Dead Reckoning – First Synopsis is out!
August 28, 2010 in Dead Reckoning - Book 11
Amazon.co.uk now has a synopsis up for Book 11 – Dead Reckoning.
With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit – and the twisted motive for the attack. But her attention is divided. Though she can’t ‘read’ vampires, Sookie knows her lover Eric Northman and his ‘child’ Pam well – and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human – and that there is a new Queen on the board . . .
This final sentence has me intrigued. Sookie’s telepathy is what has made her so valuable to vampires in the broader sense, and this has me wondering what will happen to reduce her to an “ordinary human” in their eyes. This sentence reads as though this new Queen won’t give a toss about her potential usefulness, and that Sookie may be facing a new reality in which her telepathy is no longer a bargaining chip.
As Charlaine Harris only submitted Dead Reckoning to her publisher just a couple of weeks back, I expect this will change quite a bit once final editing is complete. We saw several versions of the synopsis for Dead in the Family before the release of the official one.
Nonetheless, this should be a reasonably accurate description of the book – so what do you think?
I can’t wait for this book it sounds so much like books 2-9 where Sookie is always into something and about to get her ass beat! Will definitely preorder my copy on amazon:)
“much more complicated than she knows.”
There is def. something political going on behind the scenes that Eric and Pam are aware of that and that Sookie is not, and which we can’t put our fingers on yet. It has to be related to that Vampire Geography 101 lecture Eric gave to Sookie, but.. ARGH! I need to know this NOW!!!
It probably relates to how Eric is ‘gaining more power’ and the division of Amun, but how does it concern Eric and / or Sookie?
The only thing I can think of is that there is a vampire war/ revolt against FDC brewing. I think if anything that lame-o short story provided the knowledge that RE is aware of Nevada’ intentions of expansion and possibly he will consider uniting with the rest of the states to halt or repulse FDC.
I wonder if it goes even broader and across all sections into a continental power struggle. Hmm..
*But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit*
Maybe this will tie into the Novella “Small Town Wedding”
Still too early for me, but I’m intrigued. At least it seems to go back to some mystery setting. I definitely welcome that.
Oh it is a long time to wait for this!!! But, now Eric can become King (killing Phillipe/Victor and no Maker) and Sookie can go with him wherever he may need to go because 1.) no Merlotte’s, no job and 2.) if the other vamps don’t give a crap about her abilities anymore, she’s safe to go wherever she wants to.
Maybe this new Queens gift is telepathy or something similar. That would render Sookie useless to the new Queen.
i don’t how to read the sentece about the “ordinary human”.
I think could mean that she won’t be consider “important” for them as she always was or maybe this has something to do with her marriage with Eric which may not have this importance he kept telling her it had or maybe it won’t have anymore since there wasn’t a cerimonywith witnesses…maybe is just an ordinary marriage and no more…dunno, hope this doesn’t mean troubles for them, not after 10 books of building up their relationship…i actually have faith in them becouse Sookie is now a Woman who has invested a lot in her relationship with him, allowing herself to trust him and love him, so i don’t think any troubles will broke them, maybe for a while but not forever…
I really hope this book will be more active than DITF, which i loved so much, and Eric & Sookie will work together with Pam, i love them when they are in action…
Btw the synopsis seems to say that they still a couple…
i mean we know he loves her right, so we shouldn’t doubt him….and i think Sookie is a strong and mature woman now and seems to think twice to her actions….
Of course this synopsis will change in a couple of months since i bet CH will have to rewrite something…and i remember the others synopsis of the books which told us actually nothing about the important stuff….
May be a good plan to reread pages 153 – 159 in DITF where Eric talks alot about territories and vampire heirarchy, listing the different clans and names. This new queen….I think is possibly someone that may be mentioned in these pages. It was said that in order to take over a state a “plan” had to be in progress and presented to the governing board.
If Eric and Pam are planning on killing their “Master” we may find some clues in these pages.
Yeah, I’m thinking possibly Freyda.
