Every parent wants the best for their child. But when these efforts fall short, that desire becomes a gnawing guilt: a constant whisper that you could have done better. The voice in your mind says, “You’re not doing enough.” You’re scrambling to ensure your child is protected and thriving. This guilt is all-consuming for Carina Cohen, the mother of Taltrix’s protagonist, Redder Torch (RT).
In Taltrix: Surviving the Gauntlet, readers are introduced to RT, aka Redder Torch, who is on a journey to mastering her extraordinary powers. Carina’s internal battle as a mother adds another layer of emotional depth to the story. She embodies the struggle of a woman caught between her desire for her children’s success and her guilt over the choices that put her children in danger in the first place.
Carina Cohen: A Mother and a Warrior
Carina Cohen is no ordinary mother. As a prominent political leader in the story, she is powerful and unyielding. However, beneath her stern public persona lies the weight of a mother’s remorse, a burden resulting from her decision to marry Grave Torch, the story’s main antagonist. Grave is not just a gifted man but one with an unbalanced and dangerous mind. His role in the devastating Final Wars and his abduction of their children devastated Carina’s world.
When Grave abducted RT and Avi, starting the wars, Carina’s maternal instincts kicked into overdrive. She fought tooth and nail to rescue her children, yet she could never escape the feeling that she decided to marry Grave to put them in danger in the first place.
Taltrix tells not just RT’s story but Carina’s as well. It is the story of a mother grappling with the crushing guilt of having exposed her children to a man unworthy of being their father.
A Mother’s Guilt: Carina’s Internal Struggle
Carina’s relationship with RT is both of love and guilt. She pushes RT to become strong and independent, knowing the universe is merciless. Carina wants RT to be prepared for the challenges of Taltrix, the elite institution where only the strongest survive.
But her motivations aren’t about preparing RT for the future but atoning for the past as well. Despite Grave’s imprisonment, Carina cannot shake off the guilt of what her children had to endure because of him. She blames herself for exposing them to a life of chaos and pain. The haunting thought shadows her desire for her children to be strong.
Strength Through Sacrifice
Despite this heavy burden, Carina remains a fierce and determined mother. Rather than wallow in regret, she channels her guilt into action. For her, the only way to make up for her mistakes is to ensure her children grow stronger than she ever was.
Carina’s guilt feeling fuels her. She is relentless in making RT and Avi powerful enough to protect themselves from the dangers that still linger, especially those connected to Grave’s dark past.
Her approach, though driven by love, comes with a price. Carina’s tough love often leaves RT feeling stifled, unable to escape the weight of her mother’s protective instincts. RT craves freedom from her father’s shadow and from Carina’s overbearing need to shield her from every danger.
Carina’s overprotection is physical and emotional as she attempts to spare RT from the same regrets that have haunted her for years. But RT, like any child, resents the chains her mother’s guilt has forged around her.
A Mother’s Guilt in Taltrix: A Universal Story
Carina Cohen’s struggle is deeply relatable.
She represents the universal truth of parenthood: no matter how hard you try, your choices affect your children in ways you can’t always predict or control. Carina’s battle to reconcile her past mistakes with her determination to protect her children’s future resonates with parents everywhere.
Her story is not just about a mother surviving intergalactic wars but about the emotional toll of motherhood: the sacrifices, the mistakes, and the constant hope that your children will rise above the burdens you unintentionally placed on their shoulders.
In Taltrix, Carina’s most profound war is the one she fights within herself. Through her, readers can see that while guilt can weigh you down. Your choices in the aftermath genuinely define who you are.
If you like stories with emotional depth and high-stakes action, Taltrix Book One: Surviving the Gauntlet by Cecilia Copeland is the perfect novel for you.
Get your copy now. It’s available on Amazon.
