Review roundup
Various reviews written in various places at various times all gathered up into one, nice, neat post. Ish.
[ The Merro Tree ] 2007-07
So, lucky me, I occasionally do full-time days where I get paid to press buttons and read. I re-read this for the... third time? over the two days, finishing early on the second.
I know I really love a book when I don’t want to do anything but bask in its excellence just after I’ve finished it. I had a similar reaction when I finished the Web Shifters Trilogy by Julie E. Czerneda. These universes pull me in so thoroughly that I’m loathe to leave them.
What don’t I love about this book? Canonical queerness all over the place, ALIEN SEX OMG ALIEN SEX DID I MENTION THAT ALIENS HAVE SEX?
..ahem. Yes, I have an alien!sex kink. Maybe because I read this book when I was a kid. *g* But there’s something so hot about interspecial smut. And this book totally goes there. I enjoyed the tackling of the issues of censorship and spirituality, too (and the shout-out to Coyote!).
So, okay, yes-Mikk is a bit too perfect. He’s good at everything and just emotionally fucked-up enough to be lovable. Not to mention he’s twenty different kinds of hot, what with the purple eyes and red hair. BUT. Mikk/Thissizz makes me not even care about the fact that Mikk, as a character, has issues. Because they are so squishyhappysexyadorable. I am a sucker for Made to Be couples (yes, the capitalized kind) and these two fit the bill so perfectly. Also, Thissizz having wives and kids? AWESOME. I love canonical poly relationships, too. And Hudd/Oosmoosis! Ahhhh! They are so sweet and the way they know exactly how to take care of Mikk and Thissizz just warms the cockles of my slash happy heart.
The shape-changing alien also leaves TMT ripe for a crossover with Web Shifters. Like, almost too ripe. The plot bunny I have for it is so demanding that it’s valiantly attempting to take my attention away from all my other fandoms and demanding that I merge these two universes because they so need to be ficced. And I have this weird urge to have Esen change into a cephalopod form and to pair her with Maya. Maya was such a great supporting character; she seriously had me laughing out loud more than once while I was reading. She reminds me of Mammy from Gone With the Wind. *g*
I loved the Somalites, too. And most of the aliens. I’m so easy with it comes to aliens; as long as they aren’t the Star Trek cardboard humanoid cutouts with slightly different noses, I’m happy. A lot of the aliens reminded me of Web Shifters, too; seems like earth-animals are a popular place to start for alternate species evolution, what with dogs, fish, and snakes appearing in both.
The main trouble with crossing it with Web Shifters is the way different portrayal of the human species. In TMT, Terrans are so xenophobic, while in WST they’re the most outgoing and friendly species there is. I think with some timeline juggling I could manage it, but still... tricksy.
Oh, also, since I’m a fandom of one, I decided that the girl’s name is Ryanavera, after Mikk’s mother.
Pairings list:
Mikk/Thissizz
Martin/Aro (oh, c’mon, he invited him into his bed!)
Hudd/Oosmoosis
Crossover: Esen/Maya
In a nutshell: this book only gets better every time I read it. Canon queerness, interspecial sex, ripe crossover potential and fun supporting characters eeeeeee!
The Merro Tree re-reading on 2007-09
Awww, the Aro/Martin scenes are so sweet. I love that I slash even in a book where the slash is already canon. (And I got this huge, long AU plotbunny for the young up-start doctor actually saving Huud’s life and the two of them living blissfully ever after.)
Anyway, Aro/Martin yumminess:
“Aro leered crookedly and Martin felt hot.”
“I wouldn't have expected a Terran to share his bed with a Kekoi.”
“Neither would I. It’s a first for me.”
And I love that Captain Dupré (and so many other characters in this book) is such a horndog. And that Mikk is totally okay with that.
Aaah, and who could forget the fantastic shapeshifter!Mikk. Doppelcest, ahoy!:
“It was beautiful ... Why did the gods make so many dangerous things attractive? He could love this creature if it understood.”
“It reached out and gently stroked the performance master's hair, charmed by it as most children were ... the entity watched his mouth, enchanted.”
Also, literally almost every line of Maya’s makes me burst out laughing. She is the preciousest cephalopod ever. Mikk/Thissizz never really stops being amazing, and has me contemplating hte mechanics of interspecial sex between a humanoid and a serpentine. What does it mean when Mikk says “That is why the gods gave me strong legs and hands, my friend, and you such a flexible tongue.” The flexible tongue part is obvious, but... how do Mikk’s strong legs and hands factor in? If Thissizz is, er, big enough to be afraid of splitting Mikk open, then how do they...?
*brain goes interesting places*
Tortall (2007-02)
The best thing about re-reading these books is that it’s been so long since the first time that there are a whole lot of plot points that I forgot about. And it’s a really nice change from a lot of the other media I ingest to have female protagonists; it’s interesting, because when I was younger, I almost exclusively read about female protagonists. Those were the books that interested me enough to buy and keep.
I finished Song of the Lioness not too long ago and I’m working my way through The Immortals and must say that they’re just as fun as I remember. And yowza does Alanna look cool on the Lioness Rampant cover. I think the main problem I had with the Lioness series was that I really wanted to see the writing style change as Alanna got older; maybe become a bit more complex, rich in language. I can get into the YA writing style but it can be hard at times (and non-dialogue exclamation make me all twitchy).
I really love Alanna as a character, though, especially her flaws; she has such drive that comes with the lovely accompaniment of wanting control. Plus, my weakness for redheads comes into full play for this series ;)
And waaaaah, I was so sad when Liam and Faithful died :( That was one of the things I’d forgotten about.
Daine, well, talk about a totally different personality; it’s interesting to see how differently Alanna’s and Daine’s “coming of age” processes are. They have so many of the same qualities (strength, compassion, loyalty, perseverance) but such different ways of expressing them.
Oh, and who could forget Numair... bwahahaha. My love for him has only grown. He’s just so cute and, well, amusing. Scholarly + vain + silly + tall + long black hair = happy Sheera.
Good times.
Six Feet Under 2006-12
Dude. Dude. I don't know precisely what I expected from the end of the series, but it wasn't exactly that. I mean, maybe I'm just not the sharpest tack in the box, but still... that ending was a whole lot happier than I expected. Guh. I think I was literally holding my breath through all the flash forwards. It just took me totally by surprise which makes no sense, considering the series is all about death. :P
The music gave me chills all up my arms during Claire's drive.
