Status Updates From Pielgrzym

In addition to my other complaints, I found there’s a pattern of female characters serving as narrative purposes rather than acting as fully developed agents.

While Part 2 is undeniably gripping due to its procedural detail and escalating tension, its ideological narrowness and emotional detachment make its flaws difficult to overlook.

Although Hayes has tried to “explain” radicalization through trauma it feels as though he is treating extremism as an INEVITABLE outcome of Middle Eastern upbringing. He does not offer any counter character to challenge this idea. He leans very heavily on reductive portrayals of Middle Eastern and Islamic characters which leave a bad taste in my mouth.

The beginning of Part 2 of significantly raises the stakes of the novel, but it is also where its major criticisms become more apparent. Although Hayes provides the Saracen with an extensive backstory, his progression toward extremism feels overly linear, suggesting that trauma and political grievance almost inevitably lead to radicalization, which limits true psychological complexity.