Shadowed By Wings: The Eighth and Final Part

[pangolin20]

theepistler wrote in antishurtugal, 2017-10-03 18:30:00

Shadowed By Wings Sporking: The Eighth and Final Part

Part Eight: ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?

Kratt comes by for another visit, looking typically self-important. He announces that Zarq has been given the go-ahead to fight in the Arena (the suspense was killing me). But her name has been added to the “Bill”, which Kratt didn’t want to happen, I guess because he was hoping not to draw too much attention to her, and there’s an addendum declaring that if someone on the Bill doesn’t show up, the Clutch in question will forfeit the right to send their bull into the Arena for eight years, which means bankruptcy. Kratt is understandably pissed, and starts implying that maybe Zarq is actually some sort of demon. He reveals that he’s heard from (or rather of) Misutvia, aka Jotan Bri (oh, now you remember her real name, Zarq?) and knows she’s admitted to having dragonsex too, and that Zarq isn’t any better at interpreting “dragonsong” than the next fat person. He demands to know whether Zarq has had any dragonsex since coming back to the dragonmaster’s stables, and when he says no Kratt says to have her do it tonight or else.

He then leaves, and Zarq eagerly asks if she can indeed have some dragon cunnilingus. The dragonmaster calls her a whore, then storms off. Afterwards Zarq realises that she can have her revenge on Kratt if she just runs off and leaves him and his Clutch to go broke. And yet somehow she just can’t get interested in the idea of leaving. At the time she doesn’t know why, but apparently later on she realised it was because deep down she really just wanted – sob! – a home.

Yeah, a home where everyone hates you and you’re in (alleged) mortal danger. Right. You couldn’t possibly do any better.

That night Gen comes back and uses Djimbi magic to put the guards to sleep. He tells Zarq he’s started to have second thoughts about the prophecy, and is going to take her away before Kratt, who has apparently had a change of heart, has her executed. But Zarq says no, and that she just has to go into the Arena. Gen demands to know why, and right out of nowhere she unveils a plan to make a huge bet against Xxamer-Zu, a Clutch known for its reckless gambling. The odds against her are so massive that if they lose, they lose the whole estate. Zarq wants it signed over to her when that happens, and says they should use Misutvia’s brother as a pawn to underwrite the bet in exchange for his sister, who is apparently still in Kratt’s custody. The dragonmaster demands to know why she’s prepared to take such a huge risk, and Zarq says it’s because she wants her own Clutch. Gen and the dragonmaster bicker for a while, and Gen points out that even if they win it’s against the law for anyone other than a “Temple-sanctioned warrior or lord” to own a Clutch. Zarq says she knows that and that’s why they’ll find someone else to govern the Clutch for them – none other than Ghepp. I see no way in which this could possibly backfire.

In the next chapter Gen flies off on a stolen dragon to negotiate with Malaban, and Kratt schmoozes with the guy, playing the heroic rescuer of his sister, which goes over well. This all happens off-screen as Zarq says she didn’t find out about it until later.

I still can’t make myself hate Kratt, and it’s not just because I can’t stand Zarq. He’s just so much more… well, competent. And honestly he’s pretty charismatic. Zarq on the other hand has the charisma of a prawn.

She, meanwhile, keeps on with her practise, not knowing what’s going on, and now I’m annoyed. Why? Because the author just ruined the suspense. She essentially cheats by letting us have information in advance, before Zarq in the present knows about it. So when Zarq frets and worries about what might be going on, we don’t share those feelings of worry because we already know it’s working out just fine. This is something the author actually does a fair bit, and it’s really annoying.

Cue some infodumping about what Kratt’s up to. He’s lost the support of the Temple, apparently, but they’re choosing not to have him done away with for the time being, because he might still be useful. Then quite unexpectedly, Kratt and Ghepp’s father dies. Now one of them has to take his place, but Kratt can’t do that unless Zarq is dead, so he’ll have to wait until after she’s been killed in the Arena (everyone takes this as a given for some reason), and then have the dragonmaster executed before he can take power. But if Zarq survives, they’ll put Ghepp in power instead. Just why Zarq is so important, I don’t really know. And why take the risk rather than just having her done away with before the thing in the Arena?

