honestly the bdsm bit in the cursed heart really elevated the first book ngl; like ik it did not occur throughout the series, overtaken by the soulmatism aspect and restricted to premium scenes, etc but the mechanic in of itself is so congruent to fae society in the earlier stages of the book and yet, also simultaneously displays kieran's own position in society.
the faes keep the peace in the initial stages of the book by a passing of the crown - ie one court dominating over the other as the seasons change. under strict rules it thrives amicably, with both parties exchanging positions of power. it adheres to conventional bdsm practices that speak of the idea of consent, that neither the dom or the sub are in a particularly disadvantageous position due to their role. it also kind of (?) echoes the bdsm playthrough, if you choose to accept kieran's offer that is.
however bdsm in its conventional understanding or its application in the cursed heart ostracises kieran as well. the sun courts with their ever-hungry need for blood purity, their disgust of changelings, their want of power over mortals, all imply a certain dubiosity when it comes to consent. the powerful evil overlords and their claims on the bodies of lost mortals, their branding seen as a mark of possession and even their curse on kieran's body could be seen as a possession in of itself. suffice to say they do not respect the idea of consent.
kieran is no means a "saint", they are your typical morally-grey beast in the beauty & the beast fairy hero to mc's naive, audience-surrogate of a heroine, but i daresay that while tch is a typical narration of good vs evil and all-in-between, it is subversive of the sexuality of the typical fairy-tale human protagonist.
it does not villify sexuality or sexual exhibition as a whole. take for example, cinderella's sanctimonious virginity against her stepmother's repeated marriages. the story does talk about abuse and kindness in the face of adversity, but it is assumed kindness can only exist if a heart is pure of a love that is not lust. the women and girls or simply, the audience surrogates in such stories are propped up for their modest qualities while though evil is not inherently described as a loose woman, it is implied a stepmother bears ugly daughters not a result of an unkindness towards the main character, rather of sexuality being an unspeakable topic. the very idea of a matriarchal figure deciding to move on from her husband is seen as evil and foreign, that children are told to be wary of such light-footed women who do not cower away from their sexuality; that they are ugly and uncouth. such stories, though progressive in certain parts, continue to reinforce the idea a woman's sexuality is not hers.
even though tch!mc has a variety of gender options to choose from, they are still written as a typical fairytale hero. compared to the likes of kieran's dark, brooding mystical figure, the sun court is entirely radiant (pardon the pun). they are beautiful, mystical people, soft-spoken and inviting. mc falls for them first before they can recognise the danger they pose. they are the epitome of beauty and all that is pure. so why is it that kieran the corrupted one, kieran with the kinky shit going on, emerges a victor and a victim in the battle for the moral high-ground these two courts face off against?
tch has a lot of themes, but the theme of sexuality is very interesting to look at. a true love's kiss does not make kieran, the brooding love interest, a pure-hearted one neither does it also rescue the mc. similarly a sexless, forgotten eisa's love for nick or her old husband does not inherently prohibit jack's rampage through the courts. her heart, though pure and her traits, though motherly and protective, does not put a stop to the events. it is ultimately kieran and jack's relationship that mends it. pure-heartedness does not prevent tragedy, but it ensures you do not misplace your anger should you encounter it.
the madonna-whore complex is a recurrent theme in all sorts of fairy tales. we are told to take pride in the naivity of the human protagonists, who can do no wrong, who are generous and kind inherently, though no explanation is offered as to how they came to attain such a kindness, what made them prefer it a weapon and the different ways it manifests. we are taught the lessons of a passiveness associated to the Feminine, the "sexless beings" that only exist to help the protagonist - take on any shape or form to achieve it, a godmother of sorts, the "purity" in the love that the Feminine is meant to seek and the whorish ways of her oppressors.
it is where tch subverts it by introducing longclaw - not a sexless being, with a purpose and a story; a mc who is new to the grandeur of the faes, but decides to explore their sexuality, a love that is not entirely pure as a true love's kiss cannot cure, antagonists who are in fact, pure and bright yet use their views of sexuality to enforce control, who are most certainly not having hot scandalous faerie sex compared to that of kieran and mc.
this is why bdsm is so so important and the theme of sexuality as a whole especially in the context of tch. it is not apparent enough, since the book does not dwell on it but it is there and its existence is important and not to cower away from. the soulmatism is nice and great, but you cant have tch without it.
