Reading Wednesday
What did you finish reading
Killing Rocks, by DD Barant: Remeber how I said stories would be A Theme? It was! This story also involved two main alternate universes (Thropirelem, the world Jace was magicked to and Azura's homeworld). There is also Ahasuerus' homeworld. I say 'main alternate universes', because there is a sequence where Ahasuerus goes on a rampage over several other alternate universes. (As a sidenote: I'm not a big fan of the Wandering Jew being an insane serial killer, especially given that a) he's not Jewish but b) his name still makes him the most visible Jewish character in the books, unless you count Charlie. Charlie certainly seems to count himself, since he's the one who tells Jace that "We're considered Jewish by default". In general though there's very lttle about religion aside form a worldbuildy point of view and I don't know how to feel about any of it. On the other hand, I'm not sure it matters, given how little religion gets mentionned. Wow, this sidenote got long.)
There is mindcontrol involved and also did I mention that I love Jace and Charlie? Because at some point Jace thinks she's killed Charlie (he's under mindcontrol), has a break down ("I didn't think of him as a friend, because on this planet he was the closest thing I had to family. I trusted him with my life.") and then there is this passage:
I may just have intercepted my former partner on his way to murder me.
So why am I suddenly so damn happy?
I also like this passage, between Jace and a vampire going through the interdimensional version of jetlag and a severe bloodlust.
"I'll get you whatever you need, okay?"
"I need..."
Oh, boy. here it comes.
He straightens up, looks me in the eye. His eyes are blood red, and his incisors way too prominent.
"I need a hug," he says.
[...]
"I trust you, okay?"
It's like hugging a statue, at first. His skin is cold, his muscles rigid. But I'm just as stubborn at hugging as I am at everything else, and I refuse to let go.
[...]
"You can hold me tighter," I whisper. "I'm not going to break."
"I could snap your neck without even trying," he whispers back.
I read these books for the friendships and for Jace and everyone around her being badasses. This book doesn't disappoint. I don't want to spoil it more than I already have, but it's great. (Azura in particular is excellent, but spoilery.) Let's just say the political landscape of Thropirelem changes quite a bit.
Better Off Undead, D D Barant: Okay, so I don't know if it's because this is where these books stop being re-reads and start being reads again, or because of the titles of 4, 5 and 6 containg the word "Undead", but I feel like there's a subtle genre shift between the first and last half of the series. The plots of 4 and 5 (especially 4) are more restrained, less 'magic comics', more 'mob crimes'. This isn't a bad thing per se, just something I noticed. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, though I did enjoy it. I could have done without the surprise!romance(-ish, this is Jace, after all) at the end or the brief/vague sex scene (also a change from the ealier books, who had practically no romance or sex, unless you count Jace's one night-stand with Tanka and that was fade-to-black). Jace and Charlie still deliver on the friendship and rigteous ass-kicking front:
"Oh, boy," he sighs. "Okay. Before we get started, I want to make one thing absolutely, crystal clear."
"What?" I snarl.
"You're doing the paperwork."
"For what?"
"For whatever rage-induced mayhem we're about to inflict."
I take a deep, deep breath. "We?"
"Yeah." one word, but the weight Charlie gives it almost makes me smile. it's a weight that crushes any sort of doubt as to where he stands.
Right by my side. No matter what.
"Yeah," I say. "Let's go do some inflicting."
I also have a fondness for Jace performing CPR to the Bee Gees' Staying Alive.
Back From the Undead, D D Barant: Starts off as another 'human crimes get so much worse when the people involved are immortal', when Jace starts investigating the disappearance of vampire orphans (due to the worldbuilding, they're going to stay children forever), but then starts involving spirits, tricksters, gods and Outer Gods (namely Dagon and Yog-Sothoth) because this series cranks everything up to eleven in the most entertaining of ways. The reason behind this actually makes sense too. The climax of the book comes a little after this line of dialogue (spoken to Jace, because of course it was):
"Are you out of your tiny human mind? You do't just arrange a meeting between gods like you're scheduling a conference call!
HAHAHA JOKE'S ON YOU YOU CAN IF YOU'RE JACE VALCHEK Have I mentionned yet that Jace's tendancy to bulldoze all over everything is a source of great joy for me? Because it is, it so is. Speaking of sources of joy, it's time for the Jace And Charlie Friendship Hour TM
"Heaven won't have me, Charlie. So I'm going to pay a visit to the other place."
