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i_read_what2024-12-08 08:02 pm
kalinara) wrote in i_read_what2024-12-08 08:02 pm
Daughter of the Lion - Part Three - Chapter One
I have just noticed that somehow I never did a Table of Contents for Robin and the Kestrel, nor have I updated my master post. So...that'll happen soon.
Anyway, as for Daughter of the Lion, we're entering into our big genre shift. For the first two thirds of the book, Daughter of the Lion was basically a romantic comedy with some vaguely feminist leanings. It wasn't entirely to my taste, but it was pretty consistent in that tone.
Now it changes. There's a big Content Warning here, folks. Not surprising for this series but still a bit disappointing.
On one hand, I suppose, it is a chance for Roberson to put her money where her mouth is. Daughter of the Lion is possibly the only book in the series to really treat the rape trauma undergone by the characters with the genuine emotion that it deserves. And well, the relevant victims here are men. We'll now get to see if she treats a female victim with the same sensitivity.
But it's still bothersome. Especially since I can't quite get over the idea that Keely's experience now is somehow meant to counter or balance or make up for how she's been treating her brother throughout this book. Brennan is, after all, a victim of rape and torture himself. But this isn't the kind of resolution I wanted to see. I didn't want to see Keely punished for how she treats her brother, I wanted her to realize how unfair she was being and apologize.
Spoiler: while Keely definitely suffers in her own right, she will never come to the realization or apologize. So my desires are thwarted twice.
Oh well. Let's move on with the story.
So this chapter starts with a lot of italics. It reminds me a lot of Donal's captivity in Legacy of the Sword, actually. It's more coherent though.
"A caged bird," said his quiet, vibrant voice. "A linnet, I think, or a sparrow . . . certainly not the fleet falcon, who would never condone it, nor the fierce Homanan hawk, who knows how to avoid the hunter."
She did not turn. She remained on the bench, at the casement, driving fingers into stone with stick force her nails splintered.
And his hands were on her, lifting her down, turning her to face him, to look on his remarkable face. Bearded now, but beautiful, in the way of perfect sculpture. "You must not grieve." A tender, beguiling sympathy. "Women who grieve do not suit the men who want them." His tone softened yet again. "And I want you, Keely."
I will admit, this is well done. I don't particularly care for the eroticism, but well, this book is a descendant of Shapechangers. And I like the way she uses romantic imagery here, but darkly reflected. This isn't consensual. It's not right. And Keely does realize that, even as she's being mentally controlled.
He smiled with infinite tenderness, with contentment, sharing with her his pleasure, his satisfaction at her response. He was pleased by the reaction, as if to kindle any response in her at all, even revulsion, was enough to arouse him.
He withdrew his hand and wove spread fingers into the loosened hair, dragging it forward over her shoulders to be gathered and caressed, pressed possessively against his mouth. "I will keep you as long as it takes," he whispered into her hair. "If you begin to age before me, I will keep you young, until the child is conceived. Until the child is born. And still after, perhaps, if you please me."
She refused to look into the eerie eyes that had a power of their own; to do so admitted defeat. She had learned not to fight him when he took her to bed because to fight gave him reason to use sorcery on her, and that she hated worse than his intimacy.
And that is a terrifying threat.
The italicized segment ends with Strahan smugly telling her he's brought someone to her. It's Taliesin. And thus, she snaps out of the italics and into the real world.
Taliesin is comforting, a fellow prisoner, and he can tell her what's going on. It's been three months. They're on the Crystal Isle. And I remain bewildered that the royal family hasn't done anything about this place, given that it's been a regular haunt of both Electra and Strahan. At least station some Cheysuli here. It's a holy Cheysuli site after all!
Taliesin asks how she is. When she can, she tells him that she has food, drink, and excellent health. He makes sure of that. Poor Keely.
When Taliesin comes closer to her, she recoils and is ashamed. He holds her hand though as she tries to cope with what she's been going through. She asks about him:
"Fed me, as he has you. Given me wine to drink. Left me quite alone. But he has also taken my lifestone." The harper smiled wearily. "So many times before, I thought he would do it. He has threatened, certainly, but only to trouble me, to tease me. Now, at last, he has, and I find, to my surprise, I am very afraid to die."
We know a little bit about what a lifestone is. The old woman that Niall and Ian had met on the road died when she threw hers in the fire. Niall killed Varien with his. But that's all we really know.
Taliesin gives us more of an explanation:
He put his hands away into his sleeves. "Those of us who choose to serve Asar-Suti are initiated through ritual. Corin himself began it, though he escaped before he could be taken by the god. As for me, there was a time I served Tynstar, and a time I served the Seker." His tone was oddly brittle. "It was Tynstar who required the ritual of me so I would live forever, and witness what he had wrought. I did what I was made to do, and so death as you know it is denied me."
It's interesting to try to separate what makes an Ihlini an Ihlini. We actually haven't met an Ihlini who hadn't, at some point, been sworn to the Seker. Both the old woman, and Taliesin, had been followers and are now apostate. Electra and Gisella have some Ihlini type abilities, but I doubt Gisella at least had been through the ritual. Electra may have though, given her lifespan.
Keely points out that Strahan has said he intends to kill Taliesin. Taliesin admits he can. The ritual prevents death from sickness or old age, but he can still be killed. He compares it to a lir's increased lifespan which ends on a warrior's death. The lifestone is the representation of an Ihlini's service to the Seker, just as the lir is a representative of the Cheysuli's service to their gods.
Which raises an interesting question of what the original Ihlini may have had. Both races are descendants of the Firstborn after all. The Seker is only one god. Also, I wonder if the interference with Cheysuli powers come from the Seker instead. Lots of things to think about.
Keely realizes that Strahan can easily kill Taliesin through his lifestone. Yes, but he could also just stab the guy in the heart, so I'm not sure why Keely's so horrified. But she feels guilty. Strahan had wanted her, Taliesin was just unfortunate enough to be with her.
That said, Taliesin is a good guy:
He caught my hands in his own. "Keely, I swear—I would sooner be here with you than have you bear this alone. That I promise you. I do not regret my presence, only my inability to stop him." Twisted hands tightened. "To keep him from you. To get us free of him."
I am annoyed a bit at what a mixed bag this is for me. There are things about this book that I really do like. As aggravating as Keely can be, I appreciate that we finally get a female viewpoint character whose issues and fears are treated respectfully by the narrative. I just wish it didn't come with yet another inevitable rape storyline. And that Maeve was treated better. I love that Taliesin gets a much more prominent role, where he gets to be this comforting, noble, empathetic figure. And that his relationship has been finally explicitly acknowledged in the text.
But it comes with Carollan being fridged. He's still never actually had a chance to be a character more than a plot device. He's never had the opportunity to speak for himself. He doesn't get to sign, or write, or even gesture at any point in this series, and now he never will.
Keely's bitter and skeptical about the idea of freedom. She asks for his belt buckle, he gives it to her, and she immediately digs into her already scarred wrist. The blood that comes up is black.
Quietly, I asked, "Have you seen its like before?"
Taliesin was trembling. He closed both hands around my wrist, shutting off the blood.
"Have you seen its like before?"
"Aye," he answered harshly. "In my own veins."
Slowly, I nodded. "He calls it the blood of the god. He says it replaces my own, until my own is strong again, and only then will I be free."
His face was very pale. He knew more than he was saying, knowing Strahan better than I.
So yeah, this is pretty horrific.
She's tried to kill herself before, and Strahan took everything sharp away. She thinks she's tainted and unclean. And this blood just heals her up again.
I overrode his protest, his attempt to silence me. For my sake as much as his own; he wanted me to forget, so I could live with myself. "Each night he takes me to bed. Spills his seed into me. And promises me the child I bear will bring down the House of Homana."
