Samar El’s Reviews > A Stage Set for Villains > Status Update

Seriously, how the heck is this story going to end? Riven has to kill Jude but obviously doesn’t want to.

I think Sil is not as powerful as he claims. If Riven can convince everyone to go off script with the limited time they have to do so, they can take him out.

Oh, I’m still confused when I read certain scenes. Might be a skill issue.

I’m not letting my confusion ruin this book. The more I read the more I understand, the more it revealed the better for me.

For obvious reasons, talking like they’re in a play, they got characters, they’re not “real” is jarring. That’s when I get hella confused but you get into a rhythm.

It’s seriously sad though. “If not in this one, then in the next.” MY HEART HURTS STOP THIS NONSENSE!

I'm so very confused but also not confused. Everything is coming out, Riven is realising a LOT of things and I feel like I just need a moment to think before I keep reading.

Wish me luck.

So, if you read your future on paper and ask someone to fix the mistakes you’ve read that you’re going to make…wouldn’t they just still happen…

Also, Jude, why have you been around Riven for so long? Very weird but also, are you like a guardian…player? Doubt it but this is very fun to guess.

Well…Vixen just confessed het real name, killed a government official (In the best way I could ever imagine) , realised how much of an ass Jude is, lowkey is a full blown Player and might have this dope power that controls marked ones….

All on the span of like 30 pages as well…

There’s a lot happening. Galen in the Playhouse, Jude essentially dying (but that’s my opinion) Alistaire having internal conflicts of who’s good and bad.

Kinda overwhelmed but probably not as much as Sil right now.

Jude and Alistaire having a cliche moment in a small inn will always be one of my favourite tropes! I’m also grateful for how short it was, not too much cause lowkey there are still secrets that could ruin everything…

Jude yelling at Alistaire how she didn’t defend herself and she should be mad at the north was honestly heartbreaking. I loved that whole argument so much, good hits on both ends!

Alistaire is seeing the good in Jude…uh oh. Nah it’s a good thing right! He’s not even a bad guy… he’s just misunderstood… I’ll say whatever if it gets me in a room with him ehehehe.

We all agree the North is most likely the bad guys here. Or is Jude lying? See…I don’t know. There’s a lot of theories to go around and so far in guessing that Gene Hunt is maybe a puppet for the North???

Woah SO MUCH just go revealed I’m honestly speechless. Jude, you sneaky bugger you.

Just reached an intermission and that’s spectacular. Shannon J Spann, you got a fun way of dividing this novel.

My only issue was that I felt confused and frankly stupid towards this intermission, however, that last page got the ball rolling again. Love the pacing and planning.

I suspect, something between Gene Hunt and Jude caused Jude to be cursed or something of the sort. Because him and Sil were clearly arguing about losing time… suspicious behaviour.

Riven mimicking Jude was fun, but also, I hate it. That scene was so beautiful, Riven really knows how to boost Jude’s ego by TOUCHING him. Can’t lie, I’d do the same and say it’s for my “plan”.