Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion

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Oct 2014: Wicked as they Come > Discuss Wicked as They Come - October Main Pick

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message 51: by Brittany (last edited Oct 08, 2014 07:05AM) (new)

Brittany (nerdyspinster) | 255 comments Did anybody else have a problem with the part when Tish is getting dressed by Mrs. Cleaver in the beginning? I mean I'm not expecting great historical accuracy in a novel like this, but a little attention to detail wouldn't go amiss. Tish was handed skirts as underwear...no pantaloons or anything, just skirts? And no chemise to wear under her corset? I wear corsets off and on and generally wearing a corset over bare skin is considered a no-no, because they can get gross real fast without a barrier between them. And corsets aren't things you can just throw in the wash, you have to get them dry-cleaned. So reading that she just slaps on a corset without a piece of clothing underneath is just..ew.

Also, I've noticed a couple of odd phrases the author uses to describe people that kinda bug me. Like, she describes that one dude who's staring at the tightrope walker chick as having a "hairless bird chest" and the Siamese twins as having hair "the color of nothing". What color is that exactly? White? Black? Hair that changes color every few seconds? My brain doesn't know and it makes it really difficult for me to imagine what they look like.

I'm sure I'm just being nitpicky, but these things annoyed me as I read them.


message 52: by Kimberly (new)

Kimberly (mskimandtwins) | 36 comments I thought it was like a parallel universe where there is magic and underwear was never invented.


message 53: by Brittany (new)

Brittany (nerdyspinster) | 255 comments That would explain it.


message 54: by Heather (new)

Heather | 175 comments Criminy is the creepiest creeper to creep in a long while. He makes a magic locket to steal a woman from her world into his very dangerous one (and one in which Tish could be his food!!!) because he imagined her to be his perfect match. Riiiiight. Nothing weird there.

He's clingy, possessive, and jealous. There's something just wrong about someone who basically holds your life in their hands and then expecting you to love them back. He clothes her, feeds her, houses her, and employs her. She is entirely dependent immediately because he dragged her there. "You could love me or have your flesh ripped off by bludrats!"

Just because she is supposed to be his perfect match doesn't mean he is her match.


message 55: by Beth (new)

Beth (bethodactyl) | 84 comments I find it odd that many people are willing to give Casper a pass when Tish, herself, has compared him to her abusive ex-fiancé. I find him a bit too entitled to Tish's attention and affection, but (to give him the benefit of the doubt) he has been cast into the infamous romance schtick of the love triangle. Understanding they are both Strangers and they have a small connection back in their home world, but I am not sold on their relationship other than Strangers and nurse/patient.

I do like his tragic backstory, but as a character he seems a bit bland and I cannot wait for him to get off the page fast enough.


message 56: by Morbus (last edited Oct 09, 2014 04:46AM) (new)

Morbus Iff (morbus-iff) | 26 comments I'm halfway done the book too and it's "meh", currently. 2 of 5 stars.

As I've mentioned a few times now, I'm new to the romance genre, having only read a literal handful in the past. But, everything just seems so "easy", I guess, though it's hard to describe. Tish seems to accept everything that comes her way, and grows used to things incredibly smoothly. Within a day, she's accepted that Sang isn't a dream, she "could never get used to Criminy" then "swoon swoon he's all dreamy", it's "whee, there are two men for me here!" with Casper, it's "zomg, bludbunnies are so cute" then casually "my current punting count is 137". I'll accept that a book all about "poor me, this sucks, wake up Tish!" would be boring, and I'll accept (ignorantly so) that the point of a romance book is to have romance, but halfway through, and it's just been kissing (and accidental grinding, I suppose). Is it "normal" in the romance genre to have back-off infatuation and reader-teasing, only for a (potentially?) final payoff? (I'm not suggesting this is good or bad - plenty of TV shows do the same thing.) Is it normal to have romance forced on the heroine only to have her kinda like it or have hang-ups about moving forward?

