Book Review - Dead to the World

Dead to the World

BY: Charlaine Harris

PUBLISHED BY: Ace
PUBLISHED IN: 2004
ISBN: 978-0-441-01218-3
Pages: 310
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

After leaving work at Merlotte’s Bar in early hours of New Year’s Day, Sookie Stackhouse finds the Viking vampire, Eric Northman, walking barefoot on the highway. He has no memory of who he is, so Sookie, out of her kind heart, takes him home with her. She calls Eric’s henchwoman, Pam, and informs her of the situation. It seems that a coven of witches have taken claim in the county, and they want to takeover the vampire’s reign. Sookie volunteers, well she is getting paid, to take in the Eric until his memory is restored.

With Sookie’s ex, Bill, out of the country, she calls her brother Jason for assistance, but he shortly disappears later that night. Now, Sookie must worry about her brother, and fight off her feelings for Eric.

I started reading the 4th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series last June. My plans were to read it before the third season of True Blood started, but I got sidetracked and the book eventually went back on the bookshelf. After watching the first episode of the 4th season, I decided to read Dead to the World. After a slow attempt, I managed to finish the book on July 4th. The basic ‘witches plot’ is the main plot of the 4th season of the television series. The subplot of the missing Jason is currently being used too, but Crystal and the Hotshots were introduced during the third season. I was disappointed to learn that Bill had a very limited role in the book, but I was glad to see ‘Bubba’ (who is absent from True Blood) had a part. I laughed out loud when Eric was watching Sookie’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer VHSs while she slept. I thought Charlaine Harris has done marvelous work showing Eric’s human side as he fell in love with Sookie. The only downside of the novel was the so-called ‘witch war’ with vamps, weres, and witches, as I thought it could have been longer. Overall, I enjoyed getting back into Sookie’s weird world.