Butterfly Effects by Seanan McGuire

Spoiler for the end of Butterfly Effects in the review (at the end and nicely separated) for We Sing it Anyway, the novella included at the end.

I feel like I always start out reviews of books I'm not entirely sure about with something like Butterfly Effects was... interesting. It's not an entirely bad way to start a review, but I'm also not sure it's helpful.

Anyway, Butterfly Effects is basically book trying to tie up some loose ends left by the last chunk of novels, specifically those left around Mark and Artie/Arthur. It did so in a way I'm not entirely a fan of... I do so hate when a character is "held to account" by characters/societies who have absolutely zero jurisdiction and zero reason to be involved at all. That said... it was okay, I guess. It also feels really weird saying that about an InCryptid novel due to my usual enthusiasm for them and the characters.

I am very glad to see Alice settling into life after finding Thomas. I am also very glad to see Antimony and Sam living their best lives in proximity to that. I was less enthused about Johrlac society and the Kairos clinging to the outskirts of that. It was honestly whatever. The Johrlac are... honestly quite "meh," as I imagine a telepathic society ruled by queens is wont to be. Very akin to watching a movie like Ants where a main character didn't appear to break society because "individualism is better" or whatever.

The story itself was also rather "meh." I spent part of it going "okay... so Sarah's got a goal that she immediately abandons because this Kairos child shows up in the middle of it... why?" Just... that was very weird to me. Everyone else was very focused on their goals, as I would expect them to be. We also got some explanation as to why dimension-jumping is still bad, actually from a power stand-point. Made sense. Really, the point of the story was the very end, which I'm not going to spoil, but... yeah... everything is mostly tied up with a pretty neat bow. I am, as usual with InCryptid, very interested in where we go from here.

Favorite Lines

"Tomatoes are only considered a vegetable for tax purposes anyway!" - Isaac

"Lady, I know you've been out of touch for a while, but if you think I'm going to go along with that, you're absolutely out of your gun-loving, banana-shit mind." - Sam Taylor

"I think we'd all like an adult, sweetheart." - Alice Price

"That shit never worked. Not from the beginning to the end of time. Bullying your queer kid isn't going to get you a straight one. If you're lucky, it'll get you what James's dad got: a living queer kid who doesn't consider you family and will never voluntarily speak to you again." - Antimony Price

"We Sing it Anyway"

The perfect novella ending for Butterfly Effects. Things definitely nicely tied off with a bow.

I hadn't exactly wondered how Elsie was coping, but I am glad to have gotten that information. Mary and Rose are always fun to see. Of course, the "return" of the brothers was sweet. I definitely choked up as Mary affirmed Arthur/Orin.

Favorite Line

"Friends don't let friends accept new legal names from religious rodents." - Artie Harrington 

The Harlequin by Laurell K. Hamilton

A mostly spoiler free reread review.

First and foremost: Forbidding any knowledge of The Harlequin to even be passed to a Human Servant or Animal to Call is a dumbass rule. If Anita hadn’t learned about The Harlequin, she definitely would have held this stupid ass secret over Jean Claude’s head for the rest of their lives and probably, given how he doesn’t even want to accidentally tell her via their dreams, she would have found at that way eventually anyway. Stupid, stupid rule. I’m glad Anita gets to say as much about an adjacent part of the rules. I do also wonder, if The Rules say The Harlequin are not to be even mentioned, how does knowledge of them and their Rules get passed around?

It makes me happy that Anita is able to talk out her Nathaniel issues with Nathaniel.

Oh hey, Edward’s back. I didn’t super realize I’d been missing him, but I was so… yay? I super hate that he was forced to bring Olaf in on this. I fuckin' hate Olaf. He's not at all interesting to me and is really just gross. I did kind of like Peter being around, but, like Anita, have issues with that because he's friggin' 16. Even if trauma made him grow up quicker, it's not great to have him almost get killed so young.

Yet AGAIN, we have to deal with Richard and his issues. I’m so, so tired of this. I know Anita is also tired of this. They need to just stop letting him in whenever he shows up unannounced. I understand The Harlequin are in town and you want the Triumvirate all together but come on. Get the man his own room where he can go and not bother others with his bullshit. It feels like Richard's shit has finally come to a head, but it's felt kind of like that before, so I'm not actually holding out hope. I mean, I know, because this is a reread, that he gets "better" and becomes less present overall, but I cannot for the life of me remember when that actually starts happening. Whatever, he needs to stop showing up and fucking everyone over at exactly the wrong moments.

