I did enjoy this book, but I imagine a lot of people most likely did not. I have a lot of criticism of it, despite my enjoyment. And there will possibly be SPOILERS all over the place, because I just don't have the capability of discussing details of the book without including SPOILERS. You've now been warned about the SPOILERS, so don't read this review if you don't want any SPOILERS.I'm sure I would've disliked this book if I'd been emotionally invested in Sookie and Eric winding up together. Although I think it was clear from the previous book that their relationship is going to come to an end. To be honest, I was surprised they were even still together after the events in Dead Reckoning. I'm not going to be upset by her not winding up with Eric, though. The only thing I'm invested in, as far as her romantic choices are concerned, is not Bill. And it's been pretty clear she's over that and not going to be with Bill again.
I am a bit annoyed with some of the change in characterization of Eric over the past couple of books. Particularly this last one. I really think the author spent a great deal of time developing the relationship between Eric and Sookie. In earlier books, he really treated her well. It was clear she was very important to him, and he came through for her in all the ways Bill failed to do so. It was clear from Eric's actions that he loved her. Therefore, his distance in the last couple of books seems surprising to me. As was his deliberately causing her pain at the end of Dead Reckoning. That was a complete divorce from the Eric we'd come to know.
Now, in Eric's defense, it really seems to me that Sookie has not made a great deal of effort to work out any of their problems. When he tries to come see her, she tells him to stay away. She doesn't want to talk about things. This actually IS consistent for Sookie, though. She's always been this way with him, avoiding the uncomfortable feelings that might be going on between herself and Eric. She's quick to get angry with him, and not so willing to try to talk things through or give him any credit. This, to me, makes it seem that she isn't as in love with him as she tries to tell herself.
I do admit to feeling a little bit cheated, in the fact that there really is no other character that Harris has spent as much time developing as Eric. He's had more "screen time" than anyone. But at this point, the relationship is clearly not going to work out. He's suddenly not really as in love with Sookie as he seemed to be, and I really think she never was as in love with him as she claims.
I'm completely neutral about Sam. I'm fond of the idea of falling in love with one's best friend. I married mine. I just wish more time was spent portraying her relationship with him, so that I could feel more for it.
I'm disappointed in the way things turned out with Claude. I really wanted to believe the best of him. I felt bad for him, for how little she thought of him. I wanted him to be a good guy with a bad attitude. I liked the side we'd seen of him that was kind to children. So, that disappointed me.
I'm glad she finally used the Cluviel Dor. From the beginning, I kept thinking she ought to just use the thing as soon as possible, so then she wouldn't have it anymore, and the target would be, theoretically, gone. I'm glad she didn't use it to keep Eric. If she'd used it on Eric, I would've liked to see her wish that he had the freedom to follow his heart. Something like that. I'm glad she used it on Sam, and I think that's really telling. Although it may have been a little bit of a cop-out on the author's part, using his death to force her wish. It might have been more interesting if Sookie didn't have that emergency, and actually had to think about what she truly wanted the most.
I really enjoyed the part of the book in which she was inventing happy endings for all of her friends and loved ones. It was sweet, and a part of me thought it would be awesome if somehow the Cluviel Dor was activated and expended when she was doing that daydreaming. Alas, it's not that kind of story. There's not likely to be such a clear-cut happy ending.
