Melindam’s Comments (group member since May 02, 2017)

Melindam’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Mel's DQ Tracking

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 5

DQs Day 6 : Chapters 34 - end

22. Within this section, we learn more about the dappleglass. What about the dappleglass do you find realistic? What is unrealistic about this plant?
As the plot was so intriguing, I did not give much thought whether the plant was realistic or not. It is a fantasy world, anyway. Although I really liked the idea of an air cooling mushroom. So much more environment friendly than AC. :)


23. What did you think of the secrets Ana and Din told each other in the “darkest hour.”
Ana's secret had more surprise value. At that point and considering Ana's mental capacity, it was no surprise that she knew that Din had dyslexia, maybe the how she knew it was a bit of a "revelation".


24. Were you expecting the answer to the mystery as Ana revealed it?
Partly, yes. And I'm quite proud of myself that I suspected a bit of the shady dealings of one of the side characters. Usually I don't really catch on culprits unless the mystery is badly written. :)


25. What were some of your favorite parts of the book? Was there anything you would have changed?
I would have liked Din and Kephesus to be able to spend a bit more time together, I guess, as I really liked them, but I'm glad that it was no way the centre of the story.


26. How likely are you to read the next book in the series? If you have read the series, are there other books by Robert Bennett that you have read and would recommend?
I have been meaning to read something by Robert Jackson Bennett for a few years now and I'm happy it has been this book. I loved it! and I will absolutely read book 2 in the series. :)

@Claire,

could you please add Ariadne to your bookshelf? Thank you. :)

Sammy wrote: "Mel, moving your finished shortie up to the swedish monster so we can spin! 😁"

I also removed it from the other 2 tasks. So those need covering as well.

I'm glad you also enjoyed it, Ingeborg!

I finished yesterday and gave it 5 stars (4,5).
I'll definitely read book 2 as well some time. :)

Thank you. 😊

🧀 Cheese is done! ✅ 😊

@Louise,

could you please add "The Last Annual Slugfest" to your tt shelf, please?
Thanks. :)

@KayLynn

Lauri has finished a book that also has "rice" in text.

Is it OK for you if we use hers and when you finish Eleanor & Park, we'll see what else we can use it for?

@Lauri

Just to let you know that you have read 10 books for this month and with the next one you'll be reaching your book cap. :)

#35. , 4 stars

I'm glad the TT Don Quijote task prompt made me read this.

#36. by Robert Jackson Bennett, 5 stars

Strictly speaking it was not the book that was on my TBR, but Robert Jackson Bennett as the author. This was his first book I have read, but I loved it and will go on with this particular series. 😊

DQs Day 4: Chapters 21-25

12. At the start of this section, Din is experiencing some type of battle shock after the fight, and Strovi helps him deal with the situation. He’s quite gentle and especially after their drinks earlier with the whole “we’re too formal” thing, do you think he’s (romantically) interested in Din? Or what else could be going on there? Do you trust him or do you think he’s spying on them, especially as it’s revealed he’s gentry?
I think he's romantically interested in him and I have found his behaviour above suspicion. It was quite clear early on that Din founds him attractive as well, so I hope nothing will bad happen to them. :)

13. Din’s engraving skills seem to be a bit different to what is usual, based on the reactions of everyone else to his fighting skills, and also the lockpicking before that. I wonder how that interacts with his dyslexia, and also how it’s connected to his performance on the exams… what do you think?
To me it seemed his dyslexia was definitely the culprit for his doing so badly at exams. This may be a kind of balancing act.

14. One of the things I always find interesting about fantasy is figuring out what technology exists and what doesn’t. Aristan and Suberek were quite obviously killed by gunshot wounds, yet neither Din nor the rest of the investigation team seem to recognize that, so guns aren’t a well-known weapon in this world – however, Ana seemed to have an inkling… something the might of the Empire is hiding from us? What do you make of this? Is types of technology also something you pay special attention to in fantasy?
I didn't think it was gunshot wounds that killed them, but... maybe. If a book is well-written, with a good plot and engaging characters, I don't pay much attention to technology and how well it may fit. If I don't find the book engaging, I pay more attention and start questioning whether "technology" makes sense or not.

