Status Updates From The Blackest Heart (The Fiv...

Just one conversation with his sis & Jovan realizes that he's been lied to, if not betrayed outright.
He is King, but forgets he is also a brother to his sisters. And his sisters keep forgetting he also King to the whole nation!

Such a deep & gaping chasm that divides the Bronachell siblings. Complete breakdown in communication, none of them even trying to get past a couple of sentences without walking away.

35% done, and Nail has said all of 2 words! He is way too passive an MC! He says nothing, asks nothing, demands nothing, and tolerates a little too much. Not someone I'd root for tbh!

Chp 20 from Nail's POV mentions: "Liz Hen had developed the knack of sucking the joy out of any moment"
Like bruh...same here. She sucks the joy out of reading Nail POV chapters!! And she is always present, as if a ghost haunting Nail!!
Nail, be a good lad & push her off a damn cliff for all our sakes!

Oh, I almost forgot!
Aeros' invading army is ravaging parts of Gul Kana, yet "King" Jovan is simply twiddling his own thumbs, or maybe Leif's. Your guess is as good as mine.

Squireck trying to become a courtier again sounds like a hair-brained scheme, given everything that's going on.

Honestly, I fail to understand, given all the context of the story so far, why Jovan has not declared Jondralyn guilty of being a traitor & had her imprisoned, especially when he believes she tried to have him assassinated? Would only make sense for Jovan's character.

Well...apparently Jondralyn cannot seem to ever stop antagonizing her brother, the King, Jovan. Circumstances be damned!

Why is nobody reaching out to try & pull out the bug that is so far up Liz Hen's ass?
My God, is she a full blown bitch needing to be put in place!
Do not understand what the author is trying to achieve through her constant presence.

Dokie's jokes, and the author's by extension, about his bum and SHITTING started in book 1 and continue with no end in sight. Not one joke has landed so far and at this point it is getting just crass!

For the amount of time we're spending with Ava, getting to know all her turmoil intimately, I do hope she becomes a bigger plot driver than being who she is currently.
Also, I dread to even think about whether the author wants to bring Nail & Ava together at some point bcz that would be a disaster.

Why is Liz Hen still alive? Why won't this mean little thing keel over and just die?

So, Silkwood continues to toy with Tala. Funny how I am not the kind of reader who'd find this game of cloak & daggers as intriguing. I am annoyed by this plot device. Wish it wasn't so.