Sookie has a new year’s resolution – no more violence, no
more being beaten up, no more dangerous situations
Until she finds Eric, the ancient vampire Sheriff, running
half naked down the road without his memories. This rapidly leads to her
harbouring the ancient, but clueless vampire from the attentions of a vicious
and lethal witch who not only has the vampires in her sights, but is also
kidnapping the local witches and killing off the local werewolves as well.
As if keeping an ancient – and beautiful – vampire safe
wasn’t enough, her brother has also gone missing. And it’s not like she can
rely on any of the supernatural community to make finding Jason a priority at
the best of times, let alone at the cusp of a war against invading vampire
blood drinking werewolf witches. Which leaves it to her to investigate.
The story in this book is well done, paced and revealed.
Starting from a basic standpoint – Eric being targeted and Sookie’s accommodating
that was slowly expanded as we saw Hallow and her forces having a wider and
more all-encompassing agenda. It wasn’t a story with twists – we had a clear
enemy from the very beginning, a clear goal and the only thing that really
changed was the scope of the enemy’s focus and the abilities she had in which
to pursue her goals. But it wasn’t a story that needed twists, beyond a second
parallel running alongside – it worked on its own back by expanding the world
considerably with the witches and the werewolf pack. These new threads being
drawn into the story to face off against Hallow added depth to the plot without
the need for twists, turns and surprises.
I do also like a story that has multiple threads running
through it, even if they act as red herrings. It makes it clear that just
because something is the primary issue in Sookie’s life, doesn’t mean it’s
going to be the all encompassing issue in everyone else’s and there can be
several actors, with their own agendas, their own threads and their own drives.
It’s good to see that not all issues are resolved with just one battle, one
enemy defeated.
One thing that works well in this book and in the series in
general is the community ties. I can really get a sense of Bon Temps as a real
place. Everyone knows everyone else, Sookie can track relations and degrees of
separations with everyone. She knows who is whose relatives, who is whose
friend, their histories, their ties to everyone else in the town makes even the
smallest characters into people.
The one downside to this is that, as I explain before,
Sookie knows everyone and has nothing kind to say about them.
With the introduction of Claudine this world is expanded
a little more – I think I’d like it a lot more if I didn’t know that it’s not
going to be expanded much more on that. But the world still remains solid and
interesting – the introduction of magic and witchcraft certainly adds new
dimensions to the world.
We also have some excellent class commentary. Sookie,
despite having advantages like a fully paid off home, is still not a rich
woman. She lives on a waitress salary and she struggles. She loves her family
home but dreams of a smaller, more modern house that is easier to heat and
cool. She has to drive at night and the police lecture her for not having a
cell phone – but she can’t afford it, nor can she afford to take the less-well
paid and well tipped day shifts. Even buying basic clothing and blood for Eric
are things she has to consider on her budget. In a genre where most
protagonists just reach into their pockets for money without a second thought,
Sookie’s totting up the pennies and worrying. It also adds a lot to her motivation.
While we can often ask why urban fantasy protagonists don’t just leave or why
they’re going through all this for a love interest, Sookie has that simple but
essential monetary goal. Despite the very overtly labelled violence she faces,
despite the risk, she can’t afford to turn down thousands of dollars.
But increasingly I’m finding it hard to like Sookie as a
person. She’s so extremely judgemental and just plain nasty to everyone around
her. I think she should be happy she’s the telepath and not everyone else
because her inner commentary is toxic. She goes to ask Holly questions and
randomly thinks about how stupid Holly’s husband’s cousin is. At Fangtasia, one
of the waitresses is in agonising pain and Sookie’s mental commentary is full
of mockery. She finds another dead and, again, comments on how stupid she was.
Honestly you find a body and your thought is she was “dumb as a rock.” She
hates Alcide’s secretary on sight and dubs her “Ms. Crispy” (and has to duck
into her head to note she’s sleeping with Alcide’s father). Crystal Norris,
Jason’s fling she considers to be “bitchy” and hates on sight. And she judges
Jason for picking her up (and her for being picked up) never mind that she’s
just had sex with Eric and justified it with “we’re adults, we’re not being
disloyal to anyone, so why not?” This morality only applies to Sookie. When
Andy gives her polite condolences about her brother being missing she thinks “liar”
(gods forbid someone be polite!) She mentally attacks Portia, she even mentally
attacks Claudine - she thinks of her as a “scrumptious slut” but when one of
the were’s dares to call Sookie a “vamp hunter” Sookie starts crying and Eric
attacks them.
