Iron Flame Live Reactions: Chapters 32-34
Sep. 21st, 2024 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaWe open to Xaden staring Violet down because he's mad that she told her friends everything without consulting him or anyone else.
Xaden is clearly upset, but doesn't say much about it, because he's distracted by the fact that they're planning to break into the Archives tonight. Xaden picks holes in the plan. First of all, Violet apparently hasn't asked Aaric for help yet. Second, they'll have to return the books without being caught as well--or figure out how to read them in the Archives all night. Also, breaking into the Archives at all is stupidly dangerous.
I will point out that using the school's forge to forge secret weapons and having illegal secret meetings at night and in general running a rebellion against the government is also dangerous, so while Xaden is right about the specifics of Violet's plan, I still think the way characters in this book wallow over danger whenever it involves Violet is ridiculous. The stakes are much higher than her life alone.
Violet points out that the fact is, they're running out of time, and if they can't get Aretia's wards up, they'll die anyway. Which is actually sensible of her.
Then she and Xaden make out. I'm fine with this because it's a scene explicitly about how Violet has decided they're together again now and she's not going to try to retcon the situation later as a lapse in judgement or whatnot. She does pause again to angst about how maybe Xaden doesn't love her but he does care about her, which is asinine because like one chapter ago he explicitly said he would prioritize her life over the fucking rebellion he's been running, but whatever, she's a booktok romantasy heroine, I guess the inexplicable insecurity is just here to stay.
They make out a bit and then Xaden yanks open Violet's door to reveal Violet's squadmates and Aaric.
Aaric and Xaden have bad blood, because Xaden killed his brother.
Haha, just kidding. One sentence later there's a scene break and they're all on their way to the heist, with Violet letting us know that Aaric did agree to help because he wants to spite his father. He and Xaden still hate each other, but I guess Aaric hates his dad more.
So now our heroes are sneaking into the Archives. Problem 1: Jesinia insists they only take four people, so the party gets cut down to Violet, Xaden, Imogen, and Aaric. Imogen can wipe short term memories, so between her and Xaden's shadows they're hoping to avoid being caught. We learn that the Archives are warded and that they can't be trapped in them after the doors close in an hour or something bad will happen. Yarros cleverly does not tell us what will happen.
Okay, plot hole. Xaden is now using his shadows to hide in a brightly lit room--but in the last book, Violet explicitly asked him to do that and he was like, yeah, a giant ball of shadow is so inconspicuous.
They run into a first year scribe, who Jesinia manages to get rid of, and descend into the Archives. Soon they're past where either Violet or Jesinia have been before. They find a secret passage. Forty-five minutes remain as Jesinia leaves them to it...and the chapter is over.
Okay, next chapter opens with this:
As they descend a staircase in the dark, we run into one of my least favorite tropes: head injuries.
As in, Xaden knocks two guys unconscious and comments that he didn't hit them too hard, so they'll only be down a few minutes.
Listen, if you are hit in the hard enough to lose consciousness and you're not awake in a couple minutes, there's a good chance you just sustained an intracranial hemorrhage. Getting hit in the head is not a benign way of knocking someone unconscious. At best you are giving them a concussion and at worst they're going to herniate their brains and die. You don't know those guys are going to wake up at all!
They reach the area warded so that only the royal family can enter, and Aaric hauls Violet through. This doesn't make her feel great, because the sheer intensity of the wards is making everyone nauseous, but she doesn't die. I do like Aaric--I feel like he's one of the few characters that seems to have a distinct personality and that feels like a real person. Aaric taunts Xaden a bit, and then he and Violet start searching.
Xaden tells Violet that he killed Alic, Aaric's brother, for going after Garrick (another rebel kid) during Threshing.
Okay, so this next bit is good. We have a deadline, as Imogen and Xaden keep reminding Violet and Aaric, but they can't find what they're looking for. Violet's quirk of reciting history out loud when she's nervous briefly reappears. Then Violet and Aaric work out where the journals are, using their combined knowledge of archival practices and the king's shitty personality.
