Retribution: New Addition to the Dark Hunter Series
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Title: Retribution (Dark Hunter series)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Pages: 384
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Retribution is Sherrilyn Kenyon’s latest addition to her Dark Hunter universe, and is a little bit different from her earlier books in that Kenyon introduces some Native American mythology. Our heroine, Abigail Yager, is an orphan who was raised by vampires. She’s made it her life mission to kill the Dark Hunters who’ve been slowly snuffing out her adoptive race, and more specifically to wreak vengeance on the Dark Hunter Jess “Sundown” Brady, who brutally murdered her family. Ex-gungslinger Jess has been given a mission – to hunt down and kill whoever’s been taking out Dark Hunters. When he finally catches up with Abigail, he’s stunned to find out that it’s a human who’s been killing Dark Hunters… and what’s more, the human looks just like the woman who killed Jess years ago, before he was turned into a Dark Hunter by Artemis. Jess knows he didn’t kill Abigail’s family, and he has to convince her that he’s innocent, while working with her to avert a disaster that she set in motion when she inadvertently killed a god in the Native American pantheon.
True Blood fans were given a real treat last Sunday when HBO released a clip filmed behind-the-scenes as Joe Manganiello (Alcide), Anna Paquin (Sookie), and Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) acted out a scene from the upcoming Season 5. We don’t get very much new information from the clip that we didn’t already guess earlier – Sookie is probably the only one who’s surprised that Russell Edgington isn’t dead – but still it’s great to get a glimpse of our favorite Bon Temps characters after a very long hiatus.
The clip begins with Alcide showing up in Bon Temps to warn Sookie that Russell Edgington isn’t dead. Sookie’s puzzled – as far as she knows, Edgington was killed two seasons ago. The oh-so-protective Alcide is upset that Bill and Eric never told her that they buried Edgington alive (to prolong his suffering)… then takes things one step further and offers Sookie his protection by asking her to stay with him. (Awww, I’m sure his intentions were completely honorable!) It’s at this point that Lafayette, everyone’s favorite cook and sometimes-medium tells Alcide to p*** off, saying that Bon Temps and Sookie has had quite enough of vampires, werewolves, maenads, witches, and faeries. Alcide growls in response, and I had to laugh. (I’m sure Manganiello intended for it to sound menacing… there must be something wrong with me. And of course the fiercely-independent Sookie turns Alcide down, saying she can take care of herself. You go, Sookie!
Check out the latest clip here:
It looks like Alcide is getting a much bigger role in this Season. Now that Sookie isn’t seeing Eric or Bill, could Sookie end up with the strapping werewolf instead? Manganiello himself says that the writers had given him “some amazing stuff to play around with” in the first six episodes of Season 5, adding that there had been a large character expansion. He also revealed that Alcide will have much more romance in the TV series than in Charlaine Harris’ books… so Alcide and Manganiello fans, you’ll have lots to look forward to when the new season premieres on June 10!
Deadlocked: Latest Sookie Stackhouse Adventure!
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Title: Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse Book 12)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Pages: 336
Genre: Vampire Romance
Sookie Stackhouse is back in Deadlocked, the latest instalment of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series. The book series, which inspired hit HBO TV series True Blood, is still going strong, and Deadlocked is the twelfth in the series. The extremely powerful Felipe de Castro (Vampire King of Lousiana, Arkansas and Nevada) is in town, and Eric’s in a pickle because the body of a woman whose blood he just drank has shown up in his front yard. Sookie’s none too pleased because she had to watch Eric drink from the woman… then she has to work with Bill, (now the official Area 5 investigator) to look into the woman’s murder. Even though Sookie thinks that the dead girl has nothing to do with her, she soon finds out that the girl’s fate is intertwined with her own, as she deals with a devious enemy who wants to take Sookie out. The book is now available for pre-order, and will be released on May 1. You can also read excerpts of the book on Harris’ website.
The interminable wait for True Blood Season 5 continues, but the good people at HBO have taken pity on fans, and released a bumper crop of teaser trailers after several months of radio silence. (The first trailer, “Buried” came out waaaaay back in February.)
All three videos last just under a minute, and show different locations, albeit with no sign of the characters. (Drat, no glimpse of Christopher Meloni in his role with the Vampire Authority!) But the consolation is that we’re taken to Fangtasia (Eric’s bar in Shreveport), Sookie’s home, and finally Bill’s house (though perhaps palace might be a better description now). As we move through each of the locations, we hear some of the most pivotal lines said in that location during the past four seasons. At the end of each trailer, this line scrolls across the screen, “You can’t escape your past”. Perhaps there’ll be many things coming full circle in Season 5…
If so, this would certainly tie in nicely with the line at the end of the Buried trailer, which says, “In Bon Temps, nothing stays buried forever”, and probably alludes to good ol’ Russell Edgington’s escape from his cement grave.
I can’t imagine what the writers have in store for us! Just to recap the final episode of Season 4 though – though I’m sure fans have not forgotten. Sookie’s not with Bill or Eric, Alcide has declared his feelings for Sookie… and oh yes, Tara’s been shot in the head. No news yet on when the new Season will premiere, but have a look at all three trailers to get a taste of what’s in store for us this Summer on True Blood!
Sookie’s House
Bill’s House
Fangtasia