The big day finally comes, and Zarq is taken to the Arena in chains, apparently on Kratt’s orders (personally I think the author just wanted to have her protagonist chained up because it’s more dramatic and/or sexy that way). She’s chained up so thoroughly it’s actually kind of ridiculous – we’re talking wrists, ankles and neck. How is she even able to walk in that lot?

Either way she reaches the place, and we finally get to see Re the bull dragon. He’s pretty impressive – “over sixteen feet high at shoulder [sic]” with irridescent green and purple scales. He also has feathery “olfactory” plumes on his “domed” head, so now I’m picturing some sort of giant moth. His head is chained up and he’s not happy about it and starts to “bugle” to signal his displeasure. Been reading Dragonriders of Pern have we, Ms Cross?

Kratt and Ghepp show up, accompanied by some guy in a tricorn hat with feathers in it. No I’m not kidding about the hat. Exactly what time period is this supposed to be, anyway? Both the period and the culture and setting are confused as hell, and it’s getting really irritating.

Everyone starts praying, and the various dragon riders “unbolt” their dragons’ wings ready for the filght to the Arena. Zarq is chained to a dragon saddle in front of an Auditor (again, is this really necessary?), and off they go.

The riding dragons are still being referred to as destriers, by the way, and it’s still annoying as hell. Re’s own restraints are removed – apparently his wings were “bolted” too, and no it’s not explained how you put bolts on a dragon’s wings – and after a bunch more description they all fly off, Re still “bugling”. Is this a dragon or a bloody brass band?

Apparently it’s the latter, since he starts “trumpeting” on the next page. What, is roaring not good enough for you?

During the journey Zarq isn’t given anything to eat or drink, so she has to steal dragon fodder and drink from the river. By the time they get to where they’re going she’s a badly weakened wreck. (Again). The place is given some description, and we then get a bunch of exposition about how dragon breeding works, little of it interesting. We’re also reminded that some of the dragon hatchlings are mutilated at birth by the removal of their wings and tongues. Wait, what? In the last book it said they just removed their venom sacks, not the entire tongue! What kind of sense does that make? Not to mention that we’ve never seen a tongueless dragon. I smell another stupid retcon.

The visitors get to stay in inns, taverns and manors, but poor hard-done-by Zarq is chained up in the stable, still forced to eat dragon fodder and being watched over by the Auditor. Oh no. How will she ever survive. I’m so worried about her.

(Screw it, I like Hillary. She's got attitude.)

In the next chapter we get more weak attempts at building suspense, as Zarq exposits some more about how nobody expects her to survive. Which we already knew, so it’s less “suspenseful” than it is “redundant”. Zarq is taken to the Arena on a cart, and people jeer and throw things at her. Inside the dragonmaster tells Zarq she has to summon the Skykeeper ASAP once she’s in. Zarq sees some of the other “inductees” being escorted into the Arena, one of them being dragged on a rope while crying, and they’re all freaking nine years old. Because… using little kids makes more sense than using grown men with plenty of training?

I still don’t know what the point of this whole Arena combat thing is. It’s just a stupid, stupid, needlessly cruel system that doesn’t make any frigging sense.

Noble Zarq vows that no way is she going to kill any kids. Then she spots Dono, who’s still giving her the death glare (dude, let it go). She wants to talk to him and share some happy childhood memories the author just made up on the spot, but she’s too scared. And let’s face it; it wouldn’t work anyway, because Dono is Evil Murderous Dono now.

Out in the collesium area the spectators are getting drunk and stuffing themselves with food, and generally having a great time. Zarq informs us that people get pretty randy at these events and that there’s often an orgy afterwards. Because once again, it’s all about sex.

Zarq spots a guy referred to as the Ashgon, who’s been mentioned a lot but not seen before now. His actual position and role, however, have never been explained. All we know is that he’s really important. I’m going to have a stab at it and say he’s some sort of Fantasy Pope. He’s certainly sporting some pretty sweet threads. At his signal Re is let into the Arena, and Zarq and the others get ready to fight. Zarq yells for her mother’s haunt to show up and save her, but nothing happens. No haunt to be had.

