Lol I visited oi subreddit few days ago and people were roasting the hell out of alphatart and her writing style. I do agree that extreme heinry and Navier supporters are tend to be teens. I don't hate Navier, I like her (mainly S1, Navier is later seasons are meh, S1 Navier will always be my it girl) but the fandom's double standard treatment towards Rashta what infuriates me. I freaking hate heinry the biggest creep of the year. In another forum, someone tried to justify his s*xual harassment of Navier as his bird form comforted her. Smh. Every single men in this oi is disgusting and I hate every one of them. I hate that only Sovieshu got his karma (rightfully so) but others didn't face any consequences. And the writer also gave Sovieshu his happily ever after with Navier in the end. Then what was the point of this whole drama if you're going to make fl end up with her ex? I've said it before and I'll say it again, Navier should not have ended with either of them. Both are problematic. Screw Sovieshu, screw heinry, screw Kaufman, screw ergi, even screw kosair. Bunch of overpreviled useless male specimens. Many readers (mostly are older) dropped this after the divorce arc cause in their opinion it went to sh*t afterwards. I agree but since I'm a masochist , I still stuck around. I'm just here to see the new arts and the spoilers. I'm also behind the few side stories. And I also enjoy badly written Spanish novela level cheesy oi like tre. They're entertaining and annoying at the same time.
I just realised it's been 4 years since this Novel came out. No wonder why I was feeling it's been a long time since I last read this novel. I have to read it again from the beginning man! I'm not prepared to go through all those early chapters before the chapters but I realised I forgot huge plot chunks as I wasn't able to recall at all what happened with Duke Ergi and Duke Kaufman's marriage/suitors. @lembayung Sister, can you please let me know if you remember how did Ergi's revenge went towards Alicia his stepmother and father? I just remember the upto the plot where he was disgusted by her calling him son and his father being mad at him. I don't remember the rest about how his revenge went and how he avenged his mother?
The hypocrisy of the readers of this novel is something I can't describe. Like, there are literally Sovieshit apologists all over and they even managed to make author write an ‘If Story’ for him. This internal misogyny is disgusting and absolutely appalling. With which face such people demanded a second chance for Sovieshu when they hate and call out Rashta so much. Been years and it's been months when I'm seeing Sovieshu apologists on almost every social media who even dare to hate Rashta at the same time. So Sovieshit gets to have a second chance at life and all is forgiven for him and Rashta still remains Trashta. Before continuing, let me tell ya I'm no Rashta fan and I was the one who mentioned all her missed chances and sins more than twice in the previous thread I even had them bookmarked. Even Heinley got forgiven although it you all know he pulled schemes and was ruthless a couple or more than a couple of times. But Rashta's character is still burning to this day. I don't like her in any way but this is too much, seeing Sovieshit's fan is really testing my patience. Sovieshit who in the beginning was the one who cheated on his hardworking wife, took side again side of Rashta when he deep down knew Navier was in the right, who was enamoured with Rashta and entertained her whims after all what he went through and paid for his own consequences is somehow pitiful but Rashta is not. Hmm...I know she pulled out the stunts but who brought her? Soveishit Who entertained her whims and didn't teach her true etiquettes? Sovieshit Who didn't teach her what are the real values when you're a concubine? Sovieshit Who knew she was a slave, an illiterate and had no maturity? Sovieshit Who knew she was incapable to be an Empress yet instilled her as one? Sovieshit Who knew she was pulling out stunt yet failed to take power from her in time? Sovieshit Who knew she has lost her mind yet continued to do nothing about it? Sovieshit So who deserves a tough punishment? Rashta? What the heck!? Rashta paid for the things that might have