5 comments about Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 1).

1. I became a fan of the HBO series, True Blood. At first I didn't want to read the books because I didn't want anything given away. When I found out the first season was based on the first book of this series, I read it just as season 2 was starting. The book is a very light easy read. Perfect for summer or travel reading. The relationship between Sookie & Bill is an exciting one... dating a vampire has to be the ultimate "bad boy". I think the story line is refreshing. So different from the many other vampire books out there. It's also filled with a little suspense & mystery. Looking forward to reading the 2nd book in the series!



2. I had heard of individuals raving about True Blood, a show on HBO, but was not much interested because I'm not big into fantasy/vampires (I did read the Twilight series and found it enjoyable, but had no desire to seek other vampire fiction). The television series eventually got book enthusiasts talking about the writing the television show was based on, which prompted me to give it a try.
   
   In the beginning of the book I thought I had perhaps made a mistake - the vampire theme was still slightly sketchy to me, and lots of characters were being introduced, making it more of a complicated read. Eventually I got everything straight and found myself loving the plot - Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress in a bar, meets a vampire (Bill). In this novel, vampires are allowed to live among humans, and everyone is aware that they are vampires (something different from the Twilight series). Bill has been trying to "mainstream," or drink artificial blood and actually be a part of a community. Shortly after Sookie and Bill meet, several murders happen around the town to women who have been known to associate with vampires, and have been found with bite marks, making it slightly more difficult for Bill to blend in.
   
   There is a great mix of romance and mystery in this book, and I did not figure out the mystery bit until it was revealed to me in the manuscript (which I love, as some mystery novels have rather obvious outcomes). I am very much looking forward to reading the remaining books in this series - I find myself wondering how Bill and Sookie are doing as I am in between books, so I am glad there are several others for me to read!



3. A friend recommended the True Blood series to me and when I read that it came from a book series, I just had to get the book. I wasn't disappointed. Although I still haven't watched TB, I have finished reading Charlaine Harris' first novel in the series. I was immediately hooked. Normally, when I think about characters with supernatural powers, I think about cocky or arrogant people who flaunt what makes them special. Not with Sookie. She considers her ability to read peoples' thoughts a disability. She's a quirky, confident woman who works in a bar as a waitress. She has learned to block out most voices, but some still come through. Then she meets her vampire (as vampires are now an accepted part of society) and her world changes. Suddenly danger and tragedy seem to follow her. Naturally, suspicion falls on the new being in town and Sookie has to use her disability to try to help her beau, her brother and herself.
   
   Overall, a great story. It's fun, and refreshing, yet has enough tension and sadness weaved in to complete it. I enjoyed reading about Sookie and seeing the way she viewed the world. I'm looking forward to watching it on DVD, although I know that novels rarely translate well to TV.



4. I just love vampire novels. "Twilight" was a hit with me (as it was with many), so when I stumbled upon Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries, I was tickled beyond belief. Of course, being introduced to a new author always has its risks. Will she make it readable, believable? Will she keep me interested? Will her characters live and breathe or will they stay strictly within the confines of their pages?
   
   After reading this book in less than two days (a lofty goal for me, considering I stay home with two young children), I have my answer. Harris had me at her first sentence: "I'd been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar." It was at that point that I realized with utter certainty that I'm going to DEVOUR this series.
   
   "Dead Until Dark", the first publication in Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries which has spawned nine books thus far (the tenth will be released in October), follows the travails of telepathic bar waitress Sookie Stackhouse (a memorable name, no doubt) and her subsequent romance with a vampire named Bill Compton. A blond-haired, blue-eyed beauty in her mid-20's, Sookie eschews the dating scene due to her self-described "disability" - the cacophony of people's thoughts drives her mad and she has avoided taking a lover for that very reason ("Can you imagine knowing everything your sex partner is thinking? Right. Along the order of `Gosh, look at that mole...her butt is a little big...wish she'd move to the right a little...why doesn't she take the hint and...?' You get the idea."). On top of that, vampires and other creatures that go bump in the night have become commonplace in Bon Temps, the sleepy Louisiana town where Sookie resides. When she rescues Bill one evening from a duo of Drainers (people who steal and sell vampire blood for its regenerative and Viagra-like properties), she finds that she cannot read his mind, a relief to her and a source of attraction. Bill appears aloof at first but is deeply entranced by Sookie and it doesn't take long for the sexual tension between them to build, as well as the element of danger. Someone is offing some of the town's more promiscuous female citizens but when the perpetrator begins to target Sookie as well as her family, she begins utilizing her mind-reading abilities to solve the mystery, making of herself a rare brand of detective for the supernatural population as well as her fellow humans.
   
