[Abyss]

Andorion, on 16 October 2016 - 05:04 PM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 04:47 PM, said:

Yknow what's nuts...?
MAGIC BREAKS... Three insane action sequences, massive character development, all kinds of major status quo changes, a hell of a finale....


AND THEN YOU REALIZE YOURE ONLY HALFWAY THRU THE BOOK.
Wow.



...also, Mammoth War Donkey.

If you are where I think you are, so much shit goes down after this

I'm ...

Spoiler

...where Kate and Curran have decided to go to rescue Robert and Christopher from Roland.

....and I believe you. It's just mind boggling that they're going to top the first half.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 05:57 PM, said:

Andorion, on 16 October 2016 - 05:04 PM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 04:47 PM, said:

Yknow what's nuts...?
MAGIC BREAKS... Three insane action sequences, massive character development, all kinds of major status quo changes, a hell of a finale....


AND THEN YOU REALIZE YOURE ONLY HALFWAY THRU THE BOOK.
Wow.



...also, Mammoth War Donkey.

If you are where I think you are, so much shit goes down after this

I'm ...

Spoiler

...where Kate and Curran have decided to go to rescue Robert and Christopher from Roland.

....and I believe you. It's just mind boggling that they're going to top the first half.

Ah yes, I was asking myself when this happened

"Are they really doing this? Really?

BTW what did you think of

Spoiler

Semiramis and Kate's new sword?

[Abyss]

Andorion, on 17 October 2016 - 01:54 AM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 05:57 PM, said:

Andorion, on 16 October 2016 - 05:04 PM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 04:47 PM, said:

Yknow what's nuts...?
MAGIC BREAKS... Three insane action sequences, massive character development, all kinds of major status quo changes, a hell of a finale....


AND THEN YOU REALIZE YOURE ONLY HALFWAY THRU THE BOOK.
Wow.



...also, Mammoth War Donkey.

If you are where I think you are, so much shit goes down after this

I'm ...

Spoiler

...where Kate and Curran have decided to go to rescue Robert and Christopher from Roland.

....and I believe you. It's just mind boggling that they're going to top the first half.

Ah yes, I was asking myself when this happened

"Are they really doing this? Really?

BTW what did you think of

Spoiler

Semiramis and Kate's new sword?

Loved it.And the reaction it provoked a bit later.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 17 October 2016 - 02:37 AM, said:

Andorion, on 17 October 2016 - 01:54 AM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 05:57 PM, said:

Andorion, on 16 October 2016 - 05:04 PM, said:

Abyss, on 16 October 2016 - 04:47 PM, said:

Yknow what's nuts...?
MAGIC BREAKS... Three insane action sequences, massive character development, all kinds of major status quo changes, a hell of a finale....


AND THEN YOU REALIZE YOURE ONLY HALFWAY THRU THE BOOK.
Wow.



...also, Mammoth War Donkey.

If you are where I think you are, so much shit goes down after this

I'm ...

Spoiler

...where Kate and Curran have decided to go to rescue Robert and Christopher from Roland.

....and I believe you. It's just mind boggling that they're going to top the first half.

Ah yes, I was asking myself when this happened

"Are they really doing this? Really?

BTW what did you think of

Spoiler

Semiramis and Kate's new sword?

Loved it.And the reaction it provoked a bit later.

I was laughing so hard when

Spoiler

Roland's henchman had to get out of the car and take a walk when he realized what Kate was holding. And Curran was having so much fun sniggering about it.

[Abyss]

Exactly.

Spoiler

"my grandma gave it to me."

Ha!

[QuickTidal]

I should probably note here that I finished MAGIC BINDS a while back and forgot to post.

It's fucking incredible, as usual...but moreso because things have REALLY begun to pop off and get crazy epic now!

[Abyss]

Abyss, on 12 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

STORMY DAYS AND KNIGHTS anthology, which includes a brilliant glorious brilliant Marcone story by Jim Butcher for those on the dresdencrack, and is otherwise about what you're expect from an urban fantasy antho, which is to say a lot of crap with a few semi-gems...

