hope of gaining some insight into the case, Anita seeks the help of the local Master Vampire Itzpapalotl (English translation: Obsidian Butterfly), a self-proclaimed Aztec goddess. From that point on, Anita runs into all kinds of nasty people and preternatural creatures, and readers are treated to some fantastic (and violent) action-adventure sequences. Anita is determined to stop whatever is committing these heinous crimes, and as she tries to do just that, she has to fight her way through many perilous situations. The non-stop conflict builds to a wonderfully simple but thrilling climax that is sure to satisfy readers.
I really, really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a fascinating departure on Hamilton's part, though it is certainly not appropriate for the faint of heart. "Obsidian Butterfly" provides a refreshingly different storyline and a very interesting up-close look at the inner workings of Edward. Edward is a highly intriguing character, and his contrasts and mysteries, along with the exciting storyline make the nearly 600 pages of this book fly by. I couldn't help but miss Jean-Claude a little, but the strengths in this story more than made up for his absence. Anita continues to grow and evolve as a person, and I think she is a fabulous character. "Obsidian Butterfly" is truly wonderful entertainment, so don't miss out. It is suitable for first time readers of the series as well as long-time fans, and is sure to be enjoyed by all!

This book was an excellent piece of storytelling. I have been a fan of Anita Blake since I read Guilty Pleasures and then made sure to read every book in the series and each book keeps fleshing out both Anita and the other characters more and more.
Some readers complained that they missed reading about Jean-Claude and Richard but hey anybody can take a vacation and visit new places. Very few people stay in just one town and someone as enterprising and powerful as Anita should getting out and seeing new places. Because of this we get to see her in unfamiliar territory dealing with all new and all different foes and new friends. Besides the fact that her love life was getting kind of complicated she has to do Edward a favor because she owes him one. Because of this we get drawn into a whole new scenario with all new characters. We get to see Anita deal with a whole new level of badness and we don't know whats gonna happen because the Author is just very good at building up the suspense.
Yes, some of us just live for the very well done fight scenes, and confrontations with people, monsters et al. but the times in-between are more than meaty enough to keep you wanting more.
It's hard to believe but this entire book takes place in over just about 3 or 4 days. You will still be hanging onto every single word.
I found myself giggling on the train to work as I read some passages, the words were just so real and I even read a few paragraphs to my friends just so they could hear about some of the scenes for themselves.
Hurry up and Buy this book whether you are a fan of Anita Blake or just love a good Vampire-Monster / Murder Mystery with some werewolves, otherworldy creatures and just bad-a$$ people thrown in for good measure.

Laurell does a great job again with her world of Anita Blake, animator, vampire slayer-lover-servant, and everything else in her unique world. This was great seeing Anita out of her element (as it were) in New Mexico answering the call of the bane of the otherworld Edward who needs her help with a very unpleasant murderer/mutilator. The books have a great deal of detail in many areas - I was impressed she credited Massad Ayoub for firearms information. One area though that I'm having a problem with is the sexual details that are becoming more and more prevalent. It would seem she might be wanting to make a 'bodice-ripper' novel with vampires (and werewolves and government protected psycho serial killers oh my). I believe the novels have done well without all the bedroom details but perhaps she knows (or is being told) what will sell. Two details that I like that were revealed about Anita was her 'reasoning' for dating Jean-Claude and Richard was she doesn't feel comfortable (or safe) with humans. The other was the strongest bond between her and Edward was that they were secure in the knowledge that if one of them needed to be retired ("when it absolutely, positively HAS to be killed overnight!") that the other is willing and able to do the job right. Can't wait for the new book!

I loved this book. I have liked Edward's character for years, since I started the series in 8th grade. Although no Jean-Claude or Larry :(, I was not disappointed by the story. Anita is still as savvy as ever! Wonderful folk-lore with the right amount of horror added in, along with a pleasing set of sub-stories, a neato vampire enemy and a bit of who's tougher than who. Possibly, this vampire villain has to be one of the more interesting characters in the series. Edward's unmasking is interesting and Anita's reactions to the other characters are markedly different than what we've seen before. Plus a truckload of guns and knives, a few new monsters we haven't encountered (heck, Edward doesn't even know what they are at first!) and a few extra goodies for surprise kick. Lara Croft, eat your heart out. I read it in three days, only stopped because I had to go to work. I have to say, it was a good book; I got three people Anita-addicted with only the first chapter of the thing! I've been waiting since a week after Blue Moon came out for this one and it was worth waiting for.

Having waited so long for my latest Anita Blake "fix", I was happy to find some truly chilling monsters. Anita is as bitchy as ever, flexing her muscles and coming to terms with the monster she has become.
This book is not for the faint of heart. Ms. Hamilton has the uncanny ability to create monsters so vile that nothing in the reality is as frightening. DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE WITH A NEWBORN!
I missed Jean-Claude and Richard, but the story did not suffer because of the absence. Edward and friends seem to fill the void well, and I expect to see Olaf again.
To sum up--I found it satisfying and a good, fast, read

This book was my favorite one out of 9 Anita Blake novels I have read so far. I got tired of her relationship with Richard and Jean-Claude in previous books. This was perfect on that side as it focused more on Anita and Edward. Edward has been my favorite character in the novel and it was great to learn more about him. At the same time, there is a case that she is trying to solve. There are also very interesting additional characters. It never gets boring.

Though I myself enjoy Anita's struggles with "the boys," I enjoyed the first story in a while that allowed her to be a separate person. Admittedly there were some lulls in the story, but overall I think this was a necessary book for the development of Anita and Edward's characters. Hamilton's classic wry writing style as always kept me turning the pages. I might recommend waiting for this to come out in paperback, but it is a good story for fans of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter

I want to start this review by saying that I AM ABSOLUTELY OBSESSED WITH ANITA BLAKE! Jean-claude being one of my more favourite vampires.

I am currently reading the 10th book.

I found the first 7 books to be absolutely brilliant and was a little annoyed with the instillation of the 8th book, which - apart from some of the more interesting demon and magik law - i found a little on the dull side. But seeing as i am definatly NOT a Richard fan i was prepared to let it slide.

Obsidian Butterfly however, was fabulous! It was SUCH a nice change to read a book that was ALL ABOUT EDWARD! Well, mostly about Edward and Anita and their relationship. I was a little worried after reading some more un-savoury reviews, but I am so glad I ignored them because Obsidian Butterfly is definatly in a legue with the first (and best) few Anita Blake books.

The plot is intricate and clever and constantly keeps you guessing. More secrets are revealed about Edward's character than ever before - it almost makes him seem human! And because Anita has spent the last 9 or so months apart from Richard and Jean-claude, her own personal dramas (apart from the usual, is she turning into a sociopath?) are kept to a minimum.

This is a must-read for all Anita Blake fans...especially those who want to get back to the Anita who kicks ass rather than constantly worry about who shes gonna get down and dirty with that night.

I LOVE EDWARD!

5 outa 5 for me guys! Read it if you dare!

Laurell K Hamilton has shown the caliber of her writing talent. Everything that was bad in this book made me want to jump into the pages and kick some butt myself. Obsidian Butterfly wasn't my favorite book in the series; in fact it rates in the lower regions therewith, but it has to be one of the best written books I've ever read. Thus it gets five stars. Jean Claude continues to pursue Anita, even though she has run across the country from him. And by this time, I was thoroughly sick of Richard and his stupidity. I was sincerely hoping that Hamilton would just get rid of him and let Jean Claude have Anita; but such was not the case in this book. So keep reading if you're waiting for that to happen.

This was such a great book, and a nicely different view from the last few. Don't get me wrong, I love the guys, too, but it has been a while since we got to center more on Anita than on all the stuff surrounding her. Of course, all the "stuff" has been shaping her into the person she is now, and it has been fun and fascinating to watch her evolve. I am particularly impressed by Mrs. Hamilton's ability to have MS. Blake's character change so much, yet keep the naivete and the core of goodness that makes Anita, well, Anita. She's still as tough as all get-out, but somehow she retains that core of her old self that makes me keep cheering her on. I am curious as to how far her conscious will degenerate before she finally recaptures that lost part of herself, or loses that part of herself that makes her care forever. Of course, that is one reason I particularly loved this book...No, I won't explain what I mean by that, and ruin a potentially crucial part of the story for those of you who haven't read it yet. Let me just say that Mrs. Hamilton surprised me by how she worked some hope for Anita into this story.
Learning so much more about Edward was also a lot of fun. It was a nice switch to have him so much more involved than he normally is, and I liked that a lot of the intrigue about him was only increased.
I also appreciated all the background work that went into this story. It was such a different view of the vampires, and I was intrigued by the vast cultural differences between the preternatural people.
This book was a blast, and I am already anxious to read the next one. Whoever said that Ms. Hamilton's effort here wasn't quite up to par, I have to seriously suggest you read it again. It was just as good as the others, at least, and offered a very interesting story lead-in for the next story. I can't wait until then!

This book is a little different compared to the previous books in the Anita Blake series. This time Anita is called away from her normal turf in St.Louis to help Edward - a stone cold hitman that she has worked with occasionally. The story revolves around Edward, and we get to know a lot about him and his relationship with Anita. As far as the usual colorfull cast of humans and monsters go, they are mostly absent, and the ongoing plotlines from the previous books are left untouched.
In fact one of my feelings after having read the book was, that the author used this book to give herself a break from Anita Blakes rather complicated life in her hometown, while pondering the future of the character. You cant help missing Jean Claude, Dolph, Richard, Bert and all the others.
Another feeling was that the book was too long. Laurell K. Hamiltons writing style seems more mature and elaborate in this book - something which doesnt always fit the story well. The author often seems to use too many words in the wrong places, and for instance after having read several loooong descriptions of how tough Anita and Edward are, I felt like shouting "YES! I KNOW THEY ARE TOUGH! Now can we move on with the action please?".
Conclusion: Though this book is a side-track from all ongoing plots and really a non-essential chapter in the Anita Blake saga, I will recommend it to fans of the series,- especially Edward fans. Newcommers to the series should steer clear of this book and pick one of the previous books, like Guilty Pleasures.

When I first started reading this series I enjoyed it. But up to this book I started to find Anita very annoying and this book seems to cultivate all her annoying characteristics into one rollercoaster ride. Basically Anita has turned into an overly aggressive teenager with a mine is bigger attitude. Which makes you hope one of the monsters would just eat her and get it over with. The story line is still predictable and the dialog is weak. I'm not sure what happened to the series but I hope the next book is better.

"Obsidian Butterfly" was a great book in this series..but then..arent they all? This book focused on Edward. It was nice to FINALLY get to know him a bit better. There was a TON of action in this book that kept me glued to the story..my one complaint that took off a star is that as much as I needed a breather..I missed Jean Claude !!!! I also missed the wolves..especially Jason ..and of course the wereleopards..other than that.a definite must read.

I love all of Laurel K Hamilton's novels. I have read and reread them all many times. Obsidian butterfly is a good one. Even though there are no romantic interests for Anita, the detail about Edward's life and the other characters introduced in this book make it a good read. I liked all of the action and the introspection that Anita does about the her own morality. She does seem to come to terms with her own violent nature a bit. She finds out that humans can be monsters as well.

I have always wondered about the man named Edward, and this book didn't disappoint me. I found out more about one of the most interesting characters in the series, but still ended up wanting more. What's his background like? Laurell--if you wanted, you could write a series just about Edward!
I do agree with other folks on the Donna front. What a wimp. I know Edwards needs to protect someone, but couldn't that someone be someone like Ronnie, who's a human, but still has a brain and likeability? Donna is a doormat. Ugh.
But still great work. Anita is still fun, and we get to see an interesting side of her with a fellow policeman. Basically I love the action, and the humor and the characters. One thing I would have enjoyed fleshed out (and this is why I gave the rating a 4 instead of a 5) is the character interaction with the normal people--notably Ramirez. Her relationship with him was fascinating because he's *human* and interesting.
Still a great read folks--lots of stuff goin' on and more fun Anita and Edward (though I miss the boys too).

Obsidian Buttrerfly has an "OK, So here's one more" feeling to it that the other Anita Blake novels do not have. The book is largely an exploration of the Edward character, a frequently appearing extra in her works. Edward (professional killer and associate of Anita's) seems to have a softer side and needs Anita's guns and attitude to help him out. Along the way are the usual cast of undead folk, a new Master Vampire, and were-pack (with a web-site), and just some of your casual CIA killers (out of control, of course) just to liven things up.
The action is up to par but Edward lacks the captivating and engaging evil of Jean Claude, or the all-American werewolf attractivness of Richard. And I missed the other were/wierd folk in the St. Louis based books. It was still a quick read for me and, yes its a page-turner, but I wanted a better transition from Blue Moon and the evolution of Anita's own powers. I enjoyed it, Laurell, but I'm still waiting for the final menage a trois of power with a final determination of who is the servant: Jean Claude or Anita.

I am a fan; but I am disappointed in this last installment. Is nobody else getting tired of the formula? Anita and helpers walk into Vampire layer knowing that they will probably be killed; head vampire plays games with Anita and friends; Anita shows how tough she is.
It was down right scary the first time she did it several books ago, but I am ready for something else now.
I liked the story with Edward. It was good to get to know him a little.
Anita has definitely crossed the line into monsterdom now. She can not deny it. My favorite idea for a story would be to have some new executioner pop up who is just like Anita was in the first couple of books: good-guy, white hat, everything is black and white; very good at what she does. Instead of Anita going in to with her friends to another vampire's layer, I would like to see this new executioner come into Jean-Claude's layer and take on Anita with righteous indignation. Seems appropriate to me.

I've read all the previous Anita Blake books, and I have to say this book gave me a pleasant surprise after the crap that was "Blue Moon". Blue Moon was the previous book and had so much sex and porn inclinations in it, that I was skipping whole sections at one go. Now I'm just a regular guy who loves the occasional porn, but Blue Moon really went overboard. In Obsidian, the story was interesting, and there was surprisingly little sex. It felt like Laurell finally woke up and concentrate on writing a good story instead of trash. Well done!

Obsidian Butterfly is the Anita Blake book that got me started on the rest of the series, and I found it highly entertaining and a quick read. The world that is created in the pages is fascinating, and a little scary. At the same time, it is highly complex and very enjoyable. Though each book CAN be read independently of the series, I would recommend starting at the beginning to follow the progression of the relationships with all the characters.

On an alternate Earth, preternatural beings live along side humans who fear and loathe them. Human Anita Blake is a renowned vampire hunter, needed by law enforcement but loathed by many nosferatu who believe she is a genocide executioner. Anita loves both a werewolf and a vampire. However, she obstinately has refused to see either one of them for over the past year. Because of their species, she is terrified of giving herself to either of them.

The only person capable of killing as well as Anita happens to be Edward, better known as Death. He has saved her life on several occasions and she owes him for killing one of his cohorts. Edward calls in his marker, asking for her help with a preternatural creature like none he has ever encountered before. Anita comes to Santa Fe to meet an Edward totally different then Death. Edward is engaged to a woman with children and he seems to cherish all of them. As she works with Edward to defeat this seemingly invincible creature, Anita now knows she cannot hide from her own nature.

The newest Anita Blake novel, OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY, is a great tale that is the best story in a wonderful alternate earth series. Part of the reason the story line is so good is that the enigmatic avenging angel Edward plays a starring role that makes him more complete and human. Anita retains her take no prisoners attitude, but is beginning to show signs of doubt and the need to choose that makes her even more complex of a character than before. This heart stopping, mesmerizing tale captures the audience's attention from the very first sentence and gives them a reading experience like no other. First time readers of this novel will scamper for this talented author's previous books.
Harriet Klausner

I need to say I skipped most of the pages. I liked the idea of knowing Edward more. It was very interesting. But, Anita is becoming quite repetitive and without the other two leader characters in the book she is not a strong enough character to make the book interesting.

I think she needs more conflicts that are different than the ones she keeps circulating and repeating in all the books.

On the one hand, the whole premise is incredibly imaginative--a world just like our own but where preternatural creatures are something society has to cope with, and where a bureaucracy has grown up to deal with them.

But about halfway through the book, I started to get a weird feeling that the same scenes were being played out over and over. Here's how it goes: there is a scene between Anita and some guy in which she proves that she is as ballsy as he is. Then there is a scene in which unspeakable horrors are revealed or committed. Then there is a scene with strong sexual overtones between Anita and some guy. Then Anita and another character discuss weapons or holsters or bullets. Rinse. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Maybe this wasn't that great a choice for a first Anita Blake story. But another thing that drove me nuts was that no one bothered to edit the book. It was full of bizarre mispellings and grammatical howlers. I mean really--couldn't SOMEBODY have caught "psycoprenia" for "schizophrenia?" That kind of thing stops you right in the middle of the narrative while you try to figure out what is being said.

I guess I'll give the author one more chance to redeem herself, because there is a lot of potential there, but I sure hope the next book of hers I read is a lot better crafted and better edited.

I disagree with the other ratings of this book. It is great!! Laurell H. keeps the series fasinating and by exploring Edward she gives more history and crediability to the entire series, all of her charecters are fully developed and fantastic. This book is especially good to get newbies hooked especially men and not spoil the books before it. It also provides a much needed break from the tension of the boys a little breather for us all.

Unfortunately, this is the first book I have read in this series (but I've ordered the rest)! I thought is was wonderfully written and had all my favorite creatures in it.The dialogue was snappy and the story well told. I could hardly put it down.I didn't like Edward (Ted) at first but towards the end he became almost loveable. Even though the creatures aren't real, Ms Hamilton makes them seem to almost jump off the page. I can only hope the earlier books in the series are just as good.

Like alot of you I have been waiting with baited breath for this book... I think Laurell Hamilton is perhaps one of the most entertaining writers to come along in quite sometime. I enjoyed this book very much...just not as much as Burnt Offerings (in particular) and Blue Moon as well, but that is because of my own personal preference for Jean-Claude primarily and Richard secondly. I love the worlds that surround them both, the characters move me and excite me like I have not experienced in a novel in a long time. Don't get me wrong, I like Edward very much and I enjoyed getting to know him better than ever before...not to mention that events that occur in the book make me realize just how much I care about his character as well... I didn't like the introspective Anita as much as her usual confident self..I felt that she was agonizing so much about her own nature that it took a little of the joy that I usually get from spending time in her world. My fondest wish is that she could just be happy in the triumvirate and love both the boys and go from there, her lifestyle is such that she will never be able to have a traditional relationship and she should be able to accept that and accept both of their love, though I have my doubts that Richard could change enough to allow that to happen. Anyway...back to the present book... Edward fans will be the most pleased...the action is hot...the plot is wonderful...and the end is a compulsive page turner... If you adore Jean-Claude and Richard as I do and miss the erotic charge they bring to things like I do, you may mourn their absence... I hope that she will return to them soon...and bring Edward to us for lots of visits...

I was very glad that Anita was away from her two "loves" and that drama could rest for a bit. I began this book really disliking Edward but now...he might not be so bad. I'm very interested to see where the Olaf plot goes... Happy reading!

Assasin Edward has called in his favor, taking Anita to New Mexico to face down a couple new and scary baddies. This is an excellent book, like all of the Anita Hunter novels, a lot going on in her head that takes a bit away from the story, but other than that, its really good.

It introduces two majorly scary monsters, Obsidian Butterfly, an Aztec Goddess vampire, and Olaf. Olaf is proof that the human monsters give the preternatural monsters a run for their money in this series. I think we'll be seeing more of him.

Edward's private life is a bit weird, and very unexpected. Frankly, Ted creeps me out more than Edward ever has.

Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the best books I've ever read. The book is about Anita Blake's newest adventure. She is called by Edward to help him solve a mystery in New Mexico. "I was running full out and skidded on my high heels, grabbing the receiver as I slid into the wall and nearly dropped the phone. I yelled into the receiver as I juggled the phone, "Edward, Edward, it's me! I'm here!"' (p. 2) Edward needed her help since she's a necromancer and has solved murders before with the St. Louis police.
The theme of the book is really about Anita finding out about herself. She didn't know much about herself, but in this book she finds out more than she ever thought she would. I do agree with it in the fact that everyone needs to find out about themselves. It doesn't relate to my life lately, but I used to try to hide information about myself from myself. I realized, after other people told me, that I can't do that.
I would recommend this book, simply because it's one of the best books I've ever read. Granted it's a bit unusual, but it still is the best book of this series. Don't read this book without reading the rest of the series, but it's an awesome series to read if you like magic, Vampires, Werewolves/Werelepords/ect, and a female good guy beating the bad guys.

I've been reading Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series since the first book, and she just keeps getting better. Her writing style, which was a little rough with the first books, has smoothed out. But one thing Hamilton has never had a problem with is creating absorbing and sympathetic characters -- even when they do the most appalling things. The only thing I didn't like about Obsidian Buterfly was the lack of Jean Claude and Robert. Still, it's definitely worth the money for the hardback. If you're a vampire fan, you really should treat yourself to this series.

As soon as I found out what this book was about, or rather WHO it was about, I had to read it. Twice. It was so satistfying. To hell with Richard and Jean-Claude, Edward is the sexiest fella in this series. Finally I get some answers about him, and his life is wilder than I could ever have imagined! This book brings together all the elements that I love most in this series: Anita's tougher-than-nails additude, which she fully deserves, Edward's sexy sociopathic anti-personality, with new depth, and incredible other-worldly monsters bent on wreaking havoc, killing humans, and in general making life unpleasant. I love Hamilton's wit and humor. I love the quick plots and I so enjoy the action! It's such a thrill, it gives me goosebumps. This is the book I've been waiting for from her. The series is great, and this is the pinnacle so far. I don't quite understand why that title, and not something more central to the book. Why not "'til Death do us part"?

One of my favorite things about the Anita Blake series is how rich Hamilton has made her alternate universe. Besides her absolutely wonderful heroine, there are so many supporting characters to fall in love with - Jean Claude, Asher, Jason, all of the wereleopards, just to name a few of my favorites. However, by the end of Blue Moon, there were such an overwhelming rush of characters vying for page space and such an emphasis on Anita's sex life, that I think the character of Anita herself was beginning to suffer for it.
I think that's why for me Obsidian Butterfly was so refreshing. Whereas the last three books especially (from the Killing Dance to Blue Moon) emphasized the romantic aspects of the series, this one got back down to exploring who Anita is as a character, not just where she stands in relation to the various studs who share her world. For that reason alone, I found it a more deeper, more satisfying read than Blue Moon, which bordered on the fringes of straight erotica.
It is now clear that Anita is a woman at her breaking point. She feels isolated and monstrous. She sees herself as duty-bound to choose one of two men - neither of which she seems too head-over-heels for at this point. There is one scene where she must do something typically Anita-like, i.e. gorey but necessary, which simultaneously makes a charming new love interest look at her with horror, and makes a serial killer fall in love. At the same time, the one man (Edward) who she has always though to be colder and more detached than her, turns out to have much more of a family life than she can ever expect. No wonder she feels monstrous and alone!
The rest of the series will be better for the revelations of OB, and I'm so glad the author was brave enough to put the "supporting cast" on hiatus for just this one book. I'll be glad to have them back, but now there is just so much more for the rest of the series to explore besides whether it will be the werewolf or the master. And despite my love of Jean-Claude, my greater love of Anita is now making me root for a dark horse third (maybe Asher?) to make Anita re-evaluate her position on the myth of true love and maybe actually help her to be *gasp* happy with herself.

Save your money and wait until this book is released in paperback. Obsidian Butterfly is poorly written, poorly edited and a major disappointment. Anita is getting more and more violent yet moans that she is a monster, get real, sweetie, change some of your ways or quit complaining.. I am hoping that Book 10 of this series is better than Book 9...Anita doesn't need a vacation, she needs help.

I have OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY in hard cover, so why buy the paperback? Simple. In the back lies an eight-page "sneak peek" into NARCISSUS IN CHAINS, the next entry in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Rumor now has it that Ace will not be releasing NC until October 2001. Watch [...] for more about NC and upcoming repackaged reissues of GUILTY PLEASURES and THE LAUGHING CORPSE. No relation to PP/Ace.

First off, to everyone who complains that Laurell K. Hamilton has gotten too sexual in her writing, you are all very strange. She writes very well and i don't think that the sex scenes or the extreme violence take away from her skill at all. I for one enjoy the explicit scenes, whether they're bloody or sexy. I was somewhat disappointed that she didn't take the detective up on his offers in this book. Besides that,i loved getting to know Edward better and the relationship between Edward and Anita is definitely unique in the Anita Blake world because of the lack of romance. I could do with a bit less useless grandstanding between the two of them. I can understand the point of the grandstanding, though, because the fiction world does lack seriously tough women and sometimes you just have to prove repeatedly that you have the balls to be "one of the men," no matter how tedious. I think that this was one of my favorites of the Anita Blake series, and i will continue to be a fan and enjoy her books.

Laurell K. Hamilton has got to be one of the best writers I have ever come across. Her characters are so believable and you just wish that you could meet Anita Blake in person. Assuming of coures she was in a good mood and you werent on her list.
Ms Hamilton has skill I wish to attain one day and I have almost every book she has written. I cant wait to get her newest book. If I had one thing to tell my readers ... it would be to read Laurell K. Hamilton. They wont regret it.

I loved the chance to learn more about Edward, but I, too was bothered by LKH's rather exploitational approach to the nursery scene. And *continuity*, YIKES! What happened to Monstruo, the creature in the bar? I re-read the final chapters twice to make sure I hadn't missed it, but no, Anita didn't make a quick side trip before she left town to wrap up that loose end. Sloppy editing, folks. And finally, an obsidian blade is *sharper* than steel, not duller.

First off I want to say that I enjoyed the book. But I was disappointed that there was so little mention of Jean Claude and Richard. The tension between these two men and Anita is what makes the story lines interesting. I didn't realize that this book would be devoted solely to the character Edward. Once I read the book,(in 3 days), I felt a bit let down. Edward is a psycho with a soft spot for Anita. This book gave him more humanity than I wanted him to have. It seemed a bit unrealistic that he would be able to hide himself so well from the girlfriend, and why would he want to get involved with her in the first place? I want to know more about Jean Claude and Richard, but as it evolves through their interactions with Anita. I think that focusing on any one character is a mistake. She is exploring the opportunities her powers give her, yet trying to retain some sense of humanity. That conflict is interesting. I do think that returning to St. Louis would be best for the next book. There will be another book?

I just wanted to comment on one thing, I don't sense a hatred for women in these books. The books are filled with evil characters, and some of those characters are sexists. It has nothing to do with the writer but the characters, which makes sense. The comment in one of the reviews about a character saying

"'You would have made a good man.'

and Anita replying with "I took the compliment because that's what it was."

was made because the one saying it WAS a sexist and EVIL character. Anita lives in their world and she understands that world - thus HER reply.

Anyway. Awesome book.

Warning to Laurell Hamilton Fans...there is absolutely NO mention of Jean-Claude or Richard in this book! I actually bought this book in hardcover (which I never do) in order to read this edition as soon as possible. I was shocked and crushed when I couldn't find even a little mention of the juicy love triangle. This book seems like it comes from a totally different angle than all the other stories - I think the very different look of the cover tells it all. Evidently, it is a digression to flesh out the character of "Edward". To me...it was better left a mystery. It really seemed like an attempt to draw out the book series rather than a continuation of the plot. Don't get me wrong...I will snatch up the next volume as soon as my hot little hands can grab it. But, I wanted to warn my fellow fans so that they might not be as sadly disappointed as I was - WAIT for the paperback for sure!

Not my favorite Anita Blake book, but good. I love getting to know a bit more about the mysterious Edward, called Death by the preternatural communities.

The blending of your traditional supernatural types with Aztec folklore is well done and interesting.

This is also the last true to form Anita Blake book, after this, the series takes a sharp turn going into unexpected directions. Some like the direction the series takes after this, others do not, but we all like the early books, so enjoy.

I'd have to say that this isn't on of Hamilton's best works. With the last book, I've begun to notice that the series is taking a turn for the worse. Even though I've always gobbled the next book in the series as soon as it comes out, this book kept me away from NiC for over a year! NiC is even worse than this (you can read my review for it). But back to OB: the plot is still ok, but the scenes of violence are getting to the point where they don't really belong in the book. Hamilton tries to shock her readers, adding more and more violence. Also, I find Anita's character is beginning to get on my nerves. Before I could relate to her; she was a woman, petite, and had to be tough in order to survive in this type of world. However, now she's just annoying, but a I'm tougher than you attitude. You can't turn a page without her comparing egos with the guys. It is annoying as hell. It is a like a testosterone driven teenager in Anita's body.

I started at the first book in the series and was interested enough to continue reading. The stories started deteriorating into repetitive "I'm badder than you are contests" and the sex ramped up to the point I was skipping most of the pages trying to find the plot. The final straw was I lost any respect, sympathy, or admiration of Anita and realized I actually don't like her. What a pain in the posterior she is and why would anyone like her? Blue Moon is tiresome, but I forged ahead with this book. I couldn't finish it. It's to bad because some of the early books were actually interesting.

From general editorial errors such as repeated scenes, spelling errors and other problems, to the fact the plot could divided into two seperate but complete plots, it's a long story to follow, but it's woth hanging in there. The whole Edward/Ted Forrester plot was well done and finally gave us a peak behind Edward's cold mask. Inter-mixed with the plotline of the brutal serial murders, that as mentioned before, could have been broken down itno another book, made for a good read, provided you read it slowly, and maybe some scenes more than once to grasp it all.
While some complain about the lack of Jean-Claude, Richard and the rest of the gang, I belive that having them beyond her thoughts and the little mention of them 'in person' would have distracted from the main focas of the story. Besides, it balances out with being chocked full of Edward information.
Over all, a good book, just read carefully.

