Let's Read: The Blending by Sharon Green

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Let's Read: The Blending by Sharon Green

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Yeah, that Rion scene needs to be inside his head. We need to see him going from still anxious to a dawning realization that she is a ridiculous and pathetic person, and maybe he doesn't have to be afraid of her.

# ? Aug 23, 2021 03:36

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 28, 2024 05:15

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN�

As I left Lorand�s bedchamber with Vallant, I wondered if there would ever come a time when I didn�t feel a chill at hearing that my father had come calling. All brave words and thoughts aside, I would have enjoyed standing behind Vallant before the door was opened. But then I remembered that that woman would also be there, and made the fastest, firmest decision of my life.

Because staking your claim on a guy is more important than deciding to save your own life. But I guess that first test for High was way too long ago and therefore doesn't count anymore.

quote:

Using the power to stiffen my backbone and resolve might not be the same as learning to do it without help, but sometimes it�s downright idiotic to refuse whatever help you can get.

This mechanic will never get explained, other than that it's a magical force that literally helps you along the way to "your true self".

quote:

�I wonder what Mirra wants this time,� Vallant muttered as he put a hand to my elbow at the stairs. �And she�s here with your father rather than with her own. She�s got to be up to somethin�, but not somethin� to do us any good.�

�She can be up to anything she pleases,� I replied, relaxing as the strength of the power flowed through me. �She and my father both. I don�t really care what they want, and I�m not letting them in. If Rion can leave his mother on the doorstep, we should be able to do at least as much.�

So why answer the door at all? I really don't understand. Like there's no reason they have to even go to the door. They could have just told the servant "no, we don't care to receive those particular visitors" and there'd be nothing Storn and Mirra could do short of forcing their way in.

quote:

�You�re touchin� the power, aren�t you?� he asked very softly, his glance something I could feel. �Are you sure that�s wise?�

�I have no idea if it�s wise,� I replied just as softly. �All I know is that it�s better than letting my father get the upper hand over me. He�s had too many years of making things go his own way for me to worry about playing fair. If he decides he wants fair play after all, he can go and bother someone else.�

Vallant stayed silent after that, but I sensed that he still felt � uneasy, I suppose you could say. His disturbance seemed to center more around worry for me than anything else,

Literally something Green puts in everywhere in an attempt to create a sense of tension. I wish she had linked this up with burnout, in which case we'd be more terrified of it. But she didn't, because spoilers for the rest of the series you're supposed to be constantly connected to the power, it's like the ideal state of being.

quote:

which was really nice but nothing which had to distract me. My father was here, and I couldn�t wait until he met the new me.

I wish we could see more of a difference in Tamrissa's narration when she IS touching the power and when she isn't.

quote:

The servant who had come to Lorand�s room stood waiting by the front door, obviously ready to open it. He was another of the group I didn�t know, but somehow seemed a bit more pleasant than the others�and also somehow less afraid. He smiled as we approached, waited until we were positioned properly in front of the door, then opened it.

The section that follows is a mess of blocking.

quote:

�Well, it�s certainly about time!� the girl Mirra huffed, my father looking outraged beside her. �Leavin� us just standin� here�! You�ll regret this, Vallant, by my oath you surely will.�

She tried to charge inside then, expecting me to shrink out of her way, and when I continued to stand my ground, her two step advance came to an abrupt halt.

It sounds like these front doors open inwards (which is generally consistent with how front doors are hinged), and Tamrissa's house has been described as a small mansion. These doors should be pretty big, but Mirra can't get in further than two steps. Presumably, they've been standing right on the threshold, so she's two steps inside the front door. What exactly is stopping her from charging around Tamrissa?

quote:

Petty outrage flashed across her overblown features, and my father frowned his disapproval.

"Overblown features" will be a descriptor used for undesirable women over and over again in this series.

quote:

�Tamrissa, you will immediately step out of the way and allow us to come in,� my father ordered, the sternness in his tone demanding instant obedience. �There are serious matters to be discussed among us, and we have no intentions of doing that discussing while standing here like beggars.�

�Then you might as well leave, because you aren�t coming in,� I told him flatly, ignoring the distant memory of my heart pounding whenever he�d spoken to me like that before.

so your heart ISN'T pounding right now? Why would you even think of this? Why use such a convoluted way of showing that when Tamrissa is touching the power, she's not scared of her father? Why not have Tamrissa marvelling at the fact that it's so easy to say that to him and mean it?

quote:

�If you have something to say, you can do it right here. Personally, I won�t mind if you take your trollop and just turn and leave.�

�Trollop?� Mirra screeched as my father�s frown deepened. �You steal the affections of the man I was engaged to marry, and then have the nerve to call me a trollop? Well, we�ll just see who�s callin� who what when we get to court!�

�Goin� to court would be a waste of time,� Vallant put in, his voice sounding as cool and calm as mine. �Here in Gan Garee the matter would be your word against mine, with any objective witnesses all the way back home. Unless they like thrownin� away court time here, they won�t spend even a minute listenin�.�

Uh what? How exactly does the justice system in Gandistra work? Because this is just weird as hell.

quote:

�They�ll do more than listen with my suit added to that of the young lady�s family,� my father disagreed at once, his sleek smile very familiar. �Her parents are at this moment seeing about suing you for breaching the marriage agreement, and I�m suing you for alienating my daughter�s affections. Her own marriage was all arranged until you came along, and the court can reinstate that arrangement. Now do you think we might come in and sit down to talk?�

Which, as Jovvi pointed out last time, Tamrissa never agreed to so it wouldn't be a valid arrangement anyway.

quote:

�No, we don�t,� I answered while Vallant hesitated, wiping away Mirra�s smugness and my father�s sleek smile, both at the same time. �You�re trying very hard to forget that we�re full participants in the upcoming competitions, but no one else wants to forget. One of our group was recently challenged in court, her word against the other woman�s. That other woman was given Puredan�which doesn�t let you lie�and afterward was sentenced to five years in the deep mines. If you�d like the same for yourselves, just go ahead and continue with those suits.�

Mentioning the kidnapping charge that was also involved didn�t seem the thing to do right now, so I continued to omit it�and for the first time in my life saw my father�s overwhelming self confidence actually falter. Mirra had gone pale briefly, disbelief clearly fighting with forced nose-rubbing in an unpalatable truth, but my father looked shocked and shaken.

Literally this scene has been put in here for the sake of showing this random character not-growth, since Tamrissa hasn't learned anything about how to stand up for herself without leaning on a magical crutch.

quote:

I usually tried to defend myself against his attacks, but this time I�d counterattacked without the least hesitation. The action seemed to have frightened him, and his gaze and expression turned earnest.

�Tamrissa, I really hate this difficulty that�s between us,� he said, his tone half coaxing and half pleading. �I don�t want to take you or the young man to court, but you�ve left me with very little choice. If we can sit down and talk quietly, you�ll discover that all I need from you right now is a simple agreement to discuss your marriage to Dom Hallasser once this competitions nonsense is behind you. That isn�t so much to ask, and it will allow me to leave you in peace until that time comes.�

�That sick beast must be putting an incredible amount of pressure on you,� I commented, thanking whatever Higher Aspect there was for my having decided to touch the power. �You really expect me to agree to that just to get rid of you, supposedly not realizing that the agreement�which you probably have in writing�will bind me into a situation which doesn�t hold me even loosely at the moment.

