Hello everyone and welcome to the second discussion of If We Were Villains! I was happy to nominate this book and be your read-runner today! I look forward to hearing what everyone thought of the start of this book and the characters, and now to the summary.

ACT II

Prologue: Oliver leaves prison. Filippa picks him up, and is the only one who has visited him. They meet up with Colborne at Dellecher.

Scene 1: They're doing Caesar as a presidential race, so everyone gets "campaign photos" for the posters. Richard and Meredith aren't doing well as a couple, even if everyone is trying to ignore the Halloween "Incident" and act like everything is fine (everything was not fine), and Wren and James look like they might catch feelings.

Scene 2: Dress rehearsal takes forever and so everyone is exhausted and heads to bed. James shows Oliver bruises from when Richard grabs him onstage. James doesn't want anyone to know, so that it doesn't give Richard the satisfaction of hurting him.

Scene 3: During the next dress rehearsal, Richard improvises some rough blocking with Meredith and pushes her down the stage stairs, cutting her arm. (Oliver didn't like that)

Scene 4: Meredith finds Oliver in the Dressing rooms after everyone has left. She wants to be distracted, and Oliver doesn't go for it.

Scene 5: James and Oliver go for a run and discuss the Meredith situation, (she tried to get with James too in first year), and James is hiding something, but not sharing. They see the poster for Caesar with a giant Richard on it.

Scene 6: Opening Night. Richard does the assassination scene as rough as expected hitting both Oliver and Alexander in addition to James. They decide that if he want's a fight he'll get a fight.

Scene 7: Friday's performance: the assassination scene is much more violent, confusing the other actors on stage and leaving Richard more angry. (Who could have seen this coming?)

Scene 8: Cast Party. Oliver talks with Wren about Richard becoming more mean and reckless. She tells Oliver that Meredith and Richard are on a break. Richard comes down to the party angry and looking for a fight, and takes one on with Meredith who backhands him. Bedlam part 2 ensues, and after Meredith leaves, Oliver goes to check on her and gives in to the Meredith distraction. Richard tries to beat down the door to Meredith's bedroom, but they don't let him distract them.

Scene 9: Oliver wakes up in the night and sees Meredith's older bruises, presumably from Richard. He runs into James in the bathroom and they have a tense conversation where Oliver says Meredith isn't a one night stand.

Scene 10: Filippa wakes Oliver and Meredith and tells them to come down to the dock by the lake. The others are there and when they look out into the water, they see Richard's body floating, face bloody and beaten in. While it looks like he's dead, he groans and reaches out to them.

Act III

Prologue: Colborne and Oliver walk down to the lake and sit in the sand. Oliver reminisces a little about Meredith; he hasn't seen anyone since Filippa since he's been in prison. Colborne admits that Meredith went to see him during a party the week they arrested Oliver, since she thought no one would miss her then. Oliver does remember that party (foreshadowing!)

Scene 1: James moves to get to Richard in the lake but Alexander tells Oliver to stop him. The six of them discuss and decide to not do anything, and let Richard die. Then they try to come up with a vague alibi for each of them; what they have to admit to, and what no one else knows. Oliver volunteers (so Meredith doesn't have to) to see if Richard is dead in the water.

Scene 2: Oliver is the second to last to give his statement (last is Filippa). The rough outline of the night is the same, but they decided that James would vouch for Oliver, saying he spent the night there instead of with Meredith.

Scene 3: They're secluded away from the lake, the castle, and the other students. They start to bicker with each other, but eventually chalk it up to the long day, and split into the bedrooms, Wren with Filippa, Alexander on his own, Meredith on her own, and James and Oliver on the couches. Except that Meredith calls Oliver into her room partway through the night.

Scene 4: Everything is canceled until after Thanksgiving. They all pack to leave and get ready for Richard's memorial service. Oliver, Alexander, and Filippa usually stay on campus during Thanksgiving, but the school is closing. Oliver will head back to Ohio.

And that's where we left off this week! Next week's check-in will be from Act III, Scene 5 to Act IV, Scene 2

Hey readers, here is the marginalia post for Absolution, the fourth book in the Southern Reach series. You can find the schedule here.

This post is for everything you would scribble on the margin of a book page and more. You can post any ideas, questions, favourite quotes, related side topics or anything else that comes to your mind while reading the book.

This is also a place to share excitement about reading the book. But the opposite as well: come here if you need encouragement to read on. :)

Please start with posting the general area in the book that you're posting about, i.e. “at the end of chapter 8” and think about if what you're about to write could spoil others, use spoiler tags if necessary. Not everyone reads the book at the same pace.

As always, any questions or constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged.

Happy reading and see you in the discussions!

Hey there, fellow reader. Looks like America had our own dark story stranger than fiction this week. Anyway, let's get on with the summary of the stories “Hunger” through “Night in the Chrysalis.”

Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau

An unnamed entity is always hungry. It was almost erased in memory. It is the embodiment of the need and want of food. Empty People could be a vessel for it to eat. It deceives. A frat house with six arrogant men is its next target. It enters an intoxicated man who sees a girl of the People named Summer.

The man it possessed is named Chris. She feels uneasy around him. She calls a friend to say she's leaving the party. Both man and entity stalk her through the park. She is on her phone and hears a sharp whistle through the trees. Summer smiles at them and smells of sacred medicines.

She fights Wehtigo with a cedar branch. Her friend Rain joins her to fight him by joining branches in their hands and sprinkling tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. Wehtigo is trapped for the first time ever but tries to escape. They light sage and cedar to drive it out of Chris’s body. It rages up into the sky. Chris comes to and is confused and tells her she's uninvited to the parties. He'll never know they saved him and would think it's his due anyway. The Wehtigo is gathering its strength to hunt again.

Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline

Bilson, aka Son, was raised in Toronto and left for the states as soon as he could. Florida to Georgia then New Orleans. NOLA promised to be a fun place to work and party. He lived there for two years in a haze. His aunt Beatrice called him to say his mom passed away. He goes back home to Toronto.

His cousin suggests he see his father. It's another trip farther north to a rural area. His dad looked older and said few words. The land was in his family since the English gave it to his ancestors for loyal service in the War of 1812. They spent the winter quietly. In the spring, his father thawed out his voice. He wished to go hunting but waited for his son to agree to go with him. Son still held a grudge from childhood that his father was stuck in the old ways.

Summer comes then the fall. They could go hunt for deer and rabbits. One day his dad didn't wake up. Then Son decides to go hunt. He packs his dad's truck and drives north. The cabin is simple and secure. In the woods, he feels he has to prove something. He sees no animals in the two hours he is there. He stomps off to the cabin to sleep.

He wakes up sweaty and undresses to find a tick on his belly. He can't find the tweezers. It keeps getting bigger. He could take a knife and cut it out. He trips on the clothes he shed and hits his head. He has a vision of his father and howling coyotes. His dad tells Son the coyotes are there for him because he has forgotten. An owl in real life hoots at him and peers in the window. Son wakes up with a massive headache.

The tick is as big as a lightbulb. Son thrashes around in agony. His hand closes over a knife on the floor. He stabs it then has to cut it from his skin. The tick is thrown somewhere in the room. He puts his clothes back on and swim-crawls to the door and feels his way to the truck. He is light-headed and has to laugh at his predicament. He sounds like a coyote. Son drives home. In the truck bed, something that is bloody skitters around.

The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson

Soldiers ran away from the risen corpses of the ones who killed natives. Government wagons from the Trail of Tears sit in town. Women disappeared in the river. Women had hidden in the barn. One of their shadows remained. They let the old lame Grey Horse go.

The undead soldiers gathered by the river. The narrators watch them. They see an owl and ignore the omen. There will be no reconciliation. The general got drunk and bragged that he was behind their slaughter. They play a game with five stones. The missing women made little fires that encircled the passed out general. They attacked the men and drove them into the river.

Snakes are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo

Peter goes for a hike at the Four Corners in the oppressive heat of July. He's only doing it for his cousin Maddie who invited him and their uncle to her graduation. Peter misses Alaska and the cold of paddling in a kayak. Maddie's boyfriend, Adam, is white and enthusiastic about hiking and the Utah petroglyphs nearby. He touches them, but Peter warns him not to because the oil from human skin ruins the rock.

Adam is disrespectful and accuses Peter of gatekeeping his culture. Peter just doesn't want him to touch them. He wouldn't like it if Peter touched the Mona Lisa. The rock art is ugly anyway. Maddie apologizes for her boyfriend's behavior and words. Adam retaliates by scratching his car keys across the rock. They fight, and Peter throws Adam into the river.

Maddie tells them to stop it and hurry up because it's a five mile hike back to the car. Adam panics because he lost the car keys (shouldn't have used them to deface the cliffs there, dude). They look for them while Peter offers some ground corn to the cliffs. Maddie cools her feet, arms, and back in the river. If they follow the river, they can make it back even in the dark.

Peter makes a torch out of a stick, desert brush, and a strip of his shirt. But where did Adam go? He had taken off his shoes and was kicking the sand thinking it was the ocean. Maddie took off her shoes to reveal swollen blisters and green pus on her feet. It covers her entire body. She sits against a tree, and she hears a child laugh.

Peter wonders how they can even get back now. Adam's stomach was bloated like he was pregnant. Maddie's face is green with pus and tears. Adam goes on about a curse. Maddie accuses Peter of the same. No, don't be so ignorant! Adam's stomach pulses with contractions. This all has to be a dream. Something was pushing through Adam's belly like a bird pecking its way out of an egg. A rattlesnake emerges and slithers onto the sand.

Adam picks up the snake by the tail and says hi. He puts the inert snake in his pocket and crawls into the bushes to hunt a rat. He emerges with a rat in his mouth like a cat. The snake comes to life and snaps at the rat and his fingers. It's dawn now, so they should head back. Adam takes “his baby” with him in his cargo pants pocket.

They meet their uncle, Maddie's dad, and two park rangers on the trail. Maddie's dad looks at her scars with distress and Adam's wound with disgust. The snake bites one of the park rangers as she tries to help Adam. The other ranger calls for an ambulance to meet them.

The uncle takes Peter aside and accuses him of using magic on them. He swears he didn't. Besides, Adam broke federal law by defacing a monument and upsetting the ancestors. Peter took the car keys out of his pocket and could use a coffee on the way to the hospital.

Before I Go by Norris Black

Davey Church had fallen from a cliff and died. Kiera would like to think the weather was bad when it happened. She returns to where it happened and questions why she came. The wind whistles through the trees. Her phone rings. It's her dad who is worried about her. He's horrified that she returned to the place of death. The line goes dead.

Kiera makes it to her tent before sunset. She reads a paperback book in her sleeping bag. Davey used to interrupt her reading with stories about his day. She misses him so much. She falls asleep and has nightmares about him. An undead battered Davey opens the tent, and she feels his cold broken body against hers. Then she wakes up screaming. Her tent is open, and her legs are scratched up. She left the lantern on all night.

In the morning, she packed up and set out. But she must see one more glimpse of the scene of death. An old woman with two braids and a shawl is sitting at the top of the hill. She knows her name and tells Kiera to let him go. She shouldn't call him back. She's stirring up things that she should let be. Kiera wipes away tears, and the woman disappears.

She pitches her tent yet again and spends one more night there. Her lantern dies, and the Moon is the only light. A large head with white skin and dark lips peeks in the tent flap. She tells her that Davey is ready to see her. Kiera follows her blindly up the hill. The figure is seven feet tall with a cloak made of bloody crow’s wings. Who is she? The Night Mother, of course. Death herself. Dying people usually utter her name.

Behind her cloak lies an abyss with the broken body of Davey. He asks why she is there? She shouldn't be here at all. Kiera stumbles over the cliff, falls, and lands broken at the bottom. Her last thoughts are of deaths she remembered until Night Mother comes to take her away.

Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris

Cece wakes up when she hears a woman's voice in the next room. She investigates and finds a bundle of sticks tied with string shaped like a person. She just moved into the building after a miscarriage and a breakup. Her aunt Deb won't answer the phone. She told the house she was harmless.

She smells blood and rotten meat at the foot of the stairs. She remembers her grandmother giving her a doll that she made dance. She explained away the other doll as the doings of a lonely girl like she used to be.

She has another night terror where the walls grow fungi and a voice talks about dead man's fingers. She goes upstairs and tries to turn on her laptop and phone. Dead. The voice starts up again. A woman with voids for eyes appears and tells her to get out of her house! Cece can't open the door. The house feels alive with its own viscera. Cece tastes blood and passes out.

She wakes up to a dollhouse replica of the house. A moth is stuck in the small bedroom. A doll-eyed girl sits in a rocking chair. The woman will make Cece her doll, and she can live in the safe and cozy world of the dollhouse. She starts to shrink and turn to porcelain. Things are rotting. Cece overturns the dollhouse in her rage. She crushes maggots under her arms. The house dies.

The regular sized house returns to its normal shape and size. The sun is coming up.

Extras

Marginalia

Schedule

Wendigo

Georgian Bay Métis

Tenkiller Ferry Lake, Oklahoma

Owls in Native American folklore

Night Mother but is an Abrahamic legend.

Questions are in the comments under each story name. Come back next week, November 17, when we read from “Behind Colin's Eyes” to “The Longest Street in the World.”

Welcome to the schedule for our next Read the World destination of Timor-Leste! 🇹🇱

We will be reading Beloved Land: Stories, Struggles, and Secrets from Timor-Leste by Gordon Peake.

We're starting in a few weeks which should give you time to secure a copy of the book - we really hope you can join us to learn about this tiny nation!  

So…who's in?

Goodreads summary:

At the stroke of midnight on 20 May 2002, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste became the first new nation of the 21st century. From that moment, those who fought for independence have faced a challenge even bigger than shaking off Indonesian occupation: running a country of their own.

Beloved Land picks up the story where world attention left off. Blending narrative history, travelogue, and personal reminiscences, Gordon Peake shows the daunting hurdles that the people of Timor-Leste must overcome to build a nation from scratch, and how much the international community has to learn if it is to help rather than hinder the process. Family politics, squabbles, power struggles, old romances, and even older grudges are woven into life in this land of intrigue and rumours in the most remarkable ways.

Yet above all, Beloved Land is a story about the one million East Timorese who speak nearly 20 different languages, and who are exuberantly building their nation. It is also about the East Timorese diaspora in Northern Ireland. Written with verve and deep affection, the book brings the character of Timor-Leste to life unforgettably.

Discussion Schedule: 

6th December: Prologue - end Chapter 3

13th December - Chapter 4 - end Chapter 7

20th December - Chapter 8 - the end, including Epilogue 

Hello fellow Earthers, Martians, and Belters!

Welcome to our discussion of The Expanse short story, Breaking Bad in space edition: Gods of Risk by James S. A. Corey. Please grab a seat and prepare for ‘no more half measures’ as we get into all the intense choices and moral dilemmas this story serves up. Let’s see who’s ready to knock on the airlock of this one!

Before we dive into the summary and discussion, be sure to check out our Schedule post and visit the Marginalia page for extra insights you might want to share or read that don’t quite fit into this discussion.

A quick reminder about spoilers: Since the Expanse series is a popular book and TV show, let’s keep our discussion spoiler-free for anyone who might not be caught up yet. Feel free to discuss previous Expanse books (Expanse #1 and #2) but please avoid sharing details from other shorts (including the ones that we have read) or future books. If you need to mention any spoilers, please use the format >!type spoiler here!< (and it will appear as: >!type spoiler here!<) so it's clear for everyone. Thanks for helping make our discussion enjoyable for all!

➤➤➤ Summary ➤➤➤

We open with a scene where a young teenager, David, is meeting with a local drug dealer named Hutch in Martinezville, an aging Martian neighborhood. It is revealed that David has been cooking drugs to supply Hutch's business.

After the transaction, Hutch leaves first, and David, along with Leelee (who has just swallowed a drug, 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-n-propylthiophenethylamine), follows 10 minutes later, sticking to their usual routine. As they leave, they encounter protesters calling for military action on Earth, and uniformed police officers are seen. David chooses a different route to avoid the police and to hide Leelee.

They get on the transit tube, and during the ride, there are discussions about recent events, including protomolecules, Phoebe, Venus, and attacks from Earth on Mars. Leelee asks David to sing her a song. As he sings a Christmas carol, there is a loud detonation that causes the tube to pitch forward and stop. Someone has blown out the vacuum sealer and disrupts the transport system.

Passengers are sorted into buses to continue to their destinations. Leelee is heading to Innis Shallows, and although David worries about her getting home while still under the influence, Leelee convinces him that she’ll be fine, as this is not her first time out alone while tripping.

David takes his bus to Breach Candy, reflecting on his first meeting with Hutch and how their working relationship started with Hutch asking for small favors, eventually leading to David cooking drugs for him. He also starts to worry about getting home late and being questioned by his parents about his time-management skills.