Totally agree with you, SVB. Freyda & Oklahoma sound like they are in the mix. Perhaps Eric has to form an alliance with Freyda, marry Freyda with the alliance.
This makes me feel anxious for Sookie, considering her just an “ordinary human” means she is in serious danger. Maybe this is what leads Eric to talk to Sookie about her becoming a vampire.
I think you might be right there. Does the first summary usually come out this early?
CH sent her copy to her editor for the first time just a couples of days ago so this will chage in a kind of way next months..for DITF by May we had 3 or 4 differents synospsis….
It’s true they did change Mony, but before I posted this I reread the very first one that came out for DITF and it really wasn’t too far off the mark.
They never give anything away, but if anything the subsequent ones just provided more detail.
This caught me on the back foot – the DITF one didn’t surface until Sept/October I think, so I wasn’t expecting this one so soon.
yeah it will probably have more details or some lines put in different way…it’s actually strange so soon in fact. Maybe CH will say something like she said for DITF when she didn’t confirm the synopsis.
I think btw it could be quite complete.
1. Yay! Some more Sam action! I like him, so I am glad he and Sookie will work together, even if the more encompassing conflict will be the the vamps, as usual.
Eric suggesting immortality for her is a big step and I wonder why he is making that move? She knows that him and Pam are plotting against there master so I think he fears for her safety because hes in too deep or something like that?
I wonder if Eric will probably be King in the end.
But the Queen part on board probably suggests her maybe being the possible candidate?
Sandy Sechrest could be the Queen candidate. Victor felt threatened by her and I dont think it was just because she didn’t follow his lead. The only other women vampires mentioned were the tracker at Sookie’s house and Bill’s sister . They aren’t strong political vampires though.
“and she realises that they are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master.”
This has me worried she reverts to dumb Sookie again, she is already sure of wanting to kill Victor in ditf.I hope they dont change her personality, I loved Sookie the hard ass in DITF!!
This caught me at first – I was thinking WTF, she already knew that in DITF.
But the word “master” makes me think now that they are going after Felipe, not Victor, having determined that Pam was right and Felipe was in fact playing Victor and Eric off (it was Pam that thought that right? I can’t quite remember but I know Eric thought one thing and Pam thought another).
I knew FDC was in this up to his ears!
I cant wait to read it, but this synopsis has me worried, anything that doesn’t say that Eric and Sookie are a solid couple and will remain so worries me. I obsess, and worry constantly for their relationship. There was nothing in this that should have me worry, but thinking about the new book just has that affect on me.
OMG I’m more anxious for this book than for the end of TB (not actually see the time it finishes!)
are not we playing this “new queen” literally?
humm Sam and Sookie?! looks like they’ll be a couple of invetigadores is this? (Hmm a lot of time together for the visa …)
Sookie will be without jobs? was for it that CH did Sookie inherit money from Claudine? really seems that CH has decided to bring Sam forward more in the books.
I’m not so worried about Eric + Sookie thing (for now) stop thinking that they will break up! I do not think they will (thinking wishiful)
is the first time I accompanied the launch of a new book Sookie from the beginning, is normal the synopsis launch so early?
“Pawn” worries me. Pawns are of little consequence, used, even sacrificed. And who runs the game? The queen. I can’t believe I’m agonizing already, over an early synopsis no less.
If Pam & Eric kill off FDC & Victor that would allow him to become king of one state, but I can’t see Pam being the other regent, the queen may be Sandy.
What if Sookie has Ameilia cast a Spell to break her an Eric’s Bond, an then somehow all the Vamps find out that her/Eric are no longer Bonded? Then Sookie would be considered an ordinary Human, who just happens to be Telepathic. Vamps may still want her for her ability, but Vamps veiwed her as just a Telepathic Human before she became Bonded. Then she became Bonded/Pledged to Eric so she became more important cuz of her new status. However if they are no longer Bonded. I dont see how their Pledging will stand, which will make Sookie once again fair Game to be taken by another Vamp, an treated like an ordinary Human except when they wanna bring her out to utilize her Telepathy. I donno if i’m making sense, but its a thought.
