Scan barcode
A review by labyrinth_witch
Highland Hellion by Mary Wine
1.0
The third installment of Mary Wine’s Highland Wedding Series was a huge disappointment. The first one I enjoyed, the second one I had some serious objections, and this third one was a waste of my time.
This one features Katherine, the English girl rescued by Marcus in the second book. 6 years have lapsed and you discover that Marcus has allowed Katherine to be trained all this time as if she’s a lad so that she can protect herself from the inevitable sexual assault and kidnapping that is sure to be a part of her life. Makes sense. Makes sense because highland Scottish Women has a reputation for being trained and fierce. In fact, there is long legacy of female warriors. Makes sense because all women should be trained since we receive 100% of male initiated violence.
So why does this narrative begin with the men being in shock that she can handle a horse and dagger? Why does that shock immediately accompany accusations of witchcraft? IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN STRANGE!
But for all this set up on her training, Katherine didn’t escape from being kidnapped several times and hardly did anything to get out of her circumstances. When she hatches a plan to “save” her husband it was barely strategic, but really just a plot device to move the story along because obviously they couldn’t have the husband beheaded.
Then! After saving him, he tells her he will beat her to teach her not to put herself in danger to protect him. Because of course he must “teach” her. She decides she doesn’t want that kind of marriage and to return to her one clan, but of course is dissuaded by sex. Which I skipped reading because I was so disgusted with the dynamic at that point.
Not once did I feel like the male became more tender and complex throughout the narrative or that they got to know each other throughout the story. In fact 99% or the story is orders being barked at Katherine and not a single character asking her a question or considering that she had motives for what she did. Or even considering that she had her OWN honor to maintain and is entitled to make her OWN FULLY INFORMED choices. Why is he allowed to make reckless choices to protect her and she isn’t allowed to make reckless choices to save him? And why is he forgiven all when his plan only landed him chains with NO plan to escape, while her plan worked flawlessly and secured all their freedom. But no! He gets to “punish her” for not letting the men do the thinking.
The whole thing is nauseating.
For all of Mary Wine’s feminist discussion of marriage rights and person-property, she missed the mark on this one and clearly needs to figure out what a feminist protagonist should look like.
Bleh.
This one features Katherine, the English girl rescued by Marcus in the second book. 6 years have lapsed and you discover that Marcus has allowed Katherine to be trained all this time as if she’s a lad so that she can protect herself from the inevitable sexual assault and kidnapping that is sure to be a part of her life. Makes sense. Makes sense because highland Scottish Women has a reputation for being trained and fierce. In fact, there is long legacy of female warriors. Makes sense because all women should be trained since we receive 100% of male initiated violence.
So why does this narrative begin with the men being in shock that she can handle a horse and dagger? Why does that shock immediately accompany accusations of witchcraft? IT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN STRANGE!
But for all this set up on her training, Katherine didn’t escape from being kidnapped several times and hardly did anything to get out of her circumstances. When she hatches a plan to “save” her husband it was barely strategic, but really just a plot device to move the story along because obviously they couldn’t have the husband beheaded.
Then! After saving him, he tells her he will beat her to teach her not to put herself in danger to protect him. Because of course he must “teach” her. She decides she doesn’t want that kind of marriage and to return to her one clan, but of course is dissuaded by sex. Which I skipped reading because I was so disgusted with the dynamic at that point.
Not once did I feel like the male became more tender and complex throughout the narrative or that they got to know each other throughout the story. In fact 99% or the story is orders being barked at Katherine and not a single character asking her a question or considering that she had motives for what she did. Or even considering that she had her OWN honor to maintain and is entitled to make her OWN FULLY INFORMED choices. Why is he allowed to make reckless choices to protect her and she isn’t allowed to make reckless choices to save him? And why is he forgiven all when his plan only landed him chains with NO plan to escape, while her plan worked flawlessly and secured all their freedom. But no! He gets to “punish her” for not letting the men do the thinking.
The whole thing is nauseating.
For all of Mary Wine’s feminist discussion of marriage rights and person-property, she missed the mark on this one and clearly needs to figure out what a feminist protagonist should look like.
Bleh.