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i_read_what2019-11-03 10:56 pm
kalinara) wrote in i_read_what2019-11-03 10:56 pm
Shapechangers - Book Two - Chapter One
So last time, we finished "book one" of Shapechangers, in which Alix is captured by a group of really rapey racist stereotypes, and accomplishes all of jack and shit until she's rescued by her genocide apologist cousin, who she's in love with.
Oh, well, she does discover that she has special abilities because she's secretly a half-Cheysuli princess. But that actually hasn't mattered much to the plot right now. Look, I generally don't like to apply the label "Mary Sue" to original fiction in general. I have nothing against characters being "special", because why else would they be the main character of a story?
I do expect the "special" characters to actually matter to the plot though. Right now, there really hasn't BEEN a plot. The closest thing to a compelling arc has nothing to do with her. The confrontations that really feel like they might make a difference are all between Duncan and Carillon, seeing as how the former is the leader of the Cheysuli, and Carillon is heir to the throne and may or may not follow in his genocidal uncle's footsteps. Alix is just there because Finn thought she was hot.
So anyway, let's start book two. Maybe Alix will actually get to do something this time! I'm holding out hope.
So we start out with Carillon and Alix going home to reassure her dad that she's okay. Alix, in particular, feels both relieved and sad, because apparently her "few days" as a Cheysuli captive "altered her perception forever".
For his part, Carillon thinks it's odd that a man who grew up in the palace and was privy to the king's confidence, would give it all up to "work the land like a tenant-crofter owing yearly rents to his lord". Maybe that's a sign about how much of a dick Shaine actually is? For her part, Alix remembers her father as being a man "of deepness and dark silences". She thinks she understands why.
So now we meet Torrin. So far, he seems like a good guy! He is neither grotesquely rapey nor exceedingly racist. When Alix meets him, she makes the hand gesture for tahlmorra and asks if he knows what it is. Torrin does, telling her that he couldn't tell her the truth, and he was afraid of losing her to the Cheysuli.
Torrin gives them the full story. Again. Seriously, it's the SAME STORY. We've heard this. Did Ms. Roberson have a word count that she absolutely has to meet? I mean, Torrin telling the story has a lot more impact than Finn or Duncan (since y'know, he didn't kidnap her, and thus has more credibility), but it's still unnecessary repetition.
Lindir was supposed to marry Ellic, prince of Solinde. Lindir was determined. She ran off with Hale. Shaine lied to salvage his pride, and then when his first wife died and his second wife couldn't have kids, he lost it.
I know my reviews can often get repetitive, but in my defense, I don't have an editor or a publisher that should really be catching this bullshit.
Alix mentions that Hale had a woman at the Keep, but he left her for Lindir. Torrin tells her that she'll understand when she meets the man that she'll have. Finally we're told something new: that Lindir was eighteen (which perhaps makes her flight a little more understandable, since it did spark a war and all. I don't think she should be blamed for the qu'mahlin, but she had to know that ditching the heir to a neighboring country MIGHT have some bad effects in terms of interrelation), and that she had the kind of pride and strength that would have made her the finest heir that a king could want, if she'd been male.
Torrin gives us more details of Lindir's flight. Namely that it took place on the night of the betrothal, when all of the lords of Solinde and Homana had gathered. (...wow, she couldn't have created more of a recipe for war if she'd actually tried), and she'd left disguised as a serving woman. Hale had gone out as a red fox, which is interesting. I don't think we have a major character with a fox lir until Corin in the fifth book. I'm not sure if there's any meaning attached to lir forms, but I do remember finding Corin annoying. Hale annoys me too, on general principle, though we never actually see him.
And back to repetition: Lindir disappeared, Ellinda died of a wasting disease, Lorsilla miscarried a son and then was barren, and Shane began the purge.
It occurs to me that the book would probably have been stronger if Finn and Duncan hadn't been able to give Alix these details ahead of time. It was really bullshit that they knew these things anyway, since they wouldn't have been there. And it ought to be enough to know that Hale and Lindir ran and Shaine reacted badly. Perhaps, instead, they could have told us what life was like for Hale and Lindir afterward. There was eight years between the beginning of the qu'mahlin and Alix's birth, so did they live among the clan? How did Lindir take to giving up the luxury of her birth? Did she enjoy her comparative freedom? Did she get along with the Cheysuli women? Was she lonely or comfortable?
