Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton

This was another great novel in the long running Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. With so many great characters the reader is never sure who will be a main part of the story. In Affliction, Anita and Nathaniel accompany Micah to see his father who is dying from a zombie bite.

This is as much Micah’s story as it is Anitas. Jean Claude is also very present in this novel and there is a lot of focus on dealing with the newly acquired vampires that were formerly the Harlequin. We read more of Anita in her U.S. Marshall for the preternatural branch role and that was enjoyable as the past books have been more focused on other areas of her life. She is joined by Edward/Ted in hunting down some zombie the like neither of them have ever seen. Edwards even gets to use his beloved flame thrower.

Laurell K. Hamilton has developed Anita over two decades and has created a very complex character that is very intriguing. With equally compelling supporting characters, this is definitely a paranormal series worth reading. Released in 1993, Guilty Pleasures was the first novel in this series. Twenty years later, Affliction brings us to number 22 in the series. I don’t know how many more books she has in store for fans, but I for one hope it never ends.