well behaved women

I forgot how much I loved Anita Blake back in the day.

Back when she was a solid stone-cold badass, a professional and an Executioner who had no patience for enemies, squeamishness that endangered others, or ridiculous ~sex appeal~ vampires in general. The woman who promised she'd kill anyone who hurt her friends and never, ever bluffed. The woman who loved stuffed penguins, was a little too sarcastic for any hope of social graces, and was actually pretty well adjusted, all things considered. Confident, dangerous, with close and badass female friends and a love interest that knew he was less dangerous than her and didn't really mind.

Back when she honestly had no patience with overdressed vampires, and the author actually understood the meaning of consent and textually supported her, 'just 'cause I think you're hot doesn't mean I actually want you' stance. Because seriously? After so many romance novels with their 'if you find him attractive you're meant to be no matter how much of an ass he is!', that was really good to read.

I have most of her books right up to the brink and just a little over where L.K.Hamilton really goes downhill (her eyeroll worthy character derailment of Richard when she broke up with the man he was based off of started long before the full Shark Jumping) and nostalgia makes me sad. It's one thing to know a writer isn't going to be able to write more of a series you love, and an entirely different thing to know she's still writing them, but they have no actual resemblance to the ones I loved.

I've never found another female character that I love quite as much as Anita in the early days, nor any who were so convincingly ruthless, lethal and human at the same time.

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