Atta girl. But also :wtf:

that written agreement wouldn't be a validly executed contract as far as I understand contract law. Any lawyers in the thread?

quote:

It�s really too bad that your plans are being ruined, Father, but it�s none of my concern. Just as the horror of the life you condemned me to was none of yours.�

�You ungrateful little slut!� he growled, a definite pallor to his skin now. �I made that arrangement for your sake, to give you someone with enough gold to support you properly for the rest of your life. If this is the thanks I get, I�ll obviously have to take you to court after all.�

I do not understand how this man is supposed to be a genius business man, because that's terrible decision making.

quote:

�And so will I!� Mirra piped up, a spoiled-brat look on her face. �I�m not losin� the man I love without a fight, especially since they won�t be sendin� me anywhere. No man with eyes will ever do anythin� ugly to a woman like me.�

Because only cis/het relationships and people are represented in this work.

quote:

�The woman involved in that other matter Tamrissa mentioned was a retired courtesan,� Vallant commented, sounding as unimpressed as I had. �She hadn�t been retired all that long so she was still beautiful and desirable, and her residence for courtesans had made her wealthy. But havin� beauty and gold didn�t help her, any more than it will be helpin� you two. You go ahead and do what you need to, but don�t blame us if your game turns around and bites you.�

�And don�t come back here again,� I added, really enjoying the expressions of frustrated fury they both wore. �Next time we won�t even come to the door.�

Still waiting on an answer on WHY you even came to the door this time?

quote:

Vallant joined me in stepping out of the way, and the servant who had opened the door promptly closed it again in the faces of our visitors.

So Mirra managed to charge in two steps, was stopped by Tamrissa, who hadn't moved, and Vallant has been beside her the entire time, and they were positioned so the servant could open the door (inwards, presumably) which implies they were out of the door's path of motion as it opens, yet they had to step out of the way to close the door? Also Mirra has planted herself right in front of Tamrissa, so how does that door not hit her in the face?

quote:

�That was nicely timed,� I said to the servant, feeling absolutely marvelous. �What�s your name?�

�Hovan, Dama,� he replied with a bow. �It has been my privilege to serve in this residence only a short while.�

�Well, we�re glad to have you, Hovan,� I said with a smile. �Did you hear what I told those two? Yes, of course you did. Please let all the other servants know that if either one of them returns, Dom Ro and I simply won�t be available.�

And thank goodness for the end of these random encounters. I should be glad that Green decided three per protagonist was enough, that she combined Vallant and Tamrissa's last encounter and that she didn't need to stick to FIVE FIVE FIVE FIVE FIVE for these.

quote:

Hovan bowed his agreement to that and left, so Vallant and I headed back to the stairs. I�d had the feeling that Vallant was watching me, and as we began to ascend, he cleared his throat a bit.

�We made a really good team there, I thought,� he commented softly. �Why don�t we continue bein� a good team in your bedchamber�or in mine. Goin� back to that argument doesn�t make much sense.�

OH FFS VALLANT. :fuckoff:

quote:

�It makes perfect sense,� I disagreed, paying attention to keeping my skirts held up rather than to how much I wanted to take his suggestion. �If things work out the way we both expect them to, we really won�t want to change partners once we lie together. Better that we see to the matter now, to keep from having to do it later.�

FORESHADOWING! (which won't pay off until the sequel trilogy)

quote:

�I think I like you better when you aren�t touchin� the power,� he grumbled, his hand still firmly under my elbow. �You don�t argue as well that way, even if you do argue as much. Are you tellin� me that you and I won�t be lyin� together until you and Lorand and Jovvi and I do?�

�Now that you mention it, yes,� I confirmed, ignoring the flutter of worry in my middle.

If only Tamrissa had set this ultimatum like four chapters ago.

quote:

�And there�s really no reason for you to keep resisting. For all we know, you�ll find that you enjoy lying with Jovvi better than you do with me.�

�You may not know it, but I do,� he disagreed immediately, using his hand on my elbow to move me away from the head of the stairs, where someone below would be able to see us. �What I feel for you goes beyond my desire to lie with you, which you�ll discover when we do finally get to it.�

Then why can't you shut up with the constant "CAN I PLZ DO THE SEX TO YOU NOW?!?!?!" Vallant?

Not-spoilers: his feelings don't go beyond that, because there is literally no substance to this relationship.

quote:

And with that he pulled me close and kissed me, refusing to let me say another word.

