All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

[slowfox]

In this instalment, Sookie finds herself attending a vamp conference at a hotel in Rhodes, where all the various vamp 'royalty' are meeting up to settle scores, strike deals and be seen.

Unfortunately for The Sook, people and vamps keep dying, and it falls to her to work out what's going on, and how to minimise the fallout.

What's really notable about this instalment is, firstly, that the Louisiana vamps, who I'd sort of loosely felt affiliated to, are one cold-hearted bunch, and that secondly, as a result of this observation, you start to get a feeling for how unwilling Sookie is in all of this. The vamps have a hold over her, and Sophie-Anne (and Andre) know it and use it.

I was all Yay! about the Sookie/Eric stuff, and just wish that she would drop Quinn, because he's so monumentally dull even our author can't seem to face having him on the same page as Sookie for too long a stretch.

I've mentioned before that Sookie gets bashed about a bit in the books (physically and mentally), but this is the instalment where I really was saying to myself 'just get out of there' as we neared the conclusion.

Honestly, I don't see where the stories can go next, because it felt like Sookie had had Just About Enough by the end of this book (I'm figuring that dumping Quinn will perk her up a bit, though).

Anyway, it's From Dead to Worse, next. More Sam, more Eric, more Amelia, more Hotshot please...

Incidentally, I note from La Harris' website that the next original Sookie Stackhouse novel will be on sale in May 2010 :-). Just as long as they don't change the paperback cover design, I'm good (still miffed with JKR for redoing the adult HP series mid-stream).

Comments

[glittertine]

*flails* I think you'll get all your wishes, there...

:D I thought this book was very much Sookie Has Grown Up territory. She holds her own in everything, and will be doing mostly what she wants in the future.

I often thought, by the way, that the author must be running out of ideas soon, and then she effortlessly opened up yet another aspect of this world - so I've come to trust her that she will keep doing so. I find that fascinating. With world-build-champions like Peter Hamilton, GRRM and Tad Williams, the world building often takes away part of the fun of the book because it's a little tedious. With book series in which the world is slowly built, like HP, and it happens at the same time as the main pov character discovers it, the process sometimes feels forced, or just doesn't make sense. (See also: the Grawp chapter, there for the seemingly sole reason of reminding us that giants exist so they can be there in the final battle.) While we also get to see the world through Sookie's eyes, much like in HP, it feels much more natural to me. Great writing at play, methinks!

Next book is the last one I read - I want more!! Such is the curse of reading a series in progress!

[slowfox]

I thought this book was very much Sookie Has Grown Up territory. She holds her own in everything, and will be doing mostly what she wants in the future.

You definitely get the feeling that Sookie's not happy being the vamps' property, and so I'm guessing that his does herald an increase in independence.

Speaking of Hamilton, how are you finding those books now? The more I recall of The Naked God, the more I sort of wince... not to put you off them or anything, but more to stress that my enthusiasm for Night's Dawn covers the first 2½ books...

[carolanne5]

Well I am still enjoying the series but my passion has waned during this book. The whole plot with the extra suitcases/coffins was so belaboured that I was just "can we have the BOOM already?".

Similarly the huge build up to Quinn's background was intriguing but the reveal disappointed, we already knew he was serious fighter. The final page reveal, Quinn's last encounter with Andre, left me flat too.

However on the upside the extra Eric time was most welcome, the more worldly Sookie rocked, I didn't guess the killer of Arkansas second in command so that reveal I loved (nice and sinister).

[slowfox]

Yes, there was definitely a mid-series dip to the books, but trust me, they return to form soon enough (From Dead to Worse is excellent!).

As I said in the post, the Louisiana Vamps really come across as cold and calculating in this instalment, and had me reconsidering my allegiances. I still like Eric and Pam, but I'm seriously wary of the rest of 'em.