Also, more Aaric being cool:
The journals are guarded by a second set of wards, which fuck up Aaric's hands, but they get the journals and start running for their lives. Two minutes left and we had established earlier that they would need about ten to get out. The bells are ringing and--
Chapter end.
All right, before we go on, can I just say that I resent this book for getting good like 40% in. There's no excuse for the way this book is paced. We are thirty three chapters in and like ten of those have been good, max. This book desperately needed someone to do developmental edits.
Anyways, Xaden saves Aaric at the last minute and they avoid being locked in the Archives. Honestly, I kinda wish one of them had died? Yarros kills people frequently in these books, but it's not usually anyone important. She literally had Violet refuse to learn the names of any of the first years except Sloane so that she could keep killing nameless characters off in the background. But I think the book would feel much more tense if we actually were at risk of losing a character who mattered.
Just goes back to one of the fundamental problems of the series: Yarros does not know how to milk a conflict.
They banter a bit with the riders who stayed behind, then split up. Violet gives Xaden one of the journals to convey to Brennan. Risky, but okay. Xaden goes.
And then Nolon shows up and gives Violet some lemonade. Now, I'm gonna make a prediction: that lemonade is drugged and Nolon is a bad guy.
And...I'm right. It's drugged and Violet passes out right as Varrish shows up.
Chapter end! And the book is now half done!
Over all, another strong set of chapters. There's lots of stuff here that can be mined for later problems, and Violet getting captured throws a nice wrench in the works. We'll see how long she stays captured, of course.
Xaden is clearly upset, but doesn't say much about it, because he's distracted by the fact that they're planning to break into the Archives tonight. Xaden picks holes in the plan. First of all, Violet apparently hasn't asked Aaric for help yet. Second, they'll have to return the books without being caught as well--or figure out how to read them in the Archives all night. Also, breaking into the Archives at all is stupidly dangerous.
I will point out that using the school's forge to forge secret weapons and having illegal secret meetings at night and in general running a rebellion against the government is also dangerous, so while Xaden is right about the specifics of Violet's plan, I still think the way characters in this book wallow over danger whenever it involves Violet is ridiculous. The stakes are much higher than her life alone.
Violet points out that the fact is, they're running out of time, and if they can't get Aretia's wards up, they'll die anyway. Which is actually sensible of her.
Then she and Xaden make out. I'm fine with this because it's a scene explicitly about how Violet has decided they're together again now and she's not going to try to retcon the situation later as a lapse in judgement or whatnot. She does pause again to angst about how maybe Xaden doesn't love her but he does care about her, which is asinine because like one chapter ago he explicitly said he would prioritize her life over the fucking rebellion he's been running, but whatever, she's a booktok romantasy heroine, I guess the inexplicable insecurity is just here to stay.
They make out a bit and then Xaden yanks open Violet's door to reveal Violet's squadmates and Aaric.
Aaric and Xaden have bad blood, because Xaden killed his brother.
“You have no idea what he did to Alic!” he seethes.Excellent. I can't wait to see how they resolve this thorny problem!
“Your brother was a craven, murderous prick.” Xaden hooks his fingers into my waistband and tugs me backward, setting me slightly behind him before he shoves Aaric through the wards and into the hallway. “And I’m not sorry I killed him.”
Haha, just kidding. One sentence later there's a scene break and they're all on their way to the heist, with Violet letting us know that Aaric did agree to help because he wants to spite his father. He and Xaden still hate each other, but I guess Aaric hates his dad more.
So now our heroes are sneaking into the Archives. Problem 1: Jesinia insists they only take four people, so the party gets cut down to Violet, Xaden, Imogen, and Aaric. Imogen can wipe short term memories, so between her and Xaden's shadows they're hoping to avoid being caught. We learn that the Archives are warded and that they can't be trapped in them after the doors close in an hour or something bad will happen. Yarros cleverly does not tell us what will happen.
Okay, plot hole. Xaden is now using his shadows to hide in a brightly lit room--but in the last book, Violet explicitly asked him to do that and he was like, yeah, a giant ball of shadow is so inconspicuous.
