My least favorite of the series, due to a choppy story line, brutal violence and plot gaps. The bleakest in the series, I felt this one needed more care, editing and heart. ( )

Oh I was very sad after I finished this book...now I have to wait until May 2010 for part 10! Thankfully there is always the television series to watch, although I don't like it as much as I like the books.
The story was very nice, as was to be expected. Finally Sookie and Eric are an item and finally she has forgiven Bill. Shallow of me, but I do so enjoy these romantic elements!
How original of Harris to make evil fairies, and evil they are! I never expected such a gruesome chapter actually. It does take the series to another level and it makes me even more curious as to what is in store for us Sookie fans! ( )

Currently, out of the whole Sookie Stackhouse series, this is probably my favorite. It's gritty and darker than previous books in the series giving it a fine, refreshing edge. It leaves so many questions unanswered and unexplained, that it leaves me looking forward to more. I know by the time I got to the end of the book, I went, "That's it?" with utter frustration.

Good thing book 10 comes out in May! ( )

I am only going to review one book in this series since I have read all nine books in three days. I loved this series it was delicious. Fun and easy to read escapism. I indulged myself by sitting on the couch reading one book after the other until I had finished them all. Bit like eating a big block of chocolate until it is all finished. No real value in it but relaxing and decadent

Had I been aware, when I picked up the first book at the library, that it was related to the True Bold TV series I would not have read these books as I did not think much of the first True Blood series. Thank goodness for my ignorance. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. I liked it more than the one before it, but I find myself wondering how long can this whole series continue? I feel like it's starting to get a little far-fetched (now? what about in book 5, right?) but I am interested in what Harris manages to do with all the different characters. Of course, the question remains, who will Sookie end up with at the end of it all? I like that Sookie's history is getting more deeply delved into, and I'm hoping that she will come out on top, regardless of who she chooses. Speaking of which, I didn't really care for Eric's trickery, but it makes sense since it is one of his principal characteristics. As always, Harris writes with an easy-to-read style and a prose that flows from one page to the next. I wish that she would stop making Sookie repeat herself, because by Book 9 most readers will know that she works at Merlotte's and also know that the vampires came "out of the coffin" a few years ago. The summaries at each characters introduction can get somewhat tedious. Overall, I definitely enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to a friend. ( )

This is the ninth book in the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. It was also one of the most disappointing books in the series.

This book starts with the shapeshifters going public with their existance. Shortly after Sookie's brother's wife, Crystal, is murdered in front of Sam's bar. Everyone wants Sookie to help find the murderer. When Sookie's fairy grandfather shows up and warns her to "watch herself" because bad stuff is happening in the fairy realm; it only makes Sookie's already difficult life even worse.

I totally agree with previous reviewers that mention all the errors in this book (both story-wise and grammatical). I really expect a decently written novel; especially from such an experienced writer. Many characters in this book also acted completely out of character. Sookie seemed confused and lost the whole book. Erik started spouting out his life history in the middle of the bar (he's usually a tad more secretive about that stuff). And what is with Bill popping back into Sookie's good graces? I have had enough of Bill let's just get over him already.

Some of the scenes with the fairies were interesting. I will agree though that this was a particularly gruesome Sookie book. Multiple pregnant women are murdered and there is quite a bit of torture. Overall I just didn't like this book much. I just can't figure out where the series is going; apparently neither can Harris. The eighth book was mediocre and I was willing to give Harris a book to transition the characters into something big and new; but this book didn't start anything new.

I read the book, didn't really enjoy it all that much. I was happy when I was done with it and confused about what happened to Sookie's personality. I will probably read the next book; but I am not sure what is going on here. A lot of my favorite paranormal series (The Hollows, Anita Blake) are really sucking it up lately.

