Crown of Midnight ~ Plot

[Booknut, Head Moderator]

Confused or intrigued?!

[talltyrion]

BOTH. Mwahaha.

[Cat]

Ahh that excerpt was awesome :)) do you know where any more are...??

[[deleted user]]

Catherine wrote: "Ahh that excerpt was awesome :)) do you know where any more are...??"

This is the second one. The first one is at the link in my earlier comment.

[Cat]

Yeah I've read them both... Have you read the book?

[[deleted user]]

Catherine wrote: "Yeah I've read them both... Have you read the book?"

Nope. I simply stumbled upon both of these excerpts. I'm still waiting for the book to be published myself.

[[deleted user]]

Tell me about it.

[[deleted user]]

H99 wrote: "Wakana wrote: "H99 wrote: "Wakana wrote: "Tell me about it."

I just read that one before I realized what I was doing... :("

I read it before thinking first,too. But it's not my fault.. I alread..."

Yeah!! 3 Weeks to Crown of Midnight!!

[Katherine]

JUST PRE ORDERED THIS BOOK WOOOOO but I don't think I'm going to get the signed spread :(

[Katherine]

Mine for shipped today! Woo!

[Tasha]

Read it in two days... broke my heart :( 3

(team Chaol all the way!)

[talltyrion]

Am I the only one who was confused by the ending? I mean, yeah, she lied, it's not the first thing she's lied about, sure as heck won't be the last. Chaol's acting like it's the apocalypse. But I know tons of people guessed at it long before now. It's not that hard to figure out. Yet I can tell this is supposed to be a huge revealing cliffhanger. Anyone?

[Stephanie]

WordlesslyAmazed03 wrote: "Am I the only one who was confused by the ending? I mean, yeah, she lied, it's not the first thing she's lied about, sure as heck won't be the last. Chaol's acting like it's the apocalypse. But I k..."

It's bad for HIM bc he suggested the king send her away under the guise of her doing a deed for the kingdom, though it was really an act of "protecting" her. However, she's a threat to his kingdom. When the king and/or his advisers find out the truth about her identity, he'll be seen as a traitor to his crown because he was her lover and also made the suggestion for her to be sent away. He also feels conflicted bc technically, he had a feeling she might be in cahoots with the lost heir (remember how he was finding her suspicious?) so of course he now thinks he just destroyed his kingdom by freeing the heir to her magical family members.

He just sort of fucked himself either way. It's a lose lose for him. At least that's the way he sees it.

[talltyrion]

That crossed my mind, but I figured he'd see exactly how much the king needs to be overthrown. Nehemia died so Celaena would see that. The love of his life left Chaol in hopes that he'd understand why she was doing it...and there's gotta be some part of her that hopes he'll even support her in it. Guess I was wrong.

[Stephanie]

WordlesslyAmazed03 wrote: "That crossed my mind, but I figured he'd see exactly how much the king needs to be overthrown. Nehemia died so Celaena would see that. The love of his life left Chaol in hopes that he'd understand ..."

I don't think he'll not end up not actually supporting her with that eventually. At the same time, there is so much conflict of interest involved for him. His land, his people, his kingdom, are all going to become victims by the impending threat of Celaena reclaiming her rightful place as heir to Terrasan, the opposing kingdom. He is in an impossible position right now, because he's on the outs with Dorian, he also just told his dad he was quitting his job to return home with him, and he essentially was the catalyst of what's to come. While he may not respect the King's decisions and evil deeds, he's still "loyal" to his crown.

If he'd known Celaena was the lost heir, I don't think he'd have encourage the king to send her away. He only did that to protect her. He will appear to be treasonous. How will he be able to make this right without gutting his heart and his honor further in the process? That's what he feels like right now.

Obviously Dorian is going to play a role in the rebuilding of the Kingdom, and restoration of peace between the them. However, we have quite a few books before we get there. Dorian knows his father is a shit king, and having a part in his end is going to be a very hard thing to contemplate I imagine, but it's what has to be done. By whose hands is the questions. Speaking of, this is why I didn't agree with Celaena keeping Dorian in the Dark about his father's true actions/nature in utilizing mediums of evil for his own benefit. I mean that was really dumb, I think. I think a part of her still doesn't trust him.

This is why I don't like reading incomplete series. LOL. I'm already dying for the 3rd book and this doesn't look like it's wrapping up for another 5 years. God grief!

[talltyrion]

Uuuggghhh. Can't he see that this isn't a death sentence for the people of Adarlan? Celaena wouldn't kill innocents, not if she could avoid it. The people of Adarlan have got to hate the king's guts. Only him and his most loyal subjects need to go. They can start afresh. Build a better world. Isn't it better to rebel and fight for that better world than to remain loyal to a masochistic ruler who has thousands of slaves being worked to death in the mines? This could be for his children, for Dorian's decedents, for the children Nehemia will never have.

[Stephanie]

WordlesslyAmazed03 wrote: "Uuuggghhh. Can't he see that this isn't a death sentence for the people of Adarlan? Celaena wouldn't kill innocents, not if she could avoid it. The people of Adarlan have got to hate the king's gut..."

LOOK AWAY IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED Crown of Midnight

Trust me, I know. However, I think it's also never that simple. Think about the amount of people who have been suffering, victimized and oppressed by the King...Think about their grief, rage, and thirst for revenge.
A lot of them never want to see it just end there with the murder of the evil king. A lot of them won't be completely satisfied until the King, his entire bloodline, his immediate family, and those of his closest advisers are completely eradicated. At least, that is very much the norm when it comes to sovereign nations and kingdoms (past and present) and those in high-fantasy stories. The problem is in the blood.

Have you read THG? I know it's not kingdom related, but the same themes apply. Remember the Leader of District 13? How she didn't want it to just end there by taking out president Snow, but the whole damn Capital, children and all? Dorian has a shitty little brother too, you know? If something happened to Dorian before he had an heir, you think the people would want Holland as King? And this is if Dorian managed to have survived the impending price on his head. This is going to be, or it should be (if it's truly to be a great story), something that is not easily resolved. There is so much heavy stuff involved.

Furthermore, Chaol's father is one of the king's close people, he sits on a the council. So do you really think he'd be okay with having his father killed? Even if he doesn't much care for the way his father has treated him, he is still his father. It's not like his father was doing evil things to people, he just disowned his soon who left him without a proper heir. That's mean, but not evil enough to have made his son hate him to the point of being okay watching him die.
He has a mother and siblings. How will his father's death effect them? Also, he has cousins and extended family who all seem to have had the evil king's favor.

There is no easy way to just sit back and say "Celaena wouldn't kill innocents, if she could help it." It won't be just about her. And while I agree, the people of Adarlan might hate the king's guts, there are a whole society of people who probably hate a lot of Adarlan people who had remained in the king's favor or survived his reign unscathed. It's going to be one of those situation where people are trying to out-suffer one another: "I suffered more under the king's reign than you..."

And while Celaena will no doubt have some pull as a queen, you have to remember she's the queen of Terrasen, not Adarlan. Rightfully, she does not have any jurisdiction over Adarlan.

A maybe conclusion (which i don't really see happening, so don't freak out, Chaol lover! LOL) is the unification of two kingdoms, which usually would take place by a marriage between a king/queen or future king/and queen. Just saying, An Aelin and Dorian union might deter a civil war.

[talltyrion]

SPOILERS AHEAD

Grr. I hate politics. Can I just say that now and get it over with?

I know there's a long, hard road ahead of these characters. Before we can even begin to mention rebellion, Celaena must be accepted as the queen. I mean, everyone knows her as Adarlan's Assassin. She can't just waltz up to these people and announce herself as the queen of Terrasen. Then, once that's over with and we've got ourselves the spark we need to actually ignite the rebellion, we get into what you're talking about.

No, Celaena isn't a natural-born leader in my perspective. She's been running from that kind of commitment and responsibility for years, and you know, Nehemia made a very good point saying that she's a coward who only cares about herself. Much as I love Celaena, she's right. I feel like this is the only true step she's taken to accept responsibility for someone other than herself, which is exactly what Nehemia hoped to accomplish with her death.

I don't agree with you in just one place: that Celaena would only marry Dorian if Chaol died. I think that that's precisely the situation that would keep her from doing it. She's going to have to grow tremendously as a person in months to come if she wants to relinquish the king's hold on the nation. If that meant someday marrying Dorian...well...I think she'd do it. After all, she did tell Chaol that "it wouldn't have made any difference to her" and she'd "always pick him". I think she knows what this could mean. If she's queen, she'll be expected to marry royalty anyway. It won't be the last time she sees him, but it might well have been the last time she tells him how she feels. That's why she couldn't say those three words back to him. It would hurt so much more if she did. She's still protecting them, even now.

