this is going to leave heegeon and sahan scarred, but it’s not their fault at all and I would hate it if Philips family places the blame on sahan. Philips family is the only party that should be blamed. They failed to get the help he needed and solely depended on ONE person that is as EQUALLY unstable as Phillip to help him. Now they’re gonna emotionally guilt and manipulate him I bet.
SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL / READ-AHEAD SPOILERS
I’m not hating on this series btw. The art is gorgeous and the premise is actually interesting, which is why I even care enough to rant. But the more I read ahead, the more mixed I feel about the story and especially the main couple.
Talia is a very hard FL to like, and I don’t mean that as “bad writing.” I think she’s meant to be hard to like. She’s jealous, bitter, emotionally unstable, and honestly kind of exhausting sometimes. I understand WHY she’s like that because her whole life was basically neglect, humiliation, and being treated like she was born wrong. But understanding her trauma doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything she does.
That’s where I feel like some readers go too far. They act like because she suffered, every ugly thing she does is automatically fine. But for me, she’s both sympathetic and unlikeable. Both can be true.
Varkas is also frustrating. I get that he’s duty-bound and emotionally repressed, and from what I understood his protection/engagement with Ayla came more from a promise/oath tied to the late empress, not because he was madly in love with her or anything. But even then, the result is still messy. He’s engaged to Ayla, Talia is already spiraling because of him, then the injury/marriage situation happens and suddenly the whole relationship is built on guilt, duty, shame, responsibility, and trauma.
That is not romantic to me in a normal way. It’s interesting, but not exactly something I can happily root for.
The intimacy/coercion spoilers are where I really started side-eyeing the story. I know people argue about how to interpret it, but when a scene has that much pressure, pain, obligation, and lack of emotional safety, I feel like the novel needs to handle it more seriously. Dark stories can have uncomfortable scenes, but then the aftermath should matter too. It shouldn’t just become another tragic thing thrown into the pile.
And that’s kind of my biggest problem with the novel spoilers overall. Talia suffers, then suffers again, then suffers even more. The pregnancy/child-loss part sounds genuinely heartbreaking, especially because she was starting to believe she could love her child differently from how her own mother treated her. But then the baby dies, she can’t have another child, and the marriage loses political value. At some point it stops feeling cathartic and just feels like the author is determined to make her miserable forever.
I also don’t like how Ayla gets talked about sometimes. I’m not saying she’s innocent or perfect, because she has ugly moments too. But she was engaged to Varkas first, and in that kind of setting, a broken engagement is not a small thing. It affects her reputation and future. So when people act like she has no right to be hurt or bitter just because Talia is the FL, it feels unfair. Talia’s pain is real, but she’s not the only person being damaged by this whole palace/political mess.
I think that’s why this story is so frustrating to me. The characters are interesting, but they’re also draining. Talia is compelling but exhausting. Varkas is not boring, but he feels passive and inconsistent sometimes. The romance is intense, but I don’t really feel the love in a satisfying way. It feels more like obsession, guilt, duty, and tragedy all tangled together.
Nah nuke this shit. The art is 100% AI no fucking way
happy pride to everyone
NOVEL SPOILERS:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
i just finished the novel and i actually feel empty. that has to be one of the most heartbreaking things i've ever read. i love Talia so much and cant believe her ending was so miserable and bleak. she deserves the world and watching Varkas grieve was an experience of its own. i cant remember the exact wording but when he discovered her dead body, there was smth along the lines of "a great darkness came down and the world became grey". THE WORLD LOST ITS COLOUR AGAIN ONCE SHE DIED (╯°Д °)╯╧╧ I'm actually hysterical. and then of course the author goes on a rampage and kills of Varkas too 10 chapters later. i'm telling you that novel is made of pure despair. 10/10 don't recommend （/TДT)/ (ps the diary reading scene after her death was the most i've ever cried at a novel)
Goodsmile just announced JINX NENDRIODS?????
They are the first manwha bl NENDOS (to my knowledge) to be released. My question is, WHY JINX?? There are so many better and iconic manwhas to choose from
Tbh im not liking the “and they are stepbrothers” trope. But I do find interesting that the older brother is a deity, so I’m gonna read cuz of that
Just took my last exam of the semester. YAYYYYY (I may fail the class but it’s okay I over now)
Have a nice recovery translator, and please rest!!
Can anyone drop the link of the novel? I wanna read it huhuhu I can't wait
GIRL LITERALLY, WHAT ARE YOU???? A DEMON? A GOD? AN ANGEL?
Every time someone tries describing her, is so fucking metal. Not only are the people confused as fuck but the readers are trying to figure it out too! There’s just so many possibilities
https://www.mangago.me/home/mangatopic/21841102/
Spoilers for anyone interested and links for the novel at the end!!