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  Mairie_93_

  19 мая 2025

  At the beginning this book enraged me so much. I I would hate it, but all the good reviews are warranted and I ended up loving it. It is quite complicated and confusing at the beginning when the magic is explained but you get the hang of it, it gets easier (but not until about 30%). But maybe it’s just me who is not used to a more scientific approach to magic systems which I only start discovering for myself.

  Re-reading this review before posting it makes me smile at how scandalized I felt at the first half of the book with the FMC and her life views. I would say that everyone in this book pissed me off more often than not.

  The first 40% of the book, the FMC had a very offputting personality. She was condescending, despite her knowledge and general intelligence, she was insensitive, narrow-minded and ignorant when it came to other people and their cultures and lives, her blind religious beliefs sometimes outweighed the common sense which also pissed me off a lot of times. Once she passed the exam and became highmage, the power got to her head. Just because no other man in her field respected her and deemed her beneath them, at first, if Thomil contradicted her, she turned a real bitch towards him. I felt so repulsed by her. Even though she tried to be open-minded and engage into discussions challenging all her beliefs, it still didn’t make me like her more. All these derogatory names she called Kwen peoples, the general treatment. Disgusting.

  
  Thomil didn’t have the status or protections of a regular assistant. Sciona could have him fired with a word, and he would go back to scrubbing floors. Or worse. The uncomfortable reality was that, if she wanted, she could do much, much worse. Have him imprisoned, possibly even killed, with one lie about his conduct. The mage spoke a thing and it was so…
  Neither of them acknowledged the power difference while they worked, but it was always there. And Sciona had used it to win the argument…

  But as the story progresses and after the revelation on the source of the Tiranish magic Sciona became less irritating and started to have more depth to her. Which also made reading the story easier when I didn’t quite hate the protagonist. Which cannot be said about the rest of the characters.

  I was genuinely shocked once I imagined the scale of devastation their everyday lives and actions caused other people. I was shaken, vividly remembering the opening chapter.

  The treatment of Kwen as lesser people infuriated me so many times.

  
  Three months ago, when Sciona didn’t know any Kwen personally, she would have said that the people from beyond the barrier made things up all the time. They were ignorant and easily ruled by emotion and illusion.

  Sexism is also something else.

  
  “Where the masculine mind may innovate and discover and derives contentment from accomplishment, the feminine mind derives contentment from submission.”

  Gaslighting’s on another level.

  
  “Then you must also be aware that, as a female, you face unique mental challenges that do not afflict your colleagues. Mania is very common in women, especially those of great intelligence. With respect to your brilliance, Highmage, you are not stable.”
  “What is the point of stability then, Doctor? What is the point of anything?”
  “To fulfill your God-given role as a woman, of course,” he said with irritating confidence. “To be a positive and pleasing presence to others, your husband, your family... This is a classic example of how dangerous it is for a female to have a career and ambitions like yours.”

  The doctrine they all follow and heed is so well-written that it drove me mad. All the insolence made my teeth grind.

  
  Women, being governed by emotions, have no place in positions of political or magical power. It is fine and good to have them trained in magic as educators, as fits their nurturing nature, and it is my personal belief that such pursuits should be encouraged. But to have a woman take the masculine role of innovator is not right or natural.

  I’m glad I decided to wade through the confusing beginning and I do not regret reading it. The rollercoaster of emotions is guaranteed with this one, even though the majority of them are negative.

  All that said, I feel like the writing style is still not for me, it took me a while to finish this book. I will probably give another try with this author and read the The Sword of Kaigen just to see whether I’m compatible with her writing.

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