It had not been Merik's fault their mother had jumped. Nor had it been Vivia's own doing. Jana had died because she had seen no other escape, and there had been no one there who knew how to help her.
All these years, Vivia had thought that she needed to be stronger than her mother, that she needed to fight the darkness to wear the crown. But that was wrong; that was her father speaking.
Jana had been strong--stronger than Serafin. Stronger than anyone realised, for she had lived with shadows every day and still ruled, still guided, still loved. Rather than nurture that strength, though, Serafin had nurtured the shadows. He had undermined and manipulated, just as he undermined and manipulated Vivia now.
For hye, Vivia had shadows inside her too, but they were not like Jana's. They were all her own, as unique as the foxfire arrangements that glowed beneath the city. And twenty-three years of living with them had made Vivia stronger than anyone realised.
FINALLY. A fantasy book that not only avoids vilifying mental illness, but actually speaks to the people affected by it. That calls out bystanders who do nothing, who don't understand, but still feel like they have a right to judge. That talks about how external influences and the people you surround yourself with can affect a person's inner workings more than anyone will ever know, that talks about how mental illness actually makes people stronger because it's one of the worst things anyone can ever experience, and just because someone fell victim to it in the end, that doesn't make them weak, it makes them strong for surviving as long as they did. Especially without anyone to turn to, to understand, to comfort you, it can often feel like a death sentence.
Yet it reminds loved ones NOT to blame themselves, since people that are truly struggling have worked out how to hide it well, and no matter how much you might want to fight their battles for them, that's something they must do themselves.
THIS IS A FANTASY BOOK, PEOPLE. I've read countless books ABOUT mental illness looking for some modicum of understanding from anybody, and I find it in a FANTASY BOOK where it's not even a FOCUS. Never have I felt so understood and relevant than the two minutes I spent reading those pages.
Oh, plus it points out that each person's mind is unique, and even if two people struggle with dark thoughts or impulses, they are in no way the same.
And despite her demons, she was still capable of love. That's important, too.
amandla
theartofmadeline
germansingergirl