Will I read the next book? Yes, but I will get it from the library. ( )

http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.co... ( )

I can only describe Dead and Gone as jaw-dropping. I read the entire book with my mouth hanging open, utterly shocked at what was going on. The book started out with the great reveal of the weres and shapeshifters, but was ultimately focused on the faeries. Filled with so much action, so much tension, so much heart-breaking sadness and in the end, so many questions that need answers. While I enjoyed Eric, as always and especially now that he and Sookie are getting close, I found myself actually worried about Bill. I never imagined that could happen. After losing so many wonderful and important characters, what could Charlaine Harris possibly do to us next? I did not like the way this book turned out, but my reaction to it was so powerfully emotional that it felt like it had to be the way it was written. Dead and Gone was bloody, tragic and somehow wonderful. Where can Sookie go from here? ( )

The 9th book of the Sookie Stackhouse series. This time around Sookie finds herself caught between all the members of the supernatural world when the weres decide it’s time for them to come out much like the vampires did. When tragedy strikes, Sookie and friends find themselves unsure as to who they can trust and who they can blame.

I enjoyed this book very much. Harris reveals so many good details and brings Sookie even closer to my favorite character. Without giving away too many details, Sookie finds herself torn between her freedom and security and Eric regaining his memory. Plus, he’s been keeping a secret that may be putting Sookie’s life in danger all over again.

I hate that I am now all caught up and have to wait five months until the next book comes out. I just might have to start re-reading them and watching the TV show just to get by.

Another adventure filled edition of the Sookie Stackhouse story.This time the threat comes from the Fae World thanks to her great grandfather Niall.There is of course some romance as Sookie finally decides which man she wants (well sort of).I don't want to give too much away but there was fun and adventure and some sadness at least for me as you know in war there is death.Nuff said! ( )

Review of the audiobook version: This installment took several surprising turns. Without giving anything away, the weres and shifters "come out" in much the same way that the vampires have and there are many implications for Sookie and her friends in the aftermath. Also, she becomes the target of her great-grandfather's enemies in a brewing war amongst the fairies. In the most surprising part for me, Sookie seems to settle down with one of her many suitors, though not necessarily by her choice (at least at first). Her ultimate willingness to accept this particular situation startled me. The narrator does a good job with most characters, but Amelia's voice annoys me -- I think it's a combination of the narrator's voice for her being a bit over the top along with her dialogue. ( )

If you read all the books too close together, they start to sound a little too much alike. There's an awful lot of similarities. Sookie is always being hunted by some sort of supes and there's always some physical injury and the vamps swoop in to save the day. So hopefully since I have to wait until the next one is out, I'll get a decent break.Having said all that, I still love the series and the quirkiness of the writing. ( )

I confess - I am hooked on Sookie Stackhouse. This was the continuing story of Sookie and her increasingly strange world, populated with vampires and (now) weres that have just come out of the closet, as well as fairies and other hitherto unmet creatures. This story explores Sookie's continuing - and evolving - relationship with Eric the vampire as well as the fairie war. Yes, fairies can have a war, and apparently it's pretty violent. This will likely be enjoyably received by Sookie fans, but may be a bit light for someone jumping into the series at the end. ( )

Summary: After seeing the (relative) success with which the vampires have come out into the open, the shifters and weres have decided that the time is right to reveal themselves to the public. Initially, all seems to go fairly well... until a were is killed in a brutal hate crime, right in the Merlotte's parking lot. While Sookie is dealing with the ramifications of that grizzly event, she also has to figure out where she stands with the new power structure of the Louisiana vampires - and with one particular tall, blond Viking vampire to whom she is irrevocably bonded. And, on top of everything else, the fairies have started a dangerous and bloody civil war - one that puts Sookie squarely in the crossfire.

Review: There's always a lot going on in any Sookie Stackhouse novel; that's part of what makes them so fun, so attention-grabbing, and so quick-moving. But I think in this case there was a little too much going on to properly develop all of the pieces. The fairy war dominates the last section of the book, which, while it was certainly interesting, means we don't get to see quite as much of the fallout from the shifters' revelation as I would have liked. Too, I think the fairy war was more complex than it needed to be for the space it had to fill - too many new characters with varying motivations and allegiances in too short of a time. On the other hand, it did answer a few questions and confirm a few suspicions I'd had since early in the books, and the action scenes were very exciting and well-done.

One thing I had absolutely no problem with was the vampires. If this were a straight-up romance, I'd complain about the glacial pace of things, but Sookie's relationships move at about the same speed as they have throughout the books, and there are some interesting new developments that have yet to fully play out. Eric, as always, is magnificent, and Harris is even trying to rehabilitate Vampire Bill. Although I don't think he's ever going to fully win back my affections, there were a few scenes in this book where I did not entirely loathe him, so I guess that's progress. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book, and went into a bit of Sookie withdrawal as soon as I finished it. How many months do I have to wait for the next one? 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: New readers don't start here, and readers who have gotten this far, you don't need my recommendation... ( )

This book was awesome, and totally action packed. Charlaine Harris does a great job in all of her books of having something always going on, and keeping the readers on their toes. She's one of the few authors who manages to surprise me! I definitely enjoyed the book.
If you haven't read the preceding books in the series, I recommend that you do. The books build on one another throughout the series, and although you could read them as stand-alone pieces (each book has its own unique situation), you may not understand certain remarks in the book.

I will say I was surprised by the number of deaths in this book. I mean, there's a lot in every book, but typically obscure characters, and not ones who are very close to Sookie (the main character). Charlaine Harris makes her readers crazy by leaving a million and one loose ends at the end of her books. Most from the previous book are answered in the next one, so I'm sure all will be answered in book 10... however it'll be a while until it comes out. I hate waiting! I have a million and one unanswered questions, and that seems to be the general vibe from all the fans I've talked with in discussion boards.

I do recommend these books though... there's a lot of mystery in them, and they're fun in the sense that they deviate from the norm (Well, my norm at least). The series is all about vampires, wereanimals, witches, etc. Very interesting stuff. If you haven't read this series, and happen to go to the library or bookstore, pick up the first book, Dead Until Dark (It's only like, $6 in paperback). If you're anything like me, you'll be unable to put it down and be back looking for book 2 with a day or two! ( )

This is the last completed volume in the Sookie Stackhouse series of romance-mystery-vampire books, and so it’s a sad book for me on two levels: the fact that there are no more (for the nonce) and the fact that the story itself is sad.

The book begins with the public “coming out” of the shape-shifters, of those humans who occasionally can transform themselves into different animals. World reaction is mixed.

Most of the rest of the story concerns a war between good fairies and bad fairies (the leader of the former being Sookie’s great grandfather). The werewolf and vampire communities get involved because Sookie is in danger, and they both owe her for the times she has saved their lives.

There are some terrible deaths in this book, and some terrible losses suffered by the characters. As the book ends with the temporary resolution of the fairy war, Sookie’s great-grandfather kisses her goodbye – perhaps forever – and tells her:

"The vampire is not a bad man, and he loves you.”

Then he leaves, before Sookie can ask him whether he meant Bill or Eric.

Evaluation: I wouldn’t recommend this book as stand-alone reading without the rest of the series; there is too much that wouldn’t make sense. In the beginning of the series, Harris was able to recapitulate much of the ongoing plot for readers new to these books. But a great deal has happened now, and Harris doesn’t even try to explain most of it. As with the other books, it is must-reading if you follow the Sookie Stackhouse stories, but I do feel the fairy connection is the weakest part of the series.

