I still have a small list of titles that I want to get to for possible inclusion in this type of round-up. I think for sanity sake I’m going to cut off my watchlist on the last day of the 2023. If the titles on the top of my world crime watchlist merit the attention, I will create a part 2 post and link to it here. 

Radar Screen

Before we jump into that, let’s pull up the radar screen and mention some titles currently being monitored. I look forward to checking them all out once they hit streaming. Also, because I haven’t seen them yet, I’m guessing at their crime film status

First, here’s a couple 2023 titles that I’m waiting to hit streaming: Concrete Utopia (South Korea), Smugglers (South Korea), The Coldest City (China), Anatomy of a Fall (France), The Goldfinger (China/Hong Kong)

Second, Since the radar screen is up and running, here’s a 2024 release I’m looking forward to: Rob n Roll (Hong Kong)

Favorite 2023 World Crime Films

Bad City (2022)

Language: Japanese

Genre: Crime

Sub-genres: Gangster, action, political intrigue, corruption

Letterboxd Rating: 3.3 / 5

My Rating: 4/5

Streaming: Hoopla, Prime

Synopsis: “When a corrupt businessman decides to run for mayor and starts eliminating opponents from the rival mafia, a former police captain serving time for murder is secretly released and put in charge of a special task force to arrest him.”

Japanese gangster films can be complex and the  plot of Bad City falls in that tradition. I mean, we’re not talking Battles Without Honor and Humanity levels of complexity here but there are still convoluted machinations that create a quicksand pull of shifting loyalties and motives across varying factions of police, government, gangsters, and business which all lead to unexpected temporary unions for the climax. And what a climax! These are brutal, brawling fight scenes with top notch action choreography. It’s a little overlong, especially as it’s all wrapping up, but this is still one of the better crime flicks of the year

Holy Spider (2022)

Language: Persian (Farsi)

Genre: Crime

Sub-genres: Serial Killer, procedural, investigative, social critique

Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5

My Rating: 4/5

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis: “A journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called “Spider Killer”, who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners.”

Holy Spider isn’t a thrilling genre piece played for excitement but instead is a hard look at the death of sex workers on the margins of a society steeped in religious belief. This isn’t a whodunit and we see the man who is killing these women, his regular family life, and the great lengths he goes to in committing these acts. With the protagonist being a journalist, we have a detached view of the crimes and all the layers of society that they cut through. By the end Holy Spider is a full-throated howl of condemnation against a corrupt system. 

iNumber Number: Jozi Gold (2023)

Language: Zulu/Southern Sotho/Afrikaans

Genre: Crime

Sub-genres: Undercover, action, righting social wrongs, Robin Hood style justice, heist

Letterboxd Rating: 2.75/5 (estimated)

My Rating: 3.5/5

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis: “When an undercover cop is tasked with investigating a historic gold heist in Johannesburg, he’s forced to choose between his conscience and the law.”

This is a fun buddy cop, South African crime flick with a Michael Bay style and a good location shots that add to the story and show the city off.

The story is pretty tropey but cultural elements unique to South Africa elevate it. For example, you’ll see an angry police Captain telling off her rogue police detective subordinates in a clicking Zulu dialect. Or when our pair of cops get sent to the basement as a punishment to work with the fuck up squad which is comprised entirely of post-Apartheid white Afrikaans.

The camera is constantly in motion and swinging around. The story is a little overstuffed, and there are a couple of elements that I wonder about the politics of within the South African culture, but this was fun overall.

Iratta (2023)

Language: Malayalam

Genre: Crime

Sub-genres: Procedural, whodunit, locked room, sins of the past

Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5

My Rating: 4/5

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis: “After a cop is found dead, a policeman’s investigation sparks a chilling search for the truth connected to his estranged twin and their fraught past.”

During a crowded public event a shot rings out and a problematic and hated police officer is dead. The victim’s estranged twin brother, a well respected senior detective, is brought in to aid in the investigation. The area is locked down so everyone can be questioned. What the hell happened in that room?

Iratta starts off as a procedural then shifts into a character study of a bad man trying to change (and managing to do so, just a little, for just a bit), before coming back as a detective story, and finally locking all the little pieces into place, and delivering one final blow to the audience.

One of the questions at the heart of the story is can a man change? Can the sins of the father/past and lingering trauma be overcome? There are no tidy answers. 

Joju George does a wonderful job of subtly differentiating between the two brothers in the dual lead roles.

There is one movie that Iratta is being compared to but I won’t name it here because the comparison may be unfair and it also would lessen the effect of the final moments of the film with potential spoilers. 

The Murderer (2023)

Language: Thai

Genre: Crime

Sub-genres: comedy, procedural, horror, non-linear

Letterboxd Rating: 3.3/5

My Rating: 3.5/5

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis: “WITNESS INTERROGATIONS GONE WILD. WHAT THE HECK HAS HAPPENED?

After a series of deaths in a small provincial town, a determined detective attempts to uncover the killer — and British expat Earl is the prime suspect.”

A British expat goes home with his wife to spend some time with her family. A storm is coming and they want to help her family prepare for it. All hell breaks loose one night and a bunch of people are dead. Being the odd man out, Earl is the prime suspect.

The Murderer is a disjointed story told in a non-linear way. It opens in media reis in a horror movie tone with Earl in the dark, covered in blood, holding an axe. He’s confused and scared and we’re effectively dropped right into the middle of things. Then we jump back earlier in time. All of these moments are peppered with interrogation sequences conducted by a detective who isn’t as scary or smart as he thinks he is.

The Murderer is filled with scary moments, violent moments, suspenseful moments, and comedic and funny moments. Tonally it flutters all over the place with whiplash turns through comedy and horror, action and melodrama, slapstick and violence (often in the same scene). The Murderer is wrapped in a candy-colored exterior, featuring lush colors and bright visuals to counterbalance the violence on screen and highlight the comedy. 

Partway through, I thought that this reminded me of Tears of the Black Tiger (2000), a western that pinballs between serial, telo-novela melodrama and ultraviolence. Turns out this is by the same director!

