Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)

Sookie continues to deal with vampires and their hunters, with weres and her troublesome brother, with deadly supernatural politics that mere humans shouldn't easily survive. But the one thing Sookie is, is a survivor. After the big explosion in the last book that took out many an immortal and powerful vamp, Sookie is back at home in Bon Temps, LA, working at Merlotte's Bar for her friend and boss, Sam, and worrying about nothing more than the double wedding of her friend Halleigh and Portia Bellefleur. Of course, nothing is simple, particularly in tiny Bon Temps. At the wedding Sookie bumps into two strange strangers... one a vamp from out of town and another... she is not sure what, other than that he's older and beautiful and can seem to hide himself from vamps as well as humans.

But soon, trouble aplenty intrudes--with a were war brewing (someone is killing Alcide's supporters off, and Sookie finds herself in the middle of it). Then there is upheaval in the vamp world, wherein many vamps go to dust, again with Sookie in the middle. Few enough were left running about after the hotel explosion, but that doesn't keep a vamp war from breaking out. And Sookie finds out why her boyfriend, weretiger Quinn, has been mysteriously absent since she last saw him after the explosion.

Lots of crazy, but episodic adventure, lots of ends tied up, and lots more things opening up... Sookie discovers some distant relatives. And her love-life is as unsettled as ever.

I continue to be fascinated by Sookie's adventures. They are moving and funny and strange and horrific--and complex as things can get in a small town where the events outside can easily intrude. Sookie's concerns are her friends and family and doing the right thing as well as just having some fun... and looking for a boyfriend who can put her in the prime spot in his life. It's not as easy as it seems! But Sookie continues to try and manage, even as hotels explode and the world tries to cope with supernaturals-gone-public and the dangerous world still kept hidden from the public.

This is definitely one of the stronger books in the series, both getting back to Sookie's roots and yet still concerning her ties to the vamps and weres. If you're a fan of the series---and you certainly SHOULD be!--you will enjoy this book.

I just love vampire novels. "Twilight" was a hit with me (as it was with many), so when I stumbled upon Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries, I was tickled beyond belief. Of course, being introduced to a new author always has its risks. Will she make it readable, believable? Will she keep me interested? Will her characters live and breathe or will they stay strictly within the confines of their pages?

After reading this book in less than two days (a lofty goal for me, considering I stay home with two young children), I have my answer. Harris had me at her first sentence: "I'd been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar." It was at that point that I realized with utter certainty that I'm going to DEVOUR this series.

"Dead Until Dark", the first publication in Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries which has spawned nine books thus far (the tenth will be released in October), follows the travails of telepathic bar waitress Sookie Stackhouse (a memorable name, no doubt) and her subsequent romance with a vampire named Bill Compton. A blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty in her mid-20's, Sookie eschews the dating scene due to her self-described "disability" - the cacophony of people's thoughts drives her mad and she has avoided taking a lover for that very reason ("Can you imagine knowing everything your sex partner is thinking? Right. Along the order of `Gosh, look at that mole...her butt is a little big...wish she'd move to the right a little...why doesn't she take the hint and...?' You get the idea."). On top of that, vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night have become commonplace in Bon Temps, the sleepy Louisiana town where Sookie resides. When she rescues Bill one evening from a duo of Drainers (people who steal and sell vampire blood for its regenerative and Viagra-like properties), she finds that she cannot read his mind, a relief to her and a source of attraction. Bill appears aloof at first but is deeply entranced by Sookie and it doesn't take long for the sexual tension between them to build, as well as the element of danger. Someone is offing some of the town's more promiscuous female citizens but when the perpetrator begins to target Sookie as well as her family, she begins utilizing her mind-reading abilities to solve the mystery, making of herself a rare brand of detective for the supernatural population as well as her fellow humans.

Unlike the ultra-serious "Twilight" novels, "Dead Until Dark" is loosy-goosey, playful and oft tongue-in-cheek; readers will get a kick out of Harris's offbeat terminology ("fang-bangers", "mainstreaming") and a wry humor that makes itself evident in Sookie's responses to people as well as her inner thoughts. There are also a considerable amount of steamy sexual situations in the book, Bill's and Sookie's romance heating up rather quickly as well as some characters' bedroom proclivities discussed in somewhat unflattering detail. If you have a pre-teen interested in this series (though this is not classified as Young Adult Fiction) and you're concerned about content, this might not be a good choice (Twilight was cited for this reason by more conservative readers). The series, having gotten its start in 2001, has experienced a surge in popularity due to its adaptation into an HBO series titled "True Blood" (starring Anna Paquin as the inimitable Sookie). If you want a quick cinematic overview of the first novel with a charismatic and talented cast, point yourself in the direction of True Blood's first season, now available on DVD.

Bottom line: A playful and exciting vampire series that just might have Stephenie Meyer biting her nails a bit, "Dead Until Dark" is the start of something good and though Harris seems to be spitting out the travails of Sookie Stackhouse year after year (there's an impressively short reprieve between each book), it will be nonetheless disappointing when it all ends. Until then, my friends, sink your fangs into this delicious tidbit of supernatural Southern gothic.

I'm a fan of True Blood, and I wanted to check out the original source material and see how different it was. I was shocked that Tara was not a character, she's a great sidekick to Sookie. And Lafeyette has like three lines the entire book.

The show takes a lot of license to the source material. Some one note characters are fully fleshed out. A lot of events which take place in the True Blood are not in this book the finale in this book is so weak to what they did in the show. The best chapter is the Mind reading scene at Fangtasia, that scene even though i knew what was going to happen was still intense. The book does have some funny moments most that were captured in the show.

The voice of the characters is very present. and the casting for True Blood is right on and was hard to imagine anyone else playing these characters.

I would recommend skipping the book here, and this is coming from a person that almost always says the book is better than the movie, but here the book is not better than the show. the show has so many levels while the book is a very one dimentional.

I love this series, and books 3-7 were especially great reads, but I'm not sure how I feel about From Dead to Worse. There were things that were wonderful about this one - Sookie meeting Niall was great, and Eric getting his memory was great too. I came to really like Amelia, Octavia and Bob, and found them entertaining. And Sam was deliciously delightful in the book as well(lions and tigers and bears, oh my!).

Now for the things I did not like....It seemed more like a collection of short stories than a cohesive novel, it's as if Harris had a bunch of stories in her head and just stuffed them all in this book. I found myself skipping through large sections of the book because there was just no point. There was absolutely no resolution in the love triangle of Bill-Sookie-Eric. The conversation between Eric and Sookie never happened, and I stayed up all night reading to get to that point, but it never came. And what happened with Quinn was disappointing. I understand why Sookie did what she did with Quinn, but it did seem more than a little selfish. My heart broke for Quinn, and I felt like it was just a convenient way for Harris to get rid of him for the inevitable Sookie/Eric or Sookie/Bill pairing. Also Alcide, a character that I really liked in the beginning, lost all my respect in this book. And the "shock" ending just wasn't that shocking to me. With the first 7 books, the endings were cliffhangers, but I felt good and ready to move on at the end. I just don't feel that way about this one...

Another problem that I notice with series as long as this one, is that in every book, substantial time is spent going back to explain what's happened previously. This series has so many prominent characters, and I understand that it is necessary, but it was quite frustrating to have to re-read background on every character and previous events.

I finished this book (and have already pre-ordered book 9) because I love the series and the characters, but if you're new to this series, I would NOT recommend starting here. Treat yourself to the first 7 books in the series and maybe you won't mind the disappointment in this one as much. If I had started with this book, I probably would have written this series off and missed out on a real treat!

I can't get enough of this series. It's one of the best I have read so far. I don't want to give away too much, but I will summarize. Bottom line, you won't be disappointed.

The vampires are dealing with the aftermatch of the Vampire Summit and reorganizing themselves. With the queen badly injured in the hotel fire, her partner dead and then recovering from the afternatch of hurricane Katrina, it leaves them very vunerable for a takeover. In vampire politics, there are always things that come up unexpectedly.

In this book, we do get more of a showing from Bill and it's nice to see him back. The story between Eric and Sookie moves along and you really start to see a softer, even more likeable Eric. (if that's possible as I also loved his "bad boy" personna in the previous books equally as much). Eric also gets enlightened on something that's been bugging him for the last several books, though I think we'll hear even more on that topic in future books. (at least I hope we do.)

Sookie has more attempts made on her life and finds herself in the middle of some stuff going on with the weres and shifters as well as the stuff going on with the vampires.

She also meets 2 relatives that she did not know she had, and has a couple of friends (who are witches) staying at her house.

The past 3 installments have focused more and more on shifters, were's, fairies and witches and I would like to see a little less of them and more of the vamps. Even with that statement, it's still a 5 star read....my 5 star reads are books that I would read more than once. (most of the books in this series fit that criteria, though book 4 is still my favorite.)

What is our fascination with vampires? Since Dracula, the myths and legends of vampires has grown. Never a huge fan of vampire novels (though I adored Angel on TV, which was spun off from Buffy The Vampire Slayer), especially after the rise of Anne Rice, and more recently, the melodrama of Laurel Hamilton.

I've avoided reading books with them, if only because I found them boring and predictable. Maybe that's while I like Christopher Moore's take on vampires (Bloodsucking Fiend and You Suck, with a cameo in A Dirty Job) and the forthcoming Fool) and not the vampire love stories that are dime a dozen (and growing exponentially) in the romance section of Borders. Apparently, women find vampires attractive (and probably a subset of gay men).

Which, of course, explains the success of the Twilight book series and now movie.

But I digress.

Enter Sookie Stackhouse, the mid-twenties hero of mystery writer Charlaine Harris' first vampire novel, Dead Until Dark. It's a breezy, no nonsense take on the vampire lore with believable and well crafted characters. It is, by far, not going to win any awards for literature, but it's a fun read and one can finish in a few hours.

The premise is murky, but apparently vampires have been living amongst us for generations, and now that a Japanese company has created a synthetic blood substitute, vampires have "come out" so to speak, and are now unliving around humans. One vampire has decided to move back to his small town in Louisiana, where he encounters Sookie, who saves him from a couple who drain vampires.

Now vampire Bill (yep, no poetically named vampires here) is a first mad at Sookie, but realizes that the waitress does possess a secret that intrigues him. But before their romance can start, Sookie becomes the target of a killer who is taking the lives of women who've had relationships with vampires.

Harris creates some wonderfully flawed characters here and that's, perhaps, one of the better reasons to continue reading the series.

This book series, also, is being used as the premise for the HBO series True Blood.

This is the first in the 'Southern Vampire' series that is the basis for the HBO series TRUE BLOOD.

The series centers on Sookie Stackhouse, a 'livinwaitress in a small town bar in northern Louisiana. Four years before it had been publicly revealed that vampires really did exist and had been 'living; among' humans for years., When one walked into the bar where Sookie worked she was intrigued for reasons far beyond the novelty the newcomer presented. Sookie was telepathic and was delighted that she could not hear the vampire's thoughts. That the newcomer was 'tall, dark and handsome' didn't hurt either and when it became quite apparent that the vampire, Bill Compston was quite taken with her as well Sookie thought her live had just taken a definite upturn. Little did she realize that meeting Bill would bring all sorts of changes into her life and to those around her or that not all of the changes would be for the better.

This is a delightful series. Sookie is charmingly sassy and the cast of characters, both human and nonhuman that populate Bon Temps are imaginative. And the action in sleepy little Bon Temps does not ever seem to stop. It seems that Sookie just gets out of one dire situation and then is plunged into another. The story is sure to keep the reader turning pages far into the night.

The first episodes of HBO'S TRUE BLOOD are contained in this book with some minor alterations - one character in the tv series is missing from the book, another minor character in the book is a major one on the tv series. Still fans of the tv series should enjoy the book and vice versa, particularly since there are some strong hints about Sookie's background that will surely play a major part in the story somewhere down the line.

These novels, like the tv series, are meant for mature audiences. There are numerous and graphic references to sexual activity and violence.

I think Ms. Harris does a masterful job of weaving story elements together. I applaud her creativity and restraint in developing her characters and plot lines. I think her characters feel very real even though they are often supernatural and the plots seem fantastic--somehow they seem plausible.

I especially have enjoyed the development of Sookie as a romantic heroine-she has really come a long way since she met Bill. Bill and Sookie now seem to be on the path to friendship. I still like him but I have enjoyed her various flirtations. This book tied up the relationship with Quinn the Weretiger. His absence forced her to face her feelings about Eric.

Other relationships developed and deepened in this novel such as those between Sookie and Amelia--the displaced witch from New Orleans. The relationship between Sam and Sookie. --spoiler-- Eric has finally remembered what transpired during the time he was under the witches spell in Dead to the World (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 4) and we are left to wonder how that will change their relationship--coming in book 9? We have a couple of new characters in the body of a Fairy Great Grandfather and another young relative who has inherited Sookie's unique gift.

Some relationships in Sookie's world suffered in this novel. The relationship between Quinn and Sookie ends in a surprising way, Arlene and Sookie are more estranged than ever and Jason and Sookie have a serious falling out.

All this happens while the Fellowship of the Sun gets more powerful. Sookie has become increasingly more important in the Were and Vamp world. I Love-Love-Love these books. Can you tell??

I had a lot of ups and downs with this book. A few times I almost stopped reading it. I just couldn’t really get into the dialogue or the story that much. I felt like it redeemed itself by having a fast paced ending. Sookie is a waitress that can read minds, which I thought was pretty cool. I really did like the whole idea of vampires integrated into society. I thought that was pretty cool. I guess I felt like I never fell in love with Bill or much of the characters. I think the two most fleshed out people in the book were Sookie and Jason. I actually thought Jason was an interesting character. I’m sure the author has a lot more about Bill in the future books. Probably my absolute favorite part of this book was when I found out Sam was a dog. I seriously laughed my head off! I don’t know why that part was so hilarious to me, I think because it was such a strange curve to the story. I did really like Sam too. Overall this book was pretty good, but not my favorite.

If you like good books, and loved the first couple of seasons of True Blood, stick to the series. As much as it is physically painful for me to recommend any movie or television series over a book, in this case, it's simply the better choice. Charlaine Harris's story concept is good, but Alan Ball is truly a far better writer.

A few things you should know while considering reading the books:

1. If Tara is your favorite character, don't pick this book up. Spoiler alert: She's not in it. At all. Not even an aside. The Lafayette character has a severly limited role as well.

2. The Sookie character in the book--not nearly as intriguing as Sookie in True Blood season 1. Actually, she's kind of childish and mildly annoying.

3. The writing is really not great. Anne Rice did literature better justice in the Vampire Chronicles. This reads like it was written by a 16-year-old. Honestly, it lacks the vocabulary of the Harry Potter books.

If you're still curious about the origin of the Sookie Stackhouse stories, pick up the first book as a second-hand paperback. I would recommend against purchasing more than the first book at one time, though.

Dead Until Dark, is the first book in The Southern Vampire Mystery Series, a modern day classic paranormal vampire romance. Also known as the Sookie Stackhouse series, it spawned the highly successful HBO television series, True Blood, not to mention my love for audiobooks. It is one of my all-time favorite series!

I devoured all thirteen books a while back so I decided to relisten to Dead Until Dark as my contribution to A Month of Romance Audiobooks for AudioGals.net. What a treat! Interestingly, listening to it again with the knowledge of what’s to come, I got to appreciate many nuances that I no doubt missed the first time.

Please see my full review at AudioGals: www dot audiogals dot net/latest-reviews/reviews-by-gal/bjs-reviews/#.UzBJpVejIlI

This book is action packed, and I highly recommend. It has to be paired with the next book in this series, the eighth book. I would consider books 7 & 8 together, to get the complete story. The 7th book is just a launching pad to the 8th book. So, as you finish book 7, have the next book on hand, ready to go!

Now, in book 7, we are introduced to Vin Diesel, oh, sorry, I mean the wer-tiger Quinn. He's great, but in comparison to the Vamps, his character just doesn't hold up. By book 8, he is gone.

Other sideline love interests get wrapped up as well, pretty much leaving things up to Bill and Eric.

Eric's character develops quite a bit in these two books, and he becomes much more likable and relatable. Sookie becomes more attached to him, for both physical and emotional reasons. He is a contender for Sookie's heart.

Bill, Bill, Bill. What can I say? He is a lout, and more of his mistakes become known. He mopes around quite a bit. Still, I think we all know that Sookie and Bill ultimately belong together. Hopefully, in the future, Bill will actively try to win Sookie's forgiveness, rather than passively watching from the shadows.

After all the action in books 7 and 8, Sookie's character grows up a bit, and she realizes that she is capable of doing things she never thought she would. In view of her own compromised morals, her anger towards Bill softens by the end of book 8. And, Bill finally seems to be ready to fight for Sookie's love. I have to say, Bill's moping around was getting a little old!

Hopefully, Ms. Harris will write the next book SOON. 2009? Please? The 8th book kinda wraps things up, leaving the reader at a comfortable place.

A new Vampire regime is in place, along with a reorganized wer-pack, and the horizon is wide open for all sorts of new Sookie adventures.

I was recently pulled in after catching the HBO series. For some reason I avoided reading the books. I love the genre and can't believe that this series of books is at the top of my favorites now, I devoured all eight books in 2 weeks and actually want to start from the beginning and read them all over again. I think HBO did a great job with the character depiction, but I'm not overly thrilled with the depravity thats portrayed, the sex is ridiculously disgusting, not at all like the books, this series isn't like that, it has awesome characters, great dialog, not to mention the humor, it's a shame they have to rely so much on the shock factor to hook people in, I'm considering giving up the show, it's starting to ruin it a little bit.

Anyway, back to the book,Sookie is pulled in so many different directions, we're constantly on the edge of our seats. My Must Read authors include Kerrilyn Sparks, Nalini Sing, Kresley Cole, Lyndsay Sands, & Christine Feehan, so you know where my tastes lie. I won't rehash, but I will say a lot happens to all the previous characters, important new Characters are introduced, and you won't want to have missed it.

(Spoilers?) I believe the disappointment for most would have to be the fact that Sookie is basically done with all her previous male interests. She's relieved that things never went further with Alcide, regrets how far things did go with Quinn, Bill's still trying, she's still not buying. I'm still rooting for Eric, and she still has feelings for him, but nothing happens beyond a momentary brush of lips. So sure, we're reading romance here, I was hoping he'd come a knocking in the middle of the night at least once, well, Sookie gets none in this book. Be prepared, and you won't be disappointed.

Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris is an excellent vampire novel. I must admit that I found Ms. Harris' vampire series when trying to find something to read while waiting on a new Anita Blake book by L. Hamilton. Am I ever glad that I discovered Sookie Stackhouse! You don't need to be from the South to enjoy the Southern flavor of this story!
Sookie is not your typical vampire novel heroine. She is neither very strong physically, nor is she very sure of herself emotionally. She's not had an easy life because of being telepathic in a small town, and that was before the changes caused in her life after the "coming out" of the vampires. Her ex-boyfriend, Bill the Vampire (as he's known around town), is out of the country and she's not sure she wants to see him anyway after her last "adventure" with him in Mississippi (you must read "Club Dead" to find out this part of the story). Sookie's story begins in "Dead Until Dark" where the main characters of the series are introduced. It's an interesting and entertaining story, which continues in "Living Dead in Dallas". I would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys vampire stories! They are truly worth reading (and reading in order)!
This novel begins after a New Year's Eve party at Merlotte's (the bar where Sookie works). She is driving home when she nearly runs down a man clad in only jeans running down her road. When she stops, she finds that she knows the man and that he has no idea who he is although he does realize that he is a vampire. It turns out to be her ex-boyfriend's boss, Eric. As you've probably noted from the book description and the other reviews, there are twists and turns here aplenty. Some of the little things that runs through Sookie's mind are laugh out loud funny and I found myself doing just that many times.
I regret that the book was not longer (but then I usually feel that way with books I love). I hope that in the future we see more of Alcide. I think he'd be good for Sookie. He seems almost too innocent sometimes but he's refreshing and obviously still wants to believe the best about people, which is such a rare thing in the world. I was surprised to find that I was happy with all but the last twist in the Sookie/Eric relationship. I loved to see his vulnerable side, tempered with his protective side.
I enjoyed the introduction of the new shifters and the other assorted new additions to the character list, including the introduction of witches and a fairy into the mixture. I would also like to see Sookie's brother, Jason, grow up a bit and stop being such a male bimbo -- although I would hate for him to lose his charm and playfulness.
All in all, the book was definitely a Wonderful story! As I said, I would recommend it to anyone!

As many people who are reading the SOOKIE STACKHOUSE novels, I became interested in them, as I became hooked on the HBO series. I've read all these books, except for the newest one not out in paperback yet. First off, for those who want to know what's going to happen in the HBO show, going to the books doesnt exactly help with that. The first book of the series was close to the first season of the show, except there was no Tara-best friend involved. The second book, LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS, is more or less the basis for the second season. (Trouble in Dallas, Godfrey, Temple of the Sun, the Maenad, etc.) However, once you start to read the books, you begin to enjoy them on a whole other level than the TV series. First off, all the books are written in the first person, narrated by SOOKIE herself, with her "telepathy" functioning as a literary device, so she can read the minds of other people, like you would normally get with a "3rd person omniscient" narrator. So anything that happens away from Sookie, you simple dont know about, unless she reads about it in someone's mind, or has someone come to give her the information. Its a pretty cool literary device, first person telepathic, I like how that works. As for Harris's writing style, well, dont expect James Joyce or Proust. Since Sookie is a high school educated waitress in the deep south, Harris more or less sticks to the vocabulary and sentence structures one might EXPECT to find inside such a person's head. When truly literary vocabulary pops up in Sookie's narration, the literary register is explained by saying that Sookie owns a "WORD A DAY" calender, so she can get away with using words like "nugatory", or "Abjure". This gives the language some color, and the discriptions of the southern culture and terraine seem accurate. But plot is upmost here, so the books are a FAST read, or at least are for me. Each book averages about 300 pages, demanding about 6-7 hours of reading, distractions aside. These books MUST be read in the order written, because Sookie constantly recounts what events happen in previous books. (I assume that Harris thinks this is Sookie just reminding herself, or perhaps, Sookie's naration IS something in her journal. Its never made clear.) Apparently Harris has Sookie recount for those who are reading the books about a year apart, as they became published. For those people, it helps to have a recap, naturally. Or, Harris is doing the recap, in case you DO read a book out of sequence, so that the fast changes in character relationships can be tracked. I dont know. At times, when Sookie has to tell her "audience" that she's a telepath, or a waitress by trade, or she has a good figure, or that she's dated a vampire, etc, its annoyingly repetitive, even downright boring. But of course, when people recount their lives, stopping to repeat events, is very common. So if you accept this as a stylistic device, who cares, right? If I have any bones to pick about the books, its that by the end books, EVERYBODY Sookie knows, is either a werewolf, a shapeshifter, a vampire, a fairy-elf, a witch, a wiccan or whatever. You start to feel that the world of magical beings is just as numerous as the world of real humans. And seriously, if these books are fantasy, what's wrong with that? It works well in the LORD OF THE RINGS. (again, not that this series is THAT trilogy, ok?) As a guy, the "romance" part of the books gets to be a bit much. And i dont care about how much time women spend putting together their ensembles, or picking out their underwear.

If you are a parent of a teenage son or daughter who might have watched the show, and want to read the books, know this fact: These books are rated "R", a very sexual "R" at that. (some sex gets discribed in detail.) So, if you are buying these books for a 12 or 13 year old girl who "loves vampires", DON'T!! From what I've read here, these books are inappropiate for anyone under 16, at least. The new characters that creep into the world of BON TEMPS, creating constant friction between the different catagories of magical creatures and the humans, is the motor at the heart of the plot. Sorry, I wont give out spoilers. I will say this much. So many people seem to love THIS BOOK in the series, cos the constant sexual tension between Sookie and Eric finally erupts into a sort of pseudo-relationship. But each book carries with it a type of revelation. Maybe that is part of the way they are written, because on top of the FANTASY genre, and the ROMANCE genre, each book deals with a murder plot, that needs to be solved, always involving Sookie of course. So CRIME NOVEL/MYSTERY is certainly another genre involved here. If you know the HBO show, almost everyone in the show, is in the books. (not Bill's young vampirette, tho.) PAM has the biggest difference in character from Book to TV show, because in the books, she and Sookie are kind of friends.

More than anything, these are FUN READS. They tackle a few serious subjects at times, tho the obvious foundation for the books, is PREJUDICE, with the vampire and human relationships being very thinly disguised for homosexual relationships. (Vampires coming out of the closet, or that Vampires couples cant have children by natural means, or the intolerance of Vampires by the catholic church, etc.) This theme is more obvious than it is in the TV show, and its certainly NOT subtlely painted there. Anyway, this book holds the surprise of Eric's relationship with Sookie, another death, another Werewolf would be suitor being rejected, a burnt home, and the set up for the next book. You'll find each book has that.....Sookie coming CLOSE to finding a lasting boyfriend, Sookie almost dying, and the revelation of a NEW type of magical beings. So obviously, that's why these are Fantasy-Romance-Mystery novels, so much more than "GOTHIC" novels in the classic sense of the word. Last but not least, I have not found any one book BETTER by any great degree, or WORSE, than any others. I've caught a couple problems with the story ARC (mostly with taking TARA, who's not in the first book, and then introducing her as someone who runs a store that Bill owns, and finally, as someone who starts to resemble TARA in the shows, ie, best friend from childhood.) Its clear that when the first few books were written, Harris had not decided what the GRAND story arc might be. It's not a bad drawback, that ruins the books. If you enjoy TRUEBLOOD on HBO, and you like to read plot driven novels with lots of genre morphing, then you'll certainly enjoy these books. They're addicting, to some extent. That being the case, my last suggestion is to buy the first book used, or borrow it, and read it. If you enjoy it, and want to read another one, save yourself some money, and buy the 7 volumn Sookie Stackhouse "BOX SET". Once you start reading these books, you get absorbed, even addicted. SOOKIE STACKHOUSE is consistantly realistic, very lovable, EXTREMELY FUNNY young woman-someone who'd be a fearcely loyal best friend or family member, or gorgeous girlfriend. As a literary character goes, who'd want more than that?

Sookie Stackhouse is a mind reading waitress living in Bon Temps, LA. Things are quiet in the small town until the vampire shows up. Not only is he handsome, but his mind is a blank - at least to Sookie. This is a great relief to Sookie who has spent her entire life trying to block out the thoughts of others. He's the one person she can't "hear."

Unfortunately, not everyone is as happy as Sookie is to the see the vampire. Vampires have only recently entered society explaining their condition as a "virus" and surviving on synthetic blood and vampire groupies. Many humans still regard them with caution. To complicate matters young women known as "fang bangers" start turning up dead. When Sookie's brother is suspected of the crimes and then her beloved grandmother is murdered, Sookie must solve the mystery in order to clear her brother, protect her new vampire friend Bill and get justice for her grandmother.

This is a wonderful vampire story for adults. There's mystery, romance and sex (caution: while the book is not as graphic as the HBO show True Blood, which is based on this series, there is still some mature content. Young middle school girls enthralled with the Twilight series should look elsewhere for their next vampire read.) Sookie is a breath of fresh air. She's a strong character (no dumb blonde here) who is not afraid to do what is needed to protect those she loves. Bill, the handsome, brooding vampire provides the love interest. Sookie's boss, the mysterious Sam also adds a little spice. This series has a lot to offer: the supernatural, the mysterious and romance. What more could you ask for? Can't wait to read the other books in the series.

Since the disappearance of her were-tiger boyfriend, Quinn, Sookie Stackhouse is at the point where she just wants the supernatural community to leave her alone, but when she receives calls from both Eric Northman and Alcide Herveaux, she is quickly thrown right back into the world of vampires and weres. The vampires are still regrouping after the attack on them by the Fellowship of the Sun, the Weres are having a war between packs, and on top of all that, Sookie learns she has a new relative to deal with.

I liked this novel; it was a bit different than some of the others in the series. While light on the action, the novel deals more with Sookie herself and whether or not she is happy with her life and her involvement with the supernaturals. She also has a chance to catch her breath and deal with some of the issues she hasn't had time to carefully examine, such as her relationship with her brother, Jason, and her guilt over the killing of Debbie Pelt. She grows up in this book and it's interesting to see how this will impact her future dealings with vampires, weres, and shifters. A good addition to the series.

Urban fantasy usually takes place in, you know, urban areas. Cities, big towns, and places where vampires and weres creep in dank alleys.

But Charlaine Harris took a slightly different approach in the first novel of the Sookie Stackhouse series, "Dead Until Dark." While it has many of the genre staples -- werebeasties, vampires and superspeshul humans -- this series is solidly entrenched in warm Southern charm, humor and mellow mystery.

In an alternate world where vampires have revealed themselves to the populace (courtesy of bottled faux-blood), waitress Sookie Stackhouse can read minds, which is more of a curse than a blessing.

But when she encounters vampire Bill Compton, she discovers that she is unable to read vampire minds. Unfortunately she's run afoul of some vile people who want to cruelly drain Bill of his blood, so she charges out to save "the vampire Bill" from his silver bonds and blood-draining. They're mutually intrigued, and an odd little romance starts to bloom.

But then Sookie's life is overturned by some supernatural personal problems -- a coworker dies with fang marks on her thigh, and her grandmother is viciously muredred. And as she tries to find the murderer, Sookie finds that the supernatural world is a lot more complicated -- and close to home -- than she ever dreamed.

"Dead Until Dark" does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of urban fantasy -- it's not all doom'n'gloom, gothic pomposity and angst. In fact, Harris has a fun time spoofing it with the wannabe-seductive, cheesily-dressed "fang-bangers ". Instead, it's soaked in down-home Southern charm, the pleasant little town of Bon Temps, and a generally mellow, relaxed atmosphere.

Of course, it doesn't stop Harris from piling on gruesome murders and some truly nasty people, both vampire (the vampire gang crashing at Bill's house) and human (the "Rats"). Her style is warm, steady and mildly tongue-in-cheek ("the traditional capes and tuxes for the men to many Morticia Adams ripoffs among the females"), but there are some decidedly bleak moments and moral dilemmas woven in there.

Sookie is a likable character -- an unpretentious and no-nonsense waitress who doesn't go looking for trouble, but whose telepathic talents often draw it to her. And Harris handles some horrible topics through her, such as her childhood molestation and her bickering with her slutty, not-too-bright brother.

The supporting characters are also pretty well-drawn -- her kindly boss Sam turns out to have his own supernatural secret (werecollies!), the gorgeous golden Viking Eric, and her lovable Grandmother. Bill is a rather bland character as love interests go, but Harris does give him a great sense of chilly "otherness" and great age ("It's hard for me to get used to young ladies with so few clothes on").

"Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1)" is a solid, pleasantly down-home little urban fantasy, with lots of vampires, the odd shapeshifter, and some nasty little murder mysteries. Fun little urban fantasy book.

Fun read and interesting characters. Sookie isn't the perfectly likeable heroine that usually appear in these kind of novels. Her "condition" makes her very suspicious of others, and who wouldn't be? Reading others minds must be taxiing, and always knowing what persons think! Probably it would be a nightmare. Charlaine transmits this with honors. But our Sookie is a girl like most other girls...with her wet dreams over pretty guys, her search for true love, etc. The relationship with Bill is bliss for both and it's logic that they fell so fast. She is also quite fickle and judgmental.

Some secondary characters rule: Sam, Bill and Eric specially. They could all have novels on their own.

The mystery plot is quite obvious frankly, but nonetheless it is well constructed. The author gives clues to anyone who wants to try to find out the murderer (yes, there are murders) but its (probably)impossible to find out with any certainty until half of the book (give or take).

The background's great; the discovery of synthetic Blood get the vampires in the open. Prejudice and severe social changes ensue. But our vampires aren't properly the nice guys that just want to find a belle...err...a love and live forever kissing and hugging. They are dangerous predators, and even our co-hero is extremely violent, capable of killing, using his power to dispense justice as He thinks its right!

The less good parts: some situations are quite improbable; and if the supernatural creatures revelation continues at this pace, by the third book everyone Sookie knows is a supernatural/weird being. Most of the situations that many reviewers think that the author has great imagination are obvious rip offs of White Wolf World of Darkness...this includes blood bonds (same words, same concept), "blood dolls" (different name, same concept), vampire clubs (not invented by White Wolf, but definitely a trademark), vampire princes/rulers and mafia like hierarchy, etc, etc. Since 1991 White Wolf published more than a 1000 products for its World of Darkness (old and new), vampire with the most titles, and obviously they aproached almost all possible angle of this mythology...but is it that hard for the authors to acknowledge this source of inspiration???

Concluding: read it. You will have a good plot, funny situations (two very comic indeed), characters that you will want to know more, interesting background. I will buy the next in the series...this is really just the beginning.

Anyone who has read AFTER MIDNIGHT or THE VAMPIRE WHO LOVED ME will tell you that I don't like to venture too far over to the dark side and I like my vamps with tongues (and fangs) planted firmly in cheek. So when I first discovered Charlaine Harris's DEAD UNTIL DARK, it was a supernatural match made in heaven. All I had to hear was, "It's a book about a cocktail waitress named Sookie Stackhouse and a Southern vampire named Bill" and I went racing for the bookstore shelves.

Everything about this series feel fresh to me. Unlike so many vampire tales, Charlaine Harris's books aren't set in New Orleans but in the rural backwater town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Bill is the quintessential vampire--tall, dark, handsome...and undead. Since he was "turned" just after the Civil War, he also has a laconic drawl. And in an added advantage, sex with Bill temporarily gives a girl supernatural strength, glowing skin, and fabulous shiny hair like those models in the Pantene commercials.

The books are all written in first person and Sookie Stackhouse is one of the strongest and most likable female characters I've ever met. She looks like the girl we all wanted to be in high school--she's (pardon the pun) stacked and has a shiny mane of long straight blond hair. But she's also the girl we all wanted to be our best friend in high school--she's funny, kind, wry and smarter than almost everyone else around her. And did I mention that she's psychic? That's right--she can read minds. Well, everyone's mind but Bill's and his vampire kin, which is yet another reason why he's so attractive to her.

The books are wonderful adventure/mystery/vampire tales but they're also very sexy, especially when Ms. Harris introduces Bill's sexy and sinister vampire boss Eric, who neatly straddles the line between villain and hero and creates a Ranger/Joe-sized dilemma in the reader's mind. In the third book of the series, CLUB DEAD, we also meet Alcide Herveaux, a biker werewolf, who made me think that I might not mind a little back hair if it was on the right guy (or werewolf).

Alan Ball, the creator of SIX FEET UNDER, has optioned the books to make a television series for HBO. I just wish I could be there when the casting call goes out for Bill, Eric, and Alcide!

[...]

Naturally there will be very few persons who start reading the saga in this book - if you are thinking doing that, forget it! Start from the beginning. You won't appreciate this title if this is the first you'll read.

There were many questions left along several books and the author needed to clarify them. She opted doing it in this book, sacrificing a little the plot, but solving many incoherences or loose knots. I believe she done the correct thing and gave us several snapshots of events important to her universe (although not delving in them), invested in the relations between Sookie and Erik (and their blood bond), Sookie and her Grand grandfather (YES!!!! It's great), Sookie and Sam, etc.

Among other plotlines you will find an extremely hostile takeover attempt involving the much awaited vampire response to the weakness of Sophie-Anne (read the book to know how it ends); a siege/hostage situation; a Werewolf war; Bob the cat will know is fate; another roommate for Sookie; Quinn has some heavy burden, will Sookie be able to bear it?

As for the incoherences, she solved for example the shapeshifters bite turning the victim into another stating that is very difficult to spread the condition...it takes many unwashed bites to have a decent probability for contagion. She could had said it on the first book they appeared, not just after noticing that Sookie was already bit several times! But better later than never.

Highly recommended! Ms Harris still in shape.

Dead to the World (2004) is the fourth Rural Fantasy novel in the Southern Vampire series, following Club Dead. In the previous volume, shortly before Christmas, some Were friends of Jerry Falcon had beat up Sookie Stackhouse, but then Eric Northman and Bill Compton arrived and left bodies lying all around the house. Later Sookie found out who had killed Jerry and why. After Eric and Bill started posturing, she rescinded their permission to enter her house and everything calmed down enough for Sookie to relax for a while.

In this novel, the Merlotte's Bar and Grill staff had suffered through New Year's Eve. Sookie is very tired as she travels home from work, at least until she sees someone running down the road. He is shirtless and bare footed in the cold, so she stops her car and offers him a ride. Then she recognizes that the man is Eric Northman, the Vampire Area 5 Sheriff.

As she talks to Eric, Sookie soon realizes that he has lost his memory and much of the confidence that comes from knowing your place in society. Now he is afraid and uncertain, fleeing from something that he doesn't even remember. So Sookie takes him to her house and provides him a place to stay until she can notify his vampire subjects.

When Pam and Chow come to the house, Eric really doesn't recognize them, but they do have an explanation. Sookie learns that a group of powerful witches -- some of whom are Were -- are demanding a piece of the action in Eric's territory. These witches are even more dangerous because they are addicted to vampire blood, which makes them stronger, faster and able to heal more quickly.

Meanwhile, Sookie's brother Jason disappears. Sookie reports his absence to Sheriff Bud Dearborn, but the Sheriff is not concerned. Jason has been known to spend the night with many women and maybe he decided to take the day off to further explore some woman's charms. Yet Sookie knows that Jason doesn't miss any days at work.

Sookie starts looking on her own. She also wants to get the shotgun that Jason promised to bring to her. Arriving at Jason's house, she finds Alcee Beck, the county's only Black detective, already there. They work together to search the house and surrounding property and find some blood on the dock.

Later, Sookie checks out some of Jason's girlfriends. Carla Rodriguez knows nothing about Jason's whereabouts and really prefers not to have anything more to do with him. Crystal Norris, however, had been in the house when Jason arrived home the previous night.

Only orders from her Uncle Calvin makes Crystal tell Sookie about the interesting things that she had heard while inside the house. Yet Crystal claims to have never looked out the windows and to have not recognized the other voice(s). Thus, she does not know who had argued with Jason.

In this story, Eric had lost his memory as the result of an attack by one of his vampire subjects upon Hallow, the witch leader. As soon as Chow attacked her, Eric disappeared from a meeting with his inner circle. Obviously Hallow had been protected by a magical spell that was triggered by the attack.

These witches contact other covens and independent witches in the area and propose mergers. They also contact the Shreveport Were Pack and later kill a pack member. They break into Fangtasia -- the vampire bar -- and cause the death of a waitress. Indeed, the Witches frighten and irritate so many supernaturals in the area that they force an alliance against themselves.

This story contains even more sex, this time with the cursed Eric. Bill has left for Peru to work on his database, but returns later in the book to find his Sookie being intimate with his boss. Sam Merlotte is very helpful and is still featured in Sookie's fantasies, but she is determined not to have an affair with her boss.

Claudine the fairy -- the kind with pointed ears -- is introduced in this book. She saves Sookie from falling asleep behind the wheel, but just how did she get into the moving car? She also provides some critical information on the bad witches, but her blood is intoxicating to vampires. They become focused on her and just creep closer and closer to her until they are close enough to bite, so Claudine is often not able to remain in Sookie's vicinity for very long.

Highly recommended for Harris fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of preternatural creature, vampire politics and telepathic waitresses.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I really enjoyed my yearly slice of waitress/telepath/packfriend Sookie's life. Giving us were-wars, vamp coups, and family reunions From Dead to Worse felt more like three or four loosely tied together short stories rather than having a cohesive underlying plot and a big build-up in the action like the previous books. And really the book seemed to be more about setting the stage for the rest of the series with big changes in the supernatural power structures set against a Katrina devastated Louisianna and Sookie collecting major favors owed by the new powers-that-be than about really moving the series forward. This was also true of Sookie's love life which felt almost like a rewind, taking one of her many would be suitors out of the running and removing obstacles to add back in old lovers and would-be lovers all without Sookie seeing any 'action'.

But I actually like short stories and I love reading about Sookie, her sense of normalcy despite the strange world she's hooked into, and the way that her insight and common sense help her to cut to the heart of problems and to somehow manage to catch on to all the hidden plots that all the powerful supernaturals seem to miss continue to be my favorite parts of the series. Though Sookie doesn't see herself as well educated, she truly is smart and I love a smart heroine. And it only makes it so much better that Sookie's surrounded by such an interesting supporting cast, it was fun to see her boss shifter Sam take a bigger and more impressive supporting role and to see lone werewolf Dawson fleshed out a bit more, along with Amelia the witch and Bob the Cat -- I even liked the chaffeur in his bit part. Now if it only weren't so long before my next Sookie fix, with all the groundwork laid in From Dead to Worse, I'm hoping we get to see something interesting happen when all the pieces that were being prepared are finally put into play.

