Like obviously she’s scheming, manipulative and looks down on commoners and is actively trying to get rid of stoke siblings (the parts of her character i dislike) but she’s also like a pretty accurate depiction of how ambitious women live in the only world they know.
The books are an interesting way of making people in this story (including her) conscious of the world existing as it is in the frame of patriarchy. People think patriarchy means the domination of men in important positions, which it is, but it’s also the setting of the rules of the world to benefit men, evolving into how entire structures of the world behave to serve that goal. It defines how women behave too, including setting rigid avenues women can use to get ahead in the world, and the positions they can occupy.
Faye is obviously advantageously situated in the world, being born into the highest level of feudal nobility, and meeting all the standards that define women of good breeding: beautiful, well mannered, gentle disposition (she’s good at acting at being those two things) and learned. The only way to move even upwards for her (ambitious by nature) is to climb to the seat of the princess who would be queen.
But reading these books forces her to confront the nature of her world and perhaps reflect on the only positions of power women can occupy (ultimately in the service of other men). The book about mechanical wombs may seem ridiculous in concept, but it forces you to think beyond into an existence where sex, gender and societal roles are not defined by who can give birth. In order to imagine a radically different world build upon equality, you need to circumvent the rigid bounds of patriarchy.
It started with qiao lin asking her if she would want the same things if prince Dana was in a position other than the that of prince. But Irene forces her to examine what she wants, and in the absence of the ability to get it, why she wants those things. If she desires power and agency is being the princess the only way? Why does the world exist to concentrate power in the hands of men. Why are women, even the powerful ones, defined by the need to marry.
I lowkey don’t want Irene and her to be together bc I think breaking, manipulating and orchestrating scenarios to put a person into danger to force them into becoming someone new is not a good way to have a good relationship but nonetheless their dynamic is intriguing.
cannot believe I continued reading this despite kiel being a high key obsessive groomer-adjacent freak purely because he’s such a crazy scheming and entertaining weirdo lol. Dude would do whatever to get married to Asha and he really did achieve it lol.
Also lowkey Asha is so no thought head empty kinda person (saying this affectionately). I laugh thinking about how crazed his family felt through the wedding imagine being them.
Your youngest child since atleast 7 years of age had been obsessed over by the prince 6 year older than him and literally been kidnapped by said prince at one point so you do everything in your power to protect him from the prince except the prince always finds a way to stay close to him and then 17 years down the line the now emperor literally cons the entire kingdom (including your whole family) and marries your son after announcing their engagement the day before their marriage during the marriage of another man and a princess from a foreign nation. Nothing you can do about it.
Atleast Asha isn’t afraid or being hurt by kiel who seemingly genuinely loves, adores and obsesses over him. He loves kiel but also like, I don’t think he knows a way another relationship could exist given that Kiel has been spoiling (most charitable way of saying creeping on) him since he was 7 years old lol. Does he even have other friends?
Anyway why did kiel get him engaged to his sister previously? Was to it prevent other houses from approaching his family with proposals? Hunh. Anyway still an entertaining read because kiel is certifiably insane.
Also Rubin marrying a beautiful red haired goddess should have been me instead (I should have been the one to marry her) also Alicia lowkey very hot I could fix her (I would make her worse).
Hockey romances are so prevalent in straight and MM romances and now they’re infiltrating BL manhwa?? Aw hell (btw if you wanna read a hockey MM romance book read Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry and The Long Game Ilya and Shane literally changed my life bc of their rivals(enemy-ish) to lovers relationship.)
Heated Rivalry is so good. Can't read another hockey MM romance after that since I just end up comparing them lmao
Loved HR but TLG is such a good continuation not because of the plot (which I think leaves a lot to be desired) but because we have so much of Ilya’s POV literally became my favourite romance character ever. 10/10 would reread (I have reread both twice already)
AND you’re right no other (fictional) hockey romance has ever come close for me not even RR’s other books bc Shane and Ilya are literally THE blueprint.
TLG kinda makes me sad so I avoid rereading it. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I love the ending so much since they won't be living away from each other anymore while still being active but I get sad reading the parts where Ilya struggled so much in his team (even though his teammates are so cool), specially the part where he says he already chose Shane, I can'tttttttttt
Awooo yeahhh it’s like. Crazy to me that Shane says you’re making me choose and hasn’t even realized that Ilya already made the choice to be with him sacrificing glory and career growth until Ilya had to spell it out for him. TLG really is very sad I guess that’s why I kind of like it makes me cry knowing someone would go that distance for their beloved. Ilyas struggle are special to me because especially in MM romance writers shrug away from writing a character who is so honestly struggling but trying to get better, and it depicts that path as a non linear process that goes back and forth in terms of progress everyday. Also just thinking about the plane scene and ilya’s messages to Shane make the tear up. Very good book must say.
Romanticising pedo relationships is weird as fuck man even if the student is the aggressor. Child x grown adult fictional relationship is the worst dynamic.
‘God, I’m lucky. The person I love fell in love with me, and I didn’t even have to do anything.’ FUCK SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP. HE DESERVES THIS HAPPINESS, they DESERVE THIS HAPPINESS.
Kwonyoung may be insufferable (insofar) but I will read it for hanjoo the cutie.
Dude was literally hanging on for dear life and still said ‘I’ll let you fuck me however you want please let me go’ what lmao how did the steal beams not fall directly onto him after he fell.
ALSO I checked the raws (only one chapter uploaded but one panel is different) and instead of showing just the bottom half of lorenzo’s face you get to see all of it and he’s so fucking beautiful what the FUCK Hanse has her tall black haired tops designed hot as hell.
i wonder why the translation ones decided to censored the face.. that panel really different.
Uno the disaster bisexual using his appearance to get places for his job and doing it for fun getting paired with a hot psychotic weirdo oh I used to pray for times like these.
Edit: the way uno talks you know he’s always topped imagine being an ass virgin (albeit otherwise deserved of being called a slut) and being told you have a dirty slutty hole oof.