Kerri’s Comments (group member since Sep 29, 2015)

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

Just dropping in to say hi! I'm currently super bored at work cause everything is done, so I thought I'd check in here.

I wanted to say, too, that I'm really enjoying the current BOM, A Darker Shade of Magic! Is anyone else reading it?

Also, Cristina, I hope your Grandma is ok!

Machine

A Darker Shade of Magic DQs
Day 3: Jan 4

Chapters V Black Stone – VI Thieves Meet

Q11. Lila still intrigues me. First she gives money to the beggar boy and even go after the little rat thieves that rob the boy. But then, while running she can't help herself and steal from a man that is hurt and bleeding! What do you make of her? Are you liking/understanding her?

I like Lila and I don't. I like her toughness and her ambition, but I don't care for people who take from others just because they can or are in a foul mood. I feel like there is more to her, though, and maybe when we get to see that, she'll be less abrasive. Still, she is tough as nails and I respect that.

Q12. So the package was a trap! But from who? Holland, The Danes siblings, the Red Royals, ... Any guesses/theory?

Yeah, no good could come from that package. I'm inclined to suspect the Danes, but there is also the fact that Holland left some mysterious package with Rhy way back when that still hasn't been mentioned. I don't know if these two packages are connected. Obviously someone is after that stone, though.

Q13. What do you think about Lila and Kell interaction? The 'made up Kell' strip-tease was kind of funny, if we disregard the black eyes and the will power.
Could Lila have magic on her? Will these two characters meet again later on?

I thought she was being rather obnoxious, but I suppose I can't really say I would have acted any differently if I had access to a magi stone. I feel like part of that was the stone calling to her, as well. I think she is more in tune with magic than most of the people who live in Grey London. She could see Kell's mark, after all. They will definitely be meeting again.

Q14. It was just me, or this black magic is creepy?! The shell breaking and being absorbed into the cutthroat, all the things created by the stone has a taint of black, and the final part with the drunk guy, made me think that maybe the law against carrying things between worlds was very much needed still.

Black magic is very creepy. No wonder Black London got wiped out!

Q15. Ideas to where the story is going?

Nothing solid, but I'm enjoying the ride!

A Darker Shade of Magic DQs
Day 2: Jan 2
Chapters III – IV, pages 58 - 108

06. "Lila Bard lived by a simple rule: if a thing was worth having, it was worth taking."
We are introduced to the Shadow Thief. Do you enjoy "tomboy" heroines in literature? What's your favourite female lead in a book?

I do enjoy tomboy heriones. Reminds me of myself when I was younger. As for favorite female lead, I would probably go with Hermione from Harry Potter. Smart and strong, I like it!

07. "Looking for trouble, he’d say. You’re gonna look till you find it.
Trouble is the looker, she’d answer. It keeps looking till it finds you."
Which side are you on, on this debate and why?

I'm on his side in this debate. I think if you keep your nose clean, usually the big trouble keeps away from you. Besides, it's like playing the odds. If you don't look for trouble, you may or may not find it. If you *look* for trouble, you'll *definitely* find it.

08. "Our throne is not something you’re born to. It’s not held by blood. But taken by it."
The Dane siblings and Holland seem to keep a cruel balance among them. Can you identify any clear leader among them? Will this unholy trinity last? What might keep them from going for each other's throat?

The Dane twins are definitely in control, at the moment. I think if Holland ever gets rid of that charm, that dynamic will change. I think Holland would kill them if he ever got the chance.

09. We are now introduced to all 3 Londons. If you could live in any of them which would you choose?

Definitely Red London. It's the most vibrant and magical.

10. Kell has the bad habit of carrying trinkets from one London to the next. Is the law against it reasonable? What are your thoughts on the package the woman gave him?

I'm sure it's in place for a reason, although I don't see what harm a music box can do. Maybe the magical objects being brought to non-magical Grey London could be harmful, I dunno. Something is up with that package, though. I don't trust that at all...

It was 152 on the list, Karsyn :)

Company

A Darker Shade of Magic DQs
Day 1: Jan 2
Chapters I – II Read Royal, pages 1 - 57

Q1. Kell has a very interesting Jacket. Have you read a story before that has items of clothing like his? If so what story does it remind you of?

I don't think I've ever read a story with such a unique clothing item in it. Of course, there are things like the Invisibility Cloak in Harry Potter. I really like the concept of Kell's jacket, though. Seems like it comes in handy!

