Guilty Pleasures

"Guilty Pleasures" is the first of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, by Laurell Hamilton. The title is based on a Vampire club of the same name, where humans can watch vampires perform in various ways that are legal in the US.

What makes the series unique is the strong, tough-minded character of the heroine and narrator Anita Blake. Before "Guilty Pleasures" vampire stories rarely had female leads, let alone one with the hard-nosed style of Anita Blake. She is a professional animator; she raises zombies to help settle court cases, wills or just because people need to say their goodbyes. The vampires are now active participants in American life.

Hamilton's vampires are of beautiful, deadly and follow their own code of ethics. Many humans have become intrigued by them, but many others are deeply suspicious. To Anita they are monsters who, when they go out of control, must be killed. Now U.S. law protects vampires that behave themselves. Even so, someone starts killing the vampires of St. Louis. Since it is now illegal to kill vampires without a warrant, Anita works closely with the police to try and catch the killer. Authorities are making little progress. Angered, two of the strongest vampires in the city, Jean-Claude and Nikolaos, convince Anita to hunt down the killer.

Jean-Claude is one of the modern romantic vampires, easy to look at with fine manners and style. Nikolaos, on the other hand, is a thousand year old sadistic horror in the body of a thirteen year old girl. Her powers are unimaginable and dark hungers hide under her innocent looks. The female vampire takes an immediate dislike to Anita's feisty style and our heroine spends as much time dodging Nikolaos' efforts to injure and enslave her as she does seeking the killer. Jean-Claude comes under attack as well as he tries to help Anita.

Anita finds herself in a number of hair-raising situations as she seeks to discover the killer. Along the way she is plagued by vampires, wererats, ghouls, other animators, as well as fellow humans.
Hamilton's way with characters is one of her great strengths. Her vampires and their human servants are vivid personalities. This gives the novel a realistic feel that comes as a surprise in the vampire genre.

The plot is fast paced, and intriguing often moving from cliff-hanger to horrific confrontation without pause. There is a steady sexual undercurrent that veers towards sadistic and fetish oriented pleasures. It is a natural outgrowth of the vampire personality and is as chilling as it is erotic. In "Guilty Pleasures" it is an effective plot device that keeps the heat turned up. If you are a vampire story fan you will find Laurell Hamilton's efforts deeply satisfying.
Warning: This is not a book for younger readers; it is very graphic and can be very gruesome at times. Some scenes may be highly upsetting to younger readers and others who are sensitive to violence. It is more on the lines of Exorcist than Buffy the vampire slayer.

The Laughing Corpse

The Laughing Corpse" is the second in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The focus in this book is more on her main job as an animator of zombies than as the person the vampires call The Executioner. Once again the title has taken the name of a St. Louis hangout for those who like to visit the dark side, in this case a comedy club.

This time around Anita is in way over her head with a whole bunch of serious problems. A human mob lord Harold Gaynor wants to pay her big money, a million dollars big, to raise someone who has been dead for a couple of hundred years and does not like it that Anita has refused. She refuses, because each time she raises a zombie it requires a blood sacrifice, the older the zombie the bigger the sacrifice. For one that old it would be a human sacrifice.

The voodoo priestess, Dominga Salvidor, for the entire Midwest has learned how to put a person's soul back in their dead body, which stops the zombies from decaying. Anita refuses to help her raise more zombies for profit. Meanwhile, Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of St. Louis who has already put two of his marks upon our heroine, demands Anita start acting like his human servant. In addition to all these issues, Anita also works with the police department as a consult, the case they are working relates to a savage zombie that is going around murdering families in their home, making her problems with three powerful people who refuse to take "No" for an answer rather inconsequential. Like it says on the coffee mug her boss would not let her have at the office, "It's a dirty job and I get to do it." Anita is left fighting off Gaynor's goons, a murderous zombie, and all the nasty preternatural monsters Dominga Salvador can send her way when she refuses to work with her, and the advances of the vampire master of the city Jean Claude.

This is definitely a horror book, the type I usually avoid because they give me nightmares. There is a lot going on here, but Hamilton weaves the various cases, most of which would have sustained an entire novel, into a coherent narrative. I really was surprised when everything came together in the end.


Warning: this is a gruesome book. Younger readers of "The Laughing Corpse" are going to be upset by several of the scenes, especially when Anita investigates the bloody crime scenes and the climatic encounter. Those who come to this series because of their love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer need to be told that this is a much darker world where the violence is brutally horrific and not beautifully choreographed. These books are much more intense. If they made this into a film it would give "The Exorcist" a run for its money.

Cry Wolf

In this first book in the Alpha and Omega series Anna didn't know werewolves existed until the night she was attacked and became one. Anna is not a typical werewolf though she is an Omega. An omega is very rare and has a calming affect on a pack. She is not bound by the typical pack hierarchy, but she is not in a normal pack and is kept down by often brutal means. She learns fear that keeps her alive in the face of the dominant males in her pack.

