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rainwatersparkI'm 75% of the way through the story, so this isn't technically a review, but I doubt my thoughts will change too much so I've decided to jot them down now.
Hidden under a cut due to spoilers. (Also, content warning for discussion of sexual assault & childhood sexual abuse.)
I'm pretty torn on how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I rarely enjoy fantasy now, so I want to be lenient toward this book because I still think its society and magic system are very well-done.
On the other hand...there are a couple of things that bother me significantly. Mostly, they revolve around the queer representation and treatment of sexual consent.
1. I want to like this book because yay queer rep, but it kind of feels like it plays into the "Gay guys are promiscuous!" trope. Like Hansa grew up with severe internalized homophobia and suddenly he's ready to have threesomes? Seriously?
2. Maybe this isn't technically accurate because I skipped over Book #2, but the only explicitly bisexual guy is a child predator, so...yeah.
3. The first book didn't entirely make clear whether Hansa was gay or bi/pan, and I thought it was odd compared to this book, in which it discusses multiple times and at length about how Hansa was obviously closeted his entire life. (I'd kind of hoped he was bi/pan based on the first book, honestly.)
4. Um, so...it's implied that Naples takes revenge on Cupric on Umber's behalf by raping Cupric. I'm...not really a believer that rape is okay if it's used as a tool of revenge.
5. On a similar topic, it's heavily implied that one of Cupric's boons was that Umber couldn't resist having sex with him...which is, again, rape, and in that case it's disturbing that these sexual assault scenarios are initially presented as consensual in order to make Hansa (and the reader!) suspect that Umber has genuine romantic and sexual feelings for Cupric. Like this book took a weird swerve into romantic drama territory by pretending rape was consensual sex for drama. I don't know, the whole thing feels questionable to me.
6. Let's talk about consent.
Any fantasy book that has magically-induced sexual compulsion is distressing for me on a fundamental level. This series does touch on the issues around consent when people are magically compelled to do things, but considering the author is aware of the issue, it's disappointing that the ending has Hansa and Umber affirm that they don't want to break the magical bond—at least in Hansa's case, because he's afraid his feelings for Umber will disappear, and he doesn't want that.
Um, what?
It would have been far more powerful for them, in terms of a romantic arc, to break the bond and affirm they still love each other, rather than just be like "Maybe magic is influencing my attraction to you, but nah, I'm fine with it."
It's just...weird that the book discusses consent but then ultimately kind of handwaves it.
(Anyway, @ all authors: Treat consent with seriousness and respect, goddamnit!)
7. The ideas about sexual orientation and romance/sex seemed a tad simplistic. For example, Naples's explanation of his heartbond with Azo didn't seem that nuanced (partly because it frames "love" as more like "all-encompassing obsession): if Naples is gay, shouldn't he be unable to form a romantic attachment to Azo? Alternately, maybe he's biromantic homosexual—but it's ace-exclusive to say that Azo was upset by the idea of Naples only having sex with her to please her and not getting satisfaction out of their sexual relationship himself. Sigh.
Hidden under a cut due to spoilers. (Also, content warning for discussion of sexual assault & childhood sexual abuse.)
I'm pretty torn on how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I rarely enjoy fantasy now, so I want to be lenient toward this book because I still think its society and magic system are very well-done.
On the other hand...there are a couple of things that bother me significantly. Mostly, they revolve around the queer representation and treatment of sexual consent.
1. I want to like this book because yay queer rep, but it kind of feels like it plays into the "Gay guys are promiscuous!" trope. Like Hansa grew up with severe internalized homophobia and suddenly he's ready to have threesomes? Seriously?
2. Maybe this isn't technically accurate because I skipped over Book #2, but the only explicitly bisexual guy is a child predator, so...yeah.
3. The first book didn't entirely make clear whether Hansa was gay or bi/pan, and I thought it was odd compared to this book, in which it discusses multiple times and at length about how Hansa was obviously closeted his entire life. (I'd kind of hoped he was bi/pan based on the first book, honestly.)
4. Um, so...it's implied that Naples takes revenge on Cupric on Umber's behalf by raping Cupric. I'm...not really a believer that rape is okay if it's used as a tool of revenge.
5. On a similar topic, it's heavily implied that one of Cupric's boons was that Umber couldn't resist having sex with him...which is, again, rape, and in that case it's disturbing that these sexual assault scenarios are initially presented as consensual in order to make Hansa (and the reader!) suspect that Umber has genuine romantic and sexual feelings for Cupric. Like this book took a weird swerve into romantic drama territory by pretending rape was consensual sex for drama. I don't know, the whole thing feels questionable to me.
6. Let's talk about consent.
Any fantasy book that has magically-induced sexual compulsion is distressing for me on a fundamental level. This series does touch on the issues around consent when people are magically compelled to do things, but considering the author is aware of the issue, it's disappointing that the ending has Hansa and Umber affirm that they don't want to break the magical bond—at least in Hansa's case, because he's afraid his feelings for Umber will disappear, and he doesn't want that.
Um, what?
It would have been far more powerful for them, in terms of a romantic arc, to break the bond and affirm they still love each other, rather than just be like "Maybe magic is influencing my attraction to you, but nah, I'm fine with it."
It's just...weird that the book discusses consent but then ultimately kind of handwaves it.
(Anyway, @ all authors: Treat consent with seriousness and respect, goddamnit!)
7. The ideas about sexual orientation and romance/sex seemed a tad simplistic. For example, Naples's explanation of his heartbond with Azo didn't seem that nuanced (partly because it frames "love" as more like "all-encompassing obsession): if Naples is gay, shouldn't he be unable to form a romantic attachment to Azo? Alternately, maybe he's biromantic homosexual—but it's ace-exclusive to say that Azo was upset by the idea of Naples only having sex with her to please her and not getting satisfaction out of their sexual relationship himself. Sigh.
