Mel > Recent Status Updates

Absolutely charmed. Lawrence and Temeraire go foraging for their friends. Please let this be the entire book.

First of all I was unprepared for how quickly this series flows in audio format. Second of all, Temeraire being a dragons rights advocate and busting the balls of the men who’ve been brainwashed by the idea of duty and British exceptionalism is carrying the plot at this point.

This is nothing like I expected and nothing like the first book but I’m deeply enjoying it.

Okay, I’m here now. She caught me.

This is the first time I haven’t been consumed immediately by an AG Slatter novel????

I am enchanted by how lyrically this is written. I love the constant format and style changes. It’s ambitious and beautiful. Truly I am so in love with the idea of this.

Unfortunately, I am quickly losing steam with the story itself. Maybe it will win me back over but I’m unsure of that considering I just got jump scared by my least favorite plot trope of all time.

I would also like to add, for the official record, that Owen’s father is a badass and the bravest person in this story. Imperfect? Sure. But aren’t we all.

I’ve never been a fan of ground hogs day plots. This one is an exception but only just. What I’m saying is the point has been driven home. History repeats itself. Please can they kill the fascist now?

I’m also enjoying the general Arthuriana of this. The magic sword, the historian named Montmer, the grail, etc. etc.

The structure/perspective lend themselves to the points that nobody is immune to propaganda and that even people with the best intentions can be complicit in perpetuating a super harmful bias/ideology. It’s also a dive into why hero warship is trash and why you should never trust the government. I just want to like Owen so I need him to snap out of it and realize this

Look, I have no doubt that Owen will become unpropogandized obviously, but I’m not sure how I feel about the fascist minister of war being the catalyst for whatever time travel/folklore hallucination situation is potentially about to happen. I suppose I’ll trust the process.

Ine is smart for a stupid person and Aethelburg is so so so dumb for a smart person.

If we are talking about F/M romance, the absolute best pairs are ALWAYS badass woman with weapons being simped over by a nerdy little dude. He’s gotta be bashful and earnest. I’ll be taking no notes.

With the amount of Britannic/Celtic/and Arthurian mythology inspired stuff I read I should really be less surprised when Emry shows up.

Making the wild hunt a band of women who were meant to fight with Boudicca but were tricked into the hunt is diabolical in the best possible way.

This is my first time reading anything by Alix E Harrow. Ms. Harrow, I apologize. I was unfamiliar with your game. This is enchanting.

There is something magical about the emotional and professional politics of these women thrown together by proximity and fate and specialty. I’m going to be sad to leave them behind. Also, panicking and bringing a bag of oranges to an end of term party is so charmingly relatable.

This may be the first time in my life Im reading something with both modern timelines and timelines in the Iron Age and I prefer the modern timeline???

Also, the question of “how often do men think about the Roman Empire?” Is dumb and annoying and gendered for no reason. I am a woman and I think of the Roman Empire regularly. Usually within the context of how much I dislike them for what they did to Iron Age Britannic peoples and how their expansion opened up the doors for Christianity to creep in. Boooooooo.

The environmentalists defending the peat are one dimensional and moralistic to a fault. The evil corporation is a painting of every evil corporation. It’s maddening that both characterizations are 100% accurate. This is exactly how it would be in reality.

I’m really over the internal monologue of the big pharma sales guy who compares everything to marvel. I’m also over Parker refusing to help the community cus she’s a scientist and is equating labor/helping to grow food with losing her identity as an important phd student. You’re trapped in the past. Both of yall shut up and shovel some dino poop on those crops istg.

All but one of the characters I found annoying haven’t survived the valley. The Dino nerd is officially queer. This is excellent adventure fiction and pure fan service to nerds everywhere. Cannot stress enough how much fun I am having.

I love Sam. I too would be sad to lose a classmate but at the same time be super excited to see an Allosaurus and then feel confused and guilty about that excitement cus a classmate just got munched. 10/10 character.

I can already tell this is going to be so so fun.

:/

I’m well and truly in this now and it is 2:30am and I still have 148 pages to go. Tragic.

The pacing of this is confusing. The tension isn’t really dictated by the constant battles and danger. The tension is very much created by the quiet unraveling of the meta plot and the keeping of secrets. I think I really like that subversion. Keir and Grey are incredibly enmeshed and unhealthy. The magic system feels heavily influenced by Adept and Cav dynamics in tlt. It’s delicious. I’m obsessed.

Im not complaining, but this genuinely reads like Cam and Pal fic. They are so toxically codependent it’s horrific. I love it.

Sometimes you gotta revisit your oldest and best friend.

Cop out. Alice spent the entire book so careful of language and then said “for one, a way out.” while technically insinuating it was for her and Peter but not clearly stating it. “First, a way out” would have been fine. But that bit what she said. Gosh, I wanted them to get to the final threshold and Peter to not be allowed to cross cus she wasn’t careful enough with her word choices while bargaining.