#or my (Extremely specific) bank drama au

[cala-aceattorney]

don't question this i just want apollo hong kong

[ohblackdiamond]

dramatic irony and bandfic

I am always, honestly, a little uncomfortable writing too much in the way of analysis, even on my own stories, because I fear it’s self-indulgent and goes into pontificating, and I don’t mean to do that. I also don’t mean to ever even intimate (even unintentionally) that there is only one correct way to look at RPS, bandfic, KISS, or anything like that; I find that extremely limiting and counterproductive at best and insulting at worst. My opinions are always my own.

I feel like the way I’m approaching this likely tends to apply more to classic rock bandfic/RPS than to newer bands, so my apologies if I’m casting a bit too big of an umbrella. Dramatic irony, at least as a quick-and-dirty, two cent definition, is where the audience is more aware of what’s really going on than the characters. This leads to dialogue/characters’ actions/etc. taking on a deeper (maybe even wince-inducing) meaning. This is used in comedies to add humor, and in dramas to increase tension.

In classic rock bandfic, and, more specifically, non-AU classic rock bandfic (where they’re still in bands and the general timeline’s kept), we as the audience are aware of the band’s RL ups and downs. We are aware, for example, that Paul and Ace both end up still playing “Cold Gin” at 45 (and beyond), that the singles off the solo albums don’t make it near the top ten, that ultimately, KISS’ morale (and bank account) sinks during the non-makeup years, that Peter’s been wronged. We know what happened to the band. Hopefully-- hopefully!-- that prior knowledge adds to the enjoyment of the story.

I think that’s part of what makes KISS fic in particular, and classic rock bandfic in general, so compelling to me; knowing that their time at the top is so ephemeral, when they have only an inkling of an idea of that themselves (one of the things that most interests me about Ace’s seventies and early eighties interviews is, oddly, that he seems to be the most cognizant of how fleeting their fame is-- or at least, the most willing to go against the party line and fess up to it). I actually enjoy writing about when the band is down and researching that era, because it’s rife for exploring dynamics and characterization. It’s easy to be a rockstar when you’ve made around $10 million (in 1970′s U.S.dollars-- around $40 million today) before even hitting 30, are constantly touring and being told you’re wonderful, with Playboy models practically banging down your doors. It’s a lot harder to be a rockstar when all that’s either gone or in steep decline. And, I’d wager, it’s hard to be one when the audience expects something out of you that you’re no longer able to deliver. I like working with all of that. 

[maaaaaatryoshka0325]

Tourniquet - Han Jisung Gang AU Part 1

Description: you’re a college student working part time at a maid cafe when you get involved with another student, who happens to be part of a gang

Authors note: I kept the maid cafe idea Bc it’s cute ok

(Part2) (Part3) (Part4) (Part5) (Part6) (Part7) (Part8)

Running. That’s all I  could do as the darkness crept in. The last little bit of light was taken, ripped from me from my own hands as I cried out for them to stop. My chest hurt. I’m bleeding and there’s no one here to save me. I can’t keep going, it hurts. 

I stare up at the starry night, my chest heaving as I can feel what seems to be the last of my breaths leaving my body, and fuck, it hurts. Everything hurts. My heart feels heavy, and my body feels like it’s going to betray me. And what did I do so wrong? Why me? I hear voices. They’re getting closer and fuck, I can’t move. I can’t get my body to listen to me as I lay in a field of flowers that tickle my skin and try to comfort me. They followed me, they’re going to find me and finish off what they started, and I don’t have the strength to resist.

“Poor thing.” I hear a familiar voice as the darkness creeps in.

I close my eyes as I finally accept it, the darkness consuming me until I’m nothing left.

School was always something you took seriously, especially college. But right now, as you laid sprawled out, face down in a mess of papers, you couldn’t say it was true 100% of the time. You were currently being over dramatic over a creative writing paper. You had absolutely no motivation to move that overly priced pen that wrote like magic over that thin, perfectly white crispy paper you had beside you.

On top of school, you were working. Not that you were complaining, it was a simple job. You worked part time at a maid cafe that was always buzzing with people, so you made bank in tips. But work + school = I give up on life.

