as a woc, it’s so interesting to see the presentation of patriarchial oppression alongside clear racial hierarchies, esp from the perspective of a “white” / racially privileged woman . sciona’s experience of deep rooted systemic misogyny hit so hard and it’s so easy to understand how this drives her - but she’s simultaneously blinded to thomil’s reality and her own perpetuation of harm, in a way that is so so recognisable in much of the mainstream feminst discourses around gender equality. the way i’m constantly switching between deep, almost yearning understanding for her desire for so much more than her unjust treatment and then utter RAGE at her lack of care and disregard for the kwen (all clearly borne from being surrounded by unchallenged tiranish dogma!) is so heartwrenchingly familiar, and i feel so deeply for thomil for having to put up w all that from his boss rip

i saw a post a while ago talking about how uncomfortable the way sciona objectifies thomil is, and i fully agree - this book is an incredibly sensitive portrayal of the nuances of gendered and racial dynamics in scionas simultaneous derision and fascination/attraction to thomil as a kwen man like hello do u see this shit edward said!!!

at tye end of this chapter it’s starting to click that maybe not everything is as she’s always thought - im so interested to see where she goes from here, the extent to which she is able to recognise and challenge her deeply internalised prejudices, and where ml wang will choose to have her at the end of the book

just my 2am two pence before i finally sleep, would love to hear other ppls thoughts on this !! <3