What do you think?
Rate this book
A Practical Guide to Evil #2
The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized
The southern half of Callow is in open rebellion against the Empire.
As she had a hand in starting that fire, it’s only fitting that Catherine’s own legion is being sent into the fray. The Lone Swordsman and his posse of heroes are out for her head on a pike but her most dangerous enemy might just be on the same side: the Heiress has escalated their rivalry to a new level of deadliness. Meanwhile, behind the battlefields, the Empress and the First Prince play a game no one else understands for stakes no one else knows exists. The first large-scale war Calernia has seen in twenty years has forces from all over the continent converging towards Callow, and all of them want a piece of the action.
It’s time for the Squire to get to work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Practical Guide to Evil is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl named Catherine Foundling making her way through the world – though, in a departure from the norm, not on the side of the heroes. Is there such a thing as doing bad things for good reasons, or is she just rationalizing her desire for control? Good and Evil are tricky concepts, and the more power you get the blurrier the lines between them become.
As she had a hand in starting that fire, it’s only fitting that Catherine’s own legion is being sent into the fray. The Lone Swordsman and his posse of heroes are out for her head on a pike but her most dangerous enemy might just be on the same side: the Heiress has escalated their rivalry to a new level of deadliness. Meanwhile, behind the battlefields, the Empress and the First Prince play a game no one else understands for stakes no one else knows exists. The first large-scale war Calernia has seen in twenty years has forces from all over the continent converging towards Callow, and all of them want a piece of the action.
It’s time for the Squire to get to work.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Practical Guide to Evil is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl named Catherine Foundling making her way through the world – though, in a departure from the norm, not on the side of the heroes. Is there such a thing as doing bad things for good reasons, or is she just rationalizing her desire for control? Good and Evil are tricky concepts, and the more power you get the blurrier the lines between them become.
1014 pages, ebook
First published November 4, 2015
52 people are currently reading
360 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
September 24, 2016
Second verse, same as the first. I regret to say that the goats have not been equaled, but the book isn't quite done yet so there is time.
August 29, 2021
I gave the first book a pass for failing to build a compelling world, but it can't be excused anymore. Though we see a few characters in different parts of the continent, the world itself feels shallow at best. There's no subtle promise of seeing other equally interesting characters doing their own things in some other distant part of the land in the future. Usually with sequels, one expects the world to open up and meet other peoples and their respective cultures, but it's not the case here. There's hardly any exploration of magics and/or lore. Honestly, I am having a hard time recalling a series with worse worldbuilding. On top of that, all the characters have depth in the same way. Either they are bantering while mouthing off sassy one-liners or they are a no-nonsense gruff. Every single named character follows either of these stereotypes. I would much rather have flat side characters and few main characters with depth instead of whatever abomination this was. Then there's the plot and the dumb ways everyone is bumbling around. For a self-referential work, the main characters are acting quite foolishly, without any rational thoughts. Which is made worse by the setting, when the whole book is like a long military campaign. The author should have stuck with deconstructing fantasy tropes instead of branching off to military fiction, one should play at one's strengths and understand that not everyone can be good at everything.
Anyway, the only reason this is still getting 2 stars is that I did not actively hate it, it was underwhelming yes, but at least it wasn't a total waste of time and there were some funny moments.
All in all, I am not interested in this series anymore, and won't bother with book 3.
Anyway, the only reason this is still getting 2 stars is that I did not actively hate it, it was underwhelming yes, but at least it wasn't a total waste of time and there were some funny moments.
All in all, I am not interested in this series anymore, and won't bother with book 3.
March 20, 2023
Characterization was an improvement in this one, the themes of Good and Evil with their roles keeps getting more interesting, amazing battles and strategies as usual
February 10, 2023
Fantastic, possibly better than book 1.
The mentor/mentee relationship is on point! And just a lovely thing to see as it deepens.
Again, the approach to culture and ingrained racism is complex and interesting. Sexism is less of a thing, probably because becoming an overpowered hero or villain really doesn’t discriminate on gender. I really like how that affects everything in general, there are just as many men and women main characters, with some bias towards women despite the overall makeup of the war college leaning towards men. Sexual preference isn’t a reason for hate in this world with MC being bi and multiple other major and minor being gay or open in their affections, it’s effectively a non-issue. Race, culture, politics, and good vs evil on the other hand are all bombs just waiting to go off.
The writing was absolutely beautiful in terms of explaining situations and history as well as showing emotions, tension and pain. The hidden meaning behind names is awesome, and something I wound’s have picked up my own, and shows how much though is going into these stories. (Ex mentioned in chapter comments: Akua means ‘born on Wednesday’ -> Wednesdays child is full of woe poem).
And of course the humor, I love the snark and monologues, the random hilarity and the well thought out one liners that tie several chapters and story arcs together in one masterful stroke.
Quotes (both the funny and meaningful, because I can’t highlight stuff:P ) (light spoilers)
It was based in Mercantis, but that meant nothing: the City of Bought and Sold had a long history of being used as a cat’s paw in international politics.
“He’s just a goblin,” he sneered, though I could see the fear in his eyes.
“He’s a goblin I’ve been told keeps a jar full of eyeballs in his knapsack. I’ll be honest with you, Rashid: at this point I’m a little afraid to ask whose they are.”
The goblin captain’s brows rose. “How do you even – Hakram, you gossipy bitch.”
The tall orc scratched his chin unrepentantly. “I don’t get why people keep telling me things,” he admitted.
Your marks at the orphanage’s education facilities weren’t particularly remarkable – I read your essay on the Licerian Wars and it was rather sloppy.”
Oh Gods, I couldn’t believe that a piece of homework I’d written half-drunk in the backroom of the Rat’s Nest had ended up in the hands of the fucking spymistress of the Empire. I forced my face to remain blank.
I frowned. “I’ve never met Assassin either,” I pointed out.
She shot me a pitying look. “It would be a mistake to think that means Assassin has never met you,” she replied.
I grimaced. “And to think I was starting to run out of nightmare material.”
“Seventy-three: always send the comic relief in front if you suspect there’s a trap. The Gods won’t allow you to be rid of them so easily.” – “Two Hundred Heroic Axioms”, unknown author
“It’s from the Trismegistan theory of magic,” Kilian explained.
“Well, that certainly clears things up,” I replied dryly.
The redhead frowned at me. “Don’t be a tit,” she said, adding an absent-minded ‘ma’am’ a moment later.
The orc officer nodded. “Your special orders have been given to the troops at the gates,” she said.
I’d kept those rather simple. If a lone individual in a cloak approaches the entrance, shoot them until they stop moving. And then a few more times to be sure. Don’t even bother hailing them, just unload your crossbows.
“So who are you, four-eyes?” I heard Robber ask behind me.
“Four-eyes, really?” Masego replied. “That’s what you’re bringing to the table? I’ve met wittier imps, and most of them aren’t sentient enough to talk.”
“Ah, the warlock’s get,” the tribune caught on. “I’ve always wondered – when your daddies do the deed, who’s the sword and who’s the sheath? Be precise, I have twenty denarii riding on this.”
“So that’s why goblin life expectancy is so short,” Apprentice mused.
Evidently, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
“Good work, Apprentice,” I congratulated him. “So, now we move to the pressing issue: who’s going across the creepy frozen demon bridge first? Volunteers, please step forward.”
“What do we say about blind imitation, Masego?” he prompted.
Apprentice rolled his eyes. “Sorcery without understanding is a sword without a handle,” he dutifully quoted. “I don’t know why you’re so fond of that saying, Father, you wouldn’t be caught dead using an actual sword.”
Warlock looked aghast at the very idea. “Only plebs kill with their own hands,” he asserted, remembering Hakram and I were still in the room only a moment latter. “No offense,” he added, not bothering to inject a great deal of credibility in the appeasement.
“Some taken,” I replied honestly.
I swear, you’re worse with that than Sabah is with the whole dragon affair.”
“She’s right to hold it over your head,” the other Calamity replied with a twitch of the lips. “It was sizing her up for dinner while you haggled over terms.”
“It was asking for an absurd amount of goats and you know it,” the green-eyed man replied peevishly.
“Robber?” I croaked. “Manly? I mean, he’s my friend, but he’s also the sentient equivalent of a pack of walking razor blades.”
“That’s what a male goblin is supposed to be, Callow,” the Senior Sapper sighed. “Vicious, clever, fearless of death. He’s our equivalent of the big hairy human who goes around picking fights in bars.”
I take no guidance of someone, whose crowning achievment is their own death.
“Children’s tales?” I questioned.
“The most important part of any culture’s literature,” Black murmured. “The lessons you are taught when you are young are those you carry with you the rest of your life.”
“I am no longer willing to let someone else decide my fate for me, not even for my own good. I despise the idea with every fibre of my being. And if I don’t trust them with my own life, why would I trust them with anyone else’s? Why would I entrust them with the land of my birth?”
The sentence had been spoken softly, but for all that it resonated clearly. Treason often did.
“I hope you don’t also expect me to salute,” Masego drawled. “I have a medical condition that makes it next to impossible.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Is it the same disease that makes you think you’re funny?” I asked
“Ah, it’s a cruel woman that leads us my friend,” the dark-skinned boy told Hakram, dramatically laying a hand over his heart.
“I was thinking,” I said patiently, “about shooting him.”
There was a moment of silence and everyone turned to stare at me. What? It was a perfectly reasonable plan.
“Can we… can we actually do that?” Hakram spoke, voice hesitant.
I drummed my fingers against my leg.
“I can’t think of a reason we couldn’t. He’s not here under a flag of truce, and even if he was we have no treaties with the rebels.”
“It seems rather unsporting of us,” Apprentice drawled, though he sounded more amused than actually opposed to the course of action.
Even at this distance I could see the surprise in his body language, and when he turned to gaze up in my direction I mimed shooting a crossbow. Nauk shrugged and requisitioned one from a goblin, cranking it and settling the bolt in.
“You know,” I mused, “I don’t always feel like a villain, but today I might have gotten a little into it.”
“Snappy sentence when you stabbed her?” he asked curiously.
“Helmet reference,” I explained.
Better breeding demands better manners, the proverb went in Callow. Or it did in the pretty parts of the city, anyway. Dockside, the saying had been a little different: inbreeding demands pompousness.
“Catherine, did you use necromancy on yourself?” he asked.
I cleared my throat. “I’ve been known to dabble.”
“That shouldn’t be possible,” he noted. “While broken, the limb wasn’t technically dead. That does explain, however, why the inside of half your limbs is in the early stages of necrosis.”
“That sounds bad,” I said. “Hakram, doesn’t that sound bad?”
“I’m still at the part of this story where you punched a snake the size of a carrack in the head and it died,” Adjutant replied.
“It mouthed off,” I defended myself.
“Cat, if you punch everyone who mouths off to you we’ll be down half our officer corps,” the tall orc sighed.
“The surviving half would be very polite, though,” Apprentice commented drily.