Rather than, oh I don’t know – deal with the whacking great pissed-off dragon, Dono and Zarq just start fighting each other (See? I said this was a stupid system). Zarq pleads with him not to do this, and he calls her a “dragonwhore” and accuses her of corrupting him. Zarq counters that it’s the Temple that’s corrupt, not her.

They keep on bickering, and Zarq crosses the line when she calls him by his insulting childhood nickname – “Ebani-basa Coldekolar”, which basically means “son of a whore”. This pushes Dono over the edge and he attacks her, while both of them completely ignore the – y’know – dragon, instead leaving Ringus and the dragonmaster to deal with it. The three kids, meanwhile, unwisely decide to make a run for it. Re savages one of them to death, much to the audience’s excitement. Zarq flicks her cape at Dono, and accidentally gets him in the eye with the clasp, which rips up his eyelid. Re comes at them, and Ringus leaps in to try and help Zarq, in one of the all too rare noble acts ever seen in this trilogy. Unfortunately he just gets eaten for his trouble.

Let us all take a moment to acknowledge the passing of yet another minor character we knew nothing about, other than that he had a particularly stupid name.

Zarq has lost her cape, but she grabs one of the kids and they both hide under his. Since Re is attracted to movement, he loses interest. Then – hooray – Zarq sees he’s now got an erection and the bout is over.

(Yes of course we get a description of the big pink forked dragondick. Did you even need to ask?).

Zarq is allowed to leave the Arena, and that is that. The whole thing must have lasted all of ten minutes. Bit of a let-down really.

Zarq has survived despite being in a lot of pain since Dono broke her ribs. Eidon (it doesn’t matter if you don’t remember him) is super pissed at her for causing the death of his boyfriend Ringus. Hey, did Zarq ask him to throw himself in the way? No. So shut up.

Zarq, typically, starts whining for venom (I swear that’s just about all she’s good for half the time). The dragonmaster yells abuse at her – now Ringus is dead they won’t stand a chance in the next bout, and why the hell didn’t she just summon the Skykeeper? Zarq wails that she can’t because the haunt has vanished. Needless to say the dragonmaster isn’t happy about it.

A bunch of Auditors then show up and put both Zarq and the dragonmaster in chains, and apparently the dragonmaster puts up a pretty impressive fight. Or so we’re informed; you don’t actually see it happen. This was done on Kratt’s orders, and now both of them are wanted dead. The two of them are then escorted through some sort of marketplace, which is very thoroughly described, and for once it’s actually kind of interesting as we see people from all over the world with their different clothing and hairstyles, and so forth. As before people thow objects and invective at Zarq, and at the dragonmaster as well. The accompanying “destriers” are again described as if they’re horses, as one tosses her head and rolls her eyes and the others “prance[d] nervously”. Ms Cross, will you please knock that off?

Not a dragon.

Finally they end up in a room under the Arena, where people are weaponing up. Wait, what? Weren’t they already there? Why did they have to be taken through the marketplace? When did they leave? I’m really confused right now.

Dono is there, still super pissed and now armed with a dirk, which isn’t standard issue weaponry and must have been handed to him by some underhanded lord or other (I’m reminded of the Valyrian steel knife the assassin used in Game of Thrones after Joffrey gave it to him, thus beginning a long and complicated intrigue. And Toto, we are so not in Game of Thrones any more). Neither Zarq nor the dragonmaster are given weapons, and are instead taken into the Arena while still chained up. Welp, they’re boned. Too bad, so sad.

Zarq looks up at the audience, and… oh my gods, look who it is!

The feline way she moved, the wild fall of her tawny hair, the swell of her bosom and the distinctive roll of her hips…

I swear to this day that despite the distance, [snip] I knew at once exactly who she was.

My sister.

Well what d’you know – she’s back at last. And dressed like a noblewoman, too. Oh, but it gets better. She’s sitting right next to Kratt.

As his wife.

Well, his “First Pleasurer of an Artistocrat”, but let’s not split hairs.

See? I told you Waivia was doing absolutely fine and the haunt is an idiot.

