Mr High Handed and the Fairy Prince – II
December 5, 2011 in Character & Plot Analysis, Dead Reckoning - Book 11, Eric Northman, Niall, Sookie & Eric, Sookie Stackhouse
Welcome back to Part II of our post examining the relationship between Eric and Niall. My apologies for taking a few days longer than I should have to get this up, real life and all that crap.
If you haven’t already, make sure you read Part I, which addresses some key questions relating to when and how Eric and Niall joined forces in relation to Sookie, and what information was shared between them. Part I established that Eric and Niall were conducting surveillance on Sookie (via Terry and then Claudine) since at least Book 3. Continuing on from where we left off in the last post – if Eric and Niall were playing track the telepath at least as far back as Club Dead (3), it raises some reasonable questions.
- Did Eric know that Sookie was a fairy as far back as book 3?
- Did he know that Niall was her great grandfather?
- How could Eric know that Niall was a fairy prince, yet NOT suspect that Niall’s interest indicated some sort of connection?
- What was Eric’s payoff for helping Niall? (We all know there had to be something).
HOW LONG DID ERIC KNOW THAT SOOKIE WAS A FAIRY?
In Definitely Dead (6), Sookie discovers she has fairy blood thanks to Andre, who according to Sophie-Anne has a particular “nose” for identifying fairies through their blood. This implies that while all vampires can “smell” fairy scent, they don’t all have the ability to identify race based on sampling the blood. According to Sookie in Dead and Gone(9):
“The trace of fairy blood I carried made me more attractive to supes, at least to some vampires. Not all of them could detect the little trace of fairy in my genes, but they tended to at least be interested in me, though occasionally that had negative results.”
While there are a number of references from DUD (1) through CD (3) to Eric noting Sookie smells or tastes different to other humans, and multiple references in later books to him smelling fairies on her by association (after she’s been with Niall or Claudine), there is nothing that I can find to indicate that Eric was able to identify that Sookie was a fairy by the taste of her blood alone.
“Not all of them could detect the little trace of fairy in my genes”.
Pam and Maxwell Lee’s conversation at the end of Dead and Gone (9) would seem to indicate that a vampire getting hold of a fairy is a rare event (at least when the vampire doesn’t have a part-fairy girlfriend giving them reason to be in direct contact with fairies – a situation that is far from the norm):
“It will be too bad if they leave this world,” Pam said. “I love them so much. They’re so hard to catch.”
Maxwell Lee said, “I never had a fairy.”
Dead and Gone (9)
We know that Eric was actually told for certain that Sookie was part fairy by Sookie herself in Definitely Dead (6):
“You have fairy blood,” Eric said, as if his own lightbulb had just lit up. “That explains a lot.”
Eric, Definitely Dead (6)
As is often her habit when it comes to Eric, Sookie launches into a full rant over his daring to say to her face that if it weren’t for her “special” blood he wouldn’t be interested in her. In fact, Eric isn’t looking for an explanation for his interest in Sookie at all, and it would seem that his “lightbulb” moment was actually the beginnings of his putting together an explanation for why this secretive fairy prince was keeping tabs on his Number One Crush. By the time Sookie confirms her fairy blood to Eric in Definitely Dead (6), Niall has been in contact with him for at least three or four books. So why didn’t the interest of a fairy prince cause Eric to at least suspect that Sookie may have been part fae before this?
Legitimate question is legit, right?
It stands to reason that he most probably did suspect it. Eric is not stupid, and anyone of reasonable intelligence would be wondering what on earth a fairy prince could possibly want with this human girl living in the backwoods of the South. There is simply no way that Eric could have NOT suspected, if his communication with Niall about Sookie goes back to the beginning of the series, and in fact, Eric’s curiosity about this is most likely one of the reasons he agreed to help Niall in the first place. But Niall wasn’t ready or willing to tell Eric anything of importance just yet (“I had to know him better first”), so Eric’s suspicions about Sookie remained just that until Sookie confirmed them in Definitely Dead.
Yet that still doesn’t allow us to confirm Niall’s assertion that Eric only found out he and Sookie were related in Book 8. Can we find proof of that in Book 8 that doesn’t require taking Niall’s word for it?
HOW LONG DID ERIC KNOW THAT SOOKIE WAS RELATED TO NIALL?
Sookie herself seemed concerned about what Eric knew and when he knew it in From Dead to Worse, when she asked Niall how long Eric had known of their family tie:
“Has he known I was your kin for very long?” I held my breath, waiting for the answer. Niall had turned to go. Now he turned back a little, so I saw his face in profile.
“No,” he said. “I had to know him better, first. I told him only before he brought you to meet me. He wouldn’t help me until I told him why I wanted you.”
Niall to Sookie (and Sam) – From Dead to Worse (8)
So it would appear that all Eric knew for sure in Book 8 was that Sookie was a fairy who had a fairy prince tailing her. You have to think that red lights have turned into screaming sirens for him at this point – but he’s still missing something to put the pieces of Sookie’s background together. At least, he’s missing something until the time came that Niall needed assistance that only Eric could provide – an introduction to his great-granddaughter.
The fact that Eric had to drive a bargain with Niall in the first place – refusing to help until Niall spilled the beans – establishes that as of book 8, Eric did not have the full picture, as Niall has claimed. If Eric already knew Sookie and Niall’s connection, he would have no reason to use leverage against Niall at all. Niall needed an “in” with Sookie, and he identified Eric as the supe she would be most likely to trust, most likely due to their bond. But Niall required Eric’s co operation, and this presented a golden opportunity for Eric to get to the bottom of the Sookie/fairy connection once and for all. Never one to miss an opportunity, he milked it for all it was worth.
While it would also be reasonable to question Niall’s version of events given his often “odd” behavior, we know from Claude that “fairies can’t lie”. This little quirk is common to fairy mythology even outside the world of the SVM, as is their penchant for being creative with the truth (as Sookie observes in Dead Reckoning).
Creative truth telling? That has a familiar ring! Which brings us to Mr “I might not tell you everything I know, but what I tell you, it’s true”.
SO WHAT’S THE PAYOFF FOR ERIC?
The million dollar question! Does his motivation even matter? After all motivation, coercion, or any other reason mattered not a dolt when we crucified Bill for lying by omission to Sookie under orders of the queen. Lies by omission are, after all, still lies. And this would hardly be the first time Eric’s been selective with the truth where Sookie was concerned. I love him as much as anyone but the fact remains that good reasons notwithstanding, he has more than once sat on information that Sookie probably would have preferred to know. Eric is pragmatic, he can be self serving, and his motivation to act is most often multi-layered. Yet we also know that that he’s genuinely fallen in love against his better judgement and that according to Pam, his feelings over ride his self-interest with increasing frequency:
“He is male enough to want to look strong in front of you, Sookie. Truly, Eric’s a great vampire, and very practical. But he isn’t practical nowadays—not when it comes to you.”
Pam – Dead in the Family (10)
While it’s tempting to view Eric’s long association with Niall in terms of what we know of his character and his feelings for Sookie in later books – and to consequently believe that there’s a whole lot of rewriting going on – that would be to overlook a long established fact that Eric hasn’t always been able (or wanted to) to put Sookie’s interests or feelings before his own. That tendency is a very recent development for his character, and one that still isn’t an automatic response. He is learning – his willingness to stare down Victor over Sookie in DAG – a move that earned him a powerful enemy but one that he made regardless of the consequences – is evidence of this. But there’s still a certain amount of truth in the adage about teaching an old dog new tricks. In examining Eric’s motivation for establishing an arrangement that was clearly in place from early in the series, we need to be mindful of the fact that his inclination to put anyone before himself has been a long road, and a concession he was only able to make once he was deeply involved and even then, only under certain circumstances and after much angst.
“One of the most wonderful, and the most appalling, things about Eric loving me was that he didn‘t give a shit about anyone else.”
Sookie, Dead Reckoning (11)
He never has, and he most likely never will. So I think it’s fair to say in books 1 and 2 at least, Sookie would have counted amongst the vast majority of people Eric really “didn’t give a shit about.” Sure, she was interesting to him but she was also valuable for other reasons – reasons he probably didn’t mind sharing with Niall if doing so greased the wheels of the existing “business relationship” they already shared. Eric’s interest in Sookie was clear in Dead Until Dark (1) and Living Dead in Dallas (2) and straight forward at first – a combination of her abilities, her fiesty nature and a sense of humor he intuitively recognised to be not unlike his own, and an intoxicating quality he couldn’t quite pin down is probably the best explanation for his initial pursuit of her. While not quite in love yet, Eric was most certainly intrigued by Sookie in the early books. It’s hardly surprising that a pragmatic vampire would view Niall’s proposal as a good opportunity to satiate his own curiosity, while possibly finding out more about Sookie than he could on his own. Having a fairy prince owing him a favor certainly couldn’t hurt, either.
As time went on and Eric’s initial curiosity about the telepath deepened into emotional investment, keeping the truth to himself obviously became a little less morally black and white. While I can think of a number reasons for his choice to do this – keeping Niall away until he knew he was trustworthy, keeping Sookie in the dark because she would have almost certainly forced the issue, and the likelihood of some sort of threat hanging over his head from Niall to name a few – it must also be acknowledged that there were perks for Eric too. His knowledge of her day to day life via Terry was far more intimate than it would have been from the fringes in Shreveport. And of course, he was courting the favor of a very powerful supernatural figure who happened to be related to his girlfriend. The benefits for Eric to this end are pretty clear.
According to Dermot:
“I suppose he [Eric] thought that he would get Niall‘s goodwill as kind of a finder‘s fee.” Dermot shrugged. “That seems to have worked for Eric. Vampires are all venal and selfish.”
