Review - Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published May 28th 2011 by Gollancz, Victor Limited

Synopsis:
'With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows'

My Thoughts:
I seemed to enjoy this instalment a bit better than the previous two (maybe because it was a nice time-out book to read in the middle of exam study) but I still get the feeling that the plot is going stale and Charlaine Harris is desperately trying to make unsuccesful attempts to keep it alive.

If the last two to three books had been the ones written at the beginning of the series, I don't think there's any way it would have become as popular as it is today. There just doesn't seem to be any solid plot developments anymore throughout the books and everything that does happen seems to be a bit weak up until the last 50 pages or so where the story finally gets a bit of kick and has some movement. I'm not sure if this trick is one the author thinks is perfect to keep people reading because they don't want to miss the huge finale, or whether it takes that long for her to actually decide in her head how she wants the story to develop.

Unfortunately, I felt there were a lot of cringe-worthy scenes in this book that frankly would have been embarrasing to write about. There is one particular scene which involves Alcide that just annoyed me to no end because it made him seem like a brainless ape rather than the smart, tough character he's supposed to be.

That's another thing that disappoints me now, the characters just don't seem to have the same personalities anymore. Sookie has become a well seasoned killing machine which just doesn't suit her at all, Eric isn't the sarcastic sexy vamp he used to be, Bill's character is just confusing now because he keeps changing his tune so much and Pam seems to have lost all her pizazz.

In my opinion, I think this series should be wrapped up soon so that us readers can get some closure and move on. The books just don't have that fun and cool draw factor anymore and I think Charlaine should bow out gracefully and begin something else that is fresh and new.

'Dead Reckoning' can be purchased from The Book Depository or here at Amazon.com

I am an Amazon and Book Depository affiliate. If you purchase any books using my link I will get a small commission which goes straight towards future contests J

Waiting on Wednesday (18th April 2012)

Waiting in Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

The book I'm desperately anticipating this week is 'Deadlocked' By Charlaine Harris which is instalment #12 in the Sookie Stackhouse Series (image is linked to Goodreads):

'With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.
Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.'

I know a lot of people are thinking this series has lost it's mojo and I am kind of one of them but for some reason I still feel compelled to keep reading the books when they are released. I guess I hold some hope that there might be some miraculous event that will bring the series back from the grave and spark interest again.

What does everyone else think? Has this series lost it's mojo or are there others eagerly anticipating the release of this instalment as much as I am?

Hardcover, 352 pages

Expected publication: May 1st 2012 by Victor Gollancz Limited

Book Review - Dead In The Family by Charlaine Harris

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ok, now I don't know if Charlaine Harris was just running out of ideas but this stage or whether I have just read too many of these books in quick succession but I must truthfully say that I didn't enjoy this one as much as any of the others.

This book is number 10 in the Sookie Stackhouse series and the summary is as follows:

"Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric's vampire sire, an ancient being who arrives with Eric's 'brother' in tow at a most inopportune moment. 

All as Sookie's trying to track down a distant relation of her ailing neighbour (and ex), vampire Bill Compton.

In addition to the family issues complicating her life, the Shreveport werewolf pack has asked Sookie for a special favour, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favour for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still trying to recover from the trauma of her abduction during the fairy war."

For some reason the story just seemed to chop and change way too much and didn't really follow just one or two plot lines which is the norm.

I just didn't feel like anything solid had developed by the time I reached the end of this book and yet again too many things are left hanging and I know it's obviously to keep more sequels happening and people buying future instalments but some closure and plot development at this stage would still be nice.

I did come across a favourite quote from this book where Sookie says at one stage "It's not that I approve of murder, but some people just beg to be killed, don't they?" This line really made me giggle because who hasn't thought this at one time or another when someone has annoyed you all the way to the bone?

Of course I'm still going to read the next instalment because that's the sucker that I am and I just hope that it does get a bit better.....

Has anyone else read this series? If so, what did you think?

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Book Review - Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The blurb:
'Folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps-and nothing about weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works-and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it.

But there's a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings-older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves-is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.'


This latest instalment in the life of Sookie Stackhouse certainly had a lot more events happen in such a small timeframe than some of the other books in the series. This kind of made me feel a bit rushed thoughout the whole book, kind of like the author was trying to cram every idea she had into this book rather than wait until she wrote another one.

It did have some positives though, such as the further developments with Eric (what every reader really wants!) and the whole storyline of the were-animals coming out into the open like the vampires. Unfortunately, I thought this 'coming-out' was going to be a main part of the story but it kind of got lost among the rest of the happenings.

Sookie and Jason's fairy heritage is expended on a lot more in this book, something which I think is starting to steer away from the original genre of these books and something that I'm not too sure how I feel about as yet. I was attracted to this series because of the whole vampire/supernatural theme, as I'm sure were most people, but the fairy aspect isn't really something that appeals to me. But hey, that's just me, others may find it an interesting plot development.

One thing I did find with this book is the fact that people keep dying left, right and centre around Sookie, largely because of her, and she just keeps going on with her business seemingly unaffected by it all. I know she is most likely being portrayed like this to make her the tough herione that everyone can admire for soldiering on, but it seems a bit much now to keep her being so indifferent to all the awful events that keep happening around her.

Overall, it's another fun, quick read that doesn't require a lot of thinking. As most stories in this genre are so serious and dark it's nice to read something a little more lighthearted.

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This is the first book I've completed in my Summer Reading Challenge so far. I think I may have been a bit adventurous with how many books I want to get through over the next couple of months but at least I've got my first one out of the way!

The next one I am tackling is The Potato Factory by Bryce Courtenay. I know nothing about this book so hopefully I won't be disappointed.

Book Review - 'From Dead To Worse' by Charlaine Harris

Well, I must say that 'From Dead To Worse' was probably one of the most un-climactic books in the Sookie Stackhouse series so far for me.
It gives you a great build up on the back of the book by saying how Sookie will find herself facing danger, death and betrayal but after reading it I must admit that I'm left feeling a bit deflated.
The werewolf war, un-climactic; The vampire takeover, un-climactic; and most of all the ending, un-climactic!! I know the ending was probably done the way it was to leave the readers hanging for the next instalment, but I'm not sold.
For most of this book I was just frustrated in one way or another. The whole way she handled the episode with Quinn was just a little odd and the sagas going on between Sookie and Sam and Sookie and Eric are starting to lose their fun now.
I am kind of getting the feeling that the author is starting to run out of fresh ideas so is starting to grip at straws just to keep churning out more instalments. When author's start to obviously do this it really annoys me. I've read quite a few large series before that keep you hanging off the edge of your seat with every book but I definitely don't get that with this series anymore.
I'm just not feeling the excitement of sitting down and opening up the next book and think I will start on something else for a change before I do. Maybe a rest will be just what I need to get me interested in the next instalment. We'll see......
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

My next read will be 'Red Dog' as I am dying to see the movie but must read the book first before I do. I love light hearted stories like this one so am looking forward to it.