Reap the East Wind

By Glen Cook

It has ended. It begins again. In Kavelin, Lady Nepanthe's new life with the wizard Varthlokkur is disturbed by visions of her lost son, while King Bragi Ragnarson and Michael Trebilcock scheme to help the exiled Princess Mist re-usurp her throne — under their thumb. In Shinsan, a pig-farmer's son takes command of Eastern Army, while Lord Kuo faces plots in his council and a suicide attack of two million Matayangans on his border. But in the desert beyond the Dread Empire, a young victim of the Great War becomes the Deliverer of an eons-forgotten god, chosen to lead the legions of the dead. And the power of his vengeance will make a world's schemes as petty as dust, blown wild in the horror that rides the east wind. This volume marks the beginning of the end. Reap the East Wind is the first step on the road to the long-delayed final chapter of Glen Cook's legendary Dread Empire series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Night Shade Books
• Release date: Oct 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781597803199

Glen Cook

Born in 1944, Glen Cook grew up in northern California, served in the U.S. Navy, attended the University of Missouri, and was one of the earliest graduates of the well-known "Clarion" workshop SF writers. Since 1971 he has published a large number of Science Fiction and fantasy novels, including the "Dread Empire" series, the occult-detective "Garrett" novels, and the very popular "Black Company" sequence that began with the publication of The Black Company in 1984. Among his science fiction novels is A Passage at Arms. After working many years for General Motors, Cook now writes full-time. He lives near St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife Carol.

Reviews for Reap the East Wind

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First in the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Anita is a full time animator, read zombie maker, and part time vampire hunter. She is coerced into investigating local vampire murders in St. Louis. She meets the local vampire leader who's over a thousand years old and as well as being very powerful is very sadistic. She befriends a "freak," in other stories would be called a vampire or vampire lover. She meets various vampires and freaks along the way. Helps to raise a zombie. Finds out that someone is practicing voodoo. Wererats, not werewolves but were rats. Sorry this review doesn't really tell much in regards to the plot but the series has lots of possibilities. Also lots of back story to be explored book kept eluding to her past.

[5eva5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Anita Blake is a detective/vampire hunter/animator (aka zombie-maker) who is blackmailed by a vampire master into investigating a series of murders in the vampire community. I had been under the impression that this was a paranormal romance, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there is more fighting than romance. I also liked the premise that all supernatural creatures are "out" in Anita Blake's world, even if it makes for a few unlikely scenarios. I thought Anita was a decent character - it's fun that she is full of talk and then actually kicks butt as well, but I would have liked some more backstory to actually get a sense of who she is. Also, if the vampires are so desperate to get her help with the murders, why do they keep interrupting her investigation (and kinda trying to kill her...)? I get that they have instinctual/animal drives, but that should mean that they're even better than humans at figuring out how to achieve their goals. Overall it was an entertaining read and if I trip over another installment I'll certainly pick it up, but I won't go looking.

[onefinemess · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Decent pulpy vampire horror-fi.

[jennamarie96 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Guilty Pleasures" has become one of my guilty pleasures! I picked up this mostly due to the fact that it was fantasy and had the word Vampire in it. This book had me hooked from the first chapter. Laurell K. Hamilton has put a wonderful spin on the overused vampire genre. Beware though this book isn't for the faint of heart ! It's full of gore and saucy moments.The moment Antia Blake is introduced I fell in love with her. She's a tiny spitfire filled with sarcastic humor and a complete badass. As a necromancer and vampire hunter she is every undead creatures nightmare come to life. Anita Blake has earned her title as the Executioner. Antia is short has tons of curly hair and isn't perfect.She has scars and a personality that's just kick-ass. Honestly she is a believable character that isn't boring because she is more like an actual woman in real life and isn't portrayed as being this sex goddess who is model thin with perfect features. Frankly those perfect female characters have become boring and a character like Anita Blake is refreshing. You'll be rooting for her throughout the entire book. Though the one character you will have an instant crush on is the vampire Jean Cluade. He is the personification of sex on leather clad legs and knee high boots.Usually these characters can be quite boring but he has layers and you can't help but fall for his charm even though he's one of the undead that Antia has sworn to protect the living from. The spin that this book has put on vampires and other supernatural creatures is intriguing , because in this world they are considered normal in everyday life. Hamilton has mixed these two worlds in a wonderful manner that it makes the book into something you've never read before. It's worth picking up to try as long as you read it when no one else is around! "Guilty Pleasures" is a great naughty read that has a plot and love able characters as well as some truly evil characters that will make you want to read the rest of the sinfully good books in this series.

[turtlesleap · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Predictable tale of the dead and undead.

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Guilty Pleasures" is the first of the Anita Blake series. What makes the series unique is the strong, tough-minded character of the heroine and narrator. Before "Guilty Pleasures" vampire stories rarely had female leads, let alone one with the hard-nosed style of Anita Blake. She is a professional animator (one who raises the dead) and a licensed vampire killer in an alternate earth where vampires have come out of the closet (coffin?) and are active participants in American life. he plot is fast paced, often moving from cliff-hanger to horrific confrontation with all the agility of the ball in a pinball game. There is a steady sexual undercurrent that veers towards sadistic and fetish oriented pleasures. It is a natural outgrowth of the vampire personality and is as chilling as it is erotic. In "Guilty Pleasures" it is an effective plot device that keeps the heat turned up. If you are a vampire story fan you will find Laurell Hamilton's efforts deeply satisfying.

[eire2011 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a fun read and a change from what I usually read. The story was a great mix of humor, mystery, supernatural and an interesting point of view. Anita makes an awesome friend but I sure wouldn't want to be her enemy. My only complaint is that I didn't read it sooner. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[ragwaine · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

5 Chapters, 47 minutes on audio. I would say those were minutes I'll never get back, but I was either painting or driving while I was listening to this so it wasn't really time wasted. It was painful though, extremely painful. Sorry, it's going to take something more persuasive than a "reading challenge" to get me to read something this bad.

[jolenemacinjax · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Guilty Pleasures in the first book in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series written by Laurell K. Hamilton. There are currently 21 books in the series and I have read all of them and try to re-read the entire series at least once a year. Starting with the first book you learn about this feisty little lady who has the natural ability to raise zombies and does it for a living. On the side, she helps the local police solve crimes involving vampires and other non-natural people. She isn't having much luck in her love life and seems to be attracted to all the wrong men. We can all relate to that at one time or another. Ms. Hamilton makes us believe that vampires, zombies and werewolves are possible and tells us what would their everyday lives entail should they have to make a living, pay their bills and try to get along with their neighbors like the rest of us. Give the series a try. FYI after the 5th book in the series there will be more intense/alternative sex scenes in the story lines. Some may like that sort of things while others may not.

[sweetzombieducky · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I went into this reading experience with expectations based on how frenzied people get about this book. I didn't find Anita Blake to be a very interesting character and the author's attempts to make her seem sarcastic and snarky fell flat. Gothic vampires in Victorian dress and a child as The Big Evil.

No. Just ... no. Do not see what the hype is all about.

[bethanymoore · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I adore this series! What I love most is that the 'monsters' aren't hiding in the dark somewhere. They're walking around and riding the bus and shopping and teaching your children... and they have rights (mostly). Vampires are people too(?). But if they step out of line? Anita Blake, raiser of the dead and executioner of bad vamps, is called in to carry out their death sentence.

I loved Jean Claude right away. He's sexy, suave, and doesn't sparkle! From this first book, I hoped Anita would hook up with Jean Claude... I had no idea just what was coming!

[sadiesforsythe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2.5
I realise that this is a really popular series and I'll admit the second half of this book was better put together than the first, suggesting that the latter books might be better than this first one. But I spent that first half of this book completely lost and wondering what exactly was going on. I came back here to GR three times to verify I was actually reading the first book in the series, because there were so many references to past events and people she knew kept popping up unexpectedly.

