#I didn't write this out of hate for Shannon Messenger but rather acknowledgment of the harmful traits carried in her books

[championofnyx]

"Keeper of the Lost Cities" And Why Kids Shouldn't Be Allowed To Read It

For those of you who are not familiar with the series, it is a middle-aged 8 book on-going series written by Shannon Messenger about the life of an elve girl Sophies Foster raised by human parents before being taken into the hidden world of elves where she is plopped into a three-way fight between the government and two insurgency factions with different perspectives of how their world should operate, leaving her and her friends left to balance the issues within their society. This, at face value, sounds like a compelling narrative of tweenhood in a turbulent world, yet, it is the world this takes place in and the lack of criticism of its harmful ideals that there is a problem. 

Ok, so why am I making this? I read a few of the Keepers books when I was younger but stopped the series around book three and didn't pick it back up again until book 5 when the kid I was babysitting asked me to read it out loud to her. It was kind of a fun moment and she caught me up to speed on book 4 but as we were reading I picked up on some red flags within the writing and world-building. I quickly re-read the whole series (Audiobooks my man, they do wonders for reading time) and realized that this wasn't the best series to introduce younger kids without serious conversation accompanying it. Those red flags would be The Issue of Eugenetic  Marriage Limitations, Issues Within the Neverseens and Black Swans Ideals, and Elvan Society. Let's get started. 

The Issue of Eugenetics and Marriage Limitations 

The issue of Eugenics shows up in several ways throughout this series, most notably, through match lists and the breeding of those with abilities to those with abilities. But before we dive into the Lost Cities, let us talk a little about what eugenics is. 

The concept of eugenics has been present throughout much of human history with its first official documentation coming from Plato, yet the concept has been narrowed down simply as "planned breeding". So how does this show up in the Lost Cities? Matches. Essentially, the matches tell you who you should be allowed to have a baby with, the enforcement of which is societal pressure. Now, you may be saying, "but the matches are for marriage and not nessacerally breeding" and to that, I point you to one main function of the matching process, the limit the possibility of marring a relative, which would only become an issue if these matches were made to have children. As well as this line: "'Progress, Prosperity, Permanence, and Proliferation,' Grady told her. 'The goals of every match.'" In which it is admitted that one of the main goals of matchmaking is proliferation, increasing the population of the elves. More so, those who have abilities are never matched with those who do not have abilities. And those who possess abilities are viewed as less than for having married and had children with the person without abilities. As if they are tainted. As well as any children they have been tainted by the union, which is shown through the wretched treatment of the Dizznee kids. The entire purpose of match marking is to breed desirable children to increase the population of elves. 

Elvan Society

Elvan society is run by a council of the elvan elite that has full jurisdiction of governing, laws, and their enforcement, and the only military presence in the cities, the Goblins whose services are paid for through an alliance with a foreign power and rule through proxies of other talented individuals who are viewed also as elites within society. The entrance of the social elite on the council level is determined by closed doors votes, and on the regency level through an appointment that is reserved for those with favorable birth or great physical ability. While there is so much that I could talk about elvan society, I want to focus on the issue of the Talentless.

They are sectioned off from society greatly and live in a working-class town such as Mysterium are barred from entering governmental service and the elite class through social norms upheld by the ruling body. They are essentially removed from the main society as we know it with a few exceptions to those deemed 'valuable'. Kesler is a talented potion maker who is sought after by the elite class and therefore allowed to engage in normal society. Timkin Hek is from a well-established family and married into a well-established family and is allowed to stay. And while this 'othering' and social exclusion of those who do not seem as contributing to society, what is more, terrifying is the treatment of those who step outside of the social order subjected. 

There have been throw-away sentences about labor camps where people not contributing to society, criminals, and those without abilities, are sent to be useful. As well as youth who have committed the offense of not being able to handle their abilities are sent into Exillium where they are re-educated to become more obedient members of society. And if not, they are sent to live on the fringes of society, serving it but never being allowed to reenter.

The Issue Of The Neverseen and Black Swan 

At this point, many of you would say that this issue is being addressed by the Black Swan and Neverseen, but I reject that. Let's talk about the Black Swan first. 

The Black Swan is an organization that works with the preexisting social structure that facilitates the mistreatment of its citizens to make a change while upholding the order. They haven't talked about dissolving the council and system of regency, but rather want the council and ruling class to adopt their ideals to bring social change. In this endeavor, they have genetically modified a child with the hope of raising her to be a weapon in this movement of social change, impregnated a woman unknowing with a child that was not hers, and stalked said child throughout her youth. And who, from the perspective of the narrative, are good people who hold the means for successful social change. 

Now, the Neverseen is viewed as an antagonistic force that wishes for a complete upheaval of the social order so that the discrimination that many of its members experience, and what drove them into this line of work, is dissolved. Yes, they engage in terrorism, but if Sophie was created by the Neverseen, the story would be similar to Hunger Games or Divergent. There is a mentality that "one person's terrorist is another freedom fighter" and while I can debate the market of that sentiment until I lose my voice, it's present thought out middle-grade and YA literature. Dissolving the council is the most efficient way to change the disparity and watch predjust within the elvan society and yet they are labeled as the bad guys. Some problems can not be fixed within a broken society, that is why we have rebellions, and the Blackswan is not a rebel organization, they haven't been since they cozied up to the council around book six, they are reformers. And when a society is so entrenched in a cycle of oppression, reform can only come in the wake of upheaval. Sometimes, you need people willing to destroy a system to make a new one.  

I know many will say that the series is ongoing and has time to address these societal issues, and to that I say, the ninth book is being released soon. Why wait for eight books? Silence is a wretched weapon when produced at the right times. 

Conclusion 

With everything that I have said throughout this post, I want you to think of another time in history when there have been limitations on marriage with those deemed as less than others and who was allowed to have children with who was mandated by the government as to keep genetic balance within society. When undesirables were cast out of society, either for reeducation or an invisible labor force. Yes, the Blackswan seemed to be fighting for social change. But they are looking to keep the regime and change the laws that produce inequality. Rember when I asked you to think about history? How many people do you know that think the Nazis should have stayed in power if they rewrote the Numenburg Laws? How would you feel if someone was teaching that to children?