This was fun. It‘s clear early on pretty much how this is going to go down (if you read a lot of thrillers) but Hepworth did a great job with the characters- particularly with Fern‘s sensory processing issues. &it was really riveting at the end.
This was fun. It‘s clear early on pretty much how this is going to go down (if you read a lot of thrillers) but Hepworth did a great job with the characters- particularly with Fern‘s sensory processing issues. &it was really riveting at the end.
Dareon abandoned them. Gilly cries endlessly, Sam is scared to talk about it
Maester Aemon‘s health is failing, he wants to know about the dragon sightings
Sam looks for Dareon to go the ships to ask of dragons. He is insulted by 2men when a child says “He‘s in the Night‘s Watch, stupid.” She helps find Dareon but he refuses to return. Sam pummels him, is knocked over the head &tossed into the canal he is saved by Xhondo -who knows of dragons
#authoramonth
I‘ve been pondering this ending since last night, I enjoyed it, it‘s very clever & poetic. A unique interpretation on time travel & simulation hypothesis, more about the human element than the science.
Bought a waterproof case for my kindle so I could read in the hot tub 😂 📖🛀
The return to Maidenpool. Lord Tarly is frustrated about the outlaws including Lady Stoneheart, when he casts out Brienne, Hyle Hunt offers assistance in finding the Hound.
Joined by Hyle &a septon they head to the Saltpans. Traveling through the riverlands they discuss theology & septon warns of a monsterous she-wolf &horrors of war.
Margaery told Tommen he should be a more involved King, but Cersei doesn‘t want to share her rule
Onion Knight‘s death
iron Bank comes for their money
Osney hasn‘t seduced Margaery
Tyrells flatter Tommen as he practices jousting& Cersei says “it‘s in his blood”, thinking of Jaime, but recovers
Dismisses rumors of dragons in Meereen
Later, Tommen is pacified that he will learn jousting (&get a kitten)
She recalls her failed betrothal to Rhaegar
Fully in role as Alayne, she surveys the armies outside The Gates. Lord Robert complains at breakfast but they can‘t get fresh food with the encampment. Littlefinger lets the bannermen parley. One has met Sansa before, but Littlefinger doesn‘t worry
They tell Littlefinger to vacate the Vale, go to Harrenhal. They want to take Robert. Swords are drawn but Bronze Yohn reminds them of hospitality laws. Littlefinger asks for a year to prove himself
About 25% into this & 💜 it!!
The audio is really good too, 2 separate narrators, both are very animated & convey the characters well. Really digging the story so far.
Arya is caught whispering her prayer & learns about the many faced god. Everyday she is asked who she is & answers “No one” but can‘t forget her past &family. Confronted again, the kindly man tells her she must give all of herself. She throws her possessions into the sea -except Needle
She is given a robe & taught Braavosi
She asks about Jaqen, the man denies knowing him
She is sent out to Braavos with a new identity, Cat an orphan of KingsLanding
Loved it. Sometimes I don‘t appreciate where King‘s stories meander but I was fully along for the ride. Billy was so endearing. The cliches (one last job) & writer‘s jokes/conventions playing out kept it from feeling too heavy. Even though it was heavy, lots of bad stuff happened. I‘ll be thinking of that ending a while. #losersclub
Part 1 very clearly demonstrated the hardships her family faced. The rest? I found to be incredibly disjointed &alternate POVs should add more dimension, no reason to do it to add more misery, we know he is terrible from Antoinette. I didn‘t find that it made sense as a contained story. The background for this book is longer than the book in this edition& I needed to look up the history. It might be art but I didn‘t think it was good.
Arianne Martell conspires to crown Myrcella, Gerold thinks it‘s better to kill her but when Myrcella comes they bow, she is unaware why. Arianne introduces her friends to the queen-to-be. Myrcella‘s handmaid Rosalind is impersonating her at the castle.
They reach the boat but unexpectedly are confronted by Hotah. Arianne‘s father was aware of the plot &sent men to capture them. Arys is slain &Arianne is to be taken to Sunspear
The ending of this one is very satisfying (even though there is quite a bit left open for the next couple books). I‘d taken a big gap between this & the previous installment & it did take a bit to get re-orientated but then the pace picked up. Like the vampire, Geralt & Dandelion‘s banter (as always) I don‘t think the series does well at keeping the pacing evened for each character since the short stories.
Brienne &Pod proceed with Nimble Dick as their guide. Her mistrust grows once they leave the roads.
At the gate, Nimble Dick reveals that the info he gave the fool was false &smugglers don‘t stop there now
Instead of Dontos, they find Timeon,Pyg &Shagwell. When she tells them she is after a fool with a Stark girl, they point her to the Hound. She‘s forced to kill them
She was followed by Hyle Hunt, she says they will follow the trail to Riverrun
Aeron starts the kingsmoot. Contenders make their claims with visions for the future or gifts. Victarion bides his time. When he does put himself in he says it will be more of what they had with Balon, which pleases the masses. But Asha interrupts &recalls the tragedies under Balon too, she calls for peace with the North. Many call her name whil others support Victarion. Euron makes his claim with a mission to win the 7 Kingdoms -by using dragons
Victarion returns to make his claim. Ralf Kenning is holding Moat Cailin while he‘s away.
With some trepidation at facing his brother, but wanting to preserve the Greyjoy legacy; he tries to ally himself. Some want to end the war
Asha greets him “I am pleased to see you at my queensmoot”, then she accuses Euron of killing Balon. Asha makes an offer to Victarion to back him if she can be his Hand. She wants to ally with the North. He declines
Qyburn & SerHarys are promoted
To deal w/Stannis they need a fleet, but need coin. So withhold payment to the Iron Bank of Braavos
She delays punishing Freys for the Red Wedding
She swears revenge on Sansa &continues that Arya is with the Boltons,”if the North must have a Stark we will give them one”&they plot against Lord Commander Snow
Osney Kettleblack will be useful to resolve 2 problems if he deflowers Margaery & is sent to the Wall..
The beginning (&ending!) were very strong. Alejandra dealing with obvious PPD/PPA (& likely Generalized Anxiety & Religious Trauma) +the drudgery of giving up her goals to move across the country with her narcissistic husband &their 3 kids +a creature that‘s threatened her.
We also see how her ancestors were affected by this literal generational curse. Some POVs were intriguing, but I found they pulled away from the story rather than added to it.
As the procession departs, Jaime & Kevan have a confrontation then he picks at Lancel seeking out of Tyrion‘s words were true, he tells himself again that Tyrion was lying.
Lollys named her baby Tyrion. Cersei & Lady Merryweather joke &plot, having come to an understanding w/Margaery‘s spy. Cersei has no use for Kevan, she has a plan for the Boltons to handle the North. They bicker over who will be the next Hand & she throws her wine at him
Happy Pub Day for this Piper CJ novel!
1 of the only times an author on booksta hooked me with their pitch (or maybe the teal sprayed edges)
& the rest of them are a Savers haul, found some goodies, it seemed pretty picked over today
Sam, Gilly & Maester Aemon set sail. The ship will take them as far as Braavos. Sam is seasick and anxious, Gilly is upset-Sam thinks the sea scares her-& the baby is having a hard time. The Maester remembers his last trip past & imagines the sights. Dareon, now a recruiter, is faring the best.
They hit a storm &the mood of the crew get worse, some blame Gilly.
The Maester knows the reason for Gilly‘s sadness, her baby is back at the Wall….
Brienne trains Podrick. They run across 1 of Lord Tarly‘s captains, the soldiers are rebuilding Maidenpool while Lord Tarly is in the market dispensing justice
She‘s forced to confess her mission to him, he tells her of Lysa‘s death. With that, she thinks the Vale isno longer Sansa‘s place of refuge
She talks to Nimble Dick who tells how he helped frightened fool with 2 girls. She hopes it‘s Sansa and Arya. He promises to take her to the smugglers
Loved this! It wasn‘t as fluffy as I expected, there are some heavier moments.
Rory goes to stay with her single, very pregnant sister when she‘s attacked by an animal
The horror of Rory‘s transformation vs the general body horror of being a woman, brings up feelings of the past when her body didn‘t feel like it belonged to her
The trope of women having to become monsters to take back their power makes an appearance but it doesn‘t stop there
Arys Oakheart has forgone his white cloak to avoid attention. Things are well between Myrcella &Trystane but he keeps her guarded by men they brought from KingsLanding. Doran Martell tells him that Myrcella is in danger from Dornishmen trying to start war.
His lover Princess Arianne -Doran‘s daughter-says Myrcella is more fit to rule than Tommen. She divulges that they have moved Myrcella to hide her from those that would crown her, not hurt her.
