Okay, you should feel honoured. You're getting my first free moment since the surgery.
Before I begin, I should mention I don't hate the female-centric society - I just haven't figured out WHY it's so female-centric. Most worlds and countries run by matriarchies have a reason for it - religious, magical power, some kind of philosophy, a vastly reduced number of men in the world. Something. So far, and maybe I misread an earlier chapter, I haven't seen the WHY yet. And this far in the story, there should be some reason. Add in that most of the women that appear act like such heinous b*tches it practically justifies men attempting a revolution or at least staging protests to demand equality. And that this feminist/matriarchal mindset runs throughout all these different cultures, in varying degrees admittedly, is confusing as well - in indicates to me that culturally, these different peoples come from the same root, or that the reason one group is 'chick-powered' is the same reason they all are.
Again, though, I don't know what that reason is. And since I don't know what reason it is, it feels like it's just THERE. There because you thought it'd be neat, there to be different, there because you have your own feminist views and your Terry Goodkinding us - I don't know. I've read so many stories, though, that have women-in-charge to some degree or another that it bores me unless there's a truly compelling reason for it. If I've missed that reason, my bad, please tell me what it i and which chapter it was in.
Anyway, that said... onto the chapter.
Jin is still whiny, I see...
He's wearing a woman's skirt? I this because there's no male equivalent or kilt-like garment, or is it just Jin's perception of the clothing?
“Write his name here,” she said, pointing to a blank place on the scroll between two lines of hieroglyphs. “And yours here. Since he can't read, being male, you'll have to read the waiver to him. And most likely summarize it for his simple, male mind.”
Like that. Deliberately insulting, makes her and most of the other women seem like total b*tches, and above it all no reason given for why they think this way. Again, if I missed it - it's been how many chapters now? - I'd love to see it (and if it has come up, it wasn't done in a memorable way, which should also be rectified.) However, at this point, it is very much in-character, so it doesn't exactly come out of nowhere.
“You, Jin'Cathul, are sponsored by me, Canaluda Tasamoon, and all profits from your winnings will be invested toward me and my House. If so granted you will retain all arms and armaments, but names will be given to the House for storage and use as we see fit. This sponsorship is good until your death or at which time I, the sponsor, break it.”
(Bolding mine) I love this bit. Show again that names have power, that things can be done with them, and above all the line just
works.
*blinks* She's dead? What are hesks? So many new words to remember in this story....
Okay, finished. Overall, the chapter is good. It doesn't have the story-arching plot advances that some of the others have, but it does contain more advancement (finally) for Jin as a character. By the end, I think I could feel him becoming a little less whiny. This is good, because if he's one of our heroes, I'd prefer to actually like him as a character. I still find him annoying, but I think he's about to take a level of badass... At least, I hope he is.
With the scene between Jalean and Herme, just like with Caramoth and whats-her-name in one of the previous Anaiah chapters ( the last one I managed to comment on, I think it was 4? ) it seems like a lot of the actual plot is happening with little involvement of the primary characters.
Here's where I come in with the obligatory "this story is turning out to be very long" bit. You've read it before, so let's just move on.
Despite my general distaste/confusion with the oppressive misandristic (sp?) society, I love the world you have created. It feels very rich and well-developed, if a little confusing in some places.
