Narcissus in Chains; because I just won't let that horse die

[ellenel13.livejournal.com]

So, today I began choosing the books I'm going to be taking to my new dorm in a months time and I ran across the old copy of Narcissus in Chains that I rescued from my town's public library soon-to-be-trash bin a few years ago and I couldn't help myself; I actually flipped through the pages. I'm convinced these books have some sort of magnetic pull that entrances people for a few minutes. That's the only thing that can explain their continued success.

Anyway, I ended up wondering about some of the plot points that LKH pretty much forgot about. I only tried to read Ceruleans Sins after that, and I must admit it scarred my psyche, so I maybe she did mention some of this stuff and I just wasn't brave enough to wade through the horrifying attempts at a JC/Asher/Anita "threesome" (JC and Asher need the assistance of a woman to fuck? WTH?). So, I ask those of you who were strong minded enough to deal with the hell that were the next books, did LKH ever do anything with the following plots even if it was only at the "epilogue" at the end of all the books:

The thing with Dolph and his son marrying a vampire. That was the only part of Narcissus in Chains were I was actually interested in what was going on instead of just morbidly fascinated at the sheer badness of the book. Did Anita ever meet with Dolph's wife like she promised to do?

The werefox Jill. And while we're on the subject, why did LKH decide to characterize foxes as cowards? In all the legends I've ever read, foxes were either powerful tricksters and villains or sacred animals. Did LKH do her fox research from Dora the Explorer?

And no, I will not be taking that book with me to college.

Comments

[kyalesyin.livejournal.com]

That whole thing juststrikes me as incredably sad. I can't imagine something much more tragic than a woman like that, who finds absolutley nothing in sex or intimacy except profit.

[nightangel486.livejournal.com]

I want a shirt that says "Anita Blake: She's your omg, Leopard Queen"

[nightangel486.livejournal.com]

I think the insane timeline is LKH's attempt to keep Anita from aging. LKH herself is aging much faster than her avatar, and so she's reduced the timeline of the books in order to keep Anita younger longer.

[tsubaki-ny.livejournal.com]

Ow. Ow. Just... OW!

[ravenhaley.livejournal.com]

I think I should also mention that Peter has gone through girlfriends like changing his underwear himself.

From what I read in the spoilers, he has had two girlfriends who couldn't take his hard sex life. Oh and did I mention he has a huge crush on Anita.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

that is a plausible theory, given the whole OMFG ANITA WILL BE THIRTY IN ONLY THREE MORE YEARS! *FLAILS*

Because one you reach thirty, your life is officially over, much in the same way should you fall pregnant with a mutant vampire werebaby. Look what turning 30 did to poor Ronnie.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

It'd probably make more sense than the, "Whatever you want, what ever you need" Micah shirts (http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/Merchandise/MichaShirt.jpg) available.

I also wouldn't mind having a list of all the sparkly things that Anita is, and then just something along the lines of, "all these villages share the same idiot."

Also, a t-shirt range of missing posters for characters and plot.

[pandorasblog]

I can forgive it because in some series they use that regularly and have it make sense. Like in Anne Rice's books, becoming a vampire sort of fixes the map of your body so that any changes you make automatically try to heal over the course of the daytime sleep. And I think we've seen hints of that in the Anitaverse, such as those references to weres needing surgery to be done with silver instruments in order to keep wounds from closing...

Re: two days?!?!

[pandorasblog]

She doesn't need to walk; she's floating on the cloud of her own speshulness. Or something. ;)

[pandorasblog]

This would make a lot of sense. It ties in with what we've discussed here about how the books began in the 1980s, and Anita's still using the slang/wearing the clothes that a young woman like her would've done at the time: well, like LKH would've done at the time. I think with long-running series it's kind of a given that you look the other way on stuff like that unless it's really badly handled (in the X-Men comics, there's been forty-plus years of comics, but I think the events of the comics have maybe only covered fifteen years, to judge by character ages), but for LKH it probably is yet another source of insecurity...

[ellenel13.livejournal.com]

. . . Who's Peter?

[amamelina.livejournal.com]

Please, love of God and baby kittens, tell me you don't mean Peter, as in Edward's stepson. That's the only Peter I remember in the series, and I'll bomb LKH if she has some minor mooning over Anita.

[queenettefallon.livejournal.com]

To be serious for a moment, which I know you weren't being - maybe seriously sarcastic. ;)

I don't know why so many people think thirty is badEVILbad! I'm over thirty by a few years myself and since the beginning of this year I've gotten come-ons from three different dudes. Granted in none of the cases was I actually interested in coming on, but still I think it proves that a women over thirty can still attract men (whether she wants to or not).

