“Sogolon take to watching every man or woman who visit, and that is plenty. She wait in the darker hallways to hear about who lose a cleaning woman, who need a daughter, which boy just complete the manhood ceremony, or which chief disappointed in his latest wife.”
The first installment of the series tells the story through the lens of male characters with a particular sense of entitlement. However, in the second book the female protagonist takes the helm and narrates the events through her perspective. In the previous narrative, their society is portrayed as a patriarchal one that oppresses their women in every sphere. Sogolon having suffered in the hands of men knows very well what their victimizers are capable of from a young age. The statement subtly describes the dynamic that exists demonstrating the veneration of men and the disdain for women. As a survivor, she seeks retribution by reclaiming her power and correcting the injustices of this misogynistic society.
“Misery chase away her relief when it come clear to her that nobody miss her. What a place, where everything go on without her as if nobody counting on her for nothing, as if she of no significance to nobody. Truly it make her want to scream.”
Not only is Sogolon overlooked as a woman but also as an individual since childhood. While her brothers get the chance to reside in the hut, Sogolon has to dwell in a termite hill as a young girl. Thus, this fosters her determination while charting her way through the kingdom from royal courts and battlefields. The fact that nobody cares about her, even her own family, forces her to depend on herself. She finds a way to learn to read and refine her combat skills in the illegal matches that take place in the kingdom. Through the many years, she gathers information on how to survive the treacherous lands and people. The narrative is about a survivor seeking vengeance against the people that disregarded and abused her.
“You have to ask if nobody in the South ever think to crown a new dynasty, since this one been going mad for hundreds of years”
The series is about the pursuit of power by those who wish to maintain it for as long as possible. There is no democracy in this society where the nobles resort to violence and madness to secure their throne. The storyline that picks in the second book is similar to the previous one but from a different perspective. Therefore, the reader learns more reasons as to why the mysterious boy is such a person of interest. It is about power for the two kingdoms as there is also tension within their power structures. The quotation alludes to the inefficiency and corruption of a single dynasty ruling for centuries without a change. We observe how the people in royal courts abuse their power as the political tensions worsen.
