Talk:Keefe and Sophie/@comment-37645301-20191205165921

Confession time. Although I never hated Fitz, and still don't, at no point the series did he ever stand out to me as a unique, likable character. The very first time I read the books and Fitz met Sophie I thought "Ok, here is our main love interest. He seems nice." And as I read book 1, I waited to know more about Fitz. I waited...and waited...and learned less than I expected. From the moment I met Dex, I thought "Oh, ok, so he's Sophie's best friend. Maybe they'll grow more romantic over the series as they grow up. That would be cute to watch."

And yet...Dex dropped off the face of the earth in Exile. I was so ready to have adventures with Dex and Sophie as they tracked down this evil organization. But, Dex stays out of it. Sophie KEEPS Dex out of the danger, to protect him. I thought "Wow, ok, not what I planned but loving the realistic conclusion of not putting your best friend in danger, and what a nice change. Maybe Fitz will help Sophie to save Alden."

This...is where Fitz first lost my respect. In my eyes, I didn't know Fitz well enough to forgive the outburst he had at Sophie. The issue wasn't his anger--it was that I didn't know enough about Fitz to FORGIVE his anger. It's not like we knew the guy. Is Fitz gorgeous? Yes. He found Sophie, which is nice. But then...he doesn't go out of his way to help Sophie adjust to her new life. He finds her, brings to Alden, and kinda goes "Great! I did the thing! Now back to school." Sure finds Sophie at the end of Book 1. But he didn't save Sophie, Sophie saved herself. He took her to the hospital, which we are all grateful for. But Sophie got herself and Dex out of danger. Not Fitz. And so, his role at this point in the series (for me) was minimal. I didn't dislike him. I just...didn't know him.

So here I am, reading Exile, having a great time but panicking. How will Sophie get through this? Dex is out, Alden is sick, Fitz blames her, Biana won't talk to her, Grady and Ediline don't trust the Black Swan. Sophie is just one girl! She can't do everything alone!

And who should arrive but Keefe Sencen. Keefe, who up to this point was only known as rebel of the school, the best friend and other heartthrob next to Firefire's Golden Boy Fitz? Keefe, who always seemed too much of a goofy ball to take anything seriously.

I loved Keefe right away, I love characters that make me laugh, and the more I learned about him, the quicker he stole my heart. From Exile and on, Sophie and Keefe had an easy chemistry that most authors struggle to write between characters. The balanced each other out, so naturally, that before I knew it I would go back and reread scenes between the two, simply because I felt better afterward. He quickly became my favorite character in the series, and still is.

On the other hand, Fitz's character development...slow. So slow that to me, I didn't see any real impactful changes in him until book 4. While Sophie and Keefe have and easy, relaxed relationship built off of trust and shared drama, Fitz's interactions with Sophie were always awkward. The kind of awkward that comes from crushing on someone for years, yes. But all the same, very uncomfortable. Did they have sweet moments? Of course! But I never felt invested in their conversations. Their development in no way affected the plot in major ways. Feel free to disagree! Not trying to bite anyone here. But hear me out.

The cognate powers were cool in the beginning, no joke. But...that made SOPHIE stronger. Fitz too, sure. But he kind of became a battery to Sophie, a way to increase her power until the Neverseen found a way to work around it. Not a total game-changer. To me, every time we saw more of Fitz and Sophie's relationship develope, the story had been put on pause, they stared into the eyes of each other, talking about 'how much they trusted each other' WITHOUT ACTUALLY PRACTICING THAT TRUST.

Keefe on the other is different. The relationship between him and Sophie has major effects and consequences in the books. And it makes sense! It feels realistic, natural, believable. When no one else was there for Sophie, Keefe stepped up. NOT just for her, but because he wanted to help Alden, the man he loved like a father. And what does Sophie say to him, the first time she trusts Keefe?

"No matter what we find out about me...promise you'll never hate me."

"That's easy. Having you boss me around will be a pain, but not hating you? Easy."

Keefe is the one to reach out to Sophie, this mysterious, serious, troubled but big-hearted girl who is always trying to save everyone on her own. We see his selflessness right away and love him for what a great friend he is. And when the tides turn and Keefe's whole world falls apart, Sophie is now standing beside him. Just as he helped her, Sophie. Stands. With Keefe. There is no greater show of loyalty and friendship than that. By Neverseen (book 4) its no wonder I was hooked in Sokeefe.

That loyalty, that bond, is tested constantly throughout the series. In Neverseen, in Lodestar, Nightfall, Flashback, Legacy: It's broken and reforged countless times! And each time, they come back stronger, closer, and with a better understanding of who they are.

So, in conclusion,

Keefe and Sophie's relationship never puts the plot on hold. It moves the plot forward. On the other hand, Fitz's decisions have never impacted the plot. He never did anything on his own that was game-changing (good or bad). He doesn't have any personal stacks in the Neverseen until Alvar's betrayal, and even that doesn't get fully addressed until Flashback. I didn't feel I truly knew the real Fitz, until Flashback. Book 7. A little late, don't you think?

I want to end this by saying I liked Fitz by the very end of Legacy. It was the first time I saw real, concrete, growth in his character. I hope for his happiness, I do. But if you ask me who like more, I'm going back to Keefe every time. Say what will. But Keefe is by far the most interesting character in this series, hands down.

Cheers for reading this long! What are your thoughts? Feel free to disagree!