Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

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Hello! Have you ladies caught up to book 4?? Ill be starting this either tomorrow or this weekend.

I can start it on the weekend too!

weekend!

Awesome!

Hooray! 😆

I’m finally starting. Where are you ladies?

I am around page 50! Im realizing how very much I enjoy how Janny starts her novels in this series. They just really ease you back into the story, with just enough info that you recognize and remember from previous books.

Still hating Mr Light.

Just finished the first Ch. with all of its subchapters. I also had forgotten the beautiful way she writes!!! I know sometimes she tends to meander a bit, but darn it, she makes it beautiful ❤️! I consider myself a person with a rich vocabulary, but although I know the words, I rarely think of using them... Reading her reminds me how rich our language is and what a joy it can be to read it...

That future telling for the baby... All of those choices seem like a trap to me. Very cruel choices...

Mr. Light is sooooo horrible at this point!!! I have a very hard time not hating him. I actually have to actively work on not hating him! The bastard is not even stopping to think how many people his personal vendetta is destroying! And I really think that he is mostly compelled by the curse. It still makes me wonder if he would be much different without that hateful compulsion...

I love the witch! I hate the group of insane power-hungry women she belongs to, because they are scary as hell!

The description of the cold mountain night was awesome!

English is my second language, I actually tend to read Janny with the dictionary. She does expand my vocabulary, and it is quite rare these days. Erikson writes this way too.

PS Laura is going here :)

I love the language and ask Siri words while I read.

Im still afraid to greatly like or dislike the brothers, in fear that Janny will flip the switch on us! But I just love Arithon; he brings such sympathy out of me.

I’ve always been team Arithon 🥰

Choko wrote: "Just finished the first Ch. with all of its subchapters. I also had forgotten the beautiful way she writes!!! I know sometimes she tends to meander a bit, but darn it, she makes it beautiful ❤️! I ..."

I'm with you on all of that!!❤

Mayim wrote: "PS Laura is going here :)"

Thank you!!❤❤❤

jess wrote: "I love the language and ask Siri words while I read.

Im still afraid to greatly like or dislike the brothers, in fear that Janny will flip the switch on us! But I just love Arithon; he brings such..."

If it helps, by this point I practically hate Mr. Light.
And in future books I've literally wanted to rip his pretty head off.

It’s always amazed me how Janny describes the use of stones, jewels and crystals by the Koriani. Chapter two, she writes almost four pages of Lirenda/Morriel exploring the Waystone. Prehtty cool, the imagery that conveys.

Im about in the middle of Ch 3, and really enjoying it, when I have the time to dedicate to it!

Welcome back Laura!

I was always amazed how she weaves gestures into the narrative. Glances, small movements of hands, shrugs. Even the bard breast scene was so genuine, so effortless. It really does render the protagonists wonderfully alive.

edit: I meant bared breast, of course

Her writing and that of Steven Ericson's are probably the ones, at least contemporary, whom I love the most. And they know how to convey the smallest detail by other means than just telling us... I hate to compare either of them to any other authors, because it seems like they are on a whole another level...

Laura ❤️❤️❤️! So glad you are here! We can sure use your guidance and just having you around is a pleasure (✷‿✷)

So, I am approaching the four Waystone pages (I am still gloating how the Koriani were duped, silly hussies).

Haha!

but they are so ambitious and power hungry, that despite me wanting to respect them as a group of strong women, I really can't! At least the ones we know as power obsessed...

They are misguided. I like their founding ideals - in general. But these became warped I reckon.

I think we’d better remember this prophecy on Fionn Areth, I have a feeling we will need it.

(view spoiler)[“One child, four possible fates, looped through the thread of his life span. He will grow to reach manhood. Should he die in fire, none suffers but he. Yours to choose when that time comes, Fferedon’li. Should he die on salt water, the one ye love most falls beside him. Should he die landbound, in crossed steel and smoke, the same one ye cherish survives, but betrayed. Yet should this child’s days extend to old age, first the five kingdoms, then the whole world will plunge into darkness, never to see sunlight or redemption. Your burden to choose in the hour of trial, Fferedon’li, and this child’s to give, the natural death or the sacrifice. Let him be called Fionn Areth Caid-an. (hide spoiler)]

I think this is a very important prophecy! I hate how this child's faith is so intertwined with the faith of the Dark Prince... It just doesn't seem fair at all!

