#webofdreams

[yesimmortalspiritblog]

~~~Dreamers~~~ Only through the eyes of your soul can you see your ultimate goal. Peace all you majestic souls of love and light!🕊🙏💞💞💞🕊 #dreamers #dreams #webofdreams #universe #frontieruniverse #beyondthestars #beyondtheuniverse #beyondthehorizon #isyourhome #sofaryetsoclose #illusionists #wearecocreators #withgod #witheachother #wearegenius #wehavememoryloss #sowedo #lookandsee #throughmywindow #spiriteye #eyeofthesoul #thirdeyeopen #thirdeyeawakening #awaken #eyesofsoul #doyousee #doyouseeit #lovelight #lifetruth #lookwithin https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc2CwxbKK2z/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[casteelcircus-blog]

Farthinggale Manor

[casteelkidsstolemygroceries]

Reading Ahead

I read Web of Dreams (ghostwritten) today, and I have thoughts. I'll save most of them for when we reach that book in our recaps, but we have to discuss one thing.

I don't think Leigh's hair is ever described as "silvery-blonde". Can it be that Leigh is unaware that she has magic hair? Could Neiderman have just. . . forgotten about magic hair as a concept? He uses it in Garden of Shadows, sort of. And he lifts phrases verbatim from Dark Angel in writing Web of Dreams, so obviously he's read it. And yet Leigh and Jillian are just. . . blonde, not specifically platinum blonde. 

How weird is that? 

Anyway, I'm introducing a whole new set of drinking game rules for the next three Casteel books, since they aren't legit VC Andrews. One of them is that we should drink when there is a glaring lack of magic hair.

The prequels are definitely the ghostwriter's best work. Neither of them is quite right though. He gets to work from an established set of characters and some serious hints on the backstory, and he puts it together fairly well. He's not a terrible writer either, in a technical sense, so that aspect is ok. 

BUT. He's an old dude, trying to write from the perspective of a 12-13 year old girl, in Web of Dreams. He's writing about a young girl's sexual awakening and also her repeated sexual assault.

And I can tell it's written by a dude. And that's a problem.

Accuse me of - 

Sorry, but there it is. 

From a plot perspective, he gives you a reasonable backstory, but it's just wrong, overall. 

He does better writing as sadistic grey lady Olivia than he does as Leigh, but there are problems with that book too. VC Andrews wrote about things that are secret and sacred and threatening to and about girls and women. The ghostwriter will never know the truth of those things. 

Back soon with more Dark Angel! Check out the archive for Dollanganger and My Sweet Audrina recaps while you wait.