528 pages
Me at the end:
Butcher. Butcher.
WHAT.
Showing posts with label Jim Butcher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim Butcher. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Day 22: I admit to totally phoning this one in
I'm not a big fan of Thanksgiving, personally.
1. It's less about being with our families as it is gorging ourselves on insane amounts of food and then the men passing out in the living room with their pants unbuttoned while the women clean up.
2. It's basically celebrating the time when we showed up, couldn't survive, were helped by the native inhabitants of the land and then turned around and killed a whole bunch of them so we could have our 'promised land'. I find little to celebrate about any of that.
3. All that being said, if you're going to have Turkey Day, there should be turkey. There was no turkey in my household this day. There was ham. :(
So yeah.
But it's over. Now to survive Black Friday - I don't do the whole shopping thing. Except for one time, when I forgot about the Black Friday insanity somehow and went to the mall to pick something up. It took me an hour and it should have taken me 5 minutes. Never again. NEVER. AGAIN. But I do have to work tomorrow. Then, the weekend. Then I'm off on Tuesday for the release of Cold Days. Expect that next Tuesday's post will be me sobbing grossly over this book. You've been warned.
And now, since I complained so much about our Turkey Day ham, I'm in charge of Christmas dinner. And goose and duck have already been vetoed because my family has no souls.
I need recipes for interesting dishes! To the internet!
Though if you guys have any dishes that you love, please feel free to point me to a recipe. :D
1. It's less about being with our families as it is gorging ourselves on insane amounts of food and then the men passing out in the living room with their pants unbuttoned while the women clean up.
2. It's basically celebrating the time when we showed up, couldn't survive, were helped by the native inhabitants of the land and then turned around and killed a whole bunch of them so we could have our 'promised land'. I find little to celebrate about any of that.
3. All that being said, if you're going to have Turkey Day, there should be turkey. There was no turkey in my household this day. There was ham. :(
So yeah.
But it's over. Now to survive Black Friday - I don't do the whole shopping thing. Except for one time, when I forgot about the Black Friday insanity somehow and went to the mall to pick something up. It took me an hour and it should have taken me 5 minutes. Never again. NEVER. AGAIN. But I do have to work tomorrow. Then, the weekend. Then I'm off on Tuesday for the release of Cold Days. Expect that next Tuesday's post will be me sobbing grossly over this book. You've been warned.
And now, since I complained so much about our Turkey Day ham, I'm in charge of Christmas dinner. And goose and duck have already been vetoed because my family has no souls.
I need recipes for interesting dishes! To the internet!
Though if you guys have any dishes that you love, please feel free to point me to a recipe. :D
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Better than LKH: Codex Alera by Jim Butcher
I'm not sticking strictly to 'urban' fantasy books, or even those set in modern times. FYI. Basically, this is just me telling you about fantasy novels/series that are *way* better than anything LKH has ever written. So, you know, *everything* else that's ever been written.
What? I'm not bitter. Stop shaking your head at me!
For today's entertainment, I present to you the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher.
Codex Alera is a six book series that is complete, so if you pick it up you at least know that you can read it from beginning to end without the gnawing, desperate need for *more*, *right now* that has to wait to be fulfilled for a year or two until the next book comes out. Not that that's not it's own brand of fun, mind you, but it's also insanity inducing. The series is more along the lines of high fantasy than anything else.
Okay, so Codex Alera is set on a world called Carna, where several races live in less than harmonious fashion. The Alerans are the main power on Carna and are essentially human but for the fact that each and every one of them has access to great powers through their relationships with elemental creatures known as Furies.
Furies live in everything and can be manipulated into different forms and uses. They've been categorised by the Alerans based on what elements they live in, so you have six different types: earth, wood, fire, air, water, and metal. Some of the furies are tiny and can't be seen, it takes a gathering up of a lot of this type in order to effect any change on the environment. Others are larger and can manifest themselves in various forms. They can cause real damage, when they put their minds to it, or when they're used to do so by an Aleran controlling them. There are also things called the Great Furies which, as only makes sense, are very old, very big, very powerful furies. Most people don't realize that they even exist, though they swear by them. It's more of a cultural habit than anything else.
The story starts in the Calderon Valley, a small and peaceful section of Alera along the border between Alera and their barbarian neighbors the Marat. Tavi is a small for his age apprentice shepherd who has been raised in the Valley by his Aunt Isana and Uncle Bernard (brother and sister, not a couple). He is quick and clever, though still very much a young man who does stupid things to impress girls, and Tavi is the only Aleran *ever* to not have any furies at all.
While out trying to recapture his Uncle Bernard's sheep, who were allowed to wander away and get lost while Tavi was off trying to impress that girl, Tavi is sucked into a plot to topple the First Lord of Alera. He finds himself trapped alone but for a scarred and unreliable slave in the land of the Marat, the people who had attacked and slaughtered the Princeps, the heir to the throne of Alera, years before and who look to be willing to repeat the performance on the First Lord.
Tavi has to use his brains to find a way to escape with his life in order to bring help to his family and the other people in the Valley and to ultimately help save the Empire.
This is just the first book and I'm not going to lie, it gets better and better as the series goes on.
One of my absolutely favorite things about this series is that it features a great variety of people being both good and evil without making one species *evil*. There are good and bad characters in all the different cultures that live on Carna.
I also love that the women are portrayed as being just as strong as the men. Yes, in Aleran society (which is based on and descended from ancient Roman culture), there are expected roles but there are women throughout the series who defy those roles and are working to gain equality with the men.
He shrugged beneath the blanket. “I can’t explain it. We just—we don’t treat our women the same way we do our men.”
“That’s stupid,” said Kitai.
There is some violence, of course, this is a high fantasy swords and armour kind of story after all, but no sexual content. Some characters, over the course of the series, are clearly pairing off and *having* sex, but it's all off screen.
Possible trigger warnings: There is discussion of slavery as it is legal and a large part of the Aleran economy. There is also use of mind control and the fall out from that, the damage that it does to a persons psyche as well as torture. My biggest warning would be that there is mention of rape and intention of certain characters to rape others. Nothing of the sort happens on screen however, and even the references are veiled and non-graphic.
I hate that these are so short but I really don't want to give away plot points and twists.
What? I'm not bitter. Stop shaking your head at me!
For today's entertainment, I present to you the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher.
Codex Alera is a six book series that is complete, so if you pick it up you at least know that you can read it from beginning to end without the gnawing, desperate need for *more*, *right now* that has to wait to be fulfilled for a year or two until the next book comes out. Not that that's not it's own brand of fun, mind you, but it's also insanity inducing. The series is more along the lines of high fantasy than anything else.
Okay, so Codex Alera is set on a world called Carna, where several races live in less than harmonious fashion. The Alerans are the main power on Carna and are essentially human but for the fact that each and every one of them has access to great powers through their relationships with elemental creatures known as Furies.
Furies live in everything and can be manipulated into different forms and uses. They've been categorised by the Alerans based on what elements they live in, so you have six different types: earth, wood, fire, air, water, and metal. Some of the furies are tiny and can't be seen, it takes a gathering up of a lot of this type in order to effect any change on the environment. Others are larger and can manifest themselves in various forms. They can cause real damage, when they put their minds to it, or when they're used to do so by an Aleran controlling them. There are also things called the Great Furies which, as only makes sense, are very old, very big, very powerful furies. Most people don't realize that they even exist, though they swear by them. It's more of a cultural habit than anything else.
The story starts in the Calderon Valley, a small and peaceful section of Alera along the border between Alera and their barbarian neighbors the Marat. Tavi is a small for his age apprentice shepherd who has been raised in the Valley by his Aunt Isana and Uncle Bernard (brother and sister, not a couple). He is quick and clever, though still very much a young man who does stupid things to impress girls, and Tavi is the only Aleran *ever* to not have any furies at all.
While out trying to recapture his Uncle Bernard's sheep, who were allowed to wander away and get lost while Tavi was off trying to impress that girl, Tavi is sucked into a plot to topple the First Lord of Alera. He finds himself trapped alone but for a scarred and unreliable slave in the land of the Marat, the people who had attacked and slaughtered the Princeps, the heir to the throne of Alera, years before and who look to be willing to repeat the performance on the First Lord.
