Dead Reckoning

Dead Reckoning is full of what one has come to expect from a Sookie Stackhouse Novel: non-stop action and mystery, unique Southern charm, and lines that will cause you to burst out in laughter. But more than that, this latest chapter in the series shows us a maturing Sookie who is finally growing into the woman weve seen her become. Its a great relief and joy to see Sookie finally have such deep contemplation about the circumstances and choices in her life. Its also nice to see her frankly address issues with those closest to her. This story is full of goodies for everyone. Lots of Pam and Eric, Bubba puts in an appearance, and even Sam and Bill get plenty of page time. Some (long-running) conflicts are finally resolved, but other (perhaps more interesting) storylines are introduced. Were left with no certain answers, yet with a sense of that being an okay state. I am looking forward to book 12, but thankfully the next 364 days wont be torture. I closed this book a very happy and content fan. I feel like this Sookie weve finally seen emerge is a strong woman who has come into her own and will make her own happiness no matter what life throws at her. In short, this volume lives up to, and even exceeds, the potential of this unique, charming and well-crafted series. I highly recommend devouring it as quickly as you can get your hands on a copy! p.s. If youre interested in finding a new, similar series, Charlaine Harris (and I) recommend the Mercy Thompson Novels (start with

DEAD RECKONING (Sookie Stackhouse #11) was less than impressive. There werent a lot of bright moments to this book nor was there much emotion of any kind really. The plot in its self as a whole was decent enough, but it just didnt feel like Charlaine Harriss heart was really in it when she was writing, and thus nor was mine when reading it. After feeling that the last book, DEAD IN THE FAMILY, lacked the series usual zest; I had high hopes that Harris would pull it together and get the series back on track in this latest installment, unfortunately that was not the case. Although, still an enjoyable read, DEAD RECKONING like its predecessor was missing that spark that was present in the earlier Stackhouse books. The urgency in which I devoured Harriss other books was just not there but not for want of killing, violence and murder plots; more like lack of mystery. Nothing seemed to be withheld from the reader or the characters themselves and we all knew the Who, What, When and Where of each attack from the get; really throwing a wrench in the whole suspense factor and making for a far less exciting read then what Stackhouse fans have come accustom to. Harris further misses the mark when revealing some very important subplots and revelations that should have scored big points for DEAD RECKONING, but due to a disturbing and nearly complete void of emotion from all characters involved, sadly fell flat. I sure I dont need to tell you how very upsetting it is to experience these almost moments in a book that you so desperately want to love. Clearly disappointed as a fan, but not ready to be out just yet... My hope for the series going forward is that Harris finds her way back to the energy that originally made the Stackhouse series the hit that we all fell in love with.

More like 3.5 stars...but anywho: I have never given any Charlaine Harris book below 4 stars..and I have read every one of her novels. And then there was Dead Reckoning. I felt like this book was rushed and that thoughts and conversations were constantly cut short. Compared to the well developed writing that Im used to, Dead Reckoning was a disappointment. On the positive side - I of course love Sookie and all the other main characters. I enjoyed the slight character development there was in the story and am still looking forward to the next in the series. I havent given up on Ms. Harris, because the issues I found could very well be editing removals making the story less than what it should be. If youve read all of the books, of course you should read this one! But there arent any crazy twists, super exciting moments, remarkable sexual tension, or really any super positive feelings youve gotten in those from the past. And before you say ***SPOILER*** that Sookie was naked with Bill and that was sexual tension - please re-read that section. Sookie didnt think twice about being that close to Bill. I surely wouldve been thinking about his fine butt as soon as the danger passed. sigh. ***END SPOILER*** This book is just that - a C in the series. I really hope the next is an A!!!!

I have loved this entire series but the last few books, Ive felt like something is missing. Like there is no direction in the last few books. They have left me wanting more and unsure of Sookie and the direction of her and all the Characters in her life, honestly something is missing. I really miss the the Hot and Sizzle. I mean now she has Eric and he is the Hottest vanpire every but, nothing is sizzling between her and him, at least its not coming off the pages. There was such a billed up to her and Eric, then finally when they are together nothing, just nothing is happening. There was more sizzle between her and Bill and other lovers. Even before they finally did get together there was hot exciting sizzle. I am really disappoint. I hope the Author finds her sizzle back for these characters, I miss it. But, even with that said I still love this story line and enjoy reading them. I have read this series more then once and cant wait to find out what direction the Author ends up taking all these wonderful Characters. If you are looking for a great series of books to read, I say read this one, because it is a great fantasy world.