I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, then spent a heartbeat surprised at the typically Praesi gesture coming from me. When had I picked that up?
“A villain should make plans with the understanding that everything you can conceive of going wrong will, and then a few others things too.”
If there was ever to be a motto for the Fifteenth, I decided, that would be it. I have a plan. Watch how it goes south.
“The Kharsum word for war is derived from the one used for a full cookpot. That tells you everything you need to know about how the Clans think of Creation.”
“Here they come,” I said.
There was a bark of laughter from someone in the ranks.
“Again, huh?”
Grim laughter spread through the deserters.
“The knights will get the glory,” someone sang.
“The king will keep his throne,” more replied.
I knew the song. Every Callowan did, though the days where it was sung in the open were long gone. If the Kingdom had ever had an anthem, this was it.
“We won’t be in the story
Our names will not be known,” I joined in.
A hundred voices chorused, deep and thin and with accents from all over the land.
I tried to look at what was happening, but these were flat grounds and every single fucking legionary in my army was was taller than me.
“If I could cut off your hand twice, I would,” I replied cheerfully. “There, we’re friends now. Maybe we could attend the thing that wants to swallow all of the city?”
He sneered, but did not disagree.
“I’ll take the lead, minion of Dark,” he decided, and before I could argue he was charging again.
“You know he has another hand, right?” Adjutant said. “So technically…”
“Lieutenant Rattler,” Robber gasped. “What’s the meaning of this? Why is that woman’s kidney going unstabbed? This is against all we stand for.”
A female goblin – Lieutenant Rattler, I assumed – saluted sloppily.
“I’m afraid she bribed me, sir,” she replied.
“We don’t take bribes,” the yellow-eyed tribune chided her.
“I’ll cut you in for half?”
Robber turned towards me. “Protocol was followed, Boss.”
“My host will be occupying the Countess’ manor, as it is the only lodging in this… backwater befitting someone of my rank.”
“You do that,” I grunted, watching her ride away back to her troops.
I waited for her to be out of hearing range.
“Robber?”
“Boss?”
“I want that manor on fire before she ever sets foot on the grounds.”
“Gods, I love this outfit,” the yellow-eyed goblin confessed.
“There’s all sorts of accidents,” Robber mused. “I wonder what kind might happen to them?”
“Supplies will be poisoned,” I ordered harshly. “Beasts of burden will be crippled. Any men who wander the city alone or in small enough groups will end up dead in an alley. If they so much as stack two stones on top of each other, I want them pushed down and on fire.”
“Sure,” he replied, looking as pained by the lack of precision as he was by the act of running. “Stab away, that’ll work.”
“Put a shirt on,” he requested firmly.
“I’m just too much woman for you to handle, I see,” I spoke drily.
He sighed. “Yes, your strangely-coloured thin skin and lack of proper canines has me all aflutter,” he deadpanned. “Please, cover up before I can no longer control myself.
The embers in his eyes cooled. I sat in my rickety chair, and thought. A long moment passed.
“Monster,” I finally said.
A single word, carrying with it the faint memory of fear and a dark alley. Of a black cloak warming my frame on a cold night. It felt like an offered hand.
His lips twitched into something almost a smile. “The very worst kind,” he replied.
A hand clasped. I closed my eyes, and wondered whether I’d just saved my homeland or sold it.
I did not get much sleep that night.
“Assassin had a talk with them.”
By which she likely meant that they’d all been found in a warehouse dead of a string of unlikely yet simultaneous mortal accidents. Robber had always approved of the sense of humour the Calamity was rumoured to have. If you couldn’t make murdering your enemies hilarious, what was even the point?
“Don’t mind me,” I grunted. “It just suddenly hit home that I’m leading a Legion of Terror while wearing a black cape and plotting nefarious things in the dark.”
“You’re not currently wearing a cape,” Masego pointed out, about as helpful as tits on a sparrow.
“Apprentice,” I replied patiently, “I own like five capes. All of them black. I get we have a theme here, but would it kill anyone to get me some clothes that a vampire wouldn’t wear?
“The ponytail looks good,” Hakram said loyally.
“Hakram, I love you like a brother, but the day I take grooming advice from you is the day I jump into the Tyrian Sea,” I replied
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to ask at some point. Whose blood is this, Robber?”
“It could be mine,” he grinned.
“Goblins bleed black,” I grunted. “Try again.”
“Not always true,” Apprentice said. “Dread Emperor Sorcerous exsanguinated a Matron and filled in human-“
He trailed off when everyone stared at him then cleared his throat.
They never let anything go, really. He’d worn leather pants once at age sixteen and it had taken them twenty years to stop mentioning it every time they went drinking. It would be another twenty before he lived down Stygia, and since Nehebkau now led Tenth the whole ‘negotiating with a dragon’ affair would likely follow him to his grave.
“And you look like you just killed my horse, which seems a bit over the top since it’s already dead. All right, Supply Tribune, ruin my morning. I’m about due a nasty surprise.”
She flipped a finger in our general direction then took up a leather pouch from her side, turning it upside down as if to empty the contents on the ground. A heartbeat later, twenty-odd river barges fell in a crash of wood and floodwater. I blinked just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
“What the actual fuck?” I said eloquently.
“Tell Apprentice to hurry back here,” I ordered. “This was, uh, not part of the plan.”
“If this turns into a naval battle, we’re down a fleet of our own,” Hakram commented drily.
“Less sass, more figuring out what the Hells was the point of that,” I ordered.
“Remind me to demote Tribune Robber,” I told Hakram.
“I’ll make a note of it,” the orc said.
“Lesser footrest,” I decided. “That’ll be his new rank.”
“You don’t have another footrest,” Adjutant pointed out.
“But if I did,” I replied vindictively, “he’d be beneath them.”
Robber fled back to the safety of our lines to the loud acclaim of his cohort of insane murderous hooligans. That they were actually my cohort of insane murderous hooligans was something I was trying very hard not to think too much about.
“You take me to such interesting places, Catherine,” Apprentice spoke drily. “What’s next, a church full of demons that is also on fire?”
I shrugged. “Day’s still young.”
“And this protection holds even if you’re dead, I take it?” the hero asked.
I unsheathed my sword.
“I’m not sure I like the direction this conversation is heading,” I said mildly.
“William, remember that time we had a truce until everyone else was dead?”
And then you pretty much split my belly in two and left me dying on the ground, I refrained from adding.
“Granted,” the hero said. “And not a moment longer.”
“No,” the Lone Swordsman growled.
“Yes?” I hazarded, the word drowned out by the plate covering my wrist breaking apart completely under his grip.
I slugged him in the face with the pommel of my sword but he took it unflinchingly, pushing me back.
“I’d settle for a maybe,” I said.
the impact forced me to drop my sword. Well, I still had knives. The hero’s blade sliced through the belt keeping those up, though I managed to snatch one before they fell to the ground. I’d had knives, I corrected mentally.
“Catherine,” Masego said, studying me carefully through his spectacles. “Do you understand me?”
“In general?” I said. “Like, maybe half the time. The rest I just nod and pretend it’s obvious.”
“You just got sassed by a corpse, warlock’s get,” a voice said. “That’s gotta sting.”
“I’m not saying you should mutilate his corpse,” Robber said. “But, you know, if you happen to stumble onto a few eyes I know this guy who has a collection.”
“You don’t even eat them,” Adjutant complained. “It’s a waste, is what that is.”
“I’m going to pretend I never heard that,” I confided in Masego. “When those words I’m definitely not hearing stop, tell Hakram to find his shield. The three of us are going for yet another horrifying magical adventure.”
“I was also under the impression you were dead,” the woman continued.
“Not nearly as much of a problem as you’d think,” I mused.
“Explain,” I said.
“Pebble, larger rock,” he said.
“Many syllables,” I said, “Catherine confused.”
“And so they all died, because the Squire couldn’t ever miss an opportunity to be sarcastic,” Hakram said gravely.
“Gods, why am I even on your side?” Masego complained, throwing up his hands in the air.
“You like us, though Hells if I know why,” I said, patting him on the back.
One of these days, the Gods were going to have to grant me dumber enemies. There had to be a finite number of clever ones, and I was starting to murder my way through that list.
because why make it just a death trap when you could also make it an inconvenience?
William, covered in soot, eyed me with horror.
“All according to plan,” I lied.
“You’re dead,” the Lone Swordsman said. “I cut your head off.”
“Eh,” I shrugged. “I got over it.”
Good ol’ Willy. You could always count on him to screw over at least one person in the room at any time.
“She’s having a bad day,” I said. “It’s about to get worse. She’s correct, though, she bargained for the life of your successors. Unfortunately the bargain didn’t cover their souls. What I’ll do with those I’m not sure yet, but I’ve been meaning to get a girl jewellery and Nauk keeps telling me offering the remains of common enemies is ‘an essential part of all courtships’.”
“That is insane,” I said. “Is this because I sent the letter? I put all my recommendations that she get the post in quotes, Black. The only way I could have been clearer was to add a sentence afterwards going ‘by the way, this is sarcasm, the only thing Heiress deserves is a summary execution’.”
“I kind of feel bad, now,” I mused. “I mean, I already did. But now I feel bad in a different, novel way.”
“You should,” Apprentice muttered. “Honestly, thinking I wouldn’t notice. You might as well have written ‘magical bomb’ on the surface.”
“I’m… sorry?” I ventured.
“I’ll expect a more elegant method of disposal before we get to Marchford,” he said. “As well as a written essay on the subject of why trying to deceive a man with my superb intellect is a fool’s errand.”
“I’m a villain now, I shouldn’t have to do homework,” I whined.
This particular annex to the Royal Palace, called the Songbird’s Cage, had been built by Eleanor Fairfax’s grandson to house his mistress away from the prying eyes of his queen. He’d had the doors and windows barred and locked when said queen had started visiting the mistress more often than he did, spawning half a dozen songs running on the theme of caged doves, all of them involving puns about ‘locks and keys’ that thought themselves very clever.
“You sound proud,” Alaya noted.
Amadeus laughed quietly into the great and empty hall.
“Two years, Allie,” he said. “She has been at this for two years, and already two heroes are dead at her hand. Everything they sent against her, she has scattered. Armies, devils, even a demon. Gods Below, a few months ago she all but mugged an angel.”
“One day,” Alaya continued, “we will have foreign allies who are not complete imbeciles. By sheer dint of odds, it has to happen eventually.”
The mentor/mentee relationship is on point! And just a lovely thing to see as it deepens.
Again, the approach to culture and ingrained racism is complex and interesting. Sexism is less of a thing, probably because becoming an overpowered hero or villain really doesn’t discriminate on gender. I really like how that affects everything in general, there are just as many men and women main characters, with some bias towards women despite the overall makeup of the war college leaning towards men. Sexual preference isn’t a reason for hate in this world with MC being bi and multiple other major and minor being gay or open in their affections, it’s effectively a non-issue. Race, culture, politics, and good vs evil on the other hand are all bombs just waiting to go off.
