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i_read_whatAs a gift for my best (or only :-)) regular reader, I did the next chapter of Song early. :-D
So last time, we saw the beginning of the tragedy, as Carillon decides to sublimate his obvious crush on his best friend by being really rapey to an unwilling woman.
Yay.
Fortunately, this chapter's a bit better.
We rejoin Carillon who is readying for battle. He meets up with Finn, by the horses. We're told that Finn and the other Cheysuli don't wear armor. They trust their skill.
Rowan appears in the next paragraph, wearing mail and a sword, and I admire the nice juxtaposition there. He comes to tell Carillon that Electra is "asking for him". Carillon clarifies that she's SENDING for him, because Electra doesn't ask for anything.
Apparently Electra sends for him twice a day, just to complain about her captivity and demand her release. Carillon sees it as a courtship dance:
In the six weeks since Finn had captured her, nothing had been settled between us except out mutual attraction. She knew it as well as I. Ostensibly enemies, we were also eventual bedmates. It was simply a matter of time and circumstance. Did I wish to, I could have her before her internment was done. But I gambled for higher stakes—permanency, in reign and domesticity—and she knew it. She used it. And so the courtship rite went on, bizarre though it was.
Here's a thought, Carillon, maybe she's genuinely not into you.
But anyway, Carillon decides she can wait this time. Finn wants to know how much longer they're keeping Electra, and we learn that the ransom negotiations are going well. Bellam will be sending Tourmaline out with an escort, and Lachlan, and Electra will be returned.
Finn decides to take a positive spin on Carillon's declaration that he'll have Electra back soon. He notes that Carillon isn't hedging or being modest anymore, he's finally owning that he's coming to take his rightful throne.
Finn and Carillon discuss Carillon's motives:
I looked directly at him, tasting the dust of warfare in my mouth as we moved toward our battle. “She is Tynstar’s light woman, by all accounts—including her own. For that alone, I will make her mine.”
“Revenge.” He did not smile. “I understand that well enough, Carillon, having tasted it myself—but I think it is more than that.”
“Political expediency,” I assured him blandly. “She is a valuable tool.”
A scowl pulled his face into grim lines. “In the clans, it is not the same.”
“No,” I agreed quietly. “In the clans you take women as you will and care little enough for the politics of the move.” I glanced back at my soldiers. They followed in a tight unit, bristling with swords and knives and ringmail. “Men have need of such things as wives and children,” I told him quietly. “Kings have need of more.”
This is one of those scenes which reads very differently whether or not you've read Shapechangers. I prefer the non-Shapechanger read, which is that Finn disapproves of all of this nonsense.
But that's the last bit about Electra in this chapter, as we go off to battle.
As usual, battles are really hard to recap. Carillon seems to be doing well. He's learned his Cheysuli bow well, and notes that until he's out of arrows, he'll be "well-nigh invincible"
But then he's proven wrong when an Atvian arrow hits his horse. He jumps down to fight on the ground. Carillon's men are greatly outnumbered.
When he runs out of arrows, he fights with his sword. He notices then that the battle has turned in Solindish favor. So now it's time to get the fuck out. Of course, he looks for Finn.
I looked for Finn and found him not far from me, as ever, shouting something as he closed with a Solindish soldier. He wore his human form, eschewing the savagery that accompanies the shapechange in the midst of battle. It was a matter of balance, he had told me once; a Cheysuli warrior remains himself even in lir-shape, but should he ever lose himself in the glory of a fight, he could lose himself forever. It was possible a warrior, crossing over the boundaries of balance, might remain a beast forever.
I did not care to think of Finn locked into his wolf-shape. Not forever. I needed him too much as himself.
Get a room.
Then things get dramatic. Storr runs through the throng of battle, supposedly to aid Finn. He kind of does the opposite though when a lucky sword strike gets him in the shoulder.
As we saw from Duncan in Shapechangers, an injury to the lir is bad news. And unlike when Cai got his unnamed injury that somehow he was fine enough to fly with after all, this is a sword slash. Finn turns away from his enemy and promptly gets a spear through his leg. The Atvian goes in for the kill, but Carillon saves the day.
I brought down my sword from the highest apex of its arc, driving it through leather and mail and flesh. The body toppled forward. I caught it before it fell across Finn and dragged it away, tossing it to one side. And then I cursed as I saw the damage that had already been done; how he had laid open the flesh of Finn’s face with his knife. The bloody wound bisected the left side from eye to jaw.
I broke the spear in my hands and rolled Finn onto one side, grateful he was unconscious. I pulled the shaft free as the leg twitched and jumped beneath my hands. Blood ran freely from the wound, pooling in the matted, trampled grass. And then I pulled my liege man from the ground and carried him from the field.
I added the second paragraph just for the romance of it all.
So now back at the camp, Finn's in a very bad way, delirious and screaming for Storr. Carillon tries to soothe him and it's not going well. His face is stitched but red and swollen. His leg is drained and poulticed, but may have to come off. Carillon vetos that, but is afraid he made the wrong call.
There is much angst here:
I knelt rigidly at his side, too stiff and frightened to move away. The doorflap hung closed to shut out the gnats and flies; the air was heavy and stifling. Rowan stood beside me in the dimness of the tent, saying nothing, but I knew he felt his own measure of shock and apprehension. Finn had ever seemed invincible, even to those he hardly knew. To those of us who knew him best of all—"
Yeah...
Anyway, they note that no one's been able to find Storr. Carillon meanly calls out Rowan's faint optimism, saying "For a Cheysuli, you know little enough of your customs." OUCH. But he apologizes quickly, and Rowan acknowledges the truth: if Storr is dead, Finn will be lost, one way or another.
And then Alix comes and we get a scene that, if you haven't read Shapechangers, would be intriguing and interesting:
Alix put out her hand and touched his bare arm. The lir-gold with its wolf-shape was smeared with blood, dulled by grime; it seemed a reflection of his death. But she touched his arm and then clasped his slack hand, as if she could not let him go.
I watched her face. She knelt at his side and held his hand so gently. There was a sudden horrified grief in her eyes, as if she realized she would lose the man who had given her over to her heritage, and that realization broke down the wall between them. Ever had they been at one another’s throats, cutting with knives made of words and swords made of feelings. They were kin and yet more than that, so much more, and I think she finally knew it.
Unfortunately I did read Shapechangers, so fucking BULLSHIT, Roberson.
Anyway, Alix starts using her special gift and determines that Storr is alive, but hurt and dying. She tells Carillon to fetch him at once, perhaps they can save both.
I hate that I'm invested enough in Song that I actually want them to save Finn. And I hate that Shapechangers retroactively ruins so much of this book.
So Carillon is able to get Storr. I don't know how strong a man must be to carry a wolf in his arms, but I'm pretty impressed. When he gets back, Lachlan is playing for Finn. Unfortunately, his magic can only do so much. Meanwhile, Alix has an update:
"“Duncan comes,” she said softly.
“In time?”
“I cannot say.”
I crossed my arms and hugged my chest as if I could keep the pain from showing on my face. “Gods—he is my right hand! I need him still—”
“We all need him.” Her quiet words reproved me for my selfishness, though I doubt she meant them to.
Oh my god, Carillon.
Hilariously, this happens, and I take it as proof of my interpretation:
“My lord.” It was Rowan’s tentative voice. “Shall I tell the princess the harper is come?”
For a moment I could not understand him. And then I knew. Lachlan had come from Bellam to direct the exchange. Electra for Tourmaline. And now I could hardly think.
As soon as the thought of losing Finn entered the picture, Carillon did not, for a moment, think about Electra.
Let the woman go and marry the guy you love instead.
Lachlan updates Carillon on Tourmaline's condition in such a way that Carillon immediately realizes he's in love. The meeting point won't be far.
I did not wish to think of Electra, nor even Tourmaline. And yet I must. Impatiently I nodded at Rowan. “Tell her Lachlan is come, and to ready herself. When there is time, the exchange will be made.”
