Scan barcode
A review by ergative
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was perfectly fine. More satisfyingly poisonous than City of Lies, and with a reasonably lively plot. I liked the complexity of the military dictatorship, which in some ways seems to be an improvement over the previous monarchy that it deposed, and in other ways is, well, a military dictatorship. I can't decide whether to be charmed or delighted by the fact that chocolate is a substance that renders you vulnerable to magical influence and so must be banned, but I did love the conversations in which people talk about how much they like it and wonder whether it's addicting or not.
I don't love how the trans character is described with inaccurate pronouns when we see him before he transitioned, even though during that whole period he is repeatedly stating that he is not a woman and has been born in the wrong body. The author has him explicitly say that he's a man, but then uses female pronouns the whole time, as if the pronoun is determined by how other characters see him at the time rather than how he defines himself, which isn't great. I wonder whether that's because it was published in 2005? The book is otherwise entirely respectful of this dude's identity in present-day scenes, and language for discussing transgender issues has definitely changed over the last decade and a half, so maybe this is just clumsy, rather than ignorant.
I also don't love the fact that our young female protagonist's tramatic backstory has to include rape--why must they always include rape?--especially given that there is a perfectly plot-relevant reason to give her trauma that doesn't at all require sexual assault; and I really don't love the obligatory romance between 30-something captor and something-teen captive who is kept around because she's been fed poisons that make her physically dependent on daily medicines. We see it all from her perspective, so she certainly thinks she's consenting to the relationship, but my dear: The guy is 33 and you're a teenager, and he's simultaneously your (1) boss; (2) mentor; and (3) CAPTOR. Good grief--these are not the power dynamics of a healthy relationship! On this basis alone I don't think I'll finish the series. I don't trust the author to write sensibly about relationships and consent, or to avoid gratuitous sexual assault. There are plenty of other books that don't include that, and this one is not good enough in the other respects to overcome that line.
I don't love how the trans character is described with inaccurate pronouns when we see him before he transitioned, even though during that whole period he is repeatedly stating that he is not a woman and has been born in the wrong body. The author has him explicitly say that he's a man, but then uses female pronouns the whole time, as if the pronoun is determined by how other characters see him at the time rather than how he defines himself, which isn't great. I wonder whether that's because it was published in 2005? The book is otherwise entirely respectful of this dude's identity in present-day scenes, and language for discussing transgender issues has definitely changed over the last decade and a half, so maybe this is just clumsy, rather than ignorant.
I also don't love the fact that our young female protagonist's tramatic backstory has to include rape--why must they always include rape?--especially given that there is a perfectly plot-relevant reason to give her trauma that doesn't at all require sexual assault; and I really don't love the obligatory romance between 30-something captor and something-teen captive who is kept around because she's been fed poisons that make her physically dependent on daily medicines. We see it all from her perspective, so she certainly thinks she's consenting to the relationship, but my dear: The guy is 33 and you're a teenager, and he's simultaneously your (1) boss; (2) mentor; and (3) CAPTOR. Good grief--these are not the power dynamics of a healthy relationship! On this basis alone I don't think I'll finish the series. I don't trust the author to write sensibly about relationships and consent, or to avoid gratuitous sexual assault. There are plenty of other books that don't include that, and this one is not good enough in the other respects to overcome that line.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Rape and Transphobia