Bookses

[endless_run]

So I actually finished two whole books recently (it's been a "down" period for readage lately), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Moon Called. Both left me with mixed feelings~

Comments

[missdeep]

I haven't read the Percy Jackson books, so I'm afraid I can't offer a comment on them but omfg do want to talk about Mercy Thompson

[endless_run]

Yeah, I mean, you've got this girl who is supposedly a karate-trained fighter, not to mention knows how to handle a gun and can transform into a coyote, and yet she's ends up being useless because werewolves and vampires are supposedly SO MUCH STRONGER. So what exactly is the point of her being good with guns and karate if she decides not to do anything with those skills because she'll get pounded? It ends up being a token toss-in so she isn't pegged as a damsel heroine, even though, y'know, for this world, she kind of is. At least, so far.

Also female werewolves can't breed unless they're speshul snowflakes. MOST OF THEM NEVER GET OVER THE FACT THEY CAN'T HAVE CHILDREN, BECAUSE THIS IS ALL THAT MATTERS TO WOMEN BLAH DE BLAH BLAH. UGH UGH UGH. See, this is not only offensive, it makes all the other werewolf bitches in the story totally unlikable. They hate Mercy because she can have BABIES OMG, without any regard for anything else about her, so you end up with bitch women. But I suppose this eliminates the possibility of Mercy having

[missdeep]

Yeah, I mean, you've got this girl who is supposedly a karate-trained fighter...

Mercy does get to be a little more involved in things as the series progresses, but the whole OMG THEY'RE SOOOOO MUCH STRONGER thing surfaces time and time again. As you said, it's fairly token to note that SHE'S NOT A DAMSEL while absolutely everyone has to protect her "for her own good" because she's actually useless compared to everyone else around her.

See, this is not only offensive, it makes all the other werewolf bitches in the story totally unlikable.This is SUCH a common trope in werewolf stories though. The bitches can't breed OMG EVER unless they're SUPER SPECIAL (I can't remember where it's mentioned in the Mercy books but in the Alpha & Omega spin-off, the hero's mother gave birth to him as a werewolf but OMG IT KILLED HER so he's SUPER SPESHUL). In this particular series all it does is serve to alienate Mercy further - she's on the outer of their society anyway, with this it at least means she'll never have female friends to deal with,

[endless_run]

I don't know if I'm just noticing it more or what, but I'm like...five chapters into Blood Bound, and she's already been sidelined like twice because "Oh, you can't deal with demon-possessed vampires LOL". And she's just like "Oh, okay." I MEAN REALLY? She's not even putting up a fight anymore. *headdesk*

Is it? I haven't read many werewolf books, but it's just beautiful that it puts emphasis on how women just turn BITCH CRAZY when they can't make the babies. I KNOW I WOULD.

I was thinking about trying Alpha and Omega for the werewolf culture, but if it's this frustrating with Mercy, who isn't even a goddamn werewolf, I dunno if I could do a werewolf slave-woman.

[missdeep]

five chapters into Blood Bound, and she's already been sidelined like twice...

This trend will continue. I found Bone Crossed near unreadable because she's essentially a petulant doormat by that book. Oh she pulls a pissy face and makes offhand remarks about what things would be like if she had her way, but she still makes sure her head is bowed. I just... I can't get into that. If she's so brave and intelligent and wonderful, how can she relish being treated like filth? I don't get it!

it's just beautiful that it puts emphasis on how women just turn BITCH CRAZY when they can't make the babies...This is big in so so so many werewolf books. They can't have a baby because they shape shift. Males, of course, can still breed if they want to. You'll find the main character will usually be able to have a baby with her *~perfect mate~* because they are just that special. Sometimes the heroine's infertility remains intact though (like in the Kitty series by Carrie Vaughn - the heroine actually miscarries at one point [because she's a

[endless_run]

lol, I can just see a doormat making a >:( face. THAT'S OUR MERCY. That's the thing though, her pissy remarks are so token. They're there just so we feel like Mercy isn't a doormat, because she obviously doesn't mean any of them, considering how much she says shit like that and then doesn't do anything.