I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

Rachel Caine's 'Even a Rabbit Will Bite' was a near perfect example of how to tell a one-and-done urban fantasy story.

I have nothing good to say about any of the other short stories in the book.

Heehee...


In other news, done w BREAKS. Damn. That was all kinds of epic awesome. Huge points to the Andrews for being willing to kick over the status quo like that.As an aside, at the beginning they mentioned they are contracted for three more books in the Kateamine series, so with SHIFTS and BINDS done that leaves one more for certain.
Needed more so I started the MAGIC STEALS novella in earbook, because Doli.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 20 October 2016 - 02:08 AM, said:

Abyss, on 12 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

STORMY DAYS AND KNIGHTS anthology, which includes a brilliant glorious brilliant Marcone story by Jim Butcher for those on the dresdencrack, and is otherwise about what you're expect from an urban fantasy antho, which is to say a lot of crap with a few semi-gems...

I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

Rachel Caine's 'Even a Rabbit Will Bite' was a near perfect example of how to tell a one-and-done urban fantasy story.

I have nothing good to say about any of the other short stories in the book.

Heehee...


In other news, done w BREAKS. Damn. That was all kinds of epic awesome. Huge points to the Andrews for being willing to kick over the status quo like that.As an aside, at the beginning they mentioned they are contracted for three more books in the Kateamine series, so with SHIFTS and BINDS done that leaves one more for certain.
Needed more so I started the MAGIC STEALS novella in earbook, because Doli.

Well with where Binds stopped, the finale is set up, no question.

Regarding the ending of Breaks, yeah that was a huge paradigm shift and one I really was not expecting.

Did you like Ghasteks reaction to the big reveal?

[Abyss]

Andorion, on 20 October 2016 - 02:11 AM, said:

Abyss, on 20 October 2016 - 02:08 AM, said:

Abyss, on 12 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

STORMY DAYS AND KNIGHTS anthology, which includes a brilliant glorious brilliant Marcone story by Jim Butcher for those on the dresdencrack, and is otherwise about what you're expect from an urban fantasy antho, which is to say a lot of crap with a few semi-gems...

I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

Rachel Caine's 'Even a Rabbit Will Bite' was a near perfect example of how to tell a one-and-done urban fantasy story.

I have nothing good to say about any of the other short stories in the book.

Heehee...


In other news, done w BREAKS. Damn. That was all kinds of epic awesome. Huge points to the Andrews for being willing to kick over the status quo like that.As an aside, at the beginning they mentioned they are contracted for three more books in the Kateamine series, so with SHIFTS and BINDS done that leaves one more for certain.
Needed more so I started the MAGIC STEALS novella in earbook, because Doli.

Well with where Binds stopped, the finale is set up, no question.

Regarding the ending of Breaks, yeah that was a huge paradigm shift and one I really was not expecting.

Did you like Ghasteks reaction to the big reveal?

Ghastly was hysterical - and also a solid supporting role in this story, used just enough - but Curran explaining it all to him was perfect.

Speaking of Curran, if any of you haven't seen this yet...
http://www.ilona-and...pov-collection/

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 20 October 2016 - 03:21 AM, said:

Andorion, on 20 October 2016 - 02:11 AM, said:

Abyss, on 20 October 2016 - 02:08 AM, said:

Abyss, on 12 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

STORMY DAYS AND KNIGHTS anthology, which includes a brilliant glorious brilliant Marcone story by Jim Butcher for those on the dresdencrack, and is otherwise about what you're expect from an urban fantasy antho, which is to say a lot of crap with a few semi-gems...

I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

Rachel Caine's 'Even a Rabbit Will Bite' was a near perfect example of how to tell a one-and-done urban fantasy story.

I have nothing good to say about any of the other short stories in the book.

Heehee...


