Song of Homana - Verdict

[kalinara]

So there we have it. I finished the sequel of what is possibly the worst book I've ever reviewed for this blog. And did it pass the test of time?

...oddly, yes. I think it did.

This is not to say that Song of Homana is a flawless work. It's not. By any means. The whole Carillon-Electra relationship, whatever Ms. Roberson was TRYING to say there, was horrific. I resent how the only character that was at all interested in a woman's consent in Shapechangers became the kind of man who would force a woman into marriage.

I also did not enjoy the sudden diabolous-ex-machina kidnap of Alix. That was pointless, emotionally shallow (at least if you didn't read Shapechangers), and spoiled the overall theme of self-inflicted tragedy. There may have been some lip service to Tynstar taking Alix because Carillon imprisoned Electra, but that's just an excuse. Tynstar was going to do whatever he damn well wanted.

But that said, there were a lot of things I did like about the book.

I liked that the qu'mahlin got real attention here. It wasn't just some narrative gimmick to excuse away a couple of rapists. There were real ramifications. Real trauma. Real pain. We got to see it through the eyes of the survivors.

I liked that the Cheysuli actually feel like a race, rather than a set of offensive Native American stereotypes. They have a real culture here, with depth and flaws that feel like a natural product of their society. They have practices and rites, traditions that amount to more than just "let's force Alix into marriage". Tahlmorra means something. The prophecy...sort of...means something. (I think we won't get the full substance of the prophecy until next book, but it does feel like there's SOMETHING there.)

I do think that occasionally the Cheysuli get a bit too exoticized. But it's a far cry from Shapechangers's bullshit.

I liked that we got a real sense of the international community. I'd complained in Shapechangers that we had no idea how other countries were reacting to these very chaotic events. And here we get that. At least a little bit. Lachlan provides a very welcome outside view. And Atvia feels like more of a presence here too.

It's not all great though. Tynstar's still pretty ineffectual and Electra was an interesting idea, but never allowed to do much beyond act angry or defiant.

That said, I really liked having more than one woman in the whole goddamn story. And I liked that we actually got to see different kinds of strength. Gwynneth and Tourmaline were never going to be warriors like Alix, but they're still pretty interesting in their own right.

And I very much enjoyed the Finn and Carillon dynamic. I don't know if the subtext was intentional. It's hard to imagine it wasn't, but we all have blind spots. At any rate, I enjoyed that in a way, you could read Song of Homana as a gay (or bi) tragedy. Carillon is a man deeply in love with his best friend, but he can't accept that. He sublimates it in obsession with an unavailable woman, one with traits that subtly remind him of his true love (the arrogance and pride, for example), and when given the choice, he ends up choosing badly and bringing pain and misfortune on himself and others.

And finally, while I didn't like the way the Carillon-Electra plot was handled, I have to admit, that for the most part it was a truly compelling tragedy. Carillon made bad decision after bad decision and they all came home to roost in a way that, while excruciatingly painful, also felt oddly satisfying. And he didn't lose everything by the end. There's still a glimmer of hope, as he and Donal ride into the future.

So let's talk about Characters:

Carillon is our lead, and while I mourn that he lost his appreciation for consent, I have to admit, he makes a far better main character than Alix was ever allowed to be. The first person perspective helps with that, adding a sense of urgency and a narrowed focus. Carillon's flaws are many, but his passions are great. And it's easy to get carried on with the ride.

I didn't always like Carillon, but he was never boring.

Finn is drastically improved from Shapechangers. I think it's probably a lot more understandable why, before I read Shapechangers, he was my favorite character. There's something so magnetic about this Finn. He's complicated, sardonic, clever, occasionally an asshole. And while I'll never forgive Shapechangers for retroactively destroying him, if I put that bullshit out of my head, I remember exactly why I loved Finn so much.

Lachlan is lovely. Probably, objectively, the best man in the whole cast. He's kind and open, a healer and diplomat as opposed to a warrior. He gets to have the "normal guy" reaction to a lot of this nonsense, while at the same time, being possibly more alien than anyone. Ellasian culture sounds fascinating. And well, the whole Death Harpist thing was amazing. And bonus, we have a very rare example of a priest of a single patriarchal god who is open-minded and accepting of the people around him.

I was thrilled to see Rowan again. His position is unique, a parallel look at the qu'mahlin from someone who had to assimilate to survive. Rowan shows us the harsher sides of Cheysuli culture. He was a very young child, who made the decision to repudiate his lir for survival. In the process though, he'd rendered himself anathema to his own people. Cut off from tahlmorra and the prophecy...

But not completely. Rowan still plays a very valuable role. He saves Carillon multiple times, ultimately from Tynstar himself. He leads men in battle and helped retake the kingdom. He still serves destiny. Just from the outside.

I still like the thought that he dates Gryffth. Don't make Carillon and Finn's mistake, dude.

I could wish that Electra got to be developed beyond her defiant anger. And I definitely resent how little Alix got to do in this objectively better book, even before Ms. Roberson decided to randomly rape and widow her.

And Duncan still pretty much sucks. Not every character is salvageable, I suppose. That said, I can at least say that he's sometimes interesting. Which is still an improvement.

So...yeah.

Somehow an absolute dreck of a novel ended up with a shockingly readable sequel! I still can't really wrap my brain around that. But miracles can happen and authors can improve. And the direct sequel to Shapechangers actally gets a passing grade.