While the continuity issues around the Eric/Niall/fae discovery storyline didnt bother me quite as much as other readers (imho, much was left to assumptions each reader can make regarding the duration of Erics and Nialls dealings, what information Eric may have shared w/ Niall regarding Sookie, when all of those events transpired, etc., and it would seem to me that for Niall to trust a vampire like Eric to bring him and Sookie together over dinner would imply that Niall had known Eric for a very long time.), this book felt more like a lead-in to something more than a solid book on its own. Certain things were brought to closure (Sandra Pelt, Alcide, source of Sookies telepathy), but there is much that has been left open-ended, such as Sookies relationship w/ Eric (while theres the promise of Eric to the Queen of Oklahama, it doesnt necessarily mean that it will come to fruition), the state of things w/ Felipe in Nevada given what transpired, why all the fae and the elf(ves?) were gathering, finding out about her history (and her grandmothers letter and gift) only opened up a whole host of new questions. There wasnt the satisfaction of seeing as much progress in the book as in previous books, rather it almost seemed like there were more setbacks for Sookie. Still, a relatively entertaining read, and I hope CH gives us some closure on the issues she raised in this book soon.

This wasnt one of the best books in the series by far, but if you can just sit back and enjoy reading about characters you love and love to hate then it will be worth your while. Its hard not to compare this book to the others but we do and it does come up short. I found this book sad. Sad because Sookies changing. Loosing what I fell in love with her in the first place, her good outlook on life, but I guess after nearly being killed lots of times its bound to happen. I do love Eric, always have but things have to change and who knows what will happen in the next couple of books. I mean Sookie could end up alone and we dont want that. I will purchase all the next Sookie books without even thinking twice about it.

Great follow-up to previous books in the series - well worth the read. Just finished up the whole series and found that I wish the story would continue! Great quick reads and each book in series kept my interest and made me want for the next book.

Im definitely on the fence with this book. I didnt love it, nor did I hate it (hate is too strong a word). It seemed to be lacking in several areas. Its been said that Harris will soon be ending the series after the next two book releases. After reading Dead Reckoning, I believe it might be time. It seems the characters weve all come to love are losing their personalities and are becoming somewhat uninteresting. Earlier in the series, I thought it would be very interesting to see Sookie and Eric get together...until I finally did. This book (really the past 2 books) have opened my eyes and I am seeing that Eric and Sookie are just not meant to be. I feel Eric has lost his spark in this book and has become...well, for lack of a better word- boring! I am really missing the old Eric. He was sharp and unintentionally humorous, and now he just seems like the shell of the vampire he used to be. What about Bill? Hes been pretty much a ghost in the past two books. Do I think Sookie should run back to Bill? Nah, not really. I think they have pretty much explored their relationship as far as its going to go. The way Dead Reckoning ended, I believe Sookie and Eric will be calling it quits soon. So, where does this leave Sookie? At this point Im not really sure. Im pretty much throwing my hands in the air because Im not sure where Harris is going to lead Sookie in the next two books. I know it seems that I am possibly being a tad over-critical about Dead Reckoning, but I really did expect more from such a beloved series. I can only hope the next book will be better. I am a devoted Sookie fan and hope for bigger and better things with the next book. Book Hollow [...]

