Shadowland

[Anna]

Absolutely; I think you need to re-define 'amazing' X(

[Jax]

**Heads off to plan revenge - Marlowe's demise - on the off chance he thinks Lannister's idea should be put into action... **

Perhaps Lannister should convince Marlowe that's a BAD BAD idea!! *evil grin*

[Lannister]

Jax wrote: "**Heads off to plan revenge - Marlowe's demise - on the off chance he thinks Lannister's idea should be put into action... **

Perhaps Lannister should convince Marlowe that's a BAD BAD idea!! *evi..."

LMAO!

For the sake of Pritkin's well-being, I will lock up Marlowe in my dungeon to make sure he causes no harm (and to prevent harm from evil KC fans!!) And any personal benefit I get from this situation is entirely coincidental. :P

[Claire]

I don't even wanna know what would happen if Pritkin, Mircea, and Marlowe were stuck together for any period of time. Marlowe, determined to ferret out secrets and Pritkin the most private person on the planet.

[Lannister]

It would be an epic battle of wills, for sure!

I remember that scene in Curse the Dawn where Cassie, Pritkin and Marsden arrive back in Dante's in Marsden's car, via the leylines, and Cassie and Pritkin are still inside each other's bodies. Mircea drags 'Cassie' off to "talk" and Marlowe approaches 'Pritkin' and offers him whisky. I always thought that scene was kinda odd and funny, cos Marlowe's acting like Mr Congeniality and playing the good host, and it just seemed slightly out of character for him. I guess he was doing it so Mircea could have some time with Cassie, but it was funny all the same.

However, it's nice to know Marlowe appreciates a good Scottish whisky! (Glenfiddich, if anyone was wondering).

[Zeenat]

I think a spy like Marlowe, would appreciate the strength of a secret keeper like Pritkin. Plus remember, Mircea has Marlowe looking into Pritkin's past anyways. Giving him that whiskey might have been a "softening up" trick.

[Lannister]

I bet Pritkin really intrigues Marlowe, because he senses that there's a whole lot he doesn't know about him. I think that would drive Marlowe nuts. Marlowe would probably like to be 'friends' with Pritkin, if only to pry information out of him!

Also *adjusts grammar nazi hat* I feel compelled to point out that when we're referring to Scottish whisky, there's no 'e'. (Whisky, not whiskey). The Irish have whiskey and possibly other places too, but if it comes from Scotland, it's whisky.

Thus ends today's useless information lesson! :D

[Zeenat]

huh! I didn't know that!

ETA: is it spelled differently because it is different? or is it a american vs. english spelling thing?

[Lannister]

I'm honestly not sure. I don't think it's an American English v British English thing, cos the Irish spell it with an 'e' and they use British English spellings. As to whether the actual product is different, certainly some American whiskies wouldn't be called whisky in Scotland (do you guys call stuff like Jack Daniels or Wild Turkey whisky? I think we refer to that as bourbon over here). Personally, I can't abide the stuff so I'm not really certain on the actual differences.

I just looked up Wikipedia and it says ...

"The spelling whisky (plural: whiskies) is generally used in Canada, Japan, Scotland, and Wales, while whiskey (plural: whiskeys) is more common in Ireland and the United States."

So I guess it just depends on where the drink is from. However, Marlowe's Glenfiddich is Scottish and definitely whisky! :D

[Zeenat]

Here is what new york times says: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.co...

So we know if it's Scottish, it's Whisky. LOL

Bourbon is actually whiskey that is made in Kentucky (I think) in the U.S. I think that's the only distinction. It's like champagne and sparkling wine.

[Claire]

I think Marlowe realized that it was Cassie though, didn't he? Or was Marlowe fooled too?

[Lannister]

Zeenat wrote: "Here is what new york times says: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.co... "

Interesting article. I laughed at this sentence:

But clearly, definitively, and somewhat aggressively, people from Scotland and many fans of Scotch have informed me of their preference for whisky over whiskey

Guess I'm guilty as charged! :D

I didn't know that bourbon only came from Kentucky, so we're both learning new things!

Claire, I think when Marlowe approaches Pritkin with the whisky, he believes it's Pritkin. They've only just arrived moments before though, so no-one had any inkling what was going on, and I doubt even Marlowe's paranoid mind considered a body swap scenario.

[Anna]

Wales doesn't have a national alcoholic beverage does it? or is it beer?

[Lannister]

I wasn't sure about this but I just googled it and it seems that it is in fact beer. And they were drinking it back in the 6th Century (according to Wikipedia's Welsh Cuisine article). I like to think that Pritkin enjoyed quaffing beer back in those days!

[Claire]

I saw something labeled "whisky" in the liquor store that was from Tennessee and I instantly thought of you!

[Lannister]

LOL, I'm slowing spreading my dubious wisdom over the internet! :D

[Claire]

The world is in deep, deep trouble. I wonder what they drink in the demon realms?

[Zeenat]

rum and coke laced with brimstone? :P

[Claire]

Considering that their brimstone is our equivalent of c4, I'm gonna go with "probably not" =p

[Anna]

Claire wrote: "Considering that their brimstone is our equivalent of c4, I'm gonna go with "probably not" =p"

C4 ? ;)

[Claire]

A high powered plastic type explosive

[Anna]

Ahhh, (nods wisely) Still, rosier is quite a lively chap - perhaps he uses it instead of caffeine!

[Claire]

Hahahaha even he was scared of it!

[Lannister]

So who has read this story again?

I was so-so about this one the first time I read, but I think I actually enjoyed it more second time round. A few thoughts ...

