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Princes' Game #1
Even the Wingless by M.C.A. Hogarth
The Alliance has sent twelve ambassadors to the Chatcaavan Empire; all twelve returned early, defeated. None of their number have been successful at taking that brutal empire to task for their violations of the treaty. None have survived the vicious court of a race of winged shapechangers, one maintained by cruelty, savagery and torture.Lisinthir Nase Galare is the Alliance's thirteenth emissary. A duelist, an esper and a prince of his people, he has been sent to bring an empire to heel. Will it destroy him, as it has his predecessors? Or can one man teach an empire fear... and love?Contains mature situations.
Paperback
First published September 12, 2011
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About the author
M.C.A. Hogarth
145 books384 followersDaughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
August 18, 2017
This was an intensely uncomfortable book, but also magnificently compelling. The setting is perhaps one of the darkest I've ever encountered, but it is balanced and made bearable by the protagonist's unwavering convictions. He changes a lot, the protagonist, (in fact all the characters undergo dramatic arcs), but the core of his beliefs hold firm. it's something for the reader to hold on to when things go from dark to really, really dark. I honestly don't know if I enjoyed this ugly but beautiful book, but I do know I'll definitely be reading the next part.
March 20, 2022
The blurb reminded me just a little of Foreigner. That is where the similarities end.
It is great fun to be back in the world of M.C.A. Hogarth, with more space elves, although this is a much, much darker and more violent part of her Pelted Universe. Very intense, very violent. Strangely compelling, despite the pretty horrific plot. And I feel weird and embarrassed for liking this so much—have a look at my content warning below—I pretty much inhaled the second half in one sitting.
Lisinthir, space elf and empath, is the new Alliance ambassador to an empire of two-legged dragons and a society of brutal and violent male dominance and slavery. His job is to gather intelligence and free potential slaves kidnapped from the Alliance. And to survive. To do that, he has to go down a pretty dark and violent path.
Content warning: slavery, physical violence, frequent rape, sexual abuse, torture. None of it is graphic, but it is one the page almost constantly.
+*+*+
Princes‘ Game Series:
The books of the Princes' Game series tell the story of the Chatcaavan war and the part the Eldritch played in it.
*Even the Wingless (Fiction)
* Some Things Transcend (Fiction)
* Amulet Rampant (Fiction)
* Only the Open (Fiction)
* In Extremis (Fiction)
* From Ruins (Fiction)
* Major Pieces (Fiction)
https://peltedverse.org/wiki/index.ph...
The Pelted Universe: https://mcahogarth.org/wiki/the-pelted/
List by Series: https://peltedverse.org/wiki/index.ph...
List by Internal Chronology: https://peltedverse.org/wiki/index.ph...
It is great fun to be back in the world of M.C.A. Hogarth, with more space elves, although this is a much, much darker and more violent part of her Pelted Universe. Very intense, very violent. Strangely compelling, despite the pretty horrific plot. And I feel weird and embarrassed for liking this so much—have a look at my content warning below—I pretty much inhaled the second half in one sitting.
Lisinthir, space elf and empath, is the new Alliance ambassador to an empire of two-legged dragons and a society of brutal and violent male dominance and slavery. His job is to gather intelligence and free potential slaves kidnapped from the Alliance. And to survive. To do that, he has to go down a pretty dark and violent path.
Content warning: slavery, physical violence, frequent rape, sexual abuse, torture. None of it is graphic, but it is one the page almost constantly.
+*+*+
Princes‘ Game Series:
The books of the Princes' Game series tell the story of the Chatcaavan war and the part the Eldritch played in it.
*
* Some Things Transcend (Fiction)
* Amulet Rampant (Fiction)
* Only the Open (Fiction)
* In Extremis (Fiction)
* From Ruins (Fiction)
* Major Pieces (Fiction)
https://peltedverse.org/wiki/index.ph...
The Pelted Universe: https://mcahogarth.org/wiki/the-pelted/
List by Series: https://peltedverse.org/wiki/index.ph...
List by Internal Chronology: https://peltedverse.org/wiki/index.ph...
September 12, 2018
Trigger warning for rape in the book and also discussion of rape and abuse plotlines in this review.
Alien rape dragons, or an unorthodox and roundabout method of marriage counseling.
I've seen this recommended as Cherryh's Foreigner meets Kushiel's Dart, and I guess I can see why, but it falls short of Foreigner and likely also short of Kushiel's Dart, though I didn't get very far into that because of the baroque writing style.
The biggest problem I think is that everything felt very shallow. The cast was small, maybe as few as six or seven named major characters, much too shallow to give any sense of depth to the politics. This was supposed to be the seat of power of a violent, cutthroat court, but everyone seemed extremely well-behaved and in line with the Emperor's agenda- politics seemed much less complex and fragmented than in the tiny population of the Eldritch that we saw in the Earthrise trilogy.
The civilization was likewise a cipher; the Emperor personally rapes every courtier (all male) into submission, but some people like the Surgeon are Outside and not subject to that. How does this work with a government distributed across multiple planets? How exactly did the Chatcaavans get from the past where they seemed to have a code of chivalry of some kind to the present?
These things seemed to take a backseat because this is less an anthropological SF story, which genre relies on those details, and less a dark fantasy, which requires emotional intimacy and specificity and the awareness that people sometimes deliberately and consciously decide to be cruel to one another without extenuating circumstances, than it is a character/relationship study and a fable about suffering as a trial of character and about the redeeming power of romantic love and spiritual beliefs (religious or more humanistic).
The central character study and associated redemption arc didn't work for me because of the choice to make the Emperor so ignorant of the suffering he had chosen to inflict (I felt everything was blamed on the culture he was immersed in, which I never understood how or why the culture worked the way it did) and because of the choice to enlighten him through, basically, the deus ex machina of magical empathy. Scenes that felt cathartic when reading crumbled when I stepped away from the book, and I found it unbelievable and uncomfortable how the characters the Emperor abused were so forgiving of him, how the Queen and the Ambassador both seemed so utterly lacking in any real trauma at all from their experiences of repeated rape and depersonalization, in the Ambassador's case the immunity coming by sheer willpower to get over things and occasionally faith in the righteousness of his cause.
