Onyx Storm: Chapter 13
Feb. 28th, 2025 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaThe chapter opens with another quote that spoils a future plot point: Jesinia being dismissed from the scribe quadrant. We then go to Violet and co. on their way to the Archives. Sawyer is ribbed for having gotten cleaned up to go, and he has a wooden leg now. They then move on to a full page of talking about Violet and Xaden's relationship, and there's no new insight, just a bunch of jokes about how in love they are that remind me how boring this book is.
Jesinia's been punished for deserting the scribe quadrant by being pushed out through a bunch of unfair tests. Once again, I don't understand the need for subterfuge here. Deserting your quadrant should just be grounds for you being kicked out, period. And Jesinia is now doing all the research for Violet's irid mission and has access to a bunch of old books, so she's not even mad about it.
Ridoc asks an extremely reasonable question--has she found anything?--and Jesinia fucks with him by pretending to have found something before going off on him.
Bro, he just asked if you'd found any mention of the irids. It's not an unreasonable question.
She and Violet talk shop about the history of Navarre. A lot of records are missing or contradictory. The only scribe who might have what they need is Violet's dad, so now they need Dain's cooperation to get those records from his dad. Presumably the records are in the old Sorrengail living quarters, where Aetos now lives as the head of Basgiath. We also learn in this scene that Violet smuggled all her mom's journals out of her quarters after her death but FORGOT ABOUT HER DAD'S.
I don't--what? Violet's dad was the guy who knew about the venin before anyone else back in book one? And Violet did take the entire book to work out the significance of that, to be fair, she is an idiot, but still. Why would you have not gotten your dad's stuff at that time?
Scene change. We're back in fucking Battle Brief. And they're all finally getting textbooks about the venin. Violet has already read these, of course. The venin are winning this fight so far, so it's important they all get with the program. To that end, three new classes have been added, and they'll be training to fight wielders with signets just like themselves. Oh, and they're now making it illegal to kill other riders during training! Or at least during the hand to hand challenges.
I can't even begin to explain how angry I am at this moment, but we'll leave that for later.
And now...Xaden is a professor! He's been promoted to train the riders to fight dark wielders. The irony.
Okay, rant time.
First off, after two full books of emphasizing how murdery the murder college is, after so man pointless deaths, after so many stupid justifications for those deaths and no meaningful pushback against them...it's just fucking over? They're just making an announcement in class? That Violet herself has nothing to do with? That's such a stupid way to handle this enormous aspect of the world this book is set in! It's lazy!
Second, fuck this book for setting up a forbidden teacher/student relationship 23% in. Xaden is a fucking venin and they both rebelled against the government, why should they give a fuck about the Code of Conduct at a time like this? Xaden can quit being a professor, or he could have just agreed to train the other riders and turned down the title. We don't need a contrived reason Violet and Xaden can't be together. You already introduced the much better reason that Xaden is a venin and is worried he's evil and might kill her.
This book is bad and I am becoming stupider by reading it. Goodbye.
Jesinia's been punished for deserting the scribe quadrant by being pushed out through a bunch of unfair tests. Once again, I don't understand the need for subterfuge here. Deserting your quadrant should just be grounds for you being kicked out, period. And Jesinia is now doing all the research for Violet's irid mission and has access to a bunch of old books, so she's not even mad about it.
Ridoc asks an extremely reasonable question--has she found anything?--and Jesinia fucks with him by pretending to have found something before going off on him.
Jesinia leans over the table slightly in his direction. “Of course there’s no prophecy.” She signs with abrupt motions, her eyes narrowed on him, and this time Rhiannon translates for Sawyer. “Just research. I’ve barely finished translating Lyra’s journal and now have six hundred years of personal accounts to read through. Do you really think I found the answer in the first week of accessing the vault, or that I wouldn’t have gone straight to Violet with that information?”
I rock back on my heels.
“I was hoping,” Ridoc says and signs. “And you’re kind of scary when you’re angry.”
“I am not some oracle high off whatever they’re serving in the temple that day. I am an extremely educated scribe. Treat me as such, and I won’t get angry,” she replies, then turns toward me.
Bro, he just asked if you'd found any mention of the irids. It's not an unreasonable question.
She and Violet talk shop about the history of Navarre. A lot of records are missing or contradictory. The only scribe who might have what they need is Violet's dad, so now they need Dain's cooperation to get those records from his dad. Presumably the records are in the old Sorrengail living quarters, where Aetos now lives as the head of Basgiath. We also learn in this scene that Violet smuggled all her mom's journals out of her quarters after her death but FORGOT ABOUT HER DAD'S.
I don't--what? Violet's dad was the guy who knew about the venin before anyone else back in book one? And Violet did take the entire book to work out the significance of that, to be fair, she is an idiot, but still. Why would you have not gotten your dad's stuff at that time?
Scene change. We're back in fucking Battle Brief. And they're all finally getting textbooks about the venin. Violet has already read these, of course. The venin are winning this fight so far, so it's important they all get with the program. To that end, three new classes have been added, and they'll be training to fight wielders with signets just like themselves. Oh, and they're now making it illegal to kill other riders during training! Or at least during the hand to hand challenges.
I can't even begin to explain how angry I am at this moment, but we'll leave that for later.
And now...Xaden is a professor! He's been promoted to train the riders to fight dark wielders. The irony.
Oh shit. Article Eight, Section One of the Basgiath Code of Conduct.Chapter end.
My face falls, and Xaden tilts his head as shadows brush against my shields.
“What’s wrong?” he asks when I let him in.
“Everyone, welcome our newest member of your leadership team. Professor Riorson,” Devera announces.
My ribs strain, as if they can hold my heart together if they just squeeze tight enough. “I think our relationship just ended.”
Okay, rant time.
First off, after two full books of emphasizing how murdery the murder college is, after so man pointless deaths, after so many stupid justifications for those deaths and no meaningful pushback against them...it's just fucking over? They're just making an announcement in class? That Violet herself has nothing to do with? That's such a stupid way to handle this enormous aspect of the world this book is set in! It's lazy!
Second, fuck this book for setting up a forbidden teacher/student relationship 23% in. Xaden is a fucking venin and they both rebelled against the government, why should they give a fuck about the Code of Conduct at a time like this? Xaden can quit being a professor, or he could have just agreed to train the other riders and turned down the title. We don't need a contrived reason Violet and Xaden can't be together. You already introduced the much better reason that Xaden is a venin and is worried he's evil and might kill her.
This book is bad and I am becoming stupider by reading it. Goodbye.
