Let's discuss the beginning of the book! What do you think of the characters, setting, storyline? How do you think it stacks up to the show (if you've watched it) so far?
Week 1 - Chapters 1-5 Discussion
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Hunga Munga
Scooby
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Hunga Munga
Scooby
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2015
- Messages
- 1,488
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So , my paperback edition comes in a chunky b format paperback . The graphics are okay , they've sprung for a bit of foil for the lettering and a little shiny Firefly class ship . It's pretty nice . They've gone for a distressed look on the edges with fake dust cover bits , presumably to give it an old West private lending library vibe . Not bad at all .
They've padded the text a bit , a pet peeve of mine . Could have shaved a third of this and still been a chunky easy reading airplane book .
As I mentioned before , my copy got 'remaindered' before ending up in the secondhand market . It's a UK thing where publishers offload their overstock onto specialized discount book sellers . From the February 2020 edition date , I'm guessing the paperback release got Pandemic'd bad , so all the lost airport and High street sales ended up in bargain bins .
They've padded the text a bit , a pet peeve of mine . Could have shaved a third of this and still been a chunky easy reading airplane book .
As I mentioned before , my copy got 'remaindered' before ending up in the secondhand market . It's a UK thing where publishers offload their overstock onto specialized discount book sellers . From the February 2020 edition date , I'm guessing the paperback release got Pandemic'd bad , so all the lost airport and High street sales ended up in bargain bins .
• It’s mentioned why Persephone celebrated Alliance Day in the first chapter, then in the second chapter Mal “nursed the hope that folks celebrated it with gusto because it was a good excuse to take off the day and get drunk”. Also the book repeated that Alliance Day was being celebrated on Persephone. Anyone else catch the weird and unnecessary repetition?
• “She gave Jayne a long, measuring glance, like the slowest burn a Firefly-class transport vessel could achieve.” What a weird comparison. 🤨
• Jayne getting roasted at the bar by a bunch of drunk losers was funny. I also loved that Zoë just sat there and rolled her eyes like “whelp”.
• I know from the inside flap/description that Mal is out of the picture as Serenity’s captain for a hot minute. Will this be a “Zoë’s viewpoint & Mal’s viewpoint” type of book, where we check in on both characters? Or do you think it will be one or the other.
Overall, positive first five chapters. Why Mal was kidnapped is a good question that I hope gets answered soon. Any theories? Where do you think things are going to go? Also, when will they inevitably need to use the incredibly explosive and dangerous cargo?
• “She gave Jayne a long, measuring glance, like the slowest burn a Firefly-class transport vessel could achieve.” What a weird comparison. 🤨
• Jayne getting roasted at the bar by a bunch of drunk losers was funny. I also loved that Zoë just sat there and rolled her eyes like “whelp”.
• I know from the inside flap/description that Mal is out of the picture as Serenity’s captain for a hot minute. Will this be a “Zoë’s viewpoint & Mal’s viewpoint” type of book, where we check in on both characters? Or do you think it will be one or the other.
Overall, positive first five chapters. Why Mal was kidnapped is a good question that I hope gets answered soon. Any theories? Where do you think things are going to go? Also, when will they inevitably need to use the incredibly explosive and dangerous cargo?
Aw, I wish people would stop bullying Jayne for his hat. I thought the roasting scene was a bit silly, to be frank, it seemed forced and the whole ”Jayne’s a girl’s name” and ”what a dumb hat” was tired. Especially with Zoe just sitting there, like fine if Jayne started a fight, but they literally came to rag on him and she’s sitting there like ”yeah, it is a dumb hat, I don’t like bullies but bully Jayne for his one soft spot, please it’s fun.”
Just makes a lot of sense why Jayne is the way he is.
I understand why, but Mal pretty much thinks exactly what he speaks. Which makes sense and is an easy characterization so you ”recognize” the character. However, it makes him seem really shallow and a bit dense, but maybe it is just the intro.
All in all, a fine introduction. I like that Mal tried to back out of the plot, makes me curious what his gut feeling was telling him about the deal. Good end to the chapter, I’m curious and eager to read on.
Just makes a lot of sense why Jayne is the way he is.
I understand why, but Mal pretty much thinks exactly what he speaks. Which makes sense and is an easy characterization so you ”recognize” the character. However, it makes him seem really shallow and a bit dense, but maybe it is just the intro.
All in all, a fine introduction. I like that Mal tried to back out of the plot, makes me curious what his gut feeling was telling him about the deal. Good end to the chapter, I’m curious and eager to read on.
I hate the hat, honestly, but I do somewhat agree that it is low hanging fruit. I think the thing I enjoyed about the scene was just the fact that Zoë was pretty much like “oh here we go” and just let it happen. Was just kind of a funny reaction.
The Jayne being a girl name thing was really dated tbh. The book was written in 2019, and it’s supposed to take place 100 plus years in the future. Would people seriously be that accustomed to gender stereotypes still? It feels really cliche to have “drunks at bar” just be podunk jerkbags, and the whole Jayne thing is something that I don’t think would even happen today, let alone that far ahead.
So this actually plays into a question I had. I haven’t watched the show in a very long while, but I remember thinking Mal was just apathetic about everything until River & Simon. Is Mal really so pent up about the war to the point that it’s all he thinks about? The first five chapters just made it seem like he just goes around being angry all the time about the war and Serenity Valley, and I can’t say that’s the Mal I remember from the show.
I agree, however, if it is just to introduce the character, then I get it. Cause he is a bit like that in the pilot too, then (because I believe they got some notes on that from the studio) he does ”lighten up” or at least get more layered. But it is a way to let readers quickly in on What kind of man he is and where his motivations lie.
So if it is just the intro, then cool, but I hope we get to see other sides/more layers to him as the book goes on.
Also, long live Mama Cobb’s hat. That hat tells you that the man walking down the street in that, ain’t afraid of nothing 😉
Hunga Munga
Scooby
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I haven't finished my reading yet but I agree about Mal's character . He seems actively bitter . The Mal in my headcannon is more worldweary than that . His resentment is distilled down to a cold fury . He doesn't think overmuch on the injustices of the Alliance . He just knows they are there and tries to avoid them .
Chapter 2 feels a bit 'callbacky' to me , which is fine and all , but it's such a short show .
Chapter 2 feels a bit 'callbacky' to me , which is fine and all , but it's such a short show .
Yeah, I also felt it was callbacky, but as it is #1 in a series I felt like it is a way to get the reader into the context of where we are in the series. Hopefully it is just a set up so that all books won’t have to do it.
I think it meant that though there is a pro-Alliance reason for the holiday, Mal hoped in reality they only celebrated it because they got a day off work, not because they actually like the Alliance.
I actually thought this was better than most “based on a tv show” books. But there are too many references to the show, and it seems so far to be mimicking show episodes too much (Bar fight between Browncoats and pro-Alliance, Badger, etc). I do think they have the character voices right so far.
That makes sense. I had sort of figured that’s what was happening, but the conveying of information made me sort of question if I had correctly read what I did earlier or if I had misread.
In response to Badger, I get the sense he won’t be around for long. It very much seems like we jumped into the middle of an event in progress and Badger was just a part of that. Hoping that’s the case and that he doesn’t overtake a lot of the Zoë story because the Mal kidnap plot is more intriguing
I'm pretty happy with it so far. Not that much happened yet but still.
Liked that they settled the timeline early on with some reference to the funeral they had in was it the last episode, or second to last?
Think they overdid the references thing a bit over time though. No need to mention every little thing they did in the show. lol
Not sure if that a common thing in these kinda books that are based on TV shows. Remember that I got a similar feeling in that Buffy book we read some time ago.
But I'm intrigued, want to know what's going on.
Mal is a good character, and it feels good to "hear" him again.
/SK
Liked that they settled the timeline early on with some reference to the funeral they had in was it the last episode, or second to last?
Think they overdid the references thing a bit over time though. No need to mention every little thing they did in the show. lol
Not sure if that a common thing in these kinda books that are based on TV shows. Remember that I got a similar feeling in that Buffy book we read some time ago.
But I'm intrigued, want to know what's going on.
Mal is a good character, and it feels good to "hear" him again.
/SK
It depends on the author. A lot of media tie in novels that I have read divorce themselves from happenings in their respective properties unless it fits the situation, but sometimes it is really egregious.
I remember reading Hero of Numbani which is a tie in to the Overwatch video game, and there were maybe 5-10 pages straight where the author just copy pasted lines from the game, even when they didn’t fit at all.
Other times, not so much. Usually when it pops up this early, it’s to establish time period, so I’ll give this book the benefit of the doubt.
BuffyNvrForgets
Little Albatross
It's good so far. Not FANTASTIC, but pretty good. I think the novels in general are more satisfying than the comics, in terms of wanting something close to the show, but even so, they don't quite hit the spot.
Now, I don't EXACTLY remember where I was SUPPOSED to stop, so I think I'm a little ahead, soI'll try and avoid spoiler heavy stuff.
Basically, the plot seems very Mal and Zoe heavy, which is cool, though the whole war plotline and stuff was never my favorite part. I do want to point out though, I have found it a CONSISTENT plot point in each of the Firefly novels that I've read (I think this is the 4rth?) that River starts freaking out about something, they all get annoyed/flustered, and end up shelving her. She's just constantly having meltdowns, and everybody just tries to shut her up. and then, surprise, she was right all along. I know this happened in the show once or twice, but not every episode.
Like, I understand she's a hard character to write, and maybe no one else is bothered by it, but I just really want an author to figure out something to do with her besides literally tranqing her for the plot?? Has anyone else noticed this?
Now, I don't EXACTLY remember where I was SUPPOSED to stop, so I think I'm a little ahead, soI'll try and avoid spoiler heavy stuff.
Basically, the plot seems very Mal and Zoe heavy, which is cool, though the whole war plotline and stuff was never my favorite part. I do want to point out though, I have found it a CONSISTENT plot point in each of the Firefly novels that I've read (I think this is the 4rth?) that River starts freaking out about something, they all get annoyed/flustered, and end up shelving her. She's just constantly having meltdowns, and everybody just tries to shut her up. and then, surprise, she was right all along. I know this happened in the show once or twice, but not every episode.
Like, I understand she's a hard character to write, and maybe no one else is bothered by it, but I just really want an author to figure out something to do with her besides literally tranqing her for the plot?? Has anyone else noticed this?
I do think there's a lot of background filler in these chapters, and Jayne doesn't need a reason to get into a bar fight, so the hat and girly name wasn't necessary.
Badger may have morphed into a Badger/Crowley hybrid in my head at the moment!
Badger may have morphed into a Badger/Crowley hybrid in my head at the moment!