Status Updates From Purge City (Prof Croft, #3)

I'm really disliking Croft in this book - rather than a character of integrity who stumbles into dire circumstances beyond his ken, in this installment he's the pretty much the creator/instigator of the less-than-stellar situations due his own ego or by taking rash actions without thinking even half-heartedly about consequences. It's like the character has been morphed into a steroid-addled frat boy with magic. :-/

Your potential for magic is enormous, but

You could have fooled me

“City was ready to rip you to shreds. Press had practically written your obituary.”

No thanks to you, you conniving useless fuck

“That’s true.” I couldn’t help but smile. “Tenured professor. I received the news this week.”

Oh fuck off

The necklace is an heirloom, he’d said. It is meant to protect.

Sounds like it's done a bang up job of it the last 30 years, gramps

“So Budge’s offer to end the siege in exchange for my extradition…?” “Was to get you to safety,” Caroline affirmed. “We were in the process of clearing your name.” “And the trolls?” “Sent to help you.”

Funny how much your "help" looks like attempted murder

The divination no longer fit Arnaud Thorne, but it conformed perfectly to my feelings for Caroline Reid.

No it doesn't. As described in the book, his heart trusts Caroline the most. It is his mind that distrusts her

Everson, I thought, you ever-loving idiot.

No argument here. Boy what I wouldn't give for a male urban fantasy protagonist that wasn't consistently portrayed as a bumbling moron

And, yeah, things got a little dicey there with the ghouls getting out and all—

Did the author forget that a cameraman was gutted in broad daylight?

I was halfway into my turn when a blow from a second wolf crushed the side of my head.

Jesus Christ this character is pathetic. In 4 books isn't this the 12th time the exact same thing has happened. You'd think, if maintaining a shape in his head was so important he'd start wearing a fucking helmet along with carrying his cane. Is it so much to ask for a protagonist that isn't a bumbling fuck up?

I’m not sure I’m going to continue with this series. I still have not been given any background to even believe Croft is competent enough to do any of the things he’s done thus far or continues to agree to. And Theonius finally made an appearance for several hours yet no one recognized him before while passing out on a sidewalk?