Not Sure About That...

I've been reading, and enjoying, the "Edinburgh Nights" series by T.L. Huchu, of which "The Legacy of Arniston House" is the fourth and penultimate volume. They're set in a fairly bleak post-apocalypse Scotland, plus magic and ghosts and all sorts of fun things. The closest equivalent I can think of is the "Rivers of London" series, so if you've read and enjoyed those, you'll probably enjoy these.

But...

The most recent volume expands a significant amount on the lore of the setting, and in particular the timeline of how things came to be as they are - it's now possible to put a reasonably good date on events, which means in turn that when they describe some fairly horrible events visited on particular members of the Royal Family, it's pretty clear that exactly who those people are.

(It also means, incidentally, that the storyline has a missing sister in it. Maybe that will be explained in the final volume, or maybe it will just be glossed over.)

Now, here's the thing: I'm pretty far from being a royalist, and I'm a fairly lukewarm supporter of Scottish independence. But when the story talks about a riled-up group of "separatists" who attack, and ultimately kill, members of the Royal Family, and especially where it's clear who those people have to be, that's where I become rather uncomfortable. There's a good reason why most near-future dystopias tend to gloss over the fine details of just how we got from here to there, and especially in the immediate few decades.

(Incidentally, while I would end the monarchy, the way I would do it would be by closing the lines of succession, actually for both the monarchy and indeed all inherited titles. Meaning that William would still be monarch, then George, and then potentially Charlotte and/or Louis, but their children would never be in a position to succeed. That gives them plenty of time to get used to the idea of their roles ending, and in particular means that they'll know they have to make ready for post-royal careers in a way that those currently in line probably can't. But I digress.)

But what I have no desire to see, and would certainly have no truck with, is any sort of violent resolution to the question, be that the question of monarchy or of independence. Revolution is very much not something to be wished for.

#22: "The Legacy of Arniston House", by T.L. Huchu