And what's up with the golden showers? Twice: once, via fainting, in our world and then as statues in Sang. When she collapsed in our world, I accepted it as the "comedic misfortunes of Tish badumpchish", but there was any of a dozen ways to show the cruelty or contempt of the Coppers than having her be pissed on.


message 57: by Elizabeth (new)

Elizabeth | 36 comments Beth wrote: "I find it odd that many people are willing to give Casper a pass when Tish, herself, has compared him to her abusive ex-fiancé. I find him a bit too entitled to Tish's attention and affection, but ..."
I agree about Casper. He wanted things a certain way and she didn't. He also immediately got jealous of Criminny which is a hallmark for a potential abuser. I can understand why people don't like Criminny because he does come off as a creep at the beginning. But when she tells him to back off he does. He also gives her space to sort out her feelings for Casper. If he was an abuser, he would not have done that. He also respects that she needs to choose what she wants if he wants their relationship to work. Abusers and creeps don't really do that.


message 58: by Gunnhildur (new)

Gunnhildur Rúnarsdóttir (grafarholt) | 173 comments I'm halfway through and Criminy gives me the creeps.

There are so many things wrong with what he is doing to Tish. She seems blind to the fact that he is controlling her every move, he makes her give blood when they arrive in the city and for a moment it looks like she's going to call him on his bullshit behavior but no, it's for her own good. He is doing everything to protect her. Really, she wouldn't be in need of protection if he hadn't brought her there in the first place.

I don't think there is anything Criminy can do to redeem himself.


message 59: by Alicia (new)

Alicia ... and as for sexy times (view spoiler)


message 60: by Michelle (new)

Michelle | 15 comments I disagree with the assessment of Criminy as a creeper (although Criminy-the-Creeper has a certain ring to it). He's a little weird, yeah. But he's also not human. He's done nothing to prove himself to be untrustworthy other than a bit of clinginess. But the dude is a couple hundred years old and clearly very lonely. So, for now, I'm letting that slide.

As for Criminy being controlling, from what I have read, I interpret this world to be completely alien...there are a few similarities to this one, but not enough to justify Tish wandering about on her owner trying to take control of everything. That world has rules of its own; rules Tish doesn't know and breaking those rules (deliberately or out of ignorance) could easily get her killed. And Criminy is the only thing keeping her alive at this point. Tish is a nurse. She's not some hard-nosed detective and she doesn't have super-strength or a magic power that would be useful in a fight. A Copper or a Bludman is about to bash her face in, "Oh, wait a sec, take off your glove and let me hold your hand. Perhaps I might distract you with some fortune-telling so that you won't kill me." Tish wouldn't have made it past the bludbunnies without Criminy. So, yeah...Criminy is calling the shots because she can't at this point. When I put it in that context, my feminist hackles tend not to rise as high.

As for Casper, I'm only half-way through, but I don't trust that guy as far as I could fling him by his pretty brown locks of hair. There's just something shifty about him...

I'm only half-way through, so we'll see if my opinions change as I go on.

M


message 61: by Beth (new)

Beth (bethodactyl) | 84 comments I agree, Michelle. Yeah, he gets a little possessive and that grinds my gears a bit, but I do not sense a creepy factor. I am only about 65% in and I keep expecting him to suddenly turn into this Super Creepmaster 5000. So far, nothing.

And if we compare him to some of the male leads in a few of the books the group has read, he is rather tame.


message 62: by Laura (new)

Laura (theloudlady) | 180 comments I thought this was a fun read. I enjoyed the world building more than the characters. I want my own horseless Cinderella carriage. I kept thinking of it as a dark Wizard of Oz so I was happy when the reference came up in book.