Doesn’t Sookie being the great great granddaughter of the last Fae Prince make her more than just human? If the FBI suspects Sookie is different, why don’t the vapmires? Eric and Pam would plot to get rid of FDC and not get rid of VM? Was VM following FDC’s own orders when he restrained Eric from aiding Sookie when she was the unwilling guest of Neave and Lochlan?
Note: It is possible for a pawn to checkmate a King.
Is it demented that I read VM and thought Vranklin Mott?
I’m coming around to the idea VM has been in full compliance with FDC and that this isn’t their first rodeo. Do we know if they are Sire & Progeny? Hmm, how else would FDC trust VM so completely me wonders?
It’s ok, honey. You are still grieving.
We all are.
My first thoughts were that Sookie may have been the intended victim of the firebombing. I also suspect the new “Queen on the board” is possibly Freyda and/or that Pam may be making a power play. I think that Eric and Pam are going after Victor and I agree Sookie already knew that he had to be dealt with. Them going after FDC doesn’t make sense to me, unless we find out he’s been threatening them.
I think FDC was playing good cop to Victor’s bad cop. Pam suspected this in DITF, Eric wasn’t sure that Victor wasn’t acting alone.
Victor is not their “master”, even though he is a superior. I really think they’re going to go for the top and everything under it. Sookie already knew they were going to go for Victor, this seems to suggest they have a new target and that can only be Felipe.
There were a couple of mentions of Eric schmoozing (ie. alliance building) in DITF.
I’d forgotten that it was made more apparent in the Sookie/Pam short story that FDC was trying to expand his already huge holdings. I agree it’s possible that some people may be anticipating this and trying to stop him before he gets too far along. I’d think that Victor would be target #1 though. He definitely wants Sookie dead, and that means he’ll have to eventually kill Eric. I think either Victor or FDC could be the “master” mentioned in the synopsis.
The question is did Victor want Sookie dead – or does FELIPE want her dead and Victor only acted on his behalf.
Victor defied what was apparently a direct order from FDC at the end of DAG and he suffered no consequences for that.
Makes you wonder.
I have always maintained that FDC is a complete fucking SNAKE, so I may also be quite unobjective about this.
“Victor defied what was apparently a direct order from FDC at the end of DAG and he suffered no consequences for that.”
True. When Eric and Sookie were talking at the beginning of DitF, he seemed to feel that FDC couldn’t or wouldn’t act directly against Victor. It’s possible FDC may not have wanted to keep his promise to Sookie when it became clear they were going to have to get involved in Fairy War. In the end, he only allowed Eric to take his people to the hospital to fight Breandan anyway….
Seeing as
Vranklin MottVictor Madden seems to be wearing the pants and arranging hits, is it possible that he is the real power and that he sired FDC?I still wonder about Sigebert and what that was about too.
fuck that didn’t come out the way I wanted it too. LOL.
Better?
I’m still wondering about that whole Sigebert thing too. I hope she doesn’t leave it hanging.
I am feeling very fragile after the fuckery that was Two Blondes….
Thanks SVB! *hugs* …….. *sniffle*. *cries on shoulder*.. T.T ..*sobs*.. Why FRANKIE WHY??? *wipes tears away* He’d be proud we’re still mourning him wouldn’t he?.. *looks off into the distance*
Hmm, yeah I think the Two Blondes story makes me think we shouldn’t look at details so closely, but its also too a major plot point not to address, IMO. Its the only valid reason to think VM and FDC aren’t playing for the same team.. how can that be good cop bad cop? FDC would have died, but everything else between them does look that way or can be interpreted as such.
Unless it wasn’t Vrankie Madden who allowed Sigebert to live?.. I wonder if Sandy will play a role in this?
Sorry to get into yals conversation here but id like to ask 2 things:
1-What do yal mean by the Siegebert thing with the queen? that he was left alive? or that she spoke telephatically to him?
2-What is the Two Blondes story?
SOrry im a bit slow in the uptake.
Haha, don’t worry sometimes we speak in code without realizing. Lol.
