TPoF: Part 1: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

[Sky]

Please keep all discussion and speculation to the events of Chapter 1-9

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 friends.

Please do not discuss events from later chapters/books.

[Sky]

Fun start.

The dead city is really creepy.

Kaden has made a tremendous amount of progress since coming under Tan's tutelage. It seems like just a few weeks back he and Akiil were goofing off on the roof.

Valyn I am still not sure about. He's changed with the slurm egg, but doesn't yet have the bearing his brother does.

Tan seems like more of a dick in this book. I liked him better in the last. Hopefully that will change.

Something interesting is up with Triste. I wonder if she is actually a Nevariim - certainly her knowledge, bearing, and grace under pressure is more than we should expect of her upbringing.

I was wondering who had killed the boatload of Aedolian's sent to rescue Valyn at the start of the book. It didnt seem plausible that it was Yule. Skullsworn makes more sense.

Not sure what Adare's plan is - so it seems the Intarran priest was actually innocent, their army now disbanded, and she plans to go recruit them against Il Tornaj? Doesn't seem like the best plan in the world, given she's never left the palace alone in her life.

Fun stuff though, waiting for the action to kick in!

[Bill]

Agreed the dead city is creepy. Like how the last chapter showed how easy it was for the Csestriim to invade and destroy the humans. In the first book they talked about how dangerous they were but this gives you a better idea of how they were dangerous.

I am really disappointed by Adare's section so far could really do without the hopeless princess. Kaden and Valyn have kind of grown into their training and realized how to utilize their abilities as well as those of the people in their group but Adare just becomes completely useless as soon as she is outside the castle. She was the minister of finance for the entire empire and puzzled out what the priest was and how to bring him down but can't manage to outsmart or figure out the intentions of two low life thiefs. Know it is a completely different world then she is used to but i'm sure she has dealt with smarter people trying to trick her before.

Remember the Nevariim being mentioned in book 1 but what was their deal again? They were something of a myth and existed before humans right? Can't remember what set them apart from the humans and Csestriim.

[Sky]

Yeah, I am not sure what the deal with the Nevariim is yet. If you check the back of the book on races/old gods/young gods they are just listed as a (possibly mythical) race of very beautiful people.

[Bill]

Ok thanks.

[Suzanne]

Yay he answered my last books' question about "Why not just send the kettrals?" early in this section. That makes me happier.

I JUST read the past book, so I'm noticing the recaps, but they aren't too bad (and necessary reminders usually). Simon Vance does Tan's voice kind of like the Karate Kid mentor, which has distracted me a bit, but either I'll get used to it or Tan will die (not a spoiler in case that really happens - I have no idea about upcoming plot).

I'm not so sure about Adare's escape from the palace. I hope we find out later if she really could have trusted her two guards. Those eyes would definitely make it hard to remain anonymous.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Personally I found the start very slow. A lot of moving pieces around, and very little plot progression.

The dead city does seem interesting though, and I'm wondering the deal with Triste as well.

Adare's story is annoying me. In the first book she seemed smart, but he plan is so awful, I don't get how it's feesible she'd try it. I get that she's desperate, but I'd think she could do more from inside the city than out.

[Suzanne]

I agree - Adare's plan is so dumb.

[Laurel]

Yeah she's panicking. I found the beginning kind of slow as well but I'm still interested to see where it's going - still finding the Csestrim and the guys who fought them the most interesting bit so hopefully we will get some more revelations about that.

[Suzanne]

Yeah I agree - many of the side characters are interesting - and I want to know more about past events too!

I especially had a hard time with Adare's escape and its relation to her bodyguards. *I* felt like since she'd known them since childhood, that she should have maybe trusted them, or at least come up with some test for their loyalty instead of just trying to ditch them. Given how basically ignorant she was about life outside the palace, a little help would be a good thing. But yeah - I guess she is freaked out, since she's been sleeping with the enemy.

[Daniel]

I'm finding that they mystery of what is going on with Triste to be a big driver for me.

From the little we know of the Nevariim, they were exceptionally beautiful. Triste is exceptionally beautiful. Possible link between Triste and the Nevariim.

From the little we know of the Nevariim, they were at war with the Cestriim. We know that the young gods aided humanity in their war with the Cestriim. Possible link between the Nevariim and the young gods.

From the little we know of the young gods, they are said to be the children of Ciena (pleasure) and Meshkent (pain). Triste is goddessborn to a liena (priestess of Ciena), and she has demonstrated a tendency of showing her 'other-ness' when undergoing great pain. Possible link between Triste and the young gods. Also wondering if her father is connected to Meshkent in some way.

All of these links are obvious in hindsight. But any one of them could be a red herring.

There's definitely something fishy going on. Really looking forward to finally finding out what's up with Triste. :D

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Wow, your post shows me just how much I've forgotten in a year. I should go through these discussion threads to remind myself what happened before there new book.

I don't even remember Triste or if we find out more about them later. Lol.

[Sky]

Rob wrote: "Wow, your post shows me just how much I've forgotten in a year. I should go through these discussion threads to remind myself what happened before there new book.

I don't even remember Triste or i..."

Hah i was just about to say the same thing :)

[Daniel]

Rob wrote: "I don't even remember Triste or if we find out more about them later. Lol."

I'm slightly more than half-way through TPoF now. I'm not expecting to find answers to these questions in TPoF.

To be honest, based on the sadism of your typical fantasy author, I think we'll be lucky to even get answers to these questions in The Last Mortal Bond. :)