Yeah, THAT bodes well for a relationship.

quote:

I would have expected to be frightened by such treatment,

You SHOULD be!

quote:

but so much yearning flared inside me that there wasn�t enough room for fear.

"It can't be sexual assault and you can't be scared if you're aroused."

What the ACTUAL gently caress, Green?!

quote:

My hands spread out against the broadness of his back as I joined him eagerly in the kiss, and for a time the world faded and disappeared from around us. Only he and I were left in the universe, and I discovered that I also wanted more of him than just his body.

Now that the Level 3 enemies have been vanquished, Tamrissa can dispense with Facts and Logic and get back to this nonsensical romance plot. I'm sorry, but you can't discover you want more of someone than just their body through KISSING.

quote:

It wasn�t at all long enough before he ended the kiss, grinning down at me when I tried to hold onto his lips with my own.

�This isn�t the safest place to be doin� this,� he murmured, his arms still around me. �Let�s go to your bedchamber and continue the discussion there.�

This entire scene proves Vallant is right in his world view of thinking he can :huh:

somebody into liking him and I hate it.

quote:

�You did that on purpose, so I refuse,� I mumbled, hating to have to insist but using the power to let me do it. �You�re a horrible, miserable man, and I won�t forget how you tortured me.�

�And I won�t forget how much I hate havin� you touch the power,� he countered in a grumble, finally releasing me. �You�re a mean, stubborn woman, and you plus the power is more than I can stand up against.�

�Then you agree?� I asked, relief and regret battling for supremacy inside me. �You�ll tell Lorand it�s all right to lie with me, and then you�ll lie with Jovvi?�

�Only if Lorand agrees as well,� he corrected, stubbornness appearing in those light blue eyes. �I still won�t go behind another man�s back, especially if the other man is Lorand.�

This entire exchange gives me high school vibes, of the kind where everybody is waiting for everybody else to decide if they want to do something/go someplace and nothing ends up happening as a result.

quote:

�Men!� I muttered, pushing aside the feeling that I still wasted my time. Half the battle was won, so now we only had the other half.

�And women right back at you,� Vallant said as I started toward Lorand�s bedchamber. �We can talk about that later, when it�s our turn.�

I tried to ignore what I felt from that comment, but my hand still tried to quiver when I raised it to knock on Lorand�s door.

Green's protagonists trying to be stealthy:

Summary:

Day 11
Meerk take Lorand and Tamrissa go to see Hat as a challenger to the Seated High in Earth magic. The whole contest is a sham. Lord Carmad Lestrin shows up to teach the protagonists how to Blend; the protagonists are very proud of themselves for hiding the signs of their own success. Tamrissa puts an end to all spying in the house by threatening to dob in anyone watching them since knowledge of Blending is highly classified. Another testing authority representative, Lord Twimmal, shows up to teach (badly) them to Blend. Jovvi finally figures out that they've all been drugged with Puredan to obey unknown orders.

Meanwhile, Lord Idian shows up to teach the nobles how to Blend, but only Kambil and Delin are up. After Delin besmirches Rigos' reputation some more, Selendi, Homin and Bron finally show up. We get a THIRD lecture of "how to Blend" and Selendi and Bron can't reach Kambil. The three late arrivals are dismissed, then Kambil and Delin are told to have sex with Selendi ASAP, because that will somehow enable all of their magical connections to go through both Selendi AND Kambil. :wtf:

Kambil spends the afternoon messing around with everybody's heads (except for Delin). Delin has an assignation with a random MILF who is his source of intel for noble society gossip. The intel he gathers is related to his personal vendetta against Rigos which is utterly insignificant to the plot and delivered awkwardly via the worst sex scene in all eight books (which is really saying something). He ends the night by murdering Ollon Kapmar (the late Elfini's brother), except Delin doesn't remember the murder act, just the entire fantasy sequence leading up to it.

