Thank you for this. I've really been enjoying that story, but I can see what you see in the character.
It will be interesting to see if the topping/bottoming thing is discussed again by the characters; I was a little taken aback when everyone inside the story, including the two guys who were about to have sex, assumed Laurent would be bottoming, especially since Damen is the slave in this story.
The way their power gets allocated is a fascinating thing about the story, and I wonder what else the author will do with it in later books, and there's a lot of potential there.
I'm always a little annoyed when there's no discussion of who's the bottom and who's the top when men have sex -- because it's not a foregone conclusion. As you say, there is definite symbolism to it, and if it's discussed in the story it can make the symbolism, and the meaning of the acts to the participants, even more interesting to the reader. But only if the author is aware of the symbolism and not just thoughtlessly following the culture. Whatever it is.
And thanks for that take on appropriation... much to think about there. Once again!
SPOILERS FOR CAPTIVE PRINCE HERE
It will be interesting to see if the topping/bottoming thing is discussed again by the characters; I was a little taken aback when everyone inside the story, including the two guys who were about to have sex, assumed Laurent would be bottoming, especially since Damen is the slave in this story.
The way their power gets allocated is a fascinating thing about the story, and I wonder what else the author will do with it in later books, and there's a lot of potential there.
I'm always a little annoyed when there's no discussion of who's the bottom and who's the top when men have sex -- because it's not a foregone conclusion. As you say, there is definite symbolism to it, and if it's discussed in the story it can make the symbolism, and the meaning of the acts to the participants, even more interesting to the reader. But only if the author is aware of the symbolism and not just thoughtlessly following the culture. Whatever it is.
And thanks for that take on appropriation... much to think about there. Once again!