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annathepiperDefinitely Dead is an interesting turning point for the Sookie Stackhouse series, and if you're at all interested in reading these books, this book is not the place to start. With this novel, the Sookies have reached a point I've seen in the Dresden Files as well: enough has happened to the main character that she's had to grow emotionally, and in some ways she's not entirely comfortable with.
Sookie spends most of this book heading down to New Orleans to clean out the apartment of her formerly undead--and now permanently dead--cousin Hadley. This provides a nice opportunity to see how New Orleans is handled in the Sookie universe, and it's intriguing to see a version of the city where vampires are a huge tourist attraction. Plus, there are interesting politics between the Queen of Louisiana and the King of Arkansas. Sookie is drawn big time into these politics--especially when they result in her learning a highly unpalatable secret about her very first lover. Moreover, a secret about Sookie herself is revealed, one that goes quite a long way to explaining many of her life experiences, both past and recent.
Meanwhile, we have a distinct winnowing of the field of Sookie's suitors. A new love interest introduced in the previous book seriously comes on camera in this one; I have to admit, too, that I give Harris props for a were-creature that isn't a wolf, and furthermore, making Quinn bald. You don't see too many bald love interests in either romance or fantasy, that's for sure. That said, I'm still rooting for Eric, who isn't about to give up on the events that he still can't remember from Book 4.
All in all this is kind of a lopsided read for me. The Eric mileage is fun, as is the glimpses of New Orleans and the introduction of a new friend for Sookie, as well as a disturbing development for one of the minor characters in the staff at Merlotte's. However, Quinn as a love interest just doesn't push my buttons much. Three and a half stars.
Sookie spends most of this book heading down to New Orleans to clean out the apartment of her formerly undead--and now permanently dead--cousin Hadley. This provides a nice opportunity to see how New Orleans is handled in the Sookie universe, and it's intriguing to see a version of the city where vampires are a huge tourist attraction. Plus, there are interesting politics between the Queen of Louisiana and the King of Arkansas. Sookie is drawn big time into these politics--especially when they result in her learning a highly unpalatable secret about her very first lover. Moreover, a secret about Sookie herself is revealed, one that goes quite a long way to explaining many of her life experiences, both past and recent.
Meanwhile, we have a distinct winnowing of the field of Sookie's suitors. A new love interest introduced in the previous book seriously comes on camera in this one; I have to admit, too, that I give Harris props for a were-creature that isn't a wolf, and furthermore, making Quinn bald. You don't see too many bald love interests in either romance or fantasy, that's for sure. That said, I'm still rooting for Eric, who isn't about to give up on the events that he still can't remember from Book 4.
All in all this is kind of a lopsided read for me. The Eric mileage is fun, as is the glimpses of New Orleans and the introduction of a new friend for Sookie, as well as a disturbing development for one of the minor characters in the staff at Merlotte's. However, Quinn as a love interest just doesn't push my buttons much. Three and a half stars.