The writing was absolutely beautiful in terms of explaining situations and history as well as showing emotions, tension and pain. The hidden meaning behind names is awesome, and something I wound’s have picked up my own, and shows how much though is going into these stories. (Ex mentioned in chapter comments: Akua means ‘born on Wednesday’ -> Wednesdays child is full of woe poem).
And of course the humor, I love the snark and monologues, the random hilarity and the well thought out one liners that tie several chapters and story arcs together in one masterful stroke.
Quotes (both the funny and meaningful, because I can’t highlight stuff:P ) (light spoilers)
It was based in Mercantis, but that meant nothing: the City of Bought and Sold had a long history of being used as a cat’s paw in international politics.
“He’s just a goblin,” he sneered, though I could see the fear in his eyes.
“He’s a goblin I’ve been told keeps a jar full of eyeballs in his knapsack. I’ll be honest with you, Rashid: at this point I’m a little afraid to ask whose they are.”
The goblin captain’s brows rose. “How do you even – Hakram, you gossipy bitch.”
The tall orc scratched his chin unrepentantly. “I don’t get why people keep telling me things,” he admitted.
Your marks at the orphanage’s education facilities weren’t particularly remarkable – I read your essay on the Licerian Wars and it was rather sloppy.”
Oh Gods, I couldn’t believe that a piece of homework I’d written half-drunk in the backroom of the Rat’s Nest had ended up in the hands of the fucking spymistress of the Empire. I forced my face to remain blank.
I frowned. “I’ve never met Assassin either,” I pointed out.
She shot me a pitying look. “It would be a mistake to think that means Assassin has never met you,” she replied.
I grimaced. “And to think I was starting to run out of nightmare material.”
“Seventy-three: always send the comic relief in front if you suspect there’s a trap. The Gods won’t allow you to be rid of them so easily.” – “Two Hundred Heroic Axioms”, unknown author
“It’s from the Trismegistan theory of magic,” Kilian explained.
“Well, that certainly clears things up,” I replied dryly.
The redhead frowned at me. “Don’t be a tit,” she said, adding an absent-minded ‘ma’am’ a moment later.
The orc officer nodded. “Your special orders have been given to the troops at the gates,” she said.
I’d kept those rather simple. If a lone individual in a cloak approaches the entrance, shoot them until they stop moving. And then a few more times to be sure. Don’t even bother hailing them, just unload your crossbows.
“So who are you, four-eyes?” I heard Robber ask behind me.
“Four-eyes, really?” Masego replied. “That’s what you’re bringing to the table? I’ve met wittier imps, and most of them aren’t sentient enough to talk.”
“Ah, the warlock’s get,” the tribune caught on. “I’ve always wondered – when your daddies do the deed, who’s the sword and who’s the sheath? Be precise, I have twenty denarii riding on this.”
“So that’s why goblin life expectancy is so short,” Apprentice mused.
Evidently, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
“Good work, Apprentice,” I congratulated him. “So, now we move to the pressing issue: who’s going across the creepy frozen demon bridge first? Volunteers, please step forward.”
“What do we say about blind imitation, Masego?” he prompted.
Apprentice rolled his eyes. “Sorcery without understanding is a sword without a handle,” he dutifully quoted. “I don’t know why you’re so fond of that saying, Father, you wouldn’t be caught dead using an actual sword.”
Warlock looked aghast at the very idea. “Only plebs kill with their own hands,” he asserted, remembering Hakram and I were still in the room only a moment latter. “No offense,” he added, not bothering to inject a great deal of credibility in the appeasement.
“Some taken,” I replied honestly.
I swear, you’re worse with that than Sabah is with the whole dragon affair.”
“She’s right to hold it over your head,” the other Calamity replied with a twitch of the lips. “It was sizing her up for dinner while you haggled over terms.”
“It was asking for an absurd amount of goats and you know it,” the green-eyed man replied peevishly.
“Robber?” I croaked. “Manly? I mean, he’s my friend, but he’s also the sentient equivalent of a pack of walking razor blades.”
“That’s what a male goblin is supposed to be, Callow,” the Senior Sapper sighed. “Vicious, clever, fearless of death. He’s our equivalent of the big hairy human who goes around picking fights in bars.”
I take no guidance of someone, whose crowning achievment is their own death.
“Children’s tales?” I questioned.
“The most important part of any culture’s literature,” Black murmured. “The lessons you are taught when you are young are those you carry with you the rest of your life.”
“I am no longer willing to let someone else decide my fate for me, not even for my own good. I despise the idea with every fibre of my being. And if I don’t trust them with my own life, why would I trust them with anyone else’s? Why would I entrust them with the land of my birth?”
The sentence had been spoken softly, but for all that it resonated clearly. Treason often did.
“I hope you don’t also expect me to salute,” Masego drawled. “I have a medical condition that makes it next to impossible.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“Is it the same disease that makes you think you’re funny?” I asked
“Ah, it’s a cruel woman that leads us my friend,” the dark-skinned boy told Hakram, dramatically laying a hand over his heart.
“I was thinking,” I said patiently, “about shooting him.”
There was a moment of silence and everyone turned to stare at me. What? It was a perfectly reasonable plan.
“Can we… can we actually do that?” Hakram spoke, voice hesitant.
I drummed my fingers against my leg.
“I can’t think of a reason we couldn’t. He’s not here under a flag of truce, and even if he was we have no treaties with the rebels.”
“It seems rather unsporting of us,” Apprentice drawled, though he sounded more amused than actually opposed to the course of action.
Even at this distance I could see the surprise in his body language, and when he turned to gaze up in my direction I mimed shooting a crossbow. Nauk shrugged and requisitioned one from a goblin, cranking it and settling the bolt in.
“You know,” I mused, “I don’t always feel like a villain, but today I might have gotten a little into it.”
“Snappy sentence when you stabbed her?” he asked curiously.
“Helmet reference,” I explained.
Better breeding demands better manners, the proverb went in Callow. Or it did in the pretty parts of the city, anyway. Dockside, the saying had been a little different: inbreeding demands pompousness.
“Catherine, did you use necromancy on yourself?” he asked.
I cleared my throat. “I’ve been known to dabble.”
“That shouldn’t be possible,” he noted. “While broken, the limb wasn’t technically dead. That does explain, however, why the inside of half your limbs is in the early stages of necrosis.”
“That sounds bad,” I said. “Hakram, doesn’t that sound bad?”
“I’m still at the part of this story where you punched a snake the size of a carrack in the head and it died,” Adjutant replied.
“It mouthed off,” I defended myself.
“Cat, if you punch everyone who mouths off to you we’ll be down half our officer corps,” the tall orc sighed.
“The surviving half would be very polite, though,” Apprentice commented drily.
I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth, then spent a heartbeat surprised at the typically Praesi gesture coming from me. When had I picked that up?
“A villain should make plans with the understanding that everything you can conceive of going wrong will, and then a few others things too.”
If there was ever to be a motto for the Fifteenth, I decided, that would be it. I have a plan. Watch how it goes south.
“The Kharsum word for war is derived from the one used for a full cookpot. That tells you everything you need to know about how the Clans think of Creation.”
“Here they come,” I said.
There was a bark of laughter from someone in the ranks.
“Again, huh?”
Grim laughter spread through the deserters.
“The knights will get the glory,” someone sang.
“The king will keep his throne,” more replied.
I knew the song. Every Callowan did, though the days where it was sung in the open were long gone. If the Kingdom had ever had an anthem, this was it.
“We won’t be in the story
Our names will not be known,” I joined in.
A hundred voices chorused, deep and thin and with accents from all over the land.
I tried to look at what was happening, but these were flat grounds and every single fucking legionary in my army was was taller than me.
“If I could cut off your hand twice, I would,” I replied cheerfully. “There, we’re friends now. Maybe we could attend the thing that wants to swallow all of the city?”
He sneered, but did not disagree.
“I’ll take the lead, minion of Dark,” he decided, and before I could argue he was charging again.
“You know he has another hand, right?” Adjutant said. “So technically…”
“Lieutenant Rattler,” Robber gasped. “What’s the meaning of this? Why is that woman’s kidney going unstabbed? This is against all we stand for.”
A female goblin – Lieutenant Rattler, I assumed – saluted sloppily.
“I’m afraid she bribed me, sir,” she replied.
“We don’t take bribes,” the yellow-eyed tribune chided her.
“I’ll cut you in for half?”
Robber turned towards me. “Protocol was followed, Boss.”
“My host will be occupying the Countess’ manor, as it is the only lodging in this… backwater befitting someone of my rank.”
“You do that,” I grunted, watching her ride away back to her troops.
I waited for her to be out of hearing range.
“Robber?”
“Boss?”
“I want that manor on fire before she ever sets foot on the grounds.”
“Gods, I love this outfit,” the yellow-eyed goblin confessed.
“There’s all sorts of accidents,” Robber mused. “I wonder what kind might happen to them?”
“Supplies will be poisoned,” I ordered harshly. “Beasts of burden will be crippled. Any men who wander the city alone or in small enough groups will end up dead in an alley. If they so much as stack two stones on top of each other, I want them pushed down and on fire.”
“Sure,” he replied, looking as pained by the lack of precision as he was by the act of running. “Stab away, that’ll work.”
“Put a shirt on,” he requested firmly.
“I’m just too much woman for you to handle, I see,” I spoke drily.
He sighed. “Yes, your strangely-coloured thin skin and lack of proper canines has me all aflutter,” he deadpanned. “Please, cover up before I can no longer control myself.
The embers in his eyes cooled. I sat in my rickety chair, and thought. A long moment passed.
“Monster,” I finally said.
A single word, carrying with it the faint memory of fear and a dark alley. Of a black cloak warming my frame on a cold night. It felt like an offered hand.
His lips twitched into something almost a smile. “The very worst kind,” he replied.
A hand clasped. I closed my eyes, and wondered whether I’d just saved my homeland or sold it.
I did not get much sleep that night.
“Assassin had a talk with them.”
By which she likely meant that they’d all been found in a warehouse dead of a string of unlikely yet simultaneous mortal accidents. Robber had always approved of the sense of humour the Calamity was rumoured to have. If you couldn’t make murdering your enemies hilarious, what was even the point?
“Don’t mind me,” I grunted. “It just suddenly hit home that I’m leading a Legion of Terror while wearing a black cape and plotting nefarious things in the dark.”
“You’re not currently wearing a cape,” Masego pointed out, about as helpful as tits on a sparrow.
“Apprentice,” I replied patiently, “I own like five capes. All of them black. I get we have a theme here, but would it kill anyone to get me some clothes that a vampire wouldn’t wear?
“The ponytail looks good,” Hakram said loyally.
“Hakram, I love you like a brother, but the day I take grooming advice from you is the day I jump into the Tyrian Sea,” I replied
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to ask at some point. Whose blood is this, Robber?”
“It could be mine,” he grinned.
“Goblins bleed black,” I grunted. “Try again.”
“Not always true,” Apprentice said. “Dread Emperor Sorcerous exsanguinated a Matron and filled in human-“
He trailed off when everyone stared at him then cleared his throat.
They never let anything go, really. He’d worn leather pants once at age sixteen and it had taken them twenty years to stop mentioning it every time they went drinking. It would be another twenty before he lived down Stygia, and since Nehebkau now led Tenth the whole ‘negotiating with a dragon’ affair would likely follow him to his grave.
“And you look like you just killed my horse, which seems a bit over the top since it’s already dead. All right, Supply Tribune, ruin my morning. I’m about due a nasty surprise.”
She flipped a finger in our general direction then took up a leather pouch from her side, turning it upside down as if to empty the contents on the ground. A heartbeat later, twenty-odd river barges fell in a crash of wood and floodwater. I blinked just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.
“What the actual fuck?” I said eloquently.
“Tell Apprentice to hurry back here,” I ordered. “This was, uh, not part of the plan.”
“If this turns into a naval battle, we’re down a fleet of our own,” Hakram commented drily.
“Less sass, more figuring out what the Hells was the point of that,” I ordered.
“Remind me to demote Tribune Robber,” I told Hakram.
“I’ll make a note of it,” the orc said.
“Lesser footrest,” I decided. “That’ll be his new rank.”
“You don’t have another footrest,” Adjutant pointed out.
“But if I did,” I replied vindictively, “he’d be beneath them.”
Robber fled back to the safety of our lines to the loud acclaim of his cohort of insane murderous hooligans. That they were actually my cohort of insane murderous hooligans was something I was trying very hard not to think too much about.
“You take me to such interesting places, Catherine,” Apprentice spoke drily. “What’s next, a church full of demons that is also on fire?”
I shrugged. “Day’s still young.”
“And this protection holds even if you’re dead, I take it?” the hero asked.
I unsheathed my sword.
“I’m not sure I like the direction this conversation is heading,” I said mildly.
“William, remember that time we had a truce until everyone else was dead?”
And then you pretty much split my belly in two and left me dying on the ground, I refrained from adding.
“Granted,” the hero said. “And not a moment longer.”
“No,” the Lone Swordsman growled.
“Yes?” I hazarded, the word drowned out by the plate covering my wrist breaking apart completely under his grip.
I slugged him in the face with the pommel of my sword but he took it unflinchingly, pushing me back.
“I’d settle for a maybe,” I said.
the impact forced me to drop my sword. Well, I still had knives. The hero’s blade sliced through the belt keeping those up, though I managed to snatch one before they fell to the ground. I’d had knives, I corrected mentally.
“Catherine,” Masego said, studying me carefully through his spectacles. “Do you understand me?”
“In general?” I said. “Like, maybe half the time. The rest I just nod and pretend it’s obvious.”
“You just got sassed by a corpse, warlock’s get,” a voice said. “That’s gotta sting.”
“I’m not saying you should mutilate his corpse,” Robber said. “But, you know, if you happen to stumble onto a few eyes I know this guy who has a collection.”
“You don’t even eat them,” Adjutant complained. “It’s a waste, is what that is.”
“I’m going to pretend I never heard that,” I confided in Masego. “When those words I’m definitely not hearing stop, tell Hakram to find his shield. The three of us are going for yet another horrifying magical adventure.”
“I was also under the impression you were dead,” the woman continued.
“Not nearly as much of a problem as you’d think,” I mused.
“Explain,” I said.
“Pebble, larger rock,” he said.
“Many syllables,” I said, “Catherine confused.”
“And so they all died, because the Squire couldn’t ever miss an opportunity to be sarcastic,” Hakram said gravely.
“Gods, why am I even on your side?” Masego complained, throwing up his hands in the air.
“You like us, though Hells if I know why,” I said, patting him on the back.
One of these days, the Gods were going to have to grant me dumber enemies. There had to be a finite number of clever ones, and I was starting to murder my way through that list.
because why make it just a death trap when you could also make it an inconvenience?
William, covered in soot, eyed me with horror.
“All according to plan,” I lied.
“You’re dead,” the Lone Swordsman said. “I cut your head off.”
“Eh,” I shrugged. “I got over it.”
Good ol’ Willy. You could always count on him to screw over at least one person in the room at any time.
“She’s having a bad day,” I said. “It’s about to get worse. She’s correct, though, she bargained for the life of your successors. Unfortunately the bargain didn’t cover their souls. What I’ll do with those I’m not sure yet, but I’ve been meaning to get a girl jewellery and Nauk keeps telling me offering the remains of common enemies is ‘an essential part of all courtships’.”
“That is insane,” I said. “Is this because I sent the letter? I put all my recommendations that she get the post in quotes, Black. The only way I could have been clearer was to add a sentence afterwards going ‘by the way, this is sarcasm, the only thing Heiress deserves is a summary execution’.”
“I kind of feel bad, now,” I mused. “I mean, I already did. But now I feel bad in a different, novel way.”
“You should,” Apprentice muttered. “Honestly, thinking I wouldn’t notice. You might as well have written ‘magical bomb’ on the surface.”
“I’m… sorry?” I ventured.
“I’ll expect a more elegant method of disposal before we get to Marchford,” he said. “As well as a written essay on the subject of why trying to deceive a man with my superb intellect is a fool’s errand.”
“I’m a villain now, I shouldn’t have to do homework,” I whined.
This particular annex to the Royal Palace, called the Songbird’s Cage, had been built by Eleanor Fairfax’s grandson to house his mistress away from the prying eyes of his queen. He’d had the doors and windows barred and locked when said queen had started visiting the mistress more often than he did, spawning half a dozen songs running on the theme of caged doves, all of them involving puns about ‘locks and keys’ that thought themselves very clever.
“You sound proud,” Alaya noted.
Amadeus laughed quietly into the great and empty hall.
“Two years, Allie,” he said. “She has been at this for two years, and already two heroes are dead at her hand. Everything they sent against her, she has scattered. Armies, devils, even a demon. Gods Below, a few months ago she all but mugged an angel.”
“One day,” Alaya continued, “we will have foreign allies who are not complete imbeciles. By sheer dint of odds, it has to happen eventually.”
November 23, 2023
I love it. The conclusion to the rule of three was amazing. Ugh. Amazing. There was so much goodness in this book (and also a lot of politics and new forces that were introduced which I've mostly forgotten).
NGL, when I they revealed that there was a pattern of the rule of three between Cat and Akua, I genuinely though the 3rd encounter *should* end with Cat's victory UNTIL all 3 of them met. Sometime in that arc, I realized that Cat should've lost against both of them, but ended up killing the Hero and winning against the Heiress. AND USING THAT TO RESURRECT??? My god she's so freaking cool. AND HER NAME WAS EVEN RESET!!! Jesus, there are so many (!!!) moments it's crazy they all fit in this book and felt coherent.
I'm in love with this series (so far)
NGL, when I they revealed that there was a pattern of the rule of three between Cat and Akua, I genuinely though the 3rd encounter *should* end with Cat's victory UNTIL all 3 of them met. Sometime in that arc, I realized that Cat should've lost against both of them, but ended up killing the Hero and winning against the Heiress. AND USING THAT TO RESURRECT??? My god she's so freaking cool. AND HER NAME WAS EVEN RESET!!! Jesus, there are so many (!!!) moments it's crazy they all fit in this book and felt coherent.
I'm in love with this series (so far)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 31, 2022Still pretty good. Sometimes there are infodumps. (The entire 2nd to last chapter was almost all political facts that I barely registered). The banter is great, the plot twists are good, the journey of her arc is good and I want to see how this plays out. I so hope it's satisfying. Will she end up Evil? Will she be able to change the destiny of her Name and bring about peace and prosperity for her citizens and for the world?
One thing it is making me think about is the futility of world peace. How much people's allegiances are to their regions and their races and how difficult it is to keep things peaceful. Now that we have global communication maybe we have more hope. But in the days where lands are just taken over and taken over and taken over...the basic citizen just wants to not be killed and to not be taxed to the point where they can't eke out a living. All this conquering and fighting is tragic and kind of depressing to read about.
One thing it is making me think about is the futility of world peace. How much people's allegiances are to their regions and their races and how difficult it is to keep things peaceful. Now that we have global communication maybe we have more hope. But in the days where lands are just taken over and taken over and taken over...the basic citizen just wants to not be killed and to not be taxed to the point where they can't eke out a living. All this conquering and fighting is tragic and kind of depressing to read about.
April 9, 2025
I really enjoyed this book.
June 28, 2022
Pretty fun
March 16, 2022
I liked the first book in the series, but this one started to emphasize things that I let slide in the first book.
People unironically call themselves villains. I know it occurred in the first book too, but it wasn't as prevalent. They are literally boasting about it. Hey, look I'm villain, I'm so cool.
It didn't help that the author was overusing the word "villain" so much that I started to cringe when I saw it in a sentence.
I know it kind of belongs to the magic system in this series, but that's just it, I didn't like this "magic" system at all. Yes, It's original, but this is a prime example why not everything original has to be good.
This book has some of the worst exposition I can remember. The characters tell us information that they were supposed to know already. I have a good example from the book.
There is a ruler of a country. We are told that they are very intelligent and that they got power because they outsmarted and defeated other lords. A couple chapters later, we see this ruler being lectured about basic warfare by their scout, and their family member.
Are you really expecting me to believe that this ruler got where they are without knowing that?
I'm very sensitive about stuff like that, and it can ruin a whole book for me.
People unironically call themselves villains. I know it occurred in the first book too, but it wasn't as prevalent. They are literally boasting about it. Hey, look I'm villain, I'm so cool.
It didn't help that the author was overusing the word "villain" so much that I started to cringe when I saw it in a sentence.
I know it kind of belongs to the magic system in this series, but that's just it, I didn't like this "magic" system at all. Yes, It's original, but this is a prime example why not everything original has to be good.
This book has some of the worst exposition I can remember. The characters tell us information that they were supposed to know already. I have a good example from the book.
There is a ruler of a country. We are told that they are very intelligent and that they got power because they outsmarted and defeated other lords. A couple chapters later, we see this ruler being lectured about basic warfare by their scout, and their family member.
Are you really expecting me to believe that this ruler got where they are without knowing that?
I'm very sensitive about stuff like that, and it can ruin a whole book for me.
January 24, 2019
The most impressive part of this series is the world building. It is such a strong, novel idea and it is executed so well in this book. Overall, book 2 was a VAST improvement over the first Practical Guide to Evil book. Book 1 was good but very amateur, and the characterization wasn't great. Book 2 was amazing. I honestly think book 2 could be published after some heavy handed editing. It's really really good. The dialogue was awesome, the characters really fleshed out. Most importantly, so much happens plot-wise. The stakes are so high and so many moments of this book were truly epic, which is something that even professional authors can't achieve as successfully.
It is sometimes very tedious to read; there is too much here that doesn't need to be. I also had some trouble keeping track of the geography and players, it is getting super complex. I hated the prologue and interludes with Cordelia because I had literally NO idea what was going on. I understood maybe 2% of the sentences in those sections and it was more frustrating than foreshadowing.
It is sometimes very tedious to read; there is too much here that doesn't need to be. I also had some trouble keeping track of the geography and players, it is getting super complex. I hated the prologue and interludes with Cordelia because I had literally NO idea what was going on. I understood maybe 2% of the sentences in those sections and it was more frustrating than foreshadowing.
April 19, 2023
This book takes everything from the first book and makes it better. In the previous book, we were introduced to a large set of characters, the world, a bit of its lore, and the nature of the story we might expect. With the ground work laid, this book takes the time to expand everything in scope. Not only are the characters fleshed out and the world built upon, but the fundamental nature of what the story might build up to is expanded such that it is now unclear what the end of the overall story might look like. And that makes this a great book in my opinion.
October 22, 2023
22.10.23 Not only do I include relevant quotes I talk about stuff that happens in future books.
'Nauk was, I reflected, a bit of a bastard. But he was my bastard, and that made all the difference.' 2.01 Is it possible for orcs and humans to have kids? #TheTurtleMoves
'the boudoir where I’d ended up cooling my heels until Malicia was ready to see me was pretty comfortable. The armchairs had been designed to accommodate people wearing plate armour as I currently was' 2.02 Is boudoir the correct word?
boudoir: a woman's bedroom or small private room.
late 18th century: French, literally ‘sulking-place’, from bouder ‘pout, sulk’.
Also, dam gurl wat kinda sex u havin if they needin plate armour
> Arming sword: In the European High Middle Ages, the typical sword (sometimes academically categorized as the knightly sword, arming sword, or in full, knightly arming sword) was a straight, double-edged weapon with a single-handed, cruciform hilt and a blade length of about 70 to 80cm. This type is frequently depicted in period artwork, and numerous examples have been preserved archaeologically.<
I'm not certain that this is an accurate term given past descriptions of Cat's sword being basically legionary standard, used for stabbing and designed for the shieldwall, given that the standard Roman blade is apparently 45 - 68cm.
Lady Patience. Farseer reference?
> Asocial and antisocial are sometimes used interchangeably, but they aren’t synonymous. While they can certainly overlap in some ways, there are lots of differences between being asocial and being antisocial. Asociality relates to preferring a lack of social interaction and more solitary activities, whereas antisociality relates to antisocial personality disorder, characterized by a lack of empathy and difficulties in maintaining long-term relationships, as well as exploitative, deviant, and criminal behavior.
Cat's tendency to rush in when unsure rather than wait and see is on full display in this private meeting with Malicia. The smart thing to do, the deferent thing to do, would be to let Malicia set the pace and steer the interaction, instead of saying 'Why am I here?'. At the very least, make some mention of not wanting to waste her time, if you're not going to let her spend it as she will.
'"You’ll have seen all the Calamities save Ranger after that,” Ime mused. “Not many people can claim the same.”
I frowned. “I’ve never met Assassin either,” I pointed out.
She shot me a pitying look. “It would be a mistake to think that means Assassin has never met you,” she replied.
I grimaced. “And to think I was starting to run out of nightmare material.”' 2.02 that first chapter was a little clumsy but this tickled me
'“Beautiful tongue, Kharsum. Well-suited to poetry.”
“Wolves howl at the moon,” William replied sharply. “That does not detract from the necessity of putting them down.”' 2.Balestra
It's so easy to hate William, the racist shit.
> balestra: a jump forward in fencing followed by a lunge.
'We were halfway through the month of Taj by the time the Fifteenth got to Summerholm.' 2.04 Mawja, Taj
Why do months exist? Should it not be moons?
comital: relating to a count or earl.
'The woman made a noncommittal noise, face blank and eyes just a little too wide.' 2.04 Is this subconscious, coincidence, face value, or a joke about the Senior Tribune not acting in a manner befitting aristocracy?
Gossip serves a number of functions in society and I think the way Hakram goes about it hits just about all of them.
'On someone less powerfully built it might have leant the appearance of nervousness, but on this one it spoke of a careful awareness of his surroundings.' 2.07 personally I find it's in the body language, specifically the shoulders and the neck.
-kabili
to face, encounter
to confront
Conjugation of -kabili
Positive present -nakabili
Subjunctive -kabili
Negative -kabili
Imperative singular kabili
Swahili
Borrowed from Arabic قَابَلَ (qābala).
kachera
(Sikhism) Alternative form of kaccha
kaccha
(Sikhism) An undergarment worn by baptized Sikhs, one of the five Ks.
aureus
plural noun: aurei
a Roman coin of the late republic and empire, worth 25 silver denarii.
denarius
an ancient Roman silver coin, originally worth ten asses.
a unit of weight equal to that of a silver denarius.
an ancient Roman gold coin worth 25 silver denarii.
The Calamities and Malicia use the banter to disarm others in their presence; they would engage in it anyway but doing so in front of minions and outsiders is a choice.
A living dissection is a contradiction in terms, the word is vivisection.
The use of the name Almorava kind of drives home, to me, the lie of it.
'"The orc shouldn’t be much of a problem,” William grunted. “You can only expect so much out of a monster.”
The two Helikeans traded uncomfortable looks. On most days the Swordsman would have let it go, but today? No, he was done playing nice. Not with that foreigner and his cushy little life, who’d gone from heir to a throne to one of the wealthiest exiles on the continent.
“You think I’m prejudiced,” the green-eyed man stated.
“I find your comments distasteful,” the Exile Prince replied flatly. “And unworthy of a hero.”' 2.Riposte 'Almorava' hasn't said shit this whole time, hasn't gone for character development to enhance Will's story, hasn't even tried to curb his racist speech.
'"... Bard. You think I didn’t see the look of disgust on your faces when I carved up those officers ..."' 2.Riposte Was she disgusted? Did she pretend to be disgusted? Or did he see the looks on the others' faces and assume?
'He glanced at Almorava and she looked like she wanted to weep but had forgotten how.' 2.Riposte Cat thinks of the Bard very differently than the Bard appears here - does Cat have a good handle on who she is underneath? Is this a facade? Or is there no plan for the future yet in EEs mind?
'Just the belief that he was ever safe would be a dangerous liability' 2.Coulisse how old is he? How long has he been living like this? What did it do to him during his development?
coulisse
- a flat piece of scenery at the side of the stage in a theatre.
- the spaces between the flat pieces of scenery at the side of a stage; the wings.
early 19th century: French, feminine of coulis ‘sliding’, based on Latin colare ‘to flow’.
One of the regions of Procer has French coding - Alamans? I kind of assume the Miezans are Roman.
Mieza (Ancient Greek: Μίεζα), "shrine of the Nymphs", was a town in ancient Macedonia, where Aristotle taught the boy Alexander the Great between 343 and 340 BCE.
'I liked both the men she’d mentioned well enough, but together they could be a massive pain in the neck.' 2.13 See, here she's referring to Nauk and Robber, an orc and a goblin. Is men the right word? I think they use the term males later on, unless I'm thinking of like TWI or something.
'"Never heard it before,” Hakram admitted. “Though the melody does sound familiar.”' 2.16 does everyone in the world know the melody and only claimants to the throne get the words? Or is Hakram keen on ascending the tower?
'"It’s not that I think I’ve been chosen, Hakram. I haven’t. I choose.”
I bared my teeth at the moon in a defiant rictus.
“I am no longer willing to let someone else decide my fate for me, not even for my own good. I despise the idea with every fibre of my being. And if I don’t trust them with my own life, why would I trust them with anyone else’s? Why would I entrust them with the land of my birth?”' 2.16 this, to me, is why 'Evil' is the side of the Gods Above, or the Gods Below are beneficial or whatever. They're trying for something greater, to be leaders rather than followers. There's nothing noteworthy about following a formula to the letter and obeying all instructions given to you. Agency.
the men and women under my command were Praesi legionaries. They might have been green, they might never have seen battle before,' 2.17 black, green, white, brown, and apparently shades of red and orange
'I burrowed into their line like an arrow into flesh, too horrified to smile.' 2.17 I feel like this is a wasted opportunity - like a maggot into flesh? Like a knife into an ear? Or more about the burrowing itself - like a dog after a rabbit ? which is a good parallel for the page.
'I felt the flesh on my arm close and thanked the healer, who blushed and scuttled off to take care of Hakram.' 2.19 Cordelia doesn't say thank you. I assume Malicia doesn't?
Baduk is Go.
attack au fer: (fencing) An attack on the opponent's blade, e.g. beat, expulsion, pressure
Honestly, from what I know of Masego later I think he's masking but... who is he mimicking? I assume his father.
Learn does a lot of heavy lifting.
Is this a Protector of the Small reference that the monster speaks with a child's voice or is it just horror movie... dross.
'"I’ll be following shortly,” I replied, and jumped into the hole.' 2.23 I love this bit
> From French caraque (compare Spanish and Portuguese carraca, Italian caracca), from Latin carraca, from Latin carrus (“wagon”); or perhaps from Arabic قَرَاقِير (qarāqīr).
carrack
(historical) A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.
I've never seen Archer - is Stirling anything like Indrani?
'"Catherine’s stubborn ignorance aside,” Masego continued, ignoring my objections,' 2.25 Honestly, I can't pick a favourite character, it's at the very least a four-way tie.
Calumny: the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.
#TheTurtleMoves
Bunch of child soldiers the lot of them.
'He felt the Red Rage welling up in him, like a tide about to tip him over, but he did not fight it. He rode the wave, let its anger strengthen his limbs' 2.Greenskins This is a really important moment. Not only is Nauk not named and unlikely to be so this is character development by someone who's considered by the Gods to be a minor character, it's a contrast to what happens in Beast where Sabah works through her issues in a provided artificial environment. #privilege Nauk shows that he has the ability to handle an incident and not be overwhelmed by it - and it's not a miraculous recovery or anything, just a single incident, and he is supported by his friends, some of whom know a little about what he's going through, and he is an intelligent capable... male? because he wouldn't have been accepted into the war college otherwise.
Cat singing with the Gallowborne is an epic moment for a bunch of reasons which either should be obvious, or are worth figuring out. I will say, that music and songs are important in a literary work, not just high-minded stuff that only the educated know, but this sort of stuff that shows and cements a shared heritage, that's accessible to the commonfolk.
'I did not move, because moving out of fear was wasteful. I did not strike, for striking without purpose was meaningless.' 2.29 Is this a quote? Or another reference/homage like the fear litany? It sounds familiar.
2.31 So there's a Band of Five here, and I think it's kind of telling that one of them falls, that in the future there's another who falls, and another (though that's obviously a little different, with the roster of the Five), and another - that either victory requires sacrifice or it just isn't the right combination for Cat like the Calamities are for Black, in a sort of overall cosmic sense. I think, also, that around here is the point where the story and the writing really gets going, that's its filled out and become richer, in contrast to the first book. I mean there's also the idea that maybe the band of five is appropriate for her and for the situation and sacrifice is simply par for the course, and that she changes and the world changes.
