book Lords of Misrule
May. 30th, 2009 01:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serynI would really like a tags drop-down. I noticed I have variants on several things, which is going to get annoying very fast.
Finished Lord of Misrule which is the Nth Rachel Caine YA book about the Morganville Vampires. When I read the first one, my reaction was "well, at least Caine found her writing's level." Because I've read 4 of her Weather Warden series and thought it was nonsensical and puerile to the point of offense. The first YA book used simpler words, a less complex plot, and relatively ordinary conflicts (though couched in a paranormal framework). There wasn't a lot of potential for over-reach.
However, after a handful of books, I'm bored with the conflicts from the first book not being resolved in any fashion. I'm bored with simplistic plots dressed up with obfuscation. But mostly I don't think any of the characters has grown. Skimpy characterization is reasonable for a short novel. After 4 books (I think this is #5 but I missed one, so 4 to me.) the characters are still cardboard. After two medieval-size wars, the characters have not developed any mettle or sense or grounding.
But mostly I don't think it's reasonable for two teenagers to live in the same house and sleep in the same bed for years without giving in to sexual tension. The abbreviation I have seen for it is UST which comes from unresolved sexual tension, but many people thought it was "unrequited". I can easily see unrequited sexual tension staying platonic, heh.
No idea what I would want the author to have done, because I'm not hugely keen on anyone promoting teen pregnancy and no author can withstand the firestorm if teenage characters have sex on the page while using protection. But I don't think it's realistic to drag out sexual tension across years. That kind of sexual tension kills relationships. But maybe not for cardboard characters without any real feelings. They'll probably go on for another 5 books without doing anything because they don't care about themselves or each other.
Finished Lord of Misrule which is the Nth Rachel Caine YA book about the Morganville Vampires. When I read the first one, my reaction was "well, at least Caine found her writing's level." Because I've read 4 of her Weather Warden series and thought it was nonsensical and puerile to the point of offense. The first YA book used simpler words, a less complex plot, and relatively ordinary conflicts (though couched in a paranormal framework). There wasn't a lot of potential for over-reach.
However, after a handful of books, I'm bored with the conflicts from the first book not being resolved in any fashion. I'm bored with simplistic plots dressed up with obfuscation. But mostly I don't think any of the characters has grown. Skimpy characterization is reasonable for a short novel. After 4 books (I think this is #5 but I missed one, so 4 to me.) the characters are still cardboard. After two medieval-size wars, the characters have not developed any mettle or sense or grounding.
But mostly I don't think it's reasonable for two teenagers to live in the same house and sleep in the same bed for years without giving in to sexual tension. The abbreviation I have seen for it is UST which comes from unresolved sexual tension, but many people thought it was "unrequited". I can easily see unrequited sexual tension staying platonic, heh.
No idea what I would want the author to have done, because I'm not hugely keen on anyone promoting teen pregnancy and no author can withstand the firestorm if teenage characters have sex on the page while using protection. But I don't think it's realistic to drag out sexual tension across years. That kind of sexual tension kills relationships. But maybe not for cardboard characters without any real feelings. They'll probably go on for another 5 books without doing anything because they don't care about themselves or each other.