They run into a first year scribe, who Jesinia manages to get rid of, and descend into the Archives. Soon they're past where either Violet or Jesinia have been before. They find a secret passage. Forty-five minutes remain as Jesinia leaves them to it...and the chapter is over.
Okay, next chapter opens with this:
The first time you are caught in the Archives after the door seals for the evening will be the last. The complex magics put in place to preserve our texts are not compatible with life.
—COLONEL DAXTON’S GUIDE TO EXCELLING IN THE SCRIBE QUADRANT
As they descend a staircase in the dark, we run into one of my least favorite tropes: head injuries.
As in, Xaden knocks two guys unconscious and comments that he didn't hit them too hard, so they'll only be down a few minutes.
Listen, if you are hit in the hard enough to lose consciousness and you're not awake in a couple minutes, there's a good chance you just sustained an intracranial hemorrhage. Getting hit in the head is not a benign way of knocking someone unconscious. At best you are giving them a concussion and at worst they're going to herniate their brains and die. You don't know those guys are going to wake up at all!
They reach the area warded so that only the royal family can enter, and Aaric hauls Violet through. This doesn't make her feel great, because the sheer intensity of the wards is making everyone nauseous, but she doesn't die. I do like Aaric--I feel like he's one of the few characters that seems to have a distinct personality and that feels like a real person. Aaric taunts Xaden a bit, and then he and Violet start searching.
Xaden tells Violet that he killed Alic, Aaric's brother, for going after Garrick (another rebel kid) during Threshing.
Okay, so this next bit is good. We have a deadline, as Imogen and Xaden keep reminding Violet and Aaric, but they can't find what they're looking for. Violet's quirk of reciting history out loud when she's nervous briefly reappears. Then Violet and Aaric work out where the journals are, using their combined knowledge of archival practices and the king's shitty personality.
Also, more Aaric being cool:
“He’d keep it within easy reach,” Aaric agrees. “And are you going to tell me what it is you guys are trying to ward? It’s a rebel outpost, isn’t it?”
Xaden’s eyes meet mine as I prod the wood pieces between the drawers on the center piece, looking for a pop-out compartment.
King Tauri would keep the journals within reach.
“It’s the only logical thing to do,” Aaric says, dropping to the floor and looking under the center pedestal. “To establish your own wards that aren’t dependent on Basgiath’s because you know you’ll be waging war on two fronts. There’s nothing under here.” He stands. “Where is it? Draithus? That’s the most logical choice. Close to both the Navarrian border and the sea.”
The journals are guarded by a second set of wards, which fuck up Aaric's hands, but they get the journals and start running for their lives. Two minutes left and we had established earlier that they would need about ten to get out. The bells are ringing and--
Chapter end.
All right, before we go on, can I just say that I resent this book for getting good like 40% in. There's no excuse for the way this book is paced. We are thirty three chapters in and like ten of those have been good, max. This book desperately needed someone to do developmental edits.
Anyways, Xaden saves Aaric at the last minute and they avoid being locked in the Archives. Honestly, I kinda wish one of them had died? Yarros kills people frequently in these books, but it's not usually anyone important. She literally had Violet refuse to learn the names of any of the first years except Sloane so that she could keep killing nameless characters off in the background. But I think the book would feel much more tense if we actually were at risk of losing a character who mattered.
Just goes back to one of the fundamental problems of the series: Yarros does not know how to milk a conflict.
They banter a bit with the riders who stayed behind, then split up. Violet gives Xaden one of the journals to convey to Brennan. Risky, but okay. Xaden goes.
And then Nolon shows up and gives Violet some lemonade. Now, I'm gonna make a prediction: that lemonade is drugged and Nolon is a bad guy.
And...I'm right. It's drugged and Violet passes out right as Varrish shows up.
Chapter end! And the book is now half done!
Over all, another strong set of chapters. There's lots of stuff here that can be mined for later problems, and Violet getting captured throws a nice wrench in the works. We'll see how long she stays captured, of course.
