#i think vi should learn some new better metaphors lol

[beaulesbian]

ARCANE 1.08 || 2.09

[damnwizardcops]

Bedlam Review - Spoilers

I know it's not really my Brand™️ to do anything other than lurk on this website, but I have some feelings that I need to get out.

Bedlam was like, good. It renewed hope after being a lil let down by Resurrection and Midnight. The twists (specifically Val's "big secret" and Caisson's father) were predictable but fun, and the story seemed a bit less.... Clumsy than the other books in Phase II.

Characters:

I think what Derek really needed to do in books 10 and 11 was incorporate more of the old characters as he did in this one. Seeing familiar faces like Vex and Tanith helped create a more familiar story, even if Vex only had a few lines. I think Derek should have done more to throw in old with the new, which he did nicely in Bedlam. He did not seem to do this in 10 or 11. In those, I feel like Derek was throwing handfuls of new characters at us for plot reasons, but without making us care about them. For example, Temper has been an important character, but we are only now learning a little about him in Bedlam. He should have been fleshed out more. I especially feel this way about Militsa. Instead of introducing her as a refreshing new character with a developed personality who will be a source of stability and warmth for Val... Their relationship seems a little forced. There was no getting to know each other except for one short scene in Midnight. Establish and develop her personality and THEN we can be happy that Val has a healthy new relationship idk.

China seemed better this book. In the first two books she both lacked personality and... Continuity? She didn't resemble her Phase I self at all and, more than that, she seemed to be a static character. The scene in Bedlam when she throws Val in jail was more in line with old China, and the scene when she apologies for Val being beaten up in her cell was particularly heartwarming for me. China has a child now? Everybody has secret kids in Bedlam??

Skulduggery. Where did your personality go? Where is your banter with Valkyrie? What's wrong with you in this book?? ???? ??? Very confused by Skulduggery not seeming to think in this book, and most of his lines were empty jokes. I get it, Derek said that this phase would be one where Val "finds her way back to him" but... Show some progress? If anything, they seems to have drifted farther apart in this book. Hell, the only time they had a heart to metaphorical heart she assaulted him for god's sake. ????? The first two books hinted that they were going to be getting back to their soulmate routine but in a more HEALTHY way this time, but Bedlam seemed to kick that dream and trample it with soccer cleats. I'm not asking for Valduggery though that would be nice but give us SOMETHING to demonstrate that they're still the best friend soulmates that they've always been.

Plot things:

The weird friendship that bloomed between Caisson and Val was very cute. Both damaged people who just want to be happy, recognizing that they really aren't enemies. This book really did my boy Caisson dirty. His whole life he was lied to/tortured, and then he decides, once he's free of it all, to save the love of his life and live quietly together, then he gets MURDERED and his body is possessed by Evil Grandpa. Like, what the hell Derek.

Jenan attacking Auger and Omen and the end of the book confused me. I might be wrong, but it seemed like Omen got stabbed, auger got stabbed, then adrenaline made Omen get up and beat Jenan until he either passed out or died or something, then Omen passed out? Was auger dying when he was laying there blinking? Why was Jenan at their house alone? Didn't get it.

Una deserves the world.

Don't think I like Alice finding out about magic but I guess it's her decision to make?? Why can't she just stay a baby child and live a normal life??? Also if her saying she misses Val means that Val dies I will stop reading the series and pretend Phase II never happened.

Darquesse is back THANK GOD. I love my shining god lady. Derek did her character so dirty at the end of Phase I. She was such a complex character, and very likeable (to me) and it never really made sense why a part of Valkyrie would want to destroy the world except out if her innocent sense of "oh, it's not gone because I can just put it back together with my power." She was SUCH a good character and I'm going to be very happy if Sebastian brings her back. (Who is he? I have a nagging suspicion that, because of the suit/mask it's Scapegrace, but I really don't want it to be him. Also, Derek said his role in the story ended)

Predictions:

Uh, hm. Sadly, I don't think Militsa and Val are going to last. I feel like if they were endgame, Derek would have taken more time to set them up and establish their relationship.

There's going to be some twist with the King of the Darklands prophecy. Either Auger dies before it happens and Omen was the one intended to fight all along or, because they're twins, they're both included in the prophecy. I find it hard to believe that Derek wouldn't throw some kind of twist in there.

This one is wishful thinking, but I hope Val gets her Faceless Ones power spike because I am ready for it.

Saw a few people say that Crepuscular Vies is Skulduggery's older brother, and it does seem like Derek is hinting that, what with all of the "everyone is related!" theme that's going on in Phase II so far lol.

I'm sure I have more thoughts, but that's what immediately came to my head after finishing the book. The continuity errors people keep talking about bug me as well, but I was so disappointed by the writing and plot in books 10 and 11 that I am more than happy to overlook some small continuity errors with 12.