4) Kushiel’s Dart
What is it?:
A light-fantasy adult novel series about a young woman sold into sex slavery into a royal court reminiscent of Louis XV. It becomes a political thriller of sorts, resembling more a work of alternate history, about heroines who hold a distinct advantage over their male overlords through sexuality and wit.
Why Should it be Adapted?:
Game of Thrones is controversial for its depictions of rape, particularly when its main players are the ones being victimized. It’s a frustratingly regressive form of gender politics, a problem solved in “Kushiel’s Dart,” whose heroine is passive to her owners, but is empowered through manipulating court politics and using her status as an unexpected asset. It’s a book series that is explicit, but both liberating and realistic, without devolving into gratuitous exploitation.
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