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

[trancer21.livejournal.com]

And the way Ivy's character was not assassinated, but definitely made to look ridiculous to make Pierce look better ... *RAGE SMASH RAGE*

I'm not sure what about that scene pissed me off more, Ivy not willing to take a little smut on her soul to help her BEST FRIEND or Rachel not pausing long enough to try and convince her. In essence, Ivy was ditched so Pierce could be the one to 'get through to Jenks'.

It's like you said. I really don't think she expected the character to become as popular as she has and now she's stuck with her. Considering she hasn't released a non-Hollows novel since 2006, I really do think she should take a break from it and write whatever it is that she's forcing into the Hollows.

I am glad to know Pierce is universally loathed by the fandom. It'll be interesting to see the sales numbers for this one. Because my recommendation is definitely of the 'don't waste your money on the hardcover' variety.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

Ivy not willing to take a little smut on her soul to help her BEST FRIEND

Oh dear god, I didn't realize THAT'S why Ivy chickened out. We've seen her before wary of magic and I just figured that she was scared. But to have the reason be that she didn't want to dirty her aura ... I don't even know who to express my outrage in typing.

Rachel not pausing long enough to try and convince her

The sad thing is that's pretty typical Rachel behavior. Ivy behavior is really surprising, but Rachel being a douche is pretty par the course.

I really don't think she expected the character to become as popular as she has and now she's stuck with her

I really think this is it. Especially with how she changed her opinion on Ivy from being her favorite to write to being the hardest to write. It's almost like she heaped way too baggage on Ivy, and then didn't know how to write her after making her so fucked up. So she just heaps more shit on Ivy because she can write Ivy when she's all tragic and suffering, and then ignores her when she's not being tortured because she doesn't know how to write 'happy' Ivy.

I really do think she should take a break from it and write whatever it is that she's forcing into the Hollows.

This. Please. Spare us. We'd rather have to wait longer for a new Hollows book, then have them turned out at a rapid pace and LOATHE them. Handle yer shit, then come back to the series.

It'll be interesting to see the sales numbers for this one. Because my recommendation is definitely of the 'don't waste your money on the hardcover' variety.

See, the thing is, I think people might have been tricked and the sales might be okay. Because the beginning of the book is GOOD. Like you said, it's classic Hollows. If people read the first seven chapters on line they probably rushed out to buy it. And if they picked up a book in store and read it, they probably bought it because by 7 chapters in you think you have a good idea what the book is going to be like.

If that was her plan, to lull people into a false sense of quality with the first 7 chapters so they'd buy it, then well done Cock Block because it probably worked.

I wonder is sales for the next one will down though. It's kind of a 'fool we once' scenario where I'm now not gonna be tricked by the opening of one of the books and others might not be either.

Still, the cynical part of me thinks that her sales will go on being good enough to justify keeping the series going simple because people are invested enough from the first 5 books to keep on reading on the hope that things will get better (even though they're just getting progressively worse and worse). I know, I wish I could walk away entirely, but I'm still loitering around ... hoping (though that hope is steadily fading).

[sav8801.livejournal.com]

Sorry to barge in on the ranting, but I can't let you think that Ivy refused to take the spell because of smut. She did it because she actually saw what went in it and "couldn't do it." Better? Worse? I don't know, but that's her reason for you.

****SPOILERS (BIG ONES)****

I don't know if you know, but the spell in question made you pixy-sized. Rachel used it so she could go give Jenks a hug after Matalina died in an attack on the church. That Ivy backed out of that made me want to strangle something cute and fuzzy.

I'm totally with Trancer about that scene. What the fuck was KH thinking forcing Pierce into it? Ivy should have been there. Ivy knows loss. As a vampire, she lives in a society that is completely centered on loss, grief and ghosts. It could have been a perfect opportunity to have at least ONE fucking moment for Ivy to shine in the whole. But noooo, you got more Pierce shoved down your throat. It's definitely the story of BMS.

[trancer21.livejournal.com]

I don't know, but that's her reason for you.

Yep. You're right. Her reasoning's aren't explained very well. I just assumed that whatever was in it scared Ivy enough to not want that kinda smut on her soul, ya know.

But, yeah, that was one of those moments that really should have been about Jenks, Rachel and Ivy. Then KH just Pierce-pissed all over it!

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

Yep. You're right. Her reasoning's aren't explained very well.

It was just contrivance. There is no logical way to have Ivy make a decision like that, which is why I'm guessing it was glazed over. It's also probably why Rachel didn't try to convince Ivy, because there would have been no way to have Ivy continue to refuse when it was pointed out how nonsensical her position was.

Pierce-pissed all over it!

LOL.

[fembuck.livejournal.com]

She did it because she actually saw what went in it and "couldn't do it."

Still incredibly lame and out of character. This at least doesn't make her seem like a douche, but it still makes her seem like a stupid, scaredy-cat idiot which is just as bad when we're talking about Ivy Tamwood, you know.

What the fuck was KH thinking forcing Pierce into it?

KH was thinking that Pierce gives her girl-wood and she wanted to write more of his to get her jollies.

As a vampire, she lives in a society that is completely centered on loss, grief and ghosts. It could have been a perfect opportunity to have at least ONE fucking moment for Ivy to shine in the whole.

You are so spot on about this. If ever there was a scene tailor made for Ivy to have a moment, this should have been it. Ivy's whole life as been loss.

This is one of those things that has nothing to do with Ravy rage, and is just respect for your characters, consistency of plot, and development of your CORE characters rage.

Kim's like a three year old who gets distracted by new characters like they're shiny new toys and then throws her old toys down the stairs so that she doesn't have to think about them when she's playing with the new ones.

But it's like, 'Guess what? Your fans ... you know the people giving you money, THEY LIKE THE OLD TOYS!!!"

*sigh*