Hidden treasures

[fredericks]

So I was in the library a few weeks back perusing the sci-fi/fantasy shelves looking for a couple of books with which to pass the time. When it comes to impromptu book selection I first check out the cover (judging, even; at least I'm honest), then if I'm not immediately sold by the cover and the title I'll turn to the blurb on the back and then, if I'm still on the fence, turn to a random page in the middle of the book and see if I find anything interesting. I'm thinking I ended up picking Laura Anne Gilman's Flesh and Fire because of its cover: vaguely effeminate male character, bright if relatively non-descriptive cover content, obvious magical plot content.

It was only after I started reading the book (three weeks later; I stopped and started at least twice) that I realized I stumbled upon spiffy slave fanfic. It's not bad enough for me to drop it like a hot potato (I'm glancing at the corner of my room where I threw all of Rob Thurman's books after the emo-whining pissed me off one time too many as I type this), but it's...not good. The protagonist, Jerzy, was a slave. Now he's not a slave. But, well, he IS a slave, but now he's a magician-in-training, selected by his master (who was himself a former slave). Magicians, you see, all start out as slaves. It's a whole elaborate wine-making metaphor that I suppose is supposed to be somewhat deep but is just this side of cheesy. The magicians, btw, work with wine. The novel starts out with a bit of world building wine mythos wherein the author does a great job of pointing out the Dionysius/J. H. Christ comparisons. Or maybe that's just me being very very Catholic. And all throughout everyone comments on how pretty the protagonist is. And the protagonist gets occasional flashbacks to all the times he encountered BAD TOUCH. And the protagonist grapples with arousal and...yeah, complete badfic. But it's not horrendous enough for me to stop. Yet.

Let's see how much rope I give myself. I mean, I did willingly read the first two and a half Cal Leandros books. I'm not the best judge of these things. Obviously.

Comments

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

The things that get published, I swear.

In vaguely related news, I don't ever read magical realism -- I can't stand it all, which is part of why I hate Glee with such a passion -- but When Autumn Leaves caught my attention every single time I walked into Barnes & Noble. I still think it's a gorgeous cover even though I'll never read it.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

I dislike Glee because of the very inappropriate interactions the Glee teacher has with his students, but that's neither here nor there. The cover for that book is nice, but the title has me making gag gestures over here. When Autumn Leaves wherein the protagonist is named Autumn? Whu? Meh.

[paradise-city.livejournal.com]

Yes, the protagonist's name is Autumn. That's another reason I couldn't read it -- I'm really picky about names and any names that are similar to mine or that I think are stupid really distract me. That's part of why I haven't read Hunger Games is because I find the name Katniss completely ridiculous, even though it apparently has some important meaning.

Is the Glee teacher inappropriate? That's really not okay. I couldn't get past the first episode or two, but yeah. Not okay.

[fredericks.livejournal.com]

Is the Glee teacher inappropriate? That's really not okay.
Quite, I've been told. I haven't watched the show regularly in a while. But, magical realism or no, no grown teaching should be dancing and singing some of those songs with his kids. CPS would have to intervene.