I'm troubled by the handling of sex and of gender in this book as well. Even when the sex between Lisinthir and the Emperor seems to become consensual, it's still troublingly referred to as rape, and that continues pretty much until the end of the book; kink is also conflated with rape and abuse. Part of the dystopian society also relies on extreme sexism and devaluation of women (it's unclear whether this is just among the elite or more general) and while Lisinthir questions and fights against that, there's still a gender-essentialist narrative sense that men and women are fundamentally different that persists throughout the book.
It was an interesting book, and an important one for this setting, but not really a successful one for me. I will probably continue with the series sooner or later to find out what happens, but I expect to continue to be frustrated by many things.
Alien rape dragons, or an unorthodox and roundabout method of marriage counseling.
I've seen this recommended as Cherryh's Foreigner meets Kushiel's Dart, and I guess I can see why, but it falls short of Foreigner and likely also short of Kushiel's Dart, though I didn't get very far into that because of the baroque writing style.
The biggest problem I think is that everything felt very shallow. The cast was small, maybe as few as six or seven named major characters, much too shallow to give any sense of depth to the politics. This was supposed to be the seat of power of a violent, cutthroat court, but everyone seemed extremely well-behaved and in line with the Emperor's agenda- politics seemed much less complex and fragmented than in the tiny population of the Eldritch that we saw in the Earthrise trilogy.
The civilization was likewise a cipher; the Emperor personally rapes every courtier (all male) into submission, but some people like the Surgeon are Outside and not subject to that. How does this work with a government distributed across multiple planets? How exactly did the Chatcaavans get from the past where they seemed to have a code of chivalry of some kind to the present?
These things seemed to take a backseat because this is less an anthropological SF story, which genre relies on those details, and less a dark fantasy, which requires emotional intimacy and specificity and the awareness that people sometimes deliberately and consciously decide to be cruel to one another without extenuating circumstances, than it is a character/relationship study and a fable about suffering as a trial of character and about the redeeming power of romantic love and spiritual beliefs (religious or more humanistic).
The central character study and associated redemption arc didn't work for me because of the choice to make the Emperor so ignorant of the suffering he had chosen to inflict (I felt everything was blamed on the culture he was immersed in, which I never understood how or why the culture worked the way it did) and because of the choice to enlighten him through, basically, the deus ex machina of magical empathy. Scenes that felt cathartic when reading crumbled when I stepped away from the book, and I found it unbelievable and uncomfortable how the characters the Emperor abused were so forgiving of him, how the Queen and the Ambassador both seemed so utterly lacking in any real trauma at all from their experiences of repeated rape and depersonalization, in the Ambassador's case the immunity coming by sheer willpower to get over things and occasionally faith in the righteousness of his cause.
I'm troubled by the handling of sex and of gender in this book as well. Even when the sex between Lisinthir and the Emperor seems to become consensual, it's still troublingly referred to as rape, and that continues pretty much until the end of the book; kink is also conflated with rape and abuse. Part of the dystopian society also relies on extreme sexism and devaluation of women (it's unclear whether this is just among the elite or more general) and while Lisinthir questions and fights against that, there's still a gender-essentialist narrative sense that men and women are fundamentally different that persists throughout the book.
It was an interesting book, and an important one for this setting, but not really a successful one for me. I will probably continue with the series sooner or later to find out what happens, but I expect to continue to be frustrated by many things.
May 31, 2020
5 Bloody Beauty Stars
Even the Wingless is the first book in the Princes’ Game series by M. C. A. Hogarth.
So surprising was the general consensus of this book as I set it down after finishing it. Having read the first part with abject horror and a healthy dose of curiosity, then lent myself to the second filled with a weighted supply of interest.
It takes a skilled writer to turn something so abhorrent as suffering and terror and it’s ilk and somehow make it beautiful. Somehow make you understand, or at least wish to, the necessity of it. The place and purpose it holds. I hated reading so many parts but I was drawn in with more flowery words and intellect than should be legal. To mask this terrible violence in such a way.
This was a love story, which cannot be understood, and you will severely doubt until you reach the end of it. I thought it difficult to finish, while still being enraptured and pulled back into the story every moment I meant to turn away. It’s unexpected the path you follow to reach the conclusion of this first book. Yet, I feel more whole having experienced it.
Even the Wingless is the first book in the Princes’ Game series by M. C. A. Hogarth.
So surprising was the general consensus of this book as I set it down after finishing it. Having read the first part with abject horror and a healthy dose of curiosity, then lent myself to the second filled with a weighted supply of interest.
It takes a skilled writer to turn something so abhorrent as suffering and terror and it’s ilk and somehow make it beautiful. Somehow make you understand, or at least wish to, the necessity of it. The place and purpose it holds. I hated reading so many parts but I was drawn in with more flowery words and intellect than should be legal. To mask this terrible violence in such a way.
This was a love story, which cannot be understood, and you will severely doubt until you reach the end of it. I thought it difficult to finish, while still being enraptured and pulled back into the story every moment I meant to turn away. It’s unexpected the path you follow to reach the conclusion of this first book. Yet, I feel more whole having experienced it.
May 10, 2013
I finished this book some time ago, and hadn't realized I forgot to leave a review here! Most certainly time to correct that.
The easiest way to sum up this book is with a single word: Intense.
Hogarth tackles heavy situations, serious themes, and offers a delightful juxtaposition of beautiful prose and not-so-beautiful subjects, all of which lead to an inevitable but extremely satisfactory solution.
Not for the faint of heart, but an excellent read.
The easiest way to sum up this book is with a single word: Intense.
Hogarth tackles heavy situations, serious themes, and offers a delightful juxtaposition of beautiful prose and not-so-beautiful subjects, all of which lead to an inevitable but extremely satisfactory solution.
Not for the faint of heart, but an excellent read.
July 20, 2017
Dark and strange and hopeful
Very very dark, in a messed-up brutal setting with twisted and frightening logic... And somehow beautiful, in how that brutal logic is slowly shifted by clever plans and sheer determination.
Very very dark, in a messed-up brutal setting with twisted and frightening logic... And somehow beautiful, in how that brutal logic is slowly shifted by clever plans and sheer determination.
