Ty Blackthorn, Sherlock Holmes, and Shakespeare

Super excited for November!!

We do not see Anush in TKLOF though he gets a mention.

As for Kit being jealous—jealousy isn't inherently a bad emotion. Lots of people feel jealous sometimes. What matters is what you do with it. If jealousy leads you to try to control someone, isolate them from their friends, or punish them for having other relationships, that's unhealthy. But noticing that you're feeling insecure or even feeling "man I hope this person isn't dating anyone" is really normal. (Yearning for someone you can't have because they're in love with someone else, also normal and not evil! I would categorize it as "stuff people have to work through.")

When people aren't sure where they stand with each other, it's natural for those kinds of worries to be stronger. Kit and Ty are figuring out where they stand with each other, and maybe what you're thinking is that uncertainty tends to leave more room for fretting or jealousy than relationships where people feel secure and trust they're not going to lose each other? Because that's certainly true, and sometimes you have to pass through the first before you get to the second.

(also when someone Down With The Kids does let you know what boyfriend moments are, please share with the class. I feel very out of touch)

Alas, no Pickles or Elyaas in TLKOF. I like to think they're off having a good time, drinking mocktails on the beach at a resort that does not harshly judge tentacles.

What is Kit’s fighting style like in twp? Is it unique due to his upbringing so maybe he adds a little of his own tricks?

I feel enlightened!

I think you are right about fantasy stakes. When I think of romance, at least in a Shadowhunter context, I think high stakes, high emotions, massive consequences and, usually, the absence of the luxury of time. Also, usually Magnus walks in on you at some point or another.

I do think of TWP as very romantic books. Part of focusing in so closely on the main four characters is to give those romances space and time. It allows for Kit and Ty to be on a desperate chase across Europe but occasionally have time for squabbling over whether licorice is disgusting (yes, yes it is) or you, know being terrified about the other person's safety (which I find romantic, though not domestic.)

If the question is just whether Kit and Ty ever do anything romantic, I do not know what terrible person would promise a romance between two characters and then never let them do anything romantic. Kit and Ty must reconnect after a bad split, but that in itself is a romantic process. Also, they are quite a bit older than they were in TDA so "I don't know, do I maybe want to kiss this person?" is more like "I desperately do want to kiss this person, but maybe they do not return the feeling."

Lady Midnight: