Publication Date: December 27th 2011 (this edition) Publisher: Penguin Books Pages: 579 pages Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. I'd put off reading this book for an awfully long time, and now I'm not entirely certain why. Perhaps it had become muddled with other books around the same time? Regardless, I'd steadfastly refused to pick it up, all the while not actually having any idea of what it was about... Genius. However then the trailer for the TV adaptation appeared, and on watching that I realised that I might have been a little bit hasty on my refusal to give this book a go and I should probably pick it up after all.
And I'm really glad I did. The book was incredibly engrossing, and once I'd started reading I found it very difficult to put down. There were a few issues, that did raise some red flags for me (stalkerish protective machoism wrapped up as being a good thing, as well as a few consent issues) and those did colour my feelings for the book, but the rest of the story was so well written and engaging that by the end I could kind of forgive those earlier problems. Mostly. Well, honestly if I think too hard about it then I start to feel a little bit squicky and problematic, which is never a good feeling for a book. But when I think back on the book those aren't what sticks out for me. What I think about is the engaging characters, the vivid and fascinating settings as the story moves around the globe, the curious story that gradually unfurls and wraps you up in it until you feel as though you are with Diana as she tries to navigate this crazy upside down mess she's fallen into.
It starts as a small story, one that feels safe and warm and filled with bright curiosity, and then slowly expands, illuminating the layers and sub plots that tangle in around our heroine and show us how far reaching this story will ultimately be. I devoured it. And then I found the audiobook and listened to that too.
Honestly I did feel slight Twilight undertones, but they were quickly swept away with a genuinely fascinating story, one that evolves to become its own complex beast by the end of the book, leaving me breathless to find out what happens in the second book. It's not a challenging read, despite its size it's quick and curious and light, although there are darker undertones waiting to surface. It was supernatural comfort food, with a bit more depth to it than I initially feared I would find. And now I cannot wait to see how the story translates to the screen in the adaptation airing on September 14th.
I don't want to think about the fact that it's September already, and honestly I don't know how that happened. Or how it ended up that I didn't post anything for so long. Time is tricksy. But finally, after one of the longest reading slumps I have ever experienced, I am back to reading, and by extension reviewing, and my bank balance is not thanking me for the sudden influx of new books... So September, what pretty's do you have in store for me?
Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one. When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.
Confession time, I've managed to get hold of a copy a few days before the UK release for this book, and I am loving it. I really love Schwab's writing, so I was pretty much guaranteed to pick this one up anyway, but she had me at Edinburgh, one of my favourite cities in the world. Basically I've been making googly heart eyes at it ever since I bought it... Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness September 18th 2018
On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood. Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor—the young employee at Sotheby's whom Marcus has fallen for—is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both—forever. A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities not just for change but for revolution, Time's Convert channels the supernatural world-building and slow-burning romance that made the All Souls Trilogy instant bestsellers to illuminate a new and vital moment in history, and a love affair that will bridge centuries. I'm part way through book two of the All Souls Trilogy, and I love it. So again, a bit of a no brainer that of course I was going to pick this one up. Plus more of Marcus which is never a bad thing. I love books that take side characters and give them a whole book to themselves. Vengeful by V E Schwab September 25th 2018
Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there's Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn't know about his most recent act of vengeance. Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done. See aforementioned comment about auto buying Schwab's books. Add in that I adored Vicious, in an 'oh my god this is kinda dark but also amazing and where has this book been all my life' kind of way. The Caged Queen by Kristen Ciccarelli September 27th 2018
Once there were two sisters born with a bond so strong that it forged them together forever. When they were angry, mirrors shattered, and when they were happy, flowers bloomed. It was a magic they cherished - until the day a terrible accident took Essie's life and trapped her soul in this world. Dax - the heir to Firgaard's throne - was responsible for the accident. Roa swore to hate him forever. But eight years later he returned, begging for her help. He was determined to dethrone his cruel father, under whose oppressive reign Roa's people had suffered. Roa made him a deal: she'd give him the army he needed if he made her queen. Together with Dax and his sister, Asha, Roa and her people waged war and deposed a tyrant. But now Asha is on the run, hiding from the price on her head. And Roa is an outlander queen, far from home and married to her enemy. Worst of all: Dax's promises go unfulfilled. Roa's people continue to suffer. Then a chance to right every wrong arises - an opportunity for Roa to rid herself of this enemy king and rescue her beloved sister. During the Relinquishing, when the spirits of the dead are said to return, Roa can reclaim her sister for good. All she has to do is kill the king.
This is a good month for follow ups to books I loved. Prime example is this, the follow up from debut novel "The Last Namsara" which was beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful. If you haven't read it, go and caught up in time for this beauty. That's it for my month, what books are you looking forward to this month?
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review
Family is power. The Original vampire family
swore it to each other a thousand years ago. They pledged to remain together
always and forever. But even when you're immortal, promises are hard to keep. Arriving in New Orleans in 1722, Original
vampire siblings Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah Mikaelson believe they've escaped
their dangerous past. But the city is lawless, a haven for witches and
werewolves unwilling to share territory. The siblings are at their
mercy…especially after Klaus meets the beautiful and mysterious Vivianne. Her
impending marriage is key to ending the war between the supernatural
factions—and Klaus's attraction to her could destroy the uneasy alliance. As
Elijah works toward securing a piece of the city for his family, and Rebekah
fights her unexpected feelings for a French captain, will Klaus's volatile
desires bring their world crashing down—and tear them apart for good?
I want to say upfront that I
love the TV show ‘The Originals’, I think it’s fantastic, so I was curious to
see how this book expanded on the most messed up family we know. However there
is always a danger with books based off movies and TV shows that things are
going to go horribly wrong, and sadly this book continued that trend. Luckily
it wasn’t quite as dire as ‘Stefan’s Diaries’ who were obviously written by
someone who had never seen The Vampire Diaries or read the original books and
felt like making up some bad backstory that didn’t correlate to anything in the
slightest. There was a lot going for this first instalment in ‘The Originals’
backstory, but sadly there were enough cons to deny it a higher rating.
For fans of the tv show no real
introduction or character building is necessary, we’re coming into this with a
working knowledge of these characters and everything about them. However this
book relies far too heavily on that early knowledge and as a result does no
work at all to build the characters or make the story remotely readable for
someone who has never seen the show. Without the show we would have very little
character development or even any idea about who these people are and what they’re
doing. It’s sloppy and something that could have been easily remedied.
Then there are the irritations.
The instalove, which occurs with both Klaus and Rebekah. The characters are all
so flat and the narrative glosses over so much of the story that there is no
depth, no real development and no emotion. We are told they are in love, so
much so that they will overturn their lives, and after what? A dance? A
conversation? It is so laughable and so terrible and yet that is what the
majority of the plot hinges upon.
There are small frustrations like the inability to give characters the correct
eye colour. If you’re going to base it off a well known TV show, you may as
well actually watch the show so you can get details right, otherwise you’re
just going to irritate your readers.
And then there is the complete disregard for an accurate portrayal of the time
period and the speech that comes with that. It is so glaringly modern with the
speech, slang and informalities, that it sounds like a modern setting when it’s
meant to be 1722.
However despite all of this it’s
quite a quick and fast paced read. I liked seeing a new piece of the Originals
backstory open up, and some of the writing was relatively well done. It was
engaging enough that I will go back to the series when the second instalment is
released as I’m interested to see where they take it next.
“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,”
Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the
illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say,
and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.” Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in
need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the
unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see
supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important
details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On
her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial
killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but
Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with
the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny. Doctor WhomeetsSherlockin William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a
detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and
intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the
macabre.
Oh Jackaby, you had so much
promise and you really didn’t live up to it. But then, maybe I’m just a picky
customer. Feeling decidedly in need of something close to Deanna Raybourn’s
Lady Julia series, Jackaby seemed like a pretty good bet. Mysteries! Deaths!
Crime! Supernatural! Sleuthing! Victorian! Sherlock meets Dr Who? Oh yes please
to all of the above!
So I dove straight in expecting
to be blown away, but instead was mildly put out by the most ridiculous of
things. Abigail Rook is supposed to be an English girl – admittedly she has
been travelling for some time by the time the story begins, but still, she is a
well bred English woman. So why does she insist on narrating and speaking with
so many Americanisms? And not only that, but modern ones too? It was enough to
make me weep with despair and my poor husband try and wrench the book from my
hands. That one very idiotically simple thing virtually ruined the book for me.
It put me in such a rubbishly grumpy frame of mind that enjoyment was pretty
much squashed. Which is tragic because it could have been so very, very good.
There are so many brilliant
ideas in this novel. Some were a bit of a stretch for me – the third floor was
pushing my brain a little bit simply because I was expecting one type of book
and was being given one that had more magic in than I was expecting. And as a
result it could have been something brilliant. But the modern Americanisms in
her thoughts and speech combined with a stupidly easy to spot murderer left me
feeling more than a little disgruntled.
For fans of the supernatural
and mysterious deaths with some wonderful fokelore and ideas woven in, this
book is definitely worth a read, but be warned going in that if you are picky
about English ladies speaking like English ladies, this book may well drive you
up the wall.
The Blackhart Code: Don't let the monsters grind you down A Blackhart can see the supernatural behind
everyday crimes. But some crimes hide even greater evils… Kit Blackhart must investigate why children are
disappearing from a London estate. However, their parents, police and fae
allies claim to know nothing. And as yet more children disappear, the pressure
mounts. Luckily, or unluckily, government trainee Dante Alexander is helping
Kit with the case. Yet just as her feelings towards him begin to thaw, his life
falls apart. As Kit struggles to unravel his problems and dangerous secrets,
she meets fae Prince Thorn in her dreams – but their relationship is utterly forbidden. Then Kit digs too deep, and uncovers a mystery
that’s been hidden for one thousand years. It’s a secret that could just tear
down our world.
I read the first book in this series, ‘Banished’ in March
this year when I was stuck in hospital. I happened to have it on my kindle and
devoured it in a matter of hours. I loved it. It was fast paced and funny and
had such a fantastic plot that twisted and turned and kept me on my toes the
entire time. The characters were brilliant and it was bursting with imagination
and brilliance. So I was pretty excited to get my hands on the second book and
get right back to where we’d left off with Kit and her friends. Only it didn’t
quite turn out like that.
Yes there were still the characters I loved, plus a few new
ones, and there was still the magic underside to the world we already know, but
it didn’t quite have the same sparkle as the first book. The biggest problem
was pacing. Whereas the first book keeps you on your toes with an array of
pitstops on the ultimate quest as you race to figure out what’s wrong, this installment felt slow and sluggish. At five hundred pages it’s vying against a couple of
the Harry Potter’s for sheer volume of story, but there is a distinct lack of
meat to keep you interested for those pages.
I know the point is for the reader to experience the frustration along with Kit
as she tries to solve the case with little to nothing to go on, but instead it
merely prompted me to put the book down every few pages and go and have a
break. An interesting story, no matter the length, will have me glued to the
book and finished in a few hours, this book took weeks to plough through. The
problem was it felt like a filler book. Not enough of a plot to sustain the
length of novel before we get to the next book, with presumably a lot more
action as it all kicks off. Quiet before the storm books are great when they’re
done well, but this one just didn’t quite manage it. I wanted the action to be
driven forward, not to watch as Kit ate breakfast, went clubbing and managed to
get very little sleep.
Which was just disappointing given how much I loved the first
book.
This is still a fantastic series from a brilliant new author,
but unfortunately this isn’t as strong as her debut, I’m sure though that with
everything being amped up for confrontations in the next book, the next installment will be back on top form and a breathlessly brilliant ride.
Fans of Cassandra Clare, Harry Potter and Laini Taylor should
definitely check out the first book ‘Banished’, but maybe hold on for the second
one until you can go straight from the quiet slow pace of the second book and
race into the third.
Be aware there are minor spoilers for the book below In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother. Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons? When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned... Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments! I have always been an avid fan of 'The Mortal Instruments' original trilogy, I loved them. I thought they were fresh and innovative and the characters were brilliant. Then it was announced there would be a second trilogy to follow on from the first and continue the story, and I got excited all over again about another chance to go back into this world I'd loved so much. But there was something about books four, five and now six that didn't quite recapture the magic I'd felt with the original three. So I was looking forward to 'City of Heavenly Fire' but it wasn't with the burning enthusiasm I had come to associate with Cassandra Clare, and for me personally the book really didn't live up to my previous hype and excitement. Don't get me wrong it's still a fantastic book with a compelling story and a host of complex and beautifully written characters, but there were a few things that just let the book down for me. Firstly it could have benefited from some heavy editing in places. There were places where it became so bogged down in description (particularly of peoples hair and eye colour which I only have a limited amount of interest in when there are wars on the horizon) that I really had to fight to keep my interest going. My second big gripe is with a series of this scope with such a vast array of characters, I expected the stakes to be higher and for there to be more deaths. Maybe I've been watching too much Game of Thrones, but for me personally, if there's a massive war with battles all over the place, I expect there to be some casualties. I want to feel the stakes and how desperately the remaining characters want to win - to avenge and revenge those they've lost, and we just didn't get that. We had one death, one almost death and a tragic moment with a character that was on the way to being resolved by the end of the epilogue. It didn't feel real (yes I know, this is a book about demon hunters, but bear with me.) I want to be desperate for these characters, I want to cry for them and feel for them and be terrified that not all of them will survive. I don't want needless death, but on a war of this scale to have every one of the main characters survive and have a happy ending felt like a bit of a let down. So I enjoyed the book. It was great, a fantastic bit of escapism with some characters I love and a world I've come to adore. The banter was brilliant, the plot was on the whole great, apart from a few parts where it dragged (but that takes us back to the editing) and it was fantastic to get another glimpse at these characters, and even to tie in some characters from Cassie's Clockwork series. But I didn't finish the book and the series feeling satisfied. I felt a little nonplussed, and if I'm honest, a little bit let down. But that's just one person, I'd love to know how you felt about the ending to the series, let me know in the comments section below.
So this week’s episode has taken me a little while to
recover from – did anyone else have trouble catching their breath after the end
scene?
I have a feeling that trying to cram all my thoughts and feelings about this
episode into five favourite things would be next to impossible, so it’s going
to be more of a recap like I used to do… So I’d get comfortable, I have lots to
talk about.
I like that after the calm mature Stefan of last week we’re
seeing him start to lose it over the break up, because I love moments where we
see how hard he works to try and maintain he’s the ‘good brother’. There’s been an awful lot of discussion about
Stefan and Damon and the ever changing good brother/bad brother balance. Thomas
Galvin talks about it in his recap for this week a lot more eloquently than I’m
about to, and I’ll link to that at the bottom.
What I love about Stefan is that whilst we were introduced to him as the good
brother of the two, and he’s always tried to maintain that aura of golden
goodness, it’s always just been a façade. We’ve seen it crack at various
moments throughout the first two series’ – Miss Mystic Falls (Round 1) anyone?
And what about his death threats to Uncle John in 2x01? It wasn’t until the
start of Season 3 though that we saw just how deep the rabbit hole really goes
with him. His moral compass, particularly in this episode is really skewed and
I love seeing that darker side of Stefan – I don’t like him particularly, his
actions with Jeremy and his reasons behind it are truly awful, but at the same
time I can understand where he’s coming from with how hurt and desperate he is
after losing Elena. That should never be a good excuse to decide to play god,
even if the person killed was an unrepentant murderer…
On a side note, if he
was going to do things like that I really wish that he’d step up and own his actions
instead of hiding behind ‘I don’t want to do this but I have to’ – if you
contrast it against Damon, the supposed bad brother in Stefan’s head, then
Damon would have owned it, he would have decided he needed to do this, done it
and not regretted or whinged about it. For me that makes Stefan come across as
a coward, and hiding behind excuses and desperation to make it ok, to make it
the ‘right thing to do’. I really hope that this season we get to see Stefan
unravelling further because he’s always been an all or nothing kind of guy and
he’s never learnt or understood moderation or even come to terms with his true
nature. Whenever his massive killing spree along the east coast is mentioned
(which is almost never because apparently most of the characters have forgotten
how many people he murdered…) he always refers to ‘The Ripper’ as a separate person,
he’s never owned up to and accepted his choices, his actions and the
consequences of those. So for me personally, I really hope that this episode
and the sheer awfulness of Stefan (props to Paul Wesley for his fantastic
acting) leads on to us seeing a greater character arc with Stefan falling
completely of the rails and rebuilding himself, not just pretending it never
happened.
Caroline on the other hand, I’d quite like to slap,
repeatedly. We appear to have regressed back to Season 1 Caroline, and really,
if we’re going to lose every last bit of character development she’s had over
the last two seasons, I may cry. However there are two things to consider
before throwing heavy things at her. One, her reaction to Damon is kinda
justified. He really did terrible things to her in Season 1, he used her, he
manipulated her, he was going to kill her and she remembers all of that. Yes
they’ve had an uneasy truce over the last couple of seasons but I don’t think
she’s ever truly forgiven him for his actions towards her. My problem though is
that this should really be addressed at some point, we need her to acknowledge
that part of why she’s reacting so strongly towards Damon and Elena is due to
his treatment of her.
Two, she could be projecting her own insecurities about her feelings for Klaus
onto Elena. Because Klaus is really starting to get to her, he’s ‘weaselling
his way into her little vampire heart.’ And I don’t think she quite knows how
to handle that. Because he really was getting to her this week, those scenes
had me melting. The moment where he takes out her Miss Mystic Falls application
and starts quoting it had me giggling like a schoolgirl, it was gorgeous, and
funny and a breath of fresh air, and I love the chemistry between the two of
them. And really, whilst Damon has done his fair share of bad things in his
time, Klaus has done a hell of a lot worse. This is a guy who frequently puts
his siblings in the time out coffin of doom just because he’s in a petulant
mood at not getting his way, and I think any feelings she’s starting to notice
for him are scaring the hell out of her. However, again, I want acknowledgement of this instead of her
hating on Elena in very public loud shaming sessions, which let’s face it, were
not nice Caroline, particularly as she couldn’t even see ‘how did I become the
bad guy?’ I would also like to gift Caroline with Seasons 1-3 of The Vampire Diaries seeing as how she
seems to be under the misguided impression that Damon is never right. Please
see every situation in the history of this show where Damon is always right…
I have to admit though, it does look like Caroline is just going a judgemental
spree given the web clip for next week’s episode where she seems pretty judgy
about Bonnie’s choice of crush. I either want character development or a royal
smack down courtesy of Elena in the next few episodes, because much as I love
Caroline, this neurotic whiny judgemental girl who’s come out to play doesn’t
seem a whole lot like the Caroline I love.
Let’s talk about Jeremy next, who I am loving this season. He’s got a fantastic plot, which is slowly
being peeled back and more layers revealed each week and it is utterly
brilliant. I’m fascinated by this plot. And I am loving the sibling conflict it’s
creating. McQueen is really pulling it out the bag, most obviously this week,
that moment where he looked up opened his eyes and stabbed Elena in the neck?
Chilling, I have never been more afraid of him/for him, and I am so excited
about that. I can’t wait to see how Elena and Jeremy interact, and how this
continues to unfold. I’m just worried that it’s all going to end in tragedy for
the littlest Gilbert. One thing’s for sure though, if it does? McQueen is going
to give us the best damn show before he goes, that much is obvious. I’d also
like to give him a round of applause for staking Stefan for being a royal pain
in the ass and trying to intimidate and compel him into doing what he wants.
