I was introduced to the books of Laurell K Hamilton about 5 or 6 years ago and was intrigued by the humor and horror of the world the author created. While I rarely suggest these books to any (I have actually discouraged some friends who wanted to try them) I continue to purchase each book as it is released. Why would I discourage anyone from reading a book? Let's just say these come with an adult label. Some reviews call them an R-rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer and expect them to be a romance version of the show. But it isn't really.
The cover shot I have included is the one I actually read. It is the 2nd iteration of the cover. So far, there have been 3 different covers.
Guilty Pleasures sets the stage for the rest of the 21 books (and counting) in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Readers are introduced to a Saint Louis, Missouri unlike anything we know. A world where the United States has granted vampires a legal status and they are currently fighting for the suffrage. We are introduced to various characters that represent the various opinions society has about the things that go bump in the night. Some are sympathetic to the cause because vampires are just "fanged people"(100). Others like the Humans Against Vampires (HAV) fight in the legal world to eradicate the vampires. One vampire even started a church and they recruit "like the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses" (135). Some people seem to like the idea of never dying. To others it is a tourist thing, it becomes a novelty. Get your hair and nails done by a vampire or go to a strip club to see a vampire stripper. Some have even chosen getting bitten by a vampire as a their drug of choice. In this reality, it becomes an addiction like alcohol or tobacco. Others kill the vampires out right. And in this first book we meet the bogeymen of the vampire world. Edward hangs out on the non-legal side of the line. He is the hit man of the paranormal world. Anita refers to him as "Death itself" (85). And then, on the legal side of the line, is our heroine, Anita Blake. A short, sarcastic woman who raises the dead for a living (zombies not Lazarus) and is referred to by the vampires as The Executioner. She is who the law calls when there is a warrant to execute a vampire legally. Meaning: when vampires rampage Anita is called in to kick ass.
All of this information is filtered through the internal dialogue of Anita herself. The plot is written in a first-person narrative that some people have called whiny. I prefer to see it as a form of sarcasm. I think it is interesting to see Anita's diagnosis of herself and each situation. She is an awkward woman and doesn't seem to fit the role society would like her to play. She raises zombie and carries a gun. She is in her mid 20's and single with no plans to marry. She is religious and carries a blessed cross as protection (which can only be of use to someone who has faith). She works with the men on the police squad to help with preternatural crimes. She hates dresses and pink and yet, much to her dismay, she blushes easily. There is no way to hide the main characters fears or insecurities in this type of narrative. They are displayed for each reader. With that, one hopes, readers will also understand her choices when dealing with certain situations. Anita seems to have an innate desire for justice and to protect those she deems weaker then herself. Which apparently includes almost everyone she comes in contact with. While some may call her a "Mary Sue," I think the author's use of the first person narrative provides a depth to the character that many ignore. This is not a super woman with no faults. This is a woman who struggles with her role in society and her understanding of right and wrong. All while getting her butt kicked repeatedly. Granted she wins in the end but has a few new scars to add to her collection, including a new one on her heart.
The Warning Label:
As with all of the rest of the books in the series this book is full of gore. The things that go bump in the night are alive and well in this world and they are out for blood, or in one instance rape. With Vampires, Lycanthropes, and hit squads it is not shocking that battles must be fought. I will admit to having to put the book down in the middle of the night because it got to creepy for me. These are not for the faint of heart.
Also, while this book does not have any sex in it, nor do the next couple of books in the series, by book 7 or so there is not only sex but I believe there are even some full scale orgies. It is not shocking that, though they began as books that were suggested to young women as a strong role model, they are now kept in the adult only section. Many people can not handle some of the later scenes. But I think readers should understand what is coming so as not to get sucked into a world they are not going to be able to handle in a few books time.
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