That could have helped humanize the Cheysuli for us, while also leaving some of Shaine's motivations a mystery. It might be more understandable that Alix thinks Shaine might actually care about her, if she didn't have as many details about his grudge. But noooo, we had to know right away how special Alix is.
Sorry, back to Torrin. He explains MORE of what we already know (but shouldn't): Lindir came back pregnant. The Mujhar accepted her because he needed the heir. When Alix was born, he refused to accept it and wanted to leave Alix to die, but the "Lady Lorsilla" and Torrin begged him not to. He finally let Torrin take her if he left his service and swore to never allow her in the capitol.
Okay, Alix. Maybe that's a good indication that you SHOULD NOT CONFRONT SHAINE.
Torrin tells her that taking her in was the best thing he'd ever done. Aw. Torrin is pretty great. He also clarifies that no, the Cheysuli aren't demons. They have "arts" that Homanans don't, but "they do not use them for ill."
Well, except for capturing women apparently. But I'm just happy to meet a dude who isn't a rapist or genocide apologist, so I'll stop nitpicking. If only Roberson hadn't made Finn and Duncan so damned omniscient, and let Torrin be the first to tell us some of this stuff.
Alix asks why Torrin let her believe they were demons. Um, Alix, while it's true that we can blame our parents for a lot of unconscious racism, there's been nothing to indicate he taught you any of this bullshit. You're almost an adult. Own your own shit.
Torrin says he never called them demons, but admits that he was afraid to defend them too much because he was worried that Alix would then attract too much attention by defending them herself, which might get Shaine to rescind his decision to let Torrin keep Alix.
I'm not sure that really makes sense since we'd heard Alix defend the Cheysuli in the very first scene anyway. But I am amused that Torrin apparently thinks Alix is too much of a fucking idiot to know when to keep her mouth shut.
Alix asks about Hale, and Torrin engages in a little bit of misogynistic woman blaming:
Torrin's head bowed. "Hale served his lord with a loyalty no other man could hope for. It was Lindir who twisted that loyalty. Hale was a good man. You have no need to fear the memory of your father."
Um, Torrin. Hale was a grown man. He did NOT have to help an eighteen year old princess ditch her unwanted fiance. He also didn't have to leave his wife and bang her instead. He may or may not have been a good man, but Lindir isn't to blame for Hale's choices.
Alix does get a good moment where she tells him that he will ever be her father. Aw. Fuck you, Duncan. Torrin agrees, and basically says that even if her heritage starts manifesting in more magic ways, he'll still see her as his daughter as long as he lives.
He defends the Cheysuli a bit more, talking about their strength, dedication, and their magnificent honor. (Which Ms. Roberson has shown us by making them all rapists and rape apologists. Sorry, no amount of praise is going to make that less racist.) He mentions tahlmorra, and the conversation loses me a little:
"Alix, I think you must. I served with the Cheysuli years before your birth; I know their strength and dedication and their magnificent honor. They did not ask for this qu'mahlin. But they realize it is a part of their tahlmorra."
"You speak of that!"
He smiled sadly. "I have reared a Cheysuli girl-child in my house, and in my heart. How could I not?"
A chilling sensation rippled through her body. "Then you knew . . . one day . . ."
"I have ever known." He leaned forward and kissed her brow softly. "A Cheysuli can never deny his tahlmorra. To do so angers the gods."
"I did not want this," she said dully.
Torrin removed his hands and sat back from her as if to illustrate the sacrifice he made. "Go with the prince. Alix. I would keep you, if I could, but it is not the will of the gods." He smiled, but the pain remained in his eyes. "The path to your tahlmorra lies another way."
I realize including that first line of dialogue is a little repetitive, but I needed to show exactly how incomprehensible this conversation is. We start out talking about the Cheysuli in general. Okay, I'm following. Then Alix is either shocked or annoyed at him bringing up tahlmorra. Okay. Still following. Torrin points out that he's been raising a Cheysuli in his house and in his heart (aww), so how could he not speak about tahlmorra. Okay, I sort of get that. I'm not sure how he would have a built in understanding of the term just by raising a baby, but he'd known Hale, so maybe it was explained to him before hand but now he feels it more.
I DON'T get Alix's "then you knew..." bit though. What is Torrin supposed to know? Is she talking about her heritage? Because Torrin just had a pretty long speech that indicated he knew that Hale and Lindir were her parents. Is she talking about the fact that she has some kind of destiny? I'm pretty everyone has a destiny. At any rate, we seem to be suddenly talking about Alix having to go with Carillon. Which she intended to do anyway.
But now of course she wants to stay, and Carillon wants to take her to meet Shaine. Despite the fact that Carillon has tried to discourage her from exactly this many times, since y'know, Shaine is a GENOCIDAL MONSTER. And Alix was the only one who thought meeting Shaine was remotely a good idea, but now she doesn't want to. And then it gets fucking gross.
He bent and grasped her arms. pulling her upright. Alix jerked around and glared at him. "You would have me think you no better than Finn—ordering me this way and that!"
He grinned at her. "Then perhaps he has the right of it. What else can a man do when a woman defies him, save force her?"
She took a step away from him. "I will see the Mujhar another time."
"If you do not come now, you will never do it." Carillon glanced at Torrin and saw the confirmation in his eyes. The prince smiled faintly and took her arm once again."
What. The. Fuck.
1) This goes against ALL previously established characterization and statements, as mentioned above.
2) No, he's not just like Finn. He hasn't threatened to rape you. Also, please stop minimizing Finn's behavior as "ordering", he kept threatening to rape you!
3) Carillon, that's gross. Thus far you haven't shown the inclination toward rape, so I am assuming you don't realize how that sounds, but YOU ARE ON FUCKING THIN ICE.
4) Torrin, why are you okay with this? You are by far the best male character in the book, because that is a fucking low bar, but still, what father is okay with this?!
5) WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO MEET SHAINE??? Aside from Ms. Roberson deciding she wants them to meet as the next part of the plot. (Probably so she can be rescued by Finn and Duncan because we need to see the Homanans being gross to justify her going to live with the Cheysuli.) He KNOWS she exists. He forbid Torrin from bringing her back. THIS WILL NOT END WELL.
So anyway, Carillon has been officially mind controlled by the plot, and is taking her into Mujhara. It's a gleaming city with winding narrow streets, and Alix is suddenly aware of her torn clothes and bare feet.
Wait a second. You were just at home. Surely you had other clothes AT HOME. I didn't get the sense that Alix grew up in complete poverty. It seems reasonable that she'd have had one change of clothes somewhere. Why on earth didn't she get it???
So anyway, we get a description:
She looked past his arm and saw the stone walls rising before her. The fortress-palace stood on a gentle rise within the city itself, hidden behind time-worn walls of rose-colored, undressed stone. Before them towered massive bronze-and-timber gates, attended by eight men liveried in the Mujhar's colors. Alix saw red tunics over light chain mail, emblazoned with a rampant black lion. It was the proud coat-of-arms she had seen etched into Carillon's ruby seal ring; and stamped into the heavy gold of the sword hilt."
So anyway, Carillon continues to ride them toward the palace while Alix protests. She doesn't try to get away or anything, because that would be too proactive I guess. She decides to summon her pride so she doesn't look like some lice-ridden woman of the streets, and I don't understand how those things correlate, and continues on. Eventually she demands to know where Carillon is taking her. He tells her that he's taking her to Shaine's wife's chambers, and Lorsilla will see that she's "bathed and dressed as befits a princess".
Alix of course protests more, even though a chapter ago, she wanted to confront Shaine. But I see what's happening here. Ms. Roberson is writing this scene as an excuse to get Alix all dressed up and into princess type luxury. But see, only shallow and vain characters would want that sort of thing, so Alix has to protest. See, Alix just wants to be a simple girl. She doesn't WANT to be a princess. So Carillon has to force her. (Even though we never actually see Alix trying to get away, or do more than make cursory protests.)
And as I mentioned before (I am as repetitive as this book), Carillon didn't WANT to introduce them. Because again, GENOCIDAL MONSTER. But SOMEONE has to force Alix into the pretty dress, so Carillon has to forget about how Shaine is likely to react to the girl who is a symbol of everything he thinks he lost, as well as being a convenient scapegoat for the war with Solinde, Lindir's escape, Shaine's own impotence, Lindir's death in childbirth, and the lack of heir.
Carillon also has to ignore any and all previous characterization that showed him being actually interested in a woman's consent. But this is a gross captive fantasy, so who cares about stuff like characterization anyway?
I'm being very harsh here, I'm sorry. But this is so frustrating.
So anyway, we now meet Lorsilla, Shaine's wife, who is very kind but I think a bit deluded. She tries to reassure Alix, claiming that Shaine will hold his tongue meeting her "if only from sheer amazement". When Alix suggests it might be hatred, Lorsilla says "He can't hate what he does not know."
