Anita Blake
The star of the series and the narrator of the stories. Buffy with attitude. But who is she?
Anita Katerine Blake works as an Animator which means she has the power to raise the dead. This talent came to her through her mother's side of the family and she was taught how to control it by her Grandmother Flores. But as the series progresses you see that there is far more to her than this "night job".
Anita is also an expert who is called in on preternatural crimes for RPIT.
And if that was not enough she is "The Executioner" and at the start of the series one of only 10 licensed vampire executioners in the USA. She is the bogeyman of the vampires.
She later becomes a Federal Marshall who is entitled to access any preternatural crime scene. But this is not without its problems as the politics of the world show that not everyone agrees that she should have this status.
Her family consists of her Stepmother Judith who she does not get along with and her step-brother Josh who thinks she is cool. She is Mexican on her mother's side and German on her father's. She lost her mother in a car accident and is now very passionate about using seat belts.
She is Episcopalian since the Pope excommunicated all Animators from the Catholic Church.
Throughout the series Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of the City (once he attains that position) is determined to make Anita his and as the series continues on Anita finds herself marked by him. She has the third mark but he has never given her the third one which would bind them closer and make her as immortal as he is. She is his human servant, but in name only. She will not let Jean-Claude take blood from her.
Although it takes time throughout the books Jean-Claude eventually succeeds in seducing her into his bed and by the end of Bloody Bones Anita admits to herself that she does not see him as one of the monsters. Even so she never truly gets used to watching him "die" when the sun comes up.
One of the other loves of her life is Richard Zeeman, a werewolf who rebels against what he is. Through him she becomes Lupa and later Bolverk for the local werewolf clan.
Together with Jean-Claude, Anita and Richard are a powerful triumvirate. So powerful Anita can raise sleeping vampires like zombies. Something they keep quiet as the Vampire Council would kill her if they knew she had this power.
But all is not plain sailing and each of the three of them have their own problems and secrets and none of them completely trust the others.
By default Anita also finds herself the Nimir-Ra of the local wereleopard pard when she kills their leader. It is through the pard that she meets Micah, a Nimir-Raj of another pard and he becomes another man in her already complicated life.
Anita also has the ability to channel Raina, a deceased werewolf and draw power from her in order to heal another.
She has a black belt in judo which comes in handy since she describes herself as always "ass-deep in alligators".
She can sense a witch's spell and break them with a surge of power.
She is not a morning person - who is? - and collects toy penguins, Sigmund being her favourite. She is also a certified scuba-diver but is claustrophobic after an accident in Florida. She also has a phobia of flying.
Favourite quotes are below the Incubus Dreams spoilers.
Text in this colour denotes that it is a spoiler for Incubus Dreams
In Incubus Dreams Anita forms a second triumvirate. Now she is not only bound to Richard and Jean-Claude, she is a part of a triumvirate with wereleopard Nathaniel and vampire Damian.
Bound to the two of them she sees into their pasts and they all find that they are gaining traits from the others. Anita also realises that she, Richard and Jean-Claude are also acting out of character on occasions. Richard for instance making comments that would normally have come from Anita.
In this latest instalment Anita's relationships take on a variety of turns. Nathaniel moves up to boyfriend status and she starts to realise that in a way she does love him and he is no longer merely someone who she must take care of. She starts to treat him as a grown man and not a child.
She also starts to realise that she is not treating Damian as she should do and makes efforts to ensure that he is happy at her house.
Her relationship with Jean-Claude and Richard takes on another new twist as Richard begins to come to terms with what he is and they decide to try to become a proper triumvirate. Although it is early days they all can see the potential if they do succeed in securing their power base.
Anita also starts to mend the rift between herself and Ronnie and their friendship starts to get back on its feet, although it is a far cry from what it used to be.
Marianne assists Anita in her relationships and Anita admits that Marianne is someone whose advice she values and that in some ways she is a counsellor for her.
And an Anita Blake book would not be the same without a new power and in this one it is revealed that Anita has acquired one of Belle Morte's powers. She unwittingly makes Damian more beautiful after they have merged the marks. This is a power that is very rare and even Jean-Claude does not have it. For Anita to have the power is a shock to everyone.
Anita also manages, with Jean-Claude's help to focus the magic that can be used to inflict injuries on others with only her mind. She successfully uses this against Primo. During this battle she lets Jean-Claude into her head as far as he can go and realises for the first time just how much her holding back has "crippled" them. In her own way she has caused as much damage to their power base as Richard has.
But what marks Anita as a truly great character are the things she comes out with. Here just a few of my favourite quotes.
From Guilty Pleasures
"There's nothing like ruining the calm of a hundred-year-old vampire to boost a girl's morale"
"I hate to waste a really good threat."
"It was bad for tourism if the tourists got wasted by our biggest attractions" - referring to the vampires.
"This was why I jogged, so I could run like hell when something was chasing me. Thinner thighs was not incentive enough."
"I don't care how many times you've seen women carry guns on a thigh holster on television, it is damn awkward. You walk like a duck with a wet diaper on."
"I know who and what I am. I am The Executioner, and I don't date Vampires. I kill them."
From The Laughing Corpse
"Stupidity isn't punishable by death. If it was, there would be a hell of a population drop."
"I was bringing the Master as backup. It was like carrying a thermonuclear device to kill ants. Overkill has always been a speciality of mine."
From Circus of the Damned
"I wanted to wipe the grin off his face with a fist. I resisted the urge. Who says I have no self-control?"
"Baiting Marguerite was childish, but it made me feel better. Everyone needs a hobby."
"Most women complain that there are no single, straight men left. I'd just like to meet one who's human."
From Bloody Bones
"'Hush Raven' the boy said. He petted the dog as he said it, thus rewarding the growling. The dog growled again, he petted it again. I decided to ignore it. If the poodle got loose I figured I could take it. I was armed."
"One thing I've learned about vampires - they keep pulling new rabbits out of their cloaks. Big, fanged, carnivorous bunnies that'll eat your eyeballs out if you're not paying attention."
From Burnt Offerings
"Questions are great, but only if you know the answers. If you ask questions and the answers surprise you, you look silly. Hard to be threatening when you look ill-informed."
After being told by a waiter that her steak could not be done half rare and half well done - "at these prices you should bring the cow out and have a ritual sacrifice at the table."
"Vanity, thy name is woman. Though whoever wrote that had never seen an issue of GQ"
"Never trust people who smile constantly. They're either selling something or not very bright."
From Blue Moon
"Cops...give them anything suspicious and they'll put two and two together and make ten to twenty-five to life."
After being escorted out of town by crooked cops. - "Thompson waved merrily as we drove past them out of the city limits. It would have been childish to give him the finger, so I didn't do it. Zane did it for me. Jason blew them a kiss."
"How to be chaste with the two preternatural studs of all time at my back and call? Be out of town."
From Obsidian Butterfly
"Arrogance or stupidity, sometimes there's not much difference between the two."
From Narcissus in Chains
"I'd gotten better lately at simply refusing to let my imagination run away with me. Maybe it had something to do with being a sociopath; if so, let's hear it for dementia."
From Incubus Dreams
"What do you say when someone can read your emotions, so that you can't hide behind polite lies? What do you say when the truth is awful, and you can't lie? Nothing."
"It was that old, old problem of his (Jean Claude) and his line of vampires. If the only tool you have is a hammer, all your problems begin to look like nails. If the only tools you have are seduction and terror, and you're trying to be nice....well, there you go."
"I took a deep breath and counted slowly to five. I didn't have the patience for ten."
"I should really learn to tone down the whole silent threat thing, but d***, I've just gotten so good at it."