Betrayed: Chapter 20
ZeldaQueen: In which nothing happens. LORD
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
Chapter 20
ZeldaQueen: We start off with a lot of really pointless details about the group getting candles ready and setting up a statue of Nyx with tributes of meats, fruits, and cheeses to her. I'm serious, this is the only ritual held in the entire book, and I have no idea if they do any more for the rest of the frigging series. I have no idea why this much description of the room is needed.
Zoey is all nervous, and tells us so
"It was a big change to have me lead the Dark Daughters. Aphrodite had been leader for the past two years, and in that time the group had become a cliquish, snobby club where fledglings who weren't part of the 'in' crowd were used and made fun of.
Well, things were changing tonight."
ZeldaQueen: Um, spoilers which probably are very obvious - Zoey doesn't actually change that much. I mean, yes she stops the refrigerator thing and the pot smoking (and yes, she spends more time complaining about the latter rather than the former), but we never actually see any evidence in this book of the Dark Daughters becoming this totally new body with this totally new club through her regime change.
Also, considering that the Dark Daughters is more or less made up of Zoey and her bitchy friends, she has room to talk.
Anyway, we're told that everyone is wearing black because they're goffic to keep with a theme, and Zoey goes into a lengthy and pointless description of the dress Erik gave her. She also bashes the low-cut dress Aphrodite wore, for no reason at all. I must say, if Zoey uses the word "ho-ish" to describe something of Aphrodite's one more time, I'm going to scream.
Zoey spares one moment to ponder the mystery of the Dark Daughter necklace found next to the dead body (yeah...remember that?) but shoves it out of her head because she can't be bothered thinking about stuff that upsets her now. No, really.
Meanwhile, Damien is still setting up their candles. Stevie Rae touches hers and then freaks out. Damien calls Zoey over, and upon reaching them, Zoey realizes that she can smell freshly-cut hay, honeysuckle, and newly-ploughed dirt. This confuses Zoey, because it's almost like Earth was summoned, only she didn't summon Earth yet. So OH MY WORD, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, I WONDER?
"Then Damien sucked air and his face split into a huge grin. 'Stevie Rae has an affinity for earth!'"
ZeldaQueen: You know when I first read that, I was very confused. I mean, hasn't she been summoning Earth for those stupid rituals? I...guess she was just a conductor or a placeholder until now. Now, it seems that Stevie Rae can summon Earth at will. I honestly have no idea what good this does, because all it ever seems to manifest as right now smelling outdoor-sy things or feeling the grass under your feet. It's not like she can make an earthquake or something. Also, why is this popping up now? She's been at the House of Night for some time, hasn't she? She apparently hasn't felt anything before now. Do most fledglings need a training period before their affinities manifest, or something? And if so, that leaves rather bad implications for Zoey's Sue-ness, given how she sparked her affinity on Day One.
*sigh* So Shaunee and Erin come over and smell the various smells and ask if Stevie Rae's trying some "bumpkin perfume". Because she's from a hick town, and we all know those small-towners wear perfume smelling of dirt and hay.
Zoey's Deus Ex Machina feeling kicks in again, and she asks Shaunee and Erin to think about fire and water respectively and wonder of wonders, THEY HAVE THE POWER OF FIRE AND WATER AS WELL, IMAGINE THAT! Again, no idea of how that's any different, what practical purpose that serves, or why it's coming up now of all times.
Zoey then turns to Damien to see if he has the affinity of Air. Damien angsts. A lot
"I knew what was wrong. Damien was afraid he would fail, that he would be left out of the magic that was happening to the girls. In Soc class I'd learned that it was unusual for a gift as strong as an affinity for an element to be given to a male. Nyx gifted men with exceptional strength, and their affinities usually had to do with the physical, like Dragon, our fencing instructor, had been gifted with exceptional quickness and visual accuracy. Air was definitely a female affinity, and it would be nothing short of incredible for Nyx to gift Damien with an air affinity."
ZeldaQueen: First of all, YES WE GET IT! DAMIEN IS ANGSTY! HE'S THE TOKEN GUY IN THE GROUP OF GIRLS AND IS SELF CONSCIOUS ABOUT IT! DID ANYONE NOTICE?
Second of all, seriously is no one in this world actually pissed by the gender stereotypes which apparently their goddess herself is insisting on confining men to? You know, for all of Neferet's dressing Mr. Heifer down for worshiping a god that calls for confining women to limited and humiliating positions, this doesn't come across as much better. Not all guys are manly manly. I know many guys who are quiet or not very physical at all. And yet, whether they like it or not, apparently the only option guys have for power is just that in most cases. Yeah, I'm having a hard time picturing Nyx as the kind, loving figure she's portrayed as. She really seems like a bitch to me.
