Have you read/watched The Magicians? I watched the series when it came out on the SyFy network, but I think it’s on Netflix now, and I highly recommend it. It can be dark, which I normally don’t like, but the series does it well.

I have not read the books and from reviews I’ve read, there are some differences between the books and the series (some people were particularly upset about a name change for one of the characters and how an actor/actress doesn’t look similar to how the character was described in the books).

Yes, fear and control, the hallmarks of a successful society. /s

What the Hades is going on in this country!?!

I always considered him very insecure with a need to impress those in a higher social order.

I feel like I live in books more now than I did as a child/young reader. I know enough about the real world to want to escape it.