Apr 2012: A first timer's notes on the iron duke

[Courtland]

So I wanted to start this off by saying This is my first time reading one of the vaginal fantasy novels (i watched all 3 hangouts though) and actually first time reading a book in this genre in general. So as i was reading, i kept little notes and questions about what was going on on my phone, and thought i'd post them (hopefully this is more entertaining than obnoxious).

PG 25: Kohl...does that equal coal or did she write that on accident instead of coal? (not lookin it up)

backtrack. pg 20:decoy set up or just the duke's sassy gay friend? ((post reading: so this was i originally thought scarsdale could've perhaps been the iron duke and rhys was just like the figurehead for the posters and people going after him...obviously did not pan out))

Pg 30: king of cockblocking himself

pg 62: ohh i really hope they don't go for cliche'd hatesex...also okay rhys' perspective..

pg 81:first use of the word cock.

pg 88: first use of the word c**t (idk if i can swear here so i'll censor that) Rhys narrative as of now seems like shallow attempt to make him seem likable by showing us his inner thoughts.

pg 107: (decided to cast people)
yasmeen: frieda pinto cause i've never seen her kick arse before.
Mina: dichen lachman.
rhys:????(PR:decided on either daniel craig or Ryan Gosling in drive because gosling in that was a tad rapey seeming and crazy like rhys)
Newberry: no idea (PR:still no idea)
Dame= melinda clarke (PR: this is when i thought she was going to be a more important character)
Scarsdale = andrew garfield
fox = nicholas hoult

pg 226(bit of a leap) wowww so rapey..please no drunk sex!!

pg.230 "mouth on her sex" giggled a bit, just use vagina.

pg 240: I knew it!!!my gaydar doesn't fail!

pg 255: "she rocked her sex against him"(are you afraid of the word vagina?) Also based on how mina's reaction to rhys is, if rhys is that attractive he better have a real bad o face

pg. 256 "i'll start when you're asleep" ...uhh what?

pg 258: da hell just happened?

pg 278: black guard funded by the new world people (theory)

pg 283: would they use the word fuck in this period? (didn't ever research)

pg 287: yay condoms

pg 288: last little bit "make tower explode" joke...really? freakin really?

pg 289: dont use fist as your relative cock size...fisting imagery is not okay.

pg 295: nice no drama hunt killing..unexpected.

pg 301: this book..and tentacles...tad concerned.

pg 304:nvm no creeping.

pg 313:picture that heel digging into his back and ass?? okay rhys..

pg 326-328 :build up to epic battle to major letdown.

pg 330:still dont understand why a drawing of a shlong in her mouth upsets her that much considering what she deals with on a daily basis, that's what makes her lose it?

pg 342: wtf was the point of that?! I liked him, why is this or that character even necessary?!!

pg 352: for the sake of a giggle i wish anne had been named belle just so she was addressed as "tinker belle" also i bet she or newberry will die

pg 364: ohh snap

pg 368: of course she's alive...ughh

pg 371: since this is going happy ending route i'm hopin for a twist of some scarsberry (PR: i thought , why not have newberry gay, he's a throwaway character anyway)

pg 373: Jesus really? happy ending rape???

pg 374:okay now she's into it..a tad better.

pg 377: so anne lives with em?? wait is she actually mina's kid? was she born in a frenzy or something?? why am i reading this at 1 am my brain cant handle this!! Also really, Mina's such a strong woman and now this end is like "well she met a man so she'll marry like a proper lady".

~~~~~~END of notes~~~~

Okay now I wanted to just state my post reading opinions (i know this post is long, i hope it's entertaining at least slightly)

I want to start off saying this ending ticked me off. It was too goody goody but not even in a good way. Like i wanted one of the protagonists to die..I mean they go all out taking on the government and such and all these people live, not a single one killed?? Only little minor characters like fox died (also what was the point of him? really??) and if you're going to go happy ever after ending..i want conclusion with all the characters and true happy ever after.. I mean that last chapter had no mention of scarsdale, newberry, yasmeen, no reunion of andrew with her parents..also what about the blacksmith's army? what happened to the dame?? only real conclusion we got was that rhys and mina are gonna be monogamous soulmates...i really liked the book for the most part other than that end..i could understand leaving a few things like the dame and such out if it's supposed to have a sequel..but to have most of the characters left unheard about....that annoyed me.

Another thing i'd like to mention is the sex scenes...good gosh..did they have to start off basically with rape?? That went from 0 to 60 so freaking fast.

I also (as mentioned in my notes) would've liked more depth to the action sequences..i feel like the first one with the dame and outrunning the zombies and such was well done and i liked that..but then the big climactic battle (other than the kraken incident) was like...2 pages. Just sort of a "we fired the cannons, they all hit, they went in the water, we win..yay!"

In closing (yes it's finally ending!) Don't get me wrong, i did like the book. The characters were overall rather interesting and the world drew me in, there were just very odd things that kind of took it down a few notches for me. It was a fun read (and not just because i had to have major poker face reading it in public when people saw the cover) but with that ending, it honestly didn't make me want to read a sequel if there is one. Anyway, That's all i have to say. So , reply with any agreements ,questions or such , or heck, even if you just found this entertaining ( i really hope it was entertaining and not just obnoxious) and i'll end with one last question ...WHO DO WE CAST AS NEWBERRY??? The only bulky ginge's i could think of where danny bonaduce and carrot top and both are too old and too unattractive to be him. BYE!

[Marian]

I just saw Freida Pinto on the cover of Nylon magazine, and she looked really tough... almost menacing! haha She would make a great Yasmeen.

The first sex scene did make me a little uncomfortable, especially since she did say no so many times. But I just chalked that up to the time period, and their customs being different from ours. But I still don't agree with it.

[Amber]

I like pretty much all of your casting options. :D

[Xjustgina]

you assembled a bit younger cast than i did in my head. but i like who you cast for mina, im a big fan of that actress.


although i was thinking more like

mina- Emilia Clarke
Rhys- Chris Hemsworth
newberry- Jude law
dame - Glen Close
scarsdale - ed westwick
hunt- James Frain

but that is only based on what my head made up as i went along :)

and i will agree that the drunken sex was VERy uncomfortable for me. for me it felt like the build up to the sex was LONG and when we actually got their it was wrong to have it be a drunken night where the girl says no a bunch....

in this book there is a lot of build up top what you think will be a big scene and it never it, until the kraken...