Obsidian Butterfly

An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel

By: Laurell K. Hamilton

Narrated by: Kimberly Alexis

Length: 19 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

There are a lot of monsters in Anita Blake's life. And some of them are human. One such individual is the man she calls Edward, a bounty hunter who specializes in the preternatural. He calls her to help him hunt down the greatest evil she has ever encountered - something that kills and maims and vanishes into the night. Something Anita will have to face alone.

Love in vein: listen to more tales of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter.

©2002 Laurell K. Hamilton (P)2010 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"[A] monstrously entertaining read." (Publishers Weekly)

Hmm

I enjoyed the book...What chapter was missing...? I noticed a gap near the end and I am wondering if that was it? UHH WHERE IS BOOK 10 "NARCISSUS IN CHAINS"??? I had to download an abridged copy elsewhere and I am very unhappy! How can you have 18 of 19 books in the series and miss one right in the middle??? I am praying I survive my abridged version and hoping they find the 10th book!I would STILL order the unabridged version if they ADD IT. Still a happy listener to this series!

different but good

This book teaches us more about Edward, which is good, but there is very little interaction with Jean-Claude or Richard. That is doubly disappointing because audible doesn't offer Narcissus in Chains, the next book and the one after that has a different reader. Enjoy what little of Jean-Claude you get from this one because in Cerulean Sins the reader doesn't do Jean-Claude's accent. One other thing about this book is there seems to be a few tracks or a chapter missing near the end. I was able to follow with out it, but I thought it was strange.

Good book, but not my favorite from the series

What made the experience of listening to Obsidian Butterfly the most enjoyable?

I'm a fairly new listener of Anita Blake series (i'm currently on book 10 Narcissus in Chains) and I have to say that this was not as good as the others one were. Overall it was a good book, but I've become so accustomed to the Anita Jean Claude and Richard triangle that not having it in this book kind of set me off. Overall the storyline was good and we got to see a lot more Anita action independent from her growing "new and improved" abilities.

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

I looooove Kimberly Alexis. I'm saddened to hear that after this book some other person is Narrating. Not sure how exactly I will get accustomed to that change but I guess I won't have a choice. Right now I'm actually reading "Narcissus in Chains" book 10 and it is definitely different and sort of difficult for me. I miss Kimberly's voice because she gives the story life and she manages jumping from character to character so easily and well. I find it difficult to read Jean Claude's parts in Narcissus in Chains because I sort of forget what his voice is like in my head. :(

Any additional comments?

I'm sick and tired of Anita being so ridiculous sometimes. She needs to cut the crap and just stay with both of them. I hate that she loves Richard and isn't afraid to admit it, but Jean Claude she is always hesitant about. She loves them both, but she is always so weird about her feelings for Jean Claude, it makes me so maaaad!!!!

now complete

now that the missing chapter 58 is included this is one of the best in the series.

my personal favorite in the series

The series starts with Guilty Pleasures, I highly reccommend that book to start. The series is VERY good from book one until book 10. In the first book I did feel like I had missed something, the characters had met some time ago and there was a history. Despite that after a couple of chapters I really got into the book. The series has ALOT of action and mystery. Book 2 is even better. The series is very dark and often gruesome. The descriptions of the crime scenes can be disturbing but the story telling is so good it is worth it! I often got chills and found the stories could even be scary. If you can handle that you should definately try this series. It is VERY different from anything I have ever read or listened to. There is a little romance and sexual tension that starts in book one and builds over time. After book 10 it takes quite a big turn and there is TONS of very discriptive sex. This book Obsidaian Butterfly is one of the best. It tells more about Edward, one of Anita's friends and there is non stop action. Again, very violent, sometimes I can't believe "it went there", but that is why it is sooo good. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT, NEVER PREDICTABLE! At some point they change who narrates the books, some of them even have sound effects, growling etc. I still really enjoyed it.

Blame the rating on Audible

Any additional comments?

First let me say, I loved this book and this narrator. Unfortunately I HATE the narrator they replaced Kimberly Alexis with in the more recent releases. Audible in it's infinite wisdom will not set up a way for me to get those books out of my "recommendations based on previous ratings". Because I rated the early books so highly they feel that they HAVE to recommend the later books in the series based on those ratings. I've emailed Audible asking for a fix for this and got no response. At this point I don't think there is one book in my recommendations that I haven't already read/purchased someplace else or that I cannot stand the new narrators. So in order to get some new recommendations had to go back and trash a whole bunch of books that I love. This truly sucks and is something I did NOT want to do. I'm blaming this on Audible.

Loved the series until this book!!

This book ruined the series for me. When I have to read/listen to children getting raped and sexually assaulted, it crosses a line for me. Laurell K. Hamilton should be ashamed of herself for putting such horrible scenes in a fiction book. I have been working my way through the series and I love Jean Claude, but he was barely in it which also was a huge disappointment. Not sure I'm going to continue to series. Hamilton ruined it for me with this one. I can't stand to see children as victims and I don't want to read any more of her abuse on kids, even if it isn't real.

Love the book, but...........

I love this series, but OMG I hated to have to listen to the music & sounds affect that Penquin Audio added to this audiobook, it totally ruined it for me, the music was too loud I could barely hear the narrator speak in most parts of the story, other than that Kimberly Alexis was a fabulous narrator, her voice is easy to listen to and I felt I could tell who was who in the story.
If it wasn't for the most annoying sound affects I would have given this audio series 5 stars, buy the books, pass on all the music drama....

Mostly Edward and Anita--no boyfriends allowed

I think this was my favorite Anita story. Anita owed Edward the assassin a favor because she killed one his workers, and in this book Edward called in his marker.

Edward was still masquerading as Ted the Bounty Hunter, and now he was engaged to be married to a widow with 2 kids.
A monster is killing people and skinning them alive, so Edward assembled a team of the best supernatural monster hunters and killers that he knows, in order to find this skin peeling murderer.

This murderer is obviously supernatural but Anita is in danger from a fanatic police officer, Edward's other assassin Olaf, and possibly the monster. But Anita does what Anita does best---hunt and kill the supernatural predator.

This book didn't have Jean Claude or Richard, because Anita had been avoiding them for over 6 months. Anita wanted to figure out who she wanted and she needed space. So this book was a partnership with Edward. It was well written because the audio was 19 hours and I never felt the length. I actually liked "Ted" with Donna, and the kids Becca and Peter. It made the stone cold assassin more humane and he wasn't as scary.

I like that Olaf will be back so that means Edward will be back. I look forward to that.

Great Book. Not so great production.

I am in the process of re-listening to all of the Anita Blake books. I think all these books are great. However, Cynthia Holloway is the MUCH better narrator. The sound effects in books 1-9 are distracting and really get on my nerves.