Oh. My. God.

[fembuck]

I enjoyed the first seven of Black Magic Sanction.  Well, I enjoyed chapters 2-7 of Black Magic Sanction.


(Click here to read)

Rachel ... and I can't believe I'm typing this ... Rachel Morgan has gotten smarter.  Seriously, like chicha has actually matured and is on occassion displaying good judgement in this book.  I mean she's still kind of dick at inopportune times, but compared to her previous dickishness she's a fucking wallflower this book (and when she is a dick it's often actually amusing instead of aggravating, ex. her busted, can't even walk ass being all like, "that's Ms. Morgan to you").

I think ... no, I do sympathize with her so far. 

I ... I ... I think I like her again.



You guys, I don't know what to do with myself.  I honestly can't work up a rant.  I haven't felt this way in like books and books you guys.  I ... I ... I ... want to read more!

Like, the story is actually focused on the plot.  PLOT!  Not Rachel's dumbass romantic woes.  Not the beautiful and wonderful and amazing Ivy Tamwood getting screwed over in new and heart-breaking ways.  But on actual honest to god plot! 

And ... and ... and Rachel and Ivy are acting like honest to god fucking friends! 

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!?! 

I mean, Rachel is still all like, "Look at Ivy's ass in those jeans!  Dayum.  No homo" but I like don't even care because they finally listened to the great philospher Mary J. Blige and there's like no more drama.  TBH, even though I wish they were all:



by now, I am enjoying their interactions. 

Like, you guys ... Rachel Morgan has wanted and asked for other people's help numerous times.  Rachel Morgan.  Asking for help.  Especially from Ivy.  Ivy Tamwood.  Rachel Morgan.  You guys.  I don't think my brain can handle this.  Asking for help ... from Ivy *brain explodes*

Seriously, even though the gay is less obvious (though by no means unexistant), that means that there is less angst ... and I kind of ship more because they seem like they actually like each other and add something positive to the others life. 

I'm still feel rather fun-spongey



about Ivy/Glenn, but it's not that bad.  And Ivy got a couple good little digs in there about Rachel being a notrustnik, pansy-ass who's afraid of her fangs. 

Honestly, my problem with the Ivy/Glenn thing is more that I wish she was with a girl.  After how Kim trashed Skimmer in the last book, I want to see Ivy with a sane woman who has a positive influence on her, instead of the F/F relationships in the series being different versions of Ivy getting mind-fucked, emotion-fucked and fucked over. 

In my mind I had decided that the hot foresenics vampire chick from that one book would be Ivy's rebound/time killer until Rachel smartens up, so me is ambivelent to Glenn (who btw, did we know his name was Matthew before this?  I just saw that and I was like O_o.  I mean I know he had to have a first name, I was just like ... really?). 

Also, just from a pure numbers point of view, Ivy has gotten/chased far more cock than she has pussy so I wanted the playing field to be evened out.  She's becoming one of those sweeps week bi-sexuals on network tv that are usually played by Olivia Wilde (Mm, Olivia Wilde).

Also, Rachel still is able to smell Ivy on shit, which never ceases to amuse me.  She's like a fucking bloodhound when it comes to Ivy's scent.  I dig it.

Wow. 

Before reading this I honestly couldn't imagine genuinely being excited for the continuation of this series and I put off reading these chapters cause I was sure they were going to piss me off ... but I am very pleasantly surprised.

Warning:  To  ye who do not read through all of the comments.  My enthusiasm for the book has been thwarted.  I am back in RANT mode.  The first seven chapters are a smoke screen and rant inducing shenanigans follow. 

Buy/Read this novel at your own risk!

Comments

[sav8801.livejournal.com]

I'm a third of the book in, and all I can say is, if you're annoyed at Pierce's manner of speech, you will be VERY annoyed at BMS. Way, way, wayyyyyyyy too much of the guy. And Trent. And Al (though Al I don't mind as much. He's a right bastard, but he doesn't hide from that fact.). Ivy also takes a hike pretty early on(typical), but so far she got a nice amount of screen time.

I was dreading this too. So far, it's better than I'd feared and worse than I'd hoped (in spite of myself).

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

all I can say is, if you're annoyed at Pierce's manner of speech, you will be VERY annoyed at BMS.

I was pissed at the beginning of BMS because of Pierce's bullshit, but then he disappeared and I felt better. Are you saying that Pierce and his irritating speech habits show up prominently after chapter 7? Cause if so *epic sigh*

Way, way, wayyyyyyyy too much of the guy. And Trent. And Al (though Al I don't mind as much. He's a right bastard, but he doesn't hide from that fact.)

