The Thorn That Pierces Me

This book is intensely sexy compared to the typical fantasy novels such as Mistborn or The Name of the Wind, moderately sexy compared to adult romance novels found in regular bookstore’s adult sections, and mild compared to most fan fiction (note: context, context). Within the genre of New Adult/Adult Romantasy this book is quite steamy. Its sexiness is integral to both the relationships between the characters and the magic in the world. Most books with this much sex use it as an afterthought, but not this book. This book’s sexiness is essential to the story.

It's just so typical of a book of this generation that it's going to be delayed, much like 'The Doors of Stone' or 'The Winds of Winter'. Shared misery between fandoms of delayed books is a wonderful thing. Every author is testing our loyalty in some way.

I hope Mr. Lynch is doing okay. The creative process is not a vending machine that dispenses words when you put in money. When the words are right, the book will be here. Until then, there are many other amazing stories to get lost in. Don’t put your reading life on hold for one story, no matter how much you love it. As I said, the Gentlemen Bastards books are some of my favorites.

‘Needles of Vengeance’ is a very short book. I read it in two sessions of late night reading, and each time I had to put the book down and think about the issues it raised. The basic premise of the book is simple: a haunted and grieving man finds a set of needles that allow him to take revenge on those who caused him pain. But the plot follows the hero’s investigation into the corruption of a powerful guild of textile manufacturers, and his struggles to come to terms with the supernatural rules that he must follow.

The novel is about whether it is worth destroying your enemies in order to destroy yourself as well. I found the author’s refusal to provide an easy answer to this to be oddly satisfying.

Unholy = against his purpose as a priest. Frollo asks for forgiveness for the one sin that would undermine his identity as a priest more than anything else. And he asks for forgiveness from the father of his order (his boss, also his spiritual parent). The line is very dramatic and actually makes Frollo more of a tragic villain than your typical bad guy. Frollo is not evil for no reason. He is a man torn by the one sin he cannot bring under his control. His plea for forgiveness is a testament to the awareness of his evil that makes him even more feared.

One of the simplest methods of finding a book is to search for the title on Google and select the “Books” link from the results page. This will produce a list of online book sellers, often with a link to preview the book. Also, a “Borrow” link will appear if the book is available from one of Google’s library partners. A simple way to “shop around” online book stores, and also to see if the book is available from your local library.

It won’t reveal any pirated copies (Google delists those) but it will give you a good idea of the range of legal online stockists for your book. You can check prices across different online stores as well as seeing if it is available through your local library. It’s a good initial ‘view from the air’ and gives you a sense of direction for your further investigation – do you buy, borrow or set up a price alert?

I remember the end of this trilogy like it was yesterday. It was a rockstar romance that was SO angst-filled and so intense. After all the back-and-forth between Jack and Ally in the rest of the book, the final chapter ends after a massive separation from Ally to focus on herself and her career. She finally leaves him for good to focus on herself and her career and Jack hits rock bottom. After struggling with his fears of commitment and his self-destructive ways for so long, he finally gets the therapy and sobriety that he needs. Not for her, but for himself. The rest of the book follows his journey of growth and change. And finally, in the end, he gets to show her all of his growth and change in a grand and heart-wrenching way. He proves to her that he has changed for good through his actions, not just words. They finally get to be together on a level of healing, not just passion. And it ends happily ever after with their wedding and them in a peaceful and beautiful state of love.

While many of her fans felt that she finally brought them a satisfying end to their tragic love story, others found it too neat. The readers were usually able to see into the future of Jack and Ally in the epilogue. Sometimes they were even shown with children and they had found beauty in the pain they had endured.

The special thing about The Cactus is the main character, Susan. She’s a middle-aged woman, which is already unusual for a main character in a book. She’s not sweet and lovely and cries a lot. She’s set in her ways, is very practical and most of all, very straight forward. In the beginning you even don’t know if you like her or not. As the story unfolds you start to root for her. The way she grows and learns to accept herself and her quirks is very special. How she lets other people in her life without changing who she is, is beautiful and not easily achieved. The writing is very crisp and the dark humor is spot on.

I’m interested in reading more about the environmental symbolism at the end of the novel. The decay of the car business and the dying of the forest were two of the major elements of decay that ran throughout the novel. PJ’s anxiety about the effects of climate change was another. The collapse of the family in the woods is not just a collapse of the family, it is the collapse of their entire ecosystem, literal and metaphorical. The woods are where all the secrets of the family are buried and where everything finally surfaces. The family is left in the storm-battered wilderness, with no rescue. Nature, which the family has ignored and exploited throughout the novel, becomes the indifferent stage for the family’s collapse. It’s all very bleakly poetic.

This would make for an amazing ending to a story, as well as an amazing soundtrack. I imagine a super mellow, acoustic, sad song, kept bare with minimal production. A simple voice and guitar would suffice. The song would fade out to nothing, no big, sweeping notes or ending music. The song would just sort of….end. It’s so emotional, and I imagine it to be a totally specific tone: not sad/angry, just tired/sad. Exhausted.

Give Yes, Your Serpentine Excellency by Kate Stradling a try.