You finally decided to drag yourself up and slammed a piece of paper down on your desk, dragging the pen out slowly and beginning to write whatever your brain could function at the moment. It was a shame you weren’t allowed to write it in pencil, so the whole “oops I keep breaking the point” trick wouldn’t make you feel better about procrastinating. (Like, stop procrastinating mate! LMAO 😭😂)

You wracked your brain until it hurt and your alarm went off, signaling you had to hop your happy ass off to school and hope the paper you had a week to write but decided to wait till the day of to write it will get a passing grade. When did you become this lazy and unmotivated?

You walked to school, as it wasn’t far from your apartment. You decided to get an apartment off campus to avoid all of the annoying frat parties and all of the drama that went with it. You hated being woken up, so being close to frats and sororities wasn’t a good idea.

You walked into the courtyard of the school, mind not completely there. Your headphones were in as you raised your head and saw a group of guys sitting in the courtyard.

They were always there before and after class, usually messing around. You knew two of them from your Korean class, Chan and Hyunjin. Chan was your typical friendly guy and a Hyunjin was a heart throb.

You walked passed them, your eyes on the ground before you felt eyes on you. You raised your eyes and made eye contact with one. He had large, dark eyes, brown hair, and a pretty face. His eyes were on you as you passed and you looked down to avoid anymore eye contact. He smirked and hopped down from his spot on the cement wall.

You handed in your creative writing paper and sighed in relief as the piece was taken from your hands. You had so much time to do it, yet you stressed yourself out last minute. Why couldn’t you have done it right away like you used too? Instead, you wait until last minute to do everything and then stress about it instead of doing it right away and not having a care in the world.

You sighed in relief again as you left your creative writings class and went to your Korean class, where you all just took notes. You were leaning your head on your hand when you felt another pair of eyes on you. You looked up and made eye contact with Hyunjin, who was sitting beside Chan. His eyes bore into yours as you awkwardly looked away and down at your notes. His eyes were still on you and made you swallow hard. What the Hell did he want? Why was he staring at you so intensely? It made you feel self conscious and uncomfortable as you quickly wrote your notes down.

After class you went to rush out the door, when you turned and looked at Hyunjin.

“Next time take a picture, it lasts longer.” You hissed.

Chan started laughing and Hyunjin stared at you for a moment before smirking at you. You walked out of the room and almost walked directly into someone. You looked up and saw the guy from earlie, his large eyes were on you as you felt your whole body freeze.

He was wearing a leather jacket, a black shirt, a chain, black jeans, and black boots. Despite his rough appearance, his eyes were soft and doe like, with a hint of intimidation. 

“Sorry.” You said lowly as you hurried away from the class.

He watched you go, a smile on his face. Chan walked out laughing at Hyunjin, who also looked amused.

“What happened?” Jisung asked.

“Hyunjin was looking at that girl and she noticed. She didn’t swoon like the others, she told him to take a picture because it lasts longer.” Chan cackled.

“Shut up.” Hyunjin mumbled, amusement in his tone.

Jisung laughed and grabbed his shoulder.

“Wow, you’ve never been rejected. How does it feel?” He asked.

“You tell me, you’re always rejected.” Hyunjin said with a smirk.

You quickly changed into your work uniform and headed out the door. You walked a few blocks until you came to the maid cafe. You felt better now that you were at work, loving your job. You walked and in and your boss greeted you with a smile.

“Hey Y/N, how’s school?” She asked.

“Same old same old.” You sighed.

“I understand, but it’ll be rewarding when you finish.” She said.

“I know, it sucks for now but I’ll be happy later.” You said with a smile.

You put your apron on and started your shift, as a few tables came in. One of your regulars came in and he greeted you.

“Hey Mr. Park, how are you?” You asked with a pleasant smile.

“I’m great honey! How are you? How’s school?” He asked.

“It’s going well!” You said, taking his order and running food for a few other tables.

You brought Mr. Park his food when another table came in.

“Welcome.” You greeted with a big smile.

Your heart stopped when you saw Doe Eyes, Chan, and another guy, who looked extremely intimidating despite his short height. His eyes lit up when he saw you and you beckoned them to a table. You handed them menu’s and got them their drink orders.

“You go to (college name) don’t you?” The intimidating one asked.

“I do.” You responded while taking their orders.

“Hmmm. What major?” Doe Eyes asked.

“Psychology.” You said.

His eyes lit up as he smiled at you.

“Really? Any specific kind of psychologist you want to be?” He asked.

“Forensic.” You replied.

“That’s interesting.” He said, his big eyes glowing. “What’s your name?”

“Y/N.” You said, grabbing their menu’s.

“I’m Jisung, you know Chan, and this is Changbin.” He said with a wide smile.

You smiled and nodded as you put their orders in and ran other tables. After dropping off their food, you handed Jisung and the other two their food.

“Oooo this looks good.” Chan said with a smile.

As they ate, you kept catching Jisung’s eye. His large eyes didn’t make you feel uncomfortable or self conscious as Hyunjin’s did. Instead, you couldn't help but smile.

After they finished, Jisung handed you his card and you ran the payment and handed it back to him. He reached his hand out and his fingers brushed over yours, a smile on his face.

“Thank you.” He said.

“Thank you guys.” You said, looking at all three.

The guys sat and talked for a bit, before walking out right before your shift ended. You cleaned up a bit and waved goodbye to your boss before walking out the door. The took your hair out and ruffled it a bit before walking down the stairs and almost colliding into Jisung’s chest.

“Oh, did you just get done?” He asked.

“Uh, yeah.” You answered.

“Hmm, do you walk alone?” He asked.

“Depends. Are you going to kidnap me?” You asked, raising a brow.

He laughed and so did the other two.

“No really, do you walk home alone?” He asked.

“I do.” You responded.

“Why don’t we walk you home then? It’s dangerous out here at night.” He said.

The other two nodded in agreement and you awkwardly agreed.

“So what major’s are you guys in?” You asked as the four of you walked.

“We’re all in business.” Jisung said.

“That’s interesting, are all of your friends in business?” You asked.

“Nah, Woojin and Seungmin are in medical and Jeongins in computer technology.” He said with a big smile.

“Oh, that’s cool.” You said, looking up at him.

His eyes held galaxies in them as he smiled down at you.

You all approached your apartment and you bowed to them. 

“Thank you for walking me home, I really appreciate it.” You said.

“No problem.” Chan said with a smile.

Changbin gave a polite smile, and Jisung smiled at you before turning away.

“Now we know where to kidnap her from.” He said, looking back at you and laughing.

“Yah!” You yelled and they all laughed before waving goodbye to you.

“The nerve.” You mumbled, but laughed a bit.

You plopped down on your bed and sighed. School and work were a lot, and you didn’t have friends or a social life really. You looked up at the ceiling for a bit before you decided to clean up and get ready for bed, your mind wandering to Jisung and his big eyes 

[crimsonbluemoon]

BBS Cops Squad 2

So a lot of people seemed to enjoy my AU about the BBS as cops in a precinct together, so I took some time to add some other minor characters to the story. If you didn’t see the first list, come check it out here. If you have seen it, then please enjoy this second part! 

Basically: Marcel is a lawyer who works with the BBS precinct on the court side of things. He can play both sides pretty well; he’s intellectual and graduated at the top of his law school, but spends a lot of his free time working in shelters and youth clubs for kids in the city. Has worked with the city (with BBS support) on getting fundamental necessities for lower income parts of the city. Can come in handy if a teen-on-teen violence case comes around. Tends to hang out with Scotty, despite their differing jobs, because he doesn’t want to become a “stuck-up lawyer kind”. Sometimes, his anger can cause him to have a mouth on him. Can handle small pranks, but tends to blow up if constantly picked on (Vanoss is may be the main cause of this). Is one of the smarter members of the group, and enjoys debating with Moo or Ohmwrecker when they have downtime. Actually listens to his clients. Tries not to take hate crime cases, as he doesn’t want to be “type-casted” as a specific type of lawyer. Has been known to embarrass court officials, police officers, and other lawyers when they make racial comments or assumptions, but does it professionally. May later rage to his friends about the incident. Is known to “quit” on cases when overwhelmed, but a phone call from WildCat or Moo normally gets him back on track. Has a good heart, just sometimes wants to punch Nogla someone in the face.

