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A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate
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Here's my review of "A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate"https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I love Cooper's books, and I love the world she creates for them.
Mod
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I love Cooper's books, and I love the world she creates for them."
Ulysses, in your review you noted "There is a plot arc in this book that suggests a follow-up might be necessary. I hope so. I want R. Cooper to keep on writing." If you're referring to the sheriff and Littlewolf, rest assured another book featuring those characters is on the way. I think it's being published sometime around the middle of the year; when it is released I'll certainly be mentioning it here!
Yep...a wolf who uses magic, and a big powerful alpha who his heartsick with love. My kinda plot! Glad to know this. Did you agree with my comparison to the angst and overthinking in this book to TJ Klune's Otter and Bear series?
Mod
Ah, interesting that you should mention that, because as I was reading Beginner's Guide... I was actually comparing these two series as well! However, for some reason I found the overthinking a bit annoying in Klune's books. That is to say, I started to get impatient with the characters in Bear, Otter, and the Kid . But for some reason the overthinking doesn't bother me in the Beings books.
I think I'm with you on that. I love Klune's books, but they take some patience. :)
Mod
Yay, "Little Wolf" is on my Kindle!
Mod
On the run from his old-blood werewolf family, Tim Dirus finds himself in Wolf's Paw, one of the last surviving refuges from the days when werewolves were hunted by humans and one of the last places Tim wants to be. Kept away from other wolves by his uncle, Tim knows almost nothing about his own kind except that alpha werewolves only want to control and dominate a scrawny wolf like him.
Tim isn’t in Wolf’s Paw an hour before he draws the attention of Sheriff Nathaniel Neri, the alphaest alpha in a town full of alphas. Powerful, intimidating, and the most beautiful wolf Tim has ever seen, Nathaniel makes Tim feel safe for reasons Tim doesn’t understand. For five years he’s lived on the run, in fear of his family and other wolves. Everything about Wolf’s Paw is contrary to what he thought he knew, and he is terrified. Fearing his mate will run, Sheriff Nathaniel must calm his little wolf and show him he’s more than a match for this big, bad alpha.
This book explores a familiar theme which has cropped up in other "Beings" books, where a werewolf finds himself strongly drawn to another who doesn't understand precisely what the "mate" bond is all about---or even that it exists in the first place. This plot device was also found in A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate and even in (to a certain extent) the very first of the "Beings" series, Some Kind of Magic .
Unfortunately for the characters in these stories, werewolf culture in Cooper's world apparently dictates that the entire mate bond/process isn't to be discussed openly. It's up to the object of a were's affection to figure things out and know what's going on without any direct input from the were himself. And let's face it, that's a rather stupid rule that leads to all sorts of problems---the weres really need to do something about that and change their traditions!
The whole concept of a "mate" bond has been greatly overused in shifter stories in general, usually providing a convenient excuse for setting off an insta-love romance. However, Cooper uses the idea in a slightly different, more subtle way. In her world, the ability to recognise the mate bond is part of the intrinsic magic the wolves carry with them. And while this bond may carry more than a hint of insta-lust with it (heh), it isn't all about "Oh, I've found the one I'm destined to be with and we'll instantly be insatiable lovers on our way to a happy-ever-after." Rather, the first tugging of a mate bond is a signal that the were in question has met someone who will, in time, prove to be a perfect companion. The idea is that the two captured by the bond have a great potential to work together---they will, through getting to know one another and helping each other grow emotionally, become inseparable in the end. It isn't instant, and it isn't easy---but the process is worth it.
As noted above, the basic plot for this book does have more than a little in common with A Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate . However, the characters themselves are quite different than the protagonists in the earlier book, and the tale is longer and the plot slightly more complex this time around, so the similarities weren't a drawback for me. I enjoyed the story very much!
Now, I've previously mentioned that R. Cooper's style isn't for everyone. Her characters do over-analyze their feelings and emotions to a great degree. Conversations rarely proceed in an orderly fashion---rather, the spoken words are interspersed with a great deal of internal dialogue and introspection on the part of the person speaking, so we get to hear both their words and the great wealth of unsaid information that is running through their minds simultaneously. The characters in Cooper's books think... and think... and think before ever acting. (This style isn't limited to the author's "Beings" novels; all her books unfold in a similar fashion.) And I can see why this type of storytelling may not be to everyone's liking, for those who prefer something tighter and more fast-paced. But I have to say, after my initial adjustment to the author's style, I find I enjoy it very much. Her books are perfect comfort reads for me. I don't mind the fact that they meander a bit, and I love the world she's created for her "Beings," so I'll gladly recommend this one to those who have enjoyed the other novels in this series.
