The cover illustrations do look very like them (more so than they should, given how Rathe and Eslingen are described in the books). I don't know if that was at Scott's direction or not, but I kind of wish it hadn't happened.
If people were saying "Rathe and Eslingen were inspired by Bodie and Doyle" I wouldn't be bothered. What drives me crazy is when people describe the Points books as a Pros AU, or say that Rathe and Eslingen are avatars of Bodie and Doyle. Even if the characters originated as that, which I don't know, they grew into being their own characters with their own histories and personalities. And if people insist on seeing them as Bodie and Doyle, they're going to miss the characters who are actually on the page.
Anyway, I have been wanting something to read, so I'll try "Gods of Gotham." Speaking of books with queerness, I've been reading Gail Carriger's sort-of-steampunk Parasol Protectorate series. I can't really recommend them wholeheartedly, because the author's sense of both Victorian culture and Victorian English are, um, perhaps not well researched, and because the protagonist's love interest/husband is so awful I kept wishing him dead. but they do have queer characters in relative abundance. Not entirely unstereotyped, but the author does some interesting things with the stereotypes, so . . . *shrugs*. If you're in want of something to read while you're recovering, they might be silly and fun enough to fit the bill.
Ooh, I've seen 'Parasol Protectorate' about and thought it looked fun but not yet read it on the basis that it looked full of het, but if that's balanced with canon queerness I'd certainly give them a try - thanks for the rec! They do sound like they might make good recovery reading. 'Gods of Gotham' is a good example, for me, actually of a book where a main protagonist het narrative didn't interfere with my enjoyment because it was interesting enough, with solid characters, and not the entire point of story with the crime just hanging off as detail, and because queerness was a Thing too. I do know I'll forgive weaker writing in queer-focussed novels because I'm more engaged by the protagonists, so when I enjoy a book with het, it's generally a good one! I think there's a lot of fic potential in the 'Gods of Gotham' 'verse - I've just got hold of the sequel 'Seven for a Secret', in which the queer narrative thread apparently continues. So far I'm certainly hoping there'll be more.
If people were saying "Rathe and Eslingen were inspired by Bodie and Doyle" I wouldn't be bothered. What drives me crazy is when people describe the Points books as a Pros AU, or say that Rathe and Eslingen are avatars of Bodie and Doyle. Even if the characters originated as that, which I don't know, they grew into being their own characters with their own histories and personalities. And if people insist on seeing them as Bodie and Doyle, they're going to miss the characters who are actually on the page.
Anyway, I have been wanting something to read, so I'll try "Gods of Gotham." Speaking of books with queerness, I've been reading Gail Carriger's sort-of-steampunk Parasol Protectorate series. I can't really recommend them wholeheartedly, because the author's sense of both Victorian culture and Victorian English are, um, perhaps not well researched, and because the protagonist's love interest/husband is so awful I kept wishing him dead. but they do have queer characters in relative abundance. Not entirely unstereotyped, but the author does some interesting things with the stereotypes, so . . . *shrugs*. If you're in want of something to read while you're recovering, they might be silly and fun enough to fit the bill.
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