It's interesting how the show started out by focusing on Nate and then went to Claire... seems appropriate, in a way. From the eldest to the youngest. I gotta say I'm glad she ended up with Ted. I liked him from the beginning, for no particular reason other than he was different than all the other guys she tried to have relationships with.
The scene with Nate and his dad was a bit sudden... but it had to happen. They couldn't just leave Brenda feeling like Nate hated their child forever, that would have just been too much.
I'm glad they didn't draw it out any farther than this. The show went some REALLY weird places in the five seasons, but the arc felt completed. I'm glad I stuck it out.
I'm braindead from that. I think maybe tomorrow I'll re-watch it.
The O.C., Season 1 (January 5, 2007)
Ahhh, the O. fucking C. I made a resolution never to watch this show, but for my beautiful TSK, I will do anything.
So, firstly: Seth/Ryan=adorable! Utterly adorable. Seth calls his hair a jewfro, likes Death Cab and reads comics? Yeah, I’m in love. And Ryan is pretty with a nice amount of broody and a whole load of gentlemanliness to give him that extra appeal. And fuck if blue eyes ever hurt anyone’s case.
But... everyone else. Ick. The plot, most of the other characters, and the way they portray California makes me throw up a little in my mouth if I think about it too much.
Well, okay, not everyone else. I like Sandy and Kirsten and Jimmy. I could kinda go for Sandy/Jimmy, actually. Maybe even Sandy/Kirsten/Jimmy. But ugh, Marissa (aka Ms. Count All My Ribs Through My Shirt and Ms. I Couldn’t Make a Decision Even If It Kicked Me In My Silly and Very Tiny Ass) and Summer? They’re just so... irritating. The only time when I could stand Summer is when she was verbally sparring with Seth, and that’s mainly because Seth was involved.
Also, the disc with the first four episodes skipped like crazy and made it impossible for me to watch two of the episodes (the goddamn thing WENT BLACK RIGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE EPISODES) so I’m still missing a few chunks of this really weird plot puzzle they have going on.
Rome
1x01 - 1x05: My family and I mainlained Rome 1x01-1x05. (I swear to God, marathoning is so in my genes.) Antony/Vorenus is apparently my OTP. Like, in that slightly “hit you over the head and drag off your brain” OTP sort of way. THERE IS SADLY LITTLE FIC ABOUT THEM. But, seriously, the two scenes between them-the ones about Vorenus’ soldering-just had me glued to the screen praying that they would get closer. Also, Antony looks mighty fine nekkid. Mighty, mighty fine. Pullo/Vorenus is so canon. And Brutus and Niobe are just hot.
In some ways, the show reminds me of the O.C.
Atia = Julie Cooper
Caesar = Caleb Nichol
Augustus = Seth Cohen
Octavia = Marissa Cooper
Vorenus = Jimmy Cooper
Which I guess would make Brutus = Ryan and Pullo = Sandy, but those are pushing it a bit.
*
1x06: Why can’t I stop thinking about Antony/Vorenus? Like... can’t stop. Even in the face of a very drunken Vorenus being hugged by Pullo not long after Pullo recommends that he leaves his wife.
Antony and Vorenus exchanged all of, what... one line? AND YET I SAVORED IT LIKE IT WAS FINE, FINE CRACK AND I THE ADDICT. Well, okay, Vorenus was also discussing Antony in bed with Niobe, but that doesn’t count because he was talking smack about Antony’s honor (or perceived lack thereof).
Then again, maybe it does count, because Vorenus could well have been thinking of Antony’s other attributes... while in post-coital bliss... in bed with his wife. Hmmm. Promising. <--(see this? This is fine, fine delusion at work.)
Yeah. I need to write some Antony/Vorenus really badly, if just to try and excise my inability to STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM.
*
1x07 - 1x11: I still love Antony/Vorenus, and HOMG, did I call the Octavia/Servilia or did I call it? I was totally sitting on the couch eating my fist when it started becoming obvious that something was going to happen between them, and then when something DID, oh, the sounds I made.
I’m not 100% sure how I feel about the pairing-especially Servilia’s willing to use Octavia for her own ends-but woman-woman action on-screen always reduces me to a pile of happy.
Also, I have to say, Octavia is really a fandom wet dream come true. All those things that people write huge epic fic about, trying to create situations in which these things can happen, and with Octavia IT’S ALL CANON. Incest, bisexuality, cutting, and what won’t she do to make someone happy?
A lot of the time Octavia pisses me off because she’s so willing to do whatever people tell her. Actually, a lot of them piss me off, but sort of in that way that my brother pisses me off, as opposed to a detached sort of pissed off.
The scene with Pullo killing his former slave girl’s husband to be was so fucking sad. Oh, God, and seeing Vorenus so mad at him... ouch. I was holding out a small hope that Pullo would be able to make things work with his girl-they were so cute-but I should have known better. Sigh.
I’m a little hesitant to jump into the end of the season because I know I’ll want to barrel through the second season, as well. God, Rome is some delicious television.
Rome (2007-09)
1x11
Holy shit. That gladiator fight? God. That was OTP-making material right there. I nearly cried when Vorenus went in and defended. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure he was going to-Rome had a tendency to break up relationships in really painful, unexpected ways, so I really think they could have gone either way on this one-so when he did, it was just… man. I almost cried, and media rarely has that strong an effect on me.
1x12
Aww. When Niobe said “I don’t mind” re: having Pullo stay with them, I started OT3ing them. I also love that Pullo is the one who makes Vorenus smile.
Battlestar Galactica
Jotted this down after watching the mini-series: I’m shocked-there is not a single couple I’m ’shipping on the show yet. O_O Although the potential for Cylon doppelcest... oooh, tasty. Can’t say it’s captivated me beyond that, though (although the music rocks my world. ROCKS.)
Starbuck and Boomer are totally hot. The President and Apollo sort of irritate me. I get confused during every single battle scene. I love Helo’s name, and how all their outfits are form-fitting.
*
After watching S1: BSG doesn’t quite grab me in a way that I want to be fannish about it, but hooboy, the music is incredible. And the people are pretty, especially Boomer and Helo. Actually, right around 1x07 or so, I started liking Sharon/Helo, and then by the end, I was wibbling over them and their star-crossed-ness. And then in 1x08, I started slashing a little; Baltar/Gaeta kind of jumped out at me because of how faithfully Gaeta followed Baltar around. They have a kind of cute dynamic.