When he arrives home, he’s greeted by Aunt Bobbie, who is now taking a break from her military career and spends most of her time lifting weights and watching news feeds. To David's relief, his parents are not home yet, as they are stuck in Salton due to the detonation. They will stay overnight in that neighborhood and return the next day. Aunt Bobbie tells him that the detonation was most likely caused by locals. David goes to bed, worrying about Leelee, and takes one of the drugs he’s made before falling asleep.

The next morning, David goes to Lower University and begins to worry about missing two days of work due to the tube being blown up. As David immerses himself in his work and gets into a trance, he eventually catches up on his tasks. His hand terminal chimes and it’s a video message from Leelee, indicating that she is in trouble and needs money, but also warns him not to tell Hutch.

David returns home near midnight and finds his dad and Aunt Bobbie engaged in a heated discussion about Bobbie’s military career while watching the news. Bobbie then inquires about the recent tube sabotage, and David’s father speculates that it was caused by local protesters. David finishes off the last of the curry, keeping one eye on his hand terminal in case Leelee finally decides to message back, while Aunt Bobbie has a one-way reunion with Avasarala(!!!) who is delivering her usual sass on screen. She then approaches David and shares a story about her free-climbing experiences and a friend who died in an accident.

The next day, still weighed down by his worries for Leelee, David decides to go Innis Shallows, to search for her. True to his introverted nature, he feels embarrassed asking people about Leelee, worrying that they are watching him. Despite this, he spends most of his lunch break looking for her but returns to his lab after failing to find any leads. While trying to distract himself with work, David receives a notification about his placement in development, one of the hardest placements to get into. The news is met with happiness by his family, while Aunt Bobbie remains indifferent, continuing her routine of lifting weights while watching the news feed.

David and his dad attend his first meeting at Lower University with his advisor, Mr. Oke. David spots Hutch in the commons and tries to speak with him privately in the restroom, arranging to meet later that day. When he returns to the commons, the atmosphere has shifted. Breaking news reports an explosion in Salton, linked to anti-Earth protesters killing three people.

The next day, David attends a family gathering filled with small talk, awkward interactions, and his mother’s political socializing. Tension escalates when Aunt Bobbie makes an outburst about the metaphorical significance of cathedrals.

When David finally meets Hutch, he is confronted with Hutch’s possessiveness regarding Leelee, who Hutch refers to as his "property." Hutch tells David that he won’t be able to pay off Leelee’s debt, as his secret fund only amounts to a quarter of what’s owed. Feeling helpless and unable to help Leelee, David seeks to regain control by contacting Steppan to help him with lab work. He spends the night ordering necessary chemicals and cleaning out his secret fund.

After a short nap, David wakes up to the news of eight people arrested in connection with a bomb incident. Remembering what Hutch said about Leelee becoming involved in politics, David is relieved that he doesn’t recognize any of the arrested individuals as Leelee. He lies to his mother about needing to help a friend at the lab and works with Steppan to produce a new batch of drugs. David then fills a satchel with the drugs he’s made and heads home.

At home, David contacts Hutch’s emergency number and threatens to go to security unless Hutch agrees to another meeting to discuss Leelee. Just as he’s about to head out, Aunt Bobbie tells him that a curfew has been imposed after recent bombings, preventing minors from traveling outside the suburbs without a guardian. David tries to contact Hutch again, but Hutch has deleted his number. Feeling defeated, David asks Aunt Bobbie for help in meeting Hutch. She agrees to accompany him to the tube station, flashing her Marine card to avoid scrutiny. They take the tube heading toward Martineztown, and David overthinks what Aunt Bobbie must be thinking about his actions and where he’s headed.

David arrives at Hutch’s location to find Leelee in distress. He offers Hutch drugs as payment for her debt. Hutch reacts violently, firing a gunshot to intimidate David and Leelee. At that moment, Aunt Bobbie intervenes, disarming Hutch and negotiating David's freedom and Leelee’s debt. They leave Hutch behind, with Aunt Bobbie guarding the rear. At the tube station, Aunt Bobbie says she cannot accompany Leelee to her area, but that Leelee can stay with some friends in Martinezville to keep safe from Hutch. Before they part ways, Leelee kissed David, leaving him a bit excited.

On the way home, David reflects on what just happened and his emotions for Leelee. Aunt Bobbie praises him for saving her, but David feels that, despite his feelings for her, they are unreciprocated. Aunt Bobbie then announces her intention to move out, which leaves David feeling a sense of loss that he hadn’t anticipated. Before she leaves, she asks David to go free-climbing with her.

Three weeks after turning eighteen, David is at a noodle bar discussing a terraforming project with his team when he unexpectedly spots Leelee, now holding a baby. He tries to get her attention by waving at her, but she looks back with anger and fear. The man sitting beside her asks her something and then glances at David. David looks away and shifts his focus back to the work, celebrating the team's success as data points appear on his plot within the error bars.

Hello! This is the voting thread for the Winter Big Thread selection.

Voting will continue for four days, ending on November 13 at 11 am, Pacific time. The selection will be announced no later than November 14.

For this selections, here are the requirements:

• Over 500 Pages
• No previously read selections
• Any
• Any Genre
• Standalone books only - No Series

An anthology is allowed as long as it meets the other guidelines. Please check the previous selections to determine if we have read your selection. A good source to determine the number of pages is Goodreads.

• Nominate as many titles as you want (one per comment), and vote for any you'd participate in.

\\---

Here's the formatting frequently used, but there's no requirement to link to Goodreads or Wikipedia -- just don't link to sales links at Amazon, spam catchers will remove those.

The generic selection format:

\[Title by Author\](links)

To create that format, use brackets to surround title said author and parentheses, touching the bracket, should contain a link to Goodreads, Wikipedia, or the summary of your choice.

A summary is not mandatory.

HAPPY VOTING!

Hello! This is the voting thread for the Mystery or Thriller selection.

Voting will continue for four days, ending on November 13 at 11 am, Pacific time. The selection will be announced no later than November 14.

For this selections, here are the requirements:

• Under 500 Pages
• No previously read selections
• Mystery or Thriller Genre
• Standalone books only - No Series

An anthology is allowed as long as it meets the other guidelines. Please check the previous selections to determine if we have read your selection. A good source to determine the number of pages is Goodreads.

• Nominate as many titles as you want (one per comment), and vote for any you'd participate in.

\\---

Here's the formatting frequently used, but there's no requirement to link to Goodreads or Wikipedia -- just don't link to sales links at Amazon, spam catchers will remove those.

The generic selection format:

\[Title by Author\](links)

To create that format, use brackets to surround title said author and parentheses, touching the bracket, should contain a link to Goodreads, Wikipedia, or the summary of your choice.

A summary is not mandatory.

HAPPY VOTING!

Welcome back to Dark Olympus, where Orpheus is undergoing training and Eurydice is sneaking around for intel and Charon is getting his way with both of them. Eurydice takes Orpheus to visit her sister for lunch- and taxis off to see Ariadne secretly- while Charon meets Hades for a meeting. When Charon discovers Ariadne’s request, he is worried about Eurydice’s safety and confronts Orpheus for his attendance. Is Orpheus a good dog? Are they a team? Was the attack an inside job? Stormy waters…

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Orpheus, obsessed with color and tone:

“Sunlight filters in through the window, giving the room an almost dreamlike quality. She’s wearing an oversized T-shirt that must belong to Charon. It dwarfs her, but it only hits the tops of her thighs, leaving her long light-brown legs bare. I’m strangely delighted to discover she’s painted her toenails a bright yellow”.

-Chp. 9

Charon gives Eurydice a pet:

“Her lips twist, and for a moment I think she won’t answer me. But then she says, ‘He said he doesn’t care if I put a collar on you and walk you like a dog, fuck you, or sleep with you. That he and I are endgame.’ That strange feeling from last night is back, compounding in my chest until I can barely breather past it. I hardly feel like myself as I sink to my knees before her, ‘Do it’.”

-Chp. 9

Orpheus follows commands:

*“I start to rise, but Eurydice’s voice stops me. ‘*Crawl, Orpheus. It’s what good dogs do’. She speaks without looking over her shoulder, but there’s a new tension in her spine that makes me shiver. Okay. I can do this. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I can do this”.

-Chp. 9

Eurydice enjoys holding the lead:

“It was satisfying to see him follow my command, but this…the heavy press of his head, his inhales and exhales ghosting over my thighs, his long hair soft beneath my fingers as I pet him. Heat blossoms inside me. Desire. I won’t do anything about it. Not now, maybe not ever…I don’t intend to keep him, and if we have sex…I’ll want to”

- Chp. 10

Charon, keeping it real:

“She’s flushed and so turned on that her pussy is practically dripping all over my lap. I love her like this. Needy and bossy and so desperate for what only I can give her. Well, me and Orpheus”.

-Chp.11

As always, the dog Orpheus brings the family closer:

“She sinks into my side with a happy sound. I’m happy. This feels too fucking good. I give her a soft kiss as our bodies cool and our heartbeats return to normal. Even as I tell myself not to, my hand drops to cover her on Orpheus’s head. It’s…perfect”

Orpheus goes to church:

“As much as I enjoyed the way people’s gazes would linger on her whenever we were in public, there was a part of me that wanted to throw my coat over her and shield her form their attention. I don’t feel that way with Charon. Watching her ride his cock…his mouth…his hands…it pulls at part of me that I didn’t know existed. Seeing her come on his tongue while he shoved his cock down my throat was an experience border on religious”

-Chp. 15

Eurydice feels conflicted:

“’…I don’t know what I’m feeling at any given moment. Sometimes I still love you. Sometimes I really would like to run you over with a car. It varies’”.

-Chp.15

Eurydice and philosophy:

“I don’t know what would inspire a woman like Ariadne to climb into bed with a man like the Minotaur, but then I didn’t think I would be commanding Orpheus to scrub Charon’s kitchen either. People contain multitudes”

-Chp. 16

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions below. We meet next Saturday for Chapters 18-27!

Schedule

Marginalia

Welcome to the marginalia for The Expanse by James S. A. Corey. We will use this marginalia for the entire series so we can keep things streamlined.

The marginalia is where you can post any notes, comments, quotes, or other musings as you're reading. Think of it as similar to how you might scribble in the margin of your book. If you don't want to wait for the weekly check-ins, or want to share something that doesn't quite fit the discussions, it can be posted here. Please be mindful of spoilers and use the spoiler tags appropriately. To indicate a spoiler, enclose the relevant text with the > ! and ! < characters (there should be no space between the characters themselves or between the ! and the first/last words).

Not sure how to get started? Here are some tips for writing a marginalia comment:

*Start with a general location (early in chapter 4, at the end of chapter 2, etc) and keep in mind that readers are using different versions and editions (including audio) so page numbers are less helpful than chapters and the like.

*Write your observations, or

*Copy your favorite quotes, or

*Scribble down your light bulb moments, or

*Share you predictions, or

*Link to an interesting side topic. (Spoilers from other books/media should always be under spoiler tags unless explicitly stated otherwise)

Enjoy your reading and we’ll see you in the discussions!

Dear Bookclubbers,

'Tis almost that time of the year, so don't miss our annual r/bookclub gift exchange. If you are interested in participating, the cut off is next Friday, November 15!

Go see the post HERE to see the terms and conditions and sign up! It will be another opportunity to get to know one another better and send some holiday cheer in the mail or virtually!

With best wishes, the Official Elves in charge,

u/bluebelle236, u/maolette, u/lazylittlelady and u/joinedformyhubs

Welcome everyone to my favorite day of the week: Friday! We host a Free Chat every Friday here on r/bookclub and I'm especially happy to be today's host because HOLY COW was it a week!

For anyone brand new here, hello and welcome! For all those regulars, welcome back! We're happy to have all of you. This is a space for us to get to know one another better and chat about whatever fits your fancy.

RULES:

• No unmarked spoilers
• No self-promo
• No piracy
• Thoughtful personal conduct

I'm nearing exhaustion from an action-packed week of HR-related tasks because THIS GAL IS FINALLY ON AN EU CONTRACT!!! This finally opens so many more doors for us here in Ireland and means we can do things like apply for a mortgage (let's not talk about housing availability though...) so yay!! I'm really ready to be done submitting tickets into HR though for things that were not transferred correctly....

Also I am loving my lunch today; I'm having what I'm starting to call a "Friday salad" because it's basically a salad of all the random stuff leftover in the fridge needing to be used up on a Friday. I often end up with leftover lettuce, hence the 'salad' title. Today's is: Lettuce, chopped up salami, pickles, and bell peppers, plus leftover cavatappi noodles. Dressing is olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grated parmesan on top. Delicious!

This weekend I want to catch up on reading (of course) and relax a bit before the chaos that is next week. We're on the downward slope to Christmas already but next Tuesday is my son's 8th birthday!

What are you getting up to this weekend? How was your week?!

"On earth, in heaven, and within,

Three wars to lose, three wars to win.

Cut the path. Mark the days. Turn the tides.

Three tasks before the season dies:

Turn rotten fruit to flower,

Slay the god-bride still unloved,

Press the son to fell the sire.

Victory then to the Carrion King who in winning loses everything."

Welcome dreamwalkers, spearmaidens and gods reborn, to our second discussion of Mirrored Heavens. Things are heating up and war is on the horizon! You can find our full discussion schedule here and the marginalia here. Below are some chapter summaries and discussion questions are in the comments.

Chapter 9 - I was wondering where Okoa was and we found him! He’s trying to decipher ancient Cuecolan glyphs about spearmaidens and dream walking but is getting nowhere. His sister, Esa, arrives with a note asking Okoa to meet the other matrons in secret, to discuss their plans with Serapio. Esa says she won’t come to the meeting so that the others still think her and Okoa are on bad terms after his betrayal in the last book (of which I remember very little!). Okoa travels through the underground cave system (since Serapio has crow spies outside) to the secret meeting which includes: 

• Peyana, the Matron of Winged Serpent, and her captain of the shield, Ahuat 
• Sedsaya, the Coyote Matron, and the witch Zataya who is also captain of the shield
• Ieyoue, the Matron of Water Strider

They tell Okoa how Serapio burned down the Golden Eagle district and argue whether it was fair justice or not. Peyana then reveals the golden dagger that has been made out of the Sun priest’s mask. It’s obvious who will use it - Okoa. He feels he must kill Serapio out of responsibility, respect and even love because the Crow god has become too dangerous. The Matrons want Okoa to do it soon to stop the war with Cuecola. But Peyana reveals the Cuecolans will also stop their army if the Tovans hand over Esa and Okoa! The Matrons claim they would never do this, but Okoa points out that they betrayed Carrion Crow on the Night of Knives so they’re not particularly trustworthy. Okoa returns home, shows Esa the dagger and says he’s asked to see Serapio. 

Chapter 10 - Serapio is tired after razing Golden Eagle and has noticed that ever since he faced Naranpa he is more susceptible to normal wounds. He also worries that the crow god has lost interest in Tova and would rather continue to search for Naranpa. He hears someone calling to him outside, morphs into a flock of crows and flies out his window. It’s Zataya! She tells Serapio how the clans are plotting against him and shares the prophecy with him. He wonders what it means and how he could turn it to his will (I’m not sure that’s how prophecies work, but I like his positive attitude!).

Chapter 11 - Xiala prepares for the funeral of the 19 Teek who were killed by Tuun and her army (20 if you include Xiala’s mother). The soldiers allow the Teek to sing their traditional songs which bring comfort to the remaining women. Xiala slips away and Alain finds her. They discuss her mother and Xiala learns that the Teek knew she was still alive all this time. Xiala also admits she loves Serapio (aww) and would rather find him than be queen of the Teek. The next morning, Tuun wakes her up, furious - there are no ships! Xiala explains that they sink the tidechasers after they’re made and shows Tuun the 10 completed ships. But that’s nowhere near enough so Tuun gets angry and tells Xiala to call a meeting of the whole village. 

Chapter 12 - Balam is looking for Nasuut but is just surrounded by dead ghosts (yikes). He eventually finds her in the baths where they are both naked. Balam thinks he’s been gifted in more ways than just his magic 😉 After he calls Nasuut out for hiding a knife, Balam tells her it’s time to go to Tova and face Serapio on the summer solstice. Nasuut feels they’ve been misled about how powerful Serapio is and is hesitant to lead her soldiers into battle against a god. Balam admits to being a sorcerer and makes a badass blood glove to prove his point. Knowing they have sorcery on their side, Nasuut agrees to go to Tova by the new moon. Balam is stoked to be the second coming of the Jaguar Prince but is still haunted by Saaya and her cryptic messages. 

Chapter 13 - Naranpa is busy with chores at Kupshu’s house, including looking after tuktuks. After some more training, she reenters the dreamworld but finds that someone has been trespassing in the Handmaiden. She realizes it’s the jaguar man aka Balam and decides to check out his dream. It’s of Tova burning and Balam about to put on the Sun Priest mask. He spots Naranpa in the dream and kicks her out. Naranpa asks Kupshu to teach her how to defend her mind/dream world against Balam. After two weeks, Naranpa decides she needs to leave. Kupshu thinks this is foolish and tells her the story of her daughter Niviq. She was god-touched by the wind god who found her in a dream and took her mind. Niviq was never the same, hearing voices and disappearing, until eventually she died. Kupshu fears that something similar will happen to Naranpa or some other horrible fate, but is certain they’ll never see each other again.  

