[Bookblogging] Havemercy by Jaina Jones and Danielle Bennett (Chapters 1-4)

[not_cynical]

Okay, for those you who actually look over my journal occasionally, you may have notice I kinda go crazy when reaction shotting things-in-progress. There are long, bullet-pointed lists filled with exclamation marks and keysmash and capslock and explosive amounts of hearts! And then there is usually a long pause, followed by a reason why everything I just said was a filthy lie and it does in fact suck.

... Yeah, I've decided I'm going to take this fine, time-honoured tradition and apply to my book reading. THIS MAY END IN TEARS AND TL;DR.

NOTE: This very likely won't make any sense unless you have either read the book, or have it open in front of you. It contains a lot of quotes with page numbers; these are mainly for my reference, and probably won't be accurate unless you have the... *checks* Bantam hardback. And, because there's quotes and dragons swearing entertains me endlessly, there is explicit swearing behind the cut. Nothing I say here will reflect my final opinion on the book - the general purpose of a reaction shot is to explode in hearts over all the awesome things as I see them, leaving me free to be a negative twat afterwards. Hence the filthy-lies-and-sucking thing. I didn't start bookblogging when I actually started the book, so expect some vagueness. I shouldn't have to warn that this contains SPOILERS.

... You can tell the characters apart by their VOICES oh thank god. After The Last Days I was starting to think that authors doing that was just some crazy dream I had.

I like Rook. I have a feeling he's going to go from "magnificent bastard" to "total dick" and vice versa a few times. Although... Maybe he's a little too crazy? Crude? To be a magnificent bastard...

Although I have to say, Rook and the diplomat's wife is lulzworthy all on its own, and then you add in the fact that no one seems SURPRISED that he did it -

Thom trying to keep the Molly way of talking out of his very thoughts. ♥

Re: Thom's meeting with the Dragon Corps - my imminent-embarrassment senses are tingling...

And it was not only averted, I got a giggle out of it. Oh Thom. You're doomed. Plus your scenes are going to end up pretty much describing the class FROM HELL.

You know, I'm always doubtful when there are groups of more than about eight in a story - they start to blur together, and they usually just end up "Name with a defining characteristic" as opposed to an actual character, which always makes me wonder why they're even there - but I could like the Dragon Corps. I could consider having hopes that these two can do it decently.

Hal is - adorably naive. I want to hug him every time he appears on the page, especially with his constant thirst for MOAR KNOWLEDGE. Ditto Balfour, replacing the THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE with BEING NICE TO THOM. (Although in adorableness stakes, Hal wins, just for the "I'm sorry about your watch" scene.)

I like how they're using something we've all grumbled through (Introducing ourselves at the start of a new class/year), and just thrown into a fantasy novel. A+, JAINA JONES AND DANIELLE BENNET. A+ INDEED.

"I'm Jeannot [...] I'm on Al Atan, and I've never seen the ocean at anything closer than a dragon's height."

"Oh," said Balfour, from whom I hadn't expected an outburst. He looked as though he'd just heard something very sad. "Sorry," he said, by way of realising he'd interrupted. "Only, I didn't know that." (Page 52-53)

Seriously, how can anyone NOT love him?!

... I just tried to picture what Rook would be like if he was a woman. (Don't ask, I don't know why either.) Holy mother of god...! I hope this book has a big fandom someday, because that will have to exist at SOME point. *starry eyed*

PLUS who else is putting money on Thom getting on a dragon at some point before this book's over? Anyone?

Chapter Three:

Also, Royston is depressed doing-the-right-thing love. And I was not unaccustomed to telling men and women what to do in their own homes (Page 59) and taking a simile - as though it had the entirety of Loque Nevers behind it" (Page 59) - and applying logic to it! This was foolish, I knew, as rivers could not be pulled from their beds without at least three days' advance planning and a geographical knowledge of the area.

HEARTS FOR ROYSTON. THIS PARTICULAR SNIPPET OF PLOT HAS BEEN DONE TO DEATH IN SO MANY PLACES, BUT HEARTS TO ROYSTON!

Oh, I love this part, I really do. Royston being an uncle and looking after Hal too and - ♥! Plus mmmm. *hugs*

(How badly can you tell that the writers were in fandom AT SOME POINT?! *giggles and revels*)

Rook and Adamo make me happy, even though all they do is argue. ♥ Yay for Adamo going along with Thom, and yay for Balfour being convinced it wouldn't be so bad!

Gaaaaaaaaaah, Rook is a magnificent suspicious bastard! ♥

Also MECHANICAL DRAGONS THAT LIVE AND THINK! *flails happily!*

She looked at me over one metal claw like I was a fucking disappointment. (Page 64)

"Good," said Havemercy. "I'm getting rusty."
"Shit," I said. "You ain't."
"Aren't," Havemercy said. "You common little fucker." (Page 66)
OH GOD, SHE'S LIKE ROOK DO FUCKING WANT!

