Circus of the Damned |

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Publisher's Blurb:

"I'm Anita Blake, expert on creatures of the night. I've dined with shapeshifters, danced with werewolves, and been wooed—but not won—by Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire of the City.

And now a darkly dangerous vampire named Alejandro has hit town. He too wants me for his human servant. A war of the undead has begun. Over me.

I would be flattered. If my life weren't at stake..."

"A rogue master vampire hits town, and Anita gets caught in the middle of an undead turf war. Jean-Claude, the Master Vamp of the city, wants her for his own - but his enemies have other plans. And to make matters worse, Anita takes a hit to the heart when she meets a stunningly handsome junior high science teacher named Richard Zeeman. They're two humans caught in the crossfire-or so Anita thinks."

"When a dangerous vampire named Alejandro hits town and claims Anita Blake, an expert on creatures of the night, for his human servant, a war of the undead breaks out and puts Blake's life in jeopardy. "

Publication Date:

Paperback - September 2002/Jove Edition
Hardcover - March 2004

ISBN:

0-515-134481(Jove edition), 0-4251-94272 (HC)

Covers and Cover Art:

The above cover was from the 2002 paperback republication of the book. The artist is: ????<verify>. Additional cover designs for North America and the UK can be seen here.

Synopsis:

In Circus of the Damned, Anita is confronted by several people trying to discover the identity and resting place of the Master of the City of St. Louis (Jean-Claude). She investigates victims being killed by bites from multiple vampires. Anita helps to kill a giant snake who goes out of control at the Circus of the Damned. While there, she meets Richard Zeeman for the first time. She agrees to date him, thinking he is a human. Larry Kirkland is introduced as a powerful animator and new hire to Animators, Inc. Anita meets Mr. Oliver, a very old vampire who controls snakes and wants to take over as Master of the City of St. Louis. Anita almost dies of lamia venom and must be given the third mark by Jean-Claude in order to survive. Mr. Oliver and Jean-Claude agree to a battle for control of the city. During the battle, Anita kills Mr. Oliver. Anita also learns that Richard is a werewolf, but agrees to continue dating him. Anita is free of Jean-Claude's marks at the end of the book.

For a more detailed Summary, see here

Primary Characters:

Anita Blake
Jean-Claude

Recurring Characters:

Willie McCoy, vampire,
Bert Vaughn, Anita's boss
Ronnie (Veronica) Sims, Anita's friend
Dolph Storr, the leader of RPIT
Zerbrowski, a member of RPIT
John Burke, a co-worker of Anita's at Animators Inc.
Edward, aka Death, Anita's mentor
Irving Griswold, a werewolf reporter

New Characters:

Stephen Dietrich, a submissive werewolf
Richard Zeeman, an alpha werewolf
Larry Kirkland, a human with animator powers

Non-recurring Characters:

Jeremy Rubens, Member of HAV: Humans Against Vampires, the leader of the more militant splinter group: Humans First
Karl Inger, the human servant of Mr. Oliver, posses as a member of HAV
Alejandro, a Master vampire
Mr. Oliver, a very old vampire, a member of the Vampire Council
Rashida, a werewolf
Melanie - Lamia
Yasmeen, a master vampire
Marguerite, Yasmeen's human servant and lover.

Character Deaths:

Mr. Oliver,aka Earthmover, killed by Anita
Calvin Rupert and Reba Baker, Humans Against Vampires members killed by Alejandro's pack,
Jimmy Dugan, Hospital Guard,
Calvin Rupert, killed again as a vampire by Anita and John Burke,
Raju, Ronald, and two unnamed men (Smiley and Blondie), all men ensorcelled by Melanie and killed by Anita,
two unnamed snake creatures killed by Anita and Edward during the final battle,
an unnamed child vampire and two unnamed women vampires, all members of Alejandro's pack and killed (probably by Edward) during the final battle,
Yasmeen, killed by Alejandro,
Alejandro, killed by Anita

Important Revelations:

The third vampire mark protects against poisons.
As long as the fourth mark has not been given, another master vampire can give marks to the same human.
Marks can definitely be given against the will of the human.
In most cases, killing the vampire will either cause the death of the human servant, or drive them insane.
Not all vampires support the 'legalization' or 'mainstreaming' of vampires as citizens.
Some vampires CAN be active during the day.
Some vampires are VERY old.
The lycanthropy vaccine can 'cause' lycanthropy.
Under certain circumstances, the vampire marks on a human can be wiped out, normally they are considered permanent - once given, they cannot be removed.
This book continues Anita's character progression, as she continues to accept her own role as a supernatural being and her relationship with the "monsters" of Saint Louis, particularly Jean-Claude and Richard.
In this novel, Hamilton first sets up the love triangle between Anita and Richard and Jean-Claude.
This novel begins Richard's character arc, as he shows his resentment of Jean-Claude and his concern with his status as a werewolf.
.

Explanation of the Title:

A carnival/Circus attraction located in the blood district. It is also Jean-Claude's daytime resting place.

Information on this Page has been Gathered from the Following Sources:

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