Chapter 14 - Maaka’s wife and admin assistant extraordinaire, Feyou, visits Serapio and gets him to eat. She tells him that Okoa wants to meet him and Serapio knows this is actually to kill him. Serapio believes the phrase, “turn rotten fruit to flower” for the prophecy is a reference to Okoa and that he needs to find a way to bring him to his side. He also ponders the three wars:

• On earth = him vs Cuecola 
• In heaven = crow god vs sun god 
• Within = ?? Within the Tovans? Within his own house of Carrion Crow? Or within himself? 

Serapio reflects that Okoa has soft spots that he can use to make him “flower”. He visits Maaka and asks him for information about Okoa’s father, Ayawa. As revenge for the Night of Knives, Ayawa and friends planned to attack the Watchers, but were betrayed by Yatliza (Okoa’s mom/Ayawa’s own wife!!). Ayawa was condemned a traitor and executed, Yatliza was made matron and Okoa was sent to war college. Serapio tells Maaka his plan is to make Okoa his general, and agrees to see him, not revealing that he knows his real reason for coming. 

Chapter 15 - Esa is doing Okoa’s hair. He wants to look good for his meeting with Serapio, even though he’s blind so won’t appreciate his long braids and fancy jewels. He’s sad that Benundah has left him. Okoa hangs the golden dagger down his back, hoping none of Serapio’s guards will feel it through his padded armour. He reaches Serapio’s palace and sneaks the dagger past the guards. He meets Serapio who asks Okoa to spar with him. Okoa wonders if Serapio has set a trap, but also know this is his best chance to kill him. 

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our second and final discussion of Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Bowser and Robyn Smith! This week we're covering the last two sections, La Benedición and Ride or Die. A summary is listed below.

Cookie does her morning stretches and heads into the kitchen where Kim is cooking. Kim asks her what her plans are for the day and Cookie tells her she's going to see her abuela. Not the one that was in the Dominican Republic - her other abuela. Cookie's mother wants her to go see her because her abuela wants to make amends after years of estrangement. Cookie doesn't trust it, but she heads to see her abuela in her care home anyways. The two greet each other before they're interrupted by a caretaker, who's come to do Ms. Sanchez's - Cookie's abuela - hair. Ms. Sanchez tells the caretaker that Cookie will do her hair for her.

As Cookie washes her hair, her abuela asks about her love life. Cookie reminds her that she could end up with anyone - a boyfriend, girlfriend, or partner. Her abuela acknowledges that and tells Cookie she needs to get married before she dies, because she wants to make Cookie's wedding dress, just like she did for Cookie's sweet sixteen. Cookies remembers that the dress was beautiful, but it's soured by the fact that her grandmother didn't attend her party after basically disowning her. Cookie's abuela apologizes to her for not being a good grandmother as a petty punishment for her issues with her son (Cookie's father). She tells her that she understands she doesn't deserve it but hopes she can forgive her someday.

Cookie finishing doing her abuela's hair. Before she leaves, her abuela tells her that she made her something a while ago and had been holding onto it in case she came to visit. Her abuela pulls out a yellow dress she made for Cookie. Cookie thanks her abuela. The two of them hug and have a tearful goodbye. When Cookie gets home, Kim checks on her to see how it went and Cookie tells her the whole story. The next day, Cookie's mother calls, asking if she went to see her abuela. Cookie tells her she did and that it went well. Cookie's mother explains that with her dementia, her abuela had forgotten she came over. Cookie is sad to hear it but she has the yellow dress to remind her.

On Saturday night, Cookie and Kim prepare drinks while they wait for Nisha and Davene to arrive. They're running late, but Kim reassures Cookie that they have plenty of time before her show. Meanwhile, Malik is still texting Kim but now from random numbers and he's making threats! She's worried he might even show up at the show. Cookie asks her about getting a restraining order but Kim is hesitant to get the police involved. She does agree to let Cookie have one of her tio's "talk" to Malik at least. Just then, Nisha and Davene text that they're on the corner so Kim and Cookie get dressed.

Once Nisha and Davene arrive the pre-party begins! There's pre-gaming, a fashion show, and dancing, complete with Davene randomly pulling out a Jamaican flag that she always keeps on her for some reason? Anyways, soon they head downstairs to head to the venue. Cookie is busy giggling and texting - Jordan, probably. Of course, they realize they never heard the end of Nisha's story and who she's going to pick: Daniel or Carl? In the end, Nisha has decided to pick neither of them and deliberately stay unattached.

They take the train to the venue where they split up as Kim heads backstage to get ready. Cookie, Nisha, and Davene head to the bar to get drinks, where they run into Jordan, Cookie's crush. They get their drinks and head to the floor to go dance when suddenly: they spot Malik. Cookie asks Jordan to get security while she and the others go confront Malik. They tell Malik that he needs to leave. At first he tries to wave them off and then they make it clear that no, really, he needs to leave. Malik decides he doesn't care anymore and leaves before Jordan returns with the bouncer.

Malik taken care of, the women head next to the stage for Kim to begin her show. She comes out and sings her new songs. The other women congratulate Kim after her performance. Nisha asks if they're ready to go to the next stop, but Cookie picks up on Davene's anxiety. She asks Davene if they can run to the bathroom, where Davene explains that she doesn't think she can go anywhere else as the night has already taken a lot out of her. Unfortunately, due to construction, it'll take her a long time to get home, so Cookie tells her to stay at their place for the night. She reassures Davene that it's no trouble to head out early. When they rejoin Kim and Nisha, Cookie explains that they're going to leave early and Davene is staying over. Of course no one wants to miss out on a sleepover! So they all head back to Kim and Cookie's place where they talk. Kim tells them she's glad that Malik didn't show up and the others explain what happened. Kim thanks them for having her back and they all talk and hang out for another couple of hours. Eventually though, each woman wraps her hair and goes to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Discussion questions are listed below. Feel free to discuss any parts of Wash Day Diaries without using any spoiler tags.

Thanks y'all for enjoying this cozy little read with me! I hope the rest of your week feels as joyful as your favorite group chat with friends. :)

See y'all later, and happy reading!

Hello, all! I hope you've done your nightly routine and settled in, because we're back with another week of Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons!

What has our little dragon friend been up to? Has our heroine found her voice and stood up to her family? Will Mr. Hawthorne stop drooling over Belinda? Let's find out!

~~~~

13

Mildred and Mr. Wiggan discuss Mr. Hawthorne - who Mildred is certain she doesn’t like - and the possibility of him knowing about the egg, how he probably only wants it for money. She briefly considers Belinda’s infatuation with him and how he may use her for his goals.

After a long day and making the children promise not to mention Fitz or the vicarage around Mr. Hawthorne, Mildred retires to her room only to find that Belinda has gone through it, leaving behind the scent of her lilac perfume. Going to dinner, she has a moment of reflection - but she is not the type of heroine that is going to suddenly find her voice.

14

Mildred joins Mr. Wiggan and his boys in the church mid lesson. They discuss the difficulties of getting girls to join the class. Walking to the vicarage, Mildred visits with Fitz in his fancy new outdoor pen where he promptly falls asleep in her lap. (Mr. Wiggan would also be content in that position.) After a sweet and awkward almost flirtatious exchange, they go inside to join Mrs. Babbinton.

15

Mildred is interrupted from her bedtime routine by a panicking Betsy - there is a fire at the Old Gables, across from the vicarage. Mr. Wiggan has sent her a note: Fitz has escaped. Mildred hurries there, briefly running into Diana on her way out the door, who wonders what help Mildred could possibly offer the situation.

Fitz has been secured at the vicarage and Mr. Wiggan helps to put out the fire. Staying until she knows Wiggan is safe, Mildred overhears the Misses Primrose explaining how the fire started: a fire-breathing bat, of course.

Mildred returns to the vicarage with a sooty, raspy-voiced (suddenly more attractive) Wiggan, musing over how the scene could possibly appear romantic.

Discussing hat to do with Fitz going forward, they decide to seek out Mr. Gorman, hoping that he would have some idea of what to do. Mrs. Babbinton agrees to go along on the trip. They determine Fitz will go with them as well.

16

Mildred spends the night at the vicarage to keep Fitz out of trouble. After much pacing, Mildred retrieves a notebook, quill, and ink and begins to write a record of all she knows about Fitz. Wiggan joins her and compliments her idea. When the sun finally rises, Mildred (reluctantly) turns down Wiggan’s offer to escort her home. On cue, Fitz awakes and it’s instant chaos. Like any toddler, Fitz resists when Wiggan grabs hold of him but calms after Mildred gets hold of him. They, again, agree that Fitz cannot stay in the vicarage. Wiggan will plan their trip.

17

Reginald and Belinda discuss her not finding anything of value in Mildred’s room. Belinda tells him about Mildred’s visits to the vicarage, and they deduce that maybe Mildred is bringing the important things to Wiggan, since he is a smart man.

18

Mildred tells Diana she is going on the trip, and Diana is flabbergasted. They argue over Mildred’s inheritance and about how Diana of course cares about more than just money. Diana questions Mildred several times about her relationship with Mr. Wiggan. Diana decides to tear Mildred down a few pegs: you’ve no fortune, you’re too old to be a mother, no one will marry you… but stop hanging out with Wiggan, because at least he still has a chance at a match. Mildred may have missed their sisterly bond if they had ever had one. Instead, Mildred informs her that she is leaving the next day, and Diana is shocked that it's so soon, because now she has no chance to ruin it. Diana now believes Mildred is treating her with disrespect. Mildred grows a bit of a spine and reminds Diana that the world does not revolve around her before retreating to her room.

19

After not sleeping well, Mildred departs on her journey. It is cold and rainy. She, Mrs. Babbinton, and a bourbon-drunk Fitz travel via cart and then coach. Fitz is in a covered cage described as a sick cat. In Stratford-upon-Avon, Mrs. Babbinton hires a man, Mr. Simonon, to bring them to Exley Hall, home of Mr. Gorman. Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Simonon is up to no good.

~~~~

And the answers: Chaos, not really, and nope! But would we want it any other way? On to the discussion!

Welcome to the second discussion of Before They Are Hanged! We got some interesting updates about magic and it appears some wars are starting! 👹🧙‍♂️🏹

As always, some reminders on the spoiler policy: The First Law is a very popular series, so we would appreciate if you marked as a spoiler any reference to what is going to happen in the next chapters/book. Even a generic comment as "wait until you see what happens next" may be considered a spoiler by some people, so please be careful.

Useful links

• Chapter summaries

• Schedule

• Marginalia

Greetings fellow detectives! Welcome to the first discussion of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur does not disappoint with the crazy antics in these short stories.

The Adventures of Silver Blaze- Sherlock’s vast knowledge of Opium comes in handy. A horse avoids murder charges on grounds of self defense. And a dog helps solve the case.

The Adventures of the Cardboard Box —A cardboard box, severed ears, Brain fever and a drunken sailor with serious rage issues.

The Adventures of the Yellow Face - Gasp…Sherlock fails to solve the case. One word - “Norbury”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am experimenting with ChatGPT. Below are ChatGPT summaries of the stories if you need a refresher:

• “Silver Blaze” is one of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes short stories. In it, Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to Dartmoor to investigate two connected mysteries: the disappearance of a famous racehorse, Silver Blaze, and the murder of the horse’s trainer, John Straker. Silver Blaze was the favorite to win the upcoming Wessex Cup, making his disappearance—and Straker's murder—national news.

Holmes discovers that Straker had secretly planned to injure Silver Blaze in order to sabotage the race. Straker was in debt and hoped to profit by placing bets against the horse. On the night of the murder, he took Silver Blaze out of the stable to injure him but was killed in the attempt, trampled by the horse when it resisted.

Holmes also reveals the significance of “the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime.” The guard dog didn’t bark when the horse was led away, which indicated that the dog knew the person—Straker. Holmes returns Silver Blaze to its owner and ensures it competes in the race, where it ultimately wins the Wessex Cup.

• In "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box" by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is asked to solve a disturbing mystery involving a gruesome package. The story begins when Miss Susan Cushing, a quiet woman living in Croydon, receives a small cardboard box containing two severed human ears packed in salt. The local police are baffled, so Inspector Lestrade turns to Holmes for assistance.

Holmes carefully examines the box and the packaging materials, noting subtle clues that others have missed. His observations reveal that the box likely came from Liverpool and that the ears were sent with a very personal, emotional intent. Holmes deduces that the crime is connected to a complex family matter involving a tragic love affair.

Through his investigation, Holmes uncovers that the ears belonged to Jim Browner, a Liverpool sailor, and his wife, Mary. Mary had an affair with Alec Fairbairn, and Jim, consumed by jealousy and rage, eventually killed both Mary and her lover. The severed ears were sent as a twisted message of revenge to Mary's sister, Sarah Cushing, who had encouraged Mary’s infidelity.

Holmes’s deductions unravel the tragic and violent breakdown of family loyalty, jealousy, and betrayal. The case is ultimately resolved when Holmes reveals the full story and the motivations behind the crime, though he acknowledges the sadness and senselessness of the events. This story showcases Holmes’s skills but also emphasizes the dark, emotional complexities that can drive people to commit desperate acts.

• In "The Adventure of the Yellow Face" by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is approached by Grant Munro, a man distressed by his wife Effie’s strange behavior. Effie has been sneaking off to a cottage nearby, and when confronted, she becomes evasive and refuses to explain herself. Grant is particularly unsettled after catching a glimpse of a strange figure with a "yellow face" in the cottage window.

Holmes and Watson accompany Grant to investigate the mysterious cottage. As they watch the house, they see Effie go inside, and soon after, they confront her and demand the truth. Effie finally confesses, revealing that the mysterious figure is actually her daughter, whom she had with her first husband, an African American man who has since died. Fearing prejudice in England, Effie had tried to keep her daughter hidden, especially after marrying Grant, as she worried about how he might react.

Surprisingly, Grant accepts Effie’s daughter with warmth and understanding, embracing both her and her mother. Holmes, who initially suspected more sinister motives, is left humbled by the outcome, as this case involved love, secrecy, and the complexities of family rather than the dark criminal plots he is accustomed to unraveling.

This story is unique among Holmes tales, focusing on themes of trust, prejudice, and compassion rather than crime, and showing that not all mysteries Holmes encounters have sinister explanations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The schedule is here for those trying to track the timeline of these crimes. You might also need to utilize the marginalia to pitch your case theories and hot takes, super sleuths.

Nominated by our very own organizing impresario, u/Superb_Piano9536, our November Discovery Read will be Life on Mars by former Poet Laureate of the United States (2017-2019), Tracy K. Smith. This work was published in 2011 and awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2012.

From the blurb:

“With allusions to David Bowie and interplanetary travel, Life on Mars imagines a soundtrack for the universe to accompany the discoveries, failures, and oddities of human existence. In these brilliant new poems, Tracy K. Smith envisions a sci-fi future sucked clean of any real dangers, contemplates the dark matter that keeps people both close and distant, and revisits the kitschy concepts like love and illness now relegated to the Museum of Obsolescence. These poems reveal the realities of life lived here, on the ground, where a daughter is imprisoned in the basement by her own father, where celebrities and pop stars walk among us, and where the poet herself loses her father, one of the engineers who worked on the Hubble Space Telescope. With this remarkable third collection, Smith establishes herself among the best poets of her generation”.

 If you are filling your 2024 BINGO board, this qualifies for Prize Winner, Female Author and Discovery Read!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We will meet for discussion on the last two Thursdays of November, so you have plenty of time to acquire your copy! All discussions will be linked on here.

Schedule:

 11/21 “The Weather in Space”-Part Two

11/28 Part Three-End

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you need a getaway, will you join us on our interstellar journey to the red planet? We are getting the spaceship ready!