   Unlike the ultra-serious "Twilight" novels, "Dead Until Dark" is loosy-goosey, playful and oft tongue-in-cheek; readers will get a kick out of Harris's offbeat terminology ("fang-bangers", "mainstreaming") and a wry humor that makes itself evident in Sookie's responses to people as well as her inner thoughts. There are also a considerable amount of steamy sexual situations in the book, Bill's and Sookie's romance heating up rather quickly as well as some characters' bedroom proclivities discussed in somewhat unflattering detail. If you have a pre-teen interested in this series (though this is not classified as Young Adult Fiction) and you're concerned about content, this might not be a good choice (Twilight was cited for this reason by more conservative readers). The series, having gotten its start in 2001, has experienced a surge in popularity due to its adaptation into an HBO series titled "True Blood" (starring Anna Paquin as the inimitable Sookie). If you want a quick cinematic overview of the first novel with a charismatic and talented cast, point yourself in the direction of True Blood's first season, now available on DVD.
   
   Bottom line: A playful and exciting vampire series that just might have Stephenie Meyer biting her nails a bit, "Dead Until Dark" is the start of something good and though Harris seems to be spitting out the travails of Sookie Stackhouse year after year (there's an impressively short reprieve between each book), it will be nonetheless disappointing when it all ends. Until then, my friends, sink your fangs into this delicious tidbit of supernatural Southern gothic.



5. I have been watching True Blood and LOVE it so I decided to read the books as well. I was very impressed. The books are really good. This book was very exciting and it was fun to read the details that are missing from the series. I really am not that in to vampires but this story is just charming,new, and just addicting.

5 comments about From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 8).

1. This is the 8th book in the southern vampire series featuring a bar waitress Sookie Stackhouse who ends up involved with vampires and other supernatural beings. They seem to be drawn to her. This is a hilarious , fun, and entertaining read.



2. This was a great read. The fantastical creations and imagination of Charlene Harris make for hours of entertainment.



3. i love the sookie stackhouse books and this one is no exception charlaine harris really did it this time and i cant wait till the next book comes out!



4. I've read the series of Sookie Stackhouse books 1-9 and they are very well done. Charlaine Harris is a clever author. I have enjoyed the books even more than the HBO series, which strays from the story line. If you like vampire books and the TruBlood series, you will find these books extremely entertaining. I couldn't put them down! I can't wait for the 10th one to come out in Oct.!



5. All I can say is thank you Ms. Harris for yet another wonderful book. I can't wait until the next one comes out and it won't be soon enough to me! I will say in this review that if you base whether or not you are going to read the books on the HBO series True Blood which is VERY loosely based on the books then I will give you 2 insights. 1. True Blood is so far from being what the books are that it's difficult for me to follow along, waiting for the book to show up in there at differing points. Insight number 2, if you like True Blood it will be assured you will LOVE the books. Have fun!

5 comments about Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9).

1. This series has lost it's direction. So many of the chapters read like vignettes. Nothing connects. What was the whole point of the Were revelation? Where did the FBI thing go? Why even start with the fairy storyline in the previous book? It's like she's throwing things out there and trying to see what sticks instead of actually developing the series with a sense of direction. And all the humor and insights that Sookie had in the first four books are long gone. Her character is now just whiny, hard-hearted and selfish. Everything that the supes may have liked about her as the unusual human seems to have changed. The fact that the author seems only to be able to develop or grow her female characters through making really horrible things happen to them is really disturbing to me at this point. Is that really what the author believes? When is it going to be enough already? Unfortunately Sookie is now so unpleasant that it's hard to even care at the end when more horror happens to her. Is the next book gonna explore PTSD because it sure ought to. But who'd want to read it? I really think the whole desire for big action instead of actual plot and character growth is because of the TV series. And the fact that all the guys in Sookie's life put up with her is just totally unbelievable to me at this point. She is failing to develop as a character and she's lost me as a reader who cares. And so many bad things writing wise in this one that I'm just done with the series. What a disappointment after staying with the books for several years and hoping that things would get better.



