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A review by stefhyena
The Nonborn King by Julian May
1.0
This book is the third in the series. I don't think it matters which one you start with I am guessing they are all as dehumanising as this one.
There was a lot to dislike about this book. It was quite pretentious in the way it was written (obligatory poem in there and a lot of allusions or direct quotes from elsewhere, too many ethnic or plain strange ways of talking, diversity as exoticised stereotype, etc)
There were too many groups of characters and each group had a LOT of characters. Despite the overlong and over-explainy synopsis (is it still authentically called a "synopsis" when it is 36 small-print pages long?) it was very hard to remember who various characters were or what they had to do with each other. There did not seem to be a central plot or a main character although from the title I guess it was meant to be all about Aiken Drum who was possibly the most unlikeable character in the book Marc Remillard being the other contender for the title.
But what I hated most was the misogyny and rape culture throughout the book. Women apparently are attracted to being scared and abused. Men apparently have a drive toward power and no capacity for seeing anyone's point of view but their narcissistic own (and this is painted as just fine). For example Culluket who turned his torture of Felice into sexualised violence as everyone knows (and with deadly consequences for the world) is still seen by men and women alike as a really good guy. Also Aiken's relationship with Mercy was disgusting.
Women are valued for how attractive they are and...the list goes on
I somewhat liked Amerie for all that she was as anachronistic as nearly everything else in the book (and don't say "time travel" because that is not what I mean, she doesn't fit into EITHER time). She was a female and a catholic priest (see what I mean?), said the mass in Latin (??) and was a lesbian. Unfortunately although there are two lesbians in the book they fit the two stereotypes with Amerie being the functionally asexual one and Felice being the psychotic product of abuse as a child one.
After all those pages I hung on in case the ending gives it all some meaning or a ray of sunshine in a world where the men are hypermasculine and noone actually seems to give a shit about other people at all.
It doesn't. That's not a spoiler just a warning. I won't be reading any of the others in the lengthy series!
(oh if you don't take my advice and do read it count how many hilariously phallic references there are)
There was a lot to dislike about this book. It was quite pretentious in the way it was written (obligatory poem in there and a lot of allusions or direct quotes from elsewhere, too many ethnic or plain strange ways of talking, diversity as exoticised stereotype, etc)
There were too many groups of characters and each group had a LOT of characters. Despite the overlong and over-explainy synopsis (is it still authentically called a "synopsis" when it is 36 small-print pages long?) it was very hard to remember who various characters were or what they had to do with each other. There did not seem to be a central plot or a main character although from the title I guess it was meant to be all about Aiken Drum who was possibly the most unlikeable character in the book Marc Remillard being the other contender for the title.
But what I hated most was the misogyny and rape culture throughout the book. Women apparently are attracted to being scared and abused. Men apparently have a drive toward power and no capacity for seeing anyone's point of view but their narcissistic own (and this is painted as just fine). For example Culluket who turned his torture of Felice into sexualised violence as everyone knows (and with deadly consequences for the world) is still seen by men and women alike as a really good guy. Also Aiken's relationship with Mercy was disgusting.
Women are valued for how attractive they are and...the list goes on
I somewhat liked Amerie for all that she was as anachronistic as nearly everything else in the book (and don't say "time travel" because that is not what I mean, she doesn't fit into EITHER time). She was a female and a catholic priest (see what I mean?), said the mass in Latin (??) and was a lesbian. Unfortunately although there are two lesbians in the book they fit the two stereotypes with Amerie being the functionally asexual one and Felice being the psychotic product of abuse as a child one.
After all those pages I hung on in case the ending gives it all some meaning or a ray of sunshine in a world where the men are hypermasculine and noone actually seems to give a shit about other people at all.
It doesn't. That's not a spoiler just a warning. I won't be reading any of the others in the lengthy series!
(oh if you don't take my advice and do read it count how many hilariously phallic references there are)