Odds and ends, bits and pieces, BOOK REVIEW
My copy of Shadows Return arrived today! And I ah, finished it in three hours. 8D;; I'VE BEEN SO DEPRIVED THESE LAST FEW YEARS WITH NOTHING BUT SCIENCE TEXTBOOKS GOD I've missed having an actual book in hand while reading for fun. T3T
To be honest, I was somewhat afraid of how the cliché of slavery (it's in the commercial summary, I swear) would be handled in this newest installment of Flewelling's Nightrunner series--given the two main male characters are in a (now) established relationship with each other. But despite any misgivings, it was quite well done. It was all, how to explain this... very logical. The details and cultures of the nation that dealt with the slave trade were wonderfully thought out and Flewelling didn't balk from the more lurid, human-rights-debasing aspects.
I don't know how this might reflect on me, but the passages that detailed the "politics" for lack of better term (practicalities?) of gelding were some of my favorites. Evisceration of a man's balls: it's brutal and cruel and made beautiful sense in the given context, and that's very important! ... the making sense part. Not the gelding itself, because, um. Ow?
This was definitely a continuation to the previous books. Sure, it has enough backstory to be read as a standalone, but there are certain elements (the magical ones in particular) that might come off as a tad bit silly...? Or frivolous without the detailed groundwork from the first three volumes.
In all, a fantastic addition. It's not a classic; it's not OHMYGODLITERATURE. There's something near the end that has me wary of the possibility for future deus ex machinations too... But it's still got memorable characters, continuity, ARISTOCRAT POLITICS AND COURT INTRIGUE (STFU I LOVE MY POLITICS AND COURT INTRIGUE OKAY?), a charming little character twist, and alchemy.
Yeah. Alchemy. Honest-to-god, Middle Age-esque, ancient!periodic table elements alchemy.
::SAVORS IT::
_______________________
Anyway, minibang fic is now at 4000 words! \o/ I CAN TOTALLY MAKE IT. HAPPINESS. It's a total joyride with Papa Tsuna. Probably won't have time to find myself a beta, but, the important thing is finishing on time.
Now the only worry that remains is if I'm still funny. If not, then I'm pretty much screwed haha and this was a writing exercise of much pain and failure. But! The light! At the end of the traumatic tunnel! I can see it! ::TEARS OF JOY::
Random: Actually started on this quite a few days ago but had to put it on hold for mad ficcing. It's been a while since I've drawn Hibari and it even felt like I'd forgotten how. Made the side-by-side sketch/lineart-in-progress comparison for Inaho to critique the resemblance on. Now it just amuses me each time I look at it, how utterly nonsensical my initial sketches are when I do them digitally.
Seriously, whereas I clean my lines as I go with pencil and paper, I seem to forget that I have an eraser function with the tablet LOLOL. And as for that left arm of his... I'm pretty sure I was thinking "Arm!" and "CLOUDS?" at the same time. As in simultaneously, while scribbling into that clean white space. OTL I'll deal with it when I come to it.
To be honest, I was somewhat afraid of how the cliché of slavery (it's in the commercial summary, I swear) would be handled in this newest installment of Flewelling's Nightrunner series--given the two main male characters are in a (now) established relationship with each other. But despite any misgivings, it was quite well done. It was all, how to explain this... very logical. The details and cultures of the nation that dealt with the slave trade were wonderfully thought out and Flewelling didn't balk from the more lurid, human-rights-debasing aspects.
I don't know how this might reflect on me, but the passages that detailed the "politics" for lack of better term (practicalities?) of gelding were some of my favorites. Evisceration of a man's balls: it's brutal and cruel and made beautiful sense in the given context, and that's very important! ... the making sense part. Not the gelding itself, because, um. Ow?
This was definitely a continuation to the previous books. Sure, it has enough backstory to be read as a standalone, but there are certain elements (the magical ones in particular) that might come off as a tad bit silly...? Or frivolous without the detailed groundwork from the first three volumes.
In all, a fantastic addition. It's not a classic; it's not OHMYGODLITERATURE. There's something near the end that has me wary of the possibility for future deus ex machinations too... But it's still got memorable characters, continuity, ARISTOCRAT POLITICS AND COURT INTRIGUE (STFU I LOVE MY POLITICS AND COURT INTRIGUE OKAY?), a charming little character twist, and alchemy.
Yeah. Alchemy. Honest-to-god, Middle Age-esque, ancient!periodic table elements alchemy.
::SAVORS IT::
_______________________
Anyway, minibang fic is now at 4000 words! \o/ I CAN TOTALLY MAKE IT. HAPPINESS. It's a total joyride with Papa Tsuna. Probably won't have time to find myself a beta, but, the important thing is finishing on time.
Now the only worry that remains is if I'm still funny. If not, then I'm pretty much screwed haha and this was a writing exercise of much pain and failure. But! The light! At the end of the traumatic tunnel! I can see it! ::TEARS OF JOY::
Random: Actually started on this quite a few days ago but had to put it on hold for mad ficcing. It's been a while since I've drawn Hibari and it even felt like I'd forgotten how. Made the side-by-side sketch/lineart-in-progress comparison for Inaho to critique the resemblance on. Now it just amuses me each time I look at it, how utterly nonsensical my initial sketches are when I do them digitally.
Seriously, whereas I clean my lines as I go with pencil and paper, I seem to forget that I have an eraser function with the tablet LOLOL. And as for that left arm of his... I'm pretty sure I was thinking "Arm!" and "CLOUDS?" at the same time. As in simultaneously, while scribbling into that clean white space. OTL I'll deal with it when I come to it.