Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter is a series of short stories, comic books, and urban fantasy novels written by Laurell K. Hamilton. The series takes place in a parallel universe where supernatural creatures and powers are real and their presence is public knowledge.
In 2006, Marvel Comics began production on a graphic novel adaptation of the first three books in the series, beginning with Guilty Pleasures.
Who is Anita Blake?
Anita Blake is the protagonist of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, written by Laurell K. Hamilton. In the books, she is described as a petite woman of German and Mexican heritage with curly, long raven hair and pale skin with scars scattered over her body.
Blake is a practicing Christian and is currently involved in the Episcopal faith, having left Catholicism since the Catholic Church has excommunicated all animators.
Laurell K. Hamilton’s Biography
Laurel Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She grew up in Arkansas and has a degree in English and biology. Hamilton is involved with a number of animal charities, particularly supporting dog rescue efforts and wolf preservation.
Hamilton’s breakthrough came with the publication of her first Anita Blake novel, “Guilty Pleasures,” in 1993. The series follows the adventures of Anita Blake, a tough and resourceful vampire hunter who also works as a re-animator and consultant for the police.
Set in a world where supernatural creatures coexist with humans, the Anita Blake series blends elements of urban fantasy, mystery, and romance.
Hamilton’s writing style is characterized by its vivid and often gritty descriptions, intricate world-building, and complex character development. As the series progresses, Anita Blake’s character evolves, facing various challenges, moral dilemmas, and personal relationships with vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings.
Anita Blake Book Series in Order
1) Guilty Pleasures (1993)
Guilty Pleasures is a 1993 horror and mystery novel that introduces the character of Anita Blake, a vampire hunter and necromancer who works in an alternate universe where magic, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural elements exist.
2) The Laughing Corpse (1994)
In this installment, Anita is tasked with stopping a powerful voodoo priestess who seeks to raise an ancient, flesh-craving monster. As she delves deeper into the case, Anita faces personal and moral dilemmas while dealing with supernatural threats.
3) Circus of the Damned (1995)
Circus of the Damned is the third book in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. The Circus of the Damned is the name of a supernatural circus that is operated by Jean-Claude and serves as one of the main locations within the book.
4) The Lunatic Café (1996)
Anita is drawn into a werewolf conflict when a pack of shape-shifters seeks her help to resolve an internal power struggle. Amidst the werewolf politics, Anita discovers a new kind of supernatural creature and becomes entwined in a dangerous and sensual web of desire and power.
5) Bloody Bones (1996)
Anita Blake’s boss at Animators, Inc., informs her that she’s expected to raise 300-year-old zombies from a field of jumbled bones just to settle a land dispute. But as soon as she arrives, the job becomes more interesting.
6) The Killing Dance (1997)
Anita’s life becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse when a powerful vampire named Jean-Claude faces a challenge to his leadership. Anita finds herself torn between loyalty and her own survival as she fights to protect those she cares about.
7) Burnt Offerings (1998)
Anita Blake has always believed that you cannot trust anyone who sleeps with monsters. But now she is sharing a bed with the Master Vampire of the city.
8) Blue Moon (1998)
Anita is called in to assist the local police when a series of werewolf attacks threatens to expose the supernatural world to humans. As tensions rise between the werewolf packs and Anita’s personal life becomes increasingly complicated, she must find a way to stop the bloodshed before it’s too late.
9) Obsidian Butterfly (2000)
There are several monsters in Anita Blake’s life, including some humans. One such individual is Edward, a bounty hunter who specializes in the preternatural.
10) Narcissus in Chains (2001)
Anita’s life takes a dramatic turn when she is infected with a dangerous strain of lycanthropy. As she struggles to control her new powers and navigate the complex dynamics of werewolf politics, Anita finds herself drawn into a perilous world of power struggles and forbidden desires.
11) Cerulean Sins (2003)
Cerulean Sins is the eleventh entry in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. In this book, she is trying to get her life back to “normal” after a breakup with her werewolf lover. Things are as peaceful as they can ever get for someone who raises the dead.
12) Incubus Dreams (2004)
Anita finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict between rival supernatural factions when an incubus begins terrorizing the city. As the body count rises, Anita’s personal life becomes even more complicated as she navigates her relationships with her various lovers and the demands of her own desires.
13) Micah (2006)
The feds have a reason to raise the dead as they have a witness who died right before he could speak on the record. They want him raised so his testimony can be taken.
14) Danse Macabre (2006)
Anita is drawn into the world of vampire politics when she is asked to solve a series of vampire murders. As she investigates, Anita becomes entangled in a web of power struggles, alliances, and betrayals that threaten her safety and the delicate balance of power in the supernatural community.
