I just finished Dance of Death and I want to scream massive fullbody screams of I-don't-know-what. Excitement? Frustration? Both? (For those unawares, Dance of Death is the very latest--as in, released today--installment of Preston and Child's Agent Pendergast series.)

Without spoilers, I will only say that it was a good book with a number of wonderfully slashy moments. Diogenes is wonderful, and I hope we get to see more from his point of view in the next book. BECAUSE, OH GOD, CLIFFHANGER.

Now, with spoilers:


- I PREDICTED THE FUTURE, OMG. In Aquifers, I wrote that Pendergast had a pet rat that Diogenes snuffed when they were kiddies. Well, it turns out that it was actually a pet mouse named Incitatus that Diogenes, um, crucified. BUT STILL. This just confirms that either I am awesome, or Preston and Child are. More likely it's P+C. Because we all know the real reason why I shoved that tidbit into my blah little fanfic, yes? :( Because I wrote most of the damn thing while McFly was sitting in my lap and dying. Okay. I'm sorry, that's just got... a lot of personal meaning tied up in it, which is why it's SO WEIRD to see something similar actually in the book.

- The return of Great-Aunt Cornelia! She remains everso awesome.

- Smithback in the mental institution? OMG, funniest thing... lovin' it, lovin' it. So funny, so completely over the top. So very Preston and Child.

- The whole Viola/Pendergast thing seems SO forced. Incredibly forced. Like, they were in the same room for an hour, WTF is this love bullshit about? And her running off to see Pendergast and then getting caught by Diogenes? Sorta kinda HILARIOUS. She deserved it. Anyone willing to do something so massively stupid on such short notice with someone they barely know utterly deserves it. And Diogenes nasty remarks were absolutely wonderful, so bitter and catty. Clearly no one is good enough for his darling Aloysius. Oh, and that kiss? FORCED. SO FORCED. URGH. He does not need a girlfriend, kthx. Hell, in prison he'll BE the girlfriend...

- I heart Nora. Nora is awesome. Damn Margo for surviving! Although when Nora got broken up about it, I decided I didn't want her to die. Because I heart Nora!

- Pendergast/D'Agosta all the way! *waves her little flag* Um, D'Agosta chose to go after Pendergast rather than go with Hayward? Yeah. And a whole bunch of other moments where it's all just, "Arrrgh, shut up and kiss already!" Just. they are. soinlove.

- Now... Diogenes. Ohhhh, Diogenes. Wow. What a nasty, catty, bloodythirsty little character. All right, give it up guys... what instigated the brothers' rivalry? I'm dying to know. Diogenes has this way of teasing Pendergast (Aloysius, duh) like he's flirting with him, in a nasty sort of way. Heck, wouldn't be surprised if he molested the hell out of him when he rescued him from Fosco's imprisonment in Brimstone. Yummy, yummy. And I love the colorblindness and his diamond obsession. Weird, very weird. Scarlet Fever was not anywhere near what I would have expected for the mismatched eyes (ghostgecko and I were hoping for some form of piebaldism, to reinforce the albinism in Aloysius), but I love the 'dead' eyeball of course. Yummy. AND HE'S A REDHEAD. Or, 'ginger' hair. Whatever. Diogenes is awesome, but not quite as awesome as Aloysius.

In conclusion: everyone should go read these books RIGHT NOW. Please. Oh please. *gibbers wildly to herself* Must... draw... Diogenes... phwaaaaa...