• Kiss the Dead

  • An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel
  • By: Laurell K. Hamilton
  • Narrated by: Kimberly Alexis
  • Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,103 ratings)

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Kiss the Dead  By  cover art

Kiss the Dead

By: Laurell K. Hamilton
Narrated by: Kimberly Alexis
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Publisher's summary

When a 15-year-old girl is abducted by vampires, it’s up to U.S. Marshal Anita Blake to find her. And when she does, she’s faced with something she’s never seen before: a terrifyingly ordinary group of people - kids, grandparents, soccer moms - all recently turned and willing to die to avoid serving a master. And where there’s one martyr, there will be more.…

But even vampires have monsters that they’re afraid of. And Anita is one of them.…

©2012 Laurell K. Hamilton (P)2012 Penguin

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What listeners say about Kiss the Dead

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  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,377
  • 4 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
    69
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    369
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    215
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Weak Link in the Anita Blake Series

I started reading the Anita Blake series with a true appreciation for the story and characters. As the series developed, I treated the series like an old friend, overlooking the annoying traits and focusing on the familiar good qualities. Like many fans, in the later books I enjoy parts of the story and cringe at other aspects. In book 21 it becomes even more difficult to wade through the slimy swamp to get to the island of plot.

In fairness, there is a bit of story here, and there is a crime to be solved. In typical LKH fashion and without spoilers, there is a speedy conclusion without a lot a detail -- LKH's usual, "Oh, by the way, we got the bad guy" ending. The villian is not well integrated into the story and the wrap-up is much too simplistic after drama point is reached.

While there was not quite as much sex as some of the books in the middle of the series when the ardeur ran amuck and bad guys were forcing events, this book reached a new level for passionless, emotionless, thoughtless, mechanical sex. The in-the-moment discussion and analysis of size and position, coupled with post-game player comparisons and performance appraisals of "you were AMAZING," were at times truly cringe-worthy. While in the past I did not agree with many of the sex-scene decisions made by LKH, I could feel that the author thought they were necessary to her vision of the events and characters. In this book, I didn't get the feeling that LKH wanted to include the sex.

For me, the Anita Blake series has been like a delicious nut with a tough and enormous shell, but there is usually enough enjoyment to reward the effort. LKH has a fantastic imagination and has created a wonderful world for her characters. I feel that these 21 books could be edited and culled down to about 3 or 4 works of fantastic fiction, but that is pure hindsight. What I do know is that this book was greatly overwhelming in shell with very little nut to be found.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Done with Anita Blake

I enjoyed the Anita Blake books back in the day when Anita was a heroine and her story had a plot.

Unfortunately, Anita has become a pathetic example of a pseudo-heroine with such poor decision making skills when it comes to her personal life that she is forced to call herself "poly-amorous" and "hetero-flexible". I know this is fiction but really...no one has time for a successful career and THAT many lovers and so much time to whine about them.

The best thing I can say about this book is that FINALLY the use of the word "spill" and all of its accompanying forms has been greatly minimized compared to previous Anita Blake books.

I'm sad to see that Laurell Hamilton's writing talent has been reduced to such drivel so my advice to potential readers is to find something else to read. It's time for Anita Blake to be put to rest.

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33 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Feels like Abridged

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The story is again very short, like someone cut everything out of the book. The sex scenes feel like it was mandatory to put them every 30% of the book, first time they don't fit. It's like reading abridged book with parts not making sense or feeling flat.

What could Laurell K. Hamilton have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Add a storyline between first part and the second.

What does Kimberly Alexis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoy her narration, hard to say since i never read erotic novels.

Could you see Kiss the Dead being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Honestly it was bad enough for a low budget adult movie.

Any additional comments?

If you must, then listen to it. If you didn't get addicted to 20previous books, then stay away.

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29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This one lacks a plot.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Lackluster plot. I usually enjoy this series, but this one was a little boring.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I think Kimberly Alexis usually does an excellent job, but what is up with the new Micah voice. It almost sounds irish. Completely different from past books.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

This series is stalling...

What could Laurell K. Hamilton have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I feel this was just a quick fix, something to sling out to fans of Anita Blake to tide them over. It was boring at best, AB isn't advancing in her life she stalled, the last book Hit List and this book were just OK. Add more action, more storylines, stop being so predictable with AB and her story, make it more thrilling, scary, gruesom, add some unexpected twist with the story line...

Any additional comments?

Either end the series LKH or write a better story....sorry, but I am a big fan of the AB series, but come on, give us something.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Sullen

What disappointed you about Kiss the Dead?

