Random Salt About PotS

[quillsshadow]

Complaints about the worldbuilding in Tamora Pierce's Protector Of The Small series, in no particular order:

Why would using the jewel have caused a famine? Why couldn't the jewel passively store energy until it's used? "The energy had to come from somewhere" - but why have it come from future harvests, instead of have it accumulate during the decades the jewel wasn't used?

Why the actual hell would the king allow his future knights to be taught subtle treason? Because that's what Lord Wyldon is doing - the king allows women to be trained as knights, Lord Wyldon immediately does his best to refuse without refusing. He isn't a good teacher if what he's teaching his students is how to make other people's lives worse against the king's desires purely for his own sense of propriety.

Actually, thinking about it, Lord Wyldon is worse than that - he encourages/doesn't discourage Joren, despite the Ordeal. The Ordeal which ends up killing him.
Seriously, why the hell is this guy allowed to be in charge of training the knights?

All the bullshit with Alana being forbidden contact with Kel. Just, all of it. If people are going to use it to smear Kel and Alana's names, then make note of who does that and throw them out. Preferably with some badass line like, "I did not defeat my uncle to be felled by those in the spirit of his sycophants." A good king should not be as powerless as this.

Actually, my main complaint is how useless King Jonathan is. Which Tamora Pierce set up with my first complaint: the jewel destroyed the future harvests, so Jonathan had to trade for food, and that weakened his position enough to let all these assholes take control from him. Just... (shakes head in dismay)