Fallen Star Read-Through 2017

[Emily]

Hello! I'm back... Thank you Stargazer for hosting so many epic read-throughs. She has asked me to host one for the novella Fallen Star this month. It's really short, and I've fallen a little behind. So I will post my questions (comment points?) now, and you all can comment and answer whenever you have time over the coming week or two.

We have Beana's real name!!! But I'm still calling her Beana for the time being.

How hard is it to follow God straight into a terrifying and dangerous situation? Beana did ... with a bit of urging.

Rosie is so young and innocent! She doesn't know yet that people view her as ugly. Would it be better for her to remain oblivious and carefree or to see other people's disgust? How does ageing change a person?

Beana changed her plans and protected Rosie because she believed God told her to, though he didn't physically appear before her. How does this reflect our relationship with God? What about when we are already doing something we know He wants us to do, like Beana's previous duties?

Do you think the unicorn would have eventually taken Rosie to Vahe even though it violated his morals to harm an innocent girl?

Can you imagine (write out your imagining?) how Beana would have reacted when she saw what the potion did to her?

Best Wishes!
Emily

[deborah]

Yay! Welcome back, Emily!! <3 Hope you're doing well, m'dear! (Yes, thanks Stargazer too! :))

Hurrah for Fallen Star readthrough!! :D I just read it (it's super short... took me less than an hour to read!) and LOVED IT! ^_^

Thoughts below. :)

(Putting them in spoiler tags just cuz. XD I feel like it's more likely for people not to have read this one yet since it's new, sooo...)

(view spoiler)[
To answer the discussion points:

YES. Beana's name! I was so excited! :D I'm definitely calling her Beana forever, but still. XD I loooved how that came about, how it played in with both Rosie's pronunciation of their REAL goat Lilybean, and also with how she couldn't pronounce Bettina--I loved that and it was adorable. XD

It can be super hard to follow God in those situations. o.o I think it was very realistic and showed Beana's fear but also following trustingly. Loved the Wood Thrush and Beana's valor! :)

D'aww, yes, Rosie's so little and doesn't know yet! I think there are advantages to both ways of thinking. In the long run, she needed to know so that she'd keep her veils on, but it's so innocent and sweet that she doesn't know yet.

I thought Beana's change of plans and way of following what she was supposed to do was really interesting. It kind of did it more like OUR lives than in Goldstone Wood usually? Like, oftentimes the Prince will show or tell somebody either in songbird words or flying by or even in person. I was a little surprised due to that, how Beana just had to decide/realize what she was supposed to do, with Imraldera's help. More like our lives, like I said. So that was interesting. :)

I think the unicorn would have taken her to Vahe, without harming her himself, just as he appeared to do off-screen in Moonblood. I'm just so glad Beana showed up in time! :O

Aaahh, I so wanted to see how Beana would react at the end when she was about to turn into a goat!! WANT. Ahem. But I can imagine her being slightly surprised and then resigned and practical about it... maybe. But that line "A disguise? Well, hopefully it wouldn't be anything too terrible." made me laugh so hard. XD It does suggest that Beana might be slightly less than pleased when she finds out? BUT I'm so used to her as a goat, that it's hard to imagine her otherwise, sooo... yeah. Back when I read Veiled Rose, I assumed she must be a Faerie like Eanrin and co. who can change their shapes to an animal, so I still kind of wish that but at least now we know and it makes sense. :)

Some other thoughts:

On that note, I was surprised to find that they had a real goat before Beana! :O I wonder what might have happened to said goat when Beana took her place?? So many questions. :P

Speaking of questions, it seemed like there were soooo many teeny-tiny hints (not even hints, because that's like new information... more like teases about how there's more to the story) about Beana's backstory! Makes me want it even more. :D I also LOVED how it tied in with Moonblood, especially since I just read it. :) Beana and Oeric references, and the roses tying everything together (so neat and intriguing. o.o), and sweet adorable (ugly) little Rosie! And getting to see her and her "dad" was simply so sweet. :) :) :)

I also just loved being back in Goldstone Wood and seeing Beana traveling the paths (so intriguing! She was like a guard!) and popping over to the Haven! :O And seeing Imraldera!! So fun. :D I was surprised that Beana was younger and seemed to look up to her and had been a childe/squire there, but I guess it makes sense. And hints at Beana used-to-have-been mortal and just ALL THE THINGS. O_o

And how it tied in with Beana deciding to guard Rosie to keep her from straying back there, because she needed a guardian, and because she was supposed to be there, and how she's Oeric's niece and just YES. :D

Andandand my favorite part of ALL, the almost-end, when Rosie is so delighted to see Beana again and already loves her, and when Beana sees past the ugliness and loves her too, and they hug AND OH MY WORD MY HEART!! SO ADORABLE!!! :,D <3<3<3 Definitely my fave. So much sweet cuteness. ^______^ (Sweet ugliness? Sweet cuteness? Both? You know what I mean. XD)

I still need more about Beana someday. XD But this was lovely to see a little more! :)

I will stop now before my thoughts get as long as the story, but IT WAS BASICALLY GREAT AND I SO ENJOYED IT AND THAT CUTE ENDING EEE!! :D (hide spoiler)]

[E.F.]

Hmm...I think Deborah has pretty much captured all of my thoughts on this one, squealing included. ;) I'll add a thing or two, though.

When this story came out last year, I had already finished reading the main series for the first time, like, six months or more before. Even in that time, I didn't realize how much I missed Goldstone Wood until I read "Fallen Star". It was truly like coming home after a long time away, and I just...just...sniffle. I've been having similar feelings re-reading the series this year.

For things that could be slightly spoilery: (view spoiler)[ It surprised me as well that Beana ended up guarding Rosie despite not having direct instruction from the Prince. That's not what we're used to with Goldstone Wood, but it was nice in a way to see that yes, sometimes these characters aren't 100% sure either. Sometimes, they just have to do what they *think* God is telling them to do and trust that He'll work it all together for good, just like we do. It was surprising, but also refreshing and more relatable.

Also, Deborah, those of us who had read the entire series before Fallen Star came out already had gotten hints that Beana was mortal once upon a time, but I won't tell you what or where those hints were because you must read them for yourself! MUAHAHAHA! ;D However, I agree that we still need MORE of her backstory! We still don't know enough! Arg!

In conclusion, I also agree that the ending of the story was just PERFECTION and it was so sweet and cute and YES! (hide spoiler)]

[H.S.J.]

Yay!! Fun idea to read this after Moonblood!

[Stargazer]

I LOVED FALLEN STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!! So beautiful and cute and epic!!

Umm, like everything Deborah said? XD

I also thought it was very different that the Prince didn't in person tell her what to do. It made me realize that I kind of always sit and wait for huge flashing neon signs so to speak, instead of just doing what I think is right... This book had a lot of good things to say. :)

I also loved some quotes that I want to share but I'm not on the computer with the kindle so I can't... Maybe soon!

After Beana realized what she was, she probably said: BAH. XD

I'll try to come back with more things to say when I'm on the right computer. But I loved this so much!!

[H.S.J.]

BAH.

Love it, Stargazer.