Felicia definitely delivered in the everything happening department. Interesting start to a series. Has anyone continued on?


message 63: by Hannah (new)

Hannah Marae Laura wrote: "I thought this was a fun read. I enjoyed the world building more than the characters. I want my own horseless Cinderella carriage. I kept thinking of it as a dark Wizard of Oz so I was happy when t..."
The Blud series definitely gets better after the first book. There are also a number of ebook novellas that are particularly good. :) Book 2 is my favorite. :)


message 64: by Heather (new)

Heather | 175 comments Michelle wrote: "I disagree with the assessment of Criminy as a creeper (although Criminy-the-Creeper has a certain ring to it). He's a little weird, yeah. But he's also not human. He's done nothing to prove himsel..."

I just find it really creepy that he sent a magical locket out into another world with the intent of having it kidnap "his perfect match" into his world to be his wife. Yes, he seems to care, but then I always remember she was brought against her will by him. Considering her past abuse, it just feels like more of the same.

I do agree on Casper, though. Dude is super shifty. I do like the idea of him peddling famous music form our world as his own, because why not?


message 65: by Ashley (new)

Ashley (rowennara) | 17 comments See, what I get from Casper is that his testosterone is in full swing and trying to win over a girl that is from his world. He's wanting to make a way for himself by way of music and support her with it and take her away from the "freaks". Especially since he seems to not be sure how going back to the home world would be like. So yeah he's going to come off as possessive and the like, he's competeing. I see his behavior totally normal. /shrug


message 66: by Michelle (new)

Michelle | 15 comments As soon as they mentioned the bit about Casper drinking a little bit of blood to make himself smell unpalatable, something set my spidey-senses tingling in that. Of course, it could easily be my imagination running wild with me....in fact, it probably is. But I could imagine Casper slipping Tish a little blood without her knowing to make her a little more like him. I just don't trust the guy. He seems in the "too-good-to-be-true" category. I would definitely keep him at arm's length.

As flawed as Criminy can be, I think his intentions are good.


message 67: by Josh (new)

Josh (hexijosh) | 15 comments I finished the book a few days ago and really enjoyed it! I'm definitely going to add the others in the series to my reading list.

It definitely had its issues, such as Tish's eagerness to just kill a guy in her world with little to no moral struggle on her part and the fact that she somehow has a vocabulary befitting of a Gilmore Girl (who the hell throws around the word "quotidian" like that?).

Did anyone else get the sense that maybe the author was trying too hard by throwing around a bunch of big words? They seemed so out of place coming from a twenty-something from the South.

Also, the ghost in the lighthouse bit just went a bit too far in my opinion. Sure, there's magic and "vampires" everywhere, but her appearance just felt out of place and nothing more than a poorly conceived vehicle to give the reader insight into Goodwill's motivations.

And while we're at it, must EVERY villain be the product of unrequited love? And do so many of the love interests have to have that rapey moment with the woman? I'd like to see those particular themes left out of a good story.

All that aside, I still really enjoyed the book a lot and can't wait to watch the Hangout!


message 68: by Beth (new)

Beth (bethodactyl) | 84 comments Josh wrote: "They seemed so out of place coming from a twenty-something from the South."

I am a twenty-something from the South and I think I have a pretty impressive vocabulary. May not be on the level of an academic scholar, but pretty expansive. :p

But I understand the concern. I feel as though some authors crack open the thesaurus and try to find the biggest words possible to put in their writing. In a book such as one meant to be a light and quick read, you can tell those words are very much out of place amidst the rest of the text.


message 69: by Qukatheg (new)

Qukatheg | 17 comments I did like the book, but I didn't love it. Criminy was creepy, but also kind of awesome, a sexy magician vampire with mood swings. Letitia, however, wasn't all that interesting, and there were just too many small things that just didn't make sense.

They wear high collars, long sleeves and gloves to avoid spreading the scent of their blood, but no underwear? Do they not get periods?
And it really bothered me that they seemed to travel great distances amazingly quickly without any major discomforts. I mean, 250 miles on horseback in a single day, no saddle (or even pants!), and she can still walk afterwards?


message 70: by [deleted user] (new)

I'm chocking this book up to another paranormal romance that blew me out of the water with its world building and then failed to entrance me with its story. I cannot emphasize enough how cleverly the dichotomy between the Blud and Humans was established.

But Tish's crush on him was just so 180. As 180 as his infatuation with her. And since I started reading these books with Kushiel's Dart, I've gotten a little spoiled in the quality of character interactions that I expect now.


message 71: by Heather (new)

Heather | 175 comments Anja wrote: "I'm chocking this book up to another paranormal romance that blew me out of the water with its world building and then failed to entrance me with its story. I cannot emphasize enough how cleverly t..."

I'm with you on the world building. It was really interesting and was explained in a way I mostly enjoyed.

The romance felt really flat for me. It felt like more of a distraction, honestly. I honestly could not get over what felt like kidnapping me. There are some things that could have made it better, but as it is, I won't read anymore in the series.


message 72: by Katie (new)

Katie (theonceandfuturekiki) | 29 comments Brittany wrote: "I agree, Criminy is a weird name. I'm not entirely sure what my brain thinks it should be read as, but I feel like I keep having to pause longer than necessary to make myself read his name correctl..."

If it was just Criminy it would be a weird name, but it's Criminy STAIN, which sounds kind of gross.


message 73: by Katie (new)

Katie (theonceandfuturekiki) | 29 comments It took me a little bit of work to get past the huge information dump that was the first few chapters (and I was confused about the bit about her grandmother initially, because the way it was worried at first, when she said she had had to watch her die, it made it sound like Nana was already, so it was a little disorienting to just a few pages later be reading a scene between the two. At first I thought it had been a flashback or that she was seeing a ghost or something). Obviously there has to be a lot of exposition when a character (and a read) comes to an entirely new world, but getting all at once like that feels kind of clunky. I just prefer it to be a little more spread out, or to have some of it presented more through action than dialogue.

But now that most of that is finished with, I am kind of getting into the story. Criminy is still kind of a creeper (I have the idea that he wanted a girlfriend so he basically magicked one to where he was), but it seems to be becoming more subdued, so my initial negativity has warn off a bit, though I don't know that I actually LIKE him.


message 74: by Katie (new)

Katie (theonceandfuturekiki) | 29 comments I feel so far behind because I was only able to get the book from the library yesterday!


message 75: by Gunnhildur (new)

Gunnhildur Rúnarsdóttir (grafarholt) | 173 comments Katie wrote: "when she said she had had to watch her die, it made it sound like Nana was already, so it was a little disorienting to just a few pages later be reading a scene between the two..."

I had the same reaction as you and even went back to reread it to make sure I hadn't read wrong.


message 76: by Katie (new)

Katie (theonceandfuturekiki) | 29 comments Gunnhildur wrote: I had the same reaction as you and even went back to reread it to make sure I hadn't read wrong. "

I did, too. It definitely read like she was saying Nana was already dead. I guess maybe it was just that it was writing in the past tense? She was talking about how she was watching her grandmother die presently in the story, but because it's all in the past tense, it came off sounding like she was already gone.

It could have been worded a lot better.


message 77: by [deleted user] (new)

Katie wrote: "Gunnhildur wrote: I had the same reaction as you and even went back to reread it to make sure I hadn't read wrong. "

I did, too. It definitely read like she was saying Nana was already dead. I gue..."


Oh my gosh!!! Me too!!


message 78: by Michelle (new)

Michelle | 15 comments ...and now I want to smack Criminy.

He went and pulled exactly what I suspected Casper would. Where others seem to be warming to Criminy, he's just bugging me more as the story rolls on. After the scene on the submarine, it feels like he's being more patronizing to Tish. He keeps calling her "little love," which just makes me cringe. I don't mind "love"...even "poppet" is a little endearing (although, I suspect my affection for that word is merely a throwback to Spike on BTVS). And when he confesses to feeding her his blood without her knowledge and "chucks her under the chin" with a wink (or something to that effect), I really wanted Tish to toss his butt into the ocean. If someone treated me that way, it would drive me completely batty. I keep trying to remember that he's not human and this is a different world, but patronizing is patronizing. And as much as he says he wanted "an equal," he definitely doesn't treat her as one.

I love the world-building in this book...but the characters are getting to me. The characters in the caravan were fantastic and interesting. But once Criminy and Tish left, that tapered off a bit and I was left with just them...my interest started to wane. The part with the ghost in the water and then the lighthouse when Tish was swimming around the wall seemed a little forced. It was like the author forgot to create a reason for the Mayor to be so bent on destroying the Bludmen so she just shoved that scene in. Maybe it will be revisited in a more interesting way later but for now, it just feels like an afterthought.

Hopefully, I can get to the end of the book without wanting to kill all the characters.


message 79: by Katie (new)

Katie (theonceandfuturekiki) | 29 comments Anja wrote: "Oh my gosh!!! Me too!! "

I'm so glad it wasn't just me! I was so worried for awhile that I was stupid or something because even when I confirmed that, yes, obviously, Nana is alive, I kept going back and reading the first part and every time it still read like she was saying she had watched Nana die and that she was dead.


message 80: by Alicia (new)

Alicia Michelle wrote: "...and now I want to smack Criminy.

He went and pulled exactly what I suspected Casper would. ..."


I confess, I have been *waiting* for you to get to that bit! When I read your suspicions about Casper feeding Tish blood I giggled, and I kept checking back to see if you were there yet.


message 81: by [deleted user] (new)

Michelle wrote: "...and now I want to smack Criminy.

He went and pulled exactly what I suspected Casper would. Where others seem to be warming to Criminy, he's just bugging me more as the story rolls on. After the..."


I completely forgot that Spike would say, "poppet" and "love". For some reason, him saying it didn't feel creepy but reading Criminy saying it in the book felt creepy.

Hm. Interesting. I wonder if some things feel less strange when said aloud than when read.


message 82: by Gunnhildur (new)

Gunnhildur Rúnarsdóttir (grafarholt) | 173 comments Tish just keeps disappointing me and Criminy is no better.

(view spoiler)

Perhaps I'm being overly critical but the story has just gone downhill for me after they left the caravan, there at least we had some interesting side characters.


message 83: by [deleted user] (new)

Gunnhildur wrote: "Tish just keeps disappointing me and Criminy is no better.

The sex scene after Criminy killed the buck was not good. He was covered in animal blood getting it all over her, which wasn't that bad,..."


Yes, all the blood exchange made me physically cringe. In terms of blood exchange cringeness, it does not get better.


message 84: by Michelle (new)

Michelle | 15 comments Alicia wrote: "I confess, I have been *waiting* for you to get to that bit! When I read your s..."

Ugh! Yes! Part of me laughed while I actually screamed out loud, "WHAT THE CRAP?!"

Anja wrote: "I completely forgot that Spike would say, "poppet" and "love". For some reason, him saying it didn't feel creepy but reading Criminy saying it in the book felt creepy"

It's when Criminy tags on "little" to the "love" part that makes it sound smarmy and patronizing to me. When Spike said it, it just felt like part of his vocabulary. And when Hook calls Emma "love" in Once Upon A Time, it just sounds sweet. I suppose that's how it's meant for Tish as well, but it just doesn't sound right in my head. So, maybe you're right...when things are said aloud, perhaps they don't sound quite as smarmy/creepy/patronizing as they do on the page.


message 85: by [deleted user] (new)

Michelle wrote: "Alicia wrote: "I confess, I have been *waiting* for you to get to that bit! When I read your s..."

Ugh! Yes! Part of me laughed while I actually screamed out loud, "WHAT THE CRAP?!"

Anja wrote: "..."


Maybe it was the accent and the 1970s punk getup which set up the context for the vocabulary. Also, the vampires were already set up as being anachronistic whereas we're reading this book in a modern context and the vocab feels strange.

But yes, the "little" definitely added to the ugh factory.


message 86: by Michelle (new)

Michelle | 15 comments Gunnhildur wrote: "Perhaps I'm being overly critical but the story has just gone downhill for me after they left the caravan, there at least we had some interesting side characters."

I'm beginning to feel much the same way. I would love to see the story set almost completely in the caravan where we get to explore all those interesting characters.


message 87: by Hannah (new)

Hannah Marae Michelle wrote: "Gunnhildur wrote: "Perhaps I'm being overly critical but the story has just gone downhill for me after they left the caravan, there at least we had some interesting side characters."

I'm beginning..."


I advise reading her novellas, "The Mysterious Madame Morpho" and "The Damsel and the Daggerman." Both take place exclusively within the caravan!


message 88: by Gunnhildur (new)

Gunnhildur Rúnarsdóttir (grafarholt) | 173 comments Hannah wrote: "I advise reading her novellas, "The Mysterious Madame Morpho" and "The Damsel and the Daggerman." Both take place exclusively within the caravan..."

Thank you for the suggestion.


message 89: by Kelly (last edited Oct 13, 2014 08:22PM) (new)

Kelly | 7 comments I'm about halfway through and, like many of you, my review so far is: Great world building, uneven writing.

I think the Bludworld is amazing -- the fodder for imagination is so dense I could get lost in it. If I were even a smidgen artistically inclined I'd want to draw every other scene and plaster it all over DeviantArt.

But the writing is all over the place. Sometimes there's a clever turn of phrase, but more often than not it's clunky and awkward and the phrases that are meant to be particularly descriptive are just weird (did anyone else cringe when they read about the sky being "bruised lavender" like breakfast cereal once all the marshmallows were eaten? I almost threw my kindle across the room for that one.)

I am less offended by "Criminy the Creeper" than some of you -- that kind of super-possessive "we are meant to be together so just deal with it little lady" thing is so common in paranormal romance reads I'm immune to it now. But I am sick to death of romance heroes calling their ladies love/poppet/sweeting/some-cutesy-piratical-British-endearment.

Edited to add: ALSO. I want a little steampunk protector pet robot SO BADLY.


message 90: by Allison (new)

Allison Brown (alliekat893) | 101 comments Me too! A little snakey bracelet would be awesome!


message 91: by Heather (new)

Heather | 175 comments One thing I did notice about Bludmen that I found intersting and I wonder if more is added later- they don't seem to have their own separate culture. Sookie Stackhouse novels, Agent of Hel, Parasol Protectorate, etc. depict vampires as having their own unique culture alongside the human cultures. Bludmen and bludwomen are treated like 2nd class citizens but they don't seem to have their own thing going on beyond not eating human food and feeling free to dress as they please.


message 92: by Alicia (new)

Alicia Kelly wrote: "But I am sick to death of romance heroes calling their ladies love/poppet/sweeting/some-cutesy-piratical-British-endearment..."

My husband calls me crumpet or poppet, so I can't get too wound up about that one! But it did take a couple of years of marriage before we settled into the twee endearments.


message 93: by Katie (new)

Katie (theonceandfuturekiki) | 29 comments I'm kind of put off by the way Tish immediately reacts to both Criminy and Casper. There's so much about her abusive relationship and how she's trying to rebuild herself and form an independent life. But then a couple of dreamy guys smile at her and she turns to pudding. It would be nice if the issues she had actually translated to her being a lot more closed of and unreceptive initially. It would be a lot more interesting to see the attraction, connection, and relationship actually develop.

I just really hate the whole "I want you immediately but I'm going to push you away" thing, especially when it's paired with the whole "I know what you want/need better than you" guy. It's a perpetuation of the idea that "no" doesn't mean "no", just "try harder", that women lie about what they want or don't know what they want, and that men know better than women when it comes to what they want and need. I know it's an incredibly common thing in romance novels, I just really wish it wasn't. I wish that there was a little more originality in these relationships, and that there wasn't so much perpetuation of these pretty gross and even dangerous ideas.