I am about 150 pages into this book and talk about draaaagggginnng.... Anita spends so much time disecting Edward's love life and so very little action. I am totally bored with hearing about this Donna and the kids. I picked up this book for some interesting Vampire/Mystery killer action and all I have gotten so far is nothing more than an hour at the therapist office dialoge. Many here praise her earlier works and perhaps I should go back and give those a try but this book has got to be one of the few books that I have ever contemplated giving up on before. I almost wanted to jump to the back and read the end just so that I could be done with it and move on to more interesting works. I am all for witty tough women but her attitude borders on such low class smart alec comments that you are suprised she is still alive.
I am going to hang in there and finish it since I spent close to nineteen bucks on the darn thing but I would recomend waiting for the paperback.
If it's tough women and adventure you like, I suggest a Patrica Cromwell book.

The most innovative character in Laurell K. Hamilton's novels is easily Edward. In her previous books she had only provided enough information to wet our appetites about this intriguing charater who is as brutal as the monsters themselves.
Finally a book dedicated to this unsung hero! Readers not familiar with the first eight books of the series will, however, find little interest in this latest installment. Edward is however brilliant, almost enough to overlook the reptitive neurosis of Anita.
The story does lack depth without the vital characters of Richard and Jean-Claude. Edward's starring role doesn't divert the reader from the tedious repetition of this predictable plot. Average story, but being a huge Edward fan, I was quite happy to read it in one sitting!

Laurell K. Hamilton is amazing, making her main character be an awesome vampire hunter.Anita Blake's feminism shows only in her dress, yet she blows men clean out of the water with her skills in weapons and her knowledge of the fact that she can't be tricked into fake relationships with all the dorks that ask her out.Blake's observatory glances of all that's around her lead her to braking down each detail of her surroundings.She can easily judge any person by their physical appearance (and be correct.)I haven't read of a better female main character than Anita Blake, who keeps it cool, calm, and collected with whatever she does and wherever she goes.

Edward is also one of the best characters I've ever read about. The way Hamilton describes his attitude just gives me shivers it's so unique...his cold,blue-eyed,piercing stare, his ability to mask his features so no one can tell what he's thinking, and to not look like he cares about anything else in the world except himself.

Hamilton will thrill anybody who reads this with her two awesome characters and some of the sexiest,out-of-this-world scenes between Anita Blake and...others.

This was the first L. Hamilton book I ever read-but I'm hooked for life. I've since gone back to the beginning of the series. I enjoy how Anita "talks" to her audience. She's one tough chick--"She'd have to hurt me for calling her that. Ya gotta respect that. I like how the book is set in the future, but with beings of legends past. A werewolf and vampire for lovers, raising zombies for a living, hunting and killing the bad guys, moments of self-doubt, and still loving a simple cup of coffee. What's not to like?

Anita and Edwards relationship matures in a way only they can appreciate. Edwards true self starts to shine through those dead, vacant eyes. Anita is less confused about her life by the end of the book than she has been in the last 2.
This book was a fabulous read. It is the most descriptive, most painful and most exhilerating read. I literally couldn't stop reading it.

This was my first Anita Blake novel. I enjoyed it so much that I went back to the beginning of the series and read all of the books. Some great characters in this one. Really enjoyed getting to know Edward a little better and was nice to have Anita out of her element. Action packed and little bit violent, but Anita does not let you down. This one will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat.

The best book in the Anita Blake series. If you are an Edward fan then this book is a must read. It's a great escape from the normal Anita world and it's the last book in this series that I truly enjoyed. Sadly books 10 to 15 lack a lot of the elements that I loved about this series in the beginning.

This is my favorite Anita Blake book. I have read the entire series and found myself of late rereading some of the earlier books. Obsidian Butterfly is by far one of my favorite. For anyone that has read the entire series, you know that some of the newer books are full of mystical stuff, sex, and lots of men. However, this book is loaded with adventure and she is actually "working" and doing a job. There's lots of blood and gore, suspense, and a whole lot of Edward. (which I love) It is nice to see a whole new side of Edward in his own element. It is refreshing to reread this one again. If you are a fan of the series you need to read this one. You will not be disappointed.

As a dedicated Anita Blake fan, I was terribly disappointed with the latest chapter in the life of our favorite necromancer. It seems that Obsidian Butterfly was rushed to print without proof-reading. The frequent errors were distracting from the story, which needed some help too. Anita's constant use of the sophmoric phrase "so not", was very tiring. I noticed another customer reviewer recommended readers check-out the Stepanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I whole heartedly agree. If you like Anita Blake, you owe yourself an adventure with Stephanie Plum. Of course, my disappointment in Obsidian Butterfly doesn't mean I'm not anxious for the next book in the series; I just won't rush to buy it in hardcover.

This is the first book I picked up by Laurell K. Hamilton, and It will not be the last. I completely fell into the story line of this book. When I firsted picked it up and noticed how many pages it was, I thought it was hopeless. Needless to say the first night of reading it I read through 150 pages! The second night of reading was into the scary part, but I still managed to read more than the first night. Reading the book at night was a little creepy in itself. I finished "Obsidian Butterfly" by the third night of reading it. And my only regret was that I finished it too soon. I rarely find a book that will suck me into the characters, places, plot and settings, but this one was great. I cannot wait to get my hands on Ms. Hamilton's earlier novels. I hope her other books have the same sense of energy as this one.

Obsidian Butterfly is the ninth book in a series which follows the ups and downs of a private eye in a version of our world populated with werewolves and vampires. Obsidian Butterfly is simply bad, very bad on many levels. If Anne Rice and James Elroy had a child, and the child were a 13-year-old girl who didn't like to read but wrote a novel anyway, the result might be something like Laurel Hamilton's book.

Foremost to me was the ignorance, disrespect and abuse the author shows for language. Let me say it most clearly: a professional writer who uses words incorrectly is stupid, sloppy and lazy. Not or. And. An editor who allows such sloppiness to slide by simply isn't an editor.

One example: in a brief bit of self-congratulation Anita prides herself on her ability to prefabricate. Clearly the author was looking for fabricate or prevaricate. But prefabricate just does not mean fabricate, prevaricate or lie.

Another example: the folksy Ted persona of Edward describes a particularly hot day as a barnburner. As any dictionary will show, barnburner does not mean hot day. It means great spectacle. The folksy people who use the word know that. Authors who throw it in for folksy charm should know it as well. Editors should know it -- it's in the dictionary for God's sake.

Her next crime is the kidnapping of the word preternatural. I think I understand the literary device that she is attempting to use, that is, preternatural is shorthand for all of the things that exist in Anita's world, that do not exist in ours: vampires, shape-shifters, zombies etc. Thus we have the FBI special unit for preternatural crimes, Anita's expertise on the preternatural, etc. But even though I understand the literary device she's trying to use, I think it stinks. Preternatural is not the same as supernatural, nor is it an arcane or archaic version of the word.

A preternatural ability is an ability greater than that occurring in nature. A supernatural ability is an ability that exists outside of nature. One can be preternaturally strong, fast, clever or prescient. One cannot be preternaturally invisible, immortal or telepathic. Hamilton's co-opting of this word, shows either ignorance of or apathy to its meaning. Further one is left to wonder if the word supernatural exists in her world, and if so, to what it might refer?

Jargon. The author is a believer in the use of jargon to give the ring of authenticity. To that end about a dozen times we are treated to characters being told to put up their guns, rather than to put them down or away. Real cops and bad guys may speak that way; I don't know. The problem is that the mix-in of jargon did not match the rest of the speech, and made much of the dialog sound phony. Further, since both the bad and good guys use the same jargon, you need to count off odd or even to know who is speaking.

In his excellent book On Writing Stephen King, quoting Amy Tan, laments that interviewers never ask the so-called `popular' writers such as King and Tan about language. Such questions are reserved for the John Updikes and T.C. Boyles of the world. Upon reading Obsidian Butterfly I think I can offer an explanation as to why. According to the back cover copy, Obsidian Butterfly as well as many others in the series, were New York Times bestsellers. Given that, it might be tempting for one who has read neither Laurell K. Hamilton nor Stephen King to regrettably group them together.

This latest installment in the Anita Blake series has recaptured some of the feel, excitment, and enjoyment that has been lacking in previous books. The only slightly distracting item I have to complain about is that Hamilton is spending more time on the sexual tenshions in this one, and less time with plot needed detail. All in all not bad, but not quite what say the first 2 books were.

This was a great story which fits in quite well with the continuing development of Anita Blake. A story which I would easily have given 5 stars too had the loose ends been tied up. As much as I want the next book as soon as possible, I would rather wait a few extra months and get a great LKH story without the loose ends that left me feeling unsatisfied.

After reading every previous Anita Blake novel, I looked forward to this one. I have been growing concerned about the amount of needless sex for several novels and had high hopes for this one since it focused on Edward instead of "the boys".
Instead of taking the effort to creatively write a new, "more evil villian", LKH instead choose to include villians who rape and torture children. A graphic child rape scene is a poor excuse for lack of ability.
I have returned the book and will not ever purchase another book by LKH.

You've got to love this one..especially if you love it when Edward shows up :) This gives some great insight on who Edward is OR rather can be when he's not toting a complete arsenal around backing up Anita :) It was also refreshing to see Anita stand on her own without her 2 beaus to back her up..although I did miss not seeing Richard or Jean-Claude. I don't want to say too much about the plot..in case you haven't read it yet. But I highly recommend that you do especially if you're an Anita Blake fan like myself. However, if you haven't read any of the others, I'd suggest that you start with the first one Guilty Pleasures and work your way down to the list. There's always references to something that happened along the way everytime a new book comes out. Again..this one is great!! Long live the Executioner! :)

Death calls in his favor. Anita rushes to his aid in New Mexico. Someone or something is killing people in a most brutal way. Anita is a little to chaste in this book for my taste, especially with some of the beautiful men surrounding her, but she has enough lust in her mind to keep the reader satisfied. This was a good and quick read, but for those JC and Richard fans, you will be disappointed that the boys are only mentioned in the book and not participants. For Edward fans, you will love it. The Undertaker has more personality and becomes more of a real person in this book and his presence is irresistable.