Wish I had listened to the reviews! This book lacked any real plot and cohesion. Anita has progressively gotten whinier and annoying as the series has progressed. It seems like the books are following a similar pattern of "Bad guy killing, sex, guilt from sex, guilt from not having sex, back to killing bad guys." Repeat ad nauseam.Another point of annoyance was the over use of "sullen". Everyone is sullen at one point or another, often more than once in a paragraph!I wish she'd write more about Edward, he's at least interesting in his interaction with Anita, AND he's not trying to sleep with her. A refreshing change to the repetitive nature of this series.

Any additional comments?

The only redeeming thing about this book is the narrator. Kimberly Alexis is a brilliant voice, and she's only gotten better through the series.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Too much filler.

What did you like best about Kiss the Dead? What did you like least?

I didn't like much about this book, although Kimberly Alexis did a good job. Unfortunately, she was reading what sounded like filler text much of the time. It was like a student writing a term paper, trying to fill pages by saying the same thing over and over. Too much junk filler, not enough story.

Would you ever listen to anything by Laurell K. Hamilton again?

I would be less inclined to buy anything by her. I might take out from the library, but not likely waste my money again.

What about Kimberly Alexis’s performance did you like?

She makes each character's voice so distinct and individual that it almost seems there is more than one person reading.

Could you see Kiss the Dead being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No, there's not enough story. It would be about twenty minutes long.

Any additional comments?

Shame that this author did such damage to her reputation by ripping off her loyal readers. She'd have been better off putting out a shorter book, so I didn't feel I'd wasted my time reading her filler text.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Lacking in plot

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Add to the story. There seems to be something missing from the story.

Have you listened to any of Kimberly Alexis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Good.

Any additional comments?

This book was not as thought out as previous books. It feels like LKH rushed the writing of this book. I hope the next one is better.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Seems like a draft

This reads like a non-final draft that was rushed to print. It would have benefited greatly from a strong editor.

First, a small thing, isn't the wereleopard who wants to get pregnant Vivianne, not Vanessa?

Second, there are large holes in the police/action drama. In the beginning, we are led to believe that there is a monster master vampire who is turning old women and young children into vampires against their will -- and has been making a veritable army of them in recent years. Yet as the story unfolds, I don't think the master vampire we meet at the end did create them all -- so then are they just creations of assorted evil vampires, did they want to be turned? Are all these vampires are originally from St. Louis (made without Jean Claude's knowledge) or did they move here? If so why? Is it a coincidence or a "master" plan?

Third, the repetition of the attempts to give Anita the "cop/street" cred -- is too much. We could have done with one less long discussion of how "we stand shoulder to shoulder" and how our job is "to run in to where the monsters are."

Fourth, while some of the relationship development was natural and seemed to be long in the making/foretelling -- Sin, but especially Asher -- there are some relationship developments that seem very abrupt and could have been fleshed out more -- Dolph's regaining respect for Anita, but especially what happens with Larry (WTF??).

I did like the continuing evolution of Anita's metaphysical powers -- I think that was well done -- both the additional abilities and the control over the ardour. I liked Nathaniel's continuing maturation and the depictions of the relationships between him and Sin and Sin and Nicky.

The sex was okay - same old, same old

For the narration -- which is good as usual -- one comment. Did she change the way she did Micah's voice? It sounded foreign and was distancing and distracting to me.

If it weren't for Otto -- I would think there is nothing left to tell about this world.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Same o, Same o.....

I've always loved the Anita Blake books, but lately, they have just gotten boring. This one has to be the worst so far. She spends most of the book, telling us all about Anita's lovers, what they look like, and background on them, then she has some kind of imaginative sex with them. If you follow, the series, then it's just a repeat of things you already know. If you haven't followed the series, it would be too much to comprehend in one book, and you wouldn't get enough of a bond to the characters, to care anyway.
There is a small story that starts out in the beginning of the book, and is quickly solved in the end of the book.
Most of it though, is Anita tooting her own horn,as to how tough she is, and tired of her job, and how much she loves her partners, then having sex with the previous mentioned.
No romance anymore, like the early books, when you couldn't wait for her to give in to Jean Claude, (he's not even interesting anymore, with his cameo appearance)
In my opinion this series is over, it has just become repetitive info, with lackluster characters and no plot.
I do like the narrator to the story, except for Micha having an Irish voice, and Asher doesn't quite cut it for me. But the Anita voice is perfect.



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