They've been talking about it for a while, but now the weres of the world are revealing themselves. And they're getting mixed reaction. Most of the folks at Merlottes are accepting (except Arlene and her friends from the Fellowship of the Sun.) But Sam's step-father freaked out when his mom revealed herself and he shot her, which means Sam has to leave town to deal with family business.

Sookie is taking care of the bar, when (view spoiler)[Crystal (hide spoiler)] turns up dead. That sparks the big mystery of the book. But it's far from the only thing going on. There's plenty happening on the relationship front. Quinn is out, but he makes a surprise appearance to speak his case. Of course, the end of their relationship opens the door for Sookie to finally act on her feelings for Eric. This was a long-time coming and their reunion is intensely satisfying.

And if all that weren't enough, there's a war among the fae. And Sookie's relationship with Niall is making her a target. The bad-fairies are hunting her. And it all comes to a resounding crescendo as the book draws to a close. The scenes in which Sookie faces her enemies are gut-wrenching. The circumstances surrounding her rescue are unexpected and powerfully poignant. (view spoiler)[ Her torture at the hands of the Fae shocked me. Bill's self-sacrifice spoke volumes about his love for her. And while I still don't want them together, it makes it entirely impossible for me to hate him anymore. Beyond that, Claudine's death had to be the very worst part of the book for me. She's always been such a positive force in Sookie's life. The tragedy was only compounded by her pregnancy. (hide spoiler)] And who could forget the last words Niall speaks? (**sigh**) This one was really tough to read, but worth it. 5 stars.