Wingwomen (2023)

Language: French

Genre: Crime

Sub-genres: Comedy, hang-out, heist, buddy, action

Letterboxd Rating: 3.1/5

My Rating: 4.5/5

Streaming: Netflix

Synopsis: “Tired of life on the run, a pro thief decides to retire — but not before one easy last job with her partner in crime and a feisty new getaway driver.”

Wingwomen has fairly mixed reviews but I absolutely loved it. I think it’s being judged on what it isn’t. The story sets up certain action packed, genre thrills expectations that it mostly just doesn’t deliver on. Because it isn’t that kind of movie. This isn’t an action movie (tho there is action) and is only partly a heist movie (tho heists take place). This is a movie where a getaway driver is hired onto the team then never does any actual getaway driving.

Wingwomen is first and foremost a buddy film/hangout movie. It’s not about what these characters do. Because they are very good at their jobs the jobs are always finished and even when things go sideways, these characters always prevail. So the what they do part is covered. This is about who they are. What are they like in their downtime? What are their relationships with each other? It’s about their banter and their closeness and the absolute fun that they have together. If you aren’t ready to coast on those vibes, this won’t be for you. 

A story like Wingwomen lives and dies by the audience’s desire to hang out with these characters and the chemistry between the actors. The chemistry between the characters, especially Mélanie Laurent and Adèle Exarchopoulos, is off the charts.

Laurent’s direction here is gorgeous.

I am aware of this movies faults but its positive qualities far outweigh them. Let me make this clear, Wingwomen is the coolest and sexiest crime flick of the year and I would gladly take 4 more of these movies

Y’all can go to hell with the 3.1 Letterboxd average rating. I’ll be over here swooning for everyone involved.

Honorable Mentions (kind of)

As I was writing this two movies that I was going to include dropped from the streamers that I watched them on. This speaks to the fickle nature of streaming in general but specifically streaming content from other countries. If anything here or on your watchlist looks interesting, jump on it before it goes away. Especially Indian content. I gave each of these films a 4/5 rating.

Those two movies were:

Vaalvi (2023), a Marathi language crime comedy with a 3.6/5 rating on Letterboxd

“A man and the woman he’s having an affair with concoct an elaborate clockwork plan to kill the man’s wife so they can be together. When it comes time to execute the plan, Murphy’s Law kicks in. Mishaps after mishaps pile up in a farcical way in this darkly funny crime comedy.”

Viduthalai pt.1 (2023), a Tamil language crime, period procedural with a 3.9/5 rating on Letterboxd. Part 2 is due out in 2024. One of my favorite crime films of 2023.

“A young, naive, well intentioned police officer is enlisted as part of a team to capture the leader of a separatist group living in a mountainous region. He slowly becomes disillusioned with the police and their tactics and starts to sympathize with the so-called “terrorists”. He is conflicted by these opposing feelings.

Paired Recommendations

The Delinquents (2023, Spanish, Mubi) & Pacifiction (2022, French, Mubi)

I paired these together because they are both ostensibly crime films filmed in a Slow Cinema style. A kind of polarizing Slow Cinema crime double feature that some will vibe with and others will loathe with no middle ground

It might be best to briefly quote the Wiki definition: Slow cinema is a genre of art cinema characterized by a style that is minimalist, observational, and with little or no narrative, and which typically emphasizes long takes.

In the Delinquents, a bank employee does the math and comes up with a plan. He is surrounded by co-workers stuck in time, people who have worked at the bank for decades. If he walks out of the bank with hundreds of thousands of dollars, hides the money with a friend, does his couple of years of jail time, he will have made more money than working his entire life and the rest of his life would be freed up to pursue life however he wanted. And he does exactly that. Much of the movie is spent with his friend who holds the money for him.

The bank appears to be stuck in the 70’s and much of the movie feels unstuck in time. An investigator from The State shows up and questions everyone. This lends a slight procedural element to that section of the film but again, this isn’t a film with genre elements on its mind. Just the lives of two characters being lived in the aftermath of a financial crime.

The Delinquents is beautifully shot and I found the grounded, ordinary lives of the characters as they pass through the years fascinating. My Rating: 3.5/5

In Pacifiction, the character De Roller is a French official on the Island of Tahiti. He’s a man in the know. He’s plugged in with everyone on the island and all of its coming and goings. Until he isn’t. Strange things start to happen. Rumors are circulating. A submarine is off the shore. The geo-politics of the area may be changing. Strangers are showing up on the island that aren’t what they seem. All this plot description of the movie probably conveys more than actually happens.

What does happen is disorienting, atmospheric, and lushly captured. If you click with its wavelength, it’s a hypnotic, seductive, disorienting and charming movie. It’s a Vibes movie. My Rating: 4/5

Pathaan (2023, Hindi, Netflix) & Jawan (2023, Hindi, Netflix)

2023 was Shah Rukh Khan’s year. After some doubts about his career he came roaring back in 2023 with three movies. Two of them, Pathaan and Jawan, are mass entertainer action movies that perfectly showcase his star power while being fun thrill rides also. Pathaan is a spy thriller and Jawan is a crime thriller. I had fun with Pathaan but I loved Jawan. If you like action movies, India has some of the best in the world at the moment and if you want to see an international superstar that you may have been previously unaware of at the top of his game, SRK will dazzle you here. My Rating: Pathaan 3.5/5 & Jawan 4.5/5

Crime Adjacent

Project Wolf Hunting (2022) – Project Wolf Hunting is a South Korean Horror, action movie with some crime elements and criminal characters. It’s currently streaming on Hoopla and Hi-yah. It’s essentially Con Air on a ship, in the middle of the sea, with a monster. A specially designed cargo ship is transporting the worst prisoners. They escape. In the lower levels of the ship the lab results of a special project are also being transported. It escapes also. All hell breaks loose. This is a bloody, messy exercise in pure genre excess. 

