I was a little nervous when I first started this one. Y’all were posting a review a day, gushing over it, but it took me a while to get into it. I think my problem was I was listening to it as audiobook while running, so I only got about an hour a day. And it starts a little slow. And whiny (Simon). But once Baz shows up — the whole thing takes off and I fell just as much in love as y’all did. The audio version does feature some great accents, though.
“You were the sun, and I was crashing into you. I’d wake up every morning and think, ‘This will end in flames.”
So you all know by now what this book is about: Simon Snow, incredibly powerful magician boy, fighting the evil Insidious Humdrum as it sucks the magic out of the world. It starts out with a lot of parallels to Harry Potter — or at least, I had trouble not going, “Ok, so she’s like Hermione…that one’s like Hagrid”, etc. But once I got past that, and the story began to really do its own thing, you see that Carry On is a lot more than Harry Potter fanfic (specifically, slash AU where Draco’s a vampire) — not that I’m knocking that. Rowell’s created an incredible group of characters — damn, did I love Penny — and I wish she’d write the six books that ought to have proceeded this one, as well.
Baz is my favourite (with Penelope as a close second). I wish he’d shown up MUCH earlier.
Dude. The end of the first chapter that he narrates? That was what finally hooked me on this one. And wouldn’t let me go!
I will happily buy and read the continuing adventures of Baz, Simon (and Penelope). Not at all bothered about their earlier years (they won’t have all that boy kissing, for one thing).