Yeah that he was left alive. Some of us ahem.. me.. LOL, thought a long time ago that the Nevada vamps left QSA around long enough (Okay I NEARLY proved she was still alive.
Lol, until we found out CH shot it down. 
) to have her order Sigebert to kill FDC, mostly since it was insinuated in earlier books that Sigebert would fight to the death to save QSA and not let anyone touch her.. but he failed and got away.
None of FDC’s subordinates reported Sigebert’s escape to FDC either, so what happened there? I hope we find out.
CH’s Two Blondes story is from the recent anthology of short stories that Harris edited and put together, “Death’s Excellent Vacation.” It was set in between DAG and DITF.. needless to say it has much fuckery of plot details.. say like Sookie is not suffering from any trauma of the recent fae torture.. she’s all butterscotch and stripper poles. @.@
Yeah, and no mention of scars, no reaction to sharp, pointy-toothed elf smiles. WTF. Fuckery of detail, indeed, but I am a long-standing and very vocal critic of CHs continuity failures.
ahhhhh ok i get it now. thanks for clarifying that!!
Is it bad that i kinda wish Andre was still alive? i think i had the hots for him… in my head he looks like Derek Hough from Dancing with the stars.
I wanna know why Sige was left alive then (so we think QSA ordered him to kill FDC but he didnt do it, maybe theres someone else left alive to carry on w the order)… and also Rasul is still alive right? agh, theres so many questions i cant wait for the book, im giddy with anticipation. And i would absolutely die if sookies HEA is Sam. something will die inside of me. i love eric.
I don’t think siegebert or his brother are alive. I think one died in altogether dead(?) and the other died in From Dead to Worse after Sookie ran over him with her car and Eric cut his head off.
My first thought was that Sookie might have been the intended victim of the firebomb too. If she doesn’t think it has anything to do with Sam being a shapeshifter, I have to assume that she knows something. And so my next guess would be that it has something to do with her and/or Eric. Especially when I consider he other folks that are regularly at the bar. Bombing Merlotte’s would be a pretty dumb way of killing off Eric imo (he’s a vamp and all), so I’m left with Sookie herself. The police don’t know about vamp politics, so FDC and/or VM wouldn’t be at the top of the suspect list.
Amazon.ca is listing Dead Reckoning as having May 26th, 2011 as the release date. Of course more often than not the release dates change.
I might just loose my mind while waiting! lol!
I imagine a bomb would kill a vampire. I don’t think a vamp would survive being blown to bits. If Sookie was the intended target then I think Merlottes, her house, or car would probably be big targets. However, if one wanted to kill Sookie without making her seem to be the intended target, then Merlottes is a good location. The weres/shifters have just come out and are targets for hate groups and it’s frequented by other people. IOW, if someone wants to kill Sookie, but wanted to hide the fact that they wanted her dead in particular, then her workplace would make sense.
“I’m a lil Worried tho CH is planning on making Sam her HEA tho after reading this cuz didn’t she say within the next couple Books it would start becoming clear who her HEA is? It sounds like her an Sam will be spending some time together in this Book, an doesn’t she have a short Story with these 2 coming out in February to?”
Quoting ESFAN08 from the book thread here because this is what worries me too. IMO the only legit rival for Sookie’s HEA is Sam. He’s always been there in the background, caring for Sookie and she’s always been very fond of him. I also worry that the more Eric is pulled into the world of vampire politics the more it might push Sookie away. Or that she might simply decide she’s had enough of that world, despite her love for Eric.
it’s been mentioned that sam has a love interest in this book, at least…
Probably his bitch of a girlfriend from DITF that firebombed Merlotte’s.
Sam sure can pick ‘em.
that just makes me feel worse, Sookie could be the love interest….
“suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. But Sookie suspects otherwise and she and Sam work together to uncover the culprit – and the twisted motive for the attack.”
I wonder if this bombing is done to coerce Sam into turning the bar into more of a supernatural bar. Ooh maybe that crazy bitch girlfriend of his wants to franchise Hair of the Dog… sneaky.
