Robins, Madeleine E. - Petty Treason

[oyceter]

Er, I may spam LJ in the vain attempt to relax after about six straight hours of doing Problem Set of DOOM.

I liked this, but not as much as the first book, Point of Honour, but that's because the twists near the end weren't as shocking or as personal for Sarah as they were in the first. Thankfully, Robins doesn't lose sight of the impact the events of the first book have on Sarah, and the new recurring character is quite fun and noble and upright in a good sort of way.

On the other hand, I'm not quite sure how I feel about the ending.

Spoilers for this book and Point of Honour

I couldn't quite keep track of who was spying for whom by the very end, and I was a little frustrated by Sarah's obvious sympathy and believe for Anne. It's not because Anne wasn't sympathetic, but because the 100% dedication to her client being innocent was a pretty good flag that Anne was going to be not innocent and disappoint Sarah in some way, and I wasn't particularly looking forward to that. And while I mostly am glad that Anne got out alive and without charges being pressed against her, Sarah's decision to let her go was a very interesting contrast to her decision to turn in a man that she obviously liked and respected.

Also, I'm still trying to figure out if I agree with it or not, which sounds a little awful, but... one of Sarah's whole points in Point of Honour was that no matter how justified a murder is or how much benefit there is to the killer getting away, murder is still murder. And it feels a little odd to have her be the judge of the matter for Anne. I'm also not sure how much the reader is supposed to agree with Sarah's choice in the end; I can see Robins using the next book (if there is going to be one) to reexamine this choice and to throw in even more complications, just as how this book is concerned with Sarah's reaction to the events of the first book.

Anyhow, despite my qualms, I like that Robins is writing intelligently, looking at consequences, and not forgetting the events of the first book.

Comments

[kate_nepveu]

It seemed to me that it fit thematically, being not murder but execution for "petty" treason, neither of which could be judicially recognized.

Which is not to say that Miss Tolerance is right.

I wish there would be a third one, but I doubt fans everywhere could commit to enough online donations or copies through Lulu to make it sensible for Robins to finish it.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

I thought the title itself was a spoiler, since some jurists (and possibly even the law? - not my period and I am not a legal historian) defined the murder of a husband by a wife as 'petty treason'. (Wife is to husband as subject to monarch in the hierarchical vision of society.)

This may be a sufficiently arcane piece of historical trivia that very few people would pick it up!

[kate_nepveu]

I thought it was a spoiler when I finished the book, but then I decided it wasn't, since she was *accused* partway through, and since (some of? I forget) the "high" forms of treason were actually petty--to the point that I actually defined it in my book log [*], as pointing to the various thematic reflections on treason.

[*] http://www.steelypips.org/weblog/2007/02/robins_point.php

[oyceter]

I actually knew the definition for "petty treason," possibly from reading Kate's blog entry, but I didn't think it was that much of a spoiler, given that I was expecting Anne to be accused of it from the very beginning of the book.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I think it fit thematically as well, though I also feel like I should know more about treason and petty treason and the like to judge better.

But then, that is why I really like these books so far -- they are entertaining swashbuckling mysteries on one level, and on another, they are really very thoughtful and interesting.

Sigh. There's a partially-written third book? Siiiiigh.

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, I heard Robins read from the first chapter, in which Miss Tolerance is hit hard on the head and does not bounce right back.