Reading Wednesday
Mar. 4th, 2015 10:54 pmWhat did you finish reading
Listen, by The State: Okay so attribution for this is weird, because I don't know the author's name on account of it being on the internet and and unsigned. I'm also not sure if this should go in "currently reading" or "finished reading", given that both can apply: I've read all of it that currently exists, but it's still being updated.
Okay, all that aside, HOLY FUCK THIS STORY IS AMAZING. I have no idea what the fuck is going with the worldbuilding but I so so desperately want to find out. Some time during the Middle Ages something happened that drastically impacted the course of Christianity and the rest of world history. Rome is some kind of deserted waste land with possibly magical powers hiding in it? And everything is kind of steampunk-y or something and idk what is going on but I love it.
The About page, linked above, provides this summary for the story:
HEROIC HISTORIANS! And doesn't the whole thing sound just so amazing? Because it does and is.
I'm going to claim this for the FREE SPACE of the Random Card (book with more than two protagonists).
Le Seigneur Sha, by Erik L'Homme: The pacing of this book is really weird and tbh, the more I (re)read this trilogy, the more I'm starting to think it might not have been written as a trilogy for kids aged 12 or so, but as a single volume aimed at kids aged 15 or so. It'd explain a lot about the pacing and about a handful of other things that don't make sense if the characters are 12 but do if they're 15. Like, say, that their parents leave them completely alone for three whole days in the middle of the biggest holiday of the year or how one plotpoint in Book 3 hinges on two of the kids hanging around a tavern/bar all afternoon on a school day without anyone noticing that as odd (this is literally why they're there: because no one would notice). Bertram's crush on Corlaie would also make more sense, as I don't know a lot of sixteen years old who crush on thirteen years old, but on fifteen years old, I can buy it. It would also help not make Guillemot so overpowered if he has had time to learn about things instead of being naturally ~gifted~. Although, with passages like
We do learn what Ambre wants to do when she grows up: a Knight! Which she can't because sexism. Yay? That leaves Coralie out of the main as the only one who's future goals we have no idea about. Also, there are no more women with speaking parts than they were last time. Less, even given that neither Kushumai nor Matsi appear in this book. Then there's the bit where two girls literally get into a fight over a boy. (And Ambre's wildly unreasonable "protect Guillemot" urges, but that turned out to be due to an enchantment.)
(There's an exposition bit that literally goes "As you know"! "Comme vous le savez"!)
I think the Ambor/Bromotul shippy stuff is all in my head, but there are quotes that make me doubt that Urien/Valentin is. They live together and always have. They moved in together (and Valentin pretends to be Urien's butler) "pour ne pas faire jaser la bonne société d'Ys" / "so that the good people of Ys will not gossip". Then there's the bit where Valentin tells Urien his armour suits him "admiratively". So idk, given that the book was published in the early 2000s, I think maybe I am supposed to read Urien and Valentin as a couple. IDK.
As far as the list goes: Qadehar is Guillemot's dad (and there's some sort of switcherro with anouther kid involvec, iirc), at one point Coralie goes to great lengths to save her sister Ambre, Valentin dies at the end and I didn't like the epilogue. There are no new development except that the bit I remembered but could quite put into words (and so is not on the list) did happen and that I'm about 99% sure that KYle and Guillemot were switched at birth and Guillemot's birth parents are Qadehar and Kushumai, making Kyle's birth parents Alicia and Yorwan.
Can I take a moment to talk about Yorwan? Not the character, dude's fine by me and probably one of the most interesting characters in the series, but the name. YORWAN?! WHAT IS THIS MAD LIBS BRETON NAMES? COME THE FUCK ON. Look, I could deal with Ys being nothing like in the legend because I could see how one could get from one to the other, I could deal with the bullshit naming scheme that makes no sense (I was going to forgive the overabundance of Q names by assuming misunderstanding of what "Q-Celtic" means, but noooooooooooo Breton is actually "P-Celtic", so IDK man, I guess Qs just lookcool qool), I could deal with the magic being Norse rune based instead of, idk, based on, say, anything in actual breton legends or even on Oghams (that gets explained in text, though, and idk how to feel about the explanation), and I could deal with the Korrigans being more evil/malicious than they should be (just barely but maybe the kids caught them on a bad day, whatever), but apparently Yorwan is where I draw the fucking line.
BRITTANY IS NOT A THEME PARK OKAY. Show some respect for the people whose culture you're borrowing from. Oh and by the way? "Un bouseux qui joue du biniou"? In this context, so fucking offensive. A biniou is nothing like a guitare aside from them both being musical instruments and wow, way to reinforce centuries of prejudice of the bretons as backwards/illiterate/etc. Good job, author. Good job.