And from a storytelling perspective, it would be much more interesting to see a woman genuinely put off by a man initially, or at least not be immediately attracted or drawn to him, so that the attraction and feelings could have a natural development.


message 94: by [deleted user] (new)

Katie wrote: "I'm kind of put off by the way Tish immediately reacts to both Criminy and Casper. There's so much about her abusive relationship and how she's trying to rebuild herself and form an independent lif..."

Well said!

It's what I like about romance anime. The plot isn't that the woman is confused about her feelings but that she's just too focused on her life to care.


message 95: by Kelly (new)

Kelly | 7 comments Just finished! I am tempted to keep reading the Bludworld novels because the world is so cool, but I have to say, I never really got into Criminy and Letiticia's love story. Maybe further books are better at making the character relationships as detailed and nuanced as the Bludworld.

I had to smirk a little when the Ebola virus showed up -- what an unexpectedly topical read. ;)


message 96: by [deleted user] (new)

Kelly wrote: "Just finished! I am tempted to keep reading the Bludworld novels because the world is so cool, but I have to say, I never really got into Criminy and Letiticia's love story. Maybe further books are..."

Other commenters have said that the sequels focus on the caravan versus Criminy and Letitia and are better for it! You'll see recs if you scroll through the thread. : )


message 97: by Laurel (new)

Laurel Sorry for entering the chat a bit late, but if I may add, I'm willing to give a first book in a series a bit of a pass on a few uneven plot points or scenes if the rest is there.

I could imagine every aspect of that wonderful, creepy caravan. I shivered a bit when Lizard Boy (sorry, I forget the first name), proudly announces to Tish that he's discovered he's venomous. I could see the bludbunnies, the cities, the submarine, the locket, the costumes, and every character. The world building is so strong, you could write endless stories within it.

And I disagree that Tish wasn't fleshed out as a character. I bonded with her and wanted to follow her journey. I understood her conflict over which world to live in, how boring her old life seemed that first day back. After all, what is she living for there? Just waiting until her grandmother dies? Still, she cannot pull herself away from that responsibility. I was so creeped out by Casper, yet she's able to feel empathy for him. She has depth, which I enjoyed.

And I agree with, I think it was Beth and Michelle, who pointed out that she's pragmatic enough to realize that while she wants to go about this world independently she would not survive it, just as the Bluds may not have survived without her intervention in her world.

I like that the answers aren't easy, that we have issues to discuss. Doesn't that make it rise above your basic, fluffy, bludbunny romance?


message 98: by Gunnhildur (new)

Gunnhildur Rúnarsdóttir (grafarholt) | 173 comments Katie wrote: "I'm kind of put off by the way Tish immediately reacts to both Criminy and Casper. There's so much about her abusive relationship and how she's trying to rebuild herself and form an independent lif..."

I agree. I just became sad for and mad at Tish after she appeared in the blud world.

Your comment made me want to read The Last Hour of Gann again. I think it has my all time favorite relationship in it. It develops over time and is so beautiful and complex.

Laurel wrote: "And I agree with, I think it was Beth and Michelle, who pointed out that she's pragmatic enough to realize that while she wants to go about this world independently she would not survive it, just as the Bluds may not have survived without her intervention in her world..."

That is true, but it doesn't excuse the possessive behavior. She was magically abducted into an unfamiliar and hostile world, how is that any different from being abducted in her own world and being held hostage. She is hostage to being kept safe by Criminy.

By the way I'm really enjoying this discussion and I'm always happy to see how respectful we are no matter how our opinions may differ.

Happy reading everyone!


message 99: by Laurel (new)

Laurel I also agree about the tone of the discussion. My boyfriend knows when the Vaginal Fantasy podcast is as well as I do; not because he's a reader, but how happy the community/podcast makes me!


message 100: by [deleted user] (new)

I highly recommend checking out this interview if you wrote in this thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ8K9... . It touches on a LOT of the things we've discussed.

Including that Criminy's voice WAS inspired by Spike. Four for you Michelle for catching that!


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