Then Duncan arrives. He thanks Lachlan, a bit curtly, but tells him this is Cheysuli work. Alix is nervous, she's never done this before, but Duncan talks her through it in a way that I wish we'd got to see in Shapechangers:
The heavy gold on Duncan’s arms glowed in the shadows, reflecting the light that crept in through the gaps in the door-flap. “You have the Old Blood, cheysula. You need fear nothing of this. It is the earth magic we seek. You need only ask it to come, and it will use you to heal Finn. And Storr.” Briefly he cupped her head in one hand and pressed it against one shoulder. “I promise you—it will be well done.”
She said nothing more. Duncan released her and set one hand against the wound in the wolf’s side. Of the two, Storr seemed to have a more fragile hold on life. And if he died before they healed Finn, the thing was futile indeed.
“Lose yourself,” Duncan said. “Go down into the earth until there is nothing but the currents of life. You will know it—be not afraid. Tap it, Alix, and let it flow through you into the wolf. He is lir. He will know what we do for him.”
It strikes me now that for all the "romance" in Shapechangers, we never saw Duncan teach Alix anything. She learned all her skills behind his back, from Cai and Storr. Not the man she loved.
Anyway, they save Storr. ("It was profoundly moving, somehow, that a man and woman could link so deeply on a level other than sexual, and all to save a wolf.")
Then Duncan, alone, goes to heal Finn. Alix protests, wanting him to call the others, but Finn is his brother. He goes in. Alix is distraught, and Carillon is harsh:
“You risked yourself for me, once, when I did not wish you to,” I told her harshly. “When I lay chained in Atvian iron, and you came as a falcon to free me. Do you think I would have given you permission for such a thing?” I shook my head. “What Duncan does is for him to do. Did he want you with him, he would have asked it.”
She wrenched her head around to stare again at her husband. He knelt by Finn’s side, there and yet not. And Finn, so weak upon the pallet, did not move.
“I could not make a choice,” she said in a wavering voice. “I ever thought I would say Duncan before anyone else, but I could not. I want them both.…”
“I know. So do I. But it is for the gods to decide.”
I love this scene here. But again, it's a scene that does not work if you've read Shapechangers.
So Duncan falls over, knocking his head against the stool. Finn is awake and weak and calling him a fool. He tries to get to him, but Carillon pushes him back down to the bed (mmhmm), Alix ends up slapping some sense back into Duncan.
Finn and Duncan share a moment:
“No,” Finn agreed, with my hand upon his shoulder in case he moved again. “You did not, you fool. Did you think I would wish to trade your life for mine?” He grimaced then, and instantly hissed as the expression pulled the stitches against his swollen flesh. “By the gods—that Atvian—”
“—is slain,” I finished. “Did you think I would let him finish what he had begun?”
Finn’s hand was in Storr’s matted pelt. His eyes were shut in a gray-white face. I thought he had lost consciousness again.
“Rujho,” Duncan said, “there is something you must do.”
“Later,” Finn said through the taut line of his mouth.
“Now.” Duncan smiled. “You owe thanks to Carillon.”
...is Duncan a shipper?
“Aye,” Duncan interrupted, “but it was Carillon who carried you from the field. Else you would still be there, and dead.”
I knew what he did. Finn has never been one for showing gratitude, though often enough I knew he felt it. I myself had trouble saying what I meant; for Finn it was harder still. I thought of protesting, then let Duncan have his way. He it was who had had the raising of Finn, not me.
Finn sighed. His eyes closed again. “He should have left me. He should not have risked himself.”
Why is the Finn-Duncan relationship so much more interesting here than in Shapechangers. Also I love Carillon almost protesting. Aw. Also, Finn, get a room...gingerly.
So Finn thanks him ("Leijhana tu’sai,"), and Carillon laughs because it's in the old tongue and he wouldn't know if Finn thanked him or cursed him. Duncan translates.
I looked at Lachlan. “We have an exchange to conduct.”