I am in the middle of Ch. 3... I wish they could just (view spoiler)[ kill the Light Prince! He is so obsessed, he doesn't care that thousands are dying because of his obsession and blames his brother for everything.... Now that the Fellowship has removed their protection from him, he is going to make them and Arithon enemies of the People #1, and just make even more people die... I understand that both brothers are needed in defeating the Mistraith, but I wish we could at least get some type of sleeping spell on the Light Prince and put him out of the game until his help is really needed... And the way he is treating his wife is horrible! He is blaming her for being abducted and doesn't believe that she has been fateful... What a complete ass! And he is spreading rumors that she is not well and is unable to have children, when he refuses to sleep with her? Asshole!

I loved the way the Warden showed his crippled colleague the path of the soul of the Prince and how much of his actions are because of the Mistraith and how much is purely on him. And his understanding of how his colleague's soul has been hurt came about and his compassion for him.

Also, I am just now at the meeting of the witches with the sorcerers, and Mayim, you are absolutely right. In the base of their philosophy, the Witches have good intentions of standing up for the humans, while the Fellowship stands for the Planet. In an ideal world, those two should be working together for the overall good, but as we see every day in reality, we humans, in order to expand our dominion, do more and more harmful things to each other and the land we live on, which eventually turns against us and bites us in the ass... It is an evil circle... I am rooting for the Land in this case, but I know in reality, except recycling, I am not doing anything to help the Planet... (hide spoiler)]

That prophecy is very important. You are right Mayim. And I too was wondering if they were misguided. Perhaps the founding ideas have been a little twisted over time?
After all, being alive for milenia and having access to power is bound to change any human being.

Choko wrote: "Laura ❤️❤️❤️! So glad you are here! We can sure use your guidance and just having you around is a pleasure (✷‿✷)"

Thank you!!❤❤❤
I was missing a good read with you ladies. You are the best!!❤😍😘

Ch. 3, the short end... What a bastard!!! What he is doing to Talith has nothing to do with the curse! This is aaaaalllll him! I hate him more for that than anything else!

Agreed!!

Choko wrote: "I think this is a very important prophecy! I hate how this child's faith is so intertwined with the faith of the Dark Prince... It just doesn't seem fair at all!

I am in the middle of Ch. 3... I ..."

(view spoiler)[In the base of their philosophy, the Witches have good intentions of standing up for the humans, while the Fellowship stands for the Planet. In an ideal world, those two should be working together for the overall good, but as we see every day in reality, we humans, in order to expand our dominion, do more and more harmful things to each other and the land we live on, which eventually turns against us and bites us in the ass... It is an evil circle... I am rooting for the Land in this case, but I know in reality, except recycling, I am not doing anything to help the Planet... (hide spoiler)]

Exactly. But that is at the base. (view spoiler)[As centuries passed from the founding, do they really care for the people by this point? Do they really stand up for the humans? When they have such a horrible disregard for human life at times. What about Fionn Areth and what about the debt they claim whenever they grant help to a normal person? Are these just means to an end? And if yes, to what end? That was what I kept asking myself. (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "Ch. 3, the short end... What a bastard!!! What he is doing to Talith has nothing to do with the curse! This is aaaaalllll him! I hate him more for that than anything else!"

That evicted him from my good graces for an eternity already in the previous book. He is a small-hearted and small-minded person, curse or not. He does not even try to fight and does not even consider the possibility that he might be the one who errs. I call it a cowardly stupidity.

Admittedly, I am somewhat sad because it means that I cannot expect character development that could redeem this. Except for death.

Laura, those are the questions I am asking too... I just finished Ch. 4, instead of sleeping, and not only do they demand a repayment from the regular folks that can come in whatever form they choose, but the complete disregard for the lives of the women in their own order is stunning! I feel terrible for those ladies who truly want to help and are in just as much danger from being used as a disposable battery of power, as anyone else. I hate when people have no issues with "sacrificing" other people's lives for the so called "greater good"... Just yesterday the governor of Texas said that since they have only about 5-600 deaths already, people should start going back out and support the economy, even if it means more people dying, since the economy is bigger and more important than these hundreds or even thousands of lives... I couldn't believe I was hearing it with my own ears! But I guess some people get too big and start looking at the rest of us as expendable...

Mayim, I know... I wish there is an explanation, something to excuse his behavior towards her, but I just don't see it... And as you said, at this point, there is nothing I can see that can redeem him, so the only solution is death...