What's next? Well, Dreamspinner has already accepted a "Beings" short story collection, which I believe will be released later in the year. I'm looking forward to this to be sure, because while we know there are many different kinds of supernatural creatures in the "Beings" universe, three of the four books in the series so far have focused primarily on werewolves. And while I love the wolves stories, I want to see what else is out there! Let's see---what other creatures have appeared in the books so far, which may also appear in the short story collection? Apart from werewolves, also mentioned have been: other shifter beings, elves, fairies, trolls, imps, pixies, dragons, demons, and sirens. Plus of course all sorts of human wizards and witches. Hmmm, did I leave anyone out? At any rate---the short-story collection will once again be a day one purchase for me, whenever it appears. And in the more distant future, I believe the author is currently working on another Beings novel...
As for the cover of this newest novel... Ah, I'm sorry to say it, but for me it just doesn't work. I've noted before that the covers to the first two books were terrible. But then, I thought the cover for book three got everything right; it was great! Unfortunately now we're back to the style of the first two, which features awkwardly placed characters, stiffly posed. Oh, I do think that the painting of Little Wolf does match the way he's described in the story; I can imagine him looking like that. But the sheriff? Just no. No, no, no---and NO, he does not look like that! (Hmmm, I seem to feel strongly about this! Heh...)
Good description of this writer's style. The disjointed dialogue bugs me too much.
Mod
Heh... I guess it all boils down to one's taste; "your mileage may vary" and all that. Personally, I really empathize with those characters who have difficulty expressing themselves and sharing what's on their mind (which leads to that R. Cooper trademark: conversations in which the reader gets to know what the character is thinking, even though a lot of it is left unsaid). For instance, I recently re-read Play It Again, Charlie (one of the author's non-fantasy books) and liked it even more the second time around. But---I can understand that this style of storytelling may not be to everyone's taste, even though it seems to be a good fit for me.
Little WolfBy R. Cooper
Four stars
What kept this book from getting a five-stars rating is the very quirkiness of the writing style that I enjoyed so much. This same style infuses all of Cooper’s fantasy books, and it’s not for everyone.
Cooper sets her thinly-connected series in a contemporary United States where humans live alongside werewolves, fairies, pixies and elves. All four the books have been about the complexities of interspecies romance, and in particular about the innately ramped-up senses and dominant instincts with which werewolves are endowed. Cooper writes with an almost obsessively internal perspective, thoughts and feelings rattling around in her characters’ heads. This is, to my thinking, intentional. She is trying to convey the intensity of a werewolf’s sensory experience, bombarded constantly with the scent of everyone’s every emotion. There is no privacy in a werewolf community, because everyone can smell what you’re feeling every moment. One could draw the parallel with the autistic character in Heidi Cullinan’s amazing “Carry the Ocean.” For a mere human reading these books, it is verbal overload. But I found that, once I got into the rhythm of the writing, and when I paid attention, it was mesmerizing.
Little Wolf is the second of Cooper’s books set in a small western town called Wolf’s Paw, founded in the nineteenth century as a refuge for persecuted weres and other magical creatures. With the easing of prejudice against weres, the town has evolved into a tourist attraction (think: Provincetown), but retains its mission as a place of refuge the lost souls.
Timothy Dirus is such a lost soul. On the run since he was fifteen from a powerful urban werewolf family, he finds himself surrounded by townsfolk who seem to know too much about him and offer him protection. In particular, the town’s alpha male sheriff, Nathaniel Neri, seems determined to keep an eye on Tim. Tim, partly human, tiny and weak by werewolf standards, was virtually locked away by his uncle, and has learned nothing at all about being a werewolf. Thus he is both overwhelmed and puzzled by his intense attraction to this huge, beautiful alpha wolf.
I enjoyed this book even more than “A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate.” I think it’s because I was familiar with the backstory of the town and the customs of wolf courtship. But I also let myself fall into Tim’s mind without fighting it. I allowed myself to get caught up in his confusion, his ignorance of his own wolf nature, and in the obsessive language with which Cooper expresses Tim’s interior battles.
Much is made of the old wolf families—those families who survived centuries of persecution and destruction at the hand of humans. We have the Greenleaf family, who are Native Americans, and Sheriff Neri’s family, and Tim’s own Dirus family. I did a little googling, and realized that “neri” is Italian for “black,” (which Nathaniel is), and that Dirus is the old Latin name for the extinct species of giant Dire Wolf. Clever, that.
But what really matters in this book is the town of Wolf’s Paw itself, which is fully integrated as to race and species. Humans and werewolves and pixies and fairies live in harmony, and even fall in love. It is a town that sheltered displace Japanese families after the closing of the shameful internment camps after World War II. It is clearly a town where gay children are embraced and cared for equally. It is, in other words, a fantasy. And the way the town embraces Tim in all his fear and confusion—without his quite understanding it—is a marvelous thing.
Cooper puts a lot of sex into this particular story, more than in the other volumes. And it is very wolfish sex—lots of licking and biting and nuzzling and smelling. Cooper manages to make it not only logical but somehow inevitable and even necessary to our understanding of Tim’s character, and his evolving acceptance of the peculiar world into which he has stumbled.
You have to be a certain kind of reader to really enjoy R. Cooper’s books. If you are, and you take the time to read them carefully, they are richly satisfying.
Jax--I sympathize with your feeling about these books. The writing is maddening. But I found I could get into it, particularly in "Little Wolf." But I see how it is a barrier for a lot of readers. As always, your opinions on things always make me pay attention. We often disagree, but for the right reasons.
So interesting to read both your impressions. I think October and I are more "on the same page" for this kind of book.
Mod
Magical creatures known as beings emerged from hiding amid the destruction of the First World War. Since then they’ve lived on the margins of the human world as misunderstood objects of fear and desire. Some are beautiful, others fearsome and powerful. Yet for all their magic and strength, they are as vulnerable as anyone when it comes to matters of the heart.
A firebird in 1930s Paris is drawn to a writer with a haunted past. Upon returning from fighting in the Pacific, a jaguar shifter finds a third-gender human on his doorstep. Early rock ‘n’ roll DJ Hyacinth the fairy shocks his listeners with his admiration for his quiet assistant. During the AIDS crisis, a gruff, leather-wearing troll dreams of a settled life with a mixed-species elf across the bar. An imp, who remembers only too well how cruel the world can be, tells himself he’s content to stay behind the scenes—if only his chaotic, impish magic would stop getting in the way. And a shy human tending his poisonous and carnivorous plants is convinced no one will ever want him, certainly not the handsome werewolf grieving for a lost mate. Human or being, all must overcome fear to reach for love.
Cooper expands the world she writes about in this latest book; the stories included here take place in different times and places, and include a number of "beings" she hasn't written about previously. Let's see... the romantic pairings this time around include:
The Firebird: firebird and human
The Warrior's Sacrifice: jaguar shifter and human
Hyacinth on the Air: fairy and human
A Giant Among Men: troll and elf
The Imp and Mr Sunshine: imp and human
The Wolf in the Garden: werewolf and human
The Dragon's Egg: dragon and human
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to re-visit Bertie and Arthur from A Boy and His Dragon ! Their story takes place a couple of years after the time period of the novel, and what a surprise is in store for them... Still, if I had to pick a favourite... well, it's difficult to choose. I did find "The Warrior's Sacrifice" and "The Wolf in the Garden" to be particularly moving (though the latter made me all snuffly, darn it).
This book can be read quite independently of all the other Beings novels, though those of you who are familiar with the world that Cooper has created here will recognise references to the earlier works. In this book,the later stories also reference elements of some of the earlier stories, so you'll want to read the tales in this book in order. The collection comes in at around 350 pages, so much care is taken to fully develop each story; each individual tale is of sufficient length.
I was thrilled to have the chance to go back to the Beings world with this collection, and I can only hope the author has more Beings tales in store for us. Recommended.
