Ladies and gentlemen, lords and ladies, the Drifter strikes again.
Yesterday, I mentioned how I received a seven-word dig by a then-listener of Exiled. This particular incident took place in Chapter 3 and revolved around some comments from Darius' POV that clearly were way too triggering for this individual.
Her un-scathing remark?
Lost me at "a womans cycle." Garbage.
So, I followed up with this:
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This is adult fantasy.
If a few vulgar words trigger you, then there's a plethora of YA fantasy out there that'll give you the warm and fuzzies.
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That was how it was left.
While I sensed there could be a chance she’d follow up, I went about my day anyway. Well, only 2 hours and 14 minutes after sending that email, if I’ll be damned, she replied.
A coincidence?
Or… did she take the bribe and join the Legion? 🤔
In any case, this time, her reply was longer than seven words.
Now, before you grab your popcorn and soda of choice, no, we do NOT have a Trophy Troll in our midst. I know, I know. Disappointing. Her reply isn’t the wall of text that’s typical with these elusive yet prized dissenters, so a disgruntled Drifter is what she remains.
Here was her follow-up:
It is not vulgar, it is sexist slop. I demand better from fantasy novels. When the sexism shows up, I leave.
Oh, gods have mercy on me.
Spare me, Lord. Spare Milo the Muse. Spare my children and Lady Laura, for I was only trying to tell an ADULT fantasy story with imperfect ADULT characters that—
Wait…
What am I doing?
I don’t need mercy.
THIS IS A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION!
They say if you’re not attracting criticism for the things you’re doing, then you’re not any good at what you are doing. Or so they say. Well, as we can safely categorise this Drifter as a critic of mine, it can only mean that I must be doing something right.
Sure, the sales and almost daily praise from fans of the series suggest this.
But hate and criticism — until now — have been in short supply.
Joking and mockery aside, however, I hold no ill will towards this lady.
Hell, if I shared her worldview, I’d NOT like The Divided Region either.
Daisies or daffodils don’t crest every hill. Bloodwolves do not frolic with goats on the open meadows pretending they’re not predators. And quite correctly, my characters aren’t angels.
What can I say?
That’s gritty, adult fantasy for you. 🤷
Much like the world we inhabit, it's not always pleasant or pretty. Good and bad things can (and do) run parallel to each other. But even when you think everything is rotten to its core, there’s always one moment, one action that restores faith and, in turn, balance.
I like to think the characters in TDR do just that…
On occasion.
In any case, I bid this Drifter a fond farewell and thank her for her generous contribution here at the Legion.
We’ve moved several Starter Bundles and individual audiobooks since yesterday’s email went out, which is nothing to sneeze at.
Anyway, if you’re sick of the state of fantasy these days and want something with a bit more grit, and characters who aren’t perfect but are at least believable, then yes, you might not always like some of the things they say or do…
But there’s a good chance you’ll have a blast alongside them.
Only one way to find out:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/TDR-Bundle
DJJW