Anna > Recent Status Updates

Aly wishes she had a magical Gift instead of a Sight that she possesses, but her Sight allows her to see things in the distance like a built-in looking glass, lets her see in the dark, makes her capable to see gods in disguise and detect magic, and that’s not even all its uses. That’s actually hella amazing – heck, I would’ve traded a magical gift for perfect eyesight alone!

I can see perfectly well why Jessa wanted to punish Duke Rhinebeck, but my question is, why did she settle on making him sterile? Why not drug him into impotence as well, so that he wouldn’t have an opportunity to harm any more women? Jessa’s reasons for revenge were utterly personal, but her actions were that of a politician, not an avenger.

The Balitang family may be progressive in the way they run their household, but they still have plenty of prejudices formed by living as the ruling class in the slave-owning society. For example, one moment Winnamine offers to free Ali because she’s a god’s messenger, but then she’s appalled when Ali, a slave, wants to sit down in her presence.

Ever since the flashback chapters about the training of Sharum’ting, I wondered about Sikvah, as she also trained with Enkido, but seemed to be anything but a warrior, taking on the servant’s role instead. Now the story gives us the answer to that, and in the most spectacular fashion, too! We also get an insight into Sikvah as a character whereas she was nothing but a silent shadow before, and I appreciate that.

Эмма нравится мне немного больше остальных персонажей, потому, что она задает правильные вопросы, от которых остальные отмахиваются. И еще потому, что ей единственной не плевать на других людей, в то время как другие Дети Подземелья в лучшем случае заботятся только о себе и своих близких друзьях.

I never expected to root so much for Gared and Rosal as a couple, since they barely met before Gared fell head over heels for her and that Rosal is not such a sweet and nice girl as she may seem, knowing how to present an appealing facade. But she is also smart and confident, and it’s hilarious to watch the huge and rough Gared follow her like a lovesick puppy, so I’m getting a kick out of their interactions.

I think we all underappreciate how badass Nanny Ogg can be. We all know that Granny Weatherwax is badass 100% of the time, and Magrat turns into badass when the situation calls for it, but Nanny Ogg is usually a funny dirty-minded old woman 90% of the time. Unless you threaten her children or grandchildren, and then she would obliterate you.

“Well not here,” Jizell said. “Men can’t be expected to keep to their wives when there’s a brothel in every part of town. You can blame the drunk for pissing on your doorstep, but it’s the bartender who put the drink in their hand.”

Oh, please do tell me how vile prostitutes grab poor innocent men on the streets and drag them kicking and screaming into the brothels.

The action doesn’t take place in Tortall, but in the Copper Isles, the country that was barely touched in previous books. While a historical note is not the best way to start a book, it definitely helped to establish the history of the isles and the relationships between raka natives and luarin conquerors. I’m really looking forward to exploring the culture of the isles, as well as themes of racism and colonialism.

МОАГ. На огромной космической станции живут дети, которых обучают и воспитывают роботы. По достижению 15 лет каждый ребенок переходит на следующий уровень, где живут взрослые. Такую версию событий транслирует корабль, и только горстка изгнанников знает правду: никаких взрослых на станции нет, и после пятнадцатилетия всех детей ждет смерть.

К большой моей радости, в книге нет любовной линии, а отношения Соль с центральным мужским персонажем, инспектором Ханом, гораздо более сложны и противоречивы.

I love how this book contains a lot of scientific info on how the brain works and which its malfunctions cause this or that psychic disorders.

Хотя действие и происходит в 1826 году, автор предупреждает, что это – не совсем историческая книга; это книга о жизни в переломные годы, в годы больших потрясений и в годы изменений, а значит, имеет куда большее отношение к современности, чем может показаться на первый взгляд.

Loved all the interludes with the wizards, even if they are not normally my favourite characters.

I expected the trip to Angiers to be less than exciting, but it turns out that the politics there are as full of intrigues and backstabbing as those in Krasia, even if the nobles of Angiers play their games during banquets and balls and prefer to remove their opponents with subterfuge and deception instead of facing the enemies with weapons in their hands as Krasians do.

Alianna differs from the other Tamora Pierce’s main heroines because we meet her when she is 16, so she is already skilled in many things and we don’t need to follow her training and studying. So Aly already starts out as confident and outgoing girl, and she’s pretty sassy and sharp-tongued, too – it was hilarious to see her bargain with the trickster god himself, not impressed with him in the least.

As short story collections usually go, some of these are excellent and some are a total let down. So far, a good number of stories are average or overly juvenile, or don't tell us anything new, just repeating what the show had already featured, but there are several that are true master pieces.

I love how the story finally gives us more strong women in Thesa. While Leesha is a powerful character, and there are Wonda and other fighting women in the Hollow, women are mostly submissive in the rest of Thesa. But we meet Captain Dehlia and Dockmaster Isa from Lakton (it appears that Lakton is far ahead in female equality), and Princess Lorain from Miln, and Duchess Araine is the one holding power in Angiers.

Эта книга мастерски погружает читателя в жизнь Кореи в начале 19 века. Порой исторические книги являются такими только на словах, фактически помещая современных персонажей и современный сюжет в декорации прошедших эпох. Но здесь оживают события двухвековой давности. Дело не только в детальном описании быта, не только в переплетении реальных исторических событий с сюжетом, - дело в самой атмосфере того времени.

I love how the focus is brought to Rojer, making him a more complex character than he appeared before. I was too used to viewing Rojer as the light-hearted and free-spirited prodigy, not realizing that it was just the mask for him to put on, the role to perform. And behind the mask, Rojer is haunted by the sacrifices his loved ones did to save him and is terrified of losing his new family.

Фактически, у нас есть два преступления: серия изнасилований женщин в округе и убийство семьи стряпчего. Клэр считает, что эти преступления совершены одним человеком и что главной целью убийцы была дочь стряпчего. Но тогда почему бы просто не подкараулить девушку вне дома? Либо у преступника была веская причина, чтобы изменить свой modus operandi, либо убийство не связано с нападениями.

While I can certainly relate to Magrat and I greatly respect Granny Wheatherwax, it's Nanny Ogg whom I completely adore. That woman is an icon!

The conflict between Mother and Father Thames, different spirits of one river, had so much promise, but it goes nowhere and has no influence on the rest of the story aside from introducing Beverly and her sisters. After the initial skirmish, it looks like things are ready to turn into a full-out war, but then both sides do nothing and wait patiently for months, until the conflict is resolved in the very last chapter.

The story doesn’t pull any punches, and even main characters don’t possess any plot armor. Nightingale is seriously wounded and almost dies, and one of Peter’s friends is turned into the villain’s puppet, and it’s a miracle that they survive till the end of the book – and we still don’t know what this possession would cost them in the long run.