Just have to say a few words about A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy).
If you have not read it, dinna read further...because I am terrible at intelligently reviewing a book and I wouldn't want to accidentally talk you out of reading it!
If you HAVE read this book, please don't post any spoilers! I am a freak about spoilers. Just starting Chapter 13. I'm dying to read Diana Gabaldon's take on this book over at Compuserve...but it's full of spoilers and...yeah. See the above statement for clarification.
I AM enjoying it. Truly. It's right up my alley. But I must make the following statement: WHAT IS TAKING SO LONG?!? Jesus - when the main characters, Matthew and Diana finally get their vampitch on, it better be effing AMAZING. Diana's looooong days at the Bodleian library at Oxford are about as warm as her relationship with Matthew. OK so she finally had him over for dinner (smoked salmon and raw venison, my fave) and he finally kissed her (thank GOD) and it was purdy hot as I am already pretty stuck on Mr. Clairmont...but let's get this show on the road already.
The book SHOULD be the perfect storm for me: Vamps, Tudor history (not as much as I'd like) and yoga - all mixed together. (Yoga at the hot vamp's circa 1536 mansion for the love of all that's holy! I get misty just thinking about it!) And it is very much intriguing and beguiling. Unfortch, what should be the trifecta of Carol's interests is just sitting here...teasing me...and making me beg for ACTION. Which then, in turn, makes me feel like a 7th grader hoping for sneak peeks at Judy Blume's "Forever" (which I have yet to read as PattzR banished it from our house the second it came out.)
In short - I am enjoying A Discovery of Witches - but I am not (yet) bowled over. But again - I'm only starting Chapter 13...and at that point in Outlander, we were just setting out on our journey with Dougal and Jamie if I recall...so I haven't thrown in the towel yet.
We now return you to your regularly scheduled Outlander blog...
I've heard it falls flat. You'll have to let us know your impression once you're done.
ReplyDeleteI dumped "Dreamfever" to start this one. I read the yoga session last night. I'm waiting for fireworks, too. Better be soon or I'll dump pale, cool Matthew, too.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I'm glad I'm not the only one that was lukewarm on this one...I gave up after he peeked in her window...ewww
ReplyDeleteCarol--do not give up! Yes, the book starts slowly and doesn't have the pacing of GB's books, but ADOF has such a fab premise--a world composed of 4 groups: witches, vampires, daemons (those artistic types), and humans--say no more! Yet the book is really about love, relationships and family. --Julie
ReplyDeleteAdNorth - it definitely does if you compare it to (the urgency of) Twilight or - god forbid, Outlander! I am trying very hard not to do that.
ReplyDeleteTerry - first of all, you almost made me wee wee with your comment about "pale, cool Matthew". SO Edward Cullenesque! But yes, keep going. There is more yoga to come and further hotness to come. (To those of you who hate yoga, no worries...it's not detailed yoga or anything...there are just some classes mentioned.)
Nelson-n-Pam - LOL!!!! I actually liked that part...but probably because I'm an Edward Cullen fan. I *didn't* like the fact that it seems very lifted from Stephenie Meyer's notes...but we'll leave that one alone for a little while.
SPOILER ALERT - dinna read the next comment if you haven't read the book yet!
Julie - Oh you are making me feel SOOOO much better. I did keep reading and we are building toward something (I PRAY is) huge...but if we don't get there soon I may die of good, old-fashioned, literary blue balls. And you know what? The Oxford stuff is cool...but after a while it gets old. It's just not THAT interesting. GET back to the library - take the damned manuscript out again already - and get crackin'! LOL
It took me until about where you are to get into it. Then I really enjoyed it. it is filled with UST and that's fun.
ReplyDeleteBut I will say, I didn't find it as all consuming as Twilight or Outlander. Once it ended, the "obsession" didn't set in. I'll be curious on your reaction to the end. ;)
@Terry-Do you find DoW similar to the Fever series? I sure did... Magic book, dark haired mystery an trying to get the book and needs feisty blond's powers to do so.
-Stacey
What does "UST" mean? I have the book too - haven't started it yet. I really like reading all the comments though.
ReplyDeleteI just started this book! I really am enjoying - as a testament to my dorkness I love the library parts :-)
ReplyDeleteNot that you asked, but the book I read before this was fabulous and so evocative of Outlander - The Blue Bells of Scotland. Loved it! Have you guys reviewed it and did I miss it? it mentions Outlander a couple few times!
A lot of ladies didn't like it much over on the compuserve board but I really enjoyed it. I posted much more on the discussion there and on the babycenter book club board where it was our book of the month in March.
ReplyDeleteTo summarize quickly and with no spoilers I've been reading vampire/supernatural books since I was about 14 and so many of the books are the same thing over and over again. This book had enough original ideas that it kept me enthralled and wanting to read the two sequels.
Yes, there are some " issues" with the book but the pros outweigh the cons. I'm not as critical as Diana and some of the ladies on that board though. They really dissect a book down to the nitty gritty so you have to keep that in mind when reading their reviews.
Oh and as for the whole "blue balls" thing I would love to discuss this more when you finish the book! A lot of people had major issue with something related to this that will be interesting to discuss when you are done.
ReplyDeleteStacey - totally agree - I am definitely getting into it.
ReplyDeleteJulia - read it with us!
Sirena - You are not dorky at all - I also enjoyed the library parts at first. I still like them but you start yearning for a little more relationship after a while...and start resenting the library! LOL But my god - the Bodliean? I want to get on a plane right now! I'll take a vampire encounter among the shelves any day! ;)
Brandy - THANK YOU because that was tremendous commentary with no spoilers!! :)
Carol-I had a marathon read last nite and was going to encourage you to keep going. Non-bedroom action picked up enough to keep me in.
ReplyDeleteTalksupe-Dreamfever was the first of the series for me and I only lasted 40 pages.
I read that book in an embarrassingly short amount of time. The characters were great! Really did like it, but there were some things I wasn't a fan of.. we'll talk when you finish!! I'm excited to have someone to chat about it with. :)
ReplyDeleteOK - I have one more chapter to read in the latest Sookie Stackhouse book (which is AWFUL, by the way) and I will start DOW. I'm looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteJulia - I actually thought this newest Sookie book was a bit better than the last two. I feel like it's finally going somewhere and she's starting to wrap it up. I have some theories about what she's going to use that thing for!
ReplyDelete