This set is a very good read for any True Blood fan or just a reader looking to escape into the fun world that Charlene Harris has created. The Sookie Stackhouse books are a great spin on the traditional vampire themed genre. The premise for the series is that vampires have outed themselves to the world at large and are trying to integrate within the larger society thanks to the invention of a synthetic blood drink called True Blood. The series focuses on a small town in Louisiana and how one resident there (Sookie Stackhouse) gets drawn into this new world while still dealing with everyday issues. The biggest compliment I can give Charlene Harris is that even though she continues to write many books in this series the stories have not become repetitive and she continues to expand the world in which these stories are set by building upon the social fabric and well introduced new characters. These books are a fun read and highly recommended. Two points I would add;
1. If you can.... commit to reading the series, although each book is a self-contained story I think the story is not as rich without the back stories.
2. Again my biggest compliment is usually in this genre after the first book or two the confines of the world are established and then each book is usually formulaic.. .with main characters.. Introduce new characters, some big event, main characters work through event, new characters die or are sacrificed for plotline. Charlene Harris ignores this and has a rich universe of well developed characters that are central and peripheral to many books within the series.
Time well spent!
