HtW: Part II Devine and Defend

[Sky]

Please keep all discussion to the events and speculation from Part II

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 good read friends.

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

[Sky]

Wow...Abercrombie sure knows how to write a battle scene!

So far I am liking HtW much better than HaK. I am not sure what changed, perhaps the plot is just more interesting and less boilerplate?

I am getting a pretty big Broken Empire vibe here. Clearly the ruins of the elf cities and their technology are from modern times, and the breaking of God some kind of cataclysm/armageddon that set civilization back to archaic times. So far I have not scene any evidence of actual magic. Descriptions of the ruined elf cities bring to mind sky scrapers, concrete, rebar, and steel cables. The elf relic used by Skifir seems to be some sort of machine gun, we see Yarvi pick up the spent casings.

I am having a lot of fun with this one.

[Bill]

I immediately thought of Broken Empire as well with the elf ruins and the gun.

I think this book is much improved over HAK because it isn't as predictable. I felt like I saw everything coming in HAK. My only complaint is the Thorn/Brand budding romance just don't see why it needs to be there. I don't see how it adds anything to the story.

I was also kind of hoping that some more of the crew would get introduced kind of like how Sanderson did with bridge four where as the main characters and prime secondaries get more chummy others step forward to join in. Not something that is really necessary but would of got me more invested.

I like that we are getting to explore the world more and that it is a different setting than the first. Going to be interesting seeing what exactly Yarvi has for the empress.

[Christina]

Sky wrote: "Wow...Abercrombie sure knows how to write a battle scene!

So far I am liking HtW much better than HaK. I am not sure what changed, perhaps the plot is just more interesting and less boilerplate?
..."

I agree...that battle was incredible! And battle scenes are usually the most difficult for me to read. I don't know why I was slow to pick up on the guns at first. At the part where Skrifr was "shooting" at the Horse People...that's when it hit me what she was actually doing. Funny how this seems like black magic to them, but that's what indiginous peoples of the 19th and 20th century took modern weapons to be at first, too.

I hope Abercrombie goes into even further detail about the old elf kingdom and the technology they possessed. Maybe Yarvi and his crew will find a cache of weapons or other technology in the First Cities and use that to convince the empress to help them against the High King.

This is so much better than Half a King! I'm hoping I'm not too tired tonight and I can finish the third section.

[Christina]

Bill wrote: "I immediately thought of Broken Empire as well with the elf ruins and the gun.

I think this book is much improved over HAK because it isn't as predictable. I felt like I saw everything coming in H..."

I feel you with the Thorn/Brand romance but it's such a YA staple that I don't think even Abercrombie can escape that net :(

And I also with a few more POVs were added in. It just helps to make the characters more real and flesh out their motivations more.

So looking forward to part III!

[Sky]

Christina wrote: "Funny how this seems like black magic to them, but that's what indiginous peoples of the 19th and 20th century took modern weapons to be at first, too.

Yeah, I thought it was funny that she had to say the magic elf incantations before firing the gun - you are right, that is probably exactly what an indigenous person would do if they stumbled on a piece of modern technology!

[Alexa]

Descriptions of the ruined elf cities bring to mind sky scrapers, concrete, rebar, and steel cables. The elf relic used by Skifir seems to be some sort of machine gun, we see Yarvi pick up the spent casings.

This is really interesting. I don't know why I didn't connect it to a gun, but now that I went and re-read indeed it sounds exactly like one. I wonder what the other "relics" are then.

I'm not much of a fan of Thorn, mostly because I dislike empty bravado, but I'm sure Abercrombie will do some of his excellent character development and have me loving her by the end of the book. I'm not quite sure about the romance so far, hopefully it'll be a bit like Ninefingers/Ferro in First Law. :)

[Richard]

Really enjoyed this part. Seems like the pace was picking up, without it running. Was nice to have a battle scene - and to see Thorn and Brand react differently.
The training was fun to read, but the time scale seems to have been a little condensed (i know it was over a long period of time, but i didn't feel that with this section).
Not a single character is grating on me at all - which is great.

As for the romance bit - i like it. Wouldn't surprise me if Abercrombie is building it up to turn it on its head in a later section.

Better get reading.

[Amak888]

I really liked that Thorn pukes at the end of the first skirmish. She's a great fighter, but still human, so that's a perfectly human reaction.

