Like most writers, I suffer from self-doubt and low self-esteem more often than not. This shit can be crippling.
Writers cope in many different ways. I think I’m a sucker for pain, because (apart from drinking) my method involves looking my critic in the eye and then saying, “Hey, you know what, let’s be friends.”
Easier said than done, of course. I mean, she’s a bitch. She stabs me in the back and whispers the worst things in my ear. She makes me angry, creates a list of my failures, and beats me over the head with them every day. But she keeps me grounded. As a writer, ego can be your worst enemy. It’ll keep you from growing, keep you from learning how to better your craft. And it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of chasing after validation instead of buckling down and getting work done. A few days ago, my dear friend Julie Midnight gave us a bit of a pep talk about seeking reviews and community acknowledgement, and how much of a toxic trap all of that can be. How the search for that elusive pat on the back can make you end up “…like one of those drug addicts who realizes you’re missing teeth and have sores from picking at your skin.”
It was a good talk, and I’m still thinking about it days later. So I decided to write yet another low-rating review of my work, which is a series if you haven’t seen the others: My Scathing Review of Jaeth’s Eye, My Scathing Review of Aina’s Breath, My Scathing Review of Sapphire’s Flight, and My Scathing Review of The Wolf of Oren-yaro. Writing these things is cathartic. When I’m in the process of writing a novel, everything is personal–my whole heart and soul is bared on the pages–but once it’s over, it’s time to be objective. This means that I understand what my critics say probably even more than they do, and that I can engage in emotionless debate over my own novels while also poking fun at them. Self-awareness at its finest. It helps me improve and tighten my craft while also letting me be aware of “criticisms” that are nothing more than personal objections. Putting on my critic’s hat is also a great exercise in putting myself in someone else’s shoes, which is something that my writing always tries to do.
In any case, I bring you My Scathing Review of The Ikessar Falcon, which is due out sometime in the spring of next year.
The Ikessar Falcon is a political Asian soap opera set in a realistic world populated by realistic characters, which is probably the biggest problem in Villoso’s writing. I’m not sure I read epic fantasy to know more about people’s problems. If any of Villoso’s characters said, “Let’s all sit down and talk about this,” the plot would be over in an hour.
Instead, the narrative is filled with conflict and tension that arises from people being people, particularly the nobles that populate the make-believe nation of Jin-Sayeng. Is malnutrition an issue? Driven by zealous tenets, these nobles create enough drama to fill an entire afternoon slot of daytime television. Psychiatrists and relationship counselors would have a field day in Villoso’s world.
This novel picks up where The Wolf of Oren-yaro left off, with Queen Talyien still reeling from the events in those last few chapters. Her mold is starting to break, and she is beginning to question her relationships and obligations while trying to figure out how to prevent civil war from happening in her country. The Ikessar Falcon is slower than The Wolf of Oren-yaro, with Talyien’s introspection and soliloquys taking up more than a few pages at a time. To try to salvage this from becoming a bore-fest, Villoso inserts a fair number of sword and monster fights, which means the entire novel reads like an afternoon on shrooms. Deep conversation? MONSTER! Sexual tension? MONSTER!
You can clearly see the plot heading towards something big for the third book by now. The main conflicts have reared their ugly heads, and Villoso has set herself up for a big finale…or at least, she probably thinks she has. I remain convinced that the third book will be nothing more than 600 pages of Maury. Time will tell.
2/10 stars, with 1 star being given for sympathy for certain characters because WTF, YOU DON’T HURT PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
