Archive for Sookie Stackhouse Books
Announcing Dead Ever After – The FINAL Sookie Stackhouse Book!
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The last Sookie story ever!
It is hard to believe we are down to the very final Sookie Stackhouse story. We talked about this before on this site, but at that time it seemed like such a long way off. Now, the much anticipated last chapter in the story of our beloved telepathic bar maid is finally available.
It was released on May 7th and you can bet I have already downloaded Dead Ever After to my Kindle. I rescheduled many of the books I wanted to review and I am reading it as fast as I can (and with a great deal of delight, I will add), so watch this site for all the insights, outrageous commentary and final farewells as we approach the final catwalk for Sookie.
There has been chatter across the net about what Charlaine is going to include and leave out. Like you, I am curious to see what actually is there. I cannot wait to finish it, though it will be sad to know it is the very last Sookie Stackhouse story I will enjoy!
Further Sookie Stackhouse is Coming
Of course, it is not the last we are going to be hearing of Sookie. No siree – there is more forthcoming even if it is not exactly a story of our gal. It won’t be the first time that Charlaine’s decided to do a book about the series characters, she did the two companion books back in 2011 and I don’t know about you but I really enjoyed them. She plans to do another one of these information books after the final chapter is completed. It will be called After Dead and will feature what happened to the characters at the end of the series. You can even pre-order it in either the Kindle After Dead or After Dead in Hardcover right here at our links.
So stay tuned folks. While it may be the last adventure of our gal Sookie, there is always the hope that Charlaine will miss her and bring her back. Until then, we have two more books to enjoy and of course the television show True Blood to keep the adventures of Sookie and friends alive. I will be reviewing both books here just as soon as I can complete them. See you with the latest in Sookie Stackhouse fun and adventures in vampire love and more soon.
Harris Delivers Top Paranormal Romance with Dead Reckoning
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Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Poor Sookie! The gal just can’t seem to make the right decision when it comes to a lover no matter what she chooses. In this the eleventh book in the Southern Vampire series, she goes through threats to her life (again), Erik revealing a secret deal that will change their relationship and Bill revealing more than Sookie really wants to know about his life before he returned to Bon Temps.
And that doesn’t count in the attack at Merlotte’s and the problem’s revealed by a gift her grandmother has left her. Still, Sookie never stops being lost in wonder at the amazing complexity of the world and her place in it. Even while adding to her tan and making sure her clothes are washed. It is all part of the Sookie Stackhouse world.
The Paranormal Romances of Sookie Stackhouse
I have always had a soft spot for the long cold Viking, but this time around I began to question my ability to cheer for Team Erik any longer. I felt that his complete disregard for how Sookie might feel about the decisions he is making went beyond callous. True, I guess if you are a thousand years old your perspective on things might be a bit different from an ordinary human perspective.
We all know that Erik loves to have a bit of power to wield. Making choices that will give him that power, even at Sookie’s expense, come with the Erik territory. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. How Sookie will choose to deal with it, and him, is the true question here. Even in a top paranormal romance story like this one there are some sacrifices I question making on the altar of love.
The Faery Question
Luckily, there is plenty going on to distract Sookie from her heart-ache, even if her paranormal romance woes seem to multiply with time. I am quite enamored of the whole faery clan and the question of why the two “uncles” continue to hang around Sookie. We begin to discover there is more here than just missing other faeries, as the mysterious Mr. Cataliades reveals his secrets to Sookie.
It seems that Claude, as usual, has far more up his sleeve then he lets on. But does he mean Sookie real harm, or does he even care if getting what he came for might hurt his “cousin”. Somehow, I doubt that sort of thing even occurs to someone like Claude. That is Sookie’s danger.
Danger All Around
In the end, a plot is soon made to kill Erik’s master. The plan that begins to form will take everyone’s skill to pull off. Of course, it soon becomes obvious that Sookie is just another pawn in Erik’s game to regain power.
I do like, though, that Pam gets some nice moments in this book. I am beginning to really warm up to her more, even if she is one of the cold ones. Still, she is Erik’s child and in the end will have her loyalties to him. But those loyalties get tried mightily in this one, as do Sookie’s loyalties to any vampire in the end.
But best of all, we get to visit with Bubba again and truly enjoy him. This is one light touch in the book I have been enjoying and was pleased to see him do his little cameo piece in Dead Reckoning. So lots happening, some loose ends tied up and new ones introduced, and some big questions finely brought to the forefront. Sookie will really have to decide just how much she is willing to put up with from Erik, and even from Bill. As she puts it, when Bill tells her he loves her:
“That’s what you all keep saying,” I answered. But it doesn’t seem to get me any happier.”
