u/Aggressive-Earth-941

Hi! I have been really liking fantasy that is used to discuss colonialism and history from the viewpoint of the oppressed, particularly those done in a fantastical, ethereal, or whimsical manner instead of dystopian so that the depth of the pain of these truth is almost balanced by the beauty of the world (and non tragic endings for the MC). I have particularly liked one that have discussed the trauma and sexual violence that has happened to women and oppressed communities. And that make a major theme discussing this through their eyes and labels those who took over as tyrants/oppressors instead of heroes or "conquerors". So intersectional feminist/colonialism discussion in ethereal historical fantasy or ethereal fantasy settings, that call out how history is often narrated by the oppressor and purposefully chooses instead to validate the pain of the oppressed and their humanity.

I find dystopian/Sci-fi novels usually don't balance this narration in the same way I find healing...and often give the survivors of SA or oppression a gruesome or dreary end for political reasons/awareness. And I really want to see more characters who go through this oppression and overcome it because I find that hopeful and love to read their journey in healing and rising again. So books with worlds that feel more whimsical and fantastical in their fantasy while discussing deep things than...dark and grim. Again, I find the balance beautiful and healing...but rare.

Both Strange the Dreamer and the Adventures of Amina Al Sirafi really do this for me. I did not like Muse of Nightmares (the second book to Strange) nearly as much and found the ending dissatisfying, as well as the book less ethereal in nature. I also have not liked her other series (daughter of blood and bone) nearly as much. I am on the sequel for Amina and am loving it but will be done in like...3 days. So.

This was a long post but I have been deeply looking and in desperate need of recs.

That is all.

That is all. I thought I saw June 13 but that clearly did not occur

Unpopular opinion and Rant: While Rosetta is correct that her and Maxi have suffered deeply, her speech is not on point. Rosetta is confusing understanding where someone's trauma comes from with understanding them. But a person is more complex than that. Maxi has Rosetta's mistrust and may be more intense due to deeper suffering yes, but that is balanced by a different persona and strength of hope and growth mindset.

I want to make very clear that both Rosetta and Maxi dealt with high abuse. But, I do think that dismissing the difference between the two forms of abuse and/or severity ( and I am discussing more in outside comments/ reactions to this chapter than Rosetta directly with this point because even Rosetta points out Maxi has suffered more) can cause a lack of understanding or judgment just as much as pretending like the differences make it so Rosetta's experience isn't abuse.

I am saying this because I have seen so many comments trying to support Rosetta by 1- agreeing that Maxi somehow failed by not reaching out simply because she was "older" despite knowing she started suffering the physical abuse starting at 8 that caused Rosetta's torment starting at 10 and 2- ignoring the differences in knowledge and situation when Rosetta helps Maxi by saying Maxi has not helped Rosetta (which I would actually argue is untrue). I think she deserves support but I don't think this is how to do it.

