Valor (March-April 2021) Buddy Read Discussion - Mina & Ravi

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Welcome to the Valor Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on March 28th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 03/28
March 28: Chapter 1-4
March 29: Chapter 5-9
March 30: Chapter 10-18
March 31: Chapter 19-24
April 01: Chapter 25-33
April 02: Chapter 34-43
April 03: Chapter 44-52

Week of 04/04
April 04: Chapter 53-61
April 05: Chapter 62-69
April 06: Chapter 70-80
April 07: Chapter 81-90
April 08: Chapter 91-97
April 09: Chapter 98-111
April 10: Chapter 112-120

PARTICIPANTS
~ Mina
~ Ravi

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

I started it on time and I read the chapters from the schedule, things are going good so far 😂😂

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ Poor Cywen figuring her family has left her. Also, since they killed a bunch of Ardan people how and why are the ones that did the killing, the traitors, just letting her walk around the place?? That doesn't make sense to me. Especially since Rafe knows, at least I assume he knows, that her father and Ban were trying to protect the king. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ :O ooooh. I'm intrigued about Akar. He told Veradis about who killed Romar. Also, I don't really remember Akar from book one, but wasn't there someone with whom a character tried/did some talking that was from the Jehar? is that him? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[ 😢😢 Kastell is really dead. I expected he somehow survived, but on the other hand as discovered in book 1 the author writes realistically not how the readers would like it more. (hide spoiler)]

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "I started it on time and I read the chapters from the schedule, things are going good so far 😂😂

Chapter 2 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 3 [spoilers removed]

Chapter 4 [spoilers removed]"

Just thinking, Cywen saying "my family left me" doesnt feel any fair considering how her dad was left dead and Brenin murdered. If anything, she has to realize that no one knows where she was and they had presumed dead. I dont think anyone has realized who she is except for Rafe but I am sure they are going to do something with her soon!

I dont remember Akar. Given the sheer number of characters that we dealt with in Malice, I cant blame anyone if they dont remember him! Akar didnt lie though, it was a giant swining his axe that killed them, but that giant was Alcyon.

I wanted Kastell to be alive, but the author somehow makes the whole thing realistic. Btw in chapter 6 (view spoiler)[I am quite surprised to see how deep the influence of Nalthair warband goes and how deep the politics run. Lothar killing Braster 😲 (hide spoiler)]

[Raviteja]

Chapter 8 has been very fun so far.

(view spoiler)[Evnis' position is quite complicated. As Owain pointed, he betrayed his king, so cannot be trusted. He has to rely on Nalthair's protection for which he has to be useful. And Rhin made use of the opportunity and took Navron.

Also, I dont think all the giants support Asroth? It looks like the Benothi are safeguarding the cauldron (hide spoiler)]

Also, I forgot to mention it before, Nemain's name came up in Rhin's prequel story once. She is the wife of Skald - the king of the giants (of Benothi clan probably?) before the events of Sundering.

[Raviteja]

Chapter 10:
(view spoiler)[Its smart from Meical to reach out to the ones in Drassil and to realize that Corban would need help. I still wonder if Meical knows of what happened to Brenin and Thannon (since he left 2 days before the events and has been travelling since?) I love the way it is said in the end. "If he cant come to us, then we will go to him" :D (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11:
(view spoiler)[Cywen is going to be stuck in a hell lot of politics. I wonder if she realized that she is going to be bait if they plan to lure Corban and rest of the company (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 13:
(view spoiler)[Is that Asroth whispering in Camlin's head, to walk away and leave everyone? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 15:
(view spoiler)[I think Veradis is now feeling the guilt of all that happened. The murder of Mandros and what happened to Kastell is wavering his thoughts? So Asroth whispers but he seems to have his thoughts too. Since he already kind of knows all that happened by the end of the chapter, I wounder how his loyalty goes as the story progresses. I dont think Calidus will hesitate to kill him, if it comes to that. (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

CH8:
Oh-oh.. Nathair wants to see Cywen 😬😬
I'm glad Rhin is invading stupid Owen

Reply: I think Nathair is going to use Evnis and then get rid of him like he did with Romar and the Gadrai. Also, I haven't really thought about the giants.. was it explicitly somewhere mentioned that they serve Asroth? 🤔 Maybe we think of them on the evil side because the humans we were following told us they are bad and they had wars with them.

CH11:
Reply: I kinda saw a bit of a spoiler-not spoiler while looking up the characters ages 😅 because why would I just read the book and find out things 🙈 But yeah, she's going to be in the middle of things.. I just hope she doesn't end up on the wrong side.
Oh, another thing. I mentioned in book 1 that somethings remind me of GoT.. Cywen makes me think of Aria.

CH12:
Did Vonn take the book? Or is there someone else.

CH13:
Reply: Maybe. I just thought he's indecisive but *shrugs*
Okay, so I went looking how it was written when Asroth spoke to Veradis, and it's told in a detached commaning way, and it's said "the voice in his head".. while with Cam you can see that he's thinking of himself in these thoughts "What am I doing here?" "Perhaps I should have stayed with Braith." If it was Asroth it would be "What are you doing here? you should be with Braith" or something like that.

CH15:
It would be nice if Veradis switched to the good side but.. probably won't happen.. or maybe it would but in the very end of the series when he sees Nathair as the evil or something.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

CH16: (view spoiler)[I'm intrigued.. who is the prisoner Evnis has in the dungeon.. it may be something or it may be nothing, but I don't think it would be just mentioned twice if it was nothing. (hide spoiler)]

CH18: (view spoiler)[ Well good, she's still thinking of them as enemy.
Well we didn't have to wait long to find out who was in the dungeon. Pendathran is something of the late queen of Ardan? (hide spoiler)]

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "CH8:
Oh-oh.. Nathair wants to see Cywen 😬😬
I'm glad Rhin is invading stupid Owen

Reply: I think Nathair is going to use Evnis and then get rid of him like he did with Romar and the Gadrai. Also, I..."

Chapter 8:
I believe that had always been Rhin's plan. She wants Owain and Brenin to fight and take down who ever has left. Had Brenin won, it would have been different but Owain doesnt stand a chance. Evnis even says so.
I believe the situation with Evnis is complicated. He is a servant of Asroth and knows a lot, so he might make it out alive in the end. Even Nalthair should not kill him so soon, but we will find out. Will Vonn kill him, as revenge?

Chapter 11:
Haven't read GoT, but I know Arya Stark. Both are warriors I suppose?

Chapter 13:
You may be right. The voice of Asroth is different from the way Camlin thought, but I felt both are on similar lines. Again, I think this is RAFO.

Chapter 15:
I am guessing Veradis in the end will die by Nalthair/Calidus hands when he starts to turn good? That is the kind of a predictable cinematic ending lol.

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "CH16: [spoilers removed]

CH18: Well good, she's still thinking of them as enemy.
Well we didn't have to wait long to find out who was in the dungeon. Pendathran is something of the late queen of..."

He is the brother of Queen Alona 😅
I guess you found the answer for your question in chapter 16 :D

[Raviteja]

Chapter 22:
(view spoiler)[I haven't paid much attention to some of the stuff and I see that I could have seen some things clearly if I did. The prophecy is present in the beginning of my book.

Before one, storm and shield shall stand,
before the other, True-Heart and Black-Heart.

Damn, this is staring straight into our faces for a while.. I wonder who true-heart and black-heart are. Could one of them be Rhin? Ok, there is another part of the prophecy that I am interested in.

Behind one, the Sons of the Mighty, the fair Ben-Elim, gathered ’neath the Great Tree.
Behind the other, the Unholy, dread Kadoshim who seek to cross the bridge,force the world to bended knee.

So if the prophecy is true to its word, and Nalthair is the black sun, then Calidus must be of Kadoshim, assuming that the Ben-Elim stand behind the Bright star. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 23:
(view spoiler)[ when Uthas saw a small band riding their way to Donheim, I thought it is Corban's at first, and I am glad that it isnt what I thought. (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

CH22:
Yes, to all. Didn't we discus this?
Although the "Before one, storm and shield shall stand" is something that Selina caught so I'm sure we haven't talked about that one.

And for Kadoshim.. I know I told you that I think, and am sure, Calidus is not the Ben-Elim. Every one thought he was because the Ben-Elim and Kadoshim are basically the same except to whom they serve. And look the passage under what it says. It fits to the prophecy.

Calidus looked at Nathair, the silence growing. Then he spoke. ‘The Seven Treasures are not of this world,’ he said. ‘They all are linked to the Otherworld, the cauldron most of all. It holds the power to bridge this world of flesh and the Otherworld.’
Veradis thought about that. The hairs on his arm goose-bumped. ‘For what purpose?’
‘To bring my kin across the veil. To bring the Ben-Elim to this world of flesh. With their help we will be invincible; we will crush the Dark Sun and establish Elyon’s kingdom forever.’

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "CH22:
Yes, to all. Didn't we discus this?
Although the "Before one, storm and shield shall stand" is something that Selina caught so I'm sure we haven't talked about that one.

And for Kadoshim.. ..."

Hmm, I thought Calidus was telling that since he was (pretending) to be a Ben-Elim (his kin = Ben-Elim) and didnt pay much attetnion. If not, then what you say is right. I guess we will have to wait a bit and find it out.

[Raviteja]

Chapter 55:
(view spoiler)[Now the whole thing makes sense. If Calidus is Kadoshim then Meical who is certainly acting as his opposite in every way, must be Ben-Elim. (hide spoiler)]

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Raviteja wrote: "Chapter 55:
[spoilers removed]"

I called it! I told you about me thinking Meical is the real Ben-Elim in the discord msgs.

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

CH56:
Well now the voice that Camlin hears does sound like an Asroth thing.
I forgot what chapter, but also I was listening to it while walking so.. The time when Craf and the raven met 😂 I loved that part.. I'm curious how things will play out since the raven is Nemain's spy.
I'm happy Camlin found a place, people, where he likes being.

CH57:
If we don't get an epic killing of Jael I'll be disappointed.

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "CH56:
Well now the voice that Camlin hears does sound like an Asroth thing.
I forgot what chapter, but also I was listening to it while walking so.. The time when Craf and the raven met 😂 I loved t..."

From the beginning, that voice felt like Asroth's to me. Even the voice Maquin is hearing now, feels that way!
I am happy for him too.

Jael would either get that or die simply in a surprising way. Lets see!

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "Raviteja wrote: "Chapter 55:
[spoilers removed]"

I called it! I told you about me thinking Meical is the real Ben-Elim in the discord msgs."

Yes, you did :D

[Raviteja]

Ok, I went back to Malice and looked at the scene where Calidus showed the Jehar that he is Ben-Elim (supposedly).

Suddenly Calidus changed. It was as if he had been wreathed in mist, for now his travel-stained clothes were replaced by a coat of gleaming mail, his eyes blazed amber, and things were growing from his back, wings, Veradis realized, great wings of white feather. They extended across the room, flexed, the wind of them staggering Veradis, spilling the jug of wine.

Now, when we see the scene in Asroth's palace, with Kadoshim, we see this.
Corban caught a flash of leathery wings, heard screeching and hissing.

I wonder how Calidus managed to have white wings with feathers. Is that an inconsistency or did he manage to make an illusion around how his wings looked?

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

🤔 interesting. The only thing that comes to mind is that maybe leathery wings are some low solders while Calidus is more high ranking so that's why he looks more like the Ben-Elim..

but now I'm confused 😂😅 Is Ben-Elim like the name for the one that will lead the seven disgraces 😂 or is it the name for a "race"

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

‘I will slay a nation of giants to get to the cauldron,’ he snarled.
‘There are more than giants in there.’
‘I have come too far. Nothing will keep me from my destiny now.’ Nathair snapped a command to his draig and the beast scuttled forwards.

I'm just ??? how can he think that this is okay, how can he think as a Bright star that he would do this?

Now that I finished the book.. I wonder did Nathair finally gather that he isn't on Elyon's side?

[Raviteja]

mina wrote: "‘I will slay a nation of giants to get to the cauldron,’ he snarled.
‘There are more than giants in there.’
‘I have come too far. Nothing will keep me from my destiny now.’ Nathair snapped a comman..."

No wonder he is Asroth's champion,
Oh, he definitely knows now, after what happened to Sumur and some of the Jehar. I believe he is currently shocked!