rm | Melusine

One more generalized thought before Jaida hopefully begins the discussion:

Monette's American, ney? It shows.

Don't hinge your book on status issues folks if you don't _know_ from status. It doesn't have to be personal experience, but you really have to work the research. Really really. 'Cause it reads hollow. HP does so well with status issues for two reasons -- 1. Brits are more conscious of it, but 2. JKR went from being poor to wealthy in the course of writing them -- as status became a more important topic in the books (blood status, etc.) she was also getting a taste of the divide as she moved across it in some manner.

Mildmay works and Felix doesn't because Monette clearly has no notion of aristocracy in her real world or her fictional one. While the logistics of being poor are often nearly impossible for the middle class to comprehend, they do understand it involves logistics (being aristocracy means largely not having to deal with the logistics accept by choice) and s can at least build something plausible at least for a fantasy world setting.

(This is something, I would argue that also causes problems in HP fanfic, and not just with status issues. The logistical concerns of the wizarding world are different than ours -- travel faster and cheaper; communication slower -- peopel trip all over this all the time).

Mucking up status is the quiest way to make a book lame. And since crappy fantasy world tropes are always all about that... really people!