Bloodcircle - Chapters Ten and Eleven

[kalinara]

So, we made it to the penultimate chapter. I have to admit, I haven't been feeling this book as strongly as I did the first two. I still love Jack and Escott. And I think Jonathan is an interesting new element to the story. But I'm very uninvested in the Francher family drama.

It doesn't help that, while we have an idea who the villain is, it's a character who has never had a scene of dialogue since last chapter. And, while I didn't say this at the time in my reviews, I should have, I don't like how Jack describes her.

( Beware of impending rant )

Bloodcircle - Verdict

[kalinara]

So this is funny, because initially, this was going to be a very different post. However, I got hit by an amazing epiphany MID-REVIEW of chapter eleven and I have to change all this.

(If you've ever been to my tumblr and wondered how I write meta, you can actually see the birth of one in real time toward the end of my last review. It basically works like that. Though now I am resentfully glaring at all of my previous chapter reviews because I MISSED THE FUCKING POINT.)

Anyway, I was dead wrong and this book is amazing, both in its own right and as a conclusion to one of the biggest plot threads of the series so far.

Though, I do think there were a few flaws here and there.

So let's talk about the Plot:

My biggest complaint at the beginning of Chapter Ten was that we spent too much time with meaningless, plodding details of the investigation, rather than fleshing out important figures, like Emily and Laura, who proved to be such a big part of the plot.

But, I hate to say it, but I think those plodding details had a point. Over and over again, we watched Jack talk to witnesses: step-by-step. Methodically talking them into revealing the tiny relevant clue that they held.

We watched Jack break into the Francher mansion, but we didn't just see the important scenes with Emily and Barrett and Laura. We saw the plodding, meaningless bits too: the servants' sleeping quarters. The stables. Step-by-step.

It was unlike Elrod, who is usually a crisp, efficient storyteller.

It is, however, maybe like another character, who operates with a similar methodical nature. Step-by-step.

I do feel like maybe another pass from an editor could have helped the interim chapters feel a little less ploddy though.

There are basically two plots intertwined here: Maureen's disappearance and the present day story of the Francher family. Sadly, in contrast with Bloodlist and Lifeblood, I felt less of a connection to Maureen as a character in this book. I suppose you could attribute that to Jack's emotional state. He was grieving in Bloodlist, and taking cautious steps to heal and move on in Lifeblood. This is more about closure than reconciliation. And even then Escott's more of a driving motivation behind it.

It is a bit of a shame though. I feel like having Maureen as an active cast member could have been fascinating. (Expand the polycule!)

The Francher plot is far less of an emotional investment. And I think it's a shame. Emily, in particular, could really have used some actual focus and development. She's central to so many events, and so many characters' motivations and even the end: I wanted to care more about her. And I didn't.

Overall though, I think the ending justified the unwieldy middle and it was worth it over all.

So let's talk about Characters:

No Bobbi this time. Bleh. That's the big down point right there. But I'm not being fair, because we do "see" her a couple of times (via Jack's phone calls), and she remains the fantastic force of nature that she always is. I love what we see of her relationship with Jack: the trust and the honesty. Jack doesn't fall into the trap of a lot of heroic protagonists in these sorts of genre shows/books, who needlessly keeps secrets and makes things worse. He's looking for Maureen. He loves Maureen. He loves Bobbi. Bobbi loves him. And Bobbi understands why he needs answers.

I feel like, if Maureen had joined the cast, she and Bobbi could have sorted out the whole mess between themselves.

Jack is Jack, for the most part. I didn't like the sexualization of Laura during the scene where he was investigating the manor, or the way that Jack occasionally reflected on it afterward. I think I get what Ms. Elrod was trying to do, but the execution didn't quite work for me. We've known Jack for two books now: he's not that guy. But that's a small complaint. Overall, he's great. And Escott is delightful.

I already kind of addressed the Franchers. Laura got a bit more substance toward the end, but Emily was a non-entity and that's pretty sad. Walk-on-role Clarice got more of a personality in two pages than Emily did in...well...four pages. Eh.

The big new character of course is Jonathan Barrett. And well, the book does at least try to make us think he could be the villlain for like...a chapter. Maybe. But well, if you knew about the spin-off series, you'd probably figure out that he's a red herring/protagonist type after all.

I definitely enjoy Barrett. I particularly enjoy Barrett clashing with Jack and Escott over various things. I love that Barrett and Jack seem to have this utterly profound disconnect with each other that comes their completely disparate backgrounds and social classes. And then there's Escott, who fluidly suits every environment. Jack can occasionally upset Barrett, but it's Escott who really gets under his skin. Only a gentleman can truly insult a gentleman?

I don't recall Jack and Jonathan interacting again in the main series, though it's implied that Jonathan and Escott still communicate occasionally. There is however a post-series novella that is just our two vampire heroes, and it's pretty dandy too. And maybe provides one tiny last bit of closure on the Maureen issue.

It'll be a while before we get there though.

So anyway, yes, it passes. Now I need to think of another book to take its place.