The backstory recaps feel clumsy here. Very “we both know this information but I’m gonna tell you anyway” followed by the larger context. I understand you’re kind of supposed to be able to pick up any book and understand what’s going on at any given point but… it’s getting ridiculous.

Politics, oh politics, I hate the effing politics. <— that was in a little sing-song voice in my head. But seriously, I hate the politics of this crap. I also hate Dolph taking out his issues on Anita. She should have told him to fuck off way before she did. Honestly, Dolph is devolving the same way Richard has. All that hatred interfering with his job and making him a less likeable character... I don't like it and am super tired of it.

The Harlequin seemed to take me forever to read. I just had to keep stopping every few paragraphs in places because the characters were just annoying me so much. I do like The Harlequin as a concept and they do eventually make a more robust appearance than they do here. I had been expecting (as it's been so long since I first read this) that to happen here, but it didn't, so I am a little disappointed. So... yeah. I'm overall frustrated with the series at this point. I think rereading them all in a bunch like this isn't the best method for a reread. 

Favorite Line

"Friends want what's best for you more than they want sex." - Anita Blake

In Other News 

So, for those who don't follow me on Social Media (Threads is where I hang out 99% of the time these days) I have been spending most of my time in Pokemon Land. While waiting for the Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC, I was using the Vizualizer function over on OviPets to create Pokemon. Did from Bulbasaur to Wigglytuff, making my to-do OviPets Project List way longer... I'm not even halfway through the Kanto Dex. 😫

And now the Pokemon Legends: Z-A DLC (Mega Dimension) has been released. I've been enjoying it. It's honestly more of the same, just with more Pokemon and black-and-white Lumiose settings.

I have decided to take a break from my Anita Blake reread. I think the next few books will make me less frustrated overall, but... I'll pick that up in the new year. I'm going to be jumping into Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball's Acorna series. I read and reread the first book several times in my early teen years and now it's time to jump back in and actually read the whole series. 

The Skies of Pern by Anne McCaffrey

I really loved The Skies of Pern. It was the prefect blend of action and politics and, ya know, general Pern-ness. I did the rest of my review in parts, like the book, so enjoy. Oh, and slight spoilers toward the end.

Part 1

Okay so… this is really hitting close to home, as I have found several of the Pern books to do. Of course there would be a faction of people on Pern who don’t like how quickly tech is advancing. Of course they would form coalitions to try and stop it. Of course this parallels what had happened and continues to happen here on Earth. There’s even spread of disinformation happening! All very real and very close to home these days. I’m honestly crossing my fingers Pern never gets the internet.

I do quite like F’lessan and Tai. F’lessan’s been around in other Pern books, but there hasn’t really been time to get to know him as an adult until now. I like Tai, though she does suffer from orphan-itis. Dead parents and an independent streak a mile long.

Part 2

Probably the most nerve-wracking bit of writing I’ve come across in a while. Riveting, as well. Nothing like a natural disaster to get the blood pumping. I felt every moment of those emergency evacuations. Kind of wish we had dragons here for that sort of thing.

I honestly got choked up a couple times during this section. If that doesn’t tell you how well it’s written, I dunno what will.

Part 3

Rebuilding, thwarting Abominator plans, and creating a dragon rider-centric Crafthall.

Tai’s experience with F’lessan was interesting, if only to highlight how traumatizing, actually, it would be to be a dragon rider during mating flights. I really like the F’lessan/Tai relationship. F’lessan does his very, very best to get consent from Tai during that mating flight and it’s pretty damn cool, considering how consent during mating flights has been previously portrayed.

The thwarting of the Abominators at the Printer Crafthall was kind of fun. Gotta love a bit of helpful skullduggery.

Part 4

I do think it’s kind of funny that “we’ve” discovered dragon telekinesis after Aivas wanted to use it on the engines (or whatever his plan was) in All the Weyrs of Pern.

There we go again, friggin’ dragons making me cry. I love Pernese dragons so, so much. The Monaco riders showing up to help Golly fly again was also a tear-jerking moment.

