Slay

Laurell K. Hamilton

Nov 2023 · Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Book 30 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Laurell K. Hamilton has captivated readers with her gritty, seductive tales of vampire hunter Anita Blake for thirty bloody fantastic years. Now, in the thirtieth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, wedding bells are ringing. But before Anita can make it to the altar, she must face an obstacle more daunting than any supernatural threat....

Necromancer Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: U.S. Marshal—Preternatural Branch. She’s faced horrifying monsters and brutal killers and come out the other side still standing.
 
Considering how things in her life tend to go, Anita never expected her walk down the aisle with Jean-Claude to go smoothly. They’ve already been confronted with naysayers and a power-hungry ancient evil, but now Anita has to do the one thing that actually scares her: introduce her very religious, very human relatives to her fiancé—the newly crowned vampire king of America.
 
As Anita tries to keep the peace between the family she left behind and the family she’s chosen, dark forces jump at the chance to take advantage of the chaos. With her happy-ever-after at risk and everyone’s immortal souls hanging in the balance, Anita grapples with a hard truth: Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family.

Ratings and reviews

Could not put it down. I have been a fan of Laurell K Hamilton for over a decade & enjoy her work so consistently as to subscribe (Google Play automatically sells me the new e-books on release day) across all her series. *Slay* was shorter than some of her books, and the pacing was frantic. I didn't let myself start reading until lunch on release day & was done before dinner the next. The stakes felt very real throughout; I couldn't stand to look away. I even woke several times during the night, needing just *one more* chapter. I was that desperate to know what happened next. Many long-time fans, myself among them, felt that the previous book, *Smolder,* wasn't up to her usual standards. LKH has responded to that on social media, particularly TikTok. After reading *Slay,* I understand why much of what I wanted in *Smolder* couldn't be there. It had to wait. *Slay* satisfied those wants & so much more. And yet, as always, I already wonder what to expect in the next book.

Loved reading the mesmerizing and spellbinding story. When Anita's family comes to town, Anita just wants to know if her father is walking her down the aisle or not, but Anita can't believe her father brought his mother with them. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read Anita Black story. Can't wait to read the next story in the series by the phenomenal author, Laurell K. Hamilton! Can't wait for the wedding!

I always love any Anita Blake novel, and this was no exception. Gripping and fun from beginning to end. I read it way too fast, so I guess I wish it had been longer, lol.I love falling back into Anita's world, with all the familiarity of being with an old, much loved friend.

About the author

Laurell K. Hamilton is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series and the Merry Gentry series. She has also written A Terrible Fall of Angels, the first book in an exciting new series featuring Detective Zaniel Havelock in a world where angels and demons walk among us.
 
With more than forty novels published, Laurell continues to create groundbreaking fiction inspired by her lifelong love of monster movies, ghost stories, mythology, folklore, and things that go bump in the night. Her love of the macabre, books in general, animals, and nature led her to degrees in English and biology. She is a nonpracticing biologist but uses her science background to add an extra level of realism to her fiction.
 
She currently lives in St. Louis with her family, two spoiled Japanese chins, a house panther, and a house lion. In her free time, Laurell trains in Filipino martial arts with a specialization in bladework, and travels to scuba dive and bird-watch as often as she can.