I really thought this book had promise. I liked the character of Edward in Hamilton's previous books, but "Obsidian Butterfly" made him look like a wimp! Giving the guy a "family" and a "personal life" after having him spend years as a cold and calculating hitman was so not the right thing to do. Why didn't Hamilton have Anita fall in love with him, too? After all, she's got lovers from a variety of different species! I couldn't even finish this book; it was so disappointing.

Another serious problem I have with the Anita Blake series is the lack of vampire hunting, as listed on the front of each novel: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel. It's quite the misnomer these days. I wish Hamilton had stuck with Jean Claude (my favorite character) and created more scenarios around him and other vampires. I probably will not by any more of her books unless they feature Jean Claude and/or actual vampire hunting.

First of all, I am German, have always been (half Croatian but, anyway...)plus I have studied some semesters and taught German for immigrants at a Foreign Language Center, so there, Laurell, tell me: How do you think Anita could determine where the heck Olaf came from in Germany simply by his way of speaking friggin'ENGLISH?? Huh?? Did I miss something? My colleagues are from Australia, Canada, the States and UK so I know some English accents. Plus living in Germany and being German helps by determining where Germans grew up - when they speak GERMAN! I have yet to learn how to place American accents (East Coast or Southerner may be easy but how should I know about the little differences?)but I am 100% sure that if they spoke German, it would even be impossible for a fellow American to say where they come from in the US. And for me, too. Let's forget about the whole "Habsburg" thing - it is not a place but a noble family from Austria (Yes, that too, NOT Germany!) who had Kings of Hungary, Croatia and England amongst their line and an Emperor or two. Which means that they live all over the place and I am sure they do NOT share a common accent. About the "Olaf/Anita-Situation"... if I am to determine their attraction / relationship, I have to actually laugh my ass off so I won't bother, here is my point: Why do you keep writing about things you obviously don't know? You have no clue about BDSM (oh no, you SO don't!), Anita is always bigger than the rest of us and as there have been many people before me complaining about how Anita gets to do all the guys and they have to do some time in the dry-dock while she sees to one of the other... 11, or 12 guys?? It is urban fantasy, yes, but there's a reality frame and there's exaggeration.

Your books will keep on selling like they are the best invention since presliced bread but if you want to earn some respect from the growing number of angry people out there, I'd suggest you stop counting your money and start doing something to earn it!!

Laurel is Laurel in that her writing is still captivating and fast-paced. What drags the book down is the absence of a good, quality editor. In addition to Anita to ramble too much about her emotions and her thoughts, there were a lot of loose ends left in the book. What happened to Nicky Baco's creation? What happened to the werewolves who were a part of that creation? I'm pretty sure that if a good editor caught these lapses, Laurell could have tightened up her book a lot more and the end product would have been of higher quality.
Those editors messed up big time - I hope they get fired for the mess they made (or at the very least, don't work on the next book).

LKH I have loved this series but after reading Obsidian Butterfly, I have to take a very long break from Anita. The constant treat of rape and the sexual abuse of EVERYONE, in every single book is getting very tiresome. The majority of female authors I have read eventually throw rape or the threat of rape into their book series and as disappointed as this makes me in my fellow women, I endured it with your book cause it seemed well placed in the story line......but now you have ridden the rape train for too long and it is time to get off and start writing about something else, anything else. To use a time honored cliché STOP BEATING THE DEAD HORSE!!!!

I used to love the AB series. You know, standard reasons: great main character, strong and independent and likeable; lots of romance and some steaming-hot sex; enough gore-splattering justice to relieve my everyday stress, while not being too gross... All that.

Now, after having read this one book, I'm seriously ASHAMED that I've ever laid my hands on it. It's not just bad writing or poor story telling that I'm mad at; HAMILTON, you've crossed a line now, and boy you've crossed it too far, too much, and there's only so much that you should do for money. Yes, I'd like to believe that you did it for the money, I'd rather not think that you're such a twisted person that you actually included those god-awful scenes all on your own for your own enjoyment. Child molestation and infant murder? Just one would have been too much, no thank you. Had to put them both in, didn't you. It ain't even like they furthered the plot or anything--they're just--they're just THERE. Completely SICKO. Doesn't it disturb all you people who gave the book five-stars? For Chrissake, I mean, I'm only willing to go so far to be entertained, I'm still a human being. I may be without religion and all but I still think that there are lines you should be weary of treading, let alone cross at all.

And grossness and moral issues aside, the narrative is just becoming BAD. Not evil BAD, but oh-so-boring bad. I can't believe in Anita's character anymore. She's just so one-dimensional in her [...] blah blah business. She used to be three-dimensional and relatable. Now she ain't nothing but a prop to get more sex and kick more butt. Hamilton--can you say SELL OUT? And the non-existent plot line? Laughable. I could ignore the flaws in Hamilton's writing in all the books before this because of her fertile imagination and strong voice, but boy, she overdid it this time around. All the repetition--God, I'm gonna scream if Ihead "Edward's empty, cold, dead" eyes thing again or Anita's "White noise" cruelty-absence-of-morality thing again. And the formulas have become way too trite. Okay, get some more men, have some of them die at her feet, have some of them swoon at her feet, have some of them engage in big bad voodoo at her feet. Got the picture eons ago. Wanna try something new? Say, maybe, TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR A CHANGE?

Yadda yadda yadda. "It's still fun," I bet someone's gonna squeal. Yeah, I know how much you like the series, so did I, but if you look around you might be able to find a book just as fun that ain't so gross, morally deprived and badly written.

I really really liked this book. I like the fact that it wasn't all about Richard and Jean-Claude. I like how in this book Anita was able to get in touch with her self. I also like how she developed Edwards in the book. I like the fact that he is not just a cold harded killer. I really love reading her books. Anita Blake is my crack! LOL

Obisidian Butterfly was worth the wait. Anita Blake is larger than life in this lastest book. It's fast paced and exciting to be transported back into her interesting but compilcated life. If I wasn't already grown up, I'd want to grow up to be just like Anita. Learning more about Edward/Ted was great but I must confess that I really missed Jean-Claude and Richard. If only every girl had men like them to choose from. Even though I think a first time reader of Anita Blake, Vampire Executioner will enjoy this book, I encourage them to make it a point to buy all of them. After finishing Obisidian Butterfly, I myself went back and reread them all again. I really liked the hard back cover also. Hard back books are such a pleasure to hold and read.

A really good book, if a little bleak. Fills in a lot of things merely touched on in previous books. When I read the first in the series I thought this was going to be a good set of linked novels, but this one has shifted up a gear with the improved depth even though it's not such a fast paced book as the others. If you haven't read the first eight, I wouldn't suggest you start with this one as there is a lot less filling in of "previously..." bits. I had to admit I did not expect the twists revealed in Ted and I still can't decide whether it makes him more or less interesting! P.S. If you get the copy with the teaser for the next, you are not going to want to wait for it to be published. You have been warned!

I have just recently found L. Hamilton, and her books, and I must say her books are very enjoyable! Obsidian Butterfly, is a great break from the other books in her series Anita Blake! I did find it a little slow at the beginning, but once i got going the book was fantastic, just as her others are!

After the disappointment of Blue Moon I am so glad I read this book. I do enjoy Edward, and the story here has it all - characters to care about, characters to be afraid of, suspense, mystery, interesting plots, good action, interesting revelations, and a few nice JC moments to boot. Great fun.

This is my favourite of the entire sequence, and a bit of a departure from the others in that all the characters are unfamiliar (apart from Anita and YAY! Edward).
There a couple of standout action sequences and being removed from Richard & Jean Claude meant that Anita concentrated more on kicking ...
On the down side Edward's 'romance' is rather impractical and unconvincing, but that's love I guess. Also it seems impossible for Anita to make it through a whole book without obtaining ANOTHER superhuman power.
The new character Olaf was great, maybe the series needs a few more humans, and the twist at the end was both funny and menacing.

I generally love the Anita Blake series. Unfortunatly, the accuracy of the area around Albuquerque is fairly faulted. Example: Nobody drives up Lomas Blvd, and looks at the Sangre de Cristo mountains as their foremost thought. The Sangre de Cristos are just a shadow from downtown Albuquerque. What looms in your face is the Sandias. Anyone who has been to Albuquerque would have know that. The editor let through way too many mispellings as well.

That being said, it was fun to experience the development of the Edward Character. Fun plot line. I just wish I could get past the inaccuracies.

This is my first reading of Hamilton, AB, Vampire Hunter series or otherwise. I have to say I LOVED IT! I have done nothing but search for the first book since beginning OB, so that I can start the series from the beginning. I do agree w/ various other readers that the editing is a bit "off", but I still could not put the book down. I can only hope the entire series is this enthralling. I compare it to an R-rated version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, complete with gory details, obscene language and sexual content. I LOVED IT!!!

I just wanted to say that I am also a huge fan of Laurell Hamilton. When I first went to the book store to pick up a new sci-fi book I didn't know what to look for. But when I saw the cover of her first book for the Anita Series I was already hooked, when I read the back of the cover I was already walking to the counter. Along with that book I picked up the other 2 or 3 that were also published. When I got home and opened up the first book to my amazment I was actually looking at her signature on the first page. Which I personally thought was great. Because I didn't even open up the book to skim it a little. Just went by the back cover. On the first page in the book it said "Happy Reading:) Laurell K. Hamilton" along with the date. I still have the book and every now and then I'll go back and look at it and laugh. Thinking how lucky I am to actually have her autograph and I haven't even met her.....Yet:) Thanx Laurell for giving St. Louis, a whole new perspective. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to read Obsidian Butterfly.

I've read the entire series and enjoyed them. Great characters, fast pacing, fascinating world. But I have a major problem with books or movies that depict the torture/murder of children. I can cope with it happening to adults, but not children or infants. If I had had any idea what happened in the hospital scene, I would never have checked this book out from the library. At least I didn't buy it. And I won't be buying it, hardcover or paperback. I really enjoyed the earlier books in this series. But a depiction of the slaughter of newborns is NOT entertaining to me.

