Yeah I felt Caeco’s anger was really… weird. Declan IS a flirt even though he doesn’t realise it (the whole lusting after the sisters in the pub in Executable) but then he was a 17 year old boy and, well… I remember that. You get stupid around pretty girls!
But College Arcane he called her out for her hypocrisy and she had a very NON Professional soldier response. Which shows development, but it felt a bit TOO much. And then they throw the baby out with the bathwater, despite them both clearly still liking each other. They do the whole “not right now” thing, which is VERY teenagery, so it does fit. But it still feels very uncomfortable to read as part of me just keeps going “No you idiots, this is SOLVABLE! Poor communication kills!”
I suppose the College is her first major exposure to more people on her level so it gave her more to think about. I think the most difficult bit for me is where Delwood really leans into creepy nasty with the whole “Gonna take your girl” thing. It’s effective as a story point… and he’s damn lucky Declan didn’t kill him. But Caeco being “shocked” at D’s power feels REALLY weird. yeah in her novel we get her explanation that she thought his “excessive power” was his upper levels and were more rare. I liked her in executable. In College Arcane her character seems to get… broken.
I think that’s because there are SO MANY characters in the novel that she gets sidelined. In her novel she ends up briefing the whole Security Council on Declan, his background etc. And she seems to have briefed Krupp, the FBI and everyone about darn near everything. As she mentions, D has trust issues – break that and you’re dead to him. So I can see why he’s cold to her. And she still acts a bit “victimised” – her blackmail thing in Winterfall… I think that’s explained by her jealousy. But it does feel like it comes out of the blue after she a) broke up with him and b) only calls him when she needs something.
At least she admits that was a shitty thing to do in her book. And YET I still feel she and D work better than D and Stacia, despite really LIKING D and Stacia. I was hoping that Chris would end up with Stacia and Tanya in a weird poly thing because that’d have just been hilarious. Like Barbiel ends up with a memo speaking to Tanya going “uh… so… seems part of you ended up in HER.” But I think that might be too weird.
But maybe D and Stacia move to Faerie and he sets up like, a Were kingdom there and a witch college?
I wonder when they beat the Vorsook, whether they decide to invade Hell. Imagine – setup a portal then get a FOB in Hell itself, build out a camp, start taking the fight to the Demons PROPERLY.
No accord violation! All the humans! And what happens if you consecrate ground IN HELL?!