Dear Yuletide Writer

[gehayi]

Dear Yuletide Writer,

First off, thank you very much for doing this. I appreciate this more than you can possibly guess. I will appreciate WHATEVER you decide to write, so long as you enjoy writing it. All of what follows is just...additional info, if you need it (or if anyone writing treats is curious).

Specifics about my requests:

Comments

[lareinenoire]

You've reminded me that I need to get my hands on the Matthew Swift books. Thank you!

[gehayi]

You totally need to. I'd think that you'd love the books.

[gehayi]

Oh, by the way...you have GOT to read The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. It's political intrigue in the Elflands with a sympathetic protagonist. It's not cutesy; in fact, it all comes off as incredibly plausible. The detail is incredible.

[lareinenoire]

I've heard great things. Plus, I seem to remember (thought I might be wrong) that Katherine Addison is a pseudonym for Sarah Monette, whose books I've enjoyed in the past. (I own all four of the Doctrine of Labyrinths, which are an exercise in amazing worldbuilding.)

[gehayi]

Who's Sarah Monette, and what has she written?

[lareinenoire]

I don't know the details of what happened, but apparently she started using a pseudonym sometime in the last 3-4 years after some sort of snafu with her publisher. Sarah Monette wrote a four-book series called The Doctrine of Labyrinths between 2005 and 2009 and several other books, some co-authored with spec fic author Elizabeth Bear (whose stuff people keep recommending to me but I've never quite warmed to her style despite trying a few times). I LOVED Doctrine of Labyrinths, however, primarily for the truly incredible worldbuilding. The first book is Mélusine (no relation to the medieval legend, although that was why I picked it up initially), followed by The Virtu, The Mirador, and Corambis. I have a few issues to pick with it here and there, but the universe is amazing and there are some wonderful characters, all of whom have delightfully distinct and enjoyable voices. As far as I know, the books are out of print (as a result of aforementioned publisher snafu), but your library might have copies.

[gehayi]

Well, I just checked my library, and the copy there is missing, the next one is in transit and has a hold on it, and everything else in the CONNECT system just says "check shelf." So even the libraries in my state don't know if they have it.

So I went to Amazon and got a used paperback copy of Mélusine. Three bucks. (I could have gotten it for cheaper, but the descriptions didn't sound as if the copies were in great shape.) I hope it's good!

[lareinenoire]

I haven't reread it in some time, but I was absolutely consumed by it once I hit the second narrator (the first is a dipshit but becomes more interesting later on). And the second book introduces an absolutely wonderful female supporting character who is clearly the most competent person in the entire room at any given time.