by Jesus Ibarra
Details at the end of this review on how to enter for a chance to win a copy of Dead Reckoning!
Dead Reckoning brings us back to Bon Temps with our favorite telepathic southern waitress, Sookie Stackhouse. The eleventh installment of The Southern Vampire Series, by Charlaine Harris, shows us it’s better than ever with a more matured, evolved Sookie dealing with the various supernatural mayhem in her life. Once again Sookie finds herself in more danger, but this time around she is able to handle herself better. 
The opening of the novel has Sookie witnessing the firebombing of Merlottes. With all of the two natured having gone public, Sam Merlotte assumes the people responsible are an anti-shifter church, but it quickly becomes apparent that it’s someone from Sookie’s past who has come back to Ben Temps in search of revenge.
While trying to figure out who would bomb Merlottes, Sookie is drawn into vampire politics again. When her boyfriend (technically husband) Eric Northman and his child, Pam, are plotting to kill their overbearing master Victor, Sookie is forced to make some questionable moral choices. In between we get a ton of background information about Sookie’s fairy lineage as well as some great moments between her and her fairy cousins Claude and Dermot. And finally, Charlaine Harris reveals why Sookie is a telepath, and how she came by this ability.
I am enthralled with this series and actually finished the book in one sitting; I couldn’t put it down. I do feel however this has become more than just a mystery series featuring vampires, as the mystery to both plots are kind of predictable and get resolved pretty quickly. It has become more about Sookie and her evolution as a human, well mostly human, in a world full of supernatural beings. Harris succeeds in making me believe that Sookie really does question all the things that she does, even if they are for the people she loves, and this internal conflict makes Sookie such a strong character.
I’m not the biggest fan of Eric and Sookie being together, as I still hold out hope for her to reunite with Bill, but there are a couple of turning points for Sookie’s relationship with Eric. It will be interesting to see how the new plot threads that were introduced get resolved. Overall, I loved this book and, if you’re a fan of genre mashups, you will too.
To enter to win a copy of Dead Reckoning, simply email KRL at life@kingsriverlife.com with the subject line “Dead”, or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen next Saturday, May 21.
Check out an interview with Charlaine Harris here at KRL. If you’d like some Cajun food to enjoy while you read this book check out our review of Crawdaddy’s in Visalia.
I so want to win this book! I am a Sookie fan!
What a fun and funky book cover! I’m totally cool with predictable and easy to figure out when the characters are awesome. Hello, Sookie! That’s what makes reading fun for me. I like the escape, and goodness knows we all need an easy, relaxing break from the hectic day-to-day responsibilities now and then.
I’ve heard about Sookie but I haven’t read any of the books. I’d love to read this one and find out what she is all about!
You should! But if you would like to start at the beginning of the series, you should read Dead Until Dark the first book in the series, I think you would enjoy it better that way. Thanks for reading.
Oh wow I’m a huge Eric fan! I don’t really care for Bill that much. I can’t wait to see which way Harris is going to take her characters next.
Well the developments in Eric and Sookie’s relationship may not please you, but your’re right cannot wait to see where Sookie goes next.
Would love an opportunity to read this book! I enjoyed reading your review.
Thank you for reading. You should check this book out.
I love all the Charlaine Harris books especially the Sookie Stackhouse and Harper Connelly Series. I recommend them to all my friends and frequently lend out books I think people would like. Still, Charlaine Harris’s novels are always at the top of my list. In the past I’ve literally stopped reading a book in favor of reading one of Charlaine Harris’s works. As a struggling dyslexic I often find reading tedious and difficult but I have never found that to be the case with Charlaine Harris. Thanks for making reading fun Mrs. Harris!
Devin Perez is the winner of this book! Thanks to all who entered and please keep coming back for more!
Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher