Book Review: Incubus Dreams
Oct. 21st, 2004 12:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sinanjuI finished Incubus Dreams, the new Anita Blake novel by Laurel K. Hamilton tonight. The short version of the review: despite my agreement with some of the complaints about the later Anita Blake novels, I finished it and wished I had the next one already. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
snippy concurs in this. We may dislike some things about the books, but when it comes right down to it we're still enjoying them enough to buy the hardbacks as soon as they become available.
My reactions to the book, in no particular order:
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, frankly. Perhaps a lot more. The last few books have been very heavy on the sex. More sex than plot, a lot of the time. Not at all like the earlier books, where the mystery was the focus of the story. I miss that.
On the other hand, while there's plenty o' sex in this one, either it's been toned down a bit or I'm getting used to it.
Anita is growing up a little. She's less hostile and defensive than she used to be, more willing to cut people a little slack--sometimes only a little, but more than she used to. She's also willing to actually listen to advice and not dismiss it out of hand if it conflicts with her views (or, more significantly, her desires).
That's a good thing. Another good thing was her improved relationship with Ronnie, and the long and sometimes very uncomfortable conversation they had to patch up their friendship. That was good to see. She also seems to be doing better with Dolph, though things are still rocky there.
She even achieves a better relationship with Richard--something I'd have given long odds wasn't going to happen. Of course, Anita is very aware that this new state of affairs is extremely fragile and that any of them could ruin it if they aren't very careful.
I sensed a little shoring up of the backstory in the course of this novel, and I suspect it was intended to answer some of the criticisms of the last few books. To wit: the ardeur and all the other touchy-feely (if not outright pornographic) shenanigans that Anita engages in these days. It's made quite clear in this book that "to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail," and that seduction and sex is what vampires of Jean Claude's line do, it's where their power lies. And to the extent that Anita shares in this power, it's what she does--and how she has to do it. This isn't exactly news, but the emphasis is.
It's also contrasted to several vampires (from the Churhc of Eternal Life) who are of other lines. As Anita notes, vamps from Belle Morte's (Jean Claude's) line can spend eternity surrounded by willing vict...partners. Vampires from lines with other powers don't necessarily have it so good. Not by a long shot.
Readers turned off by Anita gaining new powers in every novel aren't going to be any happier with this novel, I'm afraid. I don't mind it. First, Anita was always a powerful character. An animator and a well-known, well-respected Vampire Executioner who shot first and asked questions later.
Second, this is clearly a trope of Laurel Hamilton's (just like Jack Chalker's every novel involves body-changing of some sort). The same dynamic is evident in the Meredith Gentry novesl; every novel involve Merry gaining new powers. If you buy one of their novels, you know what you're getting into. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
Third, I think this theme has been part of the story from Day 1. By the second or third novel, Anita admits to herself that she isn't just an animator but a necromancer. It's clear fairly early on that the vampire council has killed off necromancers on sight for centuries. I suspect they had very good reasons for that policy, reasons that they're going to be forcibly reminded of before all is said and done.
The mystery plot gets wrapped up by the end of this book, but not completely. Some of the bad guys got away, no doubt to bedevil Anita and company in a later book. And there are signs of something Very Bad brewing in the Church of Eternal Life. I expect that there's going to be a serious conflict there before all is said and done.
In short, I want the next book now! So I guess I liked it.
snippy concurs in this. We may dislike some things about the books, but when it comes right down to it we're still enjoying them enough to buy the hardbacks as soon as they become available.My reactions to the book, in no particular order:
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, frankly. Perhaps a lot more. The last few books have been very heavy on the sex. More sex than plot, a lot of the time. Not at all like the earlier books, where the mystery was the focus of the story. I miss that.
On the other hand, while there's plenty o' sex in this one, either it's been toned down a bit or I'm getting used to it.
Anita is growing up a little. She's less hostile and defensive than she used to be, more willing to cut people a little slack--sometimes only a little, but more than she used to. She's also willing to actually listen to advice and not dismiss it out of hand if it conflicts with her views (or, more significantly, her desires).
That's a good thing. Another good thing was her improved relationship with Ronnie, and the long and sometimes very uncomfortable conversation they had to patch up their friendship. That was good to see. She also seems to be doing better with Dolph, though things are still rocky there.
She even achieves a better relationship with Richard--something I'd have given long odds wasn't going to happen. Of course, Anita is very aware that this new state of affairs is extremely fragile and that any of them could ruin it if they aren't very careful.
I sensed a little shoring up of the backstory in the course of this novel, and I suspect it was intended to answer some of the criticisms of the last few books. To wit: the ardeur and all the other touchy-feely (if not outright pornographic) shenanigans that Anita engages in these days. It's made quite clear in this book that "to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail," and that seduction and sex is what vampires of Jean Claude's line do, it's where their power lies. And to the extent that Anita shares in this power, it's what she does--and how she has to do it. This isn't exactly news, but the emphasis is.
It's also contrasted to several vampires (from the Churhc of Eternal Life) who are of other lines. As Anita notes, vamps from Belle Morte's (Jean Claude's) line can spend eternity surrounded by willing vict...partners. Vampires from lines with other powers don't necessarily have it so good. Not by a long shot.
Readers turned off by Anita gaining new powers in every novel aren't going to be any happier with this novel, I'm afraid. I don't mind it. First, Anita was always a powerful character. An animator and a well-known, well-respected Vampire Executioner who shot first and asked questions later.
Second, this is clearly a trope of Laurel Hamilton's (just like Jack Chalker's every novel involves body-changing of some sort). The same dynamic is evident in the Meredith Gentry novesl; every novel involve Merry gaining new powers. If you buy one of their novels, you know what you're getting into. If you don't like it, don't buy it.
Third, I think this theme has been part of the story from Day 1. By the second or third novel, Anita admits to herself that she isn't just an animator but a necromancer. It's clear fairly early on that the vampire council has killed off necromancers on sight for centuries. I suspect they had very good reasons for that policy, reasons that they're going to be forcibly reminded of before all is said and done.
The mystery plot gets wrapped up by the end of this book, but not completely. Some of the bad guys got away, no doubt to bedevil Anita and company in a later book. And there are signs of something Very Bad brewing in the Church of Eternal Life. I expect that there's going to be a serious conflict there before all is said and done.
In short, I want the next book now! So I guess I liked it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-21 08:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-21 10:19 pm (UTC)