Dermot, on Eric bringing Sookie to meet Niall – Dead Reckoning (11)
Providing assistance in exchange for Niall’s goodwill certainly seems to have “worked” for Eric:
“The vampire is not a bad man, and he loves you.”
Niall to Sookie, Dead and Gone (9)
I’d say that’s about as close to a ringing endorsement from a fairy that any vampire is likely to get.
THE BOTTOM LINE
1. Eric found out for certain that Sookie had fairy blood in Definitely Dead (6) – nothing in Dead Reckoning contradicts this previously established plot point.
2. Eric did not get confirmation of Sookie’s relationship to Niall until Niall requested his help in From Dead to Worse (8). Nothing in Dead Reckoning contradicts this already established plot point.
3. Eric knew that a fairy prince was interested in Sookie well before Book 8, and even though it should have given him reason to suspect that Sookie was in some way connected to the fae, he kept his suspicions to himself.
4. We don’t know for sure Eric’s reasons for not coming clean with Sookie, but we can reasonably assume from his motivations for similar actions in the past that they most likely involve a combination of self interest, protecting Sookie, and appeasing Niall.
The bottom line on Eric’s handling of this situation is not whether it’s better or worse than anything any other suitor has or has not done. They’ve all done some shitty things, Eric included. The bottom line for me is how Sookie feels about it, and how it impacted on her life.
And really, it didn’t.
Niall’s goal was to get closer to Sookie, and Eric’s was to keep her safe. The method they used to attain those goals isn’t exactly upstanding, but then, Sookie isn’t above choosing the “weakest tool” when it suits her purposes either. Witness her use of an unwitting Bubba in her plan to finish off Victor in Dead Reckoning. Bubba was her tool and it mattered squat to Sookie that he was upset and agitated by Victor and his crew. Not a single fuck was given that day by Sookie, yet Harris has taken great care to nuture a sense of trust between Sookie and Bubba since the earliest books. In fact, it could certainly be argued that Sookie’s trust in Bubba to keep her ass out of trouble is second only to her trust in Eric or Bill. And Bubba certainly trusts Sookie more than Terry ever trusted Eric. There are no sacred cows in the SVM.
Sookie’s own ruthlessness doesn’t give Eric a free pass – but I think it goes some way towards explaining why Sookie only gave Eric the obligatory, half assed lecture over Terry rather than completely tearing strips off him as some readers felt would be more in character. That, and the fact that she’d known since forever that he was tailing her anyway. Sookie lived, loved, fought and killed as she would have always done. Nothing changed in her life, and no one toyed with her emotions as a result of this to achieve their own ends. Eric didn’t need to manipulate her to fall in love with him to execute this task – she continued to live her life, first with Bill and then with Quinn while Eric held her at a distance and then fell in love with her in spite of himself. Winning her heart was never a means to an end – which is why this isn’t the dealbreaker for Sookie that Bill’s betrayal was.
It would also seem that Sookie’s expectations of vampires have become more realistic as the series has progressed, and that she views surveillance, selective versions of the truth, and general high handed meddling with a less judgemental eye than she would have even five books ago. Is this a good thing for Sookie? I guess time will tell, but she certainly seems to have decided for now that taking a realistic view of vampire behaviour is far less frustrating than trying to impose a human moral framework on someone who is no longer human. Sookie struggled with the problem of finding a moral compass in Eric over and over in Dead Reckoning, but that’s another post.
I don’t think we’re anywhere near done with Niall, and given what we already know about Deadlocked, I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more of Eric and Niall’s background shake out in the next book. And of course, just how much shit ends up sticking to Eric at the end of this depends almost entirely on the as yet unknown nature of Niall’s agenda (you know he has one). If Niall’s motives turn out to be nefarious, Eric’s involvement in combination with the QOK situation, and the general dramas he and Sookie are having could easily combine to bring it all undone.
I don’t think it will – but you know already that I’m the eternal optimist. Let us know what you think in the comments!
I said this in the other thread, but let’s suppose for one moment that Eric had told her about her lineage in the first or second book. Eric, whom she “hated.” Eric whose mind she said was like a pit of snakes. The trusting Sookie who was a novice to the supe world. Not the “aged” Sookie who plotted to kill Victor. How would she have reacted? With anger? A ton of it! With suspicion? She may have thought he was lying. Perhaps she would have done things to prove him wrong. That she didn’t need protection and certainly not from him. How far would he have gotten had he told her the truth. TRUTH!
We’re talking about the same Sookie who said this to Eric in Book 2?
Now I’m not saying that she would have been all “ZOMG ERIC! I believe every word you say!”. She probably wouldn’t have and nor did she have ANY reason to be. But I think you simplify what was going on with her in Books 1 and 2, and what I think was going on was that she trusted Eric on a gut level (as evidenced by that up there), but she had BILL in her ear telling him why he was so evil and why she shouldn’t trust him. Bill undermined her instincts with Eric from day one, and the consequences of that early influence were felt for a LONG time after Bill was relegated to the fringes.
I’m certainly not arguing that he should have told her the truth, in fact I really don’t enter into what he should or shouldn’t have done – the purpose of the post is to look at what actually happened. It’s up to each reader to give it a moral context if they want to.
But wasn’t that on context of an orgy? So did she trust that he would not let anything happen to her regarding someone forcing sex on ? Or did she mean that she trusted him on a deep philosophical level? I don’t think she did. Not at that point.
The point isn’t really the dialogue or where they were, it’s Sookie’s inner thoughts which are highlighted in italics:
“Where that surety had come from, I didn’t know, but it was there.”
She knew on an instinctive level that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt her – even if she questioned on an intellectual level why she felt that way.
And she questioned it on an intellectual level at least partially because Bill had trained her to believe he was the big bad. So her gut and her head were telling her different things. It took a long time for her to sort that out – but that doesn’t mean she ever hated him, or that she didn’t trust him at all.
But this is also AFTER the bullet scene right? After the massacre in Dallas. After he had saved her life. So until that point she had had a different opinion of him. So all I am saying is that he couldn’t have told her anything at that point and before it. I am not trying to argue with you. I am just stating my reasoning for thinking this is a non-issue. There are other things that I know I am in the minority on. You mentioned them in the first post. But this one is not a biggie. And my grip is more with CH retcon than in other parts.
Sookie was surprised to see Eric waiting outside the hotel for her in LDID. I think Sookie’s opinion of Eric went up after he held her in the elevator and he gently extracted the shards of glass from her arm. I think that all happened before the bullet sucking scene (I haven’t read book two in a while). I do not think that book Sookie ever hated Eric. Sookie was terrified of Eric, and the fact that she could catch glimpses of his thoughts, when they first met but I don’t believe she hated him.
opps. accidentally hit the wrong button. Anyway.
TRUTH! She couldn’t handle the truth. She needed more wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the supe world. Think about the young giddy girl excited to SEE a vampire. Now tell that girl oh by the way you are special too.
Now at some point during the relationship we can make a case for him telling her. But look at what happens. She finds out about Bill. Nope not a good time. She survives the explosion in Rhodes. Well he was ill himself. Then she was involved with Quinn. so she would have taken the news as a cockbocking move. The she was kidnapped and tortured. Then he had the family reunion. The timing was never right.
I agree that Sookie probably would not have handled the information about Niall as well in the earlier books. She was just learning about vampires and to add faires on top of that. Plus, Bill didn’t share a lot of information with Sookie. Sookie didn’t get a lesson on vampire polotics until Eric told her in book 10.
I don’t think Sookie would of either.Didn’t she have a brief moment when she raised her voice in disbelief at Naill in the restaurant? When she looked around and the people were looking in their direction. Naill’s (do not look influence) magic temporally didn’t work with her outburst. Also she held a belief of “what would gran do and say” moments that’s ruled her life in a lot of ways. She couldn’t believe that her gran cheated and on more than one occasion at that. She had a similar response as SVB has stated above in DD. She went on a (I guess I’d call it a rant) about her new knowledge of the fairy trace in her blood. That info dump was provided by Andre and the Queen. They spilled those beans of new info and Eric got the backlash from Sookie because of it. Does that make any sense? Great post SVB as usual I agree!
Deanna, it makes sense. lol. I also, think it is time for Sookie to put the “What would Gran do?” question to rest. Clearly, Gran was not the pinnaclel of morality. I think Gran’s letters can serve as a lesson for Sookie to not make similar mistakes. Gran was so desperate to have children that she cheated and thought that everything would be better if she could have children. However, it did not work out that way so she lived with the lies. I think Sookie will choose Eric over children and those letters reinforce that point.
Awesome pair of posts, SVB! What I love about the development of Eric’s character is that, as you point out, he doesn’t give a shit about anyone else (not even Pam in SVM!), but he GROWS to care deeply about Sookie. He is ruthless, but he had to be to survive 1,000 years as a vampire, doing whatever needed to be done to survive. Sookie started out as an intriguing tool to him, grew into someone who made him uncomfortable because she made him FEEL and he didn’t know why, and became probably the most important person in his life. She still makes him crazy because of what he feels for her, what he does for her, and what what he can’t control around her.
It seems to me that the only two characters in the series that we have seen grow are Sookie and Eric. And what makes me so hopeful about their future is that they seem to be growing toward one another, not apart. *sigh* Truly epic.
“Winning her heart was never a means to an end – which is why this isn’t the dealbreaker for Sookie that Bill’s betrayal was.”
Best conclusion ever SVB.
very nice summation, here… Brava!
Jerron, I concur.
plus, like the blog SVB says, Eric didn’t know her that well, but being enterprising, he understood the opportunity to be in Niall’s good graces. Understanding that Sookei would not be harmed by his snitch-ism…well, really, he just gave Niall a rundown of her day to day…..
and hey, SVB, this also made me think of when Eric introduced Sookie to Niall and she asked Eric what he knew about fairies….which wasn’t much. And, also, the time Sookie was wishing that Niall would make himself visible to others, or be more like a normal grandfather, and I remember Eric saying that:
“Niall wouldn’t condescend to treat humans.” And Sookie said: “Well he talks to me.” And then Eric said that that was because they were related, otherwise, she would never see him. So, Eric definitely knew or suspected that something was up.
