In volume 4, Sookie is trying to come to terms with her breakup with the perfidious Bill, who luckily is absent from most of the story -although he returns in time to deliver some useful information about an enemy of hers. Sookie is kept busy because she finds Eric, the usually suave, sarcastic and totally in command, Viking vampire, running scared down the road near her house because he has amnesia. When she contacts his second-in-command Pam, she learns that Eric has been cursed by some very nasty witches who are trying to take over his business and also to get their hands on him - possibly not because he is drop-dead gorgeous but more to do with his blood fetching a lot on the black market given his age. Sookie is then employed to keep Eric safe, during the day lying low at her house and using the under the house bolt hole that Bill had previously installed, but she is soon preoccupied with the disappearance of her brother Jason.

This story includes pretty much everything bar the kitchen sink given that it features not only the vampires, shape-shifters and werewolves previously introduced, but also a fairy (which given her description would have been better termed a fae or Sidhe I think) and various types of witches: Wiccans (nature religion humans), magic practitioners, and weres who are both witches and drinkers of vampire blood.

The two subplots weave together a bit more successfully than in earlier volumes, and the latter half of the book is more successful as I found it dragged rather in the first half. It was interesting to see the sweet, rather insecure, version of Eric, but even Sookie recognises by the end that a relationship with him in that state would be fake and that it is best that he be restored to his normal state. Having him like that though did enable Pam to come to the fore and show her effectiveness, and she is quite likeable for a vampire. There is also an interesting possible development for Jason. I did think though that the author had thrown away one possibility for some later tension, in killing off a particular enemy so soon - if that person had been around for another book or two, there would have been more potential for havoc

Given that this was a book of two halves for me, with one pretty boring and slow, and the other chockful of action, on balance I would rate this at 3 stars. ( )

yeah I read another one of them. Don't judge me! ( )

Dead to the World
4.5 Stars

When small town waitress and closet telepath, Sookie Stackhouse stumbles across an amnesiac vampire wandering around in the woods, she immediately recognizes him as Eric Northman, the arrogant and domineering Sheriff of Area 5. After taking him home and cleaning him up, Sookie discovers that an Eric with no memory is sweet, vulnerable and oh so sexy. Unfortunately, the witches who cursed him are hot on his trail, and Sookie will have to pull out all the stops to keep him and those she cares about safe.

The Sookie Stackhouse series is not to be mistaken for serious literature in any shape or form. Nevertheless, the characters are engaging (aside from Bill the jerk) and the stories are fast-paced, action-packed and highly entertaining.

Dead to the World is the best book so far, and this is mainly due to the wonderful dynamics between Eric and Sookie. While Eric's charm and humor have been apparent from the start, and his deeper feelings for Sookie have been hinted at, these traits come to the fore in this installment as his amnesia allows Sookie to lower her guard and get to know the softer Eric beneath the smarmy façade.

In addition to Eric, Sookie's supernatural harem gains another member, Calvin Norris who joins Sam, Bill and Alcide in their affection for her. However, at this point, it remains unclear which of the "bachelors" will go home with the prize as each is problematic in their own way.

In terms of the story, there are two apparently connected threads - the witch coven's plot to usurp the Shreveport vamps and weres, and the disappearance of Sookie's incorrigible brother, Jason. Although rather predictable, both are well-developed with one or two compelling twists and turns that will have intriguing consequences going forward.

All in all, these books are light, fluffy and fun. However, readers expecting a written version of the TV show are going to be disappointed as any resemblance between the characters and the plot developments is superficial at best. Can't wait to see what is next for Sookie and her cohorts. ( )

My favorite so far! Love Eric, and amnesia!Eric was great too. Totally a Sookie/Eric shipper. ( )

Uggg... tried this for a second time and just couldn't do it. Looks like I won't be continuing the Sookie series.