Book Club Disclaimer:
Spoilers ahead! I'm not recapping these chapters in Bloodlines and The Golden Lily, but I do refer to some things that happen in them. These posts are to give some commentary and behind-the-scenes info for people who want to read along (or re-read) with me or walk down memory lane. If you haven't read the books, you might have some surprises ruined. So maybe go grab a copy and read along as we count down to The Indigo Spell! :)

THESE POSTS ARE NOT ABOUT THE INDIGO SPELL! You're safe if you've read the first two books in the series.


Bloodlines, Chapters 17 and 18

Jill’s being a little bratty here, but you can’t really blame her. Like I said the other day, she really has had a rough time, and I think we’ve all known a few people who deserved a frozen shower.

Meanwhile, it’s time for Chairman Ivashkov to look for a job! This is probably my favorite scene in the whole book. It firms up what’s going to be the standard dynamic between Sydney and Adrian. On the surface, she’s playing the straight man for him to bounce his wackiness off of, but at the heart of matters, she’s becoming his anchor in a world gone mad, and he’s helping her break out of some of the rigidness that governs her life. An outing like this also marks what’s going to become a dangerous trend with Sydney for the whole gang: helping them in a personal and friendly way, not just an Alchemist one.

Fun job hunting fact. Sydney’s generous doctoring of his resume was inspired by an old job of my sister-in-law’s, at an employment agency where she too had to help improve people's resumes. She’d convert things like “caught and sold worms for live bait” to “worked extensively with wildlife.” And that “What’s your greatest weakness” question Adrian gets asked is straight out a bunch of interviews I endured when trying to find a clerical job with my liberal arts degree. Seriously, who asks that? Why do they ask that? Does any potential employer expect someone to say kleptomania or alcoholism? And if a person deso give the correct “I care too much” or “I’m a perfectionist” answer, everyone knows it’s crap. Employers: I beseech you. Stop asking that ridiculous question.

Sydney blowing up at Jill and Eddie later isn’t entirely unwarranted. I forgave Jill her brattiness earlier, but running off is out of line when her life is in so much danger. Sydney’s job is to deal with unexpected problems—but not ones they cause for themselves. And after Adrian’s job shenanigans, it’s no wonder Sydney’s a little touchy.

The closing spirit dream is a reality check to remind us that helping vampires job hunt is by no means the same thing as embracing their magical abilities. Sydney has not advanced to a point where it is at all cool for her to be in a world created of magic. This scene does, however, represent major, major advancements for Adrian. First, he apologizes and takes responsibility for his silliness. This isn’t a behavior we’ve seen from him in either series. He usually either refuses to acknowledge he’s doing anything wrong or is just forgiven because of his charm. Here, he grows up a little and is rewarded with what is clearly a new experience for him: someone believing in him.

Tomorrow: we're back to one chapter a day.