Under cover
Tuesday, 10 January 2012 14:59![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_hydraI'm still working my way through all of the books I received at Christmas. I've finished two of them, which were both very good, and have now finally started Pure Hunger. I've gotten into a new habit of reading a bit before bed each night, but Pure Hunger has been keeping me up late because it's so very difficult to put down after a half-hour. I've been sneaking in a few extra pages, reading by wand light under the covers so that I don't disturb Norma and Cressida.
The whole premise is just so interesting. I'm sure everyone's heard about it by now, so I'm not giving anything away when I say that it takes place in an unknown future, where mudbloods are in charge of everything. They can use magic, of course, and even though they use muggles as their slaves they try to treat them well, giving them lots of entertainment and things to buy so that they don't even seem to notice the slavery part, or at least they're not much bothered by it. The purebloods, though, are treated horribly. They're all very poor, with barely enough to eat, and they have to do magic in secret. Like the heroine, Amaranth Teasdale - she has her Father's old wand, which he got from his Father, and she uses it to help her family survive and live a better life, but if she's ever caught with it she could be put to death.
All of that would be scary enough, but what's even more disturbing is that the mudbloods who rule the Empire have decided that every year, each pureblooded family has to offer up one of their children for a tournament that takes place in a giant arena, with all of the muggles and mudbloods watching. It reminds me a bit of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, only that all of the battles end with people dead. So of course Amaranth Teasdale is chosen for the tournament, and then she has to struggle not only with the tasks, but also the very idea of having to fight the other pureblooded teenagers.
One of the most interesting things about Amaranth is that she knows she's related to one of the Founders, but she doesn't know which one. It seems like she wants it to be Godric Gryffindor, but then when you see the way her mind works, it seems like she could easily be a Ravenclaw or maybe even a Slytherin. And then her loyalty to her family is very Hufflepuff. Remy, who's also reading the books, reckons she might be related to all of them, but how would that even be possible, unless... well, I just don't think that's very likely.
It's a difficult book to read at points, because sometimes Amaranth has to make a choice between two things that seem almost equally horrible. One of her very oldest friends is in the tournament with her, and he wants to pair up together to take on the others, only Amaranth also has a new friend, a boy who claims that he's not really pureblooded, and that the Empire is only saying he's a pureblood because his family are dissenters of some kind. So Amaranth is torn between her old friend and her new friend, and right now one of them is... oh - I'd better not say, I'll be giving too much away.
Something really, really peculiar about the book that I noticed straight away is that there is no mention of halfbloods whatsoever - just purebloods, muggles, and mudbloods. I'm sure there must be a reason for it that will be revealed in the next book.
I can't believe it won't be released until next Autumn. I've only a third of the first book left to read and having to wait that long to read book two might just drive me mental.
Sally Anne, you just have to borrow this when I'm done.
The whole premise is just so interesting. I'm sure everyone's heard about it by now, so I'm not giving anything away when I say that it takes place in an unknown future, where mudbloods are in charge of everything. They can use magic, of course, and even though they use muggles as their slaves they try to treat them well, giving them lots of entertainment and things to buy so that they don't even seem to notice the slavery part, or at least they're not much bothered by it. The purebloods, though, are treated horribly. They're all very poor, with barely enough to eat, and they have to do magic in secret. Like the heroine, Amaranth Teasdale - she has her Father's old wand, which he got from his Father, and she uses it to help her family survive and live a better life, but if she's ever caught with it she could be put to death.
All of that would be scary enough, but what's even more disturbing is that the mudbloods who rule the Empire have decided that every year, each pureblooded family has to offer up one of their children for a tournament that takes place in a giant arena, with all of the muggles and mudbloods watching. It reminds me a bit of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, only that all of the battles end with people dead. So of course Amaranth Teasdale is chosen for the tournament, and then she has to struggle not only with the tasks, but also the very idea of having to fight the other pureblooded teenagers.
One of the most interesting things about Amaranth is that she knows she's related to one of the Founders, but she doesn't know which one. It seems like she wants it to be Godric Gryffindor, but then when you see the way her mind works, it seems like she could easily be a Ravenclaw or maybe even a Slytherin. And then her loyalty to her family is very Hufflepuff. Remy, who's also reading the books, reckons she might be related to all of them, but how would that even be possible, unless... well, I just don't think that's very likely.
It's a difficult book to read at points, because sometimes Amaranth has to make a choice between two things that seem almost equally horrible. One of her very oldest friends is in the tournament with her, and he wants to pair up together to take on the others, only Amaranth also has a new friend, a boy who claims that he's not really pureblooded, and that the Empire is only saying he's a pureblood because his family are dissenters of some kind. So Amaranth is torn between her old friend and her new friend, and right now one of them is... oh - I'd better not say, I'll be giving too much away.
Something really, really peculiar about the book that I noticed straight away is that there is no mention of halfbloods whatsoever - just purebloods, muggles, and mudbloods. I'm sure there must be a reason for it that will be revealed in the next book.
I can't believe it won't be released until next Autumn. I've only a third of the first book left to read and having to wait that long to read book two might just drive me mental.
Sally Anne, you just have to borrow this when I'm done.
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 04:32 (UTC)Oh, don't apologise. I learned a lot, I think, about people and worlds I've really never known anything about before. Even if it was terribly frightening.
I think part of it might be the books, but a bigger part is the way that I'm reading. Remember one of our first talks, just the two of us, about trying to understand all sides of something? I think that's the difference.
Last year I would have read Pure Hunger and not noticed nearly so much as I did this time.
From,
Hydra
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 04:41 (UTC)Yes, I see your point. Sometimes one returns to a book one hasn't read in a long time, and sees new things in the story. Or in what the author had to say, what? And they were there the whole time only one wasn't old enough or experienced enough to see it before.
Oh, I say, why did Draco say that France is full of perverts? Has someone from Beauxbatons said something to him he found objectionable?
-Justin
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 04:48 (UTC)Yes, that's it exactly. I don't think I'll go back and read my old Melinda March books, though. They just...are what they are.
Oh, Draco wanted me to know that a boy from France might try to kiss me, I think. I suppose he's noticed the same things that Daphne and Smith have noticed.
From,
Hydra
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 04:53 (UTC)And as for Draco...ah. What...did you tell him? Am I going to have to...to 'warn him that there's a Dementor behind him and then hex him when his back is turned?'
-Justin
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 04:58 (UTC)I told him that you were always polite and raised to be a gentleman. And then I made him feel defensive (though I didn't mention Dementors), which helped to end the conversation without much fuss.
From,
Hydra
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 05:04 (UTC)I say, he is your older cousin. I shouldn't blame him for wanting to know if he needs to give me a proper thrashing--though I guess I ought to bally well thank you again for defending my honour. I say, which of us is the maiden here and which is the knight in armour, what?
Well. If I'm dashed well going to finish this bally old Transfiguration reading, I really had better put this book away for now, Dux.
See you tomorrow?
Sweet dreams,
-Justin
Re: Private message to Effs
2012-01-11 05:11 (UTC)But goodnight, and enjoy your transfig.
See you!
From,
Hydra