Bookses
So I actually finished two whole books recently (it's been a "down" period for readage lately), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Moon Called. Both left me with mixed feelings~
( Percy Jackson, the children's book. seriously. )
( Percy Jackson, the children's book. seriously. )
Also female werewolves can't breed unless they're speshul snowflakes. MOST OF THEM NEVER GET OVER THE FACT THEY CAN'T HAVE CHILDREN, BECAUSE THIS IS ALL THAT MATTERS TO WOMEN BLAH DE BLAH BLAH. UGH UGH UGH. See, this is not only offensive, it makes all the other werewolf bitches in the story totally unlikable. They hate Mercy because she can have BABIES OMG, without any regard for anything else about her, so you end up with bitch women. But I suppose this eliminates the possibility of Mercy having a female friend and pushes her towards the boy-types who love want her so much. Although I gotta say, I liked that addition of Warren and Kyle in that it gives us male characters who don't wanna fuck her, where as most of the other guys were giving off serious "I wanna jump her bones" vibes.
In Mercy's universe it's made very clear from the get-go that BITCHES AIN'T SHIT BUT HOES AND TRICKS. After reading four books that keep dictating to me that women need to KNOW THEIR PLACE (especially the SMART ONES), I'm kind of fed up with the whole thing.
See, and the trouble, the real trouble, is, Mercy just TOTALLY ACCEPTS THIS. She treats their dominance and control and pissing contest issues with an "Oh, that's just how they are" attitude, with a few half-hearted "STOP BOSSING ME AROUND YOU'RE A JERK" arguments. But really, you get the sense that she is meant to/will eventually like it, which falls into that whole strong women want to be dominated mindset, which maybe is what gets the author off, but is irritating to read. If Adam or Sam were to eventually change their attitude towards her it'd be easier to stand (do they?), but I got the feeling that Mercy would eventually come around to being dominated like that, and it bugs.
Damn, damn, damn. I mean, I got the "you're the last INSERT SPECIES HERE" vampire-hunter references, but I was hoping it wouldn't turn into a big thing -_-;
nstead of fighting against this, she just shrugs and goes WHATEVER because combating the ingrained sexism in Brigg's world apparently wouldn't make for fun sexy readings!
Exactly :/ That cuts right down to it. That Mercy doesn't care about being treated like shit and dominated by these men makes reading about that whole aspect of the world that much more annoying.
lol its ok I get it xD
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Mercy does get to be a little more involved in things as the series progresses, but the whole OMG THEY'RE SOOOOO MUCH STRONGER thing surfaces time and time again. As you said, it's fairly token to note that SHE'S NOT A DAMSEL while absolutely everyone has to protect her "for her own good" because she's actually useless compared to everyone else around her.
See, this is not only offensive, it makes all the other werewolf bitches in the story totally unlikable.
This is SUCH a common trope in werewolf stories though. The bitches can't breed OMG EVER unless they're SUPER SPECIAL (I can't remember where it's mentioned in the Mercy books but in the Alpha & Omega spin-off, the hero's mother gave birth to him as a werewolf but OMG IT KILLED HER so he's SUPER SPESHUL). In this particular series all it does is serve to alienate Mercy further - she's on the outer of their society anyway, with this it at least means she'll never have female friends to deal with, anyway! In the first Alpha & Omega short story (set around the same time as the first Mercy book) the "villain" is a female werewolf TURNED OMG TOTALLY DEMENTED because she's just SOOOOO JEALOUS of anyone being around her boyfriend. It was at that point I pretty much threw that series out the window (not to mention the pseudo-rape earlier on, FUCK THAT MADE ME MAD).
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Is it? I haven't read many werewolf books, but it's just beautiful that it puts emphasis on how women just turn BITCH CRAZY when they can't make the babies. I KNOW I WOULD.
I was thinking about trying Alpha and Omega for the werewolf culture, but if it's this frustrating with Mercy, who isn't even a goddamn werewolf, I dunno if I could do a werewolf slave-woman.
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This trend will continue. I found Bone Crossed near unreadable because she's essentially a petulant doormat by that book. Oh she pulls a pissy face and makes offhand remarks about what things would be like if she had her way, but she still makes sure her head is bowed. I just... I can't get into that. If she's so brave and intelligent and wonderful, how can she relish being treated like filth? I don't get it!
it's just beautiful that it puts emphasis on how women just turn BITCH CRAZY when they can't make the babies...
