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velvetvan's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mjsam's review
4.0
This is a hard review to write, 1) because this book marks the end of the series, and 2) I have mixed feelings about it.
As you’d expect since book 9 ended on a cliffhanger, this picks up immediately after those events. The first 35% of the book moves a pretty rapid clip, so much so that I looked down at one point and was amazed that I was only at the 20% mark. This section changes perspectives a bit, and for me, some of the perspectives worked better than others. I enjoyed the battle scenes, and thought the way the tyree bond was used was ingenious. There were also some parts that had me worried over certain character’s fates, so it was quite the ride.
Once that section of the book wraps up though, the pace slows and some of the more emotional elements come in to play (not saying there aren’t moments like that in the first part, just that these are given more breathing space).
Since this is the final book in this series, Fletcher goes out of her way to tie up loose ends. We get a lot more scenes featuring the 4 main characters together, but for all the talk of the ‘balance’ between them, I found the book too Ekatya/Tal heavy. This happened in part 1 of Alsea Rising too, and I assumed that this book would even things out by giving similar time to Salomen/Lhyn, but their bond is largely explored ‘off-screen’. I found it ironic that there’s a scene where Salomen has to more or less defend her place in the multiple bonds, and for me, all it did was raise those same questions.
I also had the same issue with the Micah storyline here as I did in part 1, if any storyline deserved to be handled ‘off-screen‘, it was that one, with five chapters devoted to something in that storyline that I largely skimmed over, while Lhyn/Salomen’s bond isn’t really explored at all. There’s also chapters devoted to the Phoenix/Caphenon that involved long winded explanations by Lhyn that dragged for me, I’d have preferred that time to have been spent on Lhyn/Salomen, or Salomen’s family, who were a large part of earlier books but barely rate a mention in these two, Nickin’s new relationship and Herot either weren’t mentioned or rated a line as parts of other scenes, and I would have enjoyed an exploration of how they felt about the new bonds and watching the tyrees navigate these new family bonds.
As I noted before, most loose ends are tied up here, most I saw coming, but one of the choices I was surprised by, though it does set up the new series. This sort of feels like how I felt about the Harry Potter series, I enjoyed the last book in that series but the middle books are my favourites, and that’s how I feel here too. I’ve loved the Alsea series, and the many characters we’ve been introduced to. From a world building perspective it can’t be beaten, I wish I could live on Alsea. But I probably preferred the books from Catalyst to Uprising. I think I need to let this one sit and then do a re-read of these two. I will miss these characters though, and am glad that some of them will likely show up occasionally in some fashion in the new series.
As you’d expect since book 9 ended on a cliffhanger, this picks up immediately after those events. The first 35% of the book moves a pretty rapid clip, so much so that I looked down at one point and was amazed that I was only at the 20% mark. This section changes perspectives a bit, and for me, some of the perspectives worked better than others. I enjoyed the battle scenes, and thought the way the tyree bond was used was ingenious. There were also some parts that had me worried over certain character’s fates, so it was quite the ride.
Once that section of the book wraps up though, the pace slows and some of the more emotional elements come in to play (not saying there aren’t moments like that in the first part, just that these are given more breathing space).
Since this is the final book in this series, Fletcher goes out of her way to tie up loose ends. We get a lot more scenes featuring the 4 main characters together, but for all the talk of the ‘balance’ between them, I found the book too Ekatya/Tal heavy. This happened in part 1 of Alsea Rising too, and I assumed that this book would even things out by giving similar time to Salomen/Lhyn, but their bond is largely explored ‘off-screen’. I found it ironic that there’s a scene where Salomen has to more or less defend her place in the multiple bonds, and for me, all it did was raise those same questions.
I also had the same issue with the Micah storyline here as I did in part 1, if any storyline deserved to be handled ‘off-screen‘, it was that one, with five chapters devoted to something in that storyline that I largely skimmed over, while Lhyn/Salomen’s bond isn’t really explored at all. There’s also chapters devoted to the Phoenix/Caphenon that involved long winded explanations by Lhyn that dragged for me, I’d have preferred that time to have been spent on Lhyn/Salomen, or Salomen’s family, who were a large part of earlier books but barely rate a mention in these two, Nickin’s new relationship and Herot either weren’t mentioned or rated a line as parts of other scenes, and I would have enjoyed an exploration of how they felt about the new bonds and watching the tyrees navigate these new family bonds.
As I noted before, most loose ends are tied up here, most I saw coming, but one of the choices I was surprised by, though it does set up the new series. This sort of feels like how I felt about the Harry Potter series, I enjoyed the last book in that series but the middle books are my favourites, and that’s how I feel here too. I’ve loved the Alsea series, and the many characters we’ve been introduced to. From a world building perspective it can’t be beaten, I wish I could live on Alsea. But I probably preferred the books from Catalyst to Uprising. I think I need to let this one sit and then do a re-read of these two. I will miss these characters though, and am glad that some of them will likely show up occasionally in some fashion in the new series.
avb's review
4.0
This is a great series and opened my possibility to both that a proper sci-fi series with lesbian romance, without the romance taking over the storyline, is possible, and that an asexual character's story can be explored in an engaging way.
I liked the world building, the characters, the handling of philosophical issues, and of course, a slightly positive interpretation of caste that I don't think I can expect to be written by a Hindu. I don't have mixed feelings about caste. It is evil and it was evil in its origin as well. When you read South Asian history, that is the only conclusion you can draw. As such, any exploration of caste by Hindus cannot have a positive tint because it would be propaganda (real one, not imagined) given the deep oppressive inequalities it still continues to encourage in South Asia. I guess, that may not hold true for a non-Hindu (probably).
In any case, it was an interesting look. It also reinforces my idea that caste is evil. The Alsean version is more guild than caste, but there are some inherent inequalities.
As much as that, I loved the exploration of different types of families and loves. (And, I really liked how Rahel kept finding older parental figures wherever she went).
I loved book Catalysts, Outcast, Resilience and Uprising. Outcast and Uprising remain my favourite because they contain my favorite characters and favourite relationships: Rahel, Salomen, and Lhyn (no order) and Lhyn-Salomen and Rahel-Salomen. with Lanaril and Lanaril-Lhyn-Salomen an intriguing second.
I guess, that would explain my deep disappointment with the final books.
Most of the time, Lhyn felt like an afterthought in the series, a useful tool to be used to provide cultural information, and of course, by serving as a catalyst for the Salomen-Andira-Ekatya bond while getting happily tortured. (Especially after the way Andira went full Karen on her in Uprising just because Andira was jealous and how that could have led to Lhyn's death, these two books have been painful to read).
The Lhyn-Salomen bond was the relationship I had been looking forward to seeing flower at the end of the uprising. With an equal amount of Andira-Ekatya for the symmetry. But, that was not to be.
There isn't just a quantitative difference but a qualitative difference as well.
There were very few Lhyn-Salomen interactions. Where they were, Salomen's focus was more on Andira and Ekatya as was Lhyn's. At this point, it is quite hard not to conclude that Salomen-Lhyn was just there so that Andira and Ekatya can have their love unburdened by guilt, while also having best of possible worlds.
Given Lhyn was the only one there without family, and given her lack of experience of love from other quarters, I'd have loved to see the intimacy (both physical and emotional) between her and Salomen (because Salomen is kind when Andira is not involved and Lhyn so non-judgmental).
Also, even if Lhyn had no complicated feelings to explore (that itself seems a bit unbalanced), I would have still liked to see her POV and her love for Salomen develop (and vice-versa).
Given that we got quite a lot of Andira's angst, Salomen's angst, Ekatya's angst, and even Micah's angst through the ten-book series, Lhyn's is a huge miss. Lhyn seems a tool to be trotted out when needed.
We got more about Micah and Alejandra, and the whole second set of their interactions later towards the book, than with Lhyn and Salomen (way more). Every other character, including the minor ones, have complicated feelings about their past and gets to deal with them, but not Lhyn.
This essay has gone on for too long and I am not even sure if anyone would read this, but if you have read the book, the following spoilery bit illustrates the issue.
