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| Dead to the World (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 4) | 
 enlarge | Author: Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace
Category: Book
List Price: $7.99
Buy New: $3.98
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Avg. Customer Rating:  125 reviews
Sales Rank: 367
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 4.2 x 1
ISBN: 0441012183
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780441012183
ASIN: 0441012183
Publication Date: May 3, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
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Amazon.com
From Emma Bull's War for the Oaks to Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, from The X-Files to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, creators are mixing old European myths and legends with modern American pop culture. Incorporating influences ranging from blaxploitation movies and erotic novels to tabloid staples like UFOs and Elvis, authors and directors are creating a new mythology for the strip-mall, tract-house, cell-phone America of the new millennium. One of the best-known and best writers of the new American mythology is Charlaine Harris. Dead to the World is the fourth novel in her Anthony Award-winning Southern Vampire series. It continues the story of psychic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, who has fallen out with her undead lover, Bill. Bill has no sooner departed for Peru, than Sookie finds the head vampire, Eric, running naked and terrified through the rural night. She helps Eric, and discovers his memory has been destroyed by a coven of unscrupulous, astonishingly powerful witches, newly arrived in her small Louisiana town, and offering a huge reward for Eric. Sookie tries to hide Eric, but her brother sees him--and immediately disappears. And Sookie finds herself caught in a war among witches, vampires, and werewolves. --Cynthia Ward
Product Description
When cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire--but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life.
Download Description
"The fourth novel in the Anthony Award-winning Southern Vampires series... ""With the sure touch of a master"" (Crescent Blues), Charlaine Harris delivers ""the sort of vampire thrills that make Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake novels so popular"" (Locus). In Sookie Stackhouse-a Southern cocktail waitress with a supernatural gift-Harris has a created a heroine like few others, and a series that puts the bite back in vampire fiction. Now the hit series launches into hardcover for Sookie's biggest twist-filled adventure yet."
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| Customer Reviews: Read 120 more reviews...
 Witch Wolf Was It? August 14, 2004
88 out of 91 found this review helpful
For me, Charlaine Harris represents what vampire romance stories could be if they let go of all the solemn gothic trappings that they only too often hide a lack of plot behind. Sookie Stackhouse proves that a down to earth waitress in a small town Louisiana bar can be just as effective a heroine as your basic kinky necromancer type. Sookie's not quite normal - she can read minds - but she has a straightforward approach to the weirdness within and without her that is like a breath of fresh air.
This is the fourth book in the series, and finds Sookie back in Bon Temps still fuming at the perfidy of her ex-boyfriend Bill the vampire (yes, I said Bill). In fact all that Sookie wants to do is wait on tables, watch cable, and not get beaten up by yet another supernatural creature. In fact, when Bill announces he is bound for Peru to do research, she is even a bit pleased. But nothing lasts, and while driving home one night she finds Eric, the Area 5 vampire sheriff wandering around in various states of undress, and lacking any memory of who he was.
Suddenly Sookie, who finds the new Eric much nicer than the old one, is embroiled in a war that pits a coven of extortionist witches against an every supernatural creature in the Shrevesport area. To make matters worse, Sookie's brother disappears, leaving her worried to death and depending on a mixed crew of vampires, weres, and a somewhat ditzy fairy for support and protection.
Of course, the secret of Harris's success is that Sookie is a lot tougher than you might think. Yes, she is emotional, attracted to the spookiest men, and lacks fashion sense, but underneath it all she has learned to pick up the pieces and carry on. If you don't count her taste in men, what Sookie does always makes sense. And her wry, humble style cannot fail to charm.
Harris manages to tread the line between sexiness and bad taste with surer feet than Laurell Hamilton. As a result the eroticism never distracts from the plot and the solid narrative style that Sookie uses. It you are interested in a new twist on the girl-meets-vampire genre these books are a great place to start.
My favorite one in the series! October 4, 2004
71 out of 72 found this review helpful
I have loved this series since Dead Until Dark and I tried to resist reading the newest installment Dead to the World, for the next book won't be out in quite some time. This is the best Southern Vampire novel in the entire series! This is of course my favorite installment and I hated to see it end and savored the last pages with gusto. Sookie Stackhouse is still mourning her breakup with Bill when he tells her that he's off to Peru to meet with some vampires there. But Sookie isn't able to think about Bill much when, on her drive home from work, she finds vampire Eric, scared and vulnerable, wandering the streets in the middle of the night with almost no clothes on. He's lost his memory, has no idea what has happened to him, so Sookie decides to look after him. She is shocked to find that he is no longer the no-nonsense vampire trying to get into her pants that he'd once been. It appears that some witches have put a spell on Eric and are planning to wreak havoc among the supernaturals in Shreveport. To make matters worse, Sookie's brother is missing. Sookie seeks the help of the local vampires, werewolves and other shape shifters, but will they be able to fight against the most powerful witches ever encountered? There are many twists throughout the novel.
As said earlier, this is my favorite installment. There is a lot of action and Sookie is quite a tough cookie in this one. She is also reaching an uncertain future regarding her love life. She is not over Bill, but she is attracted to vampire leader Eric, werewolf Alcide and shape-shifter Sam. I have a feeling that the next installment will be quite interesting in the relationship department. I adore Eric. He sounds so scrumptious! He is what made this novel so memorable to me. He is the most interesting and sexiest of the male characters in the book, and there are quite a few hot men in this series! But that scene with Eric... I won't spoil it for the reader. Suffice it to say that it was the most delectable scene in the book. Anyway, I cannot recommend Dead to the World enough. This is the best part of Charlaine Harris's series thus far. The only bad thing is that I have read all of the books now and I will have to wait who knows how long till the next one. The good news is that Ms. Harris is releasing a novella based on this series in the Bite anthology next year. In the meantime, I strongly urge you to read this, but make sure you read the previous three installments before you do.
Finishing this has left me feeling ridiculously melacholy. September 17, 2004
30 out of 31 found this review helpful
I cant believe it. I have now gone through all of the books written in this series thus far and the plot has reached a point where I feel I could burst and now I have to WAIT for the next one to be published...oh, I could just D-I-E!
First of all, if ever there was a "dream plot" that I would like to be involved in that had me running for my life every 5 minutes, well, the plot of
"Dead to the World" would be it. I can explain in one word quite simply: ERIC.
I have found him to be outrageously appealing from day one and Im only loving him more as the series progresses...just the thought of finding him along the road all vulnerable and in love with me is enough incentive to put up with Sookies unique troubles for a while. Truly, I love the man. I am so anxious to see what is going to develop and OMG I LLLLOOOVVED the ending. I loved it.... I want that coat.
The Wicked Witches June 9, 2007
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
Dead to the World (2004) is the fourth Rural Fantasy novel in the Southern Vampire series, following Club Dead. In the previous volume, shortly before Christmas, some Were friends of Jerry Falcon had beat up Sookie Stackhouse, but then Eric Northman and Bill Compton arrived and left bodies lying all around the house. Later Sookie found out who had killed Jerry and why. After Eric and Bill started posturing, she rescinded their permission to enter her house and everything calmed down enough for Sookie to relax for a while.
In this novel, the Merlotte's Bar and Grill staff had suffered through New Year's Eve. Sookie is very tired as she travels home from work, at least until she sees someone running down the road. He is shirtless and bare footed in the cold, so she stops her car and offers him a ride. Then she recognizes that the man is Eric Northman, the Vampire Area 5 Sheriff.
As she talks to Eric, Sookie soon realizes that he has lost his memory and much of the confidence that comes from knowing your place in society. Now he is afraid and uncertain, fleeing from something that he doesn't even remember. So Sookie takes him to her house and provides him a place to stay until she can notify his vampire subjects.
When Pam and Chow come to the house, Eric really doesn't recognize them, but they do have an explanation. Sookie learns that a group of powerful witches -- some of whom are Were -- are demanding a piece of the action in Eric's territory. These witches are even more dangerous because they are addicted to vampire blood, which makes them stronger, faster and able to heal more quickly.
Meanwhile, Sookie's brother Jason disappears. Sookie reports his absence to Sheriff Bud Dearborn, but the Sheriff is not concerned. Jason has been known to spend the night with many women and maybe he decided to take the day off to further explore some woman's charms. Yet Sookie knows that Jason doesn't miss any days at work.
Sookie starts looking on her own. She also wants to get the shotgun that Jason promised to bring to her. Arriving at Jason's house, she finds Alcee Beck, the county's only Black detective, already there. They work together to search the house and surrounding property and find some blood on the dock.
Later, Sookie checks out some of Jason's girlfriends. Carla Rodriguez knows nothing about Jason's whereabouts and really prefers not to have anything more to do with him. Crystal Norris, however, had been in the house when Jason arrived home the previous night.
Only orders from her Uncle Calvin makes Crystal tell Sookie about the interesting things that she had heard while inside the house. Yet Crystal claims to have never looked out the windows and to have not recognized the other voice(s). Thus, she does not know who had argued with Jason.
In this story, Eric had lost his memory as the result of an attack by one of his vampire subjects upon Hallow, the witch leader. As soon as Chow attacked her, Eric disappeared from a meeting with his inner circle. Obviously Hallow had been protected by a magical spell that was triggered by the attack.
These witches contact other covens and independent witches in the area and propose mergers. They also contact the Shreveport Were Pack and later kill a pack member. They break into Fangtasia -- the vampire bar -- and cause the death of a waitress. Indeed, the Witches frighten and irritate so many supernaturals in the area that they force an alliance against themselves.
This story contains even more sex, this time with the cursed Eric. Bill has left for Peru to work on his database, but returns later in the book to find his Sookie being intimate with his boss. Sam Merlotte is very helpful and is still featured in Sookie's fantasies, but she is determined not to have an affair with her boss.
Claudine the fairy -- the kind with pointed ears -- is introduced in this book. She saves Sookie from falling asleep behind the wheel, but just how did she get into the moving car? She also provides some critical information on the bad witches, but her blood is intoxicating to vampires. They become focused on her and just creep closer and closer to her until they are close enough to bite, so Claudine is often not able to remain in Sookie's vicinity for very long.
Highly recommended for Harris fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of preternatural creature, vampire politics and telepathic waitresses.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Delightful September 17, 2004
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
Ms Harris's first hard cover in the DEAD series is worth every penny of the price. If you are a vampire romance junkie like I am this is a must-read.
Sookie kicks boy friend Bill to the curb,after not being able to forgive him a previous indescretion. And for a few short minutes life becomes normal--or as normal as possible for a self-described person with a disability. Then Sookie sees half-naked Eric, Bill's vampire boss, walking along the side of the road.
He's lost his memory and I, for one, was hoping he never got it back. Eric without a memory is, dare I say, sweet? And Sookie and Eric IMHO are an even better match than Sookie and Bill. Alcide the werewolf makes another appearence, Sookie's brother goes missing and there's some really bad mojo going on between vampires, witches and weres.
Ms Harris just keeps getting better, there's action, adventure, horror, humor and a marvelous love story. What more could anyone want? I found myself staring at the last page of this book wishing it was longer, and hoping Ms Harris would write faster.
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