SP: Part Three: Chapters 13-19 (Here be spoilers!)

[Robyn]

The final third of Shattered Pillars, and a spoiler-full discussion of the entire book.

[Justine]

So I have finished the book, and I really, really liked it. Even more so than the first. This book has so much going on in terms of how the characters are developing. In particular, there are a lot of slowly changing and shifting loyalties. Some of those don't shift all the way, but they definitely don't stay exactly where they started.

I can't recall which section Samarkar received the wizard's armour, but that was one of my favourite parts. What a great solution to keeping her covered in a culture that requires that of women! The fight scene between her and the Rahazeen nameless on her way to meet with the Uthman Caliph I thought was really well done. She also really got to show her political skills as former once-Princess more in this book, which again brought her character more to life for me. You can see why Temur is able to grow as he does with the support of Samarkar, Hrahima, and Brother Hsuing around him.

We also see characters re-examining themselves quite a bit in this book: Edene, of course, who is battling the influence of the Green Ring; but also Sedaat, because of the role she has to play and the constant presence of her brother Sharuhz. And also, the Empress, who is starting to realize her part in the plague and the wrongness of the lengths she has gone to ensure her own status and power.

[Justine]

Also, I love this quote from Chapter 18:

“What was a book? Not just ink and fiber and stitchery: a series of processes. To a wizard, it was not a static object--but a human thought caught and bound, made concrete through sacred technology. Magic, then, and a deep form of it.”

It reminds me of the discussions Geder had with the high priest in The Dragon's Path because the priest kept saying that books were dead things with no meaning...Samakar is thinking just the opposite here.

[Lindsay]

I love the section in Chapter 14 that Temur describes as "the run through the burning dark".

Samarkar has an epiphany while shielding her party while they run through the flames protected by her magic. She seems to be doing some sort of chemistry, but she actually reverses the effects of the fire in the area around her.

Her party is shocked at the demonstration of power because she basically "unburns" the whole city and you get these lines from Hrahima the tiger-lady to her:

"Tcha, Monkey-Wizard, you have done the thing. Let it go."

... and a little later ...

"See what you have done, Monkey-Wizard," Hrahima said, gentle claws beneath her chin.

Wonderful writing.