By Charlaine Harris
Price: $15.65
Product Description
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...
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #24 in Books
- Published on: 2011-05-03
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Hardcover
- 336 pages
Customer Reviews
Continuity Gets in the Way of a Good Read
I won't offer a synopsis of the book since others have done so. This book is much better than the previous two or three books; however, the continuity problems get in the way of really enjoying the book.
At one point, I put it down and was disgusted with myself when I picked the book back up. If Charlaine Harris does not respect her audience and reread her own books before she writes a new one, why should I keep reading her books as she changes events that could not have possibly happened the way she says (in the most recent books) it happened?
One of the main issues with the continuity problems is the enlightening details regarding past events. If you have not read the book yet, I suggest you stop reading now because there will be spoilers. When Sookie is finally able to talk to Claude and Dermot, they tell her that Eric and Niall had had business dealings for quite some time and that Eric had kept Niall informed about Sookie and her goings on. First, Niall learns from Eric Sookie's special talent. Secondly, Eric tells Niall that Sookie is "withering," and Niall sends Claudine to help her. As for the first issue: Eric did not learn that Sookie was part fae until book 7, "All Together Dead." He was genuinely surprised when he found out. Granted, he may have had business dealings with Niall before learning of Sookie's heritage, but why would he talk about Sookie to Niall before he learned that she was part fairy?
The second issue cannot be so easily disregarded. Eric tells Niall that Sookie is not doing well, and Niall sends Claudine. Claudine does not show up until book 4, "Dead to the World." Eric did not know who he was in that book; how in the world would he know who Sookie was (or Niall, for that matter) to tell Niall that Sookie was "withering"? Besides that, he shouldn't have even known that she was part fae at that point. I have overlooked many of the continuity problems in Ms. Harris' books, but this insults my intelligence. She obviously does not care enough about this series or her readers to do some research (or even remember what she had previously written) for the books she writes. She is changing her own history. Reviewers from other books of hers in this series have suggested that she is focused on the money, and I now agree. I won't even go into the re-telling of Terry Bellefleur and his relationship with Eric. It was completely pointless. (I also have to say shame on the people who edit her book: there are missing periods and verb tenses constantly shift.)
I'll finish the series...
Geez, where do I start? I know I'll finish the series, but like other reviewers, I'm disappointed with the unnecessary explanations that ultimately conflict with the timeline. There were also a couple of incongruous actions of the characters- leading one to believe that C.H. is going to arrive at her predetermined resolution, no matter how inelegant or contrived.
I really wish C.H. had done something like Orson Scott Card. During his 8 book series, he recruited a handful of avid fans to comb over drafts of upcoming books for plot holes.
Taken as a stand alone book, I really enjoyed it. But it isn't a stand alone, and we all know these characters, so when they do out of character things or we find out they've been doing things that don't fit the timeline... the magic is lost.
Just rip off the band-aid
Have you ever noticed that every time an enemy of Sookie Stackhouse bites the dust, another is waiting in the wings to make her life miserable? If you think about it, our girl has got a lot of carnage in her wake: from Lorena... to the vamp who killed Hadley... on to Andre and Debbie and Appius Livius. But you cut off the head of one beast and another grows in its place. Our beast du jour for Dead Reckoning is our old pal Victor. He is making life more and more miserable for Eric, and he's an ever-present threat to Sookie.
And he's not the only one. Someone has firebombed Merlotte's; some drugged out thugs are sent to snatch Sookie; and that's just the beginning! Sookie has to figure out who is targeting her, while helping Eric come up with a plan to get out from under Victor.
Emotions are running high. There's a schism between Eric and Pam, and Sookie knows she has something to do with it. (The basis of their discord, when it's finally revealed, is real kick to the gut!) At the same time, Pam is trying to gain permission to create her first vampire child. And there are major developments in the blood-bond issue between Eric and Sookie.
