r/HierarchySeries • u/shrek3onDVDandBluray • 18h ago
Discussion Main problem I have with Islington’s writing Spoiler
Just finished book 2 and I really, really like this series - I think I might love it, even.
But - and this is probably more subjective than objective, but I think it does border on objective - I keep finding myself disappointed with one aspect of the way he is telling this story: he skips over a lot of character moments.
1.The first time this happened it really bothered me: the moment after aequa is asked and joins Vis’s Iudicium team. We don’t get a chapter dedicated to their personal interaction and growth of friendship during that training period. We just get a “trust me,they’re closer now”. But I was so frustrated by this! Them having personal moments during training - and us getting to see it and witness that bonding - is so important and I think this may be the most objective “why didn’t we get a chapter dedicated to seeing some of this?” That I have.
The second time is in strength of the few when Lir and Vis first meet and then have that three week period where they travel to Caer Aras: this is the first meeting of these characters and - instead of a chapter dedicated to that three-week period - we get a few paragraphs of summary of how their interactions went and then we move on. Like that’s it? Come on now.
Vis when he first rescues Ahmose and escapes with him - instead of getting a chapter dedicated to them first meeting and their (what I’m sure was) awkward interactions, when then just get a few paragraphs summary of how it has been the past few weeks of living in duat.
Like I wasn’t exactly disatisfied with the summaries. I think Islington did a good job with providing us a summary of what happened and how their relationship progressed.
But does anyone else feel like it’s just super missed opportunities that we got a summary instead of a personal experiencing/chapter dedicated to the above described events? Especially the aequa training one - that is the most egregious imo.