The series as a whole was really good & I liked this installment. Excited that there should be more in the near future, but this was a very optimistic point to leave offf for now.
Murderbot is dealing with (redacted) but has people -& constructs that are understanding. & while it has has learned how to better relate to others -through recent interactions but mostly from media, sometimes sentience sucks.
Jaime‘s search through the tunnels did not reveal Tyrion & Varys whereabouts. He warns that the Wildfire reserves are a danger.
This wedding is much more modest. Margaery wears the same wedding dress she wore to marry Joffrey. Cersei wears mourning clothes & seethes at how soon this is.
Ser Kevan discusses Lord Beric hanging the Freys, hears that the Hound joined him
Lady Merryweather tells Cersei her maid is a spy
She burns the Tower of The Hand
Asha Greyjoy has her doubts about the nature of her father‘s death. Her mother is like a ghost in her grief, & she must tell her that Theon is dead as well
She goes to see her nuncle who tells her about the kingsmoot. He tells her not to go, that she will not be chosen.
Tristifer tells her that it will be dangerous there, he wants to marry her & have a dozen sons. He thought she would wait for him, when he presses her she holds him at knifepoint.
A little bit torn on the conclusion to the series… the extra POVs that were added in Game of Gods join Hades x Persephone here…
With the series St Clair did really well with incorporating the source material, making it modern & adding so much spice without being (too) redundant. But if you are going to give a villain POV.. IMO there should be something that you aren‘t getting from the protags-the other side of the story.
Marillion sings in his cell. Lord Nestor Royce comes to hear what happened to Lysa.
Robert tells the men that Marillion threw Lysa through the Moon Door. Sansa tells the same. Marillion confesses.
She overhears Nestor tell Littlefinger this won‘t be the end of it. Littlefinger names Nestor Keeper of the Gates. He is impressed when Sansa understands why it was done the way it was
He tells her she must be Alayne all the time, even in her own heart
Brienne arrives in Duskendale. She gets her shield painted &stays at an inn while the paint sets,is reminded of the baths at Harrenhal, tries not to think of Jaime there.
It‘s clear Sansa is not in Duskendale. The Lord suggests Dorne, Oldtown, far away. But she think Sansa will go where she has people. To the Wall? Riverrun? The Vale? She gets some other “leads”
She realizes she is being followed by a familiar squire hoping to find Tyrion
Creepy, overly long at parts.
The first part was uncomfortable, hard to get into. But it sets the stage with the political elements & “the disappeared” When Gaspar‘s friend goes missing it leans into the horror… then for a while it is just a sad coming of age story with a cult & different timelines explaining the Order. towards the end, it focussed back to the original elements & I was enthralled BUT
To me the ending fizzled… but was creepy af.
I‘ve only read a few Nora Roberts, but I noticed the was real similar to The Obsession thematically & with how the FMC & love interest interact. There are enough differences but I can see the formula, but she writes 4 books a year I would imagine it would be impossible not to.
Anyway, home improvement inspo, traumatized but coping FMC, lovable side characters & found family are met by Vermont mountains, the FBI & drink recipes you can almost taste
Jaime feels the guilt of his fathers death. He hasn‘t seen Varys since helping Tyrion escape. When he went to question the undergaolers they were all killed by the Kingsguard at Cersei‘s behest.
Cersei comes to see him in The Great Sept & She pleads with him to be Hand & they can rule like King &Queen. He declines.
Still upset with her, but he gives Cersei advice on handling Mace Tyrell, but it means rushing Margaery &Tommens wedding
At the funeral she speaks with Lancel, ill since Blackwater, she regrets sleeping with him &wonders if he had confessed to the septon -about that or Robert‘s wine
The Tyrells try for positions of power, Mace Tyrell wants to be Hand, Cersei thwarts them while keeping the alliance for now
Her Uncle, Ser Kevan will only be Hand if Cersei makes him regent &goes to Casterly Rock. She refuses &he makes threats
Qyburn wants to tend to the Mountain
Arya goes ashore in Braavos. She is intimidated &feeling like a little mouse again. She passes temples of all the gods, new, old & almost forgotten alike. She climbs the stairs of a windowless temple &t he doors are opened for her, inside it is filled with the dead & dying
In the House of Black &White, the temple of the many-faced God, she uses all her aliases before revealing her true identity. The Priest challenges her, asking if she fears death
Happy Indie Bookstore Day!
