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iariaI tried this series years ago with the first book but didn't find it very engaging and put the series on the back burner to maybe try another day. I'd heard talk about these books and having the opportunity randomly decided to try them. And I liked them. I liked the first book more than the second but enjoyed both. I'll probably at some point start reading the rest of the series but I'll definitely be reading the next book.
+ Harry's greatest strength and gift really are his friends and the loyalty he inspires in others. I think that's my favourite part of the books actually - all of Harry's true friends coming together to help him and being there for him when he needed it. He's built, and is still building, his own community and that's something I'd like to read more of.
I loved the Little Folk's arrival and the swirling light pizza above him. River Shoulders was great. Sanya and Butters attacking him to stop him from killing Rudolph, to protect him from doing something he'd never recover from, and then holding him as he breaks down afterwards was a great scene. I like how Molly keeps seeming monstrous/scary but Harry refuses to see her as anything as Molly and their friendship. Michael being there as completely unjudgemental rock in Harry's life. I liked the werewolves protecting him at the end.
+ I liked that Harry manage to win back his home from Marcone using guile. I'm pleased that he has a secure place to call home and am interested to see what he does with it. It's a fortified castle so it has to end up being more than just his home.
+ I'm very interested in seeing how the situation plays out with the 'normal' humans going forward. I think that Harry's plan on how to deal with the Librarians in the immediate future was good but I disagree with the Ministry's POV on how to deal with the people in Chicago. Dealing within Chicago Harry wants to secretly help the people hurt but says that he's not suggesting opening diplomatic contact. ... but why not? Or at least why not help them openly and create an unofficial line of communication? Marcone says that the federal government's decision to try and sweep this under the rug and gaslight the people of Chicago will cause them to 'gravitate toward the security offered by group identity and support' - so take advantage and give them exactly that! Marcone jumps instead to the humans reacting in fear and lashing out but it really feels like they're all missing the obvious here. Make Chicago a shared community of millions not just the humans of Chicago but of the magical beings as well. This seems like the perfect opportunity, perhaps the only opportunity, to do so. Yes, they're scared (with reason) but the memories are fresh in their mind and they'll remember that some of those scary monsters were saving them. Build on that. The Paranet could be the perfect connection point between the two groups.
+ I loved Harry/Mab and Mab herself. Just - everything about their relationship works for me. I think that Mab is a lot more invested in Harry than he understands. I loved all the glimpses we got of Mab's pride or pleasure in Harry. Mab getting 'meta' on their relationship was great and that plus everything else that Mab wants Harry to be as stubborn and difficult as he is. I loved Harry telling Mab thank you three times.
+ I loved Harry/Lara. I love that Harry considers her his 'favourite frenemy'. That's the best. I love their shared devotion to their brother and how that brings them together, and that they genuinely do seem to like each other. Everything with them and the heist was fun. I loved Lara showing up with Molly to protect him from saying something stupid to Mab. The arranged marriage came out of nowhere but I'm not against it. I think that too could be fun in it's own way.
+ I loved Harry/Marcone. What I love about them is how much they end up feeling like two sides of the same coin - Baron and Wizard of Chicago, both in their own ways focused on protecting the people of Chicago and doing so when others won't/can't. Except they genuinely seem to dislike each other as people, or they rub each other the wrong way all the time. Yet it really feels like if they could just get past that they could be the perfect allies.
It seems to me the books are setting up two options: them as eventual enemies who will need to fight it out over control of Chicago with a definitive winner or them becoming allies in mutual accord in protecting Chicago. I'm really hoping for them to become best frenemies myself. Harry acknowledging that Marcone was right to make a power base and then later noting that Marcone fought for the city and Harry won't forget that makes me hopeful about the potential outcome.
The final battle with Harry and Marcone vs Ethniu was great and one of my favourite fights in the book. I loved Marcone's concrete teacup and Harry's ribbing him about it. I loved them exhaustedly laughing together after they won. (I would have liked a short moment in there where Harry tells him "I'm sorry about Hendricks" and Marcone telling him "I'm sorry about Murphy".)
+ What I saw of Harry/Thomas was lovely but what really sold them was Harry's unwavering devotion and loyalty towards Thomas. He was willing to blow up his whole life to save him, he was willing to fight his grandfather and I loved it.
+ Harry/Murphy were pretty great and I was sad when she died. I liked how equal they felt even though Harry was far more powerful than her. I liked how she refused to let him get away with anything - of not listening to her, or trying to make decisions for her, or seeing her as someone who needed protecting. I liked that she wasn't afraid of him and didn't lose faith in him. I liked the loyalty between them.
+ I liked what we saw of Harry interacting with the Valkyries. I liked him with Freydis and I liked the short scene of him commiserating in shared grief with Gard.
+ Murphy was great. That moment when she got herself out of being used as a hostage by using grenades was badass and I loved the revel afterwards that she then grabbed a gun to cover Harry. I loved her taking down the Jotun. I'm glad she became an Einherjar.
+ I loved Mab calling Harry a 'elemental of destruction'.
+ I liked the reveal that Marcone has a Denarian coin because him surviving so well as a normal human felt a bit much for me.
+ I loved that Drakul needed only five minutes of Harry before deciding that was more than enough, heh.
+ So the whole Starborn thing: considering they are immune to Outsiders I'm guessing they are weapons who will be essential in stopping the 'empty night'?
+ Harry soulgazes several time at the beginning of BG and I ended up expecting there to be a big moment where he soulgazes Ethnui and while he does (?) it ended up being a lot of nothing. Oh well.
+ I am very curious about what people see when they soulgaze Harry that causes them to be so terrified of him.
+ I was left at the end with the feeling that the books might go in a Molly/Harry direction and I am not into it.
+ Harry uses soulfire once but why doesn't he use it more during the many little and big battles? That seems like a big weapon to mostly ignore.
+ Considering how vastly important Harry was to everyone's continued survival I was surprised he didn't have a team following him through battle whose only purpose was to protect him.
+ I find it strange with all the hints about what Harry being starborn means and the implication that the Council specifically facilitated him being starborn they would cut him off like this. Are they having buyer's remorse because he's not a pliable weapon? Are they afraid their weapon is falling into the wrong hands? Yes to both obviously but how does kicking Harry out (regardless of their list of controls) make any of this better for him? Do only a select few know the plan for him?
+ The White Council kicking Harry out was probably for the best because they (mostly) suck and it honestly feels like they were a weight around Harry's neck. Yes, there are going to be some dangers without them but I think Harry's going to end up better for it. Maybe he should start his own Council of magic users.
+ Ramirez linking Harry not being truthful with him/the Council and everything that happened that night and the sixty thousand dead is deeply dumb and aggravating. Honestly, I was a little surprised Harry didn't say something like 'Chicago's my city and the Council aren't welcome here anymore'.
On the other hand Michael's reaction of "those fuckers" was so great.
+ Harry's greatest strength and gift really are his friends and the loyalty he inspires in others. I think that's my favourite part of the books actually - all of Harry's true friends coming together to help him and being there for him when he needed it. He's built, and is still building, his own community and that's something I'd like to read more of.
I loved the Little Folk's arrival and the swirling light pizza above him. River Shoulders was great. Sanya and Butters attacking him to stop him from killing Rudolph, to protect him from doing something he'd never recover from, and then holding him as he breaks down afterwards was a great scene. I like how Molly keeps seeming monstrous/scary but Harry refuses to see her as anything as Molly and their friendship. Michael being there as completely unjudgemental rock in Harry's life. I liked the werewolves protecting him at the end.
+ I liked that Harry manage to win back his home from Marcone using guile. I'm pleased that he has a secure place to call home and am interested to see what he does with it. It's a fortified castle so it has to end up being more than just his home.
+ I'm very interested in seeing how the situation plays out with the 'normal' humans going forward. I think that Harry's plan on how to deal with the Librarians in the immediate future was good but I disagree with the Ministry's POV on how to deal with the people in Chicago. Dealing within Chicago Harry wants to secretly help the people hurt but says that he's not suggesting opening diplomatic contact. ... but why not? Or at least why not help them openly and create an unofficial line of communication? Marcone says that the federal government's decision to try and sweep this under the rug and gaslight the people of Chicago will cause them to 'gravitate toward the security offered by group identity and support' - so take advantage and give them exactly that! Marcone jumps instead to the humans reacting in fear and lashing out but it really feels like they're all missing the obvious here. Make Chicago a shared community of millions not just the humans of Chicago but of the magical beings as well. This seems like the perfect opportunity, perhaps the only opportunity, to do so. Yes, they're scared (with reason) but the memories are fresh in their mind and they'll remember that some of those scary monsters were saving them. Build on that. The Paranet could be the perfect connection point between the two groups.
