Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Wicked as They Come
Oct 2014: Wicked as they Come
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I'm so glad the group is finally reading this book. :) I've been putting it in the polls for forever! Hope you all like it<3
I just want to second Hannah's comment above. Both the main pick and the alt pick are two of my favorites. The worlds both these writers created are addictive. I hope you all enjoy them!
If you were a performer in a carnival, what would be your act? This is gross, but since I'm a mom of twins, I think I'd have a giant belly I could magically open and close. My twin girls would jump out, do some kind of ninja show (with kicks and throwing stars), then jump back in. Maybe I'd call myself 'the human kangaroo.'
Would you want to be a glancer? If not, why?
If Crimininy and Letitia were gender swapped, would the female verison of Crimininy change your view of the dynamics in their relationship? Would female Crimininy still be considered creepy and controlling for summonning his soulmate? Or is Crimininy not creepy/controlling at all?
L. wrote: "If Crimininy and Letitia were gender swapped, would the female verison of Crimininy change your view of the dynamics in their relationship? Would female Crimininy still be considered creepy and con..."Yeah, I'd still find it pretty crazy and creepy. It'd be like a magical version of overly attached girlfriend. And really, stealing people into another dimension is selfish, creepy, and wrong.
Could it ever be possible to have a truly equitable social and political structure in a world where one race considers the other to be food? Seems to me that's kinda inherently weighted in favor of one side or the other...
Rachel wrote: "Could it ever be possible to have a truly equitable social and political structure in a world where one race considers the other to be food? Seems to me that's kinda inherently weighted in favor of..."Great question!
In "Kiss of Steel" I liked how the relationship building between Blade and Honoria was like "give and take". Where information of sorts was released to intrigue each other all the while they were still being true to themselves and what they were about as people. There wasn't any insta-melty/insta-swooning, or quickly accepting what was going on.Are those things that you can appreciate, and do you think more authors should include that?
L. wrote: "If Crimininy and Letitia were gender swapped, would the female verison of Crimininy change your view of the dynamics in their relationship? Would female Crimininy still be considered creepy and con..."Still creepy. Kidnapping and drugging someone is always uncool.
When it comes to the Crimininy thing, it seems like magical online dating with some teleporting involved to me.I can understand why people would see it as a kidnapping, but I don't remember drugging happening in the book? Did I miss something? If you could magically teleport your future soulmate what would you do when he or she finally showed up? If you could magically teleport said person, would you actually go through with it? Would you still think it is selfish or would you think like Tink from Once Upon A Time (view spoiler)
Do I think Crimininy is the best guy ever? No. I do think he falls into the same weakness as most people do when they have a bad breakup. Did he make the right choice after coming off of bad break up? Not really. But I think he learns from it and understands Letitia needs to make her own choices and she does. It's her choice to go back and forth and be with him in Sang.
L. wrote: "When it comes to the Crimininy thing, it seems like magical online dating with some teleporting involved to me.I can understand why people would see it as a kidnapping, but I don't remember druggin..."He gives her some of his blood even when she has said she doesn't want it. Best intentions blah blah blah.
L. wrote: "When it comes to the Crimininy thing, it seems like magical online dating with some teleporting involved to me.I can understand why people would see it as a kidnapping, but I don't remember druggin..."Tish wasn't an active, willing participant, so its really nothing like online dating. Facebook stalking that turns into a real world abduction, maybe?
When I was comparing it to online dating, I was looking at how a person can be way more selective. Or a match-making site/company pairing two people up based on interests, values, etc who have never met before. Due to how the magic works in the world Crimininy was able to skip that and be way more direct and teleport her. I think if people could do that in real life they would. Especially people who are desperate after a break-up. According to him, he thought she was going to be willing and already in love with him. Obviously, he shouldn't have messed with magic he didn't really understand. He was playing russian roulette with dimensions. He could have ended up with a monster woman from some other world who think bludmen are tasty and be killed before he could even profess his love. That would have been hilarious.
Alicia wrote: "L. wrote: "When it comes to the Crimininy thing, it seems like magical online dating with some teleporting involved to me.I can understand why people would see it as a kidnapping, but I don't remem..."
Oh gosh there was so much of him not listening to her and just being "blah blah I know what's best for you blah blah".
Oh gosh there was so much of him not listening to her and just being "blah blah I know what's best for you blah blah".
Anja wrote: "Oh gosh there was so much of him not listening to her and just being "blah blah I know what's best for you blah blah"."Yeah. From a purely opinion standpoint, I didn't actually like Criminy very much, and our intrepid (mildly whiny) heroine mostly annoyed me. This novel didn't strike me as romantic at all. That said, the constant butchering of bunnies may have had something to do with killing the mood...
:D
What clockwork animal would you want to serve and guard you?
Amanda wrote: "What clockwork animal would you want to serve and guard you?"I keep forgetting about those! I loved them in the book. They're so clever (more interesting than the fake animals in She, He & It). I'd want a big imposing cat or a badass attack ferret.
Amanda wrote: "What clockwork animal would you want to serve and guard you?"
I also agree that this is an excellent question!
I deleted mine because I saw it was already asked. : )
Does anyone else have a biology background and cringed at the blood exchange and the fact that a nurse thought her blood clean? It's more dangerous to be bitten by a human than a dog. Humans carry all sorts of diseases in their body that they personally are used to but that can kill someone else who hasn't build up the tolerance. Especially since Criminy canonically had NO antibodies. xD
I also agree that this is an excellent question!
I deleted mine because I saw it was already asked. : )
Does anyone else have a biology background and cringed at the blood exchange and the fact that a nurse thought her blood clean? It's more dangerous to be bitten by a human than a dog. Humans carry all sorts of diseases in their body that they personally are used to but that can kill someone else who hasn't build up the tolerance. Especially since Criminy canonically had NO antibodies. xD
Amanda wrote: "Especially since Criminy canonically had NO antibodies."I wondered about this also. Although it's unclear if there are no diseases there yet or if it's not possible for there to be diseases in Sang. It seemed like there were some assumptions being made. It begs the question, just how different is this alternate reality? It seems very unclear to me, since there are similar names for places, but few that are identical. Plus the whole blood-drinking thing...
I was wondering what characteristics makes a hero/ main character swoon worthy? Some of us seem to think that Crimminy was totally hot and some of us seem to think he's a total creeper. What makes you swing one way or another?
For the Alt book... If you knew the end game consequences of becoming a blue blood (before the vaccine) would you do it... and why?
Jenn wrote: "I was wondering what characteristics makes a hero/ main character swoon worthy? Some of us seem to think that Crimminy was totally hot and some of us seem to think he's a total creeper. What makes ..."Along with that, do you think that could be a downfall of the romance genre? Should an author write about what they find attractive or stick to what may be more acceptable to readers?
Hannah wrote: "Jenn wrote: "I was wondering what characteristics makes a hero/ main character swoon worthy? Some of us seem to think that Crimminy was totally hot and some of us seem to think he's a total creeper..."I was totally turned off by this book, but a lot of people really liked. I don't think the author needs to change it all the author likes him. There will always be lots of people who agree.
I inhaled this book, I read it in about a day. Mostly because I needed a day to sit alone and be introverted. Overall I liked it, but Crimminy bothered me. He was controlling, pushy, and manipulative. He gave her an ultimatum and forced her to choose, luckily she came up with another option. Leticia was also annoying to me. She broke down and cried on his shoulder repeatedly, sometimes for a good reason and sometimes just because. I was torn between seeing her as a "normal" woman - not the hard ass tough girl or catty bitch type - but then she was just too whiny for me to really like. Also, how does a nurse not know what Sanguine means?!
Is there any universe with which you would trade having a portal to in exchange with having an accelerated aging process?
Letitia is not my favorite female character but I feel like she clearly chose her own life and made her own choices. I'm largely ok with her relationship with Crimminy since she clearly chose to have it on her own terms. At times I think she clearly had Crimminy wrapped around her finger. I think its possible to make an arguement that she was or could be more manipulative than Crimminy. He went from being a creeper to basically going against his own creepy intentions to do what she wanted. Crying, and making demands achieved all that. She gets what she wants. The normal life she always wanted half the time, and sex and corsets for the other half. Maybe she chose not be with Casper because he wasnt easy to manipulate......since he had his own plans. Just a thought.
