Well, I finally
read Bec. My
first Friday off
to study for the
final exams
(yes, huzzah,
from now on no
more Fridays at
school, which
effectively cuts
out the worst
day of the week,
Thursday because
now it's
fake-Friday) and
I've spent it
reading.
I think it's the
fastest I've
read a DS book,
only took me
half a day. And
I must say I'm
surprised;
Darren managed
to write from a
female
perspective with
grace, wit, and
no glaring
sexism.
So, now for a
traditional
Inny-review.
Without the
traditional
part. Spoilers
ahead, yo.
Bec
As I said, I was
amazed at the
total lack of
suckage at this
book. I was
afraid Darren
would totally
ruin it, trying
to type from a
girl's
perspective. But
he did it nice,
subtle and he
probably baffled
his 10 year old
male readers
with this line:
I'm almost of
marrying age- my
blood came a
couple of years
ago, earlier
than most girls-
but I can never
wed.
-Bec, page 28
Very nice, very
subtle, very not
gorey. Gore can
be nice in a
horrorbook, but
not when talking
about a girl's
menstrual cycle.
I liked Bec. I
liked the fact
she has red
hair, though
that was common
back then, I
like that she
was a SEEKRET
GRADY, I like
that she was
kind, not too
whiney (but not
someone who had
SUPER POWERS OF
NEVER-GETTING-TIRED)
and that she was
capable of
coherent
thought. More so
than Grubbs and
Kernel, but that
might just be
me.
I liked the
crush on...
whatshisname.
The cute pedo
blacksmith.
Fernigan?
Fiachna. That
was cute too.
And I liked the
fact that she
was brave enough
to go through
with letting
herself be
killed and Drust
not getting it.
And the way she
saved Bran at
the end. That
was so sad and
sweet.
... what I hate,
though, is that
DARREN KILLED
HER. Dammit,
Darren. You
finally make a
main character I
really like, and
you murder her
after just one
book!
Bran
TURNIP.
God, I loved
Bran. When I
read on the site
that a boy from
another village
would be there,
I thought it
would be your
average handsome
guy where the
girl swoons and
such. This was
much better.
Bran was sweet,
special, and
above all,
incredibly
amusing. Not
just because he
shouts random
words, but
because he's so
innocent and
still
understands so
much. And
because he
yanked out
Connla's
moustache.
I especially
liked the bit
where he comes
back from
dancing with the
demons so the
others could
escape.
Run Fast
smiled hazily,
unsure of what
all the fuss is
about. In his
head, I don't
think leading
demons on a
merry chase
counts for much.
He's far prouder
of the necklace
of flowers.
-Bec, page 72
Aww. That's so
sweet.
Also, I loved
the ending with
him. Bran
cuddling close
to Bec when she
came back from
her Great Sea
Adventure, him
stabbing the
druid because he
loves her, him
coming back even
after Bec sent
him away and
shouting her
name in
desperation (I
had to put the
book down to go
'awwww' at the
top of my voice
for that). It
was all very
sweet.
It's sucky that
Bec dies. I
wanted to know
what happened to
Bran. Maybe we
get another
way-past book? I
wanted to know
what his gift
was, and how
much of a gift
he had and such.
Who knows. He
could be the
great-great-great
grandad of
Beranabus. Or
something. Maybe
he's the second
part of the
Kah-Gnash (the
ultra weapon
pieces Lord Loss
is looking for)
Actually, that
fits into my
theory of the
parts being
inside humans.
Wasn't that
part of the plot
from Digimon?
Kernal, Bran and
Grubbs. With
their secret
powers. ... Or
something. Maybe
not Kernal, I
don't know. But
sure. Hey.
Clever Inny. I
totally
outwitted you,
Darren.
Speaking of
outwitting
Darren...
I knew Connla
was going to be
trouble... oh,
just about at
the beginning
when he was told
to come on the
quest. And it
was pretty much
confirmed when
Lord Loss was
standing over
him 'seemingly
whispering'.
Either I'm
outgrowing
Darren, or I'm
just very good.
Also, I've found
another pattern
in his work that
might mean I'm
outgrowing
Darren. All the
mentors...
they're the same
man. Beranabus,
Crepsley, Seba
(probably) and
now the druid.
Draft? Drust?
Dribbleyface?
Druidman.
I mean, they all
used punishment,
were all
pretending to be
hardasses and in
the end, they
were all nice or
at least human.
Dervish is the
exception to
this rule. He's
a mentor too,
and he can be
strict ("Grubbs,
go clean the
mansion because
the maid got
zapped by the
magic protection
for my office
and now I don't
take maids
anymore"), but
he's nice, has
the ability to
smile without
getting physical
pain and...
well, he has
neon jogging
socks.
Drust
I don't know
what to say
about Drust. He
was like
Beranabus,
only... well, he
ran more. With
good reason,
too. I was a bit
amused at the
fact that
everyone was
surprised by
that, when he'd
said 'your lives
are worthless to
me' when they
started, but oh
well.
I liked the
whole male and
female magic,
too. And that
the female magic
didn't sound too
girly and
whimpy. Though
the pollen-bee
thing was
pushing it, but
I'll let is
slide because of
the whole 'old
tribe lives
close to nature'
thing.
I'm a bit
confused at what
this means about
Dervish and
such, though.
Their power
awakes only near
demons. Does
that mean
they're getting
their power from
the Demonata,
and thus are
using male
magic? Then what
do the female
Disciples do?
But anyway, I
liked the magic
thing.
Especially the
bit where Drust
is all: "I'd
like to have a
male apprentice,
but *sigh*
you'll do."
Speaking of
magic, how about
those crazy
Christians?
Christanity
Oh-ho-ho.
Darren,
Jesus-moms are
going to buuurn
you. Or your
books. But hey,
bookburning
still means they
have to BUY it
first. If they
haven't already,
with the
vampires and the
guts and the
magic and the...
erm... undead
babies chewing
off their
mother's
breasts.
Totally awesome
scene, by the
way.
I love how
Darren totally
put the upcoming
christians in
this, and that
religeon was a
source of power,
but not of
magic. And how
the views in the
book seemed to
fit and (to me,
anyway) didn't
seem to be
intended to stab
at Christianity
in any way. It's
probably what
most people did
think at that
time.
But still.
Jesus-moms.
Burning books.
Huzzah.
Nudity
Another reason
to freak parents
out And still
not talking
about the undead
babies eating
their mother,
though wow.
Bravo, Mister
Shan.
nudity! Oh the
horror.
Actually, though
there was a lot
of nudity in
this book, most
of it was very
natural, and not
at all
fic-inspiring.
Not even the bit
where Smith-man
helped dress Bec
after her Great
Sea Adventure.
Speaking of: A
short
reenactment of
the beginning of
the Great Sea
Adventure...
Drust: I
need you to
strip in front
of everyone and
then I'm pushing
you into the
sea.
Bec: OMG
you're naked you
look odd. ...
kay *strips*
Dribble:
Yeah. Now do the
spells so I can
push you into
the ocean. Oh,
and by the way,
on the way back
I will be
feeling up your
arse to push you
up, and have it
all in my face.
Bec: Is
this one of
those times you
still wished you
had the male
aprentice?
Draft:
... no comment.
Did I mention
the undead
babies?
Oh, how I loved
that scene. It
was so
compelling, so
creepy and so
utterly...
demonic. I like
how Orna doesn't
scream or
anything while
she's being
eaten alive, all
blissful to be
back with her
babies. It's
sad.
I also love how
Blacksmith can
be so calm about
how she's being
ripped to
shreds. It shows
you how bad
their lives must
have been, that
he sees that as
a merciful
death. That's
vaguely
disturbing in
itself.
Werewolves,
werewolves,
wereloves
Also, I love the
earlier
Grady-family.
Though it's a
bit creepy
they... 'mated'
with demons. A
real Demonata. I
do so hope it
did not look
like... one of
the wolfthings
in it's final
form. Because
ew. Ew, ew,
ewewew.
It's kind of sad
they did that as
a last resort to
not get killed,
and then it
didn't happen.
Well, they
didn't get
killed, but the
land wasn't
ruled by the
demons or the
half-demon-people.
Also, aww, poor
Bec. She never
gets to talk to
her family, and
she finds out
her mum killed
her papa because
of it.
Wow, imagine the
odds in having
6/6 children
turn. I've tried
checking the
gene-tablets
they teach you
in biology, but
even if the gene
was dominant and
she shagged
someone who
wasn't cursed,
she'd have
one-in-two. If
the gene was
recessive, the
other person
would have to be
cursed as well,
and then it'd be
a one-in-four
odds. If the
gene was
dominant and
they both had
it... woah.
Sucky.
But then, if
they're far
enough down the
line...
Biology confuses
me. This is why
I chose
Geography
instead.
So, all in
all...
All in all, it
was an excellent
book. The
writing was, in
my eyes, better
than ever, even
though some of
the plot was
getting...
easier to figure
out. The
characters, most
of them, were
well thought
out, and the
research done
was wonderful.
I'm still cross
with Darren for
killing Bec. I
liked
Bec. I'm used to
him killing off
the
sidecharacters I
like by now, but
I finally find a
main character I
like and she's
the one he
murders
first, anyway.
Well, I think
I'm done ranting
now.
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