Reading Update #37: The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton

[desertvixen]

 To be brief and not TOO spoilery: If you have been fed up with the Richard plotline and you've missed Edward, read this one.  It's worth it, I promise you.

 Maybe she's started seeing complaints from fans about that plotline and the increasing lack of plot, but for whatever reason, this book is a change from the others.  Which is good, because I was about to give up on her.

On to the spoilers:

p.11 - one of LKH's greatest lines - "God hasn't forsaken me; it's just that all the right-wing fundamentalist Christians want to believe he has."

There's a subplot about Nathaniel needing BDSM play, but not overtaking.

There's also a running subplot about being in therapy.  It's helping some characters.  It's not helping others.

There's a good wererat subplot.  There's also issues with the werelions.

The Harlequin/wild hunt main plot is pretty good.  It rolls along with plenty of action and misdirection.

Edward comes to help Anita and  brings two other characters from Obsidian Butterfly - Peter and Olaf.  Anita is not happy.

Richard is actually useful, and then he screws things up by getting all hung up on size.  Then they have sex to feed the ardeur, and then he gets stupid again.

Rafael gets plenty of screentime in this one.  There's also a really hot sex scene between him and Anita.  I mean, really hot.  Like burning the pages hot.  This one makes up for a bunch of the so-so ones in earlier books.  Seriously hot.

Belle Morte makes an appearance.

 The Dolph/other police plotline is back.  Dolph is still having serious issues.

The ending is high-powered, and pretty final as far as Richard is concerned.  He's not dead, but Anita and JC basically force him to admit that he thinks they are evil, and they won't let him use them for protection, especially since it endangers them.  I do think she's made the final choice.

All in all, a good read.

DV

Comments

[lyssie.livejournal.com]

....wow. I feel like I'm getting more of a glimpse than I want to into Laurell's personal life, just from the little you've said.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

That was why a lot of us started getting the ickies. Also, while sex is good, it does not substitute for plot.

DV

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

I am scrupulously avoiding reading the spoilery bits, but I'm glad to know it's an improvement over the last few. Still don't think I'll bother shelling out for the hardback, though.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

It's an improvement.

I shelled out $18 to get mine through SFBC, so not too bad. I wouldn't have bought it in the store full-price either.

DV

Book suggestion!

[betray802.livejournal.com]

Have you ever read/seen/heard of the "Kitty Norville" series by Colorado author Carrie Vaughn? She was at Horrorfest (the fest-within-the-fest ar Starfest for the last ten or so years) this April. Kitty Norville is a werewolf in the closet, drudging out her 'real life' as the midnight shift DJ at a Denver radio station, marking time between Changings. One night, bored to tears with lame song requests, she starts a call-in show about the supernatural, without (at first) letting on that she herself is a lycan. She becomes wildly popular, much to the dismay of not only her own Pack, but Denver's local vamp clan.

The books are, in order:
1) Kitty and the Midnight Hour
2) Kitty Goes to Washington
3) Kitty Takes a Holiday

I read 'Midnight Hour' in one shot when my shipmate Carl bought it at Con. Not that we sleep much at Con anyway, but I was jumping every time to A/C kicked on that night. There is your typical "Lycans vs. Vamps" thing, but without being too spoilery -- or maybe it is -- the vamps end up not being Kitty's bigest problem.

Just something you might want to look into. I know they're listed at B&N.com.

Music: Dance Little Jean by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Re: Book suggestion!

[filkferengi]

Also, if you prefer hardback, the SFBC has recently come out with a hardback omnibus of all 3 books.