TTN: Section 2: Chapter 6 - Chapter 10

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

So we're now at least seeing some hints of magic. Those priests seem to rile their followers up with some kind of singing/chanting that wouldn't surprise me to be magical.

I'm wonder if maybe it's the colonel himself whose the wizard. Marcus keeps repeating he had no way of knowing after his risky plan against their first big battle, but what if he did.

I'm still hoping that the butler did it the colonel's manservant is the wizard though.

We meet a priestess of the old religion (before the Redeemers staged their takeover) and she is a prisoner/slave to one of the priests of the redeemers.

Now she's been saved by Winter. Apparently she is a mage of some kind and one of Mother's people, though we've yet to see her do any magic.

Winter and her corporals are proving to be my favorite part of the story so far, although her sudden development from a know nothing soldier to an excellent sergeant is a bit abrupt. She doesn't seem to make any mistakes along the way.

She's now (predictably) been promoted to Lieutenant after her previous one fled like a coward and got himself killed while she took command and saved 2/3 of her men from slaughter.

I imagine anyone whose not so much into the battle and military stuff may not enjoy this as much as I seem to be.

I can't say I ever really considered myself a big military book fan, but maybe Malazan Fallen has warmed me up to the idea.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Winter's success as a leader continues. Is it luck? Skill? The support of her corporals? Maybe a little of all three. She seems to anticipate the enemy much like the Colonel.

I wonder if Fayor is helping somehow. We don't really know the nature of her magic yet and she seems confident Winter will return from her mission.

[Bill]

Interesting thought about the singing/chanting by the priest being magic it never occured to me. Sticking with that maybe the colonel is able to increase fear in the enemy/ rally the spirits of his troop through magic as well.

I was thinking the wizard might also be Ms. Alhundt and she was sent as a shaved knuckle incase the colonel couldn't get the job done. Probably not but hoping she proves to be more than a known spy.

Winter and crew are the most interesting for me at this point also. I hope the Khandarians put up more of a fight at some point though.

I haven't read another series yet that blends the military and magical aspects as masterfully as the Malazan series.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Bill wrote: "I was thinking the wizard might also be Ms. Alhundt and she was sent as a shaved knuckle incase the colonel couldn't get the job done. Probably not but hoping she proves to be more than a known spy."

I've sort of been dismissing her as the wizard simply for being "too obvious". She does stick out though and you might be right.

Her actual purpose there is still a mystery. I'm not sure I really buy her volunteering if she's a simple clerk as she claims.

[Bill]

Rob wrote: "Bill wrote: "I was thinking the wizard might also be Ms. Alhundt and she was sent as a shaved knuckle incase the colonel couldn't get the job done. Probably not but hoping she proves to be more tha..."

Yeah seems like a ploy to get Marcus to let his guard down.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Alex wrote: "Anyone notice that the word "bullet" is never used? Instead, it's "ball" or "shot." I wonder if that's historically accurate at all."

I don't claim to be an expert, but every time I've shot black powder the payload is always called a ball or shot. Bullets didn't come until much later.

You have to load you powder/wadding then the ball. They worked more like portable cannons than today's modern gun.

[Mark]

Bullet is reckoned to be from the french word boulette which means little ball.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullet nice article here.

[Mpauli]

Regarding Winter I think that she has a great amount of decency and that many of her actions are based on her personality. That's what makes her so likeable, at least for me.
I also enjoy the cameraderies between her and her soldiers, especially the corporals.

And I'm really interested in finding out what's up with her visions/flashbacks/hauntings of the red haired girl and if it's simply her mind messing with her or something else.

Feor seems to be interesting as well. At the moment I'm thinking about her more in a capacity as some sort of anti-mage, without being a "real" mage herself.

And I agree with Alex, the fighting scenes are really interesting with all the formations and morale playing a big role as well.
This reminds me a lot of the fights in the Total War series, especially in Empire of course.

And as far as Ms. Alhundt goes, I think there is a lot more politics going on here as we are aware. I think Janus has some sort of agenda here that would help him shift power back home and Ms. Alhundt is there to keep him in check.
It's kind of a nice twist. The world seems to be way bigger, but as the reader you're just as much disconnected from the rest of the world, as the Colonials are.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Was she sent there for her homosexuality? I thought it was simply because she was an orphan. Maybe I simply didn't pick up on that though.

I'd like to add more detail to my opinion, but it would spoil a later part of the book.

[Mark]

She was sent there as a child because her parents died or disappeared

[Simona]

Rob wrote: "Was she sent there for her homosexuality? I thought it was simply because she was an orphan. Maybe I simply didn't pick up on that though.

I'd like to add more detail to my opinion, but it would s..."

IT's just like that. And the Jane mystery will be solved later. I can't be more precise without a spoiler.

[Mark]

Alex wrote: "I feel like Winter's flashbacks are simply a lover that she had to leave behind. Winter was sent to some sort of corrective school to "cure" her homosexuality (because people were crazy like that b..."

The author is very good at drip feeding us imformation, so I totaly understand your reasons.

[Sumant]

Alex wrote: "I have no idea about the wizard, so I'm going with what Rob and Bill have said for now.

The military strategy is actually pretty cool, and is a large part why I'm digging this book. It's also a ty..."

I agree with you Alex he definitely reminds me of colonel west from first law.

I am really liking Marcus as a captain, but I did not agree with his decision of siding with Adrecht when his regiment did all pillaging in the Khandarai outpost, I think Janus was right in making a example of him.

Winter is a mystery her mastery over soldering seems a bit too fast for me.

[Andreas]

Battle scenes could be taken from some Napoleon movie - absorbing, well-timed, not boring at all.

Winter's character development is a good bit too predictable for my taste.

Who is the mysterious mage? Sgt Davis would be a surprise. But if tropes are filled as predictable as up to now, it should be Alhundt.