Building on last weeks’ Valentine’s Day episode about romantic chemistry and the 4-type framework of attraction (Physical, Intellectual, Social, and Emotional), Fable and the Verbivore continue to discuss dynamic relationship development using character examples from Marie Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy.

For those who are unfamiliar with the story, The Winner’s Curse opens to find the characters Kestral and Arin on opposing sides of a struggle between their people groups the Valorians and the Herani. Due to circumstances that are at times orchestrated outside their direct control, the fates of these two characters begin to become tied up together, and a complex attraction and fragile relationship is forged.

Kestral and Arin’s relationship dynamic is complicated by their loyalties, and throughout these novels their unique chemistry is formed through areas where they have affinity and where they clash which helps propel forward their own personal narratives and builds romantic tension.

Though we mostly focus on a potentially romantic pairing in this episode, we believe that elements of this attraction framework can also be used to develop ambiguous or platonic character relationships as well. Throughout this series author Marie Rutkoski does a fantastic job of demonstrating the push and pull of romantic, platonic, and familial relationship dynamics. These are especially shown through the two main characters thoughts, choices, interactions with each other, and interactions with those around them.