Review: "Coyote's Kiss"
I've only really just started reading Coyote's Kiss and it already has me groaning and switching to other books and better fanfics whenever I get bored and/or frustrated.
Yes, this story is dull. I'm not far enough in to really spoil anything, but...
I don't pick up the SPN books because I like the authors. For fuck's sake (phrase of the week, it seems), I read crap fanfic because I like the authors half the time, and these books are basically just crap fanfic now. After Nevermore they just dropped off.
So here's what I'm finding wrong with them-- or at least what annoys me the most:
One: Random Women
I'm not one of those fans who hate all the random women who pop in and out of the series. I loved the Harvelles, I with Tamara would be brought back in, I liked the demon-chick Dean was trapped in a basement with, I liked Sarah, I liked Ruby, I liked Rachel... You get the idea. I like strong, female characters.
But what irks me about the random women in the SPN books started with the idea that Dean somehow has to be attracted to them. End of the world? Nope, he still wants a fuck. Soulless Sam tempting sociopathy? Nope, Dean still wants to fuck. Monogamy with Lisa? Nope, still wants to fuck, just feels a bit guilty over it. And the woman they have in this story? Urgh.
Tattooed, biker, braless, Aztec-descendent huntress. Kickass, beautiful, sarcastic, aloof. Cardboard. Dean feels guilty for checking her out, but the author makes a point to show that he's still thinking with his dick when in the middle of a damn fight with the woman and trying to keep her hands away from her guns. So does a potential life-or-death situation pour some cold water on Dean's libido after he's been monogamous for over a year at this point? Nope. Why? Because clearly this chick who somehow knows all about the creature, and gets preachy about balance doesn't wear a bra. Excellent characterization.
Yes, Dean's a womanizing jerk who likes to have fun with other consensual adults. But during seasons five and six? How often did he pick up random women? Seriously, I can't really remember any of his conquests during those seasons other than the joke that his personality was outlawed in the Whore of Babylon episode.
This woman was barely qualified to be a plot point, and now she's suddenly a badass bitch with all the knowledge they need?
Two: Police Force Hunters
I actually like the idea that there is a network of police who know about hunters. The idea was kicked about in Bone Key (which I maintain as the best of the books other than Witch's Canyon) and the early books. But really? Having a guy recognize Dean on sight and peg him for John Winchester's lad? And not have Dean suddenly draw a gun or douse the man in holy water? This is set in season six-- Dean was fucking paranoid by that point.
But the guy Dean talks to here? Not a hunter, just knows what's out there and no refence to this network to tie the books together (yet, anyway.)
Three: Mythology
You know, I love mythology. I love the obscure stories and the tricksters, and the weird stories that don't exactly revolve around major gods dicking around with humans for shits and giggles. I have a preference for selkies, and I think that they are a lost potential in the SPN universe simply because they end up the victim of their own mythology more often than not.
Aztec legends? Please! By all means, toss it in, do what the showrunners have been doing since day one and playing with the mythology to twist it around a bit.
... Not what happens. "Harmless" creature goes bad. Creature's origins are in Aztec mythology. Supergirl knows all about it and will pray to the god responsible for the creature in question and suddenly get an answer-- never mind that it's been established that the pagan gods don't exactly give two shits about their followers (neither does the Abrahamic god, for that matter), they're cosmic, sentient, bundles of id wandering about devouring belief like it's skittles. Actually a bit of a Gaiman approach to a lot of it.
So this creature is exacting revenge. Awesome. Basis of most hunts right there. Killing it is on the to do list. But no, Aztec-lady insists that they find the cause and restore balance. You know what? That sucks.
I like grey areas, really, I do. But for fuck's sake, mythology is about morality and defining the grey areas to an almost black-white standard. The grey areas pop up in issues of justifications for the gods. Was Gabriel's Trickster a bad guy? No, but he killed people,so he had to be stopped. Was the guy who turned into a Rugarou evil? No, but he killed people, and had to be stopped.
When we see Dean and Sam interacting with mythology, it's a cut and dry issue-- humans are dying, it needs to stop. Yes, the ghosts, monsters, and gods are sympathetic characters-- the Woman in White was not evil in the pilot-- and that's been the way since day one. Other hunters might react or justify it differently-- liike Gordon Walker or his buddies did-- but Sam and Dean get clear cut about the issue when it involves killing innocent squishy humans. So the moral complication of that in this book is already resolved. The monster kills things, therefore, it has to die.
There's no real way to "restore a balance" in this book unless you fuck up characterizations.
I'm sure there's more that annoys me with this book, but I'm just not there yet. Like I said, the book is eye-rolling bad. I read it a bit, then switch over to a Joanne Harris book or some better fanfiction for a while.
----
Other news, I am also posting fics at my AO3 account HERE. I'd love some feedback here and there on new stuff posted there-- which is mostly Sherlock stuff that I'm too lazy to format to LJ.