It could use a cleaner set-up and not everything works but once the action kicks in who cares? Should become a cult horror classic down the road. My Rating: 4/5

Naga (2023) – Naga is an Arabic language film with crime, horror, and adventure elements that is currently streaming on Netflix.

Naga is about a young Saudi woman who goes out with her boyfriend to a party in the desert to do a little drugs and have some fun. Her very strict father has set a firm curfew for her. She’s convinced she can have fun and make it back in time. Spoiler alert: Things don’t go as planned. 

Naga is a One Crazy Night story filtered through a Saudi Arabian cultural landscape and perspective. A little overstuffed in a couple of places, especially in its final moments, and a couple of plot points that I didn’t quite get, but much of this is tense, chaotic, and energetic. Oh, and there’s a psycho camel in the middle portion! My Rating: 4/5

Jiggarthanda Double X (2023) – Jiggarthanda Double X is a Tamil language film that is hard to contain to one genre. One of the main characters is a gangster and there are certainly gangster story elements present, especially in the first half. It is currently on Netflix.

Jiggarthanda Double X is so multi-faceted and complex that I struggle to reduce it to just a few words here. But let me say this clearly, it is one of the best movies that I saw in 2023 and one of my favorites. It’s an action movie, a gangster movie, a drama, a cop movie, a western. It’s about corruption, land rights, politicians crushing the poor to take their land for real estate deals, and the power of art and cinema. 

A Clint Eastwood film loving gangster wants a movie made about his life. A disgraced police officer goes undercover as a film director as part of a plot to kill the gangster and get reinstated. Along the way, the detective will discover the power of cinema and become a real director and the gangster will discover his true potential as a leader of his people. This is just the tip of the iceberg and no simple synopsis will do this movie justice. 

While this becomes the spine of the movie, it doesn’t start there. We get the stories of not just the two primary players, but other players in the story and other satellite characters. We get their conflicts, rivals, aspirations, and factions. We see their backgrounds and motivations. At first, these elements of the story seem disparate. But this broader tapestry does coalesce into the central movie making story, which is richer for having all of that earlier context. 

Not only is this one of the best Indian movies of the year, it’s one of the best movies of the year period. My Rating: 5/5

Watchlist

These movies are the rest of my watchlist of world crime films from 2023. I hope to get to them soon. If enough of these warrant another piece, I’ll compile a part 2.

The Beasts (2022, Spanish, Mubi)

Devils (2023, Korean, Hoopla)

Hard Days (2023, Japanese, Netflix)

Hidden Blade (2023, Chinese, Prime, Hoopla)

Hurricane Season (2023, Spanish, Netflix)

Jailer (2023, Tamil, Prime)

Kill Boksoon (2023, Korean, Netflix)

Leo (2023, Tamil, Netflix)

Miss Shampoo (2023, Thai, Netflix)

The Squad: Home Run (2023, French, Hulu)

Ten Little Mistresses (2023, Tagalog, Prime)

Thinuvu (2023, Tamil, Netflix)

First I want to highlight two 2022 albums that I discovered in 20233

First is Chinese Football’s album “Win&Lose”

Next is the EP “Unpleasant Living” from Baltimore hardcore band End It. This has been on high rotation since first discovering the band due to Youtube algorithms.

I found Eugene McDaniels’ album “Outlaw” on a playlist of Black folk music and honestly thought it was a newer release. It’s from 1970 and I’ve never heard anything like it before.

Here’s the 2023 albums (in no particular order):

Air Drawn Dagger – “Songs to Fight the Gods To

Die Spitz – “Teeth”

Cobra Spell – “666”

Shitfire – “Shit Genes”

of Tropique – “Buster Goes West”

Pussy Gillette – “Permanent Trash”

Bahboon – “Thunder Ape”

Mats Gustafsson & Joachim Nordwall – “THEIR POWER REACHED ACROSS SPACE AND TIME-TO DEFY THEM WAS DEATH-OR WORSE”

Emergency Group – “Inspection of Cruelty”

Frankensteins Ballet – “Alt Wein”

If you give any of these a listen let me know. Did you have any good music discoveries in 2023?

Review: Fourth Wing, Special Edition

Fourth Wing is an outstanding novel that presents a compelling story about a young woman forced into the Riders Quadrant against her wishes, largely unprepared for the challenges that await her as she tries to survive and bond with a dragon. It has a slow burn romance that follows the enemies to lovers path, but it also has a lot of other themes. It addresses issues about trust and censorship and loyalty, and presents some subtle but powerful commentary on how governments can use censorship to manipulate armies and citizens.

It’s also got the snarkiest dragons around, and some blistering lines that make you laugh. And there are dramatic scenes filled with tension that make your heart race, and gut-wrenching scenes that will break you.

I’ve read Fourth Wing four times to date, and keep picking up things I missed in prior reads. Yarros layers so much information into the text without slowing the pace of the story for a second.

The special edition is fantastic. I loved getting more from Xaden’s perspective. We learn more about how he thinks and what catches his interest, and his weaknesses. We also get to see more of his rapport with Sgaeyl and Garrick, and I loved every second of those interactions.

Variations of this review have been posted on Amazon, Goodreads, and Books-a-Million.

Saint Grit Review

Saint Grit is about Nadine and her rituals and the witch growing inside her.

The author treads into some disturbing places in Saint Grit. Many authors shy away from facing the darkness, but that’s not an issue here. I think the author has plenty of potential, and Saint Grit is an interesting introduction to a writer to watch.

My feelings about Saint Grit are, however, mixed. On one hand, I’m ready to applaud authors who don’t feel pressured to follow conventional story structure if they can pull off a different type of storytelling approach. Unfortunately, Saint Grit misses the mark for me. 

Nadine moves in and out of situations without much transition or foreshadowing. And because we don’t have a more conventional plot structure at work, there’s no sense of what’s coming in the story. Sometimes, that allows the author to surprise the reader. But sometimes, it denies them any sense of anticipation. I had no sense of Nadine being on a growth arc or a situation developing that would force an inevitable confrontation or choice that would determine the story’s outcome. Consequently, I didn’t feel a sense of urgency when reading. I didn’t know where the story was going, but I also wasn’t curious about it. I figured it would move from one vile act to another, and I wish I saw more purpose in that.