Aggghhrr... every time the story goes back to this turd of a sunboy I’m like: what vile machination will you resort to now?

Laura wrote: "That prophecy is very important. You are right Mayim. And I too was wondering if they were misguided. Perhaps the founding ideas have been a little twisted over time?
After all, being alive for mi..."

This sounds a lot like Christianity and its tenets (the Bible). Interpretation is up to the individual. Groups want to turn the words to mean, say, only heterosexual marriage is right or the having of slaves. Christianity isnt the only one.

In reality, there is no one faith. Our humanity keeps, most of us, in check. Lysaer has very little humanity left, with this obsessive irresponsibility blinding him. I wonder what, if anything, could make him see that reality. The Paravians?!

While reading this book I reached a point I wanted to hurl the book at the wall just because of Mr. Light. In this installment of the series he gets nothing but hatred and disdain from me.

And Mayim - by this point, I am also thinking the same thing - a slow and very painful death may be redeeming? Nah! Not even that. Lysaer is a bad as it gets.

Jess - I fully agree. Plus some of those people may go to extremism. In real life too we get so many cases where a religious fanatic does horrendous things. People will belive whatever they want to believe. And whatever suits them best.

And with Lysaer - right now I wonder how much is that curse and how much is him as a human.

Sorry for stumbling into this BR I just saw it in my notifications. To this day I still sometimes think about this series and I've never been more sad that I could not get into a series :(
maybe I'll give it another try someday.

Hope you guys will enjoy the ride until the end! :)

Bea, this is not an easy series, but once you’re in, it’s kind of addictive. I totally understand the difficulty. I like it and still I have drifted away for a loge time.

Wow, chapter 4 takes place after 3 years! I guess it was to be expected but still a big leap.

Up to Ch. 7, just finished Downfall... (view spoiler)[ I am so angry at the whole situation! I know Mr. Light is to blame, but darn it, what was Talith thinking??? Did she think he will at once grow a heart, after 4 years keeping her as a prisoner, and like her again? Even more, forgive her somehow for getting pregnant by someone else??? What was she trying to achieve? I guess trying to make him mad, bring any type of feeling out of him, other than neglect? I get it, when you are by yourself, completely alone, stuck in a tower, it is amazing she has not gone insane, seeing how we can't handle two months of comfortable quarantine, but darn it, she should have not done that! Now he is threatening to hang her for treason against the crown, the crown her and her brother helped him get to begin with, and if the child is dark haired, kill it?!?! WTF??? I am so angry with the futility of it all! I feel like crying for her and her unborn child... Also, the humiliation he put her through with his cronies checking her body out, was just traumatic!!!

This whole conspiracy to eliminate all clan's blood and magic from the land is very disturbing too. Since Lysaer is putting himself as divine and is creating a church around himself, I wonder if he is not inviting more trouble than it's worth under his roof... The whole thing seems so sinister, and the way she writes it makes it even more dark and horrible!!! I can't stop reading, but the feeling of forbidding is crushing me...! (hide spoiler)]

I am just starting ch 5. Yikes! Im frightened. Or, as the kids say, I am shook.

Lol...Im old for 33!

Haha! Jess, you are timeless, not old(✷‿✷)

I just read the short end of Ch 7... Did I read this right? Did someone (view spoiler)[ just kill Talith on the orders of one of the Prince's cronies??? She can't be dead, can she??? I would be very angry if this is true!!! (hide spoiler)]

jess wrote: "I am just starting ch 5. Yikes! Im frightened. Or, as the kids say, I am shook.

Lol...Im old for 33!"

🤣😂🤣 Oh Jess, you are sweet!! 😍
As Choko said - you are timeless.
Snd her and I - we're oldies but goldies. 😃

Choko wrote: "I just read the short end of Ch 7... Did I read this right? Did someone [spoilers removed]"

Yes. You read right!! (view spoiler)[and that made me so sad and angry too!! (hide spoiler)]

Choko wrote: "Haha! Jess, you are timeless, not old(✷‿✷)"

You both are MUCH too sweet. Off topic but, this last year of my life, Ive both seen and felt age speeding by...gravity, smile lines, drooping eyelids, muscle tone, eyesight. Pssshhh. Good thing Im in therapy!

Dont even get me started on what the pandemic has wrought!