And really turning thirty didn't feel any different for me than turning twenty did.

[cicipsychobunny.livejournal.com]

Oh Jesus that shirt's lame.

[ravenhaley.livejournal.com]

That would be the same Peter. Here are the spoilers:

Peter gets clawed pretty good by a weretiger trying to help Anita.

He needs rough sex because he has issues with women because of his rape by Amanda in OB- and it was too rough for his first two girlfriends.

And, the kicker of it all - but no big surprise- he has a crush on Anita and she's his hero because she saved his family.

Lovely, ain't it?

The worst part is Peter is suppose to be around 14/15 years old. LKH will try to justify her actions by making Peter be 17/18.

Peter is a kid who has been abused and instead of getting help like going to therapy for his issues lets give him a gun and women to screw. *eyeroll*

I am not surprise this is where they are taking him. Look at Nate for crying out loud. This was a creature Anita was trying to help since BO and BM. Yet, somewhere from OB and NIC he no longer became this scared helpless barely over the age of 18 who was abused and kicked to the sideline. Oh no, he became a "stud muff"

I think LKH won't write about therapy maybe because she is afraid she will learn that sex can't and will not solve your problems. Instead of drinking like most "normal" people, LKH has made Anita and the rest of the characters think sex is the answer to the questions. Anita still hasn't gotten over her mother's death or her father re-marrying. How about her ex who left her because she was mixed. She still harbors these issues and is making her life evening more of a mess the more she buries the problems underneath the next person she sleeps with.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

Not to mention, typo-fu!

Oh, all the difference that a single space makes. Though, not nearly so amusing as one of the Dresden Files icons that's going around with "Life is a journey, time is a river, the door is a jar," and while the original quote is so very funny, I can't help but giggle at the extra space there because it totally changes the meaning of the quote.

[dwg.livejournal.com]

I'm 25 and I feel like I'm still 17. I have no real intention of growing up and becoming a real person (or at least, I plan on growing old disgracefully), so I'm probably gonna shrug at the whole 30 deal. Which is why I find it amusing that there's just so much negativity associated with it.

[alex-lebeau.livejournal.com]

They managed to screw that one up? Someone must fix this. That was a marvelously Zen-fu joke.

[alex-lebeau.livejournal.com]

Wait, what? Wasn't it just a handjob? How the hell does that translate into liking the rough stuff?

Dear gods this woman is fucked up. Apparently every rape victim now loves the rough stuff. Also, teh gay is merely code for "waiting for the right hetero subconsciously." Headdesk, headdesk, head effing DESK.

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

Oh dude. LKH just admits how pathetic Micah is with that shirt.

[frabjously.livejournal.com]

He needs rough sex because he has issues with women because of his rape by Amanda in OB- and it was too rough for his first two girlfriends.

What? What? WHAT? Just.... WTF? This spoiler deserves a lashouts post all to itself I think.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

When I was 19, I felt 33. When I was 25, I felt 19.

It's all in how you're able to face life. I think LKH and Anita believe in 'the fast growing up that happens with tragedy' and neither is aware of nurturing the kid inside.

If you don't believe in the strength of creativity and 'youth' in your heart - Then the wellspring will real trickle down to nothing when you get older.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

Diane Duane's books in her 'So You Wanna Be A Wizard' series have that problem. She started writing them in the early 90's and then continued the saga recently in the 00's.

There are certain incongruities in terms of technology. But you either understand she's trying to make the books culturally relevant for pre-teens and teens now or you miffle about ab Apple II becoming an iBook in what is really only a matter of weeks.

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

I echo the wtf's.

A young boy who was sexually assaulted like that in such extreme conditions should be in therapy learning that was the exception and not the rule. Or should be hanging out with Edward learning that was a monster in human skin and we kill those and this is how to tell the difference between monsters, douchebags (which we only beat up) and regular people.

I know I'm grasping at logic here. But while I can absolutely believe Peter having an ideation on Anita because she did help his family (after all the whole thing helped him grow closer to Edward) - I do not believe that Anita who has sex with anybody is someone the character should continue to feel anything for. It should be a shock to see a 'hero' in such a sexualized manner - like seeing Rambo cross dressed and serving a dominatrix.

How many 'oopsies, I dropped the ball' does it take for Edward to let a young boy he's training to handle his violent impulses be anywhere near yet another female monster in human skin?!

[witchwillow.livejournal.com]

/snickers/ It's gonna take 16 books to get to the Goblin Court

*skips away having satisfactorily poked*