Tavi has to use his brains to find a way to escape with his life in order to bring help to his family and the other people in the Valley and to ultimately help save the Empire.
This is just the first book and I'm not going to lie, it gets better and better as the series goes on.
One of my absolutely favorite things about this series is that it features a great variety of people being both good and evil without making one species *evil*. There are good and bad characters in all the different cultures that live on Carna.
I also love that the women are portrayed as being just as strong as the men. Yes, in Aleran society (which is based on and descended from ancient Roman culture), there are expected roles but there are women throughout the series who defy those roles and are working to gain equality with the men.
He shrugged beneath the blanket. “I can’t explain it. We just—we don’t treat our women the same way we do our men.”
“That’s stupid,” said Kitai.
There is some violence, of course, this is a high fantasy swords and armour kind of story after all, but no sexual content. Some characters, over the course of the series, are clearly pairing off and *having* sex, but it's all off screen.
Possible trigger warnings: There is discussion of slavery as it is legal and a large part of the Aleran economy. There is also use of mind control and the fall out from that, the damage that it does to a persons psyche as well as torture. My biggest warning would be that there is mention of rape and intention of certain characters to rape others. Nothing of the sort happens on screen however, and even the references are veiled and non-graphic.
I hate that these are so short but I really don't want to give away plot points and twists.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Book: The Tribune by Patrick Larkin
This is another one of those books that I picked up a *million* years ago and just got around to reading. Seriously, I actually remember buying this book and I bought it from the bookstore in our mall, a Waldens Books. And they've been out of the area for probably five years. So I've had the book for a bit.
I have a *thing* for ancient Rome. I know, I know. I have 'things' about a lot of things. What can I say, my obsessions are many and varied. :) Anyway. That's why I picked this book up.
Right then.
So The Tribune centers around and is told from the point of view of legionnaire Lucius Aurelius Valens. We start off at a point where he is on duty in Syria, investigating a series of bloody raids. There is a band of marauders riding through the area, demanding protection money from the people living on the outlying farms. If they refuse or are unable to pay, the bandits return within a few nights and slaughter everyone in the house.
Lucius, being a veteran of the German frontier and an educated man from a military family, detects a pattern in the raids and suggests a plan that would hopefully capture these men before they can strike again. His commanding officer scoffs and shoots down the idea, his attitude and general incompetency giving Lucius suspicions that there is something more going on.
To punish Lucius for daring to think that he knows better than his seniors, he is sent to a remote outpost. Rather than go, Lucius sends a detachment of his men to man the outpost and takes the rest of them back to the area that is being preyed upon.
Of course, his gamble pays off and he encounters and defeats the bandits. Who, to the surprise of absolutely no one, turn out to be legionnaires under the command of the senior centurion. Driven by a sense of honor that apparently precludes being clever about the political situations around him, Lucius marches the centurion and the surviving members of the criminal band to the capital, thereby getting in the middle of a political pissing match between Germanicus (Lucius' friend and political sponsor) and a man named Piso who is a smaller power in the area.
He subsequently is marched off to Judea to keep him out of the grasp of the men that he's angered. It all becomes rather terribly predictable just as soon as Lucius is saddled with a random Jewish-Roman citizen boy named Paullus who insists on being called Saul. By which I mean, Larkin takes an interesting premise of a historical novel - that of an honorable man surrounded by corruption in the military ranks - and starts shoe horning New Testament characters into it.
Lucius, dragging Paullus/Saul and his conveniently incredibly loyal Greek doctor with him, as well as his cohort of legionnaires, becomes enmeshed in the murder of a Roman senator near the small town of Nazarra. The senator, Silanus, had been sent to Judea to find out the truth of the visions that Tiberius Caesar's seers have been having about a threat growing in the area. We also encounter a man named Nahum, a mother and son duo named Miryam and Yeshua, a kind of bipolar seeming woman named Marah in Magdalah and two random fishermen, one of whom is named Simon.