Also, I was so enjoying episode 1x04 in the beginning because, DUDE, they were actually having fun instead of people dying. I love that they celebrate the 1,000th flight like that. And then that accident had to happen and spoil all the fun. BOO. I want some fun, people. Just a little.
One thing I will give this show-they sure as hell know how to do a season finale. The whole episode I was on the edge of my seat.
The fight scene between Six and Starbuck ASSAULTED ME with... I dunno, it’s hard to explain. The physical intensity between those two in that scene just knocked me out. And made me really want to femmeslash those two. *g*
Fun stuff, fun stuff. Someday I may even catch up with the rest of fandom, haha.
But, really, if I ever seek out fic for this fandom, or write any, it’ll undoubtedly of the doppelcest variety. Sharon/Boomer=mmmmmmmyes. Sharon/Boomer/Helo=hell yeah. I’m curious to see whether I’ll pick up some more ’ships next season or not.
Kitchen Confidential (2007-08)
4.5 hours of this show is NOT ENOUGH. Not nearly enough. And what kind of sucks in terms of my viewership is that approximately 50% of the reason I watch is for Bradley Cooper’s many silly and wonderful facial expressions, and, well, fic just cannot replicate that.
I liked this show so much after the first few episodes that I impulse bought the DVDs. o_O It’s been awhile since I’ve done that. I usually waffle about getting new DVDs for months before I actually do it. Methinks the combination of slashiness, humor, and foodyness was just too much for my weak self to handle. (And Jack’s truly obscene levels of hotness. Those too.) Pairings-wise, I think Jack/Steven is canon, and I can see anyone in the kitchen/anyone in the kitchen. I particularly fancy Jack/Jim and Teddy/Jim (I’m highly fixated on the image of Teddy sucking on Jim’s finger). I can also see Becky/Mimi (we all know why that kiss really made Mimi uncomfortable).
Jake 2.0 (2007-08)
I hate to say it, but part of me can see why this was canceled. It appeals to my geeky sense of humor, and it doesn’t seem like they had to the budget to really go all out with Jake’s enhancements, so... yeah. No real appeal to the general public, there, but oh so tasty to me.
Christopher Gorham is always awesome to watch as a geek (and his partnership with Kyle is so cute). Lou is just SMOKING HOT. Hot damn. There’s something about a certain type of woman in power that presses all my buttons, and she fits the profile exactly. I’d love to see some Diane/Lou, or, actually, anything involving Lou because HOMG I’M A LITTLE IN LOVE WITH HER. Heck, I was ’shipping Lou with Jake just by virtue of their first meeting and how she laid down the law with him right away.
Dead Like Me (2007-09)
Things I noticed this time around-
a) The familial relationships. In specific, the family we make. Rube has, of course, always seemed like George’s father figure to me, but I saw it so much more this time around. How he’s always guiding her, listening to her, giving her advice that she doesn’t want to follow. But Delores is the one who I really paid attention to. She really became a huge mother figure for Millie, in many ways-especially the scenes where she’s writing to Joy about George, and models her on Millie. It was really profound, to me, that Delores is the one to tell her that any mother would be proud of the woman Millie’s become/becoming. And I adore that she’s the one who bailed her out of hail! Hee.
b) I always noticed the Daisy/Roxy subtext more on Daisy’s side than Roxy’s (what with the comments about orthopedic shoes, and the fascination with Roxy’s outfits and gun), but I saw more of the Roxy half of this. Roxy knows that Daisy has something to do with Ray’s disappearance, and she doesn’t tell Rube. That development in their relationship was really significant to me-yeah, Daisy’s still a fuck-up, and, yeah, Roxy still hates that about her. But at the same time, I think they’d grown close enough by then that Roxy also sympathized with what Daisy was going through, and could see that this wasn’t some sort of scam or other shady business.
Northern Exposure (2007-08)
NX Season 4 is going well so far. 4x02 (Midnight Sun) makes me want to write a series of drabbles where Joel just walks around town and gets it on with everybody; the way he unashamedly propositions Maggie was just so begging for a coda where he does so with almost everyone he meets. (And imagine if somehow, one year, Chris’ pheromones and Joel’s sun-revved sex drive occurred at the same time? Oh, the orgyness that would ensue.
Julie E. Czerneda reviews:
Some thoughts on The Web Shifters Trilogy by Julie E. Czerneda
I’m slowly making my way through re-reading these books. It’s been so long since I originally read them that a lot of it is new and fresh, along with the bits that are familiar.
What I’m really loving even more this second time around:
º The aliens! There really aren’t enough alien aliens in most of my fandoms. Star Trek, for instance, while fun, has mostly humanoid-with-some-facial-feature-exaggerated aliens. But Czerneda gives us a physically, culturally rich and diverse universe. Like the bar on Minas that’s one of the few places that can serve most of the clientele on the planet-I wish there were more scenes there! It was fascinating to read about all the different types of food and drink.
I also really like the way that Esen’s viewpoint changes slightly with each new form that she takes, and we learn so much about their biology sheerly through her observations of her own experience. I had a little trouble getting into the first person narration at first, but it’s really grown on me, and in many ways, I can see why Czerneda went with that, because it really does allow you to get inside Esen’s mind in ways that third-person wouldn’t.
As my icon probably shows, I’m a big fan of the way her Ketself looks, but I think if I were to pick a favorite as a reader? She’s most comfortable in Lanivarian form and I like when she’s in it because it tends to give her more confidence.
º Esen’s character, especially her utter silliness. I love that she’s so old and so young at the same time. I frequently catch myself laughing aloud at her thought processes, especially the “but it was such a good idea at the time!” ones.
º Paul and Esen’s friendship. It’s adorable and sweet and oh, I love them so. ♥
A few things that confuse me/I have reservations about:
- The romantic undertones in Paul and Esen’s friendship? I’m not just imagining those, am I? It’s odd, like, one minute, they’re there, the next, they’re gone. Throughout most of the first book, Beholder’s Eye, I was getting pretty strong ’shippy vibes, but then through most of the second, Changing Vision, it was much more of a comrade vibe, and even a mentor-student relationship in some ways. Except for Esen’s jealousy over Chase and that scene where they’re running out of air in the dome-that last one especially just screamed romantic confession time to me.