In Dead Reckoning, things should be going well for Sookie: her relationship with Eric is solid, her most recent enemy is dead, and shes still got all her close friends and relatives nearby. Naturally things cannot stay this way, and the book begins with a fire bombing of Merlottes and ends with...well, lots and lots and lots of carnage. And amid all this, Sookie must face some ugly truths about herself, Eric, and her family. I dont go into a Sookie Stackhouse novel expecting literary development of characters and with that in mind, Im never disappointed. Even so, Sookie is definitely changed in this novel: how can she not be, with all the trials and traumas shes faced over the span of the previous novels? Still, I expected (read: hoped) that her relationship with Eric would be the one constant, and apparently this isnt something thats going to be in the cards. Its going to be interesting to see how Erics contract with the Queen of Oklahoma plays out and whether hes willing to give up the lure of power for the human he loves. There are indeed a few timeline discrepencies in Dead Reckoning, but beyond that, its still a solid entry in the series. I love that Sookie was able to stand up to interfering friends and family, but her resignation that the way she has to live her life now (plotting murder, dealing with demons, looking out for enemies) shows that her life is actually out of her control in many ways. I love her relationship with Pam, and Dermots earned a place in my heart with his determination to help Sookie as best he can. I just wish I could smack some sense into Eric...but then again, that would make life kinda boring for Sookie if she didnt have to worry at all about her love life. Dead Reckoning is a page turner, especially towards the end, and its filled with the gore and characters weve come to expect. Is it always consistent with previous novels? Nope. Are there characters who are acting oddly? Yep. Will I continue on with the series? Absolutely. Ms. Harriss world of Bon Temps and its inhabitants still engages and brings me in touch with people Ive grown to love. I could nit pick all day but thats not what Sookies about. Im just going to continue to enjoy the ride.

In last years Dead in the Family, Charlaine Harris took her once quirky characters on a journey to a place much darker than theyd been before. She managed to court some controversy with the younger sibling of Eric Northman, since that character was based on the real-life Alexei Romanov, who died during the Russian Revolution. Many fans hoped for redemption for the series and the author when Dead Reckoning was released, but I am unsure whether either was redeemed. The book starts with the normal dramatic intro that has become the norm for the first chapter in every book in the series. This time, the intro was in the form of a firebomb at Merlottes while Sookie was working. Of course, Sookie, being the unlucky girl that she is, happened to manage to catch her apron on fire and singe her hair some. Unfortunately, this incident transformed Sookie into a more vain version of herself. While shes commented on her looks in the past, she was actually mourning and whining about the loss of a little bit of her hair. I adore Sookie normally, but this Sookie just seemed to be different from the character that Ive loved throughout the other 10 books. The book took a disturbing turn when it began to hint at a possible sexual or romantic relationship between Sookie and her fae relatives. It bugged me as a person who doesnt enjoy pro-incest plotlines or `shipping, but more importantly, it bugged me as a southerner reading about a southern character. Playing into a stereotype that people have about this region seemed to go beyond Harriss normal light-hearted attitude towards the South. Sams attitude towards the fae was also a bit discouraging. Hes been more sympathetic towards people who have been more blatantly hostile. It seemed like he wanted to keep Sookie from developing more fae-like qualities. His ability to make the situation more hostile and upsetting towards Sookie and then go off to his date, without even trying to help make things better, made me wonder if hes really the good guy that Ive always thought he was. I was also caught off-guard by Sookie describing Jason as being happy. I know that his marriage to Crystal was unhappy, but it hasnt been that long (in the books universe) since Crystal and his unborn child died. It seemed like maybe he should still have some level of grief over that. It seems like he moved on too quickly, even for someone as flighty and self-absorbed as Jason can sometimes be. I dont remember Amelia being so anti-vampire in previous books, especially anti-Eric. I know that she had previously mentioned that she would help Sookie resolve the blood-bond, but shed never seemed to look at vampires as being as scummy as she seemed to this time around. Her character changed from being one of my favorite more minor characters to being one of my least favorite. Oddly, the character I came to like most from the book was Bill. He seemed to be more friendly and more caring than any of the other characters, with the exception of the newly-emotional Pam. It was weird to see the blood thirsty and pun-filled Pam turn into a more depressed character. I liked both shifts, though, since they seemed to fit with the story that was being told. I am worried about what Ms. Harris plans to do with the Sookie and Eric relationship. It seemed, in some parts, like she was trying to prepare the reader for the unraveling of the relationship. Honestly, I hope that that doesnt happen. There is one possible (pro-Eric/Sookie) outcome that I think could happen, but I doubt that the author will go that route. Style-wise, the book seemed to lack clear enough cuts within its chapters to distinguish a change of time. In one line it will be afternoon and the very next line will be describing something hours later, in a different location, and that has very little to do with the previous line. It made the continuity of the story a little been choppy. It seemed like the book was written to tie up unresolved issues and sub-plots that had been lingering for a few books. Unfortunately, they were being tied up too quickly and lack a level of quality that readers may have come to expect from the older books in the series. The choppy dialogue and narrative seems to be more of an outline of the book or an unfinished draft than a full-fledged book. Too many of the kinks are still present throughout the whole story.