Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 3.5 stars - Too much happening August 6, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
First Sentence: If this was "The Lord of the Rings" and I had a smart British voice like Cate Blanchett, I could tell you the background of the events of that fall in a really suspenseful way.
Bartender and telepath Sookie Stackhouse is both angry and missing her waretiger boyfriend, Quinn, who went missing after the explosion at the vampire summit. The two leaders of the wares have issues of their own as their women are being targeted and killed.
With New Orleans and southern Louisiana still trying to recover from Katrina, there are serious changes in the vampire community as well. Sookie's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets her great-grandfather, Niall.
There was a lot happening in this book; in some ways, almost too much. There are times when the story gets a bit slow; there is no central focus to the story and no particular mystery. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book.
If anything, this seems to be a transitional book. Characters from the past books were included and addressed, which I liked. There were some tense moments, some touching moments and some light moments, particularly with Bob the cat.
The ending was excellent and, hopefully, a segue to the next book. I just hate to have to wait another year to read it.
I still enjoyed this June 28, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Yes, I enjoyed this instalment in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I adore the small town atmosphere combined with a parallel realistic supernatural world. However, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I feel I should have done. I don't want to give anything away (I get a wee bit frustrated by spoilers and when I'm scrolling down reviews it can be hard for my eye not to catch something) - I'll just say that to me Sookie seems to be getting more selfish: the Quinn section of the story seems half baked and self absorbed (on Sookie's part) and seeing as things happen that allow Sookie to be given 'favours' by the powerful then if she'd wanted she could have helped Quinn and others. Even Sookie admits her reaction to her long lost relative comes over as whiny.
The Eric development was something I'd really been looking forward to and felt more could have been made of that. Though I'm glad it happened (yes, I'm talking in riddles!).
What I did enjoy was the way lots of loose ends were tied up (especially Sookie's ancestry) and interesting scenarios have been set up for the future with two particularly intriguing new characters (a king and a fairy - you'll discover who they are when you read the book!). However, it felt very much an 'inbetween book' - so I hope the next will have a stronger plot.
Of course, if you're reading this series then you HAVE to read this volume. If you're new to the series then you really won't get enough out of it and should start at the beginning with 'Dead Until Dark' (you're so lucky - you'll have eight books to read!). Very much looking forward to True Blood on TV (the new Southern vampire Sookie TV series)- hope we don't have to wait too long for it in the UK.
 Oh how I loved this June 26, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
I must say that for me this series and this character keeps on getting better. Despite the authors best efforts you can't really read these out of sequence so for anyone contemplating the author, start at the beginning.
Sookies relationship with Quinn and with Eric takes some intriguing turns, her relationship with the supernatural community is deepening and she finds out some family information that I think will take us lucky readers in some new directions. Amelia is becoming one of my new favourite characters and we get to meet her dad which is enlightening!
This book is both a great story on its own and promises some great next installments- Just wish she would write a bit faster!
 Entertaining but maybe not the best of the series: **Spoilers** June 23, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Before this book was released in the Uk I had a look at the Amazon USA reviews of it and too be honest the majority of them thought it was poor compared to the others.
I did enjoy it but have to agree with the others in saying that Harris was tying up loose ends here by writing characters out and putting final stops on any unfinished storylines.
Didn't like the way she wrote Quinn out, wasn't staying true to their relationship in previous books.
Bill is trying to get Sookie to love him again but the way Harris wrote it looks like that is not going to happen,
Eric is a main influence throughout the book and it looks like it could be moving towards a more permanent fixture in Sookies world.
All in all a good book staying true to Sookies character. A couple of new revelations that will take the next books into new realms but no real plot as such. As a huge fan of Charlaines I would recommend it regardless but if you have followed this series as I have you really shouldn't be dissapointed as it is a very enjoyable book.
Entertaining June 21, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read this book in one sitting and enjoyed it. Charlaine Harris is a talented and entertaining writer and her characters are great fun. For new readers this is probably not the best place to start the Sookie Stackhouse series, but current fans will find it an enjoyable read.
Plot wise, there doesn't seem to be one over arching plot, but it does tie off a lot of loose ends from previous books very satisfyingly and set up the possibilities of some interesting future storylines. Without giving away too much; Sookie ends up involved in were politics, vampire power struggles, her brothers messed up private life, the Pelts ongoing grievance against her, minor side skirmishes with the Fellowship of the Sun, more witchery, more of Hadley's business, a wedding, Bill, Quinn (and his family), Eric, Sam... Actually you could probably think of almost any character that's appeared in the series so far and they've made it into the book. In many ways it's almost a series of short stories rolled into one book, but I still enjoyed it.
I didn't give this book five stars because much as I enjoyed it I wish there had been more of a definite overall plot instead of the several mini stories within a story...
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