Brook, Meljean - Iron Seas vol. 01-03 + novellas
The Iron Duke
Rhys Trahaearn is The Iron Duke, the man who blew up the tower keeping England under Horde rule nine years ago. Mina Wentworth is the police inspector who crosses paths with him when a murdered man is found at his doorstep.
Mina's multiracial, conceived during a Horde frenzy, when the controlling tower basically makes everyone have sex with whoever's around. She constantly faces prejudice, though mostly from strangers. Mina is also really awesome. She is practical and conducts autopsies without blinking and is a stickler about what's legal and what's not.
Rhys is... I HATE HIM. Seriously. I had such a hard time making it through this book without throwing it against a wall because every time he interacted with Mina I wanted to whack him over the head. He is an incredibly pushy, boundary-invading hero, he uses threat and force to get what he wants from Mina, and from the start, he's determined that he's going to have sex with her. I HATE HIM SO MUCH HATE HATE HATE HATE. Not only that, but the first and last sex scenes are really rapey. I cannot actually go into detail because I was too squicked out to read them, but just, UGH. I was hoping I could read the novella set after the book, since he's "won" her by then, but nope! Apparently if Mina gets hurt, or if he just thinks she does, he strips her down completely to check over her despite her telling him she's okay! EW. Also, Mina doesn't strike me as a character who would take this, so I found the entire romance not only completely gross and abusive, but also unbelievable. (I know all types of people can get into abusive relationships! Mostly it is just how upfront he is about threatening her, as opposed to slowly sneaking his way in.)
I also have some issues with how Brook deals with Mina's multiracialness. I hate the descriptions of the newssheets' caricatures of her Horde features; I can see why it's in the book, but I winced every time I read about it. More than that, though you obviously see the effects of racism on Mina, it doesn't seem like it's ruined any truly important relationships for her, despite her initial comments about her mother, or that not-evil people can be racist too. Also the whole "multiracial due to invaders raping people" thing... probably there are good narratives with this trope, but I find it really sketchy to use that to introduce the reader to the world of the Iron Seas.
Heart of Steel
Yasmeen is captain of Lady Corsair, one of the most feared pirate airships. Archimedes Fox is the star of a series of adventure books and basically goes around zombie-infested lands looking for treasure. They previously meet in The Iron Duke, in which Yasmeen throws him over the side of her airship after he demands they change course at gunpoint. This has not dissuaded him from deciding that he is going to fall in love with her. I find this TOTALLY AWESOME.
Really enjoyed this, though it didn't hit quite as many of my id buttons as I hoped it would. I wanted there to be more in Archimedes' POV on falling in love and being vulnerable and less so from Yasmeen, largely because I am a total sucker for the "flippant guy falls in love totally over his head" thing and the Saiyuki thing where "I guess I can kill you tomorrow" means "I love you." Also, Archimedes seems to get really turned on by the idea of being handcuffed by her or when she threatens him, so I was expecting more of that in the sex scenes. However, this may work much better for other people's ids!
I like finding out that the Horde empire is not nearly as monolithic as it seems, though still have basic issues with the Horde thing overall. Also, this is now the second book in which you have a POC heroine at home in a largely white setting. And the plot point resolving Archimedes' Awful Dilemma was very handwaved. I am not sure where I stand on the part lynx thing, though the story that goes with it is so awesome that I'm okay with that.
I would read an entire book of letters between Archimedes and his writer sister Zenobia, or Yasmeen's writing tips for Zenobia.
Riveted
David Kentewess is looking for his dead mother's homeland so he can fullfill her last request, and he notices that Annika Fridasdottor speaks with the same rare accent his mother did. Annika, however, is determined to protect where she's from. This was a really sweet romance where both the hero and the heroine are inexperienced, uncertain, and treat each other like actual friends. There are sincerely meant apologies!
This is also one of those rare mainstream romances that feature POC in both lead roles. We don't particularly know much about Annika's racial background, since she was adopted, and David's father is Native. I am a bit sad that all three of Brook's POC heroines have been disconnected from non-European cultures, so hopefully that will change, since Brook is pushing the envelope more with each additional book in the series. Frex, David isn't just multiracial, he also has mechanical prosthetics for both legs, an arm, and an eye. Growing up in the New World, he's constantly subject to staring, unwanted pity, or unwanted praise. Super props to Brook for not doing the usual "character thinks they are beastly and ugly but really it's just a little scar on their face!" thing. I also kind of love that he breaks up with his fiancee in the past because she wouldn't convert their future house's stairs to a ramp (for his cart, prior to the prosthetics).
I mentioned before that the book mostly seems to tackle the social aspect of disability: David doesn't seem to have to dole out spoons, and it's pretty obvious that the prosthetics give him enhanced eyesight and strength.