However, paving that over with love…Sookie is one of 4 indivduals that has ever been invited to his house…maybe more like 3 because: Pam(invited), Bobby Burnham(daytime guy), Felicia(univited, showed up w/ Bobby), Appuis and Alexei (no choice/uninvited)….we also learn in DR that Sookie was the best choice he ever made in his life/death besides Pam.
I’d also like to reinforce what you said (not that it’s super necessary, because everything’s so well staed) But if Eric went out of his way, or rather, saw it beneficial to try to earn points with Niall, imagine if Eric had exposed Niall prematurely against his will. Imagine the wrath that might have been unleashed. No, if Eric was in on the scheme, he had to be discreet, and not expose Niall until Niall was ready to be found out, whether he liked it or not…and if he earned some bucks, or brownie or fairy points in the meantime, can you blame a guy for taking on a part-time paper route?
Whatever, Sookie learns, yep, I’m sure she’s going to be upset. I just reread DR and I have a feeling that Cataliades knows about Hunter from reading Sookie’s mind. It’s like the whole time she was talking to him she forgot he had telepathy. I also, have a feeling that Claude is turning the “riffraff” at Hooligans, most who are all partially human, into fae, and herding them into the Fae realm, maybe kind of like the “harvesting” on that episode of TB. (sorry to compare) and maybe Niall left Claude behind for that specific purpose. I remember the ominous: “some were left behind on purpose and some not.”(I think Claude was left behind on purpose and Dermot, not.) I want to find out why Niall bespelled Dermot. Also, we know that Deadlocked will begin with Eric coming over…I think they might breakup in the first chapter.
the cats response “Also, we know that Deadlocked will begin with Eric coming over…I think they might breakup in the first chapter.”
Did I miss something??? When did we find out that in the first chapter Eric would be coming over? “I’m confused as hell wondering how’d I’d miss this info?” I don’t remember reading that tidbit anywhere. Is this true? If so when and where was this info given and from whom???
Never heard or read of it so idk lol.
The books ussually skip ahead a few months. I don’t think the story will start will “the talk” that Eric and Sookie were supposed to have the night after the battle. I think she might mention the conversation though. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sookie hasn’t seen Eric for a couple days or weeks after that talk since he is dealling with the Oklahoma situation. Sookie didn’t here from Eric for a little while after the take over.
yeah, but they never agreed to meet together after the takeover like they did here. I mean, two books left:
“Is you Is, Or, Is you Ain’t, my baby?”
stay tuned “tomorrow”
I wrote my explanation farther down….that’s why I haven’t explained my reasoning here… but, now, I do feel “second-guessy”…..but how awesome would the writing be if the first chapter of DL started with the sound of Eric’s car pulling up.
Daily Double, if I ever heard of one.
I’ve just spent a week rereading all the 11 books…so I’ve been home ALL week, but now that it’s over I’m bored in like a weird way….Like that strange routine of coming home and reading is over. But, check out my reasons at the bottom.
Besides Eric and Sookie are married so I don’t think it is as simple as just “breaking up”. I was afraid that Eric/Sookie would breakup in DR but they didn’t. Anything is possible though. I think CH mentioned that a divorce in the vampire world is similar to a human one where they have to sign papers and stuff.
Ooh, I agree C.K.! It’s just that that statement “the cat” made–> (Also, we know that Deadlocked will begin with Eric coming over) I was like… Whoa! What?!?! Made me feel I missed out in new book info! I was left scratching my head. Yeah the books always had some time lapse or jump, from book to book. So it didn’t make any-sense to me at all.
This is what’s important to me too. I did feel badly about how it affected Terry, because I love him so. As you pointed out, CH did a great job of showing the similarity with Sookie & her friend Bubba… Eric & Sookie are more alike than Sookie would probably like to admit.
Great set of posts SVB! I thoroughly enjoyed them & ITA w/ your bottom line. I’m very optimistic about E/S too. I think I’m looking more fwd to Ch 1 than I am Christmas.
Excellent posts SVB! Bravo
I also totally agree with your bottom line and what has been thoroughly established plot points.
Whatever Niall’s motives are I’m sure he wouldn’t (fully) share them with Eric one way or another – CH did say Sookie finds out the WHOLE truth in DL, but about what ‘exactly’ is yet to be determined – and if it will impact her and Eric’s relationship; but I’m still determindley optimistic. FTW!
Niall’s motives? So many possibilities..
Things 1 and 2 told Sookie that Niall had found her AFTER Fintan died.(DAG) So we know Fintan was still alive when Sookie was born. So when exactly did Fintan die? And is then when Niall gleaned more of an interest in Sookie? He did say he had known about the Stackhouses for 60 years – but Fintan wanted Niall to stay away. So IDK but it gets blurry about here…Dermot bespelled, Fintan, Sookie’s parents, Mr. C, etc. O.O
CH said the fae would (mostly) be wrapped up in DL – so I’m anxious for answers about Niall, Claude, Dermot (bellanos and the rif raf) and the Culviel D’or.
I don’t need a neat little bow but I hope for some definite answers before she wraps it all up.
Again SVB, excellent set of posts. Thank you!
[...] If you would like to read her post, please click here! [...]
Nothing clever to add…just had to stop and say, I fucking love your book posts!
I was so waiting for this one!
I want to quote the whole thing because of it’s awesomeness but shall restrain myself!
“The bottom line for me is how Sookie feels about it, and how it impacted on her life.
And really, it didn’t.”
Exactly,this is how i felt about it. I didn’t think it was SUCH a huge deal because of the way she handled it. She took it in a stride with a bit of “sigh why am i even surprised anymore”.
“Winning her heart was never a means to an end – which is why this isn’t the dealbreaker for Sookie that Bill’s betrayal was.” SO MUCH THIS!!
“but she certainly seems to have decided for now that taking a realistic view of vampire behaviour is far less frustrating than trying to impose a human moral framework on someone who is no longer human” this has always been an issue for me,I always thought this was the one thing sookie needed to deal with,and from the looks of it has started dealing with. Plus I believe Eric like every other being,is capable of mistakes that don’t have saintly reasoning,that everyone shouldn’t make excuses for. Sometimes doing something wrong is just that…wrong (I think I sidetracked a little and was thinking of the other thing he did in DR lol). And I LOVE that you (and everyone here at SVB) does not view Eric as a saint too good for sookies. But I digress,. GREAT FUCKING POST as always.
I still have this feeling that there is something important missing in the middle of all this. I hope not. But if Eric and Niall had Terry watching Sookie since so early in the book, why would Eric be surprised in the Companion that she had some fairies coming to help her in times of need? Maybe Eric only thought that Niall was interested in Sookie because she was a telepath? I’m sure he thought that was suspect, but didn’t have anything to go on for sure until it became obvious that it was much more than ‘mild interest’ to Niall. Like, he wanted to make sure she stayed alive.
I don’t know. I DO believe that CH has had the ending in mind since Day One, but I also feel that maybe there has been some retcon going since the first few books. I still feel like there is room for some little bombshell in the midst of the things discussed in this topic about what Eric knew and when.
Wonderful post SVB. I have been stalking the blog for part II, and you didn’t disappoint.
In terms of Eric sussing out the relationship between Niall and Sookie prior to Niall confirming in FDTW, there’s this little nugget:
“You’re a mystery,” he said. “Who was your mother, and who was your father? Oh, I know, you’ll say they raised you from a girl and died when you were a little girl. I remember you telling me the story. But I don’t know if it’s exactly true. If it is, when did the fairy blood enter your family tree? Did it come in with one of your grandparents? That’s what I’m supposing.” -Eric, All Together Dead
It would seem to me that he doesn’t know for sure here that this is how it happened, thus the “supposing”. The other little tasty treat from this exchange:
Sookie asks “And what business is it of yours?”
Eric replies “You know it is my business. Now we are tied.”
The blood bond certainly upped the ante for Eric as well.
Thanks krtmd – good point – I totally forgot about that conversation.
@Krtmd Thanks for that quote. I forgot it!
I think it’s obvious reading what Eric said, that he didn’t know she was parte fae or who Niall was to her. He tried to connect the dots and knowing from book 6 that she is indeed part fae made him suspicious about Niall.
It would be in Eric style asking Niall, after book 6, something like:
Eric: “Why are you so interested in Sookie?”
Niall: “I have my reasons but you don’t have to worry, we both want her safe”
Eric:”So this had nothing to do with her being part fae right?”
Niall needed to know that Eric was someone who could have done everything to keep Sookie safe because he cared about her. Eric needed to know Niall because he was curious about his interest in Sookie which for someone like Eric meant that there was something more about her he didnd’t know yet.
In the process he fell in love with her and this proved to Niall that she was really safe with him IMO.
“The vampire is a good man and he loves you”
I had that quote from Eric about Sookie’s parents in there but it had to get cut – damn thing was getting far too long. But that’s definitely another nugget that proves it was playing on his mind, and he was actively trying to piece things together.
Great posts, both I and II. It’s like Christmas came early
I do think that Niall’s agenda will present itself, at least before the end of Deadlocked, and I imagine it’s tied in with whatever’s going on at Hooligans. Whether Dermot is part of it or goes against the other fairies is what I’m eager to find out.
Great set of posts SVB! I love reading your take on things. And as we get further into December, I am chomping at the bit for Chapter one!
Another great post SVB! Thank you
I would just like to add that CH confirmed recently that Eric didn’t know that Niall was her GGF until shortly before Eric introduced her to Niall. So that part has been confirmed. I tried to find the post – but that search feature is beyond me most of the time.
