travlbug

Why didn't Chris's pendant protect him from the rape, or wasn't he wearing it at the time? Victor, if not William, is certain to sense something different about Chris: Will Chris be able to keep his promise and stay silent about the Elves? If the ancient Elven texts knew what to expect with the bowl test as performed by a hybrid elf/human, but Chris is the first such hybrid, then how did the ancients know? Is there a prophesy we need to hear about? Rachel could have hidden her pointed ears with long hair, but as a hybrid, Chris may have simply been born with his father's rounded ones: I wonder if he'll face any discrimination from the Elves because of his human ears.

"Elvenhasil" sounds like a delicious German pastry, but admittedly I haven't had my breakfast yet. 😂 Yes, D̶o̶r̶o̶t̶h̶y̶ Chris, you're not in K̶a̶n̶s̶a̶s̶ Virginia any more! And, yes, I think you "bowled" them over (I really did go there! ), but please don't break any more of the King's china (it's not polite ). I still want to know why Chris has round ears: If he were the lost Elven Prince, then shouldn't they be pointed? And what is his life span as an elf? He may not need to be turned to spend a long life with Victor. 😊 That said, would Chris want to live in the land of the Elves if Victor won't go? The Elven folk may still not get their prince back! Can't wait to hear the tale of how the Elves misplaced a Prince!

Dalton's (and Courtney's) fees were well worth it. I love that the President's intent for revenge was thwarted by statistical analysis of irrefutable data, with no evidence for insider trading or corruption. (Must have been "fake" mathematics!)

Rather than delving into the minutiae of what constitutes a novel, I will happily concede that extended works of fiction were written in ancient Greece and Rome. However, The Golden Ass and the Satyricon were still written more than 1500 years after the present story takes place, so I stand by my point that the presence of novels would be anachronistic. 🤗

Luckily for Phillip, ancient Egyptian slavery was not necessarily as severe as that of the southern U.S. before the Civil War: He seems more of a bonded laborer than a chattel slave. He may also have been lucky in terms of his master--not rich or prominent enough to have multiple slaves (which would have decreased Phillip's place in the pecking order) but comfortable enough to be a good provider. The only fly in the ointment may be Naha, Manu's wife, as she doesn't seem happy with Phillip's presence, and she may be able to make trouble for him. All in all, a great chapter! (Tiny quibble: while poetry was prevalent in ancient Egypt, I'm not as sure that they had novels yet, as noted to be present in the master's study. As far as I'm aware, The Tale of Genji, the world's first full-length novel, was written in the eleventh century.)

Vampire-like speed and strength without being a vampire? Impossible for a human but not for a supernatural being: Chris is metamorphosing into something supernatural right before our eyes. The process began with his dream journeys but then sped up significantly (with the pendant acting like a catalyst). He has displayed magical abilities as well. I'm beginning to wonder if he may ultimately share in the abilities of all the different supernatural types, but it may still be too early for such speculation. That said, I'm looking forward to seeing how Chris will evolve from here.

Musical talent is a gift. Kudos to Uncle Michell for nurturing that gift, but I'll bet he plays the new baby almost as often Tobias does! (When I finally finished my schooling and moved back to California, I had to choose between purchasing a refrigerator or an upright piano. I chose the piano! 😂)

Poor Xavier: He is clearly a passionate man. At least, he swung at the glass, not Mitchell; so despite his passion, he is NOT an abusive spouse. That said, this was not his shining moment, and he should reserve breaking glass for emergencies!

Chris, you closet mage! Just what are you doing? (It would be nice if you knew! 😂)

Glad to see that Tobias is appreciated for his merits. (Take that, Addison. Tobias, as a young gay man, probably plays hockey better than you ever did!)

I love the idea of a vampire doing Chinese take-out. 😂 Another black book. Chris is certainly studying all the supernatural types, but to what purpose?

"Did your stepfather finally give in?” Kyle's mother said.... Even Kyle's mom has noticed the abuse (or at least some of it). An Akubra hat! Now we're talking. (The "hat" of choice in Southern California is a baseball cap. 🙄)

Well, Tobias, how does it feel to be a landlord? (Eviction can be a good thing. ) Sad to see how Tobias has been abused: Even simple things like a cooked breakfast and meat sandwiches have been denied to him. Addison appears as stupid as he is bigoted: Did he really think that his behavior, and the terms of the late father's will, would remain secret?

I'm as upset with the mother as with Addison: She may cry as Tobias is sent away, but she still allows it. She "enables" Addison instead of protecting her eldest. Of course, by sending Tobias to live with Mitch and Xavier, Addison has actually done him a favor....

So in the modern era, vampires just bleed you financially, and werewolves thrive on silver! If Victor can order the death and torture of his prisoners--including human prisoners--then he is not governed by the laws of the state and country where he resides. Rather, he is above the law: Has the U.S. agreed to accept the supernaturals as comprising a sovereign nation within U.S. borders, with the authority to punish U.S. citizens with its own laws; or is Victor acting on his own behalf, with possible consequences for overstepping his position (or am I overanalyzing the situation and should just "go with the flow" 😂)? "Apparently they’ve started to move...." Sounds like the "vanished vamps" who prefer type O to Nublood are ready to strike: A vampire civil war may be imminent.

Stoker University...really? 😂😂😂 Sometimes, engaging in normal activities promotes normalcy, but I'm concerned that Chris still feels "disgusting": His recovery will take time, and he does no one a favor by saying he's "fine" when he isn't.

The black book, embossed with the figure of a "horned creature" (the devil?) has called out to Chris to end it all: Is the library reflecting his experiences, or has someone sabotaged the "dream" library by placing this book in his path? Unlike as with the other library offerings, he is actively fighting against the pull from this book. If someone is indeed out to get Chris, I wonder what his next step will be....

I agree that the barrier is supernatural: Not only does it defeat Victor's prying but it actually "retaliates"--defends itself. While it may be Elvish, the truth is that we really don't know who placed it or when. In fact, we don't even know if the barrier is present for Chris's protection or to prevent him from getting the help he needs to overcome his mental trauma.

Things are about to get intense? Aaaauugghhh! Two attacks within a few days...coincidence? What else could it be? 🤔 Unfortunately, the pendant doesn't seem to confer protection.

Phillip is taking this all rather well....

Uncle Adam acts like a father, even though he's groping his way forward. Ezra has a fossilized brain and acts like a one-trick pony. I'm glad that Artie finally sees through his biological father and realizes what's truly important in his life. (Whatever his motivation, Ezra has struck out.) If Artie has any half siblings in Texas, I hope he still gets to meet them someday but with no strings attached.

Remember, Chris is a Prince, and the presumption now is that he's an Elvish Prince. I wonder if he's wearing a glamour (unknown to himself) which makes him appear human. Also, we still don't know the identity of the boy in the 13th-floor picture: Is it a representation of Chris? A relative? A famous Elf? At least, we know a bit more now than we did before!

A nice feel-good chapter. (Obviously, the calm before the storm! )

Even Henry finds the attack of 5 vampires at one time "disconcerting," again suggesting that there's more to this attack than meets the eye. I think that Victor is missing a golden opportunity by not questioning the perps.

A sweet interlude. However, something's not quite right. As Victor says, "...It’s rather uncommon for that many newborn vampires to be together and to be so upfront about it, for rogue vampires it’s usually dark alleys and rather done alone, at most in pairs.” In other words, the attack was unusual. Could it have been orchestrated by an unseen enemy? If that is the case, someone wants our heroes to be dead, not captured. But why?