The purpose of this section of the wiki is to provide an overview of the passage of time over the course of the books. Any non book events that are mentioned will be indicated if an accurate time can be determined for them.

There is no specific mention of the actual year in the books, but it is generally believed that even though these books are taking place in an alternate timeline that the time frame is equivalent to the mid to late nineties. Though LKH has said recently (2009) that she plans on making Anita more modern.

Some references in The Harlequin raise a number of possible inconsistencies as to the timeline after Obsidian Butterfly. (In TH, Anita indicates that the events in OB occurred a 'year and a half' ago.) The confusion lies between the amount of time between OB and NiC. If we extend that period of time to agree with the TH reference, this also matches with Anita's indicated age of 27 in TH. Further confirmation of this timeline adjustment occurs in Skin Trade where Anita says that it has been 4 years since she met Larry Kirkland (CotD).

See the Noted YAABI's Section for congruency/timeline issues that have been raised/identified throughout the series as well as other canon details that change from one book to another.

Things That Happen Before the Books

Year -5: Micah attacked by a wereleopard and left for dead
Year -5: Animation becomes a legal business and Bert starts Animators, Inc.
Year -4: Anita's engagement is broken
Year -3: Anita graduates, and Bert recruits her. Manny becomes her mentor and trains her to raise the dead and to kill vampires.
Year -2: 'Those Who Seek Forgiveness' short story
Year -2: Anita meets Ronnie. Ronnie is a PI consultant for Animators, Inc.
Year -2: Vampires are made citizens in the United States (Vampire Victim)
Year -2: Anita begins working for/with the police as a vampire/preternatural expert consultant.
Year -2: Anita meets Edward (First Death)
Year -1: Vampires made citizens in the United Kingdom
(NOTE: There is no year 0)

Things That Happen in the Books

Month	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5	Year 6
January
February		Edward sends Anita the swan skin
March	Nathaniel's birthday** Larry's birthday	Bloody Bones Nathaniel's birthday** Larry's 21st birthday	Nathaniel's birthday** Larry's birthday	Nathaniel's birthday** Larry's birthday	Nathaniel's 21st birthday** Larry's birthday	Nathaniel's birthday** Larry's birthday
April	Anita's 24th birthday	Anita's birthday	Anita's birthday	Anita's 27th birthday	Anita's birthday	Anita's birthday
May		The Killing Dance Anita waits to see if she will become a wereleopard after being sliced by Gabriel	Obsidian Butterfly Anita repays her favor to Edward
June	Ronnie's birthday Jason's birthday	Ronnie's birthday Jason's birthday	Ronnie's birthday Jason's 21st birthday	Ronnie's 30th birthday Jason's birthday Narcissus in Chains Anita meets Micah; she again waits to see if she will become a wereleopard. She was injured by Chimera and Gregory.	Ronnie's birthday Jason's birthday Blood Noir Anita goes home with Jason.	Ronnie's birthday Jason's birthday
July	Guilty Pleasures Jean-Claude becomes master of the city.	Burnt Offerings Asher comes to town. Anita meets Nathaniel.
August	The Laughing Corpse Anita uses Zombies to save her life	Blue Moon Anita has sex with Richard			Skin Trade Anita goes to Vegas, to deal with an old foe from ID. Edward, Bernardo and Olaf come to help.
September	Catherine's wedding Bert hires John Burke			Cerulean Sins Belle's emissaries arrive early for a visit
October	Circus of the Damned Bert hires Larry.			Incubus Dreams, Larry's wedding, Anita forms second triumvirate. Micah Anita learns she carries 4 strains of lycanthropy
November				Danse Macabre Anita waits to see if she will become a lycanthrope
December	The Lunatic Cafe Anita meets Jason Micah's birthday	Micah's birthday	The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death Micah's 27th birthday	The Harlequin The vampire Death Squad come to town. Micah's birthday	Micah's birthday	Micah's birthday

** In TH it states that Nathaniel's birthday was in the spring. We thought he was a Taurus, so we originally placed his birthday in May. LKH has since stated in her blog that his birthday is in March.

Approximate Ages for Major Characters in Year One

Anita - 24 (stated)
Ronnie - 27 (based on her 30th birthday being in NiC)
Richard - 26 (based on his age given in BM)
Jason - 19 (based on him being 19 in LuC) (but in BM he says he is legal for everything, which generally indicates age 21)
Nathaniel - 17 (based on him being 20 in ID and 21 in BN)
Micah - 24 (we find out in Micah that he is 27)
Jean-Claude - 205 (admitted age in GP. We later find out he is over 600 years old in DM.)

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