2. I am not going to recap the book, I am just going to say read all the other negative reviews and you will get exactly how I feel about Dead and Gone.
   
   I dont believe that Charlaine Harris wrote this book there are too many mistakes, Sookie isnt herself, and the overall "feel" of the book isnt in line with the rest of the series.
   
   Its upsetting to say the least.



3. Although I enjoyed this book, I do think it's by far the least well written of the entire Sookie Stackhouse series. You definitely get the feeling that the whole thing was thrown together ... perhaps to capitalize on the success of the TV series.
   
   Whatever the reason, too much is going on in this book. Practically every character from the preceding novels seems to make an appearance, sometimes for seemingly no apparent reason. Some plotlines are interesting, such as the shifters' coming out, Crystal's murder, and Sookie's "marriage" to Eric, while others, such as the fairy war, seem unnecessary.
   
   I haven't given up on the series, but I'm hoping the next entry will be a more streamlined, well written return to form.



4. Why is Charlaine Harris still writing this series?!?!? Did her publisher make her an offer that she couldn't refuse?
   
   Her books have never been 'high brow' but they were always a good read, with some great character development and story lines. The greatest travesty in this installment was the introduction of 'Eric Lite'.
   
   The story line had some real potential, but the poor quality of writing trashed it.
   
   I can only hope that the next installment is written with some passion, and that we give this series the honorable death that it deserves.



5. Charlaine Harris has kept this series interesting and exciting. This was another great addition to the Southern Vampire Series! It is a must read...keep up the great work Charlaine!!

5 comments about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

1. If you don't know the story, it's about a naturalist, Professor Arronax, and his assistant on a quest to find the giant sea creature that's been menacing the seas. But the sea creature turns out to be a submarine, the Nautilus, and they're joined by the harpooner Ned Land in being rescued/captured by its crew when their attack on it fails.
   
   I definitely encountered this book far too late to fully enjoy it. Like when I tried re-reading Tolkein a couple of years ago, I found I lacked the patience to read through pages and pages of interminable description. There were several times when I just couldn't stand it any longer and I'd put the book down and go do something else. Only sheer stubbornness made me finish it.
   
   The story itself was interesting, though the style of the times was a bit of an obstacle. The enigmatic Captain Nemo is never fully explained, nor are the professor and his two companions. It's left up to the reader to fill in the blanks. The professor's unconcern about his imprisonment on the submarine is partially explained by his fascination with the undersea worlds he encounters; the complacence of his assistant and Ned Land are less understandable. Ned Land does try to escape occasionally, but he's portrayed as narrow-mindedly violent because of that, which I found peculiar.
   
   I do see why films were made from this--condensing those descriptive passages into scenery would make the action and adventure parts of the story stand out more. I've never seen one, but I'm thinking of adding one to the Netflix queue. Any suggestions of which version to try?
   
   In short, I'm giving this 4 stars for the story, but 2 stars for the pain of reading it.



2. I never received this item. The seller sent this item to my shipping address at my billing address. 2 different addresses as we do not receive mail at our house.



3. A fancinating story for kids and all the ages! Should have a map and ocean fish handbook while reading it. The printing is little too small for kids.



4. This isn't one of my favorites of verne's, but I still appreciate a wonderful scifi adventure. Verne always wrote his novels with a tool that many novelists, especially scifi novelists, lack. That tool is knowledge. Verne was a scientist. his books are always grounds to teach, to learn, and to speculate. It's so facinating now, so many years in the future, to see how amazingly close to the truth Verne often was using the little information available to him and his great scientific mind. My hero.



