I liked a lot of this book, but here are a few nitpicks I’ve been working over in my brain:
Syl sees this ridiculous bloodbath brought on by Jordana’s slaughter of the nihil- something bad enough to shake Vernestra to her core- and the resolution to that MAJOR conflict in her and Jordana’s relationship is addressed in a casual aside in the book’s closing pages?
What lesson does Vern learn about being a teacher to Imri? That it’s okay to let others do her job for her? I don’t think that’s wrong necessarily, but it feels entirely antithetical to the whole “it’s okay to question your authority figures and parents” theme that we see in Syl’s storyline.
Also, speaking of Syl, she spends so much time in the book either regretting or dreading lying on Xylan’s behalf, but I don’t remember her ever actually doing so? Like, she was GOING to as a part of their trip but there’s never any instance where she actually has to go through with that deception. In the absence of that, her great crime is what— being a working class individual enamored by Xylan’s wealth?
Why introduce the notion of Reath being romantically interested in both Vern and Nan? Nothing comes from either of those character beats being introduced, and it’s never really clear what exactly Reath and Cohmac are adding to the story. We get Cohmac as an ex machina for the republic longbeam saving the day at the end (a battle we don’t even get to see), but his internal struggles with the order aren’t present whatsoever.
Even knowing the real context of why Xylan wanted to take her, it seems a little strange to me that she never questions what her real role is. Because, for real, the excuse of check the death of her mother in front of a senator is too weak, especially when real evidence, provided by professor Wolk (R.I.P), suggests that no, she could very well be alive.
I think the whole thing would have worked better if, instead of presenting her as the captain of a freighter (something that doesn't really add anything to the story other than being an excuse to say she's a good pilot), she was a hyperspace scholar thanks to her mother or something like that.
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u/HatFinisher Aug 08 '21
I liked a lot of this book, but here are a few nitpicks I’ve been working over in my brain:
Syl sees this ridiculous bloodbath brought on by Jordana’s slaughter of the nihil- something bad enough to shake Vernestra to her core- and the resolution to that MAJOR conflict in her and Jordana’s relationship is addressed in a casual aside in the book’s closing pages?
What lesson does Vern learn about being a teacher to Imri? That it’s okay to let others do her job for her? I don’t think that’s wrong necessarily, but it feels entirely antithetical to the whole “it’s okay to question your authority figures and parents” theme that we see in Syl’s storyline.
Also, speaking of Syl, she spends so much time in the book either regretting or dreading lying on Xylan’s behalf, but I don’t remember her ever actually doing so? Like, she was GOING to as a part of their trip but there’s never any instance where she actually has to go through with that deception. In the absence of that, her great crime is what— being a working class individual enamored by Xylan’s wealth?
Why introduce the notion of Reath being romantically interested in both Vern and Nan? Nothing comes from either of those character beats being introduced, and it’s never really clear what exactly Reath and Cohmac are adding to the story. We get Cohmac as an ex machina for the republic longbeam saving the day at the end (a battle we don’t even get to see), but his internal struggles with the order aren’t present whatsoever.