+ I loved Harry/Mab and Mab herself. Just - everything about their relationship works for me. I think that Mab is a lot more invested in Harry than he understands. I loved all the glimpses we got of Mab's pride or pleasure in Harry. Mab getting 'meta' on their relationship was great and that plus everything else that Mab wants Harry to be as stubborn and difficult as he is. I loved Harry telling Mab thank you three times.
+ I loved Harry/Lara. I love that Harry considers her his 'favourite frenemy'. That's the best. I love their shared devotion to their brother and how that brings them together, and that they genuinely do seem to like each other. Everything with them and the heist was fun. I loved Lara showing up with Molly to protect him from saying something stupid to Mab. The arranged marriage came out of nowhere but I'm not against it. I think that too could be fun in it's own way.
+ I loved Harry/Marcone. What I love about them is how much they end up feeling like two sides of the same coin - Baron and Wizard of Chicago, both in their own ways focused on protecting the people of Chicago and doing so when others won't/can't. Except they genuinely seem to dislike each other as people, or they rub each other the wrong way all the time. Yet it really feels like if they could just get past that they could be the perfect allies.
It seems to me the books are setting up two options: them as eventual enemies who will need to fight it out over control of Chicago with a definitive winner or them becoming allies in mutual accord in protecting Chicago. I'm really hoping for them to become best frenemies myself. Harry acknowledging that Marcone was right to make a power base and then later noting that Marcone fought for the city and Harry won't forget that makes me hopeful about the potential outcome.
The final battle with Harry and Marcone vs Ethniu was great and one of my favourite fights in the book. I loved Marcone's concrete teacup and Harry's ribbing him about it. I loved them exhaustedly laughing together after they won. (I would have liked a short moment in there where Harry tells him "I'm sorry about Hendricks" and Marcone telling him "I'm sorry about Murphy".)
+ What I saw of Harry/Thomas was lovely but what really sold them was Harry's unwavering devotion and loyalty towards Thomas. He was willing to blow up his whole life to save him, he was willing to fight his grandfather and I loved it.
+ Harry/Murphy were pretty great and I was sad when she died. I liked how equal they felt even though Harry was far more powerful than her. I liked how she refused to let him get away with anything - of not listening to her, or trying to make decisions for her, or seeing her as someone who needed protecting. I liked that she wasn't afraid of him and didn't lose faith in him. I liked the loyalty between them.
+ I liked what we saw of Harry interacting with the Valkyries. I liked him with Freydis and I liked the short scene of him commiserating in shared grief with Gard.
+ Murphy was great. That moment when she got herself out of being used as a hostage by using grenades was badass and I loved the revel afterwards that she then grabbed a gun to cover Harry. I loved her taking down the Jotun. I'm glad she became an Einherjar.
+ I loved Mab calling Harry a 'elemental of destruction'.
+ I liked the reveal that Marcone has a Denarian coin because him surviving so well as a normal human felt a bit much for me.
+ I loved that Drakul needed only five minutes of Harry before deciding that was more than enough, heh.
+ So the whole Starborn thing: considering they are immune to Outsiders I'm guessing they are weapons who will be essential in stopping the 'empty night'?
+ Harry soulgazes several time at the beginning of BG and I ended up expecting there to be a big moment where he soulgazes Ethnui and while he does (?) it ended up being a lot of nothing. Oh well.
+ I am very curious about what people see when they soulgaze Harry that causes them to be so terrified of him.
+ I was left at the end with the feeling that the books might go in a Molly/Harry direction and I am not into it.
+ Harry uses soulfire once but why doesn't he use it more during the many little and big battles? That seems like a big weapon to mostly ignore.
+ Considering how vastly important Harry was to everyone's continued survival I was surprised he didn't have a team following him through battle whose only purpose was to protect him.
+ I find it strange with all the hints about what Harry being starborn means and the implication that the Council specifically facilitated him being starborn they would cut him off like this. Are they having buyer's remorse because he's not a pliable weapon? Are they afraid their weapon is falling into the wrong hands? Yes to both obviously but how does kicking Harry out (regardless of their list of controls) make any of this better for him? Do only a select few know the plan for him?
+ The White Council kicking Harry out was probably for the best because they (mostly) suck and it honestly feels like they were a weight around Harry's neck. Yes, there are going to be some dangers without them but I think Harry's going to end up better for it. Maybe he should start his own Council of magic users.
+ Ramirez linking Harry not being truthful with him/the Council and everything that happened that night and the sixty thousand dead is deeply dumb and aggravating. Honestly, I was a little surprised Harry didn't say something like 'Chicago's my city and the Council aren't welcome here anymore'.
On the other hand Michael's reaction of "those fuckers" was so great.
