In my ongoing, non entirely chronological reading of Terry Pratchett, this appears to be roughly around the point where he started to ramp up as a novelist: ( Read more...Collapse )

I picked this up after seeing other people on lj rave about it, and indeed, it’s excellent. Rather unusually, I enjoyed both storylines, although the two-stories-in-different-eras structure is one I usually don’t find engaging. I think it helped that Duey shows us points of contact between them early on, and that the chapters were so short, mostly only a few pages—more short vignettes than full chapters, so that I was never impatient to get back to the other storyline. It works well for the characterization, too, to get the characters in lots and lots of brief snippets of story.

The relationship between Hahp and Gerrard is lovely; I’m really looking forward to seeing where this is going. And Sadima is neither stupid nor a bottomless well of patience. Franklin I am fed up with, despite being fascinated by the dynamic of his relationship with Somiss, who is convincingly and idiosyncratically evil.

Contained insufficient Rune. When he did turn up, the scene between him and Eusis was easily the best part of the volume. Wow, actual characterization and stuff.

We did find out that the planet is inhabited mostly by dinosaurs, though. And there was canon acknowledgement that yeah, this world is kind of on crack. As long as they know it’s on crack, I’m willing to forgive much.

Also contains: carnivorous unicorns, embarrassing rumors, dinosaurs, child prostitution, return of the steamy fencing instructor, crazy ideas that just might work, and invisible walls.

I’ve actually developed some interest in the main character. Firiel is one of those weird ones who isn’t that interesting in and of herself, but becomes (at least slightly) interesting in how she relates to other characters. It’s the interplay that’s worth watching. Her relationship (or lack thereof) with her father is potentially really interesting. Still mostly in it for Rune, though. I do wish we got more of him and Eusis together; they’re an entertaining combination.

Evidently this is a mangafied version of a novel, which does explain some things, like the odd compression of some parts and the suggestion of a somewhat fuller background than we really get to see.

Also contains: more crossdressing, leaps off of cliffs, heretical roses, exploding bunnies, Goatees of Evil, clothes made out of ripped-up sheets, evil betrothals, insincere betrothals, and schools devoted entirely to chess.

 

In which the main character is sent off to a girl’s school-cum-convent, and the story is briefly hijacked by high school manga tropes. What the hell? And why does one of the contenders for the throne have time to screw around subverting the student council?

Also contains: crossdressing, steamy fencing lessons, evil student councils, duels, assassination, school plays, scaffolding, aristocratic underwear, drop ceilings, evil sex-ed, pen names, and bad nuns.

…dammit. I’m out of Vorkosigan books now.

I am not remotely impressed by the story in this manga, which involves a bog-standard cheerful peasant girl of highborn parentage in a medievaloid landscape, but it does have some weirdly entertaining stuff in it, like underground societies, forbidden research, and hints of Big Cosmic Doom. The occasional touches of Big Cosmic Doom do actually manage to add some redeeming atmosphere, but I suppose I am a sucker for pictures of starry night skies. Firiel is utterly uninteresting to me, as are most of the others, but I’m enjoying Rune enough that I’ll get the next couple of these out of the library.

Also contains: invisible injuries! invisible furniture (leaving the characters hovering in space)! palaces made entirely out of platinum! disposable parental figures! lonely towers! pretty astronomers in glasses! unreasonably perky heroines in frilly dresses! court balls! with obligatory Snobbish Socialites! men in leopard skins! heretics! inquisitors! geeky kids with Dark Pasts! dramatic but ineffective chains! books of Mysterious Stuff that everyone wants! Significant Jewelry!

minus. is an odd, whimiscal little webcomic. The main character is a little girl called minus, who happens to have undefined (but more or less omnipotent) magical powers. This would make a pretty lousy adult character, but it works here because the comic is highly episodic—there’s no overarching plot line needing the kind of tension that an omnipotent character would tend to torpedo—and because minus has a kid’s logic and is wholly irresponsible. She’s mostly interested in shrinking herself to rule as warrior queen of the ants or inserting fantastic kingdoms in the school washroom. The hapless people around her just have to cope.

This is an odd favorite for me, since I much prefer stories with a high level of continuity and plot complexity. (There are a few short plot arcs; the one about the two girls who happen into minus’ washroom kingdom is my favorite part of the archives.) But the artwork is really pretty, and the individual episodes are charming and inventive enough to keep me interested.