I’ve only just started the third, Hidden in Sight, so I’m curious to see whether that will change again, especially since I remember this book the least so really, I have no idea where the plot will take me. Because really-if Paul and Esen wanted to work things out, it wouldn’t be so hard, considering that she can take any form in the known universe. Surely interspecial relationships aren’t that unusual. *g* Not that I mind them being platonic, but I don’t think they have to stay that way if they don’t want to.
- The ease with which they seemed to have settled back into life on Minas in Hidden in Sight. Then again, I’m just at the start, so perhaps things aren’t that simple, but it seems to me like their identities were severely compromised. I can’t imagine that it won’t have more repercussions.
- The not-as-detailed-as-they-could-be descriptions of the alien forms. Am I the only one who’s finding myself imagining an alien species a different way with every new description? Like the Panacians, for example-I have so many different possibly ways that they could appear in my head that I can hardly remember how the book originally describes them.
- Kearn’s character. He was just so... overly idiotic in the first and most of the second book. It was painful at times. I liked that Czerneda gave him more development at the end of Changing Vision, but it also seemed a bit sudden.
Also, Kearn and Lefebvre have proven to me once and for all that I don’t just slash characters because I like them. *g* I most certainly don’t like Kearn’s character, but those moments they had drinking in Lefebvre’s room late at night... wow. So slashy.
Come to think of it, I wasn’t all that fond of Logan as a villain, either. He was just very... stale. Czerneda develops the protagonists so well that it’s a little disappointing to see that the opposition isn’t given the same consideration.
Anyway, I’m loving these books just as much re-reading them as I did the first time. Next I’m going to tackle The Trade Pact Universe Trilogy, and after that, Species Imperative. Yay for Czerneda binges!
Some more thoughts after finishing up Web Shifters:
This refers to this trilogy by Julie E. Czerneda. One of my all-time favorite SF authors. Her female protagonists and aliens are the best. ♥
Web Shifters: Hidden in Sight and general musings about the trilogy
I finished this book on Wednesday and was sad to reach the end of the trilogy. The other two books, well, I knew that there was still more to go. But now the canon’s done and the rest is up to my imagination, sigh.
Thankfully... HAPPY ENDING YAY! The best part about re-reading books from years ago is that I don’t remember most major plot points. Endings are typically the first things I forget, actually. And this one... oh, God, so perfect. So perfect. Esen-alit-Quar going by her real name! Paul get his library on his homeworld with lots of comfy chairs! Rudy and Kearn will finally hook up! Okay, that last part is mostly in my imagination, but I swear, the subtext was getting painful towards the end. But eee! No more hiding! I love that she used the title to SUCH great effect; a very nice tie-in at the end. And the way the themes slowly developed over the three books-how time and again it was lack of cultural knowledge that was impeding relationships between species and putting Esen into tough positions that, if more beings just had access to what she knew, wouldn’t have occurred in the first place. It was very nicely pulled off; very rewarding to get to the end.
I was a bit shocked at how much Czerneda turned Kearn around. I mean, yeah, I did complain in my last review that I wanted her to develop him more, but damn. Suddenly he’s a unofficial member of the secret group? Don’t get me wrong: Esen is totally charming and I’m sure it’s hard to resist sweet little Bess, but it was just kind of... sudden. A welcome sudden, though. I was still getting a lot of ’shippy vibes from Rudy/Kearn, although Kearn/Timri is cute too.
And dude. Skalet/Kearn? He was getting all the subtextual action! And Skalet kissing Paul totally... weird. I think I would have reacted the same way Esen did to seeing them kiss, although Skalet’s disguise sounded hot like fire. I could kind of go for some Esen/Skalet, actually. Even Esen/Lesy, if she’d lived, although she didn’t get as much development. Mostly I’d just be interested in what kind of ephemeral relationship these web beings would have. How would they act if they could be in ephemeral form without trying to hide their true nature? What kind of intimacy would they express in physical form that would parallel the way they share as web beings?
So I had just about mixed feelings about Paul/Esen towards the end as I did before. I mean... in some ways, he’s the only ephemeral I can ever see her trusting with any kind of true intimacy. I mean, he’s the only one she trusts with a FULL friendship, as is. Yet... he’s so fatherly towards her at times. So that makes it weird. Yet Beholder was so full of UST. *sigh* I think I’d really enjoy some Beholder-set Paul/Esen as her Ketself action. In part because her Ketself... bwuh. Definitely my favorite of all her forms just in terms of aesthetic appeal. I mean, c’mon-purple, bald, and long-fingered? That’s sort of a recipe to melt me into a happy puddle of goo on the floor.
But mainly I’d just to love to read some happy fic of them all sitting in the library, Skalet stopping by to disapprove with a scowl while secretly envying Esen’s new carefree nature, Paul keeping everyone out of trouble, Rudy developing a less grudging and more friendly respect for Kearn, and eventually, Joel visiting and making amends with Esen and all of them being ONE HAPPY LITTLE WEB FAMILY BECAUSE EEEEE THE ENDING! SO SWEET! ♥
Yeah. I’m a sucker for happy endings. I’m okay with that.
Also, I’d love to see a fic where Esen lives for generations and generations and generations into the future... and then Paul is re-incarnated. ’Cause I loves me some re-incarnation fic, and I love Paul, and I still love Beholder-esque Paul/Esen.
I’m kinda tempted not to start any new books for awhile and just linger in Esen-verse a little longer. *sigh* I love Esen. *pets icon*
Ties of Power Trilogy:
A Thousand Words for Stranger
“My chances of surviving to ripe old age now depended on the olfactory ability of a being whose nose I couldn’t even begin to find.”
“Think of the special caress he gives you. I will augment your heart-search.” p221
Definitely feeling the Huido/Morgan love there.
“‘I’m yours, heart-kin.’ Rael’s eyes were moist as mine were dry.” p314
Mmm, Rael/Sira.
Ties of Power
“...the M’hir between us full of concern [...]. There was something else there, too, but I was not inclined to search deeper.” p73
“The Human reached out and and lightly traced two straight lines against the issa-silk of Barac’s evening jacket.” p108
“but it felt good to hammer his better fist against the cool black armor his friend called skin, to look down into dozens of warmly focused eyes and know he was safe ehre, without need for explanation or argument.” P132
And around page 134 we see that Huido allows Morgan into his “inner sanctum,” the only alien to have that privilege as he sits in a salt water bath with his wives.