never occurred if this man child had some brain in him. She died painfully scratching the cold floor of the tower where she was imprisoned. What happened to Sovieshit? He lost Navier and? He was infertile and? Umm... nothing more. He was still the Emperor and had people backing him up so that he can come back on his feet and rule the Eastern Kingdom. This fool? Yes this fool and now he also has fans. WHAT? The amount of girls cheering on him makes me baffled, this internal mysogyny is a reall issue. I just saw the same thing on Tamed A Blackened Slave Man / 흑화한 노예남을 길들였다 thread. Some people really be wanting MC to end up with her abuser. Sovieshit who was the real root of the problem and emotionally abused his hardworking wife whom he claimed to love gets to eat his cake cause he's handsome and regretted? But not Rashta who too regretted it in the end. She even admired Navier and what conspired might be possible to get stop had not for this fool bus-turd Sovieshit. Also, I don't even want the excuse of Sovieshit's ‘IF Story’ where he gets his happy ending and people pointing out how Rashta came to live. So? I say, Sovieshit tear her document of slavery to save his own ass, if in the future, his fraction decides to make his blood aka his illegitimate child (who is truly not his) the heir, opposite fraction can dig in to Rashta's past and make a mockery of him. Sovieshit's fan, are you all happy that he keeps to have the woman he wanted as well as his side piece and Gloriyem the daughter he really loved and wanted to be a real father to by his side even if he didn't registered them, living in a mansion while Navier gets to stuck with this manchild for the rest of his life with no lovely kids of her own and a husband backing her up no matter what? Second, who knows if Rashta in that timeline will pull out another scheme cause Sovieshit an ultimate failure threw her away like she was never pampered and brought by him. She never got to make her own choice even there and will still end up being influence, going in a bad direction and taking wrong decisions. Is your internal misogynist satisfied? I CALL IT BULLLSHEET I'm this close [- -] literally this close to lose my rationality. If I see another Sovieshit apologists I'll start calling Rashta A QUEEN and starts to act like @theilikepie All the bullshit people gets to have their own happy ending and second chances but Rashta's grave is still being dug. (P.S - I don't like her at all, saying again, but I'll really start to, cause I can't keep up with his hypocrisy). This mentality is sick of wanting this turd Sovieshu to have a second chance whilst hating Rashta passionately. For now I'm really glad that Trashta have fans cause only Trashta fans can keep hypocrite Sovieshit's fans in their places. I'll read the Novel after my mind has calmed down. I agree with your opinion. But that image burns my eyes.
One of the main reasons for ergi staying at his father place is for his mother but during port case sovieshit agrees for exchange where he gives evely the healing mage for duke to borrow in return for closing case . With evely help he takes his mother out to whitemond ,now she can travel in ship with help from evely. I dont remember for what reason but alicia gets kicked out by the duke . As for kaufmen he agreed to marry the princess of whitemond .
Thank you for the answer. I kind of feel bad for him, hopefully he comes to love her. He still had feelings for Navier till then, I hope he doesn't gets stuck into a loveless marriage. I see. If someone knows what chapter it was where she gets kicked out. Please drop the chapter number thanks in advance.
I agree with what you say (I remember being so surprised when it was about Sovieshu because I didn’t read the title lol). Maybe the author didn’t write a regression side story for Rashta because she already had her 8 chapter alternative world side story? Sovieshu’s one is 12 chapter so they’re kind of close. Tbh, I don’t consider Sovieshu’s side story as canon… I still consider it as a special side story/ alternative world. Maybe the author will do other side stories in the future though? I knew there were people who felt kind of sorry for Sovieshu, but I didn’t know there were Sovieshu apologist till last year so I was really surprised.