Making Choices
Yup- that is exactly the problem Sookie. Loving these vampires just hasn’t really worked out for you. But there is a reason this series is one of the top paranormal romance series around, the choices a certain barmaid has to make.
So- is Alcide looking any better? How about Sam? Maybe a shifter would be a better option. I kinda get the feeling an ordinary human guy wouldn’t stand a chance with her. Then again, it wouldn’t be a paranormal romance if he was an ordinary guy, would it?
So who do you think Sookie should be hooking up with? Do you think either Bill or Erik is worth the pain of living with their immortality? Is a shifter like Sam, that Sookie has known so long, a better choice? We know that in the end she has to choose, but who?
Looking to catch up on your favorite southern barmaid’s adventures? You can grab your own copy of Dead Reckoning in either Kindle, paperback or hardcover editions or even catch up on your favorite MP3 player with the audio version. Then come on back and tell us where you think this tale is going.
Are you on Team Erik, Team Bill or maybe even Team Sam?
Sookie Stackhouse Book 10 – Dead in the Family is Compelling Fantasy
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The Fae War has ended, and somehow Sookie has survived her kidnapping, torture and more to live another day. The question remains, does she want to? I really felt for Sookie in this book, she has gone through so much and this time around her well-known perkiness has taken a beating and called for retreat. Who can blame her?
If you have been following the series, you know that Sookie was bound to be influenced by the utter quantity of violence that surrounds the supernaturals she hangs with. This time around, it seems like it has finally left its mark on her. When she is threatened, and worse when she sees how dragged down Erik has become, she is bitter and wants the being responsible dead. This is not the Sookie we met in Dead Until Dark.
Love Among the Ruins
But don’t think that this book is all dark and doom – it isn’t. The darkness can be compelling, fantasy that it is. But it has its redeeming parts too. In fact, one of the nicer parts of it is that Sookie finally gets her Viking to admit he loves her. It is something she, and many of her readers, have been waiting to hear the long tall cold one say. I like Erik the best of all her lovers, but there were times I thought he would never give in to his feelings. When Pam lets Sookie know that she has never seen Erik this way about someone it made my little heart soar.
Ruins Among the Love
Of course, being the Sookie universe, there are dead bodies everywhere and danger around every corner. There are dead bodies not only where there shouldn’t be any, but most decidedly where someone not very conveniently placed them. There are town-folks threatening Sam’s livelihood (first time I can remember seeing Sam that angry) and there is some very creepy moments when Sookie faces one of the Fae clan who is beyond dangerous. Who would have thought the Fae could be such scary beings? But then, these are not Tinkerbelle fairies, are they?
Inner Action Trumps This Time
Some may say that nothing much happens in this book, but I think they are wrong. I think a lot happens, but it happens internally. Erik and Sookie both go through some major changes here, and although our gal is kinda quiet in much of the book compared to her usual self, it felt real. No one would go through what she did at the hands of those two murderous monsters in Dead and Gone and not have been affected by it.
One of the things I have always liked about this series is how the characters grow and change. I like that the Fae and the Vampires and yes even the wers are decidedly non-human in this series. They are not just people with fangs or fur – there are some real differences in how they think. They are not the same static predictable characters, nor are they just like the ones we met ten books ago. Truth is they shouldn’t be.
Dead in the Family is where Sookie finally admits that she may in the end be just as blood-thirsty as the vamps. It kinda scares her, but not enough to have her change her mind about who needs to be killed. Now that, of all the things that happened in Dead in the Family, was scary for me.
Family Ties
But we also get to see the strength she gets from friends and family. Jason comes through as much more together now and even her Fae “cousin” is revealed to be more than the petty self-centered being we were first introduced to. She finds that she values her connections to these different tribes, and even if she isn’t sure all the time where she fits in, these are her family now. In fact, the final scene of the book (no spoilers here) simply amplifies this rather nicely.
If you are a Sookie fan, get ready to be a bit surprised by how she handles some stuff here. Even Erik does a bit of “growing up”. If you are looking for a bit of a breather while waiting for the next season of True Blood, I can’t think of a better way than reading the series that started it all. The books are in a compelling fantasy world that holds together better than most. Dead in the Family is a good bridge between the end of the Fae War and the battle about to begin as Erik fights to save his territory. It reveals an evolution in characters and a growth in our gal Sookie as well.
You can get your copy of Dead in the Family in Kindle or paperback versions.
