TFS: Section 2: 8 - 13

[Lindsay]

Please keep all discussion to the events and speculation from this section.

No spoiler tags required. Though it would be highly appreciated if you Uncheck Add to my Update Feed to avoid accidentally spoiling this for your goodreads friends.

Please do not discuss events from later chapters. Referring back to events from a previous section/book is fine.

This section covers from 8: Syenite on the highroad through 13: you're on the trail.

[Lindsay]

I have a wild speculation.

EDIT: Which I'm belatedly going to put under spoiler tags. The more I think about it, the more I think I'm right. This may spoil a plot twist that I think I've worked out by this stage.

(view spoiler)[We're reading about Damaya, a young orogene as she is recruited by the Fulcrum. Syenite, a journeyman orogene before her first child. And Essun, an orogene who seems good enough with her powers that she seems to have been trained at some point.

Are these all the same person?

We know that the Fulcrum gives recruits new names - we don't know what Damaya's is going to be yet. And neither Syenite or Damaya seem to be going into a Season like Essun is. (hide spoiler)]

[baum]

Totally agree with the wild speculation!

(view spoiler)[I figured the same thing - it kinda clicked when Syenite was talking to the people from Allia about home and she thought about a fusty blanket - the same blanket Damaya's grandmother gave her? And somewhere in that same chapter she mentions the pain in her hands (caused by Schaffa?) IIRC. Makes sense since the 3 narratives are in different timelines - in Essun's (the future), the Fulcrum's been destroyed after all so we know for sure they're not happening at the same time. I also think that the man breaking the earth in the prologue likely is Alabaster, though I'm only 60% done so can't be certain. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Dara]

I'm on board with the wild speculation as well.

(view spoiler)[I was just thinking about the timelines after Essun says that the Fulcrum was destroyed along with Yumenes and all that are left are the satellite Fulcrums. And before that with the "fusty blanket" line from Syenite. I kind of wonder if Essun could be Syenite's child with Alabaster. I'm so interested to see how it all comes together. (hide spoiler)]

[Teanka]

I was thinking the same already while reading the first section. Something to do with Yumenes being destroyed in the prologue and 1st chapter and still standing in the remaining parts. Actually I think that it's too easy to guess. (view spoiler)[ I'm also a bit disappointed because I'd have preferred 'real' 3 perspectives, not just 1 character in 3 time frames- knowing how her life ends ('future')makes me less keen on the 2 chapters set in the 'past' and 'present'. I hope I'm not right and that it's very interesting anyway. (hide spoiler)]

[Lori]

(view spoiler)[I pretty much guessed about 1/4 in - because there are 3 main female characters whose stories are separate, so how can they be linked? (hide spoiler)]

[Teanka]

Exactly, Lori!

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Haha. Well I hate spoilers, so I guess I'm avoiding everyone's comments in this section. Thanks for using tags. I really appreciate it.

Some books I can see what's coming pretty quick. The ones I can't are usually the books I enjoy the most. I didn't realize that Essun was in another time period until Essun referred to the Fulcrum in the past tense. I did wonder about the differences in reaction towards the orogene, but wrote it off as maybe differences in regions.

Now I'm wondering if all 3 are different timelines. It seems likely. I'd guess that Damaya's story is earlier than the 4 ringer's (whose name escapes me of course). Rereading the last section it seems some of you already noticed. I guess I'm just slow.

I'm wondering if the boy with Essun is a stone breaker or a guardian or maybe something else. So far we don't know much about either of those. I think his eyes are reminiscent of a guarians though.

This book just keeps getting better though.