The Light of All That Falls, Licanius 3

[Katrisa]

I am up to ch 23 (view spoiler)[ I am with you Janice in that I can't figure out what the end game is with Davian in that prison place.
I wonder who will replace Asha in the tributary? (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

Janice wrote: "Chapter 27 - [spoilers removed]"

Yes (view spoiler)[ That scene with Ishelle was pretty horrible! (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I am up to ch 29 (view spoiler)[ Davian and Caeden are together again. I had to laugh when they talking about making vessels and Davian was talking about blowing up and Caeden said - well we know you have all your limbs when I kill you. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Katrisa wrote: "I am up to ch 29 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ That was pretty funny. I really hope that he doesn't kill him, that somehow that can be changed. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Chapter 30-33

(view spoiler)[Another thing I really hope doesn't happen is Caeden killing all the augers. Sure a lot of killing in this series - they're all going to die. The Venerate, the augurs, Davian & Caeden.

I suspect the rest of the book is going to be war.

I was surprised that what's-his-face is still alive. I thought he was executed a long time ago. It's shocking that he's going to replace Asha in the tributary. (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I must say I am having a better time with this book today because I have just spent most of the day listening to it. Just listening on my commute it was kind of hard to get into the groove of the story.

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Prologue - I really needed this beginning to refresh my memory on the main aspects from the first 2 books. It also helped put things in the right order. (view spoiler)[ This helped clarify that it really was Dav and this happened in the past for Caeden. Seems Dav sacrificed himself to put all of this in motion. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 1 - (view spoiler)[ Torin's feelings about the oath stone make me love him even more. It seems things have been bad in the past year, yet they have somehow kept an amount of control. I’m a bit confused at how Torin is able to sneak off for this meeting. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 22 – (view spoiler)[ Raeleth’s speech was interesting. It made me think how people justify their actions by pointing out how much worse someone else’s action were. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Cherie wrote: "Chapters 5/6 - [spoilers removed]"

I wondered this too. (view spoiler)[ It seemed weird that someone would be able to enter the do'ken without Asha allowing it. Totally unsure how it works though. Also, what is happening during the shifts? (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Chapter 34 - 39

(view spoiler)[ Il Seth is "what's-his-face" who took Asha's place in the tributary.

I suspect the Niha and Raeleth are Davian's parents. There's the ring vessel for one thing. If so, did they name Davian after himself? They started their relationship in Zvaelar where the future Davian met them. The name thing is the never ending which came first - the chicken or the egg?

The big war has started and I wonder what's happened to Dezia, Aelric, even Karaliene? They seem to have disappeared from the story? Will they come back? (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Awesome, Janice. You haven’t given up.

I am almost caught up to where I was before I went back to reread.

Chapter 22. (view spoiler)[ Davian was just able to finally reach kan and shield them from the al’gorait. Yay!!! Aarkein Devaed is there? Why didn’t Davian recognize him? (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

I've given up trying to sort names which is why you'll see me call people "what's-her-face" or "what's-his-name". Seriously, I think his naming conventions are the worst thing about the books and causes the biggest confusion.

[Cherie]

Laura (Lclwags) wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Chapters 5/6 - [spoilers removed]"

I wondered this too. [spoilers removed]"

Re shifts (view spoiler)[I have not been able to really figure it out exactly, but I THINK the machine re-positions the body inside? As painful as the whole thing would be on-going, I would think this would be even worse and makes her wake-up. (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Janice wrote: "I've given up trying to sort names which is why you'll see me call people "what's-her-face" or "what's-his-name". Seriously, I think his naming conventions are the worst thing about the books and c..."

I have had the same problems with other books, when listening to the audiobooks only.

Seeing the text is the best way to go for all of the names in THIS trilogy. I am glad I bought the ebooks. I cannot say how many times I go to the glossary to refresh a name or term as I am reading.

[Katrisa]

Janice wrote: "Chapter 34 - 39 ..."