FourZer0Seven: A medic for the team, Scotty also assists in the morgue on occasion. Despite being a medical professional, loves watching trashy medical/crime show dramas. WildCat refers to him as “kid”. Is a ray of sunshine who sometimes gets into trouble when hanging around Mini Ladd too long. Ohm desperately tries to can keep them corralled most of the time. Has a secret corkboard in the nursing area where he keeps “tabs” on the relationships going on in the squad. Mini Ladd and Panda may both know about this. Ship his friends like a teenage girl, and is pretty attuned to their relationship status (fighting, getting along, tension, etc). Is never in the fights between the teammates, and seems to genuinely get upset when they do butt heads. Will make himself the butt of jokes if it helps the fighting stop. Is positive that a zombie apocalypse could happen thanks to  Panda claiming a body “walked away from him” once (”Damnit, Anthony, stop scaring the kid.” “But look how pale he is!”). Checks in with Smii7y daily, despite never really getting to see him. Makes Marcel take him on “friend dates” to ridiculous places (mini golf, museums, a submarine) as he’s afraid his friend will lose the idea of fun in his career. Is scared one day he’ll make a medical mistake and kill a cop-friend, though he never shares that anxiety with anyone. Binge watches Anime with Mini and Delirious on their days off.

Moo: Hostage negotiator. Is probably the friendliest man you will ever meet. May actually shit rainbows. The only person that WildCat cannot yell at, no matter the situation. Never wanted to learn how to use a gun, as his philosophy doesn’t promote any forms of violence. This mind frame sometimes put him at odds with Brian, despite the two having a good chemistry. Has only agreed to carry a gun if Brian and Tyler come to “Mindfulness” classes once a week for their anger (Tyler refuses to admit they’re working). Brock is sometimes used as a venting post for the officers, as he has a motherly nature about him. Makes the best brownies, and has been known to bring them in when “things are tense” in the squad room. Has an optimistic view of life, despite watching several people kill themselves/others in front of him. Probably has seen the most killed besides Cartoonz and Terroriser. This has made him value his friendships with the squad, and has learned first aid training from Scotty in case of emergencies. When he’s nervous or lying to friends, he has a tell (laughs very loudly), but neither of these traits comes out when he’s in a hostage negotiation. Has once used himself as a hostage substitute to save a little girl from a bank robbery, Brian later killing the man in his attempt to rescue Brock. This incident is a sore spot for Brian and Brock, neither of them speaking about it despite its obvious impact on them and their relationship.

Terroriser: Works with the BBS as a criminal profiler for high-risk crimes. Works mainly with Brock and WildCat because this type of profiling is less about everyday crime and more of wide-scale situations (high stalk robberies, serial killer, active shooters, etc). Can have a massive bit of a chip on his shoulder, and takes his Irish heritage very seriously. Has an expectation of always getting his target, and takes it hard if someone slips away. At a young age in Ireland, Brian solved a serial killer case that officers couldn’t, which has haunted him throughout his life and made him leave his country to come to the USA (”You’re the serial killer kid! Can I have your autograph?”). Has a love/hate relationship with Nogla and Vanoss, depending on the day, as he sees them like brothers (hence why they also drive him up the wall faster than anyone else in the precinct). His “friendship” with Brock is complex. Despite this, has an unreasonable need to protect him. Will not talk about what happened in the bank. Anyone who mentions it, except Brock, is asking for a tongue lashing. Doesn’t deal with emotions; would rather shoot something. Does seek out physical comfort (hugs, snuggling, etc) from his friends when overtired. Will always get hit on if they go out somewhere, despite being the one with the least amount of sexual experience in the group.  

BigJiggly: Working with dead people all the time (he’s a coroner), Anthony doesn’t take life too seriously. Tyler can be seen hanging out in the lab on days when he’s burnt out from work (though he won’t go down there while a body is out). One of the only people that the chief lets his guard down with. Always has a “friend of a friend” who knows information about the crime, but never tells his sources, as he “ain’t no snitch”. Despite this, gets along with everyone in the police department. Has an infectious laugh. He has no desire to be a cop, and respects cops for their work ethic and not their uniform. He recognizes there are bad cops in the world. This has caused some controversy with other precincts, but the BBS squad always has Anthony’s back. Is the one who would get pissed at someone getting his order wrong in a drive-thru, but could have a calm conversation with a man pointing a gun at him. Is blunt, and doesn’t get grossed out by most things. He and Scotty most definitely have might try to catch cheeseballs in their mouths next to a dead body (WildCat banned Scotty from the morgue for a week after finding out). Despite this, cannot stand animal abuse, and cries at any movie where an animal dies. Lets Vanoss sleep in his office if Evan brings him Doritos. A Halloween fanatic.  