Also, I think it is likely Eric tried to work with Niall because he wanted to keep his “enemy close” and to protect Sookie. And as you said refusing to help him would have just pissed Niall off and he would learn nothing. We know Eric said that in battle he would take out Niall first. So when Niall wanted to work with Eric in regards to the “telepath”, someone Eric was smitten with and had an investment in (she was willing to work for him when she was with Bill) he said why not. They had mutual goals keeping Sookie safe.
I am sure Eric was very interested in why Niall was interested in Sookie and since he didn’t figure out she had fairy blood until DD, he obviously hadn’t thought reason yet. Niall could have wanted a telepath for any number of reasons, and he may still want a telepath for something less than pleasant. So Eric decided he could learn more and keep Sookie (his investment) safe, and find out what his enemy (Niall) was up to.
Hi OY
Found the quote you were talking about from CH;
“130 duckpond100 2011-09-09 13:59
Niall is always hazy about time, which has little meaning for him. Time also passes differently in Faery than it does in the land of humans. He and Eric have known each other for decades, but Eric only learned that Sookie was Niall’s relation not long before Sookie did.
Charlaine Harris”
Thought this nugget from Pam in ATD was also a little more confirmation text wise;
“Now that ‘we’ know you have fairy blood, thanks to Andre, it would be easy to write all this off. But I don’t think that’s
it, do you? I’ve known many humans descended from the fae, and none of them have been telepathic. I think that’s just you, Sookie.” ~Pam
IMO, this is (more evidence) Pam separating Sookie’s telepathy (which her and Eric knew about in DUD) and Sookie’s Fae Genes (Which Eric and Pam didn’t know about – until Andre)
Thanks ladies, i knew i read it somewhere but i couldn’t remember where.
We have the confirmation from CH that Eric didn’t know for too long, probably just the tim to arrange this meeting and between book 7 and book 8 there are 2 months i think, so probably he knew it for this long but he was recovering from the bomb in book 7 and him and Sookie weren’t together. I have the feeling he made pressure to Niall to telle him the truth after he remembered his time with Sookie.
Sookie is the first human that Pam has met that has the ‘essential spark’ along with her dab of fae blood.
Pam is trying to reason why Sookie is so different…without all the puzzle pieces in play about Sookie.
I love, that Pam loves Sookie even above obeying her own maker. “A better friend than you know.” As Eric said.
Sookie is the WILD CARD FOR ALL THE SUPE’S.
And, as a general rule, it’s probably not a bad thing to a have a fairy-prince owing you a favor . . . even though that part may not have turned out as advantageously as Eric may have thought. Eric always has more than one motive;)
Eric also admits to Sookie that he has spoken to Niall about her:
Eric actually snorted. Then he said, “I won’t talk to Niall of this any further. Of course, I told him what occurred.”
I had a moment’s ridiculous pang because Niall hadn’t rushed to my side or called to ask if I was okay. I’d only met him once, and now I was sad he wasn’t acting like my nursemaid. – fdtw
I don’t really know what else Eric could have done, said no? That would have only been stupid. This way Niall owes him, he might actually figure out what Niall is up to or stay a step ahead of him if he is up to no good, and Sookie is safe, which I think is the important thing to Eric.
I am sure BL’s would say he should have told her. But they were never in a relationship when this matter came up, not until DAG, and that is after she finds out Niall is her GGF. And basically Niall goes a way in DAG and Eric tells Niall to eff off at the end, so there wasn’t that much to tell once they were together.
Hey Helena – goodtoseeya!
Hi OY,
I saw the confirmation CH posted about Eric and Niall – she’s also confirmed other things relevant to the post, off the page. When I first wrote the post I had included a few of her statements but as it progressed I realised that it could actually be proved by what is written in the text.
So I stuck with that, because I think it makes a much stronger case if we can rely on the books alone, without needing to resort to CH spelling it out. CH cops alot of flak for her writing and it’s gratifying to actually demonstrate that the books can “stand on their own”.
Yeah, and some times she changes her mind too. LOL
I agree the books should be all that matters, otherwise orders become favors and all that!
I was just saying to Helena on FB that she tends to talk out both sides of her mouth a lot – which is fine, she’s got a product to push. But the result of that is that you can usually find *something* she’s said to support whatever case you’re making… and that goes for all sides of the debate.
So using her quotes just ends up twisting you in a knot, half the time.
hahaha – so true! I have always said when she starts saying really nice things about Eric, that is when I am going to start worrying. It seems to be the suitor kiss of death.
I disagree that Eric wasn’t in love with Sookie in the early books / before the Quinn debacle.
I think we have to date his love from at least Book 3, otherwise the curse in Book 4: “Seek out your heart’s desire,” wouldn’t have worked.
My take on it is this: Eric fell in love with Sookie somewhere around Book 3, but he lacked the self-awareness to recognize his feelings for her and continued to operate like business as usual, using her (conflicted, but still loyal) feelings for Bill to further his own agenda.
But twice in Club Dead, his real emotional state comes out. First, when he can’t help but get close to her when he first tells her about Bill’s betrayal, and his reluctance to tell her the truth “it wouldn’t have been words from my mouth that hurt you so badly” and second, when he nearly heals her shoulder out of concern for her, before she points out that would ruin her cover and he calls himself stupid for not thinking of that. And then he calls her a stupid woman for not recognizing that he’s trying to save both their asses. The way he comforts her and is up and down and all over the place emotionally, one minute concerned, the next arguing, comforting and then insulting — he’s behaving pretty irrationally for someone who, up until this point, had always been a very cool customer. This is partly due to his precarious situation with QSA now that Bill and the database have gone missing, but I think it’s pretty clear his disconcerting attachment to Sookie is a big factor as well.
And then of course there’s the line at the convenience store about “my future lover” and his anger at himself and at her that she was the one who tried to rescue him instead of vice versa “there is something wrong with that.” I think he’s just about figured it out by then.
His pride gets in the way, though, and that’s why it’s only until Doornail, when Sookie tells him that he was willing to give up everything just to be with her, that he acknowledges (if only to himself) that he fell in love with her.
The critical question there is “How did you respond?” Eric is certain of his own feelings, but he hasn’t a clue as to hers. Her answer, that she couldn’t let him stay without his memories, is a dodge. He’s frustrated because he doesn’t know if she returned his love, and then Bill comes in before he can get at the truth. He then decides to stay the hell away from her until he can get better control of himself, which backfires spectacularly when Quinn swoops in.
But as for the falling in love bit, I think that was settled even before Eric lost his memories, way back in Book 3. He spends the rest of the series coming to terms with that, and trying to suss out whether Sookie feels the same way.
Finally the very earliest sign that there was more than lust on his side I would date from Book 2, when Sookie tells Eric she trusts him to keep her safe at the orgy, and, genuinely surprised, he tells her how crazy that is, but she doesn’t think so. And then she tells him to slow down when he’s driving too fast, reminding him that she’s mortal, and he admits that he thinks about that often. There’s the beginning of a deeper emotional attachment there, that develops between 2 and 3 and is pretty fully formed by the end of Club Dead.
Agreed,
the Hearts Desire Curse wouldnt have worked if he wasent already smitten by Sookie by book 4 ( DTTW).. & the fact that Eric & Niall both used Terry as a means of keeping track on Sookie then so what.. i mean Niall sent Claudine as well to keep track of Sookie & that didnt work no more then Eric keeping track on Sookie..
Sookie is prone to mischief …
Eric definitely had feelings for Sookie in CD. He was aware of it and very conflicted about it too.
In CD pg. 175:
“We’ll talk later,” Eric said omniously.
“Thanks for the car,” I said.
Eric looked down at me. ———
“I don’t like having feelings,” Eric said coldly, and he left.
Good point.
There’s also that intense conversation on the drive home, when Sookie declares “I’m through with you all!” and Eric broods in response. She’d just gotten out of her relationship with Bill, he’s been waiting for this chance (as he predicted earlier in the same book: “You won’t always be so afraid of me,” he said, as if he were absolutely certain of the future. “And you won’t always be as devoted to Bill as you are now.”), they’ve exchanged blood, they’ve almost had sex, he’s realized he’s developing feelings for her… and Sookie chooses this moment to turn her back on supes in general and vampires in particular. And he can feel her sincerity because of their recent blood exchange. Heart-wrenching.
beautiful thoughts, I agree with all of them…
too me, I saw the beginnings of something too, when she called him to go to the orgy…and he was shaking his head. But, he showed up…flamboyantly so. I mean, why would she ask Eric of a people to go….and why would he go….and they seemed to have a good time….for lack of better phrasing. Of course, this was not the common denominator, you already stated them. But, I just know that when Sookie made that phone call, Eric was thinking: “Now, this is a girl after my own heart.”
I mean, look at how he made Pam. He knew there was something about her, he sensed it. I think he felt that way too, the moment he met Sookie. (eyelash counter)Also, when he gave Sookie blood after she was staked. I don’t know, I had a feeling like he was trying to have sex with her (along with just plan having sex with her) to make it less akward and more comfortable when he gave her the blood. And that’s why he was extra upset when Bubba came in. That’s just my viewpoint.
I think I first knew there was something with the maenad apology in LDID. Why would a 1000 year old vampire care that a lowly human barmaid with whom he had no real relationship thought his apology (for something over which he had no control) was “not enough” and bother to come up with one that was? Of course, most of the time during this chapter Bill was being territorial and pissed at Eric that the maenad had aimed at Sookie’s face, and generally being Bill so the comparison between them is hard to miss. And what book did our lovely author decide about the HEA? Bingo!
Thanks SVB for laying this down:) So many people don’t get the “back story” as Ms. Harris has pointed out.
