Foundryside (October 2024) Buddy Read Discussion - Dia & Ela

[mina, Group/Buddy Reads Procrastinator]

Welcome to the Foundryside Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on October 3rd 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 10/3
3rd: Ch 1-3
4th: Ch 4-6
5th: Ch 7-9
6th: Ch 10-12

Week of 10/7
7th: Ch 13-15
8th: Ch 16-18
9th: Ch 19-21
10th: Ch 22-24
11th: Ch 25-27
12th: Ch 28-30
13th: Ch 31-33

Week of 10/14
14th: Ch 34-36
15th: Ch 37-39
16th: Ch 40-End


PARTICIPANTS
~ Dia
~ Ela

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 1 - 3

I’ve never read anything like this before.

(view spoiler)[ Sancia’s abilities are interesting and the idea of the scrivings is fascinating. I like the details and examples given for both (the carriage wheels, Sancia changing clothes and eating meat).

Her abilities come from scriving but how did she end up in that position? It mentioned something about her being familiar with plantations so could she have been sold from there to a merchant house for experimentation? Are there people looking for her?

I don’t think I’ve encountered sentient objects in books before. Clef the key seems interesting and I’m assuming he’s an Occidental hierophant, which I don’t think I understand yet. I don’t think she’s going to finish the job but then what will she do?
(hide spoiler)]

[Dia]

End of 3

Clef's "voice" caught me off-guard, his choice of words just didn't seem fitting for the world I've build in my head hahha

I also find the magic interesting. Sancia's thievery reminds me of a few other books where the FMC were in similar positions. I agree, I don't think she'll be able to finish this job, especially since she can hear the key.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

I definitely agree. I wasn’t expecting how casual he was either, especially compared to the serious tone of the story.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 4 - 6

(view spoiler)[ There was a bit more background about the key and scriving, which was interesting.

Giovanni and Claudia seem fine, but I'm not sure about Sancia's plan to tell Sark. Will he just agree when there's so much money on the line?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 7 - 9

(view spoiler)[ I like Gregor's character, so it's a shame that he seems to be on the opposite side compared to Sancia. I think it would be fun seeing them try to work together.

Could Clef have been a person? Like an advanced version of what was done to Sancia?

Sancia's ability seems to be very limited. She uses it three or four times and has headaches and is unable to continue.

Is the thing that was used to turn off the scrivings another hierophant, like Clef?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 10 - 12

(view spoiler)[ I thought for a second that maybe Gregor also had an implant because he was getting a headache as he got closer to the lexicon, but that turned out to be a normal reaction.

What are Orso and Berenice trying to do with the key? They brought it over so who was trying to steal it? Also, why did Orso say that he's been robbed again? What did he try to get in the past?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 13 - 15

(view spoiler)[ I really like Sancia, Gregor, Berenice and Orso as a group. It would be fun if they were working together on something - probably finding Sancia's client. What's Berenice's background? How did she come to work for Orso? I look forward to them getting to know each other's stories.

Clef might have been a person! I'm sure now that he's a very advanced version of what was done to Sancia.

I'm really curious about who the client is and how they know and can do so much. Could it be one of the people who were supposed to die hundreds/thousands of years ago?
(hide spoiler)]

[Dia]

Ch 4 - at this point, it was still really hard for me to accept Clef's modern language, especially when he was supposedly locked away for thousands of years alone?? the key has eyes to look around the
apartment?

oh wow ok a key that opens anything, that is really valuable

Ch 5/6 - it's pretty cool what Clef can do and I guess we're learning more about the houses along with him, I agree the background on scriving is interesting. I'm really surprised no one tried to steal Clef from her especially in the workshop, assuming people would be eavesdropping.

Ch 7 - Gregor seems like he's trying to do the right thing but I don't want him to catch our girl too soon. like you said it would be fun to see them working together.

Ch 8 - ok these guys make Gregor look like a saint.

[Dia]

Ch 10 - I like that we are learning a bit more of Gregor's backstory too. I bet he and Sancia have some kind of history from their childhood!! But Gregor is too straight of a person, I hope we see him let loose and bend the rules a little.

There is a lot of information in this chapter about the Lexicons, it almost feels like too much info dumping.

oooh so it was stolen from Orso, now which other house had this knowledge and arranged the heist I wonder OH so the key is not the first thing stolen from him. I thought it was the same box Ofelia was talking about to Gregor that got lost at sea. @Ela I wonder if the thing he lost was the thing that turned off all scrivings the night they were chasing Sancia.

[Dia]

Ch 11 - oh here we go. we finally get Sancia's backstory. wow that must have been horrifying but the fact that she survived it, when other salves were taken away in a wagon. if people were experimenting on the poor, I wonder how many more like Sancia there are out there

Ch 12 - damn these people are persistent, I wonder if they're the house with the mountain that's been having problems and commissioned new sachets. and finally we see Gregor cooperating with Sancia. oh wow, a man being pulled apart while his body is still floating was not in my cards when I started reading this lol

Ch 13 - oh wow that was really exciting

[Dia]

ok i'm still a few chapters behind and honestly in the beginning when Sancia was carrying the heist, I found the book boring but I'm glad we're doing a BR which made me read on. I've been reading the whole day today and jotting down my thoughts in my notebook, and it has been incredibly exciting and I can't put the book down

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Dia wrote: "Ch 4 - at this point, it was still really hard for me to accept Clef's modern language, especially when he was supposedly locked away for thousands of years alone?? the key has eyes to look around ..."

Yeah, I was kind of waiting for a sudden attack to steal Clef so that they could learn more about him in the workshop. Now I'm curious to see if Claudia and Giovanni will betray Sancia to the mysterious client.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Dia wrote: "Ch 10 - I like that we are learning a bit more of Gregor's backstory too. I bet he and Sancia have some kind of history from their childhood!! But Gregor is too straight of a person, I hope we see ..."

Yes! That would make sense, especially since they found out how useful that was so they knew to keep a closer eye on Orso and that's how they knew that he was importing something powerful again.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Dia wrote: "Ch 11 - oh here we go. we finally get Sancia's backstory. wow that must have been horrifying but the fact that she survived it, when other salves were taken away in a wagon. if people were experime..."

That's a good point. Also, why did Sancia survive? Was it pure luck, improved technique, or something different about her?

Maybe it is the house with the mountains. Is the head of the house crazy and still locked in the tower or dead? If he's alive, could he have gone crazy from the power emitted by the advanced tools?

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Dia wrote: "ok i'm still a few chapters behind and honestly in the beginning when Sancia was carrying the heist, I found the book boring but I'm glad we're doing a BR which made me read on. I've been reading t..."

Same! The idea of the world seemed interesting, but the events were kind of dragging. I think it might have been because there wasn't a clear plot and it was just Sancia trying to survive the next few hours.

[Dia]

@Ela omg you're right! Clef might have been a person. and I'm also curious about the Client, I'm starting to wonder if they somehow awoken the people who invented scriving as you said. also if Clef is breaking apart, I wonder what will happen to him.

oh wow I didn't think about that, you could be right that if it is the house with the mountains, the head of the house went crazy because of the tools.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

I’m really hoping that that’s not the case and that Clef will somehow survive, but knowing fantasy books, he’s going to die. Maybe the key will physically break, or Clef’s voice will no longer be there and the key wont open things anymore. This probably won’t happen but when the key stops working/breaks, could Clef the person be expelled from the object?

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 16 - 18

(view spoiler)[ Orso’s history with the Candianos is personal too and not just professional like I thought.

Sancia is able to hear what Clef does as well as his thoughts so that’s what could have happened to make the head of the Candiano crazy, especially if he has more than one object.

I wasn’t expecting Sancia to share her story so soon and I’m curious to see if Orso and Berenice will be able to find out more about what was done to her. Could the client be the Candianos, and also be the ones responsible for Sancia’s scrivings?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 19 - 21

(view spoiler)[ I don't think I understand the difference between the words being used for the things from ancient times - imperiats, hierophants.

Is the man Sancia saw while the lexicon spiked the person who trapped Clef in the key? Is it the god-like being Orso was talking about? I'm curious to learn how that works.

How has Tomas Ziani managed to steal so many artefacts? How did he know when others were transporting them?

So this is what the book has been building up to. Getting into the Mountain and finding the artefacts. Is it just going to be Sancia doing all the work? I know that the others (except Gregor) will do something with scrivings to help her, but she's going to be risking everything by trying to get in and any of the guards could catch/kill her at any moment.
(hide spoiler)]

[Dia]

16 - I did not expect Orso to once come from the house of Candiano, the same house having problems and that he might have had a thing with the founder's daughter.

17 - wow poor Sancia. Yes, I didn't expect her to be so forthcoming with it either. I'm surprised Orso is being slightly nicer about it after accusing her of lying to them

yes, if that's a side effect of using these items, that could have been what happened especially now that we've found out he was collecting them.

18 - I'm wondering which house will come and take the rig. oooh I'm loving this partnership between Berenice and Sancia. OH could Sancia be interest in Berenice hmmm. I wonder if the Candiano bankruptcy and fall from grace is making them desperate enough to do whatever they're doing.

[Dia]

@Ela the terms are confusing for me too but I think imperiats are tools/things whereas hierophants were the people?

19 - I really thought Sancia might have gotten caught. I guess it is getting worse if the connection between her and Clef is getting stronger.

