Book Review: Dead Reckoning, by Charlaine Harris. (Book 11 in the Sookie Stackhouse series 2011).

The book Dead Reckoning, begins as Sookie is finally cleaning out the attic, like she’d planned to in the last book. And what does she find? Nothing yet, but she will. The real story begins as Sookie is working at Merlotte’s later that day. She happens to glance up, sees lights outside, and a figure moving fast towards them. She barely has time to yell “Down!” before a fiery bottle is thrown into the bar. Sookie’s apron is briefly on fire before Sam puts it out, and also her hair, as they all scramble to put out all the fires. Shortly after, Eric arrives—he could feel her panic. But he’s almost too angry that Sookie was in danger, and she knows there’s something else bothering him.

Sookie is blood-bonded and married to Eric but she shares her home with her fairy relatives – her cousin Claude and great uncle Dermot. Eric has a new boss, with whom he just can’t get along and Bill is seemingly happy holed up with Judith, an ex-lover and vampire of his bloodline who has been helping him heal from silver poisoning. However, it isn’t long before the delicate peace of Sookie life is shattered. First Merlotte’s is firebombed, then armed hoodlums hold-up the bar looking to kidnap her.

Eric is, as ever, over-protective of Sookie but even he seems distracted. He’s arguing with Pam and won’t tell Sookie what’s wrong. Sookie suspects it has something to do with Victor, Regent of Louisiana, and Eric’s new boss. It’s odd to think of vampires having such mundane problems as hating their boss but since most vampire problems tend to have violent and bloody endings it’s much more thrilling than your typical human workplace drama.

As usual Sookie Stackhouse manages to find herself in predicaments that are completley unexpected and Charlaine Harris has given readers another fabulous instalment to the series. Dead Reckoning, by Charlaine Harris has lived up to the series expectations, with mystery and drama and of course action written amongst the pages. My rating for Dead Reckoning is 8/10.

Book Review: Dead in the Family, by Charlaine Harris. (Book 10 in the Sookie Stackhouse series 2010).

If you think your family relationships are complicated, think again! You haven’t seen anything like the ones in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie Stackhouse is dealing with a whole host of family problems, ranging from her own kin (a non-human fairy and a telepathic second cousin) demanding a place in her life, to her lover Eric’s vampire sire, an ancient being, who arrives with Eric’s ‘brother’ in tow at a most inopportune moment. And Sookie’s tracking down a distant relation of her ailing neighbor (and ex), Vampire Bill Compton. In addition to the multitude of family issues complicating her life, the werewolf pack of Shreveport has asked Sookie for a special favor, and since Sookie is an obliging young woman, she agrees. But this favor for the wolves has dire results for Sookie, who is still recovering from the trauma of her abduction during the Fairy War.

It’s almost just too much! How does one person continue to function normally when their world continues to be so dysfunctional?!?! Between Weres and Vampire’s Sookie is torn a thousand different directions and most of them lead her to a rock and hard place. Hopefully things will look up for her in the next installment. But for now I score Dead in the Family, by Charlaine Harris 8/10.

Book Review: Dead and Gone, by Charlaine Harris. (Book 9 in the Sookie Stackhouse series 2009).

In this the 9th addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series, Dead and Gone, by Charlaine Harris, it’s the turn of the weres and shifters to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world. Sookie Stackhouse already knows about them, of course – her brother turns into a panther at the full moon, she’s friend to the local Were pack and Sam, her boss at Merlotte’s bar, is a shifter. At first the great Were revelation seems to go well – then the horribly mutilated body of a were-panther is found outside Merlotte’s. Though Sookie never cared that much for the victim, no one deserves such a horrible death, so she agrees to use her telepathic talent to track down the murderer.

But what Sookie doesn’t realize is that there is a far greater danger than this killer threatening Bon Temps: a race of inhuman beings, older, more powerful and far more secretive than the vampires or the werewolves is preparing for war.

And even with all this going on she manages to cling to something close to sanity! How is truly by the skin of her teeth! Again Charlaine Harris has blessed us with another fantastic addition to the Sookie Stackhouse series. I have to rate Dead and Gone,  7.5/10.

Book Review: From Dead to Worse, by Charlaine Harris. (Book 8 in the Sookie Stackhouse series 2008).

Events in From Dead To Worse follow on from shortly after where All Together Dead finished.  The upheavals of Hurricane Katrina and the bombing at the vampire summit are still fresh for Louisiana’s supernatural community.  Sookie has no idea of the tumultuous and painful times she has ahead of her as the local Weres go to war with each other.  The vampire war comes completely out of the blue too and since Sookie is the narrator of this story, readers don’t see the events coming any sooner than Sookie does.

Sookie finally comes face-to-face with the reason she has some fairy blood in her bloodline and this helps to clarify the presence and purpose of Claudine in her life, which has been something of a mystery for several books now.