(view spoiler)[Good call! I didn't even think about that! Bit that totally seems like the kind of convoluted plot point that book would love lol! (hide spoiler)]

[Katrisa]

I am up to ch 45 now. (view spoiler)[ It is getting pretty intense! The goodbye scene with Wirr and Asha made me tear up.
It isodd to see Nethgalla working so well with others (Davian) I know she has her own motivations, but Davian couldn't have made his shape-shifty vessel without her (hide spoiler)]

[Esther]

Cherie wrote: "Laura (Lclwags) wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Chapters 5/6 - [spoilers removed]"

I wondered this too. [spoilers removed]"

Re shifts [spoilers removed]"

I was wondering the same and I like your theory. it makes sense.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "Seeing the text is the best way to go for all of the names in THIS trilogy. I am glad I bought the ebooks. I cannot say how many times I go to the glossary to refresh a name or term as I am reading.

I constantly refer back to the online glossary, but it's still annoying.

[Janice, Moderator]

Chapter 44

(view spoiler)[ Something seems off that Tal would escape Zvaeler alone. Nethgalla is rushing to join him, urging Davian to not go back with the vessels and rescue Niha and Raeleth. Why? It just seems to go against the arranged plans. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Ugh I'm so lost with all these characters! I went back and started over. Also, my notes are a mess. Does anyone have suggestions on how to take notes well?

Back up to Ch 11, again - (view spoiler)[ I still don't have answers, but I'm following the story a bit better.

Asha - She continues to be my favorite character. She's determined to learn and grow, so she can be an asset. She's smart enough to catch the importance in Davian's words from his visit to her. I hope they find a way to get her out of the Tributary.
Diara - How did she enter the Dok'en?! I'm glad she's a small connection between Dav and Asha, at least they know the other is still alive.
Wirr - How does he still not know anything about Aelric and Detzia?! Where are they and will they come back. I'm glad he has allies to help him and hope they really are allies!
Caeden - Wow that fall was pretty terrible. He really is determined to finish his plan if he's willing to suffer through something like that.
Davian - I still don't understand what happened in the arena. I thought listening again might reveal something. What was the hand signal? He met Nethgalla, but she doesn't know who he is and didn't help him escape yet. Will his vision still happen now that he's in Zvaelar? I'm a little worried he'll be too reckless since he thinks he's not fated to die yet. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Cherie wrote: "Janice wrote: "I've given up trying to sort names which is why you'll see me call people "what's-her-face" or "what's-his-name". Seriously, I think his naming conventions are the worst thing about ..."

I'm doing the audio and I think that was a bad idea. I'm so confused about basically all the characters that start with an S or a T, besides Taeris. The glossary helps, but I often have to pause, go look it up, resume.

[Janice, Moderator]

I may have put this link at the beginning of the discussion, but here it is again.

https://jamesislington.com/world.html

It's the glossary. Just be warned, if you are listening to the audiobook, names won't be spelled the way you think they should be spelled, and it can be a struggle finding them.

As for taking notes, I don't have any suggestions. Mine are so sloppy, I can't read them anyway. LOL!

[Cherie]

I just finished chapter 23.
(view spoiler)[ Even if Caeden warns Wirr, I don’t see how the Ilin Ilan army can defeat the Gil’shar and all the Bans who escaped from the boundary a year ago. I am worried about Asha. (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Chapter 24 done. (view spoiler)[ I don’t understand the Lyth’s point about not closing the rift. If it is closed and all the Venerate are killed, it seems like the barrier is still needed because Shammaeloth still needs to be contained. The remaining Augurs will not be able to use kan any longer. If Davian were to live, that would eventually kill him because he needs kan to draw essence to fill his internal reservoir. Without kan, the Augurs would not see any future events either, right? What do they get out of it? Can they still use the kan left behind, somehow? How can the barrier stay up? Someone still has to be in a Tributary, right? (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Well, I finished. Thank goodness.

(view spoiler)[ The ending was pretty awesome. I was correct in suspecting that Niha & Realeth were Davian's parents. It was a surprise that Caeden named him and was also the person who delivered him to Taeris.

I thought it was pretty ingenious that Caeden shapeshifted into Darien and that was the person the augurs saw killed by Arcane Devaid. But didn't a person have to be dead in order for someone to shapeshift into their body?

It did all boil down to the resulting guilt from Eli's murder and Tal's reaction to it. Too bad they hadn't had that conversation originally instead of thousands of years later when he was dying and time travelled to see her. It may have saved countless lives and grief.