This is the 8th book in the Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris featuring Sookie Stackhouse. This was a good book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the first time I had listened to one of these books on audio book. The audio book was very well done. The only thing about the audio book that annoyed me was that they lady who read it made Sookie have a heavy southern twang; this was realistic to Sookie's character but made me talk in a southern twang to everyone I meet after listening to it. I was finding myself working very hard not to talk in a southern belle like manner :-)

This book was great fun. Some interesting things are revealed about Sookie's family. Things heat up and are resolved on both the vampire and werewolf fronts. A lot happens and most of it is neatly wrapped up. I was a little irked that Bill Compton is trying to force his way back into the story, I've frankly has enough of him. I was also irked that there wasn't more resolution between Sookie and Eric Northman. I am not sure there's a lot more I can say without giving things away. It was a fun read, never boring. A bit of a transitional novel as everyone struggles to recover from hurricane Katrina. A lot of things were wrapped up but there was still quite a bit that was left open too. I am antsy for the next novel.

I think part of what makes these novels so good is Sookie's character. She is such a real character. She needs to go to work to make ends meet, she is a sweet woman who tries hard to be good even though it irritates her sometimes, she is feminine, yet such has a hard center that allows her to stand up for what she thinks is right. A lot of this book was about Sookie trying to live her normal life despite everything she keeps getting wrapped up in. Because of that I think this book ended up being quite a bit better than the last one. I am very excited for the next book.
karissabooks.[...]

My Summary: Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in a small town in Louisiana -- a Town where nothing happens. Vampires have recently been made legal, and the story that is being fed to the people via the media is that vampirism is caused by a virus that makes vampires allergic to sunlight, silver and garlic.

Sookie wants to meet a vampire, but once she does meet one in the form of Bill (a Civil War era vampire), bad things begin to happen to people in her small town. Working class women keep winding up dead, and the prime suspects are people very close to Sookie -- and she fears she may be the next target.

My Review: I really liked this book, just as I knew that I would. A good friend has been hounding me to read it for a while, and I must say that I found the story delightfully fulfilling.

Dead Until Dark took me a little while to get into. I was worried at first that I would find it impossible to get through the novel, but it was right about that time that things picked up quickly.

I loved this book, so why am I only giving it three stars? I can hear readers wondering this question, and I want to be absolutely honest with you: The combination of paranormal + romance + mystery was a little bit too much. There were moments where the book was pure paranormal, or where it was paranormal romance. At other times it was all mystery. I couldn't quite settle into the groove I need to really enjoy a good cozy mystery, and the mystery distracted me from the romantic elements of the story (which were, I must say, very well done).

If you enjoyed Twilight you will almost definitely enjoy Dead Until Dark. If you didn't enjoy Twilight, I still recommend this novel. You'll see why once you've read it!

"Dead to the World" is the fourth instalment in the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris and makes for a wickedly good read. I'd recommend newcomers to the series to start with the first book "Dead Until Dark" and work their way through, cos the characters go through major developments as the series progresses, as do the story arcs.

In this fourth book, Sookie Stackhouse is facing problems of the heart with ex-BF, vampire Bill Compton. Bill seems to desire her back in his life, but Sookie is questioning many things - her own real feelings for Bill, the fact that she is fed up of being constantly put in harm's way by her association with other-worldly creatures etc. The pair decide to stay apart for a while. However, Sookie's resolve to keep out of harm's way doesn't go very well when she sees a naked guy running on the road on her way home. The guy turns out to be vampire boss Eric, who also seems to be suffering from a bad case of amnesia, and not recognizing who Sookie is. Sookie takes him home, and makes arrangements with Eric's deputy, Pam to come pick him up later. It turns out Eric was cursed by a coven of witches who want part of his business profits. Sookie decides to provide Eric shelter in return for money that she needs. Then things gets more complicated when Sookie's brother, Jason goes missing...

In this fourth book, I felt that the Sookie-Eric story arc was particularly compelling as the amnesiac Eric seems like a completely different person than vampire Eric - he seems so much nicer, not being consumed by vampire politics so much, and someone Sookie finds herself being drawn to, though she knows the 'real' Eric is simmering just under the surface. The dynamics of their relationship made this an interesting and engaging read for me. That and the trademark humor that author Harris weaves into the story make this series a winner!

Dead to the World is the 4th installment of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mystery series. It was a pleasure to read and had everything you could ask for in a novel - great characters, suspenseful action, a developed plot and a hint of steamy romance.

There are still a lot of loose ends at the end of Club Dead and this one picks up a couple weeks after Club ended. Bill, the vampire semi-ex-lover of our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, arrives on her doorstep and announces that he's going to Peru to do some research. No sooner than Bill leaves town, Sookie discovers Eric, the vampire sheriff of Area 5 and Bill's boss, running naked through the woods with no memory of who he is. It's soon discovered that a new coven of Were witches and vampire blood addicts have cast a spell on Eric and are looking for him. Of course, Sookie agrees to keep him in her house until the witches are taken care of. To top it all off, Sookie's brother Jason goes missing and she's determined to find him.

This was the best book of the series, hands down. Okay, okay, I know I said that at the end of the last one, but this one was even better! There is well paced action and plenty of suspense. And the romance between Sookie and the amnesiac Eric is steamy and HOT HOT HOT! Charlaine Harris has a way of writing romantic scenes are not trashy or syrupy, and the scenes between Eric and Sookie are amazing. Sookie is a remarkable heroine - she's down to earth, smart, independent, unpretentious and hilarious - and I can't wait to see how Harris continues to develop her character in the remainder of the series. I love the realism when it comes to Sookie - she has bills to pay, works very hard and has to decide between paying property taxes and getting a new coat. Now that's a woman I can relate to!!

As an aside, I'm a huge fan of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, and after reading the first 4 books in this series, I'm almost convinced that these are even better, and in some ways, Meyer seems to have ripped off several elements of Harris' tale (Harris began this series long before Meyer). This is like the Twilight series for grown ups!

If you're new to this series, I would strongly recommend starting with book one, Dead Until Dark, so that you can get acquainted with the characters and read all the background.

Once again, Charlaine Harris has written and wonderful story that is truly worthy of 5 stars. I read it within 24 hours and immediately moved on to book 5. Great read!!

picking up pretty much where club dead left off, Dead to the World hits the ground running...quite literally

After a New Year's Eve celebration Sookie, on her way home after a long haul at Merlotte's, nearly runs over a naked and crazed man running on a dark stretch of street. That man happens to be none other than the Sheriff of Area 5, Eric Northman. Why is he running naked in the streets in the middle of the night? As it just so happens, he's got a pretty bad case of vampire amnesia.

That little blurb right there is just a taste of how creative and fun Dead to the World is, as is the Sookie Stackhouse series. While I felt the first two books left me a little underwhelmed, the series really picked up with Club Dead and that carries right through to Dead To the World.

Primarily absent after the events of the previous book, Bill makes very few appearances in this fourth installment. Maybe that's why the series has been picking up? =) Quite frankly I find Bill overly brooding and quite boorish. This book focuses on supporting character Eric more than previous installments. An Eric who doesn't act like the super powerful sheriff of area 5 because he just doesn't know who he is. This causes some VERY interesting character moments between he and Sookie.

What's really interesting are the villains in the book. This installment brings witches into the fold but not just your ordinary wiccans. These witches are BAD news and they're more than meets the eye. Harris was really using her fertile imagination to good effect on this one.

I was glad that Alcide is brought back into the fold. Many other long standing series in a similar genre (*cough*theanitablakeseries*cough*) seem to bring in characters just for the sake of upping the character count or the bedroom activities. In the Sookie Stackhouse books you do have minor players, but they all have their roles to play and the less minor characters aren't just conveniently forgotten as the series progress. They actually get developed FURTHER and I like that alot.

The dialogue flows nicely, the action is pretty frenetic at times, and the souls of the characters created four books ago by Harris still ring true. Good reading!

Possibly one of the greatest pleasures of Charmaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series is that not all of her vampires are Byronic sorts standing apart from the rest of society who was to pose and sulk. There are no silly harpischords or lace cuffed shirts in her vision of the vampire world: most of her vampires want nothing more than to "mainstream" (as they call it) into contemporary society, and thanks to the invention of a cheap Japanese blood substitute, they have been able to do so. Part of what distinguishes her excellent Southern Vampire mystery series--and what made it such a natural to be translated into HBO's recent series TRUE BLOOD--is how thoroughly Harris has thought out her brave new world: though this book, the first in the series, keeps almost entirely to a small corner of Northern Louisiana (the fictional town of Bon Temps), she seems to have thought out her alternate universe before it started as thoroughly as JK Rowling thought out hers. But Harris's world is decidedly one for adults: her vampires and humans and shapeshifters decidedly have sex with one another, and there's an agreeable amount of genuine horror mixed in with the humor and the local color.

Harris can also keep a lot going, and one of the things Alan Ball wisely has carried over into his HBO series is her fondness for jolting cliffhanger scenes; it is genuinely hard to put this book down. Her main vampire, Bill Compton (how refreshing, as her narrator Sookie Stackhouse points out, not to have a vampire named something silly like Antoine!), is seen pretty much in the round as a courtly veteran of the Civil War who behaves chivalrously to those he likes even if he's apt to kill those who cross him (or threaten his beloved, the telepathic Sookie, of whom he is animally possessive). The twentysomething Sookie, unfortunately, is not quite as delightful as you'd like her to be (or as Harris seemingly intends), and since she's our narrator we have to hear a bit more about what she wears to every event she attends than you could possibly want. (Although this might be very typical of a young and pretty Louisiana woman living in a small town, a little of her endless descriptions of her outfit goes a very long way.) But the story is still agreeably paced, the mystery at its core is both suspenseful and intriguing, and the descriptions of local color are quite fine. As pure pleasure reading, this is quite good stuff.

I read DEAD UNTIL DARK one afternoon while I was at the shore. Beth Fish Reads told me that it was an ideal beach read, and she was so right. This book is a light, quick read that held my attention throughout. I absolutely love Sookie and I was pleased with how well Ms. Harris developed her character. I think my feelings toward Sookie are the main reason that I want to read more books in this series. I guess I just like "spending time" with her!

I also really liked the secondary characters in this story, especially Bill and Sam. I have a feeling that they are both going to be appearing in future books, and I can't wait to learn more about their relationships with Sookie. Both seem to have some secrets and I am excited to learn more about both of them. Right now, I'm not entirely sure about either of them; but based on this book, I think I like both of them. And I'm pretty sure that they are going to make things interesting in Sookie's life.

Another element I really enjoyed about this book was the mystery angle. I was anxious to find out who the villain was, and I admit that I was caught off guard a little. While I enjoyed learning about vampires and their lifestyles, I think I really appreciated the book because of the mystery storyline. I thought Ms. Harris did a good job building suspense, and she definitely kept things interesting with the twists and turns.

One thing that actually surprised me a little bit about this book was how graphic it was. Not surprisingly, there was lots of gore and talk about all things vampire. However, there was also quite a bit of sex-talk. I don't consider myself a prude, but I admit that I was blushing a bit while reading some of the scenes!

I have not watched the HBO series TRUE BLOOD which is based on the Sookie books, but I have heard so many terrific things about it from my friends. After reading DEAD UNTIL DARK, I'm thinking about catching up with Season 1 on Netflix. My husband has already told me that he's not interested in watching it with me so that makes it a little more difficult; however, I'm thinking that it just might be worth it.

I definitely recommend DEAD UNTIL DARK if you are a fan of the whole vampire thing or even if you enjoy a good mystery! I am so looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

This is book #4 in the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series. In this book Sookie finds herself single again and Bill is in Peru. Sookie finds Eric on the side of the road naked and his memory seems to be erased by a witches spell. Sookie's brother Jason soon after goes missing and Sookie has to find him and the witch to get the spell broken for Eric. In the meantime Sookie develops feelings for Eric and he also has feelings for her.

This book had great parts to it and then very boring parts as well! I loved every scene with Eric and Sookie in it. I love these two together! I enjoyed Bill being away (I am not a big fan of his), but other than that the book was a little disappointing. The witches weren't as interesting to me as they should have been and all the searching for Jason was boring! I skimmed a lot in this book and I don't normally do that.

I have to say the last 2 chapters were awesome and the ending was very interesting! I did enjoy this book and I will be reading the next book, I just thought this book lacked things that the last two seemed to have! I found myself wanting more scenes with her and Eric and less scenes of her hunting through the woods for her brother!

This is the first book in Charlaine Harris's new series about vampires, werewolves and the like. I didnt start the series until after the 7th book was released so i got to read all of them one after another until then and they were ADDICTIVE. Every book in the series has only taken me a day to read and this first book started it all.

Sookie Stackhouse lives in an old family country house that has seen better days with her grandmother, when she was only a kid her parents died leaving her brother(Jason) and her to be raised by her grandmother. When she was young she noticed she was different, she could hear the thoughts of just about anybody which made her somewhat of a freak in Bon Temps where everybody knows everybody.

Now only a couple years since the world learned that there are Vampires that live(or at least walk) amongst them the world is still in shock and Bon Temps has just gotten their first vampire in town, Bill Compton. When Sookie meets Bill for the first time it's at the bar she works at, she saves him from drainers starting their complicated relationship.

Theres a wide range of people in Bon Temps and the surrounding area, some people are considered FangBangers; people who follow vampires around and like to be bitten, some couldn't care less about vampires and some HATE vampires and would like to rid the world of them. Now in the small town of Bon Temps people and Vampires are dying and the fingers are being pointed to Bill. Now Sookie has to use her skill to find the real killer.

This is a great beginning to the series with a diverse set of characters that entertain and keep you sucked into the story. Highly recommend this book along with the rest of the series.

Ash

Sookie Stackhouse is a small town waitress in Louisiana, but she's no ordinary girl. She can read people's minds, which she finds to be a real problem when it comes to leading a regular kind of life. Living with her grandma since her parents died when she was just a girl, Sookie is just waiting for the right guy to come along. But with her "disability," dating isn't all that easy. I mean, we all know what goes through guys minds, but would you really want to have to hear it? Eww, anyway, the book begins just as vampires are beginning to "come out of the coffin" and be recognized as their own unique people group. What should happen but a gorgeous vampire walks into Sookie's bar and his mind is closed to her, a novelty to someone who has been having to shut off people's thoughts her whole life. The book is balanced with just the right amount of suspense and silliness to keep you reading. What good girl hasn't been waiting her entire boring and painful life for a tall, pale and blood sucking hero to levitate in and sweep her off her feet?

After her shift at Merlotte's one New Year's Eve, Sookie drives down the dark, lonely roads of Bon Temp, LA on her way home. She is surprised to see a man wearing only jeans running as if in fear for his life. She is even more surprised when she recognizes him. It is Eric, the head vampire of the area, who resides in Shreveport.

Welcome to the world of Sookie Stackhouse, a lady often considered a bit odd by others. Although she takes great pains to hide her ability to read minds, many feel uneasy around her and shy away. However, she cannot read the minds of vampires, a group which has recently made themselves known to the human population and now have acknowledged legal rights. Her first real boyfriend was Bill, a vampire, who besides being terribly handsome and charming, has a mind inaccessible to hers. Sookie finds this most agreeable. Through Bill she has met up with Eric. In the past Eric has called upon her to use her unique talent to help retrieve information from the minds of reluctant humans. Sookie has not necessarily liked doing this, but Eric can be fearfully persuasive.

Now Eric is the vulnerable one. Although Sookie recognizes him, he has no idea who she is. In fact he doesn't know who he is. His confusion leads him to be fearful at times something that Sookie thought she would ever see in this strong, tall, blonde handsome hunk. She takes him to her house after persuading him that he can trust her. Once he is settled she contacts Pam, his second in command. What Sookie eventually learns is that a coven of powerful witches has appeared in Shreveport. Many in the group are more than human. They are shape shifters who add to their strength by drinking vampire blood. One of the witches placed a curse on Eric when he rebuffed her. Meanwhile Sookie's attraction to Eric intensifies. It helps, of course, that she and Bill have had a huge falling out and he has gone off to Peru.

Another complication arises when Sookie's brother Jason goes missing. She fears that he has been murdered by one of the witches.

This is the fourth book in the Southern Vampire series. With each volume the preternatural world as seen through Sookie's eyes becomes more complex, more dangerous, and more interesting. As always Sookie's level head and wry insights makes each installment a fun read.

Sookie Stackhouse is certainly a magnet for the weird and wild. While driving home from work late one night she stumbles upon a barefoot and bare-chested man running along the road leading to her house. It turns out to be Eric Northman - vampire Sheriff of Area 5 in Louisiana - and he has lost his memory. Soon after Sookie takes him in to keep him safe, her brother Jason disappears. Once again, Sookie and the supernatural community in Bon Temps, Louisiana must work together, to restore Eric's memory and locate her missing brother.

Finally Sookie is back in Louisiana - which is exactly where I like her! And the entertaining cast of characters in her world is growing by leaps and bounds. In Dead to the World Charlaine Harris introduces us to a new colony of shapeshifters: the were-panthers from Hotshot, LA. An inbred and eccentric group, the panthers are looking to add some new blood to their gene pool.

There was plenty of man-candy to go around in Dead to the World. I was happy to spend more time with Eric - he was basically the leading man of the piece - and Alcide was back with the Shreveport werewolves to help Sookie with her problems. I just love the way Charlaine Harris develops her characters! She masterfully creates original and enigmatic but believable characters.

The Southern Vampire Series is delightfully easy and fun to read. Being absorbed into Sookie's world is not only exceptionally diverting, but also impossible to resist. I'm moving on to the next book just as soon as I finish this review!

Sookie Stackhouse is trying to live a normal life, but it's rough considering her first boyfriend is trying to get her back, her one-time lover, Eric, still can't remember what they did but knows something went on, her roommate turned her own lover into a cat, and her supposed current boyfriend, weretiger Quinn is a definite no-show. A complicated love life is only one of her problems, though. Someone is killing werewolf females and that's definitely outside the rules. And there's a strange vampire on the prowl. With the Louisiana vampire 'kingdom' still in trouble from Katrina and from a terrorist bombing, the situation is unstable. And then there's Sookie's troublesome brother whose marriage definitely is not going well.

Author Charlaine Harris combines humor and adventure in a highly satisfying story. Sookie continues to be unlucky in love (probably because she can't see that her boss, Sam, is the right guy for her). Stackhouse is a wonderfully sympathetic character. She cares deeply about family (although, or maybe because, her own family is highly dysfunctional), is always willing to pitch in to help others--whether this means participating in a wedding at the last minute, standing in for her brother when marriage problems among the werepanthers require it, fighting invading werewolves, or dealing with a war among the vampires. Inviting another houseguest, one she really doesn't want, is the perfect touch to show her character.

In FROM DEAD TO WORSE, one mystery is resolved--we learn how Sookie got her fairy blood. But Sookie's life continues to be complicated--and looks like it will continue to be a bit of a disaster for a while to come--we can hope so because Sookie's problems make great reading.

I'm a late bloomer to the True Blood series. I watched Season 1 on DVD just in time to get in on Season 2. I loved the series so I wanted to read the books it spawned from. Dead Until Dark is the first. And though there are extreme differences between the series and the book, I still thought it was a good read. In some cases, I thought the plot twists in the series were even better than what's in the book, but like I said, still a good read.

Charlaine Harris writes in a very simple manner that's easy to relate to, sometimes too easy if you are a more complex mystery reader. I am not. I finished this book in just 6 days. I stumbled on some of the dialogue in some places and found several instances where the editing could have been a little better, but overall I'd still recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good, light, but juicy read...especially for anyone who likes vampires.

You can't help but compare Charlaine to Anne Rice since her story also takes place in New Orleans. Charlaine even mentions Anne's vampires in a few places in the book, paying tribute to them. But Charlaine's cast of characters are completely different and are more like real people who could exist in the world today. So overall, in the story itself there's no comparison.

Those who have watched the series, I'll warn that some characters in the series are not in the book. Others are much more less developed. Maybe they get more page time in the other books in the series. But for the first book, it was a pleasure to see Charlaine introduce and develop Sookie and Bill and really focus on them while giving them a slight mystery to be involved in.

If you haven't watched the series and know nothing about True Blood, you'll definitely eat the book up! For those who are reading the books for the first time and have watched the show, just be warned...it's close to being the same, but there are indeed parts and characters that are completely different. It's still a "bloody" good time though!

