Comments | sarolynne: Reread Book Review: Daughter of the Blood

sarolynne

Reread Book Review: Daughter of the Blood

Feb 19, 2010 21:11

So, I read the Black Jewels Trilogy when I was in high school. It's been ten years at least since I read them, and in my memory, they were... not good. They were sort of fun to read, in a trashy, silly way. At the time, I remember finding them somewhat juvenile and rather fluffy, the darkness more or less superficial on what was essentially a ( Read more... )

one reason saro is going to hell, saro is a derelict, dear god she doesn't shut up does she?, masculinity on europa, rambling, saro's doing that thing again, why do you hurt me world?, rantyrants, mockery, fear my feminist rage, meta, contemplating the ceiling, screed, wait is she a troll?

Comments 19

askerian February 20 2010, 05:34:22 UTC

*rolls on sarorant and loves*

man, i wanna read the books just so i can fully appreciate it now. Internet Osmosis isn't enough. XD

sarolynne February 20 2010, 05:36:34 UTC

Well, they really are a quick, easy read. You read faster than me, so you'd probably be through it in a few hours.

haeralis February 20 2010, 05:36:01 UTC

OH MY GOSH I CAN NEVER BE YOUR FRIEND NOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE TORN APART A BOOK I LOVE SO MUCH hahaha okay i can't finish that, i've never even read these books. 8D But this review was interesting! I like the way you write, I think you should do more book reviews like this, because it was definitely insightful and entertaining.

sarolynne February 20 2010, 05:38:28 UTC

I should read more books. As sad as it is, I will give this book +1 points because I actually finished reading it quickly and easily. That's worth something.

Just.

-9000 for other stuff. XD

evercool February 20 2010, 05:36:08 UTC

What in the hell.;;;; Only 15% through this rant and I was already falling off of my 'oh no they didn't' scale. Have to lol at little!Saro for not noticing this all before though. From what age do you think you really started noticing sexism...? It's an interesting thought. xD

sarolynne February 20 2010, 05:39:58 UTC

I think when I was that young, I had trouble noticing sexism if it wasn't presented how I expected it. Like, dress it up as empowering, and I didn't get the implied problems.

Then you get a bit older, a bit more experience, a few higher level lit classes, and suddenly... oooooh. Wow, that's terrible.

evercool February 20 2010, 06:21:07 UTC

Woe is how easily the youngsters are fooled by calling things what they aren't. :( At least you didn't think it was an amzing book or anything even back then though, hahaha.

Reminds me of how my Women's Literature class in college was taught by a sexist old man. How do these things happen.;;;; Sigh.

sarolynne February 20 2010, 06:22:19 UTC

Pfffffft yeah, I was not that stupid, at least.

mildmay February 20 2010, 06:06:49 UTC

I like to pronounce Lucivar with "ch" rather than a soft c. |3

ANYWAY. I'm glad you finally wrote this up because your rants are A+++ When I read this book I was less aware of gender issues than I am now. I'd probably weep if I re-read it.

And I never finished the books, did Jaenelle EVER get her own PoV? I remember being frustrated with that, and I can't recall if it changed.

sarolynne February 20 2010, 06:09:51 UTC

You know, I honestly don't remember. The only female POV that actually stands out in my memory is Surreal. I haven't reread the later books though.

mildmay February 20 2010, 06:21:34 UTC

...

There's a character named "Surreal?" I don't remember her at all. But the name. Wow.

sarolynne February 20 2010, 06:23:51 UTC

Yup! She's an assassin/whore. And I think the only female character to get more than three POV scenes in Daughter of the Blood... though I didn't count.

sorry, lurking an flist and saw this ivy_chan February 20 2010, 07:27:57 UTC

The sad thing is that I know all of this and think all of this and read these damn books being perfectly aware of all the horrible gender issues and I still really like the world-building. A lot. I like the magical jewels and the dragons and the semi-darkness. It's a guilty pleasure. But you're still totally and utterly right.

Honestly, I really liked one character, and that was Wilhemina. A stupid, tiny, side character, but I really felt for her.

sarolynne February 20 2010, 07:47:24 UTC

I can appreciate that. There are things that I think had potential in there, but they're kind of buried under a horrible load of problems. Some of the world building had the potential to be fun, I think. It wasn't realized terribly well though.

I've had books like that before--where the only character I liked was some side character who I knew was never going to really get that much attention, but I kept reading anyway for them.