Imprisoned

By K.L. Donn

Imprisoned in the time of a pandemic.

Sitting down to finally read Imprisoned: A Dark Retelling by K.L. Donn, I thought I was just going to enjoy a good book as I waited for my Mom to go back from the hospital.

I was prepared, knowing that this was the author’s take on Sleeping Beauty. I was prepared when she warned us, her readers, that this was no fairy tale.

I was not prepared to see two of the characters whose stories I was looking forward to reading, being the main characters. Then again, why not?

Apollo, the god of truth, paired with Ares, the god of war, and Arianna, the princess they swore to protect, turned out to be a perfect match. The fact that it was KL Donn who penned their story? This, to me, was everything I wanted in the retelling of Sleeping Beauty!

What I was not prepared for, however, was how the story touched on some issues very much affecting our society–our world–today.

Life at the time of a pandemic. KL Donn mentioned the plague that ravaged the kingdom of Graeline, and, here we are right in the midst of one.

The Coronavirus has affected the whole world. It has brought out both good and bad in people, in all walks of life.

Racism, discrimination, greed, a sense of entitlement and privilege — have all reared their ugly heads at a time when the whole world needs healing. Bureaucracy and red tape have never seemed so thick.

And yet, amid this global scourge, we bicker. We point fingers. We become suspicious of every little move someone else makes. From first-world to third-world countries, we lash out, helpless in the face of this pandemic.

“I may be labeled as the darkness, evil incarnate, even, but once, I was the premier mage bound to the inaugural royals of this land. I was the one they came to for guidance, for light. Until a plague unlike we’d ever seen tore through the lands.”

~Imprisoned, K.L. Donn

And in this helplessness, thousands are dying. Thousands. Are. Dying.

Yes, scientists all over the world are scrambling to find a cure. Yes, governments and businesses are doing their very best to, as they say, flatten the curve, at the expense of global recession. And yes, our doctors, nurses, first-responders, etc.–all now more popularly known as front-liners–are sacrificing not just their time and knowledge, but their safety and their very lives–to save the rest of humankind.

“I couldn’t prevent the deaths, the sickness, so I killed all those who were infected and buried them in the Catalina Valley…”

~Imprisoned, K.L. Donn

As the Coronavirus sweeps earth much like the Passover of biblical times, let us not succumb to fear. Let us all do our part in eradicating this blight that has come upon us all, in however way we know.

Let us follow the calls to self-quarantine. If we can’t self-quarantine, let us be mindful of others, especially those in the front line. They need us, as much as we need them now. Above all, let us have faith–in others, in ourselves, that we will all surpass this.

“Whether you believe or not, Asher McCall, there is another life waiting for us, and they were welcomed into their new existence to spare them the pain of their first.” “Because of the mage?” She shakes her head. “Because of unwavering faith. There is so much in this world to feel hatred towards that people often forget what to be grateful for. What to believe in. So, we simply embrace what’s in front of us. What we see, touch, feel. It’s far easier than to believe there is life beyond death.”

~ Imprisoned, K.L. Donn

With hope in our hearts, faith as our weapon, and love as our guide–regardless of our beliefs and affiliations, let us all shine a light in the darkness.  

“One day, Callista, I’ll have a daughter, and she’ll bear your name. I’ll make sure Graeline never forgets the great sacrifice you made so they could prosper.”

~ Imprisoned, K.L. Donn