Um, Lorsilla, perhaps the victims of the qu'mahlin might feel otherwise.
Oh this is good:
"Alix, he is your grandsire. His anger was never at you, but at himself for losing Lindir. Had he treated her more gently when she refused Ellic, she might have remained here."
This is a DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO EVERYTHING WE JUST HEARD!
a) His anger was never at her? She was born and he wanted her left to DIE! He told Torrin never to let her come to Mujhara! HOW IS THAT NOT DIRECTED AT HER?!?!
b) How could Shaine have treated her more gently when she refused Ellic when she didn't? She snuck out of her betrothal night dressed as a servant!
Now look, Lorsilla wasn't here for this. Ellinda was still alive then, and only died after Lindir left. So I could accept her being confused. And certainly most women would want to believe the best of their husbands (especially if they can't easily leave.) But Alix and Carillon JUST HEARD SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. And neither is reacting to this!
It seems really clear here that Ms. Roberson doesn't give a shit that her plot makes no sense and outright contradicts itself, as long as she can get Alix where she needs to be for the next stage in this fantasy. And this stage means that Alix gets to be a beautiful princess and meet the wicked king.
I do like that Lorsilla is kind. And I like that she doesn't see Alix's heritage as an impediment. She has no children herself, so she wants to treat Alix as the grandchild she'll never have. I can appreciate that. If only Ms. Roberson had bothered to make this narrative make ANY sort of sense.
We close out the chapter with Alix wondering apprehensively "What of the Mujhar himself?"
Well. Given that he started a genocidal purge, I'm going to guess that he won't be happy to see you.
Oh, well, she does discover that she has special abilities because she's secretly a half-Cheysuli princess. But that actually hasn't mattered much to the plot right now. Look, I generally don't like to apply the label "Mary Sue" to original fiction in general. I have nothing against characters being "special", because why else would they be the main character of a story?
I do expect the "special" characters to actually matter to the plot though. Right now, there really hasn't BEEN a plot. The closest thing to a compelling arc has nothing to do with her. The confrontations that really feel like they might make a difference are all between Duncan and Carillon, seeing as how the former is the leader of the Cheysuli, and Carillon is heir to the throne and may or may not follow in his genocidal uncle's footsteps. Alix is just there because Finn thought she was hot.
So anyway, let's start book two. Maybe Alix will actually get to do something this time! I'm holding out hope.
So we start out with Carillon and Alix going home to reassure her dad that she's okay. Alix, in particular, feels both relieved and sad, because apparently her "few days" as a Cheysuli captive "altered her perception forever".
For his part, Carillon thinks it's odd that a man who grew up in the palace and was privy to the king's confidence, would give it all up to "work the land like a tenant-crofter owing yearly rents to his lord". Maybe that's a sign about how much of a dick Shaine actually is? For her part, Alix remembers her father as being a man "of deepness and dark silences". She thinks she understands why.
So now we meet Torrin. So far, he seems like a good guy! He is neither grotesquely rapey nor exceedingly racist. When Alix meets him, she makes the hand gesture for tahlmorra and asks if he knows what it is. Torrin does, telling her that he couldn't tell her the truth, and he was afraid of losing her to the Cheysuli.
Torrin gives them the full story. Again. Seriously, it's the SAME STORY. We've heard this. Did Ms. Roberson have a word count that she absolutely has to meet? I mean, Torrin telling the story has a lot more impact than Finn or Duncan (since y'know, he didn't kidnap her, and thus has more credibility), but it's still unnecessary repetition.
Lindir was supposed to marry Ellic, prince of Solinde. Lindir was determined. She ran off with Hale. Shaine lied to salvage his pride, and then when his first wife died and his second wife couldn't have kids, he lost it.
I know my reviews can often get repetitive, but in my defense, I don't have an editor or a publisher that should really be catching this bullshit.
Alix mentions that Hale had a woman at the Keep, but he left her for Lindir. Torrin tells her that she'll understand when she meets the man that she'll have. Finally we're told something new: that Lindir was eighteen (which perhaps makes her flight a little more understandable, since it did spark a war and all. I don't think she should be blamed for the qu'mahlin, but she had to know that ditching the heir to a neighboring country MIGHT have some bad effects in terms of interrelation), and that she had the kind of pride and strength that would have made her the finest heir that a king could want, if she'd been male.
Torrin gives us more details of Lindir's flight. Namely that it took place on the night of the betrothal, when all of the lords of Solinde and Homana had gathered. (...wow, she couldn't have created more of a recipe for war if she'd actually tried), and she'd left disguised as a serving woman. Hale had gone out as a red fox, which is interesting. I don't think we have a major character with a fox lir until Corin in the fifth book. I'm not sure if there's any meaning attached to lir forms, but I do remember finding Corin annoying. Hale annoys me too, on general principle, though we never actually see him.
And back to repetition: Lindir disappeared, Ellinda died of a wasting disease, Lorsilla miscarried a son and then was barren, and Shane began the purge.
It occurs to me that the book would probably have been stronger if Finn and Duncan hadn't been able to give Alix these details ahead of time. It was really bullshit that they knew these things anyway, since they wouldn't have been there. And it ought to be enough to know that Hale and Lindir ran and Shaine reacted badly. Perhaps, instead, they could have told us what life was like for Hale and Lindir afterward. There was eight years between the beginning of the qu'mahlin and Alix's birth, so did they live among the clan? How did Lindir take to giving up the luxury of her birth? Did she enjoy her comparative freedom? Did she get along with the Cheysuli women? Was she lonely or comfortable?
That could have helped humanize the Cheysuli for us, while also leaving some of Shaine's motivations a mystery. It might be more understandable that Alix thinks Shaine might actually care about her, if she didn't have as many details about his grudge. But noooo, we had to know right away how special Alix is.
Sorry, back to Torrin. He explains MORE of what we already know (but shouldn't): Lindir came back pregnant. The Mujhar accepted her because he needed the heir. When Alix was born, he refused to accept it and wanted to leave Alix to die, but the "Lady Lorsilla" and Torrin begged him not to. He finally let Torrin take her if he left his service and swore to never allow her in the capitol.
Okay, Alix. Maybe that's a good indication that you SHOULD NOT CONFRONT SHAINE.
Torrin tells her that taking her in was the best thing he'd ever done. Aw. Torrin is pretty great. He also clarifies that no, the Cheysuli aren't demons. They have "arts" that Homanans don't, but "they do not use them for ill."
Well, except for capturing women apparently. But I'm just happy to meet a dude who isn't a rapist or genocide apologist, so I'll stop nitpicking. If only Roberson hadn't made Finn and Duncan so damned omniscient, and let Torrin be the first to tell us some of this stuff.
Alix asks why Torrin let her believe they were demons. Um, Alix, while it's true that we can blame our parents for a lot of unconscious racism, there's been nothing to indicate he taught you any of this bullshit. You're almost an adult. Own your own shit.
Torrin says he never called them demons, but admits that he was afraid to defend them too much because he was worried that Alix would then attract too much attention by defending them herself, which might get Shaine to rescind his decision to let Torrin keep Alix.
I'm not sure that really makes sense since we'd heard Alix defend the Cheysuli in the very first scene anyway. But I am amused that Torrin apparently thinks Alix is too much of a fucking idiot to know when to keep her mouth shut.
Alix asks about Hale, and Torrin engages in a little bit of misogynistic woman blaming:
Torrin's head bowed. "Hale served his lord with a loyalty no other man could hope for. It was Lindir who twisted that loyalty. Hale was a good man. You have no need to fear the memory of your father."
Um, Torrin. Hale was a grown man. He did NOT have to help an eighteen year old princess ditch her unwanted fiance. He also didn't have to leave his wife and bang her instead. He may or may not have been a good man, but Lindir isn't to blame for Hale's choices.
Alix does get a good moment where she tells him that he will ever be her father. Aw. Fuck you, Duncan. Torrin agrees, and basically says that even if her heritage starts manifesting in more magic ways, he'll still see her as his daughter as long as he lives.
He defends the Cheysuli a bit more, talking about their strength, dedication, and their magnificent honor. (Which Ms. Roberson has shown us by making them all rapists and rape apologists. Sorry, no amount of praise is going to make that less racist.) He mentions tahlmorra, and the conversation loses me a little:
"Alix, I think you must. I served with the Cheysuli years before your birth; I know their strength and dedication and their magnificent honor. They did not ask for this qu'mahlin. But they realize it is a part of their tahlmorra."
"You speak of that!"
He smiled sadly. "I have reared a Cheysuli girl-child in my house, and in my heart. How could I not?"
A chilling sensation rippled through her body. "Then you knew . . . one day . . ."