At the start of the story, Casanova is bitching about how he wants Cassie out of his hotel. The Pythian Court has been mentioned a few times in the main Cassie books. Do you think this is an actual place (i.e. a building or palace or suchlike?) or is it more of a ceremonial thing, like the Pythia and her attendants gather at (for example) the Silver Circle HQ and the Pythian Court is said to be convened. If it is an actual place, do you think we'll ever see it?

I like that the Vetalas creature Pritkin meets is called Beren. Do you think that's a LotR homage? Also, why do you think this creature befriended him when it had no reason to? Even Pritkin doesn't get it, and it seems to go against typical demon nature.

When Pritkin is with the Rakshasa that he thinks is Cassie, we get this dialogue ...

“You came back.” His thoughts were slow, sluggish, but that one came through with crystal clarity.

“I always do.”

His forehead wrinkled. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He wanted “I always will,” he wanted promises she couldn’t make, he wanted certainty.

Pritkin is so loved up! As soon as his 'no sex' thing is sorted out, boy is he going to make a move on Cassie!!

Finally, (and I am *amazed* that I didn't remember this part from my first read), what do you think went down between Rosier and Casanova? Rosier needed to feed and Casanova was the only one able to provide sustenance. Incubi feed off lust, so what do you think happened, especially when we had this quote:

“Don't be like that,” Rosier reproved. “I’ll always cherish our time together.”

Rosier and Casanova are my new crackpot couple LMAO!

[Lannister]

Oops, one last thing I forgot to say ... I totally LMAO at Pritkin referring to 'oily Mircea'.

Slimy oily Mircea! :P

[Zeenat]

LOL I think rosier totally lust fed off of Casanova. Ha ha. I reread it again--I think I liked it slightly better than last time.

I am so waiting for the moment the sex ban is lifted from Pritkin. I think as soon as he gets the chance... Although I don't see him moving in on someone's girl. I think he'd wait till Mircea breaks up with Cassie.

[Lannister]

I am giggling non-stop about the thought of Casanova being sexed up by Rosier! If Rosier hadn't been stealing all his power, I bet Casanova would have enjoyed it!! Oh man, I hope Casanova gets some reasonable screen-time in Tempt the Stars so that he and Rosier can make eyes at each other across the room LMAO!

I see what you're saying about Pritkin not moving in on someone else's girl and yet he despises Mircea. Pritkin believes that Mircea doesn't really care for Cassie and is only using her for her power. He could probably justify butting in by telling himself that he was only saving her from not just heartache, but potentially being almost enslaved by the vampire senate. He'd probably think he was doing her a favour by getting her away from that. And it's not like Cassie hasn't shown any interest ...

[Sarah ♥ dog crazy ♥ , Mircea's Moderatrix]

I just finished the story. It was good but too short and no Mircea. Casanova was so funny.

[Kathleen]

I love Shadowland because of the scene that shows us that Pritkin is in love with Cassie, beyond a doubt, and because of the funny scene at the end that shows how tough and resourceful she has become, largely because of Pritkin's training and support encouraging her own natural talents. They are *so* good for each other.

[Kathleen]

Going back a few posts---but alcohol is always topical---I believe Bourbon (whiskey) is made with corn. Both the taste and the smell are very different from scotch (whisky).

I don't think most Americans are even aware of the spelling difference. We (in Texas, for sure) just call them scotch & bourbon.

In the last few decades scotch has become far the more fashionable of the two---among business and country club types.

Bourbon is much sweeter than scotch.

[Lannister]

The Irish spell whisky with an 'e' too, and I believe Americans would call that Scotch (e.g. Jameson's Irish Whiskey).

In Scotland, we don't say 'Scotch'. I think that's definitely an American descriptor. Round these parts it's just whisky. Or in my personal case, Yuck!! :P

[Kathleen]

No, I think anyone who made the effort to drink it would call it Irish whiskey.

Does it taste exactly like scotch? Made with same exact ingredients?

[Lannister]

I think Scottish and Irish whisk(e)y are made in broadly similar ways, though I'm not certain. As for taste, well, that's a whole can of worms! What does 'Scotch' taste like? Fans of malt whisky would have conniptions at the thought that all malts were lumped in together and taste the same! And as for blended whiskies ... let's not even go there!

It might be heresy for a Scot, but I loathe whisky - with or without the 'e'. So how Irish and Scottish whisky compare, I have no idea. :)

[Kathleen]

Yep, I can't even stand the way scotch smells (like iced tea to me), let alone drink it.

Drank bourbon when young till I got violently sick and quit, so no tastes for me.

[Duca]

Bourbon tastes fantastic in a Kentucky mule :) (note opinion is from an alcohol lover!)

[Lannister]

Kathleen, yup, I think whisky/bourbon is a kinda love it or hate it thing. I can't stand the smell either. It makes me feel sick.

Duca, I'm fond of a shandy or two(!!) but I don't drink spirits that much. Though a Vodka & Red Bull ain't so bad now and then. :D

[Claire]

I'm violently allergic to ingredients common in most alcohol, so none of it smells very good to me...probably why I never tried drinking, which has turned out to be a very good thing!

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

Im reading Shadowland now and really enjoying it. Loved it from Pritkin's POV

[Claire]

Pritkin is the greatest

[Lannister]

I'd argue the greatest part of this story is the pairing of Rosier and Casanova. My inner crackpot conspirasist was beyond delighted!

[Claire]

Another one of my favorite things about this was how Cassie, instead of giving up and despairing over her fate, turned into Rambo and started launching manic attacks with machine guns.

And I firmly believe that at the beginning of the series, had something like this happened, Cassie would have given in to hopeless despair because she wouldn't believe herself capable of dealing. Machine guns and a full frontal assault is closer to Pritkin's personality than it is to Cassie's. I love seeing how she's gained more determination throughout the series.