The Emperor of Nihon-Ja Book

(I just feel the need to explain the 2-stars rating here.)

I've been reading the Ranger's Apprentice series, written by John Flanagan, for the past two years thanks to my good friend Kara. This is the final book, The Emperor of Nihon-Ja and I spent the entire night reading it, instead of going to bed. Haha.

I don't think I've ever done a book review for this series because I've always been relatively impartial about it; it's an okay book for me. Not something I would buy myself each time it comes out, but it's an intriguing read with characters that develop throughout the series and interesting, if sometimes cliched, plotlines.

But something in the last book of the series irritated me so damn much I actually had to sit down and write it.

So the basic premise for the 10th book is this; the Emperor of Nihon-Ja is usurped from his throne, so our heroes go and save him. You know how that ends. Anyway, along for the ride this time is Evanlyn, a girl we've met in the previous books, and Alyss, Will's childhood friend-turned-sweetheart. Will is our main character, the titular Ranger's Apprentice. But this isn't about him.

The books have established in the past 3-4 books that Alyss and Will are together, probably for a few years or more. Now when Evanlyn and Will were featured in the same book together, way back in book 3, it was shown that Evanlyn was interested but Will only saw her as a friend (and some spoiler reasons, which I shan't go into), and that romantic thread was cut off.

Cut to book 10, where Alyss is still constantly jealous over Evanlyn. I'm serious. Alyss is a tall, beautiful, self-aware woman who speaks multiple languages and can kayak, and she spends most of the book being mean and petty to the ONLY OTHER FEMALE CHARACTER IN THE BOOK THANKS TO A LONG-AGO CRUSH WHOSE ROMANCE NEVER EVEN HAPPENED.

I mean, hello? I was seriously so annoyed. Every time I flipped over to the parts of the book which had their POV, it was always like that. And even Evanlyn, who could have just cleared it up that she wasn't interested in Will far earlier in the book, just responds to this in the same manner. They are both so hostile to each other, which I just cannot understand. Every time it switches to their POV, there is always a mention of how much they cannot stand the other girl.

I would have understood if the characters were teenagers. But these two women are around their early twenties; I cannot imagine them fighting over a guy like that. Especially since it's established that Alyss is a level-headed character and Evanlyn, while impulsive, has very good instincts. All throughout the book I was like, "What the fuck, author. WHAT THE FUCK."

I mean of course in the end everything resolves itself, but wow, so they had to fight a gigantic monster together in a life-or-death struggle before they can actually see eye-to-eye? They spend months preparing for a war in a fortress as roommates, you're telling me things couldn't have somehow resolved themselves within that timeframe? SERIOUSLY? I have to be about 50 pages before the book's resolution before the two of them become friends?!

I'm just really disappointed with how John Flanagan treated these two amazing women in his book. He's featured them both as holding out on their own in their own adventures, and even in this book they do that, but they can't get along with their fellow women? I mean, this jealousy and hostility is completely against their character. I can't believe he even let it be the defining point of these two women in the book.

This sort of portrayal gives me a headache. Please. Women do not fight over men as much as movies and books like to think. There is plenty of common ground. Just because women are as stereotyped this way, doesn't mean you have to keep encouraging it.

Plus it even makes canon make no sense. Will and Alyss have been together for a while, and she's still jealous over this childhood crush that happened probably five or so years ago? I just find it so unrealistic. So Alyss happens to be a perfectly capable diplomat, who can stay calm in dangerous meetings, but she's irrational when it comes to Will?

Just. AAAARRRGGGHHH. This book left a bad taste in my mouth, which I wish it hadn't. It's the last book in the series, and I wanted to enjoy it. Instead I got this. I liked Alyss and Evanlyn so much when they both got their time in previous books and I was so excited to see them in this book, and I got this.