Status Updates From Splinter & Ash #2: City of ...

That was a great ending to a wonderful book. I liked the pacing in this book better than the first one. I appreciated how storylines from the first book were built on in this sequel.

I appreciated the twist at the end. I partly predicted it but not completely. It was obvious that a certain character would return, but I didn't predict the exact situation, which was okay.

I'm not surprised that Anders showed support for Splinter using they/them pronouns eventually, but their conversation was still sweet and heartwarming to read about. 😊

There are twenty-four pages left in this book. I'm still wondering if Hazel and Mist are going to show up. Or is that maybe going to happen at the end of the book? 🤔

I wasn't expecting the end of the chapter to be dramatic. That was a little shocking. Nels proved yet again that he's an asshole and a brute. That aspect wasn't surprising because he'd already shown that.

Ilsar had more great dialogue in this chapter and Ash's compassion was amazing as usual. It was rough to read about her worrying about trusting her Uncle Lam. Her suspicion was understandable, though.

'Larks don't think they're traitors. They think they are patriots.'

That's some Mary Hightower shit right there because of how self righteous Nels was even though he did something horrendous and deadly. Jfc. 😵‍💫😖

I'd love to finish this upcoming chapter, but I've had a long day and I've been up since early in the morning. So I'm pretty pooped. I'll read some of this chapter since the mood is suspenseful, but I won't finish it tonight.

Ilsar's change of heart is a little shocking. Either he's had a change of heart or he's written as being super loyal to Lucen. He feels like a three dimensional character in this book.

I loved reading about Ash's bravery in spite of her pain. That characterization is consistent and it was the same in the first book. I appreciated her selflessness and compassion for the people who lived in the Shallows.

Kit being hard on herself is pretty relatable. 😥😭

The end of that chapter was suspenseful.

I knew that Nels was bad news. I was right about that. 😖

Gotta love how smart these fictional kids are. 😉 It makes sense that the Larks would use spark sand and what they would use it for. 😮

Wars, he said, were not always won by those whose blades and arrows were sharpest, but instead by those who had the courage to listen to everything known, and the wisdom to face the unknowns that remained.

I love this quote. It's insightful and it fits what Ash and Splinter are up to right now, especially Splinter.

Ash was right to suspect that a certain character was being disloyal to her mother. This character showed their true colors a little earlier in the book.

I appreciate how Ash is so accepting of Splinter's identity, but that doesn't surprise me. Their friendship has so much heart. ☺️

Nels is nothing but trouble. I hope he'll stop being a jerk to Ash. 😖

The dialogue at the end of that chapter was touching and sweet. It gave me cavities. Lol!!

'We're friends, Lucen. Friends don't abandon each other.'

Well, shit. Who would've thought that I'd sympathize with Ilsar since he's written as a jerk. 😵‍💫😖 This dialogue from him is spot on.

I know what it's like to not feel good enough to be someone's friend and how painful that feeling is. So I can empathize with Ilsar's feelings about Lucen.