Rating: 3.5/5

Series Recapitulation:

Dead Until Dark (Book 1)
Living Dead in Dallas (Book 2)
Club Dead (Book 3)
Dead to the World (Book 4)
Dead as a Doornail (Book 5)
Definitely Dead (Book 6)
All Together Dead (Book 7)
From Dead To Worse (Book 8)
Dead and Gone (Book 9) ( )

Charlaine Harris has a wonderful imagination and creates a fun world of various supernatural creatures. In most of the books, I've really enjoyed learning about all the different Supes. However, with this book, I kept yearning for her to put the focus back on the vampires. The most recent books seem to follow the same pattern: there's some sort of supernatural war, people drop like flies, and Sookie's love life is on the rocks. Although, fairly predictable, this was thoroughly enjoyable and helped me escape reality for a bit. And truthfully, that's why I enjoy these books. They are a guilty pleasure and just a lot of fun to lose yourself in. I loved the development with Eric and Sookie's relationship. But most surprising for me, I found myself liking Vampire Bill! For the entire series I kept wishing for him to "meet the sun" and now I am suddenly looking forward to seeing him in the next book. This has been an exhausting week, so I may have to re-edit to give it a better review. I can't believe I'll have to wait almost a year to find out what happens next! ( )

Wow, this book overwhelmed me. A lot of fairies in here, more blood, more Eric and Sookie. And for the first time, I started to pity Bill. Cliche (and corny) as it may sound, maybe it's true that first love never dies. Bill is boring but he's still gallant and it's plain to see he really loves Sookie. Inspite of all that, I still love Eric.It's clear to see Eric wasn't really good at expressing his feelings, not just because he's a thousand-year-old vampire, but simply because he's a guy. I can see he's a practical man, manipulative, but still dependable. I loved their moments together when he showed his vulnerable side. I'm sure this is not the end of the series and I'm hoping there'll be more of him in the next, and that maybe Charlaine Harris would take their relationship to the next level because for now, they're on a bumpy ride. They didn't really talk about their status although Eric claims Sookie as his, and his alone.Harris still has to explore on Sookie's nephew Hunter, who's also a telepath. I can't help but notice the discrepancies in the book about the family ties. Because if Niall is Claudine and Claude's grandfather, and he's Sookie's great-grandfather, wouldn't Claudine and Claude be Sookie's aunt and uncle? In here she calls them cousins, the same way she refers to Hunter as her cousin.This book was quite grim and bloody, still has a lot of mysteries but I was able to sense the culprit in the second half of the book. Again, I admire the writing style on how the other books connected with this one, new characters don't linger for long, it's either they die or they go away and in here it's a bit of both.All of the characters in this book have developed. Sam reacted badly on Sookie and Eric's "marriage" and I think that's just the supe vs vampire talking. I liked it he's a good friend who's really concerned about her. The little town of Bon Temps is not a sleepy old town, but one that's always brewing with inrigue, prospering people, and humans coexisting with vampires, shifters, and weres.The storyline was solid, the story flow was good up to the climax 'til the falling action (I hope this doesn't sound like a book report). When Niall reassured Sookie that "the vampire loves her" I think he referred to Eric because he didn't acknowledge Bill. Again, I hope the next book has more of Eric and Sookie developing a steady relationship, with mysteries on the side. ( )

I'll admit, I was a little disappointed with this book. First, not much happens in the first 2/3 of the book, 2 deaths and that's about it. A lot was stuffed into the last third, and it was pretty intense. So many people die, and the introduction of the faeries into the series is over - what was the point? I would love for them to stay in the story, but Harris has sealed them off which I find highly disappointing. I agree with others that the novel was a tad rushed. Harris usually explains developments a lot more than she did here, but now everything seems to be a blip and "oh well". Also Sookie is not as strong of a character anymore; she's confused, she dwells too much, in all honesty she's becoming more like the Sookie portrayed by Anna Paquin in True Blood, which is not a good thing, at all.
I really hope Harris does a lot better with the next book, I love this series too much for it to just fizzle out into mediocre fantasy/vampire literature. ( )