5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of those classics that has so made its imprint upon SF and popular culture that one needn't have read the book to know its features: the dark genius, Captain Nemo; the futuristic Nautilus with its thousand strange inventions and capabilities; and gigantic octopi that can drag a ship down to the abyss. In fact, this book is so invested into modern culture that hardly anyone nowadays has read it, and it is a work that, even more than 120 years after its first publication, yet deserves examination.

5 comments about Weapons of Choice (Axis of Time, Book 1).

1. I read this book when it first came out, then forgot I'd done so. Saw a copy in the bookstore recently and bought it. Oops. I think one of the jacket blurbs describes the novel as Clancyesque, and it sure is, in all the worst ways- the uber-bitchy female reporters, the loving descriptions of weapons, and the colorfully named and one-dimensional military heroes. The author, an Aussie, appears to have little familiarity with how actual Americans talk. He also has issues with the Japanese- they're generally portrayed as inhuman fanatics, and the 21st-century characters are calling them "Japs" almost as soon as they arrive in 1942. Bottom line- if you like Clancy, Thor, etc. then go for it.



2. Birmingham goes out of his way to produce a gross, un-P.C. WWII cast of characters that attack all persons other than white males who have arrived from the 21st century. The caricatures are laughable.
   
   Even worse, he takes 21st century women journalists and turns them into the lowest form of no-self-esteem sex maniacs.
   
   From both groups the language is foul and unappealing. It adds nothing to the story. I waded through 75% of the book, first because I like time travel and second because I like to find new authors/series. I appreciate that it was free and I would have been willing to pay full price for the "next in series".
   
   In this case I feel like I need to go take a shower.



3. It seems incredible that anyone would write a time traveler story without even giving a nod to the "Grandfather Effect". Wondering over that haunted my reading of the entire book.
   
   In America Girl SCOUTS not Guides sell cookies.
   
   When reading history of the WWII era from contemporary sources almost all sources refer to Russia as opposed to the Soviet Union.
   
   The writing became very sloppy in the last hundred odd pages with many words escaping sentences. Slow down and re-read before publishing!



4. Book's free, how can you go wrong, right? Well, you really can't with this. It's got some weak spots, a few weak characters, occasional slip ups with characters mentioning events, cultural icons that are supposed to be in the 2020's but in fact are in our time, but it's a fun read, perfect for the beach, airplane, any time and any place you want to mentally coast and be well entertained. I will say it ended a bit jarringly as I had forgotten that it is a trilogy. Got off the airplane, took the taxi home and immediately downloaded the second and third books. So, I have to say it isn't free since you will buy the second and probably the third, but the trilogy is certainly worth the $12 or $13.
   Net, net, it isn't great literature, but it's a heck of a lot of fun!



5. I downloaded this for free to my kindle and enjoyed reading it. It was a nice quick read like John Grisham. Instead of a young lawyer in trouble, it focused on an interesting combination of military history and Crighton type sci-fi. A fun, fast paced read if ultimately a little forgettable.

5 comments about His Majesty's Dragon.

1. I loved this book. I like the fact that, though Laurence and Temeraire are obviously the main characters, there are many others that the author develops and gives attention to. You learn that in the book's world, there are many different breeds of dragon, and you learn about their relationships to their "Captains." The first book is mainly about Laurence trying to get used to the life of an aviator, having not been raised in that life. He has a lot to learn, and a very short time in which to learn it. It's a very good book, and most of the time is very hard to put down.



2. I really was not impressed with this story. It tends to jump around, the conversations are not realistic. I sometimes have to wonder if the characters ever took a breath do to the lack of breaks or description during conversations. The basic concept of the story makes a vague attempt at being unique in the Dragon Riders of Pern have crash landed on Britain sense. Over all I found it to be cliche and was so glad I did not actually spend money on it. Perhaps if you liked a series like the Dragons of Pern this might appeal to you. If you want a well thought out plot with smooth story telling and characters that actually have some depth to them, this book is probably not for you. How it got a high rating I have not a clue.



