Tensions are high in this week’s chapters, as Hail goes on the run while trying to hold onto her Empire – oh, and to stay alive long enough to reclaim it…

Let’s discuss After The Crown (with major spoilers!).

 

 

Questions this week are courtesy of Ariana at The Book Nook, and here’s a quick reminder of our schedule for the Read Along:

• Week 1: Chapters 1-9, questions on/by Friday 5th January (or today even), hosted by Dear Geek Place
• Week 2: Chapters 10-19, questions on/by Friday 12th January, hosted by There’s Always Room For One More
• Week 3: Chapters 20-29, questions on/by Friday 19th January, hosted by The Book Nook
• Week 4: Chapters 30-End, questions on/by Friday 26th January, hosted by Bookforager

And a round-up of previous posts:

Week 1: Dear Geek Place | Ariana at The Book Nook | Mayri at BookForager | Starr K at Pages & Procrastination | imyril at There’s Always Room For One More | Annemieke at A Dance With Books

Week 2: Dear Geek Place | Ariana at The Book Nook | Mayri at BookForager | Starr K at Pages & Procrastination | imyril at There’s Always Room For One More | Annemieke at A Dance With Books

 

Now, on to this week’s discussion!

Tensions are running high, with Emmory mortally wounded and Zin out of commission because of it. What were your thoughts on finally seeing the Tracker bond effects? How did you feel about these tense moments before Emmory woke and Hail and Zin’s fight down in the canyon?

It was interesting, if heart-breaking, to see Zin lose control of himself like that, knowing what the cause of it was. Regarding the Tracker bond effects, it seems to have all the marks of an intensely heightened sense of empathy between the bonded pair in question, and Zin’s reactions to events that follow only bear that out – after coming so close to losing Emmory, of course he’d be terrified of losing anyone else.

That said – and this is what makes that scene in the canyon extra chewy and good – I kind of agree with Hail’s side of it. She’s under a ton of stress, and Zin is not the only one who came close to losing someone they care about. This is Hail’s nightmare coming to life, and instead of falling apart she has to be the one to keep it together. She’s doing what she knows best how to do, and not being trusted to do it has to sting, even with the circumstances being what they are. No one is at their best here, but it’s really fascinating to see Hail finally in her element, compared to all of her uncertainty earlier.

We’re fully back in Cressen’s gunrunner domain, but Hail is still taking her role as Empress very seriously. What are your thoughts on the criminal underworld (in Rai’s case literally) of Indrana and Hail’s old associates? Can we trust Bakara Rai? What about Dailun?

As I said, getting to see Hail do what she used to do best is really interesting, and exciting! Especially given that we’re getting the flip side of the balancing act she has to do, between being the Empress and being Cressen. Her meeting with Po-Sin was so nicely handled, and I loved that he showed so much open respect for her skills and her circumstances, while never letting her forget who he is.

As for Bakara Rai, my feelings there are a little more lukewarm? It’s not that I don’t like him, I just didn’t feel like he was the most interesting person in the room, in that part of the book. Johar and Dailun stole the show a little bit for me, heh! Especially Dailun. These little tidbits of outside worldbuilding are fairly tasty, and I wish we had time for more, but it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how Dailun handles being part of Hail’s “crew” once they (presumably?) return to the seat of her power and she has to fully be the Empress of Indrana again…

Phanin has wasted no time rounding up Hail’s supporters, and that horrible execution of the Matriarchs seems to be just the start. What do you think his endgame is?

Ah, yes. Prime Minister Panini (yes, that is catching on and I’m happy to let it, because screw this guy) is fully on his bullshit now, isn’t he. Sigh.

Men. They were doing so well (except they weren’t really, but damn it THEY COULD HAVE BEEN).

The endgame here is less than clear to me, but it just seems like any time a man who is not Tazerion or Abraham is given even a little bit of power or control they go and overplay their hand – and there are shades here of Ganda’s attempted coup, with Panini jumping the gun a little by not making absolutely certain Hail was actually dead before, y’know, announcing her death to the whole world. I hope he’s wearing his best undies because of course that’s going to bite him right on the ass. Also, any scrap of sympathy I might hypothetically have had for him got burned with his execution of the Matriarchs.

Not that I had any sympathy for him cos, you know. Idiot man. So regardless of his plan, I hope Hail makes him very sorry for it.

It truly is a time for reunions: we’ve caught sight of Bial, met Hail’s old friend Johar, and found the governor or Canafey Minor. What are your thoughts on all these pieces on the game board?

We’re really in the chaos trenches now, aren’t we? All kinds of interesting people are popping up! Let’s start with the matter of Bial, which I’m really bringing up because I’d like to stick a pin in my thoughts on him for the moment, despite all my previous hype – I confess I don’t fully recall what happens with him following that sighting in the arena, but I cannot wait to get refreshed!

The recovery of Governor Ashwari is very timely, innit? Now she just needs to stay alive long enough to be useful to Hail… I feel like things are starting to pull themselves back together after all the explosiveness of the previous section, and I always get excited for this part of such a story. When the tide starts turning again, before things get resolved – particularly in this case, with these characters, I’m eating it up because I want to see Hail gather herself and all her new allies and really start dishing out some retaliation. Bigger, badder and harder, please.