Stormdancer (The Lotus War, Book One)
Author: Jay Kristoff
Thomas Dunne, 2012
ISBN: 9781250001405
Steampunk Bushido in a ravaged Japan-analogue where "blood lotus" destroys the land, but makes airships, trains, and mechanized armor and weaponry possible. Crazed young Emperor demands his Hunters return to him with a mythical Arashitora - a giant griffin.
Really mixed feelings about this one.
Spoilers aplenty - you've been warned.
First real set of grouses - the metal-encased priests. I'm left not entirely sure what their motivations are, and whether they really believe their rites and taboos, or if that's just to keep the rank and file in line. It bugs me that they're so much of a player, but they're left nearly entirely a mystery. (I know there's a series upcoming - I can still be unhappy about what isn't in THIS book.)
Also not happy that the reveal about the "fertilizer" for the red lotus is left until so close to the end and then thrown in casually like that. A potential knockout like that is should be a bit more than "the character goes back home and continues to feel somewhat sorry for the people riding the Soylent Green conveyor belt until he turns a corner and then forgets about them because he has other things on his mind." If you're going for cannibalism and human sacrifice, it just feels odd to have it casually thrown in there.
Red Lotus. So... it's a fuel. And a drug. And clothing. And food. And a lubricant. And a decoration? And.... I start to lose faith in a miracle plant that does all things for all people. Just not realistic to me, magical kingdom or not.
Gritty realism vs romantic inter-species partnership. It could be done where these two genres coexist nicely, I'm sure. But here it's like the fan-fic equivalent of the "magic horsies" of Valdemar (yes, I know they're Companions, and aren't actually horses - I'm making a point here) crashed into Warhammer 40K. I get sucked in by the happy lovely interactive mental/emotional bond and then POW - exploding brains! Severed limbs! Emotionally withdrawn heroes soldiering on while comrades are hacked squishily to death behind them! Yeesh.
The Dad. I feel like I'm being a little unfair with this grouse, but really, the "child who doesn't realize the massive sacrifice dad has made for them until he's gone, and their reunion is seconds before he dies" trope is making me a little nuts. I understand it's difficult to have a teen protagonist really be an active protagonist with parents in the way. I understand that conflict and drama and pain are a great way to build character, and dead/threatened/dying parents are a great easy path to that conflict and drama and pain. I know that having the "mentor" die off in the first book (movie) of the trilogy is the accepted way to go. I got it. But really for the love of goats, try to make it a little varied? I know I'm not the target audience - I read way too many books, and remember them all too well. I also think too hard about all this stuff, and most people don't. But I have to say, if I'm rolling my eyes during the climax of your book because I JUST KNEW IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN THAT WAY, GODDAMNIT, it makes it hard for me to connect with the surviving characters and want to continue on with them in the future.
(On the other hand, nice fakeout with the inheritance. That was classy.)
Final grouse - Really didn't like that the Princess was resolved offscreen. Not a fan of that choice at all. Maybe there was a page-number limit, maybe there was a difficulty getting a "face" character over there to see what happened, but unless the author is abusing the "if you don't see them die and see their corpse, they aren't really dead" trope (and I would qualify a between-book resurrection as an abuse) then I feel like she got shafted as a character.
OTHERWISE, I really enjoyed it! :)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Ash, Malinda Lo
Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
Little, Brown, & Co., 2009
ISBN: 9780316040099
YA: fairy-tale retelling of Cinderella, with the Godmother replaced by a besotted fae male, and the Prince replaced by a Huntress.
I'm glad to see Bisexual characters that aren't caricatures, and it's nice to see a westernish medieval fairy-tale country that isn't homophobic or strictly hetero.
I have to say I have an irrational dislike of the name Aisling, so using Aisling to get Ash as a nickname, while utterly reasonable, bothered the crap out of me. Personal problem. I also didn't like that the "sleeping on hearths" was thrown in the way it was - either leave it in or take it out. I don't like half-assing.
The Huntress was a great concept, and I liked the idea of a kingdom where magic is slowly fading away, and so the relationship with the other world of the fae, and the people of that other world, is also slowly fading away. The fae themselves were great. I am a fan of inscrutable and vaguely menacing otherworldly fae. I'm just not into sparkles and kisses, or benevolent pixies and fae-king's sons. That said, I would have enjoyed knowing just a leeeetle more about the whole fae kidnapping thing. The hinted reasons (why, and why not as often anymore) didn't really satisfy me.
