Summary: After the deadly events at the vampire summit, there is major upheaval in the world of vampire politics. And, thanks to her close ties to some of the most powerful Louisiana vampires, small-town telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse is likely to get caught in the crossfire of any power play or takeover. But Sookie isn't just tied to the vampires; she's also a friend of the Shreveport Were pack. They're having their own leadership issues, and when members of the pack start turning up dead, Sookie is in danger of getting herself in the middle of a brewing Were war. And she can't rely on her boyfriend the were-tiger to keep her safe - he's been missing since the summit. And, to top it all off, Sookie meets a family member - her great-grandfather - that she'd never known about. Since Sookie's only other family is her irresponsible and immature brother Jason, a new relative is a big deal... but since her great-grandfather isn't exactly human, their family reunion seems likely to raise yet more complications.

Review: This book is a bit of a conundrum for me. Its plotline is more scattered that any book since Living Dead in Dallas (my least favorite so far, primarily *because* of its fragmented nature.) And yet, I enjoyed it more than any book since Dead to the World (my favorite so far.) How can I reconcile that?

Maybe it's because while From Dead to Worse certainly was scattered, and strangely plotted (the big battle that I was expecting to be the climax occurred about halfway through the book), it wasn't scattered in the same *way* as Living Dead in Dallas. Instead of bringing up a bunch of elements that exist only for the purpose of a single book, From Dead to Worse draws elements from throughout the series, reviving and wrapping up plotlines from many books back, while introducing new elements that will take us into the books to come. I liked that the focus of the story has shifted back to Sookie and away from all supernatural politics all the time, and I enjoyed the fact that she got to spend some more time interacting with her hometown people as well as supes from far and wide.

But I think the real reason that I enjoyed it so much was that it was hugely, compulsively readable. The plot came in a lot of little disparate pieces, sure, but each of the pieces was so good and held my attention so well that on the day I picked it up, I stayed up into the small hours of the night because I didn't want to stop reading it, and the only reason I didn't stay up into the wee small hours to finish it was that pesky sense of responsibility telling me that I needed to get at least some sleep. Maybe it was just the right book for the right mood, but for whatever reason, it really worked for me. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: No way this will make sense if you haven't read the earlier books, but for Sookie fans, I'm pleased to report that this series doesn't show any signs of a slump in the later books. ( )

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This is Book 8 in the Sookie Stackhouse series, the delightful set of books featuring the barmaid/waitress in Bon Temps, Louisiana, Sookie Stackhouse. This particular book has a bit less charm that the previous books, as the author seems to have gotten waylaid by expanding the supernatural world, and by getting bogged down by the politics of the werewolves and vampires. It’s beginning to sound like Chicago, for goodness sakes!

In From Dead to Worse, Sookie gets in the middle of two internecine conflicts, both of which stem in part from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. Surviving werewolves and vampires from the areas hardest hit have moved into other territories, and are contesting the extant leadership. Sookie’s telepathic abilities enable her to help mediate both situations, although there is a great deal of blood shed before they are over, and of course the “bad guys” in both groups are out to kill Sookie.

Also in this book, Sookie finds out that she has a great-grandfather who is a Prince in the fairy world. Her paternal grandfather was half-fairy, and this fairy blood helps account in part for Sookie’s appeal among all the male supernaturals, who find the fairy essence intoxicating. (This was a disappointing development to me; I thought it should have been sufficient that Sookie was not only good-looking, but independent, not afraid of supernaturals ("supes"), bright, talented, loving and loyal. The implication that the basis of her attraction is magic is demeaning to Sookie and shows not enough faith in her character, in my opinion.)

In spite of all this appeal, however, Sookie continues to have man troubles. Largely though, this is a result of her own stubbornness and ego. She even breaks up with Quinn because he gives too much time to his mother and sister instead of to her! (So in another sense, yeah, maybe she does require some fairy blood to make these guys keep hanging on in spite of her behavior!)

As the story draws to a close, the once-powerful vampire area of Louisiana gives in to the reality of their diminished status after Hurricane Katrina and the death of so much of the leadership. Eric makes the decision to align with the Las Vegas vampires, who have a great deal of money and power (in large part because of all the people in Las Vegas willing and eager to have sex with vampires). A last ditch attempt by an attendant of the late Queen of the Louisiana vampires to kill Eric and handsome king from Las Vegas, Felipe de Castro, is thwarted when Sookie saves their lives.

Evaluation: This book in the Sookie Stackhouse series doesn’t have the usual amount of sex, social commentary, and tongue-in-cheek humor as the previous books in the series. The author’s heavy-handedness is not as effective as her light touch in the first books. I hope her subsequent contributions to this series get back to what made the beginning so fun: Sookie’s moxy, faith in the goodness of the world, loyalty and love; and Harris’s subtle yet effective jabs at the hypocrisy of those who discriminate against others. ( )

So this is the last of the Sookie Stackhouse collection that I own. I was getting a bit tired near the end of all the same characters. This book didn't center around one central conflict that the other books did. It just kind of followed Sookie around in her chaotic life that has been complicated by weres, vampires, fairies and her own brother. I like the way the book ended but I won't give it away for those of you who are waiting to read it. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars ( )

The continuing story of Sookie Stackhouse and her complicated romantic life, surrounded by supernatural creatures. This book features the introduction of Sookie's great-great grandfather, a Were War, a Vampire skirmish, and infidelity. Enjoyable, with a momentum of its own, I was disappointed for this book to end. ( )