Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #3) in Anita Blake Vampire Hunter

Jan 01, 2008 mlady_rebecca rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: characters__lycanthropes_shifters, 2009, pov__first_person_female, read_more_than_once, 2002__series_highlights, genre__urban_fantasy, 2019, author__laurell_k_hamilton__ab, characters__necromancers_or_reapers, characters__vamps

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I had trouble stopping and reviewing this one before plunging into "The Lunatic Cafe", even on a re-read. For me, this book is where this great momentum picked up in the series and I was devouring them one after another. (When I discovered the series, "Narcissus in Chains" was out.)

Vampires in "Guilty Pleasures". Zombies in "The Laughing Corpse". And back to vampires in "Circus of the Damned". *Two thumbs up*

It's interesting to watch the characters in the early books, knowing how much some of th I had trouble stopping and reviewing this one before plunging into "The Lunatic Cafe", even on a re-read. For me, this book is where this great momentum picked up in the series and I was devouring them one after another. (When I discovered the series, "Narcissus in Chains" was out.)

Vampires in "Guilty Pleasures". Zombies in "The Laughing Corpse". And back to vampires in "Circus of the Damned". *Two thumbs up*

It's interesting to watch the characters in the early books, knowing how much some of them have changed. Poor Jean-Claude was working so hard at keeping things together in the early books. Visiting Yasmeen (one of Belle's vamps) was the only other master vampire in town besides Malcolm. And Jean-Claude was just starting to get some support from the wolves. No wonder he pushed Anita so hard to be his human servant in more than name.

And Anita ... In the hardback version of the book, with the afterward, Laurell tells us this was the last book where Anita was sure about her opinion of the monsters. This was the last book where it was us vs them, very black and white. The slack that Jean-Claude got was only because he was the lesser evil. So when Oliver presented himself as a lesser evil (in the wake of the third mark) Anita jumped at the opportunity to free herself, even if it meant her own death.

I love the final scene. I love that Anita spared Jean-Claude and destroyed Alejandro, even at the potential cost of her own life. But maybe I'm overly romantic. I went into these books (even the first time around) knowing Anita would eventually be dating both Jean-Claude and Richard.

Speaking of Richard. This was when Richard was the perfect man for Anita. Common interests. Common education. This was when he was playing human. Another human too close to the vampires, just like Phillip.

Ok, cast list. Jean-Claude, Richard, Stephen, Edward, Dolph, Zerbrowski, Larry (almost forgot he was introduced here), Irving, and Ronnie. Not such a long list, but Jean-Claude and Richard together make up for any lack.

(Reviewed 04/30/2009) ...more

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May 22, 2010 Pat aka Tygyr rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, reread, paranormal, thriller, 2014-books, long-time-ago-read

This is the 3rd in the Anita Blake Series. This has been a re-read for me.
Anita has 2 jobs. She works for Animators, INC where she is their best and most well-known Animator of Zombies. It is legal to raise the dead as Zombies and take testimony from them as to their murder, if that is how they died, or to write and sign a last will and testament if they died without one. The younger the dead body, the easier the raising is. But her Animator job keeps getting interrupted or postponed by her 2nd This is the 3rd in the Anita Blake Series. This has been a re-read for me.
Anita has 2 jobs. She works for Animators, INC where she is their best and most well-known Animator of Zombies. It is legal to raise the dead as Zombies and take testimony from them as to their murder, if that is how they died, or to write and sign a last will and testament if they died without one. The younger the dead body, the easier the raising is. But her Animator job keeps getting interrupted or postponed by her 2nd job - she works for the "spook" police force as a consultant on preternatural crimes and also as a Vampire Slayer, which has her labeled as the Executioner. The current Master of the City is Vampire Jean Claude. In this book he wants to give Anita the final marks tying her to him as his human servant. Anita makes it clear that she would rather be dead than do what Jean Claude wants.
Human victims are being found with multiple vampire bites by different vampires. But vampires do not usually hunt as a pack. Something is very off. 2 new Master Vampires are in town with their followers and they are after Jean Claude and his position. They each want Anita as their human servant as well. They recognize that she has some of his marks but not all. They each offer her freedom from Jean Claude. I won't spoil all the surprises, but something happens that pushes Anita too far and she gives up Jean Claude's location so he can be killed and she can be free.
Besides all this drama Anita is training a 20 yr old new animator. Edward is back in town. And at Jean Claude's she meets Richard Zeeman, Science teacher. Their dating is put on the back burner by a poisoning, the war between the master vampires, and another hospital stay for Anita as she recovers from the vampire war that she became a central character in.
In this book Anita makes some tough decisions and she isn't always right. Her moral compass becomes a bit more dented. The lines between good and evil blur. She both fears Edward yet trusts him in a fight. Richard lied to her, yet she decides to date him anyway. She starts to feel sorry for some of the monsters, and attracted to others. She is not the same Anita from the 2 previous books as this book ends. And as some fans and detractors have said, she continues to change in each book. The reader has to decide for themselves if they like the changes, still like Anita and her strange world and ever more complicated life.
As I reread the series I am more aware of Anita's growth as a character. In her jobs it is kill or be killed. That changes a person. The longer that kill or be killed dynamic is a part of her life, the more changes she will have to make to adapt or go stark raving mad. ...more

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Jan 10, 2010 Cecilyn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: anita-blake-vampire-hunter-series

Jan 15, 2010: Another novel to re-read for the third time........

This is where the gorgeous and sexy Mr. Richard Zeeman makes his first appearance... In his birthday suit no less *wink*....

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Nov 17, 2010 ~ Lihllith ~ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: vampire

OK so this book didn't get interesting until the last 30 pages. A little disappointed with the ending but I've heard that the books get better as they progress. ...more

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