A short interlude.

[kippurbird]

Now that we've gotten away from the Triscuit and his um lack of caring about being raped and back to sister.

We're getting weird time discrepancies. It's now at least two weeks later for the sister. She's a happy little brainwashed puppy living in the lap of luxury. She angsts about not being able to remember what happened to her. It goes on about how she can't remember anything but flashes of people and she believes her "sisters" when they tell her that they're just flashes of her imagination. She then finds her self in some sort of room with lots of rats. I think it might be a dream. But she's understandably hysterical.

Back to the Evil Sorceresses Sushi is yelling at the others about how the fact that they woke up the blood stalkers and harpies let Earwig and Triscuit escape since they had prior warning that Something Was Up. Failee (the lead Evil Sorceress) says they have nothing to worry about, because Earwig and Triscuit will never get past the gnomes and even if they do find the wizard in the Shadowood he's all crippled and can't go anywhere and she'll just kill him anyway. And finally, they have no idea how to cross the sea of whispers.

The other three sisters are in AWE of her brilliance and power.

I think that's a lot of things that could go horribly wrong. And he's the Chosen One, there are prophecies about him. They really need to mount a better offensive that well he can't figure out how to cross the sea. I mean they figured it out, so why couldn't he and Earwig?

Apparently to continue to break Sister they're giving her real fake nightmares. They're putting her in nightmarish situations and then convincing her that it was a nightmare... as punishment for thinking about her real memories... It's really very complicated... and I just.... it's stupid. It seems like an awful lot of trouble when they could just give her a real nightmare. BUT it kills three pages telling us this. And they convince Sister that her real fake nightmares were real nightmares and she'll do whatever they tell her to do.

Um random chapter with the dwarf going into the Ghetto of the Damned and sending out a pigeon to the Wizard in the Woods. Which is really all that happens. I think Newcomb is trying to make Dwarf sympathetic... but I don't really care.

And that's all I'm doing for tonight. We go back to Triscuit tomorrow.

Comments

Nightmares?

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

My character, Kushali Malanitte, is insulted. But since she is a sentient nightmare/fire spirit hybrid... well. ;P

Anyway, I'm very unimpressed with these sorceresses. Why did they even bother to brainwash her? What can she DO against them? How would she escape or cause trouble? She's meek! Not to mention, seeing her resisting them would be far more interesting... or watching her simply doing her best to cope in a bad situation would be good too. But they brainwash her. I mean, it's not a horrible idea. It's just pointless.

Why not try to convince her of how wonderful they are with charm? With their knowledge? With the truth? Anything! Surely they have something to recommend themselves! Look how they succeeded in gaining Sushi!

And yet, they brainwash her. And act overly confident. I'd be okay with the overconfidence if they were at least doing something else interesting, such as explaining their plans for the child or how day-to-day life is with Sister or... eh. Something.

Who the fuck is dwarf? Does anyone care about him? I'm guessing not.

Re: Nightmares?

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Anyway, I'm very unimpressed with these sorceresses. Why did they even bother to brainwash her? What can she DO against them? How would she escape or cause trouble? She's meek! Not to mention, seeing her resisting them would be far more interesting... or watching her simply doing her best to cope in a bad situation would be good too. But they brainwash her. I mean, it's not a horrible idea. It's just pointless.


She's supposed to be the fifth sorceress. So they need her to be a willing thrall. But, yes, the fact that she's not resisting is kinda dumb.

And act overly confident. I'd be okay with the overconfidence if they were at least doing something else interesting, such as explaining their plans for the child or how day-to-day life is with Sister or... eh. Something.

They want the child... because ... they want to do something to her.

Who the fuck is dwarf? Does anyone care about him? I'm guessing not.

Dwarf is Sushi's slave.

[smurasaki.livejournal.com]

Aaaagh! It's still getting worse. How can it do that? Everyone in the book is some kind of incredible black hole of stupid! Why should we care whether stupid group A or stupid group B wins? There aren't any actual good guys. Well, hell, I don't know...I think I will go ahead and keep rooting for the Minions. They have a culture, maybe they will revolt and take over. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

All Dreams are Dooom-ehd!

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

I would root for the Minions except I'm very disappointed in that one guy who showed potential promise by having unrequited love that turned out to be a completely pointless detail.

Actually, I may root for the gnomes. We haven't seen them yet and until we do, I can assume they were an intelligent and lovable little people. Once we meet them, I'm sure I'll have my hopes, dreams, and delusions dashed to utter bits but... eh. That's what this book is all about.

I honestly can't say it gives hope for people who want to be published someday. This whole fiasco has made me realize that any publisher won't necessarily recognize talent. It also means that, whether you're merely adequate or brilliant, you have to worry about them choosing something idiotic over your work. Del Ray ignored other plausible manuscripts, that were sent to them, in the effort to publish this one. ;P

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

What are you talking about? Triscuit is OBVIOUSLY the good guy!

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

YES! Because goodness is inversely proportional to intelligence! :D

[karma-kalisutah.livejournal.com]

But if that's the case, the sorceresses aren't too bad either.

[guardians-song.livejournal.com]

Yes, but it's all relative. :P A mouse is evil compared to Triscuit.

[(Anonymous)]

Ok, so it seems that the Sorceresses can control the physical world, but can't do anything about people's thoughts or perceptions. (though the whole "fake nightmare" thing still seems pretty excessive) Let's see if that holds true for the rest of the book.

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Let's see if that holds true for the rest of the book.

It's a lets do random crap whenever it's necessary system.

[last-servant.livejournal.com]

Remind me again why we're supposed to care about the sister? This section could have been omited and all we would've avoided is infodumping. Newcomb really needs to learn that the protagonist should have priority, even in as a Stu in a multi-POV book.

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

He sucks at POV, obviously. Though I think it's more that he needs weaning from infodumps because the TRUE point of that chapter was to tell us what our villains were up to. But it was pointless. :D

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

Remind me again why we're supposed to care about the sister? She's the other Chosen One.

[last-servant.livejournal.com]

They just breed like rabbirs, don't they? Destiny must own a warren of them.

[authoressarktos.livejournal.com]

Failee (the lead Evil Sorceress) says they have nothing to worry about, because Earwig and Triscuit will never get past the gnomes

Oh, Well th-...wait, gnomes? *raises eyebrows*

Yeah, the fake nightmares confuses me as well. Why don't they just torture her and get it over with? It's not like she's particularly useful, except as leverage for her brother. Who apparently doesn't care about her.

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

Yes gnomes! Perfectly regular people feel a stirring in their loins when they see a garden gnome, and wish they could yank her skirt up (if its a woman) and have their wicked way with her!

*coughs*

I can actually understand the nightmares, if they torture her directly she probably wouldn't like them much. If on the other hand she has nightmares and thinks she's going nuts...

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Yes gnomes! Perfectly regular people feel a stirring in their loins when they see a garden gnome, and wish they could yank her skirt up (if its a woman) and have their wicked way with her!

All of their pedophiles do, I guess. Though... with these humans, isn't that akin to bestiality for the gnomes? I'm getting confused as to what kink we're going for here. ;P

I can actually understand the nightmares, if they torture her directly she probably wouldn't like them much. If on the other hand she has nightmares and thinks she's going nuts...

This is why I suggested they treat her similarly to how they did Sushi. Just try to convince her. And if they fail at that... who gives a shit? They really just want her child anyway and it's not as if Sister would ever do anything that would ever harm or hinder these people. What the hell would she do? I think it would've been more interesting if Newcomb tried to answer that question for us and made Sister useful for once.

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

There's a definately "Small Person"-fetish throughout the works, notice how the sorceress has a dwarf on a leash to help her with the sexplay? Then again maybe Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was the inspiration? That'd explain a lot you know.

Maybe he's trying to find how many fetishes it is (in)humanly possible to squeeze into a single book?

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

... That link was hilarious. Sadly, I do think he was inspired by it! Ugh... ;P :)

And yes. I'm pretty sure he just took a list of every fetish known to humanity and began crossing it off every time he thought of a way to incorporate something. Let's see if Pilgrim gets in on the hot-hot action and if anyone has foot sex.

[last-servant.livejournal.com]

Silly, you can't teach an old dorse to turn tricks.

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

There's a special spot in the hot place for people who tell puns like that :-P

[kippurbird.livejournal.com]

It's not like she's particularly useful, except as leverage for her brother.

She's supposed to be the Fifth Sorceress.

Oh, Well th-...wait, gnomes? *raises eyebrows*

Yes. The gnomes.

[(Anonymous)]

She's supposed to be the Fifth Sorceress.

Oh...I plead boredom, then. Not from your sporkings of course, but this atrocious book! -_-

[authoressarktos.livejournal.com]

LJ is not liking me today...

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

Um random chapter with the dwarf going into the Ghetto of the Damned and sending out a pigeon to the Wizard in the Woods. Which is really all that happens. I think Newcomb is trying to make Dwarf sympathetic... but I don't really care.

Wait! Wait!

The Wizard in the woods has a SPY in the Sorceresses court?! Not just any spy, but one that can overhear their intimate conversations?! A spy who would KNOW about the attack on the Palace?

And this Wizard in the Woods decide to just sit there and be mysterious... why? What conceivable reason could he have for not saying anything!?

*smoke pours out of ears*

Does not computer! Does not compute!

[dove-cg.livejournal.com]

Maybe he wasn't sending a message. He was just randomly sending a pigeon as a gift. XD

But yeah... I have no idea. I forgot who that guy even was.

[the-norseman.livejournal.com]

That could be it! Maybe each of the pigeons lands in the office of Captain Edmund Blackadder of the Royal Guard, just as he was starting to feel peckish.