KCS, ITA that he made that second apology because he had feelings for her.
I think there were some hints that Eric had feelings for her as early as DUD. When Sookie was at the hospital at the end of DUD, he sent her flowers and was floating outside the window. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t have feelings for her. He obviously heard from someone (most likely Terry) what happened with Rene. Eric also would have known that she would recover. IMO if he was only interested in her because of her telepathy, he wouldn’t have sent flowers and wouldn’t have flown there to look at her through the window.
And he killed Longshadow to save her life. It’s hard to say if he did that because he cared about her or if he did it because he was working with Niall at that time.
I don’t think that it was “feelings” so much in book one as intuition…and if one of us did it it might seem pushy, presumptious, or desperate in some cases, maybe most….but I just think that when Eric met Sookie he knew he had to have her in his life. And he’s so old, why not be pushy and presumptious…I mean, he’s stated that he hadn’t felt anything deeply for hundreds of years….but, when he met Sookie (and she wasn’t concerned with how long his fangs were, etc.) he had too get a closer look.
Who’s this woman who’s not remotely interested in me? She smells great. She’s beautiful. And she made a joke…it was kind of sarcastic..why isn’t she in complete fear of her life. And (BONUS) she’s a telepath and just warned me and saved me from the police. How considerate.
She was definitely worth a look. I don’t like to compare show to book when everyone’s talking “:Bookie” but on the show in Eric’s dream he sees Godric and he says: “She (Sookie) can redeem me.” And I feel that book Eric feels this way.
I hated that line in S4.
Eric doesn’t need redemption, that’s Bill’s thing.
To admit you need redemption is to admit that you don’t like who you are or what you’ve done. That you’re somehow aware that it’s not good enough. That’s not book Eric and that line in S4 was probably one of those moments when I truly realised that Ball doesn’t get Eric at all, and never has. The idea that Eric feels that only Sookie’s love can make him a better man makes me want to barf
Awesome follow-up, SVB! Great points about Sookie and Bubba. Not only has she matured past her early era conservative views on the differences between humans and vamps, but her evolution into a much more nonjudgemental version of herself has really hardened her.
There are plenty of shades of grey when it comes to right, wrong, survival and being able to confront yourself in the mirror when the dust settles and the heat of the moment clears. Sookie’s learning this the hard way, and I’m proud of her – though she’s still got plenty more lessons to learn in this vein (thinking of Bitegate and what I viewed as her temporary slide into hypocrisy
).
I can’t wait to see what tricks Niall has up his sleeve, that’s for damn sure.
love your posts .. i think that eric & sookie may break up . i hope not . i wish eric and sookie the best . keep the wonderful posts coming . they are the greatest ., i am hooked
You still do such an awesome job of analyzing the sookie world. I can’t wait to see how these theories pan out. You’ve been spot on in the past.
I hope Pam is doing better in this book. Poor Pam was put through the ringer in the last book and I felt so bad for her. I wish that Marium could have been saved. Pam wanted her friend to know the truth. I think Sookie and Eric should both be a little more considerate of Pam. After all their relationship affects her too.
With regards to Eric’s motives for bringing Sookie to the restaurant to meet Niall, I always had a slightly different thought. Knowing how hurt Sookie was when she found out about the Bill/QSA connection, I thought he was more of her protector when Niall asked Eric to broker a meeting between himself and Sookie. Rather than looking for how to turn Niall’s request to his advantage, Eric wanted proof of Niall’s intentions. Maybe I’m just too darn optimistic! It’s part of my charm!
“If Niall’s motives turn out to be nefarious, Eric’s involvement in combination with the QOK situation, and the general dramas he and Sookie are having could easily combine to bring it all undone.”
I think you are right with this conclusion all though it breaks my heart to even think it much less type it. I have a strong gut feel that a bad break is coming in DL between E&S. I think that Eric is going to be painted in a very dark light in DL and with Bill around things are going to go to hell in a hand basket. I see DL being one hell of an emotional roller coaster and I am not looking forward to it. My only hope is that it will all be “undone” so that amends can be made and start anew in book 13 with Eric and Sookie HEA. I know it is a long time to have my fingers crossed but they will be. I will be praying to nodic gods as well.
I am trying (key word “trying”) to take a more optimistic aproach leading into book 12. Of cousre, that could all change after I read the chapter 1 excerpt. I’m guessing there will be a lot of Bill/Sookie interaction in this book which will be annoying. I’d rather see Sookie/Pam teaming up to solve a mystery or Sookie/Jason or even Sookie/Sam.
maybe I am be presumptious but I got that idea from DR page 229:
“Bill gonna take me home”, I said. We’ll talk tomorrow night. Maybe.” Eric bent down to kiss me, but I flinched. Not with that bloody mouth. “Tomorrow”, Eric said, his eyes searching my face.
DR page 247:
I wondered if Eric had talked to Felipe yet about the disappearance of the Regent of Louisiana. I wondered if Eric had written the Queen of Oklahoma. Maybe my phone would ring when darkness fell. Maybe it wouldn’t. I couldn’t decide which I wanted.
Also, on page 228 Sookie says that she realized “this was a truning point in their relationship.”
From the Sookie Stackhouse Companion…the “Kill Victor Party” (KVP)was on June 2nd, and Tara’s shower was on the third, and the book ended mid-day with Sookie watching Jeopardy….and I felt like that was done on purpose, I also felt that Sookie and Eric have so much against them (also, there only being two books left) that the “elephant in the room” needed to be addressed, you know, no beating around the bush….so for ME, I take that “Tomorrow” as being a literal To-morrow, in the story. Not that I don’t know that the storyline dates change…and that sometimes months elapse between books. But, I just felt, and feel, that that is such a significant “Tomorrow” that the reader should be present for it. I feel like the last page in DR sets that up for the reader. That she watches tv and then nightfall arrives and “dun-dun-DUHN…”
Do you agree? I thought I was being logical.
I agree that “tomorrow” will be an important day for Sookie, but I don’t think we’re gonna get to read about it. I think a few months will have passed between books. The short story “If I Had a Hammer” takes place after DR. In that story, Tara has had her babies, so a little bit of time has gone by. Plus we know that Felipe is in town in DL, so he and Eric may have already settled some issues. I’m hoping that we’ll find out at the beginning of DL that Felipe has canceled the marriage contract.
That’s true, If I had a hammer does start some time later. I don’t even rememebr if she mentions Eric in that story.
I think Felipe is in town to do anything BUT discourage the prospect of Eric marrying Freyda. Felipe is trying to juggle 3 states, nearly an unheard of task. Freyda is one of the main vamps with her eye on overthrowing his kingdom. Why not appease her instead, and hold the penalty of Victor’s death (which I don’t think that Felipe is too upset about) over Eric’s head as incentive to make him marry QOK.
Plus, Eric is a vamp, but a male, and we know that men ego-trip and Sookie is not happy with him, so he’s insecure and probably feels unwanted. (Remember when Sookie broke the BB and he hesitated by his car like: “Ah…do you still love me.”) So, he’ll probably be making a lot of bad decisions. See: that delicious girl they found dead in front of my house.
I just remember when Eric in DITF said that Sookie was his wife in the only way that mattered to him. And Appius said he’d just come from Oklahoma. I think that CH write the books, then goes back and deletes important plot. Cuts and Pastes them to word document. And them rewrites something ominous in their stead.
Appuis: “We’ve just come from Oklahoma (cut: where we’ve been arranging an adventageous marriage for Eric)
Also, i see nothing wrong with Eric feeding from another human. I mean, I do, but I don’t. And yes, he’s mentioned feeding before. After Sookie’s torture in the hospital where he “fed well”…he took a lokng time answering him phone because he was having “supper” (yuckh!) After the KVP everybody seemed to be feeding on everybody, it seemed casual. Eric offered his blood to Tara once too heal, would that be betrayal?
I feel the same way as you do about Eric feeding from someone else. He is a vampire, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to drink True Blood all the time. And Eric didn’t feed off of Sookie all the time unlike Bill who used her as his own personal wine cellar. Eric could have been feeding off of other people and it just hasn’t been mentioned because it’s not essential to the storyline until now. Or the woman that he bit may have been a gift from Felipe. Considering Eric’s situation, it would be rude for him to refuse a gift.
IMO Felipe is a jackass if he forces Eric to marry QOK. Felipe is spread thin in all 3 states. Now that Eric has killed Victor, he is the most capable leader left in LA. If he sends Eric to OK, then he has to send people from his other states to LA which would make his kingdom more vulnerable to an attack by someone else like QOK. If Eric marries QOK and is pissed off about it, he might want to help OK take Felipe down.
Peppermintyrose wrote a really good but really long blog about the whole QOK/marriage contract/Felipe situation. Here’s the link if you want to check it out: http://peppermintyrose.livejournal.com/60063.html
There’s no way Felipe is going to stand by and do nothing while Eric marries QOK under duress. You’re absolutely right that it would be completely stupid, politically.
There’s a reason Felipe put himself out of contact while Eric and Victor were having it out, he wanted to see who would come out on top. And now that Eric has, it’s no coincidence that Felipe makes his first appearance in 3 books in Deadlocked.
I’m going to read the blog now…..
but, I get what you ans SVB are saying, but you’re think of marriage from a human standpoint. All Eric has to do is consummate the marriage to QOK, he doesn’t have to live there….Felipe could pressure him to marry the QOK because it’s in their best interests. Sleep with the QOK and make her our ally. I understand Felipe sitting back and watching what would happen…Eric even says that that would be what he would do if he were in Felipe’s shoes. But, if Felipe wanted Eric to be King, he need only but ask him to be KIng…which Eric doesn’t want.
What say you??
Well, it was made clear in DR that Eric would have to give Sookie up if he marries QOK. So there’d be no consumating the marriage for appearances sake, and then continuing a relationship with Sookie. Marry QOK = No more Sookie. Done deal.
