Succubus Dreams

[Mij]

Hey all, just wanted to let you know I picked up Richelle Mead's latest, Succubus Dreams at my bookstore today.  I haven't had a chance to read it yet (sorry, kids linear algebra comes first Richelle) but I'll post a review soon!

[THETA]

Ugh, i didn't know it came out!  When i went to the bookstore i went to get an SAT II Math Level 2 study guide and that comes first.  That crap's annoying, but math has prerogative as well as the second draft of my extended essay. If i bought the Succubus Dreams i would have pushed everything else aside and ended up failing everything this week.  Sorry Michelle, but i promise this weekend i'll get it.

[THETA]

You lied Mij!  I just called my local bookstore and they said it comes out on Oct. 1, wednesday.  Well, maybe your bookstore just got it early, but i reserved two copies (one for my friend).  Thanks for the heads up anyways Mij.

[Mij]

You lied Mij!  I just called my local bookstore and they said it comes out on Oct. 1, wednesday.  Well, maybe your bookstore just got it early, but i reserved two copies (one for my friend).  Thanks for the heads up anyways Mij.

Sorry Theta, but I didn't lie.  My copy is sitting right on the desk beside me.  However, I checked Amazon's website, and they list the release date as 30 September, which means I did get the book a day early.  I guess my bookstore really likes me.

Sorry for the confusion.

<edited to remove redundant comment>

[Starbeam]

Pretty much all books are released on Tuesdays, along with movies and music.  It's possible to get it a day early if the store was putting out stock late at night, or whatnot.  The Borders I go to was putting out the new books last night around 7:30ish, so if I'd waited around I could have gotten the book.  Although that would have required knowing it was coming out.  But now I know what my next book will be.

[Mij]

Well, I just finished my first read-through, and I have to say, Richelle has maintained my already high opinion of her writing skills.  A lot happens in this book (though I won't go into any further details to avoid spoiling) but the pacing is such that it doesn't seem forced or hurried.  The characters are all here, plus a few new arrivals that promise interesting developments ahead.

Speaking of developments ahead, this is definitely a character-driven installment in the series.  Richelle mentioned in her blog that she prefers characters that evolve, grow and change, and she has definitely demonstrated that statement here.  This is not to say that the book lacks action, but rather that the action is subordinate to the character's interactions and situations -- to the point that I sometimes felt the "action" plot was an afterthought.  That said, however, I thought the handling of the many character developments was excellent.

If I have a complaint, it's that some of the characters seem somewhat underutilized in this installment.  Doug comes to mind.  Though to be fair, he was a prominent feature of the last installment, so maybe it's time to let others have the spotlight.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  It was eminently readable, and I look forward to the next.  Thanks for another great read, Richelle. 

[THETA]

I love the Succubus series.  It gives intelligence to slutty romances.

My only problem is something that not only appeared in this newest installment, but in Succubus on Top too.  For such a long, suspenseful, eventful rising action, the resolution is always way too quick and convenient.  In Top we spend 200 pages reading about how she slowly comes to the realization that all her friends were under the influence of crazy ambrosia sauce just so Jerome and Carter could give her a splinter that blows up the demi-God, which took all of a 10 page chapter.  Same thing with Dreams, 200 pages of weird dreams and power drains and going to Erik and Dante for information just to have a short chapter on the angels bagging Nyx.  The actual bagging of Nyx took all of three paragraphs.

I mean, i get having a resolution that parallels the chaos of battle and whatnot, but i think in this case Ms. Mead's concern is more with the falling action or denouement than the resolution.  But hey, Succubus Dream was the only way i could relax after a hectic week at high school. 

To Mij, i believe she might have underutilized Doug in this novel, but i think she put more into Hugh in Dreams, which i liked since my favorite secondary characters in the series is probably Hugh, after of course my lurid fascination with Jerome.  Love Jerome.  Evil, protective, authoritative, looks like John Cusack--what's not to like?