He rose and gathered his harp. But before we left the tent I glanced back at Finn.
He slept. “Leijhana tu’sai,” I said, “for living instead of dying.”
And on that incredibly romantic note, the chapter ends.
So last time, we saw the beginning of the tragedy, as Carillon decides to sublimate his obvious crush on his best friend by being really rapey to an unwilling woman.
Yay.
Fortunately, this chapter's a bit better.
We rejoin Carillon who is readying for battle. He meets up with Finn, by the horses. We're told that Finn and the other Cheysuli don't wear armor. They trust their skill.
Rowan appears in the next paragraph, wearing mail and a sword, and I admire the nice juxtaposition there. He comes to tell Carillon that Electra is "asking for him". Carillon clarifies that she's SENDING for him, because Electra doesn't ask for anything.
Apparently Electra sends for him twice a day, just to complain about her captivity and demand her release. Carillon sees it as a courtship dance:
In the six weeks since Finn had captured her, nothing had been settled between us except out mutual attraction. She knew it as well as I. Ostensibly enemies, we were also eventual bedmates. It was simply a matter of time and circumstance. Did I wish to, I could have her before her internment was done. But I gambled for higher stakes—permanency, in reign and domesticity—and she knew it. She used it. And so the courtship rite went on, bizarre though it was.
Here's a thought, Carillon, maybe she's genuinely not into you.
But anyway, Carillon decides she can wait this time. Finn wants to know how much longer they're keeping Electra, and we learn that the ransom negotiations are going well. Bellam will be sending Tourmaline out with an escort, and Lachlan, and Electra will be returned.
Finn decides to take a positive spin on Carillon's declaration that he'll have Electra back soon. He notes that Carillon isn't hedging or being modest anymore, he's finally owning that he's coming to take his rightful throne.
Finn and Carillon discuss Carillon's motives:
I looked directly at him, tasting the dust of warfare in my mouth as we moved toward our battle. “She is Tynstar’s light woman, by all accounts—including her own. For that alone, I will make her mine.”
“Revenge.” He did not smile. “I understand that well enough, Carillon, having tasted it myself—but I think it is more than that.”
“Political expediency,” I assured him blandly. “She is a valuable tool.”
A scowl pulled his face into grim lines. “In the clans, it is not the same.”
“No,” I agreed quietly. “In the clans you take women as you will and care little enough for the politics of the move.” I glanced back at my soldiers. They followed in a tight unit, bristling with swords and knives and ringmail. “Men have need of such things as wives and children,” I told him quietly. “Kings have need of more.”
This is one of those scenes which reads very differently whether or not you've read Shapechangers. I prefer the non-Shapechanger read, which is that Finn disapproves of all of this nonsense.
But that's the last bit about Electra in this chapter, as we go off to battle.
As usual, battles are really hard to recap. Carillon seems to be doing well. He's learned his Cheysuli bow well, and notes that until he's out of arrows, he'll be "well-nigh invincible"
But then he's proven wrong when an Atvian arrow hits his horse. He jumps down to fight on the ground. Carillon's men are greatly outnumbered.
When he runs out of arrows, he fights with his sword. He notices then that the battle has turned in Solindish favor. So now it's time to get the fuck out. Of course, he looks for Finn.
I looked for Finn and found him not far from me, as ever, shouting something as he closed with a Solindish soldier. He wore his human form, eschewing the savagery that accompanies the shapechange in the midst of battle. It was a matter of balance, he had told me once; a Cheysuli warrior remains himself even in lir-shape, but should he ever lose himself in the glory of a fight, he could lose himself forever. It was possible a warrior, crossing over the boundaries of balance, might remain a beast forever.
I did not care to think of Finn locked into his wolf-shape. Not forever. I needed him too much as himself.
Get a room.
Then things get dramatic. Storr runs through the throng of battle, supposedly to aid Finn. He kind of does the opposite though when a lucky sword strike gets him in the shoulder.
As we saw from Duncan in Shapechangers, an injury to the lir is bad news. And unlike when Cai got his unnamed injury that somehow he was fine enough to fly with after all, this is a sword slash. Finn turns away from his enemy and promptly gets a spear through his leg. The Atvian goes in for the kill, but Carillon saves the day.
I brought down my sword from the highest apex of its arc, driving it through leather and mail and flesh. The body toppled forward. I caught it before it fell across Finn and dragged it away, tossing it to one side. And then I cursed as I saw the damage that had already been done; how he had laid open the flesh of Finn’s face with his knife. The bloody wound bisected the left side from eye to jaw.
I broke the spear in my hands and rolled Finn onto one side, grateful he was unconscious. I pulled the shaft free as the leg twitched and jumped beneath my hands. Blood ran freely from the wound, pooling in the matted, trampled grass. And then I pulled my liege man from the ground and carried him from the field.
I added the second paragraph just for the romance of it all.
So now back at the camp, Finn's in a very bad way, delirious and screaming for Storr. Carillon tries to soothe him and it's not going well. His face is stitched but red and swollen. His leg is drained and poulticed, but may have to come off. Carillon vetos that, but is afraid he made the wrong call.
There is much angst here:
I knelt rigidly at his side, too stiff and frightened to move away. The doorflap hung closed to shut out the gnats and flies; the air was heavy and stifling. Rowan stood beside me in the dimness of the tent, saying nothing, but I knew he felt his own measure of shock and apprehension. Finn had ever seemed invincible, even to those he hardly knew. To those of us who knew him best of all—"
Yeah...
Anyway, they note that no one's been able to find Storr. Carillon meanly calls out Rowan's faint optimism, saying "For a Cheysuli, you know little enough of your customs." OUCH. But he apologizes quickly, and Rowan acknowledges the truth: if Storr is dead, Finn will be lost, one way or another.
And then Alix comes and we get a scene that, if you haven't read Shapechangers, would be intriguing and interesting:
Alix put out her hand and touched his bare arm. The lir-gold with its wolf-shape was smeared with blood, dulled by grime; it seemed a reflection of his death. But she touched his arm and then clasped his slack hand, as if she could not let him go.
I watched her face. She knelt at his side and held his hand so gently. There was a sudden horrified grief in her eyes, as if she realized she would lose the man who had given her over to her heritage, and that realization broke down the wall between them. Ever had they been at one another’s throats, cutting with knives made of words and swords made of feelings. They were kin and yet more than that, so much more, and I think she finally knew it.
Unfortunately I did read Shapechangers, so fucking BULLSHIT, Roberson.
Anyway, Alix starts using her special gift and determines that Storr is alive, but hurt and dying. She tells Carillon to fetch him at once, perhaps they can save both.
I hate that I'm invested enough in Song that I actually want them to save Finn. And I hate that Shapechangers retroactively ruins so much of this book.
So Carillon is able to get Storr. I don't know how strong a man must be to carry a wolf in his arms, but I'm pretty impressed. When he gets back, Lachlan is playing for Finn. Unfortunately, his magic can only do so much. Meanwhile, Alix has an update:
"“Duncan comes,” she said softly.
“In time?”
“I cannot say.”
I crossed my arms and hugged my chest as if I could keep the pain from showing on my face. “Gods—he is my right hand! I need him still—”
“We all need him.” Her quiet words reproved me for my selfishness, though I doubt she meant them to.
Oh my god, Carillon.
Hilariously, this happens, and I take it as proof of my interpretation:
“My lord.” It was Rowan’s tentative voice. “Shall I tell the princess the harper is come?”
For a moment I could not understand him. And then I knew. Lachlan had come from Bellam to direct the exchange. Electra for Tourmaline. And now I could hardly think.
As soon as the thought of losing Finn entered the picture, Carillon did not, for a moment, think about Electra.
Let the woman go and marry the guy you love instead.
Lachlan updates Carillon on Tourmaline's condition in such a way that Carillon immediately realizes he's in love. The meeting point won't be far.
I did not wish to think of Electra, nor even Tourmaline. And yet I must. Impatiently I nodded at Rowan. “Tell her Lachlan is come, and to ready herself. When there is time, the exchange will be made.”
Then Duncan arrives. He thanks Lachlan, a bit curtly, but tells him this is Cheysuli work. Alix is nervous, she's never done this before, but Duncan talks her through it in a way that I wish we'd got to see in Shapechangers:
The heavy gold on Duncan’s arms glowed in the shadows, reflecting the light that crept in through the gaps in the door-flap. “You have the Old Blood, cheysula. You need fear nothing of this. It is the earth magic we seek. You need only ask it to come, and it will use you to heal Finn. And Storr.” Briefly he cupped her head in one hand and pressed it against one shoulder. “I promise you—it will be well done.”
She said nothing more. Duncan released her and set one hand against the wound in the wolf’s side. Of the two, Storr seemed to have a more fragile hold on life. And if he died before they healed Finn, the thing was futile indeed.
“Lose yourself,” Duncan said. “Go down into the earth until there is nothing but the currents of life. You will know it—be not afraid. Tap it, Alix, and let it flow through you into the wolf. He is lir. He will know what we do for him.”
It strikes me now that for all the "romance" in Shapechangers, we never saw Duncan teach Alix anything. She learned all her skills behind his back, from Cai and Storr. Not the man she loved.
Anyway, they save Storr. ("It was profoundly moving, somehow, that a man and woman could link so deeply on a level other than sexual, and all to save a wolf.")
Then Duncan, alone, goes to heal Finn. Alix protests, wanting him to call the others, but Finn is his brother. He goes in. Alix is distraught, and Carillon is harsh:
“You risked yourself for me, once, when I did not wish you to,” I told her harshly. “When I lay chained in Atvian iron, and you came as a falcon to free me. Do you think I would have given you permission for such a thing?” I shook my head. “What Duncan does is for him to do. Did he want you with him, he would have asked it.”
She wrenched her head around to stare again at her husband. He knelt by Finn’s side, there and yet not. And Finn, so weak upon the pallet, did not move.
“I could not make a choice,” she said in a wavering voice. “I ever thought I would say Duncan before anyone else, but I could not. I want them both.…”
“I know. So do I. But it is for the gods to decide.”
I love this scene here. But again, it's a scene that does not work if you've read Shapechangers.
So Duncan falls over, knocking his head against the stool. Finn is awake and weak and calling him a fool. He tries to get to him, but Carillon pushes him back down to the bed (mmhmm), Alix ends up slapping some sense back into Duncan.
Finn and Duncan share a moment:
“No,” Finn agreed, with my hand upon his shoulder in case he moved again. “You did not, you fool. Did you think I would wish to trade your life for mine?” He grimaced then, and instantly hissed as the expression pulled the stitches against his swollen flesh. “By the gods—that Atvian—”
“—is slain,” I finished. “Did you think I would let him finish what he had begun?”
Finn’s hand was in Storr’s matted pelt. His eyes were shut in a gray-white face. I thought he had lost consciousness again.
“Rujho,” Duncan said, “there is something you must do.”
“Later,” Finn said through the taut line of his mouth.
“Now.” Duncan smiled. “You owe thanks to Carillon.”
...is Duncan a shipper?
“Aye,” Duncan interrupted, “but it was Carillon who carried you from the field. Else you would still be there, and dead.”
I knew what he did. Finn has never been one for showing gratitude, though often enough I knew he felt it. I myself had trouble saying what I meant; for Finn it was harder still. I thought of protesting, then let Duncan have his way. He it was who had had the raising of Finn, not me.
Finn sighed. His eyes closed again. “He should have left me. He should not have risked himself.”
Why is the Finn-Duncan relationship so much more interesting here than in Shapechangers. Also I love Carillon almost protesting. Aw. Also, Finn, get a room...gingerly.
So Finn thanks him ("Leijhana tu’sai,"), and Carillon laughs because it's in the old tongue and he wouldn't know if Finn thanked him or cursed him. Duncan translates.
I looked at Lachlan. “We have an exchange to conduct.”