I've mentioned before that the covers of these Beings stories vary quite a bit in quality. This time around, the artist certainly has come up with an eye-catching design! I do like the Firebird, though the human seems a bit "blocky," for lack of a better term...
I think I've bought it. Amazon is being wonky. But so glad it's out. Love that cover.
R. Cooper fans will swoon to get their hands on this anthology of intensely romantic and fantastic tales. Each story stands fully on its own, with remarkable characters and quirky, beautifully rendered settings; but there are also subtle interconnections. What sets this group of seven works apart is that they are in chronological order from the 1930s to the present day, and for the first time the author establishes a backstory for the emergence of beings – all those magical creatures we assumed were imaginary. It seems that World War I, the first human war that truly threatened to destroy the world, forced beings to come out of hiding. Initially the fairies, then the others, from werewolf to shapeshifters to trolls and dragons and all the rest. All the creatures of the world’s fairy tales were suddenly in the real world.
Once the Great War was over, the humans had to deal with it. Beings became a grudgingly tolerated minority in the human world, isolated into ghettos and restricted as to their rights and activities. Their safe places became havens for queer folk as well, and their destinies become intertwined.
But, unlike the human victims of prejudice, the beings couldn’t really be destroyed, because their magic made them powerful, and humans were afraid to go too far.
If you’ve already read the first four “Beings in Love” books, you’ll eat this up. If this is your first foray into Cooper’s passionately written fictions, it will introduce you to a world unlike any other in contemporary gay fiction.
The Firebird, set in 1934, focuses on the intellectual Parisian salon of Kazimir – a Russian born Firebird and celebrated opera singer. We see young aristocratic French fascists, who decry both beings and homosexuals, try to seduce the Firebird because of his ethereal voice. But we also see the courage of a young Jewish American journalist covering the darkening political world. Jacob doesn’t want anything from Kazimir, but can’t seem to stay away from him. For the first time in his long life, much of it captive, the Firebird can’t stifle his emotional response to this outspoken outcast.
With each story we move ahead in history, and to different places in the world, although several of the stories are set in or near Los Cerros, a fictional town that seems to be in California (this is never made clear and I suppose it doesn’t matter). There is a were-jaguar, whose family descended from an ancient Aztec god; a fairy named Hyacinth who is a DJ in an early 1960s top-40 radio station; a gentle giant of a troll called Tank, who falls for a dark-skinned elf in the early 1980s, when beings and gays are both being blamed for a mysterious plague all too familiar.
Fascinatingly, along with the troll, we meet a human policeman, who’s married to a female fairy – and whose infant son grows up to be the hero of another of Cooper’s novels. In “The Imp and Mr. Sunshine” (my favorite title), we revisit a character who appears as an infant being who was rescued by the Firebird in the 1930s. The firebird himself reappears in the 21st century as the housemate and confidante of a scarred young man who tends a witch’s garden and trembles at the sight of a widowed werewolf. Finally, in a story that made me teary-eyed and nostalgic, we are in the present, revisiting the characters from Cooper’s novel “A Boy and his Dragon.” An unexpected surprise not only reminds us that Cooper’s world is one of emotion and not logic, but also that beings, as well as gay folk, are forever tied to each other by the things that separate them from the normal world.
As I always say, Cooper’s stories are not for everyone. But if this kind of thing suits your particular emotional makeup, they’re fabulous.
Mod
A few more details, including news about Cooper's next two non-Beings books, can be found here:
http://r-cooper.livejournal.com/59070...
Mod
From the author:
I’ve noticed some people reading Beings books lately, along with some comments that lead me to think some people are confused. Or maybe just not the sort of people to dig around in my old posts to find information. Which is fair. I mean, I probably should build a website, but then I’m like, I’m not the sort of big name author who needs one. (Also, I’d rather be writing then doing building things or promoting things. It’s true.) I do have my livejournal/goodreads reposts, and here, where things are (mostly) tagged. But yeah, I do need to set something up for that. SIGH. In the meantime…
THE BEINGS 'VERSE EXPLANATION POST!!
Q: What is the Beings ‘Verse?
