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Jun. 14th, 2008
Bleach -98, Fullmetal Alchemist 84
Jun. 14th, 2008 11:57 amThe Dragon's Bride by Jo Beverley
Jun. 14th, 2008 07:21 pm When they were fifteen, George Connaught "Con" Somerford, the second son of the Duke of Wyvern, and Susan Kerslake, the illegitimate daughter of the local smuggling captain and a local noblewoman, became friends and then lovers. Except that Susan, desperate to escape the polite pity and disdain of her heritage, only became Con's friend because she thought he was the heir, thinking he would rescue her from her life, and when she learned the truth, she told him so. Ten years later, her brother, David, is the new captain and Susan is working at Crag Wyvern as the housekeeper (looking for gold, of course) when Con returns home as the new Earl of Wyvern.
This book started hitting my "no way, walk away" buttons almost in the first chapter. Giant mistrust issues festering for a decade, perception of a wrong done to the male (and in historical romance novels, the gender is very significant, as that's where all the power lay) and the heroine as the hero's servent, even if she could have walked away at any time. Yet, I kept reading. It helps a lot that Susan actually did do what Con thinks she did (rarely the case) and that she was very upfront about it, and is very honest with herself about her reasons. Con, for his part, largely avoids being hateful, and keeps himself from crossing my "ok, go die now" line in these books.
If it makes sense, I'm not really sure how much I liked the book, but I do think it was pretty good, and, as is often the case with Beverley, I'm very appreciative of the fact that she can make me buy into a plot that should make me run for the hills. That said, Anne, the woman Con was planning to marry(they're almost always planning to marry someome else...)? I think I recall the other book where she almost married one of Con's friends. After all this talk about how she perfectly nice and respectable but dull by the men, I hope she gets a moment to shine ans figuratively give them the middle finger when/if she gets her own book. I'm also very glad Con's brother was dead the whole book. I've read Beverley characters like that who aren't dead, and don't care to again.
This book started hitting my "no way, walk away" buttons almost in the first chapter. Giant mistrust issues festering for a decade, perception of a wrong done to the male (and in historical romance novels, the gender is very significant, as that's where all the power lay) and the heroine as the hero's servent, even if she could have walked away at any time. Yet, I kept reading. It helps a lot that Susan actually did do what Con thinks she did (rarely the case) and that she was very upfront about it, and is very honest with herself about her reasons. Con, for his part, largely avoids being hateful, and keeps himself from crossing my "ok, go die now" line in these books.
If it makes sense, I'm not really sure how much I liked the book, but I do think it was pretty good, and, as is often the case with Beverley, I'm very appreciative of the fact that she can make me buy into a plot that should make me run for the hills. That said, Anne, the woman Con was planning to marry(they're almost always planning to marry someome else...)? I think I recall the other book where she almost married one of Con's friends. After all this talk about how she perfectly nice and respectable but dull by the men, I hope she gets a moment to shine ans figuratively give them the middle finger when/if she gets her own book. I'm also very glad Con's brother was dead the whole book. I've read Beverley characters like that who aren't dead, and don't care to again.
The Dragon's Bride by Jo Beverley
Jun. 14th, 2008 07:21 pm When they were fifteen, George Connaught "Con" Somerford, the second son of the Duke of Wyvern, and Susan Kerslake, the illegitimate daughter of the local smuggling captain and a local noblewoman, became friends and then lovers. Except that Susan, desperate to escape the polite pity and disdain of her heritage, only became Con's friend because she thought he was the heir, thinking he would rescue her from her life, and when she learned the truth, she told him so. Ten years later, her brother, David, is the new captain and Susan is working at Crag Wyvern as the housekeeper (looking for gold, of course) when Con returns home as the new Earl of Wyvern.
This book started hitting my "no way, walk away" buttons almost in the first chapter. Giant mistrust issues festering for a decade, perception of a wrong done to the male (and in historical romance novels, the gender is very significant, as that's where all the power lay) and the heroine as the hero's servent, even if she could have walked away at any time. Yet, I kept reading. It helps a lot that Susan actually did do what Con thinks she did (rarely the case) and that she was very upfront about it, and is very honest with herself about her reasons. Con, for his part, largely avoids being hateful, and keeps himself from crossing my "ok, go die now" line in these books.
If it makes sense, I'm not really sure how much I liked the book, but I do think it was pretty good, and, as is often the case with Beverley, I'm very appreciative of the fact that she can make me buy into a plot that should make me run for the hills. That said, Anne, the woman Con was planning to marry(they're almost always planning to marry someome else...)? I think I recall the other book where she almost married one of Con's friends. After all this talk about how she perfectly nice and respectable but dull by the men, I hope she gets a moment to shine ans figuratively give them the middle finger when/if she gets her own book. I'm also very glad Con's brother was dead the whole book. I've read Beverley characters like that who aren't dead, and don't care to again.
This book started hitting my "no way, walk away" buttons almost in the first chapter. Giant mistrust issues festering for a decade, perception of a wrong done to the male (and in historical romance novels, the gender is very significant, as that's where all the power lay) and the heroine as the hero's servent, even if she could have walked away at any time. Yet, I kept reading. It helps a lot that Susan actually did do what Con thinks she did (rarely the case) and that she was very upfront about it, and is very honest with herself about her reasons. Con, for his part, largely avoids being hateful, and keeps himself from crossing my "ok, go die now" line in these books.