November 25, 2018
Not my cup of tea at all, I'm afraid. The description did say "R-rated, for violence, sex, sexual violence, and psychological games", but I thought those might be brief one-off cases - not most of the book! There is a lot of sexual violence here: dubious consent, non-consent, physical torture, emotional manipulation, and seemingly endless amounts of rape.
With that said... I almost wish I had more stomach for the violence, because I did really enjoy the more philosophical discussions that came up in the quieter moments of the story - about the Chatcaavan culture's forgotten past, and how it could have warped from such beauty to such violence in so short a time; about the meaning and scope of personal choice and free will when society demands certain behaviors from each gender, and punishes noncompliance with torture and death; about change, and how much influence any single person can have, weighed against the inertia of hundreds of years of status quo. There's a lot of heavy issues to consider here! I suppose I just wish I could read the dry Alliance textbook version of this conflict written after the fact, rather than the on-the-front-lines battle report.
———
Notes on reread, 2018: This went a little better the second time through, though I’m not sure why. Maybe because this time I knew what to expect, so the violence and rape-y elements weren’t such a shock? I still don’t enjoy this story, and doubt I ever will... but I am curious enough about how it ties into the larger Peltedverse + other character arcs that I’m willing to give this series another try.
———
First read: Jan 16, 2016
Reread: Nov 23, 2018
With that said... I almost wish I had more stomach for the violence, because I did really enjoy the more philosophical discussions that came up in the quieter moments of the story - about the Chatcaavan culture's forgotten past, and how it could have warped from such beauty to such violence in so short a time; about the meaning and scope of personal choice and free will when society demands certain behaviors from each gender, and punishes noncompliance with torture and death; about change, and how much influence any single person can have, weighed against the inertia of hundreds of years of status quo. There's a lot of heavy issues to consider here! I suppose I just wish I could read the dry Alliance textbook version of this conflict written after the fact, rather than the on-the-front-lines battle report.
———
Notes on reread, 2018: This went a little better the second time through, though I’m not sure why. Maybe because this time I knew what to expect, so the violence and rape-y elements weren’t such a shock? I still don’t enjoy this story, and doubt I ever will... but I am curious enough about how it ties into the larger Peltedverse + other character arcs that I’m willing to give this series another try.
———
First read: Jan 16, 2016
Reread: Nov 23, 2018
June 28, 2017
Voila un livre bien difficile à noter entre 3 et 4 étoiles selon les chapitres ! Pour l'essentiel de mon ressenti :
style = très plaisant à lire (pour moi, en tout cas en n'oubliant pas que je suis français ...) lu d'une traite
fond = plus fondé sur la relation intime de l'ambassadeur avec l'empereur et sa "slave queen"
et donc, de mon point de vue, décevant par l'absence de plongée dans cet univers qui aurait pu être pour nous, humains, dépaysante au possible On ne voit rien de la vie en dehors du harem et de la cour et c'est à la fois frustrant et dommageable car beaucoup de questions restent sans réponse ...
les caractères :
l'empereur Chatcaava : dans son rôle de dominant suprême certes intelligent mais surtout puissant (physiquement) tient ses caractéristiques (l'aspect dragon) de l'empire nippon ou des empereurs chinois tels qu'on se les imagine dans l'antiquité ...
nota : psychologiquement, il tient aussi de l'alpha loup bienveillant avec sa meute mais impitoyable lorsqu'on menace sa position d'alpha
la slave queen Le personnage que j'ai le plus apprécié qui évolue au fil de l'histoire et dont le vécu est bien rendu par l'auteur
l'ambassadeur Eldritch (un style d'Elfe ancien non pas à la Tolkien mais plus selon la légende celtique) téléphathe, empathique, dévoué certes à sa cause, mais sa résistance et son abnégation m'ont parus un peu trop extra- ordinaire pour être tout à fait crédible ! franchement, je n'ai pas trop accroché même en me rappelant qu'il est aussi un alien
nota : le côté très sado maso (bien que logique dans le contexte) est tellement appuyé qu'il oblitère le fond (l'Alliance vs Empire) L'auteur donne peu d'indices, à part la nécessité d'établir des liens diplomatiques et commerciaux avec une civilisation très agressive et expansionniste (éviter la guerre)
Reste les questions techniques non expliquées (qui détient quoi - Comment l'Empire a t-il développé une technique lui permettant l'exploration et la soumission de mondes ? pourquoi l'Alliance est elle dans l'incapacité technologique de contenir l'empire
quelle est l'histoire de cette caste de dragons "outside" (les docteurs) ?
conclusion à lire si vous ne craignez pas les scènes de violences et tortures diverses et variés et de sexes (partouze comprises !) L'auteur pose de bonnes questions sur la diplomatie entre 'aliens" et le monde entrevu est suffisamment riche de surprises pour donner envie de lire la suite...
style = très plaisant à lire (pour moi, en tout cas en n'oubliant pas que je suis français ...) lu d'une traite
fond = plus fondé sur la relation intime de l'ambassadeur avec l'empereur et sa "slave queen"
et donc, de mon point de vue, décevant par l'absence de plongée dans cet univers qui aurait pu être pour nous, humains, dépaysante au possible On ne voit rien de la vie en dehors du harem et de la cour et c'est à la fois frustrant et dommageable car beaucoup de questions restent sans réponse ...
les caractères :
l'empereur Chatcaava : dans son rôle de dominant suprême certes intelligent mais surtout puissant (physiquement) tient ses caractéristiques (l'aspect dragon) de l'empire nippon ou des empereurs chinois tels qu'on se les imagine dans l'antiquité ...
nota : psychologiquement, il tient aussi de l'alpha loup bienveillant avec sa meute mais impitoyable lorsqu'on menace sa position d'alpha
la slave queen Le personnage que j'ai le plus apprécié qui évolue au fil de l'histoire et dont le vécu est bien rendu par l'auteur
l'ambassadeur Eldritch (un style d'Elfe ancien non pas à la Tolkien mais plus selon la légende celtique) téléphathe, empathique, dévoué certes à sa cause, mais sa résistance et son abnégation m'ont parus un peu trop extra- ordinaire pour être tout à fait crédible ! franchement, je n'ai pas trop accroché même en me rappelant qu'il est aussi un alien
nota : le côté très sado maso (bien que logique dans le contexte) est tellement appuyé qu'il oblitère le fond (l'Alliance vs Empire) L'auteur donne peu d'indices, à part la nécessité d'établir des liens diplomatiques et commerciaux avec une civilisation très agressive et expansionniste (éviter la guerre)
Reste les questions techniques non expliquées (qui détient quoi - Comment l'Empire a t-il développé une technique lui permettant l'exploration et la soumission de mondes ? pourquoi l'Alliance est elle dans l'incapacité technologique de contenir l'empire
quelle est l'histoire de cette caste de dragons "outside" (les docteurs) ?
conclusion à lire si vous ne craignez pas les scènes de violences et tortures diverses et variés et de sexes (partouze comprises !) L'auteur pose de bonnes questions sur la diplomatie entre 'aliens" et le monde entrevu est suffisamment riche de surprises pour donner envie de lire la suite...
February 12, 2019
This book was not at all what I was expecting, but it was fabulous!
March 22, 2019
Well
This was hard to stomach at times and oddly heartfelt and inspiring at others. So much violence and hate and perseverance. Also many 5 dollar words. I kept getting sucked in and expecting the end to pop up but it went on and on but it wasn't a dragging kind of feeling..it was odd.
I may endeavor to try the second.
This was hard to stomach at times and oddly heartfelt and inspiring at others. So much violence and hate and perseverance. Also many 5 dollar words. I kept getting sucked in and expecting the end to pop up but it went on and on but it wasn't a dragging kind of feeling..it was odd.
I may endeavor to try the second.
July 4, 2020
It's good, it's mislabeled though by Goodreads a bit. This is a menage, barely, not a m/m romance. In fact I really wouldn't call this a romance lol. This is a dark sci fi epic. "Romance" is a tiiiiiny speck in this.
June 29, 2021
Well it intense and not for the faint hearted for sure. I did somehow get bored at moments despite the brutality maybe that means I have a slightly calloused heart. Interesting ending though.
January 27, 2025
this book was perfectly tailored to my deviant tastes. so perfectly in fact that i hesitate to recommend it to anyone🙈
February 10, 2014
In my ongoing quest to read everything M.C.A. Hogarth has written about the Eldritch, the last in my most recent spree was this book. Having struck up by this point a conversation about my interest with the author on Twitter, she warned me that this particular book was going to be darker than the rest. I assured her that I was not worried, and still excited to read about the Eldritch in a different scenario—especially with the knowledge that Lisinthir wasn't like the rest of his race.
That was all very much an understatement.
Lisinthir throws everything we think about Eldritch culture and flips it on its head. While there are very distinct differences, the parts that make him different stem from the similarities: he is headstrong, self-assured, determined, and focused. He is a stern fighter and not one willing to give up, or bow to needless niceties. His task is his task, and he will do what it takes to accomplish it.
No matter what.
Watching the violent spiral that is the Chatcaavan Empire intertwined with someone like an Eldritch is jarring, to say the least. Hogarth wasn't kidding when she warned me that this was some of the darkest of her writing. It does, however, prove a depth to her writing ability that I was welcome to see – though what context it came in was saddening. Yes, I cringed at some of the scenes, but it was tempered so much by being able to see into Lisinthir's thoughts—to see his passion and dedication, to see how he worked through the trials and tribulations to come out the other side. He quickly grew to sit right alongside Hirianthial and Jahir in my pantheon of adored Eldritch.
And then there were the Chatcaavans. Only spoken of in song and tale in the books before, it was dramatic to finally have a proper introduction to the bogeymen of the Pelted universe. Vicious, cruel, and impulsive, the Chatcaavans are so very much a foil to the Eldritch that it is difficult to not be just as drawn to them. With the power dynamic balance between what is seen with the Emperor and what is seen with the Slave Queen, there is so much depth that Lisinthir really only has the ability to touch the surface of, and yet we find little ways of delving in and learning so much in just a few words.
There are reference, small and scattered, throughout this that reference the other Eldritch we know: an offhanded reference to an Eldritch studying at an Alliance academy, mention of an Eldritch princess we would meet in Rose Point. For someone that has read these books already (or read after this, and I'm just writing this review late), it is an open offering to the rest of the books...and a warning that it may behoove an interested reader to peek into them, before the third book in the Her Instruments series tosses all the Eldritch together. (And that will be a book I am eager to see!)
All in all, a much darker book than the rest; not advisable for those who shy away from violence and cruel situations. But if you are up for the challenge, you will not be unrewarded.
That was all very much an understatement.
Lisinthir throws everything we think about Eldritch culture and flips it on its head. While there are very distinct differences, the parts that make him different stem from the similarities: he is headstrong, self-assured, determined, and focused. He is a stern fighter and not one willing to give up, or bow to needless niceties. His task is his task, and he will do what it takes to accomplish it.
No matter what.
Watching the violent spiral that is the Chatcaavan Empire intertwined with someone like an Eldritch is jarring, to say the least. Hogarth wasn't kidding when she warned me that this was some of the darkest of her writing. It does, however, prove a depth to her writing ability that I was welcome to see – though what context it came in was saddening. Yes, I cringed at some of the scenes, but it was tempered so much by being able to see into Lisinthir's thoughts—to see his passion and dedication, to see how he worked through the trials and tribulations to come out the other side. He quickly grew to sit right alongside Hirianthial and Jahir in my pantheon of adored Eldritch.
And then there were the Chatcaavans. Only spoken of in song and tale in the books before, it was dramatic to finally have a proper introduction to the bogeymen of the Pelted universe. Vicious, cruel, and impulsive, the Chatcaavans are so very much a foil to the Eldritch that it is difficult to not be just as drawn to them. With the power dynamic balance between what is seen with the Emperor and what is seen with the Slave Queen, there is so much depth that Lisinthir really only has the ability to touch the surface of, and yet we find little ways of delving in and learning so much in just a few words.
There are reference, small and scattered, throughout this that reference the other Eldritch we know: an offhanded reference to an Eldritch studying at an Alliance academy, mention of an Eldritch princess we would meet in Rose Point. For someone that has read these books already (or read after this, and I'm just writing this review late), it is an open offering to the rest of the books...and a warning that it may behoove an interested reader to peek into them, before the third book in the Her Instruments series tosses all the Eldritch together. (And that will be a book I am eager to see!)
All in all, a much darker book than the rest; not advisable for those who shy away from violence and cruel situations. But if you are up for the challenge, you will not be unrewarded.
December 25, 2019
Start of the central story in MCA Hogarth's Peltedverse
The Chatcaava and/or their war with the Alliance are mentioned in most of MCA Hogarth's Peltedverse novels. *Even the Wingless* is the story of how one Eldritch man, completely alone, changes the course of the seemingly inevitable path to destruction of the Alliance. A great start to a great series.
The Chatcaava and/or their war with the Alliance are mentioned in most of MCA Hogarth's Peltedverse novels. *Even the Wingless* is the story of how one Eldritch man, completely alone, changes the course of the seemingly inevitable path to destruction of the Alliance. A great start to a great series.
April 6, 2024
Quite dark, but strangely compelling.
And that is still true on a second read.
And that is still true on a second read.
January 19, 2024
I was expecting a furry space opera. Instead I got furry BDSM foe-yay with rape dragons.
I don't share the widespread fandom hatred of furries per se, and on a writing level, I thought Even the Wingless was fine. Hogarth's universe obviously comes with a lot of deep lore and history, and this book might not have been the best entry point if you're mostly interested in SF and you don't mind furries in your space opera.
That said, this book was not space opera. It was endless pages of interspecies BDSM foe-yay slashfic.
Even the Wingless is set in MCA Hogarth's "Pelted" universe, which apparently consists of a large number of books with different subseries, the premise of which is that humans genetically uplifted Earth animals, creating a variety offurriesanthropomorphic animal races. Now it's centuries later, there is an Alliance consisting of humans and their furkin, and also a race of empathic space elves called the Eldritch. Then there are the Chatcaava rape dragons.
The Chatcaava are shape-changing humanoid dragonkin, although we're told they are actually mammals (which is why their females have boobs). They have a super-misogynistic society where all females are chattel and males constantly fight dominance games which include raping each other (which they do to establish hierarchy and trust, as opposed to raping females, which they do for fun). They also capture and enslave aliens, including humans and Pelted, and rape them too.
There are many, many pages devoted to elaborate S&M, bondage, and rape. Like, seriously, if you took John Norman's Slave Girls of Gor and made them all dragonkin furries, that's the Chatcaava.
Lisinthir Nase Galare is an Eldritch prince who's been sent as an Alliance ambassador to the Chatcaavan Empire. All previous Alliance ambassadors have returned insane or dead, because the Chatcaava apparently treat alien ambassadors the same way they treat any other aliens (i.e., they fuck with them, first figuratively and then literally). Even though the Alliance supposedly has a peace treaty with the Chatcaava, the Chatcaava are not above piracy and enslaving Alliance citizens. Lisinthir is supposed to try to do something about that, as well as negotiating things like trade tariffs and finding out if the Empire is planning to go to war with the Alliance.
As background for an interstellar political intrigue, a whole bunch of things did not make sense to me. Like the Alliance's willingness to let the Chatcaava keep committing acts of war against them, or the Chatcaava supposedly being an advanced spacefaring race when the entire book is set in the Emperor's castle, where they all play medieval courtly status games with poison and killing each other with their claws and teeth. That's in between the prolonged BDSM sessions.
Lisinthir needs to find a way to win the Emperor's respect, because the Chatcaava regard all aliens as "female." It turns out that the way to be regarded as a male is to, uh, get raped and fight back, and then get raped some more. So Lisinthir spends most of the book getting raped by the rape dragon Emperor, and then they have sultry post-coital banter. Lisinthir, despite being a fragile space elf from a low-G world whose people suffer from touch-empathy, eventually becomes a bad-ass who's killing other Chatcaava with his bare hands. He also befriends the Slave Queen, the Chatcaavan Emperor's favorite sex slave, so eventually the three of them have a little S&M threesome party.
While there is a lot of psychological depth to the book, as we explore the viewpoints of Lisinthir, the Emperor, and the Slave Queen, all of whom undergo significant character development over the course of the story, I could not stop thinking that this is a book for women who love reading about hot totally straight dudes violently fucking each other. Who might also have some bondage and furry fetishes and other kinks. Ya know, not that there's anything wrong with that, but your kink, Dear Author, is not my kink.
The book is not pornographic in its detail, but it is explicit enough. Space opera with rape dragons I could handle, but foe-yay slashfic pretending to be space opera just kind of annoyed me, because the writing, worldbuilding, and character development was good enough that I probably would have enjoyed the story if it had more space opera and less biting of pillows.
I don't share the widespread fandom hatred of furries per se, and on a writing level, I thought Even the Wingless was fine. Hogarth's universe obviously comes with a lot of deep lore and history, and this book might not have been the best entry point if you're mostly interested in SF and you don't mind furries in your space opera.
That said, this book was not space opera. It was endless pages of interspecies BDSM foe-yay slashfic.
Even the Wingless is set in MCA Hogarth's "Pelted" universe, which apparently consists of a large number of books with different subseries, the premise of which is that humans genetically uplifted Earth animals, creating a variety of
The Chatcaava are shape-changing humanoid dragonkin, although we're told they are actually mammals (which is why their females have boobs). They have a super-misogynistic society where all females are chattel and males constantly fight dominance games which include raping each other (which they do to establish hierarchy and trust, as opposed to raping females, which they do for fun). They also capture and enslave aliens, including humans and Pelted, and rape them too.
There are many, many pages devoted to elaborate S&M, bondage, and rape. Like, seriously, if you took John Norman's Slave Girls of Gor and made them all dragonkin furries, that's the Chatcaava.
Lisinthir Nase Galare is an Eldritch prince who's been sent as an Alliance ambassador to the Chatcaavan Empire. All previous Alliance ambassadors have returned insane or dead, because the Chatcaava apparently treat alien ambassadors the same way they treat any other aliens (i.e., they fuck with them, first figuratively and then literally). Even though the Alliance supposedly has a peace treaty with the Chatcaava, the Chatcaava are not above piracy and enslaving Alliance citizens. Lisinthir is supposed to try to do something about that, as well as negotiating things like trade tariffs and finding out if the Empire is planning to go to war with the Alliance.
As background for an interstellar political intrigue, a whole bunch of things did not make sense to me. Like the Alliance's willingness to let the Chatcaava keep committing acts of war against them, or the Chatcaava supposedly being an advanced spacefaring race when the entire book is set in the Emperor's castle, where they all play medieval courtly status games with poison and killing each other with their claws and teeth. That's in between the prolonged BDSM sessions.
Lisinthir needs to find a way to win the Emperor's respect, because the Chatcaava regard all aliens as "female." It turns out that the way to be regarded as a male is to, uh, get raped and fight back, and then get raped some more. So Lisinthir spends most of the book getting raped by the rape dragon Emperor, and then they have sultry post-coital banter. Lisinthir, despite being a fragile space elf from a low-G world whose people suffer from touch-empathy, eventually becomes a bad-ass who's killing other Chatcaava with his bare hands. He also befriends the Slave Queen, the Chatcaavan Emperor's favorite sex slave, so eventually the three of them have a little S&M threesome party.
While there is a lot of psychological depth to the book, as we explore the viewpoints of Lisinthir, the Emperor, and the Slave Queen, all of whom undergo significant character development over the course of the story, I could not stop thinking that this is a book for women who love reading about hot totally straight dudes violently fucking each other. Who might also have some bondage and furry fetishes and other kinks. Ya know, not that there's anything wrong with that, but your kink, Dear Author, is not my kink.
The book is not pornographic in its detail, but it is explicit enough. Space opera with rape dragons I could handle, but foe-yay slashfic pretending to be space opera just kind of annoyed me, because the writing, worldbuilding, and character development was good enough that I probably would have enjoyed the story if it had more space opera and less biting of pillows.
September 10, 2021
This...this is a weird book. I honestly have a hard time reviewing this.
I really haven't dealt with books that have a lot of rape in them, but going into this book, i knew it would be a thing.
So, how to explain this. I've read one other book by MCA Hogarth and that was 'Mindtouch'. This author seems to have a penchant for writing stories where not a lot happens, but but it's still interesting to read. There's a lot of... talking and character development with not a lot of stuff happening. And once in a while, that's okay.
The story is basically about an elven-like ambassador who goes to broker peace between the alliance and this dragon-run empire. He confides with the Slave queen and works his way up through the ranks to become important to the emperor and use the system to help him acquire his goals.
That's really it. that's 480 pages. and just like Mindtouch, it's not bad.
I read quite a few reviews of people talking about how they were weirded out by how much rape there is in this book, and yeah, to be fair, there's a lot of m/m rape. however, it's never graphic. it's more of a "oh look. it happened.". i wasn't really upset by it, i was more like "Welp, that certainly is a thing."
I would say, more than anything, i really enjoyed the relationship between the ambassador and the slave queen. Their development of making her believe she's actually a person rather than just an object was something i really enjoyed and was by far my favorite part of the story.
Which is why I was very annoyed by the ending of the story. i was really hoping that the ambassador and the slave queen would pair up, but of course, that didn't happen, and the book wraps up with the emperor going "cool story bro. get out." and the ambassador leaves and goes home with the now "good person" emperor choosing to be with the slave queen.
It was a very lackluster ending and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I was all set to give this book a 4 or even a 4.5, but the ending drops it down to a 3-3.5. it's really sad. i REALLY wanted the slave queen to pair up with the ambassador and a lot of my enjoyment was riding on that. So i was more than a little disappointed.
I don't buy the author's reasoning for the slave queen's 180 on her opinion on the emperor. it felt cheap and lame. The story lead you for over 400 pages on this relationship between the slave queen and the ambassador and then they're like "lol jk, he gets kicked out and she's with the emperor". it really ruined it for me.
So, all in all, i WANTED to give this a 4, but i can't with the rushed, terrible ending. 3.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 3. regrettably.
I really haven't dealt with books that have a lot of rape in them, but going into this book, i knew it would be a thing.
So, how to explain this. I've read one other book by MCA Hogarth and that was 'Mindtouch'. This author seems to have a penchant for writing stories where not a lot happens, but but it's still interesting to read. There's a lot of... talking and character development with not a lot of stuff happening. And once in a while, that's okay.
The story is basically about an elven-like ambassador who goes to broker peace between the alliance and this dragon-run empire. He confides with the Slave queen and works his way up through the ranks to become important to the emperor and use the system to help him acquire his goals.
That's really it. that's 480 pages. and just like Mindtouch, it's not bad.
I read quite a few reviews of people talking about how they were weirded out by how much rape there is in this book, and yeah, to be fair, there's a lot of m/m rape. however, it's never graphic. it's more of a "oh look. it happened.". i wasn't really upset by it, i was more like "Welp, that certainly is a thing."
I would say, more than anything, i really enjoyed the relationship between the ambassador and the slave queen. Their development of making her believe she's actually a person rather than just an object was something i really enjoyed and was by far my favorite part of the story.
Which is why I was very annoyed by the ending of the story. i was really hoping that the ambassador and the slave queen would pair up, but of course, that didn't happen, and the book wraps up with the emperor going "cool story bro. get out." and the ambassador leaves and goes home with the now "good person" emperor choosing to be with the slave queen.
It was a very lackluster ending and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I was all set to give this book a 4 or even a 4.5, but the ending drops it down to a 3-3.5. it's really sad. i REALLY wanted the slave queen to pair up with the ambassador and a lot of my enjoyment was riding on that. So i was more than a little disappointed.
I don't buy the author's reasoning for the slave queen's 180 on her opinion on the emperor. it felt cheap and lame. The story lead you for over 400 pages on this relationship between the slave queen and the ambassador and then they're like "lol jk, he gets kicked out and she's with the emperor". it really ruined it for me.