I read this part today where she crawled to Samuel on her belly because he was in a bad mood and she didn't want to piss him off. I mean, I get not wanting to piss off a big animal that can rip you to pieces, and that it's supposed to be a wolf thing, but literally crawling to a man? It's demeaning whether she means it to be or not :/ Of course, she tossed in a "Oh, I'm faking submission, I don't mean it", but it's like LOL OH REALLY? And the difference

[missdeep]

her pissy remarks are so token...

They seriously are. They're just thrown in at the end with no genuine feeling behind them, it's just Briggs going "IT'S NOT OFFENSIVE IF MERCY SAYS SOMETHING PISSY AFTERWARD" - well yes, yes it is. And this isn't once or twice we're talking, this is constantly you've got Mercy being the twee doormat with a pissy remark thrown in to show us all that she's a totally liberated woman OKAY? Ugh. Words, as you mentioned, are completely token as she never does anything to remotely back them up.

I read this part today where she crawled to Samuel on her belly...I had to put the book down at that point and take a break. I was raging like a moron. See, if Mercy's whole world wasn't set up to make women powerless pawns, it might just be a "trying not to get ripped apart by a giant animal" plot point. Instead, it is as you stated - the heroine literally crawling on her belly to please a man. The faking submission remark at the end annoyed me even more because it was flat-out bullshit. I'm faking submission... by

[endless_run]

And this isn't once or twice we're talking, this is constantly you've got Mercy being the twee doormat with a pissy remark thrown in to show us all that she's a totally liberated woman OKAY?

It is CONSTANTLY, which, aside from the whole sexist part of it, is annoying storytelling because we constantly have Mercy wanting to do shit, being told not to, being pissy about it, but doing nothing. OVER AND OVER WHILE THE PLOT TAKES PLACE ELSEWHERE. I swear it seems to happen at least once every couple of chapters, and is repetitive as hell >>'

Yeah u.u I mean, GOD FORBID she comes home smelling like another man. The thing is, I really enjoyed that scene, other than the whole Mercy-belly thing. I thought hearing about Sam's life in Texas ended up being really sad, and unexpectedly sincere. But we had to preface this moment of bonding with Mercy crawling for doing absolutely fucking NOTHING. *headdesk*

I don't understand where it all comes from, but it seems like the "OMG WOLVES"-thing is used as excuse to link whatever bullshit the author

[missdeep]

annoying storytelling...

Hearing about Sam's past and the like is y'know, interesting. If Briggs actually gave us more moments like that her books would be far more readable. Instead, as you said, she's constantly got Mercy DOING NOTHING before eventually arriving somewhere and recounting what has apparently happened while she was busy being a doormat elsewhere. I just... the narrative is damaged to such an extent the books feel as though they go in circles sometimes. Something happens, nobody we're left with does anything, we're told about stuff later. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HERO BEING /INVOLVED/ IN THE ACTION? Oh right, Mercy can't do that because she's omg so delicate despite all of her karate training and shit. ARGH BRIGGS YOU FRUSTRATE ME SO MUCH.

With a human's brain comes human reasoning, and, y'know, ACTING LIKE A HUMAN BEING...This is where urban fantasy authors have a serious case of having it both ways. They go on and on and on about how beautiful and liberating it is to "give over" to "the wolf" (or the leopard or the

[endless_run]

That's why it's so goddamn bizarre that these stories are told from Mercy's POV, when she's so rarely involved in the action. I mean, yeah, we have the opening scene where she gets herself into shit, but then she hands it over to those big strong men, and just sort of waits at home, or gets involved in side quests that don't really have to do with the story. So, WHY IS THIS MERCY'S SERIES? Okay, last skinwalker, blah blah blah, but she still doesn't do that much T_T It's like she thinks that this action at the beginning is enough to see the story through to the end and convince us that, No, REALLY, MERCY WAS INVOLVED I PROMISE

[missdeep]

That's why it's so goddamn bizarre that these stories...

