So, I don't necessarily dislike Rosetta, but I can't honestly say I like her all that much either, mostly because, as someone who's read the novel, it feels like the author never really knew what she wanted to do with her. Which is a shame because Rosetta had the potential to be one of the more compelling characters in the story. A lot of what Rosetta tells Maxi isn't even wrong. Her cynical views on men and relationships make perfect sense when you consider her upbringing, and some of her observations about Maxi's relationship with Riftan aren't exactly baseless either. What bothers me, though, is that the narrative seems more interested in having Rosetta question Maxi's love for Riftan rather than Riftan's love for Maxi. And that's where I get confused.
Rosetta is positioned as a character who sees through illusions and questions relationships, but I feel the narrative has her questioning the wrong person. Why would Rosetta doubt Maxi's devotion when the reader already knows how Maxi feels about? We're in Maxi's head for most of the story. We see her constantly worrying about Riftan, risking herself for him, and making major life decisions with him in mind. She followed a noblewoman she hardly even knew into a war zone because she was terrified something might happen to her husband. She dedicated herself to learning magic partly because she wanted to be useful and stand beside him as an equal. Whether those motivations are healthy is another discussion entirely, but her feelings for him are never really in question.
So why isn't Rosetta questioning Maxi about *Riftan* instead?
Considering her views on men, it would've made far more sense for her to be skeptical of *his* devotion instead of Maxi's. Why not ask whether what he feels is actually love, or whether he's simply obsessed with an idealized version of Maxi? Why not challenge the way he constantly tries to control her while insisting it's for her own good? That feels like a much more natural direction for Rosetta's character than repeatedly questioning feelings the reader already knows are there.
That's part of why Rosetta feels like she's a confusing character to me, especially after her return in Book 2. She had the perfect perspective to challenge some of the story's assumptions about love and romance, but the narrative never really lets her push on the questions that would've been the most interesting.
So, I don't necessarily dislike Rosetta, but I can't honestly say I like her all that much either, mostly because, as someone who's read the novel, it feels like the author never really knew what she wanted to do with her. Which is a shame because Rosetta had the potential to be one of the more compelling characters in the story. A lot of what Rosetta tells Maxi isn't even wrong. Her cynical views on men and relationships make perfect sense when you consider her upbringing, and some of her observations about Maxi's relationship with Riftan aren't exactly baseless either. What bothers me, though, is that the narrative seems more interested in having Rosetta question Maxi's love for Riftan rather than Riftan's love for Maxi. And that's where I get confused.
Rosetta is positioned as a character who sees through illusions and questions relationships, but I feel the narrative has her questioning the wrong person. Why would Rosetta doubt Maxi's devotion when the reader already knows how Maxi feels about? We're in Maxi's head for most of the story. We see her constantly worrying about Riftan, risking herself for him, and making major life decisions with him in mind. She followed a noblewoman she hardly even knew into a war zone because she was terrified something might happen to her husband. She dedicated herself to learning magic partly because she wanted to be useful and stand beside him as an equal. Whether those motivations are healthy is another discussion entirely, but her feelings for him are never really in question.
So why isn't Rosetta questioning Maxi about *Riftan* instead?
Considering her views on men, it would've made far more sense for her to be skeptical of *his* devotion instead of Maxi's. Why not ask whether what he feels is actually love, or whether he's simply obsessed with an idealized version of Maxi? Why not challenge the way he constantly tries to control her while insisting it's for her own good? That feels like a much more natural direction for Rosetta's character than repeatedly questioning feelings the reader already knows are there.
That's part of why Rosetta feels like she's a confusing character to me, especially after her return in Book 2. She had the perfect perspective to challenge some of the story's assumptions about love and romance, but the narrative never really lets her push on the questions that would've been the most interesting.