Prudence

Attempted reread in April of 2021. DNF

TL:DR (Seriously, girl, what is with this word vomit.) I do not have confidence, after an issue crops up in the first ten pages, that my memory of this book is accurate. Nor do I have confidence, after thinking about literal years of issues with this author's books, that I will ever read anything of hers again.


Okay, to be fair, I have sat on a good portion of this ‘review' for years. I haven't wanted to say anything, because no one else seems to see the same thing I do. I don't know if it's just me being overly sensitive or what, but...I'm not sitting on this anymore.


So, I started rereading this book to finish the series. Since my first reading of this book, I've heard a lot about the problems of the cultural (mis)appropriation. I am much more aware of this kind of stuff than I was when I first read (and loved) the book - but I'm white. I know I have white privilege. I try to be a good ally, but I'll never fully understand all this stuff that bipoc people deal with every day. That being said, my ‘stop reading' issue came from an unexpected source.

Without asking permission - most of the time she would be flatly denied and it was better to acquire permission after the fact she had learned - Rue touched the side of her Uncle's face with her bare hand.

Why? Because naked skin to skin contact between Rue and a supernatural robs them of their supernatural mojo and gives it to Rue for a certain length of time or distance.

This...reads as something Rue does often. Often enough to know that the person she's doing it to would usually say no if she asked. So she doesn't ask, just does it so they can't say no. (And the phrase is ‘it's easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission' but asking for forgiveness means Rue would have to admit she was in the wrong...which I'm pretty certain she could never do.)

Side note about this: If I remember rightly - but it has been years since I read anything with Rue, so I might not - I think she uses her ability during fights, too. Sooo... As a weapon. So I'm reading this as violation of consent and, possibly, likening it to punching someone in the face.

Look, it's seems minor, yeah? I don't feel it is, and all it did was remind me of all the problems I now see in Carriger's books.


(End of ‘review' for this book. Keep reading for rant on other Carriger books. Yay!)


I know Carriger isn't infallible. In fact, the longer I'm away from her writing, the more issues I find in it.

In the PP series, we have this whole arc about how Conall thought Alexia cheated on him and became pregnant with another man's child, so he kicks her out of his house.Then he [Conall, husband dear] started calling her [Alexia] things, names and words, dirtier and harsher that she had ever heard before - let alone been called - and Alexia had encountered more than her fair share of profanity over the past year. They were horrible, cruel things, and she could comprehend the meanings of most, despite her lack of familiarity with the terminology.Conall had committed many a violent act around Alexia during their association, not the least of which was savage a woman into metamorphosis at the supper table, but Alexia had never been actually afraid of him before.She was afraid of him now.I've heard from others that in the sequel (because this happens at the end of a book) Conall does not have to grovel for Alexia's forgiveness. She just returns to him. I do not remember. In my defense, I read this book eight years ago. I was clueless about most things then. The me of eight years ago would like to apologize to the me of current time for not vacating that series and thereby saving myself all of these problems.

Also: this review on Poison or Protect: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2421631636?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

In the FS series, we have the only black character having the nickname of ‘Soap.' As a white person, this doesn't sound right to me. I don't know though, because I can't relate to this issue the same way I can the misogyny and LGBT+ problems. Which:

In SS series, we have two LGBT+ romance novellas. One featuring the only canon lesbian or bisexual female character from the main series - who likes to dress in men's fashions. And the other novella follows a M/M romance with one effeminate man and the most soft spoken, mild of the werewolves. (Are these novella's cute and sweet? Yes. But they begin to show a deeper problem for me.)

In the third book of the CP series, Prim and Tash's whole relationship was uncomfortable on many levels for me. Tash is attracted to Prim. She's also more experienced and ‘exotic.' (I can't swear to it, but I think she was called exotic in the narration of Competence.) There's the twofold feeling that Tash keeps coming on to Prim even when Prim turns her down and the feeling I get when the only bipoc character (of any importance, if I remember rightly ... probably ever) is also rather over-sexualized.

I don't think Carriger means any of this to be bad. (Well, I don't know why any woman would think that PP stuff is appropriate.) You know. I think she thinks she's an LGBT+ ally. I just don't think her way of looking at it and mine agree. And, I'm pretty much the only person I have seen to have any of these problems and...I just can't shut my brain off on this stuff.

Three years ago, I said this author's books were fun - even if they're not as progressive as they want to be. ... I think I've been having problems with Carriger even longer than I thought.

...

And I think I'm probably done with her books.


Original Review


Okay, can I first say, this book is very pink. Kind of disturbingly (and distractingly) pink if you ask me. I showed it to my mom and she asked ‘is it a girly book?' Sorry, what? Probably not the way she was thinking.

This book follows our intrepid, titular heroine as she floats to India with a trio of friends. Honestly, though it took me awhile to get used to Rue, (as she's called) I think she just might be my favorite of Ms. Carriger's heroines so far. She's very different than either Alexia or Sophronia - I think more of a girl, for one thing, but she also isn't quite as...comfortable with herself as either of them were.

Besides Rue, we have her three friends. Prim, her best friend. (Of course. It wouldn't be a Gail Carriger book without a foil for the heroine in the form of a BFF.) She's not as adventurous as Rue, but always game. Then there's the two guys. Percy, Prim's twin brother, and Quesnel. While they're both the intelligent - somewhat brains-over-brawn sort - (which makes me both very, very happy and somewhat in love with both of them) they are also very different. And get along like a couple of wet cats because of it.

I love the people in this book. The personalities are great and I adore snark and banter, which this book has in spades. However, as much as I just want to skate by, complementing the people in this book in every way, all was not making me happy.

I wish that some of the main characters hadn't been related to people from the Parasol Protectorate series. (Nope, not gonna tell you who. I'm evil that way.) Don't get me wrong, I love this world. It's awesome and amazing and I always look forward to spending more time in it. I just think I would have liked it a bit more if the references to the PP had been left as a bit more of a cookie. Like in the Finishing School series where you do get to see younger versions of some (a couple, anyway) of the people from PP.

This book is very firmly a ‘second generation' type story. While that's cool - and I admit I love the people - I think I might have been a bit happier if something else had been done. Speaking of, Alexia shows up in this book and I, will admit, her personality shift was somewhat surprising to me. She's not a different character, or anything like that, but she matured much more than I expected her to. (I guess I was just expecting her to still be like Amelia Peabody and go haring off on an adventure at a moment's notice.)

Outside stood a number of differently sized gilt cages and a polite little sign suggesting if patrons did not deposit their animals there, said animals would also be supplied with tea. And one never knew how tea would affect a goat.

If you've heard enough from me, you probably know I love steampunk. However, this book is almost exactly what I wished for when I first entered the steampunk world. (The only thing that would have made it better is pirates!) Instead of a solely localized story, about half of this book takes place on an airship as the intrepid adventurers travel from England to India.

I love the chance to see more of the world, but even more than that, I love the adventure that's in this book. No, it's not what you're thinking, but it's Victorian style adventure. (Granted, I might have been just the tiniest bit more pleased with trousers instead of skirts for our ladies, but let's not quibble.)

I can't help it. I'm really trying hard not to compare and contrast this to the PP or the FS series, but... If The Parasol Protectorate owes its life to bodice rippers and The Finishing School series owes its life to young adult, The Custard Protocol owes its life to adventuring.

(Originally posted on my blog: http://pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com/)