I think you summed it up perfectly: why is it even Mercy's series if she's so inconsequential to it all? It's as though Briggs writes a completely separate story each time and just adds Mercy's cameos in. It's bizarre and it's not good writing.

But it's ok, because he was In the Moment...

The ladies from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books actually have a good chapter in their "Beyond Heaving Bosoms" book (a book I totally recommend btw) about how paranormal romances are the new bodice rippers. Being "turned against your will" into whatever supernatural creature is described in a manner almost identical to the 'ol rape scenes of the 80's. I've read a couple of academic articles on it too, but most were disgustingly sympathetic towards titles like LKH's series and similar. Just ugh, no.

[endless_run]

It's hard to figure, because you can see in some ways why Mercy would be a good main character, being The Last Skinwalker and not part of the pack and able to go between the human, were, vampire, and fae worlds, AND YET she's severely limited by the confines put on women by the wolves' society and by her own physical limitations. Briggs is screwing herself over in the action department so bad, that it's hard to figure why Mercy (and thus the series) are billed as a badass action chick-type when it couldn't be further from the truth. If you're just going to have Mercy sit around and do nothing but flirt with werewolves and be useless and dominated, why not make it a straight-up romance? It's like she realized she had to make it action-y because that's In now, but didn't really want/plan to. It has that weird totally engineered feeling that really bothers me about a lot of books :/

Or she's just a wishy-washy bad writer. WHO KNOWS?

I might have to check that out. I'm all into this now, lol xD But being turned is even better than rape

[missdeep]

Yeah, the way Briggs always seems to choose the fail option over the awesome option really confuses me. As you said, Mercy could potentially be an interesting main character but Briggs shafts her at every turn. OH WELL MERCY CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE SHE IS *~JUST A WOMAN~* is the way Briggs justifies so much narrative fail. It's rather embarrassing, really. She's written her character into a corner so she can't do anything vaguely interesting except maybe get laid. GET OUT, BRIGGS. JUST GET OUT.

Given the way she actually writes action scenes, I'm guessing she avoids them as much as possible because she's crap lol.

Yeah, being turned is rape in every way except y'know, vaginal penetration. This makes the whole thing perfectly acceptable because lord knows a man is only going to ruin your life if he loves you.

LKH defenders piss me off because they're all OMG ANITA NEVER DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT FUCKING IS SOOOOO LIBERATING. Yeah, no.

[endless_run]

It does boggle the mind. You'd think this sort of thing would kinda write itself, and yet. At least she knows her cars. Can't get enough of that mechanic-on-engine action!

Yep. Besides, it's only real love if forces you! IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

RIGHT? EVERYONE SHOULD DO IT.

[missdeep]

Hahaha man, even the stuff with the cars could be better. At times it feels like she's just getting her info out of a book, even when Mercy is all "hands on" it feels kind of stiff. Then again, I have a lot to do with cars so idk if I'm just being picky.

REAL LOVE MAKES YOU RAPE PEOPLE. IT'S TRUE.

[endless_run]

WHAT THE SHIT IS THAT? OH, I'M SORRY YOU'VE BEEN RAPED AND STUFF THAT'S REALLY SAD, BUT IF YOU DON'T OPEN YOUR LEGS NOW, I'MMA DO IT TOO. AFDLGDS:LJGD: AND HE'S THE HERO? THE FUCK?

And how does that make ANY sense? If she "brings peace and calm" to everyone else, even dominants, WHY DOES SHE KEEP GETTING RAPED AND ABUSED? EVEN BY HER SAVIOR? HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE AT ALL?

Those are clearly the WORST POWERS EVER.

And that's just proof right there (as if we need any more) that they're just taking this wolf pack structure thing and doing whatever the hell they feel like. I could understand (though not like, obviously) that she might be abused and raped because she is the Omega, and Omegas just have shit life, but her powers have NOTHING to do with a real Omega wolf's position in the pack. Seriously...WHAT? *headdesk*

Or wait, am I understanding it wrong, and because she brings peace to the wolves, she gets the shit beat out of her? Because that's STILL STUPID.