So I just finished the book and I'm confused. I could only find threads about the movie and none about the book, so I'm posting one.
If we take everything at face value, Orphelia is Moana and upon completing the tasks and proving she's still deserving, she gets to return to the Underworld Kingdom and rule for centuries.
Except why are the King and Queen, her parents, the same people (the tailor and Karmen)? She recognizes them. One interpretation is that they went out to search for Moana, but just like her, ended up forgetting their real selves – and the 3 of them kept getting reborn? Which would mean that Karmen, weak, tragic Karmen who emotionally abandoned her daughter to chase the love of the sadistic new guy she hoped would save her, is…a Queen? What?
Another, darker option is that the throne room scene was a figment of dying Orphelia's imagination. But that doesn't seem possible in the book, as the epilogue makes it pretty clear that Moana really did come back and rule etc. Right?
And why are the fairies suddenly alive again? And what was up with the darkness – Orphelia talking about the book being corrupted, the Fawn being dodgy, him and the fairies eating raw bloody meat – that just suddenly goes away in the final scene and they're all gold and good? I understand that the Underworld is supposed to be very different from our imperfect world – but why were the fawn and fairies different here? Were they corrupted by our world, and going back restored them? Or is it another piece of evidence that the final scene isn't "real"?
All in all, amazing book, quickly became one of my all-time favorites, but I'm left with so many questions.
What do you think?
by dilqncho