The Virtu: Initial Thoughts

[lareinenoire]

Read it in spurts over a two-day period -- damned work. At any rate, I think I will reread before posting a full-out review, but for now, here is what I've got to say.



I had been wondering ever since starting my reread of Mélusine last week when the opening story of Porphyria Levant and Silas Altamont would come into play. Initially, I thought it was meant to draw attention to Malkar's treatment of Felix -- the obligation de sang, as we now know its name. Except that the voice is very distinctively Mildmay's; Mildmay, who is not made aware of Felix and Malkar until much later.

So, a mystery. Until halfway through The Virtu, that is.

truepenny wrote an entry where she explained how The Virtu and Mélusine were initially one single volume called The Shadow of the Mirador. In light of that, so much of The Virtu makes perfect sense, especially the way single threads are picked back up after having been literally left behind in Mélusine during the first book.

Many of my questions in this entry were answered. Including my guess that the Mirador was a labyrinth -- go me! My guesses in general were far better with this book than they have been for previous books (i.e. Harry Potter, George R.R. Martin).

At any rate, moving on. I do like the distinction made between the obligation d'âme and the obligation de sang. The latter is, in some small way, voluntary. The soul, after all, is not part of the blood or the body, therefore it must be given. Is it generally a bad idea? Yes. However, there is no compulsion involved in the initial decision. The annemer has to ask for it. Now, I'm quite sure it's the sort of thing that can be -- and certainly is -- often badly manipulated, but if one looks at it completely objectively, it is a free-will decision. The obligation de sang, on the other hand, is forced. One need only look at Malkar and Felix to illustrate this. Malkar cast the obligation de sang on Felix, and Felix didn't even know he'd done it. Again, back to the Blood Magic Is Bad credo. Interesting how the obligation d'âme is not blood magic, but still heresy because it does create absolute control over another human being.

Malkar was Brinvillier Strych all along. *That* caught me by surprise. I was quite sure he and Vey Coruscant were working together; their apparently disparate plots in the first book were far too well-planned for coincidence. But I didn't guess that she *had* succeeded in bringing her old master to life, and that he'd been in the Mirador all along. Sneaky, sneaky.

And of course, Thamuris' prophecy. Mildmay trusted Felix, loved him, and Felix sent him off after Vey Coruscant without a second thought. Bad, bad Felix. I wanted to shake him repeatedly after that scene. He does have this rather annoying habit of doing something awful to Mildmay, feeling bad about it, apologising, and then doing it again five minutes later. But it is a realistic character trait, and I definitely have to give Sarah Monette credit for that. All the same, poor Mildmay.

I did like seeing a nice, strong female character in Mehitabel. And while I guessed that she'd eventually end up with Mildmay about ten seconds after she showed up, the journey was very nice. And I like how Gideon calms Felix down a little. The man needs it.

Again, with the small threads coming back. Mildmay's Keeper making an appearance toward the end; Rindleshin's cameo as they entered Mélusine; the return of Hugo Chandler, not to mention Cardenio; and I *knew* Malkar was going to aim for Stephen. It was simply the next logical step, and Malkar is nothing if not logical when it comes to his own ambitions. And the ghosts, of course. The dead will not stay dead.



As I said,a more detailed and coherent review later, once I've reread the book and let it sink in properly. But at the moment, all I really want to do is sit down with the author and pick her brain about how on earth to write such gorgeous and intricately structured novels.

Comments

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

I await your further thoughts with avid anticipation. Excuse me, I must now kick Amazon's delivery system in the slats, in the hope that my copy will get here soon.

BTW, does Keeper have a name we get to know? I can't help thinking it would be good for Mildmay to think of her as something other than Keeper.

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

She does - Felix calls her by last name, but I forget what it is. Starts with K.

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that Strych ever died so much as transformed himself to escape detection. He certainly put a great deal of value into different names.

I think Felix is right in that Marvotian manipulated him, but just as correct in that he used Mildmay and should feel guilt for it.

And I loved how Mildmay collects friends and loyalty the same way that Felix collects enemies and worshipers.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

I kept wondering if there was a connection between Malkar and Strych, because I wanted to know if Malkar had any more motivation for what he was doing than what he could get out of the gang at the Bastion.

Also I'd love to see Mildmay and Felix through another narrator's POV. For one thing, I'd like a more disinterested opinioon on Mildmay's looks.

[(Anonymous)]

Well, we do know that he looks very like Felix...

[cassandraterra.livejournal.com]

Rereading sounds like a good idea. I'm rereading Melusine. THEN I'll get to rereading The Virtu (it's on loan to a friend).

Yeah, Malkar and Strych...never saw that coming. I had forgotten all about Strych while reading the Virtu. NOW I remember him because I've started to reread Melusine. Silly me forgetting plot points.

