Blue Seed eps 21-26

( They're going to nuke Japan, want to go to the beach? )

So, great anime.  Goos use of mythology, good characters, some amazing angst at times.  If only there had been a sword... (What?  It's an important part of the original legend! Completely legitimate longing!)

Also calixahas started watching the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle anime.  She is in awe of the princess complexes, and of Syaoran's ability to beat anyone at the mention of the word "Sakura." Discussing the series when one only has the manga, and the other the anime is quite entertaining.

Meanwhile, the f-list has been posting non-stop on The Romance of Red Dust this week.  It makes me long for a new wuxia.  I should do a linkblog for all those posts.  (I just have to remember who all made them...)

Blue Seed eps 21-26

( They're going to nuke Japan, want to go to the beach? )

So, great anime.  Goos use of mythology, good characters, some amazing angst at times.  If only there had been a sword... (What?  It's an important part of the original legend! Completely legitimate longing!)

Also calixahas started watching the Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle anime.  She is in awe of the princess complexes, and of Syaoran's ability to beat anyone at the mention of the word "Sakura." Discussing the series when one only has the manga, and the other the anime is quite entertaining.

Meanwhile, the f-list has been posting non-stop on The Romance of Red Dust this week.  It makes me long for a new wuxia.  I should do a linkblog for all those posts.  (I just have to remember who all made them...)

Claymore Vol 6

( a conspiracy, i smell one )

And as the brain is still rejecting things that aren't European-based medieval-lite fantasy, I may go ahead and get caught up with the English releases of this one.  And then hunt down scanslations so I can do a pimp post and try to force other people to read it so I'll have people to talk to about it.

Claymore Vol 6

( a conspiracy, i smell one )

And as the brain is still rejecting things that aren't European-based medieval-lite fantasy, I may go ahead and get caught up with the English releases of this one.  And then hunt down scanslations so I can do a pimp post and try to force other people to read it so I'll have people to talk to about it.

Ombria in Shadows by Patricia McKillip

When Royce Greve, the Prince of Ombria dies, he leaves control of the kingdom-and his young son-in the hands of his great-aunt, Domina Pearl.  Our heroines are Lydea, the late prince's mistress(A non-evil mistress! Yay!) and Mag a young woman of secrets, who was raised by a sorceress to believe she was made from wax.  our hero(such as we have one) is Ducon, an aimless, drinking artist and the bastard son-father unknown-of Royce's sister.  There's a sorceress who lives underground among the ghosts, another who rules everything from her castle(it's best if they never meet) a shadow city, an untold number of secrets, a conspiracy to put Ducon on the throne(he disapproves of that) a scholar out to uncover them, and a little boy losing everything he loves.

This book stuck with me better than The Book of Atrix Wolfe(which I liked and would make a great comfort read, but I didn't really retain it) I think largely because of the heroines.  We're introduced to both Lydea and Mag as each is losing her established comfort zone and forced to make choices in her life.  Lydea by being cast from the palace by Domina Pearl before Royce's body is even cold, and forced to fight her way through a city that sees her as fresh meat, and then forced to choose between a life as the whore people view her as, and the tavern made she once was.  Mag as McKillip recounts when she began to realize that she wasn't the creation of wax her mistress, Faey, told her she was, but rather, a human, and Mag's journey to figuring out exactly what being a human actually means.

( more )

Ombria in Shadows by Patricia McKillip

When Royce Greve, the Prince of Ombria dies, he leaves control of the kingdom-and his young son-in the hands of his great-aunt, Domina Pearl.  Our heroines are Lydea, the late prince's mistress(A non-evil mistress! Yay!) and Mag a young woman of secrets, who was raised by a sorceress to believe she was made from wax.  our hero(such as we have one) is Ducon, an aimless, drinking artist and the bastard son-father unknown-of Royce's sister.  There's a sorceress who lives underground among the ghosts, another who rules everything from her castle(it's best if they never meet) a shadow city, an untold number of secrets, a conspiracy to put Ducon on the throne(he disapproves of that) a scholar out to uncover them, and a little boy losing everything he loves.

This book stuck with me better than The Book of Atrix Wolfe(which I liked and would make a great comfort read, but I didn't really retain it) I think largely because of the heroines.  We're introduced to both Lydea and Mag as each is losing her established comfort zone and forced to make choices in her life.  Lydea by being cast from the palace by Domina Pearl before Royce's body is even cold, and forced to fight her way through a city that sees her as fresh meat, and then forced to choose between a life as the whore people view her as, and the tavern made she once was.  Mag as McKillip recounts when she began to realize that she wasn't the creation of wax her mistress, Faey, told her she was, but rather, a human, and Mag's journey to figuring out exactly what being a human actually means.

( more )