Lara > Recent Status Updates

SO loving all these character meetups. Maybe its fanfare... but it's what I'm here for. <3

It's interesting how they make a certain resident of Ketterdam into the quintessential business man, and make him a hero. It's clever writing considering the current public opinion regarding commerce and business people.

"For the record, General Nazyalensky, Kerch is a country with-out mercy or law, but it is at least a place where a man might make something of himself without noble blood or magic in his veins."

I'm loving that we get his perspective.

Not a fan of Yuri. But loving the certain someone else. We've waited a long time to hear his side of the story.

NO

'Do you remember me telling you we were practicing non-verbal spells, Potter?'
'Yes,' said Harry stiffly.
'Yes sir.'
'There's no need to call me "sir", Professor.'


- Harry Potter.... the master of sass.

What a magical whimsical wonderful world.

I find myself in the mood to read British classics. So after Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, the logical conclusion was to jump into this masterpiece again.

I have decided that I love audiobooks by British narrators. Also Sir John Dashwood reminds me a little of Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice, but where the latter is merely hilarious, the former is despicable in many ways.

“I would come for you.”

<3

Inej, it's lovely to see you again dear. Up to no good again. Bravo.

I need to read more classics. G.K. Chesterton puts modern novelists to shame with his witty turns of the phrase.

Loving this.

"Imagination does not breed insanity. Exactly what does breed insaniq is reason. Poets do not go mad; but chess players do."

"He was silent for a long moment and when I glanced at him, he was looking up at the glass ceiling. He'd gone red as a beet."

Mal. My cinnamon roll. What a cutie.

My heart.

I like Nikolai and the Darkling's characters. I love who they are. They are bright and vibrant and wonderful people.

But I don't ship them with Alina. Nikolai and the Darkling both love her for what she is. Mal loves her for who she is. No matter how flat he is, that makes him surpass the other two in my opinion.

Besides. Sorry Alina, but I'm putting dibs on those cuties. They're already taken.

I forgot. I forgot this. It hurts.

"All right, little saint, since you want to know about Morozova and his precious amplifiers, I'll tell you a story - one I used to tell a little boy with dark hair, a silent boy who rarely laughed, who listened more closely than I realized. A boy who had a name and not a title."

-- so the Darkling is basically Tom Riddle?

This book, BY FAR has better writing than the first one. HUGE relief. Read this much in one sunny afternoon on my porch, and absolutely loving it. Slower, yes, but more descriptions. And.... Nikolai.
I'm a happy camper overall.

It's official. I thought Mal was plain the first time I read this series. Now having taken a few years and coming back I can't believe how wrong I was. The Darkling has power, sure, and as Genya said, it draws in many. But what is that power in the face of character? Strength? Loyalty? I'd rather a heart of gold over a strong hand any day.

Sorry Darkling, I hope you get redeemed, but you're not boyfriend material.

It's official. I thought Mal was plain the first time I read this series. Now having taken a few years and coming back I can't believe how wrong I was. The Darkling has power, sure, and as Genya said, it draws in many. But what is that power in the face of character? Strength? Loyalty? I'd rather a heart of gold over a strong hand any day.

Sorry Darkling, I hope you get redeemed, but you're not boyfriend material.

I don't know that I like the Darkling as well as I did the first time around. He's only using Alina, and the few interactions we've seen with him he's kissed (manipulated) her to get what he wants. But there's been brief showing of his true emotions, and I'm trying to remember if his motives under it all were good. No question that he is a selfish character down to his core though.

Getting more into it now. Slowly. The descriptions, if anything are lovely at this point in the novel, and I'm getting to know the writing style better. Man, getting back into reading is such a slow process.

This is the first 'novel' I've read in a while. (Been spending a lot of time in editing, and reading the works of my critique partners).

Because I'm in such an editing mood, I'm having a hard time sliding into the writing without flagging all the passive voice, 'felt's 'saw's 'knew's etc. with my mental red pen. So slow start. :( but hoping to get out of this reading slump soon!

Unashamed to say that I just shed a few tears. I can't remember the last time a book made me cry.

This author... I haven't read them before, but man the way they spin words.

a few pages back: "my finger caresses the trigger. I feel calm, gloriously calm. This is weakness to put fear above ambition, above family, above love, but it feels good. It feels like being powerful."
PREACH
Finally an author got the difference between being violent in cowardice (pointing fingers at a few famous characters here) and being genuinely brave. Respect!
Also, huge smile these last few chapters. Cardan <3

Also, my surprise at what happened at 25% has totally been cleared up now, even better than it was with that little explanation at 30%.
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

So never mind on that last update. Said character was just as bad as I thought they were, and yet... what happened happened anyways.... There aren't supposed to be any happy coincidences in novels, so I'm a little worried to see what else is going to come of this.
Whatever it is must be much worse than this character, or else what happened wouldn't have happened. If you read it, then you know what I mean, right?

I’m SHOOK.
So much blood.
So much plot twists. I didn’t see it coming because I... I thought someone was worse than he was I guess. Thought the twist was that he’d be evil. Oh man. Oh man.
But where’s the plot going to go now, this changes everything. This book.... definitely has me invested. There’s not enough pages left. I’m worried.

(O.O) I take back everything I said before. I knew there'd be a catch. Well played Holly Black. This development (though a trope for this genre) ties up the plot nicely.

Oh man.

Officially invested in this story.

Ok. Seriously? Anyone else think Cardan is having a change of heart pretty quickly about this?

I mean, isn't he supposed to be the cruel prince?
Guess he does have a heart after all.

Surprising. I'll decide later if I'm happy about that or not.

Ahah man what a speech on that last page. Jude has guts, and absolutely no thought to self preservation.

This book amuses me. Though I am worried about Jude losing herself in this persuit.

Must admit I’m enjoying this. Stayed up too late reading, so it must be at least a little good.

Something’s a little odd about the writing for a faerie novel, seems almost how a dystopian novelist would write but I’ve also only read a few chapters. Interested to see where this goes.