She has? The one where she chooses Navier and Sovieshit cheats on Navier with another woman but a noble this time? That wasn't the alternate timeline. The author didn't mentioned clearly, it is deemed as Rashta's soul's despair and wishes that the pope somehow felt. It wasn't a real timeline, just as how clearly Sovieshit one's was mentioned. That is why I didn't addressed that one. You'll be surprised, there's a massive group of Sovieshit's apologist and it was hilarious coming from them to demand more punishment for Rashta. If they can, they would even make up stories that Rashta knew Sovieshu was gonna chose that path for hunting so she deliberately went there and injured herself to invoke pity from him and then seduce him later. They are dumping each of his sins either on Rashta or Navier. I just wish I hadn't read them at all. I really wish to delete the e-book from my library. This ruined for me and all the efforts that I put in. He gets scot-free while others pay for something which was triggered by this fool's incompetency. See, in the ‘If story’ how with just his apology and his decision to make the first step to reach Navier and hold a conversation with her, he got what he wanted. He got Navier's love and forgiveness effortlessly. While in the main story he accused of her being cold and what not, I already had mentioned in the early threads how wrong he was, it was his ego and pride that didn't want to take any step towards her and wanted Navier to baby him, all it took was one step from him, even after he pulled all that sh*t, he is the ultimate loser and deserves no chance. He should've lived with the dumb decisions he made, there was no refund for Rashta just despair and made-up scenarios that her soul wished for, so why for him? On top of that, she was a slave and was miserable all her life, she wasn't taught any etiquettes and was disliked by most of the people, greed overtook her, from to be like Navier she went to I want to be Navier and it was too late for her to repent after everything she did, yet this man paid bare minimum. He was born into riches and continued to enjoy riches, he knows the pain his mother went through and knew the education that was being given to Navier to be the perfect Empress, but... I've also other things to say but it won't contribute much to the thread but I hope you got what I'm trying to convey.
Can anyone tell me what happened to Ergi's father and Alessia at the end of the story? was Ergi able to take any form of revenge?
Kafmen get s over navier in side chapters where they get stuck in island . As for alicia arc it starts in chapter where their is image of child sovieshu from there give or take 2 to 3 chapter before alicia gets kicked it alomst ending of main story
Too long didn’t read. Seethe. Cope. Mapd ect ect Rashta stomps all over all the other boring characters. She put the novel on the nap I truly do wish remarried empress goes mainstream so everyone gives Heinley and naber the hate they deserve. Normal people won't be on the side of slave owners
Lol that just means you can't say anything back because you can't prove I am wrong I don't know who is more upset. Rashta for seeing Ahn simply existing near her or Ahn for feeling rejected by his mother I think a lot of the main characters are well written you just have to look for the little clues. Like Rashta isn't evil for the sake of being evil and Souvishu isn't a bastard for the sake of being a bastard. There is "logic" to their actions. Except for Kaufman who we don't know much about his past, there is a reason why they are the way they are for pretty much every main character including Souvishu, Heinrey, Rashta, Ergy and most importantly Navier. Pretty much I have enough info (is a long novel) that I could write an essay explaining every single main character. I know a lot of people complain that Navier doesn't stand out, that she doesn't have character development but in this long ass essay I will explain why that's not true. Just Navier having tea and Rivetti questioning her sexuality, no reason I just like this image To understand Navier's personality one needs to realize she lives in a patriarchy and was handpicked by a sexist narcissist bastard to support said patriarchy and he picked her for the qualities that make her desirable: beauty, intelligence and a "healthy" amount of submissiveness. She was groomed to be the ideal empress and to support her empire. However, she cannot just be some submissive dog that needs to lick Souvishu's shoes, that's the role of a concubine. A novelty like Rashta (who also suffers from the patriarchy) where the nobles can point at her and say "aww look at the funny things she does, she is so beautiful and whimsical" as if they are standing in a zoo. The empress demands respect so she needs to be strong willed and intelligent enough to run an empire but at the same time she cannot outshine Souvishu. She needs to be submissive enough to be able to accept that Souvishu can at any time strip her of her power and throw away her plans if he so desires (and he does when he ruins her trade plans with Kaufman) and also understand that Souvishu can get any concubine he wants (she actually voices this to him in the Souvishu extra). That's because Navier doesn't see Souvishu as her man, but as her emperor and friend. Like any good woman she needs to put her husband's desires and her empire's desires in front of her own desires because society expects women to constantly sacrifice themselves for their families (in this case her empire and her emperor) and thus "Navier" ceases to exist. Navier exists solely for her work and her empire and she was fine with it because she was groomed for this and everything was going fine until Rashta entered