by Jesus Ibarra

After this review of Deadlocked is an interview with Charlaine Harris & a chance to win a signed copy of Deadlocked!

We return to Bon Temps to follow the continuing journey of Sookie Stackhouse our favorite telepathic waitress, well one my favorites anyways, as she deals with all sorts of supernatural problems surrounding her life.

This book finds Sookie in danger, as her boyfriend Eric Northman the vampire Viking blows into town with payback on his mind, a shifter is out to get her, and there is more fairy trouble because of something she inherited in the last book. That is the basic plot and I won’t say more because the plot is pretty straightforward, and you can pretty much guess who is doing what fairly quickly if you get any more information and have been following the books.

Although a lot of fans of this series have stated that the books in the later part of the series have varied in quality, I feel that the last three books have been on an upswing and pretty strong. For me it all comes from the fact that Sookie has actually learned from her experiences and has changed to a degree. She is still the same character we met in the first book, but her experiences from that time on have forced her to grow. She doesn’t put her life in danger needlessly anymore, she thinks things through most of the time, and she prioritizes her life into what’s most important to her and what she wants out of it. The other great thing is that this book still has that southern feel to it and it hooks you into thinking that this is like any other town in the south. I love that this place is its own character that can shine.

My favorite part of this book is that Sookie comes to terms with her relationship concerning Eric to a degree, and although she hasn’t outright chosen between the men in her life (Bill, Eric, or a new guy), she does realize that it will be ok if she loses that love. My other favorite part is that this book shows how important Sookie’s friends are to her and how much they love her. They all had some great moments with Sookie in this book, especially Sam. Overall it was a great read with more development of the proactive Sookie who continues to grow and get stronger, and I for one am looking forward to what is next for her.

Interview with Charlaine Harris
Interview questions are from Lorie Lewis Ham & Jesus Ibarra:

KRL: What kind of research did you have to do for Deadlocked?

Charlaine: Very little. I had to think a little bit about how to get in and out of the employee area of a casino/hotel, and I had to do some fight plotting and thinking about the reaction of the Weres to the trial of the rogues. But so little of it was based in reality.

KRL: How does it feel to be getting close to the end of this series?

Charlaine: Wonderful. I feel that I’ve told Sookie’s story and done her justice, and though I’ll miss the characters and the familiarity of writing about her, I’m ready to do something new.

Charlaine Harris

KRL: Is it hard wrapping things up in a 13 book series?

Charlaine: Yes, absolutely it is. There’s no way I could wrap up everything in one book. I’m thinking of writing some kind of coda to say what happened to the major characters afterward.

KRL: How has this series changed your career?

Charlaine: Incredibly. Everything I’ve ever written is back in print and selling well. My books are published in 30 different languages. It’s dream-like.

KRL: If you could go back and change one thing you had happen in this series or one character you killed off, what would that be?

Charlaine: I wouldn’t kill Claudine. I’ve always felt bad about that.

KRL: What will you miss most about writing this series?

Charlaine: I’ll miss Sookie getting into such terrible fixes and finding a way out of them.

KRL: Which character was the most fun to create?

Charlaine: Pam’s always been fun to write. She’s a great fighter and has a dry sense of humor.

KRL: What is on the horizon for you now? (Other current series & what’s coming up new?)

Charlaine: Toni L.P. Kelner and I have a new anthology on the shelves this month, An Apple for the Creature, and we hope it’s as successful as our other anthologies have been. Christopher Golden and I have collaborated on Cemetery Girl, a graphic novel in three parts, and the first volume will appear next year. I’ve been signed to do a new series of three books, and I’ll start writing the first novel in that series very soon. It’s called Midnight Pawn.

KRL: How do you feel about the rise in popularity of e-books & do you read them?

Charlaine: E-books are just books in a different format. Yes, I have a reader I take with me when I travel to save myself from having to pack actual books. When I’m at home, I read the real thing. I don’t think it makes any difference how I feel about it. They’re here to stay, and an increasingly large part of my sales.

To enter to win a signed copy of Deadlocked, simply email KRL at life@kingsriverlife[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Deadlocked”, or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 1, 2012. U.S. residents only.

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Check out an earlier, more in depth interview with Charlaine from 2010, a review of a previous Sookie book Dead Reckoning, and a review of True Blood, the TV show based on the Sookie novels.

Want to know how to see your ad like this at the end of an article? Email KRL at life@kingsriverlife[dot]com by replacing the [dot] for more info. 10% of all ad sales now goes to animal rescue.

Jesus Ibarra is 20 years old and an ongoing contributor to our Teen Talk section; with a love of all media, he’s always on the lookout for the best finds.