A: Imagine a world just like ours, but where the magical creatures of legend (like fairies and elves and werewolves) are real, and they live openly (for the most part) with humans. But, they haven’t always done so. The creatures, referred to by humans as beings, only came out of hiding when they were forced to. This happened in Europe during World War I, and panicked humans were not very accepting, so most beings live on the fringes of mainstream human society. They are idolized for their beauty and power, but also feared and mocked. Humans also do not distinguish much between the legends around these creatures and the reality of them. Over time, even the beings aren’t sure about themselves.
All cultures have these creatures, and different histories with them. Some clearly worshiped their beings as gods or something godlike. Others revered them. Others told stories about encounters with them, where the beings could be benevolent or cruel or loving or petty–you know, just like humans. This is where fairy tales come from.
But then, as humans grew in strength and numbers, they stopped taking such care with these beings. They destroyed the forests where they lived, or drove the werewolves from their lands. Many of these humans, especially in Europe, when Christianity/the Church became a dominant political force, and then through colonization and imperialism, became a dominant force in most other countries, outright rejected the beings. Because the beings are different. They love indiscriminately. Some of them are naked. Their morality has its own rules. They view things like gender, and sexuality, in ways that these humans did not want to understand. So the humans called them evil, or banned the stories of them, and they did the same to humans who were similar to the beings.
But, when those cruel, powerful humans brought war to the entire globe, the beings had no place left to hide. Of course, some had never hidden in the first place, or had continued on as they were under the noses of European occupiers, but that is a story for another time.*cough*
Some of the beings remember their history, and others do not. Because they aren’t represented accurately (or sometimes at all) in human media, many of them now believe the horrible things said about them. Others are fighting to prove what they really are. Alongside these beings, you have the humans who are like, or who love them.
Q: Are you some kind of nerd?
A: Yes. Obviously.
Mod
Q: How many books are there?
A: 6 as of now. 7 is on its way. I am working on 8. (I started it this week! Aaaah!)
Q: Do the books need to be read in order?
A: No. They are written as standalones. HOWEVER, I do think people will understand certain references better if at least some of the books are read in the order they were published. AND, there are moments with recurring characters and themes that will make more sense if you’ve read everything. But no, it’s not necessary to have read, say, Some of Kind of Magic before you read A Boy and His Dragon or Little Wolf. (In fact, I don’t think most people do.)
Book 1: Some Kind of Magic
A novella set in Los Cerros, a town with a significant being population, and which is considered a liberal town for that reason. A werewolf protects the things he loves, even from himself, if necessary. Features Ray Branigan, who is only the second being to ever make detective in Los Cerros. It also features lots of prejudice against beings, especially werewolves and fairies. Prejudices so strong even the beings have started to believe them. (Bad, Ray! Very bad! That is no way to treat your mate!)
Book 2: A Boy and His Dragon
Set in Madera, about an hour away from Los Cerros. About a human boy with a noble heart, and the nerdy dragon history lecturer who adores him. Humans have lost the language to communicate with beings, so it takes our human boy, the lovely Arthur, some time to realize what a dragon might mean by calling him treasure.
Book 3: A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate
Wolf’s Paw, a town several hours from Los Cerros, is a town run by, and for, werewolves. If you’re a human wizard, you might not feel very comfortable there. If you’re a shy werewolf, you might feel like a bit of a failure for not getting your mate to love you. This story really starts to explain the idea of mating as werewolves view it. (Ray isn’t really the explaining things type.) This is important because of
Book 4: Little Wolf
In which the toxic ideals about how werewolves ought to act have traumatized a young were to the point where he cannot recognize the mate in front of him. I cannot with this story. The real concept of mating (and treasure, and shine, and true love) finally starts to become more clear. It helps when you have a werewolf who acts more human than wolf.
(Book 4.5: A Mate of One’s Own. A short story about Zoe, Little Wolf’s friend, and her discovery of her mate.)
(Little Prince–a silly short version of Little Wolf I did, in which they are not werewolves. Very silly.)
Book 5: The Firebird and Other Stories
HOLY SHIT. Okay. This book… this book is readable without the other ones, but I personally would advise reading it after you have at least read one or two of the others. (I know some people didn’t do that and still enjoyed it. But I’m just saying, it was written as I was writing the other stories and there are some tie ins.)
Basically, this book of short stories is about the beings shortly after they emerged from hiding, to the present day. Has lots of cameos, and except for two of the stories, is set in Los Cerros. LOTS of ideas about love and mating and hope in this story, which is good because there are a lot of horrible things humans have done to each other (and to the beings) throughout history. That hope is so, so necessary.
(Book 5.5: Frangipani and the Very Shiny Boy. A short story about a fairy desperately trying to get a boy’s affection.)
Book 6: A Dandelion for Tulip
Back in Madera, with a human who is finally attempting to discover the real history between humans and beings, and the fairy who loves him. Further explores the idea of shine. Features a lot of callbacks to the ideas from the previous stories. And some cameos. Were you curious about fairies? Well this is the book for you, then. :)
Book 7: Treasure for Treasure
In which there is a small town that belongs to dragons–even though the dragons seems to have forgotten about it. One small, very determined dragon is going to have to prove to everyone that he will properly care for this treasure.
Book 8: (Well, wouldn’t you like to know?)
And that is it for now. I do actually have a Beings 'Verse timeline in my notes, but it’s incomplete, so in the future, I might repost all this and add it.
As always, people are free to ask me questions.<3
Mod
Thanks for this Octobercountry.
Octobercountry wrote: "R. Cooper recently used her Tumblr page to present some background information on her Beings series. And I thought I'd re-post it to set the scene, for those who may be interested in trying this se..."Hmm, I think I must be one of those strange people who believe books shouldn't need an "explanation" post or digging around in journals before you read them. Give me what I need to know in the book itself.
Mod
Well, I don't think the information the author posted is vital to the understanding of the stories; it's just a little bonus she provided for her readers....
I had no trouble understanding this world as I read the books, and I don't think anyone else would either. As it happened, I read them in order, as they were being written and published, and I had a lot of fun slowing discovering new facts about the Beings universe bit by bit, as the stories have unfolded over the past five years.
Octobercountry wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "Hmm, I think I must be one of those strange people who believe books shouldn't need an "explanation" post or digging around in journals before you read them..."Well, I don't think..."
Oh, that's good to know. The way the author phrased it in her note, it sounds like you have to have this background info to enjoy the books and not be "confused."
I just bought "Dandelion for Tulip"..."Some Kind of Magic" remains my favorite...but I love this universe and am so glad the writer is carrying on!
Mod
And I'm particularly looking forward to the next Beings book, which will be about Zarrin, a shy but slightly fierce little dragon...
I would say the very best Beings book---in terms of writing quality, intricacies of plot, etc.---is probably the Firebird collection of short stories. And I like that one very much, but it may not be my favourite... Difficult to choose a favourite, actually, but I do particularly enjoy "A Boy and His Dragon" and "Beginner's Guide to Choosing Your Mate."
A Dandelion for TulipBy R. Cooper
Dreamspinner Press, 2015
Cover by Paul Richmond
ISBN: 978-1-63477-314-0
168 pages
Five stars
I’m one of that select, lucky world who find R. Cooper’s “beings” novels completely enchanting. My favorite up until now has been her first, “Some Kind of Magic,” which features a werewolf falling in love with a half-fairy. But I think “A Dandelion for Tulip” has taken its place. Must be something about fairies…
Cooper’s world is American, but it is a United States that has had a century to deal with the emergence of magical beings during the cataclysmic destruction of World War I. Prejudice and ignorance still abound, but beings, for better or worse, are part of the social fabric. Cooper tells their stories, and weaves their history into that of their human kindred. In Cooper’s hands, being magical is analogous to being different, and being different in America has always been troublesome.
David MacKenzie is a PhD candidate is history, and his dissertation topic is the Influence of fairies on western literary traditions (think: Midsummer Night’s Dream). He has an uphill slog ahead of him, for the reasons of prejudice and ignorance mentioned above. But David is particularly open to fairies and other beings: he is mixed race, the child of one black parent and one white parent. But just as significantly, his best friend from childhood is Flor de Maga, a fairy of Puerto Rican ancestry (flor de maga is the state flower of Puerto Rico—I looked it up).
Aside from David’s academic struggles, there is his emotional conflict over his feelings for another fairy, Tulip. Those feelings have in no way been mitigated by a brief, disastrous affair with another fairy named Clematis. All of this drama is unveiled in the opening scene, a Christmas party at the home of an African American friend, Stephanie.