I snagged 5 used books & 4 New books from 3 stores visited today!
The Left stack is all from Annie‘s book stop, which while lacking ambiance ALWAYS has great books & great deals. Also went to A Great Notion in Auburn MA which is fairly new & Hygge House books in Westborough, MA which just opened at a new location - both were super cute & have goodies from local vendors.
What should I read first?
Jon shows Sam a letter to King Tommen & Sam has trouble keeping Bran‘s secret when Jon recalls Tommen &Bran playing with swords
They debate the War &whether Lannisters will see the Watch as traitors
Gilly had been sent to plead for Mance‘s life, which seems doomed. Gilly is being sent away & Sam with her… & Maester Aemon. They are to go to the Citadel & Sam to become the Maester, the news doesn‘t please Sam as Jon thought it would. Jon orders him.
I can‘t decide if I enjoyed or am frustrated by the way the book leaves certain things open to inference & interpretation.
Looking forward to discussing that ending tomorrow with #hashtagbrigade !!
Brienne searches for Sansa
Ser Creighton offers to travel with her for her protection. She is a lady. Ser Illifer says she is accused of killing Renley. She swears on the Seven she did not harm him & they travel on peacefully
They come upon Ser Shadrich, who also searches for Sansa
Rumors circulate of how Jaime lost his hand & Brienne recalls admiringly his strength in their fight
In the morning she leaves before the others, continuing after Sansa
So I just let the ADHD hyper focus take me away today 😂😅 got pretty far in the Lego house, made all sorts of doodads -my fave is the vacuum
Speaking of, the mental health rep in this book is done really well, not in a way that I liked it but in a way that was realistic. Totally bingeable. I‘m usually such a man-hater but the wife was making me nuts in this one. Would make a good book club book.
Listened to about 1/2 of the tagged book while working on the Sanderson Sisters house this morning
3rd in the series did not disappoint.
The 4 friends each with their own distinct cornerstones, family drama, romance drama, but similar undeveloped prefrontal cortex decision making… It‘s so awkward & dramatic & ✨perfect✨
Each ends on a cliffhanger, this was a big 1
One creepy adult got what was coming to him
I‘ve taken a 6 month break between each book but there‘s plenty of details sprinkled throughout without getting bogged down with history.
Cersei is awoken by guards & she is confronted by tragedy, she is appalled at the way everyone is reacting & she doesn‘t know how to react herself.
Jaime is searches the hidden tunnel, but needs to find keys to a gate where the tunnels converge. Cersei tells Jaime he must be Hand now, he rebuffs her
As her mind reels she notices Varys is absent.
Tyrion is discovered to be missing from his cell
Historical fantasy taking place during the Spanish Inquisition, Luzia‘s heritage makes her as much of a target as her Magic. When she is discovered some find an opportunity to exploit her, while others support her. Religious persecution, classism &sexism influence their responses as they dream of a change of fortune.
I liked this a lot! It is a bit of a slow pace at the start, but very good.
Oberyn‘s children want to avenge him. Doran advises dying in trial by combat is not murder. Where Obara wants to burn Oldtown, Lady Nym wants to bring her sister Tyene & strike Tywin, the Golden Twins & the little King. Tyene has her own plan, to arrange a wedding & crown Myrcella to lure the Lannisters to Dorne
Doran requests they be locked up, their sister Sarella is not in Dorne & he just hopes she is not of the same mind
Aeron Greyjoy is drowning men in the Wyk when he receives news of Balon Greyjoy -his brother‘s death. He returns to the keep where they squabble over who should succeed him, he doesn‘t think Asha or Theon can rule. But Asha is returning to sit on the Seastone Chair regardless. Aeron calls for a kingsmoot -a ceremony from the Old Ways to choose the worthiest king
Pate, a novice of the Citadel, thinks of his love Rosey & waits for the alchemist. Word is traveling of the dragons & beautiful young queen -Not just that, old powers, dark ones
Lazy Leo Tyrell goads Pate about Rosey. The dawn nears. Despondent, he makes for the citadel but the alchemist comes after all.
Pate trades a key stolen from Archmaester Walgrave, asks to see the alchemist‘s face, he is a stranger, just a man, no one. Then Pate collapses
As a whole it is good, exposing the heinous crimes against the Osage, the men who searched for justice. Note about the audio: it is split into 3 parts w/ 3 narrators, the first of which was a bit kindergarten teacher, & did not feel like it fit.