I am pretty sure most of my thoughts on Michelle West's
The Riven Shield (fifth book in the Sun Sword series) are highly spoilery, so basically
elspeth_vimes is the only one who will have interest in much of this entry. Suffice to say: the series is I think still getting stronger as it goes, and even though I occasionally get lost in all the politics of who is what is where is aligning with whom, I can finally see things building to some kind of conclusion. Also, this is the most amazingly culture-clash-y book yet, which I love!
The most fascinating parts of the book for me were actually Valedan and his Northern allies/Northern-influenced Southern allies trying to interact with the Callestas, who are interacting based on an entirely different set of ground-rules, and how the book does not shy away from the consequences of those rules. I also love Alina manages to force the possibility of moving between the two worlds, which is why she is awesome. (And Telakas the Least Menacing Demon continues to be hilarious, if . . . possibly only in my head. "Shit, I didn't mean to actually wound her seriously! Um . . . crap.")
Also awesome: SERRA TERESA KILLING A DEMON DEAD. I find it hilarious that everyone else's battles with demons take about twenty or thirty pages minimum, and Teresa takes hers down in, like, a page. AND THEN GOES INTO A COMA. But I am convinced that she will recover! Otherwise she would have just been dead.
However, I will admit that I have pretty much no idea what was happening during the whole epic battle of epicness with rivers rising and demons popping up all over the place and Avandar and the stag freaking out and Kallandras and his elf-buddy having their epic bromance. There was some dramatic manipulation of the elements! I'm pretty sure Jewel/Avandar is now pretty much canon! Other than that, WHO KNOWS, let us get back to the complicated politics now. The kai Lamberto showing up at the last minute was pretty awesome, though.
IN OTHER NEWS:
areyoumymemmy linked to
this beauty last night, and I - I don't even have words. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Andrew. Lloyd. Webber. Everything points to a production beyond my WILDEST DREAMS OF RIDICULOUS. *_*
Meg shoots Christine dead in a jealous rage.
Meg shoots Christine dead. In a jealous rage.
LEAVING THE PHANTOM ALONE WITH HIS AND CHRISTINE'S FANFIC BABY.
BRB LAUGHING FOREVER AND EVER. (
milliways_bar people, I am suddenly filled with PROFOUND SORROW that Meg is retired and this can never be bar-canon.)
Other comments/highlights: the Phantom lures the child to his lair in a scene filled with the gorilla automaton, walking skeleton and a hanging chandelier of 20+ Medusa like skulls that come to life in song
there are some good bits like when u first see the phantom. He's feeling up one of the christine dummies like in the first one and suddenly she is bathed in coloured lights and her dress spins up into the air and flies off
I can't even suspect it of being a joke, for lo, I know in my heart, it is ALL TOO REAL.
OKAY GUYS WHO IS COMING TO NEW YORK TO SEE THIS WITH ME *_* *_* *_* *_*