Some of y’all are clearly not the target audience—and it shows. You really expect a character to thrive in this kind of brutal political environment while keeping their hands clean? Be serious. You have to do whatever it takes to survive and protect the few people you actually care about. Ari gets this—and she’s doing well in that regard. I like that the stakes are high; it’s not all flowers and giggles.
And did you miss how she completely broke down, thinking all the deaths were her fault? She’s not heartless—she’s human.
If I wanted a female lead to be innocent and pure like Mother Mary, I’d go read a different story.
For a reality check, just look at real history: Hürrem Sultan, the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent. You think she rose to power by being sweet and kind? Of course not. Powerful women in harsh systems rarely get the luxury of innocence."**
Some of y’all are clearly not the target audience—and it shows. You really expect a character to thrive in this kind of brutal political environment while keeping their hands clean? Be serious. You have to do whatever it takes to survive and protect the few people you actually care about. Ari gets this—and she’s doing well in that regard. I like that the stakes are high; it’s not all flowers and giggles.
And did you miss how she completely broke down, thinking all the deaths were her fault? She’s not heartless—she’s human.
If I wanted a female lead to be innocent and pure like Mother Mary, I’d go read a different story.
For a reality check, just look at real history: Hürrem Sultan, the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent. You think she rose to power by being sweet and kind? Of course not. Powerful women in harsh systems rarely get the luxury of innocence."**