A Monstrous Regiment of Women (by Laurie R. King)*
The second book in the Mary Russell series, and what a strange book. I loved half of it (the relationship between Russell and Holmes), and hated the other half (the Temple plot). I will elaborate between spoiler tags!
Ramping up the sexual tension was just awesome, and I loved the tension, the resolution, the thole thing. I also loved her inheriting her money, and getting fancy clothes, a new apartment, having a kind of Cinderella moment. I mean who doesn't love that?
HOWEVER. The Temple plot was so bad. At first it just felt pointless, like, why the hell is Mary even involving herself in this clearly bizarre cult-like organization? Then it was boring, with long recountings of the "sermons" and arguments about the Bible, and it was like, oh my god I DO NOT CARE JUST FUCK SHERLOCK ALREADY.
Then the mystery part started, and it got much better. I liked the denouement, Annie Mudd, the resolution, all that stuff. What I DID NOT ENJOY was ALL THAT NEEDLE BUSINESS. I have a PHOBIA vis a vis injections, which made a plotline ALL ABOUT INJECTIONS (mostly involuntary ones) incredibly disturbing. Since I was listening to it, I couldn't exactly skip paragraphs. I would turn the volume all the way down and turn it back up when I thought I was safe only to hear "syringe" or "plunger" or "under the skin" or some other HORRIFYING PHRASE. At one point I almost thought I would have to take a Valium to avoid crashing my car. (You will be glad to know I didn't. I really don't take Valium very much at all, but I do enjoy the comfort of knowing it's there.) Anyway that is not Laurie R. King's fault, but it WAS A PROBLEM FOR ME.
I'm sure I'll download the next one, though. People who have read it can tell me if it gets better and less needly in book three.
Ramping up the sexual tension was just awesome, and I loved the tension, the resolution, the thole thing. I also loved her inheriting her money, and getting fancy clothes, a new apartment, having a kind of Cinderella moment. I mean who doesn't love that?
HOWEVER. The Temple plot was so bad. At first it just felt pointless, like, why the hell is Mary even involving herself in this clearly bizarre cult-like organization? Then it was boring, with long recountings of the "sermons" and arguments about the Bible, and it was like, oh my god I DO NOT CARE JUST FUCK SHERLOCK ALREADY.
Then the mystery part started, and it got much better. I liked the denouement, Annie Mudd, the resolution, all that stuff. What I DID NOT ENJOY was ALL THAT NEEDLE BUSINESS. I have a PHOBIA vis a vis injections, which made a plotline ALL ABOUT INJECTIONS (mostly involuntary ones) incredibly disturbing. Since I was listening to it, I couldn't exactly skip paragraphs. I would turn the volume all the way down and turn it back up when I thought I was safe only to hear "syringe" or "plunger" or "under the skin" or some other HORRIFYING PHRASE. At one point I almost thought I would have to take a Valium to avoid crashing my car. (You will be glad to know I didn't. I really don't take Valium very much at all, but I do enjoy the comfort of knowing it's there.) Anyway that is not Laurie R. King's fault, but it WAS A PROBLEM FOR ME.
I'm sure I'll download the next one, though. People who have read it can tell me if it gets better and less needly in book three.
posted by mo pie at 1:02 PM
3 Comments:
I am so glad you said this, because I felt the exact same way. Loved the first book, but the whole Temple thing just bugged me.
I'm glad you felt the same! I want to read the abridged version with the entire Temple plotline cut out. It would be short, but sexy.
Did you give the third one a shot?
I haven't read the third one yet, but I think I'll give it a try. I just checked the author's website, and it looks like an interesting plot.
Sign me up for your abridged version of A Monstrous Regiment of Women!
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