Cal Leandros Books 1 and 2 by Rob Thurman
Mar. 6th, 2009 04:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gategrrlThe first thoughts I wrote out for Nightlife (book 1) of the Cal Leandros series were not all that positive. Cal's overly metaphoric, dense voice grew more and more irritating with each page, and I felt trapped within his head. That is NOT good for a first person narrative book. His brother Niko, whom he worships excessively, is a Gary Stu if I've ever read one; he is without faults and is the perfect Ninja Monster fighter.
It was a real uphill battle for me to like ANY of the characters in Nightlife, mostly because there was an emotional disconnect due to Cal's own emotional distance and lack of knowledge of himself and only surface realizations about others. He is not a perceptive nor an inquisitive individual. He has no curiosity other than (conveniently) what his brother tells him. This is a narrative ploy, of course, to avoid "As You Know Bob" expositions. But it's bleepin' irritating. More than I can tell you.
It was actually a relief (sort of) when the Darkling took over Cal and we started hearing a new voice, a new perspective. Instead of Cal's angsting and refusal to look within himself, instead the reader (me) got a head full of a self-important Bad Boy who even in Darkling persona, screws up mightily. Unfortunately, Darkling merely fulfills tons of Bad Guy cliches along the way, all the way to the Monologue.
While reading the second book, Moonshine, I realized that I started becoming more involved in the story. It took me a chapter to realize why: Thurman had slowly shed the bad habit of making Cal speak in mixed, soupy metaphors and started allowing his voice to tell the story in a more direct manner. At one point Thurman even pokes fun at Cal's metaphor habit by having him stop in midsentence and realize exactly how stupid he was sounding. Niko is, however, still annoyingly perfect in just about every way, what with a dedication to health food, mastery of swords, weapons and hand-to-hand (when did the kid find the time and the teachers to *teach* him these skills, anyhow, while he and Cal were trying to *survive*? It doesn't track), a sympathetic rich, sexy vampy girlfriend, extreme intelligence, etc etc. Oh, and a job as a teaching assistant at NYU! After only his second year there!
Somehow Niko and Cal have the time between classes, homework and grading homework, to go monster hunting, and take off for several days to Florida on the track of a MacGuffin. The absence of the local Healer with his wolf cousin was noticable. I knew it was obvious that Thurman had to get rid of him because otherwise, where would the tension have gone if the heroes rushed to him every time they got hurt? As it was, with all the blood loss and beatings these two take from the various monsters they fight and consult it's a wonder they can move at all what with all the accumulated injuries.
The relationship between the brothers is warmer, with slightly less bossiness of Niko to Cal; as a younger sister of three siblings, I'm biased to wanting to whomp any older sibling type from telling me what to do. I roll my eyes at Cal's constant "You DID know better than me!" refrains about Niko. Niko is never wrong. I would like Niko much better if he weren't so perfect and was wrong at times. He is written as omniscient, which makes him into a know-it-all, which makes him tiresome. It doesn't give him room to grow.
I came out of Nightlife thinking, sheesh, what an incredibly screwed up, unhealthy relationship these two brothers have together. I'd hoped that Thurman would explore that aspect of their relationship more--the resentments (how could Niko NOT be resentful sometimes?) and so forth. Moonshine does explore it a little more with a less quippage and fast talk between the two. I do like them better as Thurman's writing improved.
The Leandros brothers are a nice respite from the glut of female kick-butt vampire/werewolf urban fantasies out there. Their presence trades in those tropes for other tropes (and a whole lot less sexxing and a bit more story). Up until last night, I wasn't planning on buying Book 4, which just came out, but I think I'll order it from Amazon tonight. I peeked ahead and realized that Thurman did a very cruel thing to her readers: she left Book 3 on a cliff hanger. Not good form, IMO, but at least I don't have to wait to find out what happens next.
Now, if only someone would write a story involving *sisters* or *cousins* or *friends* in a buddy-buddy relationship. That isn't catty. That isn't bitchy. That isn't "smartypants"/sarcastic all the time. In fact, my wish list of what *I* would like an Urban Fantasy to be might be another article.
It was a real uphill battle for me to like ANY of the characters in Nightlife, mostly because there was an emotional disconnect due to Cal's own emotional distance and lack of knowledge of himself and only surface realizations about others. He is not a perceptive nor an inquisitive individual. He has no curiosity other than (conveniently) what his brother tells him. This is a narrative ploy, of course, to avoid "As You Know Bob" expositions. But it's bleepin' irritating. More than I can tell you.
It was actually a relief (sort of) when the Darkling took over Cal and we started hearing a new voice, a new perspective. Instead of Cal's angsting and refusal to look within himself, instead the reader (me) got a head full of a self-important Bad Boy who even in Darkling persona, screws up mightily. Unfortunately, Darkling merely fulfills tons of Bad Guy cliches along the way, all the way to the Monologue.
While reading the second book, Moonshine, I realized that I started becoming more involved in the story. It took me a chapter to realize why: Thurman had slowly shed the bad habit of making Cal speak in mixed, soupy metaphors and started allowing his voice to tell the story in a more direct manner. At one point Thurman even pokes fun at Cal's metaphor habit by having him stop in midsentence and realize exactly how stupid he was sounding. Niko is, however, still annoyingly perfect in just about every way, what with a dedication to health food, mastery of swords, weapons and hand-to-hand (when did the kid find the time and the teachers to *teach* him these skills, anyhow, while he and Cal were trying to *survive*? It doesn't track), a sympathetic rich, sexy vampy girlfriend, extreme intelligence, etc etc. Oh, and a job as a teaching assistant at NYU! After only his second year there!
Somehow Niko and Cal have the time between classes, homework and grading homework, to go monster hunting, and take off for several days to Florida on the track of a MacGuffin. The absence of the local Healer with his wolf cousin was noticable. I knew it was obvious that Thurman had to get rid of him because otherwise, where would the tension have gone if the heroes rushed to him every time they got hurt? As it was, with all the blood loss and beatings these two take from the various monsters they fight and consult it's a wonder they can move at all what with all the accumulated injuries.
The relationship between the brothers is warmer, with slightly less bossiness of Niko to Cal; as a younger sister of three siblings, I'm biased to wanting to whomp any older sibling type from telling me what to do. I roll my eyes at Cal's constant "You DID know better than me!" refrains about Niko. Niko is never wrong. I would like Niko much better if he weren't so perfect and was wrong at times. He is written as omniscient, which makes him into a know-it-all, which makes him tiresome. It doesn't give him room to grow.
I came out of Nightlife thinking, sheesh, what an incredibly screwed up, unhealthy relationship these two brothers have together. I'd hoped that Thurman would explore that aspect of their relationship more--the resentments (how could Niko NOT be resentful sometimes?) and so forth. Moonshine does explore it a little more with a less quippage and fast talk between the two. I do like them better as Thurman's writing improved.
The Leandros brothers are a nice respite from the glut of female kick-butt vampire/werewolf urban fantasies out there. Their presence trades in those tropes for other tropes (and a whole lot less sexxing and a bit more story). Up until last night, I wasn't planning on buying Book 4, which just came out, but I think I'll order it from Amazon tonight. I peeked ahead and realized that Thurman did a very cruel thing to her readers: she left Book 3 on a cliff hanger. Not good form, IMO, but at least I don't have to wait to find out what happens next.
Now, if only someone would write a story involving *sisters* or *cousins* or *friends* in a buddy-buddy relationship. That isn't catty. That isn't bitchy. That isn't "smartypants"/sarcastic all the time. In fact, my wish list of what *I* would like an Urban Fantasy to be might be another article.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-07 01:38 am (UTC)Cal and Niko are like Batman to Harry Dresden's Superman, if you know what I mean.
I guess it doesn't come through as much as I thought, but I *do* like the storyline. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2009-03-07 02:26 am (UTC)