This little brother just got bad ass…
Now intricately bound up in the Hunter/Shane/Silas/Cure
tango are Hayley and the Hybrids? I didn’t see that one coming, but I’m loving
the additions. I feel like I’m playing a chess match, and whilst I was paying
attention to one bit, the writers have maneuverered me to be completely
surrounded. Something big is falling into place, and this slow reveal is
pitched brilliantly – well done writers, you’ve got me. Hayley is absolutely
brilliant. I loved (strangely) the scene with her helping to unsire another
hybrid (hey look guys, we’ve just been re-reminded of the sire bond, anyone
need a refresher?...) and persuading Tyler to take her to the Pageant. It was
strangely electric, there’s no denying her and Ty have chemistry, and I’m
fascinated to see where they go next. Also her mocking put down of the whole
affair left me chuckling, and ‘I have claws’ – hell, I’m surprised Tyler didn’t
jump her then and there.
Speaking of awesome people, I’d like to set up a Matt
appreciation club. He’s always been lovely, sometimes a little bit misguided,
but I never really feel like he’s been included in storylines properly. He has
his odd moments, and then he’s back to the odd moment bussing tables at the
Grill, and I miss him. This however has the makings of genius on several levels. First,
let’s take a moment to appreciate his moment where he stepped up for April 'I got this' - cue swooning! Also his sleuthing ninja skills that we saw in
Episode 6 where he connected the explosion to Shane – atta boy Matt, people are
always shady in this town, I’m glad someone’s paying attention. It also offered
us a nice moment between him and Damon which I have a feeling is going to be
quite important later on in the series. Let’s think back to last season where
Elena had several heart to hearts about her, well, heart… But not with Caroline
or Bonnie, but with Matt.
She talked to him about how confused she was, how she
felt safe with Stefan but was consumed by Damon – she talked to him about the
fact that did have feelings for Damon, that he’d gotten under skin, and
acknowledged that she loved vampires
(plural.) This was all whilst she was human, whilst she couldn’t be acting
strangely or differently if we’re going by Stefan logic, which is always a bit
flawed anyway… I think that now Matt is going to one person who is firmly on
Team Delena. He knew and understood that Elena had feelings for Damon, that she
loved him, even if she wouldn’t say the words out loud. He was driving her to Damon so she could tell him goodbye
when he was dying. Matt has never judged her feelings for Damon and has
supported her more than either of the girls, and I think now, with Caroline and
Stefan having been replaced by banshees and trying to make Damon think that
these feelings aren’t real, Matt could play a key role. Just look at that
little half smile when Jeremy asks him where Elena’s going to go… Matt, closet
Delena supporter.I also adore the fact that he’s actually turning into Ric. He’s the one looking
through the research and trying to help Jeremy, he’s taking care of Jeremy in a
way that no one else appears capable of doing, and now he’s moved in with him
and the epic bromance can finally start… Oh be still my heart!
And now we come to Damon and Elena, who can’t really be
talked about separately because of how interwoven they are right now. I loved
this episode for them. I loved the call backs to the last Miss Mystic Falls, I
loved Damon saying that he was ‘still here’, I loved the lingering looks and
eye flirting going on whilst the dance of the non touch was happening. And I
loved the progress that was made after three seasons of dancing around the
point.
Elena finally admits to Damon that she has feelings for him.
That ‘You’ actually broke my heart a little bit, just for the look on Damon’s
face. That half smile whilst he thought she was going to take it back or say ‘but’
or anything to take this away from him, and then the look of pure disbelief, of
vulnerability and humanity as he realizes that the girl he’s in love with, the
girl he knew he’d never have, has just chosen him. And let’s face it, this is
the first time Damon has ever been
chosen. His father preferred Stefan, Katherine preferred Stefan, Elena
preferred Stefan – ‘It’s always going to be Stefan’. He has never been chosen
not by someone whom he loves, and that look on his face as he realised all this
damn near broke my heart. If that was all the Damon and Elena goodness we’d
gotten this episode, I would have still been happy.
But then we finally see Elena stand up to Stefan, to see her realise what a
terrible person he can be – he is trying to ‘save her’ by destroying the one
person she cares about and loves most in the world, her little brother, and the
look of horror on her face was such a sight for sore eyes. It was so good to
see her finally stand up after six episodes of being pushed around about how
she shouldn’t be a vampire and this isn’t who she is, and bad Elena, feel
guilty and crippled for the fact that you aren’t golden and pure enough for
Stefan anymore – really, I’ve struggled with Stefan’s perception of her and
attitude towards her ever since she’s turned.
For her to finally stand up to
Stefan and say ‘This is who I am now. You don’t have to love me like this. The
old Elena died when she went off that bridge, you need to let her go.’ Note we
don’t know which time she went off that bridge she’s referring to, and I think
it’s as much about when Damon jumped with her in the last episode, as when she
drowned in the truck. I damn near cheered when she said that to him.
And then we’re treated to my favourite scene in the entire
episode. I’m going to talk about the intercutting banshee wail of Caroline
afterwards, because I’d like to just enjoy Damon and Elena for a minute…
First off, I’m loving the evolution of Elena’s dress sense, she has definitely
gotten more stylish since she turned, and it makes her seem more confident,
more poised and assured of herself and who she is, and I love that. P.s. I love
those boots!
