Alianne of Pirate's Swoop

[osprey_archer]

I’ve been poking away at Tamora Pierce’s Trickster dulogy again. Newsflash! They still drive me absolutely crazy. The character assassination of Sarai in Trickster’s Queen, the cop-out with the death of Dunevon the boy king, the whole “what these people need is a honky” thing, Alianne of bloody Pirate’s Swoop -

There are a lot of things I could complain about with Aly. She never makes any serious mistakes, which drains the tension and danger from the book. Whenever she does make a slight mistake Kyprioth saves her (charming though Kyprioth is, he’s basically a textbook case of How Not To Write Gods in Your Fantasy Novel), which further leaches the tension. She appears to be unable to speak without quipping.

But all these pale beside the main problem with Alianne of Pirate’s Swoop, which is that she appears to be incapable of emotion. She reacts to everything with detached, bright-eyed interest; she’s not cruel, but not particularly interested in other people as people rather than pawns in a chess game, either.

This would actually yield a really interesting heroine if deftly handled and intentionally done. But it isn’t deftly handled here: there’s something off-putting about Aly’s detachment, but the other characters never seem unnerved by it - they barely seem to notice it - they’re too busy admiring Aly’s omnicompetence.

Moreover, Aly’s inability to feel fear sucks up every bit of tension left over by her inability to make mistakes and protection by a god. It’s impossible to get excited when Aly reacts so cooly to every terrifying thing that happens to her: getting a knife held to her throat; being interrogated by the Rittevon’s spymaster, being kidnapped and sold into slavery -

- seriously, her reaction to being kidnapped and sold into slavery is inhumanly calm. Aly’s only (mild) concern is that she might get raped. She can’t think of anything else horrible that might happen to her? Whippings! Beatings! Working in sugar cane fields! Having to eat gruel every day for the rest of her life! Accidentally breaking something valuable and being sold to the salt mines!

And leaving aside these violently traumatic possibilities: what about the trauma inherent in being sold into slavery? She’s gone from high nobility to the mud beneath the bottom rung on the social ladder; she’s cut off from everyone and everything she’s ever loved, and she may never return to it.

Which doesn’t seem to bother her. Anymore than her workload, which is surely heavier than anything she had at home, bothers her; anymore than she is bothered that the food she has to eat, the clothes she’s forced to wear, the bed she sleeps in are all entirely different (and doubtless much lower quality) than she would have experienced as Alianne of Pirate’s Swoop, scion of the high nobility of a powerful nation.

Aly reacts to the catastrophic social dislocation and disempowerment of being sold as a slave like she’s on a study abroad trip. Ooooh, look at these interesting people and their interesting customs! I’ll tell Dad all about it when I get home! Alone and powerless in a foreign land she may be, but she’s never uncertain or caught off guard.

And there’s something inhuman in all that calm. These books would be a thousand times better for some uncertainty and culture shock.

Comments

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I'd like to hear more about how not to write a god in a YA novel! Seriously, share more thoughts?

Your critical reviews always make me laugh. The thing about the slavery, wow! Truly wow! Out of curiosity, what do you suppose Pierce was aiming for with this teflon character? Was it that she wanted her to be competent instead of weak? Was it that she wanted her to be not a floods-of-tears female? I realize it's not fair to ask you to impute intent, but really, the lack of reaction to slavery does leave me flabbergasted!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I actually have a post percolating about writing gods in YA novels (which means it will see the light of day in, oh, about six months...) - comparing the gods in Pierce's work, particularly Kyprioth, to the gods in Megan Whelan Turner's Queen's Thief series. (Have you read those books? I love those books!)

I think the specific lack of reaction to slavery is a result of Pierce wanting to get on with the story of Aly becoming the spymaster of a rebellion, and therefore not thinking about the devastating psychological effects of getting sold into slavery - because it's just so glossed over, it's like Pierce didn't even think about it.

And on a more general level, I think Teflon!Aly is a result of wanting a strong, competent character, and just...going overboard.

[ladyherenya]

Hmmm. I'd never really thought about any of that. But I didn't connected with Aly well enough to really reread them (or for the Trickster books to end up on my bookshelf). I wonder if Aly's detachment is why.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I think the other heroines - especially Keladry - are much easier to connect with. (I read the first Beka book, but while I liked it I never felt impelled to seek the second.)

[anait.livejournal.com]

Yup, yes, yep. The White Saviour storyline is very distressing. The characterization problems with Aly make this series much less solid than her others. People like spy stories because they're full of excitement, danger, cleverness, bravery, high stakes, and moral ambiguity. Mistakes or failure have serious consequences.

For Aly's first job as as spy to be so free of mistakes, failure, moral ambiguity and serious consequences, not to mention a good measure of adrenaline and terror, implies that either 1) her story is totally implausible, or 2) spying is dead easy. And if that were true: who would want to read a spy story?

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Exactly! And the problem is integral to the story: Aly's first job as a spy is so damn big that if she did make any mistakes worth the name, she'd blow the whole rebellion sky high. For a sixteen-year-old with no field experience to be spymaster for a rebellion - it's just totally implausible.

[anait.livejournal.com]

I think the series could have worked better perhaps if Aly had been a footsoldier in the rebellion - kidnapped, sold into slavery, and drawn into local politics while a slave in a foreign country. She could have had a position of more leadership and responsibility in the second book, to follow on all the experiences and learning curve she would have had in the first book. It could have avoided entirely or weakened the White Saviour storyline. And it still would have left plenty of room for exciting heroics.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly! I think foot soldier!Aly would have a lot more chances to prove her mettle, because she would have to really WORK for everything instead of having it handed to her by a god.

Or! I have this idea for an AU Trickster's where Aly is actually sent by Tortall (the slave thing is just a clever ruse, which explains why Aly doesn't much react to it), ostensibly to offer the Balitangs help in their rebellion - but of course it comes with strings attached...

And the sisters Balitang realize this, so Sarai runs off to Carthak supposedly to elope but ACTUALLY to get alliances to help counter Tortallan influence on the Copper Islands post-revolution.

And there could be all this mistrust and mistakes and divided loyalties etc. etc. etc.!

[anait.livejournal.com]

If you should see your way to writing this AU, I wouldn't say no to reading it! ;)

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Aaaaagh it would take so much time (but I kind of want to do it anyway...) I have some more meta posts about the Trickster's books to get through first, though.

I've been thinking about doing a reread of all of Pierce's books, but I kind of don't want to reread the books I loved - the Daine books, the first two Kel books - because I know I'm going to see all these problems in them now and I loved them so much.

[anait.livejournal.com]

You can love things that aren't perfect (I rewatched Firefly this year): acknowledge the bad, while not letting it diminish your squee for the wonderful!


I support all this writing you're doing! Whether it's meta posts, your novel (!), or wild and crazy AU's. It's excellent!!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Aaaaagh I already have the first scene all plotted out in my head. Aly is all "Mom I'm going to be sold as a slave to the Copper Islands so I can spy!" And Alanna is all "George?" And Georgie is like, "We were going to send someone else but then he got assassinated. It happens..."

O.o How would you feel about beta-ing, maestro? (Maestra?)

I need to figure out where I would post this.

Also, I'd probably just write the high points of the AU and not everything, because writing the whole thing would probably be a novel.

[anait.livejournal.com]

Hee!

Of course I will beta, should you require me to!

I'm not up on my Tamora Pierce LJ comms anymore, but you could certainly post to AO3.

[artemis_wandering]

Interesting. I loved Tamora Pierce in like 8th grade, but never read this series (I got through The Immortals and The Song of the Lioness). I'll have to go back and see if they're as I remember or if all her characters are as you describe in this series.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Her characters all tend to be hypercompetent, but I did adore The Immortals especially, so it's not always as...excessive?...as it is with Aly.

I mean, in the Immortals Daine is clearly incredibly, wildly powerful, but she cares about people and sometimes loses her temper and has emotions.

[goldjadeocean.livejournal.com]

I think part of Aly's Teflon coating is because Pierce repeatedly said that she found writing politics and intrigue incredibly hard--the Trickster books were already too complicated and difficult for her. I think they're a sign of her tackling something she didn't quite have the skills for yet. However, she did grow, since she shows in the Beka books that she's gotten much better at politics/intrigue/mystery.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I've read the first Beka book, and I thought it was miles better than the Trickster books - I think it helps that the intrigue is on a more local level, instead of the fate of nations.

But I never did go back and read the later Beka books. Possibly I should remedy that...

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

But all these pale beside the main problem with Alianne of Pirate’s Swoop, which is that she appears to be incapable of emotion. She reacts to everything with detached, bright-eyed interest; she’s not cruel, but not particularly interested in other people as people rather than pawns in a chess game, either.

This would actually yield a really interesting heroine if deftly handled and intentionally done. But it isn’t deftly handled here: there’s something off-putting about Aly’s detachment, but the other characters never seem unnerved by it - they barely seem to notice it - they’re too busy admiring Aly’s omnicompetence.

Moreover, Aly’s inability to feel fear sucks up every bit of tension left over by her inability to make mistakes and protection by a god.

YES YES YES A HUNDRED TIMES. You have totally encapsulated half my problems with these books right there. (ALSO I AM SO EXCITED THAT YOU NOT ONLY READ TORTALL, YOU PICK IT APART WITH A FINE-TOOTHED COMB. <3 That was what I spent several months doing over on Dreamwidth with zodiacal_light before Eagle ate my brain.)

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Tortall rewards so much fine-tooth-comb picking! Its like a puzzle with pieces that don't quite fit together. (What parts of Tortall where you picking apart on Dreamwidth?)

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

I KNOW! And the weird thing, is that's a big chunk of why I love it fannishly. If it were perfect and coherent, I'd have read it and enjoyed it and moved on. It's just that there aren't very many people in Tortall fandom who enjoy the fine-toothed comb approach to fandom. So I am always excited to find another one!

Mostly SOTL (it's my favorite fannishly for a number of reasons), mostly Roger, Thom, and Delia and random bits of world-building.

http://carmarthen.dreamwidth.org/tag/fandom:+tortall

You may also be interested in zodiacal_light's thoughts (and fic): http://zodiacal-light.dreamwidth.org/

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

If it were perfect and coherent, I'd have read it and enjoyed it and moved on.

Yes! I find my most enduring fandoms are things that are the perfect balance of compelling yet flawed. There's more to discuss with them, and it's also less intimidating trying to write fic.

Eee, I've read some of those posts! I loved the Hill uprising idea. It would be so interesting trying to fold some of that backstory into Lerant's character. Do we ever learn anything about the culture of the Hill Country? It doesn't seem to be the kind of thing Pierce is interested in, so it wouldn't surprise me if there's not much in the books.

I need to reread SotL. The first time I read it, I read the books out of order and was therefore very confused, so I don't remember them very well.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

I really should try to finish my Delia fic. It is hard, because I feel like my writing improved VASTLY in the last year and I will probably have to completely rewrite what I did.

I don't think we got much of the culture of the Hill Country. It's poor. I think there's sheep/goat herding--and it sounds like rocky country, so probably farming wouldn't be the thing anyway. There's some raiding, although whether this is a common lifestyle choice or just normal bandits, I'm not sure.

They don't get along with the Bazhir, but there's probably been some intermingling anyway. Eldorne and Tirragen are both in Hill Country, and Alex and Delia fit in reasonably well at court--so at least the nobility have presumably adopted Tortallan ways--although they are kind of outsiders and Delia doesn't follow court fashions right off the bat (one could argue she's deliberately setting them, she's deliberately flaunting them, or she's ignorant of them).

I'd have to reread the relevant bits of POTS for more....

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I really should try to finish my Delia fic.

You should! Especially if it incidentally gives motivations to all of Roger's other minions, too. There's so much in SotL that needs to be explained.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

Well, it does some for Alex. There's no Ralon or Josiane in it yet (Josiane...I don't even know what to do with her. Except apparently she's both the emperor's daughter and his niece, depending on which book, so hey, maybe inbreeding?).

Maybe after I am done with the current sekrit project. Which you might be able to guess the topic of, given recent posts. :D

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I...might have an inkling. :D

(But I haven't actually read Bloodhound. *ducks* I am the worst fan ever, I must remedy this.)

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

You are not really missing much. IDK, I feel like Provost's Dog is super-incoherent, and I gather the third book goes completely off the rails (I haven't read Mastiff).

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

As far as Lerant goes: I think Delia's father may have been installed by Jasson over a less cooperative noble, or permitted to retain his lands for concessions. Either way, I think she and the brother I assume she has were probably raised to fit in and assimilate, because the success of their family and rebuilding of their lands depended on the Goodwill of the Tortallan throne.

I think when she fell in with Alex and Roger, she probably got a bit nationalist and angry (although she may well have been angry all along).

Lerant is definitely in the assimilationist mold, presumably raised by Delia's brother (whether he's Delia's child or not), and with a certain...fervor of youth, and one who's been blocked from things he wants because of his aunt. I imagine that gives him extra distaste for her political views.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

What I find interesting about Lerant is that he seems shaped by his circumstances in a way that TP characters usually aren't. The fact that Daine is a Gallan peasant or Kel is the daughter of merchants-turned-nobles or Thayet and Buri are from halfway round the globe ought to have some effect on their stories, but no, they all integrate apparently seamlessly into Tortallan noble society.

Whereas Lerant is an outsider, and remains an outsider, and is incredibly angry about being an outsider. It makes him stand out.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

Yes, for sure! I do kind of love Lerant and wish there were more of him.

Also he actually seems like a real teenager, in a way most of Pierce's preternaturally mature and poised kids...don't.