FINALLY!
Laurell, the reason your fans have been criticizing you so harshly is because we knew that you had this in you. I very much enjoyed this one. It wasn't without its flaws--no book is, really--but the good far outweighed the bad. There was plot, there wasn't too much sex and what was there wasn't dragged on and on and on. And the scene in the forest? AMAZING! Creeped me the ---- out. Especially since I happened to be driving through a forest at night when I was listening to it on the audiobook.
I raise my glass to you. I almost feel bad for tearing into your previous books so harshly... but... let's face it, the harsh criticism was deserved. Sorry, but it was.
Here's hoping that Kiss the Dead keeps this ball rolling. I know you have it in you!
Laurell, the reason your fans have been criticizing you so harshly is because we knew that you had this in you. I very much enjoyed this one. It wasn't without its flaws--no book is, really--but the good far outweighed the bad. There was plot, there wasn't too much sex and what was there wasn't dragged on and on and on. And the scene in the forest? AMAZING! Creeped me the ---- out. Especially since I happened to be driving through a forest at night when I was listening to it on the audiobook.
I raise my glass to you. I almost feel bad for tearing into your previous books so harshly... but... let's face it, the harsh criticism was deserved. Sorry, but it was.
Here's hoping that Kiss the Dead keeps this ball rolling. I know you have it in you!
It was nice getting to know Jason a bit more, but mostly it was just sex. The in-depth potential was wasted, as is par for the course lately.
o I am BEYOND sick of the ardeur.
o I am BEYOND sick of Richard's being a whiny little b! ch.
o "The look I gave him wasn't friendly." -- that's been used about 50 times in the past 2 books
o "I did/said the only thing I could think of." -- used multiple times in this book
o In the past few books, LKH has used "for real" a lot. It sounds annoyingly juvenile. "I want you to love me, for real." "You could have been my lupa, for real."
o I don't have the book in front of me so I can't quote directly, but I know there was a scene in which Anita learns about the weird customs of the weretigers. Then later in the book, she gets it explained to her again and apparently has no recollection of having learned this same info earlier in the book. There have been several cases of inconsistency in LKH's recent books. I can only attribute it to a lack of an editor.
o The past several books have had the SAME ANNOYING STORYLINE over and over and over. (a) Anita has sex, (b) Anita inexplicably gains a new power, (c) she must learn to control this new power, (d) in order to control her new beasts, she must call to local male were-animals of whatever form she needs.
o ANOTHER friggin' pregnancy scare. Seriously?
o Adverbs. LKH needs to learn when to add -ly to a word.
I'm sick of new men. I'm sick of the ardeur. I'm sick of her new powers.
I'm honestly at a loss show more as to how these books got published. ...Though at least it gives me hope that breaking into the publishing market isn't nearly as difficult as I once believed. show less
o I am BEYOND sick of the ardeur.
o I am BEYOND sick of Richard's being a whiny little b! ch.
o "The look I gave him wasn't friendly." -- that's been used about 50 times in the past 2 books
o "I did/said the only thing I could think of." -- used multiple times in this book
o In the past few books, LKH has used "for real" a lot. It sounds annoyingly juvenile. "I want you to love me, for real." "You could have been my lupa, for real."
o I don't have the book in front of me so I can't quote directly, but I know there was a scene in which Anita learns about the weird customs of the weretigers. Then later in the book, she gets it explained to her again and apparently has no recollection of having learned this same info earlier in the book. There have been several cases of inconsistency in LKH's recent books. I can only attribute it to a lack of an editor.
o The past several books have had the SAME ANNOYING STORYLINE over and over and over. (a) Anita has sex, (b) Anita inexplicably gains a new power, (c) she must learn to control this new power, (d) in order to control her new beasts, she must call to local male were-animals of whatever form she needs.
o ANOTHER friggin' pregnancy scare. Seriously?
o Adverbs. LKH needs to learn when to add -ly to a word.
I'm sick of new men. I'm sick of the ardeur. I'm sick of her new powers.
I'm honestly at a loss show more as to how these books got published. ...Though at least it gives me hope that breaking into the publishing market isn't nearly as difficult as I once believed. show less
Koontz is sometimes hit-and-miss for me, but so far I'm enjoying his take on Frankenstein. As usual his characters sometimes engage in mundane-but-amusing dialogue that I find charming. And the token golden retriever? I'm sure there was one, but it's been a couple months since I've read this.
*head-desk*
And Hit List made me hopeful. I should have known better. As a review I once read stated, LKH "tends to take one step forward, two orgies back." It was too much to hope for 2 good books in a row.
I'm not sure where to start. Like so many others, the book started out very interesting. It even held my interest longer than some other of the Anita Blake books, but lo and behold the endless sex scenes began again, and what little plot there was flew out the window with Anita's knickers.
If I have to effing read once more about how tiny/small/petite Anita is, I will punch a baby. Seriously. I'm only 5'4"--an inch taller than Anita--yet I somehow make it through my week without constantly thinking, "Oh, I'm so small. Look how small my hands are next to his. I'm so tiny. I only come up to his chest. I got used to being the smallest kid in school." Because you know why? 5'3"-5'4" isn't that effing short!!! Yes, I am shorter than many people, but there are times I am often one of the tallest people standing in line at the post office or whatnot. I'm a little shorter than average, but it's not such a fking rarity that it's constantly remarked upon by those around me/by my own inner dialogue.
There is good news, though: that was the final published Anita Blake book. If my OCD permits, I will not look for upcoming installments. I'm done. Thank god, I'm done.
And Hit List made me hopeful. I should have known better. As a review I once read stated, LKH "tends to take one step forward, two orgies back." It was too much to hope for 2 good books in a row.
I'm not sure where to start. Like so many others, the book started out very interesting. It even held my interest longer than some other of the Anita Blake books, but lo and behold the endless sex scenes began again, and what little plot there was flew out the window with Anita's knickers.
If I have to effing read once more about how tiny/small/petite Anita is, I will punch a baby. Seriously. I'm only 5'4"--an inch taller than Anita--yet I somehow make it through my week without constantly thinking, "Oh, I'm so small. Look how small my hands are next to his. I'm so tiny. I only come up to his chest. I got used to being the smallest kid in school." Because you know why? 5'3"-5'4" isn't that effing short!!! Yes, I am shorter than many people, but there are times I am often one of the tallest people standing in line at the post office or whatnot. I'm a little shorter than average, but it's not such a fking rarity that it's constantly remarked upon by those around me/by my own inner dialogue.
There is good news, though: that was the final published Anita Blake book. If my OCD permits, I will not look for upcoming installments. I'm done. Thank god, I'm done.
I love Terry Brooks. I love Scott Brick. I hate First King of Shannara.
I've been going through the Shannara series in chronological order, starting with Running With the Demon. Brooks has captivated me with his characters like Nest Freemark and John Ross and Hawk. Prue and Pantera weren't too bad, either.
I didn't connect with a single one of the characters in First King of Shannara. There seemed to be zero character development, the plot never seemed to change, and all this added to Scott Brick's over-dramatic reading left me exhausted. I couldn't wait to just get through the damn thing.
The Knights of the Word and demons fascinate me. I'm sad to see them gone by this point in the series. (I'm hopeful they'll return!)
All in all, I am a great fan of Brooks' works and of Scott Brick; however, FKoS fell well short of what I expected.
I've been going through the Shannara series in chronological order, starting with Running With the Demon. Brooks has captivated me with his characters like Nest Freemark and John Ross and Hawk. Prue and Pantera weren't too bad, either.
I didn't connect with a single one of the characters in First King of Shannara. There seemed to be zero character development, the plot never seemed to change, and all this added to Scott Brick's over-dramatic reading left me exhausted. I couldn't wait to just get through the damn thing.
The Knights of the Word and demons fascinate me. I'm sad to see them gone by this point in the series. (I'm hopeful they'll return!)
