The Definition of the "Earn Your Happy Ending" Trope

Damn, Circe goes through it in this book. It is just constant setbacks and punches from fate and I am so happy that it has a happy ending. Sometimes I would get so angry with this book because it just made me upset that nothing worked out and it kind of started grating on me. Because I honestly wasn’t sure if this book would have a happy ending and when it did all my past anger dissipated because it was all worth it. I love the “earn your happy ending” trope but too often authors/directors will forget to actually let the character achieve their happy ending. Moving on to more specific plot stuff, I want to freak out about Prometheus in this book. It is so incredibly sweet to me that he is the first person to really see Circe and not knock her for her curiosity about mortals. Throughout the book Circe will sometimes ask after him and is upset he is still being tortured but he still somehow manages to help her one last time. Circe uses their brief connection against her father in order to end her exile, and just the thought that these two characters who really didn’t know each other long but still were fond of each other was a core reason Circe got to have her happy ending makes me really happy dude. And PENELOPE?! Yes queen, become a witch and be happy on an island by yourself, love to see someone take Circe’s place and actually enjoy it. It is a sweet message that Penelope can become a witch too because Circe tells her that her power comes from will. It is not divine power, it is just Circe being willing to listen to nature and work with it and Penelope gets to understand and do the same. Love to see women supporting women. The odd found family that happens with her and Penelope and Telemachus is adorable and it feels very well earned after all the group has been through. They finally get to be happy and have a family. So sweet.