Thread:Balthus Dire/@comment-7455247-20151215183402/@comment-1969141-20151218121350

The problem is that "Magnificent Bastard" is a VERY subjective Trope. One's Magnificent Bastard is another's Smug Snake as they say. Kalandre is a very gifted Master Manipulator, whose orchestration of the series is indeed impressive. (Though knowing the future might have helped her considerably.) But a Magnificent Bastard is more than someone who manipulates everything, it is a villain you admire. Also, Jadina was already on the brink of death, Shimy died facing Kaminodoa not her, and Razzia died facing Halcyon. And both commited suicide.

I did admire her before tome 17, but I find her personality utterly repulsive. She is horribly shallow and petty, her tantrum about Artemus causing her death, her callous dismissal of the Dynameis at the end, and the fact that she does nothing but stand and let her brother do everything do little in her favour, and especially, she is extremely arrogant. The absolute difference between the Smug Snake and the Magnificent Bastard is that the former is too arrogant and unable to conceive that they could be bested.

But then again, subjective...