The conversation is so easy and natural between them, aside from Matt Damon is
the only person who is accepting her as she is, who loves her regardless of
whether she’s a human or a vampire, who has ‘never seen her more alive.’ I
loved that Elena acknowledged that she’d been thinking about the last Pageant,
about their dance together, and that she’d wanted to dance with him today. I also love that of the two
of them it is Elena doing all the talking, this is all her, regardless of any
information we might be about to find out. There is absolutely nothing on Damon’s
part of encourage this outpouring from her. He just sits there and looks
silently flawed by what he’s hearing, and really if you put that with the ‘you’
from earlier, I’m not really surprised. He’s more vulnerable and more human now
than we’ve ever seen him before, and much as I love cocky and arrogant and
funny Damon, I love seeing him like this even more.
And really how perfect is that dance? It’s quiet, it’s content, they are both
so comfortable with each other and it looks as though they are coming home as
he settles his head against hers. It’s beautiful and the music choice of ‘Kiss
Me’ by Ed Sheeran just makes it into an even more beautiful moment.
I love that first kiss between them, lingering and quiet, after the explosion
of a kiss that they last had outside the motel in 3x19, and I love how it
builds. I would have loved for Damon to pull back and look at her, not to say
anything, but just to try and find some reassurance that this is what she
wants, because it does go from kiss to explosion pretty quickly, and I would
have liked some sort of moment where he gets some reassurance.
That said I love that she takes the initiative to start with, the
furniture/lamp throwing and pinning him to the wall (another fantastic moment
of him looking completely undone by her as if he truly can’t believe what’s
happening.) But I also love that the power is equal, he pins her, he responds;
it’s on an equal footing that they come together. And that’s shown even further
when they make it up to his bedroom. Again, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Damon
more human and vulnerable, he is completely undone by her and it seems like she
knows it if that smile is anything to go by. It’s passionate, it’s sexy and
steamy and I loved it, and that last kiss before the title card? Gorgeous.
And then we have the controversial element, aka the shrill
yapping of Caroline as she continues to incorrectly use the term epic to
describe Stefan and Elena’s relationship. I would love to know why Caroline
appears to have completely forgotten about Stefan’s ripper spate, and again,
please can we see this addressed at a later point? In the mean time, on to the
sire bond, which actually doesn’t worry me too much. I think whoever decided to
cut the scenes of Damon and Elena and Caroline and Stefan together for ‘dramatic
effect’ was not in their right mind. It meant that a lot of fans felt like the
scene was ruined, that Damon and Elena were not given their proper moment,
which is incredibly annoying given how long we’ve been waiting for this to
happen. It also put a huge asterix next to this triangle development where it
could potentially go the way that this could all be explained away and the
progress between Damon and Elena didn’t mean anything which, yeah, if they go
that way would be awful, but I don’t think it will.
If you look back at the last three seasons the relationship between Damon and
Elena has been so carefully constructed. The show is a love letter to the
relationship developing between them. No that’s not all that this show is,
there’s so much more than that and their relationship. And let me be clear, I
loved her and Stefan’s relationship for the first two seasons. But if you look
back through everything Elena and Damon have gone through, the careful
development between them, the symbolism behind some of the moments, it’s all
been quietly developing and paving the way to give them their proper due, and I
think that if you’re convinced that the sire bond is going to undermine that
and after a couple of episodes she’ll be ‘fixed’ and back with Stefan, you may
have been watching a different show.
As I said earlier, we know Elena had feelings for Damon before she was turned,
and Matt will be a testament to that. Stefan and Elena’s relationship has been
broken ever since he went off with Klaus at the start of Season 3, and even
though they did try and patch things back together with sticky tape, they were
never really in the same relationship that they had been for the first two
seasons, and neither was looking at the other with clear eyes. Elena was
overlooking the fact that Stefan had gone out and killed a bunch of people –
hell, had even threatened to kill her in the most psychologically and emotionally
traumatic way possible. And Stefan was overlooking that he’d done those things
too, and that whilst he’d been away Elena had changed. She’d grown, she’d
learned to defend herself, she was standing on her two feet rather than leaning
against him, and as a result her relationship with Damon and grown and evolved
and changed. They were both hiding those changes and trying desperately to be
the people they used to be. It would have fallen apart regardless of whether
Elena had turned. And now Elena has seen how Stefan sees her, as something that
needs to be fixed, as someone he needs to make better, as someone who is not
good enough.
That realisation has set her free in a way, and she now feels like she can
explore her feelings for Damon, real feelings that have been there for a long
time, no matter how hard she’s fought against them. Do I think this
relationship would have developed between them without the sire bond?
Absolutely! But I think the sire bond will make it more interesting. This means
that Damon, who has finally gotten all that he wanted, will now be terrified
that she is only with him because of the bond, and because of how much he loves
Elena he isn’t going to want this relationship unless it’s real. That’s all he’s
ever wanted with her, for it to be real, otherwise he doesn’t want it. He’s
going to be heartbroken, but he’s going to try and distance himself from her because he loves her.
She on the other hand knows that she loved him before she turned, she knows her
feelings and I think it’s going to be her turn to convince him. She’s going to
have to chase him, to prove to him that she loves him, and not just because it
was his blood that turned her, and I’m really looking forward to watching that.
And an interview Julie Plec did over at Zap2it only makes that even clearer.
She refers to the sire bond as ‘the tiniest of obstacles’ and says that ‘He
(Damon) wants it to be real. She knows it’s real.’ I think that means that
there’s more hope than ever that this relationship between them is real, that
it won’t just be tossed away and explained out of existence in a couple of episodes.
I don’t think that the writer’s would have spent this long carefully crafting
their relationship only to toss it away on a cheap thing like this. So I trust
the writer’s. I have faith that this is going to be the start of a fascinating
storyline that is going to be heartbreaking to watch, but ultimately really
rewarding. If I’m wrong, and my trust is broken in some horrible trick then I
probably won’t be able to watch the show in the same way ever again, which would
be tragic. But I don’t think it’s going to go that way, I think we’re going to
finally get a pay off for this, and the sire bond is just another bump in the
road that will ultimately make Damon and Elena’s relationship even stronger. After all, they've been planing Elena being sired to Damon since the start of Season 3, you don't put that much planning into a throw away story.It's all down to trust, and I trust the writer's.
Wow, turns out I had an awful lot to talk about this week,
so if you’re still reading, thank you for sticking with me! I’d love to hear
what you make of all the shenanigans of this episode and the new development of
the sire bond, so please chare in the comments below. And next week we have
slumber parties with plenty of judging, flashbacks to Damon in uniform, and
Elena wearing Damon’s shirt the morning after. I know I can’t wait…
If you’ve enjoyed this recap, other recaps, or any of my
other reviews I would love if you’d take a minute to watch this video. I’ve
made it to the top 10 UK book bloggers in a competition run by Mira Ink to win
a position as their new in house editor, and in order to win I need to get as
many views, likes and comments on this video as possible. It’s only 60 seconds,
and would mean the world to me if you could check it out. Thank you!
Firstly apologies for the lack of a top five favourite
moments for last week’s episode. It was an awesome episode, but a hideous week
for me, so instead of trying to cram it in with all the excitements from this
week, I will post it next week during the thanksgiving hiatus instead.
Did anyone else have problems catching their breath after
this week’s episode? It’s promised to be pretty awesome right from the very
first details started emerging several weeks ago – hints and teasers and it
more than lived up to expectations for me. Watching the internet slowly combust
over each scene was definitely one of my favourite parts of a truly spectacular
episode. We had character development, ground work for the rest of the series
and some pretty major shifts in every story.
So without further ado below are my top five favourite
moments/things of the episode, only it was so good I can’t guarantee that it
will manage to be contained to five, but I’ll try my best.
Let’s start with that opening, it certainly got my
attention. No matter how easy it is to revive people on this show most of the
time, that doesn’t diminish the shock value of seeing a character we love die.
Similarly to when Elena found Ric dying from the stab would in Season 3 and had
to help him by killing him, this moment with stabbing Jeremy in the neck evoked
a similar response from me. It set the tone of the episode, and it didn’t let
up for the rest of the hour.
The new big bad. Now yes ok it was just a brief head nod to
the idea of the new big bad we may see, but Silas sounds a little bit scary to
me, even if Damon merely paused before continuing on in his epic quest for
love. If you pay attention to the slides happening behind Atticus Shane
(Atticus!) we see not only the big hefty rock with Silas carved into it, but
also a slide with the weird symbols we’ve seen Connor carving into stuff…
Intrigued yet? I sure as hell am, particularly given that little Gilbert is now
fully embroiled into this whole big saga. I’m glad they clued him in with all
the information that Shane had before he went for it, although do we really
trust Shane? It could just be that this show has given me serious trust issues,
but whilst I love this character I sure as hell do not trust him as far as I
can throw him…
But Jeremy takes us nicely into the sheer awesome of his new thread. He now has
a reason for being in direct cahoots with Stefan and Klaus, and I cannot wait
to see this play out. But at the same time, I’m a little bit terrified about
his new Hunter status. We found out a little bit last week about Connor being
unable to control the compulsion to kill as many vampires as possible – that doesn’t
sound good to me. On the other hand, Jeremy covered in blood splatters whilst
gory was kind of awesome, he may not have hit bad ass a few weeks back when he
thought he had, but he is definitely heading that way now.
Let’s take a minute to talk about the hallucinations. These
were brilliantly done, the acting, the editing, just everything about it worked
brilliantly. I loved the forms these hallucinations took, Elena and her merry
band of crazy trundling around town with a bloody Connor, bored Katherine and
perhaps most shocking for me personally, was her Mother. I kinda expected to
see Connor making life hell for Elena, and yes it was gruesome but he didn’t
really get to her too badly. I loved seeing Katherine back again even in
hallucination form, and it was fantastic to have her play the voice of the
audience, to really take Elena to task over how pathetic she has been, to voice
those fears and those frustrations and to almost be a nod to the audience to
say, we know, we’re just waiting for Elena to catch on. And actually I loved
that Elena tried to stand up to them but ultimately failed and broke under
their torment, but that she at least acknowledged all of the things they threw
at her. It felt like we finally saw development with Elena where she gets a
grip, realises that this is her life, these are her fears, and she needs to
suck it up or give up, and whilst it takes Damon’s help for her to realise she
doesn’t want to give up, she does decide that.
The hallucination that was most shocking for me, was her Mother. It seemed
almost sneaky and underhand, and what it is with these mothers and their
insistence that their children have turned into monsters? I’m glad that it wasn’t
Connor or Katherine that broke her, that it was someone much closer to her, who
she would legitimately listen to that finally broke down the last of her will
and convinced herself to commit suicide. I also love the symbolism of her dying
in the same way as her birth mother – this show guys, it’s just brilliant.
Can I put three moments at the top of my list? Because part
of me wants to put the final scene between Stefan and Elena at the top spot, but
my inner shipper would like to put the scene between Damon and Elena in here
too – and if we’re going here, then I really loved that moment on the bridge
too…
So let’s start with the bridge. I loved that Damon knew her
well enough that of course she’d go back to the symbolic place that she died. I
also loved his attempts at mildly snarky humour to try and humour her or
distract her enough to get a little bit closer to her and how they worked up to
a point. Can we also take a moment to celebrate both the sheer brilliance of
the acting and editing of this scene to have the hallucination Connor present
and devil talking over Elena’s shoulder, her torn between him and Damon and
Damon having no idea what she’s looking at. The whole thing played out so
brilliantly. I’ve already mentioned my insane amounts of love for how the
hallucinations were shot and edited, but that all really came to a head in this
scene because it was the first time that we saw the two conflicting forces at
work in the tug of war for Elena, and the look of complete loss and deadness in her eyes when she had truly given up hope was just phenomenal. Then that brief moment of reprieve and relief
when Connor is gone before the sun gets to work before Elena panics (as she
does so well) and Damon grabs her and throws them both off the bridge into the
river. I actually gasped when that happened, because yes, brilliant idea and
also, sopping wet Damon!
Only then we cut to Elena sleeping and whilst I
appreciate the logistics of shooting Damon and Elena and the search for the
ring, presumably whilst she’s unconscious because she’s helpful like that (side
note, would he stick her in the cab of Matt’s truck whilst he searched?) would
be a little much, did we really have to be denied the beautiful sight of a
sopping wet Damon carrying an unconscious Elena home? We like his heroic
moments!
I just love the symbolism of this whole scene. Elena has been fighting her
darker vampire nature for the last six episodes and really driven home (or
tried to) how much she didn’t want to be that person and how she wanted to be
the human girl who died on Wickery Bridge. I loved that she came back there
this time only this time with Damon, and that in order to save her he took that
leap with her into the water – Stefan has pulled her from the water twice, but
this time to save her she goes into the water and Damon is there with her every
step of the way. It felt like a reiteration of Damon saying in episode 5 he
loves her either way, regardless of whether she’s vampire or human, and also a
final laying to rest of that part of Elena. I’m looking forward to seeing how
she moves forward from this point onwards, and whether her acceptance of
herself sticks.
Anyway, so we than have another fantastic scene with Elena
waking up with her ring (only this time Damon placed it there, Damon shippers,
you may combust now) with Damon holding vigil in the windowseat. Everything
about this scene was just so fantastically beautiful. I loved his concern with
no ulterior motives, just out of genuine love for her, and I love that she
finally says thank you and acknowledges that he saved her and she would be dead
without him. There is a lot of talk between the brother’s with Stefan always
respecting her choices and Damon always saying that he would always save her,
but this is the first time we’ve really seen Damon take action, save her and
for her to realise his actions. I just loved the quiet love and gratitude in
this scene, and that Elena finally acknowledges not only his saving her, but
starting to really acknowledge her own feelings for him instead of pushing him
and them away.
I also loved that we got to see in this scene how much Damon has evolved over
the course of the show. Series one Damon, there is no doubt he would have been
working this scene to his own ends, but we actually get to see Damon take the
higher road, to try and talk Elena into the virtues of his brother instead of
pushing his advantage. I loved watching it, and it sets up the groundwork for
some really fantastic scenes between the two of them over the next few
episodes, with Damon still in love with her but not having pushed any unfair
advantages, and Elena acknowledging her own and his feelings and not feeling
betrayed by manipulations which he could have taken this episode. They’re
approaching each other on equal ground, and I can’t wait to see it.
And then we have the heartbreak of the final scene between
Stefan and Elena. I have to say I’m really glad that it was Stefan ending
things rather than the other way round. So many times the decision has been in
Elena’s hands and she hasn’t taken it, so it was nice to see him take control
and say ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ It was also a fantastic call back to Season
2 when they were pretending to fight and he tells her that every time he says ‘I
can’t do this anymore’ it means he loves her.
It was the first honest conversation Elena and Stefan have had in so long and
it was fantastic to have this development and progress to really shake
everything up.
It was heartbreaking – Paul Wesley really killed it, and yet at
the same time, it breathed fresh air into a triangle that was feeling stale.
So what did you make of this episode? Any favourite moments
that I’ve missed? What about that break up, pleased or distraught?
And what
about that promo for episode 7 – so long as we all survive the hiatus next week…
Publication Date: December 27th 2011 (this edition)
