Another in the Hamilton Parade

Book Info: Blue Moon by Laurell K. Hamilton. Published by Ace Books in 1998

Things began to change in The Killing Dance and here is another transition book. The next book, Obsidian Butterfly, will be the last of the transitions and then we are into the new phase of Anita's world.

In this book, Anita gets called out of town again. She travels to Tennessee to help Richard who has been charged with rape. Of course it turns out to be an ugly plot that involves rotting vampires, crooked cops, and an evil demon.

One of the major issues I have with this book is that I am not a Richard fan. That is not to say he isn't an interesting character, he just tends to get on my nerves. I understand the desire not to be a monster, but by now he needs to get over it. You can't change your genetic make-up (well he can't go back to being just human) so he needs to stop the whining and learn to accept himself. He and Anita are in this constant love war. He loves her, he is jealous. She loves him but she is jealous. And we are not even half way through the currently released books.  It is apparent that they are trying to work on the issue, but I have the least amount of sympathy for this relationship. They do sleep together, which leads to yet another power upgrade, but sex doesn't solve anything.

Yet, we have a few interesting character developments in this novel. We learn more about Damien and his connection to Anita. Anita has a control over him that no one else does, and that scares not only him, but her as well. Damien maneuvers Anita into ordering him to tell her the whole truth about the marks which she has been given. Unfortunately, the truth just leads to more questions, which leads to more frustration because Anita feels left out of the loop. The connection to Damien will play an important role in the future.

Also we see Anita trying to understand her role as Nimir-Ra (leader) of the were-leopards as well as lupa of the were-wolves. She seems to understand the violence needed for the wolves but her leopards are walking wounded and she struggles being what they need. Her connection to Nathaniel is strengthened but she is still flabbergasted by the young man.

The final scene is key in the growth of Anita's character. Richard's mother (Charlotte) and brother (Daniel) are kidnapped by the bad guys... not only the corrupt cops but the evil guys. One of the corrupt cops informs Anita of the events by bringing her a lock of Daniel's hair and one of Charlotte's fingers. He tells her to get out of town or things will continue. He also lets her know that both victims had already been raped. Anita tortures the location of the hostages from the corrupt cop by cutting off his fingers one at a time until he tells and then shoots him. She isn't alone in her actions, but she takes full responsibility for them. After she finishes she contemplates her actions..

I threw up in the corner until there was nothing but bile and my head felt like it was going to explode. And I knew that I'd finally done something that I wouldn't recover from. Somewhere between the first blow or the second, I'd broken something inside myself that would never heal. And I was content with it. If we got Daniel and Charlotte back, I was content with it. (391) 

For all her shootings and killings, she had never taken this step before. She only took it now in an effort to save those that she knew and cared for. Yet, what does she do to her own soul in an effort to save others? Where do we stand on the line? This becomes a sore subject between Richard and Anita for many books. To save Richard's family, Anita did what Richard could not. Did that make her stronger, or more of a monster?

This scene is offset by the rescue of Charlotte. When Anita finds her, Charlotte is tied in a circle being sacrificed to a demon. The circle protects against evil, therefore those that are evil cannot cross it. The demon can't get out, and evil can't get in. Yet, Anita can step across it. Her, Charlotte, and all the good guys quote religious scriptures and recite prayers (from all sorts of faiths) as a protection from the demon.  Up until this point in the series, Anita has been questioning her own righteousness. Especially in the aftermath of the torture. Here the author provides readers with the truth of the situation. Whatever she is, Anita is not evil. I think it shocks more than one character, but the bad guy clears it up for everyone:

     He licked his lips, and it took him two tries to speak. "How did you pass the circle?"
     "It was meant to trap evil inside or keep it out. I'm not evil."
     "You raise the dead," he said.
     "I'm a necromancer. I was kind of doubting where that put me on the scale of good and evil, but apparently God's okay with it."
     "You stepped into the circle not knowing if you would be safe?" He was frowning, clearly puzzled.
     "I couldn't just sit there and watch Charlotte die."
     "You would have sacrificed yourself for her?"
     I thought about that for a second or two. "I didn't think about it that clearly, but I couldn't let her die, not if I could save her." (410)

It seems that, in this world, the line between good and evil is drawn by what the person is willing to do to protect those around them. Whether they are protecting the weak and helpless, or the strong and morally upright, it is about what they are willing to sacrifice for someone else. Apparently Anita is willing to sacrifice all.