"Not without me you're not."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
There's also a freak-out from Jace once the anti-firearms spell on Thropirelem starts infecting her. It's very interesting to see her react to that. Also! The action of this one takes place in Canada. I could still have done without the tiny bit of romance at the beginning and the trippy dream sex sequence, although it did at least serve a purpose, plot-wise. Also also, I still sort of shipping Jace/Stoker, but damn, that mn is ruthless.
What are you reading now
Undead to the World, by D D Barant: The first couple of chapters of this one are a mind-trip. We're trust inside the mind of Jace Valchek (so far, so good), part-time waitress (?), on anti-psychotoc meds (??) because of her break-down where she believed she was a character from a TV Show (???), Jace Red Dog (?????) of The Bloodhound Files (???????????). What follows is a sort of small-town AU of the regular series, where everyone is human, every character makes an appearance, dead or alive (even Billy "I just drive the truck" Beta), Stoker is the town sheriff, Quinn Silver (AU!Quicksilver Kid) is his Deputy, Dr Pete and Tair are brothers, Gretchen is a librarian, a murdering ghost is on the prowl and Charlie owns a bar. Speaking of Charlie, he is still Jace's best friend as this exchange will demonstrate:
"Charlie? It's me."
"I know it's you, Jace. I know how to cast this wonderful magic spell, call display. It only works on a rare mystic artefact known as a cell phone, but fortunately I have one of those, too -"
"Shut up, bonehead. I have a problem."
"And a truly unique way of asking for assistance-"
"You know that old saying about good friends, and what they'll help you do?"
"You'll have to unvague that for me."
"A friend will help you move. A good friend-" I pause, and hold my breath.
"Where are you?"
"The creepiest house in town. In the basement."
"Stay there. Don't call anyone else. Give me ten-no, fifteen minutes."
"Okay."
He hangs up. I let out my breath slowly. A good friend will help you move a body.
At which point things kick into gear and remember that murderous ghost I mentionned above? Things get real! Azura makes an appearance (Azura ♥!), and people start regaining their memories ("Who is Charlie supposed to be?" / "My partner. Come hell, high water, or the apocalypse.") and that's about where I'm at.
What are you reading next
The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by popular demand. Or maybe one of the books I'm going to buy at tomorrow's booksale (OMG YAY BOOKS).
This entry was originally posted at http://dhampyresa.dreamwidth.org/33464.html and has
comments over there.
Killing Rocks, by DD Barant: Remeber how I said stories would be A Theme? It was! This story also involved two main alternate universes (Thropirelem, the world Jace was magicked to and Azura's homeworld). There is also Ahasuerus' homeworld. I say 'main alternate universes', because there is a sequence where Ahasuerus goes on a rampage over several other alternate universes. (As a sidenote: I'm not a big fan of the Wandering Jew being an insane serial killer, especially given that a) he's not Jewish but b) his name still makes him the most visible Jewish character in the books, unless you count Charlie. Charlie certainly seems to count himself, since he's the one who tells Jace that "We're considered Jewish by default". In general though there's very lttle about religion aside form a worldbuildy point of view and I don't know how to feel about any of it. On the other hand, I'm not sure it matters, given how little religion gets mentionned. Wow, this sidenote got long.)
There is mindcontrol involved and also did I mention that I love Jace and Charlie? Because at some point Jace thinks she's killed Charlie (he's under mindcontrol), has a break down ("I didn't think of him as a friend, because on this planet he was the closest thing I had to family. I trusted him with my life.") and then there is this passage:
I may just have intercepted my former partner on his way to murder me.
So why am I suddenly so damn happy?
I also like this passage, between Jace and a vampire going through the interdimensional version of jetlag and a severe bloodlust.
"I'll get you whatever you need, okay?"
"I need..."
Oh, boy. here it comes.
He straightens up, looks me in the eye. His eyes are blood red, and his incisors way too prominent.
"I need a hug," he says.
[...]
"I trust you, okay?"
It's like hugging a statue, at first. His skin is cold, his muscles rigid. But I'm just as stubborn at hugging as I am at everything else, and I refuse to let go.
[...]
"You can hold me tighter," I whisper. "I'm not going to break."
"I could snap your neck without even trying," he whispers back.
I read these books for the friendships and for Jace and everyone around her being badasses. This book doesn't disappoint. I don't want to spoil it more than I already have, but it's great. (Azura in particular is excellent, but spoilery.) Let's just say the political landscape of Thropirelem changes quite a bit.
