Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: tired
  • Music: Pippin, "Simple Joys."

HALF-OFF RAGNAROK open thread!

To celebrate the release of Half-Off Ragnarok, here. Have an open thread to discuss the book. Judging by the comments I'm seeing, some of you've have had time, while others received review copies.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.

Seriously. If anyone comments here at all, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. So please don't read and then yell at me because you encountered spoilers. You were warned. (I will not reply to every comment; I call partial comment amnesty. But I may well join some of the discussion, or answer questions or whatnot.) I will be DELETING all comments containing spoilers which have been left on other posts. No one gets to spoil people here without a label.

You can also start a discussion at my website forums, with less need to be concerned that I will see everything you say! In case you wanted, you know, discussion free of authorial influence, since I always wind up getting involved in these things.

Have fun, and try not to bleed on the carpet.
Tags: halfoff ragnarok, open thread
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ironed_orchid

March 4 2014, 17:18:19 UTC 3 years ago

YAY!

OMG!LINDWORMS!

ironed_orchid

March 4 2014, 17:26:06 UTC 3 years ago

Does this mean the field guide has updates? ::checks::

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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deire

March 4 2014, 19:34:09 UTC 3 years ago

Ee hee hee! Frank de Rodriguez makes me happy! I was bouncing in place at a certain Frank at one convention over pathophysiology, which is awesome btw, we learn the most when things go wrong, okay, less awesome because those things go wrong with living creatures, but--! Ee! It's all so intricate and interlaced and BEEAUTIFUL! :bounces: (Also, I am going to learn to intubate/use LMA this year, my life is aaaaaaaaaaaaaawesome! And! :runs in circles with excited puppy who is not sure why I'm excited but really any excuse will do:)

seanan_mcguire

March 6 2014, 00:48:45 UTC 3 years ago

He didn't know he'd been written in. I haz a smug. :)

thedragonweaver

March 4 2014, 23:39:43 UTC 3 years ago

Anyone else just know that prospective girlfriend wasn't going to be freaked out by cryptids? I mean, little sister got to have a guy who wasn't surprised (even if he was with the bad guys), surely Alex deserved a girl who was going to be calm about it.

It may be that reading about Frances Healy has biased me a bit that way. "Survive first, then get angry, and you won't have time to freak out."

seanan_mcguire

March 6 2014, 00:49:02 UTC 3 years ago

Fran is best.

jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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beccastareyes

3 years ago

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tiferet

3 years ago

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marooux13

March 5 2014, 03:57:10 UTC 3 years ago

It's GREAT!!!!!!!! Almost finish it. Love Chandi!!!!

celticdragonfly

March 5 2014, 06:06:11 UTC 3 years ago

OH I enjoyed that. I admit, I was guessing that Shelby was going to turn out to be a cryptid. I am so not surprised that Australia came into it. The line about the only continent with that difficulty rating made me roar with laughter and got a whole discussion on Australia trying to kill you from a spouse to my daughter. I liked his reaction to Shelby feeling sorry for the poor lindworm. This does not surprise me anymore than Verity's reaction to Domenic - I look at both and think this is the first opposite sex member of "their kind" they've ever met that they weren't closely related to! Poor, poor Sarah.

elentiriel

March 5 2014, 12:08:49 UTC 3 years ago

I thought she was going to be a cryptid too! But that would be too obvious so I just settled for anxiously reading to find out when we'd find out what or who she really was.

jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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professor

March 5 2014, 17:35:19 UTC 3 years ago

I have had The Munsters theme song stuck in my head since reading this book. Well played.

seanan_mcguire

March 6 2014, 02:25:32 UTC 3 years ago

<3

ladymurmur

March 5 2014, 18:17:36 UTC 3 years ago

I want a Church Griffon. Just finished cat sitting for a lovely Maine Coon, and I find myself pondering how much more fun (and mischief) could be had with the addition of wings...

tiferet

March 11 2014, 18:08:05 UTC 3 years ago

I love my cats but I am REALLY glad they can't fly.

