The Pirate Captain's Daughter

While I usually have no problems with Ruby Lionsdrake's (AKA: Lindsay Buroker) writing, this story left me feeling very uncomfortable. While I really liked Azarov and his blundering do-good-ness and I had to admire Ying and her determination...not all was well.

While Ying decries loudly and repeatedly that she doesn't need nor want help, she really does want it and as is made painfully obvious later, needs it desperately. Of course. Well, Azarov needs a reason to get involved. I could overlook that (I mean, really, why would a woman be able to accomplish anything on her own. [/sarcasm] Excuses for the bitterness, please.) except for one major issue: In her plan to seek revenge, she's setting herself up to be raped. She admits it. She admits that she probably won't have the chance to kill the guy before he rapes her. Repeatedly, perhaps. (Likely, in fact. With some torture thrown in for good measure too, if I'm reading him right. Including the possibility of a sedative. What fun.) And she still doesn't try for another plan. She goes along blithely as though rape isn't really a big deal. As though because she's aware of this, it's not really rape.

And how about the fact that a few hours (maybe) after she was in a severe fight - and beat up pretty badly - with a guy intent on raping her, she's initiating sex with another guy. I can't say it wouldn't happen, what with the way people respond to different things, but I've read this sort of stuff before and I've never bought it. To me, if someone is nearly raped, the last thing they're going to want is sex.

(I can't believe how poorly this was handled and now I'm wondering if the attempted rape and forced arousal in The Assassin's Salvation was handled as well as I remember it being.)