Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey

A Re-Read Review

Magic’s Price is a hard one to review. It’s not bad at all, but it also feels like it should have been two books rather than one. It really feels like Stefen and Vanyel’s romance and relationship should have been given time to really breathe and Van’s whole thing with Learth could probably have been its own story. It made the last third-or-so of Magic’s Price really intense compared to the earlier parts of the book.

I quite enjoyed the beginning with Van and Stef’s blossoming relationship. I feel like it’s a better representation of the kind of age-gap relationships I’ve seen represented. I also actually buy Van and Stef as a couple, like I didn't with Van and Tylendel. I also liked that Van’s relationship with his family turned out the way it did. After Magic’s Promise I felt they were well on their way to earning the redemption for their early treatment of Van and here, they definitely earned it and fully repaired that relationship.

Van’s transitioning the Herald Web from the Herald-Mages to Heralds as a whole took up much less time that I was really expecting it to. He was charged with that by Jays at the end of Magic’s Promise so I was expecting it to be harder or something.

The last, about third, I think, of Magic’s Promise was intense, to say the least. As soon as the last batch of mages were being killed (and no, this is not as spoiler as the series is The Last Herald Mage), it really ramped up the pace and tension. I had honestly even forgotten that Kilchas and Lissandra were even characters, even though they worked with Van and Savil earlier in the book. That’s about how much is packed into this one. Anyway, I really felt Savil’s death and completely understand how that kicked Van into high gear.

I’m very glad we got most of what happened after than from Van and that bandit kid’s perspectives. I don’t think Van’s head was right before the bandits got him and it definitely wasn’t after. That we also had time in there for Van to recover from his trauma was interesting. Weirdly didn’t feel like there was a dip in the pacing, either. I was pleasantly surprised to get kyree and actually see some into their culture. Before this they were only vaguely mentioned in the series.

The ending… well, the ending had the kind of bow on it I like. A nice ending that’s not sickly sweet nor overly horrendous. I was very pleased. 

On Another Note...

I'm currently in the middle of a run of Valdemar short stories and then starting The Collegum Chronicles.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition by JK Rowling

Re-Read Review

If you are planning to purchase this book, please do so used in order to curb J.K. Rowling's spending on her transphobia.

I have probably read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at least 20 times. This time, I read the illustrated version with a few jumps back over to the paperback because spiders are just not my jam. The Jim Kay illustrated version is beautiful. I loved almost every moment of it with a special highlight being the full 2-page spread of the phoenix. The illustrations really added to my enjoyment of the book, which is not really one of my favorites of the Harry Potter series.

Chamber of Secrets is definitely one of those books that both flourishes and suffers upon reread. The flourishing part has to do with the massive amount of foreshadowing and set up Rowling seeds throughout. Like, really, the amount of stuff from Chamber of Secrets that is more relevant because of later books is astounding. Not entirely surprising if you’re a massive Harry Potter nerd like I am or find out that Rowling originally wanted to have a lot of Half-Blood Prince stuff in Chamber of Secrets, but still really impressive. The suffering actually has more to do with Rowling’s magic system and the holes I saw in it… which of course is what this review is going to focus on.

Okay so, somewhere in between taking off from London and getting pummeled by the Whomping Willow, the Ford Anglia managed to gain sentience. Unless it was sentient from the time Arthur started working magic on it… in which case, how??? This is where Rowling’s magic system really starts getting into the weeds of “how does that happen” and we’re apparently not supposed to notice because “magic.”

I honestly feel like this is the most sinister Tom Riddle ever is. There’s just something special about a more quiet villain, which he definitely is at this point. I’m not sure I felt this way in my first read, but this time around it’s like “ooohhhh crap. Harry doesn’t have a clue and Riddle’s just smiling and doing his own thing…”

On a side note, “werewolf cubs”? So… not kids bitten my werewolves, but hereditary werewolves? The implications of this are not actually touched on here and are never brought up again and I have questions.

I find it interesting that intent has nothing whatsoever to do with freeing House Elfs. Lucius just vaguely threw the sock in Dobby’s direction and Dobby is freed. No intent on Lucius’ part. I feel like, if the House Elf enslavement thing was magically binding, there would have had to be some intent on the part of the wizard to unbind the House Elf. Slavery is gross to begin with and the method of keeping House Elfs enslaved is also gross and brings into question some logistics, but yeah… this really jumped out at me on this reread.