Okay. I had to start reading these sometime, and sometime turned out to be now. We had one of those "free trial periods" of HBO a while back, and saw the first episode of True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris's novels. But we weren't impressed. Of course, we weren't planning to keep / pay for HBO, so perhaps we weren't intending to be impressed. But the rows of books in the bookstores, and the myriad reviews on gather persuaded me; I had to find out about these characters.

And now I'm hooked.

I can't say whether the books are better than the TV show, though I normally prefer reading to watching TV--it's that urge for independence. But I do know that the first few pages of Dead Until Dark did an excellent job of drawing me in. Sookie's voice is rendered very plausibly, and while I might not consider her skills a disability, the author does an excellent job of portraying Sookie's problems with them. A huge cast of characters is kept neatly in order, no mean feat in itself, and the stage is set for more characters and more histories to be revealed.

I loved the scene where the vampire describes war to the civilized ladies' group. I loved the all too plausible concept of "fangbangers." And when Sookie fussed about her wardrobe, I loved wishing she could see a little further.

Ms Harris does a nice job of adding to the vampire mythology without subtracting from it. Her vampires are dangerous. They really don't go out in daylight, though Sookie's not entirely sure where they sleep. They have histories and suffer pain. And they're not human, a fact that Vampire Bill keeps trying to make clear.

Not quite human, but not that far from human either; mainstreaming is such a lovely idea, and Charlaine Harris's mainstreaming vampire is a treat to get to know through his dear friend Sookie.

So yes, I expect I'll be reading more of these, and enjoying more not-quite-human fun.

I had never heard of the Sookie Stackhouse books until I began watching the HBO series True Blood. Now I've read all 8 novels within a few months. I thoroughly enjoyed them all, and it's fun to see what might be upcoming on the TV adaptation (which is faithful to the spirit of the books, if not always the letter).

I did not mind the episodic nature of From Dead to Worse, as Sookie has always been a pinball in the supernatural world (and regular human world as well). I enjoyed the way some plotlines were new (for example, revelations and developments regarding Sookie's family), and some were continuing stories (intrigue and power struggles in the vampire and Were worlds). There are always satisfying resolutions, as well as intriguing (but not overly frustrating) "to be continued" teasers at each novel's conclusion. I thought the little cliff-hanger at the end of From Dead to Worse was especially clever and touching.

I couldn't help but wonder if the first season's script plan for True Blood, in which Bill is characterized somewhat differently (and definitely more heroically and more importantly) than in the novels, did not influence the author to bring him back more into the limelight (and back into Sookie's grudging good graces) in this 8th book in the series. He had been relegated far to the background, and I, for one, was glad to see his return. It will be very interesting to see how future Sookie novels and upcoming True Blood episodes complement one another.

From Dead to Worse was, I thought, a really enjoyable continuation of a series that has real heart and real imagination. The collision of human and supernatural in Sookie's world is exciting and intriguing, cleverly and compassionately drawn, and always entertaining. Harris is a master at creating nonhuman characters who are absolutely, messily, and wonderfully human after all.

When Sookie left work that night, she was just about worn out after being on her feet all night at Merlotte's Bar. She was thinking about getting home, standing under a hot shower and crashing into her own bed. But seeing a half naked man running along the side of the deserted country road on that cold winter night got her full and complete attention. She pulled over and got him into her warm car and discovered that he didn't know who he was. But Sookie knew him, quite well, in fact. It was Eric, the vampire head honcho of this part of Louisiana and boss to her former boyfriend Bill; Eric, who was once a Viking and who still looked the part; Eric, who had been trying to get under Sookie's skin and into her bed for quite a while now. But, this Eric wasn't the arrogant vampire she knew at all, this was a much kinder and gentler Eric who was very grateful for her help and who looked at her with those same ice blue eyes full of trust instead of arrogance. He had been cursed by a witch who was trying to take over all of his businesses and his power base and now Sookie would be her target, too. It would take an alliance between the vamps and the Weres and the shifters, with even a couple of fairies thrown in for good measure, in order to thwart the coven that was ready to overthrow every supernatural in that part of Louisiana. And as if that wasn't bad enough, this kinder and gentler Eric was proving to be a lot of fun to be around and just might be more than Sookie can resist.

I'm really enjoying this series. It's got action, adventure, vampires, Werewolves, shape-shifters, lots of humor and a heroine who realizes just how ridiculous her life has become, now that vampires have officially come "out of the coffin" all around the world and the rest of the supernatural world seems to be close behind them. These are every bit as much fun as the Stephanie Plum series. What a hoot!

oh Sookie...what shall we do? Love this series, loved each and every book and am desolated now that there are no more! Love the series True Blood too...but that is ending as well...but it was a great ride! This is not a series for teenagers! This is grown up stuff, despite the charming covers. Lots of sex and violence (no visual nudity...have to watch True Blood for that!) and a lot of really great story telling in an authentic southern voice. I've read and loved the Twilight series, Kim Anderson's books (similar themes), Laurell K. Hamilton's fascinating books...and Sookie holds her own. Got my husband to read these, where he wouldn't go near the Twilight books! Charlaine Harris is an excellent writer with a hot imagination in that she thinks of amazing stories and makes them possible. Now one of my favorite authors!

Oh, boy. This series keeps getting better. I like how in each book one new supernatural being is revealed. In book one we had the vampires and shapeshifters, book two had the Weres and the maenad, book three had a hobbit, and book four has a fairy. Each book adds another layer of depth to the world Charlaine Harris has created.

Remember when I asked if we could get through one book without Sookie being beaten to a pulp? We finally did! What a relief!

This is my favorite Sookie Stackhouse book, if you read it you'll understand why. I couldn't help but notice that the library copy opened exactly to the best part, if you catch my drift. Hmmm, guess I'm not the only Eric fan out there...

Just One Gripe:
Eric gets his memory back WAY too soon.

The Best Thing About This Book:
Eric, Eric, Eric, Eric.

I write this book review with no preconceived notion brought on by the show True Blood. I refused to watch that show until I read the books. I have just finished the first one.

Sookie Stackhouse is your typical "disabled" waitress in a small town bar in Northern Louisiana. Her disability is a far from common one; she's telepathic.

She was raised with her brother, Jason, by her aging grandmother after her parents died when she was young. While her older brother has moved out of the house a while ago, Sookie still lives with her grandmother.

Enter the Vampire Bill.

When vampires were allowed "out of the coffin" a few years back to be legally recognized citizens, they've been received with curiosity, romanticism, and sometimes all out hatred; but Sookie couldn't wait to meet one.

When she met Bill, she was waitressing at Merlotte's, the local pub and food stop in Bon Temps. She was taken with him, but she was "Crazy Sookie" after all, and Sookie doesn't date. Hearing other people's thoughts at a constant rate kills that idea.

When Bill got up and left with the "Rats", a local couple nicknamed that by Sookie due to their white trash status and last name, Sookie immediately knew they were up to no good. When she followed them out into the parking lot, they were draining him for his prized vampire blood, which has become the new "it" drug.

Sookie managed to get Bill away from them, and herself into a lot of mess.

Meanwhile; there is a serial killer in Bon Temps murdering young women, and the local detective has his sights on her older brother to fill the prison cell for it.

I can't get into all the different characters and aspects of this book so now it's down to my final thoughts. Since I had not seen the show, I really genuinely loved this book. There were so many interesting characters and it really got into the vampire society aspect. Unlike books like "Twilight", it isn't some sob story teen emo G rated romance but there isn't so much sex in it, as say Laurell K Hamilton, where you just groan and skip the five chapters it takes to complete one love scene. That is important to me. Romance scenes should only be included into a book when it benefits the story, not as a cover up for the writer's lack of creativity to spin an actual storyline. This book delivers in this department. Harris is an excellent storyteller, and she did wonderfully by weaving in the whole Southern mentality you'd expect from a story based in Louisiana.

A Vampire named Bill? Hey why not! He's a bone fide American after all. At long last a vampire for the common woman. DEAD UNTIL DARK is set in the town of Bon Temps in rural northern Louisiana, four years after vampires have "come out of the coffin', so to speak, and have been acknowledged as legal citizens. These undead must answer to, and are protected by, the same laws that govern humans. Acknowledged yes, but not widely accepted, and like the living they come in all varieties.

Most folk kept their distance from them, but there were always groupies who got their thrills from dangerous and deadly pastimes. For the most part the vampires tended to congregate in large cities like New Orleans, where their activities went mostly unremarked.

Sookie Stackhouse, had waited a long time to see her first vampire in Bon Temps, and now here he was sitting in one of her booths. This is a special treat for Sookie, a bar waitress, who is 'disabled' and doesn't have much of a social life. Sookie's actually very pretty, but intimacy took on a whole other meaning when you could read your suitor's minds. True she spent most of her energy shielding her mind from the din of other's thoughts, for sanity's sake and an innate sense of politeness, but that wasn't possible when she was touching someone. Most folks weren't willing to admit to her disability. They just said she was crazy. Those that believed simply avoided her.

Sookie's joy is deflated when she notices the seedy Rattray couple insinuating themselves into her vampire's company. She doesn't like them and knows they've spent time in jail. Opening her mind she learns the reason. They're vampire drainers! Illegal but very profitable. When the vampire leaves with the couple, she is sure he's in trouble, and she's right. Fortunately she is able to rescue him. He isn't terribly gracious about it though, so Sookie attempts to read him. Nothing! How marvelous. Here is a handsome, interesting man, and she can't hear what he's thinking. Someone is murdered that night however a female convenience store clerk with a taste for vampires. She'd had bite marks on her thighs, but the cause of death was strangulation. Was the killer a vampire or human?

Three night's later Bill Compton, the vampire, returns Sookie's favor when the Rattrays return to revenge themselves on her. She's fatally wounded when he arrives. In an ironic twist, Bill donates his blood to save her. Sookie's more than a little glad he's stuck around. She really likes him, an when she learns he'd served in the Civil War she invites him to address her grandmother's club, The Descendants of the Glorious Dead. Bill comes over to meet Sookie's grandmother who is thrilled that she's finally captured the interest of a man. Afterwards they go for a walk and it is clear that there is interest on both of their parts. Sound good? Well then all heck breaks loose.

Several of Bill's vampire acquaintances show up and their awful behavior reminds Sookie of what Bill really is. It scares her a lot. Still he seems different and when another woman is murdered (same M.O.) and both Bill and Sookie's handsome, promiscuous, brother are considered suspects, she braves a vampire hot spot to try to acquit them of blame. Unfortunately she draws the interest of another handsome vampire who has seniority over Bill. Yikes. Then the murders hits home and Sookie realizes that she had been the intended victim. She does fit the profile after all. Now she must discover the identity of the killer before it is too late for all of them. Sometimes a disability can come in handy .

Wow, this was a great tale. You have murder, mayhem, mystery, three paranormal elements (the third is a surprise), romance, and humor. It is wonderfully well written. I doubt anyone will guess the identity of the killer until it is revealed. I recommend a second reading to truly appreciate the subtlety of the clues Ms. Harris weaves into the story. I just love stories that are written in the first person, this was an added bonus. It was narrated by Sookie and this lent to much of the humor. It is not a traditional romance in the sense that, yes Sookie and Bill care a great deal for each other, and yes they are definitely intimate, but there are still lots of problems to be worked out. The story is left open ended, rather like J.D. Robb's IN DEATH novels. I can't wait to find out what happens next in the continuation, LIVING DEAD IN DALLAS. -- Reviewed for PNR Reviews

-- which, for a fantasy novel, is pretty cool.

Charlaine Harris is a great writer, and Sookie Stackhouse is a great character. This is a special combination, one that should be cherished (by those who connect to the series, of course -- there has never been a book or a character that every single reader has to fall in love with, the Annie-Wilkes-style loyalties of some fans notwithstanding) for as long as the author is able to maintain that relationship with the series. The good news for fans of Sookie Stackhouse is that Charlaine Harris is a patient writer.

That has impressed me most, I think, over the last few years I have been reading and re-reading this series. These books are about Ms. Stackhouse's life, and because no entanglements, no complications, none of the tangled webs we weave (deception-practice or otherwise) can be unraveled and disposed of quickly or easily, the plot lines can last for several books, and even once they have been ended, they can pop right back up again. Take the Pelts, for example. I have been relieved to see that storyline ended, over and over again, ever since the third book, when it began. In every book, I have thought, "Well, I'm certainly glad THAT'S over." And then with each new addition to the tale, the hydra has raised a new-grown head where there was but a stump before. It has allowed me to grow a mature, well-aged hatred for the characters -- who, let us not forget, are nothing more than the figments of the author's imagination. Villains in novels, particularly in paranormal/fantasy novels -- which tend to have villains with a short shelf life, owing to the lethal nature of the characters -- rarely are able to maintain a presence over the course of several books without becoming at least partly heroic (J.R.R. Tolkien's Gollum should stand as the example here), and though there was a sympathetic nod to the Pelts in the sixth book, Definitely Dead, overall, the family has remained distasteful as well as outright villainous.

But here is the wonder: that is the way of the world. That is what it is like to have an enemy. Enemies don't stalk you for days, weeks, months, organizing mustache-twisting, tied-to-the-railroad-tracks climactic showdowns, nor Batman-style supertraps. Enemies do occasionally offer a genuine threat, as the Pelts have at times threatened Sookie, but for the most part, enemies are just annoying. Enemies show up in our lives often, usually bringing little more than a sour look and a palpable hatred, but whenever they do so, they ruin everything good and pleasant about the day. Enemies, like so much else in our lives, are tiresome and dull -- and thus they are incredibly difficult to write about for any extended period. The temptation to kill them off and replace them with more interesting villains, or simply to give the hero a chance to hand out a little closure-with-extreme-prejudice, is too great, as is the difficulty of keeping a distasteful and ugly-hearted character fresh and genuine, rather than allowing them to slip into repetitive stock roles. And yet here these enemies are, back again in this, the eighth book in the series -- and I find myself no less annoyed by the Pelts in this work than in the previous four.

Every plot line is like that, at least in terms of realism. Some are surprisingly short-lived, even anti-climactic, because that is the way of the world. Some drag on and on and on and on -- the Fellowship of the Sun slouches sullenly to mind -- without any resolution in sight, because that, too, is how it goes for all of us. But all of them, every single plot line, is genuine, is well-written, is exactly how it would be if I were to live this life. Because of that realism, because life is basically tedious, these books, this series, should be boring, should be quotidian and monotonous. But they aren't. And they aren't because Charlaine Harris is a great writer, and Sookie Stackhouse is a great character.

These two (if I may be allowed to grant Sookie at least honorary personhood) have created a world, a true world, one that lies parallel to our own rather than on the same track. Because of that, these works give us everything that a good novel should: the potential for an escape into fantasy, with magical creatures and high romance; the ability to feel a connection to another person, an imaginary friendship, as we are permitted a glimpse into her mind (Irony in this case duly noted); the chance to learn something about ourselves and our fellow human beings through the examples given to us here, so like and yet unlike our own lives. And then they give us more, as there is humor and outrage and justice and friendship, romance and sex and heartbreak, drama and pathos and even a little homegrown philosophy -- the best kind, of course. They give us a whole world. And I, for one, love it dearly.

Since the debut of True Blood on HBO--led by the ravishing Anna Paquin--I could not help but to see what inspired such a brilliant television series and cracked open this first novel.

First off, I want to say that I was disappointed a little by the absence of a good deal of captivating characters in the television series. Namely, the cook Lafayette Reynolds and coworker Tara Thornton make excellent additions by HBO, who wanted to complement the main cast with an lush supporting cast, and had done so brilliantly. The characters are in keeping with the book descriptions, and while they are often inserted into scenes in which the book does not offer them, I miss them dearly while reading this book. The Southern Vampire Mysteries focuses intensely on Sookie and Bill and for that I am a little unfulfilled.

This does not lead me to leave this book at four stars; I cannot blame Charlaine Harris for what came afterwards, at least not consciously. However, while a thoroughly enjoyable read, I did not find it captivating. I am not immune to the steam arrising from the books during the sex scenes. They are descriptive and hot--steam rises from those pages as I read some of these scenes. I am bemused at the fact that these novels do not have half a shirtless man on the front cover, but that would warrant constant explanations from my coworkers and family, and for that I guess I should be grateful.

It is not without it entertaining twists and plot developments; perhaps the reality behind my four stars is that I am not generally interested in mystery novels. However, I will continue to read this series, as her works interest me enough to read the last page and desire to read more about the comely Sookie. Vampire novels always fascinate me.

First of all: There are some series that you can jump into at any point. There are some series that you can't. If you absolutely had to, you could probably enter the Southern Vampire Series through any of the previous books, but I would not recommend starting with this one. I've read them all, but with my fuzzy memory found it a little slowgoing at the start of this one as I struggled to bring myself back up to speed.

Once I did, though, I was enthralled.

What makes Harris' books stand out from the paranormal-woman-involved-with-supernatural-man/men genre is her characters. Not that she's short on plot, but a good character has a lot of power to propel you through a story, and her Sookie Stackhouse reads like a three-dimensional, breathing woman. Moreover, her supernaturals read real, too. One might guess that an author who names a vampire lead "Bill" is seeking to demystify the species, but the way Harris does it--while often funny--doesn't make them less interesting. It makes them endearing, believable...what might actually happen if a human being were altered into something immortal and morally questionable. Vampirism adds layers, but doesn't alter the essential person, except with the kinds of masks we all adopt.

Some might object to Sookie's departure from her long-time sweetie, but I found the romance in this book surprisingly touching. Some other writers may get confused on the point, but Harris seems to understand that meaningless sex is the equivalent of meaningless action. It might make for blockbuster summer movies, but in books it lacks impact unless it involves the heart. In everything she does, Sookie has a lot of heart.

The series in general: it's a paranormal-woman-involved-with-supernatural-man/men-solving-mysteries series, so if you like others of the type (Hamilton's Anita Blake series, Feehan's Carpathian romance series, Huff's Vicki Nelson series), you should definitely check this out. There's a lot of southern color and humor in Harris' series, but these books are serious, not parodies of the genre. I can't wait for book 5.

Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress in tiny, rural Bon Temps, Louisiana, falls in love with Vampire Bill Compton, a Civil War veteran that is attempting to mainstream. Someone, vampire or human, is targeting and brutally murdering "fangbangers", and Sookie's brother is arrested. Though Sookie's voice is incredibly simplistic and cutesy (very Mary Sue), I couldn't quite get myself to hate it. Her and Bill's characters are much too complex and refreshingly original. Bill has to be one of the best vampire characters ever; we are never allowed to completely understand, pity, or love him, but instead are constantly reminded of his inhumanity, but also his tragedy of trying to mainstream. At the same time that he is heroic, he is incredibly frightening in his protection and obsession with Sookie. The plot of the novel is incredibly clever, original, and exciting. We just may have found that illusive Harry Potter for adults (though Harry Potter is for adults, but you know what I mean). Now, with all that said, I have to stipulate that the show which is based upon this novel (the first season of True Blood), is richer (in plot and character), darker, tenser, deeper. The characters (due to the fantastic acting, writing, directing, and production) are much more dynamic and complex. The show is also deeper, with its themes of prejudice and the definitions of humanity and monstrosity. Not to take anything away from the book, but, eh, it happens sometimes. Grade: A-

Charles de Lint said once that the current urban-fantasy novels are highly focused on character, and that readers like or dislike a series based on whether they connect with the protagonist. (I wish I could find that quote!) Based on this, I'm not surprised that Charlaine Harris has, as I write this review, the top three best-selling fantasy titles on the store. Disclaimer: I've only read this first book so far, and haven't seen the TV series. But from what I've seen, Sookie Stackhouse is a delight.

Sookie is a Louisiana waitress with telepathic abilities. She sees her telepathy as a disability, not a gift; it's brought her a lot of trouble over the years and hampered her social life and love life. Other than the telepathy, though, she's a fairly normal woman. Sookie stands out among the impossibly tough heroines who populate this subgenre. She's brave, yet vulnerable, and she knows her limits. Best of all, she's funny! I really liked spending time "in her head," and I think I spoke with a slight Southern twang for a day or two afterward!

Her life gets complicated when Bill, a handsome vampire, walks into her bar one night. To Sookie's shock and delight, she can't read his thoughts! Then, when her telepathy tips her off that his dining companions have foul play in mind, she rescues him and their romance begins.

Soon, Sookie finds herself tangled up in vampire politics and a murder mystery. The story is fast-paced and suspenseful. I was especially on the edge of my seat at one point when Bill may or may not have been killed, and Sookie has no way of knowing whether he's OK until the sun goes down. Sookie's fear and sadness come right through the page.

