It was Prometheus that was chained up in Greek mythology. This it the 10th book in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. It moves well, but does seem a bit hurried. The character development is good, and we got some new characters. The plot is not so much a mystery as a set up for some new powers and social arrangements. The ending wasn't as good as it might have been. Warning: This novel is very sexual, some readers might be offended.

The background for the novels is that in this world Vampires are legal citizens of the United States. They have rights, own businesses, get married. Lycanthropy (werewolf and were-whatever else) is a disease and you cannot be discriminated against for having it. Necromancy, controlling the dead, can be turned into a marketable skill. Yes, you can raise the dead for a living. Zombie's are raised to settle will disputes and other things like that.

Anita Blake is the center character in the series. She is a 5'3 woman with an attitude. She always goes armed with silver knives and guns with silver ammo (silver kills lycanthropes and slows down vampires) She is also a powerful necromancer, dating and magically bound to a Master Vampire, Jean-Claude and a Master Werewolf, Richard, (master means you are very very powerful). She is also the head of the Were-leopard pard. In this novel she, werewolf, and vampire merge their magic marks and they begin to gain new and unusual powers.

In this novel, Anita is back in St. Louis. She has learned how to use most of her powers and she is ready to hook back up with the boys. The novel starts out with someone messing with her wereleopards, and let me tell you--you just don't do that. She rescues her leopards(but gets injured by on of them--will she go furry in a month?)and meets Micah--the head of a visiting leopard pack--that is ready to follow Anita's lead. They can merge their packs and lead together. Richard is giving her problems again--he just wants to be too human and her inhumanity is bothering him. Now, someone is kidnapping other Lycanthrope leaders, can Anita convince the were community to work together before it becomes too late? Lots of things happen in this book--but it is mostly character development--like new characters, Gil (werefox)--takes Nathanial's old role of needing protection. Nathanial is beginning to grow up and be a real character. Micah is an interesting new character. He is wereleopard that wants in Anita's bed--and has no problem sharing her with Jean-Claude unlike Richard. Since most of this novel deals with the Lycanthrope situation, we meet many more weregroups like snakes, hyenas and lions. Its an interesting addition to the series, just not in an action-packed way.

I would recommend this novel if you have read the other nine(see my info page for links to the other reviews to the mentioned nine). Laurell K. Hamilton has wonderful character development and her books always move well. I had no problem making short work of this novel as I have all her others.

Recommended: Yes