The epilogue reinforced the multiple levels of inherently unequal power dynamics in the four-way relationship for me.
Note: It is not the inherently unequal power dynamics in a relationship that is the problem. All relationships have it to some extent; especially between men and women in a patriarchal society (or minority-majority in any country). However, a good working relationship would be one where that is acknowledged and the effects mitigated. The issue here is not the imbalanced initial power distribution but the lack of recognition of it and the lack of work towards mitigating it (even lack of intent and acknowledgement).
First: There is the privileging of Salomen-Andira-Ekatya relationship over the other threesome of course.
Second (which is a corollary of first): The privileging of three people over the fourth.
Third: The majority/minority imbalance. This is to some extent mitigated by the mighty power of the protectorate, but, not immediately so; as seen in Uprising where Lhyn's life was put at risk quite easily by Andira because she was feeling jealous. And without acknowledgement of the potential fallout by anyone including Andira and Lhyn.
Fourth: The high empath/sonsales imbalance. Over a thousand years, Alsean society organised itself to have high empaths at the top of the government. While Uprising seems to have worked somewhat towards mitigating it at a caste level (by ensuring more equal distribution between castes), from what I remember, it doesn't does do much with respect to the inequality at the empathetic ability level.
Fifth: The lancer-subordinate imbalance.
And there are interlocking chains of inequalities here where multiple inequalities work in tandem. So, how do these work in the case of that last example in epilogue?
Andira, as the lancer, had a responsibility towards her subordinate to understand her past history and reveal a news that would hurt her in a gentler manner. She did not do that. In fact, she was especially callous towards a person who sacrificed a lot in her and Alsea's service, including of course, her crew members. She didn't concern herself with trying to understand how Ekatya would react before the reveal.
This was bad enough.
Then, when Ekatya reacted badly, Salomen, due to the 'biological imperative' ensured that Ekatya was the one who felt terrible about it (Andira feels terrible about Ekatya feeling terrible but not about her own lack of understanding). And of course, the 'biological imperative' also made sure that Ekatya will forever feel an outsider in that relationship.
While Andira got a gentle explanation for Ekatya's reaction from Lhyn, Ekatya was excoriated.
Then Ekatya had to set aside her own cultural build and qualms to work to bridge the fracture that developed due to Andira's lack of consideration for others.
The Andira-Ekatya sex with Salomen watching was sex under duress.
Ekatya had only two options there: Give in; or live with the reality of feeling like she has done an unforgivable crime--because Andira acting with highhandedness was not the issue here. Ekatya pointing out from an unfortunately emotional position because she had suffered mental torture for 2 years was.
Ekatya may have felt relieved at the end because Salomen trusted Ekatya with Andira. But, the weight remained with her for a fault that, as the Lancer, was Andira's. Nobody acknowledges that.
Also, if that is going to happen every time they had a disagreement, and that seems to be the implication here at least when Andira or Salomen is pregnant, well then, that three-way relationship is two-tiered with Andira-Salomen at the top and Ekatya at the bottom.
Andira gets everything here. Ekatya has to give up a lot. Salomen has to make a bit of compromise too but far less than Ekatya.
The pressure of giving up to keep balance seems to be all on one side here. And, the benefits on the other. I don't see how it is a good relationship.
Second: The 'biological imperative' or divine tyree bond between Alseans ensures that at all times, Andira and Salomen have a connection to each other. Plus, the high empath ability means they will also always know what the Gaians are feeling.
Ekatya and Lhyn don't have that mental link. Not towards each other, not towards either of the other two. And, they don't have empathy. They have to take a lot on faith.
That imbalance is exacerbated when both Alseans believe it is their right to walk rough shod over the Gaians whenever the other makes a mistake due to their sonsales status because their divine tyree bond somehow demands it.
Their blessing and their grace that apparently Ekatya and Lhyn are willing to sacrifice everything and then some for that secondary position in their four-way love.
It is not exploitative if the slave is willing, is it?
(The text repeats quite a lot of times that Ekatya-Lhyn is also divine tyree and thus equal but the empathic link is not there.)