I enjoyed _Dead Until Dark_, and I'll definitely be reading further in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Dead to the World is the book for Eric and Sookie fans in the Sookie Stackhouse series, this is the book that we have been waiting for(sorta.

Dead to the World takes the Eric we(some of us anyways) know and love and turns him into what he may have been before he was turned into the highhanded, arrogant son of a gun he normally is. Sookie is driving home from work on New Years when out in the middle of the street runs a huge half naked man. When she realizes its Eric she takes him home and tries to understand what's going on and why he doesn't remember her.

When Sookie finds out what has happened she gets stuck with putting Eric in her house until the spell that he has been cursed with can be broken. In trying to get the spell broken the Shreveport vamps work along with the werewolves to get rid of the coven of witches and it turns into a war.

During the time that Eric spends with Sookie the readers get to see a new side of him, he isnt the same hard game playing vamp that is his usual facade, he turns into her "lover" while Sookie is still getting used to the idea that her and Bill are no longer together.

AND while Sookie is busy dealing with Eric, the vamps and the witches he brother goes missing and Sookie has no idea where to look for him.

Dead to the World is another great addition to the series that is a treasure to most Eric and Sookie lovers, the book has a lot of subplots that keep you entertained and into the story while leaving you on edge for the next installment!

ash

As far as murder mysteries go, I would not exactly categorize this one as "gripping". The only reason I bought the book in the first place is because I am interested in watching the HBO series True Blood and as a general rule of thumb, I will never watch a show or movie unless I've read the book first.
But back to my review: The characters in this story are so bizarre and diverse that I was completely distracted from what was actually going on, ie, the multiple murders of women who are known to enjoy sex with vampires in a small town in Louisiana. Ostensibly this is an intriguing plotline but like I said, I spent more time fixated on how bizarre the characters were to even care or notice when the crimes were solved.
Take for example the main character, Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie is a telepathic waitress. In the Deep South, idiosyncrasies such as telepathy are apparently viewed as "disabilities". As a result, Sookie lives her life like someone suffering from Asperger's syndrome; completely awkward, introverted and skittish. Then we have Bill, a vampire, and Civil War vet (yes Civil War) with an unbelievable libido. Another odd one is Lafayette, the black cook at the bar where Sookie works, who for no reason relating to the story is a cross dresser. The list goes on and to be fair, all of these characters do make for a fun, albeit jumbled reading experience. I'm already well into the 2nd book of the series, loving it and I doubt I would love it half as much if I hadn't read this book.
Overall a quirky read but sufficiently entertaining.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Suggested With: A full bodied cocktail with pen and paper to keep everyone straight!

Ms. Harris keep her good shape. The fourth book in the series and still very good.

The newcomers - witches - realy stir things a bit in Erik's Turf.

The new antagonists are left purposufully vague, with only snippets of information and very few direct interaction with the main characters. It generates quite a suspense and mysterious aura on that seemingly ultra-powerful Witches (that are also something more).

The author also implies that something is important about bontemps area; that explains the overwhelming amount of supernatural activity in the area...but it reminds Buffy.

The cursed Erik, without memory and the toll of almost a thousand years of vampirism, is enchanting, quite noble and retains his mischivious charisma but with a sense of vulnerability...it's clearly the same character, but humanized.

Other high points in this book are the disapearence of a main character, the life of Sookie separated from Bill, werewolf society and the rules of the pack and last but not the least the comeback of a very jealous Debbie Pelt.

Now what the hell is wrong (or right) with Sookie!!! Everybody wants to copulate with her!!!! Yes she is pretty but the author is exagerating a lot the reaction of every male secondary character in the series.

Fun read, with a very good equilibrium between suspense, comedy and romance. I believe that the author must work a little more on the action scenes, especially when there are several antagonists, but I still highly recommend this book.

Sookie and Bill are taking some time apart. Far apart. To Peru, apart. Its looking as though this separation may be permanent.

It's New Years Eve and Sookie has just finished work. She was expecting to arrive home to an empty house, expecting to spend the next few hours sleeping in her safe warm bed. What she wasn't expecting was to see a naked man running down the road as she dove home. A naked dead man. It was the vampire, Eric.

Eric has lost his memory. He is as helpless as a puppy, a puppy with very sharp fangs, and will trust no one but Sookie. Sookie now finds herself the babysitter to a very dangerous vampire who can't remember a thing, and not to mention has a number of very dangerous people out looking for her 'baby'.

And this is just the beginning of Sookie's problems. Her brother has disappeared, a new threat has moved into neighbourhood, and there is the law to deal with. Sookie is left to deal with this all on her own as all the men in her life seem to have left her in some way or other.

But Sookie isn't the only one with problems, the vampires and the Weres are dealing with a new enemy that will see them go to war, unfortunately for Sookie she seems to be right in the middle of it. Will Sookie be able to avoid becoming involved in the bloodshed, not to mention the attempts on her life? And will her brother be found, alive?

But it's not all bad for Sookie though, there is a marriage proposal of sorts, two in fact, not to mention a large sum of cash for her trouble.

Another well written, actioned packed mystery full of twists, dangers and new supernatural beings. Best of the series so far.

Throw in vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves, fairies, witches, a missing brother, and an ex-boyfriend who happens to be a vampire, and what do you get? Sookie Stackhouse's life! In Dead to the World, despite promises to leave the supernatural beings behind her, Sookie finds herself yet again caught up in the world of mystery of the undead. Thinking herself insulated against more interactions with vampires, Sookie is once again wrong as she discovers the sexy vampire Eric alongside the road on her way home from work on New Year's Eve. Only it's not the all-knowing, arrogant vampire she's used to seeing; Eric's memory has been erased and suddenly, he's a much kinder, gentler version of his former self. And what can Sookie do but agree to watch over him while his vampire circle try to chase down whoever has done this to him?

Lots and lots of supernatural beings populate this installment as we get our first look at witches, fairies, and werepanthers. Sookie's main concern, beyond taking care of the changed Eric (who grows sexier by the minute), is the sudden disappearance of her brother, Jason. Fearing the worst, the community goes looking for him but it's as though he's vanished without a trace. In her quest for her brother, Sookie sees for herself the devastation witches/werewolves can cause as the book builds toward a climatic battle between the local supes and a coven of witches determined to take over Area 5. And what on earth is the mind-reading Sookie doing in the middle of the battle? And how will she learn to live with herself if she, accidentally or not, causes death to a fellow human?

This book is indeed filled with many layers as Sookie's world expands with demands placed upon her. Sookie's very real devastation at losing her brother is tempered by her very real attraction to Eric, but will this version of Eric last? My one irritation with this novel is how much time Sookie spends crying, but at least there are legitimate reasons for it. Delightful and deadly, this is one of the best installments in this series yet. Recommended! On to number 5.

I am a big fan of sci-fi, horror and especially vampire novels. The Sookie Stackhouse series has become one of my favorite series! This is the fourth book in the series, and although it stands on its own, I would advise reading the series in order (Dead Until Dark; Living Dead In Dallas; Club Dead and Dead to the World.)

Sookie is a waitress working in a small town. Sookie is fun and lovable, and also telephatic. In a small town this has caused her a quite a few dating and relationships problems because she knows what everyone is thinking. Sookie is a very lovable heroine. She is just your average girl with everyday problems, e.g., an old car that she fears will break down, having enough money to pay the monthly bills, and at the moment, dealing with a breakup from her boyfriend Bill.)

In Sookie's world there are vampires, werewolves, witches and many other supernatural types. Although most people only know about the existence of vampires, the supernatural has become a part of Sookie's life through her ex boyfriend Bill, the vampire.

In Dead to the World, Bill and Sookie are still broken up, and Bill is going on a business trip to Peru. While he is gone, Sookie's biggest plan is to stay out of trouble which means stay away from all the supernatural elements which usually end up with her being injured. (If you have been reading the series, you know that Sookie is forever getting beat up and/or badly injured because she is dealing with supernatural creatures with extraordinary strength).

Now Sookie's plan is working fine until on the way home from work, she runs into a naked Eric (Bill's boss and another vampire) running alongside the highway. Sookie picks him up and discovers he has lost his memory. And Sookie being Sookie agrees to help hide him out from the people who hurt him, while also trying to help him get his memory back. Also a twist is thrown in when Sookie's brother disappears. There's the usual romance and southern charm, and all of the characters that we love in this series.

What makes this series work so well, is that Charlaine Harris has kept Sookie as a very loving character. You can't help but like her! She genuinely cares for people which is why she is always helping them and getting herself in trouble. Throw in all the supernatural characters in a small town setting and you have yet another winner by Charlaine Harris. I can hardly wait for the next book in the series.

Very enjoyable; highly recommend.

With her vampire ex-boyfriend heading out of town, Sookie Stackhouse looks forward to more peaceful (and lonely) times in small-town Louisianna. But when her brother starts dating a shape-shifter and hunky vampire Sheriff, Eric loses his memory and Sookie finds him running naked near her house, she realizes that the times will be anything but peaceful. With his memory intact, Eric was a jerk but he's sort of sweet without it--and Sookie has a hard time fighting the attraction. Still, she's made a new year's resolution--no more getting beat up. And if she hangs with Eric and the other vampires, she knows she's going to get hurt.
When her brother turns up missing, though, Sookie realizes that she can't just lay low. And with witches trying to take over nearby Shreveport (where Eric is from), it doesn't take long before she's in the middle of the fight of her life. There is one bit of good news. Despite a great figure and good looks, Sookie's mind-reading always scared away the normal males. But as she meets shifters, witches, vampires, and even a fairy, there are plenty of non-human and half-human males who find Sookie just what they are looking for--assuming she can survive long enough to create a relationship.
Author Charlaine Harris mixes up humor, suspense, magic, and a really nice character in Sookie Stackhouse for an especially strong entry into her Southern Vampire series. In a world where amoral vampires and amoral humans wage war for control, Sookie provides an ethical perspective and a bit of balance. Her concern for her missing brother and her ambivalent feelings toward Eric increase reader empathy with Sookie and our stakes in the outcome.
I've enjoyed each of the Southern Vampire novels but DEAD TO THE WORLD may just be the best.

I loved this book.

After much bitterness & delay, I finally decided to give this vampire series a try, & I'm very glad that I did. I don't think I'll start watching True Blood, but I definitely want to read the rest of the books.

I found that this book had a nice balance of vampirism (without too many overly cheesy moments), mystery, murder, & sex. It was darker & more violent than I had anticipated, but I mean that in the most positive sense. The fact that it takes place in Louisiana/New Orleans was an added perk (since it is my favorite place to visit). My only real complaint is that it ended far too briskly, & now I must finish the series. However, a long time vampire fan myself, I am happy to add this to my bookshelf.

I recommend it for vampire fans who'd like a bit more of a bite in their novels.

You don't go trick-or-treating and expect gourmet chocolate truffles.
You don't go to McDonald's and order $50 steak.
You don't go to Old Navy to find designer duds.
...you get my drift...

A lot of people have given this book and the series bad reviews based on a lack of plot or flat characters or what-have-you. There are some issues that kept me from giving this 5 stars (a little too much unnecessary sex, some character annoyances, etc) but for what it is it was great. I read all 9 currently available books in about a day each, one after another. So you can assume I found them highly enjoyable - especially once I moved past those little issues (if you know grass is green, but the author insists it's blue, then you just have to adjust your world view for the book's world and move on and then it's not a problem, right?). So I would totally recommend these to any adult looking for escapist fiction in an easy to read form.

A few disclaimers:
I wrote this after reading through book 9 and I do think it's better as a whole.
I had not heard of this series before I read it.
Aside from "Interview With a Vampire" this is my first foray into vampire literature.
I have not seen the HBO "True Blood" series.
I have never read a romance novel.
I haven't been able to read a fiction novel in MONTHS and so I was hungry for almost anything.

This has to be my favorite book in the series and certainly has propelled me into reading further. It has everything a vampire murder mystery romance should have! I swear, Charlaine Harris has created a whole other book genre! :)

With this latest "Southern Vampire novel," our telepathic heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, just your average, pretty young barmaid with the "disability" of being able to read human beings' minds, finds herself still on the outs with her first love, "Vampire Bill." And I have to take my hat off to Ms. Harris, because the characters are all so well written... I could FEEL Bill's strained propreity. He's never been a big talker, always polite and genteel, and while he's made Sookie feel like a million bucks at times, he's also done a no-no and broken her heart. Enter Eric, the vampire Viking who owns the bar, "Fangtasia," and has always been a delicious flirt with Miss Stackhouse. When Sookie finds Eric half naked and suffering from a witch's curse of amnesia, Sookie inadvertantly agrees to hide Eric in her house til the other vampires can sort out the curse.

In this novel, romance is rich, the sex scenes are STEAMY, the villains are scary as ever, and the writing is so good! I got shivers when Sookie went to the backwoods town of Hotshot, an unsettling place of shapeshifters. And the clipped, green lawns of the were community in Shreveport. Everything was so clear and detailed. And the characters were VIVID! Because of Sookie's "sixth sense," I felt like I knew everyone! And my favorite flirt, Eric, gets to show his true character (in my opinion). Loved loved loved this vampire romance!

This the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and this is also the series on which the HBO show True Blood is based. I watched season 1 of True Blook before reading this book and season 1 of the show follows the book pretty closely, even having Sookie wear some of the identical clothes she wears in the book, although there are some characters and plot elements in season 1 of the show that were not in the book (maybe they come in later books). The premise of the series is original and interesting -- it is set in a world where vampires exist and have recently "come out of the closet" and are trying to live in regular society in conjunction with humans. People believe that vampires are not really dead but are actually infected with a virus that causes their "condition." The main character, Sookie Stackhouse, is a human waitress in a bar in a small town in Louisiana. She is unusual in that she has some psychic ability (she can read minds) and, because of that, is somewhat alienated as a "freak." She meets Bill, a vampire trying to "mainstream" with humans and falls in love with him. The love story is the central premise although the overall themes of racism (against vampires) and being "different" are also a heavy focus. Putting aside some of the trite dialogue, this is a strong series in an increasingly popular genre.

True Blood is one of my favorite shows on television. I love the violence, the romance, the characters. I love it all, but I was still hesitant to jump on another vampire bandwagon. All I can say is that I should have jumped aboard sooner.

The plot of Dead Until Dark begins exactly the way the show does, and the fun of it grabs you from the start. Sookie, the telepathic waitress, meets Vampire Bill, and she is instantly drawn to him. Lots of tragedy ensue with a killer on the lose in Bon Temps, LA. No one knows who the killer is, but Sookie knows that he is after her.

I love Sookie because she stands up for herself (unlike another lover of vamps who will remain nameless), and this aspect really comes out in the book. Sookie, and all the characters, are incredibly likable. You root for them from the beginning, and I can't wait to start on the second book in the series.

That being said, the audio version of the novel had some pros and cons. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job as the voice of Sookie, but her reading of the male characters was a little comical. All of the male voices sounded pretty similar, and Sam in particular came out just like the "man" voice I use to imitate my husband. I know you can't hear it over the internet, but let's just say it's not good, and people laugh at me.

Overall, Dead Until Dark was great, and I am a little mad that you guys didn't tell me to pick up this book sooner.

I started this series without knowing its television counter-part.

I also read the next books AFTER this one, so trust me when I say this is a weak starter book.

I liked the rest of this series much better. I didn't like the way certain characters were introduced and I wasn't exactly thrilled with the main character either.

For those of you on the fence about continuing this series: do it. The rest of the books are so much better.

I will say that the series doesn't really stand well on its own, so read the books in order. At the same time, each book in the series is wrapped up well, so you don't feel obligated to continue if you do not wish to do so.

Each book in the series is better than the last. So please do not put this series down based on book 1. I promise you that it gets better.

Well the main reason I decided to read Dead Until Dark was because of the True Blood series on HBO, plus it was recommended to me by people from here and a few sites I belong to. I think I put off reading the book because I thought I wasn't in the mood for any more Vampires. This book is nothing like what I expected, which is a good thing. I found myself laughing out loud or having to stop myself from laughing to loud since I was reading it at work.

Dead Until Dark is the first book in a series by Charlaine Harris. I do not know exactly how many books there are going to be. I believe there are about 7 books in the series right now. The main character of the book is Sookie Stackhouse who is a small time cocktail waitress in a small town in Louisiana. She has a 'disability' that does frighten some people of Bon Temp. Sookis is able to read minds. Her disability makes it hard for her to have a relationship with men until she meets Bill one night at the bar that she works. Bill is a vampire and she is able to drop her guard when she is around him which she loves because of all the silence.

One of Sookie's co-workers is murdered and people think it is Sookie's vampire doing all the killing because the first girl that is murdered has old bite marks. Sookie fears she is the next one on the murderers list.

I found myself not wanting to stop reading the book. I would finish a chapter and find myself starting the next one right away. I enjoyed reading this book and seeing the vampires portrayed in a different way then what I read in the Twilight books. No sparkly vampires in this book.

5 stars

After finishing Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)series this summer, I was looking for a new series available on audio download to listen to during my daily commute to work. I tried reading Undead and Unwed (Queen Betsy, Book 1) which was ok, but the narrator butchered accents and dialect and left me feeling disconnected from the characters. Someone suggested the Charlaine Harris 'Southern Vampire Mystery' series, and I was soon hooked.

The entire audio series to date (books 1-8) has been narrated by Johanna Parker.

Book one, Dead Until Dark, introduces us to our heroine, Sookie Stackhouse - a telepath living in rural Lousiana. It is set in current times and we find that the world has been rocked by the announcement that Vampires are real and living among us. Luckily, with the invention of synthetic blood, vamps no longer require human blood to exist so they have started to integrate into society. Sookie soon finds herself involved with a handsome vampire and hunting down a murderer.

Johanna Parker does an excellent job narrating both the spoken dialog as well as Sookie's telepathic readings. The story is easy to follow, the characters are easy to distinguish, and Ms Parker handles accents and dialect without sounding cheesy or forced.

This series is not as intense and angst filled as the Twilight Series. It is fun and light... sort of chic lit with a vampire twist. Sookie's character is very likeable and you can't help but root for her. This book was an easy read (or listen, in my case). I would absolutely recommend the audio version of this story.

The 8th book in the series bring A LOT of changes to Bon Temps and the vampire/shifter world, along with dragging Sookie into the mix.

Barely getting back into the swing of things from the hotel explosion and the ramifications of what happened at the summit Sookie finds out that her tiger is missing and she has no way to find him. Along with a missing boyfriend Sookie has to find out why so many shifters are dying and what she can do to stop it.

With all that is going on Sookie also has to deal with the fact that she meets her great grandfather, a Fae King. Along with dealing with the shifters she also has to find out what's going on with the vampire world and a new take over that could be fatal to any vampires she knows and a new family member, Sookie has to deal with a very tall, very blond viking vampire who doesnt know what to do with the feelings he has for her, then he remembers their actual time together.

From Dead to Worse shifted the focus yet again to the shifter world for most of the time, some of the scenes were good and some bad(this might be a little bias sorry), but even with the shift of focus the book was yet another great addition to the series by Charlaine Harris. I recommend the book to fans of the series and not to read the book as a stand alone, the series has too much history to read any of the books as a stand alone. They just wouldnt make sense.

ash

In Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1) by Charlaine Harris, readers are introduced to Sookie Stackhouse, a resident telepath, waitress, and spunky young woman, her brother Jason who has a revolving door in his bedroom, her boss Sam Merlotte, and of course, her vampire, Bill Compton. They all live in Bon Temps, Louisiana.

(If you haven't watched the HBO series True Blood based upon this series of books you better get watching. But I digress.)

Sookie and Bill meet at Merlotte's and they quickly fall into bed after some initial posturing. Readers should know where this relationship was headed from the way Sookie looks at Bill and the way Bill reacts to her presence. The plot is thick with sexual tension and drama, from the way Bill silently stares at Sookie to the way she feels at ease because she cannot hear Bill's thoughts and from the entrance of outrageous vampires from nearby Monroe to the murders of two fang-bangers.

Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 1) will suck readers into the swampy, wooded south populated with vampires, telepaths, and more. Sookie is strong, hot tempered, loyal, and eager to help those in need, while Bill is her polar opposite, struggling to regain his humanity against his vampiric qualities. Like any good vampire story, there is a "love" triangle of sorts, murder, mayhem, and triumph. A good start to the series, which vampire/fantasy readers will love and other readers can enjoy as well.

