Reading roundup, Loki, and meme

[hamsterwoman]

31. Freya Marske, A Marvelous Light -- this debut novel will be out in November, but meanwhile I got to read it in an ARC through a series of fortuitous connections (<333 at the chain of said connections: THANK YOU!) It was fun, and well done, but in a way that had me thinking of it as fanfic pretty much the whole time -- not a criticism, per se,

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

So he's a theoretical physicist vs an engineer XD

Heh, I also had that thought as I was reading, and then decided it wasn't really a good analogy, since there really isn't any intrinsic barrier that prevents a theorist from applying those principals in engineering -- there may be a lack of interest or specific knowledge (e.g. access to steam tables or whatever), but any theoretical physicist could BECOME an engineer, while Edwin lacks the ability to apply his theoretical knowledge.

we never see theoretical/academic Squibs, since it tends to be correlated to ability, which is odd in retrospect.

Yeah, I thought it was really interesting, too! You get your Dumbledores, who are brilliant AND powerful, and you get your gifted-but-not-bookish types like Harry, but you really don't see people who are academic about magic but don't have the power to back that up. Having that niche filled was pretty neat.

That's a neat twist- like if Batman's parents were died in an accident (sorta?), would he still be Batman and blame society, or would he have a healthier coping mechanism?

Yeah -- would he be prepared to let go of blaming society (or whoever). I thought that was an unusual thing to explore, too.

but it turned into...a setup for MCU *shrug* Which WandaVision also was, but it felt more self-contained and complete, in a way?

Yeah, that was what I found disappointing, I think... In WandaVision the connection to the MCU was much more tenuous, and really you only get it in little dribbles here and there. With Loki it felt like the entire finale was the bridge to the MCU, which retroactively turned the whole thing into setup.

I've now got a e-copy of Gideon/Harrow, so I guess I should actually go read them now XD

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think about them when/if you read them! (Such odd books, especially 'Harrow'!)

[giallarhorn]

but you really don't see people who are academic about magic but don't have the power to back that up

I was gonna say that Hermione might've fit that role, but she's bookish and capable? Lockhart sits on the the other end of not very gifted and not bookish, but that's not nearly the same XD

WandaVision the connection to the MCU was much more tenuous, and really you only get it in little dribbles here and there. With Loki it felt like the entire finale was the bridge to the MCU, which retroactively turned the whole thing into setup.

Yeah, I guess WandaVision sorta had plot tied to the MCU with Scarlet Witch, but the plot is driven/started entirely by Wanda's denial/coping with her grief? And had Jimmy and Monica to tie it back to the bigger whole, but the big punchline for Loki was...it's all buildup for the next villain. Which okay, but makes it feel like it was a very long trailer prologue masquerading as a show.