Blue Moon (novel)
Encyclopedia
Blue Moon is the eighth in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of horror/mystery/erotica novels by Laurell K. Hamilton
.
. In this novel, Anita travels to Myerton, Tennessee
to help clear her ex-boyfriend Richard
of rape allegations. In the process, Anita and her various allies are drawn into a supernatural conflict with the Master Vampire of that city, as well as the criminal scheme that Richard's frame-up was meant to conceal. As with the other later novels in the series, Blue Moon blends elements of supernatural
, hardboiled
detective
, and erotic
fiction.
. Richard
, still recovering from Anita's
rejection in The Killing Dance
, has been in Myerton for some time, studying a local group of trolls as part of the requirements for his masters degree, and auditioning the women of the local werewolf tribe as possible lupas.
The plot begins when Anita receives a call from Richard's brother Daniel. Daniel explains that Richard has been arrested for an alleged rape
, and is refusing to hire a lawyer. Anita leaves for Myerton, over the objection of the local Master of the City, with Asher, Damian, and most of the wereleopards as backup.
Once there, Anita must simultaneously attempt to uncover why local police have framed Richard and deal with Colin, the local Master of the City, who views her arrival as an act of war.
Ultimately, Anita destroys most of Colin's vampires by activating the lupanar of the local werewolf clan, rendering it holy ground, and kills Colin herself by shooting Colin's human servant, Nikki. In the course of her various rituals, Anita ends up having sex
with Richard, and they agree that Anita will begin dating both Richard and Jean-Claude. Anita also learns that Richard had discussed her with Jean-Claude and had obliquely asked Jean-Claude whether he would accept Anita taking Richard as a lover
.
Anita meets Marianne, a Wiccan practitioner who works with Verne's pack. Marianne advises Anita on building the wereleopards into a coherent group. Anita also has a long talk with Damien, and discovers that Jean-Claude gains power from lust
and sex. Not only can he feed on the patrons of his strip club Guilty Pleasures, but on sex with Anita, or Anita having sex with Richard.
She and Richard discover that the rape charges were an effort by art collector Frank Niley to drive Richard's study project from the area, allowing them to acquire some contested land and complete Niley's search for the Spear of Destiny. In desperation, Niley kidnaps and brutalizes Richard's mother and brother, causing Anita to cross another moral line, torturing Niley's messenger and killing everyone responsible.
Non-recurring characters include:
Laurell K. Hamilton
Laurell Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is the author of two series of stories. Hamilton is known for her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake series, featuring a professional zombie raiser/supernatural consultant for the police as the protagonist in a world where...
.
Plot introduction
Blue Moon continues the adventures of Anita BlakeAnita Blake
Anita Blake is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton. Subsequently, she has also appeared in the Dabel Brothers/Marvel Comics adaptation of her first novel, Guilty Pleasures....
. In this novel, Anita travels to Myerton, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
to help clear her ex-boyfriend Richard
Richard Zeeman
Richard Alaric Zeeman is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Character introduction:...
of rape allegations. In the process, Anita and her various allies are drawn into a supernatural conflict with the Master Vampire of that city, as well as the criminal scheme that Richard's frame-up was meant to conceal. As with the other later novels in the series, Blue Moon blends elements of supernatural
Supernatural fiction
Supernatural fiction is a literary genre exploiting or requiring as plot devices or themes some contradictions of the commonplace natural world and materialist assumptions about it....
, hardboiled
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
detective
Detective fiction
Detective fiction is a sub-genre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator , either professional or amateur, investigates a crime, often murder.-In ancient literature:...
, and erotic
Erotic literature
Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of human sexual relationships which have the power to or are intended to arouse the reader sexually. Such erotica takes the form of novels, short stories, poetry, true-life memoirs, and sex manuals...
fiction.
Explanation of the novel's title
As with previous novels, "Blue Moon" refers to a location within the novel itself. In this case, the "Blue Moon cabins" are a set of rental cabins owned by Verne, the local Ulfric. Within the novel, the term "blue moon" is also used to refer to an upcoming full moon, the second in that calendar month, which is a rare occurrence.Plot summary
Blue Moon takes place in the apparently fictional town of Myerton, TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Richard
Richard Zeeman
Richard Alaric Zeeman is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Character introduction:...