Marginalia TBD

Hello, my fellows Scythes and island castaways! We meet again for our penultimate discussion of Neal Shusterman's The Toll, book 3 in the Arc of a Scythe series. These books never disappoint on the action, so let's get to it!

~~~~~~

39

We meet the vain Scythe Alighieri, a modern day Narcissus. Anastasia, Greyson, and Jeri convince him to make a public statement about the NewHope orbital colony: convinced that space colonies would render the need for Scythes non-existent, the Scythedom instead destroys the colony to put an end to space expansion. The operation was commanded by Goddard. 

40

As Goddard stares at the many scythe diamonds strewn across his bed, he and Ayn discuss Aligheri's statement. Goddard is going to turn the wrath of the people towards the Tonists. 

Staying in an abandoned farm house, Greyson and Jeri bond. Later, as Greyson sleeps, the Thunderhead admits that it is afraid of what is currently happening, and that it may make a mistake. Greyson awakes and the Thunderhead asks to talk. 

With the group gathered, Greyson tells them that there is going to be a purge of Tonists soon and that the Thunderhead doesn't want them to burn their dead. Mendoza wants to wage war against the Scythedom, and Greyson disagrees. After a brief verbal spar, Greyson dismisses Mendoza from his role as curator. He is forced to leave under threat of forceful removal by Morrison. When everyone but Greyson and Anastasia have left, Greyson admits to Anastasia that she needs to help him with another part of the Thunderhead’s plan that he does not believe he's strong enough to handle alone.

In the post script, we see an excerpt from Goddard's eulogy for Tenkamenin where he places the blame on the Tonists and calls for swift retribution, sending out Scythes to glean Tonists at every available occasion. 

41

Scythes attack the Tallahassee Tonal Monastic Order, leaving over 150 gleaned. Refrigeration trucks soon arrive with orders to pick up “perishables”. 

Curate Mendoza, cut down, will not stay down. He plots how to put a new spin on everything going on. 

42

Loriana has found a loop hole: instead of completely subplanting people who leave the island, they are just reset to before they got to the island. So they are still themselves. The Thunderhead now has senses on Kwajalein thanks to optic cables on the sea floor. 

There are now 42 spacecraft on the atolls, built from the Thunderhead's plans. 

Munira, now the official “professional confidant” for the community, remains on the island due to her loyalty to Faraday. During a session, Munira is told that Scythe Anastasia has been addressing the world. 

43

Faraday had remained secluded, able to see the rockets from afar.  He and Munira meet once a week and Munira brings news. After telling him that Scythe Lucifer was going to be a publicly gleaned and she wishes Faraday to do something about it he refuses and kicks her off the island that day. A few days later Munira returns to tell him that Anastasia is alive. 

44

Mendoza approaches Goddard and they scheme together. Mendoza would rally the extremist Tonists to bring down Goddard's enemies, and Goddard would slowly back off from purging the Tonists. 

45

Jeri steps down from their captain position to stay with Anastasia. Both Jeri and Greyson admit to falling in love with the idea of Anastasia. 

The Thunderhead plans a way to experience biological existence. 

The trucks carrying containers of dead Tonists deliver them to cargo ships, all with a destination of Guam. 

Greyson awakes to Jeri watching him, but after a brief interaction he understands that the Thunderhead is possessing Jeri's body. After a brief touch of Greyson's cheek, the Thunderhead can move forward and it abandons Jeri's body. Jeri wakes up being held by Greyson and panics, knocking him to the deck. Jeri wants to keep looking at Greyson, doesn't want to let go of his hand. 

In a post chapter, Scythe Kurosawa talks down on LoneStar scythes. 

46

Rowan stalks Scythe Kurosawa, but is intercepted by a bot who claims to give him better chances, as Kurosawa knows he is there. The bot goes by Cirrus. 

A harbor master is suspicious about a cargo ship with no final destination, so he boards. On it he finds our gang. Anastasia reveals herself and grants him immunity for his silence and letting them carry on. The harbor master, wanting more than immunity, affixes a tracker on their ship and reports them to Goddard. 

Welcome to our penultimate discussion of Children of Ruin! Are we enjoying our adventure? 😏

Please note that any spoilers from the remainder of this book/series, or any other outside work should be marked with spoiler tags. Use the format > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces) to hide your text.

Here are the links for the schedule and the marginalia.

Summary

Present 4: The Face of the Waters

Ch. 1

Our "Present" Paul reflects on his confinement, and is not happy about it.  He avoids Helena and Portia in the next cell, until Helena starts showing a violent display of emotions.  Paul is able to understand her somewhat, noticing the subtle change in her skin tone, and the postures she makes, which inadvertently get translated on her tablet as angry and sad.  Paul interprets that she is grieving, and feels a connection to this, realizing that the human is a fellow intelligent creature.  Paul decides to interact with them with calming colors and gestures, until a newcomer appears in the observation tank, speaking of the forbidden things.  This octopus is from the Extreme Science Party, and Paul is angry and afraid of her.

Ch. 2

Helena is exhausted by her emotional outburst, and Portia tries to comfort her, but what Helena wants is Human contact.  A sort of air bubble portal appears in the wall, and they decide to go through it, feeling they don't have much of a choice.  Helena struggles to move in the air bubble and tumbles through the water, all the while wondering how their captors have managed to survive their tumultuous ways.  They are shunted through a sort of pipe into a new, plastic bubble that is suspended amid a congress of octopodes.  Helena tries to make sense of what they may be saying, but there are too many, and Portia notices that they have various factions.  Helena watches as they change allegiances, win over a group and then switch again, like memes fighting.  She realizes they have rotated so that the planet is in view below.  Screens appear that show the surface of the planet, with things in the waves, trying to take the shape of a tentacle, and even a human face.  The entire planet has been overtaken by something.

Ch. 3

Fabian wakes up in a fugue state, not being clear where he is or even who he is.  The one thing he can remember as he comes to, is Meshner, who is gone.  He realizes that him and Viola are contained in the Lightfoot, and Viola is wounded but taking care of herself.  He knows they must not be in space anymore, and concludes they must be on the surface of the planet (Nod) that they were orbiting when they were attacked.  He worries about the infectious substance they came into contact with, but Viola says they are inviolate.  Kern is working on repairs, but tells them about the Quarantine section she has located, with Zaine in it.  It's systems are failing, Zaine is alive and requesting a replacement environment suit, and Artifabian cannot be detected.

Fabian suits up and heads outside the ship, where he sees some of the natural fauna and is skeeved out by it.  At the same time, he reflects that this experience will the the Understanding that he passes down, being the first Portiid in this alien landscape.  He arrives at the quarantine pod and is surprised when Artifabian comes out, holding an unconscious/injured Zaine.  He finds he is able to communicate with Artifabian, despite Artifabian not being able to connect to Kern.  

As they are transporting Zaine back to the ship, a strange fast-moving creature approaches them, something that scares the sessile flower-like organisms around them.  Fabian uses his best threat-display, and the creature stops and finds another target.  Inside the ship, another quarantine zone is made for Zaine and Artifabian, while Fabian goes back outside.  He notices the landscape behind them, with cave-like structures and strange volcanic-like blocks and jags.  Kern announces that she has made contact with Meshner still in the station, while Fabian announces his revelation that the upslope outside is a city.

Ch. 4

After the The Great Cephalopod Conference, Helena and Portia are transported to an air-filled room with a makeshift Old Empire terminal and a strange portrait of Disra Senkovi.  In the next chamber are a dozen octopuses, including the ambassador-prisoner.  This one is attempting to communicate with them, so Helena connects her slate to the terminal and tries to understand what they have to say.  They know about the Voyager and its location, as well as the fate of the Lightfoot.  They are proposing a journey onto the other planet, and they want Helena and Portia to join them.

Ch. 5

Back on Nod, Viola works on the ship & taking care of Zaine, while Fabian sends a drone out to investigate the strange city.  He notices that it is arranged like a typical human city, like a grid, but instead of being built up, like humans tend to do, it was carved down.  He sends the drone further away, and sees an even bigger city in the red desert.  He sees a lone humanoid shape in this city, built of shells and pieces of rock.  It does not move like a human, but seems to be a poor copy of one, complete with a helmet.  As he withdraws the drone, the figure breaks apart.

Ch. 6

Kern is splitting herself between the Lightfoot, a drone, and the station orbiting the planet.  She senses Meshner's implant, and wants to enter it, despite already being stretched so thin.  She considers why she wants to do this so badly, and has several theories.  She probes the implant cautiously at first, noting that Meshner's brain is very active.  She debates probing deeper, knowing that she is risking the lives of the remaining Lightfoot crew.  In the end, she is Avrana Kern, and Avrana Kern takes charge and goes in.

Ch. 7

Helena and Portia wonder what exactly the cephalopods want them for, with Portia grimly suggesting Helena could be used as a live host for the Nodan organism.  The octopi begin preparing a ship, complete with an air-filled, gel-walled sphere for Helena and Portia.  Helena notes that the octopuses currently making these arrangements grow frantic, as another faction has come along to delay them.  Soon enough though, they are accelerating out of orbit and towards the other planet.  On the way, they come across another larger ship, and through some feat of magic physics are joined to it.  Portia attempts to do the math, but ultimately comes to the conclusion that Portiids could never build technology like this.  Helena sees the ambassador in the next chamber, which is white with fear.  There are two more ships attempting to stop them, the Profundity of Depth and the Shell That Echoes Only that attacked the Lightfoot.

Ch. 8

Meshner is running from something, sometimes on two legs, sometimes on eight, outside of time.  He is running through memories, first of his mother, who lived on the human Reservation on Kern's World, unable to adapt to living with the Portiids.  He feels the shame he felt when other kids made fun of his Mad Mum, and remembers how it was because of her that he wanted to study Portiid Understandings.  Now the thing chasing him is masquerading as his mother, and he runs faster, until he breaks through to another memory, this one one of Fabian's inherited Understandings of running away from a group of Portiid huntresses.  He jumps to another memory, of when he was almost passed up for a research post, then to Fabian dancing for a female, feeling shame, dread, and self-loathing.  Suddenly he is in a place he doesn't recognize, a completely alien world, but he is no longer being chased.  Instead, a half-formed apparition of Lante appears in front of him, before he feels a hand grabbing him and dragging him away.

Ch. 9

 These-of-We have found something unexpected after using what it has learned before to insert itself into a new vessel's brain.  These-of-We are going on another adventure.

Ch. 10

Paul stubbornly ignores the Human and Portiid in the next chamber, after being coerced into playing ambassador again.  He wants to escape, but there's the tiny issue of the vacuum of space and a warship coasting beside them.  His Reach begins to form a solution to his problems, and he decides now he does want to talk to the aliens.  He signals to Helena, and sends her a jumbled mass of Senkovi files.  At first they make no sense to her, but when Portia realizes they just need to be put into order, a pattern emerges.  Through the recording of Senkovi speaking and interacting with the octopuses, she is able to piece together a message from Paul that is somewhat human.  This is the first time that one of the octopi have tried to communicate back to her, and she finally feels a connection with Paul.

Ch. 11

Back on the Lightfoot, Artifabian tends to Zaine, while Viola tries to wrest computing power from Kern, who has gone AWOL.  Viola notices that Kern is devoting a large portion of her power up the gravity well, and she doesn't understand why, but the ant colony is dying off and their systems are starting to fail because of it.  Suddenly, they get a comms signal that turns out to be Portia.  Viola tells her to offer their knowledge of the infectious organism from Lante, the thing the octopuses fear, in exchange for their rescue.

Viola sets Fabian the task of making sense of the Lante files.  He arranges them chronologically, first with the recognizably Old Empire human scientific style pointing to the original, real Lante, which devolve into gibberish and incoherent ramblings, before becoming something more similar to the original Lante, but different enough.  He reads all of her research, and notes the unique arrangement of hereditary material of Nodan life, which takes up 0.1% of the space occupied by the genetic material of Earth-life.  Fabian dismisses this as part of the irrational Lante, but Viola sees it as Nodan Understandings. 

Later, in a moment of downtime, Viola and Zaine discuss this epiphany, and Fabian asserts his place in the conversation as well.  Artifabian describes how the organism is encoding memory and experience into its genetic structure, and has enough storage capacity to upload a human consciousness.  Viola describes Zaine's idea that the parasite has tried rebuilding the dead Lante from memory, and possibly believed itself to be Lante.  Fabian agrees, but remarks that this information is encoded into every single cell of the parasite, copied out in each generation.  Finally, Zaine remarks that now it will do the same thing with Meshner.

Hello Chambers fans we are diving into the Monk and Robot series soon and I for one cannot wait. We begin A Psalm for the Wild-Built next week woo!!

See you soon :)

What is a Marginalia post for?

This post is a place for you to put your marginalia as we read. Scribbles, comments, glosses (annotations), critiques, doodles, illuminations, or links to related - none discussion worthy - material. Anything of significance you happen across as we read. As such this is likely to contain spoilers from other users reading futher ahead in the novel. We prefer, of course, that it is hidden or at least marked (massive spoilers/spoilers from chapter 10...you get the idea).

Marginalia are you observations. They don't need to be insightful or deep. Why marginalia when we have discussions?

• Sometimes its nice to just observe rather than over analyse a book.
• They are great to read back on after you have progressed further into the novel.
• Not everyone reads at the same pace and it is nice to have somewhere to comment on things here so you don't forget by the time the discussions come around.

#MARGINALIA - How to post???

• Start with the book name (marginalia are used for an entire book series), general location (early in chapter 4/at the end of chapter 2/ and so on).
• Write your observations, or
• Copy your favorite quotes, or
• Scribble down your light bulb moments, or
• Share you predictions, or
• Link to an interesting side topic.

Note: Spoilers from other books should always be under spoiler tags

As always, any questions or constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged. The post will be flaired and linked in the schedule so you can find it easily, even later in the read. Have at it people!

Happy reading 📚

Welcome to our first discussion of Assassin’s Quest.  This week, we will discuss the beginning through chapter 6. Next week, u/Meia_Ang will be back with chapters 7-12.  The Marginalia post is here. You can find the Schedule here.  

 Discussion questions are below.  Please use spoiler tags to hide anything that was not part of these chapters. You can mark spoilers using the format > ! Spoiler text here !< (without any spaces between the characters themselves or between the characters and the first and last words). 

*****CHAPTER SUMMARIES:*****

PROLOGUE - THE UNREMEMBERED:

FitzChivalry reflects on writing the history that he has been working on, which he worries has veered more into a history of himself than of the Six Duchies.  His memories are not all painful, but he has more tragic and violent stories to share than the average person might, such as his torture and murder at the hands of Regal.  He hasn’t gone by his real name since Patience claimed his body and Chade rescued him from the coffin.  Even more painful are the missing memories - the lives of his friends and loved ones who he has never seen since his life ended, and all the things he has missed in the intervening years which he can never get back.  Writing this history distracts him from that pain and gives him a purpose.  

CHAPTER 1 - GRAVEBIRTH:

The Chalced States keep slaves, but the Six Duchies forbid it, so those who are freed from the Chalced States often end up making a new life in one of the duchies.  A folktale brought to the duchies by a slave was the source of Burrich’s inspiration for saving Fitz from Regal’s dungeon by poisoning him.  It tells of a Witted girl who died of sorrow when her parents forbade her to marry her true love.  She was bonded to a she-bear who kept her spirit and dug up her grave, then transferred the girl’s spirit back to her body so she could live again.  After this gravebirth, the girl was never quite fully human again, having lived as a she-bear for so long, and was rejected by her lover.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Like the girl in the story, Fitz is more beast than man at first.  Burrich (who he refers to as Heart of the Pack) has to teach him to eat patiently with a spoon, make conversation, speak out loud, and mend rather than gnaw the leather harnesses.  Fitz resists all of his old memories and suffers many seizures.  Chade comes to the shepherd’s cottage where they are hiding, bringing supplies and checking on Fitz’s progress.  He and Burrich discuss the state of the duchies:  Regal has stripped Buckkeep to the bone and abandoned it, Verity is still missing, and the duchies are vulnerable to the Red Ship raiders who will undoubtedly return with the spring.  Patience believes Burrich abandoned Fitz and now she despises him.  She and Lacey have been discussing how to get wool for a baby’s blanket, so Chade believes they may know about Kettricken’s escape.  While they haven’t heard from the Queen or the Fool, they assume the pair have made it to the Mountain Kingdom. (King Eyod has been tightlipped about any knowledge of his daughter.)  Chade tries to get Fitz to scry with a bowl of water (because if he has Wit and Skill,  why not other powers?), but he can’t see anything.  Burrich tries to loosen him up by getting him drunk and it is then that Verity speaks to Fitz with the Skill, letting the trio know that Verity is cold but alive.

