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A review by easolinas
True Blood Dead until Dark; Living Dead in Dallas; Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
4.0
Urban fantasy usually takes place in, you know, urban areas. Cities, big towns, and places where vampires and weres creep in dank alleys. But Charlaine Harris took a slightly different approach in the Sookie Stackhouse series. And the first three books, collected in "Dead in Dixie (Southern Vampire Mystery, Bks. 1-3)," are solidly entrenched in warm Southern charm and mellow mysteries.
In "Dead Until Dark," Bon Temps waitress Sookie Stackhouse can read minds, which is more of a curse than a blessing. But when she meets and befriends vampire Bill Compton, she becomes embroiled in the world of vampires -- and when her grandmother is viciously murdered, she finds that the supernatural world is a lot more complicated (and close to home) than she ever dreamed.
"Living Dead in Dallas" has Sookie is hired by vampires over a kidnapping, and ends up mired in a disastrous situation involving werewolves, Texan vamps, and a fanatical religious cult that hates the supernatural. "Club Dead" brings Sookie some relationship problems when Bill becomes inattentive... and vanishes. Sookie sets out to find her absentee lover along with the Viking vampire Eric and the werewolf Alcide, but the result isn't what she expects.
The Sookie Stackhouse series does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of urban fantasy -- it's not all doom'n'gloom, gothic pomposity and angst. Instead, it's soaked in down-home Southern charm, the pleasant little town of Bon Temps, and a generally mellow, relaxed atmosphere all throughout the series.
Of course, it doesn't stop Harris from piling on gruesome murders and nasty psychos here and there, as well as a few budding subplots. Her style is warm, steady, mildly tongue-in-cheek and quirky, and she introduces some unique ideas into the usual wolf packs and vampire bunches (such as Elvis Presley, now a vampire!).
What flaws? Well, Sookie's attractiveness has begun to creep into "everybody wants her" Anita Blake territory. That we don't need. However, Sookie is a likable character -- an unpretentious and no-nonsense waitress who doesn't go looking for trouble, but whose telepathic talents often draw it to her.
And there's plenty of other likable characters: the charming Viking vampire Eric, Sookie's flaky werepanther brother Jason, her down-to-earth werecollie boss Sam, and many others. The character that doesn't click: the boring, slightly creepy Bill.
"Dead in Dixie (Southern Vampire Mystery, Bks. 1-3)" is a solid collection of Charlaine Harris's first three Sookiecentric stories. It has some rough spots, but it's a good lighthearted read.
In "Dead Until Dark," Bon Temps waitress Sookie Stackhouse can read minds, which is more of a curse than a blessing. But when she meets and befriends vampire Bill Compton, she becomes embroiled in the world of vampires -- and when her grandmother is viciously murdered, she finds that the supernatural world is a lot more complicated (and close to home) than she ever dreamed.
"Living Dead in Dallas" has Sookie is hired by vampires over a kidnapping, and ends up mired in a disastrous situation involving werewolves, Texan vamps, and a fanatical religious cult that hates the supernatural. "Club Dead" brings Sookie some relationship problems when Bill becomes inattentive... and vanishes. Sookie sets out to find her absentee lover along with the Viking vampire Eric and the werewolf Alcide, but the result isn't what she expects.
The Sookie Stackhouse series does a great job of avoiding the usual pitfalls of urban fantasy -- it's not all doom'n'gloom, gothic pomposity and angst. Instead, it's soaked in down-home Southern charm, the pleasant little town of Bon Temps, and a generally mellow, relaxed atmosphere all throughout the series.
Of course, it doesn't stop Harris from piling on gruesome murders and nasty psychos here and there, as well as a few budding subplots. Her style is warm, steady, mildly tongue-in-cheek and quirky, and she introduces some unique ideas into the usual wolf packs and vampire bunches (such as Elvis Presley, now a vampire!).
What flaws? Well, Sookie's attractiveness has begun to creep into "everybody wants her" Anita Blake territory. That we don't need. However, Sookie is a likable character -- an unpretentious and no-nonsense waitress who doesn't go looking for trouble, but whose telepathic talents often draw it to her.
And there's plenty of other likable characters: the charming Viking vampire Eric, Sookie's flaky werepanther brother Jason, her down-to-earth werecollie boss Sam, and many others. The character that doesn't click: the boring, slightly creepy Bill.
"Dead in Dixie (Southern Vampire Mystery, Bks. 1-3)" is a solid collection of Charlaine Harris's first three Sookiecentric stories. It has some rough spots, but it's a good lighthearted read.