The Reading Frog’s Reviews > The Ink Eater > Status Update

I can't say more than "Oh, Baird..." right now.

I have to digest this one a little before rating and writing a review. Definitely enjoyed reading it though!

RTC

Chapter 34??!!! Hello???!!

"I swore to keep the manor safe, (...) With my last breath, I will serve. I am bound to it. (...) I don't want what it wants anymore. But I can't abandon it. I can't abandon them."

"They abandoned you."

"And I am not like them." He inhales shakily, salty tears running into the corners of his mouth. "I refuse to be."

—Oh.... This one has a lil kick to it 🫡🥺

"The 20th of June, 1784. Hell.
Crying hurts."

Oh... :'(

Baird's past journal entries are actually breaking my heart 😩

Oh, Baird... When is it your time to get something you want?

I love the exploration of the trope 'touch starved'.

Specifically, starving in a way where introducing food after malnourishment results in stomach aches and nausea. Where a body craves sustenance, yet is unable to receive what it hungers for without copious amounts of pain and violent rejection.

Basically, I love when touch starvation is depicted as something similar to refeeding syndrome

"If you had a son, would you do the same to him?"

(...)

Baird clenches his jaw. "I don't have a son."

"But if you did, would you? If it meant preparing him for his curse to come? Would you hurt him?"

"I-" Baird crosses his arms. "Maybe. Probably not."

"Because it hurts," Hemming says and pulls one leg onto the sill. "Because it's a terrible thing to torment those you're supposed to love."

— Oh Baird :(

Forced proximity, but like, literally.

When "It hurts to watch you walk away" isn't meant as something poetic, his heart isn't aching metaphorically, that shit is really hurting!

I'm curious where this exploration of pain will go. It seems to be an intricate core theme in multiple story layers.

The story room/rituals mirroring religion???
Oh, we're so back!