Imps of Goldstone Wood discussion
Read-Through
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Moonblood read-through 2017
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1) What did you think of the prologue?2) What do you think would have happened if Lionheart went with the Prince after Una?
3) Are you glad to see Felix again? Thoughts?
4) How are you feeling toward Lionheart? What's motivating him?
5) Worried about Rose Red? o.o
6) What have you noticed this time?
How's everyone's reading going? :)
(Also, wasn't Beana scary? o.o In the best way possible of course.)
(And you don't have to answer all the questions if you don't want to. :))
What I noticed is spoiler-ish for Dragonwitch... (view spoiler)
Annd I called Leta "Letra"... The shame. XD Leetra's from the Ilyon Chronicles. :P
Loving this reread already!1) The prologue is enrapturing every time. It’s our first real glimpse at the Far world, and it also introduces us to our antagonist, and shows us what it is that has been looking for Rosie all these years. And because we’re all thinking it, I feel I must say: Vahe has something wrong with his head. 0.o
2) Lionheart going with the Prince would have required ignoring the Lady and abandoning his “dream” so I wonder if, at the very least, it might have meant him breaking free from her grasp. Otherwise, it’s hard to say what would have happened. I personally wonder what would have happened to the 12 men if *they* had gone with the Prince? How might the events at the Village of Dragon’s played out differently? I also wonder if any of them might have been braver had they known it was a person they were rescuing, not a “treasure” like Lionheart told them?
3) Felix is great! <3 I felt sorry for him here because of how the dragon poison was still affecting him and he couldn’t even remember that that was why he felt so angry and bitter. Though, even if the poison hadn’t been exacerbating his issues, I think he still would have been on the angsty side because he’s clearly still mourning the destruction of his homeland and the loss of normalcy, and on top of that, misses Una and Monster and seems to feel abandoned by them both.
4) I found myself getting irritated with Lionheart in this book more than in the previous two. Some of his past actions were understandable to a point, and occasionally excusable because, hey, we’re all human and we all mess up sometimes. But his actions in Moonblood seem more and more motivated by fear of what happens if he loses control over his dream (a control that was only ever an illusion to begin with), and he gives that fear precedence over everything, including loyalty to and the safety of his best friend. Beana was certainly being scary, but she was completely right when she called him a coward!
5) The first time I read this, yep! I was very worried!
6) I’ve noticed all the things you noticed! Potential Dragonwitch and Draven’s Light spoiler time! (view spoiler)
YAY DISCUSSION TIME! :DI'm so excited. I've never read Moonblood before, so I'm hopping in on this readalong and I'M LOVING IT! I had no idea I missed Leo and Rosie and Beana and all the characters and this world SO MUCH, until I started Moonblood and got sucked in and read all this week's reading in a single night. :D So enjoying it! ^_^ (Apologies if I'm too fangirly or dramatic in this post--I'm just excited. XD)
Spilling all my thoughts for Moonblood's first 97 pages now:
1) What did you think of the prologue?
Eep. EEP EEP. o.o <--Basically the extent of my ability to word. XD
2) What do you think would have happened if Lionheart went with the Prince after Una?
Better things, better things. *nods* I don't know what, but... the Prince asked him TWICE, so... there had to be a reason for this. I'm guessing if Leo had, he would have gotten rid of Lady Life-In-Death's hold on him and his dream obsession, and probably would have become not-a-coward (eventually, y'know, if he tried) and it just would have been BETTER probably, but... I guess we'll never know? o.o But yeah, when he was yelling at his guys for not going and calling them cowards and I was just like "takes one to know one, bro..." and... yeah. :P It's still sad that nobody followed the Prince though. :(
3) Are you glad to see Felix again? Thoughts?
YES. :D And... also... MEEP. O_O I'M SO WORRIED ABOUT HIM AWK. Poor Felix is all Dragoned and doesn't REMEMBER and EEP! O____O So worried. *collapses*
(Also, was there something significant about the storm and ship Felix saw on the horizon? I wonder. I was thinking of Goddess Tithe but I guess it's the wrong time-period. Anyway.)
4) How are you feeling toward Lionheart? What's motivating him?
So, I had no idea I could love a character so much while also LOATHING HIS LIFE CHOICES. *collapses* Leo, Leo, Leo... My heart. Make better choices, man! I mean, Lady Life-In-Death is all creepy and evil living in his head and influencing him, so I can kind of see why he's doing it, but just... no, man, no. -_- And yet, despite him being generally awful to Una (ow; but he got paid back, sooo...) and Daylily (who sometimes doesn't deserve it and sometimes... does) and BANISHING ROSIE (WHAT HOW CAN HE??), I still... really like him. And I feel bad for him. And I want him to make better choices! Awk. *collapses* So conflicted, here. I'm also so happy about what happened at the end of the 1st Part (no echo in his head--yesss!) and I'm so hoping he'll do better from here on out. Because I do really like him and I don't know WHY but I do! ^_^
5) Worried about Rose Red? o.o
SO MUCH. O.O MEEEEEP. (She's BANISHED NOOO. And Beana said never go there. And she went there. And I dunno why but I just feel like DO WHAT BEANA SAYS, right? Aaaaaahh! I don't know what's going to happen!)
(And yes, Beana was definitely scary--and AWESOME--in the best possible way. :D I love Beana. ^_^ Getting to see her turn into a person was the BEST.)
6) What have you noticed this time?
Well, it's my first time, buuut... Other than the above, I'm just really loving being back in this world with these characters, and the echoes of Heartless and Veiled Rose. :D It's been quite an (embarrassingly) long time since I read the first two books, sooo I'm occasionally having a hard time remembering some of what went on, especially minor details, so that's been interesting, but it also makes it more mysterious and hazy-dream-like which is almost cool. :P
These characters though! ^_^ Rosie is SO loyal and steady and just YES, love her! Worried about her, too. And upset at the people of Southlands. *growls* Leo, as mentioned copious times, is BEING AWFUL but I still love him and am curious what he's going to do next without you-know-who in his head to validate (and encourage/manipulate) his life choices... Hmm. Felix is adorable BUT I'M SO WORRIED AWK. O.O AND BEANA! Beana Beana Beana! She is SO. FUN. :D And solid and practical and makes-you-feel-safe. She's just great. :D I loved the part where Rosie sees... a rose? In the rose bushes? And Beana's like what's there and Rosie's like nothing you'd just eat it. XDDD (And also Rosie telling her to stop eating that--you'll be sick; and asking her to tell her she's an idiot and Beana's like okay. THEY'RE THE BEST.)
BUT BUT WHAT'S WITH THE ROSES?? I kind of know a fewww things I've heard about the series even if I haven't read further than this yet, but still. ROSES EEP. I almost feel like they're... like... watching Rosie? Like, I remember in the prologue it said something about the roses turning their faces away and not watching as Rosie's mom fled the creepy castle with her... and then they haven't been around in ages but start popping up and then disappearing again and Rosie sees them but nobody else really does, and somehow I'm just imagining them as these creepy (or not-creepy?) surveillance cameras watching Rosie. O_O Like... maybe I'm totally off but that's what I thought of. XD
I also love when it says the eye of the moon is crying, or the sun got covered in a shadow as if he couldn't watch... and stuff like that.
Also. Dat unicorn is one scary creature. O_____O
Okay, that's all I have for now. Much rambles. :P Basically I'm enjoying myself a lot and can't wait to continue! :)
I kind of hate to burst some of the excitement bubble here, but Oriana Castle was built not on the site of Gaheris Castle but on the coast next to Sondhold City. Gaheris was far inland and build on a rock/cliff beside a navigable river. The stream beside Goldstone Hill is small. However . . . you will see a "mirror-image" of Goldstone Hill in a scene later in this book--as in, what is built on the same hill in another world. The Far, the Near, and the Between get muddled together in places (this time, thanks to Vahe)--which is why the Knights have such a hard time protecting the Near World from the Far World and all of its devious creatures.Both Oriana and Letania were named for ladies--the names just fancied up a little. The Smallman King did name his palace for his wife, Leta. :-)
4. Deborah, I'm with you: I adore Lionheart! And, thought I hate to admit this, I can identify all too well with his attempts to make excuses for every past mistake. Even after Lady Life-in-Death is gone, the temptation remains to justify his bad choices. Like many of us, he never wants to admit that he was wrong. And even when he does accept the evil of his choices, he insists that he must atone for his sins. Yep, he is too proud to accept help from the Prince or even admit that he might need help.
I love Beana too. Her relationship with Rose Red is so sweet. <3 And I love reading your insights and comments on this story!