Now, let us come to Lhyn. Lhyn apparently has no demands in that relationship. She is just there to provide guidance to Andira whenever needed, as the Ekatya whisperer/key, and then to get out of the way while the other three figure the rest out. And oh, give Salomen some sexy times when Andira was feeling like taking Ekatya to bed and Salomen doesn't feel like watching. But while always being subject to Andira's jealousy without acknowledgement, when that is in question (Uprising, and the path of return, and later the first joining).
As broad-minded and non-judgmental as Lhyn is (and I agree there are people like that), being the peacemaker in the family responsible for everybody else's well-being is a tremendous weight on someone. That Andira barely ever acknowledges it and we don't see much of Salomen or Ekatya doing that either exacerbates the problem. That Lhyn never gets anything herself from that whole dynamics except when the other three feel like it, makes it worse.
(Yeah, that 'I see you' is laughable in my mind in that regard. I see you but please take care of her and know that I will always know if she is hurt and by the way nobody will know whether you are happy, that will depend on Salomen's good regard).
The whole thing is made worse by the fact the series gives Lhyn a backstory by hinting at a hard past, but that just remains the backstory. It is never allowed to influence the foursome. Even Elanor doesn't concern herself about Lhyn in that scene where they demand proof.
What does Lhyn feel about all this? We have no idea. It is convenient that Lhyn has no issues at all, is always willing to give, except when others (or the reader) may feel bad about all that giving, in which case, she can also conveniently be needy by having a panic attack when everyone else is free (not shown in the last two books). She has a history that influences her mind and pains and hurts her before the 'catalyst'. But, that is not explored.
Andira is protective of Salomen's kindness and willingness to give at her own expense. As she should be.
Ekatya is cognizant of that as well as Andira's responsibilities as a Lancer. And has the highest respect and admiration for the Lancer and the Bondlancer.
Lhyn is both and has to take care of Ekatya when the other two are being obtuse while also being there for Andira so as to smoothen the three way.
In all of this, who is on the side of Lhyn? Who protects Lhyn?
Not Ekatya who I have never seen take a stance against Andira except that first fisticuffs in Caphenon (which Lhyn says was also about Ekatya-Andira love). Not Salomen whose first priority is always Andira. And not Andira whose first priority, after herself and Alsea, is Salomen, and then, Ekatya.
As I said, a happy and perfect slave; that is Lhyn. There when you need her, not there when you don't. Has no demands that would hurt you, make you uncomfortable, or need you to reevaluate and reassess your assumptions and work better. What more can you ask of a love?
That whole going into Path of Return does nothing to mitigate it. In fact, it on one side, worsens it by saying Andira had the right to go after Salomen but couldn't because of her Lancer responsibilities. On the other side, it doesn't even show Lhyn's own pain with respect to Salomen. As a stand alone it works (because it shows Lhyn's scholarly mind), but with the neglect showed throughout the series, not really.
And... that 'she is an Alsean at heart' thing that Andira had regarding Ekatya during the morning after: Change that to "she is as good as white at heart' or 'she is as good as a man' and see how it works. Gaians are the minority. They are physically weaker. And weaker in terms of numbers and empathic ability. Alsean exceptionalism is not a cute belief that every culture has in this scenario but a harmful one. Ekatya's side is shown somewhat with the feeling of outsider but with the author and Andira taking the stance that what is needed is to make Ekatya feel like Alsean, the resolution is problematic.
Fletcher De Lancey tries to think of some of these issues but not far enough. And always with the caveat that Alseans are better because they have empathy and are not gender locked.
Ah! To end on a positive note. I loved the Ekatya-Rahel relationship.
I liked the flipping of expectations for the Andira-Ekatya relationship; after all, birds of the same feather flock together is hardly a concept explored in romance, especially for warriors. Not to this extent. It was interesting, from that perspective, to see the Andira-Ekatya romance and Salomen-Andira-Ekatya romance come to fruition through a ten-book series.