Are there non-goblin sappers? Like ones that go out with the goblins not like stay back and dig trenches and make abatises or whatever.
I like Arcadia as a name for Fairyland.
Is the Yan Tei empire India?
2.36 Honestly Black sounds like the most sane person in the world, and Catherine thinks he's a madman.
Bangue - Cannabis
'Taking the pipe Masego had given me I took a piece of tinder from the flames and lit it up ...' 2.38 Tinder is like, paper, dry grass, wool, - have you ever tried to use a flint to light something? It doesn't produce flame like a lighter or matches it produces sparks. If the fire was going there would probably be no tinder, or the tinder would be out. It'd be next to no use for lighting a pipe with. Unless all the fires are lit by magic or something? Which means the size of tinder has changed? I think the word kindling is really more appropriate here though.
'... quantity could have a quality of its own.' 2.Impresario This is a Marx quote apparently.
'"... You always get irritatingly smug when a plan comes together.”' 2.Impresario A-Team quote.
impresario
a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas.
HISTORICAL
the manager of a musical, theatrical, or operatic company.
mid 18th century: from Italian, from impresa ‘undertaking’
'Men had been killed with teacups ...' 2.Impresario Riddickulous
'Nekhaub' 2.Impresario I don't mind the inconsistencies I know and catch but if it's a word that's new to me, like an original name, then it bothers me.
'... pointedly not smug to such an extent it looped back around to smugness.' 2.Impresario #TheTurtleMoves
Every single spelling or grammar mistake pulls me out of the narrative, and not in a small way.
Every single spelling or grammar mistake pulls me out of the narrative, and not in a small way.
garnish
1. decorate or embellish (something, especially food).
2. LAW serve notice on (a third party) for the purpose of legally seizing money belonging to a debtor or defendant.
- seize (money, especially part of a person's salary) to settle a debt or claim.
Middle English (in the sense ‘equip, arm’): from Old French garnir, probably of Germanic origin and related to warn. garnish (sense 1 of the verb) dates from the late 17th century.
She's learning to exert her power but she's still too angry and haphazard about it. Black, I think, would have said to Heiress that none of her minions were cleared for the meeting and that they'd have to leave.
Every. Single. Spelling. Or. Grammar. Mistake. Pulls. Me. Out. Of. The. Narrative,. And. Not. In. A. Small. Way.
'Hakram’s hairless brow rose in disbelief.' 2.ConspiracyII has this been mentioned before?
usury
- the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest.
- (ARCHAIC) interest at unreasonably high rates.
#TheTurtleMoves
'the all-consuming desire to crush his enemies and see them driven before him.' 2.ConspiracyII 'Conan! What is best in life?'
'"You’re headed for the catacombs, fanger,” the Buzzard sneered. “Creation belongs to the true blood.” 2.ConspiracyII sookehhhh 😬
> Prise de fer is a movement used in fencing in which a fencer takes the opponent's blade into a line and holds it there in preparation to attack. Translated from French, the phrase prise de fer means "taking-the-blade" or "taking-the-steel".
I'm not sure if this is a mistake or something intentional as a comment on the events. Au means 'to', at', or 'of', and de means 'of', from memory. Google translates 'Prise au fer' as 'Iron grip', and 'prise au fer' as 'taken with iron'. Prise also means socket, which is obviously relevant, and this all sort of stacks up, but I have doubts given the lack of attention to detail exhibited throughout. Iron also ties in in another way because of that oft-repeated phrase 'Iron sharpens iron'.
'There was, he now saw, no bell in the tower. Yet there was an empty space for one, a bar of ancient wood to hang it from. ' 2.PriseAuFer Is this significant? I don't recall it being addressed in book two.
'Beyond the benches lay a small altar of pale stone, with a single mark on it. A sigil. It was a sinuous, complicated thing but his mind could not help but perceive it as the number three, in Miezan numerals.' 2.PriseAuFer Are there three Gods Above? I always assumed it was a massive pantheon for some reason.
'"Good doesn’t have to be nice,” Almorava murmured. “Just righteous.”' 2.PriseAuFer
> righteous
1. morally right or justifiable.
- (of a person) morally good; virtuous.
Is it coincidence that Good is the first word of the sentence so we can't tell if she's referring to the name of a side or the moral concept.
"... She’s the very worst kind of villain, you see – the kind who thinks they’re doing the right thing ..." 2.PriseAuFer Hypocrite much Almorava
'It Evil was truly inherent, as she seemed to believe, then to be Good was to make a choice.' 2.PriseAuFer If Good is cosmically enforced then it's not a true choice. While the side of Evil is full of selfish people, it's also the only side that has people who actually truly made an independent choice to be self-directed.
> Agbada is a four-piece male attire found among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, West Africa. It consists of a large, free-flowing outer robe (awosoke), an undervest (awotele), a pair of long trousers (sokoto), and a hat (fìla). The outer robe—from which the entire outfit derives the name agbada, meaning "voluminous attire"—is a big, loose-fitting, ankle-length garment. It has three sections: a rectangular centerpiece, flanked by wide sleeves. The centerpiece—usually covered front and back with elaborate embroidery—has a neck hole (orun) and big pocket (apo) on the left side. The density and extent of the embroidery vary considerably, depending on how much a patron can afford. There are two types of undervest: the buba, a loose, round-neck shirt with elbow-length sleeves; and dansiki, a loose, round-neck, sleeveless smock. The Yoruba trousers, all of which have a drawstring for securing them around the waist, come in a variety of shapes and lengths. The two most popular trousers for the agbada are sooro, a close-fitting, ankle-length, and narrow-bottomed piece; and kembe, a loose, wide-bottomed one that reaches slightly below the knee, but not as far as the ankle. Different types of hats may be worn to complement the agbada; the most popular, gobi, is cylindrical in form, measuring between nine and ten inches long. When worn, it may be compressed and shaped forward, sideways, or backward. Literally meaning "the dog-eared one," the abetiaja has a crestlike shape and derives its name from its hanging flaps that may be used to cover the ears in cold weather. Otherwise, the two flaps are turned upward in normal wear. The labankada is a bigger version of the abetiaja, and is worn in such a way as to reveal the contrasting color of the cloth used as underlay for the flaps. Some fashionable men may add an accessory to the agbada outfit in the form of a wraparound (ibora). A shoe or sandal (bata) may be worn to complete the outfit.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/...
'Wekesa took out his dragonbone pipe, casually stuffing it with bangue. He struck a match and lit it, inhaling the herbs with a small sigh of pleasure.' 2.RedSkies Bangue is weed, if you missed that. This guy's getting high in the middle of the climactic showdown with his archnemesis.
I don't know anyone who codes as much as Pratchett does, and I feel it's also a Pratchett thing to weave famous quotes from here into the world and attribute them to diegetic historical figures. I haven't read everything tho obv.
'I blinked in surprise, or would have if my body still worked that way. My eyelids didn’t move until I consciously made them do it. Gods, that was going to be weird.' 2.45 #TheTurtleMoves
'Nauk was, I reflected, a bit of a bastard. But he was my bastard, and that made all the difference.' 2.01 Is it possible for orcs and humans to have kids? #TheTurtleMoves
'the boudoir where I’d ended up cooling my heels until Malicia was ready to see me was pretty comfortable. The armchairs had been designed to accommodate people wearing plate armour as I currently was' 2.02 Is boudoir the correct word?
boudoir: a woman's bedroom or small private room.
late 18th century: French, literally ‘sulking-place’, from bouder ‘pout, sulk’.
Also, dam gurl wat kinda sex u havin if they needin plate armour
> Arming sword: In the European High Middle Ages, the typical sword (sometimes academically categorized as the knightly sword, arming sword, or in full, knightly arming sword) was a straight, double-edged weapon with a single-handed, cruciform hilt and a blade length of about 70 to 80cm. This type is frequently depicted in period artwork, and numerous examples have been preserved archaeologically.<
I'm not certain that this is an accurate term given past descriptions of Cat's sword being basically legionary standard, used for stabbing and designed for the shieldwall, given that the standard Roman blade is apparently 45 - 68cm.
Lady Patience. Farseer reference?
> Asocial and antisocial are sometimes used interchangeably, but they aren’t synonymous. While they can certainly overlap in some ways, there are lots of differences between being asocial and being antisocial. Asociality relates to preferring a lack of social interaction and more solitary activities, whereas antisociality relates to antisocial personality disorder, characterized by a lack of empathy and difficulties in maintaining long-term relationships, as well as exploitative, deviant, and criminal behavior.
Cat's tendency to rush in when unsure rather than wait and see is on full display in this private meeting with Malicia. The smart thing to do, the deferent thing to do, would be to let Malicia set the pace and steer the interaction, instead of saying 'Why am I here?'. At the very least, make some mention of not wanting to waste her time, if you're not going to let her spend it as she will.
'"You’ll have seen all the Calamities save Ranger after that,” Ime mused. “Not many people can claim the same.”
I frowned. “I’ve never met Assassin either,” I pointed out.
She shot me a pitying look. “It would be a mistake to think that means Assassin has never met you,” she replied.
I grimaced. “And to think I was starting to run out of nightmare material.”' 2.02 that first chapter was a little clumsy but this tickled me
'“Beautiful tongue, Kharsum. Well-suited to poetry.”
“Wolves howl at the moon,” William replied sharply. “That does not detract from the necessity of putting them down.”' 2.Balestra
It's so easy to hate William, the racist shit.
> balestra: a jump forward in fencing followed by a lunge.
'We were halfway through the month of Taj by the time the Fifteenth got to Summerholm.' 2.04 Mawja, Taj
Why do months exist? Should it not be moons?
comital: relating to a count or earl.
'The woman made a noncommittal noise, face blank and eyes just a little too wide.' 2.04 Is this subconscious, coincidence, face value, or a joke about the Senior Tribune not acting in a manner befitting aristocracy?
Gossip serves a number of functions in society and I think the way Hakram goes about it hits just about all of them.
'On someone less powerfully built it might have leant the appearance of nervousness, but on this one it spoke of a careful awareness of his surroundings.' 2.07 personally I find it's in the body language, specifically the shoulders and the neck.
-kabili
to face, encounter
to confront
Conjugation of -kabili
Positive present -nakabili
Subjunctive -kabili
Negative -kabili
Imperative singular kabili
Swahili
Borrowed from Arabic قَابَلَ (qābala).
kachera
(Sikhism) Alternative form of kaccha
kaccha
(Sikhism) An undergarment worn by baptized Sikhs, one of the five Ks.
aureus
plural noun: aurei
a Roman coin of the late republic and empire, worth 25 silver denarii.
denarius
an ancient Roman silver coin, originally worth ten asses.
a unit of weight equal to that of a silver denarius.
an ancient Roman gold coin worth 25 silver denarii.
The Calamities and Malicia use the banter to disarm others in their presence; they would engage in it anyway but doing so in front of minions and outsiders is a choice.
