It’s time for another round of playing catch-up, and today I am (desperately) catching up with the Read-along for The Bitter Twins!

I left things at Part 3 (AKA chapters 23 to 34) of the book, in which a lot of the focus seems to be on various characters’ relationships – mostly romantic, though not very secure … for various reasons.

Nothing is OK. Nothing.

Let’s discuss The Bitter Twins. (With spoilers!)

 

What do you think the Jure’lian Queen is trying to achieve with Hest and Celaphon?

Nothing good, and it scares me. What she’s doing to Celaphon is cold. Her actions are purely calculated to turn him into something that she can use against her enemies, and she doesn’t seem to care that it might cause him problems. It’s already obviously affecting his mental health, and that’s the thing that kills me; the scenes where he’s trying so desperately to learn to fly were painful to read. I’m not sure what the queen is going to try to demand from him, but I know it’s not going to be anything good. At least, not good for anyone but herself.

 

…speaking of Hest. We Need To Talk About Hest.

Don’t we always. WHAT IS SHE DOING. 

There’s a definite sense of her doubling down on her bad decisions here, and her privileged, dismissive views of the rest of the world in general are not helping matters. I just know she’s going to commit herself to something disastrous before (if) she sees reason and tries to correct her course; I’m less sure that it’s going to be enough to save her, or anyone. I hope so, though. 

Damn it, Hest.

 

Finneral: a fine place for a visit – with a hint of romance? Time to flail about Bern taking his boy home!

First of all, I love the descriptions of Finneral and its people and I wouldn’t mind going there. Second of all, I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT BERN’S FAMILY. They’re obviously not missing a thing about their boy, and the revelation of his apparent feelings for Aldasair was just delightful. I had no idea his actions were already speaking so much more loudly than his words, and I love it. Bashful courtship at its loveliest!

 

That said, this week is not the week of romance running smoothly. Tor and Noon can’t get a moment; Vintage has some discouraging realisations about Nanthema; and Bern and Aldasair don’t end up in the honeymoon suite. Any thoughts to share about one or all almost-couples? Do you think we’ll get any happy ever afters?

… And there goes the other shoe.

I won’t lie, I did a lot of yelling about these events, and I am not OK with any of it. I AM NOT OK. 

Vintage’s realisations about the real state of her relationship with Nanthema were heartbreaking, but I’ll admit she’s got a point. I hope there’s some way for her to be happy, though I’m wondering now if that’s going to involve throwing away the rose-tinted glasses and looking forward, not back. 

And… OK, look. Vintage is awesome. I have some dubious reservations about her decision-making in general, but I’ll not let it be said that I don’t love her. She’s AWESOME. And if Nanthema can’t see that or doesn’t want her in her life, then to hell with her. 

Hello yes I have feelings about this kind of thing. Ragey feelings.

As for happily ever afters, I just want Bern and Aldasair to get through this and live to enjoy a quiet life in Finneral and plant trees and raise puppies and be happy because THEY ARE PRECIOUS AND THEY DESERVE IT.

Will any sort of HEA happen for anyone? I have no idea. But my swoony heart can only hope.

 

Origin is home to more riddles than answers. What do you make of Micanal and Arnia? Do you believe the tablets are at the bottom of the gorge? Do you believe anything they’ve told us?

Oh boy. OK. Everything about this is mystifying to me. There is SO MUCH going on, and I have no clue what the truth might be at this point. This is the plot thread that I’m happy to just follow to whichever conclusion it’s going to reach, because WHAT IS GOING ON.

Micanal and Arnia are both bobbing along in their own little bubbles of What Is Your Deal? I don’t trust Arnia at all, right now. She is definitely up to something, right? Hell, Micanal might be too. But whatever is going on, I don’t think they’re in on it together. I think Arnia, at least, is playing some sort of game of her own here – and I seriously doubt it’s going to be good news for Tor.

Basically, no, I don’t believe they’ve told the truth. Or at least, not the entire truth. Arnia’s definitely lying, though. About something. I don’t know what. But she is. Possibly about the tablets! We’ll see.

Oh god it’s all going to be awful. I just know it.