well...

A - Justine was pregnant...a pregnant lover can make people do incredibly dumb things.  Basically he was being blackmailed, "I'll kill this body and unborn child unless you perform an assassination. If you do, I will let them both go." - I've seen movies with that plot, basically.

B - I thought they had established there were certain circumstances where a vampire could essentially be unable to heal themselves and die from wounds and so, a stasis pod isn't out of line thinking. They do that with people, put them on the blood bypasses while they try to look for answers to save them. Still, I do agree with you some here, gimmicky and ultimately par of the plan for Nemfected Justine to get not he island.

C- It was definitely a plot device and poorly placed and used. I'm in total agreement with you there. 100%.

Alfred - It could be he might have trouble fighting an Outsider that was INVITED onto the island, even if that guest right was revoked before Harry got incapacitated somehow.  Think The Trojan Horse. Can't breach the walls? sneak inside and open the gates.

Not his worst book, but definitely not his best either. The split hurt the book a bit, it feels like chunks of some stuff were missing, especially at the end. It felt a bit rushed, so I wonder where it will pick up at the next book.

(I'm looking at you Butcher - for not mentioning Mister at all in the aftermath)

I'm unhappy about Murphy...I think he was just starting to write her well again only to take her out. I knew it had to happen of course, because of her mortality and wounds mostly sidelining her. Some people aren't the type to go quietly. I actually saw how it was going to be Rudolph doing it when he was put in the book and so freaked out (because - seen that plenty of times in movies and other books). But it was still a bit of a shock when it actually happened (and I had guessed, right after her heroic bit, that was going to be doomsday for her).

I feel sorry for Laura...you'd think after knowing Susan and Murphy going down, she'd want to stay FAR, FAR away from him as a wife/lover/whatever. I always liked Laura, I hope she doesn't get killed off too lol

Still, overall I thought it was done decently well. I'm sure Jim is feeling the burn out and same thing ole GRR Martin is - his plots and threads have gotten so convoluted that it makes writing them a big headache and puts a damper on the whole thing. I suspect we'll get another Aeronaut book next and may that will help him.

I'm sure my post won't be popular...but at least it's honest, without malice and my opinion.

Yep. I get the not being owed anything. I get he has a life, projects and problems outside of his writing that absorb his time. I get he wants to bask in his success. I get he needs to write side stuff to keep the main story fresh. But at the same time, he said he had a story to tell. He has certainly implied, at the very least, that he'd tell it from start to finish as long as he could make a living doing it.

Fans are holding up their part of the bargain and he should man up and hold up to his side of it. If you are going to tell a story and expect/hope people will support you during it, you're at least making a soft promise to do your best to give them the whole story. If he is tired of writing it he should take a moment to reset his commitment to how many novels and close it up and finish it off in a book or three instead of drawing it out to his proposed 22.

Unfortunately I think success has gotten to him, much like it has with GRRM and we all may be left wanting and hoping he'll finish it or pass it along to someone else to write and finish. I really do hope he finishes, but after so long and with all his many commitments, I'm not sure I have faith he will and I'll have to write the own ending in my head and move on.

Anyway, I waffle on whether or not I'll keep waiting or give up. I hope he defies my expectations and stops treating his fans so poorly and that he completes his commitment to his novels and story. I certainly know my disappointment in this situation means nothing to him and yet I still hope he continues to have his success and good things in his life, no ill will from me.

For now though, still hoping to read the complete story.

I have barely began the book (and so far I am loving it)  so I will stay away of this spoiler section, but as I've seen the name of this thread, I needed to come to say

(click to show/hide)

Delirium. Totally, she is Delirium from the Endless

Totally this - exactly what I saw and read.