The Harlequin (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #15)

by Laurell K. Hamilton

The first warning is unexpected, calculated. Malcolm, head of the vampire Church of Eternal Life, is no friend to Anita Blake. So when he asks for help, against creatures so feared that no vampire will willingly speak their name, Anita is surprised. But the Harlequin require different rules. The second warning is presented like a gift, with Anita' printed on the box. Inside, carefully wrapped in folds of pristine tissue paper, is a plain white mask. The fact that it's white is good news. White means they are only being watched. The power connecting Anita with Jean-Claude, vampire Master of the City and Richard, Ulfric of the werewolves, has been increasing exponentially - and this has attracted very unwelcome attention. Anita Blake has the authority to pass judgment on vampires. The Harlequin have the authority to pass judgment on her. It is forbidden to speak of the Harlequin unless you've been contacted. And to be contacted by The Harlequin is to be under sentence of death.

• ISBN10: 1429528133
• ISBN13: 9781429528139
• Publish Date: 30 November 2002
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Out of Print: 11 April 2013
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Berkley Books
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

The Harlequin is the fifteenth book in Laurel K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. The first time I read this book was in 2010. Twelve years later, I’m finally rereading it, and it felt like I was reading it for the first time. I did remember certain aspects of the story. The Harlequin being these scary vampires, were called to take care of issues in the Vampire community. Even the most powerful vampires don’t speak of the Harlequin or mention them by name. Jean Claude has to be hush about them.

Storyline/My Thoughts: They send colored masks to the ones they observe and are meant to unalive. They are supposed to deal with Malcolm, who has the Harlequin backing down his door due to some vampires under his care getting out of control. He calls Anita Blake into his office because he knows she’ll soon have a vampire execution order in hand by the higher-ups to unalive his vampires. He wants her not to unalive them. Unfortunately, if Malcolm’s vampires are doing things that are frowned upon, then it’s in her duty to unalive them. The thing is, the Harlequin already have their eyes set on Malcolm and his vampires and how he doesn’t keep his vampires in line. If he blood oathed them, everything would be okay, but he doesn’t. 

Anita is not sure who the Harlequin are until they send her a mask out of the blue when she’s on a date with Nathaniel. She knows they are watching her, and even Jean Claude is petrified of the Harlequin. He can’t even talk about them to her because it’s against the law. Anita and her harem of men discover that Harlequin has targeted her and that they are doing things without the vampire council’s approval.  

The Harlequin have their secret agenda on why they are watching Anita, Jean Claude, and everyone under them. When the Mother of Darkness, Marmee Noir, decides to come out to play in this book, Anita also discovers she is scared of the Harlequin and warns Anita about them. 

I enjoyed The Harlequin and learning about the ones that even other high-powering vampires fear. The Harlequin keep things in check in the community, and everyone should fear them. I feared them and felt sorry for Anita and her harem of men because the Harlequin was hiding, and they had no clue of their real intention. 

This book has Anita dealing with the Harlequin and Nathaniel and the truth about what he needs from her in the bedroom. He is used to BDSM and craves it, but Anita is scared of doing BDSM. It takes the other men in her life to talk into it with Nathaniel. BDSM is not for everyone, and Anita is one of them, but she’s willing to learn for her sweetie. 

I loved how this book didn’t focus too much on the ardeur but on the issue of the Harlequin. It was like I was back in the first books with Anita, and she was doing her job. She has to be the Vampire Executioner in this book. I always love when Edward is involved in the storyline. She calls on his assistance regarding the issue with Malcolm and the Harlequin. The problem is that Edward calls on Olaf’s aid, too. His character is scary, and even Anita is not looking forward to his help. Olaf is a serial killer, and Anita Blake still fits the bill as one of his victims. Will she become a victim in this book because he finds out she has a harem of men? Olaf’s infatuation with Anita is evident in this book. Yes, he’s there to help Anita, but I fear for her safety.

I’m so glad to be back in the world of Anita and her men. Not everyone likes the harem of men she’s collecting. I like the original men: Jean Claude, Micah, and Nathaniel. I’m not including Richard because I’m over him and his overbearing alpha ways. I can’t stand his character.  

Overall, I give this book four stars, and I look forward to continuing my reread of the series. I must catch up on it before LKH’s newest release next year. 

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Anita Blake series, and I highly recommend reading in order.

Steam/Spice: 

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are a fan of the series, I recommend this book if you enjoy Urban Fantasy with Reverse Harem, too.

[Chelsea]

This is one of those series where I'm not sure why I'm reading it except to say that I'm done the series. I have no idea what's going on anymore and the plot line seems to be only about sex now instead of anything else. Anita isn't doing her police work anymore which I used to love and she's not doing her executioner stuff either. It's all sex with a little bit of supernatural politics throw in which usually leads to sex anyways.

[Hixxup]

This was probably the best Anita book I've since the...well since the ardeur (sp) started and Anita became a whore. Sorry to say that because I love Anita, but she did turn into quite the whore... it was getting to the point where I thought Ms. Hamilton had crossed wires, between the Anita Blake series and the Meredith Gentry series. Because in Anita's first 8 or 9 book maybe less she was this complete barney bad-ass that kicked anyone's ass the f****ed with her. Then she started turning into this whiny wimpering, sex fiend. Then in the Meredith books, she's supposed to sleep around with as many guys as possible, and that was the whole basis of the books, to stay alive, and screw as many fairies as possible to concieve a child to gain the throne. But somehow they both totally flip-flopped, Anita went into whore mode, and Merry turned into the barney bad ass. Now don't get me wrong I love both series, and I a still hoping the the Meredith Gentry series will continue for a little longer. It just seems odd how the main female character flip flops into what another lead female character in another story is supposed to be.

Anywho, this book I enjoy immensely. One the lack of sex was great, it was a nice change of pace from how the series is going. Two you get to see Edward again, I just love him. Three Anita is having doubts about Nathaniel, well in my opinion... ABOUT DAMNED TIME. I like Nathaniel, but I don't see him as Anita's type, he's too submissive for my taste. Four the best best BEST part of the book, is when Anita went off on Richard, that she had finally had enough of his bullsh*t. Jean-Claude too it was so great, I was whooping for them both while reading that. Richard is a self rightous bastard, who doesn't know his a$$ from his head. I totally loved it though, never liked the guy... there was a book or two where I had thought that maybe he was deemable then he went and screwed things up again. Wish him the best but BUBYE BUCKAROO!

[ibeforem]

Man, oh man, oh man. I am excited about this series again.

This book got back to a lot of the things that made me devour this series in the first place — a big bad villain, Edward, and Anita’s general kick-assedness. If this book had been nothing but sex like the last, oh, 3 or 4, I may have given it up. But there was no sex in this one until page 143, and even then there were only 3 sex scenes total. Hallelujah! Maybe Hamilton’s finally listening to her fans.

Now, if she could just figure out a way to get rid of Richard without killing Anita and Jean-Claude. I’m getting rather sick of him.

If you loved the first 9 books of this series, you will love this one.