Reaction Post: Mastiff by Tamora Pierce
Dec. 3rd, 2011 10:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
themadpokerGood! I did miss the wider ensemble featured in the first books but Beka's likeable enough that I'm willing to follow her adventures even when they take her away from my favoured setting. And Beka/Farmer was cute if a bit too obviously pushed for. Some critical notes:
+ I am ignoring the book and pretending Gareth is 7 or 8 because hahahahaha he is not a 4 year old. Even with the excuse of being sold to the slave trade making him grow up fast he does not convincingly read as one.
+ Annoyed that Beka/Holburn happened entirely off screen when it made such an impact on her throughout this book. How am I supposed to be impressed by her favourably comparing Farmer to him when I'm still waiting to be filled in on how they were as a relationship. :l Definite part of why it took me over half the book to warm up to Beka/Farmer.
+ Someone needs to instate a ban on YA series epilogues for the next few years until the authors get it out of their systems. The one here wasn't terrible but it did feel out of place. For one thing I know these books are theoretically supposed to be Beka's journals but they've never convincingly read as so to me. They're far too detailed: I've never met anyone with the patience or ability to write out conversations and situations the way Beka supposedly does. It's a journal, you don't write it to an audience. I pretty much just read the book as a plain first person POV so the jump back to George at the end was weird and jarring. Unnecessary too, I don't need an explanation for why George didn't work out Faithful was Pounce; I didn't even remember that he's in the Alanna books.
+ Did not buy the twist with Tunstall AT ALL. I'm sorry, no, I've known this character for three books and Pierce would've had to put alot more work into his character arc for me to buy he'd turn traitor in such a stupid way. Frankly if she really wanted to do a traitor plot she would've done better to go with Farmer, the way Beka trusted him over Sabine and Tunstall who she's known for years did not make sense to me. It's part of her characterization that it takes her awhile to trust someone and that she's extremely loyal once she manages it. It would've been easy to use her uncharacteristic behavior as foreshadowing, Pierce could've dropped the reveal that he was magically influencing her. I'd've been surprised AND I would've bought it.
+ I know I said it earlier but I really missed Beka's inner city friends. The character focus here was so limited and the characters we did get weren't more developed to make up for it. I don't feel like I know Sabine any better than I did in the last two books and as I said, the stuff with Tunstall did not work. And tbh the only reason I'm refraining from raising my eyebrows at Farmer's sudden appearance as the perfect!dude!for!Beka! is because I suspect I am harboring some resentment for the fact that Beka/Rosto didn't go anywhere. BIASED.
+ I really think this book could've lost about a hundred pages and been better paced for it.
Wow, okay, I think I talked myself down to a lower rating. I was going to give this 4 stars but let's say 3 instead.
+ I am ignoring the book and pretending Gareth is 7 or 8 because hahahahaha he is not a 4 year old. Even with the excuse of being sold to the slave trade making him grow up fast he does not convincingly read as one.
+ Annoyed that Beka/Holburn happened entirely off screen when it made such an impact on her throughout this book. How am I supposed to be impressed by her favourably comparing Farmer to him when I'm still waiting to be filled in on how they were as a relationship. :l Definite part of why it took me over half the book to warm up to Beka/Farmer.
+ Someone needs to instate a ban on YA series epilogues for the next few years until the authors get it out of their systems. The one here wasn't terrible but it did feel out of place. For one thing I know these books are theoretically supposed to be Beka's journals but they've never convincingly read as so to me. They're far too detailed: I've never met anyone with the patience or ability to write out conversations and situations the way Beka supposedly does. It's a journal, you don't write it to an audience. I pretty much just read the book as a plain first person POV so the jump back to George at the end was weird and jarring. Unnecessary too, I don't need an explanation for why George didn't work out Faithful was Pounce; I didn't even remember that he's in the Alanna books.
+ Did not buy the twist with Tunstall AT ALL. I'm sorry, no, I've known this character for three books and Pierce would've had to put alot more work into his character arc for me to buy he'd turn traitor in such a stupid way. Frankly if she really wanted to do a traitor plot she would've done better to go with Farmer, the way Beka trusted him over Sabine and Tunstall who she's known for years did not make sense to me. It's part of her characterization that it takes her awhile to trust someone and that she's extremely loyal once she manages it. It would've been easy to use her uncharacteristic behavior as foreshadowing, Pierce could've dropped the reveal that he was magically influencing her. I'd've been surprised AND I would've bought it.
+ I know I said it earlier but I really missed Beka's inner city friends. The character focus here was so limited and the characters we did get weren't more developed to make up for it. I don't feel like I know Sabine any better than I did in the last two books and as I said, the stuff with Tunstall did not work. And tbh the only reason I'm refraining from raising my eyebrows at Farmer's sudden appearance as the perfect!dude!for!Beka! is because I suspect I am harboring some resentment for the fact that Beka/Rosto didn't go anywhere. BIASED.
+ I really think this book could've lost about a hundred pages and been better paced for it.
Wow, okay, I think I talked myself down to a lower rating. I was going to give this 4 stars but let's say 3 instead.
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Date: 2011-12-17 03:16 am (UTC)It has been hard for me to read books lately, especially since authors who are capable have recently shown a tendency toward laziness. Dropping the ball and making things weird, wrapping up a story line in such a way that there is little to no satisfaction.
Thank you for your insight. You have probably said everything that I wanted to.