Bullet (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Book 19)
I’m only a quarter of the way through…maybe a bit more, so I’m gonna give it a chance, but…I dunno about this one. π
Anita feels a little different to me, or maybe I’ve changed? As I mentionned to my friend Lily in our book discussion today:
I’m reading Bullet right now…not sure how I feel about it yet. I’m starting to kinda not like Anita…and wellΒ all of them.
- Gorgeous almost irresistible Asher‘s being a baby (he feels unwanted and instead of talking it out with those he supposedly loves, starts in with some pretty serious threats)…now THAT’S gonna win some hearts π
- Β Richard‘s had a change of heartΒ and is suddenly being really cooperative (which is a nice change) but why am I resentful of him anyway? Too little, too late? There was a time in the series when he could do NO wrong…then he just started becoming angrier and plain scary that he just seems broken to me.
- …and Jean ClaudeΒ the absolute most amazing “real”Β vampire ever, and yet….he just doesn’t get any attention and doesn’t really say anything about it. While he is important (it seems) to this book, he isΒ almost alreadyΒ backburner-ish – he’s there but not ever angry or emotional. MaybeΒ he never really was, and I just projected emotion onto his character because I liked him so much (one of the first vampires I ever loved LOL!). No wait. I swearΒ He USED to be emotional. He’d get jealous, actΒ indifferent, becomeΒ angry and threatening and scary but now… none of that. He’s just “perfect”. Never overreacts, always polite and completely accepting of Anita and her needs. Oh come on, man!
- Anita. What can I say? What I hate is I can no longer relate to her.Β From her extremeΒ public affectionΒ with each lover,Β to their unrealistic overall acceptance of each other (‘cept for Asher – who really only wants JC and is becoming quite resentful of Anita).Β I mean, I sortaΒ get the “ardeur” thing (well…not really) but whatever – I’ll accept it as an integral part of the series (a side effect of being bonded to the “vampire line” that dominates through their sexuality – something important is bound to happen because of it, right?). And the need to help control her beasts is just so sexuallyΒ complicatedΒ too. But even with her internalΒ musings, she never admits being really in love withΒ any of them. Basically, she loves everyone (equally?) which is almost as badΒ as loving no one to me. How she acts withΒ her lovers, no real tenderness…no real emotion…no real attachment. Just aΒ bunch of convenient arrangements.
I don’t *feel* any of them anymore. Not even Jean Claude π Did I ever think this had an aspect of romance in it? I think I keep reading because I’m hoping to connect once again to the characters I’d grown so attached to.