A living dissection is a contradiction in terms, the word is vivisection.
The use of the name Almorava kind of drives home, to me, the lie of it.
'"The orc shouldn’t be much of a problem,” William grunted. “You can only expect so much out of a monster.”
The two Helikeans traded uncomfortable looks. On most days the Swordsman would have let it go, but today? No, he was done playing nice. Not with that foreigner and his cushy little life, who’d gone from heir to a throne to one of the wealthiest exiles on the continent.
“You think I’m prejudiced,” the green-eyed man stated.
“I find your comments distasteful,” the Exile Prince replied flatly. “And unworthy of a hero.”' 2.Riposte 'Almorava' hasn't said shit this whole time, hasn't gone for character development to enhance Will's story, hasn't even tried to curb his racist speech.
'"... Bard. You think I didn’t see the look of disgust on your faces when I carved up those officers ..."' 2.Riposte Was she disgusted? Did she pretend to be disgusted? Or did he see the looks on the others' faces and assume?
'He glanced at Almorava and she looked like she wanted to weep but had forgotten how.' 2.Riposte Cat thinks of the Bard very differently than the Bard appears here - does Cat have a good handle on who she is underneath? Is this a facade? Or is there no plan for the future yet in EEs mind?
'Just the belief that he was ever safe would be a dangerous liability' 2.Coulisse how old is he? How long has he been living like this? What did it do to him during his development?
coulisse
- a flat piece of scenery at the side of the stage in a theatre.
- the spaces between the flat pieces of scenery at the side of a stage; the wings.
early 19th century: French, feminine of coulis ‘sliding’, based on Latin colare ‘to flow’.
One of the regions of Procer has French coding - Alamans? I kind of assume the Miezans are Roman.
Mieza (Ancient Greek: Μίεζα), "shrine of the Nymphs", was a town in ancient Macedonia, where Aristotle taught the boy Alexander the Great between 343 and 340 BCE.
'I liked both the men she’d mentioned well enough, but together they could be a massive pain in the neck.' 2.13 See, here she's referring to Nauk and Robber, an orc and a goblin. Is men the right word? I think they use the term males later on, unless I'm thinking of like TWI or something.
'"Never heard it before,” Hakram admitted. “Though the melody does sound familiar.”' 2.16 does everyone in the world know the melody and only claimants to the throne get the words? Or is Hakram keen on ascending the tower?
'"It’s not that I think I’ve been chosen, Hakram. I haven’t. I choose.”
I bared my teeth at the moon in a defiant rictus.
“I am no longer willing to let someone else decide my fate for me, not even for my own good. I despise the idea with every fibre of my being. And if I don’t trust them with my own life, why would I trust them with anyone else’s? Why would I entrust them with the land of my birth?”' 2.16 this, to me, is why 'Evil' is the side of the Gods Above, or the Gods Below are beneficial or whatever. They're trying for something greater, to be leaders rather than followers. There's nothing noteworthy about following a formula to the letter and obeying all instructions given to you. Agency.
the men and women under my command were Praesi legionaries. They might have been green, they might never have seen battle before,' 2.17 black, green, white, brown, and apparently shades of red and orange
'I burrowed into their line like an arrow into flesh, too horrified to smile.' 2.17 I feel like this is a wasted opportunity - like a maggot into flesh? Like a knife into an ear? Or more about the burrowing itself - like a dog after a rabbit ? which is a good parallel for the page.
'I felt the flesh on my arm close and thanked the healer, who blushed and scuttled off to take care of Hakram.' 2.19 Cordelia doesn't say thank you. I assume Malicia doesn't?
Baduk is Go.
attack au fer: (fencing) An attack on the opponent's blade, e.g. beat, expulsion, pressure
Honestly, from what I know of Masego later I think he's masking but... who is he mimicking? I assume his father.
Learn does a lot of heavy lifting.
Is this a Protector of the Small reference that the monster speaks with a child's voice or is it just horror movie... dross.
'"I’ll be following shortly,” I replied, and jumped into the hole.' 2.23 I love this bit
> From French caraque (compare Spanish and Portuguese carraca, Italian caracca), from Latin carraca, from Latin carrus (“wagon”); or perhaps from Arabic قَرَاقِير (qarāqīr).
carrack
(historical) A large European sailing vessel of the 14th to 17th centuries similar to a caravel but square-rigged on the foremast and mainmast and lateen-rigged on the mizzenmast.
I've never seen Archer - is Stirling anything like Indrani?
'"Catherine’s stubborn ignorance aside,” Masego continued, ignoring my objections,' 2.25 Honestly, I can't pick a favourite character, it's at the very least a four-way tie.
Calumny: the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in order to damage their reputation; slander.
#TheTurtleMoves
Bunch of child soldiers the lot of them.
'He felt the Red Rage welling up in him, like a tide about to tip him over, but he did not fight it. He rode the wave, let its anger strengthen his limbs' 2.Greenskins This is a really important moment. Not only is Nauk not named and unlikely to be so this is character development by someone who's considered by the Gods to be a minor character, it's a contrast to what happens in Beast where Sabah works through her issues in a provided artificial environment. #privilege Nauk shows that he has the ability to handle an incident and not be overwhelmed by it - and it's not a miraculous recovery or anything, just a single incident, and he is supported by his friends, some of whom know a little about what he's going through, and he is an intelligent capable... male? because he wouldn't have been accepted into the war college otherwise.
Cat singing with the Gallowborne is an epic moment for a bunch of reasons which either should be obvious, or are worth figuring out. I will say, that music and songs are important in a literary work, not just high-minded stuff that only the educated know, but this sort of stuff that shows and cements a shared heritage, that's accessible to the commonfolk.
'I did not move, because moving out of fear was wasteful. I did not strike, for striking without purpose was meaningless.' 2.29 Is this a quote? Or another reference/homage like the fear litany? It sounds familiar.
2.31 So there's a Band of Five here, and I think it's kind of telling that one of them falls, that in the future there's another who falls, and another (though that's obviously a little different, with the roster of the Five), and another - that either victory requires sacrifice or it just isn't the right combination for Cat like the Calamities are for Black, in a sort of overall cosmic sense. I think, also, that around here is the point where the story and the writing really gets going, that's its filled out and become richer, in contrast to the first book. I mean there's also the idea that maybe the band of five is appropriate for her and for the situation and sacrifice is simply par for the course, and that she changes and the world changes.
Are there non-goblin sappers? Like ones that go out with the goblins not like stay back and dig trenches and make abatises or whatever.
I like Arcadia as a name for Fairyland.
Is the Yan Tei empire India?
2.36 Honestly Black sounds like the most sane person in the world, and Catherine thinks he's a madman.
Bangue - Cannabis
'Taking the pipe Masego had given me I took a piece of tinder from the flames and lit it up ...' 2.38 Tinder is like, paper, dry grass, wool, - have you ever tried to use a flint to light something? It doesn't produce flame like a lighter or matches it produces sparks. If the fire was going there would probably be no tinder, or the tinder would be out. It'd be next to no use for lighting a pipe with. Unless all the fires are lit by magic or something? Which means the size of tinder has changed? I think the word kindling is really more appropriate here though.
'... quantity could have a quality of its own.' 2.Impresario This is a Marx quote apparently.
'"... You always get irritatingly smug when a plan comes together.”' 2.Impresario A-Team quote.
impresario
a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas.
HISTORICAL
the manager of a musical, theatrical, or operatic company.
mid 18th century: from Italian, from impresa ‘undertaking’
'Men had been killed with teacups ...' 2.Impresario Riddickulous
'Nekhaub' 2.Impresario I don't mind the inconsistencies I know and catch but if it's a word that's new to me, like an original name, then it bothers me.
'... pointedly not smug to such an extent it looped back around to smugness.' 2.Impresario #TheTurtleMoves
Every single spelling or grammar mistake pulls me out of the narrative, and not in a small way.
Every single spelling or grammar mistake pulls me out of the narrative, and not in a small way.
garnish
1. decorate or embellish (something, especially food).
2. LAW serve notice on (a third party) for the purpose of legally seizing money belonging to a debtor or defendant.
- seize (money, especially part of a person's salary) to settle a debt or claim.
Middle English (in the sense ‘equip, arm’): from Old French garnir, probably of Germanic origin and related to warn. garnish (sense 1 of the verb) dates from the late 17th century.
She's learning to exert her power but she's still too angry and haphazard about it. Black, I think, would have said to Heiress that none of her minions were cleared for the meeting and that they'd have to leave.
Every. Single. Spelling. Or. Grammar. Mistake. Pulls. Me. Out. Of. The. Narrative,. And. Not. In. A. Small. Way.
'Hakram’s hairless brow rose in disbelief.' 2.ConspiracyII has this been mentioned before?
usury
- the action or practice of lending money at unreasonably high rates of interest.
- (ARCHAIC) interest at unreasonably high rates.
#TheTurtleMoves
'the all-consuming desire to crush his enemies and see them driven before him.' 2.ConspiracyII 'Conan! What is best in life?'
'"You’re headed for the catacombs, fanger,” the Buzzard sneered. “Creation belongs to the true blood.” 2.ConspiracyII sookehhhh 😬
> Prise de fer is a movement used in fencing in which a fencer takes the opponent's blade into a line and holds it there in preparation to attack. Translated from French, the phrase prise de fer means "taking-the-blade" or "taking-the-steel".
I'm not sure if this is a mistake or something intentional as a comment on the events. Au means 'to', at', or 'of', and de means 'of', from memory. Google translates 'Prise au fer' as 'Iron grip', and 'prise au fer' as 'taken with iron'. Prise also means socket, which is obviously relevant, and this all sort of stacks up, but I have doubts given the lack of attention to detail exhibited throughout. Iron also ties in in another way because of that oft-repeated phrase 'Iron sharpens iron'.
'There was, he now saw, no bell in the tower. Yet there was an empty space for one, a bar of ancient wood to hang it from. ' 2.PriseAuFer Is this significant? I don't recall it being addressed in book two.
'Beyond the benches lay a small altar of pale stone, with a single mark on it. A sigil. It was a sinuous, complicated thing but his mind could not help but perceive it as the number three, in Miezan numerals.' 2.PriseAuFer Are there three Gods Above? I always assumed it was a massive pantheon for some reason.
'"Good doesn’t have to be nice,” Almorava murmured. “Just righteous.”' 2.PriseAuFer
> righteous
1. morally right or justifiable.
- (of a person) morally good; virtuous.
Is it coincidence that Good is the first word of the sentence so we can't tell if she's referring to the name of a side or the moral concept.
"... She’s the very worst kind of villain, you see – the kind who thinks they’re doing the right thing ..." 2.PriseAuFer Hypocrite much Almorava
'It Evil was truly inherent, as she seemed to believe, then to be Good was to make a choice.' 2.PriseAuFer If Good is cosmically enforced then it's not a true choice. While the side of Evil is full of selfish people, it's also the only side that has people who actually truly made an independent choice to be self-directed.
