Rafael is an intriguing paranormal thriller that will send chills down your spine. A story that is so chilling it is sure to stay with you and make you question every bump in the night.

RAFAEL has the feel of the older Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books. Though still loaded with sex, poly groups, and MM romance, this one has a really action-packed plot.

Annetta Sweetko, reviewer for Fresh Fiction

Full review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=73057

Rafael has a big problem!!
His relationship with both Anita and Jean-Claude are putting his leadership to question!!
Challenge after challenge to his throne is getting exhausting. His rat society (wererats) are worried that the vampire he associates with will want more than just their leaders blood, there are rumours going around that they will become a food source, that they will be drained dry and slaughtered!!

We also have Hector, he’s being groomed to becoming heir, to rule in Rafael’s place. But Hector wants it now!! He thinks he can do a much better job, he hates that they are “friends” with humans and vampires. So poor Rafael has that to deal with also!!
But the biggest problem comes when she meets Hector and realizes that he is under the influence of something or someone! Could there be a rogue vampire working behind the scenes? Anita certainly has enough enemies, and if this causes a rift between Anita and her friend Rafael, then it’s got to be a plot!!

The story was fast-paced and brought in characters from earlier books in the series.
And although I’ve only read the previous two book (serpentine and Sucker Punch) I didn’t feel like I’ve missed too much (but I have been reading the blurb from past books, and it’s a series I’m definitely interested in reading)
It’s also shorter than most of her books, (I’ve read reviews that have complained about the amount of sex in previous books)

I liked the focus on Rafael and the rats. They’ve been characters for quite a while now, and it was finally time to get a closer look at them.

Anita is also dealing with an issue, her super strength!! Getting over what her mind thinks she can and can’t do was good to read. Most stories assume you’ll get the hang of it instantly, so it was good to see that side (the gym scene where she can bench press more than her mind thinks was safe was funny)

There does seem like a lot of characters, most of them have been in previous books, so if I do go back, I’m going to write notes 😉on who is who.

But this style of writing kept me hooked until the last page. As I said earlier, it’s shorter than other books, but it still crams in magic, relationships, fights and Anita’s witty banter.
🦋

"Rafael" is a fairly straightforward plot with several opportunities for Anita to demonstrate her increasing badassery. We also get brief check-ins with many of the huge cast of characters, even if it's just a sentence explaining their absences.

Anita's friend with benefits and ally, Rafael, the king of the wererats has been fighting challengers to his throne. He's worried about the most recent challenge and asks Anita to attend his upcoming fight for the throne.

Of course, it isn't quite that straightforward because this is Anita. While some of the rodere appreciate what Anita and Jean-Claude have done for the wererats. Others think Rafael is selling them into slavery as food and soldiers.

I enjoyed getting a deeper look into the world of the wererats, their culture, and more intriguingly, their magic. I hope their brujas show up in future books. Rafael's been around a long time in the series so it was fun to take a closer look at his personality - like his girlfriend picker is broken. Funny comment about him hooking up with Anita.

Lots of fighter and weapons talk as Anita hones her newly acquired strength and speed. Several confrontations lead to bloodiness so long time series character wererat Dr. Lillian gets to make an appearance. There's also a fair amount of bloodiness although, by book #28, I'm guessing there aren't any squeamish readers left.

Some interesting callbacks to Big Bads from previous books. I wonder if LKH is setting up future storylines. She also hinted at possible storylines where Asher is redeemed and an understanding with Narcissus is reached.

We even got a brief upcoming wedding update - another acknowledgment that her bio family is the worst.

If you're new to the series, this isn't a great entry point. For fans of Anita, this is a solidly satisfying story - hitting the storytelling beats that we readers enjoy about the series - a badass woman, loyal to those she cares about, ready to defend what's hers against the Big Bad with descriptions of some seriously hot eye candy along the way.

Latinx, LGBTQ+ and nonbinary rep.

This shorter than average entry into the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series still managed to fit in all the usual subjects. Anita is dealing with a new superpower: super strength this time. She is still very concerned with her complicated sex life including a jealous guard who resents her for "stealing" the object of his infatuation and her feelings for Rafael the Rat King who is a friend with benefits.

Rafael has a problem. Because of his relationship with Anita and Jean-Claude, members of his rodere are concerned that he is selling them out to the vampires. Rafael is facing to-the-death challenges frequently by rivals who are afraid of where he is leading them and who want his throne.

The current rival vying for the throne is Hector. Rafael had been grooming Hector to possibly become king when he was finished but Hector wants the throne now. Rafael has enough mixed feelings about this up-coming fight that Anita is afraid that he might lose the fight. He wants her to make him her animal to call which should give him more power. But it will cause political problems for her.

Rafael asks Anita to attend the fight but doesn't tell her she'll have to fight for the right to attend. Her super strength lets her defeat the first one to attack her with a silver blade which is a rules violation. Then she's tested by the rodere's brujas. She uses a power gifted to her from the Obsidian Butterfly to win.

But the biggest problem comes when she meets Hector and realizes that he is under the influence of a vampire that Jean-Claude didn't know was in his territory. This unknown vampire is a massive threat that has to be neutralized right away.

The story was fast-paced and brought in characters and powers from earlier books in the series. Thankfully, the shorter length didn't allow for the long-drawn-out sex scenes that dominated other books in the series. I liked the focus on Rafael and the rats. They have been side characters for quite a while and it was nice to get a closer look at their society.

Fans of the Anita Blake series won't want to miss this one.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

I absolutely love love love Laurell K. Hamilton's stories. Both of her current series are amazing and I devour them every time a new book comes out. Raphael is an insightful story into the life of the wererats. They have so many rules I don't know how they keep up with it all.

With any culture comes politics. Someone always wants to be on top. Once Raphael is King of the Rodere he faces challenges often enough to bring this one to Anita's attention. She is invited to join him and sit in the Queen's chair to watch the fight.

Okay so at this point I've skipped over a ton of relationship-y stuff that happens at the beginning of the novel. This rehashing of lovers and loves and sex and and and gets old after awhile and makes the story seem to drag along. Though it was good to see Micah, Nathaniel, Jean-Claude, and Asher again.

Back to the arena - thank goodness Claudia is with Anita as she enters the house of the rats. When I mentioned politics earlier I wasn't kidding. There are so many rules I don't know how anyone keeps up with what's what. Though living as long as they do it's not hard to remember them I suppose.

Of course with any of the novels involving Anita Blake you know there can't be any dull moments and this book does not disappoint. Now pay attention to everything that's going on once you arrive at the home of the rodere. You don't want to miss a thing and there's a lot happening here.

Definitely a good hold over book until we get the next installment in to Anita's crazy life. There's a lot to unpack from what happens in this story too. It'll be interesting to see how LKH brings all that together in the next book.

This series just get more and more complicated but also is such a quick read from one book to the next. Anita is definitely a power house and her books captivate you from beginning to end.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of the Anita Blake series. I love the early books (up through 10 or so) and stuck with it through the later ones. Rafael wasn’t one of my favorites, though I don’t think the fault lies entirely with the plot. The later Anita Blake books simply have so many characters who are in so many relationships, that it is hard to follow without a diagram. The multitude of relationships also means that it is hard to really connect or focus on a particular character. So, in principle, I like the idea of Rafael having his own short novel.

I liked getting more of Rafael’s backstory. He is one of the few characters that has been around since the very beginning of the series, and while he often plays an important role, he is never in the story spotlight. Getting to explore the culture of the were-rats was interesting, but I found it very hard to swallow. How could they have powerful magic users, with powers similar to some Anita has encountered elsewhere, and there was not even a hint? I thought it was a lot to ask readers to believe. And more bits of previously-thought-defeated master vampires popping up? Been there, done that plot. I will continue to look forward to new Anita releases, but my mixed feelings on this one means I give it 3 stars.

(please note, we do not post negative reviews on our website, so if I can’t give it 4 or 5 stars, we won’t publicize the review)

My understanding is that Hamilton's fans voted for Rafael to get his own book at last. Appropriately entitled Rafael, this addition to the series bridges several gaps that have been left previously and builds its own unique aspect to the Anita Blake series. Readers will be pleased with the action and the relationship-building that happens in this short novel.

Rafael, the rat king, has been challenged for leadership. With Peirette by her side, Anita goes to the heart of the rat people to be by his side to support His fight for leadership.

I loved it. This story reminded me of the original Anita Blake books. Though there were a few steamy parts, the metaphysics and character development was the main thrust of the story.

Blood, magic and nitty gritty fighting made this story not only a must read, but a must read twice book.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like these quick books focused mainly on a single character and their relationship with Anita.

This was a much-needed break after Sucker Punch (which was the first Anita Blake book I hated). Sucker Punch was a repetitive mess with a horrible ending.

Rafael was a look at a character we've only caught glimpses of before. This book really showcases the King of Rats and the world of the rats including their rules and their magic. It opens the doors to a whole new world of possibilities for the other weres and for Anita who learns how to tap into, yet another set of powers.

This book alludes to events and characters from Obsidian Butterfly and Narcissus in Chains, so you might want a refresher on those two books before diving into this one.

I need an ongoing character list with quick descriptions to keep track of all the people in Anita's life. This has got to be the most character-filled series to ever exist and it gets hard to keep track of whose who.

This book really pulled me in like the original Anita Blake books. The writing felt more original than several of the last books from the series and I feel it could be a great beginning to a new future for the series. It made me look forward to the next book again.

I’ve been reading the Anita Blake books for over half my life & Rafael was a short and sweet addition to the family. Rafael is a novella focusing on the wererat king & a threat to his kingship that he initially tries to conceal from Anita. Fans who have been asking for more screen time and background for Rafael will be delighted, but there’s also a small amount of screen time for everyone’s favorites, unlike Sucker Punch as Rafael takes place at home in St Louis and Sucker Punch was an away game adventure. I’m happy that Laurell never shied away from exploring poly & kink dynamics despite negative/shaming feedback from many fans & that they are beginning to share more on stage time with other parts of the plot again in the last two books. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my review copy. Rafael is definitely worth picking up for the comfort and nostalgia of being with this characters again and learning more about Rafael, Claudia and all the wererats.