To read this over the course of 6 years as bedtime stories and road trip readings to my son (as he aged from 7 to 13), as a first reading for him, and a second reading for me, was a wild ride. Through that time, the story still held our attention, and still had plenty of flaws. Through that time, the news of the TERF views of the author were coming out and spreading. And it’s between a rock and a hard place to be. We want to enjoy a fandom, but we don’t want to support such a horrible person. And yet, here we are, and even the fandom is wildly split.

Even as a second reading, I was reminded of things through the story I missed before. Still captivating. A bit cheesy. Definitely some dark notes that only got darker. Sometimes, you just have to hold on to that last shred of hope that good will conquer evil.