Anywho, Chamber of Secrets is really where the Harry Potter series starts to show its darkness. I know this isn’t revelatory for us older fans, but it’s very, very true. Chamber of Secrets is still ostensibly geared toward younger readers, but it’s unmistakably dark.

Smoulder by Laurell K. Hamilton

I am a long time Anita Blake fan. I’ve read all the books to date — most of them at least twice — and even a couple of the graphic novels just for funsies. I devoured Smoulder in three days. Would have been two, but I had to work. Honestly, Smoulder feels super unfinished. I want to say there are two major plot lines introduced in Smoulder that just don’t come to any sort of conclusion and the third, continuing plot line that kind of does. It’s felt very odd when Smoulder just sort of petered off when it did. The book wasn’t bad, but the ending was definitely a… uh… I don’t know how to describe it in a single word. I felt like I had whip-lash from the ending, because I was expecting more.

So, the first story line that I felt should have had an ending was the Sunshine Murder thing. Usually, Anita gets called in to help with a case and that’s the over-arching plot of the book. But not so here. Anita gets called in to consult and then… nothing. Dolph sidelines her from the case and apparently McKinnon’s magic do-hickey means nothing in the long-run of Smoulder. Okay… but fine.

Second story line: the while Deimos thing. Anita and the gang are attacked and barely get out with the power they currently have. We spend much of the rest of the book theorizing on how to take out Deimos. And then… nothing. No second attack, no actually going after Deimos, just prep work. Uh… what? This one feels like it got stopped right in the middle. It’s the story line I’m really annoyed pretty much goes nowhere.

The continuing story line of Anita’s love life keeps getting on. We get Richard back in the mix and Asher’s nonsense continues. Another part of this kind of concludes because of the Deimos story line, but, as usual, there are more issue to work out. I’m happier with this bit, but… ugh. Just… everyone talks like they’ve got a partial psychology degree and they explain things to the point of smacking the reader over the head with them. Also, all this talking really killed the pacing for me. Aaand everyone goes to sleep all of a sudden with no food? That was kind of a large part of the focus that go forgotten, I guess.

I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting from Smoulder but this wasn’t it. I definitely expected more story and it just cut off. Adding a Sneak Peak at Slay didn’t endear the abrupt ending to me either. I didn’t read it, to be totally honest. I really expect more out of the Anita Blake novels.

Favorite Line

"Yeah, existential dread and the search for identity is a bummer." - Anita Blake

Character Spotlight: Rodina

There are spoilers in this section. You've been warned.

I really feel like I should talk some about Rodina because she's a big part of this book. So first, I will probably never get it through my thick skull that she's a wereleopard. With a name like "Rodina" my brain will always think "rat." But that's whatever. Rodina is fairly new to the Anita Blake universe, at least as far as readers are concerned. She's also understandably having an existential crisis during Smoulder on top of grieving for her brother Rodrigo -- she has been ripped from her previous life and it is their birthday. Although I've complained a little about how everyone in this series talks like a therapy ad, I really hope Rodina actually ends up working on herself through the therapy she's agreed to go to with her other brother, Ru. I feel like she'd be a really fun character once her spitefulness is worked out.

Bleame Hair Eraser Review

Product reviews are not my normal thing, but this one's been bugging me, so I'm gonna do it.

I have been using disposable razors for most of my adult life. Not an brand in particular, just anything I can use for a few weeks and then discard when the blades get duller that I liked. I've been toying with the idea of maybe switching to a Billie or something less disposable and I started seeing ads for the Bleame Hair Eraser on Facebook. Pretty much all the reviews on those posts were favorable, which is odd for Facebook ads, and the Hair Erasers last for about a year. So, I caved a bought a pair.

The Bleame Hair Eraser is basically a stone encased in a plastic shell for easy grippage. The stone is almost smooth and the plastic shell is slightly velvety. Also, it's not actually a stone, but glass, apparently. I don't know, it's confusing. Their website calls it both nano-glass and crystal so... yeah. They're basically a very fine grit sandpaper that you use to get rid of hair and exfoliate your skin at the same time.

My personal experience is as follows:

I gave myself road rash using the Hair Eraser the first time. On my legs and the front edge of my arm pits, which was hella painful and right where my bra was sitting. I did not mean to rub there, but it happened and I will not be doing that again. There is a learning curve in how to use this thing. I really don't recommend using it in the shower. There's a certain amount of pressure needed and the added slickness of the water is just not great. Pretty much follow the direction on the box of using it on dry or damp skin. Works much better and helps avoid road rash.

The next two times I've used the Hair Eraser have been dry. You can see where you've used it because of the exfoliated skin that's left behind. You can also definitely feel it as the Bleame Hair Eraser really works. The hair is essentially sanded away painlessly once you figure out the amount of pressure you need to apply. HOWEVER, I found that it really only works very well on the lower leg and probably the arms, but I don't feel the need to shave my arms so I don't actually know that last bit.

The Bleame Hair Eraser does need a certain amount of applied pressure to work well. This creates a problem when your flesh has a tendency to move, like on the thighs. In order to make the Hair Eraser work on my thighs, I literally have to pull and hold my skin with one hand while rubbing the Hair Eraser along with my other hand. It's not the best. Also, getting into more contoured places in a hassle. The Bleame Hair Eraser fits into my adult palm quite comfortably and it does have some slight points on either end that I assume are to help get into those contoured parts of your body. I have yet to be able to make this work. Getting the sides of my knees and ankles is just a pain... probably literally if I tried more aggressively. And forget the bikini area. I'm not even gonna try unless or until Bleame comes out with something smaller, maybe on a stick.

There were several reviews on Bleame's Facebook posts that had customers talking about how their hair grew back slower and less coarse. Of the three times I've used my Bleame Hair Eraser, this has been the case once. I used to shave three times a week because I wear shorts to bed and I absolutely hate the feel of the stubble. Due to Bleame's exfoliating thing, I've used it every three to four days instead. The second time I used it, the hair did grow back slower, but the first time and this third time, nope. I'm kind of frustrated by this, but I also know everyone's body and hair growth and all that are different so I'm not gonna blame Bleame for that. Just saying: take those kinds of reviews with a grain of salt because everyone's a snowflake in that department.

So, overall, I'm fairly happy with my Bleame Hair Eraser. And I know, I've typed those three words often enough in this review... this is why I don't do product reviews. But anyway, this product hasn't completely erased my need for razors. I still need to use them on my arm pits, bikini area, and those pesky spots the Hair Eraser won't fit. It's not the worst thing on the planet, and if you don't feel the need to shave you thighs or remove stubble as often as me, it's probably a better idea than razors.

Addendums

The comments in this portion were written several minutes apart, just FYI.

Welp, I just glanced at Bleame's FAQ while trying to find a picture to go with the review and apparently you shouldn't use the Hair Eraser more than once every two weeks. Greeeaaaaat. I wonder if they exfoliate more than using a razor does, though... apparently I'm doing it all wrong right out of the gate. 😬

Just read the Safety Precautions portion of Bleam's website and apparently bikini area's out anyway. Go figure. Could have sworn they listed it as safe somewhere else on the website. 😕

So anyway: maybe don't be dumb like me and read the entire website before trying this thing out. Like I said, it does work well on legs once you get the hang of it.

Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey

A Spoiler Free Reread Review

Magic’s Promise is largely about Vanyel dealing with his grief and coming to terms with his childhood. He is able to quell his childhood demons through Tashir and Medren by dealing with Withen and Jervis as an adult rather than the surly teen he was. The grief part is dealt with throughout the book, because lord knows Van didn’t actually deal with it in Magic’s Pawn or the intervening 12 years. The mystery I’m about to talk about is really secondary and gives an actual plot to the book.

Van’s investigative technique leaves much to be desired. From the moment he set a shield over his crime scene, I was expecting him to get back asap. Guess I’ve been watching too much CSI and reading too many mystery novels, because he didn’t actually go back for OVER a damn fortnight. Too damn long. He’s lucky the evidence he ACTUALLY needed kept until he got back there. Didn’t stop me from being frustrated the entire time though.

I was pleased Van’s family has largely accepted him for who he is now. Not sure if it’s the Herald thing, time, or even separation, but it delighted me. Lady Treesa, though, needs to get over herself. I really liked Medren. He was a nice addition to Van’s life.

Jervis turned out to be a pleasant surprise as well. He was painted in such broad strokes as a curmudgeon in Magic’s Pawn and by Van here. To get the more rounded picture of him was good.

I will say, it was a little annoying but probably a sign of the times in which Magic’s Promise was written in that Van had to have a discussion about the difference between shaych and pedophilia with three different people. I know this was largely due to Father Leren’s influence over Withen, but it was just… ugh. I doubt this would have had to be reiterated so many times in a more modern text.

The story itself was honestly more drawn out that I think it really needed to be. Again, I think that’s down to Van’s investigating skills being sub-par. Like, yeah, the entire mystery surrounding Tashir got a bit deeper because Van spent more time not going straight back to the palace. It really gave Vedric more time to wine and dine the Lineans “off screen.” None of this is bad overall, just drew out the story. After all, the mystery surrounding Tashir was really secondary to Van’s personal issues.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

The Second-to-Last Point Is a Spoiler

Originally Posted to GoodReads: 3-12-17

Okay so... new concepts, new characters, and a fairly mediocre villain, truth be told. I'm really not entirely sure how I feel about the book as a whole, but it didn't leave me with many solid impressions so... I have this feeling like it's mediocre at best.

Impressions I'm Left With:

• Addison seemed alright, if somewhat holier-than-thou in some instances.
• The exploration of Jacob's power seemed like one of those "let's save it til the end of the season because it's cool" things.
• The majority of the book spent it's time in the "we have 22 episodes to fill but not enough actual things to create episodes for" land.
• I cannot for the life of me keep Millard and Hugh straight in my head. They seem to have blended into one character... except when Hugh saved the day that one time.
• There were just too many characters to keep track of at any given time.
• Miss Peregrine's brother is too chatty for his own good and it took them entirely too long to decide to get him some clothes. That whole scene was just... not very good and too banter-y[- Miss Peregrine's brother is too chatty for his own good and it took them entirely too long to decide to get him some clothes. That whole scene was just... not very good and too banter-y. (hide spoiler)]
• Harry Potter did the road-trip/camping book a lot better.

And those are my thoughts on Hollow City.

Remembering Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey

Okay, so I actually started writing this post on my phone a few days ago, right before I started reading Magic's Promise. I have basically come to the conclusion that I remember next to nothing about this book... and I've read it twice. That said, I do want to share what I do remember, so here we go.

Magic's Promise was my introduction to The Heralds of Valdemar. So weird, I know. It's the second book in The Last Herald Mage trilogy and the (at the time) fifth book in the chronological run... but yeah, it was weird. I remember the cover super vividly from when I pulled it off my dad's shelf, a magical shelf of nonsense, that shelf.

See, my dad is a sci-fi fantasy nerd and I largely get my love of the fantasy genre from him. However, my dad's bookshelf left much to be desired if you were looking for a series to start. I don't remember many full series runs or even starts to series on that shelf. I know he had Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the first Anita Blake omnibus, but most of that bookshelf was random pick-and-mix. Magic's Promise was part of that and I think I largely picked it up because of the horse *cough*Companion*cough* on the front cover.

Looking back on Magic's Promise now, what I remember about the plot is... nonexistent. I remember little bits. Like Jervis wanting to learn Van's fighting style through sparing bouts and that there's a mystery involving Van interviewing some old woman with a brooch... I think. Also, I think Stefan is introduced somewhere in this book, but I can't be sure. I swear, I've read Magic's Promise twice! Once in my pre-teens/teens and once in college. None of it stuck, though!

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to reminisce about my dad's old bookshelf for a hot second. He sadly lost a good chunk of those books to mold... which is another story altogether.

On a slightly separate note: I'm a little over halfway through Magic's Promise at this point and Van remembered that you have to keep the evidence from being disturbed while investigating and so set up this mage-shield thing to keep his evidence from being disturbed. However, he's now spending DAYS away from his crime-scene. Like, Van, sir, I understand you needed to leave quickly and your magic reserves are dead and you were passed out for three days, but your evidence is now literally rotting while you deal with your personal shit! No one ever said Van was good at investigating, but this is breaking my SOD a little.