The Time of Contempt

The political landscape felt so layered and unpredictable. I'm curious whether this complexity was planned from the start or evolved as the story grew.

There were so many factions, histories, and magic systems introduced. Did it help to keep track, or did it make the story harder to follow for others?

Their perspectives offered such different views on power and morality. I wonder how much of their development was planned versus inspired during writing.