All in all, I am a great fan of Brooks' works and of Scott Brick; however, FKoS fell well short of what I expected.
Anything is an improvement after 'Danse Macabre.' This one starts off like the good ol' days! There's mystery, plot, murder... then the sex comes back. Oh well. That's ok, because at least there is something resembling a plot! Oh plot, I have missed you. This book gives me hope that the rest of the series will be tolerable. Richard drives me up the wall and I wish there were more Jean-Claude, but oh well. It's not my story.
-------------------------------------------------
Now for the digs (may contain spoilers):
1) The Oh-No-Should-I-Take-This-Vaccine? Plot Bunny:
Edward's soon-to-be-stepson is attacked by a weretiger. He's offered the chance to take a vaccine because two or more forms of lycanthropy cancel each other out. If he has contracted lycanthropy, taking the vaccine of another form of lycanthropy will neutralize it. HOWEVER, if he has NOT contracted lycanthropy, the vaccine could give him whatever form of lycanthropy is in it.
Plot-Bunny Snare:
Have the vaccine contain 2 or more forms. That way, if there IS lycanthropy contracted in an attack, the vaccine will work... and if there is NOT contraction, the 2 or more forms in the vaccine will cancel each other out anyway. See? That wasn't so hard, was it? What is proffered as a dilemma is a problem that is as tricky to punch through as a wet paper sack.
-------------------------------------------------
2) Over-used Phrases:
LKH has some favorite phrases that she uses too often. She's a prolific writer and so phrases show more can be expected to recur... but multiple times in the SAME BOOK? *sigh* For example:
- "it was as if" or "as if" (this one comes at least 100 times per book. Hah, kind of like Anita! See what I did there?)
- "he grabbed onto me/him/her/it as if it were the last solid thing" (This one has popped up only in this book, but it shows up about 5 times)
- "I opened my mouth. Closed it." (This one was used about 5 times in this book, too)
- "What's THAT supposed to mean?" or "What do you mean?" (This one might have been in other books, but in this one it shows up constantly. It got very annoying.)
-------------------------------------------
Time to see how the next book will be. I might actually be able to finish this series. show less
-------------------------------------------------
Now for the digs (may contain spoilers):
1) The Oh-No-Should-I-Take-This-Vaccine? Plot Bunny:
Edward's soon-to-be-stepson is attacked by a weretiger. He's offered the chance to take a vaccine because two or more forms of lycanthropy cancel each other out. If he has contracted lycanthropy, taking the vaccine of another form of lycanthropy will neutralize it. HOWEVER, if he has NOT contracted lycanthropy, the vaccine could give him whatever form of lycanthropy is in it.
Plot-Bunny Snare:
Have the vaccine contain 2 or more forms. That way, if there IS lycanthropy contracted in an attack, the vaccine will work... and if there is NOT contraction, the 2 or more forms in the vaccine will cancel each other out anyway. See? That wasn't so hard, was it? What is proffered as a dilemma is a problem that is as tricky to punch through as a wet paper sack.
-------------------------------------------------
2) Over-used Phrases:
LKH has some favorite phrases that she uses too often. She's a prolific writer and so phrases show more can be expected to recur... but multiple times in the SAME BOOK? *sigh* For example:
- "it was as if" or "as if" (this one comes at least 100 times per book. Hah, kind of like Anita! See what I did there?)
- "he grabbed onto me/him/her/it as if it were the last solid thing" (This one has popped up only in this book, but it shows up about 5 times)
- "I opened my mouth. Closed it." (This one was used about 5 times in this book, too)
- "What's THAT supposed to mean?" or "What do you mean?" (This one might have been in other books, but in this one it shows up constantly. It got very annoying.)
-------------------------------------------
Time to see how the next book will be. I might actually be able to finish this series. show less
I'd probably give it 3.5 stars, but I rounded down in this case. It wasn't too bad, but I didn't connect with any of the characters. Darkly amusing.
Some of the stories I'd already read in other collections of short stories, but the ones I'd not read before (as well as most of the ones I had read before) were fantastic!
Like Insomnia, this one started out amazing and then began to peter out. When it at first looked like everyone was being held captive by a psychotic cop, that was creepy because it is in the realm of possibility. (This is what makes Cujo a favorite of mine.) Not to say that I don't like the paranormal or supernatural--because I do. But it has to be done in a certain way for me to really like it. Stephen King can do it at times, but Desperation fell a little flat for me.
The most annoying part to me is the strong current of prayer and God and whatnot. And even worse is that when a character prays for something, voila--it happens. *sigh*
A friend told me that The Regulators is this story's twin, and I remember hearing Stephen King talking about it. He wrote Desperation as Stephen King, then wrote the same story as Richard Bachman. I'm rather looking forward to reading The Regulators. The story is good, it's just overwhelmed by the annoying religious bits. Perhaps writing as Bachman, King can bring the true grit out in this story.
The most annoying part to me is the strong current of prayer and God and whatnot. And even worse is that when a character prays for something, voila--it happens. *sigh*
A friend told me that The Regulators is this story's twin, and I remember hearing Stephen King talking about it. He wrote Desperation as Stephen King, then wrote the same story as Richard Bachman. I'm rather looking forward to reading The Regulators. The story is good, it's just overwhelmed by the annoying religious bits. Perhaps writing as Bachman, King can bring the true grit out in this story.
I wish that Bobby and Ted's main story was the only one and that it were longer. It was fabulous. The other stories were good, too, but sad.
Now when I re-read The Dark Tower series, I'll have a better understanding of Ted.
Now when I re-read The Dark Tower series, I'll have a better understanding of Ted.
Not fabulous literature, no, but sometimes you just need a break and read something for the pure entertainment of it :)
The good:
- I love that the protagonist is a man in his early 70s. There are far too few older protagonists out there
- the first several chapters were creepy as hell... some of the creepiest I've ever read
The not-so-good:
- for me, the story went downhill when Lois came into the picture as a fellow aura-seer
- the creepiness was lost when more and more information was discovered, which of course made the "unknown" dwindle... and fear of the unknown is a big draw for me.
- too much reliance on "he didn't know how he know. He just knew." and so forth
- too much reliance on deus ex machina
All in all, it was a decent book. If the atmosphere of the first few chapters had carried through the rest of the story, it would have been excellent, but alas it rather lost me. Not a waste of time, but not a re-read for me either.
- I love that the protagonist is a man in his early 70s. There are far too few older protagonists out there
- the first several chapters were creepy as hell... some of the creepiest I've ever read
The not-so-good:
- for me, the story went downhill when Lois came into the picture as a fellow aura-seer
- the creepiness was lost when more and more information was discovered, which of course made the "unknown" dwindle... and fear of the unknown is a big draw for me.
- too much reliance on "he didn't know how he know. He just knew." and so forth
- too much reliance on deus ex machina
All in all, it was a decent book. If the atmosphere of the first few chapters had carried through the rest of the story, it would have been excellent, but alas it rather lost me. Not a waste of time, but not a re-read for me either.
I feel a non-fiction phase coming on, perhaps expidited by my need to make up some of the IQ points I lost while reading Fifty Shades of Crap.
Bach: The Goldberg Variations wasn't very interesting for me, but it was educational. My interest would be more strongly held by either a biography on Bach or on a work about his Cello Suites. Or perhaps if I'd ever listened to The Goldberg Variations. I'll never give a non-fiction less than 4 stars (unless I feel it is deliberately misleading or otherwise malicious), so that is what this one gets.
And it did what I hoped it would: It made me feel more smarter. ;)
Bach: The Goldberg Variations wasn't very interesting for me, but it was educational. My interest would be more strongly held by either a biography on Bach or on a work about his Cello Suites. Or perhaps if I'd ever listened to The Goldberg Variations. I'll never give a non-fiction less than 4 stars (unless I feel it is deliberately misleading or otherwise malicious), so that is what this one gets.