In other news, done w BREAKS. Damn. That was all kinds of epic awesome. Huge points to the Andrews for being willing to kick over the status quo like that.As an aside, at the beginning they mentioned they are contracted for three more books in the Kateamine series, so with SHIFTS and BINDS done that leaves one more for certain.
Needed more so I started the MAGIC STEALS novella in earbook, because Doli.

Well with where Binds stopped, the finale is set up, no question.

Regarding the ending of Breaks, yeah that was a huge paradigm shift and one I really was not expecting.

Did you like Ghasteks reaction to the big reveal?

Ghastly was hysterical - and also a solid supporting role in this story, used just enough - but Curran explaining it all to him was perfect.

Speaking of Curran, if any of you haven't seen this yet...
http://www.ilona-and...pov-collection/

Oh I didn't know about the complete version, it looks like they have added in stuff!!

I wish they added in his PoV from some of Kate's crazier moments though, just to get his WTF reaction

[amphibian]

I finished Magic Binds. It really does feel like a penultimate book and the majority of it is focused on leveling up and alliances rather than serious plot pushing.

As always, I'm in this until the end despite hating Dali.

[Andorion]

amphibian, on 21 October 2016 - 12:09 PM, said:

I finished Magic Binds. It really does feel like a penultimate book and the majority of it is focused on leveling up and alliances rather than serious plot pushing.

As always, I'm in this until the end despite hating Dali.

Amph, why do you hate Dali?

[amphibian]

I didn't like her before, but the event that happens in Magic Binds to her is clearly nonsense. Ilona Andrews clearly plot armored her for no good reason.

I don't think she's all that fun of a character because the stuff she does is so rarely used in the context of shape shifters that they're better off being done by other non shapeshifting characters. The goofy parts of her character are ok, but I don't find them hilarious. Therefore, she's constantly taking up screen time I wish were used on other characters.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 21 October 2016 - 12:33 PM

[Andorion]

amphibian, on 21 October 2016 - 12:32 PM, said:

I didn't like her before, but the event that happens in Magic Binds to her is clearly nonsense. Ilona Andrews clearly plot armored her for no good reason.

I don't think she's all that fun of a character because the stuff she does is so rarely used in the context of shape shifters that they're better off being done by other non shapeshifting characters. The goofy parts of her character are ok, but I don't find them hilarious. Therefore, she's constantly taking up screen time I wish were used on other characters.

You mean Dali's magical abilities?

I think the reason she has them is because Andrews needs a magic user in the pack, but due to Pack's rather exclusive nature, that user had to be a shapeshifter.

[Abyss]

Haven't read BINDS yet so tnx for avoiding the spoilage.
Re Dali, Amphi, have you read the two novellas re her? ....they go a long way in explaining who/what she is and why she's different from other shapeshifters.

[amphibian]

The Pack doesn't actually need a magic user. Giving them Dali is right there to making the Pack a Mary Sue of groups. The whole point of the early books was that the Pack would contract out for what they needed, if they needed to - or work with other Atlanta residents.

If they have everything in-house, then the Atlanta dynamic becomes kinda peripheral for them. They could pick up and move anywhere. It's bad for the overall dynamics to do that.

[amphibian]

I might get around to the novellas. Might have read one already, but frankly, I don't like Dali.

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 21 October 2016 - 05:11 PM, said:

The Pack doesn't actually need a magic user. Giving them Dali is right there to making the Pack a Mary Sue of groups. The whole point of the early books was that the Pack would contract out for what they needed, if they needed to - or work with other Atlanta residents.

If they have everything in-house, then the Atlanta dynamic becomes kinda peripheral for them. They could pick up and move anywhere. It's bad for the overall dynamics to do that.

I'm not at all sure what you're even saying here or why it matters in the grand scheme of the storyline.

So what if they have, with Dali, in-house what they might have gotten from outside otherwise. The Pack has nearly always acted as its own entity, only getting out into Atlanta for peripheral things they could not do themselves. Having Dali in-house makes infinite sense from the perspective of the Pack themselves. And quite frankly the idea that an entire pack of shape shifters exist and at least one WOULDN'T be a magic user seems much more far-fetched to me.