Don't get me wrong. I've positively adored Anita Blake since the first book, but I simply couldn't get through this one. I think Hamilton is an excellent writer, but this book is simply too much. First, Edward only really works as a character if we don't know much about him. Once we know about his personal life, his mystique as the hard-edged killer don't stand up anymore. This was not an "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" book, it was a "Lets Demask Edward" book. And Anita did not grow as a person, or so I saw, all she did was have a different cast of men to fall at her feet -- either in death or worship of her beauty/strength/power. The other Blake books are, in my opinion, as close to perfection as any writer can get, but Hamilton seems to keep simply wanting to go more and more grandiose with villians and gross with victims, and this was simply going too far. The book did not further the series at all. It kept it at exactly the same spot.

I have really enjoyed reading the Anita Blake series up to this book, however, when I got to this book I felt like something was missing. I really enjoyed the sexual tension between Anita and her various men and fellow monsters. I got about half was through the book and really thought about just going on to the next book instead. I really love the relationship between Anita and Edward, the "this is what you are if you cross that line." type friction, but I think that this could have been covered maybe in a couple of chapters without having to resort to a full book that just drags you kicking and screaming through the whole bloody (pun intended) and somewhat disgusting book. The homosexual scenes I know I could have done without ever having read about. I may continue with the series just to see if Ms. Hamilton gets back to the normal writing that I am used to, but if there is another book like this, I may decide NOT to finish it for that exact reason. Unless you really, REALLY love and are desperately interested in hearing about Edward and his psychopathic tendancies, I would recommend just skipping this book and going on to the next one in the series instead.

I have just recently found L. Hamilton, and her books, and I must say her books are very enjoyable! Obsidian Butterfly, is a great break from the other books in her series Anita Blake! I did find it a little slow at the beginning, but once i got going the book was fantastic, just as her others are!

After the disappointment of Blue Moon I am so glad I read this book. I do enjoy Edward, and the story here has it all - characters to care about, characters to be afraid of, suspense, mystery, interesting plots, good action, interesting revelations, and a few nice JC moments to boot. Great fun.

This is my favourite of the entire sequence, and a bit of a departure from the others in that all the characters are unfamiliar (apart from Anita and YAY! Edward).
There a couple of standout action sequences and being removed from Richard & Jean Claude meant that Anita concentrated more on kicking ...
On the down side Edward's 'romance' is rather impractical and unconvincing, but that's love I guess. Also it seems impossible for Anita to make it through a whole book without obtaining ANOTHER superhuman power.
The new character Olaf was great, maybe the series needs a few more humans, and the twist at the end was both funny and menacing.

I generally love the Anita Blake series. Unfortunatly, the accuracy of the area around Albuquerque is fairly faulted. Example: Nobody drives up Lomas Blvd, and looks at the Sangre de Cristo mountains as their foremost thought. The Sangre de Cristos are just a shadow from downtown Albuquerque. What looms in your face is the Sandias. Anyone who has been to Albuquerque would have know that. The editor let through way too many mispellings as well.

That being said, it was fun to experience the development of the Edward Character. Fun plot line. I just wish I could get past the inaccuracies.

This is my first reading of Hamilton, AB, Vampire Hunter series or otherwise. I have to say I LOVED IT! I have done nothing but search for the first book since beginning OB, so that I can start the series from the beginning. I do agree w/ various other readers that the editing is a bit "off", but I still could not put the book down. I can only hope the entire series is this enthralling. I compare it to an R-rated version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, complete with gory details, obscene language and sexual content. I LOVED IT!!!

I just wanted to say that I am also a huge fan of Laurell Hamilton. When I first went to the book store to pick up a new sci-fi book I didn't know what to look for. But when I saw the cover of her first book for the Anita Series I was already hooked, when I read the back of the cover I was already walking to the counter. Along with that book I picked up the other 2 or 3 that were also published. When I got home and opened up the first book to my amazment I was actually looking at her signature on the first page. Which I personally thought was great. Because I didn't even open up the book to skim it a little. Just went by the back cover. On the first page in the book it said "Happy Reading:) Laurell K. Hamilton" along with the date. I still have the book and every now and then I'll go back and look at it and laugh. Thinking how lucky I am to actually have her autograph and I haven't even met her.....Yet:) Thanx Laurell for giving St. Louis, a whole new perspective. Keep up the good work and I can't wait to read Obsidian Butterfly.

I've read the entire series and enjoyed them. Great characters, fast pacing, fascinating world. But I have a major problem with books or movies that depict the torture/murder of children. I can cope with it happening to adults, but not children or infants. If I had had any idea what happened in the hospital scene, I would never have checked this book out from the library. At least I didn't buy it. And I won't be buying it, hardcover or paperback. I really enjoyed the earlier books in this series. But a depiction of the slaughter of newborns is NOT entertaining to me.

Don't get me wrong. I've positively adored Anita Blake since the first book, but I simply couldn't get through this one. I think Hamilton is an excellent writer, but this book is simply too much. First, Edward only really works as a character if we don't know much about him. Once we know about his personal life, his mystique as the hard-edged killer don't stand up anymore. This was not an "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" book, it was a "Lets Demask Edward" book. And Anita did not grow as a person, or so I saw, all she did was have a different cast of men to fall at her feet -- either in death or worship of her beauty/strength/power. The other Blake books are, in my opinion, as close to perfection as any writer can get, but Hamilton seems to keep simply wanting to go more and more grandiose with villians and gross with victims, and this was simply going too far. The book did not further the series at all. It kept it at exactly the same spot.

I have really enjoyed reading the Anita Blake series up to this book, however, when I got to this book I felt like something was missing. I really enjoyed the sexual tension between Anita and her various men and fellow monsters. I got about half was through the book and really thought about just going on to the next book instead. I really love the relationship between Anita and Edward, the "this is what you are if you cross that line." type friction, but I think that this could have been covered maybe in a couple of chapters without having to resort to a full book that just drags you kicking and screaming through the whole bloody (pun intended) and somewhat disgusting book. The homosexual scenes I know I could have done without ever having read about. I may continue with the series just to see if Ms. Hamilton gets back to the normal writing that I am used to, but if there is another book like this, I may decide NOT to finish it for that exact reason. Unless you really, REALLY love and are desperately interested in hearing about Edward and his psychopathic tendancies, I would recommend just skipping this book and going on to the next one in the series instead.

I used to love the AB series. You know, standard reasons: great main character, strong and independent and likeable; lots of romance and some steaming-hot sex; enough gore-splattering justice to relieve my everyday stress, while not being too gross... All that.

Now, after having read this one book, I'm seriously ASHAMED that I've ever laid my hands on it. It's not just bad writing or poor story telling that I'm mad at; HAMILTON, you've crossed a line now, and boy you've crossed it too far, too much, and there's only so much that you should do for money. Yes, I'd like to believe that you did it for the money, I'd rather not think that you're such a twisted person that you actually included those god-awful scenes all on your own for your own enjoyment. Child molestation and infant murder? Just one would have been too much, no thank you. Had to put them both in, didn't you. It ain't even like they furthered the plot or anything--they're just--they're just THERE. Completely SICKO. Doesn't it disturb all you people who gave the book five-stars? For Chrissake, I mean, I'm only willing to go so far to be entertained, I'm still a human being. I may be without religion and all but I still think that there are lines you should be weary of treading, let alone cross at all.

And grossness and moral issues aside, the narrative is just becoming BAD. Not evil BAD, but oh-so-boring bad. I can't believe in Anita's character anymore. [...]She used to be three-dimensional and relatable. Now she ain't nothing but a prop to get more sex and kick more butt. Hamilton--can you say SELL OUT? And the non-existent plot line? Laughable. I could ignore the flaws in Hamilton's writing in all the books before this because of her fertile imagination and strong voice, but boy, she overdid it this time around. All the repetition--God, I'm gonna scream if Ihead "Edward's empty, cold, dead" eyes thing again or Anita's "White noise" cruelty-absence-of-morality thing again. And the formulas have become way too trite. Okay, get some more men, have some of them die at her feet, have some of them swoon at her feet, have some of them engage in big bad voodoo at her feet. Got the picture eons ago. Wanna try something new? Say, maybe, TRY SOMETHING NEW FOR A CHANGE?

Yadda yadda yadda. "It's still fun," I bet someone's gonna squeal. Yeah, I know how much you like the series, so did I, but if you look around you might be able to find a book just as fun that ain't so gross, morally deprived and badly written.

This is a welcome change from all the weres*x angst and the vamps*x angst from the previous couple of books. You can easily point out the reason for this, too. Edward. Yep, Edward is back, so some monster hunting is to be done.

She travels to New Mexico to look at the goings on at a club there.

This was my first Hamilton book. I couldn't get past the first 100 pages. It is really poor. Some of the similarly rated reviews will give you a better idea - I don't want to waste any more time with this book.
I'm not a diehard vampire fan, but I've read some Rice books and others, this has to be one of the worst I've seen. The plethora of mystical/fantasy stuff is so omnipresent that it takes away from the fun and mystery of it all. There is a lot of filler too - this author seems to have trouble quickly moving the plot along. I got tired of repetitive descriptions of Edward's "dead eyes" and boy, watch out for that killer description of sopapillas and sage honey. Lord have mercy.

I think I'm getting tired of Hamilton's vampire series, or I don't like the direction she's going. Famous for writing erotic stories (both the vampire and faerie series), this book veers off in a disturbing new direction that I really didn't like. I don't know how to mention it without giving away spoilers, but one scene towards the end really bothered me and turned me off of the whole book. The rest of the book was fine, as Anita travels to the Southwest to help out Edward. You'll get to see a whole new side of Edward, which is really cool, and it totally shocks even Anita. No Jean-Claude or Richard really in this book--it's mainly about Anita and Edward. After further disappointment with Narcissus in Chains, I think I'm going to leave Anita and join Meredith and the Faerie instead.