R. Cooper’s books are not for everyone; her intense romantic style is not florid, but it is very emotional and tightly strung. There is a great deal of internal dialogue, and very little real action. This book is, even more than the others, entirely about David and Tulip and their feelings. For me, it was like taking a bath in fairy glitter, and that’s probably not going to appeal to everyone.
What made this book particularly effective for me is that Cooper really delves into the minds of both David and Tulip. The single overarching goal is to make the reader understand the source of the barrier that is keeping them apart. It is, more or less, a case study in fairy psychology and behavior. What was hinted at in “Some Kind of Magic” is explored in depth here.
There are quite a few writers who explore the concept of a contemporary human world populated with paranormal creatures, and I enjoy all of them. R. Cooper, however, is really on her own—a subgenre within a subgenre. I find her books fascinating and emotionally compelling. They may not be for everyone but, like fairies, they can be addictive and extremely beautiful to experience.
Totally agree. Cooper doesn't over-explain the world she's created: she lets you discover it through the characters. I loved her latest...see my review below.
Mod
Octobercountry wrote: "What a lovely review you've written, Ulysses! I'm so glad you post here on this board."Hey, this is my home board. And youse guys are my homies.
Mod
http://sweetfirebird.tumblr.com/post/...
And not surprisingly, I loved it! I'm looking forward to reading more...
Mod
http://sweetfirebird.tumblr.com/post/...
Lovely...we know all those characters, too.
The Backlot Gay Book Forum
Books mentioned in this topic
The Firebird and Other Stories (other topics)Play It Again, Charlie (other topics)
A Boy and His Dragon (other topics)
Some Kind of Magic (other topics)
For those who aren't familiar with the books, this is a series of independent stand-alone novels that take place in present-day America---but an America where all the fantasy beings of lore and legend are in fact quite real, and part of human society.
The two previous books were A Boy and His Dragon, which we talked about here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
And Some Kind of Magic, which we discussed here:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I enjoyed both of those books tremendously, and have read them multiple times. So when I heard there was a new Beings book on offer, I ordered it immediately.
Zeki Janowitz has returned to his hometown of Wolf’s Paw to start his wizarding career. Unfortunately, Wolf’s Paw, a werewolf refuge, follows centuries of tradition and shuns human magic and a very human Zeki. He knows he’s in for a struggle, but a part of him has always belonged in the mountain town, or rather belonged to Theo Greenleaf. Years away at school haven’t lessened Zeki’s crush on the quiet werewolf. When town gossip informs him Theo still suffers from his mate’s rejection and does not date, it does little to ease Zeki’s embarrassing feelings. He decides now’s the time to get the man he’s always wanted.
Werewolves usually don’t recover from losing their mates, and Theo barely pulled through by focusing on his love of baking. It’s a daily struggle, and Zeki’s return to Wolf’s Paw shatters his peace. Theo doesn’t know what to think when Zeki attempts to woo him, talking about his wizarding business and settling in town for good. It’s like Zeki doesn’t have a clue how his words years before left Theo a shell of a werewolf.
Beginners in love, Theo and Zeki must seduce each other with a bit of heavenly baking and magic.
Like A Boy and His Dragon , you could say that nothing much actually happens in this new story. The characters in Cooper's books tend to think things through before acting. They analyze and question and think....and think....and think about their relationships before making a move. So if you're looking for something action-packed, this isn't the style of writing for you. However, it suits me to a T! I love her characters, no question. R. Cooper is the master of the slow burn; her stories feature a gradual build-up of repressed feelings and emotions that finally explode---and a happy ending is assured.
These "Beings" stories are real comfort reads for me, and I quite enjoyed this latest effort, though I think A Boy and His Dragon still remains my favourite out of the three Beings books published so far. This book is fairly short (187 pages by Amazon's count), but we have another much longer Beings novel to look forward to later in the year. The next will feature two characters who appear on the fringes of Beginner's Guide... , and I can't wait---that will be a day one purchase for me as well.
As for the cover... The covers for the previous two Beings stories were, quite frankly, rather dreadful in my opinion. But the artwork is much improved this time around; I think this works well for the story.