Anyway, Zarq is understandably pretty shocked by this revelation. In fact she’s so shocked that she faints on the spot. Fortunately she does it just as Dono is about to stab the shit out of her, so he misses and falls over. The dragonmaster takes the opportunity to attack him, and Re charges at the three of them. Zarq just lies there staring, and realises what’s happened and why the haunt left her: it’s found Waivia all by itself, and promptly ditched Zarq for her. Zarq bewails the fact that yet again Waivia is the favourite while she’s treated like yesterday’s newspaper. She wonders why her mother always loved Waivia instead of her.

Hey, did you know this was supposed to be an action scene? Because you’d never know it going on how much time Zarq has to ask herself depressing rhetorical questions. She has a sudden feeling of Deja-Vu, though of course it’s referred to by yet another pointless neologism, and realises she can remember experiencing being a bull dragon during her venom trip orgies, and therefore remembers how they fight. Therefore, she concludes that she can survive because she can think like Re and predict his movements.

Because all bull dragons think the same way, apparently.

Zarq gets up and grabs Dono’s fallen club. She “bellows” at Re, and apparently it’s all powerful and inhuman because it’s so full of rage and determination, etc. etc. Re rears up and spreads his wings, and Zarq thinks that because he’s lived in captivity his whole life he doesn’t know the proper ways of fighting in the wild, and therefore doesn’t know that opening his wings is a bad move. Zarq also has dragon memories of how to go for the wings, and does just that. She manages to injure him on the “wrist” (wait, how did she reach that high?).

The scene actually starts to get a bit exciting, but then Zarq ducks under him and – ugh – starts rubbing his balls. Re kicks her off him and then comes in for the kill, but the dragonmaster shows up with Dono’s whip and helps to fend him off. Re hits him right in the chest with his tongue, but then – I can’t believe I’m typing this – as he rears up his dragondick shoots out of its sheath, and hits Zarq, nearly knocking her over too.

Yup, protagonist just got hit with a dragon’s penis. Isn’t this just such a lovely story?

Either way it would seem Zarq has won the day in spite of everything, so… yay? She staggers off toward the nearest exit, only to be cornered by Auditors, one of whom promptly chops her head off. Or at least that’s what Zarq seems to think just happened.

She comes to a while later in a room with two dead Auditors and a couple of dead guards. The dragonmaster is there, raving like a lunatic, and – surprise! – one of the living Auditors there is actually Gen. He sure is good at showing up just when it’s convenient. Apparently he actually just hit her over the head and knocked her out, and the whole “decapitation” thing was just a fake-out. Because it’s not as if bashing someone over the head hard enough to knock them unconscious is extremely risky and just as likely to cause brain damage and/or death. Nope – as in most fiction, hitting someone on the head is no more dangerous than flicking an off switch and has no lasting effects whatsoever. (At least she didn’t get woken up by someone throwing a bucket of water in her face).

And good news – the day is won! Ghepp and Malabar “came through” and Ghepp is collecting the title deeds to his new Clutch right now. Or rather, Zarq’s new Clutch. Wow, what are the odds? Zarq proceeds to – what else? – ask for venom to numb the pain. This time she actually gets some, and afterwards she wonders how on earth the haunt found Waivia, and what happened when it did. She also worries about what Waivia might do now she has the power. But surely Waivia won’t use her new powers for EVIL?. Surely not. Because it’s not as if she’s a horrible selfish person or anything.

And anyway, Zarq will be safe and sound in her new Clutch.

The book ends with her saying “let’s go home”. Yes – I’m sure going away somewhere will fix things. It did before.

Wait, no it didn’t.

The end.

And that’s the second installment of the Dragon Temple Saga over and done with. Now, let’s go over what I predicted at the beginning and see how it holds up, shall we? I posed five possibilities as to what might happen in the book:

1) Try to kill the bad guy she wants revenge on

2) Try to find her sister

3) Put some effort into getting rid of the ghost

4) Inspire a revolution against the evil government

Or

5) Sit around being utterly useless and copping abuse from everyone and their dog, because that worked out so well the last time and the alternative would be just too interesting and exciting to read about, and we can’t have that.

Well, she certainly didn’t do anything about 1). In fact she actively helped the guy.

2) didn’t happen either. Nor did 3). And… nope, 4) was also a bust.

So it looks like I was right – we got lucky number 5). Sure, Zarq has finally started standing up for herself every now and then, but she’s still hopelessly passive and reliant on other people to take the initiative in pretty much everything. It’s really no surprise at all that she ends the book in the same way she began it, ie. by being helplessly carried off by some guy. How exactly is she a strong character, female or otherwise?

Answer: she isn’t. She’s given a veneer of being strong, when the reality is that she’s completely useless at least 95% of the time. She never takes the initiative, and what passes for “strength” is her being pig-headed and lacking in any sort of common sense. Somehow I just can’t make myself be impressed with her in any way shape or form.

A strong character pushes the plot forward. A weak character is pushed around by the plot. There’s a difference.

16 comments

snarkbotanya
October 3 2017, 19:03:26 Edited: October 3 2017, 19:03:49
as he rears up his dragondick shoots out of its sheath, and hits Zarq, nearly knocking her over too

*giggles uncontrollably*

I think the mental image of Zarq getting slapped in the face with a giant dragon penis pretty much sums up this whole series.


theepistler
October 3 2017, 19:04:46
DRAGON COCKSLAP!


snarkbotanya
October 3 2017, 19:52:11
Hee

Now, for finishing this book, I give you... VIDEO! With rumbly purrs!

Watch on YouTube

theepistler
October 3 2017, 20:00:47
It was worth it! :3 Here is an avatar just for you!


hergrim
October 4 2017, 09:43:03
Why does Zarq think that Ghepp will honour their agreement? More importantly, I think, why does he? Maybe he doesn't realise that any woman can have dragonsex and have weird trips, but otherwise I can't think of anything else she has to offer, and even that's not enough to give her control over a Clutch.

If anything, he would want her dead so that her role in his schemes stayed hidden


theepistler
October 4 2017, 11:12:24
Because... he's hot?
I got nothin'. Zarq is an idiot. People just think she's important because of the whole Skykeeper thing, except now she's lost that she's officially SOL.

I actually can't remember whether Ghepp screws her over or keeps to the agreement, but if it's the latter I'll be calling bullshit.

hergrim
October 5 2017, 09:11:43
What a fucking idiot. Both of them.

torylltales
October 4 2017, 10:03:17
Wait, that's it? At what point was the story meant to happen?


theepistler
October 4 2017, 11:02:17
They're saving that for the sequel. This book was reserved for, uh... worldbuilding and character development and stuff. You know - essential story elements.


torylltales
October 4 2017, 18:00:57
we're never going to let Paolini go for that one, are we? And nor should we.

This entire series is a cluster of "essential story elements" that ought not to be there.


thegharialguy
October 4 2017, 14:49:35 Edited: October 4 2017, 14:53:54
Wait, did Dono have a dirk, a club and a whip? Is that much armament really necessary against unarmed foes. Seems like you're just asking for them to steal your weapons (which is exactly what happens).


theepistler
October 4 2017, 18:05:17
Yup, he went in ridiculously over-equipped. The dirk alone would probably have been sufficient, though there is still the dragon to deal with, I suppose.

By the way, it doesn't actually say whether Dono survived the climax. You don't find out what happened to him until the next book. I really hope that wasn't supposed to be a "cliffhanger". (Come on - does anyone seriously care whether Dono lives or dies?)


thegharialguy
October 4 2017, 18:26:21
I was wondering what was happening to him actually. But I kind of got the impression he was just ignored by the narrative from the way you wrote the spork.


theepistler
October 4 2017, 18:28:00
Actually you're completely correct. Once the dragonmaster had gotten him out of the way and he's been disarmed, he's never mentioned again. It's like the author just forgot about him.

thegharialguy
October 4 2017, 18:37:13
Author. Agent. Editor. Beta Readers if she had them. None of them care enough to ask what state a principle character was in before publishing the novel.


theepistler
October 4 2017, 20:06:03
Well this IS the sequel to a book that went into print with at least 50 typos no-one could be bothered to fix. To be fair the sequel didn't have any that I noticed, but even so I think it's pretty obvious no-one involved was trying very hard.