Mod
Yes, thanks for the clarification, Jill! Sounds like we were pretty far off, but it's still fun to see names we recognize. :D@Deborah: So glad you're enjoying the story! Doesn't it just suck you in and make you sit on the edge of your seat and flail constantly?!?!?! *much flailing* Also, welcome to the long post club. We have cookies. ;)
E.F.B. wrote: "@Deborah: So glad you're enjoying the story! Doesn't it just suck you in and make you sit on the edge of your seat and flail constantly?!?!?! *much flailing* Also, welcome to the long post club. We have cookies. ;) "YES IT DOESSSS!! :D *muchly much flailing* And thanks! I've actually been a member of the long post club for quiiite awhile, but it's nice to have an official welcome! XD
Can't wait 'til I'll actually have time to read the next section of Moonblood... *edge of seat*
@Jill: Thanks for clarifying! :) That makes sense--the Draven's Light place wasn't by the sea like Oriana. @Deborah and Jill: I love Lionheart too!! Though, yes, he's. . . a mess. :P But I still love him.
I think Lionheart missed a big opportunity when he didn't go with the Prince of Farthestshore to rescue Una. But being born into royalty does involve so many tricky situations and opportunities for mistakes. I'm glad I don't have a female Dragon in my head!I agree that he is a powerful character for teaching many lessons.
and thanks for the geographic clarifications! It does help to visualize spatially what you are reading...:)
Mod
Thanks Hannah! Which book is that in--- or did I miss it right in Veiled Rose?It is an excellent analogy to the conflict we will all face of whether to live life only for our own dreams or to enlarge our hearts and live for Christ to the benefit of others.
I think her voice really is in my head sometimes-- so now I can really empathize with Lionheart!
PS, what's the closest thing we have to a map at this point? Just another thought, it could make a great board game, falling into the nether world or something as you try to navigate. :)
Michael wrote: "PS, what's the closest thing we have to a map at this point? Just another thought, it could make a great board game, falling into the nether world or something as you try to navigate. :)"There were some map-ish things in this post: http://anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.c... (I believe there's also one in the ebook version of the first segment of Golden Daughter, but that's just for one area.)
Haha, that WOULD be fun! XD
Many fun things happening.... :D1) Why do you think Rose Red (Varvare) won't listen to the Thrush and call for Lionheart? What would have happened if she'd called the first time she was told to?
2) Thoughts on Vehe? (Isn't he a creepy?! Ugh. o.o)
3) What do you think of the unicorn, and the Hunter?
4) Do you find Eanrin and Lionheart together amusing?
5) Thoughts on Ragniprava and his Faerie kingdom?
How's everyone's reading going? :) I think we'll be taking a little break in June to give everybody time to catch up, so don't feel bad if you're behind a bit. :)
@Michael: Wow, a board game would be so cool! I love that idea!
Blessings,
Stargazer
Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day weekend, whether you're a mother or not. :)@Deborah: Wow, thanks for the link to the maps! I know I saw that post because I remember the kitty pictures, but somehow I totally didn’t remember the maps. I think that was posted back when I was still investigating the series, but hadn’t started reading it yet, so the maps didn’t mean anything to me. Glad to see them again now that they do mean something!
1) Probably because she felt betrayed by Lionheart and no longer trusted him to help her, and once again, wasn’t trusting the Prince to know what was best. Had she called Lionheart the first time…Well, I guess they would have had more time before Moonblood to figure out how to escape, but I wonder if (MASSIVE SPOILER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.) (view spoiler)
2) Vahe is one of the creepiest creeps to ever creep! *squirms* And he’s apparently been a creep since childhood since the statue of his mother says he murdered her when he was still a child. *shudder*
3) Having read Moonblood before and knowing the story behind the unicorn and knowing who the Hunter is, A) Poor scary, but pitiable unicorn. :( B) Without spoilers, I squealed happily when I first discovered who the Hunter was. :D I’d actually thought he was a bad guy before then.
4) They’re hilarious together! The dynamic of the poet with the guy who disrespects high poetry is perfection. XD I think it also shows us a lot about Eanrin’s character that he acted all aloof (like the cat he is) and made Lionheart think he’d just let Ragniprava turn Lionheart to stone, but then immediately (literally!) leaped to the rescue when Ragniprava tried to do so. He may be mad at Lionheart for betraying Una, but he’s not totally hard-hearted.
5) I can’t approve of his prince-collecting ways, but Ragniprava is certainly an interesting character! Sounds like his kingdom is really pretty too.
One random observation for this week: I’d tooootally forgotten that when Vahe had that flashback to making the deal with the Dragon that they’d mentioned the Lady of Aiven and aid that she had been Vahe’s slave and it was he who persuaded her to wake the Dragon. HUGE piece of the puzzle right there, though it still doesn’t answer everything!
Oh! One other thing: Diarmid and Anahid! I just…I can’t. I. CAN’T.
My reading is going fine. I’m on schedule and enjoying it. :) I agree that taking a break in June is a good idea to let people catch up. I actually have a literal, physical stack of books on my real-life bookcase that I need to read, so I’ll probably use the time to get one (or two, if I choose the shorter ones) of those books read before the next read-along.
Great questions! And I SO much enjoyed reading your thoughts on them, E.F.B. :-)1. I agree that Varvare was broken-hearted and totally disillusioned after Lionheart betrayed her so completely. And who can blame her? She should have listened to the wood thrush anyway, but that's me talking in the superiority of my non-betrayedness. I get frustrated with her but can't claim that in her position I wouldn't have been just as stubborn. Or worse!
2. I "love" Vahe. He is horrid yet so funny, which somehow makes him even creepier! I look forward SO much to the day when Anne Elisabeth can write the story including his and Oeric's youth. From the bits and pieces I know, I can tell you that it will be epic. The creepiest thing of all about him is that, to his way of thinking, he labors and plans for the betterment of his people and all of faerie. He is the "good guy."
3. When I first read this story, the unicorn freaked me out. Now it breaks my heart. And the Hunter is so cool. A very unusual heroic character!
4. The dynamic between Lionheart and Eanrin in this book is ideal--their conflict/contrast sets off their two characters perfectly. To me, they have always seemed so real, as if they are people I know in person. And the poetry competition!!! I love it. So much. Eanrin so deserved that. :-D
5. I would love to see Ragniprava again in another book. His world is so vivid--the waterfalls and the palace in ruin, and the tiger himself. I can almost feel the heat and humidity. :-P
Diarmid and Anahid--the tragic love story of this series. :-(
And June is a good break-time for me, too. It is going to be a very busy month!
So I read the second week's reading, and I haven't had time to write up my thoughts yet, but I'M LOVING IT SO MUCH!!! :D This book is amazing! ^_^ <3 *huggles it* (More later when I can type two-handed again... Dragon-eaten wasp-sting on your hand is non-conducive to fangirl typing. XD) BUT I LOVE IT! SO BEAUTIFUL AND PERILOUS IN THE BEST "FAERIE" WAY! O_O :D
The dynamic between Lionheart and Eanrin in this book is ideal--their conflict/contrast sets off their two characters perfectly. To me, they have always seemed so real, as if they are people I know in person. And the poetry competition!!! I love it. So much. Eanrin so deserved that. :-DThis section is one of my favorites in the whole series! Anne Elizabeth's writing flourishes here: she cheerfully captures the chivalrous poetry associated with honorable Knights on a crusade to rescue fair maidens bantering with each other and having close scrapes with death!!! Bravo!
Enjoying all your thoughts as usual--
1) Thoughts on the Night of Moonblood Poem?2) Thoughts on Oeric, Eanrin, and Imraldera?
3) What do you think of Bebo and Iubdan?
4) What are you thinking/feeling about Lionheart right now? What about Varvare?
5) Any other thoughts or insights on this part?
My thoughts in a nutshell:
Lionheart is a mess.
Varvare should listen to the Thrush.
Poor Felix!
What is with Imraldera and Eanrin???
I love Oraic.
Dearmid: I'm gonna cry... In all seriousness the magnitude of what that means hit me this time and. . . . . no.
I think the Night of Moonblood poem is one of the most beautiful and inspiring things in all the Goldstone Wood books. Which kind of says a lot 'cause it's packed with beauty and truths. I think the poem is also reminiscent of the Book of Job.
I'm so thankful for this series. <3
@Michael: Yes! Love your summary of that!
@Jill: The story of Oeric and Vahe so interests me! Especially this time around!
@E.F.B.: I agree that the same thing would probably have happened to Lionheart... Yes, the Lady of Aiven! So many pieces but not quite enough to fill the whole puzzle! Her, Anahid, Dairmid, Vahe, Oeric, Moonblood, the goldstone... I feel like they're all related!
