'The High King' emphasizes traditional narrative structure and character development over any modern ideological agenda. Characters are defined by their actions, bravery, and personal growth, rather than identity categories. There’s no sense of forced representation or box-ticking, this is classic hero’s journey territory, written decades before today’s obsession with identity-first storytelling.

The book upholds the classic values of friendship, sacrifice, honor, and duty. Traditional gender roles and family ties are affirmed, not undermined. There’s no subversion or modern revisionism of culture, religion, or tradition, if anything, it celebrates enduring values and heroism within a mythical Welsh setting.

The story doesn’t take a one-sided ideological stance. There’s a spectrum of moral, philosophical, and personal perspectives among the characters, with genuine conflict and debate. Traditional ideals are explored, not caricatured or lampooned. If anything, the story might feel refreshingly open to non-woke readers.