No, wait, I've changed my mind. I do know how to feel about the magic system being based on Norse runes while the Ogham based magic is only used by the evil Korrigans (*gag*): I FUCKING HATE IT. Look, the French government has basically been a great big bag of dicks towards Brittany, the Breton language and the Breton people (ask me about my thoughts on Loire-Atlantique some time) and has done pretty much all it could to eradicate both breton language and culture and damn near succeeded because breton is now endangered. They were less successful on the cultural front and, yes, things are getting better now, but by no means are they good. I'm talking about things like Vergonha and Symbole, for example. Point being: Breton people were stripped of their language, so to have a book that is set in Ys (arguably one of the most Breton legends there is) use a completely different writing system for the magic and give the breton one to wildly-mischaracterised Korrigans (they cheat! like, wtf?) who are also typically breton and yet somehow evil here and speaking broken French? UNFORTUNATE IMPLICATIONS.
I will now get off my soapbox on Breton issues, but first, I will link to the Festival interceltique de Lorient. Because we're not dead, assholes. You tried to kill us and it didn't work.
(Okay, so I am maybe slightly bitter about this. But they are such dicks still, ffs.)
I'm counting this as "second book in a series" for the Random Card.
This makes 0/25 on the Mix'n'Match Card (unchanged from last week), 13/25 on the Random Card (+2 from last week) and 2/25 on the Serious Card (unchanged from last week) for![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hamsterwoman's reading bingo.
What are you reading
Still stalled on The Art of War, Darshan, The Kick-Ass Writer, La véritable histoire de Carthage et de Hannibal, Gustav Adolf Mossa: L'oeuvre symboliste: 1903-1918, Les Fleurs du Mal and Métronome.
Le Visage de l'Ombre, by Erik L'Homme: This is book 2 of Le Livre des Etoiles. It is not being actively offensive so far and I actually quite enjoying it as it has some of my favourite tropes in it (enemies forced to work together! people who used to be freinds and are now enemies! these are the same people!), but I reserve judgement.
What are you reading next? (aka the to-read list)
THE EXPOSITION ALBUM FOR THE LOUVRE EXHIBIT ON MEDIEVAL MOROCCO Aww yeah. And then probably Rome's Revolution, because I got it free from NetGalley and we are nearing the Ides of March, so that's the perfect time to read a non-fiction book on the end of the Roman Republic/beginning of the Roman Empire. I hope it's full of lol Romans (and that it convinces me to like Julius Caesar outide of Atsérix because so far no luck).
( To read list )
Listen, by The State: Okay so attribution for this is weird, because I don't know the author's name on account of it being on the internet and and unsigned. I'm also not sure if this should go in "currently reading" or "finished reading", given that both can apply: I've read all of it that currently exists, but it's still being updated.
Okay, all that aside, HOLY FUCK THIS STORY IS AMAZING. I have no idea what the fuck is going with the worldbuilding but I so so desperately want to find out. Some time during the Middle Ages something happened that drastically impacted the course of Christianity and the rest of world history. Rome is some kind of deserted waste land with possibly magical powers hiding in it? And everything is kind of steampunk-y or something and idk what is going on but I love it.
The About page, linked above, provides this summary for the story:
It follows the adventures of two historians whose eccentric field of expertise becomes a crucial factor in their kingdoms’ attempt to win back long-lost lands. But where they thought the worst trouble they’d encounter would be misattributed quotes and mixed-up dates, instead they’ll have to deal with realities they’d long debunked as superstition, powers they would’ve sworn were metaphorical, and people who should’ve long been dead. What does a scholar do when the most ridiculous story turns out to be true? And what’s there left for a priest when the rival religion turns out to be the one that got it right?
HEROIC HISTORIANS! And doesn't the whole thing sound just so amazing? Because it does and is.
I'm going to claim this for the FREE SPACE of the Random Card (book with more than two protagonists).
Le Seigneur Sha, by Erik L'Homme: The pacing of this book is really weird and tbh, the more I (re)read this trilogy, the more I'm starting to think it might not have been written as a trilogy for kids aged 12 or so, but as a single volume aimed at kids aged 15 or so. It'd explain a lot about the pacing and about a handful of other things that don't make sense if the characters are 12 but do if they're 15. Like, say, that their parents leave them completely alone for three whole days in the middle of the biggest holiday of the year or how one plotpoint in Book 3 hinges on two of the kids hanging around a tavern/bar all afternoon on a school day without anyone noticing that as odd (this is literally why they're there: because no one would notice). Bertram's crush on Corlaie would also make more sense, as I don't know a lot of sixteen years old who crush on thirteen years old, but on fifteen years old, I can buy it. It would also help not make Guillemot so overpowered if he has had time to learn about things instead of being naturally ~gifted~. Although, with passages like
-Nous pouvons remercier Guillemot qui nous a tous tirés d'affaire! s'exclama Gontrand.or, in English
-Je suis entièrement de ton avis! s'enthousiama Bertam. Je propose une ovation pour notre sauveur!
"We can thank Guillemot who got us all out of trouble!" exclaimed Gontrand.I'm not sure how being a couple of years older will help with the blatant wishfulfillment.
"I completely agree with you!" shouted Bretram entousiastically. "We should give our saviour a standing ovation!"
We do learn what Ambre wants to do when she grows up: a Knight! Which she can't because sexism. Yay? That leaves Coralie out of the main as the only one who's future goals we have no idea about. Also, there are no more women with speaking parts than they were last time. Less, even given that neither Kushumai nor Matsi appear in this book. Then there's the bit where two girls literally get into a fight over a boy. (And Ambre's wildly unreasonable "protect Guillemot" urges, but that turned out to be due to an enchantment.)
(There's an exposition bit that literally goes "As you know"! "Comme vous le savez"!)
I think the Ambor/Bromotul shippy stuff is all in my head, but there are quotes that make me doubt that Urien/Valentin is. They live together and always have. They moved in together (and Valentin pretends to be Urien's butler) "pour ne pas faire jaser la bonne société d'Ys" / "so that the good people of Ys will not gossip". Then there's the bit where Valentin tells Urien his armour suits him "admiratively". So idk, given that the book was published in the early 2000s, I think maybe I am supposed to read Urien and Valentin as a couple. IDK.
As far as the list goes: Qadehar is Guillemot's dad (and there's some sort of switcherro with anouther kid involvec, iirc), at one point Coralie goes to great lengths to save her sister Ambre, Valentin dies at the end and I didn't like the epilogue. There are no new development except that the bit I remembered but could quite put into words (and so is not on the list) did happen and that I'm about 99% sure that KYle and Guillemot were switched at birth and Guillemot's birth parents are Qadehar and Kushumai, making Kyle's birth parents Alicia and Yorwan.
Can I take a moment to talk about Yorwan? Not the character, dude's fine by me and probably one of the most interesting characters in the series, but the name. YORWAN?! WHAT IS THIS MAD LIBS BRETON NAMES? COME THE FUCK ON. Look, I could deal with Ys being nothing like in the legend because I could see how one could get from one to the other, I could deal with the bullshit naming scheme that makes no sense (I was going to forgive the overabundance of Q names by assuming misunderstanding of what "Q-Celtic" means, but noooooooooooo Breton is actually "P-Celtic", so IDK man, I guess Qs just look
BRITTANY IS NOT A THEME PARK OKAY. Show some respect for the people whose culture you're borrowing from. Oh and by the way? "Un bouseux qui joue du biniou"? In this context, so fucking offensive. A biniou is nothing like a guitare aside from them both being musical instruments and wow, way to reinforce centuries of prejudice of the bretons as backwards/illiterate/etc. Good job, author. Good job.
No, wait, I've changed my mind. I do know how to feel about the magic system being based on Norse runes while the Ogham based magic is only used by the evil Korrigans (*gag*): I FUCKING HATE IT. Look, the French government has basically been a great big bag of dicks towards Brittany, the Breton language and the Breton people (ask me about my thoughts on Loire-Atlantique some time) and has done pretty much all it could to eradicate both breton language and culture and damn near succeeded because breton is now endangered. They were less successful on the cultural front and, yes, things are getting better now, but by no means are they good. I'm talking about things like Vergonha and Symbole, for example. Point being: Breton people were stripped of their language, so to have a book that is set in Ys (arguably one of the most Breton legends there is) use a completely different writing system for the magic and give the breton one to wildly-mischaracterised Korrigans (they cheat! like, wtf?) who are also typically breton and yet somehow evil here and speaking broken French? UNFORTUNATE IMPLICATIONS.
I will now get off my soapbox on Breton issues, but first, I will link to the Festival interceltique de Lorient. Because we're not dead, assholes. You tried to kill us and it didn't work.
(Okay, so I am maybe slightly bitter about this. But they are such dicks still, ffs.)
I'm counting this as "second book in a series" for the Random Card.
This makes 0/25 on the Mix'n'Match Card (unchanged from last week), 13/25 on the Random Card (+2 from last week) and 2/25 on the Serious Card (unchanged from last week) for
hamsterwoman's reading bingo.( Details )
What are you reading
Still stalled on The Art of War, Darshan, The Kick-Ass Writer, La véritable histoire de Carthage et de Hannibal, Gustav Adolf Mossa: L'oeuvre symboliste: 1903-1918, Les Fleurs du Mal and Métronome.
Le Visage de l'Ombre, by Erik L'Homme: This is book 2 of Le Livre des Etoiles. It is not being actively offensive so far and I actually quite enjoying it as it has some of my favourite tropes in it (enemies forced to work together! people who used to be freinds and are now enemies! these are the same people!), but I reserve judgement.
What are you reading next? (aka the to-read list)
THE EXPOSITION ALBUM FOR THE LOUVRE EXHIBIT ON MEDIEVAL MOROCCO Aww yeah. And then probably Rome's Revolution, because I got it free from NetGalley and we are nearing the Ides of March, so that's the perfect time to read a non-fiction book on the end of the Roman Republic/beginning of the Roman Empire. I hope it's full of lol Romans (and that it convinces me to like Julius Caesar outide of Atsérix because so far no luck).
( To read list )