Strange Candy (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #0.5) By: Laurell K. Hamilton (Book Review)

(This review will contain spoilers)

Summary:

From a woman who marries into a family of volatile wizards to a couple fleeing a gang of love-hungry cupids, from a girl who seeks sanctuary in the form of a graceful goose to the disgruntled superhero Captain Housework, readers will revel in the many twists and turns of fortune in these fantastical fairy tales and lush parables. Even hardened vampire hunter and zombie animator Anita Blake gets blindsided by the disturbing motives of her clients in the new "Those Who Seek Forgiveness" and in "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death."

I first read a book from Hamilton during my teenage years and got hooked  pretty quickly. It didn't take long before I bought all the books from her Meredith Gentry and Anita Blake series. Hamilton is extremely talented in how she is able to set a scene and draw her audience into the story. My preference is when she does non-erotic stories just because when she focuses too much on the sex scenes it takes away from the story and from her talent. I'm cool with sex but sometimes she over-does. Correction; she has been over-doing it for a long while now. 

I'm happy that I came cross this anthology because I got to experience and be drawn in to different worlds that she has created. When reading all the stories there was no lull and she set a good pace to each and every story. I hope that she one day expand her writing ventures and starts a whole new series. I love Anita Blake but at this point she's got 30 books in that series. You've got to cut the cord at some point. I truly hope that she expands outside of the Anita Blake series. Y'all already know I'm dying for the next Meredith Gentry book so I'm hoping her next book release is something other than another Anita Blake book. 

I like that Hamilton included a little summary before each story as well as including how many times the story got rejected before being published or how certain parts of it are connected to her life. I love her petty side. Especially, when she included stories of being rejected then when they offered to publish her work she declined. Love those full circle moments. 

I really enjoyed her short stories, especially, one where there was a merman serial rapist, another about vampires buying a house that was set in Anita Blake's world. And my favourite was the story about preserving a lake monsters life named Irving. So many cool concepts were introduced during this anthology and I'm kinda mad she never ventured outside of her normal series. I understand that you've gotta write what sells but man she's so talented I can't believe that there isn't one publishing company that wouldn't jump at the opportunity to sign on a new series. 

Rating:

I am going to give Strange Candy 5 stars on 5. I absolutely loved all the stories and the new worlds she introduced to us. I was definitely not disappointed! I hope that in the near future she move away from writing Anita Blake and possibly write a series about some of the stories she introduced in this anthology. If you have never read a Hamilton book then I highly recommend that you do!