This is big in so so so many werewolf books. They can't have a baby because they shape shift. Males, of course, can still breed if they want to. You'll find the main character will usually be able to have a baby with her *~perfect mate~* because they are just that special. Sometimes the heroine's infertility remains intact though (like in the Kitty series by Carrie Vaughn - the heroine actually miscarries at one point [because she's a werewolf] and is sad for a page, then she's like NO, WE HAVE SOCIAL REFORM TO DEAL WITH and moves on like a pro). In less awesome series it's usually something that divides the heroine against all the other females of her kind - omg she's so special because her ladyparts work, we're all bitter because ours don't! Just ugh.
I was thinking about trying Alpha and Omega for the werewolf culture...
I think they're even worse than the Mercy books in terms of standardised brutality and lack of female agency. Unmated female? You deserve to be abused! The only way you can survive in this world is by having a man to protect you. Briggs repeats this so often it's like a mantra. I almost feel bad for her craziness.
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I read this part today where she crawled to Samuel on her belly because he was in a bad mood and she didn't want to piss him off. I mean, I get not wanting to piss off a big animal that can rip you to pieces, and that it's supposed to be a wolf thing, but literally crawling to a man? It's demeaning whether she means it to be or not :/ Of course, she tossed in a "Oh, I'm faking submission, I don't mean it", but it's like LOL OH REALLY? And the difference...?
Well of course, you can't have a happy and fulfilled heroine without babies. And yeah. Ugh about sums that up. Also, *headdesk*
lol, right, because that TOTALLY HAPPENS TO ACTUAL WOLVES, RIGHT? The unmated females just get raped all over the place. I mean, seriously, I don't get WHY unmated women are so goddamn abused. I mean, unmarried single human women aren't treated like that, wolves don't deal with that shit, so where does this even come from?
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They seriously are. They're just thrown in at the end with no genuine feeling behind them, it's just Briggs going "IT'S NOT OFFENSIVE IF MERCY SAYS SOMETHING PISSY AFTERWARD" - well yes, yes it is. And this isn't once or twice we're talking, this is constantly you've got Mercy being the twee doormat with a pissy remark thrown in to show us all that she's a totally liberated woman OKAY? Ugh. Words, as you mentioned, are completely token as she never does anything to remotely back them up.
I read this part today where she crawled to Samuel on her belly...
I had to put the book down at that point and take a break. I was raging like a moron. See, if Mercy's whole world wasn't set up to make women powerless pawns, it might just be a "trying not to get ripped apart by a giant animal" plot point. Instead, it is as you stated - the heroine literally crawling on her belly to please a man. The faking submission remark at the end annoyed me even more because it was flat-out bullshit. I'm faking submission... by physically submitting? Defiance doesn't work if it's just in your brain, Mercy, you actually have to do something about it.
The thing that gets me with these stories is that generally, females run the show in wolf families - all while being physically smaller than the males. This rarely translates to werewolf stories, where women are just victims in every way imaginable. I don't understand where it all comes from, but it seems like the "OMG WOLVES"-thing is used as excuse to link whatever bullshit the author thinks is excusable with her whole MAGICAL WORLD.
If you can find the original Alpha & Omega short, I'd suggest reading it just so you can rage over how the women in it are treated. We're supposed to be all OMG SHE'S FINALLY FOUND LOVE AND APPRECIATION IN THE ARMS OF HER MAGICAL MAN-WOLF but it's honestly the trading of one abuse for another. Everything for women in the Mercy universe comes with the price tag of power, control and agency. If you want anything, you need to give these necessities up and omfg that is insane.
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It is CONSTANTLY, which, aside from the whole sexist part of it, is annoying storytelling because we constantly have Mercy wanting to do shit, being told not to, being pissy about it, but doing nothing. OVER AND OVER WHILE THE PLOT TAKES PLACE ELSEWHERE. I swear it seems to happen at least once every couple of chapters, and is repetitive as hell >>'
Yeah u.u I mean, GOD FORBID she comes home smelling like another man. The thing is, I really enjoyed that scene, other than the whole Mercy-belly thing. I thought hearing about Sam's life in Texas ended up being really sad, and unexpectedly sincere. But we had to preface this moment of bonding with Mercy crawling for doing absolutely fucking NOTHING. *headdesk*
I don't understand where it all comes from, but it seems like the "OMG WOLVES"-thing is used as excuse to link whatever bullshit the author thinks is excusable with her whole MAGICAL WORLD.
That's the thing though, it makes no kind of sense whatsoever. Even if wolves were EXCLUSIVELY ruled by males, it still wouldn't mean a goddamn thing because they're WOLVES. With a human's brain comes human reasoning, and, y'know, ACTING LIKE A HUMAN BEING. I get that they're supposed to be controlled by the animal or whatever, but come on. If the author wanted a female-friendly werewolf society, she'd make it that way. It's nothing but author kink, as you said.
Yeah, I still want to, since I'm curious about the whole Omega deal. Our library probably has it somewhere. Well clearly. I love how Mercy described female mates as...what was it, lovingly-treated-slaves or something? BUT IF SHE WERE HEAD WOLF THAT WOULD TOTALLY CHANGE.
I read this part today where Honey got a crack in the face for defending Mercy to someone of a higher rank and NOBODY SAID A GODDAMN THING ABOUT IT, not even Mercy. SHe's just like "Oh, look, she's got a black eye. But now it's healed, oh well." It's like, wow, could we condone this any more? Nobody has a problem with this? Really? PROGRESSIVE, GUYS.
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Hearing about Sam's past and the like is y'know, interesting. If Briggs actually gave us more moments like that her books would be far more readable. Instead, as you said, she's constantly got Mercy DOING NOTHING before eventually arriving somewhere and recounting what has apparently happened while she was busy being a doormat elsewhere. I just... the narrative is damaged to such an extent the books feel as though they go in circles sometimes. Something happens, nobody we're left with does anything, we're told about stuff later. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HERO BEING /INVOLVED/ IN THE ACTION? Oh right, Mercy can't do that because she's omg so delicate despite all of her karate training and shit. ARGH BRIGGS YOU FRUSTRATE ME SO MUCH.
With a human's brain comes human reasoning, and, y'know, ACTING LIKE A HUMAN BEING...
This is where urban fantasy authors have a serious case of having it both ways. They go on and on and on about how beautiful and liberating it is to "give over" to "the wolf" (or the leopard or the dragon or whatever-the-fuck) but they taint this apparent liberation with dictated losses of power for the females. You can let the wolf take control for great sex, but just remember that you're worth less than dirt because you have a vagina. It's a confusing and downright stupid thing to put up on a pedestal. "The animal" is supposedly so omg wonderful but at the same time it's an excuse to strip the female characters of all agency. Sadly, this specific kink is in pretty much every werewolf book I've ever picked up. Briggs certainly isn't alone :(
I love how Mercy described female mates as...what was it, lovingly-treated-slaves or something? BUT IF SHE WERE HEAD WOLF THAT WOULD TOTALLY CHANGE.
I grabbed my copy of "On The Prowl" off the shelf. Anna is an "Omega wolf" which in this universe means she "brings peace and calm" to all the other wolves around her (irl an omega wolf is the absolute bottom of the pack - which is what Anna is until Charles *~omg liberates her~*). Briggs has Charles say "You bring peace to all those around you, Anna. A werewolf, especially a dominant wolf, is always on the edge of violence..." so basically all the men in this world are always about to snap. Unless you've got hax Omega powers then you're at their mercy.
Now Anna has been horribly abused over an extended period of time by her pack. Pretty much everyone has raped or beaten her at some point, she's covered in marks from her abuse and she never makes eye contact with people. This is compelling, of course, because as a reader you want to see her liberated from her abuse. Within five minutes of meeting her, Charles refers to Anna as "his Anna". I shit you not. And this is his comment after seeing just how damaged she is (as in "she turns away in fear"):
"He closed his eyes entirely. Another moment and he was going to put all the gentlemanly behaviour his father had taught him aside and take her, willing or not. Oh, that would teach her to be afraid of him, he thought."