Surprising, shocking, sad and funny by turns, From Dead To Worse piles on the romantic tension between Sookie and her would-be lovers at the same time as it effortlessly delivers exciting supernatural thrills and action.

I again enjoyed the 8th edition to the Sookie Stackhouse series. Charlaine Harris really has a gift for words and she has created a fantastic character and storyline that continues recapture the reader’s attention again and again. I have to give this novel a definite 8.5/10. Good luck Sookie! The future kind of looks to be full of adventures to come!

Book Review: All Dead Together, by Charlaine Harris. (Book 7 in the Sookie Stackhouse series 2007).

In the 7th book of the Sookie Stackhouse series, All Dead Together, authored by Charlaine Harris, Sookie finds herself beginning to get used to being surrounded by all varieties of undead, changeling, shapeshifting and other supernatural beings – but even she has her limits. She’d really like to take a while to get over being betrayed by Bill, her long-time vampire lover, and get used to her new relationship with the sexy shapeshifter Quinn – but instead, she finds herself attending the long-planned vampire summit, the destination of choice for every undead power player around, as a sort-of human ‘Geiger counter’ for Sophie-Anne Leclerq, vampire queen of Louisiana. But the job is fraught with difficulties. Sophie-Anne’s power base has been severely weakened by Hurricane Katrina, and she’s about to be put on trial during the event for murdering her king. Sookie knows the queen is innocent, but she’s hardly prepared for other shocking murders: it looks like there are some vamps who would like to finish what nature started. With secret alliances and backroom deals the order of the day – and night – Sookie must decide which side she’ll stand with, and quickly, for her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

This the 7th novel in the Sookie Stackhouse series, adds to the storyline and sheds some light on some unanswered questions, such as who the Queen of Louisianna is, and how powerful she is to Bill. Also we see what looks like some form of relationship between Eric and Sookie. Could it be that Eric truly does have feeling for Sookie other than just that of a sexual nature? The next installment should give us some idea. I rate Charlaine Harris’ novel, All Dead Together 7.5/10 stars. Suitable for anyone over 15 years of age.

Book Review: Game of Thrones Book – A Dance with Dragons, by George R. R. Martin (2011).

A Dance with Dragons is book five in Game of Thrones Series, and continues the story in the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has thousands of enemies, and many have set out to find her. As they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.

Fleeing from Westeros with a price on his head, Tyrion Lannister, too, is making his way to Daenerys. But his newest allies in this quest are not the rag-tag band they seem, and at their heart lies one who could undo Daenerys’s claim to Westeros forever.

Meanwhile, to the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone — a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.

From all corners, bitter conflicts reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all.

This addition to the Game of Thrones series authored by George R. R. Martin is superb in its storyline. Yes there are times where things become complicated if the reader is not following the storyline closely. However, in saying that, A Dance with Dragons brings forth many answers to questions pondered, and gives more substance to each of the characters as well as the storyline itself. Fantastic writing once again from George, R. R. Martin. I have to give A Dance with Dragons the score of 10/10.

Book Review: Game of Thrones Book 4: A Feast for Crows, by George R. R. Martin (2005).

A Feast for Crows is the fourth novel in the Game of Thrones Series, authored by George R. R. Martin, continues the story of the War of the Five Kings of Westeros, the fate of the Night’s Watch and those beyond the Wall in the North and the plight of the true queen of Westeros, Daenerys Tagaryen who dwells across the Narrow Sea in one of the Nine Free Cities. At least, that is the expectation. What in fact occurs in the book is the story of Westeros: King’s Landing, the river lands and the Eeyrie. The tales of Queen Regent Cersei Baratheon and her son King Tommen are tales of deep deceit, treachery and distrust. Whilst the story of her twin brother Jamie is one of rebirth and readjustment to his new role and duties in life.

The beautiful blonde Cersei is at court surrounded by people she cannot trust, her father is dead, she is betrayed by both of her brothers and she fears constantly for the life of her young King. Fickle attempts to bind other wealthy and powerful families to her son’s cause have left Cersei with a council often torn by loyalty and ambition and as the book progresses Cersei’s power over her court slowly ebbs away. Eventually she becomes so overwhelmed by fear and suspicion that even her wits seem to dwindle and she starts making rash decisions, and disreputable allies.

Jamie Lannister, a once feared and fabled knight now finds himself short of a sword hand and back in King’s Landing as the head of his bastard son Tommens’ King’s Guard. Although Jamie has long been wearing the White Cloak of his rank he finds himself changed after the torments of captivity and torture; eventually leading him to make a secret pact to ensure the safety of his sister’s enemy for the sake of his own honor.

The stories of Jamie and his sister could not really be more different, where Jamie is learning things he never knew about himself, Cersei is becoming more and more isolated. Her thoughts, though logical in her head, are outrageous and treasonous, whilst Jamie finds himself turned more toward the honor of knighthood. A man once feared for his deadly skill with a blade finds himself ending sieges without bloodshed and making treaties so as to save the lives of his enemies. In many ways the two stories mirror one another, whilst Jamie’s chapters leave you with a sense of hope and defiance, Cersei’s chapters seem sullied with secrets and deceit, they are peppered with almost pornographic sex scenes that only further the already soiled image of Cersei, whilst her brother’s head is filled with tales of knights and valor.

A third story stems from the story of Jamie Lannister, that of Brienne of Tarth. At Jamie’s behest she is in search of Sansa Stark, who many believe is the last remaining child of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully. Blessed with Jamie’s own sword, now named Oathkeeper, Brienne travels across the lands of Westeros in search of any lead she can find. This part of the story is strange to read, as you are simultaneously reading of the true whereabouts of Sansa Stark. Yet with Brienne you meet characters you have come across previously, but now they are strangers to you: Gendry, the bastard of dead king Robert Baratheon, murderous madman Rorge and even the Red Priest Thoros of Myr cross your path and leave you wanting to shout into the pages as you know they have the answers Brienne seeks.

Meanwhile Sansa and Arya Stark, the daughters of Eddard and Catelyn, are on opposite sides of the world: Sansa is in the Eeryie disguised as the bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish, whilst Arya finds herself in Bravoos, learning the ways of the Many Faced God. Sansa’s chapters are snow white and frozen ice, reflected the chill within her. Forced to hide who she truly is Sansa feels almost overwhelmed by the weight of her disguise and with every sentence you can hear her true identify struggling in the cold depths of the mountain.

Book four in this series has to be my favorite so far. It brings together a long awaited possibility of war. A Feast of Crows is amazing in its depth and detail, and pulls together parts of the story which have been gaping open with unanswered questions, and unfinished storylines. This book leaves open many creative oportunities that we all hope George R. R. Martin gives us exactly what the audience is waiting for. I rate A Feast of Crows 10/10.

Book Review: Game of Thrones Book 3: A Storm of Swords, by George R. R. Martin (2000).

A Storm of Swords, authored by George R. R. Martin begins with five kings battling for the Iron Throne, while long lost magic’s are slowly reawakening. The story picks up a little before the ending of the previous book, A Clash of Kings and opens in a prologue of men of the Nights Watch, “brothers”, devoted to protecting the realm of the Seven Kingdoms from dangers beyond the 700 foot wall, marking the end of the civilized world.

The prologue sets the tone for the rest of the book, defined by death, dark magic, and gut wrenching tragedy; yet even this does not prepare you for some of the pages that follow.

We are re-introduced to characters known to you previously, but in a new light as many of them are now given their own point of view. Most notably Jaime Lannister; a lethal swordsman, secret father of King Joffrey born as a result of the incestuous union between Jaime and his twin sister Cersei. Until this point Jaime Lannister has been one of the worst enemies of the Stark family, however A Storm of Swords provides an intriguing insight into his actions and motives, somehow worming his way into most people’s empathetic side.

Other chapters in the book are told through the eyes of the Stark children, Arya, Bran and Sansa and their bastard born Brother Jon Snow, a member of the Night’s Watch. The children have been separated since the murder of their father, and the uprising of their brother Robb as King in the North. Arya is crossing the war torn Westeros, heading for Riverrun where her mother and brother seek refuge in the castle in which Catelyn Stark spent her childhood. Sansa is still trapped in King’s Landing, where she is forced to behave as though she loves and is loyal to King Joffrey and his mother Queen Regent Cersei. Bran and the youngest Stark Rickon, have separated and are both crossing the North in search of safety and answers, whilst Jon is beyond the Wall feigning loyalty to the wilding free folk in order to infiltrate the army that is intending on breaching the divide between the Seven Kingdoms.

Further into Westeros Lady Catelyn Stark releases Jaime Lannister in a  bid to send her servant Brienne of Tarth, a female knight, to see him safely to King’s Landing and exchange him for her daughter Sansa who Catelyn believes is one of only two of her remaining children. At Riverrun Catelyn watches her son Robb conduct his army making brave and foolish decisions. These chapters allow you a wonderfully maternal insight into the war, where Catelyn, desperate and grief stricken, will do anything to reunite herself with her remaining children.

Robb finds himself wed to a young girl, Jeyne, breaking a promise made to one of his least trustworthy lords. In King’s Landing Tyrion Lannister is locked in a constant battle for power against his sister, which he finds himself at the losing end of upon the arrival of his father, Lord Tywin Lannister, who takes up the role of King’s Hand. Lord Tywin forces marriages of conveyance upon Sansa and Tyrion and his grandson Joffrey, in an attempt to forge peace across the shattered Kingdom. However this simply leads to more tension and tragedy within the castle walls and a death that marks a turn in the fate of Tyrion Lannister forever.