I'm a bit sad that the greenwitch character from the beginning just falls off the radar. I'm also a bit perplexed by Ash's ability to non-magically (?) dance a pavanne when she admits she can't dance. I've tried - it's hard. When you don't do it right, you look like an idiot, because you're out of time with EVERYONE else.
The penultimate "paying her favor" scene was also a bit off for me. Either go all the way and admit what's going on (and reward your readers with a payoff scene), or don't and just don't go there at all with hints and teases. I really didn't like how that played out, especially since we have no way of knowing what's in S's mind at the time. It was all too easy and quick to really be an emotional climax scene.
Author: Malinda Lo
Little, Brown, & Co., 2009
ISBN: 9780316040099
YA: fairy-tale retelling of Cinderella, with the Godmother replaced by a besotted fae male, and the Prince replaced by a Huntress.
I'm glad to see Bisexual characters that aren't caricatures, and it's nice to see a westernish medieval fairy-tale country that isn't homophobic or strictly hetero.
I have to say I have an irrational dislike of the name Aisling, so using Aisling to get Ash as a nickname, while utterly reasonable, bothered the crap out of me. Personal problem. I also didn't like that the "sleeping on hearths" was thrown in the way it was - either leave it in or take it out. I don't like half-assing.
The Huntress was a great concept, and I liked the idea of a kingdom where magic is slowly fading away, and so the relationship with the other world of the fae, and the people of that other world, is also slowly fading away. The fae themselves were great. I am a fan of inscrutable and vaguely menacing otherworldly fae. I'm just not into sparkles and kisses, or benevolent pixies and fae-king's sons. That said, I would have enjoyed knowing just a leeeetle more about the whole fae kidnapping thing. The hinted reasons (why, and why not as often anymore) didn't really satisfy me.
I'm a bit sad that the greenwitch character from the beginning just falls off the radar. I'm also a bit perplexed by Ash's ability to non-magically (?) dance a pavanne when she admits she can't dance. I've tried - it's hard. When you don't do it right, you look like an idiot, because you're out of time with EVERYONE else.
The penultimate "paying her favor" scene was also a bit off for me. Either go all the way and admit what's going on (and reward your readers with a payoff scene), or don't and just don't go there at all with hints and teases. I really didn't like how that played out, especially since we have no way of knowing what's in S's mind at the time. It was all too easy and quick to really be an emotional climax scene.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
How Children Succeed, Paul Tough
Perfect name for this author.
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
Author: Paul Tough
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
ISBN: 9780547564654
Nonfiction: discussing the importance of "non-academic" skills such as "grit" and "perseverance" to success in scholastics and in life.
I like this book. I grew up very staunchly Christian, and either Christian-schooled or home-schooled, and I am very familiar with "values-based" education. I grew up surrounded by stories such as those found in the Book of Virtues and old collections of short stories that made it absoiutely clear that only people with solid character foundations would succeed in life. They also came with a hefty dose of scripture and really preachy moralizing that would put Elsie Dinsmore to shame. I've often despaired of finding any sort of scientific backing for my bone-deep conviction that character is important, or of finding resources that don't approach the issue from a overt Christian perspective.
This book is that resource. Very straightforward, and answers a few simple questions: "Why do many smart people fail at life after school?" "Why are some people bad at school, but succeed in life?" "Why is there a difference in the life-paths of people who graduate High School and people with GEDs?"
First question answered: Book smarts aren't everything. Often people who are successful at school are simply naturally good at the few skills that schools value. Without learning how to study and apply themselves (which the book successfully demonstrates are learnable skills) they flounder in situations where their natural skills don't aid them as much.
Second question answered: Book smarts aren't everything. Often people who aren't good with standardized testing or the restrictive school environment blossom when their avenues open up and they are encouraged to take advantage of their other skills, like perseverence, critical thinking, and curiosity.
Third question answered: Book smarts aren't everything. GED students look much more like dropouts than like high school graduates, and the proposed reason is that their lives are being impacted by their lack of "grit." They may gain the technical knowledge they were supposed to gain in high school, but that knowledge isn't helping them succeed. Something else is necessary.
That something is really hard to pin down with the politicized climate of education today. It's a landmine to find a good name for the non-academic skills that are important, but the individual ones will be easily recognised: Perseverance. Curiosity. Critical Thinking. Self-Honesty. Mental Toughness. Self-Discipline.
Finally (and here's the part I cheered for) the book shows several programs and pilot studies that are being worked on that are increasingly proving the idea that we can teach these "soft skills" or "character traits" to children (and to adults) to help them along in life.
Some specific programs to look into:
Tools of the Mind
KIPP Schools
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Excellent resource, and not a single scripture or "holier-than-thou" moment to be found.
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
Author: Paul Tough
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012
ISBN: 9780547564654
Nonfiction: discussing the importance of "non-academic" skills such as "grit" and "perseverance" to success in scholastics and in life.
I like this book. I grew up very staunchly Christian, and either Christian-schooled or home-schooled, and I am very familiar with "values-based" education. I grew up surrounded by stories such as those found in the Book of Virtues and old collections of short stories that made it absoiutely clear that only people with solid character foundations would succeed in life. They also came with a hefty dose of scripture and really preachy moralizing that would put Elsie Dinsmore to shame. I've often despaired of finding any sort of scientific backing for my bone-deep conviction that character is important, or of finding resources that don't approach the issue from a overt Christian perspective.
This book is that resource. Very straightforward, and answers a few simple questions: "Why do many smart people fail at life after school?" "Why are some people bad at school, but succeed in life?" "Why is there a difference in the life-paths of people who graduate High School and people with GEDs?"
First question answered: Book smarts aren't everything. Often people who are successful at school are simply naturally good at the few skills that schools value. Without learning how to study and apply themselves (which the book successfully demonstrates are learnable skills) they flounder in situations where their natural skills don't aid them as much.
Second question answered: Book smarts aren't everything. Often people who aren't good with standardized testing or the restrictive school environment blossom when their avenues open up and they are encouraged to take advantage of their other skills, like perseverence, critical thinking, and curiosity.
Third question answered: Book smarts aren't everything. GED students look much more like dropouts than like high school graduates, and the proposed reason is that their lives are being impacted by their lack of "grit." They may gain the technical knowledge they were supposed to gain in high school, but that knowledge isn't helping them succeed. Something else is necessary.
That something is really hard to pin down with the politicized climate of education today. It's a landmine to find a good name for the non-academic skills that are important, but the individual ones will be easily recognised: Perseverance. Curiosity. Critical Thinking. Self-Honesty. Mental Toughness. Self-Discipline.
Finally (and here's the part I cheered for) the book shows several programs and pilot studies that are being worked on that are increasingly proving the idea that we can teach these "soft skills" or "character traits" to children (and to adults) to help them along in life.
Some specific programs to look into:
Tools of the Mind
KIPP Schools
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
Excellent resource, and not a single scripture or "holier-than-thou" moment to be found.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Rithmatist, Brandon Sanderson
YA "Gearpunk" Fantasy
The Rithmatist
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Teen, May 14, 2013
ISBN: 9780765320322
I read this yesterday. This is where the "rambling" comes in.
First off, some basics. This book is YA - there are certain expectations persuant to the genre as to the levels of violence and the specific character archtypes and relationships. I'm not going to bash on a book for adhering to an overall genre formula. That would be like smacking A Song of Ice and Fire for being gory and political. Missing the point.
However, (and I do think the YA genre enhanced this feeling quite a bit for me) there was a certain... workmanlike quality about this book. Nothing so bad as to be clunky or plodding or badly plotted, just... well, go read Alloy of Law or Legion or The Emperor's Soul and then compare them to this. It's servicable. Not quite soul-satisfying.
Secondly, I LOVED the technical drawings, and I am very happy they were included. They made the technical magical system information in the book much more understandable to a very non-spatial person. They also provided more information to the close observer (much like Sanderson regularly does with his chapter headings..) Also - unicorns and bears and spiders! (Why does it always have to be spiders?)
The magic system itself reminded me strongly of FullMetal Alchemist. If you think about it one way, yes, I admit, on the face of it, perhaps a bit silly to think of magic through chalk, and to have a whole population afraid of tiny little squiggly bits (most of which usually can't impact humans or non-chalk objects anyway). However, there are a lot of people who are unsettled by little creepy unnatural oddly-moving things regardless of what they're made of, and furthermore it seems like laypeople in the story world can't tell any difference between chalklings that can eat people and those who can't. Lastly, imagine our cultural heritage including fighting bloodthirsty chalk creatures that ate people's skins and eyes instead of Indians that scalped us, and - oh, just by the way, normal people can't do ANYTHING to avoid or fight off being overtaken, crawled all over, and then eaten away while living. Less silly now. Only oddity that I saw was that they hadn't developed the acid-bath version of the water gun, given their affinity for springs and pumps.
The characters were servicable. Joel seemed a bit immature and clueless, but no more so than many teen boys I know. Melody started very histrionic, but nearly immediately settled down, so I'm reading her introduction as how she over-dramatizes her boring life. Fitch (sp?) was lovely. I was happy to have a "wise older mentor" with an actual limitation that was limiting and important. I would have liked to see either Joel or Melody realize that Fitch had difficulties with confrontation, and have to decide whether they thought he was cowardly or not (rather than having it spelled out for us by Fitch). The school president (York?) was another strong male authority figure, and I'll just comment that if you ever put "n," "z," and a section that rhymes with "mal" into a character's name, they're going to be evil. They just are. It's one of the foundational rules of fantasy that you can't break. LOVED that character/story arc, with the Harry Potter echoes.
The plot was well done. I anticipated that Melody and Joel would end up where they did regarding the Melee. I did NOT correctly guess the identity of the Scribbler. (I did call the related twist.) I was happy with the proportions of completed plot for this stand-alone book compared to all the different leads heading off for sequels/related works. I thought the totally unnecessary addition of the Korean/Chinese/Mongolian takeover of Europe was brilliant and vastly amusing. I want to eat spaghetti with chopsticks and water-chestnuts now (not so sure on the soy sauce).
I (of course, as always) have many questions about the magic system, and how to work it/abuse it/work around it. In a related curiousity, I'm puzzled about the incorporation of "gears" and scientific principles (and scientist-saints!) into Christianity, and really would like to hear some background on how those traditionally opposing forces joined to become a whole. I am intrigued by the Tower of Nebrask, and in who/what is hidden there besides the chalklings. I find it interesting that the Native population was nearly annihilated, but enough culture survived to give the islands their names. I'm interested to know why springs and not steam.
The Rithmatist
Brandon Sanderson
Tor Teen, May 14, 2013
ISBN: 9780765320322
I read this yesterday. This is where the "rambling" comes in.
First off, some basics. This book is YA - there are certain expectations persuant to the genre as to the levels of violence and the specific character archtypes and relationships. I'm not going to bash on a book for adhering to an overall genre formula. That would be like smacking A Song of Ice and Fire for being gory and political. Missing the point.
However, (and I do think the YA genre enhanced this feeling quite a bit for me) there was a certain... workmanlike quality about this book. Nothing so bad as to be clunky or plodding or badly plotted, just... well, go read Alloy of Law or Legion or The Emperor's Soul and then compare them to this. It's servicable. Not quite soul-satisfying.
Secondly, I LOVED the technical drawings, and I am very happy they were included. They made the technical magical system information in the book much more understandable to a very non-spatial person. They also provided more information to the close observer (much like Sanderson regularly does with his chapter headings..) Also - unicorns and bears and spiders! (Why does it always have to be spiders?)
The magic system itself reminded me strongly of FullMetal Alchemist. If you think about it one way, yes, I admit, on the face of it, perhaps a bit silly to think of magic through chalk, and to have a whole population afraid of tiny little squiggly bits (most of which usually can't impact humans or non-chalk objects anyway). However, there are a lot of people who are unsettled by little creepy unnatural oddly-moving things regardless of what they're made of, and furthermore it seems like laypeople in the story world can't tell any difference between chalklings that can eat people and those who can't. Lastly, imagine our cultural heritage including fighting bloodthirsty chalk creatures that ate people's skins and eyes instead of Indians that scalped us, and - oh, just by the way, normal people can't do ANYTHING to avoid or fight off being overtaken, crawled all over, and then eaten away while living. Less silly now. Only oddity that I saw was that they hadn't developed the acid-bath version of the water gun, given their affinity for springs and pumps.
The characters were servicable. Joel seemed a bit immature and clueless, but no more so than many teen boys I know. Melody started very histrionic, but nearly immediately settled down, so I'm reading her introduction as how she over-dramatizes her boring life. Fitch (sp?) was lovely. I was happy to have a "wise older mentor" with an actual limitation that was limiting and important. I would have liked to see either Joel or Melody realize that Fitch had difficulties with confrontation, and have to decide whether they thought he was cowardly or not (rather than having it spelled out for us by Fitch). The school president (York?) was another strong male authority figure, and I'll just comment that if you ever put "n," "z," and a section that rhymes with "mal" into a character's name, they're going to be evil. They just are. It's one of the foundational rules of fantasy that you can't break. LOVED that character/story arc, with the Harry Potter echoes.
The plot was well done. I anticipated that Melody and Joel would end up where they did regarding the Melee. I did NOT correctly guess the identity of the Scribbler. (I did call the related twist.) I was happy with the proportions of completed plot for this stand-alone book compared to all the different leads heading off for sequels/related works. I thought the totally unnecessary addition of the Korean/Chinese/Mongolian takeover of Europe was brilliant and vastly amusing. I want to eat spaghetti with chopsticks and water-chestnuts now (not so sure on the soy sauce).
I (of course, as always) have many questions about the magic system, and how to work it/abuse it/work around it. In a related curiousity, I'm puzzled about the incorporation of "gears" and scientific principles (and scientist-saints!) into Christianity, and really would like to hear some background on how those traditionally opposing forces joined to become a whole. I am intrigued by the Tower of Nebrask, and in who/what is hidden there besides the chalklings. I find it interesting that the Native population was nearly annihilated, but enough culture survived to give the islands their names. I'm interested to know why springs and not steam.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The Athena Doctrine, John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio
The Athena Doctrine
John Gerzema & Michael D'Antonio
ISBN: 9781118452950
Jossey-Bass, 2013
The premise is pretty obvious - traditional "male" values like competition and ambition and control aren't the best options for a fractured but interconnected world where everyone depends on everyone else, and everything impacts us all.
However, I'd like to note that I find it vastly amusing that the theories of "girl power" are being researched and then promoted by a duo of self-described "bald white guys." I don't know why, but it just strikes me as a little odd.
The book is interesting, and not what I was expecting. I was expecting graphs and charts and recreations of the data they reference in the start from the surveys and demographic studies they did prior to publishing the book. That's not what this is.
Instead, what we get are a series of snapshots of "Athenas" in various countries (of both genders, I would like to make clear) who are using more feminine virtues and strengths to build their countries and communities up in the face of adversity. (Excepting Bhutan, where they're building their country in the face of overwhelmingly apathetic comfortable conformity.)
Given the title, I'm sure no one will be surprised to learn that all of the Athena ventures highlighted here are either actually successful or at least inspiring. I was surprised that there were no counter-examples of specific male ventures that have failed, other than the epic recounting of Iceland's troubles at the very beginning of the book. That is, unless you wish to place the ENTIRE blame for the terrible state of the world squarely on the menfolk in charge up til now. I'm not entirely sure that's not what they had in mind, but that feels a bit harsh to me.
That said, the book is inspiring, if a little short on actual ideas to implement or to change in your own everyday life. The innovators featured aren't successful because they model "Athena" values, but because they are innovators - they have the creativity to spark new ideas, and the drive to attain their goals. Without those twin fires, even with all the Athena virture possible, world-changing is much less likely to ensue, and I think that failing to acknowledge and prepare readers for that is a real sticking point.
John Gerzema & Michael D'Antonio
ISBN: 9781118452950
Jossey-Bass, 2013
The premise is pretty obvious - traditional "male" values like competition and ambition and control aren't the best options for a fractured but interconnected world where everyone depends on everyone else, and everything impacts us all.
However, I'd like to note that I find it vastly amusing that the theories of "girl power" are being researched and then promoted by a duo of self-described "bald white guys." I don't know why, but it just strikes me as a little odd.
The book is interesting, and not what I was expecting. I was expecting graphs and charts and recreations of the data they reference in the start from the surveys and demographic studies they did prior to publishing the book. That's not what this is.
Instead, what we get are a series of snapshots of "Athenas" in various countries (of both genders, I would like to make clear) who are using more feminine virtues and strengths to build their countries and communities up in the face of adversity. (Excepting Bhutan, where they're building their country in the face of overwhelmingly apathetic comfortable conformity.)