[ The Merro Tree ] 2007-07
So, lucky me, I occasionally do full-time days where I get paid to press buttons and read. I re-read this for the... third time? over the two days, finishing early on the second.
I know I really love a book when I don’t want to do anything but bask in its excellence just after I’ve finished it. I had a similar reaction when I finished the Web Shifters Trilogy by Julie E. Czerneda. These universes pull me in so thoroughly that I’m loathe to leave them.
What don’t I love about this book? Canonical queerness all over the place, ALIEN SEX OMG ALIEN SEX DID I MENTION THAT ALIENS HAVE SEX?
..ahem. Yes, I have an alien!sex kink. Maybe because I read this book when I was a kid. *g* But there’s something so hot about interspecial smut. And this book totally goes there. I enjoyed the tackling of the issues of censorship and spirituality, too (and the shout-out to Coyote!).
So, okay, yes-Mikk is a bit too perfect. He’s good at everything and just emotionally fucked-up enough to be lovable. Not to mention he’s twenty different kinds of hot, what with the purple eyes and red hair. BUT. Mikk/Thissizz makes me not even care about the fact that Mikk, as a character, has issues. Because they are so squishyhappysexyadorable. I am a sucker for Made to Be couples (yes, the capitalized kind) and these two fit the bill so perfectly. Also, Thissizz having wives and kids? AWESOME. I love canonical poly relationships, too. And Hudd/Oosmoosis! Ahhhh! They are so sweet and the way they know exactly how to take care of Mikk and Thissizz just warms the cockles of my slash happy heart.
The shape-changing alien also leaves TMT ripe for a crossover with Web Shifters. Like, almost too ripe. The plot bunny I have for it is so demanding that it’s valiantly attempting to take my attention away from all my other fandoms and demanding that I merge these two universes because they so need to be ficced. And I have this weird urge to have Esen change into a cephalopod form and to pair her with Maya. Maya was such a great supporting character; she seriously had me laughing out loud more than once while I was reading. She reminds me of Mammy from Gone With the Wind. *g*
I loved the Somalites, too. And most of the aliens. I’m so easy with it comes to aliens; as long as they aren’t the Star Trek cardboard humanoid cutouts with slightly different noses, I’m happy. A lot of the aliens reminded me of Web Shifters, too; seems like earth-animals are a popular place to start for alternate species evolution, what with dogs, fish, and snakes appearing in both.
The main trouble with crossing it with Web Shifters is the way different portrayal of the human species. In TMT, Terrans are so xenophobic, while in WST they’re the most outgoing and friendly species there is. I think with some timeline juggling I could manage it, but still... tricksy.
Oh, also, since I’m a fandom of one, I decided that the girl’s name is Ryanavera, after Mikk’s mother.
Pairings list:
Mikk/Thissizz
Martin/Aro (oh, c’mon, he invited him into his bed!)
Hudd/Oosmoosis
Crossover: Esen/Maya
In a nutshell: this book only gets better every time I read it. Canon queerness, interspecial sex, ripe crossover potential and fun supporting characters eeeeeee!
The Merro Tree re-reading on 2007-09
Awww, the Aro/Martin scenes are so sweet. I love that I slash even in a book where the slash is already canon. (And I got this huge, long AU plotbunny for the young up-start doctor actually saving Huud’s life and the two of them living blissfully ever after.)
Anyway, Aro/Martin yumminess:
“Aro leered crookedly and Martin felt hot.”
“I wouldn't have expected a Terran to share his bed with a Kekoi.”
“Neither would I. It’s a first for me.”
And I love that Captain Dupré (and so many other characters in this book) is such a horndog. And that Mikk is totally okay with that.
Aaah, and who could forget the fantastic shapeshifter!Mikk. Doppelcest, ahoy!:
“It was beautiful ... Why did the gods make so many dangerous things attractive? He could love this creature if it understood.”
“It reached out and gently stroked the performance master's hair, charmed by it as most children were ... the entity watched his mouth, enchanted.”
Also, literally almost every line of Maya’s makes me burst out laughing. She is the preciousest cephalopod ever. Mikk/Thissizz never really stops being amazing, and has me contemplating hte mechanics of interspecial sex between a humanoid and a serpentine. What does it mean when Mikk says “That is why the gods gave me strong legs and hands, my friend, and you such a flexible tongue.” The flexible tongue part is obvious, but... how do Mikk’s strong legs and hands factor in? If Thissizz is, er, big enough to be afraid of splitting Mikk open, then how do they...?
*brain goes interesting places*
Tortall (2007-02)
The best thing about re-reading these books is that it’s been so long since the first time that there are a whole lot of plot points that I forgot about. And it’s a really nice change from a lot of the other media I ingest to have female protagonists; it’s interesting, because when I was younger, I almost exclusively read about female protagonists. Those were the books that interested me enough to buy and keep.
I finished Song of the Lioness not too long ago and I’m working my way through The Immortals and must say that they’re just as fun as I remember. And yowza does Alanna look cool on the Lioness Rampant cover. I think the main problem I had with the Lioness series was that I really wanted to see the writing style change as Alanna got older; maybe become a bit more complex, rich in language. I can get into the YA writing style but it can be hard at times (and non-dialogue exclamation make me all twitchy).
I really love Alanna as a character, though, especially her flaws; she has such drive that comes with the lovely accompaniment of wanting control. Plus, my weakness for redheads comes into full play for this series ;)
And waaaaah, I was so sad when Liam and Faithful died :( That was one of the things I’d forgotten about.
Daine, well, talk about a totally different personality; it’s interesting to see how differently Alanna’s and Daine’s “coming of age” processes are. They have so many of the same qualities (strength, compassion, loyalty, perseverance) but such different ways of expressing them.
Oh, and who could forget Numair... bwahahaha. My love for him has only grown. He’s just so cute and, well, amusing. Scholarly + vain + silly + tall + long black hair = happy Sheera.
Good times.
Six Feet Under 2006-12
Dude. Dude. I don't know precisely what I expected from the end of the series, but it wasn't exactly that. I mean, maybe I'm just not the sharpest tack in the box, but still... that ending was a whole lot happier than I expected. Guh. I think I was literally holding my breath through all the flash forwards. It just took me totally by surprise which makes no sense, considering the series is all about death. :P
The music gave me chills all up my arms during Claire's drive.