“Gradually, she is drawn into the plot -which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human”
I don’t want to believe that Eric would use her to ‘trade up’ in a sense. Maybe she is treated more like a pawn so he has the upper hand, but that occurs already. I think that her pawn like feeling will finally push her into breaking the blood bond, which I’m very curious as to how CH will explain that procedure.
Anyway, love this site, just found it a few days ago and already on my top sites page.
Sookie being considered a pawn, like most humans has me wondering if the bomb wont mess with her brain disabling her telepathy. This would be a really good move on CH, so that Sookie can have an opportunity to learn how to interact in the world without it. Eric could be given the opportunity to show Sookie that she is more than an asset, and Sookie can realize that she missed her gift.
i am also hoping the bomber will be a suitor, so that someone can finally be completely crossed off the list
Or perhaps one of them is inside the bar when the bomb goes off… Morbid, I know… My vote would be for Quinn to be in there… He He! **smilessweetly**
i would so be into Quinn being turned into kibble!
Ditto here. If I have to read about him calling Sookie “babe” just once more I may have to hurl my book at someone.
Quinn’s given me the creeps since day one! He’s second only to Beel on my creep list. And imo, my heebee geebee feelings were confirmed with the introduction of the now infamous genie pants… I just can’t (and won’t) accept a man that wears GENIE PANTS! I mean, seriously? lol!
I’m so sad that Merlotte’s will get blown up… and it sounds like Sookie/Eric is getting even more complicated… I feel both interested and scared lol
When is Dead Letters scheduled. I am really looking forward to Sookie finding out more about her family.
i think dead letters was rumored to be book 11, but now its called dead reckoning
Soooo…WILL Sookie be exploring the attic in this one???
My overwhelming sense in the last book was that CH was setting E/S up for a split, they were finally a real couple, Eric seemed very happy that they were married, and perceived they were really married, the readers were happy. Sookie was her usual self, indulging in how much she’s loved by someone, but ‘does she love him back’. I don’t CH will ever let it end with Sookie and Eric HEA. I’m a cynic. Sookie was wearing on me.
1. Note there is no mention of Bill. 2. When it says there is a new ‘Queen’ on board and Sookie is now just another human/pawn, my immediate thought was that Sookie asks for and receives a blood bond break from Eric ‘so she/they can test her/their true feelings’. Idiot. Then, for political reasons, attraction, or whatever, Eric finds a new “Queen” (love interest), since Sookie is no longer his ‘wife’. In this book Sookie may find that the two vamps who showered her with love and who she held at bay confidently thinking they would always love ‘very special’ her, have BOTH now moved on without her (I am presuming Bill is with his ‘sister’), and she is left to fend for herself without their protection, as in the beginning. In my mind, these vamps are around for centuries, they passionately love when they are in love, then move on.
I also remember her sleeping between her fairy relatives at the end of the book. At first I didn’t think much about it, later it seemed creepy and oddly foreboding, esp. with those particular fairies. Wonder where they fit in.
P.S. We’ve gone through these books thinking it is Sookie who is to teach the vamps about their humanity. Perhaps it is really them who are teaching her about hers. She can be pretty cold.
i think i have to disagree with your vision…Eric and Pam affection for her were building up all along the books and Pam has no interest in her or using her…their friendship is really natural and she knows how much her maker, Eric, loves her and make him happy….Pam said i don’t know how many times that Sookie was special just becouse she is just Sookie….
About Eric and a new love interest there is no basis for that to coming..not after all the books where they run from each others becouse too scared to love….
He loves her and she loves him and if they need to break the bond to be sure i’m fine with this becouse i want everything is clear between them…
The new Queen is really a New Queen not a love interest in my opinion becouse this books are not romantics books but mistery books and this one seems to be very political and i’m happy about that.
The new Queen could be Pam, someone from any regions Eric nominated to her in DITF and he did it for a specific intention becouse he consider her part of his life and world and for him having a new love interest would mean he is a f*** bastard who neverd loved her that deep in all the books…and he is not for me.
remember that the synopsi said at least 3% of all the books and they way they are put is just to tease people to buy the book…they want us to said: WTF? and so go to buy it.
