Thanks to fabulous show that is True Blood, I have recently started reading the Charlaine Harris series of books that the show is based upon. Anyone that has watched the show will tell you it's a sexy, irreverent, piece of drama with enough sex, violence & fangs to satisfy any gothic urges you may have. The books on the other hand . . !
Well with such snappy titles as Club Dead, Definitely Dead & All Together Dead you can understand why I was a little dubious cracking open the first book (Dead Until Dark in case you were wondering). I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, I don't see Charlaine Harris walking off with a Booker prize anytime soon but 'Dead Until Dark' is a perfectly enjoyable bit of fluffy fantasy. In fact, I was so surprised by how competent the first book was that I got myself the next 4 in the series.
Oh, what foolish creatures we mortals can be!
The second in the series was readable, barely. However and about ten pages from the end I had to put it down in shame when this Mills & Boon moment was unleashed from our brooding hero, Vampire Bill:
Well with such snappy titles as Club Dead, Definitely Dead & All Together Dead you can understand why I was a little dubious cracking open the first book (Dead Until Dark in case you were wondering). I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. Don't get me wrong, I don't see Charlaine Harris walking off with a Booker prize anytime soon but 'Dead Until Dark' is a perfectly enjoyable bit of fluffy fantasy. In fact, I was so surprised by how competent the first book was that I got myself the next 4 in the series.
Oh, what foolish creatures we mortals can be!
The second in the series was readable, barely. However and about ten pages from the end I had to put it down in shame when this Mills & Boon moment was unleashed from our brooding hero, Vampire Bill:
'It's lovely, but you may be slightly overdressed for the occasion.'
'What occasion would that be?''The best sex of your life.'
Aagggghhhhh!
Why then you ask did I pick up the third book this weekend? I'm afraid I'm not sure. Obviously some dark corner of my mind is using this series as a form of self flagellation for some unspoken crime. Or maybe, just maybe, I'm hoping the books improve.
That being said I think I'm really done now. I just can't do it to myself any longer. I've realised I love myself too much. Oh and I have Charlaine Harris herself to thank for this revelation. Nice and early into book 3 Charlaine gave me the push I needed to put the novels down for good. Thank you Ms Harris. Oh and in case you're curious, the offending paragraph is below:
'BIll's Missing,' Pam said, shooting from the conversational hip.
Umm yeah, someone might need to have a word with the narrator about what is wrong with this scene!'No, he's not. He's in Seattle,' I said. Willfully obtuse. I had learned that word from my Word-A-Day calendar only that morning, and here I was getting to use it.

