LOL! I knew there was someone on my friends list who was reading those books, but I'd been avoiding posts discussing them because I didn't want to be spoiled. Not worried about being spoiled anymore, because I really don't care, and your spoiler makes me go AAAAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH because I was afraid something like that was going to happen ...!
It's really nice to know it's not just me, either. I always wonder, on these sorts of things, if I'm being hypersensitive or something, and it's a relief that it does seem like it's the books and not me. Or ... at least I'm not the only one!
I wouldn't have given a rat's tail if Generic Fantasy Writer #9716 churned out this kind of crap, but with Butcher... it really gets to me!!
Yeah, precisely! I mean, I *know* that fantasy novels of this type are a dime a dozen (which obviously means that people must be reading them, I suppose) and that's why I'm really picky about the fantasy I read. It's not very pleasant to expect something better and then end up with this sort of tripe. And I think I'd be a lot more willing to forgive its generic-ness if it wasn't so ... well ... offensive in other areas. It's just intensely frustrating to pick up a fresh new fantasy novel in 2008 and encounter hordes of invading cannibals, know what I mean? I mean, you'd think we'd be getting past that sort of thing, but obviously not, and it's especially frustrating coming from a writer that I like!
And I think - hope? - that it is because there's a point to be made somewhere about how the Alerans are actually the bad guys in the big picture, conquering other people and taking over a continent that wasn't theirs, but. But it's done in a way that will throw me into fits of rage if I think about it...
Yeah, me too! I did actually wonder, towards the end of the book, if he was trying to make some kind of point about how the Marat aren't really such unwashed primitives as the Alerans see them, and how the Alerans were in the wrong for coming and taking their land away ... but if he's trying to do that, he's making a terrible mess of it!
I do appreciate that he *tries* to deal with some of this stuff, and I'm happy that Isana's promotion to steadholder gets dealt with ... but, man, I just don't have any desire to read any further, especially after reading your post on the second book ...!
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It's really nice to know it's not just me, either. I always wonder, on these sorts of things, if I'm being hypersensitive or something, and it's a relief that it does seem like it's the books and not me. Or ... at least I'm not the only one!
I wouldn't have given a rat's tail if Generic Fantasy Writer #9716 churned out this kind of crap, but with Butcher... it really gets to me!!
Yeah, precisely! I mean, I *know* that fantasy novels of this type are a dime a dozen (which obviously means that people must be reading them, I suppose) and that's why I'm really picky about the fantasy I read. It's not very pleasant to expect something better and then end up with this sort of tripe. And I think I'd be a lot more willing to forgive its generic-ness if it wasn't so ... well ... offensive in other areas. It's just intensely frustrating to pick up a fresh new fantasy novel in 2008 and encounter hordes of invading cannibals, know what I mean? I mean, you'd think we'd be getting past that sort of thing, but obviously not, and it's especially frustrating coming from a writer that I like!
And I think - hope? - that it is because there's a point to be made somewhere about how the Alerans are actually the bad guys in the big picture, conquering other people and taking over a continent that wasn't theirs, but. But it's done in a way that will throw me into fits of rage if I think about it...
Yeah, me too! I did actually wonder, towards the end of the book, if he was trying to make some kind of point about how the Marat aren't really such unwashed primitives as the Alerans see them, and how the Alerans were in the wrong for coming and taking their land away ... but if he's trying to do that, he's making a terrible mess of it!
I do appreciate that he *tries* to deal with some of this stuff, and I'm happy that Isana's promotion to steadholder gets dealt with ... but, man, I just don't have any desire to read any further, especially after reading your post on the second book ...!