Have I mentioned I hate politics?

[talltyrion]

Maybe she doesn't have to be queen, but she has to be more than she is now. The rebellion needs a face, and that could be her.

I think that if Chaol died, she really couldn't go back to Dorian like that. There's too much history between them. And yeah, I agree that I'd rather not have her marry anyone out of necessity, I just think she'd do it if it came to that. But God, I hope it doesn't.

[Stephanie]

All great points, Bex and Wordlessly,

I have no doubt that Chaol will fully support Celaena eventually, but I don't think that's going to be an easy decision to make, and follow through on just as easily, in the future. It naturally shouldn't be THAT easy for us as humans when the complexity of what's involved is as intricate as the particulars in this world Sarah has built.

I can't wait to see how this all plays out. Politics is a necessary life occurrence, Word. I know it sucks, it's like why can't we just not play all these "games". However, I find high-fantasy so great for exploring the politics and diplomacy. It's really what makes high-fantasy interesting to me, anyway.


Also, I don't think Dorian would be okay with marrying Celaena if Chaol was living (or dead), knowing that she doesn't feel the way about him as he feels about HER, much less a modicum of the way she obviously feels about Chaol. He'd be suffering the heartache of unrequited love for all eternity if that was to be their situation. I can't express how painful that is to feel, and would never be okay with that, personally. In the end, it would be a complete buzzkill for readers to have this 6 book series end on that kind of note. I'm not saying it has to be perfect and all rainbows and hearts, but OUCH. Having two people marrying each other on such unequal footing would be a bit bleak. I want to say is much more idealistic (in that sense) than that.

As for Celaena's level of care for Dorian. I think she does care for him, sure. But I don't know, I still feel like losing him is an acceptable option for her, like it wouldn't be so devastating. (I know, I know, I sound all kinds of bitter). I'd be interested in seeing how it would all play out between who would she'd save first or risk the most for between Chaol, Fleetfoot, and Dorian. My wager is Dorian always finishes last. I don't know if this is all so fresh for me bc I skimmed the book earlier, but do you all realize the level or contradiction there is expressed concerning Celaena and Chaol's feelings, and some of their feelings in regard to Dorian? Their actions, what they say aloud, and what they think are often not congruent. Ugh, so frustrating.

I'm SO SO interested in seeing what is to be developed for Dorian's romantic storyline, though. Like who is this girl and how would she measure up against Celaena? Not saying it's a competition, but something tells me he's not one to fall head over heels in love with a passive and entirely sweet type of woman.

Do any of you happen to know the ages of our main 3? I know Celaena is 17/18, but no idea about the boys.

[talltyrion]

...

I'm sorry, all I heard was "six-book series".

[talltyrion]

I think right now, they're all aiming for taking down the king, freeing the slaves in the salt mines, and bringing peace to the world. They're all smart people. They aren't thinking about their own personal happiness, not with so much at stake. Happiness at the end of all this would be like a great big bonus that none of them are really expecting. Usually at this point in the series, we get into the "we strive towards a larger goal, our little lives don't count at all/never mind us" phase.

[Stephanie]

Bex wrote: "What do you mean exactly? Can you give some examples?

I can. A big part of it was just realizing that Dorian was quite isolated for the majority of the book from those friendships he had in ToG. Things change, people change and so do circumstances. For me, when reading a book, I almost always become closest to and protective of those characters whose situations in the book are relative of my own RL experiences, especially when regarding human relationships--family/friends/foe.

And it is not that we think Celaena was mean to Dorian and inconsiderate of his feelings, she actually was. Fact.

Some examples of what I was talking about:

Celana

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?” She untied her white fur cloak—another gift to herself—and tossed it onto one of the chairs around the foyer table. “Didn’t I already see you this morning in the garden?”
Dorian remained seated, that familiar, boyish grin on his face. “Aren’t friends allowed to visit each other more than once a day?” She stared down at him. Being friends with Dorian wasn’t something she was certain she could actually do. Not when he’d always....But in the two months since she’d ended whatever had been between them, she’d often found herself missing him. Not the kissing and flirting, but just him.
“What do you want, Dorian?”
A glimmer of ire flashed across his face, and he stood. She had to tip her head back to look at him. “You said you still wanted to be friends with me.” His voice was low. She closed her eyes for a moment. “I meant it.” “So be my friend,” he said, his tone lifting... “Do you want me to fight for you? Is that it?” “No,” she said quietly. “I just want you to leave me alone.” His eyes flickered with the words left unsaid. Celaena stared at him, unmoving, until he silently left.

