Sookie Stackhouse Book 8 - From Dead To Worse

I set up this site to write about Sookie Stackhouse books. To give you my unbiased opinions about the books. Although I absolutely love the series I’ll never give you lip service about a particular book. Instead come here for an honest assessment of what I think about a book so you can make an informed decision about whether you want to read it.

Having said that, From Dead To Worse is one of my least favorite books in the series. Why? Because it doesn’t contain an over-arching mystery. Sure, we learn that the vampire queen of Louisiana, badly injured at the end of the last book, is vulnerable and a prime target for a takeover; we see Sookie’s life in danger as she tries to help and ends up delving into dangerous vampire politics; we learn of a brewing were war that Alcide, a friend of Sookie’s, is involved in and which prompts attempts on Sookie’s life. These are all great stories that are well written. But there’s really no central arc in the storyline leading up to a suspenseful climax.

Don’t get me wrong, taken as a whole, the book isn’t bad. It’s just that I’ve become accustomed to reading about a central mystery and having Charlaine Harris wield her own brand of magic by seamlessly interweaving it with relationship storylines.

On a more positive note, Charlaine Harris does an admirable job of tying up some loose ends in the book and resolving some unanswered questions from a relationship perspective. We learn more about Sookie’s background and why she’s telepathic. We’re introduced to some new family members that she didn’t know existed. Eric learns more about what happened when he lost his memory. And Bill proves that he’s got a lot of leadership potential.

Charlaine Harris is undoubtedly a brilliant writer capable of developing engaging and entertaining stories. I can’t hold this book against her and viewed in context to the rest of the books, it doesn’t detract from the series as a whole. However, From Dead To Worse felt like a collection of vignettes instead of one cohesive piece of work. It will likely appeal more to diehard fans than newcomers, primarily because so many character references are linked to past events in previous books.

See also: Sookie Stackhouse Book 9 - Dead and Gone