deborah, I know you are having a hell of a couple of weeks, so I thought I would just post this here in hopes that you will see it sooner or later.

'Weaver' went to both my grandmother and great-aunt for christmas, both of whom are voracious and discerning readers. They both called me separately in the last few days (grandma in WI and aunt in CA) to tell me how much they liked the book.

This is quite a rarity, neither are phone people and I can't remember the last time they called for something other than birthdays.

Grandma says that she really cared about the characters which is to her the most important thing in any book, and she loved the language. Both were happy to hear of future installments (good for me, future present ideas!). I haven't had a chance to read the copy I got for myself, but I thought I would pass the praise along! Much -ma sent your way for everything.

If anyone is waiting for The Battle of Evernight (Book 3 in The Bitterbynde Trilogy by Cecilia Dart-Thornton) to come out in paperback, I wanted to let you know it's out now. The only reason I'm posting this is because Amazon has no listing for a paperback on this book, not even a release date. I happened upon it at Barnes & Noble.

And, to my surprise, it's better than the last one, and actually has a plot. The downside is that Merry has joined Anita in the Superpower Of The Novel club, with every installment making her less and less vulnerable to anything.

Eh, I'll wait for paperback.

Teppy, why did I think you had already read American Gods?

Teppy, why did I think you had already read American Gods?

I don't know. I remember a Gaiman discussion a while back, where everyone talked about their First Gaiman Book, etc. So far I've only read Coraline, some Sandman, 1602, and most of American Gods. (I just got to the part where Shadow dies -- although I'm wondering if it's permanent, and nobody tell me yes or no, because I'm almost finished reading it!)

So I bought Kushiel's Dart by Jaqueline Carey, because so many people had said it was good, and the cover blurbs claimed it would appeal to me me me (as a Dunnett and McKillip fan).

Except...

I'm bored. It's slow, it's boring, the parade of characters is endless, nothing happens, and it's boring. Did I mention it's boring?

Also I'm a whitebread vanilla middle-American who doesn't deserve to be a Buffista, because I'm squicked and discomfited by the sex. Particularly the anguisette factor. Particularly the rape factor. Even if it's technically not.

So yeah. I got to the point where Phedre has her first official customer, and put it down.

... Anybody want it?

I'm bored. It's slow, it's boring, the parade of characters is endless, nothing happens, and it's boring. Did I mention it's boring?

Oh, good. It's not just me. McKillip could take nothing much happening and make it exciting through the sheer sensuality of her language, but Carey reminds me of nothing so much as some of the duller, technically proficient fic I've read. Except longer, and less interesting.

I didn't think the book was remotely sensual (and now I realise it probably should be, huh?), but enjoyed the courtly intrigue up to but not including the vanity/Mary Sueness of the central character.

Bored. So very bored. How could I be bored by a novel with such excellent clothes values and worldbuilding?

I will brave the scorn of the Buffistae to say: Yes! Send me free book! I am mildly fond of it and don't have a copy.

Like I said I enjoyed Kushiels Dart for what it said about the potential of the author than for the book itself. As a speed reader, I'm not so easily bored - I get through the boring parts quickly. And I enjoyed the philisophical base. And I really think in the last books (which contains some stuff that I think will squick even the very strong stomached0 she gains more control of her materials - a bit too late for this series. But I'm really curious to see what she does in her second work, in a new universe unconstrained by mistakes she made in this one. I also have a feeling that her gift may be for shorter works, one volume,not multi-volume novels - that she is one of those artists who does better on a smaller canvas.