If it makes sense, I'm not really sure how much I liked the book, but I do think it was pretty good, and, as is often the case with Beverley, I'm very appreciative of the fact that she can make me buy into a plot that should make me run for the hills. That said, Anne, the woman Con was planning to marry(they're almost always planning to marry someome else...)? I think I recall the other book where she almost married one of Con's friends. After all this talk about how she perfectly nice and respectable but dull by the men, I hope she gets a moment to shine ans figuratively give them the middle finger when/if she gets her own book. I'm also very glad Con's brother was dead the whole book. I've read Beverley characters like that who aren't dead, and don't care to again.
Melody of Oblivion eps 22-24
Jun. 14th, 2008 08:48 pm...
...
WTF, ANIME???
I'm not sure what's worse. The cows, Pee(yes, that is a characters name) or the climax of the final battle. (In another anime, that wouldn't have been as bad, and probably would have had the desired affect, but here? No way.)
Buried somewhere in here was a pretty decent shounen plot with an interesting take on the idea that the "bad guys" maintained world peace, but the "good guys" can't accept one aspect of that, but it's pretty much lost amongst the misogyny and overuse of surrealism.
Also, even for shounen anime, I find it really hard to accept that three teenagers, two of whom have under a year's experience, one of whom has nothing vaguely resembling proper training, are the most important and powerful Meros warriors, and the biggest threats? And that the least trained, least experienced one with canonically inferior equipment is the only real threat?
Also, the end? Doesn't remotely go with what came before it.
Here, have screencaps. I refuse to give you any context at all. Possibly because I don't understand half the context, anyway.
I now need to cleanse my brain with something. I was going to read the first volume of RG Veda or Magic Knights Rayearth, but I don't think that's the kind of thing to use to cleanse the brain.
ETA: Also, I left out the most disturbing part about the cows. No one deserves that.
...
WTF, ANIME???
I'm not sure what's worse. The cows, Pee(yes, that is a characters name) or the climax of the final battle. (In another anime, that wouldn't have been as bad, and probably would have had the desired affect, but here? No way.)
Buried somewhere in here was a pretty decent shounen plot with an interesting take on the idea that the "bad guys" maintained world peace, but the "good guys" can't accept one aspect of that, but it's pretty much lost amongst the misogyny and overuse of surrealism.
Also, even for shounen anime, I find it really hard to accept that three teenagers, two of whom have under a year's experience, one of whom has nothing vaguely resembling proper training, are the most important and powerful Meros warriors, and the biggest threats? And that the least trained, least experienced one with canonically inferior equipment is the only real threat?
Also, the end? Doesn't remotely go with what came before it.
( spoilers )
Here, have screencaps. I refuse to give you any context at all. Possibly because I don't understand half the context, anyway.
I now need to cleanse my brain with something. I was going to read the first volume of RG Veda or Magic Knights Rayearth, but I don't think that's the kind of thing to use to cleanse the brain.
ETA: Also, I left out the most disturbing part about the cows. No one deserves that.
Melody of Oblivion eps 22-24
Jun. 14th, 2008 08:48 pm...
...
WTF, ANIME???
I'm not sure what's worse. The cows, Pee(yes, that is a characters name) or the climax of the final battle. (In another anime, that wouldn't have been as bad, and probably would have had the desired affect, but here? No way.)
Buried somewhere in here was a pretty decent shounen plot with an interesting take on the idea that the "bad guys" maintained world peace, but the "good guys" can't accept one aspect of that, but it's pretty much lost amongst the misogyny and overuse of surrealism.
Also, even for shounen anime, I find it really hard to accept that three teenagers, two of whom have under a year's experience, one of whom has nothing vaguely resembling proper training, are the most important and powerful Meros warriors, and the biggest threats? And that the least trained, least experienced one with canonically inferior equipment is the only real threat?
Also, the end? Doesn't remotely go with what came before it.
Here, have screencaps. I refuse to give you any context at all. Possibly because I don't understand half the context, anyway.
I now need to cleanse my brain with something. I was going to read the first volume of RG Veda or Magic Knights Rayearth, but I don't think that's the kind of thing to use to cleanse the brain.
ETA: Also, I left out the most disturbing part about the cows. No one deserves that.
...
WTF, ANIME???
I'm not sure what's worse. The cows, Pee(yes, that is a characters name) or the climax of the final battle. (In another anime, that wouldn't have been as bad, and probably would have had the desired affect, but here? No way.)
Buried somewhere in here was a pretty decent shounen plot with an interesting take on the idea that the "bad guys" maintained world peace, but the "good guys" can't accept one aspect of that, but it's pretty much lost amongst the misogyny and overuse of surrealism.
Also, even for shounen anime, I find it really hard to accept that three teenagers, two of whom have under a year's experience, one of whom has nothing vaguely resembling proper training, are the most important and powerful Meros warriors, and the biggest threats? And that the least trained, least experienced one with canonically inferior equipment is the only real threat?
Also, the end? Doesn't remotely go with what came before it.
( spoilers )
Here, have screencaps. I refuse to give you any context at all. Possibly because I don't understand half the context, anyway.
I now need to cleanse my brain with something. I was going to read the first volume of RG Veda or Magic Knights Rayearth, but I don't think that's the kind of thing to use to cleanse the brain.
ETA: Also, I left out the most disturbing part about the cows. No one deserves that.