Do female characters have to exert dominance to have agency in a relationship with an alpha male character? Is Letitia truly a weak female character or is she considered weak because she does not fulfil the traditional kicking ass and taking names MO that is usually given to male characters or female characters that take on what can typically be considered alpha male qualities?
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Oooh this is a great question Anja!
Do you think there could be a more interesting way to construct a political storyline around the supernatural other than the "supernatural creature as oppressed minority" one that we usually get? It's obvious why that's such a common track to follow and analogy to draw, but it's been done so often. Could there be a more creative political approach to the supernatural? Have you read any books that do approach it in a more original way?
Katie wrote: "Do you think there could be a more interesting way to construct a political storyline around the supernatural other than the "supernatural creature as oppressed minority" one that we usually get? I..."Written in Red
by Anne Bishop inverts this trope. I have to say that I really appreciated it for that.
Katie wrote: "Do you think there could be a more interesting way to construct a political storyline around the supernatural other than the "supernatural creature as oppressed minority" one that we usually get? I..."I think there are quite a few political storylines in fantasy, many of them centered around power struggles. Guy Gavriel Kaye's Tigana comes to mind. As does Game of Thrones.
What alternate world would you rather live in? Example: Wonderland, Sang, etc...What would be the worst bludanimal to run into? I'm thinking bludcats because they're already likely to attack.
Emily wrote: "What alternate world would you rather live in? Example: Wonderland, Sang, etc...What would be the worst bludanimal to run into? I'm thinking bludcats because they're already likely to attack."
My immediate thought was a bludkangaroo and then bludopossum. One would kick my ass and the other would scare the crap out of me if I saw outside my window.
Emily wrote: "What alternate world would you rather live in? Example: Wonderland, Sang, etc...What would be the worst bludanimal to run into? I'm thinking bludcats because they're already likely to attack."
Bludplatypus.
When it comes to dating, there are certain things that are big turn offs for people. For instance, I will not date a smoker. Is there anything about Criminy that is a big turn off for you? Or something about him that you just couldn't get over?
Amy wrote: "When it comes to dating, there are certain things that are big turn offs for people. For instance, I will not date a smoker. Is there anything about Criminy that is a big turn off for you? Or so..."Scaly black claws & bloodstained teeth *shudder*...
Alicia wrote: "Amy wrote: "When it comes to dating, there are certain things that are big turn offs for people. For instance, I will not date a smoker. Is there anything about Criminy that is a big turn off for..."I mentioned in another discussion how I thought that the "bloodstained teeth" thing was really gross. I can overlook the black claws.
Mod
Kimberly wrote: "If you were a performer in a carnival, what would be your act?
I'd want to be a high flyer! But then I'd throw up on people sooooo....yeah.
Amy wrote: "Alicia wrote: I mentioned in another discussion how I thought that the "bloodstained teeth" thing was really gross. I can overlook the black claws. This was the big thing for me, too. (Physically speaking. In general pretty much all of his behavior was gross and offputting) I found the idea of bloodstained teeth really gross and I just refused to picture it at all. I didn't really like how Tish was just like "Oh, for some reason, I didn't mind it." I don't know if the writer was just trying to make it seem like Criminy's overall sexiness negated it, or if it was trying to do some kind of "she doesn't mind because they're destined" thing, but I just didn't like it.
Katie wrote: "Amy wrote: "Alicia wrote: I mentioned in another discussion how I thought that the "bloodstained teeth" thing was really gross. I can overlook the black claws. This was the big thing for me, too..."
I think she probably didn't mind it because she'd had been given his blood. Another character mentions that they smell awful, and Tish seemed to think he smelled wonderful. Criminy, himself, spoke on indoctrinating dogs to your smell by putting your clothes in with them. (I actually did this for my last dog when she was just a pup.)
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