Anuaka's World

When asked to write a character review on Nefer Blue Phoenix's Anuaka Nebet, I was puzzled where to start. She is the main protagonist, but what category could she possibly fall under? Hero or villain? The thought alone reflects the complexity of the story. Some readers will root for the character. Others will be horrified (and I reiterate, horrified.) by the character's actions. It is a good mantra for us all to realize not every action is good or evil. Every action people take is complexed, with (much) meaning behind it. Anuaka is by far a character that will have people question their own morals.

Hero or villain? One thing about Anuaka that is undeniable is that she is an action star. Harrowing through the pages, kicking ass. She is a strategist and seductress. Sometimes these skills, where the line of hero or villain sometime can get blurred. Throughout the story, we root for Anuaka on her journey back to the throne. It becomes morally questionable when we have to watch how far she will go to get the throne. Absolutely no one is safe. The bodies pile up around her and it brings the reader to the question. Is it really worth it?

Anuaka's first significant actions is turning her back on her family, leaving behind those who love her in essence for another love. The throne. Throne is Anuaka's baby, her lover, her parent. A reflection of the passion we go through as human beings to achieve our goals. A challenge in oneself to say. For what are you willing to do to achieve those goals? Do you have it in you when everyone and everything around you are telling you to give up? There are all kinds of ways to reach goals. But what made Anuaka take such a cutthroat approach?

Anuaka is cold, strong and seductive, with sharp wit. All these traits come directly from the character's life. As a child, Anuaka's mother had her own reasons for being hard on her. Completely having a lasting effect on her character's personality, making her strong willed, but cold none the less. This gives her the mindset of having no problem using her charm and sexuality for the use of power.

One could argue she is self-centered, but in actuality, everything she does is for her family, despite them telling her not to. Turning her back on them was the only way to get through to them. After the family lost the throne, Anuaka is still holding on to everything she was ever taught as a child. Haunted by the trauma that drives her. So how can it be so simple to vilify a woman who means well in her heart? Who is mentally tormented if she does not even try?

Anuaka character is written in a way that challenges the normal hero/ villain cut-in-dry theme. She is written specifically for her, not for the moral of the story. A pivotal moment is where the character breaks down into tears. Her sudden selfish actions are felt immediately. For Anuaka, goals are more important than feelings. Her love of flowers seems to be her only source of normalcy. Like her last touch of reality. A beautiful, yet sad, touch to the story. She is bound to beloved or hated but unforgettable.

By the end some may think she might have cracked. But maybe she cracked in the beginning. Who is the real Anuaka? What time of person would have become if her family tragedy never happened?

I believe those questions are left with the reader.