> Agbada is a four-piece male attire found among the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria and the Republic of Benin, West Africa. It consists of a large, free-flowing outer robe (awosoke), an undervest (awotele), a pair of long trousers (sokoto), and a hat (fìla). The outer robe—from which the entire outfit derives the name agbada, meaning "voluminous attire"—is a big, loose-fitting, ankle-length garment. It has three sections: a rectangular centerpiece, flanked by wide sleeves. The centerpiece—usually covered front and back with elaborate embroidery—has a neck hole (orun) and big pocket (apo) on the left side. The density and extent of the embroidery vary considerably, depending on how much a patron can afford. There are two types of undervest: the buba, a loose, round-neck shirt with elbow-length sleeves; and dansiki, a loose, round-neck, sleeveless smock. The Yoruba trousers, all of which have a drawstring for securing them around the waist, come in a variety of shapes and lengths. The two most popular trousers for the agbada are sooro, a close-fitting, ankle-length, and narrow-bottomed piece; and kembe, a loose, wide-bottomed one that reaches slightly below the knee, but not as far as the ankle. Different types of hats may be worn to complement the agbada; the most popular, gobi, is cylindrical in form, measuring between nine and ten inches long. When worn, it may be compressed and shaped forward, sideways, or backward. Literally meaning "the dog-eared one," the abetiaja has a crestlike shape and derives its name from its hanging flaps that may be used to cover the ears in cold weather. Otherwise, the two flaps are turned upward in normal wear. The labankada is a bigger version of the abetiaja, and is worn in such a way as to reveal the contrasting color of the cloth used as underlay for the flaps. Some fashionable men may add an accessory to the agbada outfit in the form of a wraparound (ibora). A shoe or sandal (bata) may be worn to complete the outfit.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/fashion/...
'Wekesa took out his dragonbone pipe, casually stuffing it with bangue. He struck a match and lit it, inhaling the herbs with a small sigh of pleasure.' 2.RedSkies Bangue is weed, if you missed that. This guy's getting high in the middle of the climactic showdown with his archnemesis.
I don't know anyone who codes as much as Pratchett does, and I feel it's also a Pratchett thing to weave famous quotes from here into the world and attribute them to diegetic historical figures. I haven't read everything tho obv.
'I blinked in surprise, or would have if my body still worked that way. My eyelids didn’t move until I consciously made them do it. Gods, that was going to be weird.' 2.45 #TheTurtleMoves
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2023
It was fun but way too long. Idk the bad guys are kinda boring. The magic is interesting but not explained in any satisfactory way. The main character is super frustrating. She falls into the classic of not finishing the job fully. In the previous book the mc was acting and taking initiative all the time. In this book, she always reacts. She walked into like 5 traps during the book. She is supposed to be this badass and yet everyone gets one up on her. And what's even worse is that when the mc actually does something productive the magic system is set up in a way that prevents her from finishing the job. The whole hero/villain dynamic is just not fun at all.
Power scale is unclear sometimes one person is super strong then next time they are shit. One time one person is super smart only to be outsmarted by the next even smarter person. The magic levels are also not fun.
Anyway still the characters are bad guys and I liked that. The world seems complex with multiple countries all doing their own things. And not everything is black and white.
Overall I don't think I will continue this series.
Power scale is unclear sometimes one person is super strong then next time they are shit. One time one person is super smart only to be outsmarted by the next even smarter person. The magic levels are also not fun.
Anyway still the characters are bad guys and I liked that. The world seems complex with multiple countries all doing their own things. And not everything is black and white.
Overall I don't think I will continue this series.
October 29, 2020
I just spent half the day finishing this book, I was hooked. Of course, now I have to stay up extra-late to finish my homework and study for my upcoming tests, but alas, life is full of sacrifices, and losing some sleep in exchange for that INCREDIBLE story is one that I do not regret.
The last two chapters? IMMACULATE. I'm so excited to see where this series goes. It seems like all the other nations on Calneria are finally coming into play, and I think I might die of happiness if I get to see Catherine sass an elf.
Only problem was the writing; sometimes a bit too repetitive and the author seems determined to refer to characters by anything besides their name. You might as well replace Black's name with "the green-eyed man" at this point, or Robber's name with "the yellow-eyed tribune."
The last two chapters? IMMACULATE. I'm so excited to see where this series goes. It seems like all the other nations on Calneria are finally coming into play, and I think I might die of happiness if I get to see Catherine sass an elf.
Only problem was the writing; sometimes a bit too repetitive and the author seems determined to refer to characters by anything besides their name. You might as well replace Black's name with "the green-eyed man" at this point, or Robber's name with "the yellow-eyed tribune."
December 21, 2022
This book was fantastic, start to finish. The second installation in this web series expands and builds on the first in fantastic way, with subject matter and execution that easily rivals and surpasses traditionally published books.
Pros: The story progresses. It does not rest on on its laurels. There's a multitude of characters with personality galore. Classic tropes are discussed, lampshaded, and utilized by the characters within. The world is massive, the politics are aggressive enough to keep one's attention, and the main character is slogging towards her goals.
Cons: The books are not printed and there are typos and certain aspects of the story that could use a bit of editing.
Would recommend, especially to any who enjoy The Stormlight Archives
Pros: The story progresses. It does not rest on on its laurels. There's a multitude of characters with personality galore. Classic tropes are discussed, lampshaded, and utilized by the characters within. The world is massive, the politics are aggressive enough to keep one's attention, and the main character is slogging towards her goals.
Cons: The books are not printed and there are typos and certain aspects of the story that could use a bit of editing.
Would recommend, especially to any who enjoy The Stormlight Archives
April 29, 2024
This sequel to the first web novel in the series “A Practical Guide to Evil”, ramps everything up in the best way. The stakes are higher, the characters are more developed, more things happen, and it is just epic. The writing is much better compared to the first one, with very few boring moments and several scenes that gave me chills.
Catherine Foundling goes to war, and advances even further in her skills. The author introduces even more interesting characters, such as the Apprentice and the Wandering Bard. The worldbuilding has expanded, especially that of Names, the cosmology, and the nations of Calernia. I greatly enjoyed this sequel.
Catherine Foundling goes to war, and advances even further in her skills. The author introduces even more interesting characters, such as the Apprentice and the Wandering Bard. The worldbuilding has expanded, especially that of Names, the cosmology, and the nations of Calernia. I greatly enjoyed this sequel.
September 29, 2024
3.75 / 5
3.5 / 5 for the majority, but boosting to a higher score because I enjoyed the ending chapters.
I still have similar problems from the first with referring to training and development (mostly with Black) that apparently happened entirely off screen, and with some of the legion management, but as mentioned above I liked the ending battle, and I'm curious to see where the story will go next with the Names pieces. I'm especially intrigued to find out more about the Wandering Bard.
On to the next.
3.5 / 5 for the majority, but boosting to a higher score because I enjoyed the ending chapters.
I still have similar problems from the first with referring to training and development (mostly with Black) that apparently happened entirely off screen, and with some of the legion management, but as mentioned above I liked the ending battle, and I'm curious to see where the story will go next with the Names pieces. I'm especially intrigued to find out more about the Wandering Bard.
On to the next.
October 25, 2022
Before you dive into the review, I want to highlight two points:
1. This is the series that I have rated the highest for the blog till date, and
2. This is a free web novel. There are no eBooks available for purchase far as I know.
Now with that done, here’s my super glowing review of one of the best epic fantasies that I’ve read till date.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-a-prac...
It's spectacular and highly recommended.
1. This is the series that I have rated the highest for the blog till date, and
2. This is a free web novel. There are no eBooks available for purchase far as I know.
Now with that done, here’s my super glowing review of one of the best epic fantasies that I’ve read till date.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-a-prac...
It's spectacular and highly recommended.
Read
April 25, 2022I'm not sure what exactly happened at the end with the angel and why Cat was able to make it do her bidding. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, though! I'm tempted to dive straight into the next one but I'll read another book before starting #3 in order to pace myself a bit (and not spend the next months reading nothing but this series...)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2024
5/5.
ErraticErrata gets more into their groove here, and Catherine Foundling’s story is at its best in this book. The plot is tight and focused, the supporting cast brilliant, the main antagonists compelling. It feels like I am reading the origin story of an awesome and fearsome villain, but Catherine herself is mostly flying by the seat of her pants. Or undead steed, rarely.
ErraticErrata gets more into their groove here, and Catherine Foundling’s story is at its best in this book. The plot is tight and focused, the supporting cast brilliant, the main antagonists compelling. It feels like I am reading the origin story of an awesome and fearsome villain, but Catherine herself is mostly flying by the seat of her pants. Or undead steed, rarely.
January 16, 2019
Part of the re-read aforementioned in the last review, and again it's still great. This genuinely has one of the coolest epic climaxes of any book I've read period, and I include latter-era Dresden Files in that.
November 27, 2021
In seeking the power to enact change that she wants, how far will Catherine go? EE continues to amaze (me) with their ability to tell stories, cementing The Guide in my best of the best of the best list: a list of one.
December 23, 2021
I very much enjoyed this book! There were a few parts that kinda lost me a little but that final battle and conclusion was verrry satisfying!! Really just needs an editor to look over it and it would be an easy 5 stars.
January 20, 2023
THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN.
YESSSS.
THE PLOT DOESN'T MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE SOMETIMES (Things seem to come way too easy) and the WORLDBUILDING IS VAGUE (FOR ALL THE DETAILS PUT TO IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE's NO RULES), BUT FUCK IT LETS GO YA AND OVERPOWERED PROTAGONIST!!!
YESSSS.
THE PLOT DOESN'T MAKE TOO MUCH SENSE SOMETIMES (Things seem to come way too easy) and the WORLDBUILDING IS VAGUE (FOR ALL THE DETAILS PUT TO IT, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE's NO RULES), BUT FUCK IT LETS GO YA AND OVERPOWERED PROTAGONIST!!!
April 13, 2023
The second book where our reckless MC is fighting with a reduced Legion against devils and Heroes.
The role concept is wonderful, some twists really surprised me. At times the political background can be a bit tedious but overall another great book.
The role concept is wonderful, some twists really surprised me. At times the political background can be a bit tedious but overall another great book.
August 29, 2024
Better than the previous book in the series. Expands upon some of the interesting elements in depth, and builds some rich characters.
Still suffers from an egregious lack of editing, which caps the series at 3 stars for me.
Still suffers from an egregious lack of editing, which caps the series at 3 stars for me.
July 22, 2025
The first book and this are great and even that knowledge doesn’t detract from the fact they were just prologues to the real goods. Great fucking read. Cat’s shedded the naïveté and in its place is the foundation for a fantastic character arc.
June 9, 2019
If this book were actually published I would buy it and copies for my friends too.
Currently reading
January 5, 2020Chapter 31: Sleight
June 25, 2020
Some great moments of epicness make it worth slogging through this un-edited, overlong book (and the 2 books before it)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews