#people said i'd loath mare but i mostly find the writing inept

[leeholtwrites]

Red Queen: Chapter 16

After a week of staring at my clock, waiting for midnight, I begin to despair.

Wait... what? They send her the message saying “Midnight,” and then make her wait a week before they act on it. These resistance fighters are pretty bad. If there are cameras in Horse’s room, wouldn’t it have tipped off her guards at some point if she is suddenly staying up till midnight for a week straight if it wasn’t something she did before. Usually one word covert messages like “Midnight” imply that night, not a night one week from now.

The power goes out and Walsh - the serving lady who gave her the massage - pulls her through the darkness saying they have 15 minutes if they’re lucky. They reach the conservatory where Farley, with a fresh facial scar, is waiting. 

The Maven joins them, because of course its Maven, not the brother whose been sympathetic to Reds from the beginning, Cal, who would have made more sense period.  

Farley puts her gun to Maven’s head and forces him to tell her his reasoning. He says that his brother will be a just ruler but believes the balance is Silver over Red, and that change wouldn’t be worth the cost. Maven says his reasoning changed because when he went to the front he became friends with a Red named Thomas who saw Maven as a person because he didn’t know he was the prince on sight. Maven could have saved him, but his guards didn’t let him because his death couldn’t happen. Oh, and war is bad because people die and waste and shit. (I know this is flippant, but this message is made every single goddamned chapter.)

Horse wants to give him a hug because of how shaken he seems, but stays put. Holland - Maven’s servant - vouches for him by saying his attitude has been noticeably different since he returned from the front months ago. Farley lowers her gun and makes Maven swear on his colors. He does, and he takes Horse’s hand. 

Okay, so we’ve seen Cal be a Silver apologist, but it never felt like a character thing he couldn’t get over. Cal’s view of the war is skewed, that’s for certain, and him joining the Scarlet Guard would be a tad far fetched, yet I don’t feel like I would have had a problem with it. Maven, on the other hand, has given no indication outside of telling Horse she’s not alone he’d do such a thing. I’m 16 chapters and 185 pages into this book and I’m less shocked than weary. Maybe if Maven had told Horse the story about Thomas and she got him into the Scarlet Guard along with Holland, then I would buy it. I just feel like I took a 2x4 to the head at this point.

Farley asks what Maven can bring to the table and he starts with some bureaucratic stuff, but Farley wants targets. 

Maven shifts, uncomfortable. “I would prefer a less hostile path,” he mutters. “Your violent methods aren’t winning you any friends.”

Farley scoffs, letting the sound echo over the conservatory. “Your people are a thousand times more violent and cruel than mine. We’ve spent the last few centuries under a Silver boot, and we’re not going to get out by by being nice.”

I would like to remind you at this point all the Scarlet Guard has done is bomb Silver targets. I haven’t heard anything about them interrupting supply lines for Silver palaces and giving the loot to communities in need or any number of less violent means than blowing shit up because Silvers are evil. I’m not saying both of them are right because Maven is from the privileged class speaking to a marginalized class, but Farley is uncomfortably blood thirsty for any kind of sustainable change. I would ask Maven to see if he can flip Cal since his brother is the future king while working on other revolutionary tasks.

Farely mocks the two of them, because she’s a woman, so she’s the worst, and the rest of the Scarlet Guard in attendance make their number know. Aveyard also forgets that Farley was wearing a scarf over face. I’m beginning to think remembering appearance details are not this writer’s strong suit.

“We can bomb and burn down every inch of this country down... but that will never do the damage you two can do. A Silver prince turning against his crown, a Red girl with abilities. What will people say, (comma splice) when they see you standing with us?”

Nothing, because they’re currently undercover in the palace. Long story short, she wants them to be the face of their revolution. Maven is on board.

Farley wants to do something so big the Silvers can’t cover it up. This was written pre-Orange Man Administration, so I’ll give it a pass. Horse is hesitant because she saw all the innocent people killed during the riot and that her brother, Shade, died for the “cause.” She’s worried that doing something big enough to target Reds is just going to get people hurt. She’s not wrong, but remembers that Julian taught her that revolutions have to start somewhere. (This remembrance brought to you by Love Interest #3). Horse is still hesitant, but Maven reminds her that Cal doesn’t believe that change is worth the cost and so he reminds inactive. Horse caves, but is still wary.

This is so weird because it’s trying to be an argument on when it’s appropriate to start a revolution against an oppressive regime (the answer: there isn’t) yet the actual revolution organization doesn’t feel like it works because the Scarlet Guard feel almost like a parody of a revolutionary organization, but not in a good way. A lot of this book’s villains/antagonists can be hilariously over the top, but it doesn’t always work when trying to discuss serious stuff. Farley makes me tired.

They decide to go after the up and coming ball because too many people means Queenie won’t be able to pick out dissenting minds. Horse wants requests that Kilorn be kept safe as payment like their original deal, and then he steps forward. He has joined the SG against his friend’s request.

Horse is understandably upset since saving his ass is how she got into this mess. Kilorn isn’t even very sensitive to this either. He says he’s doing it because he wants to save her too, but instead of feeling like friendly solidarity it just feels like his ego can’t stand to have him just being a dude-in-distress. I’m all for character agency, but sometimes its okay to have a male character just stand on the side rooting the female protag on, especially since she has 2 other love interests.

As they disband he says “Mare.... At least say good-bye.” She doesn’t, because Kilorn is a Dickbag.

A week passes and nothing happens. Everything goes as normal, until one day in training people seem to take things more seriously. Maven and this water girl are called up, and BAM! an arena is telekenetically created. Cal explains to Horse that the water girl will win because older and superior element. She does indeed kick Maven’s ass. They both lecture him on using his head over his fists. Maven is butt hurt over his more successful, perfect brother giving him advice and Horse sympathizes with him because of her relationship with Gisa. Honestly, don’t mind this. I kind of wish Maven were more friend than love interest. He’s actually pretty good potential BFF material.

Polarity Princess’s minions fight. Horse pretends to like the brutality as much as the rest of the Silvers because more silver = evil.

Then Cal fights the wind guy and a girl who turns her skin to stone. He utterly destroys them reminding Horse that maybe Maven’s assessment of his brother as a warrior at heart is probably correct.

Cal’s blood might be silver, but his heart is black as burned skin.

Wh-what? I never got the sense that Cal was sociopathic like Polarity Princess or Queenie. He always came across as privileged and misguided. Rich white boy, but the kind who thinks he’s helping people not the kind that throws rocks at immigrants doing his lawn.

When his eyes trial to mine, I force myself to look away. Instead of letting his warmth, his strange kindness confuse me, I commit the inferno to memory.

This feels more appropriate for whats going on, but as we’ve seen before, there is always a line that should have been cut because it changes the meaning from “Yes. Yes. Very good,” to “Huh?”

Polarity Princess challenges Horse to the ring.

Next time, Horse will either win because she’s so speshul, or get her ass kicked.