Slowly Fitz starts to get his memories back.  He remembers his friends from Buckkeep, his knowledge of plants and herbs, and even Molly.  Finally, he asks Burrich to explain what happened on the night of the failed escape.  Burrich relates how Regal had known their plan all along and how he was only able to help Kettricken and the Fool at the last minute because of the horses (Sooty and Ruddy) that he had hidden with the blacksmith.  When Burrich laments that he and Chade have been unable to figure out who betrayed them to Regal, Fitz confesses that he made the error of talking in front of Kettricken’s little maid, Rosemary, who had apparently been spying for Regal.  It was his own fault. With this admission, Fitz comes fully back to himself and allows his fear and painful memories to return, including those from his imprisonment and death.  He suffers terrible nightmares and prefers to sleep in the daytime when he can dream of Molly more peacefully.  Burrich and Fitz have run out of money and supplies.  They can get by on the game they hunt for a short time, but they’ll need a better plan soon.  Burrich could find work in Buckkeep Town but Fitz must never show his face there again.  Burrich warns him that if he does, people will think that his return from the dead confirms Regal’s stories about the Wit, and they will kill him more completely the second time around.  Chade visits again and is relieved to see that Fitz is back to his old self.  He is happy to know they made the right decision to save Fitz from death.  Fitz secretly believes his fate actually is worse than dying.  

CHAPTER 2 - THE PARTING:

Regal had stripped Buckkeep bare of everything he could manage to move inland.  Abandoning the coast, he moved to Tradeford Castle in Farrow and it was rumored that when his Council of Nobles disapproved, Regal said he wished the Outislanders luck in their raiding of the coastal duchies (although Regal denied saying this).  He left his nephew, Lord Bright, to hold Buckkeep in his absence.  With no money or provisions at Buckkeep, Lord Bright was forced to wring what he needed from the common folk, raising taxes and straining the people to the breaking point.  Raiders also continued to plague the coast.  Many abandoned their homes and towns, moving inland and supporting themselves by any means possible, often in unsavory ways, and trade collapsed.  When the King of the Mountain Kingdom denied knowledge of his daughter and said the Queen of the Six Duchies was not their concern, Regal cut off trade with them as well.  Lady Patience was also left behind by Regal, and she soon became known as the Lady of Buckkeep.  Although the soldiers were supposed to report to Lord Bright’s commander, the heads of Kettricken’s and King Shrewd’s guards as well as the Buckkeep guard mostly reported to Patience.  Regal continued to worry about his claim to the throne even after crowning himself King, so he had messengers searching far and wide for Kettricken and her unborn child, who would be next in the line of succession.  He also spread rumors that Verity had not been the father.   

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Chade and Fitz try to keep their conversations light, but eventually they discuss how much Fitz knows about the state of things.  When Fitz mentions again that Verity is alive, Chade is shocked because he and Burrich had not taken Ftiz’s earlier pronouncement seriously.  He pushes Fitz to try Skilling to Verity again, but Fitz is so panicked by this that he heeds Nighteyes’ urging to run away.  Taking solace in Nighteyes’ companionship, Fitz ponders his choice:  live as a wolf and care only for the present moment, or live as a man and learn to deal with the emotions and pressures that come with having a past and a future.  Reluctantly, he realizes he must choose the human world, and Fitz returns to the cottage.  Burrich and Chade are waiting for him and they look worried rather than angry.  This time, it is Burrich who pushes Fitz too far when he insists that Fitz confront the question of what he would be if he gives up being a King’s man.  Fitz has his big “I don’t want to be like you, dad, and I didn’t ask to be (grave)born!” moment, and it is brutal.  He really shreds his relationship with Burrich, who quietly stands and leaves the cottage.  Chade expresses his disappointment and disapproval, but also listens when Fitz declares that he has been everyone’s “boy” for so long that he doesn’t know how to make decisions for himself.  Chade points out that Fitz has been doing nothing but choosing his own way (selfishly ignoring all advice about working as an assassin, leaving Molly alone, or avoiding a bond with Nighteyes).  But he also understands that Fitz needs to grow up and become independent rather than taking orders from the adults who raised him.  Chade goes out to talk to Burrich, and they agree to let Fitz go off on his own.  They have their own dangerous mission to pursue, and including Fitz when he is so volatile would only make it riskier.  

When Burrich returns, Fitz tries to make peace but Burrich says he was spot on.  Then he tells Fitz his life story.  Burrich grew up in the Chalced States, raised by his mother and his grandmother (who was a former slave).  He bonded early with a stray dog named Slash, not learning to speak until the dog died when he was eight years old.  His grandmother helped him survive, and he became a thief by using the skills he’d learned from Slash.  When the plague killed his family, Burrich became a soldier and gained a reputation for brutality. Eventually, his group lost a battle and he spent almost a year as a slave before escaping to the Six Duchies.  He worked as a soldier there, too, but preferred the company of the horses to his fellow soldiers.  He bonded with Neco, a stallion that was sold and then died of disease, and he developed a drinking habit (as well as a penchant for fighting).  Eventually, he was hired by Chivalry’s army.  Despite being brought before the Prince for discipline three times for drunken brawling, he was not dismissed because Chivalry recognized something in Burrich.  First, he challenged Burrich to a fight and won; later, he taught Burrich to live as a man and to build a future, putting him in charge of the stables.  

After telling his story, Burrich acknowledges that Fitz has to learn these lessons himself and must be given the space to mature and decide who he wants to be.  They will part ways in the morning.  Burrich will go stay with a friend who needs his help, because she lives alone and could use support.  (He insists it isn’t at all romantic.  It’s gotta be Molly, right?!)  Fitz doesn’t know what he’ll do; he acknowledges that pursuing Molly would be selfish (as he now knows it was all along) but he isn’t sure he considers himself a King’s man anymore, either.  As they settle in for the night, Fitz realizes that he now has the freedom to do what he really wants, like killing Regal.  

CHAPTER 3 - THE QUEST:  

Fitz provides a review of the characteristics of the Skill, which are most strongly held by members of the Farseer line but can also be found in distant relatives or those with both Outislander and Six Duchies heritage.  The pluses:  you can communicate across distances with your friends and sway the minds of your enemies (or friends) to fit your own purposes.  The minuses:  it takes a huge amount of energy to Skill, and it creates a euphoria that makes it hard to stop Skilling, leaving the practitioner a drooling baby.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fitz and Burrich say their goodbyes, and Fitz finds himself torn between wanting to be independent and wishing things could go back to the way they were.  He realizes he will never again experience his old relationships with Burrich…or with Verity, Chade, Molly, or Patience.  Everything is different now.  After hugging and wishing each other luck, Burrich departs and Fitz begins preparations for his own journey.  He’ll travel on foot to Tradeford so he can try to kill Regal.  It’s only fair, seeing as Regal already killed him.  Fitz gathers herbs, smokes fish, and dries meat.  This annoys Nighteyes, who doesn’t understand the need to prepare for the future or to hunt an (inedible) man.  Fitz explains that he can’t live as prey forever, so he must become the hunter.  He compares Regal to the cruel trapper who killed Nighteyes’ family and caged him.  This appeases Nighteyes enough that he agrees to come along with Fitz.  Fitz decides there’s no harm in giving himself a little extra healing time, so he lingers at the cottage and enjoys rabbit hunting with Nighteyes.  

One night, a terrible dream wakens him in terror over memories of being beaten in a pool of his own blood.  He goes back to the cottage and discovers that he has been out “wolfing” not for days, but possibly weeks.  Everything is musty, rusted, and rotting.  Fitz is dirtier than he’s ever been.  He hastily bathes and tries to resume life as a man, then discovers that Burrich has been back to the cottage and left him clothes and money.  Ashamed at backsliding after all of Burrich’s warnings and hard work to re-train him for human life, Fitz sends Nighteyes hunting so he can consider what purpose might keep him on the human path.  He begins to question whether blindly seeking revenge on Regal is the right thing to do when Verity has reached out with the Skill, a sure call for help that was not answered.  In a panic, Fitz tries to Skill to Verity and successfully connects, finding his King weak and fading, so he offers his own strength.  Verity revives, but Fitz knows this is temporary.  They exchange the barest of details - Verity is in the mountains, Fitz must complete his mission before he can join him - and then Verity breaks their connection with a warning that their enemies will be seeking them if they Skill, and those enemies are brutal.  Fitz knows about this danger more than anyone, which makes him realize how much Verity doesn’t know:  since Verity left to seek the Elderlings he has missed Kettricken’s pregnancy and escape, Shrewd’s and Fitz’s deaths, and so much more!  Exhausted, Fitz wishes he could search out Molly with his Skilling, but knows this would be foolish.  He wonders if it would be better to have chosen the life of a wolf so he could avoid such painful emotions.  Little does he know that Nighteyes’ howl expresses loneliness and despair.  

CHAPTER 4 - THE RIVER ROAD:

Buck is the oldest of the Six Duchies, and it has two major sources of wealth.  Its long coastline provides rich fishing grounds, and the Buck River is a busy trade route that connects Buck with the Inland Duchies, the Chalced States, the Bingtown Traders, and the Mountain Kingdom.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fitz sleeps at the cottage one more night and prepares to leave the next morning.  He washes at the stream and then returns to gather his belongings.  Three Forged men surprise him.  They have already eaten a lot of his food and gone through his things, and when they see Fitz, they complain that he “dreams too loud” and attack him.  The blows cause Fitz to panic, flashing back to his abuse at the hands of Regal’s men.  He runs away after stabbing one of the Forged men, hiding in the brambles for hours while Nighteyes tries to comfort him.  Fitz tries to convince himself that it was smart and not cowardly to run.  He doesn’t feel safe staying in the cottage and so they set out immediately on their journey, walking and hunting by night.  Fitz has the outline of a plan - travel the river road to Farrow, then kill Regal when he gets to Tradeford - but he refuses to plot out the details of how he’ll accomplish any of it.  From his time as a wolf, Fitz has learned to take each day as it comes.  

As they travel, Fitz is worried and disappointed to see that the inland areas of Buck are struggling as much as the coastal parts.  People are unfriendly, wary, and poor.  One evening, they come to a town where Fitz can hear music as he washes by the river.  He is tempted to spend time with other people, especially after realizing in despair that he has lost his pin that King Shrewd gave him. Sending Nighteyes to wait on the other side of the town, Fitz ventures into a tavern where a family of minstrels is entertaining the customers.  He uses more of his coin than he’d planned, first buying himself ale, then a meal, and then a round of drinks for the musicians.  Harper Josh and the singers, Honey and Piper, are happy to fill Fitz in on the dismal news from the struggling duchy (and Honey is eager to flirt by giving Fitz a hard time).  Lord Bright continually raises taxes and his collectors take whatever they want for themselves.  Patience is the only one holding the duchy together and has done everything she can to fund its protection, including selling the family jewels and her inherited lands.  Regal has put a bounty on the Pocked Man, who is accused of high treason for having a hand in Queen Kettricken’s disappearance and for spurring the coastal dukes to resist Regal in anticipation of Verity’s return.  Panicking, Fitz knows that Regal must be on Chade’s trail, but he has no way of knowing what his old mentor’s plan was or whether he is somewhere safe.  The minstrels ask Fitz for details about himself and he is forced to stumble his way through a series of bad lies:  he passes himself off as Cob, a down-on-his-luck scribe who has been traveling alone and living outdoors in the forests.  The minstrel family explains that Forged ones are a constant threat, even this far up the river roads, and the patrols are more concerned about catching smugglers than protecting travelers.  Josh, who is blind, begs Fitz Cob to travel with them and help protect his family.  Although Fitz tries to explain that he prefers traveling at night and isn’t good at fighting, Josh won’t take no for an answer and Fitz finds himself out of excuses.  He tells Nighteyes through the Wit that he’ll be late to their rendezvous, and the wolf will need to follow him unseen for a few days.  

CHAPTER 5 - CONFRONTATIONS:

Fitz clarifies the Wit based on what he has learned from his studies.  It isn’t a perversion or flaw, nor is it a fanciful power that lets you control all animals (although those with the Wit may be aware of nearby animals).  The Wit seems to be a mutual recognition of the humanity within each animal and the animal nature within each person, which allows the person with the Wit to form a strong connection with a specific animal.  This allows them to communicate, and it leads to a pledged loyalty.   

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fitz and the musicians spend the night in a barn, which makes Fitz homesick for Burrich and the stables.  He cannot sleep and neither can Honey.  At first, they bond over their nightmares, but then Honey tries to put the moves on Fitz and he gets uncomfortable.  He misses Molly and tries to explain to Honey that he’s lost someone he loved, but she feels rejected.  Fitz sleeps poorly after this and at some point he can feel Will groping around for him with the Skill.  He is so close that Fitz panics and slides sideways into the mind of an 11-year-old boy hiding from Raiders in Grimsmire Town in Bearns Duchy.  The boy is killed by a Raider and Fitz slides again, this time to witness a family struggling to save one of their children while the father barely fights off Raiders.  Suddenly, the dying father has a burst of strength and wins the struggle, and Fitz realizes that Verity is Skilling into townspeople as well, helping them fight back.  Verity warns Fitz that doing this - which he calls Skillwalking - is too dangerous for him, and wonders how Fitz even learned to do it in the first place.  Verity shoves Fitz back to his own consciousness.

The next morning, hung over from his Skill-nightmare, Fitz takes elfbark before joining the musicians for the next leg of their journey.  As they walk, Piper is working on memorizing a long poem called “Crossfire’s Sacrifice”, which Fitz knows because it tells of Queen Vision’s coterie who sacrificed their lives in a crucial battle.  He impresses Josh (and annoys Honey) with his own excellent recitation.  Over dinner, the girls press Fitz for details about his lost loved ones, so he says his grandfather died and then his wife left him because he didn’t give her any reason to stay.  That night, Honey tries once more to seduce him and is again rejected.  Fitz declares that he will accompany them only to the next town before going his own way, which disappoints Josh.  The next day as they walk, Nighteyes alerts Fitz to the presence of Forged men approaching them from around the bend, but it is too late to run and hide.  Fitz and the girls prepare to fight, while Josh angrily stands his ground.  Nighteyes distracts a straggler with a sword, Fitz takes on the more skilled fighter of the group, and Piper and Honey hold off the third Forged man.  At first, Fitz is too scared to do anything but defend himself.  He only takes the offensive when Nighteyes is wounded by the Forged man’s sword, causing Fitz to worry about losing him in the same way he did Sooty.  Fitz quickly kills the man he is fighting, then runs off to help Nighteyes. Together, they kill the second Forged man and Fitz takes his sword, running back to the musicians when he hears Piper’s screams.  The largest Forged man has broken her arm and dazed Josh with a blow to the head, and now he is trying to rape Honey.  Fitz pushes him off of her and stabs him with the sword, but it is Honey who kills him with a blow to the head.  Exhausted and overwhelmed, the Skill and Wit somehow combine in Fitz as he reaches out to brush against the consciousnesses of the people he loves.  Then Honey kicks dirt on him and brings him back to himself.  She is furious that Fitz ran away from them because she thinks none of their injuries would have occurred had he intervened immediately.  Even later, when they discover that when he ran into the woods he recovered the sword he used on their attacker, Honey cannot let her anger go.  Fitz tends to their wounds but decides he is done explaining himself and dealing with other people.  He lets Nighteyes know that this is the last night he’ll be traveling with other humans.  From now on, it’s just the two of them.  

Exhausted, Fitz falls asleep and in his loneliness and despair, he Skillwalks in his dreams to seek his loved ones.  He can’t seem to find Molly, but he observes Burrich sleeping at someone’s hearth, lean and tan from hours of field labor.  He watches Patience angrily lecturing Lord Bright about the defense of Buck’s coastline.  He catches a wisp of Verity’s Skilling as he sends a warning that Fitz should watch out, and then all of a sudden he is in the grasp of Will, who has discovered them both.  Will gloats over how he will tell Regal that they are both alive, and how he will use Fitz’s strength to find and destroy Verity.  Fitz feels his strength being siphoned away by Will, just as Justin and Serene did when they killed King Shrewd.  Suddenly, Nighteyes comes to Fitz’s aid and attacks Will through the Wit, allowing Fitz to break the Skill connection and escape Will’s grasp.  He is greatly weakened but manages to stumble to the stream for water to make elfbark tea, where he meets Nighteyes and holds onto him for comfort.  Nighteyes understands now why they must hunt and kill Regal and the coterie.   

CHAPTER 6 - THE WIT AND THE SKILL:

Minstrels and scribes are the record keepers of the Six Duchies.  They hold knowledge not just of sweeping histories and epic events but of the small changes and important details about the small towns and individual families they come across.  Minstrels may be consulted about their knowledge of things others have forgotten, like family lineage and long-term promises.  Scribes provide the written record of these details by charging fees to record births, weddings, property deals, inheritances, or promised dowries.  A minstrel will often make their mark as a witness to what the scribe has recorded.  To be assured of garnering a favorable position in the historical record and being remembered as generous, noble families care for scribes and minstrels by providing them winter quarters and supporting them in old age.   

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fitz says goodbye to Josh at Crowsneck, the next town they come to along the road.  Honey is too angry to acknowledge Fitz, and Piper just seems confused.  As Fitz is leaving, a drunken man wanders through the square, loudly singing a song that mocks King Regal and mythologizes the reign of King Shrewd.  The City Guard immediately accosts the man and beats him.  Fitz wants to step in and defend him, but an old woman warns him that if the guards are made angry they will kill the man instead of beating him.  The City Guard leave the man lying in the street and take his purse, telling the crowd that Black Rolf has been fined and punished for the crime of treasonously mocking the King.  As Fitz prepares to leave, he hears a voice much like the Wit which implores him to help Black Rolf as a fellow man of “Old Blood”.  Fitz decides to help the drunk to the river to wash himself.  As Black Rolf cleans up, a she-bear approaches them.  Fitz is worried until Rolf explains that the bear is his companion.  He invites Fitz and Nighteyes back to their home.  Although wary, they follow Rolf to his cabin where he lives with Hilda the bear, his wife Holly, and her bonded companion Sleet, a hawk.  Nighteyes will only come to the door, not inside.  

