skygiants: Azula from Avatar: the Last Airbender with her hands on Mai and Ty Lee's shoulders (team hardcore)
[personal profile] skygiants
So actually I think The Hidden City is my favorite Michelle West book so far! Maybe it's just that I've gotten used to her style, or maybe it was just kind of a relief to have just one plotline and set of characters to keep track of . . . or maybe it was just that I am primed to find stories about cold brooding amoral gentlemen who abruptly find themselves in charge of the education of a gaggle of small children hilarious. ([livejournal.com profile] varadia, I am looking at you!)

So the plotline of the book basically goes like this:

RATH: I used to be noble, but I have BACKSTORY ANGST that mean I have repudiated my family and have spent twenty years in the slums as a RUTHLESS AMORAL CRIMINAL!
BECCA: So what do you do that's so ruthless and amoral, Rath?
RATH: I SELL . . . . illegitimate antiques.
BECCA: Oh, bless.
RATH: SOMETIMES I HAVE TO KILL PEOPLE WHEN I'M SELLING THOSE ANTIQUES OKAY. Anyway, this small child just stole my wallet! I WILL HUNT HER DOWN . . . and take her home and feed her.
JEWEL: Uh, I don't trust you, strange man, but, um, thanks for the food! I'll go back to living under the bridge now.
RATH: Oh my god you have a fever of a hundred and street urchin, YOUNG LADY YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE . . . I mean, am kicking you out just as soon as you're not sick anymore. Whatever.
JEWEL: . . . okay?
RATH: DID I MENTION I HATE CHILDREN. AND AM A TERRIBLE AMORAL PERSON. SERIOUSLY I MEAN IT.
BECCA: Oh, bless.


JEWEL: So, uh, Rath, I picked up these other street urchins and they need food and I kind of saved this one's life and, uh, can I keep them? :D I've got extra space in my room?
RATH: . . .
JEWEL: I mean, I'll get it if you're mad, I can just leave . . .
RATH: OH MY GOD, fine. As long as they stay in your room and don't bother me.
JEWEL: Okay, and now I'm going to go rescue some more kids from a demon-controlled brothel!
RATH: Jewel. You are ten. You cannot single-handedly rescue kids from a demon-controlled brothel.
JEWEL: Yes but I have to try!
RATH: OH MY GOD, okay, FINE, I will help you rescue the kids from a brothel. Because otherwise YOU WILL DIE.
JEWEL: Thanks Rath! :D
RATH: . . . and now they're all coming to live with us, aren't they.
JEWEL: Um, now there are ten of us and my room is getting kind of crowded, so can I also use the room next door?
RATH: HOW DID THIS HAPPEN TO ME.


DUSTER: I am seriously damaged! Demons want to recruit me to be their pet killer! Also, I am a twelve-year-old-girl.
JEWEL: Hi Duster, let's be friends! :D
DUSTER: Thanks for rescuing me, but also, I hate you for having an easier life than me, and kind of want revenge on the whole world.
JEWEL: You can be a killer, Duster. That's okay! But you're going to be my killer. I WILL BE THE SHEATH TO YOUR KNIFE. subtext what subtext
BECCA: So the most important relationship of the second half of the book is between an idealistic charismatic girl and a cold scary amoral girl?
RATH: Did I mention my backstory angst is basically just about how my sister was so hardcore and awesome and I will never forgive her . . . because she was so awesome and then she left the family and none of us will ever be as awesome as her! ;_; SISTER.
BECCA: Michelle West, I love you and your awesome ladies for all time.

(I should probably mention in reccing this book that a.) it is A BRICK and b.) that there is stuff at the end that is likely to be seriously triggery, and that would have bothered me a lot more if the focus was not so very much on the relationship between Jewel and Duster, and on the girls' agency.)

Date: 2010-05-15 03:05 am (UTC)
lacewood: (op: set yourself on fire)
From: [personal profile] lacewood
"And I frequent a shady pub full of unsavoury types that I will bring you to every day so the owners recognise your face and KNOW TO LOOK OUT FOR YOU." That's... very shady, I'm sure XD

Ahaha YES. And everyone was like, dude, we have faith you can be pretty awesome too and should maybe come back? And Rath is all, No, still busy with the inferiority complex, thanks! Also, with reluctantly rescuing kids from demon brothels!

They could keep Jewel busy. "NO, YOU CAN'T JUST KILL ALL THE TERAFIN'S POLITICAL ENEMIES. ... PROBABLY." And Duster and Kirel could have bonded over being angsty cold blooded killers too. It would have been so great ;_;

Heh, maybe it's the opposite for me. With Sun Sword, there were a million things going on anyway, so it was easy to lose track. But when there's only Rath and Jewel, it gets rather, Rath, didn't you go through this 20 pages ago...? Jewel hasn't been so busy I'd forget THAT fast...

Date: 2010-05-17 02:31 am (UTC)
lacewood: (Default)
From: [personal profile] lacewood
Someone really needs to point out to Rath, "That word you keep using, I do not think it means what you THINK it means..." Admittedly, maybe they tried and Rath didn't notice?

That is true about Kiriel being Duster 2.0. But hey, you can never have too many cold-blooded killers! Especially when they're both girls, which fantasy could always do with more of.

The Duster vs Avandar bitchfights would be so beautiful. Next to them, Jewel and Avandar would practically look like they got along! *cracks up at the thought*

Profile

skygiants: Princess Tutu, facing darkness with a green light in the distance (Default)
skygiants

June 2025

S M T W T F S
123 45 67
891011121314
15161718192021
222324 25262728
2930     

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 6th, 2025 08:45 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios