Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums - View Single Post

Brown Rat · 8th July 2006, 11:44 PM

I just finished reading Imperial Spy, Mark. I enjoyed it.

**SPOILERS**

I like Femke; I like that she makes mistakes. Her mistakes make sense, given her young age. She's thinking, she's clever, she's trying to do her best. But sometimes she lacks the experience to succeed. And I admire you for letting her make those mistakes; that makes your book different from so many others, whose protagonists are often perfect Know It Alls.

Likewise, I enjoyed that King Malo, who could so easily have been written as a truth-blind, grief-addled antagonist to Femke in order to ratchet up tension, is protrayed as thoughtful and wise enough to see that not everything adds up. And Shalidar is a suitably skillful (and dangerously experienced) villain--a more-than-worthy opponent to Femke. The scene when he and Femke battle on the castle's roof is scary!

I also very much appreciated that important characters die, and that those deaths have meaning and consequences for the other characters. That makes the stakes matter and adds to the emotional punch. In fact, I was particularly intrigued by Danar's death, since it is a result of Femke's mistake. I would have liked to see her struggle to deal with that mistake even more fully--along the lines of Ennas's heartfelt remorse for killing the prison guard. And I would have liked to see Ennas live, if only so that he would have to deal with the killing of the guard. Ennas's death seemed a bit too neat: he dies, so no one has to put him on trial or remonstrate with him.

I must admit that I wasn't particularly sad that Danar dies. I like Reynik much better than Danar and felt dissatisfied that Femke has feelings for Danar. (I chalked her feelings up to another one of her youthful mistakes.) Certainly, Danar pursues Femke doggedly and gives up his life for her cause, but there is just something about him that doesn't warm my heart. Reynik seems more alive, more lively than Danar, and Femke seems more herself when she's interacting with him than when she's interacting with Danar. I also love the fact that Reynik is silent about his attraction to her, because he thinks that Danar is a more admirable suitor; I'm a sucker for a male character who thinks less of himself than he deserves. So, hooray Reynik!

8th July 2006, 11:44 PM	#78 (permalink)
Brown Rat wandering & wondering Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 945	Re: Imperial Spy I just finished reading Imperial Spy, Mark. I enjoyed it. SPOILERS I like Femke; I like that she makes mistakes. Her mistakes make sense, given her young age. She's thinking, she's clever, she's trying to do her best. But sometimes she lacks the experience to succeed. And I admire you for letting her make those mistakes; that makes your book different from so many others, whose protagonists are often perfect Know It Alls. Likewise, I enjoyed that King Malo, who could so easily have been written as a truth-blind, grief-addled antagonist to Femke in order to ratchet up tension, is protrayed as thoughtful and wise enough to see that not everything adds up. And Shalidar is a suitably skillful (and dangerously experienced) villain--a more-than-worthy opponent to Femke. The scene when he and Femke battle on the castle's roof is scary! I also very much appreciated that important characters die, and that those deaths have meaning and consequences for the other characters. That makes the stakes matter and adds to the emotional punch. In fact, I was particularly intrigued by Danar's death, since it is a result of Femke's mistake. I would have liked to see her struggle to deal with that mistake even more fully--along the lines of Ennas's heartfelt remorse for killing the prison guard. And I would have liked to see Ennas live, if only so that he would have to deal with the killing of the guard. Ennas's death seemed a bit too neat: he dies, so no one has to put him on trial or remonstrate with him. I must admit that I wasn't particularly sad that Danar dies. I like Reynik much better than Danar and felt dissatisfied that Femke has feelings for Danar. (I chalked her feelings up to another one of her youthful mistakes.) Certainly, Danar pursues Femke doggedly and gives up his life for her cause, but there is just something about him that doesn't warm my heart. Reynik seems more alive, more lively than Danar, and Femke seems more herself when she's interacting with him than when she's interacting with Danar. I also love the fact that Reynik is silent about his attraction to her, because he thinks that Danar is a more admirable suitor; I'm a sucker for a male character who thinks less of himself than he deserves. So, hooray Reynik!