Stormed Fortress - just finished today .............much and many SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!

originally posted by Stacey Hill

I mean it, absolutely DO NOT READ if you havent read the book, am discussing major plot points here
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Right that should do for spoiler space :smiley:

Phew, I have just finished SF and can I just say OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!

SO MUCH happened!!! So much to talk about!!!

First of all, how many people died! and so many of them close to Arithon.

Admittedly Fionn had well and truly outplayed his part in the story, and was clearly on the disposal list. But Cattrick and Vhandon, such loyal followers :frowning_face: And Kyrialt who we had really only just met, and doubly sad because it had already been Seen and he knew something of how he was going to die already.

Of course Feylin and her crew (yes I cried) who also went willingly into danger and death :frowning_face:

But some good moments, the raising of the dragon, and the encorporealment (I know thats not a word but is the best I could come up with) of Davien, and the revealing of an agreement between them, and the dealing with of all the Grimwards, allowing Sethvir to come back to himself at the last minuet. Thats got to have some interesting potential to it in future stories.

Arithon and Sulfin Evend, I had been waiting for something like this to happen, imagine if SE had been on Arithons side from the start, what a force to be reckoned with, but if he couldnt be there, he is certainly where he could best be otherwise. Is he gay? One has to question the force of his relationship with Lysaer, and he certainly has no woman in his life, nor shown any interest in any that we have seen, so I ask the question…

Alestron was a sad and unnessary loss, but a small plot point given away at the very end - Asandir closes the fortress until Paravians can pass judgement, and hoists the Fellowship standard above it. And crab fishermen and traders remark over the centuries that follow, how it still flies looking as good as new. So either the Paravians dont come, or do but take AGES (literally) or do but dont quite get around to it?

Asandir and Isfarenn - now I have to admit a soft spot for Isfarenn, Janny does the relationship between a horse and his only rider so very very well, and Asandirs steadfast refusal to relinquish his shade while in the grimward is so very noble, even though it puts so much at risk. And his encounter with the new colt, just spot on catches the energy and playfulness and naughtiness that you get in a colt that *is* destined to grow up into a stallion.

Glendien who makes a very brave and interesting choice. I have this feeling that somehow she is going to go to live with the Biedar for some time, probably when the child is young, and that her child and the new Biedar seer will grow up together in some way?

The death of Fionn being claimed as the death of Arithon, as far as the Alliance of Light is concerned, so that brings about the close for the reason of the Alliance, so what will Lysaer do next? So many of his high up people died when cleaned out of the Kralovir cult thing, and the city of Tysan was laid waste by the dragon (who is still around), Alestron is emptied and closed off to all. So where does his focus turn. If his followers think that Arithon is dead, there is no further need for the army. Will Sulfin try to get Lysaer back on track now that he has shown some ability to master the geas .

And Arithon, now that so many people he was protecting are dead, what will he do? Where will he go? Will he resume being Masterbard as the role was supposed to be?

Elaira is going to go back to rescue her crystal, thats got to have some ramifications. Obviously the Prime will focus on the child and try to snare her so thats a potentia future snag, as someone will have to protect her, but not give the info away to Arithon…

Davien is back! Enfleshed. Will he play nicely with others now?

Arithon got rid of the curse!

*enuf burbling but I had to get that all out while it was fresh*

Stacey

originally posted by Lys

SPOILERS
and so forth :smiley:
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Hello! No worries I only just finished the book this morning, having raced through it in about 3 days… and yes, wow!

First of all… I completely hadn't realised that there would be more books after this, so was left with a funny feeling at the end, because so many pieces weren't tied together! But now I know Janny has 2 more arcs planned I can rest a little easier!

I don't have that much time to write at the moment, but a couple of points I really liked:

Lysaer's clarity! That presents so much hope for the future. And also the fact that SE can help him and call him back. He's not completely alone after all.

The whole event with Glendien, Elaira and (eventually) the child left me feeling as uneasy as the characters themselves! Obviously it was the only way to address the situation but it still sits strangely. As other people have mentioned we may see this child in later books, so I'm waiting with interest to see how the character develops.

Also was unbelievably relieved when the F7 were, well, at least partially restored. Like Parrien, I would have loved to have seen people's faces when the boat drew close to Alestron with that particular banner!

Ah, so much to talk about, but I need to go shopping so that I have food to eat (reading manically can make me forget these things). Still just thinking, WOW!

~lys :smiley:

originally posted by Walt

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So I have this question. I can't find my Grand Consiracy at the moment to review Fionne's birth augery. What kind of fate are we heading for considering the way Fionne died? How was the method Elairia's choice? I don't remember Elairia having an opportunity for choice. Yes, I think that Fionne was well on his way to reconciliation of his heart by the time he slipped under the Wheel.

Now that Elairia was aware of Selidie/Morriel's binding seal on her womb, will she be able to stave off another rebinding now that the old one was removed by the Beidar? Or could two months of travel together without care of the outside world create another heir for Torbrand's line?

Ponder, ponder, ponder

originally posted by starstorm

SPOILER WARNING!!
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Walt:

quote:

What kind of fate are we heading for considering the way Fionne died?



The prophecy is actually located at the end of the first chapter Fugitive Prince in its entirety, not Grand Conspiracy. I did the same thing you did, though, and went for GC first, since I also found myself wanting to go back and read it again as events started spinning down on Fionn Areth's fate.

I thought it was very cool that Janny used the exact wording from the prophecy for Talvish's thoughts; [Fionn Areth] "…wrote his last act in crossed steel and smoke…"

The pertinent part of the prophecy states, "Should he die landbound, in crossed steel and smoke, the same one ye cherish survives, but betrayed."

That betrayal of Arithon could be something completely different, but my guess is that it's referring to the decision *not* to tell Arithon about his heir-to-be.

~Anna

originally posted by Hunter

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Wouldn't a length of steel wielded by Parrien buried in Arithon via Kyrialt be counted as the betrayal?

From the blurb on voyageronline.co.uk - "But treachery strikes from deep within the duke's ranks."

originally posted by Walt

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I'm thinking that Parrien's strike is only part of it. Elairia's expediant use of Glenien's body as proxy and then hiding that fact and keeping Arithon ignorant might be the other side of Betrayal's coin. It would make the betrayal that much more poignant to Elairia.

originally posted by Brad

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My thinking was that because of the Koriathian geas driving the shipworkers' ill-fated attack with the Evenstar was the betrayal. That was what gave the Alliance it's easy access to the city and why Fionn actually died. The hiding of that death from Arithon I would say was part of that betrayal as well.

Though, I don't think you can say it was any one event can be counted towards that prophecy. There's a lot that Arithon doesn't know about, in particular his daughter.

originally posted by Trys

A reminder… white space (spaces or carriage returns) is not enough to keep the real text of the post from showing up in a list of posts when a search is done. HTML ignores these things. :smiley:

originally posted by Brad

I figured as much. I just made sure nothing important was said in the header.

originally posted by Meredith Lee Gray

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I think Hunter and Walt are both right regarding the nature of The Betrayal.

The sub-chapter immediately upon Fionn's death becoming "known" is title "First Betrayal" and it covers Parrien's thwarted 'assasination' attempt. But, of course, "FIRST Betrayal" indicates that there is more than one betrayal.

I don't think the Koriathain meddling with the fire-ship ploy could really be considered part of the betrayal, because FA wasn't dead yet when that occurred.

I guess, like Traitor's Knot, we can and will debate the traitor/betrayal aspect for a while. :slight_smile:

Mer