I do think stories with unlikable protagonists can be as compelling as those with heroes. However, there’s no real character arc, other than the growth of Saint Grit inside Nadine. Still, that growth doesn’t really change much about her. What we don’t have is understanding for why Nadine chose the path she’s on. Was she simply bitter about living in her older brother’s shadow, or did she embrace witchcraft because she was simply evil? And she’s as evil at the start as she is at the end. Her commitment to her path never waivers, even when nature fails her. She’s a horrible person, full stop.

And no matter how horrid her actions, we never got the sense Nadine was ever in trouble, that there was any threat to her safety, so the story lacks the level of narrative tension it could have had if there’d been potential consequences for her actions.

Personally, I’m less interested in the women-are-evil-witches-out-to-get-men storylines, so feel free to factor that into my opinion. That could be part of the reason this didn’t work as well for me as I hoped it would.

My takeaway here is that this book made me think that, as they hone their craft, this author could produce something truly reminiscent of the genius of Sara Gran’s Come Closer or Samantha Kolesnik’s True Crime. Saint Grit falls short of that, but the hints of promise are there. 3.25 stars.

Synopsis:

Private investigator Frank Armstrong barely scrapes by in the Los Angeles underbelly until “the big one” hits his desk. Locate and retrieve the daughter of a drug kingpin, and he can finally afford more than the one-dollar meatloaf. Unfortunately, the job offer arrives just as the symptoms of his fatal, late-stage brain tumor intensify. Frank must find the target and keep her safe while time collapses, family turns into foe, and the specter of his murdered wife resurfaces in the eyes of a mobster’s daughter.


Incognegro by Mat Johnson and Warren Pleece

Synopsis:

In the early 20th Century, Zane Pinchback, a reporter for the New Holland Herald, is sent to investigate the arrest of his own brother, charged with the brutal murder of a white woman in Mississippi. With a lynch mob already swarming, Zane, whose skin color is light enough that he can pass for white, must stay ”incognegro” long enough to uncover the truth behind the murder to save his brotherand himself.

Silverfish by David Lapham

Synopsis:

Mia Fleming’s dad and new stepmother are away for the weekend, when she discovers her stepmother’s secret possessions, and now she will try to unravel her twisted double life without unleashing a box of horrors.

You Have Killed Me by Jamie S. Rich and Joëlle Jones

Synopsis:

Antonio Mercer is a private eye by trade, a man bad luck seems to follow, as evidenced by his newest client—the sister of his former lover, Julie Roman, who’s now disappeared. And Julie’s sister, Jessica, is a real piece of work. Still, Mercer takes the case, getting entangled in the same family drama that drove him away. Well, maybe not exactly the same, because the Romans have made some… unsavory connections. As the bodies start piling up, Mercer has no choice but to see the case through to its end—or become one of its casualties.

Green Fuse Burning Review

There are times in our lives when it feels like life is controlling us, and we’re being swept along, powerless to change our course. There are other times, when we feel we can take charge, forge our own path, determine our destiny.

When we lose someone, it’s common to feel like we no longer have control over our lives. It’s natural to grieve. We grieve a person, a lost relationship, but sometimes, we grieve for even more. Some grieve the loss of possibilities, of hopes for a future unrealized. Some grieve the loss of connection, how the person’s absence unmoors us and casts us adrift, without the link we needed to tie us to our family, culture, or peers.

Rita’s suffering from all these losses. Her grief for her father includes her grief over future hopes unrealized and that loss of connection, to her culture and community. Those hopes she had to build and strengthen connections amplify the loss of connection she feels because she’d hoped to be closer to her father, to connect to her Mi’kmaw roots, to connect to her people.

At this point, Rita’s loss of relationships is the tipping point, pushing her into revelations about herself that have always seeped into her art. Now, she can finally put words to those revelations. She says at one point:

Life was like a language I couldn’t speak.

We feel that truth on the page.

Morris’s writing style is immersive. It flows like thought. The mind forms connections and these connections aren’t always anchored in wise words or profound events. Sometimes, it’s in the quiet moment when revelation strikes, in a series of thoughts that connect in ways that aren’t immediately apparent, and that’s true for Rita.

Rita’s mind is pushing her towards realizations about herself, her grief, and her place in the world. It’s a powerful and heart-wrenching journey, and I felt her grief, loneliness, and despair on every page until the end, when Rita must either wrest control of her life, anchored in her discoveries, or let life sweep her away.

A beautiful and powerful story. This could be hard for anyone dealing with loss and grief. There’s much here that will resonate with Indigenous persons disconnected from their culture and ancestors, trying to find their place in the world. Oh, and the artwork is incredible. Stelliform Press has paid attention to all the details, producing a work of art worthy of 5/5 stars.

Review: All the Small Wonderful Things

All the Small Wonderful Things is a middle grade novel by Australian author Kate Foster. Don’t let the term ‘middle grade’ fool you. Many think writing for kids is easy, when in fact, it’s extremely difficult. And in All the Small Wonderful Things, Foster has delivered a powerful narrative that parents, professionals who work with children, and, in particular, people with autism can treasure. Anyone who’s ever been lonely will relate to this story.

Foster draws from her experience as someone with autism to deliver powerful representation in a way that’s accessible to readers ages eight through 98. In All the Small Wonderful Things, Foster immerses us in Alex’s experience, showing us how overwhelming loud noises and uncomfortable situations are for him while he tries to navigate his last year of primary school and make a friend before he starts secondary school.

He’s convinced himself that if he wins a trophy, he’ll make friends, which means he won’t be bullied in secondary school. Alex works to train his dog, Kevin, to enter a competition.