In Obsidian Butterfly, Anita takes a break from Jean-Claude and Richard for a bit. If you are a fan of Edward, you will really enjoy this novel. There is amazingly NO sex in this one either, so for those fans who thought the later books were too full of it, they will also enjoy this one. It is not one of my favorites, because I read the later ones first.

This was o.k., but not my favorite Laurel K. book. Edward's home life wasn't as cool as I had hoped, I missed the spicy trio action, and it didn't seem to have the same intensity that I associate with the rest of her writing. Ah well. She hasn't made me jump ship yet like Robert Jordan's last book did. I will still pick up the next in the series. However, I really wish she would write a sequel to Night Seer!

While this has been called an "Edward book", I think it's really an "Anita Book", and I really like Anita. I like her courage, independence, and sarcastic wit. We do learn more about Edward; he is no longer a 1-dimensional person, but comes into the light of the real world and becomes much more interesting because of it. There is also plenty of action, a little too much gore, and an interesting new monster. Yes, I missed Jean-Claude (there is only one dream scene with him), but I was very grateful for a break from Richard.

I think Laurell K. Hamilton is absolutely the greatest. I love this latest installment of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series. I pick up my first Anita book one year ago and have read every book since. The action in Obsidian Butterfly is like the old Anita again. I very much enjoyed finding out about Edward. I for one am truly glad to know there is a human side to him. The Anita books have always kept me on the edge of my seat. They always leave me wanting more and this book is no exception. I can't wait for the next! Laurell keep em coming!

I was so immersed in this book, I did not want to be disturbed.It was difficult to put it down to things like, go to work, eat,and forget sleep. It was just what I have come to crave from the Anita Blake series.

I just recently became a fan of Laurell K Hamilton, getting hooked by the Merry Gentry series, and this was the first book of the Anita Black series that I've read.
I was surprised (and kind of sad) by the lack of sensual scenes in this book as compared to the others I've read, but I have to say, the violence/suspense really made up for that! I even left work early a couple of times to read it. :)
I've ordered another book, and can't wait for the next book in the Merry Gentry series to come out!

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 enjoyed this book very much. The writing has improved greatly as I've read the series. I love Anita Blake and I really love John Claude and Richard. I could never pick between the two, although I do have a thing for vampires. I also like Ted/Edward. He has that cold blooded personality, but underneath he realizes he misses closeness. I need her to write a new book, soon.

Tho I liked Edward's story, I was deeply disappointed by the book alltogether. Kept reading in the hope that eventually somewhere Jean Claude will appear. Going through the whole thing, without him was painful.If this is the last book in the series. I feel let down. I feel like a kid on Xmas day finding an empty box under the tree. As much pleasure I got from all the books before this, I expected the same. It is Jean Claude that keeps me enchanted, I'm not as fond of Richard. But even
Richard's presence would have made this book worth reading. I know that readers have no right to demand that the author provide us with what we want to read. But still.I'm sure we all want Jean Claude in the story not just for half a page. The unforgettable scenes from the previous books when he was so beautifully present, so detailed that I could almost touch him. And now a whole entire book without him, waaaaah!

Unfortunately, as much as I love the AB series, I think the series has ran its course. This book killed it for me. For a while now, I have watched as my Puritan fell from grace becoming the sex craved monster who gives only side pseudo-consideration to the high ideals that were the cornerstones of her existance. The development of the characters to become more than one dimensional took away from the power that there archtype presented. I watched, in horror, as both Richard and Jean Clauda lost there beauty. But I draw a line when the iron man get a heart. Edward was my favorite character and to destroy him was to destroy the series' integrity.

I love reading about the anita-richard-jean-claude triangle but finding out about Edward and his REAL life was awesome! we find out that might be a spook and that he's engaged! I think this was one of the best books yet because now Anita is gettin even to closer to the edge- i'm sooo looking forward to the next book to see what happens with her!

This was a refreshing change from the normal Anita Blake JC Richard drama. (Dont get me wrong, i love that drama too!) We are finally able to get an insight into Edward and what makes him tick. the plot is great in this book and everyone kicks alot of assasin butt! It was nice to see anita able to concentrate on the things that drew me to this series to begin with, her bad ass attitude. There is plenty of monsters and gore to go around on this one.

unlike most people who have reviewed this book, i did not like it. it doesn't fit the series and seems to throw everything off. i've read every book and if you skip this book and go to narcissis, the series will stay true. this one just wasn't impressive.

I like Hamilton's style, but she leaves out her key characters and only has Anita in this book. It's better when she sticks with the old cast of characters and setting in St. Louis--this was the only disappointment. The book sizzles with sex which was not disappointing. Also, Ms. Hamilton needs to be more accessible to readers--she never responds to comments.

In my opinion, this is the best book in the Anita Blake series.

Edward calls on Anita to settle the debt she racked in by killing Harley, and so she travels to New Mexico, leaving behind her personal troubles and emotional crisis - giving herself and the reader a break for once. The action, characters and situations Anita gets herself into in this book are more complex and interesting than any before, and certainly better than the emotional and sexual escapades that await the reader in all the following books.

I must say that the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series has probably been the best reading experience of my life. I have read and re-read the first 7 books but this one tops them all! Anita is such a wonderfully strong female character and the new view of Edward's personality is amazingly well written. I suggest this series to everyone I know and hope you'll give it a chance!

I really love this story. Anita is interesting in action, lots of new characters like Olaf- who is probably one of the more entertaining characters in the series. Good suspense. However there isn't any sex in this book at all- some might like that and some might not.

Ever since Killing Dance I have not been as happy with the Anita series as I had been. However, with Obsidian Butterfly, Hamilton has redeemed herself. The plot was much tighter and well thought out that it has been for several books. It also lacks some of the discomfiting inconsistencies that have been cropping up. I was very glad to get away from relationship stuff and get back into detective work and killing stuff.

I've been a fan of Laurell K. Hamilton's books for years, ever since Nightseer, and I haven't been disappointed yet. The Anita Blake series is fast-paced and sexy! Obsidian Butterfly is such a new look into Edward and their relationship. I don't want to give away any surprises, but Anita apologizes! I know, I never thought that would happen! I got this book as soon as I heard about it and even though it was in hardcover, it was worth the price!

This is my favorite book of the series. The action and detail are outstanding. Anita's moral dilema, accompanied by a perplexing mystery and disgusting murders, make this book very absorbing.
It's not for the faint of heart however, so be carefull. Some of the scenes, one in particular involving children, are very disturbing.
All in all a good read.

I highly enjoyed the plot and character interactions in this book (though there could have been more Jean-Claude and Richard) but the large number of errors kept getting in the way of the reading. Scenes were repeated, names were mispelled. Where were the editors for this book?

I love this book and all of her books. Everytime I get a advertisment for a new book written by this author I have to have it. I can't wait til the book arrives. Her style keeps me wanting more. Her Anita Blake series is the best I have ever read. I was not an advid reader until laurell K . Hamilton came along. There are only two authors I feel this strong about Anne McCaffrey and Laurell K. Hamilton.

Most of the novel is a badly-composed filler, full of with ghastly conversation and power challenges that nobody actually cares about. It feels less like a cohesive novel, and much more like a sequence of short stories and obscure notions tacked together, with the primary storyline being forgotten for what may seem to be an eternity.

When it comes to hundreds of other characters, they mainly appear to be there to fill up space. Anita's brainwashed boytoy Nicky is there only to remind us that he is a sociopath every two pages, which is ho-hum at best. Asher is only there to be told how much he is hated by everyone. Jean Claude is hardly within the narrative, and Hamilton's indifference with all the character is nearly palpable. And Anita's rapist/truelove Micah is covertly controlling distinct were groups to improve his own power base... and luckily for him, Anita is too dumb to worry about this.

This is a hideously frustrating novel. It is the same old swamp of bickering and whining all in a thriller.

Laurell Hamilton has an extremely vivid fantasy and is able to create situations full of suspense and mystery. Anita Blake is always an incredible character...not only she's a great heroine, but she's also funny!
The plot of this book is very well created and i couldn't almost put the book down!

This book is the best one that i have read that has Edward as a main character. Also i think that Olaf is a wonderful character and would be great to read about him later expecially if/when he visits St. Louis. Now this mysterious Van Clef is just a odd entry, will we ever learn more about him? One really big question is will she ever find out who pulled her file, and why?

I very much disliked Edwards secrecy so this book, opening up to Edward made me extermly happy! It caught me off guard that Edward had fallen in love but it is a good thing. I was sad that he wasn't mentioned much in the other books but you can only hope.

By far my favorite of Hamilton's Anita Blake series. Edward is fascinating in his own way and this opens up a whole new world to him that I love reading. I love the gore and pure evil that the characters spread and also that blunt humor and loyalty Anita processes.

I have read all of the other books in this series and I think this is the one that no one spent anytime looking for errors since they can be found all through the book. I have enjoyed the series and look forward to reading it over again but I think I will skip this book in the future. Read it once, checked out from your local library of course, to keep the flow going but don't go back a second time it just isn't worth it.

I just want to refute all those who said that a person should not read this book if you hadn't read the rest of the series. My brother gave me the book after he pored through it, I gobbled it up and my husband is devouring it now - none of us had read anything in the series - but surely will now. We all LOVED the book and were not lost or confused in the least.

This is the first and only in this series I will read! How many times should an author repeat the same description of a character's eyes, lack of human feeling, clothing? Ms. Hamilton obviously believes that there is no limit. Tedious at best, predictable dialog, boring, familiar plot. Anne Rice she is not. The only thing we get to learn about our characters is that there are only one or two traits worth revealing. If not for the description of the nightclub, it would earn no stars at all.

I hate it when an author insists on telling me what I should think of the characters and events in the book, and describes everything in a way that leaves no room for my imagination. If you are like me, DON'T read this book. The style is boring and lacks any kind of subtlety.
Apart from the style, I also found the narrator and heroine rather unlikeable. Her moral dilemmas might be interesting if she wasn't such a judgemental bigot.
On the whole, I wouldn't recommend this book.

I love the Anita Blake series, but this book literally made me sick. Fans of the series will enjoy it up to the near end, with the first real in-depth examination of Edward's character, but Ms. Hamilton, child molestation and child torture are INEXCUSABLE under ANY circumstances. Two pages ruin this entire book. Skip to number ten and avoid this one at all costs.

This is not the worse book written by LKH, but this is the turning-point in the story line when the main character, Anita Blake begins her downward spiral into sexual depravity. The book overall is good; I enjoyed getting to know the supporting character Edward more in-depth and learning more about his continued relationship with Anita. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys vampire novels, but be wary of the novels that come after this one; they just become one big sex orgy.

If Anita takes "you'd make a good man" comments as a compliment one more time I'll scream. The unending repetition of phrases gets wearing even on the most dedicated fan. However I liked the Edward bits. Now he's kinda cozy in a REAL sinister way.

I didn't think it was possible but once again Laurell K. Hamilton has created a wonderfully sarcastic and erotic novel. I have read every single book in the Anita Blake series and each one is better than the last. OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY is no different. Also, we finally get to know more about Edward, maybe even more than we wanted to. 10 stars for this one!

I've read all of Laurell K Hamilton's books. I've enjoyed every one of them. What makes it difficult to read this review is that it's someone bashing a writer that I love. To me it doesn't matter about the jargon, I love the characters, the writing style and the plot that went along with the entire story. It was more a story about a man that Anita's known for a few years and hasn't known anything, really anything, about this man who's saved her life on many occasions.

What's more, Anne Rice and Stephen King write horror novels, Laurell K is writing something that is far from horrific, granted there are some gory scenes in many of the novels she's written since 1994, but it's not overly terrible. What gripes my butt is the guy thinks he's a know-it-all and he's a better author. Of course there may be SOME discrepancies, but that doesn't mean she should be banned completely, or at all. I own just about every book she's ever put out, these as well as the Meredith Gentry series, and I enjoy every one of them.

What I loved best about Obsidian Butterfly was that we did get into Edwards life more. We got to see exactly who he was and got a little more insight into the kind of person he could become with the right family. Although, I do agree with Anita, the family he's chosen isn't the family for him, but again, if he was to leave this family, it could mess the family up for the rest of the children's' natural lives...

What gripes me is that James Frohnhofer "fijimf" states in his review title that she should be stopped from ever writing again. It's obvious to me that he's never read anything else of hers or if he did, he's associated all her novels together under the same review.

I won't read Anne Rice, I can't get through her thick use of language. It's difficult for me to wade through all the wordy descriptions and the use of language tends to bog me down. No, I'm not stupid or an idiot, but I find her books difficult to read. If they don't grab my attention within the first paragraph, and then hold it within the first five chapters... I won't read it. Stephen King's the same way for me, although I have read clear through at least ONE of his books, but it was the same way, I had to wade through a lot of unnecessary stuff just to get to the good parts.

I don't have to do that with Laurell K... which is a good part of the reason I've given her five stars. Another is the humor. I love the humor in her books and it makes me want to try and imitate her style. It's light-hearted but gets serious when it needs too...That's what I love.

SO, James Frohnhofer "fijimf", eat your heart out...

Laurie Hamilton just keeps getting better and better. I actually bought this book in hardcover (not something I do often) and counted it money well spent. A good mystery, exciting characters that you've got to either love or hate, or both!

I just found Laurell Hamilton and I cant put her stuff down.!! It is just amazing. Her stories catch your attention and don't let go. I was addicted from the first page. I went and bought ALL her books and started from the bigining. Absolutely the BEST!!!

Just began reading about Laurel Hamilton and would like to begin her series but need help....what order would I read the series could someone send me the list from the very 1st book to the present.
thanks

Beautifully written, loved by teenagers and adults. She has created humanities dream of the desires of the soul. I congradulate you with a well-done. Everything a women of the 21 century could want to be;Sexy yet Powerful. Keep Writing and we love you.

love it love it love it. the action the mistery and most of all.......the charictors. you dident know what to expect each time you turn the page. i was laughing, crying and scared out of my mind. the only thing i would have changed is more contact with richard and jean-claude but i understand why that couldent happen, i just wish i knew why they dident bug her more.

I just started this book and although I was enjoying the story thus far, I have made it to the part where Anita is comparing the landscape to the desolation of mining! I am deciding whether or not I will support this author further. I am from an area that thrives on strip mining. We are so mountainous that less than 5% of our land is usable and is too expensive without mining to flatten for use. All of our golf courses, department stores and other industry are located on beautiful landscapes provided by strip mining. I am so tired of people who are ignorant about mining making comments about it. Most people who are against mining have no knowledge at all about what it does for this country, or even how it is done. This is a major concern for me and as these books are very popular, I worry that this author has planted a negative view on something most important to this country. We have the technology to make fuel to replace our dependency on foreign oil, as well as clean coal technology if we could get the government to build the facilities we need because most of the country's electricity is provided by coal. There isn't even a place flat enough in Appalachia to put windmills and the sun doesn't shine here for 4 months out of the year so solar and wind are not an option, they are extremely insufficient as a replacement. I could give further education about mining, but I am afraid it falls on deaf ears. The destruction of the coal industry and the negativity promoted by people such as this will be greatly regretted, but my fear is that it will be far too late to repair the destruction that the so called environmentalists will do to the structure of this country. If only people were more open minded to being educated before standing against something, this country could thrive, but if you think the country is in turmoil now, wait until there is no electricity and no jobs and see what you think of coal mining. We have a motto here in Appalachia, Ban mining and let the "tree huggers" freeze to death in the dark!

I just wanted to say that when I received my book it was in excellent condition. I had borrowed this book from my sister-in-law and forgot it on a plane while travelling. So when I replaced it, I was happy to find that it looked brand new. Thanks so much. I now go to the store for all my books.

I enjoy reading all of Anita Blake novels. I read most of them before, and I started to read them again. I hope that Laurell Hamalton keeps up with the series, even though I haven't read them all yet.
Thank You
Maggie

I have read every single book in the Anita Blake vampire hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton and I have never been dissapointed except with the next book in the series "Narcissus in Chains" if you plan to read it, DON'T!!! It's horrible, what happened to her? Anyway, back to this book. Anita has always been a ... babe the kind you wish you knew but at the same time hope you never encounter.
In this book we learn a lot about Blake's sociopathic friend Edward who has called in his favor from when she killed a friend of his (it's hard to explain). She flies down to New Mexico where she learns of a killer who has skinned his victims alive.
This book is the first Blake book I read and it lead me to read the earliers and unfortunetly the latest.
"Obsidian Butterfly" is action packed, disgusting, fun, and highly amuzing. I loved this book so much I went out and bought it and have read it nearly 20 times. That may sound kind of pathetic but just go and read the book yourself you'll see what I'm talking about. This book is the best out of the series. THE BEST!!!

Good reading, typical Anita Blake stuff, but if Jean-Claude isnt' in it, why bother? And now that I'm not afraid of Edward anymore (who I used to love to fear), I'm afraid the author's going to make Jean-Claude into some type of touchy-feely wimp like Richard. There's not much better than Jean-Claude at his autocratic, domineering best and it seems as if she's getting away from that. Definitely going to have to read plenty of reviews on the next one before I buy it to see if she ruins any more of the characters.

I think I'm getting tired of Hamilton's vampire series, or I don't like the direction she's going. Famous for writing erotic stories (both the vampire and faerie series), this book veers off in a disturbing new direction that I really didn't like. I don't know how to mention it without giving away spoilers, but one scene towards the end really bothered me and turned me off of the whole book. The rest of the book was fine, as Anita travels to the Southwest to help out Edward. You'll get to see a whole new side of Edward, which is really cool, and it totally shocks even Anita. No Jean-Claude or Richard really in this book--it's mainly about Anita and Edward. After further disappointment with Narcissus in Chains, I think I'm going to leave Anita and join Meredith and the Faerie instead.

The only problem I have with this book is that it came out in hardcover - I *cannot* wait for paperback, so now getting my Anita fixes will be more expensive... but other than that, I lived with this book for a few days, reading a few pages before work, on breaks, whenever I could sneak in a few pages before bed... Ms. Hamilton does it again, thoroughly absorbing!

THE REASON IT WAS NOT THE BEST IN THE SERIES BECAUSE JEAN CLAUDE WAS NOT IN THE BOOK AS AN ACTIVE CHARACTER. THE SAME FOR RICHARD. I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THAT THEY COULD HAVE MADE A APPEARENCE. AH, BUT I WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NARCISSUS IN CHAINS COMES OUT I KNOW LKH WANT DISAPPOINT ME ON THIS BOOK. I HAVE READ EXCERPT AND THE EXCERPT MAKES ME CRINGE IN MY SEAT. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO ANITA WILL END UP WITH. THANKS LAURELL, I LOVE YOUR BOOKS. MY FIRST BOOK WAS THE KILLING DANCE AND FROM THEIR I BECAME ADDICTED. THANKS FOR THE ADVENTURE. TAMMI

Edward; Anita's sometime friend, coworker and hunter is calling in a favor to help protect someone she never thought she would be protecting. Anita is again pulled into another supernatural mess. She being the Vampire Hunter/Executioner plus Necromancer. She will need to use all her skills in order to survive this latest adventure. Laurell K. Hamilton never stops surprising me as a devoted reader of this series. You have strong characters and powerful storylines that pull you in and you never want to leave. MUST READ!!!

I started at Guilty Pleasures and read all and enjoyed them til...Obsidian Butterfly. Wasn't terrible, but just seems to be getting lost here. Finished Obsidian and went on to Narcissus in Chains and stopped early on there. All the Anita Blake books up til Obsidian Butterfly, definitely recommend...

I happened to stumble across a copy of this book at my local library. Not realizing it was the ninth book in a series, I devoured it nonetheless. Edward was riveting and the 'testosterone' throwing was highly engaging. Now I can't wait to actually start the series from the beginning...