And if that weren't enough for rarely seen elements in romance, Annika comes from a village that is all female and has been for generations. Lesbian relationships are entirely normal, and Annika is a bit shocked by how controlled the women of the New World are. Some of the bits about LGB prejudice and women's roles are a little preachy (as are some bits about disability), and Annika ends up in a het romance of course, but there are three live lesbian relationships at the end of the book.
Spoilers
I really wish Brook hadn't killed off the island of Heimay, supposedly a retreat for virgins but actually a place where people who can afford to send their lesbian daughters. It's good that there are Not Dead Lesbians at the end, and that Hannasvik is clearly planning to slowly integrate with other Icelandic communities, but island of dead lesbians is very unfortunate.
I also find it kind of hilarious that Annika says that she's not sure if she's into men in general, it's just David who really does it for her.
Still on the fence re: Native depictions in the series. We don't see that much of the communities, and I'm not sure if the accident in which David got hurt was in a Native community or not (not too pleased about the idea of giant disaster wiping out most of a Native village or town). I do like that Brook was very careful to emphasize the importance of David's father to him as well as his connection with Hannasvik, and mostly I am just confused about background information in which many Native people converted to European ways and now "rediscovering" roots is in vogue. It's a weird parallel, especially because it seems the beginning conversion was done willingly, i.e. not via genocide and reservation schools.
Also, as previously mentioned, I really liked the romance between Annika and David, as well as how they try to solve the conflict of Annika not wanting to endanger her village with David wanting to bury his mother's runes there. They talk to each other! David makes an awful threat in the heat of the moment, and then goes back to apologize! David doesn't push Annika to try to get bits of information for himself after that!
And finally, I really hope Brook is setting Scarsdale (previous character, gay) for a book of his own, a la how Brockmann managed to get a gay romance in her Troubleshooters series.
Novellas (Burning Up and Wild & Steamy)
The novellas are skippable, imo. They're much more conventional, and I kind of side eyed how both of the heroes basically attempt to trap the heroines in some way. The Burning Up novella is much worse in these regards. It's nowhere near as bad as The Iron Duke, but not really to my taste.
That said, I snickered at a throwaway line in the Wild & Steamy novella, in which the heroine, who is from the New World, is glad to see Mina's face because the sea of white people in England is so unlike her home.
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Rhys Trahaearn is The Iron Duke, the man who blew up the tower keeping England under Horde rule nine years ago. Mina Wentworth is the police inspector who crosses paths with him when a murdered man is found at his doorstep.
Mina's multiracial, conceived during a Horde frenzy, when the controlling tower basically makes everyone have sex with whoever's around. She constantly faces prejudice, though mostly from strangers. Mina is also really awesome. She is practical and conducts autopsies without blinking and is a stickler about what's legal and what's not.
Rhys is... I HATE HIM. Seriously. I had such a hard time making it through this book without throwing it against a wall because every time he interacted with Mina I wanted to whack him over the head. He is an incredibly pushy, boundary-invading hero, he uses threat and force to get what he wants from Mina, and from the start, he's determined that he's going to have sex with her. I HATE HIM SO MUCH HATE HATE HATE HATE. Not only that, but the first and last sex scenes are really rapey. I cannot actually go into detail because I was too squicked out to read them, but just, UGH. I was hoping I could read the novella set after the book, since he's "won" her by then, but nope! Apparently if Mina gets hurt, or if he just thinks she does, he strips her down completely to check over her despite her telling him she's okay! EW. Also, Mina doesn't strike me as a character who would take this, so I found the entire romance not only completely gross and abusive, but also unbelievable. (I know all types of people can get into abusive relationships! Mostly it is just how upfront he is about threatening her, as opposed to slowly sneaking his way in.)
I also have some issues with how Brook deals with Mina's multiracialness. I hate the descriptions of the newssheets' caricatures of her Horde features; I can see why it's in the book, but I winced every time I read about it. More than that, though you obviously see the effects of racism on Mina, it doesn't seem like it's ruined any truly important relationships for her, despite her initial comments about her mother, or that not-evil people can be racist too. Also the whole "multiracial due to invaders raping people" thing... probably there are good narratives with this trope, but I find it really sketchy to use that to introduce the reader to the world of the Iron Seas.
Heart of Steel
Yasmeen is captain of Lady Corsair, one of the most feared pirate airships. Archimedes Fox is the star of a series of adventure books and basically goes around zombie-infested lands looking for treasure. They previously meet in The Iron Duke, in which Yasmeen throws him over the side of her airship after he demands they change course at gunpoint. This has not dissuaded him from deciding that he is going to fall in love with her. I find this TOTALLY AWESOME.