Smii7y: Computer hacker for the BBS squad. Is rarely in the actual squad room, as most of his work can be done in his own office. Does send a daily meme to Mini Ladd and Scotty, who both consider him a “meme god”. Might be the only one in the entire unit that knows Cartoonz and Ohm’s past, as he’s in charge of all personnel files, but has never said a word about it. He is known for leaving “Milk viruses” in computers of confirmed child pornography cases, which can track the strand of data back to the original source and corrupt the file. The file can then only be deleted by Smii7y in person, helping to convict those who share it. He worked on this encryption with Delirious, though the cop has asked for his name not to be connected to the project. Businesses like Apple or Google have offered him double his paycheck to come work for them, but Smii7y always refuses. Feels working the BBS squad makes a difference. Despite being extremely smart and sassy while doing his job, he’s not a fighter by nature and is terrified of getting into an actual fight. Keeps almost all of his personal information a secret, as he’s helped take down people with “friends in high places”.

And that’s the second part of the BBS Cop Squad AU. The more I think about it, the more I’m tempted to give this an actual story. So, yeah, hope you enjoyed this!

[brigdh]

A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee. A YA novel starring Monty, eldest son of an Earl in mid-1700s England, his childhood neighbor/best friend Percy, and his sister Felicity. The three of them are just about to begin a Grand Tour of Europe, their last summer of freedom and fun before Monty has to buckle down and behave like a noble heir, Percy starts law school, and Felicity is shipped off to a finishing school. Unfortunately none of them are particularly looking forward to their futures. Monty is very cheerfully bisexual, and has engaged in romps, gambling, drinking, and drugs to the point of being kicked out of Eton. Percy is mixed-race (the son of a plantation owner, though raised by his aunt and uncle, minor gentry) and though he's tolerated, his existence isn't always well-regarded in their circles. Felicity is pissed off about being doomed to learn embroidery and manners instead of going to medical school to become a doctor. Oh, and Monty is desperately in love with Percy, but is afraid to tell him and lose his friendship. This is just the beginning – as the book gets going, there are also revelations about epilepsy, child abuse, insane asylums, and more. It's not all serious, though. In fact, most of the book is light-hearted fun: there are encounters with highwaymen, battles with pirates, parties at Versailles, Carnevale in Venice, villas on Greek islands, operas, fortune tellers, hostage exchanges, escaping thieves, and basically every adventure one could imagine in 18th century Europe. There's even a plot about alchemists and an elixir of immortality which, to tell the truth, felt a bit out of place in the otherwise historically-based book. And, of course, there is lots and lots of pining as Monty and Percy engage in the most excellent sort of romantic-comedy suspense, yearning and avoiding telling the truth about their feelings. A++, that bit. My main complaint with the book is that Lee tries very earnestly to handle appropriately the issues of social justice she includes (racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia), but every one of the ensuing conversations feels very 2017-approved, with every term the correct vocabulary, every checkbox checked, every privilege painstakingly unpacked. Not that such views couldn't – didn't! – exist in the past, but the way Lee portrays them doesn't seem to relate to the characters or setting at all. They don't arise out of the environment of the book, but are dropped in wholesale from an outside perspective that wants to be sure we know the right way to think. And then there's the moment where one character tells another about how the Japanese mend broken pottery with gold seams, see, so that the broken places end up more beautiful than the whole, and it's meant to be a profound moment but it's just so embarrassingly like this person in the 1700s is reading off a tumblr post. But nonetheless it's a funny, sweet book, if not quite as good as I expected when I heard "Gay Roadtrip through 18th Century Europe". What it reminds me most of all is reading an AU from a fandom you don't know. Maybe the characterization and setting isn't always that great but you don't care because it's not your fandom. It has the tropes you love and you can't wait to see the couple get together at the end, so you stay up late reading it on your phone. A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is that experience in original fiction. Seven Surrenders by Ada Palmer. The sequel to Too Like the Lightning which I absolutely LOVED. However I really should not have waited seven months to read this one, because I'd forgotten some of the characters and plots and this is a series jam-packed with multitudes of characters and plots, and you better have every miniscule bit of such details ready at your fingertips to have a chance of following the action. To briefly summarize the plot (a task that's probably impossible, but I'll try to hit the main points) in the 25th century the world has more or less become a Utopia. Nations have been abolished, religion banished to the private sphere, and gendered distinctions made it illegal; to all outward appearances, it is a world with no reason to go to war. Unfortunately it turns out that all of this has been made possible through carefully targeted assassinations, picking off key individuals to guide the world away from war, riots, major economic downturns, etc. Not many – about nine a year, on average, for the last two hundred years. This information sets off a flurry of activity as the characters take sides, variously trying to figure out the conspiracy behind it, hide the perpetrators, uncover proof, keep the public from finding out, and broadcast the secret to as many people as possible. When several world leaders turn out to be involved, chaos breaks out worldwide. It's not just drama, though; behind the action scenes is the frequently repeated question of if it was such a bad plan after all. Is it worth losing a few lives to prevent the millions of deaths that would happen in war? Seven Surrenders is all about the philosophical dilemma. In addition to the one above, we get multiple debates over the riddle, 'would you destroy this world to save a better one?', and 'If God has revealed proof of His existence, why did He chose you above every human who's ever prayed to believe? And, more importantly, why now?' There is speculation about the power of gender, of sexual attraction, of the effect of raising children as experiments, of the role of Providence in life, of what it would mean for two Gods to meet, of how one conducts a war when there are no living veterans to teach the next generation. But there's plenty of action too – the book includes revelations of secret parentage, long-lost loves, a revenge story worthy of the Count of Monte Cristo, bombs, murders, resurrections, suicide attempts, cute kids, so many disguises, sword fights, gun battles, horse chases, and more. Ultimately I didn't like it as much as Too Like the Lightning. It just didn't feel as deep or as grand, possibly because so much stuff was happening that none of it got enough exploration. One of the most best character arcs (Bridger's) happened mostly offstage, and many of the other characters were too busy reacting to the constantly changing political winds to have a real arc. I still recommend it, because it's just so different from everything else and I have to support an author who mashes up transportation science with Diderot's philosophy. But if you read it, definitely don't wait months between books. The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry. A murder mystery, the first in a series set in Victorian London. Charlotte is the middle daughter of a middle-class family, believed by all to be firmly unmarriageable but happy enough with her staid life. The book opens with the murder of a young well-off woman, then Charlotte's maid is also murdered, as are several others. There is no apparent connection between the victims except that they're all young woman, all live nearby, and all were strangled. Inspector Thomas Pitt is assigned the case, and he begins to spend a great deal of time talking to Charlotte – first just to interview her regarding the murders, but then for her own sake. But will Charlotte's family allow her to marry a... policeman??? There are several interesting things about the book. Set very specifically in 1881 (which is to say, before Jack the Ripper) the very idea of a serial killer – as opposed to a thief who murders for money – is new and shocking to most of the characters. So is the concept that such a criminal could appear "normal", that rather than being a dirty, lower-class raving lunatic, it could be a respected neighbor or even a member of their own family. These are such self-evident ideas to modern people (and most characters in mystery books) that seeing Charlotte and the others wrestle with them, discuss their ramifications, and feel guilty for suspecting their husbands and fathers was pretty fascinating. I also liked that the family was so solidly middle-class. Historical fiction has a habit of gravitating toward extremes: everyone is either upper aristocracy or enduring the most grueling poverty. A family of boring bank clerks actually made for a refreshing change. Unfortunately those are the only good things I have to say about the book. The middle 2/3rds of the story drags along interminably, as nothing happens except for characters having the same few discussions over and over again. Charlotte suspects her father! First she must have a conversation about it with her mother. Then her younger sister. Then her older sister. Then her mother and the older sister talk. Then the older sister talks about it to her husband. Then... Well, you get the idea. And it's not as though each new character was bringing a fresh perspective and insight to the issue! No, we just get the same few protests and agreements recycled over and over in slightly different wordings. It's such an awful slog that I nearly abandoned the book. However, I stuck it out to the end, only to be rewarded with the reveal of the killer (warning for spoilers, I guess): a lesbian who has been driven mad by repressing her sexuality! You know, I don't think I've ever actually encountered this awful cliche in the wild before. It would almost be exciting, if it wasn't so offensive. Though there's not a lot of time to be offended, because the reveal, motivation, attack on Charlotte, rescue, and arrest all happen in the last two pages (literally) so none of it is exactly dwelt on. It's probably all for the best that I disliked this book. It's the first in a 32-book series, and now I don't feel any desire to read the rest.

(DW link for easier commenting)(Also goddamn, I am so far behind on putting up my book reviews, you guys. So prepare for a lot of that.)