He rose and gathered his harp. But before we left the tent I glanced back at Finn.
He slept. “Leijhana tu’sai,” I said, “for living instead of dying.”
And on that incredibly romantic note, the chapter ends.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-18 05:57 pm (UTC)(Would I also count as a regular reader by now, by the way? I'm not that regular in when I comment, but I do show up consistently for this...)
Good to hear this one's better, because I can't say I exactly liked the last chapter...
We're told that Finn and the other Cheysuli don't wear armor. They trust their skill.
While they might be able to afford that usually, I'm not sure if it's good idea in this war (and I see that that will come up in this very chapter, which is a nice set-up!).
She knew it as well as I. Ostensibly enemies, we were also eventual bedmates. It was simply a matter of time and circumstance.
...You keep telling yourself that, Carillon; I'm quite sure it won't work out like you want in the end. That aside, him thinking of this as a "courtship dance" is probably entirely wishful thinking on his end, as Electra doesn't seem to care much for him at this point, and her calling him is probably just meant to bother him as much as possible.
“In the clans you take women as you will and care little enough for the politics of the move.”
Come to think of it, have we heard about the Cheysuli no longer abducting Homanan women? If it was in the previous book, I've forgotten.
It was a matter of balance, he had told me once; a Cheysuli warrior remains himself even in lir-shape, but should he ever lose himself in the glory of a fight, he could lose himself forever.
I rather like learning things like this about the Cheysuli, as they fills out their culture and history a bit more (even if it doesn't come up any further, as I suspect will be the case here). I do wonder why it specifically comes up here, as I don't think Finn would ever consider using his wolf-shape in a battle like this.
Um, Carillon, maybe you should only pull the spear out when you're with people who can heal him? If you do it now, he'll just lose more blood than he might otherwise. That aside, the description of his injuries is effective, and it's a good reminder that they're in genuine danger during their battles.
Finn is still one of the best characters in the book, so I do feel for his plight here! (If he'd need an amputation, that would be risky at best, and all the more so given his weakened state, so he's certainly in a bad place without further healing.)
Yeah, it really doesn't work well when you know how he "gave her over to her heritage", and when it's clear that Alix has very good reasons to be at his throat.
I don't know how strong a man must be to carry a wolf in his arms, but I'm pretty impressed.
They seem to weigh 35-40 kilograms (77-88 pounds), and they're not small, so I'm impressed, too!
Good to see Lachlan again, and that Electra will be gone quite soon, given how Carillon has treated her.
Alix and Duncan's scene is indeed quite nice! I like how Duncan explains it, so we also get an impression of what it's like to use the earth magic for the Cheysuli, and Duncan's just much better with Alix here than he ever was before now.
Well, good to see the both of them being fully healed again now. :)
This is a really good Finn moment, I find (and Duncan's also good here), which is really nice to have!
Until next time, then!
no subject
Date: 2026-02-18 06:08 pm (UTC)There's no mention of abducting Homanan women in this book, thank goodness. (Honestly, it never made sense anyway. How exactly would a group of mostly scattered refugees even manage to keep women imprisoned. Also, they'd be both another mouth to feed and a non-contributing part of society, given that they're there unwillingly.)
The only explicit reference is Alix, and we can kind of retcon that into the idea that they recognized her heritage and were "bringing her home".
I do think though that there's a reference or two in later books to the abduction practice, and I'm sure I bitch about them as they come up.
no subject
Date: 2026-02-18 09:21 pm (UTC)All of that is good to hear! Roberson clearly put some work into making this book better than the previous one, and I like that she threw out the more problematic elements wholesale. Sure, it creates some continuity issues, but that's much better than having it around (or trying to explain it away) for another book! (And I remember the issue with the kidnapped women jumped out at me the very first time I tried to comment on Shapechangers.)
I do think though that there's a reference or two in later books to the abduction practice, and I'm sure I bitch about them as they come up.
It's a pity that Roberson didn't discard it entirely, but I'll be looking forward to your complaints, then!