Reading While Black

Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series just keeps getting better and better.

The most powerful tool in an urban fantasy writer’s itinerary is world-building. World-building can carry the most cliched characters, it can handle the most inane plot devices, and make a reader believe anything.Thankfully, Briggs can world-build, create excellent characters and plot.

Blood Bound (Book 2) left Mercy with the choice of two men, Sam and Adam, and entwined more deeply with the secretive, dangerous world of the fae. While one issue is solved (her choice of mate, which I oddly accept), the other is made worse, when Mercy’s boss, a fae, is charged with murder.

In this book, Briggs opens the world of the fae even more to the reader and the experience leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Not because it was distasteful, but the experiences of the fae in Mercy’s world mirror the experiences of Native Americans, Indian Americans and Japanese Americans in the dirty history of this country. One thing I’ve noticed in many of my favorite Urban Fantasy series’ is that they use the otherworld they’ve created to address many of the racial, sexual and theological history of the United States. Which I love on the one hand (makes me want to write a fantasy novel), but on the other hands frustrates me that these issues can’t be discussed openly, without fictionalizing it to entertain while teaching (and even then, a lot of readers don’t even see beneath the surface of the monsters).

But that’s not the issue of this review. Suffice to say, I loved this book. Mercy continues to evolve as a character, and the secondary characters are more than able to hold their own character arcs. What satisfies me the most about the book is that the romantic tension has been resolved amicably and realistically–though I AM curious about Stefan the vampire! Though I thoroughly enjoyed Books 1 & 2, Iron Kissed has made me a Mercy Thompson fan for life–and rue the day I picked up Moon Called, as each installment in the series is only released annually. Ah well…Briggs has begun a spin-off series, following Mercy’s foster brother (I guess?) Charles and his love interest, Anna, in Cry Wolf (August 2008), so twice yearly can sustain me in between Sookie releases and the end of L.A. Banks’ VHL series (nooooooooo!).

Grade: A+

This is one of those difficult reviews to write. While the book left me with warm fuzzies when I closed the cover, it also left me with nagging issues that, in a much less talented writer, would have sunk the grade from a high B/low A to a C grade. As the book has been on shelves for about two weeks, and many other bloggers have written reviews, I think it’s safe to say that I don’t need to summarize the plot.

Notice I said “writer,” because that it what made me enjoy the books so much: the writing. It is buoyant, exuberant and at times, lyrical. The emotions and thought-processes of the characters are rendered in witty, precise terms and I was amazed by its complexity. Especially the characterization of 18 yr old Gigi and 21 yr old Camden.

Which is what made me enjoy the book so much. I felt the flashbacks could have been a story all their own: the first meeting, the disappointment, the scheme, the near misses and reunions, the estrangement and forging of a separate life. They embodied exactly what they were: two young adults, who weren’t exactly mature or polished for their ages, experiencing what could blossom into true, lasting love. And so, while the premise of Private Arrangements was a sharp one, the actual execution of that premise fell flat.

I was actually rather relieved that Thomas didn’t spend too much time on their bargain–in fact, I had to re-read the book again because I reckon that 45% of the narrative consisted of the flashback episodes, about 30% was about the present time, 15% was spent on the duke and Gigi’s mother, and it felt like just 10% of the book consisted of them having dealing with their bargain–but in the process, the opportunity to forge an emotional connection that should have been developed was lost. Because of this, I didn’t feel as invested in the characters as I should have been.

There was never any sense of urgency, never any doubt that what split Camden and Gigi was just so horrendous that being forced (well…not really) to connect with one another could make or break not just their relationship, but they as people. The way things played out, since Camden toyed with Gigi a bit concerning the making of an heir, they didn’t really interact with one another. Nothing forced them to rub each other the wrong way, to scratch beneath the surface, etcetera. As a result, the ending felt lackluster. The denouement read as big, wild and romantic, but because I’d never felt that Gigi and Camden matured and reunited emotionally as well as physically, my reaction was muted.

Like I said…this was a difficult review to write. Private Arrangements was a fun and quick read, written with enough verve and dash to make me eager to read Delicious. It also showed that Thomas knows how to write unique characters, and can do fun things with her setting, but in hindsight, it lacked a bit of the one-two punch that gets me in the emotional gut.

Grade: B/A (for the writing and the flashback scenes)

(edited for clarity)

Today is my first post as a RTB columnist. I won’t promise to be scintillating and provocative, but I’ll try my hardest. *g*

I’ve been neglectful of my blog due to school and just a desire to devote a long period of time to just reading without the pressure of reviewing. But never fear, with many, many excellent novels being released this year, I can’t keep them all to myself.