Which, incidentally, makes this about as good a time as any for me to pause about something that's honestly been bothering me. Notice almost all of the guys in this and how they're described. Most of them are portrayed as being very stereotypically masculine. Heath is a star football player. One of two male teachers is the fencing teacher. Erik is heartily congratulated at the end of Marked for physically fighting off the demons. Even Loren Blake is described as having a very powerful presence, which melts Zoey to butter.
Now, let us look at the only two gay characters in this book, Damien and Jack. They are both described in very similar terms - cute, puppy-like, doe-eyed, soft-spoken, and very submissive and just...squishy. They're the only guys who are depicted like that. No straight men are ever written as being that quiet or submissive or vulnerable. Inversely, so far as I know, there aren't any gay men in this series who are portrayed as showing traditional masculine traits like being dominant, physically powerful, or otherwise holding a commanding presence. This goes for the powers as well. Most guys are given physical affinities. Who gets the affinity more likely to go to a woman? The gay guy.
In other words, it kind of gives the implication that gay men basically fall under a lot of the same traits traditionally associated with women. I'm sure the Cast ladies weren't aware what they were implying with all of this but...am I the only one bothered by that?
Right. So yeah, of course Damien does have an affinity for Air. He shouts out "Superb! Glorious! Wondrous!", which apparently "made use of his large vocabulary". He then gets so happy that he starts to cry
"I knew what he was saying in that one word-that he realized Nyx found him worthy even though his parents didn't, and even though much of his life people had made fun of him because he liked guys. I had to blink hard to keep from bawling like a baby"
ZeldaQueen: YES! WE KNOW HE'S GAY! WE KNOW THAT APPARENTLY EVERYONE IN THIS WEIRD WORLD IS HOMOPHOBIC! SHUT UP NOW!
Neferet saunters over and comments on how Mary Sue speshul Zoey's friends are. Zoey remembers that oh yeah, something suspicious is going on with Neferet, and thus keeps her guard up. Neferet heads off to start the ceremony, and begins stealing Zoey's ideas.
"'It is time the Dark Daughters had a foundation. It has been decided that Zoey Redbird will begin an era and a new tradition with her leadership. She will form a Prefect Council, made up of seven fledglings, of which she will be Head Prefect. The other members of the Council will be Shaunee Cole, Erin Bates, Stevie Rae Johnson, Damien Maslin, and Erik Night. There will be one more Prefect chosen from Aphrodite's old Inner Circle to represent my wish for unity among the fledglings.'
Her wish? I ground my teeth together and tried to find my happy place while Neferet paused to let the general sounds of celebration die (which included the Twins, Stevie Rae, Damien, Erik, and Jack, cheering their brains out). Jeesh. She was making it seem like she was responsible for ideas I'd sweated over for weeks!"
ZeldaQueen: You know, it might just be me, but it honestly seems like Zoey's more bothered by Neferet stealing her ideas than Neferet doing something shady with undead vampire fledglings. And "sweated over for weeks?" Dear, you spent one day Googling stuff. Just because you spent weeks being nervous doesn't mean you actually did any work! And some of the stuff was thought up by your stupid friends. Enough of this nonsense!
Neferet goes on for a good many long paragraphs in this vein, and I have to ask why Zoey is the only one who notices what's going on. She already told her ideas to Damien, Shaunee, and Erin. Why are they cheering Neferet on as well? Surely they'd also notice the idea-stealing?
Anyway, Neferet finishes up by having five male vampires bring out squares of wet cement and laughs at Zoey's confusion. Of course, seeing as we're supposed to see Neferet as Evil now, Zoey describes every action she takes as being patronizing and nasty. In other circumstances, I'd chalk that up to a point of view thing, like now that Zoey knows that Neferet isn't a nice person, she notices little things about her mentor that she didn't notice before. In this though, it just feels like bad writing. Anyway, Neferet credits Zoey with the idea of the handprints in the wet cement, and Zoey internally bitches because that was actually Damien's idea, while correcting Neferet on that publicly.
Neferet finishes up and sweeps off, leaving Zoey all confuzzled and upset. And we're left on that note, and with me wondering why this apparently warranted its own chapter. Cut out the unnecessary descriptions and it probably could have been easily meshed with the one after
Onward to: Chapter 21
Back to: Chapter 19
Back to: Table of Contents
Projection Room Voices: Starting Media in 3...2...1...
Chapter 20
ZeldaQueen: We start off with a lot of really pointless details about the group getting candles ready and setting up a statue of Nyx with tributes of meats, fruits, and cheeses to her. I'm serious, this is the only ritual held in the entire book, and I have no idea if they do any more for the rest of the frigging series. I have no idea why this much description of the room is needed.
Zoey is all nervous, and tells us so
"It was a big change to have me lead the Dark Daughters. Aphrodite had been leader for the past two years, and in that time the group had become a cliquish, snobby club where fledglings who weren't part of the 'in' crowd were used and made fun of.
Well, things were changing tonight."
ZeldaQueen: Um, spoilers which probably are very obvious - Zoey doesn't actually change that much. I mean, yes she stops the refrigerator thing and the pot smoking (and yes, she spends more time complaining about the latter rather than the former), but we never actually see any evidence in this book of the Dark Daughters becoming this totally new body with this totally new club through her regime change.
Also, considering that the Dark Daughters is more or less made up of Zoey and her bitchy friends, she has room to talk.
Anyway, we're told that everyone is wearing black because they're goffic to keep with a theme, and Zoey goes into a lengthy and pointless description of the dress Erik gave her. She also bashes the low-cut dress Aphrodite wore, for no reason at all. I must say, if Zoey uses the word "ho-ish" to describe something of Aphrodite's one more time, I'm going to scream.
Zoey spares one moment to ponder the mystery of the Dark Daughter necklace found next to the dead body (yeah...remember that?) but shoves it out of her head because she can't be bothered thinking about stuff that upsets her now. No, really.
Meanwhile, Damien is still setting up their candles. Stevie Rae touches hers and then freaks out. Damien calls Zoey over, and upon reaching them, Zoey realizes that she can smell freshly-cut hay, honeysuckle, and newly-ploughed dirt. This confuses Zoey, because it's almost like Earth was summoned, only she didn't summon Earth yet. So OH MY WORD, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, I WONDER?
"Then Damien sucked air and his face split into a huge grin. 'Stevie Rae has an affinity for earth!'"
ZeldaQueen: You know when I first read that, I was very confused. I mean, hasn't she been summoning Earth for those stupid rituals? I...guess she was just a conductor or a placeholder until now. Now, it seems that Stevie Rae can summon Earth at will. I honestly have no idea what good this does, because all it ever seems to manifest as right now smelling outdoor-sy things or feeling the grass under your feet. It's not like she can make an earthquake or something. Also, why is this popping up now? She's been at the House of Night for some time, hasn't she? She apparently hasn't felt anything before now. Do most fledglings need a training period before their affinities manifest, or something? And if so, that leaves rather bad implications for Zoey's Sue-ness, given how she sparked her affinity on Day One.
*sigh* So Shaunee and Erin come over and smell the various smells and ask if Stevie Rae's trying some "bumpkin perfume". Because she's from a hick town, and we all know those small-towners wear perfume smelling of dirt and hay.
Zoey's Deus Ex Machina feeling kicks in again, and she asks Shaunee and Erin to think about fire and water respectively and wonder of wonders, THEY HAVE THE POWER OF FIRE AND WATER AS WELL, IMAGINE THAT! Again, no idea of how that's any different, what practical purpose that serves, or why it's coming up now of all times.
Zoey then turns to Damien to see if he has the affinity of Air. Damien angsts. A lot
"I knew what was wrong. Damien was afraid he would fail, that he would be left out of the magic that was happening to the girls. In Soc class I'd learned that it was unusual for a gift as strong as an affinity for an element to be given to a male. Nyx gifted men with exceptional strength, and their affinities usually had to do with the physical, like Dragon, our fencing instructor, had been gifted with exceptional quickness and visual accuracy. Air was definitely a female affinity, and it would be nothing short of incredible for Nyx to gift Damien with an air affinity."
ZeldaQueen: First of all, YES WE GET IT! DAMIEN IS ANGSTY! HE'S THE TOKEN GUY IN THE GROUP OF GIRLS AND IS SELF CONSCIOUS ABOUT IT! DID ANYONE NOTICE?
Second of all, seriously is no one in this world actually pissed by the gender stereotypes which apparently their goddess herself is insisting on confining men to? You know, for all of Neferet's dressing Mr. Heifer down for worshiping a god that calls for confining women to limited and humiliating positions, this doesn't come across as much better. Not all guys are manly manly. I know many guys who are quiet or not very physical at all. And yet, whether they like it or not, apparently the only option guys have for power is just that in most cases. Yeah, I'm having a hard time picturing Nyx as the kind, loving figure she's portrayed as. She really seems like a bitch to me.
