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mal_eficent 's review for:
Promise of Blood
by Brian McClellan
On paper this is absolutely everything I love: political manoeuvring, the death of empires, spies, detailed magic systems, multifaceted gods, and all of that was done really well...But.
There was just something about this book that wasn't for me, and the only way I can think to phrase it is that I could just really tell this was written by a white bloke the entire time. Which is so say, the way women and minorities were treated didn't really have any nuance and, while it wasn't prominent, it was enough that the writing didn't click with me.
The way Ka-poel is treated and discussed is a whole...thing by itself, and the way all the male characters treat women was very off putting. It's always in terms of whether they're in or could be in a sexual relationship with them, whether they're married, whether they're beautiful, and so on. The number of men who have hoards of women who want to sleep with them is also just...creepy. Nothing wrong with those types of relationships, but this cropped up so many times it was almost funny. The old king, the Privileged, Bo, the chef, and on and on...
Some of it is the setting – like the racism and sexism Ka-poel faces – I get it, it's when it's not addressed that it begins to feel off. No one addresses the fact that she's constantly called a savage within hearing, or in a similar way even if the word isn't used. Taniel treats her like an annoyance until suddenly boom, she's of age and her clothes cling to her frame. No one addresses how it's weird all these women are magically drawn to certain people, or potentially forced into being part of a live in brothel - and the one time it is addressed it's to condemn the eugenics aspect (which, obviously, condemn eugenics).
If you enjoy a really well thought out world, with a lot of detail put into making sure the politics works, and enjoy a really logical magical system, I'd still recommend you try this one! I just couldn't get past the way characters treat women.
There was just something about this book that wasn't for me, and the only way I can think to phrase it is that I could just really tell this was written by a white bloke the entire time. Which is so say, the way women and minorities were treated didn't really have any nuance and, while it wasn't prominent, it was enough that the writing didn't click with me.
The way Ka-poel is treated and discussed is a whole...thing by itself, and the way all the male characters treat women was very off putting. It's always in terms of whether they're in or could be in a sexual relationship with them, whether they're married, whether they're beautiful, and so on. The number of men who have hoards of women who want to sleep with them is also just...creepy. Nothing wrong with those types of relationships, but this cropped up so many times it was almost funny. The old king, the Privileged, Bo, the chef, and on and on...
Some of it is the setting – like the racism and sexism Ka-poel faces – I get it, it's when it's not addressed that it begins to feel off. No one addresses the fact that she's constantly called a savage within hearing, or in a similar way even if the word isn't used. Taniel treats her like an annoyance until suddenly boom, she's of age and her clothes cling to her frame. No one addresses how it's weird all these women are magically drawn to certain people, or potentially forced into being part of a live in brothel - and the one time it is addressed it's to condemn the eugenics aspect (which, obviously, condemn eugenics).
If you enjoy a really well thought out world, with a lot of detail put into making sure the politics works, and enjoy a really logical magical system, I'd still recommend you try this one! I just couldn't get past the way characters treat women.