Given the title, I'm sure no one will be surprised to learn that all of the Athena ventures highlighted here are either actually successful or at least inspiring. I was surprised that there were no counter-examples of specific male ventures that have failed, other than the epic recounting of Iceland's troubles at the very beginning of the book. That is, unless you wish to place the ENTIRE blame for the terrible state of the world squarely on the menfolk in charge up til now. I'm not entirely sure that's not what they had in mind, but that feels a bit harsh to me.
That said, the book is inspiring, if a little short on actual ideas to implement or to change in your own everyday life. The innovators featured aren't successful because they model "Athena" values, but because they are innovators - they have the creativity to spark new ideas, and the drive to attain their goals. Without those twin fires, even with all the Athena virture possible, world-changing is much less likely to ensue, and I think that failing to acknowledge and prepare readers for that is a real sticking point.
Strands of Bronze and Gold, Jane Nickerson
Strands of Bronze and Gold
Jane Nickerson
ISBN: 9780375971181
Borzoi, 2013
YA magical realism retelling of Bluebeard set in the Deep South in 1855.
This was a lovely book. Creepy as hell without being overly gory or melodramatic, a nearly perfect Bluebeard, and an excellent heroine that walked a lovely line between abused mindset and pert independence.
I'd place this up there with Entwined and Beauty as one of my favorite retellings, and that's saying a lot. Bluebeard is a HARD tale to do - it's such an odd and creepy fairy tale on the surface, and the traditional "lesson" of being an obedient wife in the face of temptation is a really unfortunate one in modern days. This book beautifully works past all that baggage to revel in the gothic feeling of a creepy master of the house with the ghosts of dead wives hovering around. Heck, it even manages to get some abolitionist fervor going on as well.
I'm especially pleased with how well Nickerson puts the experience of being with an abusive partner - the power imbalance that makes it hard to tell the abuse is abuse, the attemps to define abuse as harmless personality quirks, then the abuser using their own dramatic or unfortunate past to excuse and justify their outrageous behavior, the attempts to isolate the victim, to use their family circumstances to trap them with the abuser, the violence towards animals or beloved possessions of the victim... all done excellently well.
Like Sophia, I felt sorry for Bluebeard at first, only slowly realizing that he wasn't nearly the victim that he made himself out to be. I even felt sorry for his poor house manager.
The ending differed a bit from canon, but I didn't mind, and I actually thought that the alterations built the strength of the portrayal of an abusive partner very well. The ending in this version remains a satisfactory end for all involved.
Required reading to counteract all of the Edward Cullen-loving fangirls who think that possessiveness and control are attractive qualities in a mate.
Jane Nickerson
ISBN: 9780375971181
Borzoi, 2013
YA magical realism retelling of Bluebeard set in the Deep South in 1855.
This was a lovely book. Creepy as hell without being overly gory or melodramatic, a nearly perfect Bluebeard, and an excellent heroine that walked a lovely line between abused mindset and pert independence.
I'd place this up there with Entwined and Beauty as one of my favorite retellings, and that's saying a lot. Bluebeard is a HARD tale to do - it's such an odd and creepy fairy tale on the surface, and the traditional "lesson" of being an obedient wife in the face of temptation is a really unfortunate one in modern days. This book beautifully works past all that baggage to revel in the gothic feeling of a creepy master of the house with the ghosts of dead wives hovering around. Heck, it even manages to get some abolitionist fervor going on as well.
I'm especially pleased with how well Nickerson puts the experience of being with an abusive partner - the power imbalance that makes it hard to tell the abuse is abuse, the attemps to define abuse as harmless personality quirks, then the abuser using their own dramatic or unfortunate past to excuse and justify their outrageous behavior, the attempts to isolate the victim, to use their family circumstances to trap them with the abuser, the violence towards animals or beloved possessions of the victim... all done excellently well.
Like Sophia, I felt sorry for Bluebeard at first, only slowly realizing that he wasn't nearly the victim that he made himself out to be. I even felt sorry for his poor house manager.
The ending differed a bit from canon, but I didn't mind, and I actually thought that the alterations built the strength of the portrayal of an abusive partner very well. The ending in this version remains a satisfactory end for all involved.
Required reading to counteract all of the Edward Cullen-loving fangirls who think that possessiveness and control are attractive qualities in a mate.
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