The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

Welcome to the Malice Buddy Read Discussion thread! This thread officially opens on February 16th and anyone can join at any time. Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up!

Each day we will be reading by chapters or page numbers. Page numbers are an approximation based on the hardcover or paperback that is the default on Goodreads. The suggested Buddy Read discussion schedule is as follows:


Week of 02/16
February 16: Chapter 1-8
February 17: Chapter 9-16
February 18: Chapter 17-24
February 19: Chapter 25-32
February 20: Chapter 33-40
February 21: Chapter 41-48

Week of 02/22
February 22: Chapter 49-56
February 23: Chapter 57-74
February 24: Chapter 75-83
February 25: Chapter 84-88

PARTICIPANTS
~ Ravi
~ Selina
~ Mina

Sorry folks, I am running late with my current reads. My best idea is that I will start this on friday/saturday, but I hope to catch up.

I feel so great when I'm not the only one not getting things done :D
This is not our first buddy read so we know how we function so all is good.
I'm gonna try and at least start it because you know I'm slower at reading atm. As for Selina.. maybe she started it today, I know for a fact she didn't start it yesterday 😂 yesterday was a ACOSF day for her.

Indeed, the 16th was ACOSF day for me 😅 And if I'm being honest, the 17th too because I finished it on the 16th and literally needed the 17th to marinate in my feelings 😅 I currently have a book hangover the size of Asia and Africa combined so I might have to join Ravi on Saturday and just force myself to get out of this hangover! Maybe Friday night if I'm not still crying on and off about ACOSF (I probably will ngl)

haha, it was like a part of Goodreads was buddy-reading the book! I hope you reccover from it soon :)

If nothing else.. I at least started the book.
I read the prologue and the excerpt, I almost finished the first chapter (still have a few, maybe 5 pages left), but I started driffting of on my chair so... naturally I stopped.

Even though I haven't read much I have to say that I like what I read. The first thing that the book reminded me of as I read the prologue was Merlin, and that's a big plus because I loved that series and the time it was set in.

I finished the prologue and the excerpt. This is giving me a more fairy-tale vibe, particularly from the events in the prologue and the history from the excerpt. I like the way this is going so far!

Nice! I'm not that far behind. I read the prologue. But I only got to a small part of the excerpt because I think I blinked while reading last night and then I opened my eyes and it was morning 😅 But considering my current state of book hangover, I was surprised that I read so easily once I got started! So this is really good for me.

I hope the world isn't too complicated though, I'm lowkey annotating and reading physically. I might just take the longest out of the 3 of us 😅

I read till chapter 12 and I am calling it for today.

By the end of chapter 3, I felt that there are too many characters and it was a struggle to remember the names or who is who. But as I moved through, I got comfortable with some of the characters atleast. The writing feels easy to read and I could keep on reading.

😨😨😨 Chapter 12! I'm gonna die trying to catch up.. but not today. I'm trying to finish the romance I'm reading to be done with it first before giving my attention to Malice.

Oh no worries. From tomorrow, I am also going to read Harry Potter, so expect my pace to drop drastically :D

Whoa! I am gonna be super slow too. But I'm hoping things will be slowing down now at work that I can plan my time better, probably from mid-week. I'm gonna be so much more busy in march so I want to finish this before end of feb 🤔 but i did think the writing style is easy to read too Ravi, so I have hope!

😶😳 So I decided to at least finish that first chapter I started few days ago because it's late.. and I don't remember what I read last, and going back I remember only the beginning 🙈 so I'm going to read the first chapter.

Wow, what have I been doing the day I started the book? I just finished chapter four and it mention's the deal that was made in the Prologue.. I did not connect that that character and Evnis that we follow is the same guy.
There really are so many names.

So many names, but by chapter 10 or so, you should be getting used to them. I should have made small notes so i could look back and see who is who. But that passed.

I finished till chapter 22, and if I finish work early, I want to go till chapter 30 before I sleep.

Its great. So far, I love the story-telling style. Its atmospheric and got those fairy tale vibes. I love Corban.

I would love to read what Evnis did between the prologue and chapter 4. Like, what did he actually do!? I hope we find that somewhere in the rest of the book

@Ravi since you are way ahead of me could you please explain something to me about Veradis' chapters...what the hell? I just noticed that I thought Veradis and Evnis are the same person. Who the hell is Evnis now? Gaaah. So many characters.

Okay, I went through Evnis' chapter and since I thought he and Veradis are the same person... and they are not, I don't have that question anymore.
I was confused if the story was told at the same time or if it was jumping from time to time.

I read chapter 8. I think I'm gonna need to take a photo of the map so that I can easily pull it out while reading because I don't know what is where and who is from where. So far I have nothing to say about the book.

mina wrote: "@Ravi since you are way ahead of me could you please explain something to me about Veradis' chapters...what the hell? I just noticed that I thought Veradis and Evnis are the same person. Who the he..."

Like I said, the early chapters are a bit confusing when it comes to characters as there are a lot of them and it takes a while to get used to all of them.

