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New Anita Blake book - Harlequin
Jul. 31st, 2007 10:46 pmAs usual, got book, retreated to my room. Read and snarled at anyone who tried to disturb the reading. No spoilers, not needed
Done now.
*sigh* and I'm just very very very disappointed. It had some nice moments, it had some really nice moments, it managed to emotionally engage me several times - but I reached the last page and the first thing I thought was "is that it?"
As is becomming depressingly the case now, the book is 75% relationship issues (sex, angst et all), 15% magic issues (shiny new powers or issues with old powers, usually involving sex, angst et al) leaving desperate 10% of the book for the plot.
The main antagonist in the book isn't there most of the time, just hanging in the background until its time to prompt another magical shiny or relationship issue, then they politely fade into the background again. Hells, the antagonists actually sit back and do bugger all when physically confronting the main characters so the characters can have an angst session together! I'm sat there wanting to yell "hello? Bad guys, RIGHT THERE guys, in the same room. NOT the time to be discussing your sex life, 'kay?" They just never really made any presence in the book at all, it didn't develop the sense of threat or danger you needed because Anita et al DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. No time for life and death conflicts, we're too busy with out sex lives!
It derailed what plot there actually WAS to a horrendous degree. You ever read slash stories where the author is concentrating on the plot so much and loves the story that when they drop in a sex scene it feels like they've written {insert sex scene here} and come back to it after the book has finished, and the sex scene feels false or inserted or just doesn't fit? Well this book feels like LKH has done the same thing with the plot. "sex, relationship, sex, sex, angst, magic... bah {insert plot here} back to the sex, relationship..."
It wouldn't be so bad if we actually ever got ANY closure on ANY of the relationship issues but we NEVER DO. She just piles on more and more. And each one needs attention just to keep it simmering (not dealing with it, just to remind you that it's still there) leaving no room.
The big bad confrontation at the end was so full of magical slush and sickeningly twee emotions (in between the bad guys taking a time out while Anita et al indulge in some emotional analysis. It's like Anita yelled "kings! Time out for our issues please!") that I had to reread pages several times to actually pluck the action and the actual fighting from within the text. It's like *blink* Someone's dead now? How did that happen? Oh, they've won... when? What should have been the most gripping scene in the book left you feeling her enemy was over before you even realised it started.
All in all, the book felt like a grandparent's Christmas present. You get a wonderful big package, you peel away the wrappings and you get... socks. It had SO much potential, past books have been so good and it's just disappointing.
Done now.
*sigh* and I'm just very very very disappointed. It had some nice moments, it had some really nice moments, it managed to emotionally engage me several times - but I reached the last page and the first thing I thought was "is that it?"
As is becomming depressingly the case now, the book is 75% relationship issues (sex, angst et all), 15% magic issues (shiny new powers or issues with old powers, usually involving sex, angst et al) leaving desperate 10% of the book for the plot.
The main antagonist in the book isn't there most of the time, just hanging in the background until its time to prompt another magical shiny or relationship issue, then they politely fade into the background again. Hells, the antagonists actually sit back and do bugger all when physically confronting the main characters so the characters can have an angst session together! I'm sat there wanting to yell "hello? Bad guys, RIGHT THERE guys, in the same room. NOT the time to be discussing your sex life, 'kay?" They just never really made any presence in the book at all, it didn't develop the sense of threat or danger you needed because Anita et al DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE. No time for life and death conflicts, we're too busy with out sex lives!
It derailed what plot there actually WAS to a horrendous degree. You ever read slash stories where the author is concentrating on the plot so much and loves the story that when they drop in a sex scene it feels like they've written {insert sex scene here} and come back to it after the book has finished, and the sex scene feels false or inserted or just doesn't fit? Well this book feels like LKH has done the same thing with the plot. "sex, relationship, sex, sex, angst, magic... bah {insert plot here} back to the sex, relationship..."
It wouldn't be so bad if we actually ever got ANY closure on ANY of the relationship issues but we NEVER DO. She just piles on more and more. And each one needs attention just to keep it simmering (not dealing with it, just to remind you that it's still there) leaving no room.
The big bad confrontation at the end was so full of magical slush and sickeningly twee emotions (in between the bad guys taking a time out while Anita et al indulge in some emotional analysis. It's like Anita yelled "kings! Time out for our issues please!") that I had to reread pages several times to actually pluck the action and the actual fighting from within the text. It's like *blink* Someone's dead now? How did that happen? Oh, they've won... when? What should have been the most gripping scene in the book left you feeling her enemy was over before you even realised it started.
All in all, the book felt like a grandparent's Christmas present. You get a wonderful big package, you peel away the wrappings and you get... socks. It had SO much potential, past books have been so good and it's just disappointing.