Thank goodness for friends...

[meganbmoore]

Were I to stumble across Deborah Chester's The Pearls at the bookstore on my lonesome, I might be tempted to purchase it for thi line on the back cover alone:

And when what she sees moves her to tears, those tears are transformed into flawless pearls.

Why?  Because if this were a manga, there's would be a scenario like this:

Heroine:  "This is so sad...

*cries*

*tears turn into pearls that bounce around on the ground*

*masses pounce on the free pearls as heroine turns into a confused and angry chibi*

Heroine:  HEY!  A little respect!

*sees Love Interest and Loyal Followers also grabbing pearls*

Heroine:  You too?

*males look mildly guilty with sweatdrops*

* Heroine cries Single Emo Manga Tear of Sorrow*

I am, however, saved from this fate because telophaseis reading it for the same reasons I would have.

You know, I've looked at and almost bought Chester's books a few times.  But they sound like books that have elements of things I really like combined with tropes and approaches I don't, and I've never really seen anyone post nice things on them, and the good reviews I have seen mostly talk about things I don't really look or care for when it comes to fantasy.  (Look, I love romance in my fantasy most of the time, even when I don't care about the actual romance, as long as it doesn't annoy me, but I don't read it for schmoopy romance...I have romance novels not pretending to be anything else when I want that!)

Also, be sure to follow her link to the cover.  That is some very interesting positioning if Heroine turns around.

Comments

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

That would be so amazingly awesome in the concept you described.

Given that you linked to snark, I don't think this is the actual case . . .

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Well...a manga would be aware of the sheer absurd fun to be had with a heroine who cries tears. A western writer, not as much...

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Hey, if your nose starts to run while you're crying due to the tears, do you sneeze pearls, too?

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

A VERY VALID QUESTION!

Maybe telophase will find out and let us know.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

Do the pearls form in the tear ducts, or when they hit the cheek? Because if it's the former, it could be hella uncomfortable.

"Wah! This is so sad - OW OW OW god, this hurts" *pinches pearl from corner of eye*

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I've never read any reviews of her books. This may be a good thing, or a bad thing, considering. XD

ETA: I might be tempted to purchase it for thi line on the back cover alone:

Well, it's no RAISED BY PIGEONS!! but it has potential. XD

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

NOTHING IS RAISED BY PIGEONS!

I actually recall no details, just that my thoughts were "when I feel like that, I have a cople shelves of unraised romance novels not pretending to be anything else waiting for me."

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

You must not be familiar with Yukina, the ice apparition in Yu Yu Hakusho, whose tears turn to precious gems. She is tortured by a crime lord and rescued by the shounen hero and his buddies. She doesn't however become his love interest.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

There is amusement around whose love interest she actually is, however that would involve spoilers, so I shall merely giggle to myself quietly.

[fmanalyst.livejournal.com]

Indeed. :-)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Why do I suspect this will amuse me, too, once I make it to the series?

[telophase.livejournal.com]

BECAUSE IT WILL

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I have vol 1 waiting, but likely won't touch it until vrious other series are caught up with/completed by me.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

YOUR LOSS

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I REFUSE TO VIEW IT AS A LOSS WHEN I SHALL BE READING THE SHEER INSANITY OF CLAMP AND KAORI YUKI IN THE MEANTIME!

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Nope. But I do have the first volume of it in The Box I Cannot Touch Until Some of the Slightly Older Backlog is Gone.