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lightreadsA Strange and Stubborn Endurance
3/5. Fantasy romance about the third son of a noble family who is supposed to be married off to the neighboring kingdom’s princess, except his family discovers he is queer and simultaneously effectively throws him out and marries him to the prince instead, except it turns out the neighboring kingdom is the place of goodness and light where there’s no homophobia so joke’s on them.
Big big big original work on the AO3 energy with this one. And not just the premise, but the whole package: the focus on the relationship, the arc towards healing and kindness and self-acceptance, the wump, the somewhat labored plot about assassins and things, the porn, the way it could have lost 40,000 words and been better for it. You know best whether you like that sort of thing.
I will say, this whole thing where one neighboring kingdom is violently homophobic and the other one (a trip on horse away) is a utopian vision where queer marriage of all sorts and genderqueerness are culturally celebrated is . . . I mean don’t think about it too hard, obviously. You’re supposed to just enjoy the fantasy of it and have all your preconceptions comfortably confirmed by how the queer friendly kingdom is better at everything and has healthier views on most aspects of life (“better” in this case meaning ‘lines up with the views of extremely online 2020’s queer liberals'). There’s sort of an interesting point lurking under the surface here, about how homophobia is really of a piece with oppressive views more broadly, but this book isn’t making that point, it’s just amping up the wish-fulfillment element way too high for me even though I am, in fact, an extremely online 2020’s queer liberal.
Content notes: Sexual assault, suicidal ideation, animal harm.
3/5. Fantasy romance about the third son of a noble family who is supposed to be married off to the neighboring kingdom’s princess, except his family discovers he is queer and simultaneously effectively throws him out and marries him to the prince instead, except it turns out the neighboring kingdom is the place of goodness and light where there’s no homophobia so joke’s on them.
Big big big original work on the AO3 energy with this one. And not just the premise, but the whole package: the focus on the relationship, the arc towards healing and kindness and self-acceptance, the wump, the somewhat labored plot about assassins and things, the porn, the way it could have lost 40,000 words and been better for it. You know best whether you like that sort of thing.
I will say, this whole thing where one neighboring kingdom is violently homophobic and the other one (a trip on horse away) is a utopian vision where queer marriage of all sorts and genderqueerness are culturally celebrated is . . . I mean don’t think about it too hard, obviously. You’re supposed to just enjoy the fantasy of it and have all your preconceptions comfortably confirmed by how the queer friendly kingdom is better at everything and has healthier views on most aspects of life (“better” in this case meaning ‘lines up with the views of extremely online 2020’s queer liberals'). There’s sort of an interesting point lurking under the surface here, about how homophobia is really of a piece with oppressive views more broadly, but this book isn’t making that point, it’s just amping up the wish-fulfillment element way too high for me even though I am, in fact, an extremely online 2020’s queer liberal.
Content notes: Sexual assault, suicidal ideation, animal harm.
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Date: 2022-08-06 09:36 pm (UTC)This description has everything I need to know, and it's really excellent how well you captured it.
Like, I can love big big big original work on the AO3 energy; I love Silver in the Wood, after all. And the healing and kindness and self-acceptance thing, or the extremely online 2020s queer liberals? Well, I very much enjoy Becky Chambers. But the violently homophobic vs. utopian vision kingdoms thing, yeah. I am not going to scoff at it because I know that plenty of people really like it. It turns up in "realism" royal romance a lot, as well, you know, the thing where the hero is the crown prince of Podunkisbërg or Querfurt. But I know exactly what you mean and it is not to my taste, so thank you for that.
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Date: 2022-08-06 10:11 pm (UTC)I heard the author on a podcast defending the whole two kingdoms dynamic by saying something like "well it's not a utopia, it still has royalty and a class structure!" which, uh, is extremely not the point? But anyway, glad that's helpful.
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Date: 2022-08-06 10:13 pm (UTC)Also, omg, have I told you that I live a few hours away from you now? Because I do. Hello! I will be in your fine city sometime in the next year-ish to see a doctor.
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Date: 2022-08-07 07:05 pm (UTC)sent you an email, if your address is the same.
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Date: 2022-08-07 01:27 pm (UTC)*waves at both of you*
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Date: 2022-08-07 07:05 pm (UTC)waves
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Date: 2022-08-07 09:44 pm (UTC)I am in the middle of it now, actually, and I suppose I'm a bit more willing to accept the premise of gender utopia next to homophobia central. We're not super far from it with California near Arizona and Utah. I don't buy that the culture clash can survive for long without someone trying to impose their will on the other, but I'm ok with a short pause in hostilities. That said, I'm only halfway through!