I love this series and I absolutely loooove the characters. No other series of books makes me more excited about reading as this one. What is different about these than other series is that the heroine actually has morals and sticks to them. I read about three to four books a week and this is the only series that contains a main character that understands the difference between right and wrong, attends mass on Sundays, believes in abstaining from sex in a relationship until she actually gets to know the person, is committed to one person if she is dating him, and respects her elders. Added bonus is the fact that not every man that comes within walking distance falls in love with her and attempts to get her in bed with them. Some men are interested, some could care less, some even hate her--you know, like normal. Whereas other novels have a habit of throwing men at their heroine. Even though this is a paranormal book, this realistic look and down-home sweetness makes the book relatable as well as likable. I adore Sookie!

On the slightly downside...the reason I gave this four stars instead of five is because Harris did something wacky with the plot. Like other reviewers mentioned, for some strange reason there was no one definable plot line but several strong plot lines running in a series. It was like reading a bunch of short stories in a row about the same character. Each problem was solved, but it messed up with the flow of the book.

Overall, I still enjoyed the book immensely and would highly recommend this series, although, I suggest you read them in order.

I stared reading this series when I read a short story in the series (later on) in the book "Bite" that included other vampire stories, among them one in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton (one of my favorite vampire series), now I am quickly becoming addicted to this one.

Contrary to the reviews belows, there is an ending, so I don't understand why they say that. We have multiple murders, we try to guess who is committing the crimes, we blame innocent people, and at the end Sookie get attacked by the murderer, whom we find out is the real killer since she gets into his brain (she can read minds) and finds out.

The story begins when she is at work, like usual, and then suddenly a vampire enters, who happens to be Bill. She realizes that he is a vampire and notices that a very popular vampire-drainer couple is also at the restaurant (they drain vampires and can sell a vial of their powerful blood for up to 200 bucks a pop, and they don't tip either). So, when she sees Bill leave and the couple after him, she knows that they are looking to drain him too, and she could not stand to know that they would be doing that. So she borrows a chain from her brother and proceeds to kick their ass.

From then on, there is a very strong attraction between Bill and Sookie, enough to make them both think about what they are doing. At the same time, women are being killed off, suffocated and raped, who happen to be vampire lovers- meaning they give themselves to vampires so that they can feed off them. Sookie, as well as others, try to figure out who is killing these women, so she drops her shields at random times to see if she can hear anything, but it doesn't always work.

I see how this book can be a pilot, but we do have a conflict and a resolution, yet, the reader somehow knows that this is the first book in a series. Also, Bill and Sookie together are SOO HOT!! Just reading about their relationship makes me want to continue the series, also because of all the different plots offered, I just can't wait to continue the series!

A friend of mine recommended this series. I am glad I gave it a whirl. Dead Until Dark is a vampire mystery set in rural Louisiana and a great introduction to Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series. Sookie Stackhouse is a young cocktail waitress with a "disability" that's made her self-conscious about dating. The aforementioned disability is that she can hear people's thoughts. But when she meets a sexy vampire named Bill, not only is she excited to have finally met an actual vampire, she also likes the fact that she cannot hear his thoughts. Despite some disturbing habits, associations with various creepy vampires and the fact that he's over a century old, Bill is quite a charming fellow, especially after he tells some poignant stories about his stint as a soldier during the Civil War to Sookie's grandmother. However, strange things begin to happen in the small town of Bon Temps. Several women with a penchant for vampires turn out dead. The fact that the women have vampire marks makes Bill a suspect. After all, he's admitted to having killed people... There are various twists throughout the novel.

Many reviewers have compared this series with Anne Rice's vampire chronicles and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake novels -- especially the latter one. The only similarities between Hamilton's and Harris's books are the vampires and the whodunit aspects of the stories. Also, in this book the vampires are far more benign, even the scary ones. The story in general is lighter and funnier. In fact, sometimes the author spoofs the vampire genre, making fun of stereotypes in vampire novels (like the fact that Bill has an ordinary name instead of a ridiculously exotic one). The aforementioned aspect of the story reminded me of MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series, only this one is nowhere near as zany. I must say, however, that the potential love triangle between Sookie, Bill and a shape shifter reminded me of Anita Blake. But the novels are essentially different. The sometimes satirical approach makes it great for me. I loved the whole Bubba thing! It made me laugh out loud. I am glad that the author came up with such a funny idea. All in all, comparisons with Laurell K. Hamilton and Anne Rice aside, Charlaine Harris has written a terrific book. The series seems promising, and I'll definitely give the other installments a whirl. Highly recommended...

"Dead Until Dark" by Charlaine Harris is a phenomenal read filled with intriguing, likable characters and a wonderfully original storyline that made this book impossible to put down. I was utterly absorbed in this fast-paced and thrilling story and loved EVERY minute of it!
Sookie Stackhouse lives in a small town in rural Louisiana and makes her living working in a bar called Merlotte's. But Sookie has a kind of disability, she's a telepath, though most people just think she's crazy. The truth of the matter is that poor Sookie is nearly DRIVEN crazy by all the thoughts belonging to other people whizzing around in her head all day long. Which makes it pretty hard for Sookie to have a normal dating life. It's not that she isn't pretty, because she is, it's just that Sookie finds it hard to get in the mood with someone who is critiquing her ... or wishing she was someone else.
Then one day, Bill the vampire walks into her work and sits down, and all she hears from him is . . . NOTHING! There is a blissful silence in the region where Bill's thoughts should be invading her mind and Sookie is overjoyed. But when she listens into some human thoughts she finds out that Bill is in serious danger. Sookie manages to save Bill's life (or should that be death?) and then Bill and Sookie's relationship grows from there.
But strange things are happening in the sleepy little town of Bon Temps. Young women are turning up dead, strangled, and each of them has vampire bites on her body. And though Bill and Sookie are growing closer by the day, Bill hangs out with a seriously creepy bunch of vampires who are suspected of these murders.
Bill and Sookie are one of the BEST couples I have encountered in a long while. They have an intense chemistry with each other that makes for some amazingly erotic and sensual encounters to tantalize readers. But in addition to that passion, Bill and Sookie come to truly love and care about one another and I had a hard time remembering that they weren't real friends of mine.
So while Bill and Sookie become more and more important to one another, many circumstances try to tear them apart. The head honcho vampire of the area, Eric (a former Viking) wants Sookie to use her telepathic skills to help him find someone who's stealing from him, and he wants Sookie for himself. The murders that keep occurring make hatred against vampires a common thing in the town of Bon Temps, which could spell disaster for Bill. Sookie's boss, Sam, suddenly decides to make a play for Sookie when he sees that he is losing her to Bill and in addition to all this, Sookie thinks she may be next on the murderer's list, as a waitress from her work becomes the next victim.
All of these complications build towards a thrilling climax and, very sadly, the end of the book. Luckily for me I had "Living Dead in Dallas" as well so I didn't have to wait to read more about my new favourite vampire, the undeniably sexy Bill, and the witty, quirky, and just plain wonderful Sookie. And by the way "Living Dead in Dallas" is just as good as "Dead Until Dark", I'd give them both 6 stars if I could!
All-in-all, you just don't want to miss "Dead Until Dark". Charlaine Harris has created a fantastic set of characters who will continue to enthrall me for as long as she writes about them. Harris has proved what a talented author she truly is and she can't write this series fast enough for me. So don't miss out on all the fun, passion, and danger, buy "Dead Until Dark" today!

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome-and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life...
But Bill has a disability of his own: he's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of-big surprise-murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next...
"I'd been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar."

Gasp!!!! I think I am officially hooked. Charlaine Harris is amazing!!!! I've got a book crush on Bill!!!!! Lol. Great adventure and action wrapped around mystery. A must read to anyone who loves the whole paranormal/vampire stuff. Looking forward to book two!!!

This genre is something I have not been interested in over ten years. I went through a Poppy Z Brite phase years ago, but moved on to mostly Non-Fiction and Beat writers. A person whose taste in books I very much respect INSISTED I check these out, and even forced this title as well as Living Dead In Dallas into my hands as they were waving "Nooooooo". I am a rebel in that way-if there is a series of books that are all the rage, I fight the temptation until it's "sooo last week." But that's not why you are reading this review, you want to know if it's worth a gander.

Like another reviewer stated, I found myself reading this whenever I could find the time. It wasn't like my usual relationship with a book I can't put down-the writing isn't poetic, the plot is simple yet twisted, the characters are just your average folks in a small town. A lot of them reminded me of people I knew in my own hometown. They seem to dress the same too. Somehow it sucked me in, I wasn't moved but I could not wait to find out what happened next. Harris has definitely got a knack for mystery. She held my attention for longer than five minutes, and that is a gift.

Here's an analogy that describes my over all opinion of the book. You are sitting in a lovely restaurant eating the most decadent piece of Tiramisu you have ever put in your mouth. Your salivary glands tingle, you close your eyes and savor every morsel. You leave satisfied with your belly full and tell all your friends that they just have to go to this restaurant. This book isn't like that. It's more like sitting on your couch zoning on the TV with a an addicting bag of chips.

It begins where Club Dead left off. Vampire Bill and mind-reader Sookie are still on the outs and he's off to Peru for business. His behavior in the previous book is somewhat explained but - It doesn't appear that she's forgiving him. Eric (Bill's superior) shows up running naked on a deserted road with no memory of who he is (he knows he's a vampire) but he does learn to trust Sookie as she picks him up and brings him back to her house - putting herself at some risk. Witches have stolen his memory as it is quickly discovered and Sookie is given the somewhat dangerous task of watching over Eric as said witches are now looking for him. Thanks to her mercenary brother, Jason, she'll at least be getting paid for it. But Jason goes missing as well, adding to Sookie's worries.
Alcide, the werewolf and his evil little fiance have cameos and Sam, Sookie faithful friend and boss, is there to help and give advice.
Some problems: Sookie is becoming the adored and wanted one by every supernatural male she comes into contact with - though apparently they'll cheat on her. There are some slow parts but the book does keep moving without suspending its own reality. The witches could have had more of a role - been more explored - as it was they were just sort of there for Sookie and gang to have some new supernatural thing to fight. There were a lot of loose ends at the end of the book so I'm really anxious for the next installment (just my problem I guess).
Hopefully Eric keeps his lead role as I really enjoyed him - though I prefer him with all his memory. Just a fun character to read.
This really is a series - the author doesn't do a lot of back storying. Some of the character interaction may not be understood if their relationship began in a previous book. It's better to read them in order (1. Dead Before Dark, 2. Living Dead in Dallas, 3. Club Dead, 4. Dead to the World).
A fun read with intersting characters.
Also recommended: Christopher Moore - Boold Sucking Fiends: A Love Story
Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake Series)

This is the 8th installment of the Sookie Stackhouse series. Sookie has returned to Bon Temps after book seven's out of town vampire conference that ended with an exploding hotel and Sookie's boyfriend Quinn has gone missing. Book 8 has Sookie involved in a Were battle, meeting with her faery great-grand-father, and a vampire takeover of Louisiana.

my review- At this point, I think I am only reading these hoping for some vampire Eric-Sookie love. This just had some flirting, not very satisfying. This had a bunch of smaller plot lines instead of one large story. This made for a better read I thought, as it focused more on Sookie. However, it wasn't particularly dramatic and it felt a bit like things were being wrapped up, except for the Eric love. Which is wasn't because there is book 9 and 10. But I don't think I will read them unless I can be guaranteed my Sookie-Eric fix. I think it is time to move on to a new vampire series. Or I may check out other Charlaine Harris work. Or both. But for now, I think I am out of the Sookie Stackhouse game. Which means I won't complete the challenge but I am okay with that. I'd rather spend my time on a book I want to read. But I have until June 30th to change my mind!

my rating 3/5

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-town cocktail waitress in Louisiana. She is a human with the special talent of telepathy. Since the Great Revelation, when vampires announced their presence to the world, everyone's eyes have opened. Sookie's first real boyfriend, Bill Compton, came around shortly thereafter. Since vampires are dead, it is tough for Sookie to hear their thoughts. It made Bill perfect for her. Until Bill cheated on her (last book) and they broke up. Through Sookie's adventures with Bill, she learned that Vampires are not the only supernatural predator in the world. But Weres, Fairies, Shifter, and the like, still did not want their presence known to humans.
Bill is off to Peru, on assignment, for a couple of weeks. The New Year's Eve celebration finally ends. Sookie's resolutions are to not get beaten up and to stay out of trouble. (Har-de-har-har!) The night is not even over and Sookie is driving home when she spies a man running, nude, down the road as if someone or something is after him. Turns out that he has amnesia. He has no memory of why he is tunning in the nude. He does not even know his name. Sookie does, of course. It is Eric! He is still scary and sexy, but no longer cruel and sly.
A coven of powerful witches have moved into the area. They plan to take over the businesses of the vampires. The leader, Hallow, cursed Eric with amnesia, but did not expect him to vanish. The witches put a huge bounty out for information on Eric's location. Sookie has the task of keeping Eric hidden in her home, until the evil witches are dealt with. Sookie knows this is dangerous, but she is more worried about how alluring the new, nicer Eric is. At the same time, Sookie's brother, Jason has disappeared.
**** If you do not read the previous books in this series, you will find yourself wondering why Sookie is worried about a few things. This book picks up a few weeks after the last one left off. As usual, the novel begins and ends the major plot of the story. But a few juicy sub-plots are left dangling, to be continued in the next. Those on-going tid-bits are one of the wonderful things the fans of this series enjoys very much! But this book does not touch on the Sookie, Bill, and Eric triangle as much. Bill is demoted to a minor character this time around.
The author is just as witty in her writing as always. Jason, Sookie's brother, is finally being pulled into the Supernatural mess as well. Lively (no pun intended), witty, intense, and just plain fun reading. Wonderful! ****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris is our introduction to Sookie Stackhouse, the Vampire Bill and the colorful town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.
Sookie, a very blonde, buxom, barmaid is not your average girl in Bon Temps. She has the ability to read other's minds. This ability is not an asset when working in a bar. Image if you could `hear' someone's thoughts, worries, dreams, their most intimate feelings. How is a girl supposed to find a boyfriend in the backwater of Louisiana when she is acutely aware of all his thoughts? Sookie has found a solution - the Vampire Bill. Vampires where `outed' some years ago after the invention of artificial blood. Sookie is unable to read the minds of vampires and finds great comfort in the arms of Bill.
Sookie begins her adventure with a chance encounter with the Vampire Bill and the `Rat' couple, some local trailer park trash. Things quickly escalate as Sookie faces a series of murders that - surprise, surprise - appear to have been committed by a vampire.
Dead Until Dark is a hilarious adventure from start to finish. From Sam Merlot, the bartender with secrets of his own, to Jason, Sookie's brother and all around stud-muffin with a fancy pick-up truck, all the characters are colorful and entertaining. While Dead Until Dark is not dark, heavy, horror, it is entertaining and engaging.
Many have compared the Southern Vampire series to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series. While both series focus on human/vampire relationship, the similarities are few. Sookie lacks the predatory aspects of Anita Blake. Sookie is also very naïve, while no one would ever consider this of Anita Blake. Anita is very angst driven. In contrast, Sookie is just a nice, hard working girl who happens to have some gifts or disabilities depending on your point of view. Dead Until Dark does share the mystery elements Laurell K. Hamilton focused on in the early Anita Blake novels.
Charlaine Harris is the other of three more Sookie novels; Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead, and Dead to the World, to be published May, 2004. She is also the author of two popular mystery series; the Aurora Tegarden series and the Lily Bard Shakespeare series.

I'll have to start off by letting you know this is not my type of book. I'm not much in to the paranormal romance stuff but I do give it a try once in a while. I have a friend though who reads nothing but this kind of genre. She told me about this series a long time ago and has declared it one of her favorites. I decided to give it a try (seriously doubting I would enjoy it). Boy! I am so glad I did. This book is absolute fun! It was suspenseful but at the same time made me laugh throughout the whole book. I would have to say that the best part of the book is the main character... Sookie Stackhouse. She is smart, pretty, sarcastic and pure southern. She would be someone I would want to hang out with. She has one "problem" though. She's telepathic. Even though we might think that would be cool, a lot of the time it isn't. Sometimes you just don't want to know what people are thinking! Sookie is a small time waitress at a bar and she always wanted to meet a vampire now that they are accepted in the real world. Soon she gets her chance. Not only does she get to meet him but saves his life as well. This puts a bond between them that keeps the book rolling with action and adventure. If you love vampires, southern hospitality, good laughs and a book that keeps you going then I highly recommend this one for you!

Very well written! I should start by saying I usually prefer to read the book before watching the movie/tv show, but in the case of the Sookie Stackhouse novels/True Blood, I did the opposite. I binge watched True Blood through 6 seasons before reading this book! Anyhow, Harris writes this book in such a way that the reader bonds to the characters in the book and can really relate to Sookie (as odd as she is). The dialogue and narration used in this book is very effective to setting the scene, getting to know the characters, and really putting you in the story.
I judge a book based on how eager I am to return to reading it, and this one had me getting ready for bed early, just so I could turn the pages and be transported back to Bon Temps!
It's an easy and relatively short read, so it's great to read before bed or while laying poolside or at the beach.

Sookie Stackhouse is just about perfect: she is blonde, beautiful, hardworking, takes care of her grandmother and her irresponsible brother, doesn't mind living in a small town, enjoys being a waitress...and everyone thinks she is crazy. She cannot get a date or stand being around most men because she is telepathic. So when she meets the vampire Bill, who is trying to "mainstream" (live among humans) and finds that she cannot read his thoughts, she falls for him. However, having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't as easy as one would think. Bill has really creepy friends, drinks synthetic blood and may be a psychotic murderer. Someone in town is strangling women who are vampire junkies, and Bill is the only vampire who lives there. So Sookie sets out to find the murderer and clear Bill and her brother's name. In the midst of the investigation, she comes to the attention of a really handsome, really powerful, older vampire who sees that she could be very useful. Sookie isn't interested, but Eric plays by his own rules. Then, as if her love life wasn't confused enough, Sookie finds out that her boss, Sam, is really a shapeshifter and is falling in love with her too...
This book was a little slow at the beginning, but once Harris got going, Sookie became a delightful character to read about. She is funny and sarcastic and has a very interesting way of seeing life. Of course, being able to read minds will probably give you a slightly skewed vision of humanity. Anyway, I loved Harris' characters. Even the supporting characters were well drawn and you felt that you knew just about everyone in town that Sookie knew.
I also enjoyed the idea of the vampires coming out of the closet, so to speak. The vampires were using the press to claim that they were victims of a virus and that they couldn't do anything about their condition. So Japan created a synthetic blood (in different blood types/flavors, of course) that the vampires could live off of. The vampires didn't have to hide anymore and many were becoming policemen and the like to use their talents to help society.
The only complaint that I have is that the mystery plot was pretty weak. There was not a lot of time given over to the mystery and the ending was kind of abrupt and a little too neat. This was unfortunate because everything else about the book was great. I look forward to reading more books by Charlaine Harris and hope that she sticks with this series for a while. If you like Laurell Hamilton, Tanya Huff or Susan Sizemore, you will love Charlaine Harris.

Sookie Stackhouse has given up ever trying to find a man in her life. Why so? Her ability to hear the thoughts of those around her has given her a more than quick glimpse into the dirty laundry of her little town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. She's stuck in a dull, rut of an existance not just in her lovelife but also in her work and at home. A waitress at a quaint little diner, Sookie must try to make ends meet to keep the familial home her grandmother has left her. It's the only thing left in her life worth keeping and even then there's a danger that she may lose it. Just when she thinks things will never look up for her a certain stranger arrives into town that will change her life forever.

Dead Until Dark is a very good introductory novel to Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries series. She's taken a similar route that Laurell Hamilton took with her Anita Blake series in that the protagonist is a woman who suddenly realizes that her preternatural powers has attracted to her a new breed of men of which exotic would be an understatement. The new man in Sookie's life is Bill, a handsome vampire passing by Bon Temps who catches not just her eye but her curiosity. Sookie cannot read or catch any thoughts from Bill and this is a breath of fresh air for her. Their mutual attraction doesn't flare up right away but grows gradually. Unlike Ms. Hamilton's predilection for interjecting way too much sex (and in the latter installments of the Anita Blake series, quite explicit), Ms. Harris doesn't go for the gold right away. There's abit of a sweet naivete in Sookie's life and her interaction with Bill. I like the sizzling sexual exploits in Ms. Hamilton's books as any fan of hers, but I found the traditional courting of Sookie by Bill to be quite endearing. The book doesn't just involve a growing look into Sookie and Bill's relationship. They also have to contend with the fact that people are gradually going missing or found murdered in her little town. Being the stranger, Bill is suspected right away. It's up to Sookie to find out the truth before whatever she and Bill might have together disappear like a puff of smoke.