, still recovering from Anita's
Anita Blake
Anita Blake is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton. Subsequently, she has also appeared in the Dabel Brothers/Marvel Comics adaptation of her first novel, Guilty Pleasures....
rejection in The Killing Dance
The Killing Dance (novel)
The Killing Dance is the sixth in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of horror/mystery novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Plot introduction:The Killing Dance continues the adventures of Anita Blake...
, has been in Myerton for some time, studying a local group of trolls as part of the requirements for his masters degree, and auditioning the women of the local werewolf tribe as possible lupas.
The plot begins when Anita receives a call from Richard's brother Daniel. Daniel explains that Richard has been arrested for an alleged rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, and is refusing to hire a lawyer. Anita leaves for Myerton, over the objection of the local Master of the City, with Asher, Damian, and most of the wereleopards as backup.
Once there, Anita must simultaneously attempt to uncover why local police have framed Richard and deal with Colin, the local Master of the City, who views her arrival as an act of war.
Ultimately, Anita destroys most of Colin's vampires by activating the lupanar of the local werewolf clan, rendering it holy ground, and kills Colin herself by shooting Colin's human servant, Nikki. In the course of her various rituals, Anita ends up having sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
with Richard, and they agree that Anita will begin dating both Richard and Jean-Claude. Anita also learns that Richard had discussed her with Jean-Claude and had obliquely asked Jean-Claude whether he would accept Anita taking Richard as a lover
Lover
Lover may refer to:* A person who loves* A sexual partner outside of a committed relationship-Music:* "Lover" , by Rodgers and Hart* "Lover" * "Lovers" , by The Tears* Lovers...
.
Anita meets Marianne, a Wiccan practitioner who works with Verne's pack. Marianne advises Anita on building the wereleopards into a coherent group. Anita also has a long talk with Damien, and discovers that Jean-Claude gains power from lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
and sex. Not only can he feed on the patrons of his strip club Guilty Pleasures, but on sex with Anita, or Anita having sex with Richard.
She and Richard discover that the rape charges were an effort by art collector Frank Niley to drive Richard's study project from the area, allowing them to acquire some contested land and complete Niley's search for the Spear of Destiny. In desperation, Niley kidnaps and brutalizes Richard's mother and brother, causing Anita to cross another moral line, torturing Niley's messenger and killing everyone responsible.
Major characters
Blue Moon features the following major characters:- Anita BlakeAnita BlakeAnita Blake is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton. Subsequently, she has also appeared in the Dabel Brothers/Marvel Comics adaptation of her first novel, Guilty Pleasures....
: - Jean-ClaudeJean-ClaudeJean-Claude is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton. Within the novels, Jean-Claude's role is as one of the primary love interests of the series heroine, Anita Blake....
: Jean-Claude only appears near the start of the book, but is still mentioned or talked about throughout. - RichardRichard ZeemanRichard Alaric Zeeman is a fictional character in the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Character introduction:...
: - Asher:
- Damian:
Other characters
Recurring characters in Blue Moon include:- Jason:
- Zane:
- Cherry:
- Nathaniel:
- Jamil:
- Dolph:
Non-recurring characters include:
- Colin: the Master of the City, died when Anita killed his human servant Nikki.
- Barnaby:
- Nikki: Colin's human servant, was killed by Anita after she lured and tried to kill Asher.
Allusions/references to other works
- Frank Niley and his entourage appear to be inspired by The Maltese FalconThe Maltese Falcon (1941 film)The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 Warner Bros. film based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett and a remake of the 1931 film of the same name...
. Niley's appearance and demeanor closely resemble Sidney Greenstreet's portrayal of "Caspar Gutman" from the 1941 film adaptation of that novel, while Howard's physical description closely resembles that of Peter LorrePeter LorrePeter Lorre was an Austrian-American actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner.He caused an international sensation in 1931 with his portrayal of a serial killer who preys on little girls in the German film M...
, who played Gutman's associate, "Joel Cairo" in the film. Similarly, Niley's futile quest for the Spear of Destiny resembles Gutman's chase after the eponymous falcon.