All the Small Wonderful Things also gently touches on things like divorce and foster care. Foster does more than simply present a school bully; she weaves in some details that humanize him, and help Alex and the readers see that sometimes, people are mean because they’re hurting. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, but the way this part of the story developed was really beautiful.

Foster’s writing is sublime. This is an elegantly written story that effortlessly kept me turning the pages, curious to see how Alex would cope with the challenges that arose on his journey. The story is laced with love; it’s so heartfelt and relatable that I cried several times.

In addition to highlighting some of the challenges some people with autism face, Foster organically weaves in strategies family members, peers, and people with autism can use to manage challenging situations. In that respect, this story is an excellent resource that can broaden the reader’s understanding of autism and how to help people with autism manage in situations they find difficult. It isn’t a universal blueprint, because each person with autism is unique, but speaking from experience working with students with autism and as someone learning late-in-life they’re AuDHD, it’s very helpful.

I highly recommend All the Small Wonderful Things. 5 stars.

I don’t remember ever coming up with a checklist of things to look for in a fiction book I’m planning to read, but then Rebecca Yarros and Fourth Wing happened. With Iron Flame coming out in just over 8 days, I’m sharing my predictions, checklist, and a few final theories.

Predictions

Keeping secrets from Rhi will help Vi forgive Xaden and/or prompt her to tell Rhiannon about the venin. 

In Fourth Wing, Vi feels guilty for keeping secrets from Rhi. p283, she references the secrets. On page 367 she thinks:

Now guilt bites into me for a whole other reason. Rhiannon is my friend, my closest one here, if I’m being honest about what Dain and I have become. Of everyone, she should know—

We’ll learn more about the military leaders and the corruption in Navarre.

I think the military leadership is keeping the truth secret to continue the war with Poromiel. Peacetime means a lack of military funding and deprioritizing military operations. It also means military leaders can lose influence. I think the real reason the war’s been going on for hundreds of years is that Navarre’s military leaders want to retain power.

Checklist – Things to Look For

1. How did Brennan survive? Where is his dragon?

2. Information about Xaden’s mother. That could prove or disprove the Xaden royalty theory, or that she was killed or turned by venin. I’m not sure I want Xaden to be royal because I want the monarchy overthrown. But I also trust the author.

3. Information about how Dain’s signet works. We know he says he has to touch the temple, but Xaden demonstrated cupping the cheek. What’s the truth?

4. Information about Dain’s mother and Colonel Aetos’s signet.

5. What will the signet power from Andarna be?

6. Confirm or disprove the second signet theory about the marked ones.

7. Information about Violet’s Dad’s death, and whether Lilith or someone in the Scribe Quadrant murdered him. I do believe Dad’s research referenced by Colonel Aetos on page 308 will be crucial for the revolution moving forward.

8. Information about a dragon rebellion, and whether all dragons know about the venin.

9. Were Jesinia and Liam sleeping together? We know Liam flirted with Jesinia and on page 424, when they’re summoned for War Games, he’s still buttoning his shirt and gets embarrassed when Violet asks about his night, which suggests maybe something was going on with someone. If it was Jesinia, will this prompt Jesinia to join the rebellion as Violet’s source in the Scribe Quadrant?

Additions:

Does Mira know about Brennan? Is she a double agent?

Other things to look for:

Andarna royalty and parentage theory evidence. Is she royalty? Is she from the future, and Tairn and Sgaeyl are her real parents? How will she misbehave as a teenage dragon? How will they keep her growth hidden from leadership?

Violet venin theories. Was General Sorrengail infected by venin when pregnant with Violet? I don’t see enough evidence to suggest that Violet’s mom or dad weren’t her real mom or dad, but any family information is always welcome.

Does Mira know about the rebellion?

Anything about Ridoc. Still hoping we get a companion novella about his sexual exploits at Basgiath.

Proving Theories

War Games Setup

I’ll be looking for information to prove or disprove my theory that the war games setup at the end of Fourth Wing was planned before Dain knew about Athebyne. I’ve elaborated on that theory previously, and while I believe he knew something was in the works, I don’t think he’s solely or even primarily responsible. This was something Colonel Aetos did. Whether Colonel Aetos acted under orders from General Sorrengail remains to be seen.

I also want to note that the third years were the first marked ones who’d be seeing active duty. We saw how people outside Basgiath and outside the Riders Quadrant responded when they saw the marked ones. I wonder if leadership knew they’d have an issue in their ranks, particularly when someone like Xaden Riorson assumed leadership, and were plotting to get rid of him for months. 

General Sorrengail

I’ll be looking for confirmation that General Sorrengail is pure evil and not on the side of the rebellion. I also believe she put the 107 scars on Xaden’s back. No matter what, she’s emotionally abusive, and I’m never going to like her. If she’s pro-rebellion, I’ll grudgingly tolerate her.

Dain’s Motives

My final theory is that Dain had other motives for getting Violet out of the Riders Quadrant than just fear about her dying. I want to note that this doesn’t justify his actions. Dain did not believe in Violet and he tried to coerce her to leave. He didn’t respect her decisions. And at some point—we don’t know when, but at some point—he started reading her memories without consent. Dain has a lot to answer for.

However, I’ve been wondering if part of the reason or the real reason he wanted to keep her out of the Riders Quadrant had to do with the plans to set up Xaden and the marked ones. From page 52, we know he’s being groomed for leadership. Page 287 Dain says:

“Look, you don’t know everything there is to know about Xaden, Vi. I have a higher security clearance due to my signet, and you need to be careful. Xaden has secrets, reasons to never forgive your mother, and I don’t want him to use you to get his revenge.”

Violet then asks him:

“Wait, did you keep begging me to leave Basgiath because you didn’t think I could survive here—or because you were trying to get me away from Xaden?”

Also, remember Professor Carr’s advice to Violet on page 386:

“Keep your loyalties clear. You and Riorson both have exceptional, lethal power that any rider would be envious of. But together?” His bushy brows furrow. “You would be a formidable enemy who command could simply not afford to let exist.”

Remember at Threshing, when Violet bonded both dragons, Dain begged her to go with Andarna only. 