I liked the Micah-Alejandra, Lanaril-Vellmar, and Vellmar-Rahel (mostly off screen, I'd have preferred some on-screen bits) developments and liked the unconventional family Micah-Alejandra-Rahel built. Glad that they had a daughter since daughters and young girls seem to get limited attention in the series as a whole. Boys, brothers, and young men get all the attention (as in real life). :)
I liked nightwing too.
And finally, thank you Fletcher DeLancey for bringing my favourite characters-Lhyn, Salomen, and Rahel to life. It is surely a testament to your capability that I loved these characters and they are my favourite even without you devoting much time to it. (Also, I don't know, but my personal preferences may have to do with my scholar bent and aspirations. :) )
I liked the world building, the characters, the handling of philosophical issues, and of course, a slightly positive interpretation of caste that I don't think I can expect to be written by a Hindu. I don't have mixed feelings about caste. It is evil and it was evil in its origin as well. When you read South Asian history, that is the only conclusion you can draw. As such, any exploration of caste by Hindus cannot have a positive tint because it would be propaganda (real one, not imagined) given the deep oppressive inequalities it still continues to encourage in South Asia. I guess, that may not hold true for a non-Hindu (probably).
In any case, it was an interesting look. It also reinforces my idea that caste is evil. The Alsean version is more guild than caste, but there are some inherent inequalities.
As much as that, I loved the exploration of different types of families and loves. (And, I really liked how Rahel kept finding older parental figures wherever she went).
I loved book Catalysts, Outcast, Resilience and Uprising. Outcast and Uprising remain my favourite because they contain my favorite characters and favourite relationships: Rahel, Salomen, and Lhyn (no order) and Lhyn-Salomen and Rahel-Salomen. with Lanaril and Lanaril-Lhyn-Salomen an intriguing second.
I guess, that would explain my deep disappointment with the final books.
Most of the time, Lhyn felt like an afterthought in the series, a useful tool to be used to provide cultural information, and of course, by serving as a catalyst for the Salomen-Andira-Ekatya bond while getting happily tortured. (Especially after the way Andira went full Karen on her in Uprising just because Andira was jealous and how that could have led to Lhyn's death, these two books have been painful to read).
The Lhyn-Salomen bond was the relationship I had been looking forward to seeing flower at the end of the uprising. With an equal amount of Andira-Ekatya for the symmetry. But, that was not to be.
There isn't just a quantitative difference but a qualitative difference as well.
There were very few Lhyn-Salomen interactions. Where they were, Salomen's focus was more on Andira and Ekatya as was Lhyn's. At this point, it is quite hard not to conclude that Salomen-Lhyn was just there so that Andira and Ekatya can have their love unburdened by guilt, while also having best of possible worlds.
Given Lhyn was the only one there without family, and given her lack of experience of love from other quarters, I'd have loved to see the intimacy (both physical and emotional) between her and Salomen (because Salomen is kind when Andira is not involved and Lhyn so non-judgmental).
Also, even if Lhyn had no complicated feelings to explore (that itself seems a bit unbalanced), I would have still liked to see her POV and her love for Salomen develop (and vice-versa).
Given that we got quite a lot of Andira's angst, Salomen's angst, Ekatya's angst, and even Micah's angst through the ten-book series, Lhyn's is a huge miss. Lhyn seems a tool to be trotted out when needed.
We got more about Micah and Alejandra, and the whole second set of their interactions later towards the book, than with Lhyn and Salomen (way more). Every other character, including the minor ones, have complicated feelings about their past and gets to deal with them, but not Lhyn.
This essay has gone on for too long and I am not even sure if anyone would read this, but if you have read the book, the following spoilery bit illustrates the issue.
Note: It is not the inherently unequal power dynamics in a relationship that is the problem. All relationships have it to some extent; especially between men and women in a patriarchal society (or minority-majority in any country). However, a good working relationship would be one where that is acknowledged and the effects mitigated. The issue here is not the imbalanced initial power distribution but the lack of recognition of it and the lack of work towards mitigating it (even lack of intent and acknowledgement).
First: There is the privileging of Salomen-Andira-Ekatya relationship over the other threesome of course.