15) The Harlequin (2007)
Anita Blake must prepare to face the challenge of her life. Creatures so feared and powerful that centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names are ready to enter her life.
16) Blood Noir (2008)
Anita is hired to solve a case involving a missing vampire and a powerful magical artifact. Her investigation takes her to Las Vegas, where she must navigate the treacherous world of casinos, feuding vampire clans, and her own complicated relationships.
17) Skin Trade (2009)
When a vampire serial killer sends Anita Blake a grisly souvenir from Las Vegas, she has to warn Sin City’s local authorities about what they are dealing with.
18) Flirt (2010)
In this shorter installment, Anita finds herself dealing with a dangerous new enemy while trying to navigate the complexities of her personal life. As she balances her relationships and her duties as an executioner, Anita must confront her own desires and make difficult choices.
19) Bullet (2010)
Anita Blake is back in St. Louis to have a normal life—as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a US Marshal.
20) Hit List (2011)
Anita is thrust into a series of deadly encounters with powerful and elusive supernatural assassins who are targeting her and her friends. With the clock ticking and her loved ones in danger, Anita must unravel the conspiracy behind the assassins while facing her own inner demons.
21) Kiss the Dead (2012)
Kiss the Dead is an erotic thriller novel by Laurell K. Hamilton that focuses on Anita Blake as she tries to deal with a vampire that is breaking both vampire and human laws by turning young children and teenagers into vampires. At the same time, she must also deal with Asher, an egotistical ancient vampire whose jealousy-ridden antics threaten the emotional well-being of everybody around him.
22) Affliction (2013)
It is a typical day at work for Anita Blake if your day job is raising the dead and being a U.S. Marshal for the preternatural branch.
23) Jason (2014)
This book focuses on the character Jason, one of Anita’s closest friends and a member of her vampire servant line. Anita and Jason travel to Jason’s hometown to confront a dangerous and twisted supernatural presence. Along the way, Anita learns more about Jason’s past and the demons that haunt him.
24) Dead Ice (2015)
Anita Blake has the highest kill count of any vampire executioner in the country. She’s a U.S. Marshal who can raise zombies with the best of them.
25) Crimson Death (2016)
Vampire hunter and necromancer Anita Blake learn that evil is in the eye of the beholder. Anita must join forces with her friend Edward to stop the carnage caused by vampires losing control and going rogue.
26) Serpentine (2018)
Anita is faced with a new supernatural threat when she encounters a snake-like creature that possesses the power to control the mind. As she races against time to unravel the mystery behind the creature’s origins, Anita must also confront her own insecurities and face the consequences of her actions.
27) Sucker Punch (2020)
Anita Blake is asked by a fellow U.S. Marshal to fly to a tiny community in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on an emergency consult. When she arrives, there is plenty of proof that a young wereleopard killed his uncle in the most gruesome and bloody way possible.
28) Rafael (2021)
Rafael, the king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown, and he wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before.
29) Smolder (2023)
Vampire hunter Anita Blake is no stranger to killing monsters. She is engaged to Jean-Claude, the new vampire king of America. In the midst of her wedding preparations, Anita gets a call that the local police need her expertise at a brutal murder scene linked to a nationwide slaughter of vampires and humans.
30) Slay (2023)
This soon-to-be-released Anita Blake novel follows Anita Blake, a necromancer that works for the U.S. Marshal- Preternatural Branch. With her wedding to Jean-Claude nearby, Anita must do the one thing she is scared of the most- introduce her very religious human relatives to her chosen family.
Novellas and Short-story Collections
1) Out of this World (2001)
2) Strange Candy (2006)
3) Beauty: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Outtake (2012)
4) Dancing: An Anita Blake Novella (2013)
5) Shutdown (2013)
6) A Girl, a Goat, and a Zombie (2016)
7) Wounded (2016)
8) Sweet Seduction (2019)
9) Zombie Dearest (2020)
Marvel Comic Series
1) Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter: The First Death (2007)
2) Anita Blake Vampire Hunter: Guilty Pleasures (2006 to 2008)
3) Guilty Pleasures Handbook (2007)
4) Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse- Animator 1-5 (2008 to 2009)
5) Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse- Necromancer 1-5 (2009)
6) Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse- Executioner 1-5 (2009 to 2010)
7) Anita Blake: Circus of the Damned- The Charmer 1-5 (2010)
8) Anita Blake: Circus of the Damned- The Ingenue 1-5 (2011)
9) Anita Blake: Circus of the Damned- The Scoundrel 1-5 (2011 to 2012)