On the Eric/King issue – Felipe didn’t necessarily *want* Eric to be king so it wasn’t a matter of simply asking him to. What Felipe wanted was for Eric to get rid of Victor – who was getting too power hungry and big for his boots. Victor was a test, set by Felipe to kill two birds with one stone. So he kept his distance while Victor stupidly goaded Eric until Eric was forced to act and kill him. Felipe’s problem with Victor is now solved, and all credit for that goes to Eric. Eric has also proven to FDC that he can take care of business, and IMO Eric being King/Regent is a given at this point. He will most likely come around to the idea – possibly due to his experiences with Victor – that this a necessary evil. While he was under Sophie-Anne he had no need (and therefore no desire) to secure more power. She left him alone, and she let him run his own show for the most part. If FDC and co aren’t prepared to do that, and Eric wants to continue to have a certain amount of control over his affairs – more power and the clout that will bring for him can be the only solution.
whoa,
just read peppermonty’s blog entry and SVB’s response…..
what have I been reading. All this time I’ve been reading for entertainment purposes…maybe it’s the TB show because there hasn’t ben much mystery on that show since season2…maybe I’ve given up. Maybe I just haven’t been that interested on that level to gain insight. To be that insightful.
I remember Claudine telling Sookie not to go to Rhodes, she’d forever put herself in association with vampires. No going back. I never gave much thought about Freyda being there or what her reaction to Sookie’s talent would be. Sam told Sookie she was famous among the supes. That didn’t hit me right, I got a little fearful for her. When peppermint said that Freyda wanted Sookie, well, I was like that’s crap because she won’t go. But, Eric has been misleading everyone in that he’s been saying that Sookie is compliant, which is not true. Good thing she can’t be glamoured.
I just don’t see, that if this is the plot, though plausible, that Eric would be unaware of it. So why would he even consider marrying Freyda, his maker soooo screwed him over. Though, Appius’ reasons seem understandable, he like prestige…
The only thing that I’m having trouble with is it seems that everyone/vamp has the same idea to takeover this big chunk of states…if not eventually the entire country at soem point. With such a power struggle going on won’t this lead up to full out war. Not these small massacres that Sookie witnesses, but full blown war…..at least mobstyle. If this is the agenda, and all Sookie’s actions are being followed on a supeTwitter account, then she’ll never be safe. She might as well end up living in fairy or die at the end. What peace? No peace while she’s alive, and Eric doesn’t have that kind of time (even though he’ll live forever) to constantly be on the lookout for Sookie’s safety, even if he’s king. In fact, I might be worse, then.
I kept wondering why CH used the word consort and sooner to describe what Eric;’s relationship would be the the QOK. Also, i like to think that eric would have broken the BB himself if Freyda used it against Sookie.
But, as “the/a reader” I fully comprehend the with or without the bb Freyda’s scheme would not have worked/ will not work so why even make that storyline when we know Sookie’s character so well. That she wants to be free and own her own life as much as possible.
I mean, of a serious note, some things are worth dying for sooooo, we know that Sookie would never let this happen to her. And the fact that Eric in spite of my new gained knowledge is even considering Appius’ foolishness….this arranged marriage that will be the death of him, his followers, his love(r) baffles me. Where is this leading up to….So now Sookie is being hunted by everyone and anyone who wants power….there’s no way she can keep alive or maybe even remain in he dimension…she might as well crawl through that portal and hope Niall’s on the other side.
If you’re interested in the whole political situation, Serena did a couple of posts after DITF came out (they’re a year or so old now and the stuff about Sam’s brother’s wedding didn’t pan out) – but there’s some really good stuff on the political situation and how Eric might eventually take Louisiana. Key to all of this is the fact that there is likely to be another summit in book 12 or 13 (we’re presuming 13 now since we know Sookie’s not leaving BT in Deadlocked). Serena actually predicted a forced marriage between OK and Eric long before we had any info on DR, based on a few key things in DITF.
At the time most people here thought she was nuts. Ha!
http://www.sookieverseblog.com/2010/10/22/texas-take-em-a-lesson-in-vampire-politics/
http://www.sookieverseblog.com/2010/11/07/mordor-she-wrote/
maybe Amelia can bring over some Britlingen, like all of them.
I should totally change the way I’m reading the books. I get suspicious but then I back down…
What about the wedding at Wright. Speaking of the Were senator of Oklahoma. At the wedding Sarah Newlin test pilote d a mini riot to see if people would discriminate against supes.
Well with this new registration law for weres gooing through government, and the were’s being upset (born and bred in the U.S.A) and Oklahoma’s were’s senator’s threat that the government would have to kill him first. It seems like the brink of war. Holly keeps speaking about war, Sookie keeps talking peace and more supes coming out of the dark… The only way that I can explain Sandy Seachrest giving Sam a card is that with the weres out in public, and Sam’s pent up anger and frustration at being discriminated against and viewed as a second class citizen is making him become more proactive in were/shifter politics. He’s on the web, attending rallies and such, and the weres are planning something big to retaliate against the hate and the FOTS is probably gathering to (Sauron) as well.
So yeah, the summit is coming right on time. CH sure has a lot to jam pack into two books,
trarecar says that’s something is missing as far as the fairy go…
Could it be this:
DR page 76:
“This is why Fintan guarded you from the fae. He didn’t want his father interfereing with your lives the way he interfered in his own. But Niall had his ways, and nontheless, he found that the essential spark had passed Jason by. He became……uninterested.” Claude said.
Fairies don’t lie, blah blah blah…This statement has to have a ring of truth….It also: HAS NEVER SAT WELL WITH ME. What does it mean. What kind of meddling is that old geiser up to, that her father had to go to the lengths of protecting his children and grandchildren from a relative? But does Sookie ask about it, No.
Also, no doubt, Sookie’s father knew that he was fae. Lochlan and Neave said:” They thought that the iron (contraption) car would protect them.” So, Sookie’s father knew he himself was fae and was, somewhat, if not fully aware of his fae enemies.
And what did Niall do to Dermot that made him question his father’s love? What did Niall do to Dermot that made him think that his own father would kill his brother, Niall’s own son???
(Was Dermot bespelled to keep him quiet about something, instead of general outrage?)
Help! Please reply, has anybody else been thinking these dark thoughts but me…???For a long time…..
The fairies are tricky bastards, and I can’t figure them out for the life of me. That’s why I’m dying to read DL now that we know the fae storyline gets wrapped up.
I don’t think Sookie’s dad knew he was part fae. Adele never told Sookie and Jason about their heritage so she probably never told her kids. Just because Neave and Lochlan made that comment about the iron contraption (aka car) doesn’t mean that Sook’s dad actually knew that iron can kill fairies. He died in a car. Everyone drives cars, and they don’t drive them for protection from fairies.
My theory is that Niall did something bad to Fintan that made him distrust him. When Sookie first met Niall, she asked him if Fintan had any other kids. He responded by saying that they’d talk about that later, so since the answer wasn’t no, I’m guessing Fintan has or had other children. Niall might have done something bad to other kids of Fintan’s. That could explain why Fintan tried so hard to protect his family with Adele.
One of the main reasons I don’t trust Niall is because he only cares about Sookie because of the essential spark. He’s got to be using her for something. Also I get the feeling that the fairies don’t want Sookie to be with Eric. I’m not sure if it’s Eric they don’t want her to be with or if it’s vampires in general. If Niall is using Sookie for something, Eric or vamps might interfere with those plans somehow. I wonder if they are the ones that put the dead woman’s body in Eric’s yard in DL. The fairies already left Crystal’s body outside of Merlotte’s and the fairy Colman tried to frame Sookie by leaving a dead body in her woods. They seem to have a history of leaving dead bodies around.
Fairies don’t lie, but they don’t always say everything that they know. They are very secretive. They are pretty good at being evasive when asked questions too.
So if fairies don’t lie, how was Breandan able to tell Dermot that Niall killed Fintan? Could Niall have gotten Neave and Lochlan to kill Sookie’s parents? Breandan might not have been lying. Niall had a motive, and he is not very specific when he mentions Fintan’s death.
Okay that was wicked long. I rambled a little there. I hope that makes some sense.
I think that Niall killed or had Fintan killed as well. I also feel that the things that Claude says don’t jibe with what Dermot says. There was one point in the book where Claude is explaining something. I think CH wites that Claude was “choosing his words carefully” and Dermot goes to look out the window. I think it was because Claude was lying or rather being “misleading” and he’d rather not be a part of it. Sookie interpretted that differently like he was looking at the woodland creature and sunshine, and fresh air. Whatever, Sookie.
But, I believe that Sookie’s parents knew about their heritage to some degree. Also, when Linda was diagnosed with cancer, Adele tried to get in touch with Fintan, through Cataliades, so she knew to some extent that he could be reached. So maybe there was some relationship, a little more than, just pregnacy-conception wise. It’s a stretch but, maybe. Adele was a little vague in her relationship with Fintan, she knew he was posing a Mitchell, she was just in denial. Fintan guarded them all for years. Sookie never knew about it, but maybe Adele did. Once again a stretch but who knows.
Maybe,before Fintan died he warned his children that the fae would attack. Because, to me, reading between the lines, Lochlan and Neave don’t say: “And they tried to get away speeding as fast as they could…” They say: “They “thought” the iron car “would” protect them. You know, like there was a purpose for them being in the car. A car, that of course, only Dermot could open the doors to. I think Dermot tried to save them.
Also, at Hooligans, when Sookie entered the room to be introduces to the fae there…..they were all part human…..able to pass as human. There must be some signifigance there. All of these part-human part-fae gathered there. Perhaps they are trying to turn full fae by proximity. And of course, Sookie wouldn’t volunteer for that so Claude and Dermot, perhaps, are taking care of that for her.
