As a whole, I've enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series. The last four books were decidedly less fun to read, to include Dead Ever After, but the first nine books make up for those.
Dead Ever After is formatted differently than previous books, and readers are introduced to several nameless characters (the slender man, medium man, businessman, etc.). I assume this was done to add suspense, or to make things easier for True Blood writers and its director. No matter the reason, the changes are not favorable ones; the departure from novels past breaks continuity.
Although Harris doesn't immediately reveal some characters' names, it's not difficult for those who've read the series to figure out who they are. The final book is a bit of a reunion for series characters, after all.
The resolution of Sookie's relationships with Eric and Sam is no surprise either. Readers have known what would happen for a book or two, possibly four. The treatment of both relationships leaves much to be desired, in my opinion, but the outcome is no less predictable.
The only mystery is what trouble Sookie will find. We know from the publisher's review Sookie is arrested for Arlene's murder, but it can't end there. What else do these "nameless" characters have in store for her? This is what will keep devoted (and even disappointed) readers interested.
The draw of this series, for me and I suspect for others, is the setting, characters, misadventures, and steamy romance. Most of the books deliver, especially with that last part, but there's not much of it in the final four installments.
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