When a young man turns up dead she recognizes him as one killed by her pack and drums up the courage to call the leader of all the werewolves in North America. This starts a string of events that will change her life as much as being changed into a werewolves ever did.

Bran the leader of all the werewolves in North America send Charles to investigate and Anna learns things that she should have learned before even being turned. There are rules for werewolves that should be followed in order to keep them safe from the human population.

The question is will Anna allow herself to trust Charles enough for him to rescue her from the situation. At first Anna seems weak and scared, but throughout the story we see the inner strength that has kept her alive when others might have given up.

This story intersects many of the characters from the Mercy Thompson series and give a more in depth look at some of the people like Bran and Charles who have played smaller roles in that series.

I like Patricia Briggs writing style. I am not one to look for a knight in shining armor. I want the female characters to be able to think and act on their own even when they need rescuing. I also like how the characters struggle and come to grips with being werewolf and what that means.

Kushiel's Justice

In Kushiel’s Justice the fifth book in the Legacy series, and volume two from Imriel’s is a tale of violence and divided loyalties. Phèdre nó Delaunay, the sexually adventurous heroine of the first trilogy, has become a placid foster mother to Prince Imriel, son of the unseen traitor Melisande Shahrizai. Carey's infamous explicit sex scenes now portray Imriel's illicit and often violent affair with Sidonie, daughter of Queen Ysandre.

Their romance is frustrated on many fronts, Imriel's is obliged to marry Dorelei, an Alban princess, and beget future rulers of Alba, as much as by the mistrust of most of the peers of the realm and the queen of him.

So he goes to Alba and in spite of his feelings for Sidone he falls in love with Alba and Dorelei, though not in the same way as he was in love with Sidone. Tragedy strikes and Imriel is sorely injured. For those killed he swears vengeance. His journey to find vengeance is an arduous and at times a very lonely quest. Carey brings Alba vividly alive with a multi layered plot and Imriel's complex inner life as he struggles with pain and loss in the present while trying to make peace with the past. That journey tests him and changes him in ways he could never have expected.

Imriel truly becomes a man in this story, struggling with many emotions and having to make many hard choices. During the course this book, we see him at his best and at his worst. The nature of the Shahrizai and Courcel blood in him, as well as the influences of Phedre and Joscelin all together forming the man he is becoming. see He loses himself and finds himself repeatedly, as his experience both past and present forge him into the powerful man who has finally come to terms with himself

In the book you also start to see Alais come into her own in Alba as she never could in Terra D'Ange.

The twists were many and often unexpected, but in hindsight they make sense, but many still took me by surprise as the public and private lives of people I thought I knew turned out to be different than I thought.

English Governess

The English Governess, published under the pseudoym "Miles Underwood," has achieved status as a must-have in your BDSM library. It is the account of Harriet Marwood, summoned to tutor the son of a 19th Century Victorian businessman, Arthur Lovel, whose wife has died, in the proper way to conduct himself, and to quit what is wonderfully termed "self-effacing." Our Ms. Marwoodsoon takes over the house, leaving the businessman free to consort with Kate, his mistress.While leaving young Richard, at her mercy to his terror and delight.
He learns to obey her without complaint. If she determines that he needs to be punished he learns to willingly submit. She trains him to be upstanding and well behaved, employing a stern voice, whips, canes, and straps to bring him to his majority. He learns to both fear the punishments and adore her in the process. Where will his training lead?
The book is filled with many spanking punishment scenes given with love and compassion and received with true submission and acceptance for his transgressions.



Is punishment a good thing or bad. Does it correct behavior or encourage violence. That is always a stinging debate in todays society. In this story it is just a way of life and leads to love and affection. For many their is a sense of relief after a punishment is received and they are forgiven.

Dances with Werewolves

Dances with Werewolves is not a book about werewolves, but rather the memoir of the life of a kinky girl living out her dreams. The book takes us through her journey from fantasy to real life surrender and punishment in front of a camera.
Niki Flynn is a young woman on a journey into the dark heart of her own sexual fantasies. She is regularly restrained, spanked, caned and whipped in the most notorious adult films of modern times. She does it not for financial gain, though she does get paid for appearing in the movies, but because of her curious and profound love of surrender and punishment. Her desires all revolve around submitting to authority and power while in a situation of powerlessness. The thrill of dread, anticipation and the euphoria that follows when she admires the marks from the headmaster's cane or the pirate's whip all are part of what drives her to endure the torment.
Journeying to the secretive underground world of taboo film-making, this strange art has led her all over the world. From schoolgirl canings in England to spankings in California, from a Stasi interrogation in Germany to a forced haircut in Prague, Niki Flynn progressed to her darkest role ever - in Bratislava, Slovakia.
Niki Flynn is one of the only Western women to film with Lupus pictures in Prague. This book is a true journey through the thrills and pain of a strong woman’s sexual journey to freedom and joy through submission.

