Bishop, Anne - Dreams Made Flesh

[oyceter]

This is a compilation of four short stories (actually, three short stories and a novella) that take place in the world of Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy. I suspect it won't be interesting to anyone who isn't already familiar with the world

Comments

[buymeaclue]

>I suspect this is because in the Black Jewels trilogy, Bishop has written directly from her id, and everything is so over the top and insane and cracktastic that it works its own strange magic on me.

Oh, yes. I only read the trilogy, I think, and not even that in ages (though now I'm wondering if they're still on my shelves at home, where I'll be next month), but I was prepping a comment to say pretty much the above while you were writing about Penile Delights. The books are just _so_ absurd and _so_ serious about it that I kinda have to respect them. Kinda.

[oyceter]

I know! See, I wish Sebastian had sort of worked, but I think it just didn't feel insane enough, despite the Penile Delights and all.

[rachelmanija]

I am going to Book Mooch right now to get me some Anne Bishop.

[oyceter]

Or you can borrow mine! I've got the Black Jewels trilogy and the stand-alone set in that world, though I sold my TirAlainn trilogy and never bought the Ephemera duology (the one Sebastian belongs to).

I must warn you though, the prose is pretty bad. And.. well, all of the caveats that I said above.

[kate_nepveu]

My theory is that they're like early Mercedes Lackey books.

(And I still kinda like the literalness of the Mary-Sue dom.)

[oyceter]

I love the literalness of the Mary-Sue-dom! And the fact that the three heroes are Lucivar, Saetan and Daemon. Because... really.

I think they are totally like the early Mercedes Lackey books, except for the graphic sex and magic cock rings and the fact that all the main characters we're supposed to like graphically kill people who anger them. Wish-fulfillment for the goth crowd!

[kate_nepveu]

My recollection is that there's about as much detail in the sex as in early Lackey, it's just nastier so seems more graphic. But I will refrain from doing a side-by-side comparison just now.

Lackey does save the graphic killing for later books. =>

[oyceter]

Y'know, I think you're probably right about the graphicness. I just remember it more vividly because of the magical cock rings and etc.

Wow, I didn't realize Lackey did graphic killing later on!

[msagara]

Ummm. I liked these three books (I liked the second one best). I sell them as comfort books when I rec them.

I don't analyze comfort books in general; I have a bunch of them. (Exception would be, say, Pratchett, who I will analyze because there is weight in the work that bears it). Actually, more on that: I think some books have weight, bear examination -- even demand it. By its nature -- to me -- as a comfort read, this type of book doesn't.

Almost all of the manga I read, I read in the same way; I understand that, held up to a magnifying glass, the books or stories or characters don't bear scrutiny -- but the nature of what I want out of them doesn't demand scrutiny; possibly its opposite.

But I would agree with everything you've said above.

[oyceter]

I think I like the first and third the best because I am secretly a Jaenelle/Daemon shipper deep down inside (he waits 1000 years to find her! OMG!), but I adore Jaenelle's relationship with her entire family, along with the formation of the coven and the boyos.

I think I'd also have to reread these to see if they're comfort books or not; I suspect there's too much gender stuff that I find problematic to make them a good comfort read for me (but everyone's comfort reads are different).

And I've found that I actually sort of enjoy figuring out why some things work for me and some don't; I have much of the same reaction to manga as you (the comfort read part), but I sort of like seeing what buttons they're pushing and how. This is probably because rachelmanija posted something about cool bits before, and I like seeing how they work to see if I can do that in my stuff.

Well, unless it's Yuki Kaori. Then I just sort of boggle at her audacity.

But yes. I think I need to reread these soon!

[kate_nepveu]

I like the second one the best too, because it has the silly fun stuff of her friends.

I think my mother is of the opinion that my principal character flaw is over-analyzing things. And I certainly wouldn't suggest you scrutinize things if that destroys your enjoyment of them. I just happen to find that when things are comfort reads because they go straight to the id, like these, I can acknowledge the over-the-top nature of the button-pushing and still have my buttons pushed when I go back.

[oyceter]

I cling to my Gothic shipper heart! Though structurally, I think the first is the best; the second and third read like she had written the first one over years and the latter in a rush when she signed the contract.

Still, I love the coven and the boyos and poor Saetan being overrun by girls. And Lucivar being all big-brother-y.

I have found that reading manga has greatly increased my ability to acknowledge over-the-top insanity while still enjoying the heck out of it.

[rilina]

Also, one restaurant in the Den of Iniquity served Penile Delights (penis-shaped breadsticks, probably with a side of creamy white sauce, no I swear I am not making this up!).
This is the point in your post where I started laughing hysterically.

[oyceter]

OMG. I know! Me too! I wouldn't rec Anne Bishop to you; I think the Gothic cracktasticness of it would just make you roll your eyes.

But I am glad you now share the mental image of Penile Delight breadsticks with me ;).