#RomBkLove Day 16: Dark Moments

I often read multiple books at the same time and the worst thing I ever do to myself is when I bail pages ahead of the dark moment, when the protagonist screw everything up, or the conflict seems insurmountable, in multiple books, and I am left with a kindle filled with a half-dozen of impending dark moments and no choice but to face one of them. I know I have the HEA waiting for me on the other side but still I hesitate, because I am so emotionally involved and I don't want to see the pain or hurt, but the HEA is not quite as sweet if there isn't anything to overcome low-angst or not.

One of the most memorable Dark Moments I can recall is from R. Lee Smith's Last Hour of Gann.  This book is absolutely brutal (TW: rape, sexual violence)  but it also did some extremely interesting stuff around faith and religion. I am not sure I can ever read it again, there is only so much rape I can stomach but Meoraq journey was fascinating. Meoraq is a warrior priest for his God, whose once unshakable belief in his God is shaken as he gets to know Amber, whose presence in his world, and her own beliefs start Meoraq on a questioning journey.  When Meoraq comes upon a shocking truth that upends everything he thought he knew, he is almost unable to go on, but in the end he come out of the other side of his belief, away from fundamentalism to a new less militant understanding of his religion and his role in the world, it was extremely satisfying. 

However the dark moment doesn't have to be the culmination of some long brutal journey to be beautiful and meaningful. One of my favorite recent dark moments is from Vanessa North's Roller Girl. In it Tina and Joe are falling for each other and trying to hide it from their derby team. The last time Joe dated another teammate, their breakup had big repercussions for her former team. She wants Tina, to hide their relationship from their friends, so she won't have to deal with their feeling about her dating another teammate. Their breakup wasn't explosive, but teary and emotional, two people who are clearly falling for each other unable to find a way make it work despite wanting each other so much.  It was just a ordinary breakup, but it was so very meaningful because I had gotten so attached to Tina and Joe and their friends. I care because I cared about them. It is just that simple sometimes.