In the fourteenth chapter of Street Magic, Briar gets his revenge. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Circle Opens.Â
Holy shit.
I really do think that this chapter – perhaps unintentionally – invokes Daine’s outburst near the end of Emperor Mage, though I certainly don’t think they’re the same. Briar’s anger feels more calm, if that makes any sense. It’s even, concentrated, and focused. AND IT’S SO EXHILARATING. This is one of those scenes that I want to see in movie form because it’s so visual. The imagery Pierce employs here captures the beauty and terror of the natural world, too. I can’t help but see the poetry in the vines and seedlings bursting with growth, only to be used in such a violent manner.
I suppose it’s interesting to denote this as a “violent” act because these plants are so eager to help Briar. The violence is directed towards the bodies of those standing in the way of Briar’s friend, not the plants themselves. So you have this complete juxtaposition present that’s hard to ignore: life and death. These plants ache to grow and when they do, they erupt out of the ground, attaching themselves to any surface that will accept them, wrapping their stems and leaves and bodies around the appendages of every obstacle in Briar’s path.
It’s awe-inspiring, simply put. That goes for all the wood that Briar brings to life, as well as the “crop of dangling, trapped Vipers.” I think that’s largely why this is so intimidating to read. Briar doesn’t hesitate here once. As far as I can tell, he methodically uses his power for a singular goal. I don’t even think he’s considering regret, y’all, and I find that astounding for some one as young as him. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course, and I find his certainty refreshing. But I also can’t ignore how scary some of this truly is:
“You people took Evvy. I want her back,” Briar told the youth softly. He sent a command to the nearest rose. A thonry vine lashed out to furl itself around one of the Viper’s hands, forcing him to drop the knife he’d meant to stick into Briar’s ribs. “You didn’t answer,” Briar chided. “Stabbing isn’t an answer.” The youth looked at the room beyond them, his eyes wide at the sight of his friends battling with vines and roses. Briar gripped his chin and forced his chin and forced his captive to look at him.
It’s not like Briar hasn’t been confrontational or harsh before this; I’ve always seen him as the sort of character eager to fight or use violence to protect himself and those he cares about. But it’s that focus that gives this chapter an electricity and a thrill that’s unlike any other part of this book. I know that my own love for Evvy as a character meant that I’d automatically love what Briar did here. Yet I can see why the writing itself feels so urgent and intense! Like, take Briar’s interaction with the Watchmen. It’s so raw and brutal, and I appreciated this addition to it:
Briar was done with manners and patience – look where they had gotten him!
So I think it’s more than just my adoration for these characters that plays a part in the suspense. I was somewhat shocked by the behavior on display, but I also sensed that Briar wasn’t going to fail. Normally, suspense works because there’s a risk; the higher the stakes, the more powerful the tension. Here, though, Briar seems so fully in control of his powers that the tension comes from wondering what he’s going to do next. How far will he go? How much power will he use?
As it turns out, A WHOLE LOT OF IT. His infiltration of Lady Zenadia’s home is just… ridiculous? That’s not to say it’s reckless or careless; on the contrary, I think he expertly exploits the weaknesses in the compound’s security in order to get inside. Yes, he does so initially while being quite visible to the guards, but it works perfectly in his favor because he uses himself as bait, luring the guards into a spot where he can disarm them and take them out of the picture.
And I was so busy thinking about these things and admiring Briar’s plan of attack that the discovery of the bones took me by surprise. But wouldn’t this be the exact moment when all those remains would be unearthed? Briar didn’t intend to do anything like this, but his own surge in power caused the ground around this home to be violently uprooted. IT’S SO DISTURBING, Y’ALL. How long as Lady Zenadia been having people murder? Did this happen long before she adopted the Vipers under her control?
Anyway, I think it’s easy to see why Briar behaves as he does in this chapter because of his own personal history as someone who was poor and in gangs. He resents what many of these kids have done in pursuit of Lady Zenadia’s wealth and power. He despises her for her sense of entitlement. So it’s fascinating to me that Evvy, who at times feels like a younger version of Briar, uses her own street smarts to utterly manipulate Lady Zenadia. Evvy preys on Zenadia’s arrogance by pretending to have wanted her protection all along. In return, she gets food, healing, and Lady Zenadia will feel victorious.
Which means she’ll probably have her guard down.
The original text contains use of the word “idiots.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiO4lLyxXQ4
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