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*eeeee!*
I got my new Ben January book, The Shirt On His Back and devoured it. I'd had high expectations for the book from what little I knew about it beforehand, and it was all I'd hoped it'd be AND MORE. :D Overall I've thought the last few books have been kind of lackluster compared to the first half of the series (not bad, but not quite up to earlier squee standards), but either the wait helped, or it just happened to mash down the right buttons, because I loved it. :D
I really need to do a proper post about this series -- and I will! -- but right now ... THE SCENE AT THE END. OH EVERYONE. While I'm thoroughly delighted that there is another book coming in a year or so (with Ayasha! eee!), I kinda just want to hit the pause button on that last scene in the lamplight, so full of love and family and togetherness, and hold it there for a while. If the series were to end, this is what I'd want: all of them together, and safe, and happy. I would've loved to have had more of Rose and Ben's sisters in the rest of the book, but the plot really didn't make it possible, and THIS, THIS MAKES UP FOR IT. But the very best part is that something I've wanted for book after book has finally happened -- it's only taken eleven books (and the slow build is part of what makes it FULL OF SQUEE), but Shaw has finally been drawn into the little circle of Ben's actual and chosen family: after so many books of always been the perpetual outsider, by class and race and nationality and occupation, he's at long last part of the group now. Somewhat on the periphery, and there's still that "sir" at the end, that reminder of the barriers they can't ever overcome -- but part of the group. (And it's fully textual that Shaw is family to Ben; even leaving aside that scene at the end, WHICH IS MADE OF LOVE AND SQUEE FOR SO MANY REASONS, there's also the bit where Ben tells Morning Star that Shaw's his brother and you don't abandon your brother ... ♥)
I loved how this book was all about family -- the family we're born to, the family we choose, the things we do for them. And no one died ... well, yes, lots of people died, but no one we're really attached to died, which is something that's been making me ever more delighted and relieved with each subsequent book. ♥ ♥ ♥ I've finally stopped freaking out that she's going to kill Hannibal (I think if Hannibal was going to die, he would have already), but Shaw always feels like he's got a target painted on his back. And Rose could so easily have died in this book (even though killing Rose would be such a cruel thing to do, to Ben and the readers, that I can't quite believe that she'd go there). And Ben's sisters .... okay, I guess I just can't believe that we'll actually make it through the whole series without losing anyone important, but they're all still alive and together now. *clings*
I really need to do a proper post about this series -- and I will! -- but right now ... THE SCENE AT THE END. OH EVERYONE. While I'm thoroughly delighted that there is another book coming in a year or so (with Ayasha! eee!), I kinda just want to hit the pause button on that last scene in the lamplight, so full of love and family and togetherness, and hold it there for a while. If the series were to end, this is what I'd want: all of them together, and safe, and happy. I would've loved to have had more of Rose and Ben's sisters in the rest of the book, but the plot really didn't make it possible, and THIS, THIS MAKES UP FOR IT. But the very best part is that something I've wanted for book after book has finally happened -- it's only taken eleven books (and the slow build is part of what makes it FULL OF SQUEE), but Shaw has finally been drawn into the little circle of Ben's actual and chosen family: after so many books of always been the perpetual outsider, by class and race and nationality and occupation, he's at long last part of the group now. Somewhat on the periphery, and there's still that "sir" at the end, that reminder of the barriers they can't ever overcome -- but part of the group. (And it's fully textual that Shaw is family to Ben; even leaving aside that scene at the end, WHICH IS MADE OF LOVE AND SQUEE FOR SO MANY REASONS, there's also the bit where Ben tells Morning Star that Shaw's his brother and you don't abandon your brother ... ♥)
I loved how this book was all about family -- the family we're born to, the family we choose, the things we do for them. And no one died ... well, yes, lots of people died, but no one we're really attached to died, which is something that's been making me ever more delighted and relieved with each subsequent book. ♥ ♥ ♥ I've finally stopped freaking out that she's going to kill Hannibal (I think if Hannibal was going to die, he would have already), but Shaw always feels like he's got a target painted on his back. And Rose could so easily have died in this book (even though killing Rose would be such a cruel thing to do, to Ben and the readers, that I can't quite believe that she'd go there). And Ben's sisters .... okay, I guess I just can't believe that we'll actually make it through the whole series without losing anyone important, but they're all still alive and together now. *clings*
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