@Ela I suspect that the head of Candiano had collected a lot of the imperiats and when Ziani bailed them out, it was for more than the daughter's hand in marriage, but also to have control and oversee a lot of the things. So he probably stole a lot of the artifacts from Candiano and then he was also stealing any other he heard of through the listening device he probably planted in all the houses.

20/21 - I didn't think we'd see Claudia and Giovanni again but they're perfect for the job. ooh now I'm curious about what happened to Gregor in that siege. I'm glad Gregor has the decency to feel guilty about Sancia having to risk it all for her freedom.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Ohhh, okay that makes sense. Thanks!

Yeah, I thought she might get caught too and have to try to break out using her power and Clef.

Of course! I completely forgot about the listening devices but you’re definitely right about Ziani listening in to the other houses.

I was thinking the same thing and hopefully after we find out what made Gregor so rigid about justice, he will be less insistent on Sancia going before the council/houses.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 22 - 24

(view spoiler)[ Orso's scene with Estelle makes me hope that things will work out for them.

I wasn't expecting Gregor's family to be responsible for the scriving experimentations on humans. Will he tell Sancia?

Gregor's mother let it slip that they didn't need the plantation anymore - was it because of the armour or because they know how to scrive people now? Also, is she just being in denial when she said that she knows that Gregor will always survive? Or could it be that he's scrived somehow to survive?

I did think things were happening very quickly and I wasn't expecting the plan to be executed so soon. Is Sancia going to be convinced to follow through with the plan? Will the plan be changed?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 25 - 27

(view spoiler)[ I wasn’t expecting Sancia to reveal Clef. I mean I knew eventually it had to come out, but I wasn’t expecting her to just go into the room with all of them and show him.

Everything has gone terribly wrong. I guess it makes sense if this is supposed to be a trilogy.

I did think Orso was being a bit too trusting of Estelle, but I’m really hoping she’s not going to give the key to Ziani. When are the others going to notice that something’s gone wrong?

Is Gregor somehow going to survive once again?

What are they going to do with Sancia? Maybe she’ll be the sacrifice and an attempt will be made to turn her into an object (like Clef). I really hope that Sancia eventually gets Clef back because I liked him and no one else can speak to him.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 28 - 30

(view spoiler)[ What is happening??

Gregor has to have some sort of tracker on him which also allows him to survive anything. What’s the role of the moths?

What is Valeria? Will she fill Sancia’s body like Clef filled the key? Or is she actually going to do what she said she would?

I have no guesses on how the book is going to proceed.
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 31 - 33

(view spoiler)[ That's fascinating - hearing Sancia try to argue with the scrivings. If she's like Clef now, does that mean that eventually she's going to corrode too?

I want to see how Gregor is going to survive. After Sancia turned out to be a successfully scrived human, did Ofelia experiment on her son? But the transfer of information would have had to have happened before Sancia burned the whole plantation down.

I'm really curious what it means by Valeria being an editor and if she's going to come up again. Would Clef know more about her?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 34 - 36

(view spoiler)[ So is Gregor not going to be able to think for himself now? Ever?

Who is the moth man? Ofelia said that there’s a devil in the box, which I’m assuming the moth man told her, so could he also be whatever is in the box (hierphant?), and not want competition in the world?

Will Estelle have a chance to open the box? And let the devil out?
(hide spoiler)]

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 37 - 39

(view spoiler)[ Gregor might survive and be able to think for himself.

Orso's casualness of the omission of the ex/implosion was funny.

What's going to happen now? Sancia's not going to be able to do anything since as a whole she's basically a scriving (I think). Maybe Gregor will still be able to do something?

Can Clef refuse to open the box? Or will it work regardless of his opinions?
(hide spoiler)]

I think I'm just going to continue and finish the book to find out what's going to happen.

[Ela (Mouse333)]

Chapters 40 - 43 (End)

(view spoiler)[ Valeria warned Sancia of an old monster - the moth man?

I think Orso is a funny character, especially towards the end.

Will it ever be certain that Gregor doesn't have a hidden command that will make him forget everything again?

I'm really hoping they can get Clef/Claviedes back.

Ofelia is like Sancia?! Definitely wasn't expecting that! So, how did the experiments start?

Is this prophet a Maker? Like Valeria (she said that she stopped Estelle because there shouldn't be another Maker)? He communicates like Clef, but so far it's just been a figure of a man made out of moths. No object or person. Could he have filled moths with his presence? Like Clef filled the key?

While I'm fascinated by the world and scrivings, and I like the group that's formed in this book, I'm not sure about the mention of war in the next books. But I think I might continue with the series.
(hide spoiler)]

Thanks for the buddy read! I'm not sure that I would have gotten round to this book otherwise.