Who treats someone they truly want to remain friends with that way? Like, way to make someone feel they've been a burden and are also not worth your time. Furthermore, SHE said she wanted to remain friends, and the last time I read she expressed meaning it, so...

"Maybe she’d just warn Dorian herself once this dinner was over. She had ended things with him romantically, but she still cared about him. Despite his history with women, he was everything that a prince should be: intelligent, kind, charming. Why hadn’t Elena approached him for her tasks?"..."Dorian. He’s from Meah.” “And?”... It means he’s got little to lose and a lot to gain. That makes people dangerous. Ruthless. He’ll use you, if he can.”
“The same way an assassin from Endovier used me to become King’s Champion?” Her lips thinned. “Is that what you think I did?” “I don’t know what to think.” He turned away. She snarled—actually snarled at him. “Well, let me tell you what I think, Dorian. I think you’re used to getting what you want—who you want. And just because you couldn’t get who you wanted this one time—”
He whirled toward her. “You know nothing about what I wanted. You didn’t even give me the chance to tell you.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not having this conversation right now. I came to warn you about your cousin, but you clearly don’t care. So don’t expect me to care when you find yourself nothing more than a puppet. If you aren’t one already.”
He opened his mouth, so close to exploding he could have punched the nearest wall, but Celaena was already striding off.

But she never really respected him enough for him to actually share how he felt about her, has she? She'd just always assumed his feelings were superficial. Pretty much like how a lot of readers who don't care for him have assumed he was someone he's actually not.

"So,” Dorian said quietly, “can I ask why you decided to join me for dinner? You’ve made it pretty clear that you didn’t want to spend any time with me—and I thought you had work to do tonight.”
Actually, she’d been downright awful to him. But he kept his back to her, as if the question didn’t matter.
And she didn’t quite know why the words came out, but she spoke the truth anyway. “Because I have nowhere else to go.” and

"Yellowlegs’ mention of Dorian had stopped her cold. Now she had no choice about what she had to do. What she would do to protect Dorian. It was what she’d realized last night: she did have someone left—one friend. And there was nothing she wouldn’t do to keep him safe."

I feel like at this point, it's just following through on her last resort of human connection, which I GET. Trust me, I get it, but it doesn't put the other party on an even playing field regarding their friendship, does it? She sought Dorian out bc she had no one else. It's very telling when someone only calls on you when they want something or find themselves in need of you in some way, shape, or form. Where were they when you could have used a friend? I dunno, she'd been absolute shit to him for 73% (I counted) of the book and now, for me anyway, her concern just rings a bit self-serving and hollow. I know people are human, imperfect, make mistakes and are selfish, but for me, I was just so very angry that she treated him so poorly as if he had ever done something to her to deserve it. She never even treated Chaol like that in the ToG and he was a sincere asshole to her for the longest time.

"Dorian didn’t see her coming as she whirled, slamming his head into the stone wall hard enough that he crumpled to the steps, freeing her from his grip.
But she didn’t care about Dorian, didn’t care about anything except Fleetfoot and Chaol as she sprinted down those few stairs and across the hall. She had to get them out, get them back before the portal shut forever."

And while I agree, it was probably just a reference to this particular moment and maybe not an "all things considered" thought overall, I'm, telling you, she'd be more inclined to rescue Fleetfoot before Dorian if it was between him and the dog. Ironically, the dog he gifted to her. :-D
But we'll never really get to see that ring true, will we? If it was Dorian getting dragged through that portal, I'm pretty sure the 1st person to have gone through would have been Chaol, and not bc he was closer in proximity. I'm assuming the exhaustion and disorientation caused by her head wound wouldn't necessarily have been suppressed by her level of horror watching the Crown Prince switching places with Fleetfoot. I'm betting seeing Chaol going after him, though, would have got her moving.

