#and i understand that my mindset isn't helping! i don't find sjm credible as a storyteller and that makes it so difficult to care.

[brynnmclean]

If SJM isn't actually interested in explaining how the taxes work in her super special fantasy city, maybe she shouldn't vaguely mention it in her breezy attempt to dunk on Tamlin. "There's no tithe, just a city tax" Okay???? Sure???? It just reeked a bit of "oh, Rhys is a modern ruler of the people, so much more benevolent, we don't do something as barbarous as a tithe" with no further explanation to back it up. It's not even like I'm interested in fantasy economics, I just don't understand why she decides to make these points. Especially when the vibe she wants now seems to run so contrary to what was established with Tamlin in book 1 of him not standing on class anyway? I don't even think Velaris makes much sense as a city tbh-- it's isolationist to the point of literally no one outside of the city knowing about it existing-- like, sorry, people in Beleriand knew about Gondolin even if they didn't know the location-- and yet I keep hearing about how flourishing and prosperous it is??? Stop telling me the surface idea you want me to buy and give me some actual concrete details to really back it up.