For the first: pointing out that Maxi should have reached out/agreeing with Rosetta simply because "she is older" despite the fact that Maxi was being severely abused and has arguably suffered more (she is the direct recipient of such high abuse that just witnessing it causes severe psychological torture) and while not knowing about Rosetta. This dismisses not only that level of suffering, but that Maxi's viewpoint was purposefully being manipulated by an abusive adult even other adults deeply fear and are overpowered by. The mirror should be considered metaphor and literally. I Find it odd that people grasp that the Duke forced Rosetta to see Maxi's abuse by making it transparent, but miss the fact that Maxi was similarly "forced" to not see Rosetta because the mirror was purposefully designed to look one way to her by the duke while he simultaneously beat her and told she was too inferior to be worth anyone time which would definitely include who she has been taught is the loved perfect child. Rosetta's comment deeply misses this image manipulation, inferiority implementation difference, and again the fact that maxi is just a child as well even if older. It is not just Maxi's bias that stops her from reaching out, the Duke set the two against each other on purpose. Just as the Duke mainly showed Maxi to Rosetta in the form of fear mongering, the Duke only showed Rosetta to Maxi as a loved child of affection to cement the idea that her abuse and his lack of lovewas due to her inferiority - that image would be popped if she knew of Rosetta's abuse, and he knew that . It is a manipulation of an adult with much more power than both children no matter their age that has caused this surprise, and I think when people are agreeing with Rosetta that Maxi should have "reached out" or "saw through this" because she was older misses the mark because no matter her age Maxi was still just a child being abused and manipulated by an adult with way more power for the age to make a significant difference. She is fearing severe physical abuse and ultimately avoids it most successfully by disappearing - It is off to say we understand that and then ask why she didn't reach out to another sibling she has been manipulated to believe is fine or judge and say she simply didn't think to out of bias. Not only does this ignore the risk in this and how Maxi's way of survival was going unseen - reaching out to a sibling she has no idea needs or wants her puts her at risk if they speak out - it ignores the fact that Maxi has been purposefully taught she is too inferior to add to anyone's life, especially the golden child. I find it odd it is suggested being "older" should be enough to overcome all this, especially when we are simultaneously acknowledging that Rosetta need to be understood not only due to her abuse but because she is only 18/19 here. True, but is also true Maxi was much younger than 18/19 most of this abuse, and the same understanding of her youth should be given.

The second is saying Rosetta helped Maxi and Maxi didn't help Rosetta like this is simple. Rosetta helps Maxi by letting Riftan in, yes, but I think it's odd to presume that there is a time Maxi so far could have done the same/act. When Rosetta first comes to Maxi, she is suffering from different abuse that has in some ways been distanced/lesser in the immediate form due to the fact that she has not seen Maxi be abused in a year. This is important to note when comparing it to Maxi while she lived with the Duke - maxi's physical abuse and fear was never at end for that long...even when the weekly recitations ended he still beat her making it so the level of survival mode was never lessened enough to give her time to heal enough to grow resilience to rebel. Plus,Rosetta is able to help Maxi due to the resources she has that Maxi's situation made hard for her to develop (ex: knowing someone to slip a drug into the guards drink). Rosetta was set up to have more respect than Maxi by others , so could make these relationships and lean on them more. It is similar to how She is able to join Agnes to slip in - someone must have aided communication, and Rosetta knows agnes due to chances to meet her that Maxi was not given until after leaving.

I also think Maxi is helpful in her gentleness. Sometimes it's not just what we do, it's what we don't do. Maxi does not rebuke Rosetta when she comes to see Maxi despite still being under the illusion Rosetta is loved and even when Rosetta calls her pathetic (yes to try to motivate her but still many would lash back) -this showed Rosetta that reaching out to her sister is possible/won't cause her emotional harm and that Maxi might be safe space to disclose. And While Rosetta comes to see Maxi and thus "reaches out" first, it needs to be noted this happens when Rosetta is 18, knows the truth, and only does this when Maxi was on the brink of death. That's how deep the duke's manipulation went...even to Rosetta while she knew the truth...it took fear of losing a loved one to even dare to disobey in the form of reaching out. That's...intense, but also creates a variable for "why" Rosetta Reches out that does not happen in the other scenario/for maxi, especially at that age and with that knowledge.

This also shows that Maxi was an incredibly strong child. She was primed by the Duke to resent Rosetta. And while she feels inferior to her sister, we never see resentment by Maxi towards Rosetta, and when she hears the truth she immediately feels for he. Maxi could have dismissed Rosetta's abuse . Or, she could act with Cruel words like Rosetta did. She didn't because gentleness/emotional intelligence is her strength, and we see that she didn't even feel disdain. That is impressive because it means imo the Duke somewhat failed in his intent. Quite frankly, Maxi is primed to think her little sister is having a happy life and just has never noticed her, and yet even with this manipulated thinking Maxis does not blame Rosetta for never wanting to connect. Younger sibling is still a sibling, and Maxi was primed to think there was nothing stopping her.Yet still no resenment. That is so beautiful - people resent family for far less difference in treatment - and I hate how people seem to miss this.

As for Rosetta's words, I think they miss the mark ALOT. When it comes to Maxi's trust, Rosetta is wrong in presuming Maxi's is worse off - Yes Maxi is untrusting, BUT Maxi's strength is growth and hope and that has already set her apart from Rosetta. Maxi did not simply "not trust Riftan" when she left with the duke, she was in a highly vulnerable position where 1) she had just suffered a miscarriage and learned everyone knew but her 2) her abuser was next to her 3)she was so physically weak she needed help walking because her mana was so drained and 4) she had just been given news that hit the exact trauma of her mother's miscarriage and being left with no room to process. That is an extreme situation to be tested in for anyone. And while Rosetta may not know that, we do. Maxi actually is markably different because again she grows so much due to her hope for love - it is her hope to be loved in a true manner - which Rosetta's abuse in being used as a "tool" stops her from having - that propells Maxi's growth the whole story. This is why I wish the two had more time - Maxi has strengths Rosetta has not been able to note and that could be helpful to her. But I have to say even Maxi's immediate understanding/show of sadness for Rosetta is help imo - she affirms that Rosetta's abuse is valid when many others who have been physically abused arguably would not have out of resentment. That was beautiful and seems to go unnotted by viewers. People without Maxis situation often try to dismiss abuse as long as it is not physical...and Maxi despite the personal nature never does. Beautiful.

Similarly, Rosetta's words in this episode are not meant to motivate Maxi - they are meant as a brutal truth, and imo to sort of try to reach out a branch for kinship over this presumed fact (in the book it is literally noted that Rosetta is doubtful at Maxis assertion at change just like she doubts Riftan earlier and tells Maxi). I am...unsure how benevolent it was to acknowledge that Maxi suffered more when it moreso done not to show Maxi emotional support but to support Rosettas cold logic conclusion that Maxi is screwed because Rosetta is screwed despite Maxi "suffering more". She underestimates Maxi here and it is because Rosetta forgets Maxi is not just the same as Rosetta but worse due to having worse abuse..Maxi is a different person with different strengths, and that is why she is able to grow and maintain hope those are the strengths of her character. And I think while it makes sense for Rosetta to miss that, I think missing it as viewers misses one of the most beautiful things about Maxi. While I would argue Maxi has not had the change to Aid Rosetta because she has JUST learned Rosetta needs it, I do wish these two saw each other more because I think Maxis gentleness could be healing. I also wonder if Rosetta rebellion was inspired by seeing Maxi defy the Duke knowing the danger when she went to see Riftan...I wonder if seeing her sister rebel gave Rosetta the same strength.

Overall: they both deserve support but the differences in trauma and personality should not be overlooked in order to support one because it flattens the other.

Long Rant over.

So, for those caught up, I would really recommend reading Riftan POV with this last chapter. >!The revelation when Riftan discusses how long he has loved Maxi to was so beautiful in the book!<- and at first I thought this chapter/version shortened it. Looking back, I realized it wasn't I just combined it with Riftan's POV and it made it hit home a different level (A lot of the imagery in this chapter actually is directly referencing parts of that story).

I say this while also 1000% agreeing the man needssss therapy.

As a side note, I really hate for Maxi -but love discussion wise/reflection on real life wise- >!how much she worries about being "pitied" or seeming weak for being abused. It reflect society in real life to me quite well and the deeply unjust and unequal internalization of shame. Survivors/vitims often feel more shame for deep abuse (and are often unjustly shamed for it whether it be directly or offhand "I would never let that happen to me" sort of comments), while abuser not only don't feel shamed, but are given more a pass than they deserve. !<The internalization of shame is so unfair but so beautifully done here in a heart wrenching manner.