Okay, Lord willing, I think we're going to leave the first two weeks of June free, for catching up and letting y'all read some other stuff (or getting ahead if you want), then on Sat. the 24 we can discuss Fallen Star. Then Starflower will kick of on July 1. Is that cool with everybody? :) We could chop Fallen Star in half and discuss it on the 17 & 24 if y'all want. I haven't read it yet but I think it's very small? Anyway, thoughts on that are welcome if you have any. :)
Blessings,
Stargazer.
Hi everybody. :) Deborah, I hope your hand is feeling better!1) I totally agree with you about the poem, Stargazer, and it reminds me a lot of Job too. Although, I sort of recall someone mentioning that it’s also reminiscent of one of the Psalms, but I’m not remembering which one at the moment. Either way, this poem has stuck with me ever since I first read the book, and I truly cannot read it without crying. There have been times of hardship or anxiety when I’ve thought of the final stanzas in the poem and it helped calm me and point my thoughts back in the right direction. It is very much a highlight of the whole series. <3
2) Oeric is THE BEST. So honorable and brave and kind and just really doing his best to honor his Prince and be a better person than he used to be. I do hope we see more of him at some point
3) Bebo and Iubdan are just wonderful, perfect examples of what faerie is. I particularly like what Anne Elisabeth did by contrasting their true personas with the legends and mural Lionheart grew up with. Having Irish ancestors and loving all things Irish, I also think it’s cool that they come from real life Irish folklore!
4) I agree with you here too. Lionheart is a hot mess, and just…Dude. Get it together, mmkay? Of course, I know he *can’t* get it together without help. Still. He’s been told as much in words, but still isn’t listening. Neither is Varvare, so I can be irritated with them both! …While also knowing that I’ve been known to ignore the obvious and mess up too. :/
Other thoughts:
Yes, poor Felix! It was totally appropriate that he goes through the majority of the book only being referred to as “the Boy” because he’s just literally mindlessly wandering around and can’t remember anything. Despite the way he annoys Varvare, it was really nice that she wanted to rescue him as well, though.
THEY STILL LOVE EACH OTHER AND WON’T ADMIT IT, THAT’S WHAT IS WITH THEM! :P
*whimper* Diarmid… That may well be my LEAST favorite moment in the entire series. I was so hoping he would be redeemed. On my first reading of Moonblood, what happened to him actually upset me enough I had to set the book down for a couple of days and only read it during the daytime. This time around, I covered it with my bookmark and skipped it entirely. It was just awful. X(
(Note to self: add Felix to the list of characters I want to draw.)
For this week’s random observations: I noticed when Diarmid showed Imraldera the flashback to the night the deal was made between Vahe and the Dragon that the Dragon said some mortal woman had made a similar deal with him a long time ago. I totally didn’t notice that before and now I’m wondering what happened with that. Who was woman? Where was she from? Why was she (apparently) so dragon-eaten evil? Did she ask for the same thing? Did she sacrifice someone too, and was she successful or did she get thwarted?
Another thing I’ve noticed is that the time span of 500 years keeps popping up. Oeric has been searching for Arpiar for 500 years and if I’m recalling correctly, it sounded like Vahe made the deal with the Dragon around 500 years ago. Again, IIRC didn’t the Bane of Corrilond thing also happen 500-ish years ago? And AGAIN IIRC (from Heartless) Diarmid and his uncle saw Corrilond just before it got burned and Diarmid wasn’t a dragon yet back then? I’m starting to wonder if, after the Dragon got woken up, the poo kinda hit the fan and a lot of these^ bad things went down like, one right after the other?
I feel like there was something else I noticed, but it’s not coming to mind at the moment…
Stargazer, that schedule sounds fine to me. :) Fallen Star is indeed very short. Actually, it was even shorter than I thought when I read it because my Kindle app said I was at 80% when it up and ended, LOL. (There’s a preview of Golden Daughter attached at the end of the Kindle book, hence the percent-completed discrepancy.) Whatever everyone else wants in relation to dividing the discussion in half or doing it all at one is fine with me.
Hope everyone is having a good week. :)
Excellent observations EFB! It's fascinating that although Lionheart is a mess, God throws him into companionship with Eanrin-- bringing out the sparring and challenging nature of boys. When the tiger comes, that throws this into high gear. All of this helps to break him out of what could otherwise have been pure depression.
Well, here it is. The epic conclusion!1) What do you think of Lionheart's redemption arc? The unicorn's? (Let's all celebrate! :D )
2) What part moved you the most?
3) Thoughts on the epic climax?
