~The Spark That Lights the Moe~

When I read the fight between Douma and Shinobu, I always feel like he's giving her the chance to vent because he thinks he's being kind, and maybe even saving her like he tries to do with his followers. Obviously he knows he has to kill her because she's one of the hashira, but he could have done it so much sooner if he really wanted to. I know he has a habit of playing around a bit, but I do think there was a genuine attempt to help her in a weird way.

I also like comparing the contrast between how he interacts with Shinobu versus how he interacts with Kanae, and why that is. Interesting stuff.

I found out my copy of 'Spinning Silver' is messed up after I got a little over halfway through it, so while I'm waiting to get a new copy, I started 'War for the Oaks'. The new book hooked me immediately, and I love every chapter so far. It's definitely a good read if you like your faeries to be like the classic folklore, but in an urban setting. Even the intro had me laughing because the author herself wrote it just to tell us all how useless intros are. I felt that in my bones lol.

Maybe it's just me, I dunno, but not only do I not see Douma as a psychopath, I don't even see him as evil. Dangerous? Potentially, depending on the situation. But not evil. Lions eat zebras, and that's not evil. Douma is a demon, so I apply the same logic here. If he eats humans, it's not as if it's cannibalism. He eats them because that is what he needs to eat to stay healthy and to grow stronger. This concept expands out to the other demons too. I don't think any of them are evil for eating humans. Even when people say that Douma plays with his food, I personally think there's a very real attempt there to understand emotions that slip through his fingers. Plus, no one seems to want to be around him other than his followers, but I think he likes to experience a different sort of connection than that, even if only briefly.

I find myself having become an unapologetic Douma sympathizer.

I finally read, 'The Wood at Midwinter' by Susanna Clarke. It was such a magical little experience, and perfect for winter. It was also in the same universe as 'Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell' so I enjoyed revisiting that beloved fictional world. Even in this book, John Uskglass has indirectly had a part in it, and I love that. Merowdis, the main character, was absolutely precious. I loved her and all her animal companions, and I was so happy for her when she was able to live the life she wanted instead of being stuck where no one understood the things she cared about.