Look, I wanted to like this book. I really did. Rome! It should be hard to screw that up! But. It kind of felt like Larkin couldn't decide what kind of a novel he wanted this to be, or he didn't bother to take the time to really fill in the story to make it interesting. It is *absolutely* possible to write Biblical fiction and make it vibrant and interesting. This was not that book.
My major problem, though, is with Lucius. Really. He's unreal. He is an unbelievable character. He's kind of perfect. Lucius is approaching Marty Sue territory. His 'one flaw' is that he's so honorable that he's stupid with it. This *entire* book is based on that fact. Luckily for him, he seems to have come by it honestly. We're given a little anecdote of his grandfather to explain where thisidiothonorable streak comes from. Lucius' grandfather fought under Augustus when he was battling for control of Rome with Mark Antony. In one of the battles, things weren't going very well. The standard bearer, the man carrying the Roman Eagle, falls and Augustus himself grabs it and uses it as a rallying point. Well, Lucius' grandfather fights off hoards of Antony's troops and is wounded in the process. When Augustus comes to visit him in the medical tent and commend him for his loyalty and bravery, grandpa tells Augustus that he wasn't defending Augustus, he was defending the Eagle.
Which...okay. I get that the Eagle is important. As a much better book (and the movie) says:
'The eagle is lost, honor is lost, and if honor is lost, all is lost.' The Eagle is Rome. BUT. When the guy who is one of the rulers of Rome (at that point) and your commanding officer, thanks you personally for being a badass, you TAKE THE COMPLIMENT AND SHUT UP. Of course, Grandpa gets rewarded for this with a gold ring which he passes on down to Lucius. Lucius also inherits his grandpa's idiocy.
As for the rest of it. It could have been good. I kept thinking that it would get better. I mean after all, it has the potential to be really interesting, if it's well done. But it wasn't. It just wasn't.
If you want to read good Biblical fiction, I point you to The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
If you want to read good fiction set in ancient Rome, let me direct you to The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. It's a YA book, actually, but it's a fun, engaging book. There's also a movie based on it which I enjoyed immensely. *sighs at Channing Tatum as Marcus*
Or, if you enjoy mysteries, the Marcus Didius Falco series is one of my absolute favorites. Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series is another delightful mystery series set in ancient Rome.
Or, if you like to mix your Rome with some high fantasy, the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It's a very clearly Roman based society, the reasons for which become clear throughout the series, but set in another world where the Romans have gained the ability to commune with and use creatures known as furies. There's also the giant-wolf creatures (Canim!), the Marat (Vikings!), and theBorgVord. All this with political intrigue and machinations thrown in. *cuddles books*
My tastes, they are random.
Anyway.
The Tribune = no stars. Not worth it, don't bother. Every other book I mentioned = go forth and read.
I have a *thing* for ancient Rome. I know, I know. I have 'things' about a lot of things. What can I say, my obsessions are many and varied. :) Anyway. That's why I picked this book up.
Right then.
So The Tribune centers around and is told from the point of view of legionnaire Lucius Aurelius Valens. We start off at a point where he is on duty in Syria, investigating a series of bloody raids. There is a band of marauders riding through the area, demanding protection money from the people living on the outlying farms. If they refuse or are unable to pay, the bandits return within a few nights and slaughter everyone in the house.
Lucius, being a veteran of the German frontier and an educated man from a military family, detects a pattern in the raids and suggests a plan that would hopefully capture these men before they can strike again. His commanding officer scoffs and shoots down the idea, his attitude and general incompetency giving Lucius suspicions that there is something more going on.
To punish Lucius for daring to think that he knows better than his seniors, he is sent to a remote outpost. Rather than go, Lucius sends a detachment of his men to man the outpost and takes the rest of them back to the area that is being preyed upon.
Of course, his gamble pays off and he encounters and defeats the bandits. Who, to the surprise of absolutely no one, turn out to be legionnaires under the command of the senior centurion. Driven by a sense of honor that apparently precludes being clever about the political situations around him, Lucius marches the centurion and the surviving members of the criminal band to the capital, thereby getting in the middle of a political pissing match between Germanicus (Lucius' friend and political sponsor) and a man named Piso who is a smaller power in the area.
He subsequently is marched off to Judea to keep him out of the grasp of the men that he's angered. It all becomes rather terribly predictable just as soon as Lucius is saddled with a random Jewish-Roman citizen boy named Paullus who insists on being called Saul. By which I mean, Larkin takes an interesting premise of a historical novel - that of an honorable man surrounded by corruption in the military ranks - and starts shoe horning New Testament characters into it.
Lucius, dragging Paullus/Saul and his conveniently incredibly loyal Greek doctor with him, as well as his cohort of legionnaires, becomes enmeshed in the murder of a Roman senator near the small town of Nazarra. The senator, Silanus, had been sent to Judea to find out the truth of the visions that Tiberius Caesar's seers have been having about a threat growing in the area. We also encounter a man named Nahum, a mother and son duo named Miryam and Yeshua, a kind of bipolar seeming woman named Marah in Magdalah and two random fishermen, one of whom is named Simon.
Look, I wanted to like this book. I really did. Rome! It should be hard to screw that up! But. It kind of felt like Larkin couldn't decide what kind of a novel he wanted this to be, or he didn't bother to take the time to really fill in the story to make it interesting. It is *absolutely* possible to write Biblical fiction and make it vibrant and interesting. This was not that book.
My major problem, though, is with Lucius. Really. He's unreal. He is an unbelievable character. He's kind of perfect. Lucius is approaching Marty Sue territory. His 'one flaw' is that he's so honorable that he's stupid with it. This *entire* book is based on that fact. Luckily for him, he seems to have come by it honestly. We're given a little anecdote of his grandfather to explain where this
Which...okay. I get that the Eagle is important. As a much better book (and the movie) says:
'The eagle is lost, honor is lost, and if honor is lost, all is lost.' The Eagle is Rome. BUT. When the guy who is one of the rulers of Rome (at that point) and your commanding officer, thanks you personally for being a badass, you TAKE THE COMPLIMENT AND SHUT UP. Of course, Grandpa gets rewarded for this with a gold ring which he passes on down to Lucius. Lucius also inherits his grandpa's idiocy.
As for the rest of it. It could have been good. I kept thinking that it would get better. I mean after all, it has the potential to be really interesting, if it's well done. But it wasn't. It just wasn't.
If you want to read good Biblical fiction, I point you to The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.
If you want to read good fiction set in ancient Rome, let me direct you to The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. It's a YA book, actually, but it's a fun, engaging book. There's also a movie based on it which I enjoyed immensely. *sighs at Channing Tatum as Marcus*
Or, if you enjoy mysteries, the Marcus Didius Falco series is one of my absolute favorites. Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series is another delightful mystery series set in ancient Rome.
Or, if you like to mix your Rome with some high fantasy, the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It's a very clearly Roman based society, the reasons for which become clear throughout the series, but set in another world where the Romans have gained the ability to commune with and use creatures known as furies. There's also the giant-wolf creatures (Canim!), the Marat (Vikings!), and the
My tastes, they are random.
Anyway.
The Tribune = no stars. Not worth it, don't bother. Every other book I mentioned = go forth and read.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
I wish more people I know read the Dresden Files. I have this urge to start a book club kind of thing with only the DF as material! Because I want to analyse them over and over again. Which, okay, I do that anyway, all on my own.
Whatever.
Don't judge me.
Is it next year yet?
In other news: the world needs more Marcone. This is a fact. Marcone needs his own series!
Whatever.
Don't judge me.
Is it next year yet?
In other news: the world needs more Marcone. This is a fact. Marcone needs his own series!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Ghost Story
I'll be over here. Grinning like a loon and trying to figure out all the implications of everything that I just read.
In ongoing news, Jim Butcher = actually evil. But in such a delightful way we keep coming back for more.
I saw someone speculate, jokingly, that Butcher was really a Wampire and that he fed on our emotions as we waited for and then read his books. I'm not so sure it's a joke anymore...
Now...how long until Cold Days is released?
AND IN SPOILERY, BUT ONLY A BIT NEWS:
DEMONREACH = AWESOME
And Harry, you're a psychotic ass sometimes. Really. I just...the thing with Molly? Yeah. Not cool. Like Mr. Sunshine said, saying 'let the world burn' is a hell of a lot different from saying 'let Molly burn', especially when they amount to the same thing!
In other news, Lea is still too cool for words.
And I want to know what the hell HWWB was doing with Harry! What are his PLANS!?!!?
Cripes. The flashbacks to Justin and the training...*makes grabby hands*
In ongoing news, Jim Butcher = actually evil. But in such a delightful way we keep coming back for more.
I saw someone speculate, jokingly, that Butcher was really a Wampire and that he fed on our emotions as we waited for and then read his books. I'm not so sure it's a joke anymore...
Now...how long until Cold Days is released?
AND IN SPOILERY, BUT ONLY A BIT NEWS:
DEMONREACH = AWESOME
And Harry, you're a psychotic ass sometimes. Really. I just...the thing with Molly? Yeah. Not cool. Like Mr. Sunshine said, saying 'let the world burn' is a hell of a lot different from saying 'let Molly burn', especially when they amount to the same thing!
In other news, Lea is still too cool for words.
And I want to know what the hell HWWB was doing with Harry! What are his PLANS!?!!?
Cripes. The flashbacks to Justin and the training...*makes grabby hands*
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
TWO THINGS! Both Dresden Files related, god help us all...
1 - There's a Camp NaNo this year. So...uh...I'm doing that? WTH. Pretty sure it'll be this prompt from the kinkmeme: 'Ever since I read With or Without, I've been obsessing about the following:
"My dreams, every night since I'd seen Thomas were...they were filled with Marcone. And not the old one, the one where Marcone drugged me and locked me up in a tiny cell beneath his mansion until I broke."
I really, really want to read about Marcone drugging Harry and locking him up in a tiny cell beneath his mansion until he broke. Gen is good, Marcone/Harry is better.'
I'd originally thought to split off from canon toward the end of Fool Moon, but someone commented suggesting the end of the train scene in Death Masks. And...I like it. So probably that.
2 - TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE! I'm considering buying my copy of Ghost Story and getting it signed through the Dog Eared Books Virtual Signing. Which would mean that the copy of the book would cost me about $35 instead of $14. Keeping in mind that I'm also buying the book on Kindle for $14 and audiobook for $30. So I don't need it signed, right? Right?
"My dreams, every night since I'd seen Thomas were...they were filled with Marcone. And not the old one, the one where Marcone drugged me and locked me up in a tiny cell beneath his mansion until I broke."
I really, really want to read about Marcone drugging Harry and locking him up in a tiny cell beneath his mansion until he broke. Gen is good, Marcone/Harry is better.'
I'd originally thought to split off from canon toward the end of Fool Moon, but someone commented suggesting the end of the train scene in Death Masks. And...I like it. So probably that.
2 - TALK ME OFF THE LEDGE! I'm considering buying my copy of Ghost Story and getting it signed through the Dog Eared Books Virtual Signing. Which would mean that the copy of the book would cost me about $35 instead of $14. Keeping in mind that I'm also buying the book on Kindle for $14 and audiobook for $30. So I don't need it signed, right? Right?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
today is a good day
1. X-Men: First Class - third time. I'm obsessed. I admit it and have no shame! None!
2. Season premier of True Blood. Hallo Eric!
3. Season premier of Leverage! All the peoples!
4. 1 month until Ghost Story.
2. Season premier of True Blood. Hallo Eric!
3. Season premier of Leverage! All the peoples!
4. 1 month until Ghost Story.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Butcher Is An Evil Genius
I'm reading Grave Peril and I just realized that Leanandsidhe was trying to get ahold of Molly even that early on. Crap. I really am going to have to go back and reread and take freaking *notes* at some point. Agh! He has totally snuck in things as far back as Storm Front! I know it!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Lo, I Have Had A Thought
So Cristos is mebbe/probably Black Council. I mean, we all suspect he is. And he basically blackmailed his way onto the Senior Council. He took over for LaFortier, who was the representative of the Eastern wizardry. Who feel that they are under represented and resent the Western parts of the Council for this.
No one's heard from the Jade Court vampires for a long time. The stick to themselves, etc. And Mavra is Black Court. I get the impression that they are more Eastern Europe based. Mavra has extensive magical skills. She's a witch of great power.
I think there's a big connection between the Eastern Court vampires and the Black Council. I think the Eastern wizardry, or some of them anyway, are planning a revolution. And that's the Black Council's purpose. And the Eastern vamps are working with them.
on an unrelated note: I just outed myself as a slasher to my little sister. :)
No one's heard from the Jade Court vampires for a long time. The stick to themselves, etc. And Mavra is Black Court. I get the impression that they are more Eastern Europe based. Mavra has extensive magical skills. She's a witch of great power.
I think there's a big connection between the Eastern Court vampires and the Black Council. I think the Eastern wizardry, or some of them anyway, are planning a revolution. And that's the Black Council's purpose. And the Eastern vamps are working with them.
on an unrelated note: I just outed myself as a slasher to my little sister. :)
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Somebody Talk Me Down!
Okay. I found 3 Jim Butcher audio books on sale a while back. One Codex Alera and two Dresden Files. Awesome, right? I've never bought audiobooks before because they are *really* expensive. Like, $40 for one book. I get it, cds, etc. Whatever.
Here's the problem. I *love* the Dresden audio books. I mean, awesome content and then James Marsters is reading them. How much love do I have for these? It's not measurable!
I WANT the rest of the Dresden audio books. They are not on sale. But I WANT them NOW! I know I don't need them. I know that even if I spread it out I really don't need to spend $40 a month on these books. Especially considering that I have the entire series in hard cover.
But I WANT THEM! *twitches* I keep going to Amazon to see if the prices have gone down. And I already made my Christmas list for this year and I really want the two things I asked for so I don't want to substitute!
Why will these things just not magically appear on my shelves?!?
eta: okay, so, some of them I can get through sellers for like...$30 including shipping. That's not bad. It's only the first couple that are $39.99 and the original prices are worse...
oh god. *watches resolve crumble*
eta2: Self control? What the fuck is that?
Why yes, I did just order the first audiobook. Don't look at me like that. I NEED IT!
Here's the problem. I *love* the Dresden audio books. I mean, awesome content and then James Marsters is reading them. How much love do I have for these? It's not measurable!
I WANT the rest of the Dresden audio books. They are not on sale. But I WANT them NOW! I know I don't need them. I know that even if I spread it out I really don't need to spend $40 a month on these books. Especially considering that I have the entire series in hard cover.
But I WANT THEM! *twitches* I keep going to Amazon to see if the prices have gone down. And I already made my Christmas list for this year and I really want the two things I asked for so I don't want to substitute!
Why will these things just not magically appear on my shelves?!?
eta: okay, so, some of them I can get through sellers for like...$30 including shipping. That's not bad. It's only the first couple that are $39.99 and the original prices are worse...
oh god. *watches resolve crumble*
eta2: Self control? What the fuck is that?
Why yes, I did just order the first audiobook. Don't look at me like that. I NEED IT!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Days 5 & 6
Supernatural made me start late yesterday, so I wound up 200 words under the goal. But that was okay. I spent plenty of time writing today. :)
Marcone and Dresden got all magically bound together. I keeping joking that they got married. Which they did. They just don't quite realize it yet. I'm going to go read First Lords Fury now.
I've left Marcone and Harry on the front steps of Harry's boarding house. Harry doesn't want to move into Marcone's house. Marcone is making him. G'night.
Marcone and Dresden got all magically bound together. I keeping joking that they got married. Which they did. They just don't quite realize it yet. I'm going to go read First Lords Fury now.
I've left Marcone and Harry on the front steps of Harry's boarding house. Harry doesn't want to move into Marcone's house. Marcone is making him. G'night.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Canim
One of my favorite races from the Codex Alera series is the Canim. They're basically wolf-men.
Here's official art of one of them:
I'm actually not usually a 'were' fan. I mean they're okay (and I like them better than I used to) but I've always been a vampire girl. Of course the Canim aren't actually shapeshifters. They're just giant 8 foot plus wolves who can walk and talk, play ludus (which is like 3D chess from Star Trek as near as I can tell) and wear armour, build and sail ships, use weaponry, use magic and pretty much conquer anything that they can be bothered to try to. :D They're bad ass.
'"Range is important," Gradash said seriously. "The territory one claims and defends is important. We understand that. The leviathans understand it. So we respect their claim."
"It must make for some complex sailing routes."
Gradash shrugged. "Respect is elder to convenience."
"And besides," Tavi said drily, "if you didn't respect them, they'd eat you."
"Survival is also elder to convenience," Gradash agreed.'
And I just include that because I like this exchange. :)
Here's official art of one of them:
I'm actually not usually a 'were' fan. I mean they're okay (and I like them better than I used to) but I've always been a vampire girl. Of course the Canim aren't actually shapeshifters. They're just giant 8 foot plus wolves who can walk and talk, play ludus (which is like 3D chess from Star Trek as near as I can tell) and wear armour, build and sail ships, use weaponry, use magic and pretty much conquer anything that they can be bothered to try to. :D They're bad ass.
'"Range is important," Gradash said seriously. "The territory one claims and defends is important. We understand that. The leviathans understand it. So we respect their claim."
"It must make for some complex sailing routes."
Gradash shrugged. "Respect is elder to convenience."
"And besides," Tavi said drily, "if you didn't respect them, they'd eat you."
"Survival is also elder to convenience," Gradash agreed.'
And I just include that because I like this exchange. :)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
I Need to Find a Way to Work This Quote Into a Conversation
'This plan is insane. You are insane. I'll need some pants.'
Why do I not have conversations where this would seem natural? Clearly my life is not awesome enough.
For the record the quote is from Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher. All hail the Butcher!
Why do I not have conversations where this would seem natural? Clearly my life is not awesome enough.
For the record the quote is from Captain's Fury by Jim Butcher. All hail the Butcher!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Furies of Calderon p. 133
"That's one way to do it," Aldrick commented. "If you don't mind spattering blood everywhere."
Fidelias tossed the branch down to one side. "You got blood everywhere," he pointed out.
Aldrick walked back to the clearing's center. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to fastidiously clean his blade. "But mine's in a pattern. It's aesthetically pleasing."
Butcher - where even the villains are funny. Or maybe that's just me...
Fidelias tossed the branch down to one side. "You got blood everywhere," he pointed out.
Aldrick walked back to the clearing's center. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to fastidiously clean his blade. "But mine's in a pattern. It's aesthetically pleasing."
Butcher - where even the villains are funny. Or maybe that's just me...
Friday, August 27, 2010
Impulse Control Fail Win
I went to BAMM today to pick up the new issue of the SPN magazine (which I did, and am reading. well, not right this second, since even my multi-task skills fail at both typing on the comp, watching the tv, and reading all at once.). The plan was to walk straight back to the magazines, find my issue, and turn around and walk straight back to the register. Well, we all know that wasn't gonna happen...
Turns out, they were having a sale on audio books. And I am now the proud owner of three Jim Butcher books on cd! I got Captain's Fury, Small Favor, and Turn Coat for about $10 each, which since they're originally about $50 each? Yeah. Utter win.
They had a couple LKH audio books on sale too, for like $7, 8 bucks, but I didn't pick them up. I might go back for 'em though. I haven't made up my mind if I really want them or not.
Turns out, they were having a sale on audio books. And I am now the proud owner of three Jim Butcher books on cd! I got Captain's Fury, Small Favor, and Turn Coat for about $10 each, which since they're originally about $50 each? Yeah. Utter win.
They had a couple LKH audio books on sale too, for like $7, 8 bucks, but I didn't pick them up. I might go back for 'em though. I haven't made up my mind if I really want them or not.
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