In the twelfth chapter of The Will of the Empress, the circle gets closer. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Will of the Empress.
Trigger Warning: For discussion of trauma/PTSD
SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT.
Dragonstone
Okay, I want to go??? What a brilliant idea for repurposing ruins. Part of what makes Berenene so fascinating to me is that she’s genuinely a multi-faceted character. She’s a masterful gardener with a sense for design and life. Obviously, that’s attractive to Briar, but she built this entire place and her royal gardens long before she even knew Briar existed. She’s had a life outside of him, and her life is worth the interest. It’s just unfortunate that she’s at odds with all of these characters because in another world, in another circumstance, I might actually like Berenene a great deal more than I do now. Her scenes with Briar at the Dragonstone ruins are charming in a way.
I think it helps that Briar is aware that she’s trying to pull him into her world and that his attraction to her would never actually work as a relationship. As silly and as impulsive as Briar may seem to be, I appreciate that Pierce gives him a depth to his behavior. Look, we have to remember how young Briar was when he was orphaned and how long he’s gone without the type of support, affection, or flattery that the empress gives him. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with him courting the idea of being the chief gardener for Berenene at all. As I said on video, Briar stands to gain the most from her without actually losing much in his own life. He’s not tied to any specific place or any people, either, and life with Berenene would probably be pleasant and rewarding, especially if she would foster and grow his magical abilities.
Still, I don’t trust Berenene at all. SO THERE’S THAT.
Daja
I really love how protective Daja has been throughout this book, all done in her own quiet way. When she realizes that a group of nobles is headed to bother Briar, she slips away from everyone to go find out what’s about to happen to her foster brother. Note that she doesn’t intervene at all during the whole exchange that happens. She understands when Briar’s pride matters most to him; she also knows how to best navigate an interaction with a group of nobles. Part of that certainty in her behavior comes from familiarity, and it’s so exciting to me to see the Circle grow back to being close again. It’s not a completed thing, of course; Briar does not communicate back to Daja, but does open up to Tris later. Still, it’s heartwarming to see, especially since I now know that the foster siblings will be most effective against Berenene if they’re joined together.
Also, I’m so glad Briar kicked Olfeon’s ass. He deserved it.
Trauma
I like that Briar uses empathy to try to communicate with Zhegorz. I honestly didn’t know whether he’d ever talk about what had happened in Yanjing, but I think it was brave of him to open up about it for Zhegorz. Of course, if you asked him, he’d say he wasn’t doing any such thing. But Briar sees how afraid Zhegorz is about literally everything, and tries to give the man something to relate to and something to have faith in.
In this case? That’s Tris. He wants Zhegorz to understand that Tris will do anything to protect him. But in the process of trying to explain this, he invokes the pirates she killed, which in turn causes Zhegorz to observe that Tris didn’t protect Briar during whatever event traumatized him to the point of him having nightmares. It’s a painfully awkward moment, but Briar has a revelation during the process:
Briar was about to tell them both that his dreams were no cider of theirs, but there was something about the way Tris looked at him. He’d forgotten that side of her, that he had always been able to tell her the most horrific thing, and she would never laugh, be shocked, or withdraw from him.
It’s because of the comfort and support that Tris gives him that he’s able to finally talk about the horrors of the emperor of Yanjin, who sounds a million times more monstrous than Berenene. I won’t repeat the details here, but it’s obvious that Briar, Rosethorn, and Evvy witnessed one of the most horrific things imaginable. Unfortunately, he’s in total denial about his PTSD; he still views emotions (and, by that logic, any sort of mental illness) as silly and unnecessary, the realm of girls and weakness. But he’s got to come to terms with the fact that regardless of gender, everyone can suffer the ill effects of trauma.
At least he’s got Tris, though:
Inside the magic they shared, he said, I missed you, Coppercurls. With you there, we might’ve conquered Yanjing.
HELP. IT’S TOO MUCH.
Living metal
Daja Kisubo, HOW ARE YOU REAL? Without even questioning it, she fastens living metal hearing aids and spectacles for Zhegorz, all so that he can survive life in an active city. She does it out of the goodness of her heart, even though she’s initially not even sure she can pull it off. But it’s a start! (God, I feel like I’ve said that a million times.) It’s a method for Zhegorz to cope with the images and sounds brought to him on the winds, which is important if he’s ever going to get a better grip on himself.
I just love these characters so much.
The original text contains use of the words “idiot,” “crazy,” and “mad.”
vid
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
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