Sibling Relationships

I think it’s interesting how sibling relationships are focused on in this book. Zelie and Tzain have a very close relationship. They are always there for each other, and they always have each other’s backs. Amari and Inan are also siblings, but they have a more complicated relationship. They used to be close, but they drifted apart. However, they start to come back together, and I think they will eventually be able to repair their relationship. I wonder if the author has any siblings. If so, I think their own experiences with siblings may have influenced the way they wrote about sibling relationships in this book.

Inan’s Understanding of Zelie

I like how Inan was eventually able to understand where Zelie was coming from. Early on in the book, Inan was portrayed as a complex character who was not just a single-minded evil person. So it makes sense that she would be able to become more humanized. And even though she was initially hostile towards Zella, she eventually came to see that Zelie was not her enemy.

I think it’s important to show characters like Inan who are able to change their minds and learn from their mistakes. It shows that people are capable of growth and redemption.

Trauma, Loss, Tragedy, and Conflict

Trauma, loss, tragedy, and conflict are all recurring themes in this book. I especially think that the way trauma is treated in this book is very true to real life. In many TV shows, movies, and books, characters may experience some type of loss or trauma, but we don’t see that reflected in the character throughout the rest of the story. However, in this book, the characters’ pain and memories of their trauma last throughout their lives, which is more reflective of real life.

I appreciate that the author did not shy away from these difficult topics. It shows that she is a skilled writer who is not afraid to explore the darker side of human nature.

Classism and Racism

This book not only deals with racism by proxy of colorism, but also talks about classism. In America, and I think in many societies, racism and classism are hard to disentangle. One thing we see in this book is that despite your class, you will still experience difficulties. We see Princess Amari, who is a member of the royal family, having to deal with colorism for being slightly darker skinned. We see her father, the king, being cruel and setting his siblings against each other without showing any love, care, or affection. Of course, we also see the diviners, the lowest class, whose lives are filled with anguish, fear, and some of them are literally sent to slave yards to be beaten and starved and fight to the death. So the degree of difficulty may be different, but I can see that class and money does not absolve you from challenges in life, though it can lessen the burden.

Spoilers! Spoilers! Spoilers!

The Awakening of Magic

Another thing I was thinking about was the awakening of magic. What does that mean for the next book? What does that mean for this world? What does that mean for this society?

In this world, there were people who had magic and people who did not. Basically, there was a war against, really a genocide, of all the people with magic by the people who did not have magic. And we see through people’s actions and statements such as the king that many of these people who do not have magic, actually do have magic. But now in the end of the book, it seems like probably everybody has magic because their magic has been awakened and everybody can use it.

So now that is the case, I wonder if the Maji, who were oppressed by those who did not have magic, will still feel the same way towards those who did not have magic. Will they feel like, “Oh well, now you’re one of us, so we don’t need to do anything to you?” And for the people who used to oppress the Maji, will they be further enraged thinking that the Maji have somehow infected them and now they’re really going to get rid of them and search for a way to get rid of this “disease”? Will the previously non-magical people come to accept who they are now and make peace with the Maji? If they do decide to still attack those with magic, what would that fight look like now because now basically the weapons have been put in both armies’ hands and they have the same weapons. So what would that look like now?

I think these are all interesting questions that the author will have to answer in the next book. I’m excited to see what happens next.

First draft written in 2019.

Feature Image: Zelie – Children of Blood and Bone by JoPainter, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License