Yes, this story is dull. I'm not far enough in to really spoil anything, but...
I don't pick up the SPN books because I like the authors. For fuck's sake (phrase of the week, it seems), I read crap fanfic because I like the authors half the time, and these books are basically just crap fanfic now. After Nevermore they just dropped off.
So here's what I'm finding wrong with them-- or at least what annoys me the most:
One: Random Women
I'm not one of those fans who hate all the random women who pop in and out of the series. I loved the Harvelles, I with Tamara would be brought back in, I liked the demon-chick Dean was trapped in a basement with, I liked Sarah, I liked Ruby, I liked Rachel... You get the idea. I like strong, female characters.
But what irks me about the random women in the SPN books started with the idea that Dean somehow has to be attracted to them. End of the world? Nope, he still wants a fuck. Soulless Sam tempting sociopathy? Nope, Dean still wants to fuck. Monogamy with Lisa? Nope, still wants to fuck, just feels a bit guilty over it. And the woman they have in this story? Urgh.
Tattooed, biker, braless, Aztec-descendent huntress. Kickass, beautiful, sarcastic, aloof. Cardboard. Dean feels guilty for checking her out, but the author makes a point to show that he's still thinking with his dick when in the middle of a damn fight with the woman and trying to keep her hands away from her guns. So does a potential life-or-death situation pour some cold water on Dean's libido after he's been monogamous for over a year at this point? Nope. Why? Because clearly this chick who somehow knows all about the creature, and gets preachy about balance doesn't wear a bra. Excellent characterization.
Yes, Dean's a womanizing jerk who likes to have fun with other consensual adults. But during seasons five and six? How often did he pick up random women? Seriously, I can't really remember any of his conquests during those seasons other than the joke that his personality was outlawed in the Whore of Babylon episode.
This woman was barely qualified to be a plot point, and now she's suddenly a badass bitch with all the knowledge they need?
Two: Police Force Hunters
I actually like the idea that there is a network of police who know about hunters. The idea was kicked about in Bone Key (which I maintain as the best of the books other than Witch's Canyon) and the early books. But really? Having a guy recognize Dean on sight and peg him for John Winchester's lad? And not have Dean suddenly draw a gun or douse the man in holy water? This is set in season six-- Dean was fucking paranoid by that point.
But the guy Dean talks to here? Not a hunter, just knows what's out there and no refence to this network to tie the books together (yet, anyway.)
Three: Mythology
You know, I love mythology. I love the obscure stories and the tricksters, and the weird stories that don't exactly revolve around major gods dicking around with humans for shits and giggles. I have a preference for selkies, and I think that they are a lost potential in the SPN universe simply because they end up the victim of their own mythology more often than not.
Aztec legends? Please! By all means, toss it in, do what the showrunners have been doing since day one and playing with the mythology to twist it around a bit.
... Not what happens. "Harmless" creature goes bad. Creature's origins are in Aztec mythology. Supergirl knows all about it and will pray to the god responsible for the creature in question and suddenly get an answer-- never mind that it's been established that the pagan gods don't exactly give two shits about their followers (neither does the Abrahamic god, for that matter), they're cosmic, sentient, bundles of id wandering about devouring belief like it's skittles. Actually a bit of a Gaiman approach to a lot of it.
So this creature is exacting revenge. Awesome. Basis of most hunts right there. Killing it is on the to do list. But no, Aztec-lady insists that they find the cause and restore balance. You know what? That sucks.
I like grey areas, really, I do. But for fuck's sake, mythology is about morality and defining the grey areas to an almost black-white standard. The grey areas pop up in issues of justifications for the gods. Was Gabriel's Trickster a bad guy? No, but he killed people,so he had to be stopped. Was the guy who turned into a Rugarou evil? No, but he killed people, and had to be stopped.
When we see Dean and Sam interacting with mythology, it's a cut and dry issue-- humans are dying, it needs to stop. Yes, the ghosts, monsters, and gods are sympathetic characters-- the Woman in White was not evil in the pilot-- and that's been the way since day one. Other hunters might react or justify it differently-- liike Gordon Walker or his buddies did-- but Sam and Dean get clear cut about the issue when it involves killing innocent squishy humans. So the moral complication of that in this book is already resolved. The monster kills things, therefore, it has to die.
There's no real way to "restore a balance" in this book unless you fuck up characterizations.
I'm sure there's more that annoys me with this book, but I'm just not there yet. Like I said, the book is eye-rolling bad. I read it a bit, then switch over to a Joanne Harris book or some better fanfiction for a while.
----
Other news, I am also posting fics at my AO3 account HERE. I'd love some feedback here and there on new stuff posted there-- which is mostly Sherlock stuff that I'm too lazy to format to LJ.