book question

[fiachairecht]

Hi, friends! I need someone who's read Seth Dickinson's The Traitor Baru Cormorant to answer a question for me before I pick it up. Vague spoilers under the cut, probably more specific ones in comments.

I read a list of content warnings for it and forced pregnancy came up. How big of a thing is that? Is it skippable at all? The book looks so very my thing but pregnancy in any form is usually a no-go for me.

If it's not skippable, is there anything similar you'd rec without the thing?

Comments

[thatyourefuse]

It's not something that stands out in my memory at all, and that's something that ordinarily would if it were a major element; but I also haven't been in the right frame of mind to pick that one up for ages, so hopefully if I'm wrong someone can correct me.

[fiachairecht]

Oh, lovely, thank you! The problem sometimes with big lists of CWs is that there's never really an indication of whether something is a one-line-mention situation or an every-other-chapter-graphic-depiction situation, tbh.

[thatyourefuse]

Oh, agreed. Obviously there's no predicting when one throwaway detail is going to stick in someone's head exactly the wrong way, but I feel like if I were already taking the time and effort to compile a content advisory for an entire novel, especially that kind of one, it probably wouldn't be too much extra time and effort to annotate (approx. number of mentions, plot-bearing, experienced by major character?) along the way.

[spookykingdomstarlight]

The forced pregnancy mentions in the novel are worldbuilding details only at least as of the first novel (I haven't finished The Monster Baru Cormorant). From what I remember, Baru visits a place where breeding experiments are conducted and it's also talked about as a tactic used by the Masquerade to ensure suitable bloodlines in the people they conquer, but it's not front and center. None of the major or minor characters go through any pregnancies, forced or otherwise, themselves and no plot points actually hinge on it.

[fiachairecht]

That I can do knowing about in advance! Thanks babe <3

[spookykingdomstarlight]

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy the book if/when you read it.

[thatyourefuse]

... the sequel's out?

O hell. O hell, I really can't do that to my soul right now. But dang.

[spookykingdomstarlight]

Hehe. Yes, it is! It came out at the end of October (at least in the US).