Penny

Is it just me… or does Herman seem to have Stockholm Syndrome? His behavior makes much more sense in that light. Anita is gorgeous and tragic, but also abusive in the extreme. It makes sense she would have gone a bit mad that way, given her lover killed everyone else she loved in the world and everyone like her… yikes. What a mess. If I were Regina, I’d want to pack up and leave, too. What a horrible ancestor to be related to, and then to have to clean up the mess he made because the emperor is mediocre as a leader (and even worse as a father) and only sits on a throne because he is a descendant of that disgusting ancestor… I’d run away with my little brother, change my name, and start a revolution so the public can elect someone with their best interests at heart who isn’t the descendant of a genocidal asshole.

Knowing Regina, though, they would probably just elect her. She just can’t get a break.

I was a little worried when I started reading because I saw some comments about how she is a pushover and lets the queen treat her terribly without retaliating… but I’m really glad I didn’t listen to that and read this anyway. I’m seeing a lot more badass vibes than pushover ones. My reasoning is as follows:
1.) The queen is a bitch, yes, but a bitch her brother loved. It makes sense to me that she would hesitate to kill the mother of the brother she is grieving so soon after his death. She kept her shit together and fought back without actually killing anyone while she was being tortured… that takes a lot of control when you have a gift like hers.
2.) Christa shows a strong level of responsibility for her people and country—she negotiated a treaty for them to end the war in a way that is fair for her people, even while plotting the death of the man she would be marrying.
3.) I’m starting to think that Christa reacts to pain in a very “it’s only pain” way, pretty badass. Perhaps to her own detriment, but I have a feeling her character arch will be addressing this.
4.) Her attitude is very no-nonsense and she’s willing to do what it takes without gloating or needing anyone else to tell her what to do. I hope the author leans into this and doesn’t focus solely on the romance—I can totally see Christa taking control of the Empire she’s just married into. So much potential…. Please deliver, author!