But do the Twilight fansgirls think the ending sucks? I mean, presumably they didn't think that the BEGINNING sucked, or they wouldn't be fangirls? Granted, I've only read the first book (and I'll probably eventually buy the others, when I'm in an appropriately masochistic/pisstaking/sugarcraving frame of mind - I mean, I know I'm probably going to buy the latest Anita Blake at some point), but it wasn't like the first book was less than pants. It was sparklywarkly Hello Kitty pants with sugar sprinkles. Pants pants pants pants pants, and then some. I figure anyone who loved the first book must know what they're in for?

KJ Parker's Devices and Desires, however, is really rather good. Am reading that at the moment. (And have also been mainlining Ann Somerville's online original fic slash. It's like pure crack. Like Mercedes Lackey's Big Gay Valdemar books, only pornier. Gah.)

I figure anyone who loved the first book must know what they're in for?

Actually, a lot of the Twilight fangirls are VERY UPSET about how Breaking Dawn was. Feeling betrayed types of upset. Poor sparkly munchkins.

But do the Twilight fansgirls think the ending sucks?

There have apparently been wankfests about whether it's a more effective protest (protest! really! not, say, "negative review") to burn the book or return it to the store.

Oh, "startling" is the way in which the comments seem barely literate on the EW review page. Whew. They all seem so young with only a few exceptions.

From the EW review -- Meyers lost her character and universe. Now if you loved Twilight changing your main character from a nice young girl to someone who seems to either not feel pain or enjoy pain, I understand why her readers are upset.

Crumbs! Really? I had no notion!

The poor wee scones! I hope that they seek solace in Anne Rice or Buffy. (Depending on which aspects of Meyers' books appealed to them the most.)

From the Washington Post's book review:

This ick factor goes through the roof in Breaking Dawn which is, frankly, dreadful.

and, succinctly:

Reader, I hurled.

I recently finished Alchemy of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedia. It was beautiful! Has anyone here read it?

Have not read it, Calli. What's it about?

I just finished The Lace Reader which was intriguing. I love the fact that from the very first you know that Towner will be a totally unreliable narrator and as you go through the entire story, you are questioning what is real and what isn't. At some point, I gave up the ghost and just really decided to let her narration be the "truth" of the story. But then you hit the end and it's all whoa. Beautifully done, but sad and disturbing. Highly recommend.

The Alchemy of Stone is a sort of steampunkish novel about an emancipated, intelligent automaton who is also an alchemist. She's only partially independent, though, because she has to be wound up every few months, and her maker has her key. The story is set in a sort of middle European country with the usual melange of computers and corsets of a steampunk novel, although less directly Victorian than some. The book is engagingly plotty, with interesting characters, and some lovely passages and conflicts.