Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson #3) Patricia Briggs

[rolanni]

The advertent auditor of this journal will have noticed that I keep a "books read" list. Mostly, this is for my own information, to prove to myself that I am too reading, at least a little. I rarely comment on the books, because I learned when I was working for SFWA that commenting truthfully on novels written by people I know was more likely to get me grief than not, and, thanks to the SFWA job, I know an awful lot of fantasy and science fiction writers.

That said, there was a conversation the other day regarding the third book in Patricia Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series, Iron Kissed. It seems that the excellent buymeaclue had some issues with the third book, and the question was asked what I thought.

I have not read buymeaclue's commentary, and don't intend to. What I think is that the [spoilery thing] of which I understand she complains, and its aftermath is handled appropriately and believably for this reader. The book was not a warm and cozy read, but the [spoilery thing] worked on the storytelling level (again) for me. As always, YMMV. If you are a person who believes that fiction must never use violence against women as a "plot device," then you might not want to read this book; it'll only get your politics in an uproar.

What I understand to be a secondary beef regarding the structure of the werewolf pack and the peculiar powers of the pack Alpha -- these things were set up very clearly and maintained consistently from early in the first book. If a reader of the series managed to get to Book Three only then to be offended by the pack social structure, well...sometimes we don't read as carefully as we ought.

Comments

[difrancis.livejournal.com]

It's not a defense of rape. Really. I find it to be a truly disgusting horrible thing and that along with pedophilia should result in the removal of genitalia. Really.

But as a writer, it's necessary to consider how to put your characters in situations that will cause certain character developments (as Sharon points out). I've read a lot about how people (who agree with you) dislike that scene and don't think it works. I get it too. It does work for me, and like I said, particularly because of the way she handled the aftermath and I think that the next book is going to be a lot more fall out. I don't think Mercy's just bam! over it. I think we're going to see a real struggle for her.

But you see, I think this is less about Adam for me. For me it's more about a lot of what's been coming--who she is, especially in relation to the pack. I think the stuff early on with Honey especially, but some other characters, show that Mercy was riding the fence between belonging (which meant giving up some of her independence--exchanging it for something else, or going alone.) And after the rape, that choice becomes a lot more clear when Ben explains. And I think Mercy does have to choose here. Because in staying, she has to deal with her guilt more (not that she should feel it, but clearly she does), and that makes her character expand any more.

I'm not trying to convince you. The other part of my life is an academic, and what I love is the ability to discuss texts, to see other points of view, to understand the text better. And as I writer, I like to understand your experience as a reader. So take this all for what's it's worth, and if you feel like telling me I'm zonking out of it, well, you can.

Di

[kimuro.livejournal.com]

Rape happens. It's a tragedy, it's traumatic but the worst thing about it is that the assault goes on and on long after the initial offense is over. Society assumes and condemns the woman for being a target. Anything that even appears to support the view that the woman deserved what happened to her or that it was good for her in any way should be avoided, in my opinion.

That was what struck me about your initial statement, that "Mercy needed" this to happen in order to develop as a person. Nobody needs this sort of thing to happen.

It wasn't that long ago, historically speaking, that the punishment for the crime of rape was to force the man to marry the victim. Who was being punished, I wonder? That's what I hated about the entire Luke and Laura storyline on that soap opera way back when. It appeared to glorify and romanticize the crime. (I don't watch soap operas. I don't like to be addicted to anything except coffee and reading.) And I stopped reading the Thomas Coventer series when he began his whining self-serving justifications for the sexual assault on the woman in the other world.

Personally, I thought that Iron-kissed was wonderfully well-written, that the matter was masterfully handled, both the initial assault and the aftermath. The series is an action one; it contains a lot of fighting and, sadly, that is a very traditional weapon wielded against women. It will be interesting to see how Mercy deals with the aftermath - and, again, in my opinion, we haven't even begun to see the aftermath.

[difrancis.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the "needed" thing was an authorial perspective--which I fall into naturally, being a writer type. You have no idea how much I wish I had written that scene and the follow up stuff. I thought it was handled very well--realistically and yet balancing the idea that in fact she *was* a victim of a horrific crime with the fact that she is also a *very* strong person and the two things collide in her with a devastating impact on her psyche, beyond the fact of rape. If that makes sense. That's why I think rape is so individual--it impacts every woman dreadfully, and the main thing in common that they share is always it serves to damage their sense of selves.

Which brings me back to that 'needed' thing. As a writer, I thought about what could be done to Mercy to really make her vulnerable on an emotional level, and I don't know that anything else would have. I mean, she's used to a lot of bad things happening to people she knows and cares about (Jessie, Adam for two) and yet she's able to deal with those things. That fear and that pain. But when it happens to her, and she's made to participate, it puts her out of control of herself--she can't cope with it, probably for the first time in the series.

Have you read the Anna and Charles story in On the Prowl? I can't wait to see how Patty deals with the complexities of those two. And you're right. I don't think we've begun to see the aftermath. I think she thinks she's dealt with it, but I don't think she has. It's going to come back and kick her when she least expects it, and more than once.

Di