I liked this book because she let's you see and feel what she is going through. The why's of her choices and the strength of character it takes to follow your desires even if others may not see them as mainstream or correct. It also talks about the joy and fullfillment she get's with testing her limits "in safety".

Kushiel's Avatar

Kushiels’ Avatar is the third book in the Kushiel’s legacy series.

In this book Phedre the winsome and gritty anguisette, bidden to seek pain in love by her gods, the cruel Kushiel and the loving Naamah, has matured gracefully. Now the Comtesse Phedre no Delaunay de Montreve, she enjoys maintaining an estate together with the swordsman Joscelin, her faithful consort. As her marquee is done she now only accepts three patrons a year, continuing to follow her calling, but now on her terms.

In this book the beautiful, treacherous Melisande Shahrizai asks Phedre to rescue her kidnapped son, Imriel. In return, Melisande promises to help Phedre find the Name of God, the key to freeing Hyacinthe, her boyhood friend whom she vowed to help free from his curse as the Master of the Straits.

In the search for Imriel, Phedre comes into the hands of the insane warlord and servant of the dark god Mahrkagir. She learns true and utter pain of body and spirit, nearly losing herself in his hands. Joseline must stand by and watch as she slowly loses strength and spirit. His role is just as hard, pretending to be something he is not, in order to rescue Imriel and save Phedre when the time is right.

Phedre and Joslin must use all their strength of body and spirit, if they hope to gain the trust of Imriel, who is also in the clutches of the madman and escape with their lives.

I find these books interesting because no one is perfect and their is no knight on a shining horse coming to rescue the damsel in distress. They are true romances with lots of love, understanding and strength of character, even when they make mistakes they live on and learn from them.

Hunting Ground

Hunting Ground, along with Patricia Briggs other werewolf books, draw many parallels, for me, to the spanking world. One problem that comes about sometimes for werewolves is that they cannot come to terms with being a werewolf and they go crazy.


In book two of the Alpha & Omega series Anna & Charles the main characters of the series are headed to Seattle to meet with the Alphas of the European packs to discuss the coming out in public of the werewolves. Anna and Charles are newly mated/married and are still adjusting to each other. While Charles is handling the negotiations for the Wolves to come out in public, Anna is dealing with all of the Alpha testosterone that’s flying through the air.At the conference are werewolves from across Europe — Russians, Italians, the British lord Arthur, and the savage Beast of Gévaudan, Jean Chastel. Warring opinions and old grudges (plus Chastel’s general savagery) cause plenty of tension between the various groups. Charles finds that while Anna’s Omeganess eases some of the conflict, her fear at being around all the dominant males also has it’s own challenges. He sends her off with a bodyguard (Tom and his blind mate the witch Moira) to go shop. Anna is not thrilled but as she likes Moira she agrees to go with some misgivings.
While shopping Anna, along with Moira and Tom, are attacked by a gang of vampires using werewolf magic and tactics. Then a couple of attendees at the conference are murdered as well, one by the vampires and the other by a person(s) unknown. Now the fragile peace between alphas starts to unravel and fae magic starts to manipulate them — and to save his beloved Anna, Charles must uncover who would do all this. Anna in turn must help to save Charles.

There are many twists and turns in this novel to keep a readers attention. Patricia Briggs juggles many characters and sub plots in very smooth way.

A quote from the book I really like is *"To function, most wolves have to make their wolves obedient, if not completely subservient. After a while, the wolf spirit is reduced to part of the man’s spirit." It reminds me of the fetish world in a lot of ways. You can’t let it control your life or it destroys your life. However if you let it become part of you and accept it, it can make you whole and complete. In the book sometimes those struggles are much more visible than they are when dealing with a fetish, but the book is interesting to read in that light.


*Quote from Patricia Briggs Hunting Ground

Kushiel's Chosen

The main theme in the Kushiels Legacy series continued in Kushiel’s chosen is love as thou wilt. The second book is Kushiel’s Chosen.

When Phedre no Delaunay, Comtesse de Montreve, receives a direct challenge from the traitor Melisande Shahrizai , who escaped prison with the aid of unknown conspirators, now an escaped fugitive from the land of Terre d’Ange; she undertakes a bold venture to find and bring her to justice. She dons once again the symbolic sangoire cloak of her former profession that of courtesan in service to the Temple of Naamah. Although Phedre can’t prove it she fears there is a plot to get rid of the queen Ysandre. Phedre, now sworn to three gods Kushiel, Naamah and Asherat-of-the-Sea, follows a path that is full of mystery, intrigue, pain, betrayal and love. She is joined again by Joscelin, her Casiline warrior priest, three of Phedre’s boys along with many others from the original book, Kushiel’s Dart. Using all of her many skills whether they be sexual or intellectual she follows the trail of intrigue and danger to the very end.

The whole theme of Love as thou wilt should be a motto for everyone, in not judging what others like or don’t like, as long as it is between consenting adults. It should also be a way of accepting ourselves for how we love. Sometimes that is the hardest part, accepting ourselves for who we are.
Some outside of a given the fetish have the view that what other people do is sick or abusive. As long as the fetish is between consenting adults with a bond of trust and care between the consenting participants and no one is damaged physically or mentally in the process it is a positive experience.

My philosophy is as long as I don’t have to participate, then I shouldn’t judge what the other person likes or doesn’t like, if it is between consenting adults and no one is harmed. What works for one person doesn’t always ring true for another person.

Kushiel's Dart

This book by Jaqueline Carey is the first inthe Kushiels’ Legacy series.

In the character of Phedre no Delaunay, “a whore’s unwanted get” sold into indentured servitude in opulent Night Court, the author has created a particularly strong and memorable female lead, and has surrounded her with a large and varied cast, from nobles and priests to soldiers and peasants. A wonderfully intriguing plot focuses first on court intrigue and treachery, then, in a surprising shift, on high adventure, travel in barbarian lands including Alba and war. Two demigods rule Phedre: Naamah, for sensual love; and Kushiel, for sado-masochistic pain, his “dart” being a blood spot in Phedre’s eye. everyone Phedre’s has graphic if elegantly described sexual encounters, which usually involve the infliction of pain, whether from flogging, branding or even cutting.

Phedre, however, is not a typical romance novel character but a complex character motivated by religious zeal. In one amusing scene, a group of sailors on the march chants: “Whip us till we’re on the floor, we’ll turn around and ask for more, we’re Phedre’s Boys!” This is after they fully embrace what and who she is as a strong but vulnerable heroine. Her sexuality causes much strife for her guardian Joscelin who is a servant of Cassiline another of the god’s one who is celibate and very strict in their regime of training and protection. The Cassiline brotherhood is trained from the age of 10 in combat “to protect and serve” is their motto. Their interplay adds spice and human frailty and strength to the story. The connection between sexuality and pain can be a trial for her as it can be for some in the spanking world.

The question of “why am I like this and how will I deal with it?” is a line that runs throughout the series for her and many of the other characters. It is a great look at living life with love and care for others and yourself and living a fullfilling life in spite of lifes trials.

Kushiel's Scion

Kushiel’s Scion the first book in the Kushiel story told from Imriels point of view. I was really leery when I saw it was written from his perspective as I found him to be rather spoiled and self centered. I was afraid it would be winy and annoying to have it told from his perspective, but I was pleasantly surprised with the way Jaqueline Carey pulled off writing from Imriels perspective.

You learn allot about him and watch him grow into the man he will become throughout the Legacy series. His childhood experiences and the burden he carries from being Melisande Shahrizai son as well as having Kushiel’s blood flowing through his veins all have an affect on how he acts and reacts. Those with Kushiels blood are drawn to S&M one one side or the other. Some like Phedre are pain bearers and others are pain givers.

Imriel must come to grips with his past and his present defeat the spectres of his past and learn to embrace and accept who he is and what it means to be one of Kushiels blood. He is afraid that his past will cause him to use Kushiels gift in a damaging way instead of with compassion as it is intended. Imriel has many experiences, some which shake him to the core and others which make him grow and learn. He leaves to study in another country in hopes that without the spectre of being a prince of the blood and Melisande Shahrizai son hanging over his head he can find peace and learn who he as a person is without all the trappings. He finds out what valor and pain mean in battles and debates. He is drawn into intrigue and learns about sex, pain and love before finding his way back to Terre d’Ange.

I love the way Jaqueline Carey handles S&M and shows how compassion is a great part of S&M. She handles submission and dominance, and the way pain and pleasure can interconnect in a positive and loving way. With Imriel she also has an outlet for the discussion on the misuse of pain. Imriel suffered much at the hands of a tyrant and his minions, as well as at the hands of pirates as a child. So he fears, due to his childhood, he will misuse Kushiels blood in a way that does not do homage to Kushiel and the compassion that should be present.

I am always amazed by the depth Jaqueline Carey brings to her characters. They are never perfect, they make mistakes and must try to make the best of the mess that they themselves have brought about. Her characters are able to admit mistakes are are not rescued by a knight in shining armor, but must find their own way through what life throws at them. Good decisions and bad are handled with equal measure.