"I have ever known." He leaned forward and kissed her brow softly. "A Cheysuli can never deny his tahlmorra. To do so angers the gods."
"I did not want this," she said dully.
Torrin removed his hands and sat back from her as if to illustrate the sacrifice he made. "Go with the prince. Alix. I would keep you, if I could, but it is not the will of the gods." He smiled, but the pain remained in his eyes. "The path to your tahlmorra lies another way."
I realize including that first line of dialogue is a little repetitive, but I needed to show exactly how incomprehensible this conversation is. We start out talking about the Cheysuli in general. Okay, I'm following. Then Alix is either shocked or annoyed at him bringing up tahlmorra. Okay. Still following. Torrin points out that he's been raising a Cheysuli in his house and in his heart (aww), so how could he not speak about tahlmorra. Okay, I sort of get that. I'm not sure how he would have a built in understanding of the term just by raising a baby, but he'd known Hale, so maybe it was explained to him before hand but now he feels it more.
I DON'T get Alix's "then you knew..." bit though. What is Torrin supposed to know? Is she talking about her heritage? Because Torrin just had a pretty long speech that indicated he knew that Hale and Lindir were her parents. Is she talking about the fact that she has some kind of destiny? I'm pretty everyone has a destiny. At any rate, we seem to be suddenly talking about Alix having to go with Carillon. Which she intended to do anyway.
But now of course she wants to stay, and Carillon wants to take her to meet Shaine. Despite the fact that Carillon has tried to discourage her from exactly this many times, since y'know, Shaine is a GENOCIDAL MONSTER. And Alix was the only one who thought meeting Shaine was remotely a good idea, but now she doesn't want to. And then it gets fucking gross.
He bent and grasped her arms. pulling her upright. Alix jerked around and glared at him. "You would have me think you no better than Finn—ordering me this way and that!"
He grinned at her. "Then perhaps he has the right of it. What else can a man do when a woman defies him, save force her?"
She took a step away from him. "I will see the Mujhar another time."
"If you do not come now, you will never do it." Carillon glanced at Torrin and saw the confirmation in his eyes. The prince smiled faintly and took her arm once again."
What. The. Fuck.
1) This goes against ALL previously established characterization and statements, as mentioned above.
2) No, he's not just like Finn. He hasn't threatened to rape you. Also, please stop minimizing Finn's behavior as "ordering", he kept threatening to rape you!
3) Carillon, that's gross. Thus far you haven't shown the inclination toward rape, so I am assuming you don't realize how that sounds, but YOU ARE ON FUCKING THIN ICE.
4) Torrin, why are you okay with this? You are by far the best male character in the book, because that is a fucking low bar, but still, what father is okay with this?!
5) WHY DOES SHE HAVE TO MEET SHAINE??? Aside from Ms. Roberson deciding she wants them to meet as the next part of the plot. (Probably so she can be rescued by Finn and Duncan because we need to see the Homanans being gross to justify her going to live with the Cheysuli.) He KNOWS she exists. He forbid Torrin from bringing her back. THIS WILL NOT END WELL.
So anyway, Carillon has been officially mind controlled by the plot, and is taking her into Mujhara. It's a gleaming city with winding narrow streets, and Alix is suddenly aware of her torn clothes and bare feet.
Wait a second. You were just at home. Surely you had other clothes AT HOME. I didn't get the sense that Alix grew up in complete poverty. It seems reasonable that she'd have had one change of clothes somewhere. Why on earth didn't she get it???
So anyway, we get a description:
She looked past his arm and saw the stone walls rising before her. The fortress-palace stood on a gentle rise within the city itself, hidden behind time-worn walls of rose-colored, undressed stone. Before them towered massive bronze-and-timber gates, attended by eight men liveried in the Mujhar's colors. Alix saw red tunics over light chain mail, emblazoned with a rampant black lion. It was the proud coat-of-arms she had seen etched into Carillon's ruby seal ring; and stamped into the heavy gold of the sword hilt."
So anyway, Carillon continues to ride them toward the palace while Alix protests. She doesn't try to get away or anything, because that would be too proactive I guess. She decides to summon her pride so she doesn't look like some lice-ridden woman of the streets, and I don't understand how those things correlate, and continues on. Eventually she demands to know where Carillon is taking her. He tells her that he's taking her to Shaine's wife's chambers, and Lorsilla will see that she's "bathed and dressed as befits a princess".
Alix of course protests more, even though a chapter ago, she wanted to confront Shaine. But I see what's happening here. Ms. Roberson is writing this scene as an excuse to get Alix all dressed up and into princess type luxury. But see, only shallow and vain characters would want that sort of thing, so Alix has to protest. See, Alix just wants to be a simple girl. She doesn't WANT to be a princess. So Carillon has to force her. (Even though we never actually see Alix trying to get away, or do more than make cursory protests.)
And as I mentioned before (I am as repetitive as this book), Carillon didn't WANT to introduce them. Because again, GENOCIDAL MONSTER. But SOMEONE has to force Alix into the pretty dress, so Carillon has to forget about how Shaine is likely to react to the girl who is a symbol of everything he thinks he lost, as well as being a convenient scapegoat for the war with Solinde, Lindir's escape, Shaine's own impotence, Lindir's death in childbirth, and the lack of heir.
Carillon also has to ignore any and all previous characterization that showed him being actually interested in a woman's consent. But this is a gross captive fantasy, so who cares about stuff like characterization anyway?
I'm being very harsh here, I'm sorry. But this is so frustrating.
So anyway, we now meet Lorsilla, Shaine's wife, who is very kind but I think a bit deluded. She tries to reassure Alix, claiming that Shaine will hold his tongue meeting her "if only from sheer amazement". When Alix suggests it might be hatred, Lorsilla says "He can't hate what he does not know."
Um, Lorsilla, perhaps the victims of the qu'mahlin might feel otherwise.
Oh this is good:
"Alix, he is your grandsire. His anger was never at you, but at himself for losing Lindir. Had he treated her more gently when she refused Ellic, she might have remained here."
This is a DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO EVERYTHING WE JUST HEARD!
a) His anger was never at her? She was born and he wanted her left to DIE! He told Torrin never to let her come to Mujhara! HOW IS THAT NOT DIRECTED AT HER?!?!
b) How could Shaine have treated her more gently when she refused Ellic when she didn't? She snuck out of her betrothal night dressed as a servant!
Now look, Lorsilla wasn't here for this. Ellinda was still alive then, and only died after Lindir left. So I could accept her being confused. And certainly most women would want to believe the best of their husbands (especially if they can't easily leave.) But Alix and Carillon JUST HEARD SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. And neither is reacting to this!
It seems really clear here that Ms. Roberson doesn't give a shit that her plot makes no sense and outright contradicts itself, as long as she can get Alix where she needs to be for the next stage in this fantasy. And this stage means that Alix gets to be a beautiful princess and meet the wicked king.
I do like that Lorsilla is kind. And I like that she doesn't see Alix's heritage as an impediment. She has no children herself, so she wants to treat Alix as the grandchild she'll never have. I can appreciate that. If only Ms. Roberson had bothered to make this narrative make ANY sort of sense.
We close out the chapter with Alix wondering apprehensively "What of the Mujhar himself?"
Well. Given that he started a genocidal purge, I'm going to guess that he won't be happy to see you.
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NOT ONLY IS THIS HORRIFICALLY RACIST AND RAPEY BUT THE PLOT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. NO-ONE'S CHARACTERISATIONS ARE CONSISTENT WITHIN SCENES, LET ALONE BETWEEN DIFFERENT PAGES.
ARGH
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It might indeed be nice if something happened now...
I know my reviews can often get repetitive, but in my defense, I don't have an editor or a publisher that should really be catching this bullshit.
Well, I don't mind, for one! I don't think they're ever repitive to this level, too.
Hale had gone out as a red fox, which is interesting. I don't think we have a major character with a fox lir until Corin in the fifth book. I'm not sure if there's any meaning attached to lir forms, but I do remember finding Corin annoying. Hale annoys me too, on general principle, though we never actually see him.
Well, eventually Hart turned out to be the most annoying one! Do you now think there might be some meaning to the lir forms, too?
Torrin agrees, and basically says that even if her heritage starts manifesting in more magic ways, he'll still see her as his daughter as long as he lives.
Well, it's nice to have some wholesome philosophy in here...
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I think Alix thinks her tahlmorra meant getting kidnapped, while Torrin thinks it means going with Carillon?
Oh, then we're at Mujhara, I guess.
(Question, do we actually see lions at any point?)
I'm being very harsh here, I'm sorry. But this is so frustrating.
No problem. It is just so very bad.
(deep sigh) I just hope it will make sense eventually.