Trent doesn't bother me that much. As long as Rachel doesn't fall head over heels in love with him and want to have his elf babies I can deal with his smarmy ass. And Al I can deal with in small chunks, I just doesn't need to read chapters and chapters about the guy.

I am getting worried that Rachel's return back to Cincy from the West Coast is going to lead to lots of those guys now and less Ivy and Jenks *bites nails nervously*

Oh why Kim, we were just getting along again. I was actually feeling hopeful. *sob*

and worse than I'd hoped (in spite of myself).

I feel ya on this. It's like, I bitch and complain and rant, but there is always a part of me that really hopes the new book is gonna be awesome and that my doubting ways were wrong. And then I read it. I though, I have to say there's no way this book could be as disappointing and aggravating to me as the last two, so that's something at least.

[sav8801.livejournal.com]

Half way through. Abandon all hope, ye who enters here. Seriously Pierce, just SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!

I can't stand the guy. When you ranted about him, I giggled, thought you were maybe a little rash, but now I know you were prophesising. You thought the tiny glimpses of him were bad? Wait 'til you have to put up with him (and Rachel with him) for (too) many chapters straight. Check your sanity at the door.

I almost can't stand the book. It's stagnating sooooo bad. Other books I couldn't put down, this one it's a strain to keep going. It's going around in circles so far. Huge WTF? moment too (consistant characters? Where?! Not in this book). No, sorry, Kim, you're just free falling to me now. I don't know if I can finish this. It burns, burns I tell you!

There's one (tiny, and I do mean tiny) Ravy moment so far that made me smile and could possibly be heavy with implications, but fuck this, been there, been burned before.

(Do note that I'm only halfway through and it might get better. I'm just venting a little insanity, but I really don't have much hope left.)

*Whimpers* Don't wanna keep reading... *keeps reading*

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

oh god.

*cries and cries and cries*

I wasn't really expecting any developments in Ravy in this, but I was hoping to be able to read the book and enjoy it the whole way through like I did with the first and second books, the fourth book and to a degree the fiftth.

I guess I'm understanding why they stopped the free stuff at chapter eight.

*sigh*

Why do I even put any faith in this woman anymore?

*cries some more*

[sav8801.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think you can understand until you read it. I hope this doesn't rate as spoilers, but I'll tell you this; after the freebies, practically the EXACT SAME EVENTS happen once again! I'm not kidding. Exact same thing, only this time it's with Pierce instead of Ivy, and another character that mysteriously changed his standing towards Rachel for no apparent reason.

There was also, to give KH her due, a very intense action scene that I did enjoy shortly after I posted the above, but damn, did I ever want to slap Rachel afterwards... I'll leave it at that.

Oh, and about wishing Ivy was with a girl? There are hints that she has a serious crush on a female character, but it's Pierce's introduction all over again. She's introduced in another short story outside the main books, and the gist of their romantic buildup is crossing swords and looking at each other with respect. I don't know about you, but not even the hottest GoGA could make up for paper-thin romantic buildup as far as I'm concerned. Besides, you KNOW you wouldn't get even that in the books, since all of Ivy's romance happens off screen.

These books aren't good for me. Why the hell do I keep reading them?

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for this review/warning. I think that you have just saved my sanity.

Kim's done it. I'm walking away. I think that once braver people have finished reading I'll beg for plot specific information (i.e. any magical reveals that could be useful for fic writing, or any major Ravy developments like them being able to casually merge aura's), and when an electronic copy comes out, I might click "Find" and "Ivy" and read the parts about her, but I'm like 70% done with this bullshit.

Oh, and about wishing Ivy was with a girl? There are hints that she has a serious crush on a female character, but it's Pierce's introduction all over again. She's introduced in another short story outside the main books

Fucking hell! Why does the woman do this. I'm not gonna buy those other fucking books and all it does when you introduce characters that way is make me think you're a money grubbing dilhole. *sigh*

Oh well, at least there's Ivy girl-crushing. Is it that Daryl chick that was mentioned in the first seven chapters?

Besides, you KNOW you wouldn't get even that in the books, since all of Ivy's romance happens off screen.

Frustrating, but maybe a blessing in disguise. I think the reason I continue to love Ivy is that Kim doesn't pay enough attention to her to fuck her up. Fuck her over yes, but not mess up the character to Rachel-like proportions.

These books aren't good for me. Why the hell do I keep reading them?

I don't know, but I have the same sickness.

Mostly I feel like an asshole for encouraging people to read this based on the first seven chapters since all it's gonna do is anally rape them in the end like the last two books *sigh*