Hunted Chapter 4

So why did Neferet bring Stark to the ritual to have him shoot Stevie? Why not just show him a picture of Stevie and have him focus on that when he shoots? PCK already established he has teleporting arrows that can hit whatever he’s thinking about. Why not simply monitor the ritual and wait until Stevie showed up and have Stark shoot her then? That way if it didn’t work, Neferet could still pretend to be one of the good guys. Also, why bother with the deception where Neferet blamed Zoey for resurrecting the dead? Especially as she was going to kill Sheky.

We rejoin Zoey in the third chapter of the ongoing flashback. This is getting fucking ridiculous, PCK. There aren’t any rules about flashbacks carved in stone. Some stories can be almost entirely one flashback to moments before the first chapter or prologue and they’re still interesting even though we know the protagonist will make it out alive.

The real problem is that there’s no need for this flashback at all. PCK could simply pick up the story from shortly after the last book and weave details into the story. All PCK would have to do is add details like Stevie’s sudden imprint to Aphro in. They’d have to be carefully though or they run the risk of making an info dump that derails the pace. But that’s one of the hazards of writing, trying to run a balancing act between story and details.

Everyone is shocked and says that Aphro deserves to be imprinted on Stevie. Stevie finally speaks up, saying that Aphro’s saved her life twice and to stop being such assholes to Aphro. Again, why aren’t we reading the story from Stevie’s point of view? She’s ten times more likable and I still want her face sanded off by asphalt.

Aphro yells at everyone for laughing at her then introduces Venus to everyone. I like her introductions because Aphro is sarcastic and almost self aware. Zoey manages to stop being shocked about the imprint long enough to assess Venus. She says that she’s “(obviously) a bitch”. Obviously, because it’s clear she’s not willing to bend down and worship the girl who made it possible for Kalona to break free. She’s just weird like that.

Venus says that they’ve met unofficially but back then, Zoey had killed one of them. This makes the slaves shocked, especially when they discover it was Elizabeth. Zoey says that she cooked her to death in self defense. Something Zoey tells herself a lot when the specters of those two guys she threw into traffic come back to haunt her at night.

“Okay, y’all have got to learn to get along. Are you remembering that the entire outside world might be against us, or at least filled with scary booger monsters?” Stevie Rae sounded tired but herself. She sat up, gingerly straightening her Dixie Chicks T-shirt and slowly leaning back against the pillows Darius had propped behind her. “So, like Tim Gunn on Project Runway would say,  let’s make it work.”

Alright, PCK, I believe that you watch TV. Can you stop dropping references to shows you’ve seen? There is some mumbling from people who like that show. Zoey should be noting them down in her book of vampires who need to be staked but she’s focused on Venus. She says that things aren’t “all sweetness” between them and the undeadlings. I can’t imagine why, Zoey. Just because the last time they saw you, you threatened to cremate all of them. I don’t understand what would be the source of all the tension.

Erik then shows up and reports that he couldn’t get anything on the radio. He also tried his cellphone and got nothing while the weather is getting awful. He’s not sure if the weather is natural or Kalona’s doing. He’s not worried about it though as he says hello to Venus and Aphro. He too is shocked about the imprint between Aphro and Stevie.

Ok, why is this a big deal, PCK? You’ve shown us that it happens between vampires and humans and between vampires who share blood. This isn’t a surprise in anyway to the audience, why should it be to the people who live in it? Or is it supposed to be funny because it’s two girls rather than opposite sexes? Because if that’s what passes for humor in your mind, PCK, you should probably just never make a joke again. Because every time you do, someone’s kitty dies and the world becomes a sadder place.

Venus then introduces some of the other undeadlings. There’s Elliott who Zoey says is still ugly and chubby. Then there’s Montoya who looks “thuggish” but has a “surprisingly cute, warm smile” because that’s all that matters. Shannon, Sophie, Dallas, Anthony, Johnny B, Geraty and Kramisha. It’s a whole host of secondary and tertiary characters who’ll be just as flat and less appealing than the protagonist! Zoey asks if that’s all and Stevie says they’re her “red fledglings”. Zoey says she can tell there’s something she’s not being told but doesn’t want to get into it now.

Stevie then completes the introductions, going over the characters we already know. I’ll let this one pass though because it’s the beginning of a new book. I don’t like it but it’s pretty much standard practice to make a book readable for people who accidentally ignored the fact it’s later in the series.

They chat a bit, Shannon and Erik know each other, and then they talk about Neferet killing Sheky. Darius missed that and says he must have more information. They decide to have a sit down and talk about things we already know. But it won’t be this chapter so I get to put off slogging through that until next post.

Aphro and Venus have a veiled conversation which makes it sound like they have a history or something. Venus says that she doesn’t do charity and Aphro says that she always pays her debts and Venus should know this. Venus says that’s how she used to be but people change. Aphro says, yes, she’s human now for one and Venus says just to pay her back for the wine. Stevie then asks if they were roommates.

“Yes, they were,” Erik said into the dead air, reminding me that because he and Aphrodite used to be together, he would know her roommate, maybe too well.

I like how Zoey is implying that Erik boned Venus as if that’s any o her business. And Zoey should be glad he’s speaking into dead air. Have you every had to fight live air, then gut it for a breath? It’s incredibly difficult because you’re slowly asphyxiating while you hunt down the live air and prepare to pounce. Zoey then says that peoples change, because it bears repeating, and Aphro agrees. Hopefully that will put the flashback and it’s dull details to bed.