The demise of the “villain” of the piece was anti-climactic. Not that I was expecting something drawn out, but… yeah. Oh well. I should probably be disappointed that (unless Todd McCaffrey decides to continues into the “present” Pern) it doesn’t seem like we’ll get an ending to the Abominators completely, buy… I’m really not. This sort of thing probably wouldn’t go away completely anyway, if the current Neo-Nazi movement is any indication. I do sort of wish Toric got his ultimate comeuppance, but I’m happy to see the back of his character.

Favorite Lines

"And those are happy to believe easy lies rather than complicated truths," - Lord Jaxom

"Since when has the middle of the night been free of trouble!" - Master Idarolan

"The written word has a power all its own, that rumor can never replace. So you publish truth. The Abominators circulate rumor. A person can reread words and reestablish truth. Rumor can't be caught, can't be traced. It may be more fun to pass along but a book, a sheet of printed paper, that's tangible and the sense of it doesn't change when it's passed from hand to hand." - Pinch

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

2025 Reread Review

This read marks at least my fourth reread of Dragonflight. I enjoyed it this time just as much as I’ve enjoyed it in the past. Dragons and well-done time travel, gotta love it.

This is a very small bit in the grand scheme of things, but I think it’s kind of funny that F’lar apparently doesn’t know you can check for a pulse at the neck or wrist. Instead: “The dragonman laid a hand, trembling in spite of an effort to control himself, on the woman’s breast to feel for a heartbeat…” This amuses me, because you can’t tell me there haven’t been other riders knocked unconscious during the Games or something. F’lar’s a Wingleader, he should know this shit.

I am very much of the same mind as Lessa, before Ramoth’s first mating flight. No one really tells her anything or lets her do anything, so how is she to know when she’s messing up F’lar’s plans? I know this is the first of the Pern books in publication order, so I do kind of forgive things like Lessa not being expected or allowed to take control of the Weyr’s inner workings. I do find it a little weird that Jora’s behavior was what R’gul and S’lel based Weyerwoman behavior on… surely they knew the woman before Jora? Or someone had to have… C’gan, maybe? Just seems odd.

Robinton’s dressing down of the Holders and Craftmasters was inspired and a long time coming. Pretty sure this scene, his first in the publication-order, was where I fell in love with Robinton. Same with Fandarel. My two favorite Craftmasters.

I very much dislike F’lar’s tendency to shake Lessa. It’s passed off as an endearing thing, especially when he does it at the end of the book, but… no. Feels icky overall.

I still really like the time travel bits here. Reading/rereading chronologically has given me a bit of time travel fatigue, but the way this is done quickly rather than being discussed to death just works. It does work really, really well.

Dragonflight does a fantastic job fleshing out F’lar and Lessa as characters. They’re both clearly their own people with thoughts and opinions and ways of doing things. Just top-notch character work for a relatively short book.

I love Dragonflight. It’s a great introduction to the world of Pern, as it should be.

Random chronological continuity error silliness:

• If the Greens aren’t drilling with Firestone, how’re they preventing them from getting pregnant and laying eggs? Or are we allowing the Greens to chew firestone a few times specifically to prevent this?
• Why weren’t the dragon eggs at Southern Weyr plagued by Tunnel Snakes? That bit’s probably not been thought of until the later published books and I wouldn’t even mention it except that it was a huge plot point in Sky Dragons.

Page by Tamora Pierce

A reread review, for which there are some slight spoilers. However, if you know this is the second book of four and have read the titles, I don’t really think it’s that much of a spoiler, but there we go. You’ve been warned.

During the winter banquets, Kel is assigned to her sisters at one point. Orie explains that they can’t be seen on friendly terms with her. So I’m thinking… okay, don’t? Treat her like you would any other servant or page and get on with life. Just… ugh. The whole thing. Poor Kel being shunted around tables that first Midwinter. People are so stupid.

I absolutely despise Lord Wyldon for jumping to the conclusion that Kel could not handle the combat situation she and her team of pages found themselves in. What. The. Actual. Fuck. Sir. And why is that your initial reaction upon rescuing your pages? On a slightly separate note, I do think the group of pages getting ambushed like they were put a bit of perspective into Wyldon’s training style. Like Kel at the tilting, he realized he’d gotten complacent with his training style and needed to mix it up and increase the difficulty. While I know the pages find it off-putting, I feel like this sort of training escalation should have been a thing from the beginning. And as usual, I wrote all that before someone (Lord Raoul) said as much in the text.

In contrast, I like that it is mentioned that the bandits are actually largely impoverished people. It’s not really discussed, in the way a lot of things about impoverished people aren’t discussed ever, but I do appreciate that it was noted. Definitely a minor note in the grand scheme of things, but I feel like this bit of world-building outside the palace is needed.

There’s a lot of adolescent… I’m really not sure how to put this, but… flirting? Noticing? Going on in Page. Kel is noticing Neal. Cleon is really noticing Kel and she’s oblivious. It’s all very hetero-normative, non-asexual stuff that I just did not vibe with when I read it the first time. It does make sense and the pages are getting older and they’re pretty much all sexual beings rather than asexual plants (a term I very much identified with as a teenager when I heard it). It’s very there. As are, of course, actual mentions of Kel getting her first period and breast bands. Top notch handling of that whole mess. Glad she apparently gets mild period symptoms, which I infer based on them never being mentioned again…

Kel gets to show off her skills as a natural leader and teacher here. First the bandit fight and mock-battle later for the leadership and then with Warric and Iden and Lalasa for the teaching. It’s fun to see her fit into those roles. Kel and Lalasa have an interesting relationship. They’re such contrasts to each other, but fit really well into the dynamic they end up developing. I do not remember if they continue to have a relationship after Page ends, but I hope so.

I do not remember being in tears at the end of Page the last few times I read it. But here I am, being a sucker for the relief of the happy ending and everyone being happy for Kel and the other new Squires. Go figure. Of course the last straw was <name redacted> buying Peachblossom for Kel… which I knew was going to happen, but here I am, tearing up anyway.

Page was good. Condensed those four years quite well and at the same time didn’t feel at all rushed. I enjoyed the new characters, liked the growth of those that remained, and am just all over pleased with how Page worked out.

Favorite Line

"You may want anything you like," her mother would have said. "That doesn't mean you'll get it."

In Other News

I finished another OviPets project! This one is just a Pink Spaniel. Nothing special, really, but I like them. They took me approximately six months to complete.

Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey

A Spoiler-Free Review

The Herald Spy series starts off right where Collegium Chronicles left off, with Mags at the end of his first Herald Circuit. We are sans Lena and Bear and don’t find out what happened to them for at least a chapter. As this is not specifically Mag’s story, we get the second POV of Amily, which makes a nice change.

I knew Amily’s choosing was going to happen due to vaguely perusing the Companion list on the Valdemar Wiki. I knew and yet it still made me tear up. The whole scene of Mags and Dallen trying in vain to save Nikolas was probably what did it. Aaand then I got just as confused as Mags. The whole situation was just… wow.

It’s semi-interesting that there’s a big to-do here about marriage and the culture of the court surrounding marriage. Valdemar both enlightened in the way they treat women but also not. The high born ones are very marriage oriented and don’t realize there are options other than marriage open to them… aside from a position in the Guard apparently. I guess technically there’s other jobs open for women outside of Heralds, Bards, and Healers, but no one apparently thinks about them in high born circles. The timeframe makes all this make sense, it’s just… uh… interesting, is all.

At the same time, it’s really slammed over our heads that Valdemar society takes it cues from our own historical views towards women. It’s also slammed over our heads how our main characters don’t track with that viewpoint. The whole thing was very heavy handed, in my opinion.

Found the Romeo and Juliet B-plot highly predictable. Saw it coming as soon as Violetta became a POV character and we knew of the feud. And ya know, for all Amily’s worry about Violetta and knowing Violetta’s lovesick for Brand, not once does she think to intervene on that account. Oh no, no one who has knowledge of that debacle dares try to switch which daughter Brand must marry. Oy vey. I hate this so much.

I was, however, somewhat pleased with how things turned out. I won’t spoil that here, but it was not a Romeo and Juliet ending nor the sappy romantic ending I was envisioning. Got caught up in Violetta’s head, I think. Anyway, it was more satisfying than I was expecting.