I loved this book! it was exciting and there was a crime to solve. It felt like the old Anita again. plus you get to see lots of Edward which was exciting. The narrator, Kimberly Alexis was great.

I love this series, this book is not my favorite so far, I think I just missed Richard and the master of the city! It wasn’t a bad book but not my favorite by far

I am a huge fan of the Anita Blake series, and this is my third reading of "Obsidian Butterfly" However, it was my first time listening to it as an audiobook. As always, Kimberly Alexis brings the story to life. She is a fantastic reader, and she makes each voice unique. As far as I am concerned, she is Anita Blake. Penguin Audio also provides extra special effects and sounds, such as sinister music and gunshots, which add to the suspense of the novel. These are small details that make the book feel like a radio drama, which is really exciting.

What sets this book apart from others in the series is the emphasis on Edward. This is the first book where we get to learn more about his background and home life. There are many fans of Edward, so it was a great idea for Laurell K. Hamilton to finally give us what we wanted in terms of this mysterious character. After all, Edward is a mentor and teacher to Anita. He is the ultimate frenemy. We never know if they are going to work together or kill each other. Their constant bickering can get a little annoying, but, if I had to put my money on one of them, it would be Anita. The rivalry between the two characters continues in this book, and they are quite a few surprises about Edward that many readers will be shocked to discover. There is one scene where Edward calls Anita his soul mate, and, after reading this book, I would say that it is an apt description.

There are many supporting characters that are equally strong as our main characters. My favorites are the ones from Edward's past, such as Olaf and Bernardo. They are complex and have interesting and mysterious pasts themselves. Olaf is especially fun to "play with." I would love to see Anita and Olaf duel it out. The vampires in "Obsidian Butterfly" are fascinating, and they rely on myths and seemingly cultural practices as part of their power base. It is difficult not to write about all of the supporting characters because there is so much that I want to say. Unfortunately, if I describe their roles too much I will spoil the book for first time readers. So, if you want to discover more about them, pick up a copy and start reading!

On another note, this is the first Anita Blake book that features children as cursory characters. It was an important addition to the plot, but there are also some scenes involving children that can be triggering for those sensitive to this subject matter. Hence, you want to come into the story with the reminder that this is a fantasy/horror genre, and that it is not real. Hamilton's descriptions of these scenes are macabre and traumatizing. It highlights her skills as an author and storyteller.

The plot of "Obsidian Butterfly" is similar to many others in the Blake series. There are countless victims dying by the hand of an unknown villain. Anita and Edward need to team up to stop this monster. Along the way, there are loads of men lusting after our beautiful and powerful heroine, but she continues to rebuff them as she struggles with her feelings for Jean Claude and Richard, who both make cameo appearances in the book.

What sets the plot apart from the others in the Anita Blake series is the complicated cultural and indigenous mythologies Hamilton includes in the narrative. Some of it appears historically accurate based on my education in this area. The pronunciations of the languages and unusual phrasings were well done by Alexis. I wanted more from Anita as a half Mexican woman, but she is not in touch her with indigenous roots. I would be curious to conduct more research on some of the stories presented to see how truly accurate they are. My big concern is that indigenous historical practices are often demonized and presented as uncouth and violent. These mentalities about the peoples were used as justifications by the Spanish to not only colonize but conquer bodies and land. It also was a push for Christianity to become a major religion in the Southwest. Hamilton does present accurate representations of the Spanish as a type of ignorant villain, but I worry that her overall message is still a binary one. For example, yes, the Spanish were bad for pillaging and raping indigenous women. However, the indigenous peoples themselves are still conducting worse practices even today. The entire situation is complicated by the fact that there is vampire involvement in all these presentations. So, it is just important to remember that this is fiction. To really learn about an ancient indigenous time period, it is best to take a college class. Do not believe every fictional book you read.

Other reviewers complained about misogyny in "Obsidian Butterfly." I admit that there are no strong female characters in this book except for the protagonist. At the very end, another woman steps up and takes charge of her family, which is a huge surprise to Anita. The deemphasis of strong women is a result of Anita herself, who is the center of the story and series. She also works in a field that is male orientated, so she often takes on masculine qualities as a survival technique while downplaying what she categorizes as feminine qualities as unnecessary or weak. Hamilton addresses these issues later in the series and provides some strong permanent female characters that rival Anita herself.

My main complaint, as I mentioned, is the violence, which is another point that reviewers write about. It is a specific type of violence that is unique to "Obsidian Butterfly." I cannot recall any other book in the series that is graphic in this particular way. So, you just want to take breaks as needed when you hit these scenes.

Finally, the ending was too fast for me. The epilogue was overly neat and tidy. It mentioned characters such as Ronnie and Catherine. To best honest, who really cares about these women? They had no place in the story whatsoever, so why mention them in the epilogue? Hamilton drops these characters as the series continues, so it becomes a moot point. This book receives a slightly lower rating from the other Anita Blake books because of the violence and the disappointing ending.

great loved it. The one downside however is they. don't have the whole book series

One of the best in the series. The divide between the human man and supernatural characters is done very well.

This is the first of my favourites in the Anita Blake series.
Even though I miss JC being in the story, the guest characters (especially Olaf and Obsidian Butterfly), more than make up for his absence.
Even after reading the series through multiple times, this one still stands out for me.

the next few books in this series is not in audio! !! they are good books

The story is great but the accents are atrocious. I wish Ms. Alexis was as thorough with researching her work as the author always is.

my favorite in the whole series. Hamilton is at her best here. if you don't read any other, read this one

Loved this book, author is one of my favorites. Will keep you entertained. Must read