The book also kept leaping from place to place, activity to activity, etc. It was hard to keep up with. Further, it felt very much like Anita kept putting herself at pointless risks. Should I be surprised that she was attacked by vampires when she's hanging out at the vampire bar? I mean, she's not known to be on good terms with any of them.

Being as the book felt like it picked up in the middle of something it also felt like the Anita's character development must have been left somewhere in that missing first half. She felt incredibly flat to me. Yes, she was pleasantly sarcastic and I enjoyed that, but the book ended and I didn't feel like I had gotten to know her at all.

I'm also baffled by the fact that this is considered a PNR by many. It's certainly what I went in expecting. From reading reviews I see that quite a lot of sex must come in at some point in the very lengthy series, but this book is bone dry in the romance department. There is a person who, if the standard PNR trope holds true, will likely become a romantic interest at some future point, but there is no spark here. None. Nada. Nothing.

Needless to say I'm disappointed.

[addictedtomorphemes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. I ate this series up. Beware that it gets darker and kinkier (oftentimes bizarre) as the series progresses. You'll know by the first book if this is your type of thing. If not, stop here. I thought it was fun to get absorbed into this strange little world.

[rosetyper9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's been so long since I first read this book that I forgot how much I enjoyed Laurell K Hamilton's writing. I am going to re-read the entire series before I hop over to the faery series.

This book has everything a girl could want in an urban fantasy...guns, knives, zombies, vampires, were-rats...I could go on but there really is no need. I love the world that Laurell built in this book and the amazing character of Anita. I'll keep reading..I know it goes off the rails a bit but it will be nice to see where it ends up after all this time once I'm through.

[raeadav · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Can't wait to read the second one! :)

[meggyweg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read this book because I'd seen a lot of Laurell Hamilton quotes on Goodreads and they were funny. And certainly this book had many funny parts, as well as a decent whodunit. It reminded me of Sue Grafton's Alphabet Mysteries series, except with vampires and zombies and so on thrown in. But will this be enough to make me pick up the rest of the books in the series? I'm not sure. So times books in a series disappoint me because they all blend together and nothing really changes.

[cailin_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I admit it...I'm a sucker for vampire books! This was entertaining and my first foray into the Laurell K. Hamilton series. I am looking forward to reading the whole series!

[the1butterfly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't really expecting to like this, especially since she's a vampire hunter. I ended up really enjoying it, and at some point I'll probably track down at least the next in the series. The thing with Jean-Claude has definitely peaked my interest. I'm wondering if there are prequels that come up later in the series, and honestly, I hope there aren't. The background info was fine, but I'm not interested in knowing any more about it.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A tough, principled heroine in a gritty urban fantasy world. Weres, vampires and risen corpses are no secret--and just barely legal. Mystery, adventure and fantasy all tied together in one short, fast-paced book. It's good, but stop reading these books soon--they get bad fast.

[geraly_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

i've read one other book in the anita blake series... one that comes much later... it was also ok... i guess i was really hoping for more depth... ?? ennywho... it's very easy to read and if you like fiction with vampires thrown in it and some comedic timing, this may fit the bill... :)

[lizparker_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First book in the Anita Blake series, its also one of the best. Anita is an animator (zombie raiser) and vampire executioner in St Lois.This is a reality where vampires and shifters are real and legal citizens.After being blackmailed into investigating a series of vampire murders by the current master of the city, Nikolaos she ends up on the wrong side of the master and must help Jean-Claude, vampire manager of a supernatural strip club to defeat her. Great fun,not a serious read but good for when you want a quick but entertaining read.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book certainly lives up to its name. Anita Blake is an animator, someone who raises folks from the dead for money (most of the time to settle posthumous court cases and inheritance disputes). As a sideline, she also assists the police with destroying vampires who murder humans. This time, however, she has been hired to figure out who is murdering vampires. I figured out who it was as soon as the killer was introduced, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. Anita is sarcastic and amusing, kick-ass but still very human. The idea of a legally recognized vampire subculture is intriguing. I don't see myself reading the rest of the series, but this was a fun little distraction.

[abshepherd · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Three and a half stars for this one.

This book is about a kick-ass vampire killer/animator. I think the book would have been a little bit better if Anita had actually had any emotional attachment to any of the other characters in the book. Instead she is pretty much a loner. That probably works for her chosen career, but doesn't give me as much as a reader. It also contained quite a bit of gore, but I guess that goes with the territory of being a vampire killer.

The book is very fast paced and is quite action packed and an overall pretty good read. I just prefer a little more emotion and, quite frankly, I am getting bored with vampire books.

Still I liked Anita and it was a good story.

[garfatron5000 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Thoroughly disappointing. Bland characters, uninteresting story, utterly unoriginal even for it's time, and a heroine who's more of a whiny little emo than kick-ass vampire hunter. I often find myself siding with the bad guys if the hero starts to get on my nerves, but these bad guys were so lame I couldn't even be bothered. Avoid!

[jesse1031 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I fell in love with this book from the begining and couldn't put it down. It is very good. The story was great and the characters we're thought out and well put together. Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series is a must read.

[kcoleman428 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book! There was mystery, horror, and hilarity...all the marks of a good book!

[barb_h_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Audiobook. I never really got into it. I think I am over-saturated with vampire type stuff. I'll stick with Sookie when I get the urge to read something in this genre. I doubt I will read any further books in this series since it just didn't hook me.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

As far as vampire in the open books go...I prefer Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. I felt very lost reading Guilty Pleasures, most of the time I had no idea what was going on!

[sixteendays · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My reasoning for picking up this book was one that happens to me a lot. I have worked in a bookstore for 3.5 years now, so after awhile when you see a book for long enough you convince yourself it might be interesting. In the case of the Anita Blake books, there are like 20 of them, so I see a lot of damn covers. Here is the bottom line on this book: it is so terribly written. Hamilton writes like a 14-year-old that doesn't understand the finesse of the English language, or the difference between inner thought and conversation. It was incredibly painful to read at times because you know that Anita could actually be pretty kick-ass if only she had better PR. However, the world that Hamilton has created here is really interesting. And the characters, even though their mouths are not connected to their brains (Hamilton), are somewhat endearing.It is for the world that I have decided to move on to the second book. But it's books like these that wish books could be more like movies, where another author could come along and write a re-make and give Anita the personality and world that she deserves.

[bishhy · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Vampire Hunter, Ma Petite, The Executioner, Animator, those are the many titles Anita Blake goes by. Pulled into a case where Anita is forced to find out who or what is killing master vampires, she can't help but keep those she cares about at bay. Bringing harm unto herself is one thing, but unto her friends? Not an option.When I first started reading Guilty Pleasures, I was forcing myself to keep going. "Keep reading, Ana. Keep reading." And so I did. I felt the first half of the book was moving really slow for me. But being me, I gave Ms. Hamilton the benefit of the doubt, telling myself "This is the first book of the season, it's introducing you to a whole new world. Stick with it!" And so I did. About a little more then halfway through, the book started to pick up. I was eager to find out what Anita did next and whether or not she was gonna stake those vampire and laugh in their faces! Anita Blake's character is someone to admire, other then her high tolerance for pain (good lawd no!) she has a good head on her shoulders. She's bad ass and a highly trained killer! (of vampires of course) There are a few things I liked & disliked about this book. What I disliked would have to be, while reading, there seemed to be a whole mess of characters being thrown in my face. I felt like every other page I was introduced to someone new & I was trying my damnedest to keep up & commit them to memory. A few times I had to step back, flip back a few pages (or chapters), flip back to the page I was reading, re-read that page and then finally remember who the hell Zachary, Phillip, Bert, Irving, Winter or Edward was, okay not Edward, because I liked him from the moment he was mentioned in the book. Now, what I did like, I liked when the book picked up it's pace and I started to get hooked. Despite the many characters, I felt they played their part and played it well. I loved the wererats, although I couldn't quite picture them in their were-form. I kept seeing rats running around, but some of the wererats in this book were huge. And I just couldn't see them being bigger than a shoe. I would recommend this book. Although, I do think it was kinda slow when it started, I did enjoy it and fled through the rest of the book once I was hooked.