Really enjoyed this, though it didn't hit quite as many of my id buttons as I hoped it would. I wanted there to be more in Archimedes' POV on falling in love and being vulnerable and less so from Yasmeen, largely because I am a total sucker for the "flippant guy falls in love totally over his head" thing and the Saiyuki thing where "I guess I can kill you tomorrow" means "I love you." Also, Archimedes seems to get really turned on by the idea of being handcuffed by her or when she threatens him, so I was expecting more of that in the sex scenes. However, this may work much better for other people's ids!
I like finding out that the Horde empire is not nearly as monolithic as it seems, though still have basic issues with the Horde thing overall. Also, this is now the second book in which you have a POC heroine at home in a largely white setting. And the plot point resolving Archimedes' Awful Dilemma was very handwaved. I am not sure where I stand on the part lynx thing, though the story that goes with it is so awesome that I'm okay with that.
I would read an entire book of letters between Archimedes and his writer sister Zenobia, or Yasmeen's writing tips for Zenobia.
Riveted
David Kentewess is looking for his dead mother's homeland so he can fullfill her last request, and he notices that Annika Fridasdottor speaks with the same rare accent his mother did. Annika, however, is determined to protect where she's from. This was a really sweet romance where both the hero and the heroine are inexperienced, uncertain, and treat each other like actual friends. There are sincerely meant apologies!
This is also one of those rare mainstream romances that feature POC in both lead roles. We don't particularly know much about Annika's racial background, since she was adopted, and David's father is Native. I am a bit sad that all three of Brook's POC heroines have been disconnected from non-European cultures, so hopefully that will change, since Brook is pushing the envelope more with each additional book in the series. Frex, David isn't just multiracial, he also has mechanical prosthetics for both legs, an arm, and an eye. Growing up in the New World, he's constantly subject to staring, unwanted pity, or unwanted praise. Super props to Brook for not doing the usual "character thinks they are beastly and ugly but really it's just a little scar on their face!" thing. I also kind of love that he breaks up with his fiancee in the past because she wouldn't convert their future house's stairs to a ramp (for his cart, prior to the prosthetics).
I mentioned before that the book mostly seems to tackle the social aspect of disability: David doesn't seem to have to dole out spoons, and it's pretty obvious that the prosthetics give him enhanced eyesight and strength.
And if that weren't enough for rarely seen elements in romance, Annika comes from a village that is all female and has been for generations. Lesbian relationships are entirely normal, and Annika is a bit shocked by how controlled the women of the New World are. Some of the bits about LGB prejudice and women's roles are a little preachy (as are some bits about disability), and Annika ends up in a het romance of course, but there are three live lesbian relationships at the end of the book.
Spoilers
I really wish Brook hadn't killed off the island of Heimay, supposedly a retreat for virgins but actually a place where people who can afford to send their lesbian daughters. It's good that there are Not Dead Lesbians at the end, and that Hannasvik is clearly planning to slowly integrate with other Icelandic communities, but island of dead lesbians is very unfortunate.
I also find it kind of hilarious that Annika says that she's not sure if she's into men in general, it's just David who really does it for her.
Still on the fence re: Native depictions in the series. We don't see that much of the communities, and I'm not sure if the accident in which David got hurt was in a Native community or not (not too pleased about the idea of giant disaster wiping out most of a Native village or town). I do like that Brook was very careful to emphasize the importance of David's father to him as well as his connection with Hannasvik, and mostly I am just confused about background information in which many Native people converted to European ways and now "rediscovering" roots is in vogue. It's a weird parallel, especially because it seems the beginning conversion was done willingly, i.e. not via genocide and reservation schools.
Also, as previously mentioned, I really liked the romance between Annika and David, as well as how they try to solve the conflict of Annika not wanting to endanger her village with David wanting to bury his mother's runes there. They talk to each other! David makes an awful threat in the heat of the moment, and then goes back to apologize! David doesn't push Annika to try to get bits of information for himself after that!
And finally, I really hope Brook is setting Scarsdale (previous character, gay) for a book of his own, a la how Brockmann managed to get a gay romance in her Troubleshooters series.
Novellas (Burning Up and Wild & Steamy)
The novellas are skippable, imo. They're much more conventional, and I kind of side eyed how both of the heroes basically attempt to trap the heroines in some way. The Burning Up novella is much worse in these regards. It's nowhere near as bad as The Iron Duke, but not really to my taste.
That said, I snickered at a throwaway line in the Wild & Steamy novella, in which the heroine, who is from the New World, is glad to see Mina's face because the sea of white people in England is so unlike her home.
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