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olive2read 's review for:
Magic's Price
by Mercedes Lackey
CW: gang rape
This was so bad. It’s been >20 years since the last time I read it and it does *not* hold up. It’s just 🚩 after 🚩and I ended it not even liking Vanyel. He’s turned into this self-righteous hypocrite who spends all his time explaining why no one is as awesome as he is 🙄🙄🙄 It’s definitely a Kill the Gays™️ and it includes a gang rape that serves no purpose whatsoever. I *hate* the people that use rape as a plot device but this isn’t even that. It adds nothing to the character, relationship dynamics, or story. It’s just there. Brutal gang rape just hanging out in a fantasy story. Um ... no.
The writing is sloppy and lazy, the editing nonexistent. So many inconsistencies and head scratch choices within the book itself and the broader series arc - including Vanyel’s rape and death. Super jarring POV shifts done to build conflict/angst presumably in an effort to hide the fact that the author can’t manage it on her own. It’s clear that this series was written to provide historical filler for the main Valdemar arc and because the author had to prove that she’s just as pompous and out of touch as any other so-called white feminist ally by having an Important Queer Character™️.
As far as I can tell, Stef should’ve repudiated the lifebond. He’s constantly having to call out bad behaviour and mistreatment, at least when he’s not squinting through the gaslighting so dense that someone else has to call it out. Plus how tf is it ok to tell someone “sorry I was an asshole and hurt you but suck it up cuz I’m doing Important Work™️ and will continue to trample you until it’s done.” Um, sure, yeah, love you too ... except no. Hard pass.
This was so bad. It’s been >20 years since the last time I read it and it does *not* hold up. It’s just 🚩 after 🚩and I ended it not even liking Vanyel. He’s turned into this self-righteous hypocrite who spends all his time explaining why no one is as awesome as he is 🙄🙄🙄 It’s definitely a Kill the Gays™️ and it includes a gang rape that serves no purpose whatsoever. I *hate* the people that use rape as a plot device but this isn’t even that. It adds nothing to the character, relationship dynamics, or story. It’s just there. Brutal gang rape just hanging out in a fantasy story. Um ... no.
The writing is sloppy and lazy, the editing nonexistent. So many inconsistencies and head scratch choices within the book itself and the broader series arc - including Vanyel’s rape and death. Super jarring POV shifts done to build conflict/angst presumably in an effort to hide the fact that the author can’t manage it on her own. It’s clear that this series was written to provide historical filler for the main Valdemar arc and because the author had to prove that she’s just as pompous and out of touch as any other so-called white feminist ally by having an Important Queer Character™️.
As far as I can tell, Stef should’ve repudiated the lifebond. He’s constantly having to call out bad behaviour and mistreatment, at least when he’s not squinting through the gaslighting so dense that someone else has to call it out. Plus how tf is it ok to tell someone “sorry I was an asshole and hurt you but suck it up cuz I’m doing Important Work™️ and will continue to trample you until it’s done.” Um, sure, yeah, love you too ... except no. Hard pass.