Second (which is a corollary of first): The privileging of three people over the fourth.
Third: The majority/minority imbalance. This is to some extent mitigated by the mighty power of the protectorate, but, not immediately so; as seen in Uprising where Lhyn's life was put at risk quite easily by Andira because she was feeling jealous. And without acknowledgement of the potential fallout by anyone including Andira and Lhyn.
Fourth: The high empath/sonsales imbalance. Over a thousand years, Alsean society organised itself to have high empaths at the top of the government. While Uprising seems to have worked somewhat towards mitigating it at a caste level (by ensuring more equal distribution between castes), from what I remember, it doesn't does do much with respect to the inequality at the empathetic ability level.
Fifth: The lancer-subordinate imbalance.
And there are interlocking chains of inequalities here where multiple inequalities work in tandem. So, how do these work in the case of that last example in epilogue?
Andira, as the lancer, had a responsibility towards her subordinate to understand her past history and reveal a news that would hurt her in a gentler manner. She did not do that. In fact, she was especially callous towards a person who sacrificed a lot in her and Alsea's service, including of course, her crew members. She didn't concern herself with trying to understand how Ekatya would react before the reveal.
This was bad enough.
Then, when Ekatya reacted badly, Salomen, due to the 'biological imperative' ensured that Ekatya was the one who felt terrible about it (Andira feels terrible about Ekatya feeling terrible but not about her own lack of understanding). And of course, the 'biological imperative' also made sure that Ekatya will forever feel an outsider in that relationship.
While Andira got a gentle explanation for Ekatya's reaction from Lhyn, Ekatya was excoriated.
Then Ekatya had to set aside her own cultural build and qualms to work to bridge the fracture that developed due to Andira's lack of consideration for others.
The Andira-Ekatya sex with Salomen watching was sex under duress.
Ekatya had only two options there: Give in; or live with the reality of feeling like she has done an unforgivable crime--because Andira acting with highhandedness was not the issue here. Ekatya pointing out from an unfortunately emotional position because she had suffered mental torture for 2 years was.
Ekatya may have felt relieved at the end because Salomen trusted Ekatya with Andira. But, the weight remained with her for a fault that, as the Lancer, was Andira's. Nobody acknowledges that.
Also, if that is going to happen every time they had a disagreement, and that seems to be the implication here at least when Andira or Salomen is pregnant, well then, that three-way relationship is two-tiered with Andira-Salomen at the top and Ekatya at the bottom.
Andira gets everything here. Ekatya has to give up a lot. Salomen has to make a bit of compromise too but far less than Ekatya.
The pressure of giving up to keep balance seems to be all on one side here. And, the benefits on the other. I don't see how it is a good relationship.
Second: The 'biological imperative' or divine tyree bond between Alseans ensures that at all times, Andira and Salomen have a connection to each other. Plus, the high empath ability means they will also always know what the Gaians are feeling.
Ekatya and Lhyn don't have that mental link. Not towards each other, not towards either of the other two. And, they don't have empathy. They have to take a lot on faith.
That imbalance is exacerbated when both Alseans believe it is their right to walk rough shod over the Gaians whenever the other makes a mistake due to their sonsales status because their divine tyree bond somehow demands it.
Their blessing and their grace that apparently Ekatya and Lhyn are willing to sacrifice everything and then some for that secondary position in their four-way love.
It is not exploitative if the slave is willing, is it?
(The text repeats quite a lot of times that Ekatya-Lhyn is also divine tyree and thus equal but the empathic link is not there.)
Now, let us come to Lhyn. Lhyn apparently has no demands in that relationship. She is just there to provide guidance to Andira whenever needed, as the Ekatya whisperer/key, and then to get out of the way while the other three figure the rest out. And oh, give Salomen some sexy times when Andira was feeling like taking Ekatya to bed and Salomen doesn't feel like watching. But while always being subject to Andira's jealousy without acknowledgement, when that is in question (Uprising, and the path of return, and later the first joining).