her life. Navier simply doesn't want to stand out or cause controversy because she worries about her empire's image and Souvishu's. This is what she was taught. She also never even made donations under her name because it would undermine Souvishu, make it look like the empress is the only one that gives a fuck about the commoners and she can't have that because they are a team (although people suspected Navier was behind the donations and that's why they would hang her portraits on orphanages or places where she regularly donates to). The point is she was raised to make the emperor shine going back to society's expectations that a woman should not outshine her husband because women should be humble and barely seen. So people compare Navier to other oi heroines that are dramatic but that's the thing about Navier: she wouldn't even want to be a popular heroine, not in the top 10, 20, or even 50 oi heroines popularity contest, she would just feel very awkward about it. That doesn't mean she wants her reputation to be dogshit or that she doesn't want to stand out when duty tells her to because she is still an empress so she knows she needs to look the part and smile. She is not as dramatic as other io heroines because she doesn't need to be, most other heroines are in an unfavorable position where they have to take drastic and memorable actions to increase their reputation. Navier only experiences that type of life or death situation where she needs to make herself noticeable like only once and that's when Angel is about to ruin her empire and she takes the stage, draws attention to herself, gives a smart response to his questions and beats him. You could also say her dramatic elopement with Heinrey could count but she was forced to stand in public to be humiliated and could only ask for permission to marry him while the head priest was there but overall she likes to do things behind scenes Rashta's actions make Souvishu illogically hostile towards Navier and she realizes she started to lose her best and only real friend (but was he really her real friend when there is still a massive power imbalance?). However she gains a new friend who she feels safe and comfortable with and this is the part where she starts fighting against years and years of grooming. It starts with little actions: maybe she should be able to finish her little piece of cake without worrying that Souvishu is going to disapprove. She should be able to say "no I did not give Rashta any gifts" when Souvishu wants to force her to accept Rashta. Why can't she have a pen pal especially when she feels her loneliest and lowest? Soon her actions starts to escalate and she goes fuck your execution, I am letting my friend's buddy go free and if you refuse then I am letting everybody know why. Ultimately: why would she stay with Souvishu and an empire that doesn't want her? They can have their fairytale ending and I wish them the best of luck. Despite everything she still loves her empire. Readers make fun of Souvishu because he was absolutely sure that Navier would stay by his side. That once he throws Rashta into the trash, Navier would be back into his arms and he will have a baby by then and they can complete their happy little family but the thing is he fully expects Navier to stay because Navier was trained to stay like some faithful dog and not a person. That's not what happened, she divorces and now she is hiding in a box trying to escape Souvishu because now he is desperate and wants to physically keep her from leaving like she is some sort of precious jewel that is being stolen by a bastard thief but she makes it to the Western. Now, the people in the Eastern empire either like her or are neutral; she is not at all unpopular but she doesn't have the true love Cinderella back story to support her and she leaves her husband immediately after divorcing him! "How tactless of her! The audacity of this woman already parading around with her younger playboy king." This gains the disapproval of her old empire when she comes back for Souvishu's wedding but Navier still wishes them the best because she has loved her empire for all her life, she even wishes Rashta would become a good empress. Navier loves her job, she loves serving her empire and she commits to loving her new empire and yet Navier realizes that just like how her relationship with Souvishu rapidly deteriorated, so can her relationship with Heinrey because she knows that as a woman she is at the mercy of her husband. The problem is that she loved Souvishu and was defiant against him getting a concubine when she should have followed her mom's advice: do nothing. But that's hard to do when she is being forced to interact with Rashta. So she goes full ice queen mode and makes a promise to herself to not fall in love with Heinrey; conceal don't feel, she builts herself a little castle around her heart, sings let it go and tells Heinrey that he can go ahead and get a concubine if he wants (she will not interfere) and she even gets her ice magic to complete the whole look. In the Western Empire she is smart enough to manipulate people to do her bidding without any bloodshed. She manages to convince a war monger with a logical explanation that they shouldn't go to war with a little country and take over their port using their provocation as an excuse. Instead, Navier simply got them to agree that she could use the ports as much as she wants as freely as she wants. Their win win relationship continues and little by little she opens up to him. Drama happens and she realizes once again that she is not fine at all with concubines and Heinrey is more than happy to agree because he already isolated Christa to the point of suicide for daring to force him to make her