Sunny Insights

        I have recently been reading a novel called the “Kings Tide” during my free time over the past several weeks. The main character of this harrowing story is a young man whose home has been ruthlessly destroyed by a tyrant because his father objected to the concentrating of power with this man and his cronies. The author creates a dark, moody tone that is pervasive throughout the whole novel.

         The main character is reduced to absolute poverty with no hope in progressing in society due to the slaves brand on his forehead. He is then stabbed, tortured and nearly starved by his “master”. His child then dies of a preventable illness along with his wife and mother. All this while the lavish lifestyle of the tyrant in his palace is portrayed as an almost perfect lifestyle with no problems to speak of. The part of this story is that there is no redemption for the main character only suffering. Unlike many stories this lacks an ending where the main character’s heart filled with injustice at his circumstances. In fact none of his current issues are a result of his mistakes but those out of his control. This author doesn’t offer a simple ending to this complex novel. In fact he makes the point that there are alternative conclusions to life, ones that hope cannot change. This is the one reality that the author chooses to make clear to the reader, some fail, some succeed. The story of the underdog is a time tested audience loved concept, but life almost never works out the way it is portrayed in stories.