uhh, not reeeeally, I read my first Anita Blake crossover before I read the books, (that _why_ I read the books, actually) but then I really like spending half a story trying to figure out what the hell is going on. In the end it's up to you. If you want, I posted a very short summary of who all the characters are over here that will at least give you a bit of a heads-up as to who everyone is. Other than that, I do try to explain things a little as I go on.