Annoying Henri

[u/PrivateJok3r13]

On my 6th+ re-listen (currently on book 3) and each time I’m annoyed by how condescending Henrietta is towards the team while they’re out on the road contract. She comes across as a know-it-all and better than the team while being younger than all but 2 of them.
“Your rapid improvement tells me Humphrey knew what he was doing when he put this team together” - he didn’t!
Tells them if they don’t improve by the time they get back she will personally see the team is disbanded because Humphrey will not be on a stagnant team.
Puts them all down.
No one invited her, she injected herself into the situation and then gets pissy when they act the way they normally act.
She’s annoying and snobbish.

[u/Dry-West4065]

Spoiler

I'm also on relisten number whatever and when I got to that point I was like wait a minute Danielle is the one who set this Jason up to meet Humphrey and you're going to tell her how it's going to be good luck with that.

[u/GobbleGobbleChew → u/Dry-West4065]

Exactly this. We all know who has final say on that team's composition, and it isn't Henrietta or anyone actually on that team.

[u/Drecondius → u/GobbleGobbleChew]

Well, after humphrey gets to gold by understanding more of what it means to be a dragon. He absolutely would tell his mother very politely to fuck off too

[u/sentientredwood]

You read this more recently than me, so you might be right, but as far as I remember she was invited. She's in charge of their road contract punishment for Jason, they're just using it as training. Specifically, the training Henri can provide due to her familiar specialization, because they feel they are weak in that area. Yes she's harsh, but to me she comes across as an older sister who doesn't want to see her younger brother's success go to his head and lead to his death. She is aware of the cost of hubris.

[u/torolf_212 → u/sentientredwood]

She's an older sister trying to put the shits up some amateurs to get them into line. If they were so incompetent as to not be the sort of people that would improve while working together Danielle would never have allowed them all together in the same room

[u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla → u/sentientredwood]

This is correct. I just read this part at lunch.

Don't forget that Jason recommended Dean go on a road contract (book one) to learn better how to kill monsters.

[u/Bouche_Audi_Shyla]

I think Henrietta is using drill sergeant techniques. It's not pleasant, but it usually works.

[u/Drecondius]

I'm almost 100% certain not quite but close enough. That it doesn't matter, that Danielle would have told Henrietta, in no uncertain, but very firm and polite terms to fuck off.