While I make it a practice to never read a review of a book I am reviewing
until I have finished with my review, I have read some comments and discussion
on a few e-mail lists.  Many people seem unhappy with the way Anita's character
is going while others loved the book.  I am one of those that loved the book
immensely.

This is a story of Anita, some decisions she has had to make and some changes
that have come about in her and her life.  Anita has taken the last year to
reflect and grow.  She has finally decided it is time to come back and face
both Jean Claude and Richard.  It is time for all their sakes to finish what
was started before Anita left.

Upon returning Anita finds one of her wereleopards in trouble.  Prior to the
rescue of her leopards Jean Claude, Richard and Anita must marry the marks
that have left a whole in their psyche.  Anita never realized when she left
she had left each of the boys in danger due to these holes.

During the rescue she is accidentally exposed to wereleopard blood.  Now Anita
has another worry.  She may become the true alpha to them.  This creates a few
problems.  If Anita is to become alpha to the leopards she can no longer be
Richards lupa.  Though this is not a title she wanted she also doesn't want to
see Richard with another lupa. Being that a lupa has special intimate privileges
with the alpha male.

Upon Anita's return and subsequent exposure to blood other changes begin to
happen to Anita.  One of the side effects of marrying the marks between
Necromancer, Vampire and Werewolf is the ardeur of the vampire.  It is a
very strong sexual need. If not fed in time, the person may end up having
sex with anyone at anytime.  Then if this isn't hard enough to deal with Anita 
won't know until the next full moon if she is a wereleopard or if they are just
her animal to call.  To add to the pile of problems an alpha male wereleopard
shows up and Anita ends up having sex with him.  It seems not only is there a
lot of fighting going on, but there is a lot of sex as well.  This story would
take so long to tell that I will stop here.

Let is suffice to say Laurell K. Hamilton will keep you riveted to the story
to the end.  Though many Anita followers aren't happy with her growth it's a
fact of life.  We all must grow and change even the characters of a book.
As in life some people will welcome the change and others won't like it one
bit.  So it is with this book.