3. I thought this was an awesome book...if you enjoyed Master and Commander and like fantasy, then here you are! This book is excellent, plenty of action, characters you can really care about and an engaging narrative. I highly recommned it!



4. I was pleased to find this free for Kindle as I'd been meaning to check out this series for a while. While I enjoyed the book and found it a fresh twist on the draconic theme, I was a bit disappointed by the depth. This is not an intense masterwork of fantasy by any stretch, but rather a light read on a par with many young adult novels.
   
   I would recommend the book to any fantasy, dragon, or history fan. It is neatly written and a pleasure to read. Don't try this when looking for a go-to novel you will pick up again and again and find new insight every time- you will be disappointed.
   
   The battles are detailed, and all the dragons' care and handling are well explained and thought out. The angle is certainly unique and refreshing and I truly enjoyed this aspect. I think some readers may find the characters' a bit two-dimensional and the conversation forced. Some of this is due to the culture and custom of the time, but it tends to add to the novel's juvenile feel. Seperations of classes as well as military conduct are dealt with somewhat poorly and don't ring as true as they might.
   
   That being said, I will still try the rest of the series! A great book to read on vacation or in waiting rooms or when your life is full of stress-it won't add any intensity and give you a bit of a break.



5. I am a huge fan of fantasy and was immediately hooked by Novik's novel. Laurence as a character is so complex and dynamic that he is likeable by nearly everyone. My historical fancy was treated as well by the circumstances surrounding the story: Napoleon's conquest of Britain, etc. It almost makes the plot seem reasonable, until one remembers that dragon-kind plays a consideable role in it.
   
   Two of my favorite topics are meshed together within this tale. I have always been intrigued by nautical vessels and terminology, and to my very unprofessional understanding Novik seems to have left nothing out when it comes to the detail of the ships and sailor's life from whence Captain Laurence came.
   
   On the other hand, my appetite for the fantastical and larger than life is satisfied by the sheer medieval palor cast on the story by the inclusion of the dragons. Instead of being witless beasts, they are given sentience as well as wisdom and personality. This adds much to the richness of the story and allows the scope to be greatly expanded.
   
   His Majesty's Dragon contains almost non-stop action. The lulls in tempo are few and fleeting. The level of detail given to the descriptions of dragons and their combat strategies almost makes a science out of the medieval mythos. There is even something of a love story slipped in the crevasses between fast-paced action.
   
   I cannot say enough good things about this novel. It is a joy ride through a fantasy world the likes of which we have not seen since Tolkien, and I can only hope the sequels live up to this first installment in the series.

5 comments about Magic Kingdom for Sale--Sold!.

1. I've owned this series for a long time. And love it. When travelling recently, I finished all the Amazon Kindle books on my iPod, so I "bought" (it's free) this one. And enjoyed it. But it was clearly scanned and not edited well after. Many upside-down exclamation points. Sentence sets like "...more than I. I don't think..." became "... than 1.1 don't think...". "I'll" also became 1.1. Even the country name (Lan-Dover most of the time) was screwed up a bit.
   
   It was still readable easily, but this seemed sloppy. So five stars for the book, less one for the typos.



2. There are some very interesting and compelling elements in Magic Kingdom, however, the continuous self-pity exhibited by High Lord Ben for me ultimately kills any positive momentum the author has managed to convey. Ben's fixation on Annie this and Annie that plus his sometimes schizophrenic attitude about fear made it difficult for me to relate to him. As an example of his attitude about fear, he's not afraid to go running or swimming by himself in a strange, unknown land even after being warned of possible dangers, yet in other situations he's positively apoplectic with fear when placed in situations where it is not even clear there is something to be afraid of. Again, parts of the story are very compelling but to me they are weighed down by the protagonist's perpetual self-pity and inconsistent personality characteristics.



3. What a fun, campy read. I read this book because of kindle's free promotion of it. It turned out to be very good and would be worth paying regular price for. I wish it had been a little bit longer and detailed but I guess the author left it open for future installments. This is a great book to read on vacation...enjoy!



