Review: Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton

Title: Flirt Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #18 Author: Laurell K. Hamilton Publisher: Jove Books Published: February 4, 2009 My Copy: Borrowed When Anita Blake meets with prospective client Tony Bennington, who is desperate to have her reanimate his recently deceased wife, she is full of sympathy for his loss. Anita knows something about love, and she knows everything there is to know about loss. But what she also knows, though Tony Bennington seems unwilling to be convinced, is that the thing she can do as a necromancer isn’t the miracle he thinks he needs. The creature that Anita could coerce to step out of the late Mrs. Bennington’s grave would not be the lovely Mrs. Bennington. Not really. And not for long.

You can say what you like about the turn that the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series has taken but I’m in it for the long haul. Flirt didn’t shock and astound me but it’s still a good read and is on par with what I’ve come to expect from Laurell K. Hamilton. This book is shorter than the majority of its predecessors but I’m always happy to get another dose of Anita!

I was ecstatic to see Anita getting back to her necromancer roots in this novel. I don’t mind the occasional foray into her more lusty succubus side but her skills with the dead are what originally got me hooked on this series. That’s not to say that there’s not a bit of feeding-through-sex in Flirt but it’s not the main focus of the plot. Anita unleashes her powers and with them comes a can of whoop ass that’s all her. It’s sometimes scary how powerful she’s become over time but when paired with her “don’t mess with me” attitude I can’t help but smile and cheer her on. This time around was no different. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking “take that bad guys!” when she finally fought back and unleashed hell at the end of the book.

Anita’s usual partners in crime are tagging along in this story: Micah, Nathanial and Jason. I was really hoping for some savory Jean-Claude action but it looks like I’ll just have to wait a little bit longer. I was happy that the side characters were kept at a minimal in this installment. Keeping track of who did what and who’s sleeping with whom in this series can be exhausting and confusing at times. Nathaniel is helping Anita to practice her flirting skills in this installment which ultimately ends up backfiring big time. She sends mixed messages, picks the wrong time to try out what she’s learnt, etc. Poor girl! Her annoying low-self esteem resurfaces in this novel. She has like what, 10 guys wrapped around her baby finger now? Yet she still plays the victim. I suppose some childhood scars never fully heal but c’mon… get over it! We’re on book #18 here!

I don’t want to give too much of the story away as it’s short and pretty straightforward so I’ll avoid summarizing any details altogether. As I said earlier, Flirt won’t blow your mind but it’s still a great addition to the series and well worth a read for Laurell K. Hamilton fans. I was happy to see Anita embrace her inner necromancer once again. I’ve missed her.

Carmel

Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!

      

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