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Red Scholar's Wake Q2: Plot and events
The complicating driver of events in the book was the future of the pirate community, its betrayal by Kim Thông, and the deal with Censor Trúc. Was this enough of a plot to drive the book? Were you engaged with the story and eager to see how it resolved? Was the ending what you expected?
How did you find the balance between space opera action, political machinations, and romance?
And, any other general thoughts about the book. Did you enjoy it? Did you like the writing? Was the pacing too fast or too slow?
Comments
The so called ‘romance’ plot wasn’t really a plot. It was mostly a set-up, seemingly derived to sell the book to a certain community. The relationship was basically a marriage of convenience in which one character eventually ‘falls’ for the other. But this process of falling wasn’t the thrust of the book - it was paper thin and seemed a contrivance all the way through. I thought the parent-child relationships were explored better, but despite the fact that one of these actually drove the main pirate plot, these also weren’t really developed.
No, there really wasn't much in this book to engage my imagination, unfortunately.
On the other hand, I found the book very entertaining. I didn't assume the central relationship between a female human and a feminine gendered sapient space ship was designed to sell books to a certain community - is there a big human-spaceship sexual community I am not aware of? In any case the story was plenty for me. I very much enjoyed everything, and was captivated by the book. I suppose I am a simple, ignorant man and am too easily pleased. Sounds like I am very alone in my opinions.
I finished the book a while ago and sadly it hasn't really stayed with me, except for the residual feeling that it could have been so much more. I agree that the romance was weak - the dynamic between the two parties came over to me more as adolescent infatuation than adult relationship. Yet both are (I think) supposed to be mature, and to have been in relationship before. But here it felt very high-schooly "oh misery she doesn't love me any more" stuff.
The two parent-child relationships had more depth, but again left lots of questions. I assume that Khanh is an actual biological daughter of Xich Si, so presumably there is a biological father somewhere, though we never meet him. But is Ho biologically connected to Rice Fish. I'm guessing not - is it even possible with the transformation to ship mind? - so in what sense is Ho a child of hers? Adoption? The whole relational side of the book left far too many open questions for me.
Re the political plot, since we never really spent much time in either camp (pirates or empire) I didn't really feel at all invested in either side. Neither of them were particularly morally superior (which was a deliberate authorial ploy, and not one that I object to) but I didn't know enough to have a gut feeling "ooo I really want them to win".
The writing itself I enjoyed, and it came over as very capable. I'd certainly consider reading other books by her, but with the nagging anxiety that I'm not going to learn enough to be immersed in whatever world she creates, (And in passing, another book where the apparent length is distorted by a long portion from a completely different story)
Though I had reservations, I'm glad to have read the book and was never at any risk of not finishing it
> I suppose I am a simple, ignorant man and am too easily pleased. Sounds like I am very alone in my opinions.
No, we share that opinion! 😁
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist the quip!)
You are quite the opposite of this, highly informed and far from simple. You did once write an instruction manual called “The Tools of Ignorance”, that turned out to be about Baseball. Taking pleasure in a story where others didn’t is more a blessing than a curse.
Anyway, we certainly don’t all agree or disagree, and those lines of agreement are not consistent! Even Barner doesn’t always dislike the book he proposed!
Nailed me!
Thanks - I was feeling pretty alone there...
But, are you sure that is correct about Barner?
I'm in agreement with everyone here. I've read a couple of de Bodard's novellas in the same setting, and enjoyed them. I've also enjoyed a couple of here full-length novels. I think this book was another decent novella, but there wasn't enough to sustain the expansion to novel length. A shame, but I think the story would have been great if packed into half the pages.