[Christina]

Amak888 wrote: "I really liked that Thorn pukes at the end of the first skirmish. She's a great fighter, but still human, so that's a perfectly human reaction."

And that she's always blowing snot out of one side of her nose. It always leaves me a little queazy when she does that, but it sure does make her memorable!

[Christina]

Richard wrote: "Really enjoyed this part. Seems like the pace was picking up, without it running. Was nice to have a battle scene - and to see Thorn and Brand react differently.
The training was fun to read, but t..."

The romance was done really well I thought. There wasn't the insta love that always seems to pop up in YA. And I really liked that after they slept together, Brand had these doubts about being with her. They had always had such a rocky friendship up to that point so it would only continue to be that way even more when they got together. I forgot the exact line, but it was something Brand said about how he thought it was work getting to the point of becoming a couple but he was not realizing that the work was actually just beginning. So true!

[Scott]

Abercrombie's trademark kick ass battle scenes! Man he's good at that. And doesn't glorify war, keeps it hard and dirty and filled with consequences just like I would imagine it really is.

Was good to see Thorn have some reaction to killing her first people. The tough act can only take you so far.

Brand continues to shine. Love that he's the type of guy who wants to do good and actually does it. Saving Koll from the ship was kick ass.

I'm on the side of liking the love interest between them. Doesn't feel forced and it seems to be coming on organically. Although I don't remember it being confirmed in this section or seeing a love scene.

First thing I thought of when Skifr used the elf technology was broken empire as well. Haven't finished that series but there are definitely some similarities.

[Scott]

Forgot to mention in my post that while I'm liking Thorn and Brand as POVs I do kind of miss Yarvi as one, especially as he's a little older and wiser and in a position of power in this one. But I guess since it's a YA he wanted to keep the youngsters as the main ones

[Suzanne]

I immediately thought of modern cities as they went through the first huge elf city - then thought 'nah we aren't elves'. So its an interesting turn and I want to know more! They mentioned a sign with writing and I pictured like a freeway sign or something.

I've liked the training - but I seem to usually enjoy training sequences. It was nice to see some results, as Thorn sparred with some of the crew.

This installment has me much more interested in the world than the first book did.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

I haven't read Broken Empire to compare this too. I do like the elf ruins concept though and I hope we get more worldbuilding along those lines.

I do like this a lot better than the first book. I'd say it's that Thorn and Brand are more interesting than Yarvi, but I like Yarvi a lot more in this book too.

I'm indifferent on the romance angle. I don't care if it's there or not really.

I somehow missed she was using a device to attack the horse people. I thought she was doing it herself.

So if she was using a gun, why did she 'have' to sacrifice the one guy?

Now I'm tempted to go back and reread. I'm never a careful enough reader as I should be.

Huzzah for group discussions!

[Sky]

:)

I think the point is that all the incantations are such were meaningless...she just pulled the trigger. I am not sure if it is in this thread or another, but someone commented imagine dropping some high tech piece of equipment into a shamanistic/aboriginal culture...They'd probably attach a lot of mysticism and ritual around it.

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

OK, but I still don't see why she felt like she had to sacrifice anyone..I get the whole technology/magic thing..but not that part of it.

Then again superstitions have caused people to do all manner of stupid things..

[Suzanne]

Well...or maybe it isn't exactly a gun. Hopefully as the series progresses we'll know for sure.

[Sky]

Rob wrote: "OK, but I still don't see why she felt like she had to sacrifice anyone..I get the whole technology/magic thing..but not that part of it.

You mean you've never waved a dead chicken over your keyboard in the hopes that a particularly nasty computer bug will go away?

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

Nope. Chickens don't work. You need to sacrifice a goat, but only with a silver knife.

[Sky]

Rob wrote: "Nope. Chickens don't work. You need to sacrifice a goat, but only with a silver knife."

That explains it!!!!

[Sky]

Rob wrote: "I haven't read Broken Empire to compare this too. I do like the elf ruins concept though and I hope we get more worldbuilding along those lines."

I forgot to add...What, you haven't read Broken Empire Trilogy? Get on that, Sir!

[Rob, Mayor of Ghost Town]

I own the first one in audio. Not in the mood for grim dark though. Maybe not for a long time.

[Sky]

Granted I haven't read a lot of grim dark, but it is pretty much the grimmest of all grim dark I have read. The prose is beautiful though and gets better with each book.