Throughout the 2000s, I was madly in love with vampire fiction. I mostly steered clear of romance at the time and concentrated on urban fantasy or contemporary fantasy. Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse books were among my favorites. I would mark the release dates on my calendar and clear my schedule on those days so I could buy the book (in hardcover!) and read all day.
Part of what made Harris’s books work so well, for me, was the mystery. She’s great at penning mysteries, and that shows in these books, primarily through the suspenseful aspects.
Beyond that, the premise is killer. A waitress who can read minds falls in love with a vampire (whose mind she cannot read). Vampires are “out” in society and can drink a blood substitute as easily as they can drink the real thing.
Now, from most accounts (scrolling reviews and ratings on various sites), it seems the series fizzled toward the end. I stopped at book 8 or 9 (had kids and wasn’t able to read as much for a few years). At that point, fairies had been introduced to the series universe and I lost interest. Should I be glad I stopped? Perhaps! But nothing will change my love for the first few books, especially Dead Until Dark, which I have read several times and will probably read again soon.
Have you read this book or the series? Did you read the whole thing, or stop somewhere in the middle? I’d love to hear if your experience was similar to mine. 🙂