There are a lot of unanswered questions and things that just don't make sense. Like did Wirr become king and marry Dezia? How was it Dezia and her brother joined that faction? What was the story behind the brother becoming this red superhuman soldier? Dezia did say it was a long story. I shudder to think it's to be a book on its own. How did Karaleine end up being killed? What led her to that end? What happened to Raeleth? Did he eventually die from having the Dark?

Stupid, twisty, story. I think he tried too hard to make it deep that he forgot to keep it simple. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Cherie wrote: "Chapter 24 done. [spoilers removed]"

Yes, all these same questions! It would seem Davian (view spoiler)[ would be the only one who would have reason to want the rift left open. It seemed it wasn't normal for Augurs to not be able to access essence without kan. Or am I misunderstanding this? I wonder if the Lyth have made some device or something that cannot function without kan. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Ch 12 – (view spoiler)[ I’m glad to see Wirr and Erran have come to a type of truce. It seems Wirr is a talented commander. I feel he would be a great leader, but so many prejudices keep people from supporting him. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 13 – (view spoiler)[ I think Asha is going to play a big part in whatever happens. Why else would the venerate try to bind her to prevent her fighting with Caeden outside the dok’en. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 14 – (view spoiler)[ I do not like Scyner! I’m glad he came to help Caeden, but his motivation is his own survival. (hide spoiler)]
CH 15 – 26 So much happens in this section. (view spoiler)[ Caeden and Asha come to a tense partnership and he reveals part of his plan. His plan was to die all along, but now he has bound himself to that. Is this how he will get Licanus again? He needs it to kill himself and the other Venerate.
Asha trusts him enough to share the location of Knowing. I’m confused by what he learned from Aelrith. Although their plan is clear. They want to destroy the source of the boundary’s power and bring it down.
Caeden was going to warn Wirr. What happened to delay him? Asha was brilliant and able to use Garadis to help her defeat Diara. (hide spoiler)]
Davian – (view spoiler)[ Caeden wanted him sent there, but why? He says he’ll be stronger, but there must be more to it. Is that really Aarkein Devaed and is he being tortured? Those are the screams they hear? Maybe Davian helps release him or something. I hope they find a way to heal Raeleth. I like him, a lot. He knew he could be free for turning in Dav and never considered it. Love that Davian took down Maresh and his team! Oh! I totally forgot that Dav didn’t realize Caeden was Malshash. Wait, Dav is stronger than Tal?! Interesting… (hide spoiler)]
Scyner and the sha’teth Ch 19, I think– (view spoiler)[ Ok so the last Augur is an unbound sha’teth. Unsure what that means for everyone. The sha’teth were told to get caught, but not why. Wirr now knows Devaed/Tal/Caeden are the same person. I’m glad Scyner told him rather than letting the sha’teth reveal that bit of history. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Janice wrote: "Chapter 27 - [spoilers removed]"

Yes, he seems like a very heartless being. I'm not a fan of him. (view spoiler)[ I hope he does not get to use that amulet and survive. Caeden seems to think Nethgalla's plan is for Caeden to use it, but that won't work now that he agreed to a binding. Maybe Davian, if they can change Dav's future without preventing Caeden's past? So complicated! (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Yes, Laura, I think we all agree - "SO COMPLICATED"!

Re Augars (view spoiler)[ Yes, I think they all need kan to access essence.
(hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Ch 27 - (view spoiler)[ Wait, why are the banes in Desriel? Aren’t they anti-essence or kan? Well, this is not good. Desriel is going to attach Illin Illan, now. Where is Caeden?! I assume this was happening while he was with Asha or Alaris. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 28 – 29 (view spoiler)[ Oh good, I’m anxious to follow Dav’s story! I’m not sure what all this info means, but maybe it will come into play later. It seems Tal did need Dav to help him escape. I hope he is able to save others too. Shuffling time lines hurts his head, haha, I can relate! (hide spoiler)]
Ch 30 – (view spoiler)[ Ok seriously, where is Caeden?!?! He could have helped them. I get that it was helpful to have Scyner, but I really do not like him. He just incinerated people with no hesitation. Poor Deldri! (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Finished chapter 25 (view spoiler)[It was too bad about what happened to Ched and Ana. (hide spoiler)]

Finished chapter 26 (view spoiler)[I enjoyed Davian taking out Maresh.
It was nice of Raeleth and Davian to have the chance to sit and remember Ched and Ana. In the tower: the people laying on the mats were having Essence pulled from them and fed into the metal tower. weird. The woman, Niha, seemed to know Davian? I did not realize that Davian did not know that Tal/Caeden had been Malshash. I didn't quite understand what Tal meant that Davian has "no source". Source of what? of Essence? Ah, the al'gorait are MADE in Zvlaelar. Not that that makes the rest makes any sense. No one else except Davian can access kan there. Davian is going to save them all??? (hide spoiler)]

Finished chapter 27: grrr - I did not want to go back to Wirr yet. (view spoiler)[ I am glad that Wirr stopped Scyner trying to make Ishelle give them answers. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Crap I keep confusing the name Alaris with Aelrith!

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura (Lclwags) wrote: "Crap I keep confusing the name Alaris with Aelrith!"

And a few others.

[Katrisa]

I got to chapter 48 today and it is getting really intense and bringing lots of threads together but I had to stop because of distractions. I think I will not be able to finish until I can find an uninterrupted block of time so I can finish in one more go.

[Cherie]

I just finished chapter 28. Wow! Just wow! I am not sure I can even take it all in, with everything that was revealed. (view spoiler)[ It seems a risk for Davian to bring Raeleth to the tower, especially since he is infected with Dark. I wonder, in what sense, that Tal knows of Raeleth? (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

CH 31 - (view spoiler)[ I bet the security breach was Caeden. Yep he’s finally here! He has the vessel to release Asha also. Things are not looking good for our friends! The Tol has been cut off from essence to bring down their security. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 32 – 33 (view spoiler)[ Wirr should have insisted the sha’teth be killed. They knew they were there for a reason. Well, we’re headed for a war, but hopefully our main characters will be back together again. Where the heck are Aelric and Dezia?! (hide spoiler)]
Ch 34 – (view spoiler)[ Tal and Dav have been working together for 4 months. That seems like a very long time to be in Zvaelar. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 35-42 (view spoiler)[ I thought things were coming together, then Caeden gets captured! Dav’s vision of fighting Gassandrid occurred, and he went back to see Asha, then kills Rethgar! I know Dav and Nethgalla must succeed in creating the shape shifter vessel, because Malshash has it, but I’m still stressed out for Dav! Will he be able to rescue the others or just Tal?! I wish there was a way for Niha and Raeleth to be freed and together, but hopefully they at least are freed. Niha has to be, right? That ring has to find it’s way to Asha somehow.
Asha is out of the tributary and still has immense power. She uses some of that power to restore the fields the shadows and their families are depending on for their survival, go Asha! I kind of thought it was fitting to use Illseth as the one taking her place in the Tributary.
Caeden/Tal/Devaed has really grown and changed through the story. To go from destroying thousands “for the greater good” to sparing the lives of soldiers trying to kill them, is impressive. He has had thousands of years to learn and grow, so maybe that’s why more humans don’t become better people during their lives. Not sure how he’s going to get out of his current situation.
Wirr/Torin is starting to earn respect and loyalty as people see who he really is and his strength as a leader. Will he be the new king or whatever for the people who survive this war? (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Janice wrote: "Chapter 34 - 39


That's a brilliant theory! (view spoiler)[It totally fits. That's why the ring is so important to Dav. He's probably able to touch kan in Zvaelar because he was conceived there! Does Tal know? How would Dav get from his parents to Taeris? Oh! Raeleth makes a comment that the description of Davian could apply to him also. Is this a hint?! (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura (Lclwags) wrote: "CH 31 - [spoilers removed]
Ch 32 – 33 [spoilers removed]
Ch 34 – [spoilers removed]
Ch 35-42 ..."