Remember also that during Comic Con CH said she was having difficulties writing about Sookie again becouse she didn’t have much mor material to add which means the big part of Sookie’s life is settled and the rest it’s just functional for me…
For me, Eric and Sookie have run their course and I’m ready for them to split. For me, they’ve become rather predictable and that doesn’t make for a good story. I’d love to see Sookie get with Sam. That would bring a much needed breath of fresh air to the series and would spice things up a bit. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’d like to see more Sookie and Sam and less Sookie and Eric in this book.
Sure, Sookie’s telepathic abilities make her an asset. But I think vampire politics at the level in which Eric’s about to be involved cancels that out. If Sookie is a weakness to Eric, it will be exploited to block his move for power, regardless of her potential usefulness.
I can only imagine he will want to turn her for her protection (and to eliminate part of his vulnerability.) Also, she can’t be running around doing this crazy stuff when she’s 60. Unfortunately, I guess it isn’t in her “character” to want this. And that’s fine. If she really desires more of a “normal life” as she gets older, I don’t think Eric figures into that. Unfortunately.
CH said Sookie won’t have a normal life and won’t give up with Supe and settled and have the normal warm life she thought she wanted…
*yeah!!*
I wish CH would just “turn her” at the end, and E/S could have crazy adventures for a new series. I think Eric sees this potential in her.
Per the Huffington Post CH said:
“I don’t write absolutes. I don’t write the kind of “happily ever after” that romance readers enjoy. I’m not saying that “happily ever afters” are a bad thing, and I’m not saying Sookie will never be happy … but she’s not going to settle down and start a family and have the white picket fence.”
Whatever happens, it’s not going to be a “normal” white picket fence type ending for the series.
“Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human” Okay, the way I read this, isn’t that Sookie realizes she’s being treated as an ordinary human or has lost her powers. I read it as she’s being used for political gain as in the human world of politics. Just because she’s a telepath and/or Eric’s wife doesn’t give her immunity from being tossed around in the political muck.
Tho, I also worry that we’re going to start seeing Sam being positioned as HEA. I’ve felt it from the first tho it doesn’t make me happy AT ALL!
Kathy, I had an almost identical reaction to this. I agree that she’ll be feeling more like a pawn than ever in this one because the vamp political stakes are so high, and she certainly won’t be handled with kid gloves (not that she has been before). And I’m also concerned about Sam being shoehorned in as a love interest in this one. Helping people “investigate” almost always leads to other things. BUT, I wouldn’t be too concerned about plot threads mentioned here, because: see below.
On a somewhat wet-blankety, note…
This summary really reads like cover copy. As a matter of fact, I’d lay pretty good money that it is. The cover copy is pretty much the first thing the publisher officially “finishes” when putting a book together (neck & neck with cover art). The copywriter sometimes gets a full manuscript from which to work, but often only has a synopsis (or sometimes only an outline) on which to base his or her final product. This being the case, she often has to rely on quite general info and tropes such as things getting “much more complicated than sh[e] knows” and the classic ‘intriguing ending statement capped off by an ellipsis’. What I’m trying to say is that the tidbits you get here may only be the stuff that sounded best to the copywriter when the job was done. The editor will provide some guidance as to areas on which to focus vs spoilery stuff to avoid–and sometimes will ask the copywriter very specifically to bring out certain plotlines–but still, this may or may not give you a sense of the most important aspects of this book. Another thing is that, while the publisher likely uses the same copywriter for all the books in this series (if they’re happy with the person’s work and want to maintain consistency in the copy), that doesn’t mean the copywriter is anywhere near as invested (or even interested) in the books as we are. Often it’s just a question of quickly cranking out copy that the editor and publisher find acceptable–so there may be emphasis on things here that don’t turn out to be as important in the book itself, or things that we consider very important may be glossed over in the copy.
If I recall correctly, the early summary (which I think actually was the cover copy) for DITF barely (or didn’t at all) mention Appius, and I felt like he was pretty important in revealing aspects of Eric’s character/past. It also dropped a line or two about the Fae stuff, but again, that seemed more important to me when I read the book than the copy indicated. It’s impossible for the copywriter to touch each and every thread of interest the readers may have.
This is my long-winded way of saying that, while it’s fun to speculate (REALLY fun!!) I personally take the early summaries and/or cover copy with the tiniest grain of salt. The main reason for this is that writing copy is what I still get paid to do (albeit part-time), and what I did for more than ten years in the commercial publishing industry. Heck, I even headed a copy department, so I know all the tricks of the trade. I don’t know how many times I wrote copy based on the barest skeleton of an outline, or was told by the editor or publisher to emphasize things (for the sake of sales) that were really only incidental to the meat of the book.
So while some things in this summary (investigating w/Sam, for ex.) may have me a bit worried, I won’t worry too much–or get too excited about this–yet…
(note ending ellipsis!)
Thnaks for this SusanMy. This is very informative.
okay I have to be the village idiot…that’s bill’s job but what is EOC?
Eric’s other child? I think I got it.
I read this and thought, “Crap”. Sookie and Sam spending a lot of time together. Crap. Eric and Pam trying to get their political problems solved (possibly a lot of happening without Sookie). Crap. This smells like DITF. Eric and Sookie in a relationship, but not really spending much time together. Boo. DITF didn’t satisfy me in the least with E/S’s relationship. They just didn’t seem like a happy couple to me.
With Dead Reckoning, most likely the vamps (FDC, VM) think that Eric is going soft. Eric is forced to use Sookie to achieve his goals (hence being used as a pawn). Eric is able to kill VM (who will probably kill FDC, BTW), but not before Sookie is mortally injured in the crossfire. Eric has to turn her or she will die. Sookie will be the new Queen because Eric is now King. But this is only Book 11. The next two books will be about her accepting her new way of life.
If Sookie is not turned by the end of this book: I believe that Eric loves Sookie more than she loves him, or more than she will admit to herself. Maybe she needs to lose him to realize that. I can see that happening. Over the next couple of books, her and Eric break up, she has a fling with Sam, realizes she loves Eric with all her heart, they get back together, and Sookie is finally happy with someone. Or not. I don’t think that Eric and Sookie are going to make it if she remains human.
i loooove that idea of sookie being vampire queen and them two haven mischievious adventures together…
**sigh** if only…
One thing is for sure. I am letting all you ladies read the book first so that you can spoil everything for me. Forewarned is forearmed. Yes, I am a chicken.
Hi, first time posting here, though I’ve been reading for a bit (sorry, lurking). What a wonderful space, great blog and participants.
So, fascinating post earlier about how the publishing world works. It makes me wonder about what they left out…in particular I’m wondering where the Fairies are in this. Even though it seems as if most of her Fae enemies are gone (Breandan and the father of Claudine’s child to name a few) Sookie seemed finally aware of Niall’s ambiguous role at the end of DITF. Sookie seems to me to be the obvious target of the attack on Merlotte’s, and something that the Fae would carry out. Firebombing Merlotte’s would hurt Sookie in more ways that physically, since it means so much to her in terms of stability, friends, blah blah blah. And they have messed with her there before. Or is the Fae stuff going to be phased out? I don’t know the recent chatter on that storyline in CH’s world.
All of this speculation actually comes out of my first instinctual reaction to the line about the ‘new Queen’ on the board… For some reason (maybe that elipsis) it seemed to be another type of queen. Something about the language seemed off to me, so I was thinking, maybe a fairy queen? But then, after reading SusanMy’s post, I see that maybe I need to chalk that up to ‘cover copy’
The part: “Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as any ordinary human – and that there is a new Queen on the board . . .” doesn’t bode well with me. But as ericstruelav put it, I can’t quite put my fang on it either… lol! It’s right in front of me, but I still can’t figure it out… I think it has to do with the word play: “on the board”. Refering to Sookie as a pawn, then a queen on the (chess) board makes it seem that the queen would be on more of an even footing with Sookie. It just feels to me that if it were refering to a vamp queen, she would be much, much higher up than Sookie. After all, even though Sookie is telepathic, she is still lower in terms of priority than any and all vamps…
Oh dear, I’m not even making sense to myself, so I should probably spend more time figuring out what I mean! lol! It’s 4:09am here, so I’m probably just half asleep and mumbling… ha ha!! Ah well, maybe it will come to me in my sleep! lol!
hello…
I also read the queen part as another form of queen… but i cant quite put my fang on it. lol.