Evnis - the guy who appeared in prologue, and made a pact with Asroth and sworn allegiance to Rhin

Veradis - Brother of Krelis from Ripa, Tenebral. He was first seen escorting a prisoner of Vin Thalun along with his brother to King Aquilus.

By this time, you would have figured this info too.

Wait.. there is a map? I havent checked the beginning of my book and now I think I should!

Btw, I finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, so I am back to reading Malice. Currently at Chapter 33. I thought I will have some trouble remembering the characters since I am reading this again after a week. When I started the chapter, I initially had no clue who the character is, but a couple of paragraphs later, it all came back. Now I am good to continue I guess.

Guys I'm catching up! I got busy at work up until the whole of last week and unfortunately didn't get very far in this before March started 🙃 Cause now I have to study for uni (as well as work full time) bUT i just figured out my study schedule today until June so I am ready to jump back into this!

I only just got to chapter 4 today 🙈 and I've been taking a lot of notes so @Mina, let me blow your mind more 🤣

Two of the boys who bullied Corban and Dath, are the sons of Evnis and his huntsman Helfach. Vonn is Evnis' son, and Rafe, the really mean one, is Helfach's son.

Evnis wasnt mentioned again until their sons were introduced so I also didn't notice whose sons those little shits are.

@Ravi Thnak you!
Yes, there's a map. And I'll need to search for all the kingdoms or whatever they are to see who is from where and to look it up on the map nicely. Because I want to know who is from where and where they are traveling.

I had a longer nap so I don't know if I'm gonna read today... or maybe I'm gonna read and ignore answering to msgs till tomorrow 😂 So I'm gonna read what you sent me but that'll be it for today.

@Selina Mind blown. Like I told you, I'm gonna miss so many things going on. But also, that's cool, the bullies being sons of ppl we follow not missing so many things because things are connected.

Chapter 9
‘Fionn ap Torin,’ Marrock began, ‘I vow to you the first cut of my meat, the first sip of my mead . . .’

I find it interesting how in the time when it was easier to poison someone's food or drink.. he's vowing his wife the first of both 😂😅

So I managed to read only chapter 9, but better one than none.

mina wrote: "@Ravi Thnak you!
Yes, there's a map. And I'll need to search for all the kingdoms or whatever they are to see who is from where and to look it up on the map nicely. Because I want to know who is fr..."

haha, there are many interesting moments to come, some that kinda makes your hair raise and yet make you laugh.

I guess I am way ahead at this point and probably it is time to start another book to read along side. Currently at chapter 44, around 55% in.

Thoughts as of chapter 42:
Nalthair:
(view spoiler)[I now have my doubts over him being the "bright star". it feels too easy and convenient, like it is being handed over to him rather than he earning the position. Besides, his actions show ambition (in what he believes may be is right), and that straight away seems to be a page out of Asroth's book. I believe he is going to be Asroth's champion than Eylon's at the moment for me. Now this idea also makes me doubt Calidus. Is he working for Asroth? (hide spoiler)]
Corban:
(view spoiler)[ His growth is a wonderful arc to read. It feels like straight out of a fairy tale, but you can see that things didnt come easy for him. He had events that required him to grow, and created opportunities. So far, he is growing to be a warrior and a healer (apprenticing with Brina) and I want to see how he will grow. Honestly, he posesses all the qualities of a Fairy tale "Hero" and I want him to get there. May be The Bright Star in the end? (hide spoiler)]

Finished chapter 47 and now I have some theories.
(view spoiler)[
The person who came in Corban's dreams in early chapter is either Asroth or a representative of Asroth. The last chapter gave us enough hints.
That person wanted to kill Corban if he chose not to help him - so it is evil. There is also these below lines.
One white-feathered warrior hacked through a shoulder, the blow continuing through a leathery wing. The creature screamed, collapsed writhing to the ground, black smoke issuing from the wound.
Black smoke coming from wound, by classical fairy tale terms is of an evil entity.

Also building on my theory from chapter 42, this person who wanted to kill Corban said that he has someone else too, but he wants Corban to choose. We also know that Nalthair fainted similar to Corban, so the other person must be Nalthair, and it must be Asroth in Nalthair's dreams. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 61
(view spoiler)[ My heart goes out for Corban. Damn, that made me so sad (hide spoiler)]

I finished it!
The last 1/3rd was binge read and it was very tough to put down. Finally, I feel I did something useful with my insomniac nights.

I would like to hear what you think and discuss more once you both finish the book.

😭😭 I didn't have time to read these past few days.

Since I've been talking with Ravi on the Procrastinator's discord I forgot about this thread 😬 😅 so I'm gonna fix it a bit by commenting some of my thoughts.

The reading is going slow, but it's going faster than in the beginning. Nothing much has happened but it's interesting, I like the realness of it. So far I think I like Corbin's chapters the best and I'm really curious to see where he'll be at the end of this series. Also him getting Storm is giving me so much Game of Thrones vibes.

Wait a sec, I didn't know the discord was created already??

Ohh, it was there for more than a month I believe.
https://discord.gg/3hBXPyt2Fa