island_of_reil (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
island_of_reil) wrote2014-02-15 11:40 am
island_of_reil) wrote2014-02-15 11:40 am
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Oh, nicely implied, Ms. Flewelling.
I've finished Casket of Souls. There's one scene…
...set at a high-end gaming house in Rhíminee. A sore loser and nasty piece of work — he's been banned from a number of places, including Eirual's brothel — insists that Seregil couldn't have beaten him at bakshi without the use of magic. Offered a chance to back down, he refuses. Seregil offers to strip naked in front of a crowd of a hundred nobles so that a wizard who happens to be there that night can search him for charm pieces or bodily marks.
So this happens, and bold is my emphasis:
And then there's this follow-up, a few scenes later…
As for the book in general? I liked it much, much better than any other book in the series since the second, Stalking Darkness. That said, the first two — taken as one, because that's how Flewelling wrote them — would always be better than any sequels, no matter how well written. It's got the "save the world" plot of heroic fantasy, necessarily with evil that subsequent books can't touch, no matter how evil their villains get. It's got some superbly rendered character arcs. And it's got the UST between Alec and Seregil.
The seventh and final book, Shards of Time, comes out April 1. I hope it's as good as Casket of Souls. That said, Flewelling is wise to end the series there, hopefully tying up the last loose ends of various minor-character stories, before it jumps the shark completely.
...set at a high-end gaming house in Rhíminee. A sore loser and nasty piece of work — he's been banned from a number of places, including Eirual's brothel — insists that Seregil couldn't have beaten him at bakshi without the use of magic. Offered a chance to back down, he refuses. Seregil offers to strip naked in front of a crowd of a hundred nobles so that a wizard who happens to be there that night can search him for charm pieces or bodily marks.
So this happens, and bold is my emphasis:
He unlaced his leather trousers and pushed them and his linen down with a graceful flourish. The crowd exploded in applause and laughter. Those closest to Alec slapped him on the back.BWAHAHAHA.
And then there's this follow-up, a few scenes later…
Seregil grinned. “I’d say we reestablished my bad name tonight, wouldn’t you? I was lucky, though.”
“You did win a lot of money.”
“Yes, but I was thinking more of Foris’s search of my person.”
“What was so lucky about that?” Alec laughed. “He had you standing naked on a chair.”
Seregil winked at him as they passed under the glow of a street lantern. “Yes, but his search stopped short of the most obvious hiding place.”
“The most—?” Alec gave him a questioning look, then realization dawned and it was replaced by one of shock. “Bilairy’s Balls, Seregil!”
“Close.” Seregil grinned. He loved still being able to make Alec blush.
As for the book in general? I liked it much, much better than any other book in the series since the second, Stalking Darkness. That said, the first two — taken as one, because that's how Flewelling wrote them — would always be better than any sequels, no matter how well written. It's got the "save the world" plot of heroic fantasy, necessarily with evil that subsequent books can't touch, no matter how evil their villains get. It's got some superbly rendered character arcs. And it's got the UST between Alec and Seregil.
The seventh and final book, Shards of Time, comes out April 1. I hope it's as good as Casket of Souls. That said, Flewelling is wise to end the series there, hopefully tying up the last loose ends of various minor-character stories, before it jumps the shark completely.