P185:

“I’m not choosing,” I repeat, softer this time. What if I can’t have either of them? What if they’ve broken some sacred rule and now we’ll all be punished?

“You are. And it has to be Andarna.” (Dain) grips my shoulders and leans in, an edge of urgency in his tone.

Then he does an about face on page 191:

“Violet!” Dain reaches me, his smile wide as he cups my face. “You kept both of them!”

I wonder if Dain knew leadership was after Xaden. Maybe he saw her memory of her first encounter with Xaden, or he was simply worried about Xaden wanting revenge against her mother, and feared she’d get caught up in it. I wonder if he was worried he’d be ordered to spy on her. Dain tried very hard to keep Violet from going with Xaden at the end, which certainly suggests he knew something was up, and he was still trying to keep Violet out of it.

I actually wonder if he kissed her to try to keep her away from Xaden. I still think his dad gave him shit for it, but I wonder if, in the moment, he thought if they got together, he might be able to shield her from what was coming.

As it is, his ploy to get her to leave the Riders Quadrant was a bad plan. Even if Markham let her go to the Scribe Quadrant and stayed quiet, the other instructors in the Riders Quadrant would notice she wasn’t there and her mom would have found out. And I’m pretty sure it would have been breaking the rules to smuggle her out. Graduate or die, right? I think there’s a whole mess of stuff going on with Dain that we don’t know about, and while he certainly emphasized fear she’d die when he tried to persuade her to leave, I’m not convinced it was the only reason he tried to get her out. 

Frankly, a few chapters in Dain’s point of view could be mind blowing and expose the corruption within the leadership. I want to know what’s up with his mom because he needs his head set on straight, and he needs to change his thinking about Violet and how he treats people. But I do think if he realizes he’s being manipulated by leadership, there’s hope for him to change. I save my hate for the leadership, who I hold responsible for senseless deaths in the Riders Quadrant—which is a whole other topic of discussion I might tackle after Iron Flame—and on the front lines of Navarre by continuing a war with Poromiel instead of dealing with the real enemy. 

And the one Certainty?

Rebecca Yarros will gut us emotionally and leave us in ruins at the end of Iron Flame. I don’t think we’re getting an HEA until book 5 friends, so buckle up and schedule your therapy appointments now.

Review: The Rebel King by Gina L. Maxwell

(Video review option at the bottom)

The Deviant Kings series is about the three Verran brothers. Of the three brothers, Tiernan’s the least suited to the role of king, but after his brother had to give up the throne because of an ancient curse, Tiernan finds himself months away from his coronation at the start of The Rebel King. 

When dark fae become the victims of heinous crimes, Tiernan has to cope with an imminent threat to his people, forcing an investigation into the murders and who is behind them. 

The investigative aspects are more prominent in this book than in The Dark King and triggered my procedural mindset.  Now, I have a reason for mentioning this. I wrote police procedurals, and I’m super fussy about amateur sleuth stories. There are some exceptions, but many don’t work for me because I can’t bridge the believability gap, so I never really lose myself in the story. I usually find it easier if it’s a pure fantasy or sci fi setting, because there’s a real world disconnect already. The Rebel King combines fantasy and real world settings. So how did The Rebel King fare?

I was often thinking, “Do this,” or “Ask that,” only for them not to. And that was both brilliant and believable, because one of the things amateur sleuth stories often get wrong is making their sleuth an expert investigator, like they’re some sort of investigative savant who accidentally became a carpenter. It’s one thing if they’re a journalist, quite another if they’re a prince who’s better known for partying than solving crimes. As smart as they are, Tiernan and Fiona would make mistakes. This was one of those times part of me was shouting at them not to be stupid while applauding the author for making their actions credible, which is an exceptionally fine line to walk.

Both The Dark King and The Rebel King are lean, action-packed stories, and I love action. I love learning who a character is by seeing what they do instead of spending pages of them lost in their thoughts, and one reason I’m now sold on Gina L. Maxwell as an author is because of her ability to tell action-packed stories that immerse me in the characters’ lives without skimping on character development. Both Tiernan and Fiona have to work through some issues and come to terms with their feelings and their responsibilities, and those personal journeys parallel the events that unfold.

There’s plenty of sex in The Rebel King, and it ties to the plot and character arcs. Diana Gabaldon wrote “Everything in fiction writing comes down to character, and sex scenes are no different.” (Source: “I Give You My Body…”: How I Write Sex Scenes). That’s evident here because of the differences between sex in The Dark King and The Rebel King. We also see Tiernan processing some trauma from a prior sexual encounter, which was an important part of his arc. The sex is integral to the story and the character growth.

Ultimately, The Rebel King made me think about identity. This theme is woven into the fabric of The Dark King as well, but it really shines in The Rebel King. Tiernan’s feelings about humans make him ideally suited to the challenges he faces in The Rebel King. And like Bryn in The Dark King, Fiona faces shocking revelations about her identity and her past that change the course of her life. But Tiernan’s choices are revolutionary, and speak to acceptance, integration, and cultural progress. Events unfold the way they do because of who Tiernan and Fiona are, and particularly because of Tiernan’s beliefs. And perhaps in the ultimate contrast to his party boy reputation, Tiernan is all heart, cares deeply, values life, and is more than willing to throw away tradition and ancient biases. 

Not only does he mature and learn to stand up for himself while protecting his family’s legacy, he has the courage to confront outdated traditions and fight for himself and Fiona. 

For me, this was a 5 star read, and if Maxwell ever writes a Law & Order: Special Fae Unit, I’m there.

There isn’t a day that I’m online that I don’t see someone post about how much they hate Dain Aetos. All the Dain hate has made me re-evaluate how I see him, and whether I think Dain’s series arc includes eventual redemption.

