I like F'lessan a lot. Far more than I've ever liked Jaxom, and I think it says something about how I've gotten used to the casual assholishness of most of the male leads that some of his basic acts of consideration (like going to the alcove so as not to disturb Tai studying), seem really really notable.
The mating flight thing is...still not great. But I kind of feel like, for the first time, the series is actually kinda-sorta acknowledging the fucked up parts. F'lessan does ask for consent (quite emphatically), but it's not really clear that she ever actually gives a clear and unequivocal yes. It's a high pressure situation, at the very least.
That said, the attempt is there. (I might even be willing to chalk it up to a writer who's a few decades out of date when it comes to discussions of consent.) And I really appreciated that F'lessan says something about not necessarily needing to orgasm when his dragon does, and that the dragonriders that were Tai's previous partners should have treated her better even with the mating issues going on.
I appreciate that it makes Jaxom look even worse in retrospect. (F'lar too, but I like F'lar.)
The injury/recovery section was pretty intense. As a h/c fan, I enjoyed it a lot. It's definitely a harsh fate in a lot of ways: there's no way F'lessan can stay wingleader. Golanth will never fly right again. It's probably the first time (except Lytol, pre series) that we really get to see such harsh consequences for a major character.
Well, maybe Brekke. But it's not like the narrative really gave her much after her loss. She went from having her own, pretty important subplot, to being the satellite to F'nor's Red Star idiocy. (And F'nor, conveniently, ends up completely fine and able to take up dragonriding again without issue - after a period of recovery.)
But I did like the focus on recovery, the way all the dragons worked together to get Golanth into a position to be able to fly, at least somewhat, and how F'lessan himself does have a substantial goal for his future.
It does seem decidedly unfair when compared to Jaxom, and how Jaxom gets everything handed to him with no hint of any kind of real effort. But it's also a better story to read. I'd read a sequel if there was one.
(I had the funny thought that it's a shame that Jaxom got Ruth before F'lessan got Golanth. I somehow doubt that Jaxom would have been anywhere near as gracious if F'lessan had gotten anything before he did. That said, of course, with a five year age difference that wasn't likely to happen.)
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Some Opinions - F'lessan
Date: 2025-01-13 02:34 pm (UTC)The mating flight thing is...still not great. But I kind of feel like, for the first time, the series is actually kinda-sorta acknowledging the fucked up parts. F'lessan does ask for consent (quite emphatically), but it's not really clear that she ever actually gives a clear and unequivocal yes. It's a high pressure situation, at the very least.
That said, the attempt is there. (I might even be willing to chalk it up to a writer who's a few decades out of date when it comes to discussions of consent.) And I really appreciated that F'lessan says something about not necessarily needing to orgasm when his dragon does, and that the dragonriders that were Tai's previous partners should have treated her better even with the mating issues going on.
I appreciate that it makes Jaxom look even worse in retrospect. (F'lar too, but I like F'lar.)
The injury/recovery section was pretty intense. As a h/c fan, I enjoyed it a lot. It's definitely a harsh fate in a lot of ways: there's no way F'lessan can stay wingleader. Golanth will never fly right again. It's probably the first time (except Lytol, pre series) that we really get to see such harsh consequences for a major character.
Well, maybe Brekke. But it's not like the narrative really gave her much after her loss. She went from having her own, pretty important subplot, to being the satellite to F'nor's Red Star idiocy. (And F'nor, conveniently, ends up completely fine and able to take up dragonriding again without issue - after a period of recovery.)
But I did like the focus on recovery, the way all the dragons worked together to get Golanth into a position to be able to fly, at least somewhat, and how F'lessan himself does have a substantial goal for his future.
It does seem decidedly unfair when compared to Jaxom, and how Jaxom gets everything handed to him with no hint of any kind of real effort. But it's also a better story to read. I'd read a sequel if there was one.
(I had the funny thought that it's a shame that Jaxom got Ruth before F'lessan got Golanth. I somehow doubt that Jaxom would have been anywhere near as gracious if F'lessan had gotten anything before he did. That said, of course, with a five year age difference that wasn't likely to happen.)