So, all in all, i WANTED to give this a 4, but i can't with the rushed, terrible ending. 3.5 out of 5 rounded down to a 3. regrettably.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2020
I discovered Hogarth's science fiction a month ago via her Dreamhealer books (starting with "Mindtouch," a book I entirely loved). "Even the Wingless" opens a separate story arc in the same science fiction universe, a universe with a mixture of humans, aliens, and species genetically engineered by humans. Major spoilers ahead.
At times, the story gripped me and drew my sympathy for the characters. At other times, it left me unconvinced, unimmersed. At still other times, it disturbed me.
2.5 stars out of 5, which I am rounding up to 3 stars for the strength of the author's other work.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
At times, the story gripped me and drew my sympathy for the characters. At other times, it left me unconvinced, unimmersed. At still other times, it disturbed me.
2.5 stars out of 5, which I am rounding up to 3 stars for the strength of the author's other work.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
May 25, 2021
A beautiful fuzzy peach crawling with maggots at its heart
I admit I did not finish the book. I regret I read as much as I did. There was always something a bit off about the mind-healer books, but I dismissed it: they seemed so good-hearted. The author has a real gift for creating characters, for world-building, and for creating page-turning stories. It is a shame she uses her craft to make vile sexual degradation rape porn.
"Fish out of water" cross-culture stories are fascinating. The Eldrich ambassador is such an appealing oddball. Poor Slave Queen is so strange and sad. Their world is so cruel. But this will be an adventure about changing or escaping it? Nope. Imagine telling a war-story adventure about an oddball American soldier coming to tribal Afghanistan. One where he learns to love the local pasha who has a little boy chained to the bed. Also told from the young teen's POV. Lovingly detailed horror of all their mutual degradation detailed fo reader fun. Yes, I did skip ahead and read the final chapters. This is supposed to be a tragic romance. Humiliation. Pain. Abuse. Slavery.
Reading this author is like jumping into a cool green pond with little dragonflies flitting above it. Your bare feet are inches deep in mud and you see first a piece of feces, then a dead body rise to the top. OhGodOhGodWhatAmIStandingIn-!
It would be unwise to poison your mind with this. I would seriously reconsider reading any of her other stories. There's a rancid hellpit at their core.
I admit I did not finish the book. I regret I read as much as I did. There was always something a bit off about the mind-healer books, but I dismissed it: they seemed so good-hearted. The author has a real gift for creating characters, for world-building, and for creating page-turning stories. It is a shame she uses her craft to make vile sexual degradation rape porn.
"Fish out of water" cross-culture stories are fascinating. The Eldrich ambassador is such an appealing oddball. Poor Slave Queen is so strange and sad. Their world is so cruel. But this will be an adventure about changing or escaping it? Nope. Imagine telling a war-story adventure about an oddball American soldier coming to tribal Afghanistan. One where he learns to love the local pasha who has a little boy chained to the bed. Also told from the young teen's POV. Lovingly detailed horror of all their mutual degradation detailed fo reader fun. Yes, I did skip ahead and read the final chapters. This is supposed to be a tragic romance. Humiliation. Pain. Abuse. Slavery.
Reading this author is like jumping into a cool green pond with little dragonflies flitting above it. Your bare feet are inches deep in mud and you see first a piece of feces, then a dead body rise to the top. OhGodOhGodWhatAmIStandingIn-!
It would be unwise to poison your mind with this. I would seriously reconsider reading any of her other stories. There's a rancid hellpit at their core.
July 24, 2018
I recommend Hogarth's other books in the setting like "Earthrise" and "Mindtouch" and "Claws and Starships". Her writing is skillful and entertaining and the setting is interesting. I give this one three stars because it's well done and there's an up-front warning that the book may be disturbing, but even so, I put it down because I just couldn't stomach any more of it.
The hero is an Eldrich (think space elf) sent as an ambassador to the court of an alien race so hostile that the last twelve came back in disgrace, straitjackets, or boxes. We're quickly shown that the aliens' political system centers around slavery, rape, torture and so on, with constant intrigue. As usual there's some interesting world-building, including the hero's native language which is pretty much made for elaborate diplomatic insults, and plenty of tension. Unfortunately, I felt that the brutality had become the focus of the story, described in detail, until I put the book down. Showing us the nasty court environment and telling us that the hero's been put into a repulsive situation to get anything done diplomatically is one thing. Showing entire scenes about exactly how so-and-so intends to rape him this week is another. I figured it was going to get even more degrading as things went on.
The hero is an Eldrich (think space elf) sent as an ambassador to the court of an alien race so hostile that the last twelve came back in disgrace, straitjackets, or boxes. We're quickly shown that the aliens' political system centers around slavery, rape, torture and so on, with constant intrigue. As usual there's some interesting world-building, including the hero's native language which is pretty much made for elaborate diplomatic insults, and plenty of tension. Unfortunately, I felt that the brutality had become the focus of the story, described in detail, until I put the book down. Showing us the nasty court environment and telling us that the hero's been put into a repulsive situation to get anything done diplomatically is one thing. Showing entire scenes about exactly how so-and-so intends to rape him this week is another. I figured it was going to get even more degrading as things went on.
February 12, 2023
There is something to be said of the "difficult and adult situations," as the back of the book puts it. No one should go into a book like this blindly—and, to put it bluntly, it would've been wise to contain a *more* explicit warning of the kind of content one can expect within. Seemingly every review of this book I ever read called it "too dark and violent" to be enjoyable.
Well, color me surprised that "Even the Wingless" was not nearly as dark as I went in expecting.
Is the story full of torture and sexual assault? Frankly, yes, it is. But very little is actually, y'know, explicit. Most of the bad stuff happens off-screen—or is described quickly and plainly.
Does that make it any easier to read? Certainly not, for some, but it also shouldn't stand as a barrier to entry for those who are considering taking the plunge.
And God is this book worth the plunge. Forget Dune; forget Malazan; forget The Company Wars, or any popular sci-fi/fantasy centered on Politics. This book goes one step further than any of those. I was enthralled. The pacing is excellent, the characters three-dimensional, the dialogue pitch-perfect...
I loved this book. Not everyone will, but it's definitely worth giving it a try.
Well, color me surprised that "Even the Wingless" was not nearly as dark as I went in expecting.
Is the story full of torture and sexual assault? Frankly, yes, it is. But very little is actually, y'know, explicit. Most of the bad stuff happens off-screen—or is described quickly and plainly.
Does that make it any easier to read? Certainly not, for some, but it also shouldn't stand as a barrier to entry for those who are considering taking the plunge.
And God is this book worth the plunge. Forget Dune; forget Malazan; forget The Company Wars, or any popular sci-fi/fantasy centered on Politics. This book goes one step further than any of those. I was enthralled. The pacing is excellent, the characters three-dimensional, the dialogue pitch-perfect...
I loved this book. Not everyone will, but it's definitely worth giving it a try.
February 19, 2023
I realise this was going to be 'darker', but I feel it went overboard. The story was really not bad, alien culture, the slowly growing together of 3 people, both sides changing. But the sheer amount of torture and rape was not believable, no matter how alien the culture. And even less believable was an eldritch who cheerfully underwent it all. Ok, he was not cheerful, but nevertheless, he wasn't believable, and I felt emotionally distanced from the whole thing. Normally, I would have expected to cry at a story like this. As it is, I pretty much finished this because I hoped Vasiht'h and Jahir would show up. In the end, it was clear they wouldn't, but by then I did want to know how it would finish.
I might read part 2 for Vasiht'h and Jahir, hoping they are the same as they are in their own series (because the mind healer series was written after this one I believe, and the Family novella that was also written before the mind healer series was a travesty in my opinion. Those were not the same characters at all. )
I might read part 2 for Vasiht'h and Jahir, hoping they are the same as they are in their own series (because the mind healer series was written after this one I believe, and the Family novella that was also written before the mind healer series was a travesty in my opinion. Those were not the same characters at all. )
August 23, 2019
3.7/4
The first half of book was surprisingly great. Characters, setting, interesting alien races, cultural differences, the whole premise... It was magnificently done. Alas, it didn't live up to my expectations set in the beginning. Somewhere in the half it changes from the epic cultural/political story to something I would expect from a well-written erotic fanfiction. It's not that it wasn't enjoyable, it's just that I feel it could be much more. Even then, it had few great moments - it goes from very dark to hopeful and bright through development of some characters very well, but I steel feel like 90% of the plot in second part of the book is simply swapped for space elf/humanoid dragon sex for reasons, and I somehow expected more.
The first half of book was surprisingly great. Characters, setting, interesting alien races, cultural differences, the whole premise... It was magnificently done. Alas, it didn't live up to my expectations set in the beginning. Somewhere in the half it changes from the epic cultural/political story to something I would expect from a well-written erotic fanfiction. It's not that it wasn't enjoyable, it's just that I feel it could be much more. Even then, it had few great moments - it goes from very dark to hopeful and bright through development of some characters very well, but I steel feel like 90% of the plot in second part of the book is simply swapped for space elf/humanoid dragon sex for reasons, and I somehow expected more.
January 25, 2020
Really different!
I've never read anything like this. At first, I wasn't sure I would like it. There's definitely some "dark" material that certain readers won't agree with or enjoy. I read beyond that material though to understand the depth of the actions and emotions. The Ambassador brought about much-needed change to the Chats and their culture. He endured much to earn the trust and respect of the Emperor. The ending wasn't exactly what I expected, but I suppose the author has a plan worked out in the following books. I'll be reading them for sure!
I've never read anything like this. At first, I wasn't sure I would like it. There's definitely some "dark" material that certain readers won't agree with or enjoy. I read beyond that material though to understand the depth of the actions and emotions. The Ambassador brought about much-needed change to the Chats and their culture. He endured much to earn the trust and respect of the Emperor. The ending wasn't exactly what I expected, but I suppose the author has a plan worked out in the following books. I'll be reading them for sure!
June 23, 2020
This is, frankly, up there with the first three of The Black Jewels and with An Exchange of Hostages for content warning. That said, the writing and characterization is solid, and while it hurts like hell to read, it's worth it both in terms of address of consent, and in terms of self ownership. It has a saner touch than the other two mentioned works as well, which made reading it in a single pull... survivable, I guess?
A good read, but the sort you come out from bloody after. Recommended, but *strongly* cautioned not to pick up if you're not in a good stable headspace.
A good read, but the sort you come out from bloody after. Recommended, but *strongly* cautioned not to pick up if you're not in a good stable headspace.
August 16, 2023
I started reading M.C.A. Hogarth with the Mindtouch series, and loved every page from it. Little did I expect that, within the same Pelted Universe would I find another world created by this author that is the exact opposite of the Alliance peace and warmth. This book is so dark, it is at times downright disturbing. I hesitated on how many stars I wanted to give this book because it is very well written, but once again, disturbing. It is not an easy read, and in fact for the next book I need something lighter for a change of scenary before I start the next book in the series.
March 22, 2019
Very entertaining book. I would have given it 5 stars, but a tad too much about the sex scenes, not the content, but the amount in the whole book. It is a dark story with dark characters but it flows without pause, therefore not tiring. And a good thing, that I truly appreciate, though it is a trilogy, there is no cliff hanger at the end, though it leaves the reader with enough curiosity to want to read the next two books. A good reading, indeed.
ugh
March 7, 2021I have not read this.
This is a note for myself:
As much as you think you want to read this because you love two of Hogarth's other series, you should probably stay away from it. This is quite probably the third time you've had this book on your want to read shelf. There is a reason you keep removing it. Read some of the two star reviews and then tell me that you think you'll actually enjoy it.
This is a note for myself:
As much as you think you want to read this because you love two of Hogarth's other series, you should probably stay away from it. This is quite probably the third time you've had this book on your want to read shelf. There is a reason you keep removing it. Read some of the two star reviews and then tell me that you think you'll actually enjoy it.
May 31, 2017
An Eldritch ambassador must try to survive in the court of vicious dragonlike aliens called the Chatcaava; others who went before him have done badly. He does so but at great personal cost. I found it compelling and exhausting at times. Yes, it was brutal in places but there is hope in the end.
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