lesbian necromancers in INSCRUTABLE MYSTERY AND HORRIFICALLY STRUCTURED BUREAUCRACY

HAHAHAHAHA

I mean, no, the second book is more of the same and then some. The mystery does, eventually, become scrutable, but it's mostly Harrow's POV and she is unreliable as a narrator at the best of times, and during this book is NOT the best of times for her. So since she doesn't know what's going on, neither do we, until we do.

In some ways the second book is very different and in some very much the same. I imagine if you didn't like the first you wouldn't like the second. For some reason I find the persistent WTF IS EVEN GOING ON of it all very pleasing, but if you do not you should probably avoid

For some reason I find the persistent WTF IS EVEN GOING ON of it all very pleasing, but if you do not you should probably avoid

I think what I like about it is there are good reasons why the characters don't understand what's going on, so there's never the sense of "If you would just TALK to each other!!" that you sometimes get in books with this kind of mystery? (Not that there aren't situations that would be vastly improved if certain people WOULD just talk to each other, but you as a reader don't ever expect them to actually do so.)

That's true, there's a definite sense that it all does make sense I just don't know how yet which is not always there in this kind of thing. The WTF-ery kind of reminds me of Riverdale which I don't think did secretly make sense but I enjoyed the WTF-ery of it very much for a while anyway. Probably not a useful bit of data but I offer it up anyway.

I definitely have to re-listen to the first two to remind myself who everyone is by the time this book starts.

Oh, good idea. I can do that and will probably be better off for it. I think I meant to start that earlier this month to be ready for the new one but I forgot.

Yeah, the “nobody has any idea what’s going on” is not my favorite genre. Give me competence porn any day.

Dang, Sept 18 was a busy day for everyone in Dracula!

Dang, Sept 18 was a busy day for everyone in Dracula!

I cringe every time Lucy gets a blood transfusion. Like I have to read it with my hands over my eyes, peeking through my fingers. (Yes, I know Dracula was written before blood typing existed, but I live in 2022 and it freaks me out. She's gotten transfusions from 4 different people. FOUR! I'm just going on the assumption that she's AB+.)

And also! She's gotten 4 transfusions -- do you think Dracula is confused as hell? Like, he goes one night and drains her almost competely...and the next night he does back and she's full of blood again! And then 3 more times! He HAS to be bewildered. (But he's also not passing up a good meal when it keeps presenting itself.)

I know! Just blithely filling her up with blood from whoever happens to be handy, yikes! I am actually AB+ and I wouldn’t want to do that. Convenient from the drink-all-you-want-we’ll-make-more perspective, though, you are correct.

I somehow didn’t really notice in previous readings that they use wreaths of garlic flowers, not cloves of garlic. That should make a comeback.

Does it seem sinister that Lucy’s mother, Harker’s employer and mentor, and Holmwood Sr all die more or less at the same time? Another thing I didn’t really notice before.

Does it seem sinister that Lucy’s mother, Harker’s employer and mentor, and Holmwood Sr all die more or less at the same time? Another thing I didn’t really notice before.

Oh, very much so. That really got brought home in this serialized re-reading for me, too. It's very much more "creeping horror" which is so perfect for Dracula.

Ohhhhh, Nona the Ninth, y'all. I'm just in love with her so much, and with TazMuir's layering. It's so great.

Although I did have to go back and re-read The Hands of the Emperor for some hopeful post-collapse (because that is what The Fall was) fiction after that.