This week our host is Lauren from Violin in a Void.

Let’s get to it then. 🙂

1. Oree chooses not to reveal Shiny’s identity to Dateh. Did you agree with her decision? What might have happened if she’d chosen otherwise? 

Yes, I agree. It’s never wise to share information with the bad guys. 🙂

I can’t even begin to guess what would have happened if she chose to disclose that information. I’m not sure how much the human Itempass could help them…

2. Madding’s dead 😦 How do you feel about his death? What do you make of his last words to Oree?

Didn’t see that coming. Well, not before Oree actually called him through. Then it was obvious as the arrow was just lying there. I must say I couldn’t understand how come Oree didn’t think about that?!

Anyway, what I got out of Madding’s last words is that he truly loved Oree.

3. Itempas has seen what terrible things people do in his name. What do you make of Dateh’s interpretation of Itempan faith? Could this help rehabilitate Itempas or will he simply see the New Lights as a delusional sect?

I’m certainly hoping it will put Shiny on the path of spiritual healing. It becomes obvious later on that he was hurt badly and in view of his unbending character, he snapped and then all hell broke lose for the next 2000 years. Talk about being in better control of one’s character…

New Lights are definitely delusional, no doubt about it.

4. After Madding’s death, Oree loses the will to live, except to stop the New Lights. Shiny wants to kill her because she’s a demon. Do you think she’ll survive the events of the novel? Is it safer to wipe out the demons?

Safer, probably. Better, no. There should be checks and balances. And demons fit nicely into that. I think she’ll survive, I just wonder at what cost (something is probably going to happen to her – well, more than it already has).

5. Itempas shares his feelings about his actions in the God’s War. Have your feelings about him changed at all?

Slightly, yes. Still, he behaved like a spoiled child. And I would expect more from a god with his background. Well, it’s never too late to learn (and learn about yourself, because that is what he seems to be doing now…)

6. There’s something odd about Hado. Shiny says to him “You are not quite yourself. […] Something of him lingers.” Oree notes that Hado’s shadow is darker than the non-magical things around him. Could he be more than just a spy, and if so, what?

Ha, ha, it was obvious here who he was and I wondered if the name is the same from book 1 because I just don’t remember. We learn later that he is the human version of Nahadoth from book one but for me it was obvious once I read this paragraph.

Tagged: Book review, N.K. Jemisin, read-along, The Broken Kingdoms