Vampire Bill Changes Everything...

Dead Until Dark by: Charlaine Harris

Sookie Stackhouse is rumored to be a simple girl in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. She and her family have lived in the area her entire life. If anyone had a different opinion about Sookie it may be that she’s not only simple minded, but a little crazy. See, Sookie has a sort of disability. She can read people’s minds, as a telepath, you don’t get real close to the people around you. She has always been able to know when someone liked her, or didn’t, when someone was being fake or real. This has always put a damper on her love life. All of this changed the night Bill Compton came into Merlotte’s bar, where she’s a waitress. She knew at the very moment he walked in that he was not of the living. Bill is a vampire. Since vampires “came out of the coffin” two years prior, Merlotte’s had never had a vampire patron. Sookie knew in the instant they had contact that things were about to change. There was something besides the vampire issue that was different about Bill, she couldn’t read his mind. Quickly things go from normal to horrible as “Fang Bangers” start turning up dead. Jason Stackhouse, Sookie’s older brother is the main suspect, since he had slept with most of the victims. Sookie has to use her disability to clear her brother’s name and make sure that Bill doesn’t get blamed as well.

Dead Until Dark is riveting. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. It’s southern living meets Interview with a Vampire. I must also say that it is rated NC17. It’s erotic and sensual, but not trashy. There is great suspense and it keeps you guessing who the murderer is all the way through. There are quite a few characters in the book, and all of them are memorable no matter how small the character is in the book. Harris does a great job of making sure whenever she mentions someone she gives you just enough about them to keep them fresh on your mind. We meet a few other vampires in this first installment of the series.

It’s hard for me to pick out things that I didn’t like in the novel. I guess as the reader progresses you just want Sookie to be happy, you feel with her and learn of a new world with her. She is always curious about how faithful Bill is to her, but still loving their time together. I know if I would have read through the book (and the entire series) a little slower, I could have picked out a few things, but I’m not going back now.

I very much enjoy Sookie. She is a brave, spunky character that doesn’t get into too much trouble where it is unbelievable, but you still wonder what her life would have been like if she hadn’t met Vampire Bill. Bill awakens this person in Sookie that she doesn’t know exists.

So, what do you think? Have you watched True Blood? Have you read the series? What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment.

Fire Meets Fire

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
The third book for the Inheritance Cycle was pretty good. It continued the story well and the ending was just enough of a cliff hanger that the audience will want to continue reading the series. I am curious how it’s all going to end. I’m not sure when the next book is coming out, but I’m looking forward to it.

What sticks out? Eragon and Saphira’s relationship is stronger and deeper in this book. As the characters grow and we learn more about them, we also learn new things with the characters. I felt real emotion with the characters and the reader can definitely feel the bond between Eragon and Saphira growing. Also in Brisingr, it’s the first time the audience hears the story from Saphira’s perspective. A few surprises thrown at us, more information about Brom, we hear Galbatorix for the first time.

What I didn’t like, there were a lot of unnecessary details. There were some scenes that Paolini could have gone into more detail, where other details seemed unnecessary. The book seemed to drag in some areas and then rush by in other areas. I think the book could have probably been about 100 pages shorter.

I want nothing more than for Eragon to take Arya in his arms and kiss her really with everything he has. There is no reason for them not to be together. Her excuse is because he is so young, but who cares if they are both going to live forever. Age really is just a number when forever is the outcome. There was one section where Eragon and Arya were in the Empire traveling together and alone and I came up with all kinds of ways for them to get closer, such as when they extinguished the fire and it became very cold, I wish they would have used body heat to stay warm. Or there was the time when they first met up and they went up to her room to stay… and a few other instances that I made up in my mind. There are two reasons I believe that something has not happened to increase this romance. First of all the author is a young man. When he first wrote Eragon he probably didn’t even know how to include a well written romance into the story. I’m not saying that a man can’t write a romantic book, but all of the best romance novels I’ve ever read were authored by women. My second thought is that he is drawing us in by the anticipation of the maybe relationship. There is nothing better than a reader continuing to read because they can’t wait to see what happens next. I believe that this is Paolini’s thought behind what he does with Eragon and Arya’s relationship.
There was a pretty cool fight scene where Murtagh and his dragon fought Eragon and Saphira, it was awesome that Eragon was able to overpower Murtagh and Eragon said that it would be no big deal to overcome the other dragon, Thorn.

The story slowed throughout the middle, whenever Nasuada separates Eragon and Saphira it is pretty slow going. It seems like most of the characters are everywhere doing a lot of different things, but nothing is going on.

Thoughts? Have you read the Inheritance Cycle? Are you waiting impatiently for the last installment to come out? Let me know what you think!