In SERPENTINE, nothing is simple for Anita Blake, vampire hunter, U.S. Marshall, not even the destination wedding of her friend and fellow U.S. Marshall Edward and his lady, Donna. Her lovers Micah and Nathaniel come along because it's not exactly a dream get away for them as it turns out. On top of the wedding drama -- one of the bridesmaids is a royal pain, who doesn't believe that Edward and Anita weren't lovers and is constantly fighting with Donna to get her her out of the bridal party -- women start disappearing. And, of course, Micah and Nathaniel are always good for being prime suspects. So for Anita, she must survive the wedding, clear up the mystery, and save her lovers from a deadly power that has her fighting for all their lives.

SERPENTINE is the 26th offering in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and seems to return a bit to the older format that I am a big fan of. When the series started she was a necromancer, then she became a U.S. Marshall who was fighting her attraction with the Master of the City, while doing her job and finding her way. I even thought Jean Claude was a strong, tough Master, but in these later books he seems to be on the needy side along with all the other characters in her life. I have found these books too wordy, analyzing everything, too much sex (I know the ardeur thing and the multiple men because of it) with not enough vampire killing or bad guy chasing.

SERPENTINE does manage to feed that action vibe once again, but it is a little more than halfway through the book. Anita uses her brains and abilities like the old days to protect her lovers and stop the evil, while dealing with the jealous bridesmaidzilla. Ms. Hamilton even brings in some characters that we can sympathize with when Micah tries to help the family who has members with body parts turning into snakes. Is that a new form of lycanthropy or a curse? Medusa had that kind of problem in ancient days, after all.

I wanted to read this book and give the series another chance, because I really liked Anita Blake's kick-butt style in the early books. However, if I were giving stars this would get only three, maybe three and a half, as I really enjoyed the fright and fight in the latter half of the book. If you enjoyed the more recent books then this one will fill the bill for you, if you miss the old Anita -- you will have to continue to miss her.

Book Summary

Vampire hunter Anita Blake has managed to overcome everything she faces. But this time there's a monster that even she doesn't know how to fight...

A remote Florida island is the perfect wedding destination for the upcoming nuptials of Anita's fellow U.S. Marshal and best friend Edward. For Anita, the vacation is a welcome break, as it's the first trip she gets to take with wereleopards Micah and Nathaniel. But it's not all fun and games and bachelor parties...

In this tropical paradise Micah discovers a horrific new form of lycanthropy, one that has afflicted a single family for generations. Believed to be the result of an ancient Greek curse, it turns human bodies into a mass of snakes.

When long-simmering resentment leads to a big blowout within the wedding party, the last thing Anita needs is more drama. But it finds her anyway when women start disappearing from the hotel, and worse--her own friends and lovers are considered the prime suspects. There's a strange power afoot that Anita has never confronted before, a force that's rendering those around her helpless in its thrall. Unable to face it on her own, Anita is willing to accept help from even the deadliest places. Help that she will most certainly regret--if she survives at all, that is...