Q2. Going between worlds, multiple Londons with names of colors to distinguish them, the year 1819. Are you able to keep track of Kell’s travels? To keep up with the world building?

So far, yes. I'm sure I may have issues remembering the different names of the different countries that all the Londons are in, but it'll get easier. I'm really curious as to the in depth details of what happened to Black London.

Q3. Kell is an Antari (Blood Magic), a dying breed, one of the rare few that can do magic. Kell used his special coins and his blood to travel between worlds. Do you think he is a blood mage? Or does he have a darker kind (shade) of magic since he uses his blood? Or is it just part of Antari training?

I don't think I really understand the magic system well enough yet. I had the impression that most people in Red London can use magic but that only Antari were capable of blood magic. I don't think that makes Kell a blood mage since he only seems to use blood to travel between worlds. And do Antaris get training?

Q4. How do you feel about the Collectors and the Enthusiasts?

It kind of makes sense. If magic was present in Grey London before but has since disappeared, it makes sense that there would be people who would be nostalgic for it or seek it out even if most believe it's not real. People are eccentric like that. I think the Enthusiasts are annoying, though.

Q5. Are you enjoying the book so far?

Yes I am! This book sucked me right in.

Just finished up our "Sort your "to read" shelf by 'date added' and read a book that is within Numbers 150-200 on your list" goal and posted it on the read thread :) This long weekend has been a good one for relaxing and reading!

My book A Kiss of Shadows has a character named Uther in it, if it hasn't already been used.

That's the only one I found among my books.

Music

There's a lot of romances on the very last page of the "available" Popular shelves page that have it listed on the first page. Mostly because they only have one page of top shelves. I'm not really into romances and I don't know if they would interest anyone else, so using our boon for this one seems like a good plan to me.

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

That's the page if anyone wants to check it out.

I could definitely do our newest goal if it isn't already covered. Just finished my last book and Hollow City, which is somewhere between 150-200 on my TBR list, would be a nice, quick read before it's time to dive into the upcoming BOM.

No annex in my books, so far.

Has James' Lady of the Lake been used for anything? Because there is a mention of The Empress in that poem.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I don't know what page it would be on in his version, but the line is:

"Where Rome, The Empress of the world,
of yore her eagle wings unfurled."

If you're into older sci-fi at all, a lot of H.G. Wells' books are between the 100-200 page range. I just finished The Island of Dr. Moreau and it was short and enjoyable.

Discussion Questions 23rd December

33. This section opens with some graphic fight scenes, which I found slightly incongruous but incredibly vivid. What did you think?

I agree with the vividness. Those scenes were definitely graphic, but no more so than when they marched into the Wood to "rescue" the queen. Still, it was exciting!

34. The reveals about the Wood, first marrying into humanity to try a different way to save her people then being bricked up alive... Does that change how you feel about the Wood? How?

I certainly felt a bit more understanding and pity than I did before the past was revealed. Still, as Agneiszka was basically thinking before she used the fire-heart, two wrongs don't make a right. I think the resolution that was reached was the best that could be hoped for after all that pain.

35. The Wood Queen's sister helps defeat the Wood Queen... I can't imagine how hard it must have been for Lilyana (sorry if I got the spelling wrong, am absent from my copy of the book) to watch her sister's pain and then try to stop her. What do you think? Should she have been more active in helping her sister?

I think she did what she thought was best given how far gone her sister was already. She didn't want the suffering to continue for either side. She helped her sister the only way she could.

36. The ending; satisfying or a cop-out? Did you think the Dragon would behave like that?

I was completely satisfied with the ending! It didn't show either one of them melting into each other's arms or declaring undying love and I think that seems so much more natural and human. I think his reaction is very in character.

Merry Christmas, all :)

Dec 22 DQs for Chapters 24-27
Team Poseidon

29. Alosha mentions Ragostok… and then casually brings up that he is her great-great-grandson, and the only child of her line to show magic in the area. She also mentions Ballo’s history -- that he was a monk, living in a monastery and illuminating manuscripts for forty years before anyone noticed that he wasn’t aging. These are MINOR characters, but from the brief glimpses we’ve been given, we have fleshed out backstories and deep characters, even just from a few sentences. What tiny part of Novik’s Uprooted world so far has made you think “Wow, she’s really sucked me into this world she’s created!!!”? It could be a character backstory, a setting, a description… anything that made you think Novik was a master of pushing her world and her creation into your imagination. (Or perhaps you're thinking the opposite?)

I think what has sucked me in the most so far is her description of all the everyday people involved in the story. The descriptions of Jerzy and his wife just made it so easy to put myself in their shoes. I also like how she makes even the worse decision (like invading the Wood) seem like there is just reasoning, even if it's only for one character. I wouldn't have made that decision, but I understand why Marek did. There's just so many nuances!

30. The Wood has taken most of the royal line now, and only Marek, Stashek, and Marisha remain. Did you see this quick turn of events coming? I sure didn’t. Any guesses on the Wood’s goal in all this? Not just for this battle, but overall. What is behind the sentient Wood? What is driving it? Why is it so BAD??? Did you expect that the queen *IS* the Wood and that it had found a way to hide?!

I kind of saw the king's death coming, but I didn't see the utter destruction of the royal family coming! The only goal I can forsee is setting up Marek as a puppet king, literally. The queen is obviously corrupted so I'm sure it would be easy for her to corrupt him. I'm guessing it wants to kill Sigmund's children so no one will try and put his son in power. As for the Wood itself, I really have no idea why it is the way it is. I'm hoping we'll find out by the end of the book.

31. We see even more spells from Agnieszka in this section. What’s been your favorite spell so far? One of my favorite things about this book is the magic system that Novik has set up. Nothing is set into stone, and the rules are completely unclear (unlike so many fantasy masters who write the “best” magic systems, like Brandon Sanderson for example, where rules and limits are vital), but it feels so coherent and complete! Do you like the magic in the book or do you feel like it’s too vague?

I'm really loving tgat she found a way to transport all of them over vast distances. Anything to do with that illusion spell has been pretty fantastic. I like the magic system in this book because it is vague. I like that you don't have to try and figure out some complex magical system to get into the story. It's nice sometimes.

32. Another thing I love about this book is how Agnieszka continues to defy the traditions and push the limits. She might just have it in her to be the one to show the magical world that the limits they’ve placed on themselves are why they’ve been unable to beat back the Wood for good. Do you think she’ll be able to overcome these obstacles? The more that is thrown at her, the more we see her think on her feet and adapt… just like the Wood has seemed to do. Do you think that Agnieszka and the human world will get their happy endings? What predictions do you have on whole will make it to the end and if the Wood will be defeated for good (or will it end with the Wood being seemingly defeated and then the classic "oh wait, something more could happen" type ending)?

I'm a sucker for a happy ending, so I'm really hoping they get one. I still want to know the story behind the Wood!

M wrote: "I was Just wondering would A Night of Seven Kingdoms count for the spinoff goal?"

Good call on that, M. I wasn't sure if that would qualify or not.

Sorry I haven't been around much, guys. I'm out of town for the holidays and my internet access is spotty. I've been checking in as often as possible!

Dec. 21 Discussion Questions
Chapters 18-23



24. The book has been set so far in Agnieszka's village, the Tower, the Wood, and now the Court. Which setting has been your favorite to read about? Why?

I think I've enjoyed the setting of the Tower the most so far. It's strange and new and there's magic! And books about magic! I would love it there.


25. Agnieszka has really been struggling with the etiquette required at court, and with trying to get her point across about sending an army to fight the Wood. Would she have fared better with the Dragon by her side, or would he have made it worse? Should she have joined up with the Falcon, like he wanted her to?

I feel like the Dragon would have been both a help and a hinderance. He has way more clout at court, but he also has a reputation already. His reputatiin probably would have hurt a bit. As for the Falcon, he can go sit and spin.


26. Alosha made a great point: Why don't the people living in the Valley simply pack up and leave? Do you think there is something in the river or air that lures them to stay? Or is it more of a case of them not wanting to leave where they were born and have lived for generations?

At first I would have said that they just were comfortable with their home and afraid of the unknown. It seems like home has an unnatural pull on Agneiszka, though, so now I'm leaning more towards there is magic involved.

27. What do you think is behind Queen Hanna's surprising recovery? Is she actually cured, or is the Wood still somehow controlling her?

Oh that is definitely suspicious. I don't think she is cured at all.

28. How do you think the title of the book fits in with what has happened so far?

Well, Agneiszka has been well and truly uprooted from her former life. She's a witch now and learning about the court and has physically fought against the Wood. I can't imagine being more uprooted.