The Shadow of the Sun by Barbara Friend Ish Read Along: Week 4

If you haven't read the book, why not join in and read along with the rest of us? You can find links to everyone else’s thoughts at Dab of Darkness.

This week we read through to the end of Chapter 28.

1) Ellion and Letitia finally have not 1, not 2, not 3, but four trysts in this section of the book. What insights into the characters did you gain from these assignations?

I am afraid that I was quite disappointed in their lack of self-control, especially Letitia. For all their vows and honor and all that, they still tossed everything aside for some reckless sexytimes. I know that she is approaching oestrus and that they have just suffered a terrible bereavement, but I still think that it is a very self-indulgent way to behave. I would also add that all of Ellion’s reminiscences about his former days as a persistent debaucher of married ladies did nothing at all to improve my opinion of him. I found his lack of sympathy for the husbands that he had killed in duels to be very telling and more than a little revolting. As you can probably tell, I am not very tolerant of narcissists.

It might have been just me, but all the time they were at it in the sacred grove I kept expecting something evil to pop out and attack them. However, it seems that Nechton has a moral code about interrupting people when they are ‘busy’ (see my answer to #5).

2) Letitia's retinue has diminished even further. How did this affect you as the reader and how do you think it will affect the dynamics of the remaining Tanaan?

I was very sad to lose the rest of the knights, especially the girls. These were characters that we had come to know and love, and yet their deaths had no meaning or honor. However, I am not sure that this will change how the others react to each other. We are left with only Letitia, Iminor and Nuad, so their roles will not change, although I expect the weight of grief and determination to add even more seriousness to their efforts.

3) We've learned a bit more about the missing Carina in this section. What do you think is in her grimoire that has Letitia so secretive?

I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that it contains the details of her love affair with Nechton. Other than that I really cannot guess at what it might reveal.

4) We've heard plenty about how much Ellion's vow not to draw power means to him. But then we also see him finding several ways to feel, tough, smell, and use someone else's power. What do you make of this and where do you think it will take Ellion?

I have no doubt that it is only a matter of time before he gives in and uses the power again. I have no doubt that he will be able to convince himself that he is doing the right thing, but he reminds me very much of a drug addict who cannot overcome the lure of his chosen poison. His decisions to open himself to the various magics have been the small steps down the slippery slope towards using again whilst he continues to delude himself that he is still in control.

5) Nechton also played a larger role in this section. Which aspect has caught your attentions so far?

Apart from his immense power, the most noticeable thing for me is that he still hasn’t just killed this group. This is really starting to annoy me as he has shown the ability to reach them at any time and destroy them at will: so why is he messing about?

6) The mummers were in and out of this section, turning up in city and on the river. What did you make of their antics?

I thought that they were really rather irritating and creepy. I was surprised that Ellion was so tolerant of their mocking behavior because I would have been much more tempted to give them a good kicking and leave them tied up behind a warehouse at the docks. I was very suspicious of their continued reappearance, which made me think that they might be spies of some type. However, I guess that most people at that time are travelling to the Fair and the Moot, so they have good reason to be moving along the same route.

7) So far throughout the book we have gotten maps as we read. How is this working for you as the reader?

Normally I love to use maps as I read. Unfortunately, the ones in the Kindle edition are difficult to read and not easy to flick backwards and forwards to and from, so I have not really used them at all.

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan Read Along: Week 1

If you haven't read the book, or the whole series, why not join in and read along with the rest of us? You can find links to everyone else’s thoughts at Dab of Darkness

This week we read through to the end of Chapter 8.

1) Both Niall and Carridan seem to be playing with two-edged swords. Niall wants the Dragon Reborn to create enough panic, sorrow, and destruction to have the populace begging the Children of the light to do something. Whereas Carridan vows to one lord to keep the Dragon Reborn alive and vows the opposite to another. Did you enjoy this beginning more or less than the first two books in the series?

I have to admit that I am always a little pessimistic about passionately religious people, so I am not at all surprised that they are not driven by the most holy of intentions. Niall’s idea of using the Dragon Reborn to squash any opposition to the Children would be much more acceptable if he actually believed that the Last Battle was approaching. However, he sees Rand as a simple way to expand the Children’s influence with no expectation of using that to fight the Dark One, which I find a much less noble goal.

I think our earlier encounters with Carridan had suggested that he was probably a Darkfriend and his actions in regards to the Seanchan invasion were very suspicious. I have no idea how he can keep both masters happy, but I doubt that his family will survive for very long.  

2) Throughout this section we see that Min believes herself in love with Rand. What do you make of this one sided romance?

At the moment it is rather heart breaking to see the poor girl being swept up in these events. We know that she has seen her future with him, which must be quite an unusual experience, but to know that she will need to share him must be very difficult. However, she seems determined to accept her fate and make the best of a crappy situation, which is probably the best that she can hope for.

I doubt the Rand is giving her much thought at the moment because he is having a hard time keeping hold of reality. I am particularly worried about the reports of him talking and laughing to himself. I do wonder if he will suddenly have a flash of insight and realize that they are meant to be together, but for now he has other things on his mind.

3) Within a few chapters, the big picture story arc of this book starts to follow the story arcs of Book 1 and Book 2 - trollocs unexpectedly appear and shortly thereafter our main heroes are separated for one reason or another. What do you think of this pattern?

Why did I not notice that? Doh!

I suppose these attacks as a way to remind us that the apparent victories over the Dark One were only minor successes and that the war is still ongoing. Also, they provide the impetus to get the group moving again after they have relaxed and healed from their wounds. However, I really do hope that this pattern is not repeated again in book 4, otherwise it will look a little lazy.

4) Rand has run off and some of our heroes follow, tracking him. At one place they come across a village that recently suffered a bout of weddings and Whitecloaks going AWOL. Did Rand make the right choice, leaving? Do you think the decisions made by folks while Rand is around will hold after a few days?

I am not sure if Rand made the correct choice, mainly because we do not really know his reasons for leaving, but it seems that he is being drawn to Tear to take the sword Callandor and fulfill that aspect of the prophecies surrounding the Dragon Reborn. Whether these ideas are his or are planted by the Dark One is a question that worries me because we have seen that dreams can be manipulated.

Even before Moiraine explained it to Perrin it seemed obvious to me that the bizarre behavior in the village was due to Rand’s influence. We have heard before that a powerful Ta’veren can affect those around them, so it was a logical conclusion to draw. I am not sure that the decisions were massively out of character: it seems more likely that his influence simply made the people more likely to act upon their hidden desires.

5) Do you believe that Moiraine had not caught fish before in the manner Perrin and Loial 'taught' her or do you think it was some clever ploy of her's?

I really liked this scene, because it showed her sense of humor. I think it is highly likely that she has tickled for trout before during her many years of wandering with Lan. She may also have been able to use her powers to persuade the biggest fish to cooperate with her, so I suspect some cheating occurred. I love the way she manipulates Perrin and Loial into doing everything for her, but I can see why it is important that they obey without question: sometimes she will not have the time to explain what they need to do.

6) Perrin's wolfish gifts are growing in strength. Then we come upon a man, Noam, who has lost himself completely to such gifts. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation as Perrin, facing what you might become if you lack self-control?

I have seen people behaving very badly in ways that I can see me doing in certain circumstances and it is very sobering. However, it does also help to reinforce your own internal efforts to avoid expressing such behavior oneself.

Other thoughts:

No! Lanfear is at it with Perrin now! I know that he might have been viewing Rand’s dream at that point, but whom else can you imagine Min warning him to run away from? :(

Sue's Saturday Suggestions #44

Interesting Books

(Descriptions from Goodreads)

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, reviews at Fantasy Book Critic, Far Beyond Reality & SFF World

The Age of Kings is dead . . . and I have killed it.

It's a bloody business overthrowing a king...

Field Marshal Tamas' coup against his king sent corrupt aristocrats to the guillotine and brought bread to the starving. But it also provoked war with the Nine Nations, internal attacks by royalist fanatics, and the greedy to scramble for money and power by Tamas's supposed allies: the Church, workers unions, and mercenary forces.

It's up to a few...

Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail.

But when gods are involved...

Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should...

I have listed these titles in earlier SSS posts: check out my SSS Books Page for links to more reviews:

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord, review at Fantasy Literature

The Dirty Streets of Heaven by Tad Williams, review at The Oaken Bookcase

Mage’s Blood by David Hair, review at A Dribble of Ink

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, review at On Starships and Dragonwings

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, review at Bookish

Written in Red by Anne Bishop, review at Impressions . . .

Giveaways

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff at Bookish

Author Interviews

Jay Kristoff at Bookish

Jan DeLima

For those of you who might be interested to know what I look like, you can head over to Jan’s blog for an only marginally embarrassing photo . . . and a link to her guest post at Fantasy Cafe.

Women in SF&F Month at Fantasy Cafe

Elizabeth from Dark Cargo

Marie Brennan

Courtney Schafer

Jan DeLima

Mur Lafferty

Patricia A McKillip

Angie from Angieville

Armchair BEA

Registration is now open, so sign up to take part in this year’s event.