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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tylik

March 5 2014, 20:28:39 UTC 3 years ago

Alex got a dose of both his courting style and taste in women from his great grandfather, didn't he?

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 17:13:16 UTC 3 years ago

Yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup.

sparrowpunk

March 5 2014, 23:52:14 UTC 3 years ago

Finished it yesterday, really enjoyed it, planning to savour it with hot chocolate and fat cats at the weekend :)

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 17:13:31 UTC 3 years ago

I'm so glad.

palsycorn

March 6 2014, 00:21:22 UTC 3 years ago

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I finished last night. I want a Church Griffon too. Wish the mice had been featured a little more heavily but c'est la vie.

Does anyone else REALLY wanna know why Alice burned her father's papers after he died???? Because after reading about Jonathan and Frances Healy, I'm dying to know what happened there.

SHELBY. RODE. A FUCKING LINDWORM.

Honestly though, I was really disappointed that Seanan used the "villain is deformed/disabled" trope. Come on, Seanan, you're better than that.

More coherent review will go up on my LJ tonight or tomorrow.

tylik

March 6 2014, 00:24:34 UTC 3 years ago

I felt that, looking into the whole family dynamic and just how awful his situation was, she also somewhat subverted it. He wasn't in the end much of a villain - it was all just really awful.

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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museclio

3 years ago

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lazzchan

March 6 2014, 00:25:40 UTC 3 years ago

This was the hardest book to put down for any period of time-- I was at work and kept sneaking bits at it. :D I probably had muffled screams at a good portion, laughed my head off at others (oh man, Australia's rating XD) and woow all the snakes! I can see them so wonderfully and it makes me want to cuddle a reptile or two.. or three. :) These books are always so gloriously quotable and I was thrusting the book at my friend as soon as I got to the unicorn bit.

XD I know I screamed when Rose was mentioned. *bounce*

The Aeslin mice, as always, win several happy awards. XD Crow was adorable and I'm so glad the next book is going to have Alex as well. He's so very interesting and I like seeing another member of the Price family.

Poor Sarah indeed, but I'm glad to see she seems to be getting better. Just super loving all of it and I am going to roll around in the happy of this book for quite some time.

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 17:14:07 UTC 3 years ago

Aw, yay. :)

angelamaria

March 6 2014, 15:43:59 UTC 3 years ago

Finished in one day! I was fretting that I wouldn't have time to pick up the book while on vacation, but a well-timed illness (well, depending on how you look at it) ended up with me being mostly out for a day. So, reading commenced!

Love the book. Still digesting before I force myself to write coherently about it. I was tearing up a LOT of times over the first half of the book, all when it came to family and Sarah. Oh Sarah </3 it was heartbreaking knowing where all that came from but oh so lovely to see her getting better and better. That feeling of becoming more "organized" once she got into contact with Alex just wrung my heart out. I wonder what Angela would have said about that (assuming she found out later it happened)? And I wish they'd done that sooner, maybe she would have gotten better sooner, but then maybe she might have still been too far gone for it to have ended as well as it did.

I'll admit I think I still prefer the first two "Verity books" over this one, but I might have an extra special soft spot for Dominic. Loved his brief cameo. And this was amazing in its own right. Lindwormssss and Shelby riding one! That was amazing. I just knew she would be another cryptozoologist after hearing she's from Australia, lol. Although after hearing her routine with the cats I wondered if she might be a cryptid capable of talking to cats instead--the recent tiger accident at the Australia Zoo is still a bit fresh in my head and makes me just think that was so much crazy!

This was great fun to read and I was so surprised it was over (read: it was over so soon I need moooorrrreeee).

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 18:14:34 UTC 3 years ago

I'm so glad. :)

Larry Osterman

March 6 2014, 18:19:57 UTC 3 years ago

Stupid question: Was there a printing error with the acknowledgments section in the paperback edition? It looked like it was the acknowledgments for Midnight Blue-Light Special (although I've not yet dug my copy of MBLS out to confirm).

wendyzski

March 9 2014, 17:10:04 UTC 3 years ago

I noticed that as well, but was not sure if mentioning it would make Seanan sad.

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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Larry Osterman

March 6 2014, 18:34:56 UTC 3 years ago

I was late for work two days in a row courtesy of this book. Darn you Seanan.

In all seriousness, a really fun read. I forgot how much I enjoyed the humor of the InCryptid books, this one was no exception (Shelby and the Lindworm, Chandi, etc). Glad to see Sarah on the mend.

Oh and I don't think that the "deformed" trope was inappropriately used. From a purely biological standpoint, it makes sense (given that Helena is the child of a greater gorgon and a Pliny's gorgon, if she is in fact fertile, the chances of her children being "normal" (what is "normal" when you're 1/4 greater gorgon, 3/4 Pliny's gorgon?) are extremely unlikely). And I kinda liked the idea that the "deformed" villain was only deformed in his greater gorgon form - As a Pliny's Gorgon, he wasn't deformed at all.

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 18:15:20 UTC 3 years ago

I take my darning with grace. Thank you!

sleary

March 6 2014, 20:28:00 UTC 3 years ago

I love this book a lot. The bit with Alex's eyes ... that was visceral. After that, I felt bad for the poor lindworm, too. Alex's reaction to Shelby's reaction was perfect.

I am intensely curious about the papers Alice burned, and I am so ready for Alice to show up. I'm sure she'll make a glorious mess when she does.

I'm looking forward to getting Sarah's POV again, too, although I know that's a couple books away. In the short term, I'm looking forward to getting to know Shelby. I found her characterization a bit thin here, but I felt the same way about Dominic in the first book, and everything was fine once I had the second book to complete the picture.

I'm sure this launch week has been less fun than usual, and I wish you lots of cookies and naps.

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 18:20:14 UTC 3 years ago

I think that's often going to be the case with the SOs, because we're getting them filtered through the protagonists, not standing on their own. I really hope you'll understand and like Shelby more after Pocket Apocalypse. :)

And thank you. That is very kind.

jenfullmoon

March 6 2014, 21:27:16 UTC 3 years ago

Well, I enjoyed Alex. And Shelby, who is adorable. I especially liked them trying to figure out how to have a relationship now that neither of them are "in the closet" any more. I look forward to Alex proposing out loud, intentionally, at some point (heh heh). Yay science geekery and Aussies!

Also liked seeing the Baker grandparents.

And man, I still want to know how the sexually dimorphic species have kids. How weird must it be to spend your days among the humans and then go home to your giant snake husband?

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 18:20:38 UTC 3 years ago

I have figured out how most of them reproduce, and it gets weird.

jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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museclio

March 6 2014, 21:57:29 UTC 3 years ago

I loved Alex's take. I love that he's a scientist. I WANT a Church Griffon.

Also loved the book - as per usual

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 18:20:45 UTC 3 years ago

Yay!

celticdragonfly

March 6 2014, 23:17:56 UTC 3 years ago

Thinking on this some more - it feels that Verity's experiences and romance with Domenic are very much an echo of what we've heard about Alice and Thomas, moved into a modern urban environment. And Alex and Shelby are having something of the feel of Jonathan and Fran - especially the scene where she rode the lindworm. Makes me wonder what Antimony's life will be like.

jenfullmoon

March 7 2014, 00:54:30 UTC 3 years ago

Explosive.

seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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elentiriel

March 7 2014, 00:20:30 UTC 3 years ago

I just re-read the book, and I *love* the line that Sarah says "It's zebras all the way down."

Also, I guess this is artistic license or maybe he has polarized contacts (is that possible?) but on the cover Alex is not wearing glasses and in the book he is described as wearing glasses. I'm going with polarized contacts.

Alex's colony of mice seem to be more subdued that Verity's - I wonder if that's because he's living with cuckoos or because he's a god and not a priestess?

dornbeast

March 7 2014, 15:52:47 UTC 3 years ago

I'd guess that Alex has learned to deal with his Aeslin mice more effectively. It wouldn't surprise me if he taught his colony the Science Rules.

Metaphorically, it's like being in a rough ocean. Alex has a kayak, Verity has a raft.

jenfullmoon

3 years ago

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beccastareyes

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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professor

March 7 2014, 04:22:33 UTC 3 years ago

I'm wondering about Australia in this universe. Yes, the Thirty-Six Society handles protection and study, but I can't help but think that cryptids might be an open secret on that continent, among a significant portion of the human population, at least the part living outside of cities. I mean really. Are cryptids that much weirder than Australia's non-cryptids?

palsycorn

March 8 2014, 04:26:26 UTC 3 years ago

I have some sort of headcanon that's still developing about Australia in the Newsflesh universe and Australia in the Incryptid universe. Because Seanan seems to have a thing for Australia.

brightlotusmoon

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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acelightning

3 years ago

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dragonsong

March 7 2014, 16:01:38 UTC 3 years ago

I had a hard time deciding who I loved more - Martin, Shelby, or Crow. LOVED the book, and just wanted to hug Alex every time he went starry eyed over Shelby. I love how human and relatable Alex is, and that even though he's a dude, I can still really identify with him (RARE in most male protagonists!). I also wanted to hug him every time I sensed a deep and abiding Jurassic Park obsession. Has Alex gotten to see the plesiosaurs that Fran and Jonathan visited?

I also wanted to say that I really appreciate the way you write sexytimes. Verity didn't go on and on and on about her own body, and neither did Alex - they focused on their partners. I know it's a weird thing to compliment, but so often sex scenes are where I want to chunk the book across the room in "nobody THINKS that way except Patrick Bateman" frustration. :P

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 19:17:37 UTC 3 years ago

That's the best thing to compliment. Thank you so much.

melebeth

March 8 2014, 19:20:03 UTC 3 years ago Edited:  March 8 2014, 19:21:05 UTC

I love Chandi. Who is an adorable little homicidal 8 year old wadjet-boo?

tiferet

March 11 2014, 18:11:23 UTC 3 years ago

she's so cute!

jenk

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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yellowblackhaze

March 9 2014, 23:11:36 UTC 3 years ago

Loved this and my wife is now devouring it. Too many loves to list here, but a few things that stuck out. Grandma Baker using the mice on Shelby. I am in total agreement with Alex that is indeed dirty pool. Chandi, oh God I loved Chandi. I want to see my fiance and I want to see him now! And my favourite quote was Sarah referencing Marvin the Martian and the earth shattering kaboom! Please get well quickly, Sarah.

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 19:18:21 UTC 3 years ago

Sarah is putting herself back together by inches. I know she's fictional, but I'm very proud of my girl.

reedrover

March 10 2014, 00:52:29 UTC 3 years ago

Might there be t-shirts coming for the series? I'd love to have a "Let's commit senseless acts of science!" (Paraphrase from page 150)

seanan_mcguire

March 26 2014, 19:18:33 UTC 3 years ago

Maybe someday.

tylik

March 10 2014, 02:11:18 UTC 3 years ago

Just a fricken related side comment - a friend of mine's doctoral project is on the responses of frogs in Guatemala vs. the frog populations in NE Ohio and how they deal with the same pathogen.

Amusingly, the frog populations in NE Ohio have at least partial resistance, and her working hypothesis is that the pathogen doesn't deal well with winter, which gives the frogs immune systems a chance to get the upper hand. (Okay, I spent most of the conversation kicking around a possible mathematical model of the population dynamics. So I remember more about the experiments dynamics than other details of the pathogen. I should ask her. And then I should ask if she'd like some help building a model.)

vixyish

March 14 2014, 18:09:35 UTC 3 years ago

Okay that's pretty awesome. I think you should get your friend a copy of this book as a present. :D

(Also yay, a chance to use this icon!)

tylik

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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tylik

3 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

3 years ago

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