Book reviews

Narcissus In Chains
Laurell K. Hamilton Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography Video
Laurell K. Hamilton Books
New book search
Laurell K. Hamilton Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Narcissus In Chains
"
Laurell K Hamilton
Berkley, Oct 2001, 22.95 400 pp.
ISBN 0425181685

    It has been six months since Anita Blake has seen her two lovers, Richard the shapeshifter and Jean-Claude the vampire. During that time she has been learning how to control her powers so something unpleasant doesn't shock her. She is almost ready to get in touch with her two men and see if they can come to an amicable arrangement since Richard, Jean-Claude and Anita are bound together in a triumvirate of power.

    Before she can make the first move, two of her were-leopards are being tortured at the S & M club NARCISSUS IN CHAINS. She calls on Jean-Claude for help and he agrees only if she acquiesces to open herself up to the marks of power so she has a fighting chance of coming out of this encounter alive. After Anita takes care of business, she fears changing into a were-jaguar since she was cut by a were-jaguar. Meanwhile a were-Jaguar wants to merge his group with her. Before anything can be arranged, an enemy strikes out at the triumvirate, forcing them to put personal problems on hold and learn who is after them so they can stop him.

    NARCISSUS IN CHAINS seems to be the definitive book in the series. The protagonist has come to terms with what she is and accepts that her vampire lover is a part of her life because he needs her. She also sees that Richard will never change and makes plans accordingly. Laurel K. Hamilton has written the best book of her career because she gives the audience the long waited answers they have been waiting for. This action-supernatural thriller is a keeper and with the passage of time will be considered a classic.

Harriet Klausner
"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

" Narcissus in Chains, the 10th Anita Blake book, shows the heroine dealing with the consequences of her burgeoning powers and enmeshment with the vampire, werewolf, and werelepoard communities. When Anita is called to rescue a werelepoard from an S&M club, she merges her powers with the vampire Master of the City and the werewolf Ulfric which results in her gaining werewolf and vampire hungers. She is also infected by a werelepoard scratch. Anita spends most of the book fighting (and failing) to control her various hungers, and fighting her way through the politics of the monster communities. "
A. S., Resident Scholar

"Anita Blake helped capture and destroy a supernatural being that was killing people and turning them into zombies. Without the help of her clan. Anita carries the mark of a vampire and a werewolf. For she had both as lovers. A kidnapper has taken one of her people and she needs all the help help she can get. The threesome finally merge and Anita has the power to feel everything they feel and call upon their powers as well as her own. "
Sherrie L. Jones, Resident Scholar

"This is the 10th Anita Blake vampire hunter book, and it shows us a more grown-up Anita. After spending six months away from her lovers, friends, and police work, Anita is back in St. Louis, hoping to patch things up. Only she finds out that things have gone down the drain while she was gone, and more bad has shown up in town, kidnapping various shapeshifters. Anita takes on the task of finding the kidnapper even as she attempts to mend the ties she has severed between herself and Richard, Jean-Claude, the wereleopards, the werewolves, and the vampires. By rejoining with Jean-Claude, Anita becomes a victim of the ardeur, a frenzied appetite for blood or sex."
Sarrah, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Narcissus In Chains
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 22.5%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 37.5%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 22.5%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 17.5%




FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Horror story? Yes
Horror plotlets - werewolf teething

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - 20's-30's
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - super strength - is very quick - healing
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - bulging muscles

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status: - bounty hunter
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can change shapes - can talk to animals - super strength - is very quick
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed - mentally ill - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - bulging muscles

Setting
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - very explicit references to deaths and torture
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - licking - orgies - actual description of sex - descript. of private male anat.
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to Narcissus In Chains
Hunter's Moon by C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp
Wolf's Trap by William D. Gagliani
The Mark of the Werewolf by A.B. Wallace
Prowlers by Christopher Golden
Derik's Bane by MaryJanice Davidson


Click here for more information about this book


Laurell K. Hamilton Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

SCHOLARS:
Rachael  Tanya  Sarrah  Karen Moss  Lea Thomasson  Ashareh  DJ Haller  Byrle  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Science Fiction books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
17 FREE Sci-Fi Ebooks!
FREE "How to be happy" Ebook!
Feedback


Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
Suzanne Weyn 10:35:23 PM
George W. Bush 5:33:46 PM
Kin Platt 12:58:29 AM
Anonymous 12:47:34 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 10:05:52 PM
Jane Rubino 10:04:38 PM
LaVyrle Spencer 10:04:00 PM
G.A. McKevett 10:03:31 PM
David Williams 10:03:01 PM
Steven Pressfield 10:02:30 PM
Jeanette Walls 10:00:19 PM
Darryl Ponicsan 9:59:27 PM
Ann Rinaldi 9:58:30 PM
R.L. Stine 9:57:34 PM
Geoffrey Huntington 9:57:14 PM
Betty Mahmoody 9:56:38 PM
Deric Longden 9:56:11 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 9:55:48 PM
Iris Johansen 9:55:24 PM
Marlo Morgan 9:54:58 PM

More message boards