The plot thickens as we get to know some people better – and get some intriguing interactions with others.

Let’s discuss Voyage of the Damned. (Spoilers follow for chapters 7-14.)

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

All except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people and without a Blessing to protect him, Ganymedes’s odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their secret Blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

What do you make of the murder of Ravi? Seventeen stab wounds is a lot.

This murder definitely seems to have been more violent than Eudora’s, which is fascinating. I can believe that maybe the killer felt that Eudora’s death was necessary, though perhaps not preferable – it would have been over far more quickly than Ravi’s, and there were no other signs of injury on Eudora’s body. So whoever killed Ravi (assuming there’s more than one killer, which could be the case!) might have had more personal reasons for doing it. Though that doesn’t necessarily narrow down the list of suspects, does it…

Our Dee comes together with Wyatt who seems to have had a change in attitude towards Dee since we first met him in the first part. How does that make you feel? Equally he seems to be avoiding his friend Shinjiro. Why do you think this is?

There is something about Shinjiro that seems off to me. I don’t know why but I don’t fully trust him? Not that I trust any of them fully, heh! But it is interesting that Wyatt seems determined to avoid him; maybe this is why I don’t trust Shinjiro. It’s also making Wyatt more interesting to me as a character. I want to know what’s going on there! As for his change of heart regarding Dee, this endears him to me. I can’t resist a stubborn soul with a good heart, and that’s what Wyatt seems to be.

SEEMS TO BE. I will keep my suspicions alive until they’re proved wrong, even when someone’s being a cinnamon roll! I know how this works. (Though Wyatt’s proving himself innocent a lot more effectively than the rest…)

The Crabs are mentioned quite a few times now and we have a better idea of what happened there. Do you think that they might play a part here?

Hmmmm. I don’t know if that’s going to be an active threat here – I feel like the background involvement and history of the Crabs is just that, though it’s clearly very significant in the lives of some of these suspects. My money’s on that being a red herring, here.

What is it that Nergui has on Dee do you think?

They’re the trickiest one so far, to me. I don’t know if what Dee thinks they know is actually what they’re threatening him over – if it is a threat, and not just their general demeanour talking. I suspect that whatever they know, it’s going to be more interesting than “I know you aren’t Blessed”. Unless I’m overthinking it, but … nah. Spider is as spider does, right?

READ ALONG SCHEDULE

Week 1: Chapters 1 – 6, questions posted by Friday 2nd May

Week 2: chapters 7 – 14, questions posted by Friday 9th May

Week 3: chapters 15 – 21, questions posted by Friday 16th May

Week 4: chapters 22 – 30, questions posted by Friday 23rd May

Week 5: chapters 31 – Epilogue, questions posted by Friday 30th May