So this latest update hit a whole pile of highnotes for me. We finally got to see Blake and his friends, and he's back in a familiar(ish) environment.

I can't really think of anything that's out of place in this chapter.

 

Spoiler

Except for Blake turning down a threesome!

 

Pretty much that.

 

Nearly getting killed is the best aphrodisiac I guess.

 

I don't know but Wildbow's dialogues are usually off putting to me somehow. I can't quite figure out whats wrong with them but I think its how they're always direct and kind of speak in a way you'd wish people spoke like that.

I'm not sure whether I'm making sense but it somehow always comes across a little unnatural for me. Although it doesn't detract from the story.

 

Yeah I know what you mean. There's very little banter on the whole, and every conversation has a specific purpose.

In other news I kept chuckling whenever Blake said "Lord of Toronto." Maybe it just seems anachronistic to me, but hey. I really enjoyed the lead-up to Conquest's introduction. His council was also interesting, but on the whole the entire question period was necessary not fun

 

I really loved the latest update. God damn imps are terrifying. I love how morally grounded this story is. Dark magic has actual consequences, but the protagonist still has to consider them because he has so few options.

 

When the frat/cult guy was like 'Do you know who she is?' something tells me he was actually referring to Tifanny

 

Yeah, something tells me Tiffany isn't just all she appears to be. In other news: A red tie Blake? Really? What is this, grade seven dance?

 

This last chapter was a great example of that. Here is he is having coffee with a girl to get some level of normalcy and self into the picture, and it ends up being some deep and meaningful psychological advice. I'd much preferred it if it was more in line with the lighthearted, awkward date it was meant to be. It'd give some contrast in showing how practitioners and Others deal with Blake to how normal people do it, and just give a bit of a breather.

 

This Thursday chapter though. Kudo's for Blake for his first serious binding.

Wow, if Pauz is such a low level guy and he's managing to screw things up for Blake, I'd imagine that the mid/upper tier of Demons and Devils are terrifying to actually interact with. A mix between cunning and powerful trying to steal your soul/gain a footing in our world. I can definitely see how diabolists can be viewed as veritable Nukes, especially the young ones. All it takes is getting in over your head one time and you've unleashed an eldritch abomination upon your town. The value of those books really can't be overstated. Having the collected knowledge and experience of generations of fellow Practitioners/Diabolists is really quite the advantage. No wonder Maggie was so eager to get in on them.

Can't wait for Saturday! I think we're about to see Blake axe-murder all these animals.

Also, I'm kind of bummed about Rose. I don't know when it happened, but she's way less annoying than she was earlier on.

 

Yeah, Rose has gotten way less annoying. I think it's because she and Blake are actually working together now. The scene change also helped matters quite a lot because now she's an element of Blake's World, not his only ally.

 

Double Post For Great Justice.

Did anyone else see that turning out any other way? I didn't expect Fell to show up, but everything else basically went by the numbers. Ten bucks says Blake's going to get even more fucked in the next 24 hours. Without Rose he's only half the person he needs to be.

 

Honestly, I found all of the fighting with animals to be incredibly boring. It was all mindless repetition until close to the end. Appropriate for the scene, maybe, but dull. I liked Fell's arrival, didn't need to suspend any disbelief at all.

 

Yeah, not the best fight scene, but indeed appropriate. I appreciated the Deer murder x Traumatizing of an onlooking child. It was cool to see the glamour used again as well as his ghost-hatchet. June's pretty useful, it would seem.

Honestly, I was feeling really squicked out by the uncleanliness of the attacking animals and general environment. I hope Blake has had all of his shots, and that none of those animals were actually rabid.

 

I'm enjoying Blake's time alone right now. It's actually coming across as more engaging than the combat tbh. Seems like he made a good call with going to see the Knights of the Basement last. Something tells me Fell might have pulled the same stunt even if Blake would have ended up stuck in the forest.

 

I actually like her more because of the conflict after she found out she was a vestige.

At the very start, she just kind of appears and starts working with Blake. She's just a talking head - a plot device to give Blake information without him having to go through all the books himself.

But once she starts resenting him, and there's that caution from Blake about whether she may be working against him, she became a real character.

I am liking her absence in the last few chapters though, as it gives Blake the chance to develop on his own and not just rely on her to be the brains of their duo.

 

I guess the Hyena couldn't cross the fence because of the Holly Bush as well as the fact that the fence was very highly altered by man, being plastic and all that. Or was it only Fairies that had real problems with manmade things? I can't quite remember.

I liked this chapter. I'm glad little ghost Evan is so helpful, it's a nice change of pace from all of the Others we've encountered thus far who'd be content to eat Blake's face/soul.

 

The holly seems a natural counter to this specific goblin. I'm not sure the plastic would have an effect because goblins are all about distorting the natural order.

 

Dat update. The feels