Interest thoughts in Ch 35-42 comments. (view spoiler)[I wasn't sure for a long time if Caeden had truly changed. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Ch 43 – (view spoiler)[ Hmm Caeden is back to killing, but he’s upset over the deaths of Scyner and Erran. I foresee this change being an issue for the current plan. How can he kill his friends to prevent the boundary failing? Will everyone have to sacrifice themselves or will they find another way? (hide spoiler)]
Ch 44 - (view spoiler)[ Well, it seems to be working so far. Dav can change into a dar’gaithin and still keep his mind. “How he fought mattered just as much as the result of the conflict.” Love it! (hide spoiler)]
Ch 45 – Ahh I think Janice is right! (view spoiler)[ Tal realized Niha is pregnant, so that’s why it wasn’t working, it couldn’t change her and the baby. He “killed” the baby. Is that why Dav doesn’t have a reserve? Maybe Niha realizes what happened and uses her essence to revive the baby. There has to be a reason Dav went to Taeris and not with Niha. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Ch 46 – (view spoiler)[ I don’t want Wirr to die. Who saved him?! Is Taeris still alive?! I hope it was Dezia with an army, because that would be awesome. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 47 – (view spoiler)[ I wish Shammaeloth was lying and Kara is alive, but I can’t see how. That would explain why she wasn’t in Illin Illan. Caeden doesn’t have a source anymore, so wouldn’t he be able to use an artificial reserve like Dav? (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Wow, Laura, you’ve blasted ahead. I had work today and I just can’t read that fast.

I just finished chapter 30 and 31.
(view spoiler)[ Wirr got everyone that he could into the Tol but lost his Uncle, the King. Caeden got there and created a gate for Wirr to go north and defend the Cyrarium from the Venerate. Now, the Tol has been cut off rom the flow of Essence and their defenses are down. What is Caeden going to do? Who is he going to get to take Asha’s place in the Tributary??? (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura (Lclwags) wrote: "Ch 45 – Ahh I think Janice is right! [spoilers removed]"

Well, I missed that. I don't recall (view spoiler)[Tal "killing" the baby or Niha reviving it with essence. Maybe that's half my problem, I was listening at too fast a speed. And that's another problem with audiobooks. I can't go back and re-read parts. (hide spoiler)]

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Cherie I listen to audio books most of the time because I read so slow. The last couple days I've been running a lot of reports, so I had time to listen while I worked.
Janice I was like that at first. I had to slow back to 1.2x and start over to actually follow the story.

[Janice, Moderator]

I was too impatient for the book to be finished that I didn't bother slowing the speed down, or going back. I went to the Amazon preview. Sometimes, there's a search function that allows you to see beyond the preview, but not in this case. I checked my library ebook offerings, and they don't have it. I'll just have to leave it be.

[Laura (Lclwags)]

Janice wrote: "Well, I finished. Thank goodness.

I think I can answer part of that, maybe. (view spoiler)[ Tal did technically kill Davian while Niha was pregnant. I think that's why no one even suggested the shape shifting option before. Caeden only realized it was possible when he met baby Davian and remembered he had the ring in his pocket. At least that's my assumption. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura (Lclwags) wrote: "Janice wrote: "Well, I finished. Thank goodness.

I think I can answer part of that, maybe. [spoilers removed]"

Well that answers that question. :) Thanks.

[Cherie]

I finished chapter 31 and 32.
(view spoiler)[ Can I say YAY Caeden? Even if he did just destroy Ilin Illan? He was so gentle with Ishelle when he was trying to help her! I didn’t quite get the references to the Mirrors. I wonder who he was going to go fetch and from where? (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

I am at chapter 38. I am brain dead. I’m going to bed. I made two book marks but I have no idea what they were now. I will comment on these last chapters tomorrow...

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm like a dog with a bone. I realized that audiobook was still uploaded to my iPhone, so I relistened to Chapter 45, and the epilogue. (view spoiler)[yes, he terminated the pregnancy so that the vessel would work and Niha would shapeshift. In doing so, Davian was without a source. It doesn't really explain how the pregnancy resumed. (hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Chapter 38 finished.
(view spoiler)[ A small thing, but I liked that Caeden complimented Asha on what she did to bring health back to the fields on the island.
(hide spoiler)]

[Cherie]

Boy, living through what was going to happen vs. not knowing what was going to happen until the time came could really give one a major headache, right? Reading about it does!
How did this author think all this stuff up??

In chapter 39. (view spoiler)[ Davian is back in Ilshan Gathdel Teth, about to face Grassandrid. (hide spoiler)]