I want to start with some personal details, because they do influence my suspicions about Dain. First, the way I grew up, your backside would be raw if you were caught majorly stepping out of line, so I didn’t. I also had a parent who was undiagnosed bipolar, and that contributed to some challenges for me at home. Consequently, school was a comfortable environment and I liked school. I’m not sure why I feel the need to apologize for that, even now, but being bullied and taunted about being a brown noser/goody two shoes because I liked learning is a trauma I’m still trying to unpack. As some of you know, I was severely beaten during my grade 9 year and forced to transfer to a school in another town for my safety. 

I sought safety through religion. I needed the world to be black and white and make sense (which I realize now probably stems from autism). Some of you know I spent several years involved in missionary work and I’ve alluded to my religious deprogramming before.

Because of the bullying I experienced, I’m mindful of the fact that people are often vilified for doing the right thing. Snitches get stitches, right? (And listen to video #1 if you want to hear a personal story about manipulation and responsibility.)

Everyone’s thinking is influenced by others. Politicians skew messages to stir up our fears and support their agenda, and skilled politicians even make people think their beliefs are their own. The media skews news. When I was studying journalism, we did an analysis of political profiles in Maclean’s. These weren’t the exact terms (this was 30 years ago) but the gist was that a favored politician was described as looking thoughtful, being patient, talking pleasantly. An unfavored politician was described as brisk, frowning, scowling, etc. The peppering of adjectives fosters an impression the publication wishes to convey.

I feel both Dain and Violet have been conditioned, perhaps even brainwashed, into their ideological beliefs. One example is how Violet blames Poromiel for refusing to accept peace. We know she learns later that she’s been sold a bill of goods by her government, and the final chapters of Fourth Wing turn her beliefs upside down as she realizes the truth.

Let’s look at Dain at Montserat. On page 335 Mira initiates a training exercise.

“How many of you have been called out as third-years?” Mira stands straight, folding her arms over her black leathers and the strap that holds her sword to her back.

Emery and Xaden raise their hands, though Xaden’s is barely a gesture.

Dain looks like his head is about to explode. “That’s not correct. We’re never called into service until graduation.”

Xaden presses his lips in a tight line and nods, giving him a sarcastic thumbs-up.

“Yeah, all right.” Emery laughs. “Just wait until next year. I can’t count how many times we’re the ones sitting in these very rooms in the midland forts because their riders have been called to the front for an emergency.”

The color drains from Dain’s face.

Dain has been taught things are a certain way, and when they aren’t that way, he’s shocked. This is an example of him realizing he’s been misinformed or had things held back from him, which is something that rattles him.

Now, I realize part of his response connects to his need to know everything. However, I think it suggests he’s being misled and manipulated, and it’s worth noting that it isn’t just Dain that cites regulations. 

Let’s take a look at the night Violet starts channeling and her dragon doesn’t shield while he’s busy with his mate. On page 273, she runs outside.

My eyes pop open at the scent in the air and I whirl, my cloak whipping out behind me as I find the source of the sweet, easily identifiable smoke.

Xaden is leaning back against the wall, one foot braced on the stone, smoking and watching me like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

“Is that…churam?”

He blows out a puff of smoke. “Want some? Unless you’re here to continue our earlier argument, in which case, none for you.”

My jaw practically unhinges. “No! We’re not allowed to smoke that!”

Now, Dain and Violet are two different people. Dain leans hard into the rules; Violet learns to bend them, and we see this when she defeats the Gauntlet. On page 140, Amber Mavis calls Violet a cheater, and Violet does back herself up quoting the Codex, but before that, she has this thought:

No wonder she and Dain are so close – they’re both in love with the Codex.

I don’t want to sidetrack into a discussion about Violet; it’s just worth noting that on page 141 she says, “The right way isn’t the only way,” and wins her case against Amber, and if you’ve read the book, you know that disagreement isn’t over. 

Dain and Violet are different. But both of them have been conditioned to think in a specific way.

Our introduction to Dain comes through Mira in chapter 1. He’s supposed to be a friend, someone to keep Violet safe. And it’s also clear Violet is interested in Dain.

Page 11:

“Dain?” I can’t help but smile at the thought of seeing Dain again, and my heart rate jumps … I’ve missed our friendship, and the moments I thought it might turn into something more.

In my thoughts on General Sorrengail, I explained the definition of emotional abuse and cited examples of Lilith’s emotional abuse of Violet. In addition to her abuse, she failed to prepare Violet for the Parapet, ignored the fact that what she was wearing would get her killed, and then may have used her signet to try to kill Violet while she was on the Parapet. 

Violet makes it across because of Mira, and when she gets across, it’s Dain who helps her. He sees her injured. He sees her shaking and nauseous. Her mother may have tried to kill her. Can we really blame Dain for wanting to get her out? At that point, I don’t think we can.

Now, we do see early on that Dain’s willing to break or bend some rules. On page 33 he takes her to his room to wrap her knee, and it’s noted that she’s not supposed to be up there. However, that isn’t the only time she’s in his room. I’m going to point back to this later with a theory.

During Xaden’s speech on Conscription Day, he says on page 44:

Roughly half of you will be dead by this time next summer.” The formation is silent except for a few untimely sobs from my left. “A third of you again the year after that, and the same your last year. No one cares who your mommy or daddy is here. Even King Tauri’s second son died during his Threshing.”

Can we really blame Dain for being worried about Violet?

For me, Dain crosses the line on page 71. Violet needs medical care after Imogen snaps her arm when sparring, and Dain tries to get her to go to the scribe quadrant. Violet says no. After this, his repeated efforts to get her to leave demonstrate a fundamental disrespect for her right to make her own choices, which is something I also hold against General Sorrengail.

There’s also the issue of consent. We don’t know if Dain’s reading her memories all the time. However, when the conflict with Amber Mavis comes to the fore, and Xaden accuses Amber of trying to kill Violet, Dain tries to take Violet’s memories without consent. 

On page 244:

He lifts his hands, as though ready to cup my face. “Let me see.”

The shock of what he intends to do has me stumbling backward. How have I forgotten that his signet allows him to see others’ memories?

Consent is a significant issue with Dain, tied to his unwillingness to respect Violet. He seems to have a sense of entitlement.

