Southern Vampire Alternatives

Offering reflections on Sookie Stackhouse, aka The Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris, is almost as much fun as reading the books. Good authors tell good stories. Great authors capture your imagination and create an inexplicable longing for the next installment. Charlaine Harris is a great author.For those who have NOT read the Sookie Stackhouse books, prepared to be highly entertained. Many reviewers, to establish a frame of reference, draw upon similarities to Laurell K. Hamilton's "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter Series." Do not be swayed by such comments. Hamilton's vampire stories are a bit darker, with heavy doses of gore. Harris' Sookie books follow lighter story lines with milder gore content, garnished with tongue-in-cheek humor.The Southern Vampire Series is a stand-alone series. Charlaine Harris brings her own style to the world of magic and supernatural creatures. And that style is both compelling and fun. Vampire lore with a modern day twist. Mythical creatures ranging from werewolves to fairies dance in and out of the plots with just enough believability to keep you turning the pages.Without giving away the individual plots in this popular vampire series, suffice it to say that the story postulates vampires as a newly-emerged legal minority, publicly acknowledged by the world of humans and now able to subsist on artificial blood. While this blood drink ensures that vampires no longer pose a threat to humans, rest assured that dangerous vampires still abound. Harris gives us a different insight into vampire culture and the interaction of that culture with "normal" society.Having said that, this vampire series is really Sookie's story. Sookie Stackhouse is a bit different herself. A simple barmaid with Calamity Jane-like appeal, Sookie also suffers from what she considers to be a disability. She can hear the thoughts of others. This has been a major deterrent for maintaining relationships with men. When Sookie meets Vampire Bill, she can't hear his thoughts. This stigma ignites an unusual, yet stimulating romantic entanglement that reshapes Sookies world and gives the reader plenty of reasons to enjoy the entire series of Sookie Stackhouse books.If you've ever dreamed of reading minds, realizing the limitations of Sookie's lifestyle will give you pause. She's brave, amicable and big-hearted. Watching Sookie and her reluctant sex life develop is a true delight.For those who HAVE read the Sookie Stackhouse books, where do you go for believable fun now? Sure, you can tune in to the HBO series, True Blood and see a slightly different interpretation of the Southern Vampire Series, albeit a good one.Or, you can consider similar literary offerings in the same vain, if you can find them. Charlaine Harris has produced a unique and lovable series unlike any other in the popular paranormal/romance genre.Similar renderings are the House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead and the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de la Cruz. Each is imprinted with enough creative flair by its author to provide intriguing twists on the vampire genre. Yet, none have reached the level of widespread appeal enjoyed by the Southern Vampire series.Entering the foray now, a new release is already attracting devoted Sookie Stackhouse fans. In the first installment, JUICE: Revolution introduces us to the frustrating business world of Dak Kent. In the midst of streamlining his overextended business ventures, Dak's most volatile staff member bumbles his way into a freakish discovery that could literally change the world.That impossible creation ignites a flurry of events and surprises that send Dak spiraling into dangerous encounters with "foreigners" who may - or may not - want to help him achieve the pinnacle of financial success he's always dreamed about.Following life through the eyes of a middle-aged man instead of a young female is an uncommon approach to this genre, but JUICE pulls it off so well that readers are soon laughing and cheering for Dak. Whip lashed from a miserable, lonely life on the road into a sudden twister of emotional confusion with two hot women on his hands, Dak finds himself at the center of what he mistakes for a territorial dispute between competing crime families.Mysterious disappearances and a box of heads soon plunge the JUICE hero into a fight for his life against forces he's only just beginning to understand. Embroiled in a covert revolution and forced to takes sides in a deadly conflict between ancient vampire-like creatures, Dak may have to sacrifice himself in a desperate bid to save his daughter.Just when you think you've got it figured out, JUICE: Revolution slaps you back down with another twist that will keep your eyebrows firmly pushed up into your hairline. Sookie Stackhouse fans will laugh, cry and gasp all the way to the final page and its own climactic revelation you'll never see coming. seuss book collection sets cat hat