Scales

Wow, that is a lot of material to skip, and yet I'm not surprised you did looking at the summary. How is it possible to do so much in so few chapters and yet bored me completely just looking at the short version? Sheesh.

So Axis is a sexist prick yet somehow we're supposed to cheer him on as the romantic lead? Because Bourneheld... exists? And doesn't like his disrespectful halfbrother who constantly causes trouble whenever he appears? And is awkward around Faraday but seems to at least like her? Cause honestly unless I'm given something solid to make me think Faraday wouldn't be safe with him...

Embeth continues to be the best character. In the kind of society Douglas is going out of her way to build, of COURSE noblewomen travel attended by maids and servants, because they need to be. Having a bunch of maids with you is, amongst other things, a really good way to counteract attempts to sully one's good name by the less pleasant type of people who use the idea of promiscuity as a weapon. Fuck's sake even MZB mostly got that one right. MZB.

Honestly Bourneheld is still coming across as in the right in this 'confrontation'. He was awkwardly trying to say goodbye to his fiancee and his prick of a half-brother started stirring shit in a way that suggests he does this every single time they're in the same room. At this point I'm not surprised Jayme is having him removed as AxeBoy, because his complete inability to not be an asshole to his own allies makes him a giant liability.

(Seriously I get SO MUCH awkward off Bourneheld interacting with Faraday that I'm actually kind of charmed. It's obvious that he's trying to be loving and supporting and even though he's not always getting the point across he's at least working at it. Whereas Axis only cares inasmuch as he's pissed off and has convenient female targets.)