Rating:  -
I bought the boxed set of books #1 - #7 about two weeks ago, and I probably have about 50 pages to go until I'm finished All Together Dead, but at this point and time I feel that I can confidently say that this series just keeps getting worse and worse for me. There are way too many different characters and subplots going on, for one thing. I don't think Charlaine Harris can really keep up with it all nor do I think she is talented enough to handle this mess of a world she's created. I get that you need to introduce new characters to the story, but why do all of the main characters from the beginning of the series have to be thrown into a barely-there role? Sam? Jason? Even Bill! Speaking of Bill, I absolutely hate what the author has done with his character. Another thing, if I'm up to the 7th book in the series, why do I constantly have to re-read, as is the case in every single book, this unnecessary recapping of things that we get by now: Sookie is a telepath, she can't read vamps minds (as of now), she can kind of make out thoughts from the were-minds, it's tough being a telepath, blah blah blah, I get it, I don't need to see the same explanations over and over in each book. Nobody is starting the series in the 7th book, or at least they shouldn't be, so just enough already. Basically, in my opinion, Sookie gets dumber and more annoying with each book, Quinn needs to lose the genie pants and stop saying "Babe", and Ms. Harris needs to stop trying to cram every wackadoodle thought that enters her brain into one book, focus on the main characters (keyword: main), come up with a good plot that actually makes sense and moves the story forward and develops those aforementioned characters, and then maybe I'll have something good to say.
Rating:  -
I've read the whole series multiple times and this is definitely one of the best. There's tons of character development and great action. The plot is sound, I loved it! I can be a meanly honest critic when something disappoints, but this book really was that good.
Rating:  -
Time for the Rhodes vampire conference, which Sookie must attend as part of the Queen of Louisiana's entourage. In All Together Dead, Sookie is a valuable asset what with Louisiana being weakened by Katrina and the Queen, Sophie-Anne, under suspicion for killing her husband, the King of Arkansas. For money, Sookie has agreed to attend the conference and read the minds of any humans present in case someone is thinking something that might be important for Sophie-Anne to know. Her new boyfriend, were tiger Quinn, is also in attendance setting up events. However, unfortunately for them and their budding romance, they don't get to spend much time together.
But at least Sookie has one friend. Barry the Telepathic bellboy is there with another group, and the two of them find few moments of peace to work out their gifts together. As two of the only humans there, they find themselves at the call of the stronger and more powerful vampires who send them out on missions such as assassin investigation. It's not easy to be at the bottom of the food chain.
After the last book, this one was a big improvement. Relations will Bill are still rocky, but at least Sookie will acknowledge his name. Sookie isn't too fond of being a lackey for the Queen and her personal bodyguard Andre, but she realizes her limitations and goes with it as best she can. Her relationship with Eric deepens in All Together Dead. The two of them find that the bond they had formed when they first exchanged blood is now multifaceted and far more complicated than before. I am very happy about that since I think that Sookie and Eric make a far better and complex couple than Sookie and Bill. I also think that Eric appreciates Sookie in a different and more meaningful way. Sookie brings something out in Eric that no one else does and I think that says a lot about the nature of their relationship.
It was just good to get back to some of the older characters. Granted, they were a long way from Bon Temps and Merlotte's. I don't feel like the Southern Vampire Mysteries needs any more characters since every new inclusion comes at the expense of interaction with other older, favorite characters.
All Together Dead does not fall short on action and mystery, either. There is sinister intent all around and Sookie can feel it. Between can bombs and dead assassins and shifty waiters/hotel workers, you never know who the enemy is. It is also pretty hard to be one of the only humans in a building full of blood drinkers, as well. Toward the end of the story, when the action picks up full force, it's well written and done just right to level the suspense and intensity off without overdoing it and making it too dramatic.
Rating: -
Plot Summary: Sookie needs the cash, so she agrees to become the vampire Queen of Louisiana's human lie-detector during the annual vampire summit. Although Sookie's telepathy powers are limited to humans and shifters, she's still invaluable in picking up plots, lies, and half-truths from the menagerie of people who serve the ruling vampires. Quinn, the were-tiger, is managing many of the events during the conference, and their romance hits a major snag when Eric is forced to save Sookie from the Queen's control by binding her to him ever closer.