See, mechanical dragons + magic = undying hearts. Add aviator goggles and I will EXPLODE IN GLEE all over the place. I am a SHOWER OF HEARTS, guys.

Plus, Rook's arrogance. ♥ And the making sure the city's not forgotton them and Havemercy showing off. Mmmm.

World building bia the magnificent bastard whose main concern = the whorehouses and complaining about everyone in the entire city. Oh yes. (Also, I see through your using commenting on the words being what scholars would call the tiers. *sceptical*)

If I'd known getting myself almost drowned in the rain would help improve the Margrave's spirits so enormously, I would have done it sooner. (Page 71)
That and the practicalities following? OH HAL! *boobsquishy hugs* YOU ARE ADORABLE AND I THINK YOU'RE BEING PERFECTLY SERIOUS. ♥

And William's reaction to Royston coming in with stories. ♥

It occurs to me that I'm nearly four chapters in and I don't know what the plot is. I mean, I know what's going on so far (and I LIKE only knowing the little scraps the characters do because it equals FOCUS ON THE CHARACTERS and the characters are generally what I'm here for), and I'm sure that the actual plot is going to involve the Arlemagne's injured dignity in some way, but I keep thinking that there should be a big Yahtzee-style sign saying TO THE PLOT sign somewhere by now, which of course there isn't.

I have a feeling that the stories Royston tells will be worldbuilding infodumps. :\

... Or on the other hand, there could be input from the other characters, making it less infodumpy. ♥ for William! ♥ for Hal! ♥ for infrodumps that get interuoh wait spoke too soon. *kicks back to enjoy the infodump anyway*

Also, I lie. It does kinda read like someone telling a story and he does get interrupted again.

I love William asking all the questions Hal wants to ask and doesn't.

I love Balfour looking after Thom. He's SWEET dammit.

Haha, Thom you're doomed.

Chapter Four:

Hehe, Royston telling stories and doing good uncle stuff. Also the attention he pays to Hal paying attention to him.

... So the Margrave really is friends with Adamo? *is inexplicably shocked*

I love Adamo, I love his appraisal of Thom, and I love his threatening to "fly upcountry way to pluck you out of there myself." (Page 85)

Royston/Hal OTP y/y? I mean, I kinda figured from the first page they were mentioned to each other (What did I tell you about being able to tell the authors were in fandom?), but. Page 86. Book metaphors. Royston trying to hang around Hal and not look like he's trying to hang around Hal at the same time. Heee.

(I have a feeling I'm going to think about this and going "Wait, this pairing makes no sense," but for now I'm happy with it!)

Oh Hal, I love you and your lonely bookwormyness and I love that Royston's NOTICING.

How else you can tell the writers are in fandom: the characters are thrown together a lot, and there is a BIG DRAMATIC OH SHIT moment. XD

... Although really, they could probably stand to go into a little more showing - don't get me wrong, I LIKE the way they do it, but when you're left thinking he excused himself politely and everyone in the book is acting like he just walked out, there's a little cognitive dissonance.

I nodded and felt that this would be an appropriate place to for an apology about the rug. "You may give my deepest regrets," I told Hal instead. "And inform him that no one was eaten by ravenous sea creatures." (Page 89)

Also, pairings where one's convinced the other's only doing whatever because it's their duty or to keep them from doing something stupid or that the other doesn't actually love them, despite any and all evidence to the contrary and that the author is probably just doing it for the angst? Yeah, uh, BUTTON MASHED, right there.

Gaaaaaaah, Hal blushing! *hugs him more!*

Haha, I heart William being the crazy nephew. We hear NOTHING of the others (This is what I was talking about with the Dragon Corps! Too many characters and they don't get enough definition!) but yay for William!

Oh wow. Margrave vs Mme. Pages 92-98. *hugs them*

"Will you do the china cupboard next, Uncle Roy?" (Page 96) *cackles and flails*

Oh Hal. You're just. *HUGS!*

I love how Hal says exactly the right thing without really knowing what he's doing. *hugs more!*

Haha, I was wondering how long it would take before Rook turned up in a brothel. Plus, yay for brothel owners with a lick of common sense, which is something I never thought I'd say.

... The more I hear about Adamo, the more I like him. Plus the part about the knifefights not only entertains me endlessly, it convinces me Rook is a FUCKING CRAZY BASTARD. Funtimes.

And the thing is, there's so MUCH in his sections - like with the Margrave going "Oh SHIT I have a THING" - that I can't just pick out the bits that make me flail and heart right away.

Well, apart from Thom being crazy awesome and deadpan and just plain crazy and standing up to Rook. ♥ And also ♥ for him calling Rook a liar and applying logic to everything he said and then Rook letting him go and managing to fuck him over without actually doing anything.

I- I know I'm kinda VERY INTO the angry snarly pairings, but guys, something MAJOR had better happen between now and the end of the book because these two in a relationship? SCARILY NOT HEALTHY. O_______________________o thebaconfat, please explain! If there is any way to do it without spoilers!