New Flirt description

[naeko.livejournal.com]

Flirt - Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley, Feb 2010, $23.95
ISBN: 9780425235676

Wealthy business man Mr. Tony Bennington enters the office of Anita Blake, vampire executioner and zombie reanimator. Grieving for the loss of his beloved wife, he asks her to reanimate her so they can be together again. She explains to her potential client that the individual who crossed over will not be the same person who returns. He begs her, but though sympathizing with him and wanting to say yes, she knows the consequences as the love of Tony’s life will not come back the way he thinks. She continues to say no.

A few days later, Anita is at a restaurant when were-lions Nicky and Jacob join her. They are hired thugs who are to kidnap Anita in order to force her to bring back Mr. Bennington’s wife. They explain why she should cooperate as her shapeshifting boyfriends are hostages. Anita gives them her weapons as she accompanies them to their lair. Although telepathically asking for help and being blocked by a witch from communicating, she now knows she will work this one alone as her loved ones are at stake.

Although a short novel, Flirt is Laurell K. Hamilton at her very best as it packs quite an emotional wallop from the moment a grieving Bennington begs her for help and that keeps the angst level high. Also keeping the tension level high is the heroine’s love for her mates as she fights with all her strength and powers to end this High Moon confrontation. Throughout this tale the passions run stratospheric yet the plot is loaded with action as Anita must contend with powerful hooligan shapeshifters and their boss if she is to keep her boyfriends safe and not cause collateral damage; all she needs is a plan to deploy as she is buying time, but nothing else.

- Harriet Klausner


First off, I'm sad that this small book is going to be $25, though I realize it will likely be hardback. Blurgh. I hate when books that are basically half the size of a normal book, yet still cost the same as said normal books.

Secondly, dwg and I have been giggling over the clumsy writing of this description, and reading it all wrong because we're both barely conscious. We were originally reading that the were-lions who kidnapped Anita were doing so to get their boyfriends back. Yay gay were-lions! No wait, that's not right. Booo. Also, if Anita's shapeshifting boyfriends are taken hostage, doesn't that leave her vampire boyfriends free and clear?

Then, of course, I start hoping that this is some secret plan of Jean-Claude's to get rid of Anita. He's probably behind this whole thing, and none of her shapeshifting boyfriends are even in any danger. He was just having her kidnapped and made powerless so he could get some time to himself. He just wanted to giggle with Asher and braid each other's hair and go, "No, YOU close YOUR coffin first! No, you! NO, you!" Insert giggling here.

The most amusing part is that all she needs is a plan to deploy as she is buying time, but nothing else. NOTHING ELSE! She doesn't need execute that plan, which is no surprise. She never executes anything anymore, despite her fancy nickname. Once she's come up with a plan, the bad guys will be so scared off by her mental prowess, they'll just run screaming into the night.

And, on top of all that, I still see no reason for this book to be called Flirt.

Comments

[vaegue.livejournal.com]

Lol, Harriet Klausner. You say this is Laurell K Hamilton at her very best? Sure, we'll take your word for it, because you're such a reliable reviewer who totally understands that you can actually give an author... less than five stars.

[gwynethfar.livejournal.com]

Though, for a Klausner review, this is surprisingly non-gushy.

[booster-blue.livejournal.com]

So, the big day saving pl is for her to...come up with a plan?

Oh boy! I'm beside myself with excitement!

[cadaeic.livejournal.com]

vampire executioner and zombie reanimator

wait. what?
but if it's a zombie...is it not already reanimated? wat. :|

[shalotts-lady.livejournal.com]

I literally couldn't read this summary because it was SOOOO awkwardly written.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Well, one thing is for sure, I'm not paying $25 dollars for a "novellite" in hardback.

I have to say that your misread of the plot would be far more entertaining than the actual plot, assuming one exists.

It also makes it sound at the end as if all Anita needs to do is stall, and wait for the cavalry to come to the rescue (wait, there haven't been any were-horses yet), and all she has to do is still like a good girl and wait. How strong and action-filled!

DV

[leggomylegolas.livejournal.com]

Why not just raise the zombie and let him deal with it rotting and stuff? That's what I'd do.

[flirtswithfan.livejournal.com]

Since it's Harriet do you think this is anywhere even close to what the book, I use that term very loosely, is really about?

Hooligan shapeshifters? Wow, that really says major badass to me. Anita is buying time? Wasting our time more like.

[magdalen77.livejournal.com]

She must be using a thesaurus without thinking about what the words might mean to people. To me "hooligans" sounds like a bunch of neighborhood kids who came and soaped the windows. Wow, these are bad guys, they might break some windows or toliet paper the mailbox.

[fangedsekhmet.livejournal.com]

I'm placing bets now that no boyfriends die in this and that she ends up with a few more by the conclusion.

[kd-lalala.livejournal.com]

Maybe we should start a pool on how many!

[jazzymegster.livejournal.com]

I'd say at least the two were-lions who show up to haul her off. At least.

[fangedsekhmet.livejournal.com]

Agreed. That was my first thought.

[world-dancer.livejournal.com]

We have two named shapeshifter goons. Probably them. Probably they are doing this because they have to or they would starve or similar, and so she saves them by fucking them like practically everyone else.

[bubblefaerie.livejournal.com]

But isn't Anita queen of all lions now (I may be wrong because I haven't read the last two books.)? Naturally that would mean she'll collect these lion kidnappers after rather lengthy sex.

And considering she's said no characters will ever die, it takes any interest out of a story like this.

[shalotts-lady.livejournal.com]

I don't know who follows the blog Smart Bitches Trashy Books but on twitter there was a tweet regarding this book. (Two actually!)

Flirt (latest Anita Blake) is smallest $24 hardback I have ever seen. Is 158 pages. I think is smaller than a fifth grader.
http://twitter.com/SmartBitches/status/7726915529

and with a picture preview!

White pages: Hamilton book. Yellow pages: Lowell Silhouette from 1988. http://yfrog.com/4eqjrj
http://twitter.com/SmartBitches/status/7727009095

we're not the only ones who are noticing it.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

JFC.

And I thought releasing Micah as a paperback was a bit of a stretch.

I'm going to be very interested as to what Smart Bitches think of the book.

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

I already feel sorry for the witch who's blocking her and while I'm at it, couldn't Anita use a cellphone? The other thing is it makes Anita's were-creature boyfriends look weak if they can be so easily kidnapped.

[the-mome-wrath.livejournal.com]

Anita's harem were strong to begin with? They don't even have one complete spine between them. They all had to check those at the door. Even JC had to turn his in.

As for the witch who's blocking Anita, maybe it's because she keeps clogging the telepathic radio waves. They just got sick of listening to her.

[lady-fellshot.livejournal.com]

The vertebral column in humans has 33 bones in it. If we assume that each member of the harem has one vertebrae in addition to their notocords, to have one back bone, we need 10 more harem members to have a full spine between them (I think).

Fortunately they all know how to share...

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

BTW, I like your icon. Since it reminds me of how I use to give shredded paper to my gerbils for bedding.

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

That's the problem. Her harem is full of wusses so it wouldn't be that hard to overcome them.

And we all know the witch is going to get the worst punishment because she's a woman. And with the way women who aren't really at fault (like the one werelion wife) are treated, could you imagine what ugly fate that witch will get for actually going against Anita?

[mystoflare.livejournal.com]

We also know the poor witch is going to be some evil slender blonde slut, or an elderly wrinkled prude. Either way, there's no way she'd get out of it alive with LKH behind the writing wheel. If LKH lets her live, I'll eat my Domo-kun hat.

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

Or she'll wish was dead. Bonus points if the witch has an attracting to Anita like a number of evil women have. Although in wiccan circles, some men prefer to use the witch title (if I remember correctly) since warlock means "oathbreaker". So there might be a chance it could be another man to drool all over her.

[magdalen77.livejournal.com]

I doubt that LKH, despite being the uber-Wiccan, is smart enough to know that. I vote that the witch will be a tall, blonde and slender woman.

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

I have a Wiccan friend mentioned this to me. The woman could give Michael "Mookie" Terrciano a run for his money in pathological hatred (except his is toward jocks/athletic people.)

[flirtswithfan.livejournal.com]

She has a cell, remember in one book Nathaniel had programmed the ringtones for her.

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

She should just pick an era and stay with it.

[suzycat.livejournal.com]

For Anita, the world stopped in 1988.

[knowthyself.livejournal.com]

Having read that preview first chapter, I'm still taking umbrage with the idea that Anita remotely sympathizes with the guy and wants to say yes, because in that? She was a bitch with no sympathy who never once implied she'd like to be able to help him!

[yaoihuntresse.livejournal.com]

Not to mention the dialogue ran in circles that it felt like she was trying to avoid the subject.

[shadwing.livejournal.com]

No...a kick ass plot would be Anita using her Are-dont to roll the 'lackeys' into following her orders...head to the graveyard to dig up the wifey (not reanimate her), then spend the next few dozen pages in an insane cat and mouse game of "Okay jackass, you took my loves? I have yours! She's sitting on a lovely stack of dry wood, I have a bottle of gasoline, a zippo and a REALLY short temper, did I mention that resurection is impossible with just ashes?...So, lets talk, or is it smore time?"

And of course he ups the anty with sending back body parts of this harem...
She starts piece mealing wifey...

*sighs* Damn plot bunny

[dreamland-tree.livejournal.com]

I would so read that!