Review: Dead to the World

Reviewed by Jen
 

Ask any Sookie Stackhouse fan which book is the best in the series, and you'll be hard pressed to find one that doesn't pick Dead to the World. This is the very best that the series has to offer. And the crowning jewel of this masterpiece: a Viking Vampire with amnesia.

Thanks to the events in Club Dead, Sookie's relationship with that asshat Bill is over. And as this book begins, Bill is heading off to Peru to work on his vampire-directory project. Shortly after he leaves, Sookie finds Eric, running barefoot on an old country road with no memory of who he is or how he got there. She brings him back to her house and learns through his second-in-command Pam, that he has been cursed by a powerful witch. Her coven is now searching for him and Sookie has to hide him in her home until the vamps can smoke out the coven. At the same time, Sookie's brother Jason goes missing. And Sookie must divide her time and attention between searching for him and taking care of her houseguest.

Amnesiac Eric is exactly what Sookie needs in her life. He has all the sexy of his regular self, but he is also honest, unassuming, and hopelessly crazy about Sookie. It takes very little time for her to succumb to his charms. And holy cow, their love scenes are a sight to behold! (There is a reason that romp in the shower is a series landmark unto itself.)
 
The nefarious witch and her reign of terror ends up drawing in the Weres, which means we are treated to some more of the luscious goodness of one Alcide Herveaux.
              
We learn more about his pack... and unfortunately, we're subjected to more Debbie as well. Let me be clear when I say, I love Eric. But Harris paints Alcide as such a great alternative in these early books --if only he could just get over that horrible, horrible woman.

In addition to the introduction of Alcide's pack members, we learn more about Crystal and the shifters in Hot Shot. (They'll feature prominently in the next book.) And we meet Claudine, a Fairy who will become a big part of Sookie's life.

It's hard to talk about this book without gushing. It's got the best of everything: great characters, good story, plenty of action, emotion, and hot sex. Plus Eric and Alcide. What more could a woman want? 5 stars