Author: Charlaine Harris
ISBN: 978-1-473-20050-0
RRP: $29.99
After Dead is a very small volume at only 195 pages, but it could have been printed in half that. It was an extremely easy read and I knocked it over in an hour.
Harris has stated in a note from the author at the beginning of After Dead that this volume has been put together in response to a deluge of questions from long time fans that wanted to know what happened to some of the characters that came and went throughout the series. This coda answers all of those questions, alphabetically.
A veritable who’s who in the A-Z of Bon Temps and the Sookieverse, interspersed with artwork by acclaimed Sookie artist Lisa Desimini which includes a Sookieverse alphabet as well as some full page illustrations throughout.
If you are a die-hard Sookie fan caught wondering what happened to the friends you made in Bon Temps you may enjoy this little appendix to tie up all loose ends for you. I do mean ALL the loose ends. This books contains an A to Z of characters who appeared throughout the series, at some point for either a short time or a long one. Many of these characters didn’t even register on my radar as I read the books so trying to go back and place them now was rather difficult.
This coda is going to be quite a talking point I think, for those who do go ahead and read it. Many fans were extremely disappointed with the way Dead Ever After ended and this isn’t going to make them any happier. Not everyone gets a happily ever after but everyone gets a mention from The Ancient Pythoness to Bethany Zanelli and all manner of supes, shifters, fae and humans in between.
The 195 page count is quite generous because many of these pages are far from filled, with only one character contained on a page, and many of the endings for these characters were a little trite. I could list examples but I’m not going to because I do believe there is a market out there for this book, and there will be fans thrilled to add it to their collection. I am happy for it to complete my collection because it does do exactly that but it wasn’t a book that gave me that ‘must read’ rush of adrenalin.
There are endings here that hint at the possibility of their threads being followed at some stage, because they are off having their own adventures, and there are endings that just tie everything up neatly and leave nothing to the imagination.
Not one I would recommend to everyone but if you are an absolute die hard fan, and you enjoyed Dead Ever After, then it’s worth taking a look. Alternatively, if you like to have a complete collection then this is going on your shelf anyway. But if Dead Ever After left you a little cold I wouldn’t rush out and get it, this one probably isn’t for you either.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!