Better Off Undead, D D Barant: Okay, so I don't know if it's because this is where these books stop being re-reads and start being reads again, or because of the titles of 4, 5 and 6 containg the word "Undead", but I feel like there's a subtle genre shift between the first and last half of the series. The plots of 4 and 5 (especially 4) are more restrained, less 'magic comics', more 'mob crimes'. This isn't a bad thing per se, just something I noticed. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others, though I did enjoy it. I could have done without the surprise!romance(-ish, this is Jace, after all) at the end or the brief/vague sex scene (also a change from the ealier books, who had practically no romance or sex, unless you count Jace's one night-stand with Tanka and that was fade-to-black). Jace and Charlie still deliver on the friendship and rigteous ass-kicking front:
"Oh, boy," he sighs. "Okay. Before we get started, I want to make one thing absolutely, crystal clear."
"What?" I snarl.
"You're doing the paperwork."
"For what?"
"For whatever rage-induced mayhem we're about to inflict."
I take a deep, deep breath. "We?"
"Yeah." one word, but the weight Charlie gives it almost makes me smile. it's a weight that crushes any sort of doubt as to where he stands.
Right by my side. No matter what.
"Yeah," I say. "Let's go do some inflicting."
I also have a fondness for Jace performing CPR to the Bee Gees' Staying Alive.
Back From the Undead, D D Barant: Starts off as another 'human crimes get so much worse when the people involved are immortal', when Jace starts investigating the disappearance of vampire orphans (due to the worldbuilding, they're going to stay children forever), but then starts involving spirits, tricksters, gods and Outer Gods (namely Dagon and Yog-Sothoth) because this series cranks everything up to eleven in the most entertaining of ways. The reason behind this actually makes sense too. The climax of the book comes a little after this line of dialogue (spoken to Jace, because of course it was):
"Are you out of your tiny human mind? You do't just arrange a meeting between gods like you're scheduling a conference call!
HAHAHA JOKE'S ON YOU YOU CAN IF YOU'RE JACE VALCHEK Have I mentionned yet that Jace's tendancy to bulldoze all over everything is a source of great joy for me? Because it is, it so is. Speaking of sources of joy, it's time for the Jace And Charlie Friendship Hour TM
"Heaven won't have me, Charlie. So I'm going to pay a visit to the other place."
"Not without me you're not."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
There's also a freak-out from Jace once the anti-firearms spell on Thropirelem starts infecting her. It's very interesting to see her react to that. Also! The action of this one takes place in Canada. I could still have done without the tiny bit of romance at the beginning and the trippy dream sex sequence, although it did at least serve a purpose, plot-wise. Also also, I still sort of shipping Jace/Stoker, but damn, that mn is ruthless.
What are you reading now
Undead to the World, by D D Barant: The first couple of chapters of this one are a mind-trip. We're trust inside the mind of Jace Valchek (so far, so good), part-time waitress (?), on anti-psychotoc meds (??) because of her break-down where she believed she was a character from a TV Show (???), Jace Red Dog (?????) of The Bloodhound Files (???????????). What follows is a sort of small-town AU of the regular series, where everyone is human, every character makes an appearance, dead or alive (even Billy "I just drive the truck" Beta), Stoker is the town sheriff, Quinn Silver (AU!Quicksilver Kid) is his Deputy, Dr Pete and Tair are brothers, Gretchen is a librarian, a murdering ghost is on the prowl and Charlie owns a bar. Speaking of Charlie, he is still Jace's best friend as this exchange will demonstrate:
"Charlie? It's me."
"I know it's you, Jace. I know how to cast this wonderful magic spell, call display. It only works on a rare mystic artefact known as a cell phone, but fortunately I have one of those, too -"
"Shut up, bonehead. I have a problem."
"And a truly unique way of asking for assistance-"
"You know that old saying about good friends, and what they'll help you do?"
"You'll have to unvague that for me."
"A friend will help you move. A good friend-" I pause, and hold my breath.
"Where are you?"
"The creepiest house in town. In the basement."
"Stay there. Don't call anyone else. Give me ten-no, fifteen minutes."
"Okay."
He hangs up. I let out my breath slowly. A good friend will help you move a body.
At which point things kick into gear and remember that murderous ghost I mentionned above? Things get real! Azura makes an appearance (Azura ♥!), and people start regaining their memories ("Who is Charlie supposed to be?" / "My partner. Come hell, high water, or the apocalypse.") and that's about where I'm at.
What are you reading next
The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by popular demand. Or maybe one of the books I'm going to buy at tomorrow's booksale (OMG YAY BOOKS).
This entry was originally posted at http://dhampyresa.dreamwidth.org/33464.html and has
comments over there.