Charlain Harris has started off her new Southern Vampire Mysteries series in a very good way. She's created quite a funny, endearing and complex character in Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie's not as abrasive and calculating as Anita Blake which makes her quite a nice counterbalance for fans of Anita looking for something new. Dead Until Dark is abit too short and rushes the solving of the murder mystery abit to hastily in the end, but overall the book itself was a fun and entertaining read. I'll be waiting to see whatever adventures Ms. Harris has in store for Sookie.

This is a lot of fun to read! Harris blends the supernatural with a mystery plot quite well here - and though I spoiled the mystery for myself by first watching the first season of True Blood: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy), it did not in any way detract from the fun time I had reading this book! Sookie's telepathic powers are handled much better in the book, and add a lot more depth and dimension not only to her character, but to the other characters she encounteres. Though HBO does a very good job of adapting this to the television screen, there are some major differences. Tara's role, in particular stands out. Despite her large role on the show, she does not even appear in this first novel! Which is rather a shock. The show draws out the pacing a bit more and has more cliffhangers, so with its greater action, is perhaps a bit more thrilling. But, the show doesn't manage to capture all of the atmospheric details, and is a much more fascinating piece of entertainment. Personally, in both the show and book, I prefer Sam to Vampire Bill. The second season has not been released on HBO, but I am quite excited to see where the books will go. I hope that HBO will follow Showtime's pattern with the Dexter books, which stays close to the novel's plots in the beginning before diverging into a different direction. This allows for both formats to be enjoyed with plenty of surprises all around!

I have to say I like Eric so much better than Bill, so I was thrilled to see that this volume is Eric-centric, and I did not miss Bill one bit. Eric's personality change while under the influence of amnesia really makes you wonder what he was like before he became a vampire, what kind of man he was then.

In this entry in the series, Bill has gone to Peru to work on his book, and Eric has been cursed by a witch who wants to take over his empire, not to mention himself. He has no memory of who he - or anyone - is. For his own safety, Pam, his second in command, decides that it would be best for him to stay with Sookie until the witch can be found and made to reverse the curse.

Alcide is also featured in this one (as is the horrible Debbie Pelt to a lesser extent), and between him and Sam I already felt like Sookie would be just fine if Bill were gone permanently. Who new Eric would come into the mix in such a big way? But hooray!

I'm trying not to give away too much, which makes it hard to really say anything about Sookie and the kinder and gentler Eric's relationship throughout this book. It will be interesting to see how the relationship is played out in future volumes.

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie can read minds - this would seem like a gift to some, but to Sookie, it's a disability. Listening to everyone's thoughts is overwhelming and blocking them out gets very tiring. Sookie is thrilled when a vampire, Bill Compton, comes into the small bar she works in because she's been wanting to meet a vampire ever since they became legally recognized.

Sookie and Bill become involved in an on again/off again relationship and several women in Bon Temps have been murdered. Some people suspect vampires are guilty and others suspect Sookie's brother, Jason. Jason asks Sookie to do some mind reading to solve the crimes and clear his name.

There's a little more to DEAD UNTIL DARK by Charlaine Harris, but I don't want to reveal any spoilers. I've read a lot of reviews of this book and know lots of people who loved it. I think my expectations were set too high, because it was just a little better than average for me. I couldn't understand Sookie's attraction to Bill and was frustrated at times with their relationship. I also felt like the story got bogged down in unnecessary details and like the reader wasn't given enough clues to try to solve the mystery. The story was a light, fun read but it just didn't draw me in like I was expecting it to.

I've liked all the books in the series so far, and I think this book is even better than the previous book. The series centers around Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who lives in a small town where everyone knows what she can do, even if no one really wants to think about it that much. In this book, Sookie's ex-boyfriend, a vampire named Bill, has left for Peru. This doesn't mean that Sookie's life is quiet, however. She finds Eric running along a road. He was apparently cursed by a witch and now has amnesia. Sookie has to keep him safe from the witches while she and his people try to get his memory back. Unfortunately, the witches also have shapeshifters in their ranks, so Sookie, the vampires, and the werewolves have to work together if everyone is to survive.
Since I've never really liked Bill, I was glad that he was gone for most of this book. Although I missed the old Eric, I loved the relationship that Sookie had with Eric in this book. It was really very sweet, and I even cried a little at the end (not telling you why, though - you'll have to read the book to find out). I love the author's sense of humor, even though there didn't seem to be as many opportunities for it in this book. The book may not have ended with a great big plot cliffhanger, aside from a few things, but it did end in a fairly large character cliffhanger. I can't wait to find out how Sookie deals with her relationships with all the various people in this book. I can't really say much about that without giving parts of the book away, but, if you liked the previous books, this book is a must read. If you haven't read the previous books, there are several recap passages in this book. However, you should probably read the other books first, if you want to fully enjoy this book.

Sookie is a waitress with a "social handicap" - she can read minds. Because of this she has little social life and doesn't date. A vampire walks into the bar, and she is relieved to finally meet someone whose mind she can't read. Because of her mind-reading, she can also tell that the local white trash couple also currently present in the bar plan to trap and "drain" the vampire (to sell his blood, which has curative properties). Rather unbelievably (and in a foolhardy manner) she goes out to the parking lot and singlehandedly rescues him. A few nights later, he returns the favor and rescues her. This is all in the first chapter. So much for buildup. Many more dramatic events and the resolution of a local murder mystery follow.

I'm of two minds about this one. Parts of it were funny. I enjoyed it. I finished it. I have no desire to continue the series. The strong attraction between Sookie and Bill did not feel completely believable or developed to me. Although Sookie is an interesting character, I found her sort of irritating, but I'm not able to put my finger on why. I think part of it might be that her emotional and psychological responses didn't seem in keeping with the nature of the events she was going through. For example, a close relative is killed, and you were the intended victim. Would you be worried about your romantic life? Would you be staying in the same house, alone?

Louisiana, home of Merlottes, a nice neighborhood bar owned by Sam Merlotte. A "virus" is plaguing a percentage of the population and this "virus" causes some to have an extreme allergy to sunlight, silver, and wooden stakes. Funny, but when I was growing up, we called these people "vampires". Enter Ms. Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie is a barmaid at Merlottes and she also has a special talent, she can read minds. After saving a vamp from being drained of his blood, which is supposed to have special powers and is sold for high dollar, she falls in love with him and discovers she can't read his mind. This is a great news to Sookie. Finally she can date someone who won't insult her just by the thoughts in their heads. Sookie, suprisingly, can't read Sam's mind either. Curious, Sam isn't a vampire, is he? When people start dying and the vampires are being blamed, it's up to Sookie to defend the man she loves and catch the killer before he/she catches her.

Ms. Harris has created a wonderful cast of characters that are original and fun. They come alive on the page. It is fun to watch them grow and develop right before your eyes. There is a lot of story in the short 260 pages. It's packed with mystery, horror, humor, and heart warming moments that will remind you of a small town and it's inhabitants. The only problem I had with this book was I got tired of the sex between Sookie and Bill, her vampire lover. Once Ms Harris described a scene to two, we got the idea, move on.

I enjoyed the uniqueness of this book. It will appeal to alot of people on many different levels and reading genres. Ms Harris has a hit with this one. So snuggle up on the couch with your favorite beverage and enjoy this one.

Upfront I will say that before I read Dead Until Dark I had seen Season 1 of True Blood so it was an exercise in compare and contrast for me. And this is one of those rare cases where I liked the show a bit more than the original source material, the book. But no matter, I still enjoyed the book and am excited to continue reading the series and watching the series to see what other kinds of adventures Sookie gets into. I've tried to close my ears to spoilers but a few minor things have gotten through and they sound exciting to me!

While Season 1 of True Blood follows the same basic plot it was interesting to see the few differences, who was present for what and even a few characters that were a bit different or not even present in the book. Since the book is told from Sookie's perspective and the show follows all the characters around you hear everything straight from Sookie in the books. I think that made it a bit harder to get to know all of characters as well as you do on the show, but at the same time makes Sookie more lovable because you are with her the whole time. I love the world that the author has created, vampires living out in the open with humans and whatever else exists in her world!

Overall a great start to a series and introduction to a world. I can't wait to read ahead of True Blood and enjoy the books before the show!

"Dead Until Dark" begins the "Southern Vampire Mysteries" by introducing Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Having initially caught onto the novel via the "True Blood" series on HBO, my mental imagery is somewhat contaminated. A couple differences exist between the two yet one can mostly expect similar action. The author's writing is not complex, focusing on Sookie in the first person point of view narrative. Descriptions and dialogue are easy to follow however the recurring sexual theme might dissuade those wishing to encourage young readers.

Sookie maintains a mental barrier, preventing her from going crazy by hearing people's thoughts. One night a vampire Bill Compton enters the bar and therefore her life. She's young, somewhat naïve, and becoming more curious and active regarding couples interaction. As an earlier reviewer noted, Sookie finds odd times to express her excitement given her original innocence. The internal conflict discovering a match rather realistically bounces between whom she fantasizes. The prevailing gossip and relations shown in small towns are well exemplified.

Initially the series appears to be young adult with tendencies toward action and suspense, not horror per se. I cautiously recommend this collection to any fan of the vampire genre.

Thank you.

Can life get more complicated for telepath Sookie Stackhouse? She's already fallen in love with Vampire Bill, been betrayed by him and almost killed for her trouble. In this, the fourth installment of Charlaine Harris' acclaimed Southern Vampire series, established characters take on new complexity and depth, and the reader dives ever deeper into the fantasy world of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie's peaceful rural home town turns out to have more than mere Machivellian intrigues involving vampires and werewolves.

Driving home from her job waiting tables at Merlotte's, Sookie almost hits a crazed, naked man running in a panic on the road. He turns out to be Eric, the blond and hunky vampire owner of Club Fangtasia. Eric has been bespelled and his memory erased by a powerful coven of evil witches who are intent on taking over his nightclub to establish an economic and political powerbase. The spell also renders Eric kinder and sweeter than his usual self, and Sookie finds herself falling head over heels in lust with him. And the feeling is mutual. How will she defeat the witches and restore order to the multiple kingdoms of vamps and weres? Aligned with established characters Sam, Alcide, Pam, and Jason, as well as some new weres and good witches, Sookie undertakes to banish the evil witches, restore Eric's memory, and still make her bills at the end of the month. Will Bill make up for his past offenses? Who will win control of Bon Temps and Sookie's heart?

This is another great Charlaine Harris read, and an essential installment. Drink it in and enjoy.

I've been eagerly awaiting this newest installment in the life of Sookie Stackhouse and the other supernatural residents of Bon Temps and Shreveport Louisana and I'm so happy to say I wasn't disappointed. From book one Harris has written with a great amount of humor and I was laughing just a few paragraphs into DTW as well. The books definitely have a Southern flavor, which makes them unique and very readable, if over a bit too fast.
I don't want to give many spoilers but I have to say I was very very happy with what happened between Sookie and Eric. As Bill was a great big butthead and cheated and nearly cost Sookie her life, I can see that she wanted to back off from him and he deserves to feel some uncertainty about her. I liked Bill from Dead Until Dark and Living Dead in Dallas but no one likes a cheater, especially when the girlfriend is someone like Sookie.
I've been an Eric fan since Living Dead in Dallas and I love how Harris gives us another view, the Eric behind the ego, the stripped down version, which seems to be perhaps what he was like as a human.
I love Harris' introduction of new weres and shifters into the story and unlike another reviewer, I can see how someone like Sookie, who is more than human, would be attractive to them and yeah, I think that a woman who has been essentially shunned and mistreated by the humans in her town deserves a little desire. It's not like she's doing anything about it with every single person who thinks she's cute.
My only disappointment was that it was over so fast and I hope it won't be another year before we get the next installment so we can see what the next steps will be between Sookie and Eric and Bill.

I had actually read this a coupla years back but never got around to reading any of the rest of the series and then the TV show came out which peaked my interest again and I have reread it.

I really loved it! A huge plus for me is the southern setting. With me being from the south I can relate so much with the characters and their drawl and speech, ect...

Sookie has a special talent of reading minds but she feels it is a curse because it's just downright unnatural and disturbing hearing the thoughts swimming around in anothers mind especially if there lewd and about her! Then Bill the vampire comes along and she cant read him and it's almost like she fell in love with him for that simple fact not to mention the fascination of him being a real live vampire! "Pun intended"

Sam the bar owner has always had a thing for Sookie but until he realized he may lose her to a vampire no less he never had the nerve to approach her with his feelings and now it may be to late.

Murders are piling up in Bon Temps and poor Sookie's brother Jason and vampire Bill are the top suspects!

I totally enjoyed reading this first book of the series and am looking forward to the rest. If you love a good vampire romance with a twist of mystery then this is your series!

[...]

Like other readers, I picked this one up because of HBO's True Blood series. My niece loves these and has read several volumes. I gave it a read and, well, I thought is was pretty good. Not great - but pretty good. The cover is very misleading - at first (before the show even started) I thought it was a young teen book so I didn't bother. Well, it's not.

The problem is, I read the first volume and wasn't motivated to read the others. Not really sure 'why' but I think its the way the story is presented. I read the entire Twilight series and loved it - they do not compare, so a reader cannot simply assume that if you like one you will like the others. Not that one is worse than the other, just different. Both are from the perspective of the main character, but both are presented rather differently.

I think the problem may be the flow of the story. Harris' writing style is great but gave me a little bit of a headache - I found myself sounding like I had a southern accent in my head while reading. The book is from Sookie's perspective composed of a series of short 'matter of fact' sentences, almost like ramblings of a southern girl.

The story is good, you just need to get used to the writing style.

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress with man problems. Okay, she's also got a disability; she can read minds. These two things combined with being heavily involved in the 'supes' community brings her nothing but trouble.

This eighth book in the series finds Sookie wondering where her most recent boyfriend has gotten off to. After the hotel explosion, Sookie headed home and everyone else went off to heal up and regroup. Sookie is of course trying to mind her own business. That doesn't last long.

Vampire intrigue, were politics and infighting, and magic issues to answer for surround Sookie. This keeps the book going as a real page turner with the action taking place over just a hand full of days. Sadly at the end we find Sookie no closer to settling in on a real relationship, and no better off with her family.

We find out Sookie has more family than she think and find out more inside scoop on her fairy protector. It turns out Sookie really is part fairy, hence the special gift. Sookie of course isn't finding the joy in the discovery, and finds it just complicates her life further.

Lots of twists and turns in this latest book. Lots of fights and not a whole lot of loving. Sookie gets injured again. Taking all of that in though, I'm giving this a thumbs up as the best of the recent books in the series.

Now I know why I've been hearing about this series for so long... lots of sex. There isn't that much bad language though, but if these things offend thee, seek thy reading elsewhere.

With 900 reviews already here, there's not much for me to add except for a few brief personal observations, both of which I feel are critical to assessing whether you will enjoy this book. First, it's well written. Ms. Harris has a way of plotting that is rather unique. All of the events or possible turnings that other writers would make into 'something important' --which the reader would guess would happen-- she has Sookie mention as obvious. And what a relief! Imagine a character as intelligent as her audience.

Second thought is that the book could have been shorter. Lots of good stuff here, but I got a tad impatient.

Worth looking at if you want a fun read. Innovative and refreshing.

Pam T~

I'm not going to compare the books to the television show. You may love one and hate the other or love/hate them both.

The premise is interesting. The heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, is a telepath and she falls in love with a vampire. Things kind of go downhill from there. Sookie is the most well-developed character in the book and even then it's kind of hard to care one way or another about her. We get some vague notions of what her vampire lover, Bill, is like, but aside from that, everybody else in the story might as well be a cardboard cut-out propped up in the background. In fairness, as of the date of this review, I've only read the first two books in this series and it may well be that these characters will be fleshed out as the series continues. Still, it would be nice not to have to wait that long.

Bottom line: interesting story, easy read, the narrative flows fairly well, but seriously lacks character development.

Further note: The series sort of skirts the boundaries of paranormal romance (although I wouldn't properly categorize it as such). Readers looking for that sort of thing might be better served by Nalini Singh or Meljean Brook.

This book is not for new readers. The books are all interconnected (much more so than most series) and there's much benefit to reading them in order.

I understand where many readers are coming from about a lack of plot from point A to point B. However, having read all of Charlaine Harris' other work, I think she meant this to be a transition piece and that she plans to take the character in another direction (like Aurora Teagarden in her A.T. mysteries (Pls. though, no shocking ending like one of the A.T. mysteries)). I found some points left open from the last book closed and new avenues opened so that the next book will be a "growth piece" so that the series will not stagnate. I found this book satisfying in wrapping up some things, like her relationship with Quinn (not sure how I feel about that, but I do lean towards Eric), Sookie's growth by ending it with Jason and the opportunities for the future.

Some of the Sookie Stackhouse books are more character studies than mysteries, slices of slightly dark americana from one person's view. I enjoy it for what it is and I like the fact that her life changes instead of the same old, same old.

For any readers thinking that the author brought in stuff from the blue, they should reread the whole series in a row and you'll see the connectiveness of the work.

It's not every day that you come across a naked man on the side of the road. That's why cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire-but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into who and why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But a greater danger could be to Sookie's heart-because this version of Eric is very difficult to resist...

"If there were an international butt competition, Eric would win, hands down-or cheeks up. He would get a large, large trophy."

Wow. A bloody battle!!!! Poor Eric, but in his current condition Charlaine Harris makes you fall in love with him. O_o. Loved the book... yep totally awesome. Same sookie, ready to tear everyone apart. Amazing character.

XOXO

~S~

I first read this in 2006 and never got to another Sookie book. Since I want to see True Blood whenever it comes out on DVD, and I don't quite remember too much of the book to get to the rest of the series, I decided to re-read it.

I really don't have anything additional to say to my first review, other than I'm not as picky about the romance this time around. So here's my original review from June 24, 2006:

I've been in a paranormal mood lately so figured I'd pick this one up and see what's different here. While there's nothing original in the vampire front, the story was nonetheless told in a new and fresh way. Although the start seemed slow, I quickly immersed myself into the pace of the book and thought it was quite fitting to it being a southern book. I enjoyed reading about the courtship between a vampire and human, although a slightly different human. It was kind of sweet and though I thought they professed their love to each other too soon, it was still quite lovely in a strange way. The mystery was nice in that I didn't necessarily know who the culprit was. I did have a niggling of who it was a few times but wasn't quite sure. The book also had some interesting characters and I am curious to what direction(s) the author decides to go next.

I absolutely love vampire stories. I wanted to like this series so badly, but I just couldn't. Ms. Harris' writing style is just not my cup of tea. I tried the first book several years ago and didn't like it then. Well, I started watching the True Blood series on HBO and absolutely love it, so I thought that perhaps my tastes had changed and maybe I would like the books this time around. Well, no such luck. The writing was just as I remembered. Someone then suggested I skip a couple books and read book 3. They said that is where it really starts to get good. Ugh. I couldn't get through book 3 either. I skimmed pages, skipped sections, then just flipped to the last couple pages to see how it ended. I truly don't understand all of the rave reviews. To me the Sookie in the book is just such an unlikeable ho' and Eric in the books is so ridiculous (maybe it is a bad dream, but I think I read a section of the book where he was wearing pink hot pants.) As a matter of fact, that is one of the things I just cound NOT get over, the weird clothing descriptions. Some of the clothing choices that Harris describes these characters as wearing is just so silly I would try to pretend like I didn't read the description, but just coulnd't get past it. The writing is not what I would classify as southern. I am originally from Arkansas and IMO it is more hick than southern. It is really hard to warm up to and become emotionally invested in any of the characters. No emotional connection AT ALL.

I like the premise, it is just the writing that doesn't suit me. It could have been so much better. I wish it had been done by say an Anne Rice or someone similar.

That said, I didn't like Anita Blake either, so if you like her stuff I think there is a good chance you will probably enjoy this. It just isn't my cup of tea.

Dead Until Dark grabbed me right away. Harris concocted a brilliant universe for Bon Temps, Louisiana. Vampires are now legally recognized (partly due to the Japanese invention of synthetic blood that makes feeding on humans a joy rather than a means of survival. I realize it sounds ridiculous, but it's somewhat believable because the story covers so many logical bases. If vampires were to be accepted into society, this model actually makes sense. Sookie is not necessarily a character I would instantly relate to if I met her on the street, but I did grow to like her as much as I liked her world.

