Grimlock ♥ Ultra Magnus

I get distracted by things like massive Transformers rereads, depression, suicidal thoughts, trying to get my studio cleaned up, other books.   Lots of things.   Sometimes I think it's a miracle I finish certain books at all.   Any books.  

This was one that I loved but fell by the wayside.  I'm still loving it, despite the fact that it's got furries with no explanation - because adorable - which wouldn't be such a huge problem if the use of magic and the magical setup was explained at all.   

I'm a little frustrated with the fact that the use of magic dropped out completely, especially since I'd been hoping that the use of magic would be explained; it was one of the reasons I continued with this series.  I will continue because I like the writing, the characters, and the general plot.   I will continue with one caveat: at some point, I expect the world - the magic, even if it isn't used anymore - to be explained.   In fact, if people are not using magic anymore for reasons, I expect those reasons to be explained, and preferably explored.   (Fear of magic by rulers?   Did the magic go away, possibly with the dragons?   What happened, world?   What?)

Still, this is early in the series, and I'm not ready to give up on the series as of yet.   I am liking enough to overlook this - for now.   I am still heavy with expectations, and I'm starting to get impatient.  Every time I finish, I realize that while reading?   I didn't care.   Only when I stop to think about it do I wonder.   That's fine and well when I'm reading, but the impatience and annoyance are slowly starting to build up with each issue.  I don't see it being a major problem for a while yet, as Kleid does his fancy little magic tricks, charming and beguiling me with this world and the the artist does the same with his art.   

Bravo, gentlemen.   It's a good, temporary tactic, but makes me wonder that Kleid is putting this off as he puts the world together.   A writing teacher once told me you need to know everything about your characters and world, even if you don't use it.   I'm not sure I buy into the you need to know everything, but I do think you need to know the essentials like how magic works in a world that uses magic.   I've seen writers in college trying to cover up what they don't know with bedazzling tactics - look at the prose and characters, and I don't need to know! - but it tends to not work out well in the end, when they finally have to pull everything together, at least in my experience.   It hasn't worked when I tried that tactic early on in my writing journeys.   (Shame on you, pre-adolescent self.   Shame, shame!   And maybe once or twice overworked, over-tired college student self.)

So, yes, this worries me.   I'm still really scrabbling to hold onto the hope that this will work out well in the end, or that Kleid will surprise me by knowing and just tricking me into thinking he didn't.  Yes, please, let this be the case.