4. I read the Magic Kingdom series when they first came out. Thought they were really great. So, when I saw the first book in the series - "Magic Kingdom for Sale - Sold!" being offered for free in the Kindle version, I immediately grabbed it.
   
   I started reading it but have found a lot of formatting errors that are a bit annoying. For some reason, in many instances, the exclamation point (!) is inserted upside down. How could that happen? Other instances are words that are hyphenated in the middle of a sentence, as if the word was originally at the end of a row and was supposed to continue to the next one.
   
   There were a few other words that were missing. I had to laugh when the beginning of a sentence started out "FU" and that was it.
   
   I've read many books on the Kindle so far, even Brooks' first Shannara Trilogy and didn't notice any formatting errors. So, I guess the whole reason for releasing this book as a freebie was due to the poor formatting. I'm at the beginning where Ben just made the purchase and he's driving to the entry point of the Kingdom and all these errors are annoying to see.
   
   Is there a way to report the formatting problems to the publisher? I can give them examples but I don't want to spend time listing every single one, all they have to do is read the kindle version and the mistakes just jump out at you. Obviously the Kindle version wasn't proofread.
   
   I may purchase the next one in the series in Kindle format but if it contains just as many errors, I won't buy the rest.
   
   To summarize: Great story, lousy kindle formatting! I would give it 5 stars but it loses 1 because of the formatting errors.



5. This book started off slowly, then got much better towards the middle. If you read the Author's biography, the slow start makes a bit more sense (he was a lawyer before becoming an author).
   
   The Kindle edition has a LOT of scanning errors, tons of upside down exclaimation points, words crammed together, and other words torn in two.
   
   Now that I've finished this book, I was really disappointed to see the sequel books are not available for the kindle, only the most recent book in the series, which means skipping several chapters. :(

5 comments about Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4).

1. I tore through the first three Twilight novels despite Meyer's terrible writing skills, but this book feels like a slap in the face. The characters are just pathetic in this book - almost shells of themselves - and there is absolutely ZERO suspense. No confrontation, nothing. I didn't think it was possible to make a vampire book boring, but Meyer managed it. After swooning through the first book, I became more and more bored with the story. Stephanie, you and your editor should be ashamed of yourselves.
   
   To all you Twi-hards, check out Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels - they're practically the same story (I wouldn't be surprised to hear Meyer read them more than once before writing Twilight), but with actual 3 dimensional characters and a story that makes sense.



2. I'm new to the Twilight Phenomenon, but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the saga over the last two weeks. I will admit that I did get feed up with Bella's whining and Jacob's desperation at times. However, unlike most people I really enjoyed Eclipse. I found the banter between Edward and Jacob to be hilarious. As for Breaking Dawn, I found it to a pleasant end to the saga. I have heard speculation that there is another book told from Edwards perception that was in the works until it was leaked over the net. As I am far older than the average reader, I find the details surrounding this to be a bit "shady". The story giving has a lot of missing pieces. I believe this to be a PR scheme. Nothing sells books or movies tickets faster than a scandal or drama.
   Here's what I do not understand, why was there not any legal maneuvers at least by the publishing company to stop the spread over the internet? They have the most to lose in book sells. I think it was leaked by the publisher. And the BS Ms. Meyer's is spouting about waiting two years to go back to it. There's no way with the reviews the draft is getting in the blogs that the publisher's will let it sit for that long. It's a like sitting on a pot of gold. And who is to say the interest will still be there in two years? I have no worries that the book will be published.



3. Wow! Excellent conclusion to the series! Stephanie Meyer is brilliant author who makes you feel everything the characters feel - you will be holding your breath everytime Bella does! And don't mistake this for a dark, gothic, vampire series - this is definately a fairy tale! And the best one I've ever read!



4. If u have read "Twulight", "New Moon" and "Eclipse"...YOU MUST READ "BREAKING DAWN"...is so exciting u can't get ur eyes out of it....totally recommended!



5. How on earth did Meyer conceive this finale for her saga? The story was so far fetched and removed from the rest of the series it felt like an entirely different book, or even like a bad fanfiction created by an avid fan while waiting for the last book to come out!
   
   The plot also seemed crowded. By the end of the book I had to make a real effort to remember how it began (not to mention how the series began). Although it might have been that the book so painful to read, I found myself bored through most of it and just skimming through some parts.
   
   Even the romance was lacking. Granted, I was always a Team Jacob fan, so all the Edward/Bella scenes did nothing for me. The twisted turn Jacob's character took was very disappointing. Towards the end I found his character became so flat I no longer cared for him.
   
   And they plan to make this into a movie? I already see the critics ripping apart the story. Not to mention moviegoers thinking "what the heck?"
   
   You really have to be a loyal fan to stick by this book. It's so disappointing that I can no longer count this saga among my favorites.

5 comments about Assassin's Apprentice.

1. Since this is my primary foray into the fantasy genre, I was entirely pleased by the Farseer Trilogy. I could not put it down once I started. Okay no... There was only 2 times that I recall it being at a boring point in the story but I never ever felt like stopping it completely like I have some novels. 1st person narratives are usually droll but this was excellent. I will soon read Hobb's works after this series as well. I hope it's just as fun.
   Never Forget that it is all relative...Happy Reading Everyone!!!



2. This book was a very intersting book with tons of plot twists. This book was full "political" assassinations and decite from characters you never would have thought possiable. This book also shows the maturing of a king-in-waiting's bastard



3. I wanted to read this and then discovered it was free on Kindle. After that I was hooked and have read all in this series, just finishing the last "Fool" book. Very well written, can't put them down! I will be sad when I'm done, haven't found such well written, wonderful stories and characters in a book in a long time. Highly recommend all six.



4. I'd have to put this whole series in the top three of my all-time favorite books. The characters are so well written with their motivations. Even when you don't like what they're doing, you understand why they're doing it. It's a great story of the politics behind the throne and how one young boy can change everything. As soon as I finished this book, I immediately ordered the rest of the series, and they only get better. Days later, I'm still thinking about the story, and to me, that's the sign of a great story and author.



5. I thought that it was a good start for the series,nd I plan to read the rest of it. Hobb's characters are very real and easy to relate to( not in the assassin way and killing people unless you are an assassin then you can relate even more).
   The book is uniqually written with many twist and turns, but I found it hard to follow the passage of time in some spots. Also it is sometimes hard to pick out the flashbacks and reality or when he is skilling or just talking so I gave this story 3 stars for origanality and for the story line.

5 comments about Sookie Stackhouse, Books 1-7.

1. Not even close to interesting. Mostly just teenage redneck vampires running around doing dumb things. *Yawn*



2. These are fun books, very much making me think of Janet Evanovich with her bail bondswoman adventures. Light & funny. With Sookie, of course, you just add vampires :)



3. These books are in no way like Twilight other than they have vampires and werewolves. The similarities end there. The books are well written with lots of action and dark humor. The dialogue and heroine is one you can easily identify with. There are wonderful characters that you will get hooked on quickly! I could not put these books down and went through all 9 of them in 8 days!
   
   If you like the vamp genre, you will love these books!



4. Sure, the only other box sex was the Little House books and that was a loooong time ago, still, this is the best. I like the fact that once I get done with one, another one awaits. But let's face facts, these are just good books! Ms. Harris has the natural ability to draw the reader in and not let them go. Two thumb's up, way up. Also, don't pass True Blood: The Complete First Season (HBO Series) up.



5. I can't even tell you why I enjoy this series so much. I'm not a fan of Sookie or Bill. I do enjoy the banter between Sookie and Eric though. Eventhough the main character isn't my favorite, the story itself is imaginitive, funny, romantic and action packed. I went through this whole series in less than two weeks...I even reread a couple of them in that time. In this series you'll encounter: vampires, shifters, fairies, witches...oh, and of course the fang bangers. The first book starts off a bit slow and my expectations were very low since I saw the first episode of True Blood and found it ridiculously cheesy with the retractable fangs and all. After reading book two I was completely hooked! The girl can't keep herself out of trouble and seems to have an endless line of men who adore her...and hate her.