Justin Partridge > Recent Status Updates

I love how I’m like “oh man nothing scary has really happened in this yet” and then…the most terrifying thing ever happens. Stevie, you get me, man.

Nothing good EVER happens when a motherfucker starts talking about “secret books” that are “very hard to find”.

I’ve been kinda slowly picking at this for a bit and it’s cute! I’m always happy to just futz around for an hour or two in the Forgotten Realms.

King writing about any sort of sex is always trés uncomfortable but I’m starting to really vibe with this one now, I think. It’s definitely slower than I was anticipating but I’m having fun with it.

“I want to hurt someone,” she said. “I’m afraid if it’s not them then it’s going to be me.”

“Shut the fuck up now, dear, the grown-up is talking.”

AVASARALAAAAAAAAAAA. It’s very, very gratifying to find out that Avasarala just rules across both mediums (and was further adapted and performed pitch fuckin’ perfectly).

Finally hooked into this and I’m really, really excited to get deeper into it. Obviously the recent tv adaptations have brought me here but CMON! It’s JOE BOB! How can I not read a non-fiction Joe Bob about a horrible murder?! It’s already like totally in his voice too, but slightly more academic. I think it’s going to be a fun read.

1. David Morse’s performance of this is really good and 2. Didn’t expect something this instantly gut-wrenching to be also this funny. Or at least drolly funny in the way King often is.

Finally finally finally starting this and already like…WAY hooked. It opening with THAT Lovecraft quote is a pretty awesome proof of concept of how this is already operating. I’m so happy King finally got around to doing his full on Lovecraftian thing.

“Hear me now, Time Lords. I am no longer the woman you knew. I am life and fire incarnate!”

I mean…that’s good shit!! I truly appreciate this one being like ALL the lore! ALL the shoutouts! It’s candy.

Whooooooo BOY is this one fun.

I forgot to mention earlier, but this is also the first appearance of Bobbie (bubbe) Draper and Prax! Two of my absolute favorite characters on the show. And further, it’s been very, very awesome to see that the show didn’t white-wash anybody in the main cast and specifically cast people according to their description and background to fit each character. It just makes me love this series all the more.

New Year, New Expanse. And this one is already NOT fucking about. PLUS AVARSARALAAAAAAAAA! The Queen.

Homestretch now!

“There are no good guys in real life, Charlie.”

If that ain’t but a one-line summation of Brubaker’s whole bag then I don’t know what.

This thing is reeeeeeeally, really cooking now. Like maybe-I’ll-finish-this-weekend cookin’.

MAGNIFICAT

(I truly admire this novel being like “This is a Doctor V. Master story so obviously it’s going to be packed to the gills with crazy Wilderness Era lore as well as every single word in the human lexicon”. That’s Good Stuff™️)

I love that these essentially have TWO hooks to them now. It’s the best possible literary yes, anding bullshit I’ve ever read.

THE PIECEMEAL CONSTRUCTION OF SMALL GODS

I’m a slight Sixie kick with work rn and in a neat confluence of events, my next PDA is one I remember really enjoying. And am enjoying now again as I sit back down with it about a decade later! I mean, I read a whole Target Book for it, so I should better, right?

But seriously, this is fun. Hinton writes a good Six and this has all sorts of crunchy lore I appreciate.

New Year! New Reacher!

PART TWO - BENEATH A BLACK SUN

(Truly love that the creatures in this are VERY AUDIBLY HAPPY TO DIE because it ends their tortured existence as reanimated flesh stretched across iron rivets. Rules rules rules. Getting all this bullshit about Chaos is so goddamn fun)

I ALSO really appreciate this last one of the volume (Dead Sky, Black Sun) just going whole-ass hog with Chaos characters and world-building. It’s such a canny move for a third novel, just really going for the gusto re: Ruinous Powers, after we’ve invested such time. Nightbringer was the Eldar book. Warriors of Ultramar was the Tyranids. Now this one is just FULL ON blood for the Blood God. I super dig it so far.

I truly madly deeply love that these (so far) have been novels about emotionally crippled soldiers who have been raised, augmented, and deeply conditioned/indoctrinated only for war having to come to grips with the fact that their war is largely un-winnable. Also, exploding clergy heads and trains made of, and fueled by, human meat that traverse through literal hell on tracks made of bone. Like…fucking incredible.