... -_-;
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It's just the new type of corset-ripping. The animal is just a stupid friggin' excuse (and justification) for some hot animalistic pseudo-rape action. I really haven't read that much werewolf fiction (swear to god it feels like more, but I really can't think of one aside from, like, Twilight. Gag.), but stupid is stupid no matter how many people do it. OH WAIT NO I REMEMBER. Sookie books have weres. I don't recall them being-- OH NO WAIT. Yeah, when an Alpha wins his position in the pack, he gets to randomly have sex with whatever woman is closest and willing. Think in the one Sookie witnessed, the girl was a teenager. But it's ok, because he was In the Moment.
On the upside, sookie pretty much cut off her relationship with him right there.
/random off topic
...see next post >.<""""
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I think you summed it up perfectly: why is it even Mercy's series if she's so inconsequential to it all? It's as though Briggs writes a completely separate story each time and just adds Mercy's cameos in. It's bizarre and it's not good writing.
But it's ok, because he was In the Moment...
The ladies from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books actually have a good chapter in their "Beyond Heaving Bosoms" book (a book I totally recommend btw) about how paranormal romances are the new bodice rippers. Being "turned against your will" into whatever supernatural creature is described in a manner almost identical to the 'ol rape scenes of the 80's. I've read a couple of academic articles on it too, but most were disgustingly sympathetic towards titles like LKH's series and similar. Just ugh, no.
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Or she's just a wishy-washy bad writer. WHO KNOWS?
I might have to check that out. I'm all into this now, lol xD But being turned is even better than rape, because it's so easily justified. You've got this glamorous new life and a love interest all in one fell, not-really-rape-y swoop.
Ugh, LKH. I've read just enough Anita Blake getting pounded because she NEEDS THE PENIS MAGICK to make me dislike that character on principle.
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Given the way she actually writes action scenes, I'm guessing she avoids them as much as possible because she's crap lol.
Yeah, being turned is rape in every way except y'know, vaginal penetration. This makes the whole thing perfectly acceptable because lord knows a man is only going to ruin your life if he loves you.
LKH defenders piss me off because they're all OMG ANITA NEVER DOING ANYTHING EXCEPT FUCKING IS SOOOOO LIBERATING. Yeah, no.
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Yep. Besides, it's only real love if forces you! IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.
RIGHT? EVERYONE SHOULD DO IT.
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REAL LOVE MAKES YOU RAPE PEOPLE. IT'S TRUE.
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And how does that make ANY sense? If she "brings peace and calm" to everyone else, even dominants, WHY DOES SHE KEEP GETTING RAPED AND ABUSED? EVEN BY HER SAVIOR? HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE AT ALL?
Those are clearly the WORST POWERS EVER.
And that's just proof right there (as if we need any more) that they're just taking this wolf pack structure thing and doing whatever the hell they feel like. I could understand (though not like, obviously) that she might be abused and raped because she is the Omega, and Omegas just have shit life, but her powers have NOTHING to do with a real Omega wolf's position in the pack. Seriously...WHAT? *headdesk*
Or wait, am I understanding it wrong, and because she brings peace to the wolves, she gets the shit beat out of her? Because that's STILL STUPID.
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re: Anna. Um, pretty much she was assaulted and turned into a were against her will to begin with (which is illegal in the Mercy universe, but her pack was up to some shady shit). It was ordained by the alpha in her pack that she was bottom of the rung and should be treated as such, so she was never allowed to make eye contact with others and was perpetually in submissive mode. Charles tells her that the alpha clearly did this because he recognised her powers and was scared of them. Omegas are pretty much werewolf dope: if they're near you, all the bloodlust pretty much disappears and you mellow out. The bad alpha was scared that Anna would be recognised as the valuable asset she was, essentially, so she was beaten and raped and kept as filth so nobody would realise she was special (and thus her powers used to go against his crazy schemes or whatever).
I'm not entirely sure if that makes sense, but that's the story for you lol.
At this point I'm sure Briggs just chose "omega" because omg Greek alphabet! Anna did start out as being the very bottom of a pack, so I guess it's appropriate in that sense but as you mentioned, her powers really have nothing to do with this position so I HAVE NO IDEA WTF.
It's all stupid, basically.
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