Shadow Scale (Seraphina, #2)

by Rachel Hartman

[layawaydragon]

TW: Rape, Mind Control/Invasion, Attempted Suicide

Starts with a male narrator recapping Seraphina like a history teacher. After finishing the book, the question he asks seems all the more misguided. He totally askes about the wrong person.

Then there's a prologue that's a flashback to Ulma telling Seraphina about a creation myth and helping with her garden and dealing with Genula.

After this, the story finally starts off 3 months after Seraphina ends.

It started off well, then went off the rails. The last several hours I was frustrated and pissed off. Seraphina made a good showing for investigating, being resourceful, and making moves in the first book. This time around she's saved by Abdo, slow to pick up the obvious, and moved like a pawn. It's like she burned up all her agency and brain power in the beginning.


Notes:
->No idea why it's called Shadow Scale.
->Plague and Plague doctors.
->More interesting history
->Doesn't explain how Northern P-country (sorry can't spell b/c audiobook) was able to treaty so well with the dragons.
-> Northern P-country language sounds AMAZING.
->Trans* woman character!
-> Viva la Revolution!
->Okay, now I'm loving Eska.
-> Where is Millie? I miss her.
-> The old knights are funny.
-> Fucking Kiggs. I am disappoint.
-> Fuckity fuck Jannoula.
->Go Team Free Will!! Why you so passive? FFS, get it done!
->Selda is basically a disembodied voice this whole time and it's awful.
->Seraphina WHY ARE YOU BEING SO DAMN FUCKING SLOW??!

The rest of my notes were counting down the hours while Seraphina ghosts around mopping and lamenting "I just can't think of what to do!"while ITS SO OBVIOUS!!! I was so tired of her pacisism, dragging her feet, and just being so damn dull and annoying. It really could've and should've been shorter. HOURS SHORTER.

Then, it finally ends and it doesn't even mesh well. The kumbiaya and saving the worst while sacrificing the great for token sadness is bullshit. Should've just made it all happily ever to match the stupid resolution.

The Surprise Sapphric Love:
There is not enough foundation to just believe this. There should have been more of THAT, more moments between them, more on the page. Being private? FINE. But don't have a heterosexual relationship dominate and then throw a scrap in at the end. No pat on the back for this shit.

I am so fucking disappointed in Shadow Scale.