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Sex has always been central to Anita Blake, a federal marshal, necromancer and vampire hunter.
But after 13 erotically charged books, boredom has reared its ugly head for the 14th novel in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, ``Danse Macabre'' (Berkley; $25.95), as eroticism becomes mere description. We've read all this before.
In this installment, Anita is late, thinks she may be pregnant and has several candidates as to whom the father might be among the cursed and undead. Yes, she raises the dead and executes vampires. But even a fed will give in when the ardeur inside her - think supernatural pheromones - takes over.
To top it off, the Masters of the City are coming to town, convening the most powerful vampires in America. And - shades of Anne Rice - the entertainment will be a vampiric ballet troupe. Anita will have her hands full.
So the stage is set for intrigue. Yet the words and actions Hamilton has her characters say and do seem more of a writing exercise than elements of true portrayal.
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TRUE LIES
First novels don't spring from the pen any easier than a performer gets to Carnegie Hall without practice, practice, practice. Scott Lynch must have written many drafts before setting down his debut, ``The Lies of Locke Lamora'' (Bantam Spectra; $23).
Locke Lamora is a master thief in a time of nobles and kings when he is recruited into a group of con men's con men, the Gentlemen Bastards. Then he meets a nemesis in a bloody turf war for the underworld. Dialogue in fantasies like this can sound stilted, but Lynch's conversations and events flow while sounding of the time.
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SPACE CAPSULES
``Spin Control'' (Bantam Spectra; $12) by Chris Moriarty. This follow-up to Moriarty's Spin State features clones in love, a genetic weapon of mass destruction and the bio-politics of a far-future Israel, for starters. As a glass of ice water is to a thirsty man, this is hard sci-fi for the genre's fans.
``Glasshouse'' (Ace; $24.95) by Charles Stross. Computer science jargon and preachiness mar the execution of a good premise about mind-control censorship in the far future.
Kitty Goes to Washington'' (Warner Books; $6.99) by Carrie Vaughn. Werewolf talk-show host is back in this fun beach read filled with pop culture references. Pick up the previous book, too:Kitty and the Midnight Hour.''
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(c) 2006, The Kansas City Star. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.