The bottom line: I am ambivalent about vampires and Southern fiction as a genre. There are plenty of books (and tv shows) about vampires I like, but I don't read books simply because they're about vampires. I feel similarly about Southern fiction. Of course there are books I enjoy that are set in the South, but the setting does not draw me to these books. What this book is about is less important to me than how enjoyable it is to read. The world of Bon Temps is delightful not because it's Southern or has vampires, but because it's well-rounded and well thought out. Dead Until Dark is not great literature, but it is immensely entertaining and thought provoking.

While "Dead Before Dark" is a welcome addition to the horror --vampire/mystery/romance/girl power genre that Laurel K. Hamilton and Tanya Huff do so well, I found the basic premise of the story derivative of the two authors. It seems to follow the Laurel K. Hamilton pattern in particular. Girl with 'superpowers' falls for and has problems deciding between a vampire and shape shifter and or werewolf.
That being said, Charlaine Harris tells a fantastic a fun story with interesting characters and with a premise that I'd like to follow into an indefinite amount of sequels. The mystery is engaging, and any book that has the main character named Sookie is just too much fun.
Sookie reads peoples thoughts whether she wants to or not. Everyone thinks she's crazy because she spends so much time trying not to read other people's thoughts that it makes her dingy. So, she never has boyfriends, because really, who wants to be able to read their lover's mind in the middle of an intimate moment? Then Sookie's dream man, the one-man whose mind she can't read walks into her bar. The fact that he's a Vampire just makes dating a bit more complicated. Oh, and the fact that a killer is on the loose biting women's inner thighs and then strangling them to death, and her Vampire boyfriend Bill and her brother (who likes kinky sex) are at the top of the list of suspects.
Harris is definitely a new author worth watching and if you like your horror mixed with romance / laughter and a kick ... heroine then "Dead Until Dark" is the book for you.

I know what you're thinking, the True Blood books, like vampire porn... gross. Or at least those were my thoughts about the show when it first came on. But after a few people recommended the books to me saying that they weren't just full of dirty vampire sex, I decided to give them a whirl. What I liked about Dead Until Dark was that the main character, Sookie wasn't a thirty something like you find with most adult books nor a teenager like you find with the young adults, and because I myself am at that in between age I found her more relatable. Sookie Stackhouse is a normal young woman; normal pretty looks, normal size and height, normal job, normal friends, and a normal family. She lives in a fairly standard small country town. Everything about her seems ordinary except for the fact that she can hear living people's thoughts and seems to have a knack for attracting the extremely sexy supernatural, which is what lead her to be with vampire Bill Compton, the new vampire in town. Dead Until Dark is a sexy fantasy thriller filled with new love, mystery, murder.

As a rabid,yes rabid fan of the True Blood Series on HBO, I almost didn't want to read the books. Why I debated so long, I don't know but I guess I didn't want to ruin the integrity (and the fun) of the TV Series by reading the books. Well here it is, I've finished the fourth book and now I'm ready to roar. I can honestly say that the book vs TV Series argument shouldn't exist. They can almost be considered as separate entities with similarities but many differences. The books have been so much fun, actually more fun than the TV Series (but it doesn't mean I like the TV Series any less). The books are bloody, funny and whimsical with a proper dose of mystery and characters who seem to pop out at you. The fact that I can envision the face and bod of the gorgeous "TV Series Eric"(Alexander Skarsgard)to be the face of the gorgeous "book Eric" actually helps. So far this 4th book is my favorite. Would it be too "Misery" like if we tied up Charlaine Harris to write and write (without amputating her foot of course)so that this Series never ends? Keep em coming Charlaine, I'm devouring them like a six pack of True Blood.

I am a big True Blood fan and since it does not come back till the summer and i just got a new Kindle PW i figured now was a good time to read the books from which True Blood came.

I am just starting chapter 3 and it is hard to miss how repetitive Sookie is... I get it you read minds, but can't read Bill's or any other vampires mind. Saying it 10 times in a chapter will not change that. From watching the show i already know how the mystery will turn out, but oddly enough i am still excited for it.

If the rest of the series will be as repetitive i don't know how i'll be able to deal with it. I really want to love this book and even with the beginning of Sookie and Bill's romance and the mystery of who is killing the women of Bon Temps i can't with a clear conscience give this book more than 3 stars. If you really want to read it borrow it from your local library and save your money, i'm glad i did.

I can't believe I waited so long to start reading the book series. But, I think that being a long-time fan of the show actually made the book seem even better to me. The book was different, but just enough so to keep my interest. It seemed to add a new dimension to the characters that I already loved from the show. I definitely like "True Blood" better, at least for now, but I still have a lot of books in the series to get through, so who knows. I will say that enough was kept the same where if you know the plot of the TV show, you'll know the plot of the book. This book corresponds to season one of "True Blood", though as I already said, they certainly aren't completely alike.

It is very rare for a series to keep being this good with each book that comes out (except for the greatest series ever written by Diana Gabaldon; nothing compares with that now or ever). Usually by the fourth one the series gets boring, the characters lose their luster and the plots become too unbelievable. I did not give this book in the series a five star like the first three, finding both good and bad things to the overall story. The characters are still true, the plot still entertaining and I still can't put these books down once I pick it up. However, no matter how much I liked the plot, I found there was just a tad too much to swallow. I could have done without Jason being missing and that whole story, since there was enough for Sookie to deal with with Bill becoming an ex and Eric becoming the new lover (well, not the "real" Eric, but, you'll see). Poor Sookie just had too much on her plate and I wondered how she pulled through in the end. What a gal! Can't wait for the next one. I hope she and Bill get back together in the future.

I bought this book for an entertaining read on my 4 hour flight to Texas. Not really the type to read vampire/mystery/romance, I was really only looking forward to the humor in this book, it seemed like it would be very fun. The beginning was SO hard to get into. Ms. Harris uses a very poor and unbelievable plot device to get Sook closer to Bill, but I plowed through, hoping for it to get better, and it did, to an extent. Things I mainly disliked about this book were the reactions to people's deaths. No one really took much notice, despite the town being so small that everyone knows everyone- I'd think, even in the case of hated neighbors, that reactions should be just a tad heartfelt. But that's just my feelings. Other than that, the sex scenes were laughable and embarrassing.
Unlike other reviewers, I found the writing style itself engaging. Sookie is a good character, and normally I dislike first-person, but I found it very well done in this book. Also, there was a good deal of really good humor in here, I laughed out loud at some points.
The ending gave me chills, but I thought it unfair that there weren't more clues as to who the murderer was.
All in all, I did enjoy this book, and have read a few of the others. Unfortunately, it seems those points which I dislike have maintained throughout the series.

Sookie has a disability: she's a telepath. While you might think there's an up to this, it hasn't been that way for Sookie. For one, it's hard to have a regular dating life when you can read the minds of the men you're with. It's hard to get in the mood, she posits, when the man you're with is critiquing your body in his head and you can hear it.

Enter Bill. Bill the vampire. Bill whose mind is a closed door to Sookie, and who represents a unique opportunity for Sookie: someone whose mind she can't just read. However, dating the living dead in a small southern town doesn't put you on the Redneck's Most Loved list, and suddenly people are turning up dead.

Oh yeah, and there's a vampire Viking who wants her to come work for him. Apparently, telepaths are quite useful.

Sookie is a delight to read, snarky and sarcastic and her life is a riot to read. If you like Tanya Huff's "Keeper" novels, or the antics of Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden novels, you'll love the Southern Vampire series that Harris has put together.

The strength of the plot is in the characters. The mystery in and of itself was a little weak, but I didn't care while reading it: this was mind candy reading, fun, sweet, and easily devoured. The crimes may be rather bloody at times, but Sookie's southern style definitely keeps the tone light.

Give it a shot if you're looking for something fun, and a little bit different.

'Nathan

Like many people, I wanted to read this book after beginning the HBO series, 'True Blood'. I like that series, but the continuous nudity and sex scenes, to me, ruin the basic story. I am glad to say that the book gives something the TV show lacks: a certain sweetness. Sookie, the mind-reading lead character, is so well-drawn you immediately feel for her: she doesn't think she can have any kind of intimate (verbal or otherwise) relationship, since she's always in danger of knowing what someone really thinks. She's insulated herself from the larger world, and doesn't believe there's an alternative. When she meets Bill, a "mainstreaming" vampire, she's found someone she CAN'T "read", and revels in it. To me, the murder plot was secondary to Sookie's quest to make a good life for herself, a smart and resourceful heroine (she's not afraid to get physical to defend herself or others); the secondary characters are good as well. Bill...well, he's a sexy beast, no two ways about it. There's a good social satire on minority rights with the emergence of the vampire community coming "out of the coffin", as it were, and the vampire groupies who've read a little too much Anne Rice (I thought it funny New Orleans is a prime vacation spot for the hip vampire). I will definitely read more in the series.

I'd not been impressed with the first book in this series; thought it was too derivative of the very early Anita Blake setup back when those books were good (which was the first two volumes). But I needed a book on CD for a longish road trip I was taking alone, and this seemed a passable possibility.

The book itself is more a wrap-up of a dozen or so plotlines that I suppose had been hanging in the series. One by one things come to a climax until all are dealt with (except for those cult guys who came to the bar) and just about everyone now owes Sookie favors/protection big time. If you were reading the book I'd imagine that it might not be too riveting because of the lack of a coherent plot, but for a car ride, it kept me interested the entire way like a strung-out soap opera. Good enough.

But I must stand up and cheer for the narrator, Johanna Parker! Her male voices might have been sometimes not so great -- and I have to wonder about the Transylvanian accent given the king with the Latino name -- but the rest was brilliantly done. The Louisiana accents were a joy to listen to, the delivery of some of the dialogue and narration laugh-out-loud funny. I truly felt like someone from the depths of Louisiana was telling the story and surrounded by suitable countryfolk. Brava!

"From Dead to Worse" gradually builds to an action packed adventure as the eighth installment in the "Southern Vampire Mysteries" with Sookie iterating from the first person point of view. After the climax of certain electrifying events, the latter quarter of the book drags until the charming final pages. Vampire and Were internal politics intrude majorly into post-Katrina Louisiana, something not fully explored yet the author conveys a supernatural hierarchies superbly.

The details of Sookie's fae background challenge her understanding the family lineage but the family isn't as small as she and her brother any longer. I'm sure roommate Amelia will become more involved in the near future considering her father visits the Bon Temps area. Bill moons over Sookie, Eric excites her, Quinn annoys her, however Sam is the tough guy protecting Sookie in awesome shifter fashion. I think Sookie historically handles her relationships very poorly, in this installment she elevates her games to a new selfish level and I'm getting tired of her drama.

The series appears to be young adult with tendencies toward action and suspense, not horror per se. I recommend this collection to any fan of the vampire genre.

Thank you.

Sookie Stackhouse has a lot going for her; she's cute, she's blonde, and she's got a great build. But she's also a barmaid at Merlotte's with very little money living with her grandmother. And best yet, she's been saddled with the unfortunate(?) ability of being able to read the minds of those around her. For this attribute, she's been labeled "weird" by most folk in her hometown of Bon Temps, Louisiana; and cute though she may be, most men don't find her cuteness worth the risk of entertaining her "craziness." The one day into Merlotte's walks Bill the vampire...and he's really hot...although a bit pale. Better yet, Sookie discovers that she is completely unable to read his mind. When she rescues him from two of the town's resident Drainers (people who capture vampires to drain their blood and sell it on the blackmarket), Bill is grateful...and Bill returns that favor to Sookie many times over in the days to come. With the arrival of the first vampire in Bon Temps, the town is a little on edge. And when young women begin being killed at an alarming rate, Bill the vampire is of course the suspect of choice....until the real killer eventually comes after Sookie herself....

A true mystery with more than it's share of comedic relief, romantic interludes, and just plain drama this is a supernatural series that just can't miss. A really fun read.

DYB

In this 4th book of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Sookie and Bill have broken up. Before leaving for Peru, Bill explains why he left Sookie for an old flame, his maker. However, Sookie is still stinging from his cheating. On her way home from work one night she encounters a half naked blond man running across the road. And she recognizes him as Eric, the Area Sheriff. However, he doesn't have a clue who Sookie is, or himself.

Turns out the vampires are having trouble with some very powerful witches. Also there's a town close to Sookie's hometown overrun with Were. Jason shows up at the bar with a Were for a date and then mysteriously disappears.

The witches have caused memory loss for Eric and he is nothing at all like his former self. He's kind, caring, romantic, and scared. Sookie is his "knight in shinning" armor. An affair ensues and Sookie learns quickly Eric is very talented in the bedroom. A deal is made by Jason with Pam that Sookie will guard Eric for $35,000.

This is another rip-roaring ride in the Sookie series, her heart is torn 2 ways this time, she's in the middle of a nasty war coming on between vampires, Weres, and witches and her brother is missing. A real page turner, I read this book in a day.

It took me four goes to finish this book. The first three times I didn't get past the first twenty pages.

My mother got me the first eight books in this series after the first or second season of the TV series came out because I loved it. It was upsetting that that I had this 20 page issue with the series. I had such high hopes, but I just couldn't seem to get into it. Finally the guilt for having a bunch of books someone else put effort in to get for me made me do it. This was years after I received them, and I read about six books between me finishing this. I don't normally read even one other book if I'm reading another.

I think the only thing that has put this at the two star mark for me is that I have read other books that are far worst, and I'm trying really hard to not compare it to the series so much. But even if I could completely succeed in separating them there are still a number of things that bring this book down.

The writing style is is descriptive but not in a way that has a point. It tells you needless details that don't enhance the story and even distract from it. This kept me out of the book the entire time I was reading.

The next thing is that the characters are completely unrelatable and boring. I really didn't think Bill could be more of a bore, but I'm amazed to see the series made him better. They did this with Sookie as well surprisingly enough. The name `Sookie' really suits her and her thoughts are all over the place. I didn't connect with her at all on any level, didn't feel she was actually sad when her Grandmother or her cat died. I think the fact that she didn't have any friends at all was a serious issue. The only was you got to know how she was feeling on any level was from her talks with boring old Bill or from her scattered brain. In the series they introduced Tara (I don't know if she shows up in the rest of the books yet) to try and fix this issue of Bill being the only person Sookie talks to on a deep level, though I dont know if the way she talks to Bill can be called deep, it mostly just ends up being poorly phrased sexual talk.

I don't know if Sookie having a friend in the book would have made a difference however, because the dialogue is completely unrealistic. No one talks the way they do. A couple of lines that bothered me the most would have to be a few of Bill's:

`Bill seemed adept at reading the symptoms. "Make love," he suggested. "Make love to me."
`"Don't cry," he told me. "Sookie, I have to tell you unwelcome facts."`
These could be explained that Bill talks differently because he is so old and from another time, but I'm pretty sure that no one talked like that. Ever. And that doesn't explain the rest of the characters dialogue.

I'm hoping the rest of the series is better.

I wanted to like these books. I'm honestly sorry I didn't. The HBO series is enjoyable and I love a good paranormal series, but these books were just dreadful.

I found myself zoning out while trying to read it, skipping pages, and putting it down for days at a time. I tried, I really did. I made it all the way to the forth in the series before I just gave up.

So why did these books fall so short? The writing is second rate, it felt as though a 15 year old wrote them. The writing is choppy. The characters are underdeveloped.

I'm amazed these books got published, I'm even more blown away that these books were the inspiration behind True Blood on HBO. Even the show can be corny at times which worried me about the books and is why it took me so long to pick them up. Yet, the books are not half as funny or sexy as the series. The characters are not comparable either. The only two characters that seemed at all like the show's are Sookie and Bill. Other then that there were not a whole lot of similarities.

I wouldn't recommend these books to anyone I know. Unless they were on a ninth grade reading level.

I consider myself to be a connoisseur of the "vampire canon"; I've been reading and doing research about vampires (in literature, folklore, mythology, etc.) for many, many years. Thus, you can imagine my excitement to learn that True Blood, a show I've enjoyed tremendously since its inception, is based on Charlaine Harris's series. Given the show's engagement with political issues and anchorage in our reality (despite its supernatural characters and "occurrences"), I thought that the books would be better and more complex than the TV show (as is the case with most books versus film adaptations). Even though I managed to finish this book fairly quickly, I couldn't help feeling a little cheated at the end. Harris's writing style lacks the sophistication that her themes demand; her characters are so unilateral and the dialogues so insipid and ridiculous that I found myself constantly rolling eyes or laughing out loud. I commend Harris for having created such a fascinating world; however, this book won't ever be placed among the "serious" works of the Gothic (literary) tradition. Sadly, it is only slightly better than Twilight (which, in my opinion, is a literary abomination).

Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress at Merlotte's Bar in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Even though vampires had officially "come out of the coffin" two years ago after the Japanese developed a synthetic blood that allows them to live without biting humans, Sookie hadn't seen a real vamp until Bill Compton walked into Merlotte's and sat at her table. Sookie was pretty but she didn't date because she had what she called a "disability" -- Sookie reads minds, whether she wants to or not. It's a bit hard to try to get intimate with a guy when you know he's thinking your butt is too big. But she is amazed and delighted to discover that she can't read Bill's mind at all, and the peace alone would have attracted her, even if he hadn't been a very handsome undead guy. Their relationship soon sets tongues to wagging all over Bon Temps, and when one of Sookie's coworkers turns up dead, Sookie has more troubles when her brother ends up on the top of the list of prime suspects.

This opening shot was spot on and I really enjoyed it. It's filled with humor and written with a light touch. The characters are quite unique and seeing this world through Sookie's eyes is a very enjoyable way to get to know it.

I'm writing this review for the entire series --SPOILER-FREE-- for anyone thinking about starting them.

The heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, is extremely likeable and the story is written in a casual,talking-to-your-best-girlfriend, kind of way. The story lines are implausible to say the least. And confusing at times. And throughout the series you may need to keep a notebook nearby to keep track of all the characters and what side they play for. Some villains are better than others, and Sookie has a plethora of interesting and otherwordly type lovers, some you will like and some you will wish would just get a silver bullet through the heart already. If you are a fan of True Blood, the show is very, VERY lightly based off these books. There is no Baby Vamp Jessica here, and Tara, Pam and Lafayette are almost unrecognizable in their differences from print to screen. Some people get irate because the show doesn't follow the books to the letter. These are likely the same people who think you have to love the books and hate the show (or vice versa). But thankfully, you can love them both as I think they complement each other nicely.

Despite the negatives, I always look forward to reading these when a new one comes out. Mainly because they're just plain fun. And as long as you don't take them too seriously, these will be a welcome addition to your summer beach-bag reading repertoire.

As a general rule I much prefer to read a book prior to watching the TV show but I have to admit to watching the Trueblood show before purchasing the book. Ever since I first turned on to watch Trueblood I have promised myself that I would read the book and I'm so glad that I did! Written from the first person perspective you get a deeper insight into Sookie's personality and are quarry to her thoughts whereas in the TV show it's much harder to understand her motives. I was quite obviously familiar with the story and the world in which the books were set but found that there were a few substantial differences between the two which stopped me from predicting exactly what was going to happen to the characters and to the storyline in general. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I haven't enjoyed a book this much since reading THE FOREVER GIRL (an Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance Novel of the Occult) (Forever Girl Series #1) which is similar in style but a lighter read.

In the aftermath of Katrina, many towns in Louisiana struggle to cope with the havoc and fall out. There is a storm coming, though, that makes nature's fury seem pale in comparison. The head of Las Vegas' vampire kingdom wants to take over Louisiana and Arkansas, and is prepared to do it in a bloody fashion, no pun intended. Since her love life has entangled her with the local vamps, Sookie Stackhouse finds herself smack in the middle of things; as if she didn't have enough to juggle between her were-tiger boyfriend vanishing, tensions between the aforementioned former vampire romantic ties, and her perpetual family woes that have just taken an interesting twist or two. When the smoke clears, will Sookie be among those still standing?

**** Both fun and tense at once, this series remains a consistent winner. Sookie's plain talking view of life is easy to read and relate to; she somehow makes it seem almost normal to be in love triangles with vampires and were critters or to have kin that are of the fey sort. Rather than being angsty, she rolls with the punches and makes even the worst moments worth a smile. Fans of the series should enjoy, at least I did, the way her romantic life alters in this book. ****

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews