Note on Hallowed Hunt

[ase]

This nearly wound up the Bujold I Didn't Actually Care About, Thanks Much. I genuinely did not like Hallana. So I was a much happier reader by the end of chapter six. Later I came to forgive her, um, extraordinary achievements *cough*Sueness*cough*, as they are much easier to take when her overly cheerful self isn't bustling about onstage and when other characters are treating her with reluctant respect - from as far away from her as they can get. Also, for some reason thinking "double PhD" (near the top) works better in my mind. Blame too many nasty overpowered fantasy Sues. And the mid-chapter seven introduction (she says vaugely) made me all sorts of happy. I like my characters ambiguous at best, and two pages into chapter nineteen I am loving the battles of wits. Who's-got-the-real-information stories make me a happy, happy reader.

Summation: it gets better after chapter four. If you're tempted to bail before then, hang in until chapter eight. Then reconsider bailing.

Comments

[kaylarudbek.livejournal.com]

Hmm, actually Hallana worked fairly well for me, but the antagonist didn't. I know that we were supposed to feel all sorry for him, but my historical knowledge and reflex kicked in for me, and I was cheering on the guy what done him in the first time...

[ase.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of my initial dislike with Hallana stemmed directly from using the fourth chapter of HH as a study break. It's very hard to appreciate and enjoy someone who seems to have it all - including advanced training in two largely unrelated fields and the sheer brains to tie those fields together - when you're staring at exams.

Re: Antagonist: I may have felt sorry for him for about two paragraphs. Then I realized he totally wasn't coming clean to Our Protagonists. When he was introduced, I had about one electric moment when I thought, "A Miles analog! We are saved! And Lois has lost her mind!" and then I realized he wasn't, and had an Agenda he wasn't persuing with cards played very close to his chest. The ensuing character dances - who knows what, how can they spin that, what are their real agendas - are the sort of stories I adore.

I don't know that I'm cheering on the other side, but he was certainly a fun villain.

[meril.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the review. I'm buying this but only because my mother is looking eagerly forward to reading it, especially after hearing sample chapters. Buying hardcovers makes so much more sense when one is sharing them. My mother is death on mass-market paperbacks.

[ase.livejournal.com]

No problem. I think the publisher would have been much better served if they had put up a few more sample chapters, to get people truly hooked. If you like your character interactions twisty you'll like it better when you get further in.

I know what you mean about sharing paperbacks - I try not to abuse my books beyond cramming them in overstuffed backpacks, but I learned the hard way that one of my favorite aunts dogears pages and sometimes leaves books facedown on tables and breaks their spines. After that, I decided all books going from me to her were gifts, to save me from pointless handwringing.