36:
369:: Anita's primary developments in this novel are romantic, as she attempts, unsuccessfully, to forge a life with Richard, then ultimately selects Jean-Claude. She also experiences significant political developments, as her developing powers draw her deeper into Jean-Claude's vampire power structure and into the political world of Richard's werewolf pack.
345:
After a bloody battle, Anita and her allies emerge victorious, but the city of St. Louis bears the scars of the conflict. The Shadow is dissolved, but its influence lingers, leaving Anita and her allies to face the long process of rebuilding and restoring order. The personal cost of the conflict is
333:
The
Maestro unleashes a wave of undead upon the city, turning St. Louis into a battlefield between the living and the dead. Anita must race against time to stop the Maestro and prevent the resurrection of a powerful and ancient entity, the Dark Mother, who is said to possess the ability to control
330:
unexpected turn when Anita discovers that her old friend, Sylvie Barker, is deeply involved with the Shadow, as is her werewolf lover, Sebastian. This revelation forces Anita to confront the reality that some of her closest allies may be working against her, adding an emotional weight to the case.
341:
Anita discovers that The
Maestro is the long-lost descendant of a powerful necromancer who sought to control the Dark Mother. He is driven by a desire for power, seeking to use the entity to rule both the living and the dead. The battle takes place within the abandoned catacombs beneath the city,
321:
A gruesome scene unfolds in St. Louis, the body of a young woman found drained of blood, with strange symbols carved into her chest. Anita is called to the scene by the police, alerted by the unsettling ritualistic elements. She quickly identifies the symbols as belonging to a long-forgotten cult
416:: Edward is his typical self—an inscrutable and deadly serial killer. However, in this novel, he continues to show hints of some other emotional existence. In particular, his fondness for Anita begins to look something like friendship, and to suggest the possibility of an emotional inner life.
325:
Anita dives into the investigation, encountering familiar faces: Officer Brady and
Detective Branswell on the case, along with her partner-in-crime, the enigmatic vampire Jean-Claude. She discovers evidence of a resurgence of necromantic activity, linking the ritualistic murders to a mysterious
337:
Despite the obstacles, Anita rallies her allies, including her trusted team of weretigers, led by
Christine, and the enigmatic vampire, Dominic Dumare. She receives unexpected help from the vampire, Edward Forrester, who provides crucial information about The Maestro and the Shadow. A surprise
329:
Meanwhile, Anita faces personal turmoil her relationship with Jean-Claude is strained, their differing worldviews causing friction. Her loyal werewolf, Asher, is haunted by the return of his old foe, Jamil, a dangerous werewolf with a grudge against Asher and Anita. The investigation takes an
133:
405:
nature. Although
Richard is extraordinarily blessed—phenomenally powerful, fantastically handsome, in requited love with his apparent soulmate—he lacks the essential self-knowledge needed to resolve his crisis. Richard is unable to integrate his human and werewolf natures, and this
334:
the dead. The Shadow, having infiltrated several key positions within the city, including the police force, becomes increasingly difficult to infiltrate. Anita's network of allies is tested, leading to betrayals, alliances, and intense clashes between forces of good and evil.
441:
and the introduction of RPIT's first witch Tammy
Reynolds. As Anita's relationship with Jean-Claude becomes public knowledge and her public death toll rises, Dolph begins to show seeds of the distrust that would manifest between them over the course of the next several
346:
heavy, with the loss of lives, both human and supernatural, leaving Anita haunted by the events. The story ends with a sense of bittersweet triumph, a reminder that the battle between good and evil is never truly over, leaving the door open for future accolades.
342:
where The
Maestro has gathered his army of undead. Anita must face her fears and confront The Maestro in a battle of shadows, utilizing her necromantic abilities and her allies' strength to defeat him and prevent the return of the Dark Mother.
326:
organization called The Shadow’s leader, revealed to be a powerful necromancer known as The
Maestro, has been manipulating events from the shadows, orchestrating the resurgence of the Dance of the Dead for unknown purposes.
410:
haunts him throughout the series. This novel, where
Richard finally reveals his true nature to Anita and is rejected, represents the beginning of a long slide for the character that has yet to resolve.
322:
known as the Dance of the Dead, a ritual designed to raise the dead and create undead warriors, has been dormant for centuries, but its reappearance spells danger for the city.
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Assassins for hire Jimmy "Jimmy the
Shotgun" Dugan (a cheap local thug) and "Annabelle Smith" (a pricy international assassin), both killed by Anita.
387:
seem to work out to Jean-Claude's benefit more than anyone else's—by the end of the novel, Anita is Jean-Claude's lover alone, Jean-Claude's rivals,
383:
and Julianna. Although he may well be in love, Anita is well aware that Jean-Claude remains very calculating, and that, as usual, the events of
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serves as an example of the danger of absolute love to a vampire, as does Jean-Claude's story of the tragic ending of his love affair with
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alliance with the rival werewolf pack, led by Stephen, brings unexpected support against Jamil's growing influence.
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375:: Jean-Claude continues to present something of an enigma. Although he claims to love Anita, the character of
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are dead, and Anita and Richard are bound to Jean-Claude as his human and animal servants.
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and the introduction of Stephen's twin brother, the wereleopard
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582:"The Killing Dance (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, #6)"
534:(shot by Harley and/or died when Anita killed Sabin).
530:(shot by Anita); Dominic Dumare (shot by Edward) and
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449:and the introduction of newly arrived vampires
401:: This novel underscores Richard's essentially
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555:(killed by Richard in battle of succession);
495:Miscellaneous other characters, particularly
305:is a horror/mystery novel by American writer
8:
526:The dark mirror to Anita's own triumvirate:
125:
62:introducing citations to additional sources
642:
628:
620:
131:
124:
362:features the following major characters.
511:Police detectives Greeley and Branswell.
52:Relevant discussion may be found on the
573:
615:Internet Speculative Fiction Database
7:
1056:Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novels
507:Non-recurring characters include:
460:The reappearance of shapeshifters
25:
27:1997 novel by Laurell K. Hamilton
445:The reappearance of the vampire
45:relies largely or entirely on a
34:
433:Reappearances of RPIT members
1:
537:Jean-Claude's vampire flunky
541:(heart torn out by Dominic).
514:Pack members Heidi and Neal.
653:Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter
311:Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter
173:Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter
1092:
497:Catherine Maison-Gillette
156:Lee MacLeod (Ace edition)
130:
18:The Killing Dance (novel)
559:(stabbed by Anita); and
425:Recurring characters in
309:, the sixth book in the
1066:Novels set in St. Louis
1051:American erotic novels
999:Branson-based vampires
613:title listing at the
1046:1997 American novels
689:Circus of the Damned
484:, new pack enforcer
58:improve this article
994:The Vampire Council
745:Narcissus in Chains
681:The Laughing Corpse
658:Laurell K. Hamilton
547:Local lycanthropes
499:, Mrs. Pringle and
307:Laurell K. Hamilton
147:Laurell K. Hamilton
127:
73:"The Killing Dance"
1061:Low fantasy novels
737:Obsidian Butterfly
551:(shot by Edward);
518:The death toll in
488:, and pack member
241:387 (Ace edition)
213:1997 (Ace edition)
126:The Killing Dance
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713:The Killing Dance
610:The Killing Dance
520:The Killing Dance
427:The Killing Dance
385:The Killing Dance
360:The Killing Dance
302:The Killing Dance
298:
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218:Publication place
153:Cover artist
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16:(Redirected from
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1004:Other characters
697:The Lunatic Cafe
673:Guilty Pleasures
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563:(shot by Anita).
421:Other characters
355:Major characters
286:Followed by
273:Preceded by
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1071:Werewolf novels
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56:. Please help
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221:United States
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75: –
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69:Find sources:
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55:
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47:single source
43:This article
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37:
32:
31:
19:
1025:Shapeshifter
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881:Sucker Punch
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705:Bloody Bones
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589:. Retrieved
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447:Willie McCoy
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278:Bloody Bones
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979:Jean-Claude
974:Anita Blake
435:Dolph Storr
408:tragic flaw
373:Jean-Claude
367:Anita Blake
254:Ace edition
1040:Categories
967:Characters
873:Serpentine
841:Affliction
801:Skin Trade
793:Blood Noir
656:series by
591:2024-08-12
568:References
522:includes:
439:Zerbrowski
350:Characters
84:newspapers
1013:Mythology
729:Blue Moon
586:Goodreads
549:Sebastian
532:Cassandra
470:Christine
429:include:
231:Paperback
201:Ace Books
197:Publisher
114:June 2020
54:talk page
948:Shutdown
857:Dead Ice
825:Hit List
313:series.
267:36914737
161:Language
984:Richard
956:Wounded
940:Dancing
908:Tie-ins
897:Smolder
557:Gabriel
482:Gregory
478:Stephen
466:Lillian
442:novels.
399:Richard
229:Print (
187:mystery
164:English
98:scholar
1020:Mythos
959:(2016)
951:(2013)
943:(2013)
935:(2012)
932:Beauty
927:(2008)
919:(2006)
900:(2023)
892:(2021)
889:Rafael
884:(2020)
876:(2018)
868:(2016)
860:(2015)
852:(2014)
844:(2013)
836:(2012)
828:(2011)
820:(2010)
817:Bullet
812:(2010)
804:(2009)
796:(2008)
788:(2007)
780:(2006)
772:(2006)
764:(2004)
756:(2003)
748:(2001)
740:(2000)
732:(1998)
724:(1998)
716:(1997)
708:(1996)
700:(1996)
692:(1995)
684:(1994)
676:(1993)
665:Novels
553:Marcus
539:Robert
490:Sylvie
462:Rafael
451:Damian
414:Edward
403:tragic
389:Marcus
293:
280:
191:erotic
183:Horror
169:Series
143:Author
100:
93:
86:
79:
71:
989:Asher
849:Jason
809:Flirt
769:Micah
561:Raina
528:Sabin
486:Jamil
474:Jason
393:Raina
381:Asher
377:Sabin
238:Pages
179:Genre
105:JSTOR
91:books
650:The
476:and
453:and
391:and
317:Plot
261:OCLC
247:ISBN
77:news
455:Liv
60:by
1042::
584:.
472:,
468:,
464:,
437:,
189:,
185:,
643:e
636:t
629:v
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492:.
457:.
233:)
116:)
112:(
102:·
95:·
88:·
81:·
64:.
50:.
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