Dead Reckoning - Review

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11) by Charlaine Harris
Publication date: 03 May 2011 by Penguin/Ace Roc
ISBN 10/13: 0441020313 | 9780441020317

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, vampires, weres, fae, shapeshifters
Format: Hardcover, eBook and audiobook

From goodreads:

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows.

Thuy's review:

Sookie finds herself once again in a whole heap of trouble when she witnesses a fire bomb at Merlotte’s. The suspicion falls on the anti-Shifter groups in the area but Sookie has her own ideas about who might be behind it the attack. Throw in an assassination plot to kill the current vampire king and Sookie may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Charlaine Harris gets back on track with Dead Reckoning. The last book in the series was a huge disappointment for me. It was bogged down with way to many characters and dry explanations of vampire politics. This book returns to what I loved about the series in the first place - fun and interesting characters, drama and hot vampires! There was a little less Bill than I would have liked (Team Bill!) but Eric was definitely great. Some changes to Sookie and Eric’s relationship happen that I think were inevitable. There’s also plenty of sweet, sexy Sam in this one. Harris seriously needs to give him a girlfriend who isn’t mean or crazy (and yes, I volunteer).

We see the return of fan fave Bubba in a rare concert performance and Amelia the witch even makes a brief appearance. Sookie learns more about her fae heritage and the origins of her telepathic ability. This revelation wasn’t quite what I was expecting but it’s a nice piece of the Sookie puzzle to have.

Dead Reckoning is a quick, fun read that reminds me why I originally started reading this series and why I love Sookie. Looking forward to the next installment!

say "twee!"

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Find Thuy on Twitter @fishgirl182

Moon Called - Review

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs

Publication date: 31 January 2006 by Penguin/Ace Roc

ISBN 10/13: 0441013813 | 978-0441013814 

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, vampires, weres, fae, shapeshifter
Format: Hardcover, mass market paperback, eBook

From goodreads:

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Thuy's review:

Moon Called is the first book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Surprisingly, I hadn't heard much about this series until I spotted it earlier this year at the LA Festival of books (at the always awesome Mysterious Galaxy booth).  The covers were eye catching and I decided to give them a chance, and boy, am I glad I did.

Mercy Thompson, coyote shapeshifter and VW mechanic, is living a relatively quite life when runaway werewolf Mac shows up at her garage looking for work. Mercy decides that she can use the extra help while keeping an eye on him at the same time. Unfortunately, trouble follows Mac and all hell breaks loose. Mercy must work with the local werewolf pack, a vampire den and covert military ops to make it right.

I was really surprised by how much I liked Moon Called. Briggs does a great job of drawing a world full of its own unique characters and mythologies. Sure, you have familiar creatures like vampires and werewolves, but Briggs puts her own spin on them. Mercy feels like an old friend, someone you can have a beer and a laugh with.  She also likes to bake a lot, which made me like her even more.  She's a fascinating heroine - independent and stubborn , with a dry sense of humor and sarcastic wit. She's no invincible superhero but she's smart and loyal and manages to hold her own against some very scary creatures. I also love the chemistry  between Mercy and Adam.  There's not much romance happening just yet, but it promises to get steamier as the series goes on. There's a bit of a love triangle going on with Samuel in the picture, but I'm rooting for Adam. 

There are some great supporting characters in the book, too. Mercy's friend, Stefan, happens to be a vampire and a big Scooby Doo fan.  Adam's third in the pack, Warren, is probably the only gay werewolf I've ever met.  He and his boyfriend Kyle are adorable together. Jesse, Adam's human daughter is awesome as well and is funny as only a teenager can be.

There is plenty of action and intrigue to keep the book moving. Things did get confusing at the end with the double crosses and ulterior motives. I admit that I was confused about who was working for whom and what the end game of certain characters were. However, it all ends up working out and I am dying read the next book. This series promises to be a new favorite for me and I have already gone out and purchase the rest of the books in the series. Yes, I am that confident of its awesome-ness. If you haven't tried this series yet, get to it! You won't regret it.

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Visit the author online at www.patriciabriggs.com and follow @Mercys_Garage on Twitter