Why did Niall have a war over the fae portals and then after he won it immediately close them. It seemed such a thing worth dying for and then to disguard it, after all his enemies were dead??? Did Niall want Sookie and crew to kill Breandan for him???
and why do you think that Niall doesn’t want Eric to be with Sookie? Why would he go through the trouble of approving of him (the vampire is not bad, and he loves you) to disapprove…maybe Claude doesn’t want Eric around, I’d say that. I just want Sam to give Sookie the “Shifter Guidebook” so she can find out more….because Claude and Dermot seem to be willing to answer most questions if Sookie would only ask them. They’re not going to volunteer this info.
And why does Claude say bad things about Dermot, “he’s crazy, he’s a jerk”, want to run at Sookie telling him about Dermot…and then say: Well, he was a good guy long ago.” Very contradictory character statements throughout the books so far.
And I also think that maybe Claude wants to see Niall one more time so that he can kill him, with his “halvsie” army.(Far Fetched) Something happened while Sookie was being protected by Claudine and Claude was “waging war” with Niall. I mean, if anyone should have made it through the portal it should have been Claude. I also think that when Sookie recieved a letter, Claude did too, a letter with instructions: Move into Sookie’s house, make her fae so we can impregnate her) but I’d like to think that Niall wants Sookie for more than her ovaries.
Also, why does Niall view Sookie as his only living relative???
I have a lot of contradictions and questions. I’m sorry. But if you have any feedback I’d appreciate it.
“Also, why does Niall view Sookie as his only living relative???”
Which book was it that was in? I can’t remember. It’s definitely odd that she would be considered his only living relative. I understand that he would consider her his only living human relative because of the spark. I don’t think Niall knows about Hunter unless Claude somehow gave him that info.
Claude is hard to figure out. In DITF, he seemed protective of Sookie, and in DR, he was an ass. It seems like hes always very careful with what he says to Sookie. He hides a lot from her. I think Dermot knows what it is that he’s hiding so he stays out of the convo, which is why he would look out the window. Dermot really seems to care about Sookie, but sometimes the nice, quiet types are the most evil. Dermot’s convo with Sookie in DR that allowed him to be able to stay at Sookie’s after the Alcide incident could have been genuine or he might have wanted to stick around because of whatever evil fairy plot they are brewing. Then later in the book, he gave her that breath. What the hell did that do to her? Was it good or bad?
That’s an interesting idea about Dermot trying to save Sookie’s parents. I never thought of that before. If that theory is true, it might explain why Niall put a spell on him. Dermot might have figured out that Niall hired Neave and Lochlan so he tried to save Sookie’s parents. If Niall bespelled Dermot and he seemed crazy, no one would believe what he has to say and it would take the heat off of Niall. Dermot seems so confused from the spell that I’m not sure he knows exactly what happened. Claude’s comments about Dermot make sense. He said Dermot used to be good, which would have been before he was put under a spell. No one knew he was under a spell until Sookie figured it out, so that’s why Claude would have thought that Dermot was crazy and a jerk.
I thought it was really wierd that Eric and his crew killed Breandan, and Niall walks in the room right after. If Niall was that damn close then why didn’t he jump in on the fight and attack the fairies from behind? He might have wanted Eric to kill him so he wouldn’t get his hands dirty or he might have been testing Eric to see how much he cares about Sookie.
Well there’s no actual proof that Niall doesn’t want Sookie to be with Eric. That’s just my theory. Claude definitely wants her to be with someone else. Fairies aren’t too fond of vampires in general. I’m sure Niall would want Sookie, his precious great-granddaughter with the spark, to be with someone else. I’m just afraid that Eric’s involvement with Niall is going to come back and bite him in the ass. I don’t believe Eric was trying to hurt Sookie with his contact with Niall, but Niall could try to spin it to make it look like Eric is the bad guy so that Sookie will side with the fae and not the vamps. I’m thinking that Niall has been using Eric all along, setting him up to be the fall guy. That way the fae will have Sookie all to themselves for whatever it is that they are using her for. Although Sookie will end up figuring out the fae’s evil plot at the last minute.
IDK what’s up with the fae at Hooligan’s either. It’s possible that they are working for Niall. I bet Claude is still contacting Niall with letters through the portal in Sookie’s woods. IDK why but I doubt that all of the half fae will become full fairies by proximity to each other. Maybe magic powers or something like that could be increased. But I think Sam may have a clue as to what’s going on. He needs to be a better friend and tell Sookie what that supe library says about the fae. If he won’t give her any info, Sookie should go to Alcide.
I never thought about her going to Alcide, that’s a good idea. Doesn’t Sam know that withholding that information is risking her life??
Anyway, I thought it was cool when Dermot blew into her mouth. And I hope Sookie gets that power and she can breathe someone else back to health.
That’s so funny that you said his ggrandaughter with the spark.
Maybe Niall killed them all. Think Cataliades said that Linda should have had a life of health and maybe would have if Fintan had not died. If we consider Linda’s cancer, a non coincidence, and say she should not have had it. Can’t we say that Fintan and his children were murdered. (If in fact her father is not alive in some twisted plot) Why even bring out the idea of Linda’s health over and over….I think every book talks about Aunt Linda’s cancer only for it to be strange for her to die that way. HMN?
That’s why I like to talk to someone about the books, it helps me think or formulate.
Yea, I totally always thought that Dermot tried to save them…That “and only he could touch the door” puts too much pressure on him, so you know he tried to save his brothers family.
Somewhere around Sookie’s first meeting with Niall and finding out that Claudine and Claude were her cousins Sookie brings up that Niall said how he had to find her because she was his only living relative. And then Sookie thought it was strange because Cluade abd Claudine and their parents were alive. And I think Claude says how Niall loves humans, so he understood why he said that..
Also in my rereading of DAG I found that Niall was a little too excited that Sookie killed one of his enemies. He was a little too proud.Like his reaction was overkill, IMO. I think it’s easier for another creature to kill a fairy than fairy kills fairy because they can use all the best fairy killing oblects: iron and lemons.
Think about it no other human descendant of Niall possesses the essential fireworks but Sookie, therefore, wouldn’t his other children be duds. Expendable. A waste of life…that’d he’d disown them based on that attribute. Maybe the essential spark is that elusive that when you find it it’s WHOA, Hammertime!
*hammer dances*
and why does everyone feel this compulsionlike love for Niall. Have you met Niall, “DID YOU LOVE HIM?”
Like do you HAVE to love this guy or something, cause I think you do. Eric probably loves Niall, that’s why he’s been spilling the beans. I think Niall has “Love Me” powers.
I also think that Dermot may have “foiled” Niall’s plan to kill Sookie’s parents inadvertently…..and before he could put one and one together he bespelled him so that he couldn’t understand what was happening and no one could understand him. Then, Dermot was so frightened at his father’s unexplainable discipline that he joined Breandan in an attempt to protect himself from Niall.
And would Niall know about the cluviel dor? Or Dermot? And why doesn’t Cataliades like Dermot? And what did Cataliades say to Dermot to make him leave the baby shower he so much wanted to attend? And for pete’s sake whose chasing Cataliades running faster than the sound barrier? Cataliades better not die without some more info, or leaving a safe deposit box key with Diantha for Sookie with his diary in it.
Alcide’s been acting like an idiot too so who knows how helpful he’d be. The weres are on the cover for DL so they might help her somehow. I hope either Alcide or Sam give Sookie some info from the library. I’m a little suspicious of Sam. He’s always seemed to have a lot of inside info for a guy that stays out of supe politics and barely leaves BT.
BTW Sookie isn’t Niall’s only descendant with the spark. Hadley’s son Hunter has it too. I’m not sure if Niall knows about him yet. I think Claude noticed that he had telepathy in DITF.
“Like do you HAVE to love this guy or something, cause I think you do. Eric probably loves Niall, that’s why he’s been spilling the beans. I think Niall has “Love Me” powers.” LOL! Too funny! Seriously you might be onto something there. Everyone has this obsessive love of Niall. Sookie and Claude have mentioned that they want to see him again but it’s almost like a compulsion. Niall does have special magic. I wonder if that’s part of it. He tricks people with his magic into believing he’s good instead of evil.
I’m not sure if anyone else knows for sure that Sookie has the cd. Mr. C said the fae would kill her for it so they probably don’t know since she’s still alive. And I didn’t interpret it as Mr. C not liking Dermot. He froze when he saw Mr. C and was “thinking furiously.” That could mean a lot of things. They might not like each other or Dermot could be trying to hide something that he was afraid Mr. C would pick up on or Mr. C could know something about Dermot or the fae that he was afraid he’d reveal to Sookie. I’m sure there’s other possibilities but I can’t think of them right now. Mr. C could have told Dermot to leave the house so he could talk to Sookie in private. I doubt he wanted to talk with her about the cd in front of Dermot. He would have been signing her death warrant. And I really want to know what the gray things that were chasing Mr. C are because I don’t have a clue as to what they could be.
yeah, what I noticed Kira, but haven’t really vocalized…I’m just like: “Oh, that’s peculiar.” (MOVE On.) I noticed that the same effect that the cluvier dor has on Sookie…that Gollum-esque pull is or seems to be equally the same power that Niall emits.
And when you think about Sookie rubbing her face on the cluvier dor…and missing Niall “EVERYDAY”, were her exact words, thought she can count her interactions with him on, like one hand…is very very strange.
Also, Sam stating that he thought that Dermot treated Sookie like a queen. Why a Queen? Do the fae want to make her a queen???
Also people with the essential spark are meant to do something great, like something tremendous…and I feel that Sookie has been doing amazing things but her biggest feat has not come yet…like she has some purpose, or is purposed to do something.