4) Anything else you'd like to share? :)
5) Also, what do you think will happen to Felix next? (The Prince said he'd see Una "soon"... Will she come visit? I so want more stories with Felix! :D )
Also I love the Prince and Felix's relationship. Though Felix isn't very reverent... ;P Not sure if Felix gets that He's the King of all the Worlds. Do you think he does? :)
So I haven't had time to type up my thoughts yet, but I finished AND I LOVE MOONBLOOD SO MUCH!!! <3 I can't believe it took me so long to get around to reading it. O_O But it's so gorgeous and Fae and just I LOVE IT. *hugs book* Definitely my favorite Goldstone Wood book so far! ^_^ I'm well and truly hooked on this series now. ;) I'm SO glad y'all had this readalong so that it pushed me into actually getting around to reading it! :D
*must catch up on discussions soon*
Also... I SO WANT TO READ FALLEN STAR NOW! :O MORE BEANA AND ROSIE AND AND AND THIIIINGS. NEED. O_O *will try to restrain self from reading it until the proper readalong time* XD
@Deborah: YAY, I’m so glad you loved it! :D The books just get better and better from here, in my opinion. We get deeper into faerie, and get more background on some of the characters, and the storylines get more complex and GAH! It’s wonderful! <3333 I’m actually excited just to be able to watch you discover it for the first time because the first time is always so much fun! :)1) Lionheart’s redemption arc is definitely a good lesson in guilt vs. true repentance. Though I’m sorry for Lionheart’s sake that it literally took death for him to learn that lesson, I’m glad he did learn it because I really like who he starts to become after this.
The unicorn, I felt, is a lesson in redemption never being out of reach. There is never anything you can do that is so bad that God can’t redeem you. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been fallen, as long as you’re still breathing, you can turn around. All it takes is making that choice. The moment when the unicorn heard its mother singing again and decided to walk away from the evil it was about to commit just…*tears up*…It gets me every time.
2) Definitely the entire resolution of the story from Lionheart’s and the unicorn’s redemptions, to the unveiling of the of the people of Arpiar, to when Rosie ran to the Prince like a little girl running to her father, to the moment she was coronated as of Queen Varvare. Even, to a certain extent, the celebration at the end and seeing everyone happy again was beautiful because it was a new beginning for everyone. <3 (I actually finished the book this time around while sitting and waiting at the vet’s office for the beagle’s check-up and was struggling not to cry over these things right when the vet walked in. :p)
3) I already knew what happened and it still made me anxious. 0.0 This is one of those series that keeps grabbing you every time you read it!
4) My question from last week about whether or not that mortal woman who got control of the dragons was successful in…well…getting control of them and causing destruction got answered in the story (which I also didn’t remember). I do wonder if we’ll ever learn that story and when in the timeline it happened. I’m also wondering: A) Did she have to do the same thing Vahe did to make it happen and was another of Hymlume's children involved in that? B) What parts of the Nearworld did she destroy? And C) What stopped her, because obviously, seeing how she isn’t still running amok (*resists the urge to insert an “amok” gif*) with dragons, it must have ended somehow.
Lionheart and Varvare and the moment when they say goodbye…GAH It’s so sweet and yet not enough at the same time! Why can they not just say they love each other???? (Other than torturing us readers, of course. :P) Also, am I the only one who suspects that all those references to how any spying poets would want to rewrite their lines, make Lionheart be a man and kiss her, etc was suggesting that there was actually a certain scarlet-clad poet spying on them? Not that our Eanrin would ever eavesdrop or anything like that. ;) (Btw, wouldn't you just love to have gotten to see Eanrin's reaction if/when Varvare gave the musicians that song Lionheart gave her? XD)
Finally, I do hope we get to see Oeric and Beana again someday, beyond seeing Beana in "Fallen Star", I mean. I think I recall seeing that Anne Elisabeth did plan for Varvare to feature in a future story, so I hope we get updated on how Oeric and Beana are doing too.
5) Well…I know what happens next because (view spoiler) :) I don’t recall if Una had any kind of cameo in it, though… If she did, it was so brief I truly don’t recall it and will have to wait till we re-read that one to refresh my memory.
I suspect, given how he acts towards him, that Felix doesn’t “get it” in relation to who the Prince really is quite yet, at least not consciously. He probably will someday, but right now, he’s still a kid and has a lot of maturing to do before he gets there. But I do like their relationship as it is now. Felix obviously admires the Prince and wants to make him proud. It was nice to see Felix get so excited when the Prince showed up in the Village of Dragons too, and I like that Felix still calls him “Aethelbald”. :)
It’s so much fun to get to re-read and discuss these books with you all! I’m looking forward to our future discussions whenever everyone’s ready. :)
Sorry I've been silent--so much going on, what with traveling and deadlines (and playing with the baby dragon princess), etc., that I'm doing well just to follow the discussion. I love reading your thoughts on these beloved stories! And Deborah, it really is fun to "watch" you discover the stories for the first time. :-)3. I vividly remember reading the epic climax for the first time in rough-draft form as she sent chapters to me. I was gasping and crying and LOVING it so, so much! And you know what? It still does that to me. Heh. I am, and always will be, in love with Lionheart.
As I've said before, I am praying that God will provide the time and means for AE to finish this series. Much though you and I love it, she loves her world and characters so much more--and the rest of the stories will be written if at all possible. Several things must happen for this to take place, all of them out of our control but entirely in God's control. Waiting for His perfect timing.
And I'm excited to read the rest of the series (so far) with all of you! Blessings!
Soo... I fell behind on replying to the questions etc. BUT I decided to just pop on here and squeal about all the things I loved about Moonblood. :DALL THE CHARACTERS!
So I feel like I FINALLY got to really and truly "meet" Eanrin and Imraldera! *squeaking* I mean, they were kinda in Heartless, buuut we see a lot more of them and this is the first time I feel like I really "met" them. Eanrin is awesome! *flailing* I'd always heard about how awesome he is from all the fans and fan-art contests and stuff, but never really knew for sure until now. XD Am I the only one who loves how he covers up all sorts of deeper darker sadder emotions with his bright smile? AWK. He's like a slightly tragic fellow who pretends he's not, and that does stuff to my heart. 3 Plus, he and Imraldera DEFINITELY have a thing, and they're both pretending they don't, and he's using Gleamdren as his secret weapon, pretending he still loves her AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT HA, but he doesn't and it's just a cover-up for Imraldera and to make her jealous, and and and. THAT SCENE BY THE FROZEN LAKE! MUCH CUTE! :D And Imraldera's very cool, and I like her library. o.o
Then there's BEANA! I absolutely LOVE Beana! She's so no-nonsense and just... fabulous. And Oeric!!!! :O So, it was super amazing when I started piecing together that he was a missing goblin prince etc. THAT WAS SO EXCITING. And then he was Vahe's TWIN BROTHER AND JUST!!!! *flailing around* That whole plot was so so awesome!!! And I love how he and Beana are a thing, and how that ties in with Rose Red, and Vahe, and and and ALL THE THINGS. So. much. epic. Oeric is like one of my favorites too. :D (And he and Beana are so cute halp.)
Of course I love Leo and Rosie, even when they're stubborn idiots, but I love them anyway. ^_^ Their story is SO SWEET. <3 And I love that Leo did end up going on a quest to find her. He's not ALL bad. ;) Also, at the end when it was saying that certain poets would be furious at them, I was imagining Eanrin eavesdropping on them. XD Buuut if he actually was, I suspect he might have jumped out and done something about it, so... maybe not.
Poor empty-headed Felix a.k.a. the Boy was SO SAD. O_O But he's okay now and I'M SO RELIEVED. <3 I do really like Felix. :) Although I was sliiiightly disappointed he was the one to kill the Bane of Corrilond instead of Leo--partly because I was reading that whole ending part WAY TOO FAST and accidentally read it wrong where I thought "he" who was fighting the dragon WAS Leo, not Felix, so... yeah. Oops. But yay for the Prince and fixing things and yes. ^_^
I absolutely LOVE Leo and Eanrin having to travel around together and their bickering and stuff and how they don't get along. IT'S THE BEST. <3 Of course they would end up with each other when they dislike each other so much. XD And them traveling through Faerie etc. and the Wood Between was SO AWESOME! Ragniprava, too. XD
The unicorn is terrifying and heartbreaking but YES at the end and just ALL THE MEEP. O_O
Also, everything about Anahid and about Diarmid and about both of them is HEARTBREAKING. STAHP. D: Ahem.
Vahe is INSANE and creepy and No. O_O He was actually a fascinating villain to read about. XD
But... the picture of the Gold Stone etc.... It's the Dragon and Oeric and Vahe and who's the third lookalike?? And... Beana?? :O I'M SO CURIOUS. Do we get the story of that in Golden Daughter or... not? XD (I mean, you don't have to answer that because spoilers, but. Anyway...) Also, all the "Night of Moonblood" stuff, with the poem and the legend and all of it was SOOO AMAZING AND EPIC AND TRAGIC AND EMOTIONAL! EEP.
One of my favorite things, besides the awesome characters I love, is how absolutely GORGEOUS and PERILOUS and FAE this book is! Just... I'm blown away by the incredible writing and the Faerie-ness and all the peril but beauty and just otherworldliness. It's SO amazingly done! <3 And the plot and characters and everything are just interwoven so brilliantly, with everything just working out in these oh-so-fitting ways, and I don't even know how to explain it, but this story of traveling in different Fae worlds and the prince and the goblin princess and the various star-crossed love stories around with Eanrin and Imraldera and Oeric and Beana and Anahid and Diarmid and all the intrigue and subplots and just the sheer EPICNESS of these interweaving plots and how they feel RIGHT and steeped in deepness and rich tapestries of story. And I can't even explain it, but THIS BOOK IS JUST SO GOOD AND I LOVE IT!! Sorry if that was vague. XD
So. There are some thoughts from me as the "new" reader of Goldstone Wood for these readalongs. XD But I'm totally hooked now on this series and I love it. ^_^ Moonblood is definitely my favorite so far! :D
P.S. Are we reading Starflower in July?? :D *bouncing on toes hopefully*
Yes, I think Starflower might be featured in July. Meanwhile, check out the short read-through of Fallen Star that I just put up here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Emily wrote: "Yes, I think Starflower might be featured in July. Meanwhile, check out the short read-through of Fallen Star that I just put up here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/......"Oh goody, on both counts!! :D Thanks, Emily!!!
I just wanted you all to know that I thoroughly finished Moonblood this time and I gave it a 5 star review instead of 4. What a powerful finish! it just keeps drawing you in. Now I have actually read the first 3rd of Shadowhand because it really picks up where Moonblood left off. I miss all your regular comments, but I have really deepened spiritually by this series.
Michael wrote: "I just wanted you all to know that I thoroughly finished Moonblood this time and I gave it a 5 star review instead of 4. What a powerful finish! it just keeps drawing you in. Now I have actually re..."That's fantastic! :D Isn't it so good?! I adored Moonblood! ^_^ Ooh, I'm looking forward to Shadowhand... And they have great spiritual insights, yes, on top of being simply excellent stories! :D
Deborah wrote: "Soo... I fell behind on replying to the questions etc. BUT I decided to just pop on here and squeal about all the things I loved about Moonblood. :DALL THE CHARACTERS!
So I feel like I FINALLY ..."
*squeals with Deborah* I'm so glad you enjoyed it! :D
Now I'll have to mosey myself over to the thread talk about Fallen Star soon!
I'm glad you all are enjoying the books! I would like to start one for Starflower this Saturday, so start reading! More details soon.
@E.F.B.: YESSS! *happy dance* I DEFINITELY enjoyed! :D <3@Emily: Yay! *adds Starflower to To-Read-Next stack* Shall try to start soon! :) Can't wait! Thanks! :)
So has anyone read Starflower? I got too busy to start it... Is anyone planning on reading it in September though because I'd totally be up for that! :) Miss this group! *hugs everyone*
Deborah wrote: "So has anyone read Starflower? I got too busy to start it... Is anyone planning on reading it in September though because I'd totally be up for that! :) Miss this group! *hugs everyone*"I read it in July and am ready/willing to discuss whenever anyone else is. :) Missing the group too. <3
Well, I honestly went to Shadowhand because it continues where Moonblood left off and it was extremely rewarding!
@E.F.B.: Awesome! :) <333@Michael: Oh, cool! Looking forward to trying that one someday. :)
@Michael: I'm sure!! :DI wonder if Emily is busy or around to run readalongs... She's so good at them!! I'm bad where I don't have the motivation to read stuff these days unless I have "reasons" for it, like readalongs or books for review. XD So I miss these readalongs. :P But of course it's silly to make a big deal if I'm the only one who still hasn't read Starflower. o.o Eheh. XD
page 1 - 97 (Part 1 - Part 2 ch. 1) ~ Sat. May 6
page 97 - 191 (Part 2, ch 2 - Part 3, ch 10) ~ Sat. May 13
page 191 - 284 (Part 3, ch. 11 - Part 4, ch. 9) ~ Sat. May 20
page 284 - end (Part 4, ch, 9 - end) ~ Sat. May 27
Have fun! :)