The Brightest Fell (October Daye #11) by Seanan McGuire

The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I did not like this one. There's only so many stories I can read filled with . . . I can't think of the right words at the moment. All that I can think of seem wrong - bitter characters, whiny characters forced to do what they have the power to do but don't want to do, etc. Characters that react instead of act.

Has Toby ever acted of her own accord? She seems to always be reacting. Like here - 1) sister-fetch May wants to hold a party for Toby's upcoming - currently unscheduled wedding. So she does. Toby kept saying no, etc. May holds it in a karaoke bar. Toby does not like being forced to sing. She sings. She reacts to the world around her and doesn't act on her own desires; 2) momma turns up, asks Toby to go find the long lost sister, Toby kinda wants to do so, but not for momma. So she says no. Momma freezes everyone, forces the cat to turn into a cat - shoves cat into tiny pain filled cage; turns May's girlfriend into raven (which she is, being a kind of wereraven), shoves raven into cage. Tells Toby to get August and the 'toys' would be returned. Toby reacts to this demand and hunts for sister.

Whiny, bitter, reacting Toby. *shrugs* I've been off and on with this series - If you looked at the ratings I gave, you'd see an odd mix of ratings. 3 stars, 4, 5, 4, 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 2. Well, until I looked, I didn't recall that none had dipped to 2 before now, nor that I had that long stretch of 4 star books. *shrugs again* I'll probably read the next in this series. Might, maybe, might read that Velveteen book I hadn't read yet, and/or that Newsflesh one I haven't read yet (though it's a parallel book that doesn't push the series forward, since the series is already complete, but instead shows a story that had already occurred and doesn't star the main characters from the series). Probably won't try the mermaid book, any more of the index books, or the . . . um . . orphans books?

I'm tired of sadness. Everyone's always so sad in this author's books (whether under this name or her other name).

Rating: 1.64

September 26 2017




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Batgirl, Vol. 2: Family Business by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr (Illustrations)

Batgirl, Vol. 2: Family Business
by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, Babs Tarr (Illustrations)
Pages: 168
Date: February 17 2016
Publisher: DC Comics
Series: Batgirl (Fourth series, Volume 7 in series; 2 in newish reboot)

Review
Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0
Read: August 13 to 20 2016


The Batman Universe has gone all weird on me (though I knew that since this is the second 'Volume' since the change). Batman is dead or gone (I'm not sure if I ever knew). Batgirl's father is the new Batman in an ultra power suit. Batgirl herself is a hipster, and surrounded by a bunch of people I do not recognize (other than Nightwing - who is supposed to be dead (though I've read the series where it came out why he is pretending to be dead - he is working as a spy); despite being 'dead', he sure pops up a lot - and is super icky creepy around Batgirl, interrupting her date, being all clingy, trying to kiss her - then the ending made it look like he was about to kidnap her, though book ended before we find that out; Batwing (though he is operating as Lucius Fox - opening his own company, retiring Batwing); and Papa Gordon (though he is acting as Batman instead of police commisioner).

Plus there was a lesbian wedding. Considering everything, I should have been all over that, right? Lesbian wedding in comicville? But . . . I've no clue who these people are - other than one or the other are supposedly friends of Barbara Gordon (though neither know that she's also Batgirl) - and I believe one is an ex-roommate).

The wedding involving two women (or just a wedding in general) should matter more to me. But I'm too disconnected to the people in this series and I kind of had a meh feeling. Meh, two people getting married - Dick Grayson is interrupting it and acting like a dick; oh they married now (the two lesbians) and . . . fade to Batgirl in bed sleeping. Meh.

Several 'mysteries'/'crimes' are investigated by Batgirl. The one that sticks in my mind is the one involving a tiger wandering around killing and eating people. And I've a vague idea that Batgirl wandered over to Gotham Academy for a spell or too for whatever reason. Meh.

If it hasn't come across yet - the whole thing was kind of meh to me. I doubt I'll continue this series. Then again, I know they just had yet another reboot (DC Comics) so if I did continue, I might find yet another new version of Batgirl. Not actually sure - haven't been paying attention.

August 21 2016