So much happening in one novel can make it a very exhausting read. It’s almost an information overload in that George R. R. Martin adds twists and turns until the readers head is spinning. I even found myself rereading certain parts to make sure that I kept up with the plot! The third installment of the Game of Thrones – A Storm of Swords, is filled with promise for even further adventures to come. A mesmerizing read so far. I rate A Sword of Storms 10/10.

Book Review: Book 3: Hunger Games series – Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins 2010.

The Final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy – Mockingjay has turned out to be a phenomenal twist that I really didn’t expect. I thought there would be more war, more difficulties, more powerful blowing things up. But instead I was subjected to something more powerful in a sense.

The story restarts as Katniss Everdeen wanders through what was once District 12. She is damaged both mentally and physically, and Peeta is in the hands of the Capitol. District 13 exists run by President Coin, and the rest of the Districts are at war with each other. Katniss has lost her sister to one of Gale’s bomb traps, and she will never really be able to forgive him even though it wasn’t entirely his fault. He had no idea that the bomb would take out Prim. He merely planned to cause destruction enough to destroy a district and bring it to its knees.

Inevitably Katniss gets back Peeta, but not in the way anyone thought. He is no longer the Peeta we once knew, the young man who could bring audiences to their knees with his words and enchant armies to march against those they have so long obeyed. Instead Peeta has been programmed to destroy the one thing he has always truly loved. Katniss.

On release from the Capitol he almost  kills Katniss during their first encounter. Heartbroken by the scene she becomes the Mockingjay, but in a new light. Not the just the girl from District 12 that became a tribute in the Hunger Games and later on the 74th Hunger Games Victor along with a second Victor Peeta, something that had never occurred in all the history of the games. Katniss reinvented the role and truly becomes what she has been set up to portray. She becomes a powerful character in the war to destroy the Capitol’s hold on the Districts of Panem by countering their already influential propaganda aired in the sky above almost every home. Katniss destroys this hold which the Capitol takes for granted for decades, by giving District 13 the video footage used to give the districts at war hope, a reason to continue the good fight, and a promise of a brighter future.

Along the way Peeta is able to regain a majority of his own self, but not without enduring further pain and torture, including being burnt alive along with Katniss as a result of more bombs. Gale realizes that in the end his future is as a rebel and not at Katniss’s side, and takes a job in District 2 once the war has been won. But its Hamish and Katniss who return to District 12 to begin a new life of solitude. There was no real place for them in the Capitol. Unlike many of the other Victors. But they made do.

Eventually Peeta, as recovered as he is going to get and eventually returns to District 12 which results in the happily ever after ending where Katniss and Peeta finally find their peace, if it can considered that. At least its more than many were able to experience in Panem. As Katniss says… “There are worse games that can be played.”

Overall I have to rate this installment to the series a 8/10 stars. I really enjoyed the ending to the novel even though I had expected something so different. I felt the author gave the characters more than just battle worn heroes and heroines who need saving. Instead Suzanne Collins has given us characters with hearts and souls, who feel pain and emotions, and she portrays this uniquely and captures an audience unlike what I am used to. I really hope to enjoy more of her writing in the future.

Book Review: Hunger Games Book 2 Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins, 2009.

The second installment to the series trilogy the Hunger Games, has given readers a set up for something more to come. This novel is based around the two heroes of the first book, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Malek. In a twist of events, although they had won the Hunger games from the year before which automatically makes them exempt from future games. Unfortunately this year is the 75th year of the hunger games and thus what is known as the Quarter Quell. Where by President Snow, makes an announcement which changes the Hunger Games rules, the tributes where to be drawn from previous years victors. Which in turn means that Katniss and Peeta are at risk of being dragged into the arena, again.

When the inevitable happens and they once again become district 12 tributes, they find that they are in a similarly dangerous arena, acting the roles of star crossed lovers, hoping to entice sponsors to help them during their time in captivity. But this time they have formed allegiance with other victors in a hope to survive the games. Both of them suffer both mentally and physically. Horror and danger surrounding them each time they turned a corner. Some unlikely allies become friends to the pair, but even so, it’s not always as it seems. There is still a hidden agenda that Katniss and Peeta remain oblivious to till the very end.

The relationship between Peeta, Katniss and Gale is explored further in this installment of the series. It gives a little more light to how Katniss really feels about both of them, and how it affects her mentally as well as physically. The torment. The torture. The will to live as long as there is hope.

The second installment gives a whole new chapter in the trilogy but overall, it feels as though it’s setting up something more. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy Catching Fire but I did expect more from such a creation from the first novel. The rating I give this book is 7/10 stars.