Laurell K. Hamilton Follow

Book #29! How is that even possible? I guess that makes sense considering how long I've known these characters. And yes, I said what I meant - I feel like I know these characters, and there are a lot of them. But it sure feels like time has flown by. This series is also kind of sentimental for me. I read the first book, Guilty Pleasures, around the time my son was born (maybe while I was on maternity leave?), so it's aged right along with him.
Smolder is basically the first part of a bigger story, so don't expect a lot of answers because there aren't many of those. We get plenty of questions but not much in the way of resolution. We do get to spend time with so many favorite characters. An old flame even pops back in, so I'm wondering how that's gonna go and to be honest, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I'm hoping we don't have to wait too terribly long for everything to play out, so I'll just reserve judgment on that part until then. I was happy to get a bit of Edward. He's been one of my favorites in the Anita Blake world, almost from his first introduction. I'm always glad to experience his ruthless planning, even if I have to wait for those plans to come to fruition.
According to Google, the definition of smolder is to burn slowly with smoke but no flame. Based on that, I have to say it's a pretty good title for a couple of different reasons. One is about the characters and storyline. There's a serious lot of dialogue as various things are discussed and settled on the personal front. I feel like those things that were settled here will be important later, and like that old flame's return, I'll stay neutral until I see where things go. Anyway, there's a new big bad in town, and this book leaves us guessing what's next, so the story is kind of smoldering as we wait - some of us maybe not so patiently (raises hand).
I was surprised at the pacing in Smolder, but it also gave me time to really enjoy the characters. Of course, not everyone is here, but I got to visit with several, and I certainly enjoyed that. So, 29 books and counting, and I've been friends with these characters long enough that I'm thoroughly invested. As for what's to come - I'll just be over here, tapping my foot, anxiously waiting.

As a fan of Laurell K Hamilton, I was pretty much guaranteed to read this first in a new series - but if I hadn't been, that title would've grabbed me. A Terrible Fall of Angels! Isn't that an attention-getter? The story has an attention-getting start to match with the main character, Zaniel, at a crime scene, and there are angel feathers! Rather than spill the book's secrets, I'll stop there and focus on the fundamentals.
One thing I've always liked about Hamilton is that her characters are relatable. I'm not saying that I can relate to Zaniel's job or talents, but his thoughts, his desires, his determination, those things are relatable. The story also has some interesting secondary characters that I hope to see more of as the series progresses,.
I really like the premise for this series and the world the author is creating. That said, I do feel like the story is still finding its footing, so I'll be interested to see where things go from here. All in all, this first Zaniel Havelock book gives us an entertaining introduction to the character and his world. I'm not sure it's a storyline for everyone, but I enjoyed it.