The Old Blood family feed Fitz and Nighteyes and explain their background.  Rolf comes from an Old Blood family that were proud of their gift.  He was taught how to use the powers others call the Wit, a term which Old Blood families do not use, and he went on a quest in the forest to search out the animal he would bond with.  He and Hilda selected each other.  Old Blood families teach their children a rich collection of traditions and ensure that they marry a partner who also has the Old Blood gift.  Rolf offers to teach Fitz all the knowledge and skills he lacks over a few months, if he’ll agree to stay with them, but Fitz insists he has to hurry in pursuit of a task that will not wait.  Rolf knows all about his plot to kill King Regal, which he and Holly approve of since the King and his men openly persecute the Old Blood people (another thing for Fitz to feel guilty about).  He explains to Fitz that his Wit conversations with Nighteyes are done in a crude and clunky manner, essentially shouting for every Witted mammal to hear, so that nothing they say to each other is private.  Holly and Rolf are also aware of Fitz’s fight with the Forged men, as well as the attack by Will.  Rolf explains that Forged ones have the kinship warmth of living creatures stolen from them and this causes them to seek out and attack Old Blood people and their bonded animals.  With Fitz and Nighteyes Wit-shouting at each other as they travel, they’re likely to continue drawing the Forged to them unless they agree to learn from Rolf and Holly.  The Old Blood couple also wants to learn how to use their Old Blood gifts to repel a Skill attack, as Nighteyes and Fitz did with Will, but Fitz insists he cannot teach them what he doesn’t totally understand himself.  They again urge Fitz to take the time to learn with them and master his gifts, as well as figure out the Skill-Wit combat tactic that could save so many Old Blood people.  When Fitz politely refuses, they predict that he will return to them before long because he’ll need to fill in the gaps in his knowledge and training.  Holly promises Fitz that if he runs into trouble, he can call out with his Wit communication to any Old Blood in his area and they will either aid him or send word to her, and she will come to help.  Rolf’s final warning is that if Fitz thinks Crowsneck was bad, with the King’s men replacing the local City Guard and abusing the citizens, he’ll be shocked at the much more dire state of things in Farrow.  And with that, Fitz and Nighteyes head out on the road again.

Link to schedule

Welcome!

And here we are, the final material of the Earthsea series! I hope you enjoyed our time together and that I was successful in illuminating the Earthsea series and its themes. Thank you for participating! Without further ado:

• Stories with example discussion questions will go in their own header comment, but please feel free to add your own and/or your own reading impressions like before!

Summaries

The Word of Unbinding

Festin, a great natural mage, finds himself trapped in a magical prison of darkness, and despite repeated attempts to escape is always sent back to the dungeon. Remembering the stories that his enemy's victims spend eternity trying to escape their prisons and that his enemy of spreading death is unseen he magically calls on the word of Unbinding on himself and goes to the land of death. There, calling Voll, he finds a shadow of him which he follow-chases to a dry river bed wherein lays a dead man. Festin forces the shadow to enter the body where it disappears, back to the grave in the natural world, and Festin stands guard in this place until the body decays into obliviousness, slowly forgetting his own home.

In-depth Summary

The Rule of Names

Mr. Underhill is not a very good mage but is the only one performing magic for the village on the small Sattins Island. On an errand he overhears a school lesson about magic, which he finishes himself, that states that the truename of a thing is the thing itself, and so to speak it is to control the thing itself. Later that day, a foreign boat arrives with a single occupant, which the old captain of the village knows means it's a wizard, yet when he appears it seems he is just a charismatic peddler, whom the village name as Blackbeard. About a week later Blackbeard has tea with the village gossip and her nephew, Birt, and learns a lot about Mr. Underhill who arrived some five years back. The next day, Blackbeard is working on his boat and asks about Mr. Underhill's, whom Birt offers to introduce. On the way there, Blackbeard's hubris gets involved, and he tells a story to Birt about a dragon a hundred years ago which had taken over a pirate lord's island, Pendor, killing the lords and hoarding alongside their treasure and attacking nearby islands for people to eat, causing the island to be evacuated. Five years ago, the League, in need of money and also finding no profit in the attacks from the dragon to the other islands, attacks Pendor with their seven Mages, but find neither dragon nor treasure. Following the trail, they find an island with dragon bones, and surmise that a powerful mage must have killed it by theirself and absconded with the treasure, and so they hire Blackbeard to track it. However, Blackbeard is not just a powerful mage but actually a descendant of the pirate lords of Pendor, and with a powerful emerald he is able to track the treasure it belongs to, as well as learning the true name of Mr. Underhill via black magic, and he plans on getting the treasure back for himself. He brags to Birt to watch what will happen, and Birt does, though only after a beat and at a distance. Blackbeard arrives to the cave and calls Mr. Underhill out, and after a start Mr. Underhill changes form, with Blackbeard following, and this goes on until Mr. Underhill is a huge black dragon, whereby Blackbeard call him his true name, Yevaud, to control him. Nothing seems to change, and Yevaud said that is his truename but that this is also his true form. Blackbeard gets to ask about the dragon bones on the island and is told simply that they were another dragon's. Blackbeard is gruesomely killed, and Birt flees, not just the spot but the whole island, taking the schoolmistress with him. That would be the talk of the town, except the next day Mr. Underhill comes out of his cave, in his true form, tiring of the disguise since his truename is known, and eager for a real meal.

In-depth Summary

The Daughter of Odren

A woman visits a Standing Stone every morning, calling it father, promising revenge, and performing acts of care. Two figures, one an old man, one young, find the path to the stone but with some trouble, as if following half-remembered directions. Elsewhere, an innkeeper is telling a stranger a story (at the stranger's having heard one from the area), about a hired shipbuilding sorcerer, Ash, fifteen years ago or so seemingly taking over a ruling household after the lord of Odren, Lord Garnet, is presumed lost at sea (at the sorcerer's magical insistence) having gone to repel pirates. The children are ill-kept and there is a split in the family between the lady of Oren (with the sorcerer) and her children and eventually the daughter, disbelieving the sorcerer, even changes their names (from mirroring their parents' own names into Weed, the older daughter, and Clay, the younger son). The ship with the lord does return, but he and the ship mysteriously go missing that very night. Of note the children are also gone (which the Lady seems to take with more surprise than the lord missing), and they turn up at a farmer's, with the daughter refusing to go back with her brother to them. A short while later the son disappears from the farm, and it comes to light it is the daughter's doing for his safety, and the Lady is so incensed that she disowns her daughter and (in a punishment to fit the crime) orders the farmer, a low man, to marry her. Here it becomes clear that the stranger who is listening is involved in the story: her brother, Hovy, was the gardener that fled with the child (the daughter having seen the sorcerer set the ship adrift and perform magic to entrap the Lord into the Standing Stone) and now they have returned. The sister and brother reunite and the young man, now a sorcerer of sorts, says he has trained with a wizard from Roke at O-tokne and can turn their father back. But he also says that the wizard of O-tokne told him that it was the Lady who was a witch and controlled the sorcerer, not the other way around, and in fact it was his father's power that enabled him to be trapped in the stone in the first place. The sister can not believe this, having been there herself as it was done. Then he says he has a plan where they will go the stone, free their father, and with their father's power they will overthrow his mother. The sister can not believe the narrative or that there father had magical power. She also had a plan long formed, simpler and more violent, of distracting the sorcerer (with his cruelty) and ambushing him. But Clay won't hear this, and insinuates that Weed cannot know of the things he does having lived as she has, and to obey him as Lord of Odren. Here something interesting happens, where Weed talks of visions she has at nights, of their father's embrace, Ash's death, and a mass of people and flashing lights. Clay doesn't know what to make of this and reiterates his plan, yet Weed at least gets him to visit the stone in the morning instead of doing his plan (which doesn't really involve her) that very night. The next morning they visit the stone and the son weaves the spell but it becomes apparent (especially by paying attention to the daughter) that all is not well, instead of their father returning to normal the stone-mass Standing Man travels the path until it reaches the house of the lady and sorcerer. Weed slips past her mother and kills the sorcerer herself when he is distracted in trying to control the Standing Man, in a manner not dissimilar to they way she suggested Clay would kill him in her original plan. The lady asks what Ash had done, what her daughter just did, before the Standing Man embraces the lady and, carrying her a ways, plummets with her off of the cliff into the sea. Weed throws down the dagger and says that it (and it all) is Clay's. He asks where she is going, and she says home, returning to the farm. Her step daughter asks what happened to the sorcerer, and she responds that he is dead, as well as her mother, and adds, "'Poor soul.'" Her husband asks when she is going back (to the ruling estate) and she asks why would she, they have been kind to each other and she is free (though he says it is a "'poor freedom'"). She tells him to go to work (her brother being the master now, hopefully a kind one), and that she'll bring him lunch in the fields, mirroring the beginning of the story.

In-depth Summary

Firelight

Ged's mind drifts through various scenes. The times he entered the Dry Lands before that form of it was destroyed. Ged remembers the Mountains of Pain, and knows they are still there despite its changes. Ged watches firelight throw shadows on the rafters above his bed and listens to Tenar doing errands. He thinks of names and his power, now lost due to filling a rift Cob had opened. He thinks of his old life that he had to give up and his new one he made with his family. He thinks of his power and what being a man means, the chastity-power of the wizards and how sorcerers and witches don't do that. He thinks of witch's powers, often attributed to the Old Powers of the Earth. He thinks of fear about women, how his masters learned their craft from a witch, and he follows that to his own history when he first learned magic from his aunt Raki in Ten Alders. Tenar interrupts him, and after this he thinks of his difficulties and the often blundering way he went through life, the problems he created as a young mage. Tenar offers him soup, watching her, he thinks of their house's design as a witch's house. He gets a striking imagine of first meeting Tenar in the Tombs of Atuan, and he compares the wrong worship and fear there with the fear wizards have of witches, what that power is, and deeper, still, contemplating what he has learned from naturalness (including from dragons). Tenar offers him broth and they talk of his health, she warms him, and he wants to talk about how he wants to die (different from Ogion, but still that the forests are everywhere, which echoes the Immanent Grove) and he thinks about how he had wanting to leave this place as a boy and his returning (how much it meant). Ged is not sure if he said any of this, he's drifting, and he hears Tenar making a fire. Drifting. Ged is crawling through a tunnel like the tombs of Atuan, with sharp, black, Pain-like mountain stone, he cannot breathe, cannot wake. Ged wakes on the Lookfar, dizzy as he looks to the eastern horizon. A song, part of the beginning of the "O My Joy!" lullaby seems to sing itself to him (about wind on the sea before the creation of the islands), and there is a concussion of noise from the west/dizziness occurs as he looks as a dragon arrives. The last part of the song. The dragon swoops rocking the boat and tells him, "There is nothing to fear." Ged looks into its golden eye, laughs, and says there is, as the black mountains are there, and he sails west welcoming everything, sailing to the other wind, with other shores if he comes to them, "or if sea and shore were all the same at last, then the dragon spoke the truth, and there was nothing to fear".

In-depth Summary

Earthsea Revisited

No detailed summary, here's some theme of the lecture/essay more or less as they occur. Gendered heroism (hero-tales, heroic fantasy) in the Western cannon. Archetypes. Ideal of writers transcending gender. Masculine judgements of art. Earthsea as a children's series. Pushing against convention (eg, race). Hero vs heroine (linguistic implications), Tomb of Atuan. Gender power dynamics with examples ("The women of Earthsea have skills and powers and may be in touch with obscure earth forces, but they aren't wizards or mages."). Benefits/problem of writing in tradition. Masculinity in heroic tradition and sex. Feminism of the 70s and Tehanu, "revision[ing]". Tenar, her "virtue" (vir as man) as being worth to man, change of Tenar with knowledge of men. Evaluating Tenar's choice. Values/results and their obscurity (eg, no wise old men pointing out right and wrong). Addressing criticism of men in Tehanu, including Spark and the traditional punishment of Ged's (lack of) utility, traditional masculinity. Chastity and Earthsea, witches (power and their sexuality?), women's work and its "invisibility" (taken for granted). Interdependence of men with women or the lack of. Separation of men and women and its mirroring eg in social structures. Tenar, then Ged's, bargain (leaving Ogion, Ged's power). Power and freedom, Tenar's refusal of sacrifice and her selves. Contingent freedom, Tenar and Ged exhibiting gendered role (invasion example). Ending of Tehanu, renunciation of tradition and malevolence of institutionalized power. A new thing (Tehanu), her Otherness. "Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight?" Therru's perception. Fan's fan and double vision. Wilderness and dragons, their mysteriousness to Le Guin. More about dragons, including the dragon bracelet anecdote (which she includes in her last story). Anger of the dragon, meeting fire of human rage. Dragon as subversion of (gendered) order of oppression. Therru's "ungender[ing]", Ged and Tenar's conventionally, too, with age. Kalessin's gender. "Politicizing" of Earthsea. Eyes and gender (woman's evil eye). Failure of (to) children and one as a guide to a dragon (change). How Le Guin wrote Tehanu, figuratively (eg, planning) and literally.

Note: Example discussion questions by story heading in the comments! See the "Welcome" section which also contains information about the format.

On a tense night, at least here we can call the vote early! Thank you for all your interesting nominations and votes!

Drumroll please...the winner of the November Poetry Discovery vote is...

Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith !!

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In second place, by only 3 votes down, Bestiary: Poems by Donika Kelly, which will go into our Wheel of Chance.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A schedule will go up shortly so I hope you will join us on this Discovery Read! Otherwise, check out all the other great reads we are starting this November ! Hope to see you in the discussion and join us in outer space!

Salvete omnes and welcome back to the third and penultimate discussion for Pandora by Anne Rice, covering chapter 6 through 8.

You ever not slept for three days, randomly started writing in Egyptian hieroglyphs and then raced up a hill to break up a fight between vampires? Me neither. Also, Pandora getting all excited about being adopted by Akasha has me picturing how she’s going to walk around town from now on.

Please mark major plot points from past books that are not mentioned in this book (yet) as spoilers to give newcomers the gift of suspense (see r/bookclub’s spoiler policy). Or, if you’ve read ahead and are about to burst like a vampire in the sun, you can always comment in the Marginalia or check the Schedule with links to the next discussions.

Below you'll find a short summary and some archaic tidbits. 🕸️

See you in the comments! 🧛

Summary

Pandora is led back into the temple, where she meets a mysterious, concealed man who’s eager to learn more about her dreams. To earn her trust, he reveals telepathically that it was Lucius who plotted to kill her and her family. Pandora is shocked but equally irritated by the invasion of privacy. The man then warns her about a burnt man who’s been terrorizing the city and leaving bodies at the doors of the Cult of Isis. This burned man, it turns out, has also been sending her those disturbing dreams, while Isis, the Queen herself, has also been speaking to Pandora telepathically. The man urges her to flee the city, but Pandora refuses. She storms out of the temple, only to run into Lucius and a group of soldiers, who have come to execute her. Thinking fast, Pandora uses her wit and charm to convince them that Lucius isn’t to be trusted, and the tables turn - Lucius is killed instead. With that subplot unexpectedly fast wrapped up, she heads home with Flavius, only to find the mysterious man waiting there for her. Tadaa, it's Marius!

Now a vampire, Marius looks mesmerizing to Pandora, and their conversation shifts between flirtation and exposition. They debate whether her dreams are remnants of her past life, the influence of another vampire manipulating her, or direct messages from the Queen.

The fact is, the burnt man is named Akbar, one of the priests who once kept the Queen imprisoned and drank her blood for power. Later, when the Queen was exposed to sunlight, all the vampires were burned as punishment for their defiance. Now, Akbar is on the hunt for Pandora to reach the Queen and drink from her blood once again. With Marius serving as the Queen’s protector and having a soft spot for Pandora, Akbar is effectively trying to use Pandora as a way to threaten him into granting access to the Queen.

And this actually works; instead of running away, Pandora decides to go to Marius' place, where the vampire finds her, drinks her blood, and threatens to kill her. All her attempts to burn or incapacitate him fail. Marius takes him to the Queen, where Akbar is immediately crushed, and Pandora watches as his heart burns in the flames while she loses consciousness from blood loss. This is when Marius turns her and the Queen begs her to come forward so Pandora can drink from her as her chosen child.

Tidbits

• Egyptian hieroglyphs are one of the oldest writing systems (~3250 BCE), only predated by Sumerian script (Cuneiform) according to modern research. So most probably Akasha is older than writing itself!
• Namer (may mean "painful catfish", "stinging catfish", "harsh catfish", or "fierce catfish;") was a pharaoh that unified Egypt and was the founder of the First Dynasty around 3100 BCE
• The age of lawful consent to a marriage was 12 for girls and 14 for boys in the Roman Empire. Most Roman women married in their early teens to young men in their twenties. Marius was a bit early with his proposal at 10. Pretty sure Pandora’s father was rolling in his grave when Marius found her all the way in distant Antioch.

