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

[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.