Iron Flame Live Reactions: Chapter 39
Oct. 6th, 2024 09:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaWe begin with Mira being mad at Brennan for pretending to be dead. That's fair, honestly. We the reader know that Brennan had good reasons, but if my brother faked his death I would also engage in violence.
There is something genuinely interesting in the following scene, which is just Mira and Brennan yelling at each other. Setting aside the family drama--Brennan feels betrayed by his mother who sent him to his 'death', Mira is mad because Brennan's death caused the entire family pain and contributed to their father's heart attack. All of that is fine. But there's this:
It's a nice bit of characterization after so many chapters of relationships that Violet has that are paper-thin: Violet loves both her siblings, but feels overshadowed by them together. That feels like a real family dynamic. I like it.
Xaden arrives as Violet finally breaks up the argument, and Violet makes her announcement: she needs the blood of the six most powerful riders, so she can raise the wards. Which would be cool, if not for two nagging points. One, this novel is in the first person, so it feels clumsy that Yarros has contrived to keep the details of this a secret from us. Two, this fact was the chapter's opening quote, so it's not a reveal at all.
Sigh.
Violet, Xaden, and some other riders all go to the wardstone, so that they can raise the ward. As they walk, it's once again brought up that this weird foreign noble wants Violet in exchange for the luminary they need to get their forge going. Supposedly, he wants to see Violet wield, but this is apparently a plot to keep her as a weapon.
Side note: why Violet. Like, lightning is pretty impressive as an offensive power, sure, but so is Xaden's shadow power. For that matter, I'm curious how Tecarus would accomplish using Violet as a weapon. Because, you know, she has that giant fuck off dragon to protect her.
Anyways.
Guys, this next scene is momentous. It's incredible. Violet's plan FAILS.
Like, it straight up does not work. And there's no caveat, it's just straightforwardly that she's not correct about the requirements of this spell. And she displays an actual character flaw that she has actually demonstrated in the book: she has a high sense of her own abilities and is really stubborn! This is like the most three dimensional Violet has ever been. Please clap.
And no one stands around comforting her or anything. The chapter ends will Violet immediately deciding she has to meet Tecarus now, so that she can preserve her self-image as a winner. Meanwhile everyone else is just...preparing for the war they're all about to be in.
What a surprisingly good chapter! I doubt it'll last, so let's stop here.
There is something genuinely interesting in the following scene, which is just Mira and Brennan yelling at each other. Setting aside the family drama--Brennan feels betrayed by his mother who sent him to his 'death', Mira is mad because Brennan's death caused the entire family pain and contributed to their father's heart attack. All of that is fine. But there's this:
They’re screaming at each other like I’m not even here. Yep, definitely morphed back into the little silent sister.
It's a nice bit of characterization after so many chapters of relationships that Violet has that are paper-thin: Violet loves both her siblings, but feels overshadowed by them together. That feels like a real family dynamic. I like it.
Xaden arrives as Violet finally breaks up the argument, and Violet makes her announcement: she needs the blood of the six most powerful riders, so she can raise the wards. Which would be cool, if not for two nagging points. One, this novel is in the first person, so it feels clumsy that Yarros has contrived to keep the details of this a secret from us. Two, this fact was the chapter's opening quote, so it's not a reveal at all.
Sigh.
Violet, Xaden, and some other riders all go to the wardstone, so that they can raise the ward. As they walk, it's once again brought up that this weird foreign noble wants Violet in exchange for the luminary they need to get their forge going. Supposedly, he wants to see Violet wield, but this is apparently a plot to keep her as a weapon.
Side note: why Violet. Like, lightning is pretty impressive as an offensive power, sure, but so is Xaden's shadow power. For that matter, I'm curious how Tecarus would accomplish using Violet as a weapon. Because, you know, she has that giant fuck off dragon to protect her.
Anyways.
Guys, this next scene is momentous. It's incredible. Violet's plan FAILS.
I don’t fail. I’ve never failed anything in my life. Well, that first RSC land navigation, but that doesn’t count. That was everyone. This is me.
“Offer the viscount twice the number of weapons he asked for,” Ulices says, his voice fading with his footsteps.
“I’ll send a missive tomorrow,” Brennan promises as the others walk out of the chamber.
We have no wards. No weapons. Almost no experienced riders. All because I acted recklessly.
Power builds, vibrating my fingertips.
Like, it straight up does not work. And there's no caveat, it's just straightforwardly that she's not correct about the requirements of this spell. And she displays an actual character flaw that she has actually demonstrated in the book: she has a high sense of her own abilities and is really stubborn! This is like the most three dimensional Violet has ever been. Please clap.
And no one stands around comforting her or anything. The chapter ends will Violet immediately deciding she has to meet Tecarus now, so that she can preserve her self-image as a winner. Meanwhile everyone else is just...preparing for the war they're all about to be in.
What a surprisingly good chapter! I doubt it'll last, so let's stop here.