And it did what I hoped it would: It made me feel more smarter. ;)
This book was really beautifully written... gorgeous prose.
However, I just couldn't connect with the characters or get into the story. It seems like these characters have several books with them, so I might one day find them in chronological order and see if I can develop more of an attachment to them. As I said, it was a beautifully written story. I just picked it up at random on the library shelf.
However, I just couldn't connect with the characters or get into the story. It seems like these characters have several books with them, so I might one day find them in chronological order and see if I can develop more of an attachment to them. As I said, it was a beautifully written story. I just picked it up at random on the library shelf.
This book is a nerd's wet-dream. It was fun read! :D
My only big issue with it is the number of times "then" is used. It started to drive me nuts after awhile.
My only big issue with it is the number of times "then" is used. It started to drive me nuts after awhile.
I've read several evil-possessed-car stories by Stephen King. This one was by far the best.
John Grisham sometimes falls into the trap of having bad characters be too bad, and good characters be too good. The characters in The Appeal were rather flat. Well, hell, they were flat. No character development whatsoever.
However, Mr. Grisham also knows his shit when it comes to legal stuff. I dislike big business. I dislike politics. I hate big business putting its interests into politics. The money that controls the system is a disgrace to democracy.
This book touches on so much that I hate about the system. If only poetic justice happened more often in real life!
However, Mr. Grisham also knows his shit when it comes to legal stuff. I dislike big business. I dislike politics. I hate big business putting its interests into politics. The money that controls the system is a disgrace to democracy.
This book touches on so much that I hate about the system. If only poetic justice happened more often in real life!
I was forced to read this when I was 14 in school. Hated it. I've avoided it ever since.
But I finally decided to give it another chance. While it lost my interest a few times, it certainly was more enjoyable than the first time I read it.
I'm sure I'll read it again at a future date and see if it has grown on me any more.
But I finally decided to give it another chance. While it lost my interest a few times, it certainly was more enjoyable than the first time I read it.
I'm sure I'll read it again at a future date and see if it has grown on me any more.
This was very cute and sweet... and the author is my second cousin! The book had me laughing aloud in several places.
Ah hell, the book used the word "curmudgeon" and one of the cats was named after Mad-Eye Moody. I'll give it the 5th and final star :D
Ah hell, the book used the word "curmudgeon" and one of the cats was named after Mad-Eye Moody. I'll give it the 5th and final star :D
Creepy in parts, but I couldn't really get into it. I can't put my finger on why, though.
It was enjoyable for the most part, but it seemed like the author tried too hard to put one action scene after another. A little downtime to get to know the characters is more my cup of tea.
I started the series because I'm a fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, and I'd seen forums in which other fans recommended the Hornblower series as well. Meh. Aubrey/Maturin, hands down!
I started the series because I'm a fan of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, and I'd seen forums in which other fans recommended the Hornblower series as well. Meh. Aubrey/Maturin, hands down!
This is one of the most beautiful animes I've ever seen.
I would have given it 4 stars, but there were parts where the lack of research drove me nuts. For one, a person must prepare a canvas for oil paints--not simply stretch the canvas. Secondly, oils take days to dry. Simple things like that should have been an easy bit of research. King admits that he is lazy with research, though, so I don't begrudge him it overmuch.
*head-desk*
And Hit List had made me hopeful. I should have known better. As a review I once read stated, LKH "tends to take one step forward, two orgies back." It was too much to hope for 2 good books in a row.
I'm not sure where to start. Like so many others, the book started out very interesting. It even held my interest longer than some other of the Anita Blake books, but lo and behold the endless sex scenes began again, and what little plot there was flew out the window with Anita's knickers.
There is good news, though: that was the final published Anita Blake book. If my OCD permits, I will not look for upcoming installments. I'm done. Thank god, I'm done.
And Hit List had made me hopeful. I should have known better. As a review I once read stated, LKH "tends to take one step forward, two orgies back." It was too much to hope for 2 good books in a row.
I'm not sure where to start. Like so many others, the book started out very interesting. It even held my interest longer than some other of the Anita Blake books, but lo and behold the endless sex scenes began again, and what little plot there was flew out the window with Anita's knickers.
There is good news, though: that was the final published Anita Blake book. If my OCD permits, I will not look for upcoming installments. I'm done. Thank god, I'm done.
FINALLY!
Laurell, the reason your fans have been criticizing you so harshly is because we knew that you had this in you. I very much enjoyed this one. It wasn't without its flaws--no book is, really--but the good far outweighed the bad. There was plot, there wasn't too much sex and what was there wasn't dragged on and on and on. And the scene in the forest? AMAZING! Creeped me the ---- out. Especially since I happened to be driving through a forest at night when I was listening to it on the audiobook.
I raise my glass to you. I almost feel bad for tearing into your previous books so harshly... but... let's face it, the harsh criticism was deserved. Sorry, but it was.
Here's hoping that Kiss the Dead keeps this ball rolling. I know you have it in you!
Laurell, the reason your fans have been criticizing you so harshly is because we knew that you had this in you. I very much enjoyed this one. It wasn't without its flaws--no book is, really--but the good far outweighed the bad. There was plot, there wasn't too much sex and what was there wasn't dragged on and on and on. And the scene in the forest? AMAZING! Creeped me the ---- out. Especially since I happened to be driving through a forest at night when I was listening to it on the audiobook.
I raise my glass to you. I almost feel bad for tearing into your previous books so harshly... but... let's face it, the harsh criticism was deserved. Sorry, but it was.
Here's hoping that Kiss the Dead keeps this ball rolling. I know you have it in you!
"How to Write Like LKH," by Me
1) I gave him _______.
a) the look the comment deserved
b) blank cop face
c) a look that wasn't friendly
d) a smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes
e) all of the above, many times throughout the book
2) What _____?
a) does that mean
b) the [f] does that mean
c) is that supposed to mean
d) all of the above, on every page
3) He had the ______.
a) palest blue eyes I've ever seen
b) bluest eyes I've ever seen
c) longest hair I've ever seen
d) greenest eyes I've ever seen
e) darkest blue eyes I've ever seen
f) anything, as long as it is followed by 'I've ever seen'
That's enough of the pop quiz for now. Let the evisceration of this pathetic excuse for published literature begin.
Chapter 1:
o enter Monica, stage left, playing the part of the female character who must hate Anita because Anita has so many boyfriends (read, is LKH's characterization of why she believes her female friends dislike where she is taking the story--never mind that we all keep saying, "No, it's because you are exhibiting zero talent as a published author.")
o the length of Nathaniel's hair is ridiculous. Down to his ankles? Another reviewer noted that he is more or less an anime character; I agree.
Chapter 2:
"His hair was almost as curly as mine and spilled down his back to the envy of many a woman. My own hair was almost to my waist, because he wanted to cut his hair and I didn't want him to. So he'd made a deal. If I cut my hair, he got to cut his. We had a stalemate, and my hair hadn't been show more this long since junior high school." --> other words besides "hair" DO exist
Chapter 3:
"He was beaming, eyes glowing, even as his chest still rose and fell from the effort of lifting and throwing her..." --> a little later in the book, Anita mentions Richard, another were-animal, being able to benchpress a small car. So... were-animals are terribly strong, yet Jason can't dance with a slender teenage girl without getting winded?
That's as far as I'm going to go right now. The book is too horrible for me to want to skim through again in order to find things to pick at. The entire book was about sex, yet the parts that could have been really, REALLY interesting--i.e. the rotting vampire killing police, Richard getting shot and switching to wolf form to hunt down his would-be killers--gets only a passing mention. The part about Richard in itself could have made an interesting story. But no, LKH subjects us to yet more boring sex.
I am SO glad I'm almost to the end of this series. I'm curious if Penguin re-signs their contract with LKH. I hope not, or at least not dare let her get away with a no-edit clause. If I were a publishing company, I would be ASHAMED to attach my name to anything she has produced since... since... well, it's been a long time since she's done anything worthwhile. And let's face it: Anita's junk has to be so loose that Captain Aubrey couldn't get it to catch the southern trade winds on a breezy day. show less
1) I gave him _______.
a) the look the comment deserved
b) blank cop face
c) a look that wasn't friendly
d) a smile that I knew didn't reach my eyes
e) all of the above, many times throughout the book
2) What _____?
a) does that mean
b) the [f] does that mean
c) is that supposed to mean
d) all of the above, on every page
3) He had the ______.
a) palest blue eyes I've ever seen
b) bluest eyes I've ever seen
c) longest hair I've ever seen
d) greenest eyes I've ever seen
e) darkest blue eyes I've ever seen
f) anything, as long as it is followed by 'I've ever seen'
That's enough of the pop quiz for now. Let the evisceration of this pathetic excuse for published literature begin.
Chapter 1:
o enter Monica, stage left, playing the part of the female character who must hate Anita because Anita has so many boyfriends (read, is LKH's characterization of why she believes her female friends dislike where she is taking the story--never mind that we all keep saying, "No, it's because you are exhibiting zero talent as a published author.")
o the length of Nathaniel's hair is ridiculous. Down to his ankles? Another reviewer noted that he is more or less an anime character; I agree.
Chapter 2:
"His hair was almost as curly as mine and spilled down his back to the envy of many a woman. My own hair was almost to my waist, because he wanted to cut his hair and I didn't want him to. So he'd made a deal. If I cut my hair, he got to cut his. We had a stalemate, and my hair hadn't been show more this long since junior high school." --> other words besides "hair" DO exist
Chapter 3:
"He was beaming, eyes glowing, even as his chest still rose and fell from the effort of lifting and throwing her..." --> a little later in the book, Anita mentions Richard, another were-animal, being able to benchpress a small car. So... were-animals are terribly strong, yet Jason can't dance with a slender teenage girl without getting winded?
That's as far as I'm going to go right now. The book is too horrible for me to want to skim through again in order to find things to pick at. The entire book was about sex, yet the parts that could have been really, REALLY interesting--i.e. the rotting vampire killing police, Richard getting shot and switching to wolf form to hunt down his would-be killers--gets only a passing mention. The part about Richard in itself could have made an interesting story. But no, LKH subjects us to yet more boring sex.
I am SO glad I'm almost to the end of this series. I'm curious if Penguin re-signs their contract with LKH. I hope not, or at least not dare let her get away with a no-edit clause. If I were a publishing company, I would be ASHAMED to attach my name to anything she has produced since... since... well, it's been a long time since she's done anything worthwhile. And let's face it: Anita's junk has to be so loose that Captain Aubrey couldn't get it to catch the southern trade winds on a breezy day. show less
Skin Trade is the most recent Anita Blake I've finished. It starts out by far much better than the previous several. But then the tedious dialogue gets in the way.
o as I mentioned, it starts out wonderfully--like the old books!
o since I commute to work, I've been listening to the audiobooks. It's so wonderful to have Kimberly Alexis back! (1) her "seductive male" voice sounds much better than Cynthia Holloway's; Cynthia's sound like an 8-year-old mischievous kid playing guess-where-I-hid-the-booger. (2) Cynthia pronounces 'were' as in 'werewolf' as "weer," and that always drove me nuts. (3) Kimberly's Anita-voice sounds more like someone who is bad-ass without trying to be, which I like; Cynthia's was "I'm going to be as bitchy as possible." But in Cynthia's defense, it is probably a very fine line to make a character sound tough without sounding bitchy. (4) I thought maybe, just maybe, it was the different narrator that made the series go downhill for me. Nope. I now know it's the quality of the writing, not the narrator. There is a distinct line between the pages in which LKH is putting real effort, and when she's just looking for filler and word count.
o "I opened my mouth, closed it." -- again with the overuse of this line
o "What's that supposed to mean?" -- again with the overuse of this line, too
o in the morgue, Anita saw that someone's inner thigh had been slashed all the way up, then in her inner dialogue she mentioned a person bleeing out from the femoral artery show more in 15-20 minutes tops. Um... try TWO minutes tops. With the leg slashed from knee to groin? The femoral artery would be destroyed, and the person would be toast in no time at all.
o I miss having Jean-Claude as a key character. For the past several books, he's just been a voice at the other end of a phone call
o "He looked from one to the other of us." – here is the new over-used phrase for this book
o "I realized now that was his version of blank cop face." -- that one comes up a lot, too
o (yes, I realize I'm probably be overly nit-picky, but once I notice these things, I can't un-notice them)
o this book was excellent up until Bernardo did his "why don't you love me, Anita?" spiel. After that, the book becomes the monotonous dialogue we've all grown to know and hate in the past several books. But the fact that the book started out excellent? It gives me hope that maybe LKH will get back to her ol' self.
o he said, I said, she said, I said, he said. A little more creativity in the dialogue tags would be nice. Hell, less dialogue would be nice.
o again with the "just the sensation of him made me cry out." How can this woman wear a pair of snug jeans without 'crying out' every time she walks?
Ok, I'm done with my nitpicking now :) The fact that it started out like the good ol' days gives me hope that maybe it will start coming out of this downward spiral it's been on the past several books. Only a few more in the series, then I can stop reading them. At least until LKH publishes another. I'm sure she is going to milk this cash cow for all its worth. show less
o as I mentioned, it starts out wonderfully--like the old books!
o since I commute to work, I've been listening to the audiobooks. It's so wonderful to have Kimberly Alexis back! (1) her "seductive male" voice sounds much better than Cynthia Holloway's; Cynthia's sound like an 8-year-old mischievous kid playing guess-where-I-hid-the-booger. (2) Cynthia pronounces 'were' as in 'werewolf' as "weer," and that always drove me nuts. (3) Kimberly's Anita-voice sounds more like someone who is bad-ass without trying to be, which I like; Cynthia's was "I'm going to be as bitchy as possible." But in Cynthia's defense, it is probably a very fine line to make a character sound tough without sounding bitchy. (4) I thought maybe, just maybe, it was the different narrator that made the series go downhill for me. Nope. I now know it's the quality of the writing, not the narrator. There is a distinct line between the pages in which LKH is putting real effort, and when she's just looking for filler and word count.
o "I opened my mouth, closed it." -- again with the overuse of this line
o "What's that supposed to mean?" -- again with the overuse of this line, too
o in the morgue, Anita saw that someone's inner thigh had been slashed all the way up, then in her inner dialogue she mentioned a person bleeing out from the femoral artery show more in 15-20 minutes tops. Um... try TWO minutes tops. With the leg slashed from knee to groin? The femoral artery would be destroyed, and the person would be toast in no time at all.
o I miss having Jean-Claude as a key character. For the past several books, he's just been a voice at the other end of a phone call
o "He looked from one to the other of us." – here is the new over-used phrase for this book
o "I realized now that was his version of blank cop face." -- that one comes up a lot, too
o (yes, I realize I'm probably be overly nit-picky, but once I notice these things, I can't un-notice them)
o this book was excellent up until Bernardo did his "why don't you love me, Anita?" spiel. After that, the book becomes the monotonous dialogue we've all grown to know and hate in the past several books. But the fact that the book started out excellent? It gives me hope that maybe LKH will get back to her ol' self.
o he said, I said, she said, I said, he said. A little more creativity in the dialogue tags would be nice. Hell, less dialogue would be nice.
o again with the "just the sensation of him made me cry out." How can this woman wear a pair of snug jeans without 'crying out' every time she walks?
Ok, I'm done with my nitpicking now :) The fact that it started out like the good ol' days gives me hope that maybe it will start coming out of this downward spiral it's been on the past several books. Only a few more in the series, then I can stop reading them. At least until LKH publishes another. I'm sure she is going to milk this cash cow for all its worth. show less