Hi all and welcome to Ireland, our next stop on our Read the World tour.   This is the first discussion of That They May Face The Rising Sun by John McGahern (also known as ‘By the Lake).  Today we are discussing up to the section beginning ‘Three days before the planned…) (pg1-104) Chapters 1-14.  Next week we will discuss up to the section beginning ‘I find it hard to believe it’s Christmas day’

 Links to the schedule is here and to the marginalia is here.

Chapter summary provided by ChatGPT

The first 104 pages of That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern introduce readers to a small rural community in Ireland and focus on the lives of the main characters, Joe and Kate Ruttledge. This couple, who have returned from living in London, are settling into their new life on a farm beside a lake. McGahern paints a vivid picture of the natural landscape and the slow, repetitive rhythm of rural life. He emphasizes the connection the locals have with the land and the seasons, as well as the strong sense of community and the complex web of relationships that bind these characters.

The early chapters build up the personalities and dynamics between various community members. Characters like John Quinn, a flirtatious, often selfish man who constantly schemes for his own gain, and Jamesie, the gossipy but good-hearted neighbor, highlight both the warmth and the conflicts within this close-knit society. Through quiet moments and ordinary interactions, McGahern explores themes of tradition, belonging, and the simplicity of rural life. Joe and Kate seem somewhat detached, observing these traditions while quietly struggling with their own personal choices and regrets, yet they are also gradually accepted by their neighbors.

By page 104, McGahern has established a richly detailed setting and introduced readers to a variety of characters, each with unique quirks and challenges. The narrative moves at a gentle pace, reflecting the slow unfolding of rural life, and subtly explores deeper themes of change, isolation, and the tension between old ways and modern influences.

Discussion questions are in the comments below, but feel free to add your own.

Welcome to our final discussion of 11/22/63 by Stephen King on this US Election Day. Americans, if you see a bubble in your polling booths, refrain from going through it. Remember–one action (ahem, vote) can change history. If you're not American, gosh I envy you!

Schedule, Marginalia, and chapter summaries can be found here. Constant readers, ask not what r/bookclub can do for you, ask what you can do for r/bookclub. Let's shake a leg! We have a lot of history to cover.

True crime enthusiasts, this one is for you! Here's the schedule for our next Quarterly Non-Fiction selection, Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Discussions are on Fridays.

• November 22nd: Prologue - Chapter 5 with u/Less_Tumbleweed_3217
• November 29th: Chapter 6 - 13 with u/tomesandtea
• December 6th: Chapter 14 - 17 with u/tomesandtea
• December 13th: Chapter 18 - 22 with u/latteh0lic
• December 20th: Chapter 23 - End with u/latteh0lic

I'm going to need all the emotional support I can get to make it through this one, so I hope to see you there!

Dear Readers and Poetry Fanciers,

We have a wonderful selection of contemporary poetry to vote in our November Discovery Read. All the nominations are excellent! The votes are pretty close so don't miss the chance to VOTE your favorites in. And don't forget that second place goes into our amazing Wheel of Books for another chance.

I'm so excited to see what the final tally is! Happy voting all!! The winner will be announced on November 5 -with plenty of time for everyone to get a copy before the schedule goes up!

Welcome to our first discussion of Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel! Take a seat in our lobby and get comfortable, as we have much to discuss. If you need it, the link to the schedule is here, and marginalia here.

I’ve included summaries for the chapters below, and note they’re written in order they appear in the book.

SUMMARY

Part One

1: Vincent in the Ocean (Dec 2018)

We are presented with cycling memories, presumably of Vincent, who has found herself in the water after falling/jumping off a ship (the Neptune Cumberland?) and she is drowning. There are memories of people she recognizes, including her brother.

2: I Always Come to You (1994 & 1999)

Paul is currently a student, and a recovering drug addict, living solo in a dorm. He finds himself studying finance instead of his preferred subject: music. When leaving a class a fellow classmate gives him a tip to go check out the band Baltica at a club that night. Paul dislikes the music, but finds himself taken by their violinist, Annika. He approaches the group after the show and they chat about a future club night at System Soundbar. Paul goes to System on a random Tuesday after midterms (which didn’t go so well for him, as he’s now on academic probation) and Baltica (and thereby Annika) aren’t there. He buys what he thinks is E off someone and tries it. He has a horrible trip and is suddenly sick and passes out. He is awoken by security as they are cleaning up and he’s told to leave. He catches a cab home and makes racist remarks to the cabbie. [There is a flash forward 20 years with Paul interjecting, providing self-reflection on this imperfect past. He’s being honest, as hard as that is to admit.]

He spends Christmas alone and goes back to System Soundbar the week between Christmas and New Year’s. He finds the E in his pocket, and spots Baltica at the club. He directly asks Annika out, who declines just as directly. He doesn’t think before doing it, but he offers the band the E. Annika takes one, and Charlie, her bandmate, takes two. He dies shortly after on the dance floor.

Paul reflects how his life is now “over”, but has a sudden desire to reconnect with his half-sister and Aunt Shauna. He rings his Aunt to obtain her phone number, but she advises his half-sister has moved out, on strained terms, when she was only 17. He gets her phone number at least. He reflects the only friends of hers he knows are from her troubled past of getting suspended from school for graffiti.

We flash back to 1994 when Paul is back in Caiette [which is based on the real-life Quatsino, British Columbia, Canada] visiting his grandma, dad, and half-sister, Vincent. Vincent has been suspended from school for spraying graffiti on the grounds. Her mother mysteriously disappeared from only two weeks before. Unfortunately her father, who works in the area’s logging camps, cannot stay with her and must go back to work. Paul and Vincent bond a bit, but Paul is sent back to school in Toronto after he’s caught smoking pot in the house.

Back in 1999, Paul has found Vincent and is visiting her. He has to constantly remind himself he doesn’t hate her, as it’s not her fault his dad left to start a new family with her mom and that Vincent got to spend time with both parents instead of only one. They go to a club for New Year’s Eve, the general spirit and fears of impending Y2K upon them. Paul sees Charlie in the crowd and he has a panic attack. They leave to go get food. After food they try another club and Paul hears a Baltica track playing and sees Charlie again. At this club they experience the “end of the world” that never comes. They drive back to Vincent’s place and Paul has a bit of hope about his life. There is a quick flash forward to him advising this will not be the last he sees of Charlie, however.

3: The Hotel (Spring 2005)

There is disturbing graffiti on a glass wall of the Hotel Caiette and Walter, the night manager, is working to cover it up. The bartender is none other than Vincent.

There is a flash back to when Walter originally came to work at Hotel Caiette. He was fleeing an ex-fianceé in Toronto and a predetermined boring life in the city. The incongruous Hotel Caiette is a 5-star experience, set within a heavily-wooded area, only accessible by boat from the harbor on Vancouver Island. Walter is happier here than elsewhere, but is still disturbed by the graffiti. It was written backwards on the glass, and meant to be read from the inside. Someone must have come from the surrounding woods to mark it. Raphael, the general manager, is investigating the incident and praises Walter’s report, and in turn, Walter. In discussing the details Walter mentions, begrudgingly, that the night houseman was “behaving strangely”. This houseman is Paul, Vincent’s half-brother.

We flash to Paul, who is coming in after his lunch break, and asks about the window. He mis-identifies the guest sipping whiskey in the lobby as an expected VIP who should have arrived by now (but his flight has been delayed). Paul depresses Walter generally, and they have little in common. Walter thinks his behavior is suspicious, so Raphael agrees to speak to him. The rest of the shift is seemingly normal. Paul is engaged in cleaning and Walter is bored until said VIP, Jonathan Alkaitis, shows up and asks for a very early breakfast.

Alkaitis originally came to the hotel a long time ago with his wife; they got married there. After, he bought the hotel and leased it back to the management company to run it. He visits a few times a year. His wife has since passed away. He is described as being a fairly normal guy, but it’s foreshadowed he will eventually die in prison. Vincent chats him up at the bar.

The other man in the lobby, Leon Prevant, is worried about his company’s impending merger and what it will mean for his career and retirement. He has a fitful sleep after too many whiskeys. The next evening, both he and Alkaitis are at the bar and Leon is invited into a private “club”. Alkaitis advises he doesn’t do it much anymore, but can set up private investments that provide big returns. Leon is in shipping and has his head firmly focused on all the various shipping routes and details of his industry.

Walter confronts Paul, who admittedly does seem pretty guilty, and tells him if he packs and leaves immediately he won’t tell authorities. Paul leaves the next day. Raphael says they’ll hire another night houseman. A short time after this, Vincent is on a short holiday and calls in, saying she won’t be returning to the hotel for work. Walter is briefly conflicted about all this, but easily falls into his daily rhythm of days and seasons. One dark and stormy night a woman named Ella Kaspersky checks in, she’s a regular. It’s noted Jonathan Aklaitis has stated he never wants to see her. Walter checks on Alkaitis’s whereabouts and there is a photo online of him with his new wife, who looks familiar to him. It’s Vincent. He reflects on the graffiti mystery once more.

4: A Fairy Tale (2005 - 2008)

In the future, Vincent is living with Jonathan Alkaitis in Greenwich and has a defined routine daily: exercise, shopping, dining, and leisure. She’d prefer they live in the city, but Jonathan cautions her against moving from her desired daily swims in their pool. Vincent swims daily to practice so she doesn’t, some day, drown. The ring on her finger isn’t real; she and Jonathan aren’t married. But she sometimes pretends it is, and they are. She is a trophy “wife”, ever available to Jonathan. She feels the house is crowded with people, as its maintenance requires some number of people to be present all the time. One time while swimming in the pool she is suddenly confronted by Claire, Jonathan’s daughter. She doesn’t threaten Vincent, but she isn’t friendly either. She’s five years older than Vincent.

Jonathan will never remarry, but wants to project stability, so everyone pretends. Even Claire doesn’t know they aren’t actually married. Vincent reflects on her current life, which was an active choice on her part. She says she’s paying a “reasonable” price for this life. Vincent shares some doled-out details of her life to Jonathan, like the graffiti incident, but keeps a lot to herself. Vincent reflects on how many stars had to align for her to meet Jonathan and fully change her life. It’s almost like there are different versions of her out there that chose different paths, living those alternate lives. Thinking of all these lives and possibilities gives her a sort of vertigo.

Shortly after Vincent’s mom disappeared her grandma gave her a Panasonic video camera and suggested it could act as a bit of a shield against the world. She takes 5-minute videos of various things, and continues this practice even to the present.

She and Jonathan fly to Nice, France, to Jonathan’s villa. He expounds on Ella Kaspersky, who previously identified his investments as fraud, and reported him to the SEC. They investigated but found no evidence of wrongdoing. He warns Vincent about her all the same. Vincent contemplates her life; is it just a series of 5-minute videos? Is that enough? Would that make it complete?

They attend a 4th of July party in frenzied heat. Jonathan remarks to her that she’s “poised” without appearing to try to be poised. She is convinced the help at the party will see right through her.

Vincent, who is rather lonely by this point, meets Mirella at a winter formal in Miami Beach. Mirella is one her own age among many older and many more surgically-altered women around her. Mirella has hired protection, and makes a comment about how she can barely tell they’re present anymore (the help). Her boyfriend is Faisal, a Saudi prince, and he has also invested with Jonathan. They moved around but eventually settled in New York. Vincent reflects that Mirella is actually in love with Faisal, which is the primary difference in their lives.

One evening Vincent and Jonathan meet a famous music producer who waxes on about a failed music prospect. He reveals her to be Annika, in the future from the band Baltica. He says he recognizes opportunity, like Jonathan’s investment fund, as an example. Jonathan is quick to cut in, quite suspiciously to Vincent, and break off the conversation.

Vincent’s “age of money” lasts three years. Near the end she spends a lot of time with Mirella. She describes where she grew up, deep in the woods of Caiette, with no television and a house only accessible by boat or plane. Vincent reflects on when she was suspended from school, her grandma brought a TV into the house as they finally got a signal where they live. Her mom wouldn’t have approved of the television, but she’d been gone three weeks by this point anyway.

Mirella was a failed model and actress. While she grew up with both parents, they were absent daily. She met Faisal when at a loss for what to do next in her life and asks herself if he’s “it”. Vincent explains more why she took the “opportunity” that was Jonathan. She’d already wanted out, but Paul’s graffiti frightened her, as it suggested suicide. Its reflections with the water outside escalated her fears about her mother, as she assumes she committed suicide and drowned herself. The monotony of life had also gotten to her. She knew it would be transactional, and she made the choice actively. Vincent and Mirella reflect that shopping becomes boring after a time, but Vincent knows that she stays because to go back to worrying about money again would be unthinkable.

Join u/Vast-Passenger1126 next week as we dive into the next section of this winding tale!

Hello everyone!

Welcome to our second and final discussion of Exit Strategy, the fourth entry in The Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells. This week, we're covering Chapter 5 through the end of the book. A summary is listed below:

Murderbot waits in a pod for GrayCris to arrive with Dr. Mensah, and wow it's obvious they're not even trying to hide what's happening. Mensah isn't restrained, but she's surrounded by GrayCris operatives and they've bought a Palisade-branded armored SecUnit along with them (but no drones for some reason). GrayCris has clearly bought off everyone, including the hotel. The hotel's transit station is three levels tall, with Murderbot on the second level and the one above it displaying a holographic thunderstorm. Murderbot has an idea that it files away for later.

Two of the GrayCris operatives, or Targets, peel off to take up positions in the transit station. The other four Targets plus the SecUnit, the Primary Target, take Mensah to the pod junction. The SecUnit scans for any suspicious people nearby but Murderbot is well hidden. It sends a test ping to Mensah's implant and then sends a greeting message. After a few second, Mensah replies, asking for proof by saying its name. Murderbot says its Murderbot, verifying that it's really them, as only the PresevationAux team knows its name. Mensah apparently thought Murderbot had been captured; Murderbot explains that the others are waiting with a company shuttle to help rescue her from GrayCris. And then they get started.

Murderbot uses hotelSecSys and its new best friend MobSys to set things in motion so it can intercept the group at a nearby pod junction. It calls for a pod to go to the hotel club section but then immediately stops it for a maintenance emergency to route all other pods away from that area. Then Murderbot steps onto the pod junction and falsifies the security camera feeds. It loads its projectile weapon and asks MobSys to direct the pod Mensah's group entered to the emergency. Murderbot tells Mensah to take cover on its signal. When the pod arrives, Mensah crouches down while Murderbot does its best Steve Rogers impression and takes out all of the targets in the elevator. Murderbot helps Mensah out of the pod and into its previous pod. It reloads its weapon, checks that the other two Targets are still in the transit station, and tells Mensah it needs to take them out and to stay clear when she exits the pod. Murderbot retrieves that idea it filed away and when they arrive at the platform it directs MobSys to move the holographic thunderstorm down to their level. Using the reduced visibility, Murderbot makes short work of the two remaining targets without being noticed by the humans or augmented humans on the platform. Murderbot erases them from the video footage in the waiting area while leading Mensah to a pipe capsule that should take them directly to the port.

Unfortunately, just as they leave Murderbot sees more security personnel arrive at the hotel transit station via the camera feed. They know where they are, which throws a wrench in the timeline - now they need to make an unexpected stop. Murderbot grabs Mensah and slows the pipe down just enough for it to jump onto a passing platform before it continues back to the main access track. Murderbot erases any evidence of them from the capsule's memory and helps Mensah get up. It leads them to a pod junction as they gradually begin making their way through maintenance areas towards the access backbone, which was the space for cargo transports and an access and transport system for station engineering. It's not without security but Murderbot is able to get them through it well enough. At the access backbone, they find an empty carrier and Murderbot directs it to take them to the port.

After a few moments to steady themselves and a hug session, Mensah asks Murderbot if it was the terraforming facility. Murderbot explains that it did go to Milu but it hadn't said she sent them there, but that it was there on behalf of an imaginary client. It also explains that it went to Milu to look for evidence of GrayCris' evildoing, which it found, and that it sent it to her family on Preservation. Murderbot then unexpectedly gets to the heart of the matter - it left. Mensah agrees and apologizes for how she handled things before. Murderbot sort of acknowledges the apology by saying that Pin Lee said she was worried about it. Mensah admits she was but says she realizes she ought not have. Murderbot says it's fine and to its relief they begin to approach the port.

Murderbot and Mensah get as far as they can in the carrier without running into any port security barriers. Eventually they stop the carrier and head into a shop in the station mall. They begin walking through the mall into the embarkation zone, looking totally calm and collected the whole time, blending into the surrounding crowd when possible. All the while, Murderbot deflects scans from security cameras and drones as they take the long way around, avoiding the lifts since if they freeze during an alert it will make their location obvious. But again, they're totally calm and collected. So calm and collected that Murderbot risks tapping into StationSecAdmin, the top-level security feed for the station that's manned by human supervisors. So calm and collected that Murderbot and Mensah have a conversation about why Murderbot likes Sanctuary Moon so much that becomes a moment of vulnerability Murderbot wasn't expecting (or wanted). So calm and collected that Murderbot ends up revealing that it's not planning to leave with Mensah but will make its own way. And then things go pear-shaped.

