I'm quite sure the only reason the screechling fight exists is to force a reason for Tyranny's ships to have to make port before they can reach Eutracia.

Rather than, say, having to stop to get some medical attention for all those poor damn slaves Newcomb cares SO much about.

*grimly* I think you've hit the nail on the head. Celeste isn't a character so much as she's an adjunct to a bunch of other (male) characters, and exists to further their arc, not hers

He's not even trying to hide it, either. The instant she shows up, bam - LOVE INTEREST! Tricuit's first thought on seeing her? "OMG SO HAWT ME WANT". She's not remotely being treated like a human being.

I have a feeling the only reason Faegan is disabled is so Newcomb can pat himself on the back and feel good about himself for writing a wise (well, "wise") mentor character with a disability rather than because it's something he actually has any interest in exploring in its own right.

After all, when Wigg got pointlessly blinded that just went away. He's more favoured than Faegan is. Author forbid the perfect Wigg have to adapt to life with a disability.

Tahiri: Speaking as this sporking's resident Jedi - no, it is not.

I suspected as much.

MG:This book is really where Newcomb starts taking a lot of things he'd previously given mundane names and retconning them to have totally had "fantasy" names all along. It's, uh, usually really jarring.

To say the least!