Which, incidentally, makes this about as good a time as any for me to pause about something that's honestly been bothering me. Notice almost all of the guys in this and how they're described. Most of them are portrayed as being very stereotypically masculine. Heath is a star football player. One of two male teachers is the fencing teacher. Erik is heartily congratulated at the end of Marked for physically fighting off the demons. Even Loren Blake is described as having a very powerful presence, which melts Zoey to butter.
Now, let us look at the only two gay characters in this book, Damien and Jack. They are both described in very similar terms - cute, puppy-like, doe-eyed, soft-spoken, and very submissive and just...squishy. They're the only guys who are depicted like that. No straight men are ever written as being that quiet or submissive or vulnerable. Inversely, so far as I know, there aren't any gay men in this series who are portrayed as showing traditional masculine traits like being dominant, physically powerful, or otherwise holding a commanding presence. This goes for the powers as well. Most guys are given physical affinities. Who gets the affinity more likely to go to a woman? The gay guy.
In other words, it kind of gives the implication that gay men basically fall under a lot of the same traits traditionally associated with women. I'm sure the Cast ladies weren't aware what they were implying with all of this but...am I the only one bothered by that?
Right. So yeah, of course Damien does have an affinity for Air. He shouts out "Superb! Glorious! Wondrous!", which apparently "made use of his large vocabulary". He then gets so happy that he starts to cry
"I knew what he was saying in that one word-that he realized Nyx found him worthy even though his parents didn't, and even though much of his life people had made fun of him because he liked guys. I had to blink hard to keep from bawling like a baby"
ZeldaQueen: YES! WE KNOW HE'S GAY! WE KNOW THAT APPARENTLY EVERYONE IN THIS WEIRD WORLD IS HOMOPHOBIC! SHUT UP NOW!
Neferet saunters over and comments on how Mary Sue speshul Zoey's friends are. Zoey remembers that oh yeah, something suspicious is going on with Neferet, and thus keeps her guard up. Neferet heads off to start the ceremony, and begins stealing Zoey's ideas.
"'It is time the Dark Daughters had a foundation. It has been decided that Zoey Redbird will begin an era and a new tradition with her leadership. She will form a Prefect Council, made up of seven fledglings, of which she will be Head Prefect. The other members of the Council will be Shaunee Cole, Erin Bates, Stevie Rae Johnson, Damien Maslin, and Erik Night. There will be one more Prefect chosen from Aphrodite's old Inner Circle to represent my wish for unity among the fledglings.'
Her wish? I ground my teeth together and tried to find my happy place while Neferet paused to let the general sounds of celebration die (which included the Twins, Stevie Rae, Damien, Erik, and Jack, cheering their brains out). Jeesh. She was making it seem like she was responsible for ideas I'd sweated over for weeks!"
ZeldaQueen: You know, it might just be me, but it honestly seems like Zoey's more bothered by Neferet stealing her ideas than Neferet doing something shady with undead vampire fledglings. And "sweated over for weeks?" Dear, you spent one day Googling stuff. Just because you spent weeks being nervous doesn't mean you actually did any work! And some of the stuff was thought up by your stupid friends. Enough of this nonsense!
Neferet goes on for a good many long paragraphs in this vein, and I have to ask why Zoey is the only one who notices what's going on. She already told her ideas to Damien, Shaunee, and Erin. Why are they cheering Neferet on as well? Surely they'd also notice the idea-stealing?
Anyway, Neferet finishes up by having five male vampires bring out squares of wet cement and laughs at Zoey's confusion. Of course, seeing as we're supposed to see Neferet as Evil now, Zoey describes every action she takes as being patronizing and nasty. In other circumstances, I'd chalk that up to a point of view thing, like now that Zoey knows that Neferet isn't a nice person, she notices little things about her mentor that she didn't notice before. In this though, it just feels like bad writing. Anyway, Neferet credits Zoey with the idea of the handprints in the wet cement, and Zoey internally bitches because that was actually Damien's idea, while correcting Neferet on that publicly.
Neferet finishes up and sweeps off, leaving Zoey all confuzzled and upset. And we're left on that note, and with me wondering why this apparently warranted its own chapter. Cut out the unnecessary descriptions and it probably could have been easily meshed with the one after
Onward to: Chapter 21
Back to: Chapter 19
Back to: Table of Contents