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kalira's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
A good part of the drama herein felt rather manufactured - of all the many and definitely staggering changes and difficulties involved in marrying into a foreign royal family, giving up US citizenship? Should neither have been a shock nor, perhaps, such a sticking point - not at the late date of immediately before the wedding, at least.
The persistent conflation - intentional or not - between being American and being Christian and being part of the Kingdom of Brighton (and that definitely threw me off as well, as a name for the original country) and part of the Kingdom of Heaven (in this, mortal world?) was unsteadying and offputting to me.
Meanwhile some of the conflict that I had anticipated seeing after the early setup disappeared; not smoothed away but forgotten in the manufactured and strange drama, and never handled again.
Even the last-minute addition of an obstacle after the main conflict was resolved wasn't really handled, just dropped again immediately after being raised, without even actually saying what the outcome was. Despite it including things likeaccusations of treason , which are hardly so easily dropped.
The persistent conflation - intentional or not - between being American and being Christian and being part of the Kingdom of Brighton (and that definitely threw me off as well, as a name for the original country) and part of the Kingdom of Heaven (in this, mortal world?) was unsteadying and offputting to me.
Meanwhile some of the conflict that I had anticipated seeing after the early setup disappeared; not smoothed away but forgotten in the manufactured and strange drama, and never handled again.
Even the last-minute addition of an obstacle after the main conflict was resolved wasn't really handled, just dropped again immediately after being raised, without even actually saying what the outcome was. Despite it including things like
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
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