Also Mary Sue? Just because they have someone with magic skills exists within the pack? You're talking, what, at least 100+ members....and one having magic user abilities somehow makes them collectively a Mary Sue? Considering what has gone down in the Pack and all the stuff they've been through over the books I'd argue that is the compete opposite of what's going on here.

And they aren't going to pack up and move elsewhere....why would they ever do that? Also, what animals do you know who pack up and move from their hunting grounds just because they can be independently mobile?

In fact...MAGIC BINDS spoilers...

Spoiler

with Roland encroaching on their territory, and Kate in charge of it, they are even more likely to stick around and fight. This is their land...the dynamic between them and the rest of Atlanta is completely outside that notion and matters not in the slightest. Do you think Curran cared before he met Kate one bit about the rest of Atlanta? How about now? It's pretty obvious Jim's first priority is The Pack and the Pack land. He doesn't feel they need Atlanta...and only goes to loggerheads with Roland after Andrea's kid is threatened and Dali is injured.

[amphibian]

Every member of the Pack is a magic user. They have to be in order to shift. What sets Dali apart and to some degree, the messages too, is that they have magic beyond that.

Animals move when threatened by things they can't fight like forest fires, floods etc. Nimrod is that.

The Pack is a band of hundreds of super strong and fast shapeshifting people, many with high end military training and tools, all are rich, all are secure, and even magic threats aren't a big deal to them bc they have Dali and the medmages. What threatens a group like that? Very little beyond things on the level of Erra/Nimrod.

So it makes the dramatic tension less for anything not Erra/Nimrod level.

This is called power creep and once it's firmly into place, it's hard to care much about threats that are not world ending. It's why Butcher hard reset Harry Dresden in Changes and Ghost Story. Things have to change and there have to be weaknesses. Otherwise, you get the dullest of Superman stories.

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 21 October 2016 - 05:53 PM, said:

Every member of the Pack is a magic user. They have to be in order to shift. What sets Dali apart and to some degree, the messages too, is that they have magic beyond that.

Animals move when threatened by things they can't fight like forest fires, floods etc. Nimrod is that.

The Pack is a band of hundreds of super strong and fast shapeshifting people, many with high end military training and tools, all are rich, all are secure, and even magic threats aren't a big deal to them bc they have Dali and the medmages. What threatens a group like that? Very little beyond things on the level of Erra/Nimrod.

So it makes the dramatic tension less for anything not Erra/Nimrod level.

This is called power creep and once it's firmly into place, it's hard to care much about threats that are not world ending. It's why Butcher hard reset Harry Dresden in Changes and Ghost Story. Things have to change and there have to be weaknesses. Otherwise, you get the dullest of Superman stories.

Huh, I dunno. There has been lots that's threatened the pack over the years...and the casualty/injury rate isn't exactly nil. Half of the main characters have been torn at one point or another within an inch of their lives (I think Derek is the best long-standing example) by whatever big bad was currently hunting them...and remember that those big bads may not have been Roland's level...but usually they are/were close...I'm not sure Roland is the only one who has been threat-level-high....I think most of the threats have been fairly sized and not exactly easy for the Pack to deal with.

I feel like the threat level has risen with each book as the power level of the Pack has. It's been rather equal as far as I've seen it. Curran himself ends up in moderate-to-raggedy shreds by the end of a given fight...

Spoiler

The villains in those books have always been far more powerful than anything thrown at Dresden in the first 8 books or so, so that comparison doesn't exactly work. The authors approach this differently. Butcher amped up his villains slowly....while Andrews shot out of the gate with huge threats almost immediately. The Rakshasas, Hugh, Hibla...ect. All way more powerful than just a random villain.

Does it bother you that Doolittle is a medmage and a shapeshifter? Or that Barabas is a lawyer and a shapeshifter?

Also, do you think the Pack mentality (under Jim or Curran) would move away rather than fight Roland because they are threatened? That doesn't seem like the Pack to me.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 21 October 2016 - 06:22 PM