But I do think it’s a more nuanced discussion than it seems. I noted earlier that Dain snuck Violet into his room on more than one occasion, showing a willingness to bend the rules. There’s also a strong inference he was involved with Amber Mavis during his first year, and she was a year ahead of him and in leadership. Since it’s frowned upon for first years to get involved with ranking second- and third-years, it suggests he was breaking a few rules in his first year, too.

And let’s talk about another occasion when Dain bends the rules: Threshing.

Pages 191-192:

Dain’s hands lace up my corset quickly, then are on my face, tipping it up toward his.

“You have to know that I would do anything to save you, Violet, to keep you safe,” he blurts, panic in his eyes. “What Riorson said…” He shakes his head.

“I know,” I say reassuringly, nodding even as something cracks in my heart. “You always want me safe.” He’d do anything. Except break the rules.

“You have to know how I feel about you.” His thumb strokes over my cheek, his eye searching for something, and then his mouth is on mine.

His lips are soft, but the kiss is firm, and delight races up my spine. After years, Dain is finally kissing me.

The thrill is gone in less than a heartbeat. There’s no heat. No energy. No sharp slice of lust. Disappointment sours the moment, but not for Dain. He’s all smiles as he pulls away.

It was over in an instant.

It was everything I’ve ever wanted…except…

Shit. I don’t want it anymore.

Why does the kiss matter? Because the ranking military officers, including Violet’s mom and presumably Dain’s dad, were at Threshing. Also my references to Dain bending the rules in his first year, and early on with Violet? He wasn’t allowed contact with his family as a first-year. But Colonel Aetos references talking to Dain on page 307.

My theory is that Dain got in some serious shit for kissing Violet. He was smiling after the kiss. On page 204, he says it was a mistake. We know Dain must be an exceptional rider because he’s second year and a squad leader. Page 32:

Squad leader? My brows jump. The highest ranks among the cadets in the quadrant are winglader and section leader. Both positions are held by elite third-years. Second-years can rise to quad leaders, but only if they’re exceptional.

Plus, with Dain’s signet, it’s suggested he’s being groomed for intelligence work, referenced on page 52.

Then, on page 287 Dain tells Violet:

“Look, you don’t know everything there is to know about Xaden, Vi. I have a higher security clearance due to my signet, and you need to be careful. Xaden has secrets, reasons to never forgive your mother, and I don’t want him to use you to get his revenge.”

It should also be noted that when Violet’s squad breaks into General Sorrengail’s office, on page 319, she sees a letter about unrest in Tyrrendor and fear Navarre might lose the people’s support. This means there’s a potential for another rebellion. 

I’m pointing this out because we don’t know what Dain’s been told, exactly, but between his comments about Xaden and the note that he’s being groomed for intelligence work, it seems he’s been told something that makes him okay with stealing Violet’s memories. 

And here’s the thing. He probably believes what he’s doing is right because it’s for the greater good, and he doesn’t see he’s being manipulated. 

One one hand, Dain told Violet on page 52, “I just put my hands on someone’s temples and I can see what they saw.” On the other, Xaden demonstrates Dain uses his power by touching the cheek, on page 450. It certainly seems we can be angry with Dain for lying to Violet.

But there are things we can’t be angry with him for. One, Xaden told Violet about Athebyne the day after they had sex, on page 391, and we have no indication of Dain touching Violet for well over a month, until Reunification Day. Within hours, best guess around 8 hours later, Xaden’s group is sent there to die. I think this was only feasible because on page 319, Violet saw the letter about potentially abandoning Athebyne. I think the setup was in motion before Dain confirmed the location, just because of the time that would have been needed to lure the venin to that location. (Refer to the last page of the book for confirmation what happened was no accident.) (See note below about the timeline.)

Two, many blame Dain for sending Violet, but he didn’t. Xaden ordered Violet to come with his group. Dain argued with him. Page 429:

 “Don’t do this. Riders are known to die during War Games, and she’s safer with me,” Dain argues …

Xaden responds:

“I’m not dignifying that with a response. This is an order.”

If we want to blame Dain, let’s blame him for the things he’s guilty of. Disrespecting Violet. Failing to believe in her. And violating her, even if he thought it was serving the greater good.

But let’s not blame him for something he did not do. He may have helped send Xaden, Garrett, Bodhi, and the others to potentially die. But he did not send Violet to die.

On page 32, Violet recalls:

Dain, who held me together when Mira left for the Riders Quadrant and again when Brennan died.

Because of the concerns about another potential rebellion and whatever Dain was told about Xaden, I think he felt justified following orders and accessing Violet’s memories. It doesn’t mean I agree with that. But I don’t feel it’s fair to completely blame Dain. This is a young man who’s still learning, who yeah, is flawed, but he doesn’t have to be written off as irredeemable at the age of 21. The true test of Dain’s character will be when his eyes are opened to the corruption, and what he does then. 

I’m Xaden and Violet all the way, but Dain isn’t a lost cause. Most of us would like to think we deserve second chances to change. I look back on my missionary service and some of my rather puritan attitudes and judgements from decades ago, and am thankful I had a chance to change. Dain has the potential to have an incredible transformational arc, and to illustrate ideological deprogramming with his transformation. Will that happen? Who knows. It’s two weeks today until we find out more in Iron Flame.

Note:

About the timeframe. We know that Xaden says on page 484 it’s a 12 hour flight back to Basgiath from where they are. Even accounting for the distance from Athebyne to the settlement in Poromiel, it’s at least 11 hours from Athebyne to Basgiath. What else do we know? On page 399, Devera tells them the fireworks are at 9 p.m. and on page 400, Violet refers to it being night when she goes to the celebration. We also know it’s July, so presumably, it doesn’t get dark early.

And on page 423, Xaden says it’s 4:15 a.m. when they’re called from his room. This is how I’ve estimated at best, 8 hours of time between Dain learning about Athebyne and Xaden’s group being ordered there.

For those preferring video links: