Power in fiction doesn’t operate the same way power does in reality.
On the page, it’s contained. Framed. Bound by narrative and choice.
That distinction matters to me now.
When I read stories that explore dominance, control, or imbalance, I’m not looking for instruction or fantasy fulfillment. I’m watching how those dynamics are constructed — where they hold, where they fracture, where they reveal vulnerability beneath authority.
Books allow me to examine power without surrendering to it.
They let me see it clearly, from the outside, where my autonomy remains intact.
That awareness is part of why reading feels safe.
Reading Trauma Mama: Velvet & Taboo 