Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Tristan by S. Legend

1 review

whatthefridge's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I am torn between my head and my heart on how to rate this book. 

On the one hand, I am a complete slut for forced submission training. Tristan is a brat who needs firm discipline, and the story delivers tenfold. 

On the other hand, the worldbuilding is kind of hamfisted—such as with Corrik’s explanation of BDSM* in Elf culture—and confusing in regard to key details about the characters. For example, it was exceptionally difficult for me to parse Tristan’s species and age. Took me way too long to comprehend he’s human with literal dragon blood, though that means little in the scope of things, and that he’s recently had his coming-of-age ceremony, whatever that age may be. Then there’s Corrik. At Elven age of 200 years old, he is treated by the humans like, were he also human, he’s in his 30s, even though it later mentions Elven “men don’t reach manhood until three hundred.” So going by this worldbuilding, Tristan is technically more of an adult man than Corrik, but it’s Corrik who’s treated like the seasoned elder throughout the book. This is emphasized by the narrative by always framing Tristan as childish in nature. The fact that Elves outlive humans is barely touched upon, but it’s heavily implied that Tristan can somehow become an Elf down the line. And don’t get me started on whether Tristan’s remark about Corrik being nine feet tall is accurate or not. Apparently Tristan is large for a person and Corrik is larger than him, whatever that means because it’s left vague as shit. 

But my god the submission training. It’s so tasty. Corrik is tough but fair, and he practices great restraint whenever Tristan enrages him. 

(*This book was published in 2014, so I have to be a bit more forgiving of it conflating being a Dom and being a Top (the former is a relationship dynamic and the latter is a position in sex, so it’s possible for someone to be a service top—sub top—or a powerbottom—Dom bottom). Also apparently the concept of switches simply doesn’t exist in the book’s world.)

Tristan and Corrik are on the verge of a breakthrough in their relationship when around the 75% mark the story completely switches gears. Though considering this is a trilogy, I suppose it’s merely setting up new stakes for subsequent books. However, talking about this section feels like it needs spoiler tags… except the only way to not get whiplash is to establish expectations. The author’s note at the start of the book mentions Tristan will dabble in polyamory. I’m here to add that the circumstances around it involve enslavement for an extended period of time, so not the most ethical of non-monogamy. 

Two important characters are introduced: Andothair, and his younger brother, Bayaden. It’s the latter who becomes directly important to Tristan. Andothair is more of a red herring since he’s introduced first, but he connects back to everything too by
being Corrik’s ex-boyfriend, before Corrik had his prophetic vision of Tristan.

In fairness to Tristan, he consents to anything sexual and BDSM while also understanding that what he’s doing is a betrayal of Corrik. Despite the guilt, he’s also lost any hope of ever seeing Corrik again. The distance makes his heart grow fonder for his husband. It also allows Tristan to grow in skills, in and out of bed, that Corrik, with his idiosyncrasies, wasn’t the best person for. It’s why the polyamory aspect works even it’s a bit chafing with the execution. 

I like how there is no insta-love… for Tristan, at least. Both with Corrik and Bayaden, Tristan has to work through his feelings and decipher the developments in his relationships. And while the Elves do experience insta-love, it’s tolerable because they still have to work at their relationships to make it successful. 

I also appreciate that there’s no homophobia in this world. The tensions come more from humans vs Elves, Elves vs other Elves, and dynamics among dominants and submissives. And another nice turn is how neither culture is sexually repressed. Moreso since Elven society is the most loose about sex, and while Tristan’s cultural norms growing up made intimacy a very private act, it’s never anti-intimacy or sex altogether. 

The only thing keeping me from running to inhale the next book is I managed to snag this while it was free and I don’t have KU access at the moment. 
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