The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

ch21 - "Blood calls to blood". what a chapter!

and that brings more confirmations: the boy is kennit himself, and kennit trying to silence his younger self.

"The beaten, begging boy would have to be silenced once more. One last time, he would have to erase the groveling, craven lad from the world's memory."


Kennit smartly gets Etta and Wintrow off the ship in time which means he will be able to spin this tale his way afterwards.
It definitely seems like Bolt - Kennit is a dangerous combination, both really trying to get Paragon to go down, away for ever.

And i'm just shouting 'Noooo', dear Paragon there is no need to die for this.
I was surprised at the gentle conversation between Kennit and Paragon, with all the anger under their skin i did not expect that!

ch22 - the whole time i was trying to get through to Althea to not drink that. if someone wants you to drink something that badly, something must be wrong with it.

but then more revelations!:
"you were much younger when Igrot dragged you to his bed"

and: kennit was born on pirate isles, son of a trader's son and a pirate isles bride. so he never set foot in bingtown, which i guess means he must be younger than i thought he was.

the puzzle is being pieced together but still a lot of questions. so latest hypothesis: igrot won himself a liveship, bringing the trader's son to divvytown, possibly forcing him to marry a pirate isles bride (but that could have been free will too of course), then when they had a son he took the son on board of paragon so 'blood' is present on the ship. the boy probably got zero love, and was even abused. the ship tried to care for him.
at some point paragon and kennit got their heads together to get igrot out of the way, with paragon taking all kennit's memories to give him a chance for a life.
kennit silenced his mother, taking her to an island. (father presumably dead)

what did i miss?

a few very short chapters coming up

ch23 - so will malta get to kennit soon? it would be handy if Tintaglia and Reyn will find malta, wintrow and althea all at the same time.


ch24 - love selden going back to trehaug, somehow it's like the boy always belonged there. even without the scales.


ch25 - "i have been called a fool as often as i have been called a prophet" uhu?!

ch25 - poor paragon, it seemed like it was destined to all go wrong with him. not only was he made from mixed plank, and having two dragons war for dominance inside your self must be quite difficult.
now additionally, it turns out that she was born prematurely "I woke too soon. I had not absorbed enough human memories to be strongly centered in them."

instead he got all the worrying memories of an abused boy that seemed to have been the love of paragon's life.

i do like his request to Amber
"Give me a face you could love"
i wonder where Amber will get her inspiration?

but then: "there is only one place safe enough to hide which is too precious to kill"
and we know where that is!

oo to see kyle's face when brashen comes to his rescue!

Hanne wrote: "ch21 - "Blood calls to blood". what a chapter!"

The memory of Paragon holding Kennit close so he could chop out his eyes was quite chilling.

it really was. i was almost shivering on the sofa while imaging it on the sofa (actually it felt like i was recalling it which is very odd).

i always wondered what had happened to paragon, but this scenario hadn't come to mind at all

Hanne wrote: "the puzzle is being pieced together but still a lot of questions. so latest hypothesis: igrot won himself a liveship, bringing the trader's son to divvytown, possibly forcing him to marry a pirate isles bride"

I read this as a Ludlock marrying a pirate isles girl before Igrot got involved - I don't know what he was doing in the pirate Isles though

“He is my family.” Paragon could not conceal his love for the pirate. “He is a Ludluck, like me. The last of his line, born in the Pirate Isles. A Bingtown Trader’s son took a Pirate Isles bride. Kennit was their child, his son, his prince. And my playmate. The one who finally loved me for myself.”

I'm guessing that Igrot took the ship after that?

Hanne wrote: "then when they had a son he took the son on board of paragon so 'blood' is present on the ship. the boy probably got zero love, and was even abused. the ship tried to care for him."

I read that as Kennit actually being born on the ship and the blood from the birth spilling on the wizardwood and forming a bond - still prior to Igrot. Paragon coming awake to early never bonded with the father but...

He was born aboard me. Can you imagine that? The only birth I have ever known was able to obliterate all the deaths that had gone before it. His father offered him to me, his birth-blood still on his skin

This was real creepy

“You only want her because she resembles the boy,” the charm said snidely. The nasty little voice shattered the peace in the room...

...“And you only want the boy because he so reminds you of yourself at that age. Only, in reality, you were much younger when Igrot dragged you to his bed.”

So he wants Althea because she looks like Wintrow - and he wants Wintrow because he reminds him of himself as a boy - when Igrot would molest him. Ugghhh...

i'm not going to comment on the first bits of course because i know now how it all fits togther :)
let's say i was partially correct, partially completely wrong :)

on the second, yes, utterly disturbing. i'm starting to think that wintrow should be lucky he never tried to do anything of the kind.

i found everything about that scene utterly disturbing.

She gave a small laugh that had no joy in it. “In a word, I do not know how to tell you. I have been called a fool as often as I have been called a prophet.

Ah Huh?

you've never been called a fool? :))

Only as often as I've been called a prophet :)

Lots happening in these chapters, So king kennit is trying really hard to bury or burn his past, but Amber makes a connection with Paragon and saves all.

Things are looking bad for Alithea being abroad Vivacia.

Wintrow is completely enthralled by Kennit, I am really furious regarding him.

Malta has really developed and knows how to survive in a worst situation than Wintrow does.