Chaol:

"And if it ever came down to having to choose between his king and Celaena... He prayed to the Wyrd that he’d never be faced with that decision. Staying firmly on this side of the line was the logical choice. The honorable one, too, since Dorian... He’d seen the way Dorian still looked at her. He wouldn’t betray his friend like that."

and

"Crossing it could call into question his loyalty to the king before him—not to mention, the way it’d impact his friendship with Dorian. The prince had made himself scarce this past week; Chaol would have to make a point today to go see him. Dorian and the king were where his loyalty lay. Without his loyalty, he was no one. Without it, he’d given up his family, his title, for nothing."

Yet, when he actually does "betray" his friend, becomes "disloyal", he never ever feels any guilt over it. He expects to be able to carry on his friendship with his friend by not only keeping him in the dark, and being ok with doing so, but expecting that their friendship was to remain the same. I don't know about anyone else, but I would never be able to look a friend in the face knowing I managed to score a relationship with someone they happen to be in love with, without experiencing and expressing some form of self-loathing/guilt/shame. I know you can't help who you love, but a decent friend can help how they go about it and what sits on their conscience.

“What about being Captain of the Guard?”
“Perhaps my duties aren’t what I expected them to be.” The king kept things from him—there were so many secrets, and perhaps he was little more than a puppet, part of the illusion that he was starting to see through...“You love your country,” she said. “I can’t let you give all that up.” He caught the glimmer of pain and hope in her eyes and before he knew what he was doing, he’d closed the distance between them, one hand on her waist and the other on her shoulder...

and

"Dorian reached over his shoulder to the quiver strapped there and drew an arrow. “I haven’t seen you for a few days.” “I’ve been busy.” Busy with his duties, and busy with Celaena. “I haven’t seen you around, either.” He made himself meet Dorian’s gaze. Dorian’s lips were pursed, his face stony as he quietly said, “I’ve been busy, too.” The Crown Prince turned his horse away, heading in another direction, but paused. “Chaol,” he said, looking over his shoulder. Dorian’s eyes were frozen, his jaw clenched. “Treat her well.” “Dorian,” he started, but the prince rode off to join Roland. Suddenly alone in the teeming forest, Chaol watched his friend disappear."

He never tries brings up the subject again either, so it's not like it's something his conscience has been suffering from. And he didn't appear to feel he should put forth an effort to really make a case for himself either. We know Chaol knows that his entering a relationship was a disloyal and hurtful move to his friend. Said in his own words in his own head.

"He’d kill any man who hurt Celaena; and if the king ever gave him the order to dispatch her, then he’d plunge his sword into his own heart before he would obey. His soul was bound to hers by some unbreakable chain...

And yet,

"Regardless of what territory her parents had lorded over, if Celaena ever took up the mantle she’d lost, and if Terrasen ever got to its feet... Then Celaena could become a powerhouse—potentially capable of standing against Adarlan. And that made Celaena more than just his enemy. It made her the greatest threat he’d ever encountered."

"Chaol took a long breath. How could he convince Dorian to stay away from her? Not because he was jealous, but because Celaena might be more of a threat than Dorian could ever imagine. Only the truth would work, but..."

But hold on a minute,

"And the only way she’d die a traitor would be for her to do what’d he’d feared: ally with this secret organization, find Aelin Galathynius, and return to Terrasen. This was a hint that she had no intention of doing that. She had no plans to reclaim her lost title, posed no threat to Adarlan, or Dorian.

But WAIT! What were his final thoughts of this book, again? Oh, he felt so dumb he sank to his knees. Turns out he's feeling the threat quite strongly again.

Sigh.

I just...the back and forth with all these feelings that are at war with one another and fickle...Jeez, it was exhausting to read and got on my nerves a little. I like a little more consistency, or at least some inner emotional turmoil when confronted with such varying feelings. They were like pseudo unreliable narrators...

[Rachel , Co-Moderator]

Ugh this book! I loved it. I hated it. I loved parts. I hated parts. Oh the battle within... I do love this series but that ending... Oh. My. Gosh.

[Stephanie]

Bex wrote: "Agreed.
Honestly, in the end I just need for Celaena and Chaol to make it out with their lives and freedom."

I'm not sure why Dorian was left out of this particular hope of yours. Maybe it's bc you feel that it's more likely that he will have such an end, or maybe you'd be okay if he didn't end up with the same outcome. I don't know. I feel the same way, though. I just need all three of them to have an end where they are alive and free.

[Rachel , Co-Moderator]

I think Dorian will find a girl who loves and adores HIM not his crown. And yes Celaena and Chaol better work stuff out. The ending of Crown of Midnight!! It was jawdropping and crazy and heart-wrenching and eye-watering. :( everything is so messed up...

[talltyrion]

Something else I'd just like to get out there: It is a known fact in their relationship that Chaol loves Celaena more that she loves him. I'd compare the two of them to Amy Pond and Rory Williams, if any of you watch Doctor Who. Every moment of them together, there was this little voice in the back of my mind whispering, "God, he really loves her. And she doesn't even see him, not really, not the way he sees her." And finally, at the end, it had the pleasure of murmuring, "You didn't love him, because you don't destroy the person that you love.", at which point I was a complete mess and incapable of functioning beyond a two-year-old's level.

[talltyrion]

Yeah, I'm just gonna be over here in this lovely corner, listening to "Gives You Hell". Yep. Yep.

[Allie]

Great examples Stephanie! I hadn't thought about how the thoughts and actions of the characters were so inconsistent. Lots of thought-provoking information there.

I agree that it is revealing that Celeana told Dorian she was having dinner with him because he was her only option. It's the truth, but not a nice one. I marveled at how Dorian still had such positive feelings about her after everything she did and said to him. If I were him, I wouldn't have handled things so gracefully.

I also wanted Chaol to sit down and have a talk with Dorian about what was going on. I felt like he owed his friend, at least that much. But it didn't happen. I'm hoping the boys can re-bond with each other in book 3. I want their friendship to get repaired and strengthened.

[talltyrion]

I agree with you, Bex. I just don't think it's enough. Sadly, it is entirely possible to love someone, to really love someone, and it just isn't enough.

[Stephanie]

WordlesslyAmazed03 wrote: "I agree with you, Bex. I just don't think it's enough. Sadly, it is entirely possible to love someone, to really love someone, and it just isn't enough."

Love isn't enough to make a relationship work, though. It's just not. It takes so much more than that, and it's a hard thing to quantify. How do you measure just how much someone is capable of loving another person?

[Allie]

Does anyone think it’s interesting that the King hasn’t tried to groom Dorian to take over for him one day? If the king were to suddenly die, Dorian has no clue what’s going on.

[Allie]

Bex wrote: "WordlesslyAmazed03 wrote: "I agree with you, Bex. I just don't think it's enough. Sadly, it is entirely possible to love someone, to really love someone, and it just isn't enough."

If she loved hi..."

It kind of bothered me that Celeana tried to kill Chaol and yet he was the one trying to win her back over. She tried to kill him!

[talltyrion]

Perhaps...he doesn't plan on dying. He is hoarding a bunch of illegal magic under his proverbial mattress. Yet another reason he needs to be dispatched.

[talltyrion]

Yes, because Celaena has all the power in the relationship. That's never good.

[Stephanie]

Allie wrote: "Does anyone think it’s interesting that the King hasn’t tried to groom Dorian to take over for him one day? If the king were to suddenly die, Dorian has no clue what’s going on."


I don't think that's accurate. He' does know what's going on, just not that his father has utilized evil to his advantage.

The King doesn't really like Dorian's disposition because he's obviously not cruel and power hungry. That is the cause of friction between them. I think the king would be hesitant to show Dorian the evil reins, if you will, because he really doesn't trust his son. Dorian spoke of his Father's anger at feeling him rise up to take a stand and challenge him. Even without the King knowing about Dorian's magic, I think Dorian is on his last legs with his father.

I wouldn't put it past the king to have him killed just so that Holland, who is evil king in the making, becomes heir instead. As for the King, he's not really worried about being killed or dying anytime soon. He's arrogant and feels invincible, like the usual evil sociopaths. He thinks he has a lot of time left because of the power and evil he's managed to secure. He fears no one except those with true pure magic, which he's worked at destroying, anyway; so for now, he's feeling like an immortal King Tut.

[talltyrion]

That's what I was going for. He needs to be stopped.

[talltyrion]

Arobynn needed to be a bigger part in this book, in my opinion.

[Katherine]

Got my copy today! So excited, starting tonight!!!!!

[Booknut, Head Moderator]

Kate wrote: "Got my copy today! So excited, starting tonight!!!!!"

Congrats, Kate!! Enjoy :D

[Sarvy]

Who treats someone they truly want to remain friends with that way? Like, way to make someone feel they've been a burden and are also not worth your time. Furthermore, SHE said she wanted to remain friends, and the last time I read she expressed meaning it, so...