into concubine so he is glad Navier is starting to get his point. This is where a little bit of selfish Navier comes in. Navier figures out Heinrey was the mastermind involving the mage decline. He did not confess on his own but when pressed he basically goes "I am sorry I wanted to kill your people, your friends and family and wanted to burn down your empire to the ground, I promised I'll undo it because I love you" And Navier went fuck it. She wants Heinrey, just one single man over her old empire; prioritizing her personal desires over what is morally right. It's not like she is evil, she would have told Heinrey to stop the war and give Evelyn her magic back if Heinrey hasn't done it already but the old Navier would be destroyed inside over her conflicting morals while the new one just wants her husband by her side and is going to do anything to hide his crimes, not just for her new Empire but also for herself and her future babies. Realizing the length this man is willing to go for her, Navier concludes that he loves her. Then later on she decides to tell him that she loves him too fully exposing her heart to him. In her new life, Navier does as she pleases, she relaxes, she teases him, he teases her, she sleeps with him everyday and wakes up next to him everyday. Eats whatever Heinrey has made for breakfast and goes to work and later on she puts time aside to enjoy each other's company (taking baths together etc). She loves him and if she feels insecure about something or she doesn't like something she is going to let him know. Thus, she treats Heinrey as her equal, not just her emperor; pretty much breaking a lifetime of grooming to be subservient to her emperor and to put her desires aside for the good of the empire. Now the bad: Navier looking at a mirror: "People tell me I'm beautiful, but I am not sure" The only thing I find annoying about her is her complete lack of awareness on how desirable she is and how she constantly misses any romantic cues but she takes it to another level of obliviousness. She doesn't even know she is beautiful despite being told by literally everybody that she is (which sounds like something an stereotypical male author would write, oh she is so beautiful but she doesn't know it cue that corny song from one direction) Unfortunately, Kaufman constantly suffers from her obliviousness (it must be the love potion)to the point where he tries to distance himself and even Angel who is direct and upfront about it is like "I have become obsessed with you to the point I even dream about you all the time" and Navier is like "!" What could he possibly mean by that? Recap: Navier wasn't born a modern day Korean feminist, her changes aren't obvious and they are somewhat subtle that took place in a span of a little over a year. You could say she is a product of her time, her struggles are basically breaking away from the patriarchal ideologies she was ingrained with since childhood and breaking away and escaping from Souvishu's control and manipulation. At the same time her development also involves her "healing" from her relationship with Souvishu to the point where she is willing to open her heart again, learn to value herself and her own desires and begin a healthy relationship with Heinrey who encourages her change and supports her. That's it kids Thanks for coming to my TED talk. Edit: why are my posts fusing together, that's annoying ;_;
I agree with this. Navier is not your girl boss, ‘I am gonna rock and change your world. Insert a bunch of derogatory words here.’ I think a lot of modern fans don’t like her because she is a traditional woman and she seems to be content with her position. Another thing to hate about her is that she is part of the system and she should have been a girl-boss feminist and she should have been more progressive (because she does have some authority and power) and should have been more aligned and compassionate to Rashta. I don’t understand this view because it implies that because Navier has a vagina, she should have allied with Rasta just because. A lot of readers expect to be some sort of a girl team superhero duo team that will topple Sovieshu and everything. Sharing the same gender is their only common ground. Apart from it, they are completely different women who have the right to exist and be written about. It feels trivial that people keep pushing her to an archetype and then be disappointed when she was written that way. As if she shouldn’t be written that way. I kinda understood because when RE was starting WMMAP was also running and Athy (the WMMAP protag) was more of a progressive character compared to Navier. But RE and WMMAP are two different stories and genres. In a way, I understand why some readers feel short because Navier did divorce Sovie (a bit of a progressive move on her part) but she ended up marrying Heinley. If you look at that, it feels like a fake progressive victory. But I never looked at Navier and said, this is a progressive Empress. She’s not and I don’t think her whole story even hinted at that. It has also been discussed ad nauseum here and in a particular subreddit what Navier’s role is and why Rashta is not well-liked. There are threads if people want to have broad opinions and some threads are two years old now. It feels like an old issue being brought upon to create drama. I will not comment on slavery (and what a progressive Navier would have done) because some readers are already obsessed with it, like expecting every reader to be also so sensitive about the topic. TLDR – Some readers want Navier to do something because she is an FC with power, wealth, authority and the potential to be more progressive woman. But she is not. She has never been. Re: fusion. A mod likely did that.
It's kinda bother to mention each one who ask, so Spoiler: Duke Ergy past After Alisia framed by young Sovieshu, since she is still from a noble families, and Sovieshu father might figure out it's a frame, so he just send her back to her home country, Alicia nobles families ashamed of her, not only she become a mistress she even commited a crime, so they drug her and dump her on a single boat in the middle of the sea, and the pirate save her, she become their slave, when the pirate ship anchored in Ergy Kingdom, she is send to buy the groceries, that's when she witnessed the pirate execution, it's actually a scam, the pirate send the useless one and the official pretending they are doing their job by capturing the pirates, Alisia think she could be the next offering, so she then gambling her life, if she is succesful, she could escape or she could also be executed alongside the other pirates, she shout out that she is kidnapped by the pirates and ask for help, but they really didn't care and got her captured but when Ergy father who are present as the representatives of the royal family, see her face, he stop them, he brought her home, Alicia thinking that her life is such an irony, she willingly become Sovieshu father mistress bcause she fall in love with him but then get thrown away unjutly so she vowed to never become a mistress again but she had no choice now since she just want to survive. Ergy was a cheerful and innocent boy, he grew up in a loving family, his father was overprotective and didn't allow Ergy to even go the gathering of boys, he always say there is a sickness in the society, maybe due to his mother deteriorating mental illness, so Ergy became curious when his father brought a guest, he is the one who seek Alicia first and befriended her, Ergy presence bring a joy for lonely Alicia, she confided what happened to her and Ergy promised that he would protect her from now on, but deep down Alicia afraid that Ergy would became just like Sovieshu once he learn the truth, bur contrary to her worries, Ergy father never seek her out or visit her even once, a week or two passed, the butler bring her to the office, Ergy father show her the picture of his wife, Alicia surprised bcause she is similar to her, Ergy father offered a contract to became his wife substitute in the public for a few times till the public sentiment died down but she had to dissappear after that, she only need to stay by his side and not to talk with anyone apart from the greetings. Ergy father met his mother when he go to countryside and took shelter from the rain, his mother was a fallen nobles, she is an orphan, and weak since a child so she stay in the countryside to recuperate in the care of her relatives. Ergy uncle The King didn't oppossed the marriage bcause he think it was better, if Ergy father married a prominent family he could became a threat to his reign, and her body also weak, especially after she give birth, she couldn't participate in the social circle, it only benefit the King that is till the Queen run away to her home country, there is no lady to lead the social circle, the public become dissatisfied with the royal family, the arrow turn to Ergy mother, the 2nd highest in power, malicious rumors about her began to spread around, there is also delegation from Henry Empire (Henry along with Christa father), the King pressured Ergy father to bring the Duchess out, that's why he need a scarecrow, when Ergy learn about it, he is mad at his father, he say it was necessary for the family, and Alicia made excuse that she just want to survive, and ask for Ergy understanding since he know her circumstances, but Ergy said not at the expense of his mother. At first Alicia just want to survive, but after she attend a few banquets, she miss her old life as the flower society, when Ergy father away for a while, she approaced the delegation, and bcause of her charming and well spoken persona, she enraptured Christa mother, before long the other ladies flock to her side, when Ergy father comes back it's already too late, she declared that she is healthy now and will attend the parties regularly. Ergy father was so mad that he leave right away and in the carriage he told her to leave the mansion in the morning, Alicia beg for forgiveness but he didn't want to even listen. Back at her room, she is at a loss of what to do till Ergy mother visited her. Once she leave, Alicia climbed the windowand goes to Duchess room to stolen Ergy doll and placed it in front of her room as a bait and started the fire. After the fire broke out, everyone comes out but Ergy has not see his mother, he began searching and asking for his mother and one of the servant said they saw her last in Alicia chamber, he ran there when he see the doll he lost his mind, and enter the fire blazed room. After that Alicia come out of the room holding the unconscious Ergy, her face and body was burned, wailing 'please save my son' the servant who witnessed it, thought it was like a scene from hell, and Christa mother who is worry about Alicia leaving abruptly, visit the mansion and witnessed the scene, she scold the servant who did nothing, but the servant who know she is not the real Duchess at a loss of what to do, Christa mother then brought them to the delegation mansion, Alicia keep saying please save my son despite her burned face and body, everyone who saw it feel touched and earn their symphaty. When Ergy regain his consciousness, Alicia kept her act of mother of the century, Ergy keep telling them she is not his mother, everyone dismissed it as a trauma due to the shock. Ergy father kept silence, he can't get rid of Alicia now, if he tell them she is a fake, nobody would believed him, they will think he throw away his wife bcause a scar on her face, a scar she got after saving his son. Since Ergy staying in the delegation mansion for his recovery, he met Heinry after he run away from 'his mother', Henry believed his story, he even concluded it was Alicia who start the fire and everything was calculated, thinking back Ergy fell strange too, but there us no evidence since his doll got burned into ashes.
Half agree with this. I would have really liked the fact she was not a typical "girl boss" but it feels like something is missing. I don't think it is wrong for readers to find her a bit lackluster. There are so many gentle characters I love in fiction; Anne Elliot from Persuasion, Beth in Little Women, Fanny Price in Mansfield Park (and though everyone thinks she is a mouse she actually questions how the slaves feel in her uncle's plantation, she does not change the world but we know she thinks and feels), Elinor Dashwood (sorry for all the Jane Austen!), Miss Marple, and Caroline Ingalls from Little House on the Prarie to name a few. And excepting Beth not all these characters are perfectly good, they all have their foibles but also a passion, a muchness about them that most readers can usually relate to. I think it is refreshing to have a range of characters but for me (and other readers) there is something lacking in Navier to us. Agree that Navier does not have to be kind to Rahsta out of some female solidarity and especially not form some superhero team with her. But oh how it would have made her character admirable to question the system a little more. Think Elinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility when she endures the inane and manipulative chatter from Lucy Steele. I mean are some posters obsessive about slavery or are some posters not interested enough? That is just perspective. I don't think posters you call "obsessive' are wrong in wanting others to be sensitive any more than I think you and other posters are wrong in trying to justify Navier's character. It is disgusting to enslave someone for the crimes of their parents/family. To believe a person can be owned at all. That should inspire a healthy repulsion in most. It is just a difference of opinion. I think too that you can't really expect everyone to respect someone for just doing what is expected (being the Empress she has been brought up to be from her childhood), that is why we liked Navier initiating a divorce - taking her life into her own hands. But overall I don't fully agree or disagree with most of the views on here. Surely there is room for both extremes of views and everything in between?
If we remove the good bias we have towards Heinrey, we can see that he is a really cunning person. He planted the Duke near Rashta which drove the divorce between emperor and Naiver, created something (not sure what since I didn't read too far in the novel) which removes the powers of magicians which is the core strength of East Empire, "loved" and wooed Naiver to western kingdom which disregards the east empire and shows west is not inferior to the east and so many more. Honestly his "love" for Navier could also be a part of his masterplan to bring the downfall of the empire. And if you see from a depressing pov, Rashta and Navier are like chess pieces to Heinrey and Soviensu to gain more power. And only Navier is the real victim here.
Rashta is also a victim to though, she did a lot of terrible stuff but girl was getting manipulated by duke ergi. And she also has to deal with the nasty count or whatever who was hiding her baby Ngl it rubs me the wrong way she was ex slave too like her situation is sad
True, coz that's the only way she can be alive. Btw, how did Navier react when she came to know about Heinrey's to cause downfall of eastern empire?