In the fifteenth chapter of The Will of the Empress<\/i>, Sandry confronts Berenene. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read The Will of the Empress.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n
Trigger Warning: For kidnapping, rape, misogyny, PTSD.<\/b><\/p>\n
I definitely expected a scene like this would happen much later in the book, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not, and now I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m incredibly, incredibly<\/i> worried about what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to happen in these last five chapters.<\/p>\n
N O P E.<\/p>\n
The Rescue<\/b><\/p>\n
So\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 where\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Daja? Why keep her away from this? I get that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s with Rizu, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fantastic, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m curious as to the motivations for writing her out of this huge scene. It seems like the kind of moment to bring the quartet back together and unite them in their power. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got five more chapters to read, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m real interested to see Daja\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s take on all of this. Will she leave Rizu behind?<\/p>\n
Anyway, let me back up. This whole sequence is thrilling, despite that I believed Tris and Briar would rescue their sister. I am still in awe of Briar, who uses his connection to Sandry to keep her thinking of anything but the darkness. The man likes to pretend that he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care about emotions or feelings, but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so good<\/i> at shit like this. He just likes to give the appearance of being tough and gritty. But at the end of the day, he cares deeply about the people who love him. And he loves Sandry, and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no doubt in my mind of that while reading this section. The same goes for Tris. Her fury is a sign of her love, as far as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m concerned.<\/p>\n
The rescue goes off without a hitch, and the three of them learn that Fin really did plan on transporting Sandry by sea to the home he had ready to imprison her. And then they set out to BRUTALLY MURDER FIN. Okay, they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t, but what if that was what this book turned into? <\/i><\/p>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a mess, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind me.<\/p>\n
The Mind of an Empress<\/b><\/p>\n
While I might be uncertain about Daja not appearing here, I am absolutely in support of the brilliant choice to have the entire confrontation scene come from Berenene\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s point of view. THERE IS JUST SO MUCH HERE THAT MAKES THIS CHARACTER BETTER. Not like\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 morally better, but she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got so much more depth than ever before. And I adore it. Where do I even start?<\/p>\n
He had begged her pardon, with such polished innocence that she had half-wondered if he had not arranged to kidnap Sandry tonight. She immediately dismissed the idea. Fin was not fool enough to stage such a thing within the walls of the palace, which was sacrosanct. No one would risk that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
SHE DID IT. SHE THOUGHT THE WORST THING POSSIBLE. Oh my god, this must<\/i> be what it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like watching me stumble through these books, I swear<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Even though the text doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t outright address it, I did want to state in the review that Sandry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s use of a letter and the empress\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s personal audience chamber was brilliant<\/i>. <\/i>I honestly thought she was going to charge into the middle of the reception, in front of everyone, and confront Fin. Despite having every right to, and despite that she was both furious and afraid, Sandry still respected Berenene enough to hold her confrontation in a private room. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very smart of her, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. SO SMART. It allows Berenene to prevent a scene from being made, which is ideal, and it allows Sandry and her foster-siblings to be much more frank than they probably could have been in a larger audience.<\/p>\n
And what frankness, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all! The whole thing is one of the most tense scenes in the entire Emelan series, especially since I spent a great deal of it unsure what Tris was doing with her braids. BUT COME ON, LET\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT THIS ALL IS.<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153He seemed to think you would let him get away with it, Cousin, since you admire bold young men so. Everyone knows you want me to stay in Namorn. And you expect women to escape like you did. Of course, I doubt that you were put in a box.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d The huskiness in her voice thickened. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I doubt that the head of the Namornese Mages\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Society put spells on you and guaranteed to keep them there until you signed the contract. It would have been harder to escape under those circumstances, don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t you think?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
OH, SO ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING NOW, IS IT??? OH SHIT, I WASN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T READY. As the trio tear Berenene apart, reveal the existence of the secret passage, and criticize pretty much everything in this court, Berenene has a very interesting reaction to it all:<\/p>\n
One of the hardest parts of being imperial was learning when to back off from a fight.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Wait, was she really going to do this? Back off from a fight? Yet when Sandry calls Berenene out for failing to protect her own cousin, she quietly admits to herself that Sandry is right. Fin ruined her for ages<\/i>, proving that any women who were under Berenene\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s protection weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t safe. But it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Briar who delivers the roughest blow:<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s my<\/i> sister he tried to kidnap, and our magic is plenty thicker than blood. Or maybe I should just give him to Sandry when he doesn<\/i>\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t<\/i> have drugs and spells to make him the big man.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d His voice was heavy with contempt. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You think a strong woman can always beat this? I call it rape, in any country.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I am so endlessly thankful that Pierce has this spelled out as it is here. Look, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t talk about it often, and I honestly have only told a handful of people the details of what happened to me. But when I first was raped back as a freshman in college, multiple people treated me as Berenene treats women here. They said they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe it had happened because I hadn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fought my way out. It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter that I tried; since I did not succeed, then I was worthless.<\/p>\n
Nah. Fuck that. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the same attitude that Sandry has:<\/p>\n
\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going home. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made arrangements so Cousin Ambros will never be strapped for money again. My friends may stay or go as they will, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going back to Emelan, where I am a person, not an heiress<\/i>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I was in shock. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t expecting this kind of decision so soon, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not safe, and this is just a taste of what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s to come. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s telling, then, that Berenene\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first thought? She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to find another way for Sandry, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153a haughty young clehame<\/i>,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to simply \u00e2\u20ac\u0153see things reasonably.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nothing unreasonable about her reaction, of course. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the most sensible action possible. But in a matter of minutes, the empress has lost everything<\/i> she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wanted. Does she reflect on why this is and try to grow? No. The pity and guilt she felt momentarily are swept aside for anger and entitlement, and she works to secure both Tris and Sandry for her own.<\/p>\n
This is gonna get ugly, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it?<\/p>\n
Briar<\/b><\/p>\n
I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t surprised by Briar\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s decision either. There was that moment during the end of the confrontation when Berenene mentioned Gyongxe, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m pretty sure it triggered Briar. If not that specific moment, the whole night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s events sent Briar into another episode, his nightmares reflecting the hellish reality of what he went through at the hands of the emperor of Yangjin. Can you blame the guy for not wanting to become fodder at the hands of another emperor? The only thing left for him to do to keep himself safe was to decline Berenene\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offer.<\/p>\n
I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m guessing that Daja won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stay either. She couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t leave her family behind, as heartbreaking as that might be. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m mostly concerned about what horrible thing Berenene has planned next. I am not ready. <\/i><\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UYnLq3CgXAc<\/p>\n
Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n
– I am now on Patreon<\/a><\/b>!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME<\/a>.
\n– The Mark Does Stuff Tour 2015 is now live and includes dates across the U.S. this summer and fall Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page.<\/a>
\n– My Master Schedule<\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.\u00c2\u00a0My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be the remainder of\u00c2\u00a0The Legend of Korra<\/i>, series 8 of\u00c2\u00a0Doctor Who<\/i>, and Kings<\/i>. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards<\/i> series will replace the Emelan books.
\n<\/b>-\u00c2\u00a0Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the fifteenth chapter of The Will of the Empress, Sandry confronts Berenene. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to read The Will of the Empress.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[477,502,503],"tags":[482,250],"class_list":["post-3559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-emelan","category-the-circle-reforged","category-will-of-the-empress","tag-mark-reads-emelan","tag-tamora-pierce"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3559\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}