Rafael (Anita Blake #28) by Laurell K Hamilton - A Spoiler Free Review From Mel & Sue!

Susan and I FINALLY found another book that we BOTH read! Both reviews are spoiler free - mine as a vlog - Susan's in the more traditional format!  Don't forget to let us know what you think!

Rafael by Laurell K Hamilton (Anita Blake #28)

Basic Book Info 

Standalone or series?
Series (Anita Blake #28) - Should not be read as a standalone.

Category
Horror Fantasy

Blurb From Amazon - 

Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk everything to be at his side.…
 
But some of the wererats fear that Rafael depends too much on Anita and her ties to the vampires. They believe that there is only room in America for one supernatural king, and Rafael will turn them into nothing more than food for the bloodsuckers.
 
Among his enemies, a new challenger has arisen who is younger, hungrier, and has dark secrets that could destroy both the wererats and the vampires. Rafael will go into the magical heart of his people to find the power and violence that he needs to save them all, or die trying.

Reviews!

Click to watch Melanie's Vlog Review!

And now onto Susan's review - ​


How did I get this book?
Ordered from Amazon.

Why did I choose to read this book:
  Anyone who has read my Sanguine Crown series knows how much of an Anita Blake and Laurell K Hamilton fan I am and getting Rafael so soon after Sucker Punch AND an ebook coming this Sunday, I had to scoop this up.


First Impressions:
The book gives us a closer look at the wererats, and the rodere as well as Rafael, who had remained a side character who had a much bigger story to tell.

General Review
Rafael was a quick read where we delved deeper into the world of the wererats, and we learned so much more about the rodere. I loved getting to see the different groups of shapeshifters, (Melanie - *cough Therienthropes cough* ) because with Anita having her closest lovers in different animal factions, we never got to know the rats. I loved seeing how strong-willed Claudia was and how brutal the wererats could be.

The novel, (or novella maybe, because LKH’s books tend to be wrist breaker in size, considering I have them all in hard copy : Melanie - I debated too and settled on Novel lol), though packed with delicious rat goodness, did give those of us who have a soft spot for a certain vampire and leopards something to smile about as well.

Final Thoughts
Having read Raphael, I was left with some feelings toward the king of rats I wasn’t expecting…and not in a good way. I’m eager to see how the storyline plays out in further books, to see if my opinion might change but without giving away any spoilers or influencing anyone else, I’m keeping my thoughts to myself …for now …well…I told Melanie and she agrees so there is that!  (Melanie - Yup - FACT!)

Rating
An easy 5 stars for me- any book that shows us just how badass Anita is will always win me over. A fast paced, no holds bar read that will leave hungry for more.  

​Susan Harris is a writer from Cork, Ireland and when she’s not torturing her readers with heart-wrenching plot twists or killer cliffhangers, she’s probably getting some new book related ink, binging her latest TV or music obsession, or with her nose in a book. She is a proud founding Member of the Muser VIPers and is responsible for Melanie not breaking the Website on an almost daily basis!

You can check out all her books on Amazon HERE

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​Check Out The UK Cover!