Also remember sookies ggranfather was kinda sort of evil at the same time… if i remember correctly. Maybe someone from the Fae world ( i know its been closed up but maybe theres some form of crack) came and bombed MErlottes to get at Sookie, but i also think its Arlene again. i dont know, they didnt specify that she went to jail. She will want revenge at some point. And i dont think sook and sam are gonna be an item, wasnt she dating someone at the end of DITF? And maybe (someone stop me) The bomber is Frannie w her mom. I think they will also want revenge. (im babbling now)
Eric and sookie, oy. My thoughts are…if there is to be a vampire queen, i think she will be telepathic. That renders Sookie useless (but i dont see why they would want to kill her just for being useless, unless Eric gave up on her attitude and her lack of concern?)… I also thought that maybe FDC is putting a front as King, maybe Victor is the real king… either way he has to go. Im 50/50 on FDC being totally evil though. I also thought Pam would turn on Sookie, but i would die if that happens. i heart Pam. Anyway, i prob didnt make sense.
How interesting SusanMY, thanks for sharing. I know there are some *very* good copywriters out there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten a book based on the cover blurb and discovered, 40 or 100 pages in, that I’d already read it.
I ‘m on tenterhooks until we see the cover art. I love Lisa’s covers and think they give us the best clues about the “emotional direction” of the book.
Ok, im sorry to keep obssessing over this but a lightbulb just went off in my head.
Eric became king after his father died right? (well in the show…but it must be true in the books as well) so he is still viking king…if sookie married him, wouldnt that make her viking queen? therefor… a new queen?
maybe not.
clearly i need help. lol.
Eric wasn’t royalty in the books. We only know of his background that he married his brother’s wife after his brother died, and she died in childbirth having one of their children. He was turned when he was returning home drunk after meeting with the family of a woman he was going to propose to after her death. Sad
off the subject i wikipediad dead reckoning and this was the result:
Dead reckoning (DR) is the process of estimating one’s current position based upon a previously determined position, or fix, and advancing that position based upon known or estimated speeds over elapsed time, and course.
I never knew what it meant, but seems to me that sookie will once again re evaluate their relationship and remember all the times shes gotten hurt or something and come to a bad decision. in my head this sounds really really bad.
even sadder now.
Ok, call me crazy but my first thought on the Queen was the Queen of Alabama. Being raised around these areas, if your in Mississippi for the casinos, half the time you trot over the border into AL gambling establishments without much notice. Call me a plain thinker to take queen literally. She seemed like a plotting sort to me. And they are in the same territory so maybe FDC wants to keep it in the area? Plus if the plotting has to be run by the ‘governing board’ she would have to know about it. And also, remember she was the only unmarried female besides SA which would make her all the more interested in this clusterfuck.
Somethought in random order.
An introduction of a new queen. Probably to help Eric gain the thrown. Removing an enemy of the new introduced queen.
I believe that Eric is more than powerful enough to become a king. The synopsis says that Sookie will be more of a pawn then ever.
From my guess instead of using the word pawn, I want to use ignorant.
Sookie has the gut to stand up against Eric. I think she will be more ignorant. Sookie will halfwayishly be aware of what`s going on around her, but doesn`t bother to think too much of the consequences thinking “It´s just typical vampire biss”. Here`s the kicker, Eric intends to make Sookie his queen without Sookie being aware of it. This would shake the foundation of the vampire world. That a human has now become an authority of a vampire state. It would also open for lots of plots for the next book.