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Responsibility of the Crown
“She is your responsibility.”
Responsibility doesn’t know why her dragon mother left her with the crew of the Century Ship Ekkaia. She doesn’t know why she has wings instead of arms, nor her real name. All she knows is that Ekkaia’s crew keeps her as little better than a prisoner.
She has long since given up hope of her mother’s return, but when the Ekkaia rescues a shipwrecked man whose face resembles her own, she finally has the key to unlock the door to her past.
Beyond that door, she discovers a home she never knew existed, threatened by an unimaginable foe. When she stumbles upon a deadly plot, she must risk a return to captivity or see all that she loves destroyed.
Can Responsibility put aside all she has been to become all she was supposed to be?
“Huggins is one of the most imaginative new writers out there today: buy his stuff.”
— Larry Correia, Author of the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior
Responsibility doesn’t know why her dragon mother left her with the crew of the Century Ship Ekkaia. She doesn’t know why she has wings instead of arms, nor her real name. All she knows is that Ekkaia’s crew keeps her as little better than a prisoner.
She has long since given up hope of her mother’s return, but when the Ekkaia rescues a shipwrecked man whose face resembles her own, she finally has the key to unlock the door to her past.
Beyond that door, she discovers a home she never knew existed, threatened by an unimaginable foe. When she stumbles upon a deadly plot, she must risk a return to captivity or see all that she loves destroyed.
Can Responsibility put aside all she has been to become all she was supposed to be?
“Huggins is one of the most imaginative new writers out there today: buy his stuff.”
— Larry Correia, Author of the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2021
17 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 26, 2021
I have read a lot of Scott Huggins’ work over the years with delight. This was not one of those experiences.
On a world dominated by a great ocean, three different cultures are brought into conflict: The Consortium, a technologically advanced, expansionist civilization, with both land and sea power; the Grove, a merchant nation with massive trading ships, that journey for decades between stops at the home port; and, Evenmarch, which blends dragon and human citizens with reliance on supernatural forces. These are not the only forces at play, but they form the background against which the characters play out their own drama.
I found two bizarrely disruptive changes from what I have come to expect of this author: first, there are huge gaps in the narrative; second, the protagonist has an irritatingly lumpy progression in her character arc.
The first gap in the narrative comes at the very beginning. Without ANY preparation, we are tossed into an action scene involving Responsibility and Zhad. We are clued in to the fact that Zhad is blind, by the statement that his eyes are white, and his demand that Responsibility tell him what she sees, but we are given NOTHING to tell us about who, or what, or even where Responsibility is, or the significance of her name. In the “Acknowledgments” section, the author mentions two prior works involving the character, and perhaps all the necessary back-story is contained there. However, none of that was available to me, and I had to collect the history in minute amounts as it was doled out in the narrative. Had this been an author I was not familiar with, or less favorably inclined toward, I would not have bothered.
There is a similar gap, although not as severe, in the narrative between chapters 7 and 8. At the end of Chapter 7, Responsibility, now known by her true name of Azriyqam, has just faced a death duel, and has been given significant instruction on aspects of loyalty and unity. In the very next page, with no transition given at all, we read that she is drowning, followed by a confusing narrative about her instruction in the supernatural arts. I found this to be utterly disorienting; it took me entirely out of the story.
The second significant glitch I encountered was the inconsistent progress that the protagonist makes during the story. Admittedly, there is much she has to adjust to; initially, she is a much abused and neglected prisoner, always fearing for her life. Very early in the book, however, she discovers that she is the daughter of the ruler of a powerful kingdom. The whole of the book deals with her spiritual journey to accept and emerge into her new role.
However, she is both poorly instructed, in some cases, and then often resistant to what instruction she is given. For example, we learn that she is unable to to pronounce certain phrases of power correctly, as long as she clings to her learned accent. However, if she intentionally mimics the speech of one of her antagonistic characters, her pronunciation is perfect. Despite learning this trick, however, she refuses to implement it.
She seems to shift from acceptance to rejection at random.
Her stubborn refusal to accept the need to adapt is mirrored perfectly in another character, who is forced by circumstances to become an ally. In her case, though, she has her intransigent behavior stuffed into her face:
And, who is the wiser person who forces this realization? None other than Responsibility/Azriyqam. So, if she preach it, why can’t she live it out?
I really liked the culture clashes possible with the three distinct civilizations. The great world-spanning oceans might be exactly what permits each grouping to go its’ own way, with civilizations based on water at a technological disadvantage to those with access to mineral resources on land. The story of the Lost Princess/Prince is a good one, and can be enjoyed in many permutations. I also appreciate the various aspects of sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic being used in the story; at one point, radio is explained by one character to another as sorcery, because the tech is too confusing.
Although much of the main storyline is resolved, there are many threads that can be followed in the future. I hope that in those theoretical future volumes, the author will provide the reader with enough history to prevent the disorientation that I experienced. I certainly remain a fan of his work, and hope to see more on the way.
On a world dominated by a great ocean, three different cultures are brought into conflict: The Consortium, a technologically advanced, expansionist civilization, with both land and sea power; the Grove, a merchant nation with massive trading ships, that journey for decades between stops at the home port; and, Evenmarch, which blends dragon and human citizens with reliance on supernatural forces. These are not the only forces at play, but they form the background against which the characters play out their own drama.
I found two bizarrely disruptive changes from what I have come to expect of this author: first, there are huge gaps in the narrative; second, the protagonist has an irritatingly lumpy progression in her character arc.
The first gap in the narrative comes at the very beginning. Without ANY preparation, we are tossed into an action scene involving Responsibility and Zhad. We are clued in to the fact that Zhad is blind, by the statement that his eyes are white, and his demand that Responsibility tell him what she sees, but we are given NOTHING to tell us about who, or what, or even where Responsibility is, or the significance of her name. In the “Acknowledgments” section, the author mentions two prior works involving the character, and perhaps all the necessary back-story is contained there. However, none of that was available to me, and I had to collect the history in minute amounts as it was doled out in the narrative. Had this been an author I was not familiar with, or less favorably inclined toward, I would not have bothered.
There is a similar gap, although not as severe, in the narrative between chapters 7 and 8. At the end of Chapter 7, Responsibility, now known by her true name of Azriyqam, has just faced a death duel, and has been given significant instruction on aspects of loyalty and unity. In the very next page, with no transition given at all, we read that she is drowning, followed by a confusing narrative about her instruction in the supernatural arts. I found this to be utterly disorienting; it took me entirely out of the story.
The second significant glitch I encountered was the inconsistent progress that the protagonist makes during the story. Admittedly, there is much she has to adjust to; initially, she is a much abused and neglected prisoner, always fearing for her life. Very early in the book, however, she discovers that she is the daughter of the ruler of a powerful kingdom. The whole of the book deals with her spiritual journey to accept and emerge into her new role.
However, she is both poorly instructed, in some cases, and then often resistant to what instruction she is given. For example, we learn that she is unable to to pronounce certain phrases of power correctly, as long as she clings to her learned accent. However, if she intentionally mimics the speech of one of her antagonistic characters, her pronunciation is perfect. Despite learning this trick, however, she refuses to implement it.
She seems to shift from acceptance to rejection at random.
Her stubborn refusal to accept the need to adapt is mirrored perfectly in another character, who is forced by circumstances to become an ally. In her case, though, she has her intransigent behavior stuffed into her face:
“Are you going to keep underestimating us, Captain? Or will you consider that you may have something to learn?” (Huggins, G. Scott. Responsibility of the Crown . New Mythology Press. Kindle Edition)
And, who is the wiser person who forces this realization? None other than Responsibility/Azriyqam. So, if she preach it, why can’t she live it out?
I really liked the culture clashes possible with the three distinct civilizations. The great world-spanning oceans might be exactly what permits each grouping to go its’ own way, with civilizations based on water at a technological disadvantage to those with access to mineral resources on land. The story of the Lost Princess/Prince is a good one, and can be enjoyed in many permutations. I also appreciate the various aspects of sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic being used in the story; at one point, radio is explained by one character to another as sorcery, because the tech is too confusing.
Although much of the main storyline is resolved, there are many threads that can be followed in the future. I hope that in those theoretical future volumes, the author will provide the reader with enough history to prevent the disorientation that I experienced. I certainly remain a fan of his work, and hope to see more on the way.
May 21, 2021
I want the next installment yesterday, please!
A great novel in an interesting world mixing science and fantasy.
Responsibility was left in the loving care of humans by her mother, a dragon. She is a half-dragon, aboard a century ship sailing the oceans... living a hard life, only alive because the crew is afraid that her mother could come back...
Till one day, a stranger is picked up on a raft, a human, Avnai, one of the dreaded pirates of the Free navies, even though he claims to be from the Consortium, a mighty trade empire and yet...
With the help of her blind friend Zhad, they manage to flee, 3 beings in the middle of a vast ocean, in a raft powered by magic... their only hope: to reach the island of Avnai's realm before they die... so that Responsibility can meet her destiny.
Good characterizations, good action, twists and turns all around. Very hard to put down, I had a blast...
A great novel in an interesting world mixing science and fantasy.
Responsibility was left in the loving care of humans by her mother, a dragon. She is a half-dragon, aboard a century ship sailing the oceans... living a hard life, only alive because the crew is afraid that her mother could come back...
Till one day, a stranger is picked up on a raft, a human, Avnai, one of the dreaded pirates of the Free navies, even though he claims to be from the Consortium, a mighty trade empire and yet...
With the help of her blind friend Zhad, they manage to flee, 3 beings in the middle of a vast ocean, in a raft powered by magic... their only hope: to reach the island of Avnai's realm before they die... so that Responsibility can meet her destiny.
Good characterizations, good action, twists and turns all around. Very hard to put down, I had a blast...
June 30, 2021
A fantastic blend of SF and enchantment
Interesting characters, an unusual world to explore, and a page-turning plot make the adventures of a young "Respy" a winner. The protagonist is a young woman, trapped since infancy in a small community of people on the mile-long Century Ship. They despise her (and understandably so) and keep her caged, but Respy manages, with a mixture of luck, resourcefulness, and the shared loyalty and support of her only friend, another outcast, to escape into a wider world of choices and possibility. But every step forward demands more from her and forces her to widen her perspective about the people she thinks she knows. Although there's plenty of good vs. evil in this bildungsroman, and fun pulp-fiction adventure, the author weaves good vs. good conflict into the tale as well. Responsibility is a deeply-satisfying read.
Interesting characters, an unusual world to explore, and a page-turning plot make the adventures of a young "Respy" a winner. The protagonist is a young woman, trapped since infancy in a small community of people on the mile-long Century Ship. They despise her (and understandably so) and keep her caged, but Respy manages, with a mixture of luck, resourcefulness, and the shared loyalty and support of her only friend, another outcast, to escape into a wider world of choices and possibility. But every step forward demands more from her and forces her to widen her perspective about the people she thinks she knows. Although there's plenty of good vs. evil in this bildungsroman, and fun pulp-fiction adventure, the author weaves good vs. good conflict into the tale as well. Responsibility is a deeply-satisfying read.
January 26, 2022
A Great Responsibility
When I first read the story of Responsibility many years ago I was struck with her amazing resilience and power. And now since reading more of her I know that this is a story of even more. G. Scott Huggins is a master storyteller and I recognized many real life battle strategies in his story. Clearly, this book came about from detailed research and incredible high fantasy ideas. This is one I will be recommending to all my friends who love high fantasy as much as I do. It was brilliantly detailed without being too lore heavy as to be boring. It combined thoughtful insights of human nature with amazing battles. Truly, this is a novel that will continue to stay with me. I cannot wait to see more of Responsibility or even just more from this great author. ;)
Thank you Mr. Huggins.
When I first read the story of Responsibility many years ago I was struck with her amazing resilience and power. And now since reading more of her I know that this is a story of even more. G. Scott Huggins is a master storyteller and I recognized many real life battle strategies in his story. Clearly, this book came about from detailed research and incredible high fantasy ideas. This is one I will be recommending to all my friends who love high fantasy as much as I do. It was brilliantly detailed without being too lore heavy as to be boring. It combined thoughtful insights of human nature with amazing battles. Truly, this is a novel that will continue to stay with me. I cannot wait to see more of Responsibility or even just more from this great author. ;)
Thank you Mr. Huggins.
July 13, 2022
The mysteries, adventure and excitement doesn't let up in this oceanpunk world of magic and monsters. The central character is someone readers can't help but love as she navigates this strange and watery world, and most definitely lives up to her name, so give this book a try and be swept away!
May 12, 2024
GOOD BOOK
It took a chapter or two to finally get into the book. After that, it was a very enjoyable read. It’s a little sci-fi, a lot fantasy, and a tiny part steam-punk. The genres all work well together. I look forward to Book2
It took a chapter or two to finally get into the book. After that, it was a very enjoyable read. It’s a little sci-fi, a lot fantasy, and a tiny part steam-punk. The genres all work well together. I look forward to Book2
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews