Review: Laurell K. Hamilton's "Dancing" was a shockingly "domestic" scene of BBQ and ballet with Nathaniel as housecat
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 09 18, 2013
I'm torn. On one hand, I'm happy to see that Anita, Nathaniel, and Micah are so happy. Isn't it just so sweet that they got invited out to Zerbrowski's BBQ as a couple? Hey... Would that be "tripple"?The problem with Anita and the boys having much right in their world is that they begin to turn into "normal" characters. You read that right: A Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter paranormal tale without a zombie, someone shape-shifting, a vampire, an assassin, or anyone dying. There's not even any magic. If you were hoping for nudity, you are so out-of-luck (though you'll get some passing references). Heck, Zerbrowski is even the only RPIT cop (or officer we've ever met) in the entire story!And, if you took out all the descriptions of Nathaniel and Micah that we've all seen one thousand times and the usual male and female posturing that happens when Nathaniel is in the zip code with outsiders, you have a handful of paragraphs about the threesome going to a police BBQ with a preschooler, Matthew (who we've not seen enough of since he was introduced as a character). It is a simple scene from a might-be-book, with extra words thrown in for anyone who doesn't get how hot the guy leopards are and a chance for the author to preach about the gay lifestyle, male-female equality, stripping as a profession, and other lovely topics (in front of a four-year-old).* Note that I was objecting in the above sentence to the "in front of a four-year-old." Read the story and you'll see why Matthew doesn't need to know "everything."If it weren't for that this is an Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter novella with "those" characters, no one would want "this" story. Just take out the particular "who" that is in this story, and there is nothing but a BBQ, fighting about social issues, (see above), and kids running around. There's no plot -- It's just a picture of a domestic scene. I'm glad I read it for the Nathaniel/Anita/Micah-factor as a fan, but I wanted more.So why three stars if I obviously didn't care for the short story? My first reason is that reading about Nathaniel in the spotlight makes me happy. Want to go there; would do anything for the t-shirt. The second is that I've now got something new to gnaw on until the next Anita novel (Pay attention to the thoughts going through Anita's head for my what if.). Thirdly, I can't reasonably expect a full ABVH tale packed into a few pages. Though, if I hadn't already purchased and read "Affliction," the teaser in the back of "Dancing" would have been a great bonus!To date, the full-length Anita book just to hit the shelves was...Affliction (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter)