Luck in the Shadows

[quietprofanity]

I just have one question ...


Do Alec and Seregnil fuck in this book?

Because if the answer is not, "Yes, and it's on-screen and equivalent to the best smutfics you've ever read," then I'm not reading any further. I'm almost 50 pages in and the characters aren't grabbing me, the info-dumping makes me put down the book EVERY TIME even if I'm stuck and have nothing else to read, and the first chapter has some of the worst verb/adverb combos ever. How the hell does someone "hiss weakly"? I've been trying to do that for a few days now and all I'm coming up with is some some sort of gasp/sputter combination. And the hissing weakly character was dressing down another character at the time! It's IMPOSSIBLE!

(Also, I think imayb1's jaw must be hitting the floor since I'm disliking this yet loved the hell out of Kushiel's Dart. Oh well, we'll always have Gravi ... and The Mirror of Love.)

Comments

[sinisterf.livejournal.com]

No, they don't. Actually they don't even acknowledge feelings for each other until the end of the 2nd book, and none of that is even remotely graphic.

[quietprofanity.livejournal.com]

Aw, bitches. :-( Well, that saved me some time, then.

[sinisterf.livejournal.com]

Have you read the Canterbury Tales? I'm guessing you have (but thought I'd post just in case)?

If not, then The Miller's Tale, The Merchant's Tale, The Reeve's Tale and The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale are a bunch of fun in a slightly disturbing way. I know most people don't read medieval lit for fun, but... since I know you read lit, it could be a good time for you. You can get the original Middle English with interlinear translations here

[quietprofanity.livejournal.com]

I've read ... most of it. I actually took an undergrad class on it, but we didn't get to everything. (Also, I wrote a re-telling of "The Prioress' Tale" for the end-of-the-class party, which was well-received.)

I do want to give it a re-reading one day. (I one day want to read all the books I studied in college!) But right now my "primary" read is a 1,085-page biography of Charles Dickens that's both cumbersome to kart around/out-of-print so I've been reading other, less mentally taxing books as my "read while out/on lunch break." I think I might just slide Backlash into Luck in the Shadows's place.

[sinisterf.livejournal.com]

I just finished an undergrad class on the Canterbury Tales. We read the whole freaking thing, which actually was pretty awesome. My honest opinion is that the Middle English is best. Any translations I've seen just don't capture the feel and subtlety of Chaucer's work. That is why the interlinear translation is so freaking awesome. If you get really stuck on a word/idea it has it there for you in a direct translation, so you get the idea, without changing Chaucer's words/structure.

If you do decide to come back to it. I would suggest getting the Riverside Edition, and then using the interlinear as a supplemental tool.

And yeah, I guess it is official... I'm turning into a medievalist nerd.

[quietprofanity.livejournal.com]

I got a complete version in Middle English, although not Riverside, so I should be good. :-)

[sinisterf.livejournal.com]

Also, LOL at your comments her on her writing style, as it certainly hits home. I read her newest book and was so disappointed at the weak writing. I didn't remember it being that way in the earlier ones. However, I took a peek and found that, indeed, it always has been.

If you are looking for something to read in the fantasy genre, then you might try Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series. They are an easy and fun read. Real short, but entertaining in my opinion.

[quietprofanity.livejournal.com]

I've heard really, really good things about Mercy Thompson. I've still got Kushiel's Chosen and a couple of early Anita Blake books to read, but she's next on my list.

[imayb1.livejournal.com]

Heheh. Nah, I understand. :D I enjoy the original Nightrunner trilogy, but it's a given that not everyone will.

I like Briggs' fantasy (especially Dragon Bones and Dragon Blood) better than her very popular Mercy series, but those are fun, too.

[quietprofanity.livejournal.com]

I did WANT to like it. I just ... yeah, I don't think I can take 1,500 pages of that (with the trilogy and all).