It's interesting how the show started out by focusing on Nate and then went to Claire... seems appropriate, in a way. From the eldest to the youngest. I gotta say I'm glad she ended up with Ted. I liked him from the beginning, for no particular reason other than he was different than all the other guys she tried to have relationships with.
The scene with Nate and his dad was a bit sudden... but it had to happen. They couldn't just leave Brenda feeling like Nate hated their child forever, that would have just been too much.
I'm glad they didn't draw it out any farther than this. The show went some REALLY weird places in the five seasons, but the arc felt completed. I'm glad I stuck it out.
I'm braindead from that. I think maybe tomorrow I'll re-watch it.
The O.C., Season 1 (January 5, 2007)
Ahhh, the O. fucking C. I made a resolution never to watch this show, but for my beautiful TSK, I will do anything.
So, firstly: Seth/Ryan=adorable! Utterly adorable. Seth calls his hair a jewfro, likes Death Cab and reads comics? Yeah, I’m in love. And Ryan is pretty with a nice amount of broody and a whole load of gentlemanliness to give him that extra appeal. And fuck if blue eyes ever hurt anyone’s case.
But... everyone else. Ick. The plot, most of the other characters, and the way they portray California makes me throw up a little in my mouth if I think about it too much.
Well, okay, not everyone else. I like Sandy and Kirsten and Jimmy. I could kinda go for Sandy/Jimmy, actually. Maybe even Sandy/Kirsten/Jimmy. But ugh, Marissa (aka Ms. Count All My Ribs Through My Shirt and Ms. I Couldn’t Make a Decision Even If It Kicked Me In My Silly and Very Tiny Ass) and Summer? They’re just so... irritating. The only time when I could stand Summer is when she was verbally sparring with Seth, and that’s mainly because Seth was involved.
Also, the disc with the first four episodes skipped like crazy and made it impossible for me to watch two of the episodes (the goddamn thing WENT BLACK RIGHT BEFORE THE END OF THE EPISODES) so I’m still missing a few chunks of this really weird plot puzzle they have going on.
Rome
1x01 - 1x05: My family and I mainlained Rome 1x01-1x05. (I swear to God, marathoning is so in my genes.) Antony/Vorenus is apparently my OTP. Like, in that slightly “hit you over the head and drag off your brain” OTP sort of way. THERE IS SADLY LITTLE FIC ABOUT THEM. But, seriously, the two scenes between them-the ones about Vorenus’ soldering-just had me glued to the screen praying that they would get closer. Also, Antony looks mighty fine nekkid. Mighty, mighty fine. Pullo/Vorenus is so canon. And Brutus and Niobe are just hot.
In some ways, the show reminds me of the O.C.
Atia = Julie Cooper
Caesar = Caleb Nichol
Augustus = Seth Cohen
Octavia = Marissa Cooper
Vorenus = Jimmy Cooper
Which I guess would make Brutus = Ryan and Pullo = Sandy, but those are pushing it a bit.
*
1x06: Why can’t I stop thinking about Antony/Vorenus? Like... can’t stop. Even in the face of a very drunken Vorenus being hugged by Pullo not long after Pullo recommends that he leaves his wife.
Antony and Vorenus exchanged all of, what... one line? AND YET I SAVORED IT LIKE IT WAS FINE, FINE CRACK AND I THE ADDICT. Well, okay, Vorenus was also discussing Antony in bed with Niobe, but that doesn’t count because he was talking smack about Antony’s honor (or perceived lack thereof).
Then again, maybe it does count, because Vorenus could well have been thinking of Antony’s other attributes... while in post-coital bliss... in bed with his wife. Hmmm. Promising. <--(see this? This is fine, fine delusion at work.)
Yeah. I need to write some Antony/Vorenus really badly, if just to try and excise my inability to STOP THINKING ABOUT THEM.
*
1x07 - 1x11: I still love Antony/Vorenus, and HOMG, did I call the Octavia/Servilia or did I call it? I was totally sitting on the couch eating my fist when it started becoming obvious that something was going to happen between them, and then when something DID, oh, the sounds I made.
I’m not 100% sure how I feel about the pairing-especially Servilia’s willing to use Octavia for her own ends-but woman-woman action on-screen always reduces me to a pile of happy.
Also, I have to say, Octavia is really a fandom wet dream come true. All those things that people write huge epic fic about, trying to create situations in which these things can happen, and with Octavia IT’S ALL CANON. Incest, bisexuality, cutting, and what won’t she do to make someone happy?
A lot of the time Octavia pisses me off because she’s so willing to do whatever people tell her. Actually, a lot of them piss me off, but sort of in that way that my brother pisses me off, as opposed to a detached sort of pissed off.
The scene with Pullo killing his former slave girl’s husband to be was so fucking sad. Oh, God, and seeing Vorenus so mad at him... ouch. I was holding out a small hope that Pullo would be able to make things work with his girl-they were so cute-but I should have known better. Sigh.
I’m a little hesitant to jump into the end of the season because I know I’ll want to barrel through the second season, as well. God, Rome is some delicious television.
Rome (2007-09)
1x11
Holy shit. That gladiator fight? God. That was OTP-making material right there. I nearly cried when Vorenus went in and defended. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure he was going to-Rome had a tendency to break up relationships in really painful, unexpected ways, so I really think they could have gone either way on this one-so when he did, it was just… man. I almost cried, and media rarely has that strong an effect on me.
1x12
Aww. When Niobe said “I don’t mind” re: having Pullo stay with them, I started OT3ing them. I also love that Pullo is the one who makes Vorenus smile.
Battlestar Galactica
Jotted this down after watching the mini-series: I’m shocked-there is not a single couple I’m ’shipping on the show yet. O_O Although the potential for Cylon doppelcest... oooh, tasty. Can’t say it’s captivated me beyond that, though (although the music rocks my world. ROCKS.)
Starbuck and Boomer are totally hot. The President and Apollo sort of irritate me. I get confused during every single battle scene. I love Helo’s name, and how all their outfits are form-fitting.
*
After watching S1: BSG doesn’t quite grab me in a way that I want to be fannish about it, but hooboy, the music is incredible. And the people are pretty, especially Boomer and Helo. Actually, right around 1x07 or so, I started liking Sharon/Helo, and then by the end, I was wibbling over them and their star-crossed-ness. And then in 1x08, I started slashing a little; Baltar/Gaeta kind of jumped out at me because of how faithfully Gaeta followed Baltar around. They have a kind of cute dynamic.
Also, I was so enjoying episode 1x04 in the beginning because, DUDE, they were actually having fun instead of people dying. I love that they celebrate the 1,000th flight like that. And then that accident had to happen and spoil all the fun. BOO. I want some fun, people. Just a little.
One thing I will give this show-they sure as hell know how to do a season finale. The whole episode I was on the edge of my seat.
The fight scene between Six and Starbuck ASSAULTED ME with... I dunno, it’s hard to explain. The physical intensity between those two in that scene just knocked me out. And made me really want to femmeslash those two. *g*
Fun stuff, fun stuff. Someday I may even catch up with the rest of fandom, haha.
But, really, if I ever seek out fic for this fandom, or write any, it’ll undoubtedly of the doppelcest variety. Sharon/Boomer=mmmmmmmyes. Sharon/Boomer/Helo=hell yeah. I’m curious to see whether I’ll pick up some more ’ships next season or not.
Kitchen Confidential (2007-08)
4.5 hours of this show is NOT ENOUGH. Not nearly enough. And what kind of sucks in terms of my viewership is that approximately 50% of the reason I watch is for Bradley Cooper’s many silly and wonderful facial expressions, and, well, fic just cannot replicate that.
I liked this show so much after the first few episodes that I impulse bought the DVDs. o_O It’s been awhile since I’ve done that. I usually waffle about getting new DVDs for months before I actually do it. Methinks the combination of slashiness, humor, and foodyness was just too much for my weak self to handle. (And Jack’s truly obscene levels of hotness. Those too.) Pairings-wise, I think Jack/Steven is canon, and I can see anyone in the kitchen/anyone in the kitchen. I particularly fancy Jack/Jim and Teddy/Jim (I’m highly fixated on the image of Teddy sucking on Jim’s finger). I can also see Becky/Mimi (we all know why that kiss really made Mimi uncomfortable).
Jake 2.0 (2007-08)
I hate to say it, but part of me can see why this was canceled. It appeals to my geeky sense of humor, and it doesn’t seem like they had to the budget to really go all out with Jake’s enhancements, so... yeah. No real appeal to the general public, there, but oh so tasty to me.
Christopher Gorham is always awesome to watch as a geek (and his partnership with Kyle is so cute). Lou is just SMOKING HOT. Hot damn. There’s something about a certain type of woman in power that presses all my buttons, and she fits the profile exactly. I’d love to see some Diane/Lou, or, actually, anything involving Lou because HOMG I’M A LITTLE IN LOVE WITH HER. Heck, I was ’shipping Lou with Jake just by virtue of their first meeting and how she laid down the law with him right away.
Dead Like Me (2007-09)
Things I noticed this time around-
a) The familial relationships. In specific, the family we make. Rube has, of course, always seemed like George’s father figure to me, but I saw it so much more this time around. How he’s always guiding her, listening to her, giving her advice that she doesn’t want to follow. But Delores is the one who I really paid attention to. She really became a huge mother figure for Millie, in many ways-especially the scenes where she’s writing to Joy about George, and models her on Millie. It was really profound, to me, that Delores is the one to tell her that any mother would be proud of the woman Millie’s become/becoming. And I adore that she’s the one who bailed her out of hail! Hee.
b) I always noticed the Daisy/Roxy subtext more on Daisy’s side than Roxy’s (what with the comments about orthopedic shoes, and the fascination with Roxy’s outfits and gun), but I saw more of the Roxy half of this. Roxy knows that Daisy has something to do with Ray’s disappearance, and she doesn’t tell Rube. That development in their relationship was really significant to me-yeah, Daisy’s still a fuck-up, and, yeah, Roxy still hates that about her. But at the same time, I think they’d grown close enough by then that Roxy also sympathized with what Daisy was going through, and could see that this wasn’t some sort of scam or other shady business.
Northern Exposure (2007-08)
NX Season 4 is going well so far. 4x02 (Midnight Sun) makes me want to write a series of drabbles where Joel just walks around town and gets it on with everybody; the way he unashamedly propositions Maggie was just so begging for a coda where he does so with almost everyone he meets. (And imagine if somehow, one year, Chris’ pheromones and Joel’s sun-revved sex drive occurred at the same time? Oh, the orgyness that would ensue.
Julie E. Czerneda reviews:
Some thoughts on The Web Shifters Trilogy by Julie E. Czerneda
I’m slowly making my way through re-reading these books. It’s been so long since I originally read them that a lot of it is new and fresh, along with the bits that are familiar.
What I’m really loving even more this second time around:
º The aliens! There really aren’t enough alien aliens in most of my fandoms. Star Trek, for instance, while fun, has mostly humanoid-with-some-facial-feature-exaggerated aliens. But Czerneda gives us a physically, culturally rich and diverse universe. Like the bar on Minas that’s one of the few places that can serve most of the clientele on the planet-I wish there were more scenes there! It was fascinating to read about all the different types of food and drink.
I also really like the way that Esen’s viewpoint changes slightly with each new form that she takes, and we learn so much about their biology sheerly through her observations of her own experience. I had a little trouble getting into the first person narration at first, but it’s really grown on me, and in many ways, I can see why Czerneda went with that, because it really does allow you to get inside Esen’s mind in ways that third-person wouldn’t.
As my icon probably shows, I’m a big fan of the way her Ketself looks, but I think if I were to pick a favorite as a reader? She’s most comfortable in Lanivarian form and I like when she’s in it because it tends to give her more confidence.
º Esen’s character, especially her utter silliness. I love that she’s so old and so young at the same time. I frequently catch myself laughing aloud at her thought processes, especially the “but it was such a good idea at the time!” ones.
º Paul and Esen’s friendship. It’s adorable and sweet and oh, I love them so. ♥
A few things that confuse me/I have reservations about:
- The romantic undertones in Paul and Esen’s friendship? I’m not just imagining those, am I? It’s odd, like, one minute, they’re there, the next, they’re gone. Throughout most of the first book, Beholder’s Eye, I was getting pretty strong ’shippy vibes, but then through most of the second, Changing Vision, it was much more of a comrade vibe, and even a mentor-student relationship in some ways. Except for Esen’s jealousy over Chase and that scene where they’re running out of air in the dome-that last one especially just screamed romantic confession time to me.
I’ve only just started the third, Hidden in Sight, so I’m curious to see whether that will change again, especially since I remember this book the least so really, I have no idea where the plot will take me. Because really-if Paul and Esen wanted to work things out, it wouldn’t be so hard, considering that she can take any form in the known universe. Surely interspecial relationships aren’t that unusual. *g* Not that I mind them being platonic, but I don’t think they have to stay that way if they don’t want to.
- The ease with which they seemed to have settled back into life on Minas in Hidden in Sight. Then again, I’m just at the start, so perhaps things aren’t that simple, but it seems to me like their identities were severely compromised. I can’t imagine that it won’t have more repercussions.
- The not-as-detailed-as-they-could-be descriptions of the alien forms. Am I the only one who’s finding myself imagining an alien species a different way with every new description? Like the Panacians, for example-I have so many different possibly ways that they could appear in my head that I can hardly remember how the book originally describes them.
- Kearn’s character. He was just so... overly idiotic in the first and most of the second book. It was painful at times. I liked that Czerneda gave him more development at the end of Changing Vision, but it also seemed a bit sudden.
Also, Kearn and Lefebvre have proven to me once and for all that I don’t just slash characters because I like them. *g* I most certainly don’t like Kearn’s character, but those moments they had drinking in Lefebvre’s room late at night... wow. So slashy.
Come to think of it, I wasn’t all that fond of Logan as a villain, either. He was just very... stale. Czerneda develops the protagonists so well that it’s a little disappointing to see that the opposition isn’t given the same consideration.
Anyway, I’m loving these books just as much re-reading them as I did the first time. Next I’m going to tackle The Trade Pact Universe Trilogy, and after that, Species Imperative. Yay for Czerneda binges!
Some more thoughts after finishing up Web Shifters:
This refers to this trilogy by Julie E. Czerneda. One of my all-time favorite SF authors. Her female protagonists and aliens are the best. ♥
Web Shifters: Hidden in Sight and general musings about the trilogy
I finished this book on Wednesday and was sad to reach the end of the trilogy. The other two books, well, I knew that there was still more to go. But now the canon’s done and the rest is up to my imagination, sigh.
Thankfully... HAPPY ENDING YAY! The best part about re-reading books from years ago is that I don’t remember most major plot points. Endings are typically the first things I forget, actually. And this one... oh, God, so perfect. So perfect. Esen-alit-Quar going by her real name! Paul get his library on his homeworld with lots of comfy chairs! Rudy and Kearn will finally hook up! Okay, that last part is mostly in my imagination, but I swear, the subtext was getting painful towards the end. But eee! No more hiding! I love that she used the title to SUCH great effect; a very nice tie-in at the end. And the way the themes slowly developed over the three books-how time and again it was lack of cultural knowledge that was impeding relationships between species and putting Esen into tough positions that, if more beings just had access to what she knew, wouldn’t have occurred in the first place. It was very nicely pulled off; very rewarding to get to the end.
I was a bit shocked at how much Czerneda turned Kearn around. I mean, yeah, I did complain in my last review that I wanted her to develop him more, but damn. Suddenly he’s a unofficial member of the secret group? Don’t get me wrong: Esen is totally charming and I’m sure it’s hard to resist sweet little Bess, but it was just kind of... sudden. A welcome sudden, though. I was still getting a lot of ’shippy vibes from Rudy/Kearn, although Kearn/Timri is cute too.
And dude. Skalet/Kearn? He was getting all the subtextual action! And Skalet kissing Paul totally... weird. I think I would have reacted the same way Esen did to seeing them kiss, although Skalet’s disguise sounded hot like fire. I could kind of go for some Esen/Skalet, actually. Even Esen/Lesy, if she’d lived, although she didn’t get as much development. Mostly I’d just be interested in what kind of ephemeral relationship these web beings would have. How would they act if they could be in ephemeral form without trying to hide their true nature? What kind of intimacy would they express in physical form that would parallel the way they share as web beings?
So I had just about mixed feelings about Paul/Esen towards the end as I did before. I mean... in some ways, he’s the only ephemeral I can ever see her trusting with any kind of true intimacy. I mean, he’s the only one she trusts with a FULL friendship, as is. Yet... he’s so fatherly towards her at times. So that makes it weird. Yet Beholder was so full of UST. *sigh* I think I’d really enjoy some Beholder-set Paul/Esen as her Ketself action. In part because her Ketself... bwuh. Definitely my favorite of all her forms just in terms of aesthetic appeal. I mean, c’mon-purple, bald, and long-fingered? That’s sort of a recipe to melt me into a happy puddle of goo on the floor.
But mainly I’d just to love to read some happy fic of them all sitting in the library, Skalet stopping by to disapprove with a scowl while secretly envying Esen’s new carefree nature, Paul keeping everyone out of trouble, Rudy developing a less grudging and more friendly respect for Kearn, and eventually, Joel visiting and making amends with Esen and all of them being ONE HAPPY LITTLE WEB FAMILY BECAUSE EEEEE THE ENDING! SO SWEET! ♥
Yeah. I’m a sucker for happy endings. I’m okay with that.
Also, I’d love to see a fic where Esen lives for generations and generations and generations into the future... and then Paul is re-incarnated. ’Cause I loves me some re-incarnation fic, and I love Paul, and I still love Beholder-esque Paul/Esen.
I’m kinda tempted not to start any new books for awhile and just linger in Esen-verse a little longer. *sigh* I love Esen. *pets icon*
Ties of Power Trilogy:
A Thousand Words for Stranger
“My chances of surviving to ripe old age now depended on the olfactory ability of a being whose nose I couldn’t even begin to find.”
“Think of the special caress he gives you. I will augment your heart-search.” p221
Definitely feeling the Huido/Morgan love there.
“‘I’m yours, heart-kin.’ Rael’s eyes were moist as mine were dry.” p314
Mmm, Rael/Sira.
Ties of Power
“...the M’hir between us full of concern [...]. There was something else there, too, but I was not inclined to search deeper.” p73
“The Human reached out and and lightly traced two straight lines against the issa-silk of Barac’s evening jacket.” p108
“but it felt good to hammer his better fist against the cool black armor his friend called skin, to look down into dozens of warmly focused eyes and know he was safe ehre, without need for explanation or argument.” P132
And around page 134 we see that Huido allows Morgan into his “inner sanctum,” the only alien to have that privilege as he sits in a salt water bath with his wives.