Along with that thought, seeing as small detatils can become big themes, I hope I’m not being an idiot…but for some reason I’ve always assigned some significance to the fact that Eric doesn’t know what fairies eat. Like what they truly eat, like their cultural indigenous food.
I have two thoughts on that, and I hope they are both wrong.
When Claudine visited Sookie she described the energy radiating off humans as ‘delicious’ and “tasty”….Perhaps, fairies eat admiration…or consume it’s energy.
WHat was that yapping smacking sound coming form the portal when Sookie, Jannalynn, and Sam fed Sandra Pelt thourgh it? Sounds like she was being eaten alive…..eaten (dead)? Sounds like somebody was chewing on her corpse.
Well, Lochlan and Neave were biting Sookie repeatedly, they even bit out chunks of her flesh (Sookie’s wounds were described like that of a shark attack)…now the story doesn’t specify as to if the ate it, I mean swallowed it, I know that I’m being disgusting, but could fairies perhaps eat humans or other creatures???
So why say we don’t know what fairies eat, take a bite out of crime/Sookie, and then show a body being devoured through a portal, a fae portal?
Would the fae want her for such a stupid reason (okay now I’m being stupid) Is the essential spark like the perfect seasoning. Like: “Um! Now that’s essential spark!” *kisses fingers to lips* Is it the right blend of cinnamon and spice, and just a hint of salt?
Sookie. It’s what’s for dinna.
and what about Barry….is Barry just a telepath or is he part fairy, too? What if he and Sookie are related. What if Barry’s father is Sookie’s father? It’s dumb, but it could happen.
Great analysis SVB, as always
Forgive me if it’s been answered, but is there something definitive out there that rules out Dermot acutally being Fintin?
Nope.
In fact, its a popular theory around these parts. One I subscribe to, at the moment.
I actually don’t think that Dermot is Fintan…to me what would be the point. Two brothers exchange places? For what reason?
Also, Sookie has been ‘checking out’ Dermot. At times she comments on what he looks like without a shirt, etc. Sleeping in the same bed…….akward.
That would be too tramatic, her brain would probably tear and she’d become schizoprenic or develop a multiple personality from the stress.
It seems more likely, to me, that Sookie’s father is alive because the details of his death are pretty sketchy and leave room for a more logical reappearance. Basically, what we know about Sookie’s parents death is that the water sprites ‘pulled them under’….it doesn’t say whether they got away or not. And that statement definitely does not necessarily mean that they died.
However, Fintan was torn apart bit by bit. Plus, Sookie already has a great grandfather Niall, she’s had Mitchell as a grandfather, what would be the point in adding another grandfather, big whoop! Now a father on the otherhand would be delightful. Someone to help Sookie figure out what to do with her life.
Well, saying they “changed places” makes it sound voluntary. Perhaps it wasn’t voluntary on Dermot’s part?
I can see no evidence from the books that Sookie’s father is alive. Where has he been hiding/hidden all this time? There is, however, lots of evidence in the books that Fintan liked to impersonate others.
Perhaps Dermot really is just Dermot. I’m perfectly happy to be wrong about that. But do I think its highly possible Fintan is not really dead, and is, in fact hiding out by impersonating someone else? You bet.
In fact, I’d say its highly probable.
Cat, the scene where Sookie was checking out Claude and Dermot made me cringe. After all Dermot does look like Jason. The fae just give me the creeps. They are so deceptive and in some ways even more so than vampires. Fintan is disturbing. I mean basically he went around enchanting and raping women.
I thought that when Alcide was in Sookie’s bedroom that he might have been a fairy in disguise because that seemed absurd even for Alcide. I think it might have been confirmed that it was really just regular Alcide being an idiot.
The fae are really deceptive, and unfortunately for Sookie, she’s not immune to their magic. Dermot and Claude have probably been using magic on her the whole time they’ve been living with her.
Alcide in Sookie’s bed made me cringe more. Look at how CH can just tear down a character beyond repair. I’m not a huge Alcide fan but even I felt bad for him. I was like: “Alcide,why is CH doing this to you, you’re rapid degretion into douchedom.”
“Pooor Unfortunate Sooo-weul!”
*steals tritan*
Ch will probably destroy Eric character as well. We’ll probably hate him by the end of DL…and then he’ll redeem himself through some self sacrificing act….emphasis on self sacrife (die).
Maybe the final book will be called (something)Alive, or Dead Eternally…..something fun.
I do think it’s possible that Dermott is Fintan and that the “death visions” could come into play in the plot somehow but I’m happy to wait to see how that whole fae thing turns out in DL instead of speculating upon the myriad possibilities;)
I can’t help but wonder about Niall’s timing to make himself known to Sookie.
I don’t think it was an accident that Niall shows up at Andy’s wedding…at the same time Sookie is being accessed as an asset by Jonathan, a scout for Nevada.
Niall had to make sure Sookie was safe, and since Jonathan did approach Sookie as she was leaving, (why?) it could have turned out very differently…the takeover could have ended Eric, if Sookie had been taken out of play by Jonathan of Nevada. Nevada knew Sookie was bonded to Eric in Rhodes, that she rode Pam’s coffin down the side of a building to save Eric and his child. I’m sure their first effort would have been to take Eric out so Felipe could have Sookie for himself.
Sookie announced to Ancient Pythoness that she was a telepath at Rhodes…that would have gone through the vamp/supe world like wildfire.
How much Niall knew about the takeover? We don’t know, but we do know he knew his GGD was bonded to the Viking as he had heard about Rhodes. It’s my opinion that Niall knew things were heating up because of Nevada, then approached Eric to make himself known to Sookie. I would think that both Niall and Eric would recognize that a takeover by Nevada was serious enough for them to share notes…to keep Sookie alive.
I think Niall shared some of this information with Eric as part of the cost of an introduction to Sookie. Eric grabbing Sookie’s phone the night of the takeover was no accident…he knew exactly what Niall would do if something happened to Sookie…WAR. Eric did some fancy footwork to keep them all alive that night…by pushing doubt at Victor.
What gets to me is Eric has done all he can to protect Sookie…and he still doesn’t know about her ‘essential spark’? Of course Niall knows, and Sookie has just learned about it herself…but who knows if Sookie will volunteer that big piece of information with Eric?
“SOOKIE THE WILD CARD”…as Claudine said.
well to me it always seemed strange and ominous that when Victor told Eric that he was going to torch Fangtasia Eric was like: “I should have told them to scatter…A mistake that I won’t make again. Again? So, I always felt and feel that Eric recognized that they weren’t truly safe and that an attack for the kingdom could happen again. While I was reading the rest of the book I kept thinking that they’d have to run and hide again…I guess it will happen in one of the two closing books. That useful tidbit of knowledge “scatter” rather than congregate.
“Winning her heart was never a means to an end – which is why this isn’t the dealbreaker for Sookie that Bill’s betrayal was.”
Amen and hallelujah!!
I wonder if Charlaine H is reading this site!
I don’t think anyone will see this due to the age of the post, but I just had to put this finding out here into the “Sookieverse”. I was re-reading Dead Until Dark and I noticed just one line when Sookie is in the hospital after Rene has attacked her. Bill is at Blood in the Quarter in New Orleans, so he is out of town running for Area 5 Investigator and yet, Sookie gets the “lewd” floral arrangement from Eric. Sookie asks the question, “How did Eric know I was in the hospital.” So, my thought is perhaps, Eric and Nail have had Sookie in their sights via Terry as early as Book one.
I did pick that up when I was getting stuff together for this post and it’s one of the reasons I think this connection goes back to the earliest books. She’s crafty, that Charlaine
I’m a little late to this party, but I wanted to say that I appreciated your objectivity in this blog. I think you nailed Eric’s character, his motivation and his feelings for sookie. But I was a bit let down by your conclusion:
“Winning her heart was never a means to an end – which is why this isn’t the dealbreaker for Sookie that Bill’s betrayal was.”
I think CH has been quite clear on the fact that Bill’s feelings for sookie were immediate and he never had any intention of turning sookie over to the queen. That said, obviously sookie didn’t see it that way initially. However, after 8 odd books, Dead and Gone specifically, I think it is safe to say that sookie has forgiven bill, if not in actual words, then by her actions. She knows Bill loves her and would never hurt her. I think it is safe to conclude that Sookie has grown up and her education in the supe world has proceeded to the point that she can handle the manipulations much better. As Bill was always trying to tell her, vampires are not human, they don’t react like humans nor act like them.
I think Bill’s character was used more as a stepping stone in sookie’s education. His crime was not so much a betrayal of the heart but more not telling her the truth. Eric seems to have been given a pass on that crime. That is the part that chafes for me.
I agree with your comments on Sookie having forgiven Bill for QSA (or at least coming to an understanding of the situation), but I feel that’s a separate issue to Bill’s actions being the dealbreaker. I guess what I was saying in my conclusion is that QSA and the mission was the reason she dumped him out for good, so it was a dealbreaker…for her. Bill’s intentions (which meant little to her after she caught him such a huge lie) didn’t really count when she was faced with such a betrayal, because it wasn’t about Bill. Sookie was the victim of the ruse, not Bill.
CH has been quite clear on the fact that Sookie became “more than an assignment” for Bill very early on, but I don’t think she’s ever gone so far as to say he never had any intention of turning her over to the queen. She may have, but I can’t remember seeing her state that in such unequivocal terms. Based on the books alone, there is nothing in them to indicate that, either – no clue that he was making alternative plans to keep her from QSA, or even that he was particularly worried or distressed about it. I’m not sure what he would – or could, given his position – have done to get out of it. CH has also mentioned that Bill didn’t really know what he had until it was gone, and I think this is true – Bill is willing to risk much more for her now, than he ever was way back then. I could perhaps see DR Bill being willing to try pulling one over his queen for her sake – but not CD Bill.