He stared blindly at my arm, then took his hands away. Aye, he knew. Being once Seker-sworn, he knew. The gash was already closing, sealed by blackened blood. The god looks after his own.
"If he knows I know," I told him, "he will make me forget again. Say nothing, Taliesin, when I play my part too well."
His voice was nearly shut off. "You should play no part—you should be required to play no part—" He shook his head, trembling. "Not you, so blessed, born of ancient blood—"
I mean, no one should go through this. Blood or not.
I get what Roberson's trying to do, but it does really kind of reinforce the big flaw of the feminism of this book. What Keely's dealing with is bad. For Keely. Because Keely is special.
Keely should get to be a warrior and learn the sword, because she's Keely. The fact that other women in the world might also want to learn self defense or defense of others never actually comes up. No Homanan, no Cheysuli, no Erinnish woman, no one. But Keely. Hell, I'd have accepted Strahan making some shit up about some lady in Falia. Nothing.
The idea of a betrothal at birth is rough, sure, but everyone and their mother points out that this is SPECIFICALLY rough on Keely. Maeve's abusive relationship doesn't matter. Aileen's ACTUAL feelings don't matter. The fact that Brennan or Sean may have some sort of emotional reaction themselves don't matter either.
I mentioned once that I thought Brennan might have been an attempt at a do-over for Duncan or Donal, but I actually think if Donal has an equivalent in this generation, it's Keely. Both characters have their "specialness" as a major, constant both in character and out of character. And while I will admit, Keely's much more likable and less terrible than Donal, it's still kind of annoying.
Anyway, Keely thinks her blood is why she's been able to break free of Strahan's magic. But she has worse news: she's conceived.
"He will take it from me," I told him. "He will pervert it. He will make it a reflection of himself. He will use it to pull down the Lion." Firmly, I shook my head. "If I tell him, he will have won. I will not let him win."
"Keely." He took himself in hand. "Keely, if you tell him, if you admit you have conceived, you will save yourself from his bed. He will not trouble you now, not expecting a child. He wants it too badly."
Keely refuses to let Strahan win though. Taliesin points out she can't hide it forever. Which is, of course, when Strahan shows up. Because he had been watching. Of course he was.
I feel guilty for saying this right now, but Keely really isn't the smartest person in her generation.
Strahan notes that he's known for a while - linens have to be washed after all. The line confused me until he states that the child will be born in less than six months. Ahh, okay, menstruation.
Keely attacks him with a buckle, and he stops her with a hand, magically conjured out of ice.
Hands. One stripped the buckle from me and threw it down, where it rang against the stone. Another touched my breasts and pushed me back and back again, until I stood pressed against the wall.
"Strahan!" the harper cried. "By the gods, let her be!"
"Why?" he asked coolly. "Because she is a woman? No. No, indeed ... I respect her too much for that. Keely would never countenance special treatment because of her sex. She has made it very clear." The Ihlini's smile was serene. "I give her what she wants. I give her equality."
He did not touch me, Strahan. He had sorcery to serve him.
So I know I said that Roberson is going to treat the rape of a female character with as much dramatic seriousness as the men this time. And that's true.
But I do have to point out that neither of the men's rapes were painted quite so erotically. Because yeah, we get quite a lot of detail about what those conjured hands are doing to Keely, as well as Strahan's taunts about the other body parts he can conjure for her pleasure.
And of course, he does this in front of Taliesin. Keely begs him to go, since Strahan will do what he pleases anyway. But of course, this encourages Strahan to torture both of them. Taliesin gets to stay.
He does however close his eyes and sing - trying to escape himself and give her some semblance of privacy. It does seem like it comforts her a bit.
The chapter ends here, thankfully.
Look, I don't want it to seem like I'm condemning dark erotica, or anything like that. I've read my share. Fantasies are fantasies. I just wish it weren't in the closest thing we have to a feminist book.
Anyway, as for Daughter of the Lion, we're entering into our big genre shift. For the first two thirds of the book, Daughter of the Lion was basically a romantic comedy with some vaguely feminist leanings. It wasn't entirely to my taste, but it was pretty consistent in that tone.
