I have no idea what Shinn set out to write, but the series she wrote ended up being an extended meditation on how there is no such thing as protective violence outside of self defense. So many of the stories circling around the main characters in these books are how you can't hurt others to keep those you love safe. Even if the others are hurting them.
This one is probably the most explicit on the "bad magneto, no supremacy" front, but what fascinates me is that Shinn certainly has a fair amount of violence that is necessary, but it's fundamentally a story that says that violence is never care, even if it's necessary.
Which, given how often DV appears in her work, suggests there's something really interesting here.
Anyone have a paper they want to write?
Also more shape shifters and romance and puppies, but like, that's table stakes for Shinn.
At least no one needed to invent the car in this series.