I like this book very much, so I'm mostly OK with the "technology" aspect of it. :)

15. Speaking of technology – I’ve also been thinking about its relation to social class and especially fertility in this world. We have Strovi, who’s gentry which is why he doesn’t have any augmentations, as they impact fertility, and then we have Fayazi Haza who’s so heavily modified there doesn’t seem to be anything “natural” left about her, surely leaving her infertile (but maybe this doesn’t matter when you’re part of the Haza clan. Or maybe they found a way around that.) And then there’s people like Din who seem to undergo these transformations as a way of improving their situation in life (not that we know much about his or other regular people’s backgrounds – but him sending almost all his earnings back to his family does suggest a significant degree of poverty), where it seems like nobody considers infertility a negative impact… I’m not sure I have a concrete question here, so: thoughts?
Despite really liking the book, I found this aspect rather weird.

16. It seems very neat that Jolgalgan, from the Oypat canton, would be the one behind this plot and all of these murders. Do you think it was actually her, or do you think there’ll be a big twist? If it was her after all, what do you think she knows?
No idea, but she as a "lonely" perpetrator would be stretching this a bit. We'll see. :)

🧀 Cheese is done! ✅

No worries. :)

I'll take care of cheese. :)

KayLynn wrote: "
Can I use this for Haiti or is it too much fantasy to count?"

If the setting is more than 50% Haiti, then you can.

DQ 3
Part III Chapters 13-20

9. Were on the move now and hearing more of the environment. Are you able to imagine the world and How do you feel about the mix of genres - fantasy, sci-fi, mystery?
It very much depends on the skill of the author. I remember books where they didn't manage to pull it off and the different genres did not mix well: very much oil and water case. But here I'm absolutely enjoying the mixture RJB serves us. :)

10. Were seeing Ana showcasing her skills and abilities more and seeing Ana and Din interact even more. Have your thoughts changed about them and what secrets do you think Ana and Din is hiding from one another if any?
At this point it seems that Ana is either highly-born or had clashes with those of the powerful gentry class. My guess is that sooner or later either Din finds himself in a situation where he has to confess to Ana about his struggles to read or will be found out b/c of some events.

11. Knowing this is book one and we probably wont get much how are you imagining the Leviathans so far? What is your closest comparison to what they may be/look like?
Your guess is as good as mine. Honestly, I found it hard to picture them to myself, so I have turned to the internet and checked some of the images it threw my way. :)

Claire wrote: "I have an author born in the Chinese enclave of Saigon. Would it count? If so, can someone add Gouden lotus for me?"

I'm sorry, but I'll say no this. :( We need to have an author born in the actual territory of China.

The BOM may be good for character is part of a dynasty, so far they are only talked of. We'll see.

Australia is done, we are off for all the tea in China! 😉

WW97 Author born in China
WW98 Red and Yellow on cover
WW99 Dragon on cover
WW100 """rice"" in text"
WW101 character speaks at least 2 languages
WW102 character considered to be part of a dynasty
WW103 C
WW104 H
WW105 I
WW106 N
WW107 A

DQs Day 2: Chapter 6-12

5. In this world, many choose enhancements that facilitate their selected jobs - and it seems like most have some sort of Monkey’s Paw negative effect as well. On one hand, an enhancement like Din’s enables his perfect memory, so he never forgets anything. On the other hand, he CAN never forget anything, even if he wants to.
If you were to be augmented with a skill/ability, what would it be and why? Alternatively, what, for you, would be the worst or most dreaded skill/ability you could get?
Hmmm.
I guess if I could loose my fear of heights and flying and throwing up on a seajourney, that would be great😂, though they are not very "active" skills as such. Maybe to be able to learn 10 new languages or more would be nice. :)
As for abilities I don't want ... I don't know, will need to think about it some more.


6. I thought it interesting that the leviathians are getting bigger every year, and that most of the special grafts and suffusions are from collected titian bits and bones. Do you have any theories about how this will come into play going forward?
It could be external forces, I guess, though unlikely. Maybe someone wants to grab power from the inside, or it's the law of give and take/balance? The more people take from dead leviathans somehow gets back to the living?

7. “...I no longer formed normal memories. For a memory is just a sketch a mind makes of one’s experiences, imperfect and interpretive; yet what my mind made, from that moment on, was perfect, absolute, and endless.” Do you think this robs Din of the ability to be fully human, from the standpoint that one’s subjective take on the world around her/him is what makes a person "human"?
It certainly places as incredibly heavy burden on him.

8. I’m enjoying the evolving relationship between Ana and Din, especially Ana’s humor. Despite Ana joking that Din had “lost his sense of humor in some tragic accident,” what is your take on the twosome? Do you think Din cheated somehow to pass his tests? Or do you think it's something else?
Either someone helped him or Ana new to give him different kinds of tests that he could pass without the drawback of dyslexia??