#one of the norsemen made one derogatory reference once to m/m sex and other than that it's been radio silence

[tyrannuspitch]

i'm reading this historical novel with a third gender character and like. i don't know how to feel about it. because obviously gender is personal and contextual and they will be operating within their own society's rules. but i feel like the author is keeping things so just-within-the-rules that it almost becomes like... a weird reluctance to engage with actual queerness? only with alternative norms? almost like. inventing new ways to be cis and then doing cisnormativity with them lmao

#so the character was raised a boy but (their words) 'has a woman's body' #they seem to always choose male presentation/roles when they have the choice #but they didn't decide to be raised that way. it was just Their Destiny. #and it's not clear that maleness means much to them besides familiarity and social power #and uh. they're attracted to men and they always identify that as a female feeling #and like the direction we're going in seems to be romance 'reconciling' them with their femaleness :// #(this being a character who has been correctively raped as well.) #(and the men who are attracted to them are never ever treated as queer and only feel attraction once they 'know') #and it's just like. idk. it's a plausible situation but it also feels... unimaginative. limited. ? #like we're heading for a modern feminist 'women can do anything men can and STILL BE WOMEN! :)' thing #and like EVERY part of their identity is justified by being an outside force and not a choice #bleh #this character is inuit. they've also been interacting with norsemen. #one of the norsemen made one derogatory reference once to m/m sex and other than that it's been radio silence #the MC's male presentation has almost always been backed up by 'the gods wanted this' or 'it's just safer' or similar #there was some joy in breaking the rules in the middle of the book but it seems to have faded away #idk. it's interesting but it doesn't feel like the character is actually being treated as a) third gender or b) male #just as a Spirited Woman #the author's note and the blurb both use she/her exclusively. :/ #oh AND bc there are norse characters we've also been talking about loki as genderweird and guess what #he/him exclusively except when in a female 'diguise'. :(