Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

April 22nd

Started this one a little early since it's all I had on my phone today. I just started so I'm still at chapter 1. So the premise is that the weres came out of hiding. The tv spokesperson is from Shreveport. Really? Not from Paris, or New York, or anywhere else in the world. From podunk back of the woods Shreveport?

Hahahahahaha!!!! Well, you know this whole series is all about the country supernaturals:):):)

Choko wrote: "Hahahahahaha!!!! Well, you know this whole series is all about the country supernaturals:):):)"

It's one of the things that annoys me about this series. That EVERYTHING happens right there and to only the main characters. It's written like it's a tv show with a limited cast.

So here's my question: Bill still has his mutton chops cuz that's how he looked back in the 1800s. But Eric doesn't have a beard? He was a viking? There's no way in hell he was smoothly shaved as a viking.

Second question. Spoiler for chapter 2. (view spoiler)[ Crystal was found dead on the cross with panther hands and feet. But when a were dies in animal form it goes back to human form. So wouldn't her hands and feet change back to human after death? (hide spoiler)] This series really really really needed beta readers.

Just started a couple of days late. I'm sure I'll catch up!

Shaitarn wrote: "Just started a couple of days late. I'm sure I'll catch up!"

Don't worry. I'm slow when I'm doing physical books so I'm still only half way.

Chapter 1:(view spoiler)[So Arlene quit. Considering the way she's been heading the last couple of books, that's no real surprise or a big deal in my opinion (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3:(view spoiler)[Eric and Sookie are 'bonded'? How does that work without her knowing consent? Much as I think Eric sounds hot I'd slap his face for pulling that crap! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5:(view spoiler)[I think it's established later on that the nails used in the crucifixion were silver, thus preventing the paws turning back into human hands and feet (or silver plated as I believe as a metal silver would be too soft to use as a nail? I may have that wrong. Anyway, I'll give the author a cautious pass for that one) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 6:(view spoiler)[ We hear how Eric got turned into a vampire. Why isn't there a 'The Living & Undead Adventures of Eric Norhman' spin off of this? I would pay good money to read that! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 7: (view spoiler)[ Does anyone else have any opinion on whether or not Sookie should use her 'talent' to help people? I don't blame her at all for wanting her own life. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9:(view spoiler)[What exactly was the point of Quinn coming back? Can't help thinking that whole fight was just to set up the next chapter. (hide spoiler)]

Shaitarn wrote: "Chapter 1:[spoilers removed] Same

Chapter 3:[spoilers removed] (view spoiler)[Yeah, personally I wouldn't abide by that. There are laws in America, and vampire customs are not laws. I'd have said screw you and walked away and there's nothing they could have done about that. Taking away someone;s free will and basically buying them with a knife is def not legal. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5:[spoilers removed] Yeah the explanation came after my question. I'll give that one a pass.

Chapter 6:[spoilers removed] I'd read that

Chapter 7: [spoilers removed] (view spoiler)[I personally think she should. There are discrete ways to do it so that she can help and still have her life. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 9:[spoilers removed]"(view spoiler)[ A lot of what happens in this book and the last one are pointless plot devices just to further the story. No one acts true to character anymore and lots of actions and events are not believable. This is the last book I read the last time around before I gave up on the series. Too many eye roll moments. (hide spoiler)]

77% in. Vampire blood: (view spoiler)[ So vampire blood makes most people stronger and prettier right? That's why there's a market for it? That's what it did for Sookie. Considering that Bill was so quick to give it to her the first time, I'm assuming this is the norm. Side effects like getting sick from it are exceptions. So someone gives Tray vampire blood hoping it would make him sick. But that's not the norm. Being stronger and faster is. So why would someone risk Sookie's bodyguard getting stronger and faster with the slight chance he might get sick? To make this work I have to run through all kinds of assumptions not stated in the book. Like it was laced with something. But if he was compelled to drink it anyway, why couldn't they have just given him poison and not have to run any risk? (hide spoiler)]

Diana Stormblessed wrote: "77% in. Vampire blood: [spoilers removed]"

Vampire blood:(view spoiler)[I think it's to do with Tray being a werewolf - weres can't ingest vampire blood like humans can? Again, I'd like to see a list of rules for the non-humans, if the author actually wrote them (I'm beginning to think she didn't). (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 11 - 12:(view spoiler)[I liked Arlene in the first book - she seemed to be a fairly sympathetic character in that, but now she's turned into a crazy, eye-swivelling bigot. I know it happened over several books, but I can't believe she would turn against a former friend so viciously. I'm finding it hard to buy this - character consistency, Charlaine Harris! It helps! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13 - 14: (view spoiler)[ Cold iron being effective against fey I know, but lemon juice? Seriously? So I could take on a fairy with a squeezy bottle of Jif lemon juice? *snorts with laughter* Yeah, you get those water lemon pistols filled, Sookie! I would laugh more if I just didn't know it's going to be useful later! *sigh* (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15: (view spoiler)[Oh, that was all kinds of screwed up! So all weres have to try producing one child despite their sexual preferences? That's seriously messed up for a start (I was under the impression that all the weres in Hotspot are related so some degree so why don't they look for partners outside their village/town/whatever it is? I can't believe they're the only werepanthers in the whole world. Maybe now the weres have come out they can find another pack (pride?) of panthers to help them out).

And Mel attacking Crystal because he was in love with Jason is just weird. I get that he was provoked, but even so it seems odd. And am I reading that wrong, or was Crystal trying to force him to have sex with her while she was pregnant? That seems especially pointless. (hide spoiler)]

I am on my phone app and can't open any of the spoilers, but I will comment later today 😀

Chapter 16 - 17: (view spoiler)[I could've done without reading about that torture to be honest. I'm glad it was glossed over, but I really didn't get the point of it - I mean, why not just kill Sookie and be done with it? I suppose she had to be tortured or otherwise treated in a way to harden her or something for the future books, but I wish the author had thought of something else. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 18: (view spoiler)[ I thought Sookie was already dangerously close to the limit of vampire blood that could be safely consumed? Evidently not. (hide spoiler)]

in conclusion: (view spoiler)[ What exactly was the point in this book? I mean, it seemed like an utter pointless exercise - okay, the fairy land has been closed and Claudine has died (which I'm quite sorry about) but overall I can't help but feel this book could've been skipped over entirely, with any important points included in other stories. I'm sticking with the series but I'm hoping this one's just a blip and the next book will be better. I do actually quite like Sookie and I don't want the series to fizzle out rather than ending with a bang. (hide spoiler)]

I'm giving it 2.5 stars rounded up.

So this is a horrible way to kill a person! I didn't really care for her, but she didn't deserve that!

Well, this was much better than I expected it to be. I still don't like the separation of two problems occurring simultaneously, but I will take it... I am not happy about the deaths either, but I guess in life like this one it is impossible not to have people dying... Moving on to the next in the series 😀!

End of book (view spoiler)[ I am the saddest for Sookie's Faery godmother... She was about to become an angel, was expecting a baby in a race that has difficulty conceiving, and FH just had to kill her! And then the wolf who was dating Emily too... Now she will be devastated and I really hope she doesn't turn against Sookie by blaming her for all the bad things that have been happening... Not that she is not a magnet for trouble... (hide spoiler)]

You and I are still struggling on through this series, Choko!

We are going to persevere and read it to the last page! 😀😀😀

Yep! :D