{"id":5208,"date":"2015-04-05T15:32:30","date_gmt":"2015-04-05T19:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=5208"},"modified":"2015-04-07T20:06:51","modified_gmt":"2015-04-08T00:06:51","slug":"a-key-an-egg-an-unfortunate-remark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/5208","title":{"rendered":"A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark<\/a><\/em> (2014) Harry Connolly<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A-Key-an-Egg-an-Unfortunate-Remark\"<\/a>I saw a post\/comment by the author, talking about the lack of older women in supernatural fantasy, and how since he couldn’t find any such books, he’d have to write one himself.<\/p>\n

I immediately snatched it up and tweeted about it, because regardless as to whether it was any good or not, I wanted to give my money to anyone who’d write that.<\/p>\n

The book opens with Aloysius Pierce going to one of his aunt Marley Jacobs’ parties, which he hates, but feels bound to attend, since he wants to ask her a favor.<\/p>\n

This book is about him, only in the way that any mystery is about the murdered victim. The main characters are Marley Jacobs (and don’t think I didn’t catch that name) and her other nephew, Albert Smalls.<\/p>\n

There is a LOT left unsaid about Albert and Aloysius’ mother, who is also Marely’s sister, which was frustrating. Hints were repeatedly dropped about her, but never followed through. I would have preferred no hints and allusions, honestly. <\/p>\n

So the book is told in third person omniscient point of view, which I found incredibly frustrating, since it switched from paragraph to paragraph sometimes, and frequently only to keep us from learning vital information.<\/p>\n

I do not love that tactic.<\/p>\n

Marley\u2019s hand still clutched the door handle behind her. She released it, offering a silent prayer of gratitude to the great powers of the universe. They\u2019d come here. Well, it could certainly have been worse. Much worse.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here. Just here. Marley knows where she is, and we’re in her mind, but we’re not told where she is. <\/p>\n

And the point of view switches just became frustrating after awhile. For example:<\/p>\n

\u201cThey look like beehives,\u201d Albert said without considering how it would sound. <\/p>\n

Evelyn didn\u2019t take offense.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If Evelyn didn’t take offense, why do we care that Albert didn’t think before she spoke?<\/p>\n

This is not to say this is a bad story. It isn’t. It’s an interesting story. I just had issues with some of the telling.<\/p>\n

But despite that, I encourage you to read it, solely because she’s the only older female main character in urban fantasy, and that’s something that should be encourage.
\nRating: 6\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Key, an Egg, an Unfortunate Remark (2014) Harry Connolly I saw a post\/comment by the author, talking about the lack of older women in supernatural fantasy, and how since he couldn’t find any such books, he’d have to write one himself. I immediately snatched it up and tweeted about it, because regardless as to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fantasy","category-urban-fantasy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-1m0","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22005,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22005","url_meta":{"origin":5208,"position":0},"title":"Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage","author":"Michelle","date":"May 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage (2016) C.S. Poe Utterly ridiculous. I was attending a singles\u2019 convention for special people like me to find their forever penguin partner. But after I paid the attendance fee, got a hotel room, and booked my flight, I found out it was specifically for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Marriage Love and a Baby Carriage","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marriage-Love-and-a-Baby-Carriage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18291,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/18291","url_meta":{"origin":5208,"position":1},"title":"Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage","author":"Michelle","date":"September 24, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Love, Marriage, and a Baby Carriage (2016) CS Poe I love this story. I mean, it's like someone dared her to put every single trope she could think of into less than 40 pages, and she made it perfect. I was attending a singles\u2019 convention for special people like me\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Marriage Love and a Baby Carriage","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Marriage-Love-and-a-Baby-Carriage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/11","url_meta":{"origin":5208,"position":2},"title":"Crown Duel","author":"Michelle","date":"January 24, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith Originally published as Crown Duel and Court Duel. Great writing, great characters, great story. (Even realistic cover art!) Unfortunately it was written as a romance. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with romance per se, nor is there anything wrong with romantic elements\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fantasy"","block_context":{"text":"Fantasy","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/fantasy"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2895,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/2895","url_meta":{"origin":5208,"position":3},"title":"The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery","author":"Michelle","date":"April 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery (2011) Maryrose Wood and Jon Klassen Miss Penelope Lumley continues to be the governess of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible, the three children raised by wolves and adopted by Lord Ashton. Penelope (or Lumawoo as the children call her), continues to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "British"","block_context":{"text":"British","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/british"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Hidden-Gallery.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1425,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/1425","url_meta":{"origin":5208,"position":4},"title":"The Court of the Air","author":"Michelle","date":"October 24, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"The Court of the Air (2007) Stephen Hunt Molly is an orphan, abandoned at birth, living in the poor house and working odd jobs until she gets her vote and can leave. Oliver lives with his uncle--his parents were killed in an accident--but his actions are restricted, due to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fantasy"","block_context":{"text":"Fantasy","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/fantasy"},"img":{"alt_text":"court_of_the_air","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/10\/court_of_the_air.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":11788,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/11788","url_meta":{"origin":5208,"position":5},"title":"The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal","author":"Michelle","date":"March 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal (2013) K.J. Charles Set in England between 1894 and 1914. 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