This is definitely one of the most exciting entries in the Southern Vampire Mysteries, and I sucked it down until I was shocked that it was all over. Against all common sense, Sookie lets herself become a helpless pawn through sheer greed and naiveté, and surprisingly I wasn't mad at her for making such a colossal mistake. Rather, I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, the same way I'd feel if a loved one did something unspeakably stupid, like get arrested on a DUI. If I didn't care about the person, I'd just feel disgust, but loving Sookie like I do only makes me sorrowful for her predicament.
Sookie approaches her job for the Queen like a grand adventure. She gets to buy some new clothes, take a ride on a private jet, stay in a nice hotel, and explore a new city. It almost sounds too good to be true, which is exactly the case. Sookie proves to be worth every penny, and she quickly feeds the Queen enough information to make her indispensable. The first dramatic moment comes when someone in the Queen's entourage wants to force a blood exchange against Sookie's will in order to turn her into their puppet. This is when it becomes abundantly obvious that Sookie is like a child compared to these masters of deception, and she would have done well to heed her friends' advice back home.
Quinn's efforts on Sookie's behalf are touching and sincere, but I can't help feeling that it's all in vain. She's so entrenched within the vampires' world, between Bill, Eric, and the Queen, that I don't think they'll ever let her go. Harris gives us some of Quinn's backstory, and I am definitely rooting for this guy. Besides seeing their romance on the rocks, before the ship can even leave the shore, this book is crammed full of mysteries, murders, and one fascinating scene after the other. I wasn't bored for one second, but I can't give it my top rating because the romance is left unresolved.
Rating:  -
This will be my last adventure into the world of Sookie Stackhouse for a while. I promise.
I finally finished All Together Dead; book seven of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and the final volume of the boxed set that I received a little over a week ago and have been trudging through since. For those of you who have been following my reviews on Amazon (or the discussion on Book Blogs) you know that I was not impressed (or amused) by the first book in this series. Not in the slightest. I didn't even review the book on my blog, because the things that I had to say about it were not nice at all. Better just to say nothing.
By the time I finished book four, Dead to the World, my opinion of the series had gotten better (from one star to three stars), and I grudgingly admitted that while I absolutely hated the first book, my initial impression of Sookie and Co. may have been a little off base. Having now made it this far into the series, I have to say that the little world that Charlaine Harris has created is starting to grow on me.
The plot of All Together Dead is quite a bit more complicated than its predecessors. Sookie finds herself in Michigan attending a vampire convention. She is working for the queen of Louisiana, as a telepath. Of course, all of hear beaux are in attendance in one capacity or another. Bill is selling the vampire database discs he has been working on for months. Eric is there as, well, Eric. And Quinn is there running the show. In her usual style, Sookie unwittingly finds herself torn between Eric (whom she is coerced into sharing blood with for the third time), and Quinn (who she discovers has a deep, dark secret). As for Bill, he is so low on the totem pole that he is being referred to as "nameless."
The entire convoy is staying at a vamp hotel in Michigan. Along with vamps from around the country, weres and shifters, interdimensional body guards, demons, fang-bangers, and at least one more telepath. Remember Barry the bellboy? He's baaack.
Of course, when you get this many supes together under the same roof, you can be sure it's going to hit the fan. Between the politics, the personal agendas, and the Fellowship of the Sun in hordes outside, there is danger around every corner. And although Sookie is good at what she does, she can only read the minds of the humans. Who, at least in this installment, are fewer and farther between than ever before.
All Together Dead ended up being my favorite book in this series so far. Some of the threads that were left hanging at the end of book six are tied up (think the death of Sophie-Anne's King). However, there was a lot that seemed irrelevant. Like Jason's wedding. And Tara's. And Amelia still staying with Sookie, along with Bob, her lover-turned-cat. And the fact that Sookie still has a thing for Bill. And a thing for Eric.
Needless to say, although All Together Dead answered a few questions, it left a lot more hanging. For the Sookie faithful, I guess that's a wonderful thing. The series is guaranteed to go on for a few more installments. Maybe it will keep getting better. One can hope. As it stands, I have to give All Together Dead three stars. It was better than the rest. But not that much better.
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