I totally read into the whole Mirador/Labyrinth thing! Hense I named the community pretty well! (Or I think so) I was very pleased with myself. (Shame on me!) I was going to name it the Gardens of Nephele. But I couldn't remember the name of the gardens at the time. So...I really DO need to reread Melusine...BADLY!

[(Anonymous)]

I wasn't surprised by Malkar and Strych - I rather assumed they were the same person after the prophesy. Who, I asked myself, is a significant and probably nasty person who is supposed to be dead and possibly isn't? And Strych just leapt to mind. Particularly after I remembered his body wasn't where it was meant to be. And then I realised we had 3 really nasty wizards wandering round (Malkar, Livy and Strych) and I'd already assumed Malkar and Livy were the same person so it seemed quite likely they were all the same peson.

However I didn't get the Mirador/Labyrinth thing.

BTW had Mildmay shown his remarkable facility with mazes and not getting lost before?

I'm going to reread Melusine and The Virtu this weekend - not a good idea to start during the week as I think I'll just keep reading till I've finished them.

Margaret

[cassandraterra.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm...I'm not sure about Mildmay affinity not to get lost in mazes. He just HAS that ability. Weird, maybe she'll explain it later. It's really cool that he has it. It gives him that extra edge he SO needs to keep up with Felix. I think he said he can always find his way. My sister has a wonderful sense of direction and I am very LACKING. If there wasn't a compass on my car...I'd never know where I was going. Sad, so sad.

[(Anonymous)]

I believe The Mirador alternates Mildmay and someone else.

Margaret

[(Anonymous)]

It's definitely handy and seems quite appropriate for Mildmay. I was just wondering whether there was any mention of it in Melusine.

Now I come to think os it, Felix and Mildmay's relationship is very labyrinthine. I wonder what's at the centre?

Margaret

[cassandraterra.livejournal.com]

Death, madness or true love?

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

It's Mildmay, Felix, and someone else. She's adding Felix in her current re-write.

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

I thought the "dead will not stay dead" actually translated back into the ghouls of the Mirador - as the restrictions on them had relaxed after the fire. Deriving my theory from Felix's encounter with the Cordelius prince.

I did call a show-down with Vey, just because "though you do not seek revenge it will seek you" could mean only Vey - who else would Mildmay want revenge upon?

And yes, Mildmay showed he could do mazes at Nera, for one thing, and his keen sense of direction is pretty gosh darn old.

I want to reread Mélusine and The Virtu in quick succession, but Readercon is this weekend, and I think they'll keep until I read through everything else I've acquired as of late.

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

Love and loyalty. :)

[(Anonymous)]

Ah! The last I heard he was complaining about not being allowed to give his POV and Sarah was being firm with him. Looks as though he won. Typical.

Margaret

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

matociquala called her on it. Basically it was something along the lines of "without this POV, this book fails to function."

I can see how she would try to avoid it, though - Felix at the end of The Virtu is insanely powerful, and while his demons and flaws remain considerable, all's well with his world. He doesn't really make a good protagonist.

[(Anonymous)]

I didn't think of the ghouls, in fact I didn't think of anyone actually dead, just someone who was thought to be dead. Lack of imagination, obviously :-)

The "revenge" bit definitely indicated Vey but I was expecting her to come after Mildmay when she found out he was involved in the Boneprince affair.

Mmm, creating mazes isn't quite the same as being able to get through them. And a keen sense of direction isn't quite the same as never getting lost. I must reread Melusine.

Margaret

[(Anonymous)]

So who's the other then? Mehitabel? Gideaon? Someone we've met? Someone new? A friend? An enemy?

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

Never said they were the same. But Monette established Mildmay's familiarity with mazes fairly early on from what I recall, though with Mélusine fairly dim in my mind right now I can't tell you exactly *when.*

[adelynne.livejournal.com]

That, I do not know. It'd be interesting if it was someone like Shannon.

[praderwilli.livejournal.com]

And I loved how Mildmay collects friends and loyalty the same way that Felix collects enemies and worshipers.

Nail. Head. You have been hit.

This is a very astute observation. I agree about a thousand percent. ::g::

[praderwilli.livejournal.com]

Nah. That's what's at the heart.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

Kohlkis, I believe. My copy of the book is on the other side of the room and I'm laaaazy. ;)

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I think Mildmay's sense of direction was established very early on, if you just look at how easily he navigates the rooftops of the Lower City. You're looking at a large and crowded area, and to an extent lots of roofs look the same. At least I accepted his sense of direction from the start, for that reason.

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

The Trials, was it? I know there was at least a mention of them, and they always involved mazes of some kind.