Amani > Recent Status Updates

I love that Skulduggery & Tanith have taken it upon themselves to give Valkyrie therapy. It feels like this is the book where both she & Darquesse are pulling themselves back together again.

Also I love Omen so much. The whole scene where he & Never eat a burger is so great. Lads suck, but they aren’t even phased. Fantastic

I like that unlike in the film, Galadriel doesn’t explicitly warn Frodo against Boromir. We just get a hint of foreshadowing. It makes his fate even more heartbreaking because we know that he is a good man

I’ve been noticing more of the similarities w/ Narnia this time around, especially the natural theme. While Frodo has the ford that washes away his enemies, the Pevensies have the frozen waterfall that thaws in time to save them.

Also the West vs. East isn’t a great theme, but is very 1940’s. As is the racism towards dark southerners

I forgot that Merry found out about the ring! And that he read Bilbo’s book. He’s so sneaky I love it

I love that she finally has some people in her life looking out for her. Dr. Mason is a godsend - he didn’t last in the Marines, which is part of why he’s still caring and aware of the people around him. And Harriet is a good example of women who get married because of heteronormativity/ patriarchy. Also I did wonder why Frask was Almost a psychologist. I love that they instantly bonded. Women supporting women!

Everything Elizabeth has said to Calvin is so right. They can’t get married because then she would be erased. And I’m so curious about how she ends up a single mother, since she’s so adamant about not having children. I’m also extremely curious about whether she has birth control or if they’re just using family planning. I’d assume she’d know about the pill, given that she’s highly educated

Finally got to the lead up of the ultimate conflict & damn, talk about the sins of our forefathers. This duology does such a good job of explaining the complexities of relationships and history for each of the main characters.
Also I find it hilarious that Ria is only now starting to realize that Virun cares about her. Like, girl, come on! He follows you cause he cares!

Smart idea to use Sir Percival’s secrets against him! Hartright seems to be a competent amateur detective/ adventurer. It’s a good plot hook that his time abroad gave him experience, though I’m not sure about using Marian’s dream as the means of describing his adventures.

Ok I now want to fight Count Fosco. The letter he sent Marian sealed the deal. It’s so fascinating because from external POVs, he’s charming and follows all social conventions, including doting on his jealous wife. Yet as Marian’s journal hints, he rules his wife completely. She doesn’t do anything without his approval and aids his efforts at obfuscation. I suppose £10,000 and spite also help motivate her

Right now I want to fight Frederick Fairlie (or rather slap some sense into him) and Sir Percival. I’m unsure how much I want to fight Count Fosco, which is so interesting and shows how well the narrative protects him, at least at this point in the story, from appearing as the villain I suspect him to be. For all that he is definitely the brains of the operation, I’m still unsure. Fascinating

Frederick Fairlie has been frustrating from the beginning due to his narcissistic invalidity, but becomes even more frustrating because he is absolutely failing to uphold his role as protector and guardian in every respect. I can totally see how this book shocked Victorian audiences, as it’s shocking me, though perhaps for different reasons. It was kinda slow, but the climax has fascinated me. I am utterly absorbed

Jack Ryder is such an absolute idiot, a great representation of a 20th century young American abroad. Despite being in Egypt for 2 years, he’s learned next to none of the Turkish cultural norms, keeping instead within the Anglo-European world of tourists and archeologists. His only friends in Cairo are a Scotsman and an American tourist. He flaunts social norms left & right and yet is rewarded! It’s infuriating.

“‘Charity begins at home.’ ‘So do mental cases’” Enjoying it so far, especially the historical references, but can talk that I’m going to be freaked out eventually. It’s doing a good job of emphasizing the different walks of life the characters are from within NYC. I especially enjoy the Harlem bits but am worried for Isaiah

I’ve already figured out that Karina Cordovan is Laura’s mother & Roach will immediately know that because she’s into true crime. Also I don’t like Roach. She’s very “I’m not like other girls” and Holden Caulfield-esque (everyone else are posers but not me)
Unsure if the bookseller who dies is Laura’s mum or Laura herself

I’m so excited. Wendell has a cat! A cait sidhe! Which makes perfect sense. Emily is a dog person because she herself is a cat, which is part of what draws Wendell to her.
It’s a good example of how Emily is an unreliable narrator, as she thinks she does everything logically, but then you have Rose as a scholarly foil, pointing out that she’s guided more by instinct than logic