Guilty Pleasures

by Laurell K. Hamilton
When I came across the title of this book I thought it would be perfect to read and write about. I envisioned a combination of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Twilight with a whole lot of steamy romance thrown in that isn’t exactly appropriate for the tween crowd. Unfortunately, what I got was a lackluster story filled with gory creatures, gruesome scenarios and a lot of biting and blood. The world that Ms. Hamilton created wasn’t filled with sensuality or sex or even caring and I found myself wholeheartedly disinterested.

The story follows Anita Blake, vampire slayer, executioner, and animator (she raises of zombies in cemeteries) as she is called upon to solve a series of crimes involving the murder of vampires throughout the city. She’s a vampire slayer, yet because she is the best the Master vampire requires her expertise to stop the violence. She agrees because her loved ones and her personal well being are threatened by the very vampires that hired her for the job.

Anita soon learns that she can trust no one: not Jean-Cluade, the seductive vamp with a soft spot for her, nor Philip, the vampire junkie who is addicted to the pain and pleasure of letting vamps feed on him daily, nor the powerful Nikolaos, a Master vampire who has joined Anita to him for purposes of survival. I thought there was potential for romance, even heady vampire romance between Anita and Philip or Anita and Jean-Claude. However, there was only one semi-steamy kiss in a bathroom.

I was not a fan of the first person narrative. I didn’t like the world Ms. Hamilton created and found no redeeming qualities in any of the characters, including the heroine, Anita. Towards the middle, Guilty Pleasures began to grate on my nerves and I couldn’t wait to get to the end so I could be done with it. If you are looking for a good horror book, I can recommend a few Stephen King novels that are exquisitely written and will have you jumping out of your socks.