One of the alerts Murderbot set in StationSecAdmin pings and right away the official port feed announces that there's an emergency lockdown and for everyone to take shelter or shelter in place as armed security makes its way through the ports. Everyone stops, then begins to walk and then run towards the public security barriers, while the various bots become inactive or part of the security response. Murderbot and Mensah begin running to keep blending in with the crowd but also to try to make it to the next gate and onto the shuttle. An air wall pops up at the gate threshold but it should be fine to push through it. But then as they reach the gate threshold a solid barrier forms in front of it. Now, it's not a truly impenetrable barrier, but Murderbot can't bring it down at the moment; it doesn't have access to the system it needs without rebooting another first. But as more system alerts trip Murderbot uses the platform cameras to spot three (3!) Palisade-branded SecUnits entering the area with their various drones flying in formation above them. Murderbot knows it won't get the barriers down in time. So it loads its projectile weapon and then decides to send a message to the human supervisors that man StationSecAdmin and likely tripped the alarm. It tells that its a contracted SecUnit with an endangered client trying to reach the dock and that they will kill her. When it doesn't hear anything, it repeats its message, telling whoever's listening that it will stay behind if they just let her leave. The barrier raises just enough for a person to squeeze through. Murderbot sends Mensah through and then the barrier slams shut; it tells Mensah it'll find another ship to take. In reality though, Murderbot isn't going to try to get to another ship. Someone has sent SecUnits after its client and now it's personal.

Murderbot takes control of the general security drones and cuts their connection to the port feed, allowing it to know where the others are while hiding its own position. The hostiles run along the walkway while a human StationSec squad tries to help direct the remaining humans in the embarkation zone and a group of power-suited humans prepares as backup for the hostile SecUnits. Murderbot directs one section of its drones to deploy surveillance countermeasures and another section to attack the hostiles' drones. As the hostile SecUnits enter the area near the gates, the maintenance system comes back up and Murderbot uses it to kill the lights, slowing them. Still, Murderbot needs to get close enough to use its projectile weapon and it needs to have cover. So, Murderbot uses a piece of code it had worked on, Code Deploy and Delay, to essentially control the various drones and bots in an area to attack hostiles and each other and create chaos. Meanwhile, it runs towards the stationside wall.

The code works really well - the three SecUnits have to avoid randomly attacking/maneuvering cargo bots, drones, etc, which slows them down a bit. Murderbot is able to take advantage of this and take out Hostile Two with its projectile weapon. It ducks from incoming projectiles and loses track of Hostile One. However, it does quickly find Hostile Three and manages to disable it with its projectile weapon. But where is Hostile One? Oh - Murderbot realizes that it must be stationary and analyzing Murderbot's and the bots' movements, formulating a plan. Just then Murderbot nearly gets hit and has to order a set of drones to provide it cover. Meanwhile, a bunch of humans are yelling into Murderbot's feed - it turns out to be Mensah, telling it that Gurathin is close to opening a nearby gate so it can get out. Murderbot is of course exasperated that the Preservation team is still here for some reason. Then all of the other bots stop as someone has finally cracked Code Deploy and Delay, but it's too late. Murderbot takes the clear shot at Hostile One, which pivots and fires back. Except Murderbot had clearly hit it, so how?

Murderbot realizes that Hostile One is actually a Combat SecUnit, which prompts a bunch of flattering and terrifying thoughts and the realization that it, not a human, is the one that hacked Code Deploy and Distract. Murderbot frantically runs and takes shots at Hostile One, calling the rest of its drones to provide cover while preparing to use an earlier version of Code Deploy and Deflect. Hostile One tells Murderbot to surrender; it replies saying that it can hack its governor module. While Murderbot initially says it to stall for time, it becomes more invested the more it proposes a plan. Sadly, Hostile One is committed to killing Murderbot. It finally releases Code Deploy and Deflect but it won't slow Hostile One down for long. So Murderbot uses the drones to feint its position and then jumps onto a hauler bot headed toward Hostile One. It does not work and Hostile One aims at the hauler bot, forcing Murderbot to jump off while shooting amidst the shrapnel impacts. Hostile One slows to hack Code Deploy and Deflect but Murderbot knows it won't be enough. It can't win one-on-one against a Combat SecUnit, which means GrayCris would win, and the idea of losing is unconsciousable. Just then, over the feed, Mensah shouts that the barrier is open. Murderbot uses the drones as cover to make a run for it and slides under the gate, taking some type of impact to its knee. Hostile One rushes to the barrier but Gurathin closes it before it can squeeze through.

Gurathin and Ratthi help Murderbot awkwardly limp onto the shuttle while Mensah follows behind them. Once on board, Mensah tells Pin Lee to go while Murderbot tells Ratthi that he needs to get the shrapnel out of its knee and no it definitely cannot wait. A warning from Port Authority comes in that a ship from an "unnamed corporate resident" has just launched and is on an intercept course with the shuttle. While Murderbot definitely doesn't want to ask anything related to the company for help, it also doesn't want the ship to catch and board the shuttle. So Murderbot gives into the inevitable and asks the gunship for help to complete a hazardous retrieval of bonded client. The gunship receives and acknowledges the request and heads their way, making it very clear to the "unnamed" ship to back up or get blasted. The gunship scoops up the shuttle and begins to fly away from TranRollinHyfa (TRH). Ratthi finishes removing the shrapnel, but given the location of the injury, Murderbot is going to leak for a while.

Then an augmented human in a power suit and with a big gun comes to the shuttle hatch. Mensah stands next to the hatch, blocking progress further into the shuttle. She pointedly tells the guy in the power suit that they are definitely in the "special circumstances" that would allow for a SecUnit like Murderbot to be on board an armored transport. Everyone is awkwardly silent for a few minutes. Then, the gunship's combat supervisor explains that they'll need to pay a bond for the deadly weapon on board - Murderbot, who is still leaking onto the deck. The Preservation team is annoyed but whatever, they'll pay it. Murderbot tells Mensah they don't have to, it can just take over the gunship. Mensah says no, it's fine, they'll pay for the extra bond. But Murderbot is adamant that it can take over the gunship and it wants to and that bleeds into the feed a little, at which point Mensah grabs its jacket collar and says "No." The two of them have a conversation via feed where Mensah basically says she doesn't care if Murderbot can take over the gunship, doing so is a stupid, unnecessary risk and they cannot take stupid, unnecessary risks if they're going to make it through this, so they will pay the bond, end of discussion. Murderbot sulkily gives in and the team heads into the gunship proper while they settle the payment.

The Preservation team takes a seat in the passenger seating area of the gunship while Mensah overlooks the bond agreement and Pin Lee arranges payment. The gunship's security team conspicuously takes up position around the seating area while Murderbot hacks into SecSystem anyways. Once the payment is complete, Mensah heads over to Murderbot for what is apparently round 2 of Difficult Conversations and the rest of the team can't distract her from her goal. Mensah is furious that Murderbot stayed behind, trying to get itself killed, but Murderbot explains that it made a deal that she could leave if it stayed. And also that it didn't want GrayCris to win. And that it had decided to come when Gurathin opened the barrier because there was a Combat SecUnit that was going to tear it apart and that wouldn't be winning. Not that Murderbot even knows what winning is, at this point.

Anyways, Pin Lee explains that they'll only be on the gunship for a little while to reach a nearby wormhole, and after that they'll be able to board a Preservation ship and get away from all the corporates. They'll have to decide how to handle Murderbot's then, but Mensah has some ideas she wants to discuss once they're away from the many many recording devices. But then suddenly Murderbot hears the bot pilot alert the gunship's human captain that the hostile is still tracking them as they approach the wormhole and that they'd just tried to establish a connection to the gunship. Murderbot warns them but it's too late - the message has been received and chaos reigns supreme. Augumented humans are being attacked by their augments, the engines start cycling down, the airlocks start to cycle so the ship can decompress, really, a lot of things. The humans and augment humans and bots and Murderbot are trying to stop it but the ship is under attack - Palisade had found a company comm code and used that to deliver a horrifying cyber attack that was trying to destroy everything. It was like a disembodied combat bot had been uploaded into all of the systems. Meanwhile, the Palisade ship from earlier was on approach, presumably getting ready to board.

The bot pilot asked Murderbot for help, and it answered. It took over SecSystem, just like ART took over it, albeit with much less processing power on its side. By inhabiting the same hardware, Murderbot is able to communicate with the bot pilot more or less instantaneously, and they think about what to do. They confirm that the Attacker isn't exactly a disembodied combat bot, but rather a construct from human neural tissue, which makes it more vicious but perhaps easier to trick. If they can get the Attacker's code bundle into a contained area and destroy it, then they should be able to regain control of the system. But to do that they needed bait, and for that they needed to know what the Attacker and more importantly GrayCris wanted. Murderbot reactivates its body and asks Mensah why GrayCris is so desperate to attack them. Mensah says she thinks it's because of Milu - that they're worried Murderbot has whatever it took from there. Pin Lee confirms that GrayCris was originally all about the money but only became violent when Murderbot showed up (I guess it was a peaceful kidnapping?). Murderbot tells them that it needs them to manually disengage the boarding shuttle they took on its signal and Mensah and Pin Lee hurry to get in place. The Palisade ship is getting closer and there's a Combat SecUnit and augmented human boarding team on it so they need to act fast before they land.

Murderbot realizes that GrayCris must suspect that it stole the memory chip Wilken and Gerth had on Milu and that it has it on them, although in reality it had mailed it to Preservation. Murderbot explains the plan to the bot pilot. It hadn't made a copy of the data on the memory chip but it had analyzed it, so it quickly makes a fake that it hopes will be enough to fool the Attacker then walks into the corridor next to the boarding shuttle. The bot pilot shuts off SecSystem and the two of them have a very obvious conversation about hiding very important data for the company in the boarding shuttle. They place the data bundle inside the boarding shuttle, the Attacker follows, and they basically seal the doors behind it before pushing the boarding shuttle out of the gunship. With the Attacker gone, the bot pilot is able to help all of the other systems get back up, and once the weapons are online, they all watch a satisfying explosion of the boarding shuttle after they fire on it, the impacts hitting the Palisade ship as a nice little bonus. Murderbot jumps back into its body and wow things feel weird and then the world goes dark.

Its memory is in fragments. Fortunately, the organic neural tissue can't be fully wiped, so it can use that to start to reconstitute itself, but it's going to be slow-going for a while. It wanders through a lot of disconnected memories, bursts of pain, walls, etc. Eventually, it stumbles across a large intact area of protected storage. It starts to examine the contents and so many neural connections form! Okay, so it remembers a little bit more now - enough to start different processes, including diagnostics and data repair. It eventually recognizes that it's in a MedSystem, which is odd, because those are for humans and augmented humans, and it is a SecUnit. More and more memories start to come back, but they're out of order. It recalls fragments of speaking with other people but only glimpses. The emotions come back and there's a brief panic attack that it's on the company gunship but it's not, it's fine. As far as it can tell its hacked governor module is still hacked and the data port still disabled. At one point it tries to get up but realizes it had focused so much on its memory that it neglected remembering how to do other things, so it has to start a process to relearn that too. It eventually realizes that the MedSystem's room was old and had apparently been retrofitted as needed. Additionally, they weren't in a wormhole but on an old ship approaching another old ship that had been transformed into a transit station.

Mensah asks if it knows where they are. Murderbot generally replies that they are near a planet. Mensah explains that they're approaching the Preservation Transit Station and that Murderbot had a catastrophic failure when taking over the gunship to fight the attacker. Murderbot doesn't really want to think about that right now, so it deflects by asking why the ship was old and shitty, to which it receives a brief history lesson about how Preservation was originally populated and established. Murderbot accesses its knowledge and Preservation and recalls that its status there is sort of like a person but still requires an owner. Mensah explains that no one on the ship knows Murderbot is a SecUnit. Everyone thinks it was a special security agent that saved them and had extensive augments and needed medical care for its injuries. It's coming to Preservation as a refugee. Now that Murderbot has become less recognizable as Murderbot, it should be able to keep up the guise while it figures out what it wants to do next. Murderbot agrees so long as it can stay in a hotel room in the transit ring with a big display surface.

Murderbot keeps working on repairing itself, trying not to get too distracted by media in the meantime. They land at the Preservation Transit Station. Mensah and Pin Lee deplane first to talk with the many journalists waiting for them and to draw attention away. Once it's clear Ratthi and Gurathin lead Murderbot through the embarkation zone to the station hotel, where the team has an interconnected suite of rooms. Murderbot goes into its room where it locks the door and proceeds to watch media and keep repairing. About an hour later Ratthi tells it via the feed that they set up a little network and he hopes it helps. And, funnily enough, it does, or it at least stirs something in Murderbot. There's cameras in all of the hallways and suite lounges so it can see everything. Murderbot does a quick inspection and unlocks its door. About twelve hours later, Arada and Overse come by to see the team. Murderbot remembers that they both liked it and after a bit leaves its room to talk with them. Arada even ends up making an informal job offer to Murderbot, although it cannot agree to any contractual agreements during its memory build, according to Pin Lee, Murderbot's new legal counsel. Later, back in its room, Pin Lee comes and dumps a bunch of stuff into Murderbot's bag, which still has the old ID markers and hard currency cards it took from Wilken and Gerth. Pin Lee explains that it's more ID markers and hard currency cards that it can use for emergencies, as well as proof that they're serious about trying to do right by Murderbot.

For the most part, as people come by to visit Murderbot stays in its room, especially since the rebuild process is taking a lot of resources. About twenty-nine hours after they arrive, Ratthi calls everyone to watch a newscast in one of the suite lounges. It turns out that the bond company is still pissed about the gunship attack and has now declared war on GrayCris. And now that the blackmail memory clips are making the rounds a lot more corporate and political entities are getting involved in response to hard evidence that GrayCris knowingly possessed illegal alien remnants. It's really not a great cycle to have stock in GrayCris. The rebuild process speeds up again and is complete at thirty-seven hours after arrival. Murderbot can remember everything and makes a note to never try something like that again. It does a quick sweep of the suite with the network cameras then grabs its things and leaves.

There's not much security around the transition station and mall, just in the more obvious places. Murderbot checks the transit schedule and sees that it has some time to kill. It wanders around, noticing just how different the mall at Preservation Transit Station is compared to other places, and then sees its first movie in a theater ever. After the movie finishes, Murderbot heads back to the transit area and purchases a ticket. It waits, but when the transport it booked starts boarding it doesn't get up. Eventually, Murderbot starts walking around again and finds a Welcome Center kiosk with information like the location of Mensah's office and home. Murderbot heads to Mensah's office where it watches media for 8 hours while periodically checking for security alerts.

Eventually, Mensah, two other adult humans, and a small human that looks like Mensah enter the office. Murderbot announces itself, then steps out onto the office balcony while Mensah speaks to the other humans. The small human comes outside onto the balcony and talks to Murderbot, although it refuses to tell her its name. The small humans says that Mensah told her that Murderbot had saved her life, which it agrees with. It shows her a heavily edited version of some of the footage when they left TRH. It also tells her that Mensah its life too, by shooting a SecUnit with a sonic mining drill. The small human asks if being a SecUnit is weird, to which Murderbot agrees. But then Mensah comes out and motions for her daughter to go back inside. Mensah and Murderbot stand next to the balcony railing, looking out into the plaza. Mensah says she thought Murderbot left, to which it replies that it almost did. Mensah then begins to ask Murderbot if it knows what it wants to do, trying to get something other than a smart-aleck answer. It turns out that GoodNightLander International wants to hire Security Consultant Rin for future jobs. Sure, the company operates in areas where it's illegal to own a SecUnit, but as far as they're concerned Rin is a proven asset that has saved their employees before and they don't much care about what Rin is. Additionally, Bharadwaj has told Mensah that she thinks it would be good to have Murderbot talk about its experience in a documentary she's involved in. There's a growing movement in Preservation to grant full citizenship to constructs and high-level bots, and Bharadwaj thinks hearing from Murderbot, in its own words, could have a big impact if it wants to participate. It's a terrifying and yet attractive idea to Murderbot. Mensah reassures Murderbot that it doesn't have to make a decision right away and that it'll likely get more job offers in the near future, but that it always has friends here happy to discuss things with it, whatever it chooses. Murderbot thinks that sounds pretty good for now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Fin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Discussion questions are listed below. Feel free to discuss any portion of the book or previous entries in the series without using spoiler tags, but please do not discuss any portion of the later books.

Thank y'all for joining me on our latest interplanetary trip with Murderbot! Hopefully we'll chat again soon.

Happy reading :)