I have waited the release of this book for months that it kills me to say this, but I am a bit disappointed in a way. There was so many flybys and a lot of scene got left out. There was also so many new characters but there wasn't enough time, that it came out under developed. But even with that little glitch right there I still love the book. On a positive note, I am glad for so many parts of this book. Of course the 2nd Great Revelation which was the coming out of the Weres was the first. Then there's the sorta-kinda-hitched situation of Sookie and Eric and the sex scene that was due since Definitely Dead and a glimpse of Eric's human life. My favorite Chapter is 10, although Sookie had one of her worst morning she get to have one of the great nights. Is it me or does everything Eric do is so agreeable. Even the negative traits seems to look like a great compliment on his personality. I love everything about Eric. We also got a more clearer picture on how Sookie's fae lineage are more dangerous than her connection with the other supe community. It's a shame that Crystal got murdered by 2 extremely creepy fae, who happens to murder Sokkie's parents as well instead of the ignorant member of FOTS, that would have stir up a more thicker plot in my opinion. I am so mad at Arlene I hope she rots in prison with her current boyfriend, but then again my heart goes out to her 2 kids.And last but not the least, I have also developed a newly profound respect for Bill Compton, Thank god I thought his character will now forever be left in the background. It's not because he was willing to die to fight for Sookie but because it showed how much he really still loves her. I can smell a repeat love triangle which makes everything so exciting. I can't help but worry on the new Eric in this book I hope he's not turning soft on our Sookie here, that is the biggest and most noteable trait he has and the one that I absolutely love. Being stiff and straight forward (to name a few) marks that huge difference in character between him and Bill. It's bittersweet how all this characters love each other but has to fight hard in every book to stay alive and continue being a part of each other's lives. Naill, Claudine and Claude would be miss, I hope the portal doesnt' really close in the way that I think it would and that somewhere in the future books they would resurface again. I hope to read more about Hunter and more irritating exploit of the FOTS people and probably less horrifying physical damages for Sookie....And now I'm back on waiting till October. ( )

The scattered book 8 set up for this one nicely & much was resolved. This book was more on track, as usual & about the same caliber. It should be read in order. It's a soap opera, so you need the background to appreciate how our heroine works through her various difficulties. All in all, more fun reading candy. ( )

The ninth Sookie Stackhouse mystery is a very much better book than I was expecting, given the trend in my series-mystery reading towards increasing disappointment. I was hoping at best not to feel acute disappointment, and ended up feeling quite satisfied.

Sookie's world took ours by storm at the beginning of this century. It somehow made the US we live in able to look into the mirror these books hold up to us, and acccept what Harris shows us. In the Murrika that Bush and the right wing were creating, I saw and see that as a huge plus. I don't belong to the group of optimists who see that nightmare conservative Hell as in retreat, so much as crouching for the next blow to goodness, kindness and tolerance...those enemies of conservative hate-based fascistic dreamers.

"True Blood" on HBO is a huge pop-culture success. It's a hopeful thing to me that these stories of the hideous consequences of prejudice and intolerance are so popular. It's a hopeful sign to my eyes that stories told from the point of view of a victim of social intolerance and the hates of the religious are so well tolerated and so eagerly consumed. It's puzzling to me how Harris does all this without earning the ire of the Good and Just (as they see themselves) heaped on JK Rowling. I know a lot of Harris's readers HAVE to be teens; what's holding the baying hellhounds of Coulter and Limbaugh back?

Whatever. Don't care that much. I encourage people, even ones who dislike supernatural stuff, to go and buy some books in this series. If you don't want to read them, put them on BookCrossing or BookMooch...just buy them, get them into the hands of those who want to read them, and strike a blow against the shadows of hate that darken our noble experiment. ( )

Funny, but the Sookie Sackhouse southern vampire thing probably jumped the shark at least a book ago. I do love Bubba, and what gardener cannot be moved be a super-trowel? ( )

This is the latest book in the Sookie Stackhouse vampire series. The book has everything. Love, drama, war. The culminating battle between the people who would die for Sookie and the ones who would see her dead is very enthralling. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone. Nothing will ever be the same for Sookie after this book. ( )

My full review is on my blog: http://moonlighttotwilightblog.blogsp...
Loved it! ( )