Now it changes. There's a big Content Warning here, folks. Not surprising for this series but still a bit disappointing.
On one hand, I suppose, it is a chance for Roberson to put her money where her mouth is. Daughter of the Lion is possibly the only book in the series to really treat the rape trauma undergone by the characters with the genuine emotion that it deserves. And well, the relevant victims here are men. We'll now get to see if she treats a female victim with the same sensitivity.
But it's still bothersome. Especially since I can't quite get over the idea that Keely's experience now is somehow meant to counter or balance or make up for how she's been treating her brother throughout this book. Brennan is, after all, a victim of rape and torture himself. But this isn't the kind of resolution I wanted to see. I didn't want to see Keely punished for how she treats her brother, I wanted her to realize how unfair she was being and apologize.
Spoiler: while Keely definitely suffers in her own right, she will never come to the realization or apologize. So my desires are thwarted twice.
Oh well. Let's move on with the story.
So this chapter starts with a lot of italics. It reminds me a lot of Donal's captivity in Legacy of the Sword, actually. It's more coherent though.
"A caged bird," said his quiet, vibrant voice. "A linnet, I think, or a sparrow . . . certainly not the fleet falcon, who would never condone it, nor the fierce Homanan hawk, who knows how to avoid the hunter."
She did not turn. She remained on the bench, at the casement, driving fingers into stone with stick force her nails splintered.
And his hands were on her, lifting her down, turning her to face him, to look on his remarkable face. Bearded now, but beautiful, in the way of perfect sculpture. "You must not grieve." A tender, beguiling sympathy. "Women who grieve do not suit the men who want them." His tone softened yet again. "And I want you, Keely."
I will admit, this is well done. I don't particularly care for the eroticism, but well, this book is a descendant of Shapechangers. And I like the way she uses romantic imagery here, but darkly reflected. This isn't consensual. It's not right. And Keely does realize that, even as she's being mentally controlled.
He smiled with infinite tenderness, with contentment, sharing with her his pleasure, his satisfaction at her response. He was pleased by the reaction, as if to kindle any response in her at all, even revulsion, was enough to arouse him.
He withdrew his hand and wove spread fingers into the loosened hair, dragging it forward over her shoulders to be gathered and caressed, pressed possessively against his mouth. "I will keep you as long as it takes," he whispered into her hair. "If you begin to age before me, I will keep you young, until the child is conceived. Until the child is born. And still after, perhaps, if you please me."
She refused to look into the eerie eyes that had a power of their own; to do so admitted defeat. She had learned not to fight him when he took her to bed because to fight gave him reason to use sorcery on her, and that she hated worse than his intimacy.
And that is a terrifying threat.
The italicized segment ends with Strahan smugly telling her he's brought someone to her. It's Taliesin. And thus, she snaps out of the italics and into the real world.
Taliesin is comforting, a fellow prisoner, and he can tell her what's going on. It's been three months. They're on the Crystal Isle. And I remain bewildered that the royal family hasn't done anything about this place, given that it's been a regular haunt of both Electra and Strahan. At least station some Cheysuli here. It's a holy Cheysuli site after all!
Taliesin asks how she is. When she can, she tells him that she has food, drink, and excellent health. He makes sure of that. Poor Keely.
When Taliesin comes closer to her, she recoils and is ashamed. He holds her hand though as she tries to cope with what she's been going through. She asks about him:
"Fed me, as he has you. Given me wine to drink. Left me quite alone. But he has also taken my lifestone." The harper smiled wearily. "So many times before, I thought he would do it. He has threatened, certainly, but only to trouble me, to tease me. Now, at last, he has, and I find, to my surprise, I am very afraid to die."
We know a little bit about what a lifestone is. The old woman that Niall and Ian had met on the road died when she threw hers in the fire. Niall killed Varien with his. But that's all we really know.
Taliesin gives us more of an explanation:
He put his hands away into his sleeves. "Those of us who choose to serve Asar-Suti are initiated through ritual. Corin himself began it, though he escaped before he could be taken by the god. As for me, there was a time I served Tynstar, and a time I served the Seker." His tone was oddly brittle. "It was Tynstar who required the ritual of me so I would live forever, and witness what he had wrought. I did what I was made to do, and so death as you know it is denied me."
It's interesting to try to separate what makes an Ihlini an Ihlini. We actually haven't met an Ihlini who hadn't, at some point, been sworn to the Seker. Both the old woman, and Taliesin, had been followers and are now apostate. Electra and Gisella have some Ihlini type abilities, but I doubt Gisella at least had been through the ritual. Electra may have though, given her lifespan.
Keely points out that Strahan has said he intends to kill Taliesin. Taliesin admits he can. The ritual prevents death from sickness or old age, but he can still be killed. He compares it to a lir's increased lifespan which ends on a warrior's death. The lifestone is the representation of an Ihlini's service to the Seker, just as the lir is a representative of the Cheysuli's service to their gods.
Which raises an interesting question of what the original Ihlini may have had. Both races are descendants of the Firstborn after all. The Seker is only one god. Also, I wonder if the interference with Cheysuli powers come from the Seker instead. Lots of things to think about.
Keely realizes that Strahan can easily kill Taliesin through his lifestone. Yes, but he could also just stab the guy in the heart, so I'm not sure why Keely's so horrified. But she feels guilty. Strahan had wanted her, Taliesin was just unfortunate enough to be with her.
That said, Taliesin is a good guy:
He caught my hands in his own. "Keely, I swear—I would sooner be here with you than have you bear this alone. That I promise you. I do not regret my presence, only my inability to stop him." Twisted hands tightened. "To keep him from you. To get us free of him."
I am annoyed a bit at what a mixed bag this is for me. There are things about this book that I really do like. As aggravating as Keely can be, I appreciate that we finally get a female viewpoint character whose issues and fears are treated respectfully by the narrative. I just wish it didn't come with yet another inevitable rape storyline. And that Maeve was treated better. I love that Taliesin gets a much more prominent role, where he gets to be this comforting, noble, empathetic figure. And that his relationship has been finally explicitly acknowledged in the text.
But it comes with Carollan being fridged. He's still never actually had a chance to be a character more than a plot device. He's never had the opportunity to speak for himself. He doesn't get to sign, or write, or even gesture at any point in this series, and now he never will.
Keely's bitter and skeptical about the idea of freedom. She asks for his belt buckle, he gives it to her, and she immediately digs into her already scarred wrist. The blood that comes up is black.
Quietly, I asked, "Have you seen its like before?"
Taliesin was trembling. He closed both hands around my wrist, shutting off the blood.
"Have you seen its like before?"
"Aye," he answered harshly. "In my own veins."
Slowly, I nodded. "He calls it the blood of the god. He says it replaces my own, until my own is strong again, and only then will I be free."
His face was very pale. He knew more than he was saying, knowing Strahan better than I.
So yeah, this is pretty horrific.
She's tried to kill herself before, and Strahan took everything sharp away. She thinks she's tainted and unclean. And this blood just heals her up again.
I overrode his protest, his attempt to silence me. For my sake as much as his own; he wanted me to forget, so I could live with myself. "Each night he takes me to bed. Spills his seed into me. And promises me the child I bear will bring down the House of Homana."
He stared blindly at my arm, then took his hands away. Aye, he knew. Being once Seker-sworn, he knew. The gash was already closing, sealed by blackened blood. The god looks after his own.
"If he knows I know," I told him, "he will make me forget again. Say nothing, Taliesin, when I play my part too well."
His voice was nearly shut off. "You should play no part—you should be required to play no part—" He shook his head, trembling. "Not you, so blessed, born of ancient blood—"
I mean, no one should go through this. Blood or not.
I get what Roberson's trying to do, but it does really kind of reinforce the big flaw of the feminism of this book. What Keely's dealing with is bad. For Keely. Because Keely is special.
Keely should get to be a warrior and learn the sword, because she's Keely. The fact that other women in the world might also want to learn self defense or defense of others never actually comes up. No Homanan, no Cheysuli, no Erinnish woman, no one. But Keely. Hell, I'd have accepted Strahan making some shit up about some lady in Falia. Nothing.
The idea of a betrothal at birth is rough, sure, but everyone and their mother points out that this is SPECIFICALLY rough on Keely. Maeve's abusive relationship doesn't matter. Aileen's ACTUAL feelings don't matter. The fact that Brennan or Sean may have some sort of emotional reaction themselves don't matter either.
I mentioned once that I thought Brennan might have been an attempt at a do-over for Duncan or Donal, but I actually think if Donal has an equivalent in this generation, it's Keely. Both characters have their "specialness" as a major, constant both in character and out of character. And while I will admit, Keely's much more likable and less terrible than Donal, it's still kind of annoying.
Anyway, Keely thinks her blood is why she's been able to break free of Strahan's magic. But she has worse news: she's conceived.
"He will take it from me," I told him. "He will pervert it. He will make it a reflection of himself. He will use it to pull down the Lion." Firmly, I shook my head. "If I tell him, he will have won. I will not let him win."
"Keely." He took himself in hand. "Keely, if you tell him, if you admit you have conceived, you will save yourself from his bed. He will not trouble you now, not expecting a child. He wants it too badly."
Keely refuses to let Strahan win though. Taliesin points out she can't hide it forever. Which is, of course, when Strahan shows up. Because he had been watching. Of course he was.
I feel guilty for saying this right now, but Keely really isn't the smartest person in her generation.
Strahan notes that he's known for a while - linens have to be washed after all. The line confused me until he states that the child will be born in less than six months. Ahh, okay, menstruation.
Keely attacks him with a buckle, and he stops her with a hand, magically conjured out of ice.
Hands. One stripped the buckle from me and threw it down, where it rang against the stone. Another touched my breasts and pushed me back and back again, until I stood pressed against the wall.
"Strahan!" the harper cried. "By the gods, let her be!"
"Why?" he asked coolly. "Because she is a woman? No. No, indeed ... I respect her too much for that. Keely would never countenance special treatment because of her sex. She has made it very clear." The Ihlini's smile was serene. "I give her what she wants. I give her equality."
He did not touch me, Strahan. He had sorcery to serve him.
So I know I said that Roberson is going to treat the rape of a female character with as much dramatic seriousness as the men this time. And that's true.
But I do have to point out that neither of the men's rapes were painted quite so erotically. Because yeah, we get quite a lot of detail about what those conjured hands are doing to Keely, as well as Strahan's taunts about the other body parts he can conjure for her pleasure.
And of course, he does this in front of Taliesin. Keely begs him to go, since Strahan will do what he pleases anyway. But of course, this encourages Strahan to torture both of them. Taliesin gets to stay.
He does however close his eyes and sing - trying to escape himself and give her some semblance of privacy. It does seem like it comforts her a bit.
The chapter ends here, thankfully.
Look, I don't want it to seem like I'm condemning dark erotica, or anything like that. I've read my share. Fantasies are fantasies. I just wish it weren't in the closest thing we have to a feminist book.
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(Anonymous) 2024-12-11 04:57 pm (UTC)(link)= Multi-Facets.
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Well, good to see that her trauma's also treated with respect, though I'd really like a Cheysuli book without rape.
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"Why?" he asked coolly. "Because she is a woman? No. No, indeed ... I respect her too much for that. Keely would never countenance special treatment because of her sex. She has made it very clear." The Ihlini's smile was serene. "I give her what she wants. I give her equality."
This seems extra disgusting because it's not even true. He is giving her preferential treatment compared to her brothers. She's not locked up in a squalid cell and given targeted psychological torture.
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