This revision of Blood of My Blood has come from my desire to refine this, one of the works closest to my heart. I was fifteen when I first wrote this work and had a lot to learn about characterization and the true impacts of literature. Marrok and Jannali are two characters with such potential for nuance and power; it would be a shame to leave that unexplored. I've had someone describe Marrok to me as the classical 'gothic hero' who falls prey to tragedy. I've since decided that Marrok would be a young man of great pride, strength and (supposed) virtue, who is bored and discouraged by his confining environment. When Jannali comes along, a woman who refuses to be dominated by anyone, who seeks control in all things, he is enamoured with her way of life and the feelings that she inspires in him. Jannali lives only for the fulfilment of her own desires, both mental and physical. The greatest realization that Marrok will come to find by the end of the story is that Jannali's life is a purely selfish and savage one, with no room for family or virtue. This leaves us with their two greatest victims: Channary and Levana, their daughters who are left alone to find themselves in a world where no one has ever told them the truth. The two girls' reactions and ways of dealing with their poisonous situation are different, yet both equally destructive. Instead of supporting each other through their shared trauma, Channary beats Levana to the ground until it's the only thing she knows how to do. The rest is history, with both of them ending up in their graves, killed by what they wanted most: love and power.
With that said, I hope you enjoy this revision of Blood of My Blood, a complete deviation from the light-hearted Lunar Chronicles.
*NOTE: This work contains extreme violence, profanity, sexual themes and many types of abuse. Please, stop reading immediately if you feel uncomfortable or if this reminds you of traumatic events.*
PART ONE: THE VIRGIN-WHORE COMPLEX
"But when she sat in front of this mirror, Jannali had been as she was underneath. As she was really. She'd been pretty. Perhaps even prettier
than she was with the glamour—though not as striking. Not as regal. Levana could recall being very, very young and having nightmares about her
mother and the court and how everyone around her had two faces."
— Marissa Meyer, Fairest