by Charlaine Harris

A Paranormal, 2007 by Ace Books, 336 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• Spicier scene than anything I remember appearing in the previous books. If that bothers you, consider it a content warning. 
• A lot of the “downtime” of this one is a bit slow. The previous books were so packed with events and moved so quickly that this was a little shocking. I spent considerable time between events waiting for something else to happen. 
• Many of the characters we’ve grown to love over the series are decidedly missing from most of this one, as it takes place in another town. Sookie brings some fan favorite characters with her, but not all of them. Add to this the fact that she spends most of her time with newer cast members and the reader may find themself missing some of the big players from the previous books. 

What I Did Like:

• Vampire politics are on full display in this one. Sookie is traveling with the vampires so you get front row seats to a few new traditions and ceremonies, which is pretty cool. 
• Quinn. He’s a great character and he brings an interesting relief from the vampire boys Sookie has a habit of hanging around. He almost adds maturity, which is weird considering most of her previous boyfriends have been vampires well over Quinn’s age. 
• Two telepaths in the same location brought up the opportunity for some fun lessons on telepathy and some good experimenting. I enjoyed finding out the solution to their experiments, but I also enjoyed the fact that they conducted them to learn about their own gifts. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Fans of the series will enjoy more vampire politics and things you’ve been likely wondering about. Plus, the danger is certainly upped toward the end of this one, meaning the next one should bring about more intensity as well. 

My Rating: 3 Stars

• Not a bad book, but definitely not one that would stand alone. Read the rest of the series first.