Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse, #12)
Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse, #12) by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Note: this "review" contains several series comparisons. Early books in the other series (that have been released for years) may be spoiled.
Feels like this series is running out of steam. Given the author announced there is only one book after this, I suppose that's true.
It's almost like Sookie's affect has flatlined a bit. She's done too much and seen to much and nothing really moves her anymore.
I'll admit, I watch "True Blood", and since the tv series has started the diverging plotlines has played havoc with my memory of the books. Something about the full audio visual experience makes that version of the story dominate in my mind. Not that I'm particularly excited about the upcoming tv season, either. Partially hearing that Alan Ball has jumped ship. Partially, .... ???
Maybe I'm just getting tired of this series on all fronts. Maybe - *gasp* - I'm getting tired of urban fantasy. Maybe a certain set of urban fantasy series which I discovered around the same time are all reaching the end. I mean several are - the authors said so - but I'm not sure all of them got out before the "jump the shark" point.
Maybe I'm just tired of the same flavor of urban fantasy. I don't know.
You could almost tell the author was getting ready to wrap up the series. With the background characters, lots of people were getting their HEAs. Tara had twins. Jason is getting married (for the second time). Another one of Sookie's friends is moving in with her boyfriend.
A few characters "checked in". Quin and Bubba, specifically. Quin seems to have his own little HEA going. Bubba is Bubba.
On one level, I was frustrated in the last minute effort to put a wedge between Sookie and Eric, on the other hand, I've got a bit of Sookie's flattened affect. Who cares? A twist at the end proves that Sookie's friendship with Sam is the most important relationship she has at the moment.
At what point are you still reading a series because you started it and you feel you must finish it?
I quit reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter books, not too long after "Acheron".
I stopped reading any of the books that didn't focus on werewolves in Kelly Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" series. Apparently the 13th and final book in that series is non-werewolf related.
This series has one more book, hmmm 13 again.
Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake" books aren't the same anymore. In my opinion, they got through #16 before starting their decent. I just read 21 as an ARC. The first time I got an ARC in that series I was dying to discuss the book. Seems this time around I won't maintain interest long enough for the book to come out. Sad.
I guess Kim Harrison's "Hallows" is the only series (that I discovered around the same time) that is still maintaining the same excitement level. Got upset when she killed off Kisten, but otherwise it's been pretty smooth sailing.
Well, there is also Laurell's "Merry Gentry", but it feels like forever since one of those books have come out. I've got a feeling she's going to loose a lot of momentum in that gap.
2002. That's when I found most of these books. 2012. Ten years. I guess that's a good run for keeping interest up.
But, in the end, this book was pretty blah. Three stars is probably more nostalgia than a critical rating.
Nerd that I am, I'm picturing a chart with book releases mirrored against when I discovered the series. Sounds good, but sounds like a lot of work. Not sure I care enough at the moment.