As broad-minded and non-judgmental as Lhyn is (and I agree there are people like that), being the peacemaker in the family responsible for everybody else's well-being is a tremendous weight on someone. That Andira barely ever acknowledges it and we don't see much of Salomen or Ekatya doing that either exacerbates the problem. That Lhyn never gets anything herself from that whole dynamics except when the other three feel like it, makes it worse.
(Yeah, that 'I see you' is laughable in my mind in that regard. I see you but please take care of her and know that I will always know if she is hurt and by the way nobody will know whether you are happy, that will depend on Salomen's good regard).
The whole thing is made worse by the fact the series gives Lhyn a backstory by hinting at a hard past, but that just remains the backstory. It is never allowed to influence the foursome. Even Elanor doesn't concern herself about Lhyn in that scene where they demand proof.
What does Lhyn feel about all this? We have no idea. It is convenient that Lhyn has no issues at all, is always willing to give, except when others (or the reader) may feel bad about all that giving, in which case, she can also conveniently be needy by having a panic attack when everyone else is free (not shown in the last two books). She has a history that influences her mind and pains and hurts her before the 'catalyst'. But, that is not explored.
Andira is protective of Salomen's kindness and willingness to give at her own expense. As she should be.
Ekatya is cognizant of that as well as Andira's responsibilities as a Lancer. And has the highest respect and admiration for the Lancer and the Bondlancer.
Lhyn is both and has to take care of Ekatya when the other two are being obtuse while also being there for Andira so as to smoothen the three way.
In all of this, who is on the side of Lhyn? Who protects Lhyn?
Not Ekatya who I have never seen take a stance against Andira except that first fisticuffs in Caphenon (which Lhyn says was also about Ekatya-Andira love). Not Salomen whose first priority is always Andira. And not Andira whose first priority, after herself and Alsea, is Salomen, and then, Ekatya.
As I said, a happy and perfect slave; that is Lhyn. There when you need her, not there when you don't. Has no demands that would hurt you, make you uncomfortable, or need you to reevaluate and reassess your assumptions and work better. What more can you ask of a love?
That whole going into Path of Return does nothing to mitigate it. In fact, it on one side, worsens it by saying Andira had the right to go after Salomen but couldn't because of her Lancer responsibilities. On the other side, it doesn't even show Lhyn's own pain with respect to Salomen. As a stand alone it works (because it shows Lhyn's scholarly mind), but with the neglect showed throughout the series, not really.
And... that 'she is an Alsean at heart' thing that Andira had regarding Ekatya during the morning after: Change that to "she is as good as white at heart' or 'she is as good as a man' and see how it works. Gaians are the minority. They are physically weaker. And weaker in terms of numbers and empathic ability. Alsean exceptionalism is not a cute belief that every culture has in this scenario but a harmful one. Ekatya's side is shown somewhat with the feeling of outsider but with the author and Andira taking the stance that what is needed is to make Ekatya feel like Alsean, the resolution is problematic.
Fletcher De Lancey tries to think of some of these issues but not far enough. And always with the caveat that Alseans are better because they have empathy and are not gender locked.
Ah! To end on a positive note. I loved the Ekatya-Rahel relationship.
I liked the flipping of expectations for the Andira-Ekatya relationship; after all, birds of the same feather flock together is hardly a concept explored in romance, especially for warriors. Not to this extent. It was interesting, from that perspective, to see the Andira-Ekatya romance and Salomen-Andira-Ekatya romance come to fruition through a ten-book series.
I liked the Micah-Alejandra, Lanaril-Vellmar, and Vellmar-Rahel (mostly off screen, I'd have preferred some on-screen bits) developments and liked the unconventional family Micah-Alejandra-Rahel built. Glad that they had a daughter since daughters and young girls seem to get limited attention in the series as a whole. Boys, brothers, and young men get all the attention (as in real life). :)
I liked nightwing too.
And finally, thank you Fletcher DeLancey for bringing my favourite characters-Lhyn, Salomen, and Rahel to life. It is surely a testament to your capability that I loved these characters and they are my favourite even without you devoting much time to it. (Also, I don't know, but my personal preferences may have to do with my scholar bent and aspirations. :) )
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