Wow, Stephanie, reading your analysis, I couldn't have said it better. The way she treated him was seriously uncalled for. At least he's always been respectful to her. Chaol on the other hand gave me the impression that he was being very possessive(even if he didn't realize it himself). Sure you can call me biased but I truly feel like Dorian didn't deserve her attitude.

[Michelle]

I'm sure there will be more bromance in the third Book. The guys are alone in the castle, without Celeana and they'll both miss her. They have to talk to each other about her!!! I'm pretty sure, they'll meet in the tumb one day and start talking about all the secrets. Dorian needs his friend to sort all the magic-stuff out!

Bex wrote:
"Chaol's inconsistency on where his loyalties laid was the most bothersome for me. I wish he would have been more decisive in this area, at least. He needs to make a decision and commit to it."

Yes, he's not very decisive but: Sarah just makes it more exciting for us :-) I am sure we all know, that his loyalties lie with Celeana und Dorian. He won't betray Celeana or tell her secret. When the moment comes, that he has to make a choice, it will be Celeana. I really hope, that she’ll be back in the castle at the end of Book 3.
I hate waiting for Book 3. Honestly, I think about starting to read new series only shortly before the last book comes out!!!

[Izzy]

I'm somewhere between half and two thirds through CoM!!! (view spoiler)[ I can't believe what happened to Nehemia, also, it seems Nehemia was conspiring with Elena just before her death, though I don't completely understand what they were talking about, is it explained further in the book??? (hide spoiler)] read spoiler at your own risk if you haven't read past page 230 or so.

[Stephanie]

Izabella wrote: "I'm somewhere between half and two thirds through CoM!!! [spoilers removed] read spoiler at your own risk if you haven't read past page 230 or so."

Just keep on reading Izabella

[Sarvy]

Hey does anyone think it's strange how a couple times in ToG Celaena & others have mentioned how Dorian is so unlike his parents(ex. blue eyes, personality, magic ability, etc). And now that CoM has revealed his extraordinary ability, I wonder...is he REALLY the son of the king?! Just a wild (but not so wild) thought I'm putting out there for consideration...

[Stephanie]

I think he is the son of the King, after all, his eyes are same eyes as Gavin's, the first king of Adarlan, which is presumably where the magic comes from as far as genes. I also think he has his father's hair color (black) too, no?

[Michelle]

Crown of Midnight Spoilers!!!:

Yeah, I thought about this, too. He does not resemble his father. In ToG it says: "But Dorian, tall toned and elegant, bore no resemblance to him (his father)And then there was the matter of Dorian's sapphire eyes - not even his mother had his eyes. No one knew where they came from" (Chapter 7). Stephanie is right: Gavin's eyes.
I think he isn't the Kings real son. I even wondered if Celeana and Dorian are maybe releated in some way. Because in ToG Celeana thinks about Dorian: "His eyes were familiar - like something she'd forgotten." I think this refers to something/someone in Celeanas past. But maybe it refers only to the incident with the spoiled tea, when Dorian remembers(in CoM), that he had met Aelin when they where kids. Celeana does not remember (not for us readers), that she'd met Dorian once. I love this scene!!!

[Katherine]

I just finished, so freaking good!

I think that's how she knows his face!

The only thing that disappoints me is that there is going to be no more Chaol Vs Celaena banter :(

[Sarvy]

Whoah Misah, you brought up details that I TOTALLY forgot about!!! Thanks for putting the pieces of the puzzle together! Also, I think Dorian and Celaena are at least distantly related as she is descended from Elena who then married Gavin, the first king of Adarlan.

Also, I agree that the king would definitely not keep an illegitimate heir around if Dorian was just that. Perhaps the king doesn't know that Dorian isn't his son?? Although how would the queen be involved in this...

This is all speculation of course! Plus I did notice that he has Gavin's eyes!
Gavin and Elena kind of remind me of Dorian and Celaena for some reason....

[[deleted user]]

Rukia wrote: "Whoah Misah, you brought up details that I TOTALLY forgot about!!! Thanks for putting the pieces of the puzzle together! Also, I think Dorian and Celaena are at least distantly related as she is de..."

Same here I think they're related but they don't remind me of Gavin and Elena though. Elena's too nice while Celaena is more badass.

I'm surprised this book didn't make me any nuttier than I already am.