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Aoife

Witty Little Knitter

I read fantasy, crime, true crime, lgbt-romance and books written by my favourite comedians. List not necessarily complete.
Sometimes I write for Bibliodaze

Currently reading

Stephen and Matilda
Jim Bradbury
Progress: 52/262 pages
Krieg und Frieden
Michael Grusemann, Leo Tolstoy
Progress: 579/1024 pages

Reading progress update: I've read 45%.

The Queen Of The Tearling - Erika Johansen

Today in: your worldbuilding makes zero sense

 

Kelsea's mother became queen despite having a younger brother. So we're clearly in a world where inheritance rights don't discriminate against women. Additionally nobody knows who Kelsea's father is (a few know but won't tell because of reasons) but there seems to be no issue with this. Everybody accepts her as queen.

Think about that: in (western) history you get a few queens who became rulers because there was no male offspring but an illegitimate offspring on the throne? With no knowledge of who the father is? Pretty much unthinkable (just look at Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Even if he'd ever become emperor his children couldn't have followed him on the throne because his wife was just a countess...and that was in the 20th century...and we're in pseudo-medieval dystopia-land here). But not even the church objects and they usually have a thing with marriage and stuff.

 

To cut it short: if the royal claim can be passed through the female blood-line alone should indicate a pretty awesome setting with equal rights for men and women...except that it isn't really. So far warriors/guards etc. were all men, the women knit and weave (while men can't even distinguish knitting-needles from a weaving-loom), cook and do all the other stereotypical female work. When Kelsea demands sword-training and an armour the others look at her like she's insane (even though an armour should really be no question considering how many people are trying to kill her) and also we only met churchmen so far, no female priests/bishops etc.

 

Why am I still doing this to myself?