[ SECRET POST #3462 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #3462 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 45 secrets from Secret Submission Post #495.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

my own reactions:

[diet_poison]

I definitely expected this book to involve Frank using Nâtlac's "gift" from the end of book 1, but I don't know exactly what I expeted to happen, except that it would probably be bad. I also sort of hoped Frank would try to get together with Evelyn and was a bit disappointed when that didn't work out at all. I do kinda ship Frank/Lucille but there is essentially no way to make that work in their current decision.

I actually enjoyed this book even more than the first, and thought it did a very good job as a sequel. I definitely plan on finishing the trilogy and since the author has already done a lot of unexpected things I'm pretty sure I have no idea how it's going to end, so I think it will be fun! The worldbuilding is kinda okay but the characters are really good. I appreciate that a good chunk of the main characters are female and they're varied and interesting.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the way Krys was written. I don't necessarily expect medieval fantasy to touch on current social issues, but Krys definitely read as trans to me and I liked the examination of how something like that might be handled in a world where there was no concept of such a thing existing.

In general though the teenagers were really cool. Some people bitch and moan about how ~hard it is to write female characters, but it's really not. Swann does a good job. They're just people, with strengths and flaws. And while definitely flawed and imperfect and immature (being teens) they were pretty badass too. :)

Basically I thought it was a good adventure, a little cheesy in some parts, surprisingly dark and enjoyable overall. I love Frank's sense of humor as a narrator.

Re: my own reactions:

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah Krys is definitely a trans man in a place where the options for trans people are all sucky. I liked that the possibility of the dark amulet was not ignored as a possible solution for his problem, but I also liked that it was Frank who spelled out the potential consequences and that while Kyrs snatched it, he surrendered it unused too. That was some good character development on both their parts. Even with magic and real gods, there are no easy options, that is something a lot of magic-trans writers don't bother to explore. Sometimes you just have to do the best with what you got.

Re: my own reactions:

[diet_poison]

Yeah I agree but I find myself hoping the Teen Thief Brigade not only plays an important role in the third book but also that a better solution can be found for Krys' situation. :(