By the end of Day 11, both groups have "Blended", though consistent with the "my protagonists are just so much more awesome than everybody else", Green's protagonists get it in one try while the nobles need a second attempt. Jovvi and Tamrissa realize polycule shenanigans need to occur for magical strengthening reasons. Tamrissa and Jovvi fail to seduce Lorand and Vallant respectively, because "bros before hos".

Jovvi drags everybody into Lorand's room for a five-way conversation about group sex protocols which end up being all about soothing Vallant and Lorand's respective egos. Meanwhile, Rion sneaks off while the other four are busy drowning themselves in their sappy relationship drama to have his own sappy exchange with Naran, who needs a place to stay. They make arrangements for Naran to come back at night. After Naran leaves, Hallina shows up again. Rion tells her to go away, and she does, after the standard "you'll be sorry for this" parting speech. Everyone agrees to hide Naran.

Meanwhile, Storn and Mirra turn up again. Tamrissa and Vallant also give them the "haha go away, we're untouchable because we're in the competitions" which cause Storn and Mirra to also go away after their "you'll be sorry!" speech. After yet another ~~sexual assault incident~~ steamy kiss which Tamrissa totally consented to and was not Vallant trying to shut her up and make her stop talking, Tamrissa tells Vallant "I won't sleep with you until you sleep with Jovvi and I sleep with Lorand".

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 28 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 18 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x2), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering (x1)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 91 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 25 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 73 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 46 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 57 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 11 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 8 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 8, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15; Book 3: Chapter 6)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Jovvi/Rion)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
Reading through this mess, I can finally internalize why Sanderson decided to split and write Stormlight the way he did. Green's got too many plot points shoehorned into one book and she's trying to show all of the plot points happening to all of her POV characters at once. That, coupled with her awful "tell not show" prose, means that we never feel anything, other than incredibly frustrated and angry with these books.

If I get bored at some point, I will cut up the ebooks by POV and try to read it that way, just to see if anything is improved by focusing on one POV at a time. I have a sneaking suspicion that while you'd still have to deal with her prose, just about everything else would be vastly improved by the sheer virtue of reducing all of the repetition. The constant recaps would actually be HELPFUL, because the POV character would not necessarily have experienced it on screen.

Just think, if she had split her books by POV character, instead of by narrative timeline, and then self-published it, she could have done quite well. Maybe. I still think there's not enough variety on her POVs, but we've already established that her fanbase isn't actually that discerning.

# ? Aug 29, 2021 13:21

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

�� so she�ll be here at three in the morning,� Rion said, looking as though he were just short of fretting. �I can bring her things into the house alone, so��

�You won�t be doing it alone,� Lorand interrupted, not about to let Rion worry over the picayune.

When Green was writing this chapter, she must have seen "picayune" on a word of the day calendar and decided to drop this anachronistic word in a book series where most of the time the prose level sits at like...seventh grade level. It is so jarring.

quote:

�Vallant and I will help, while Jovvi makes sure no one sees any of us.�

�There has to be a way to do that that I don�t know about yet,� Jovvi said, her gaze turned inward. �I�ve been thinking about it, and simply commanding people to do things can�t be all there is.

Jovvi: "Simply being able to turn people into my mind slaves just ISN'T enough!!"

quote:

Somehow I feel that I should be able to do quite a bit more, things most people don�t even know are possible. And so should the rest of you.�

Not-spoilers: Green will never do anything interesting with the magic system.

quote:

Her attention had returned from the distance, and now divided itself between Lorand and Rion. Rion looked � faintly vexed and troubled, and Lorand knew just how he felt.

�I�ve often had that same impression,� Lorand said, going to the foot of his bed to sit. �That the few things I�m able to do that others can�t are just a tiny bit of what I should be able to do. From your expression, Rion, I�d say you felt the same.�

�And it�s extremely frustrating,� Rion agreed with a nod. �It�s as though I were a sculptor, able to turn clay or stone into any shape I wished�but was unable to picture any of those shapes. A lack of imagination, perhaps, to resolve a blur into solidity.�

It's not your fault, Rion. After all, your author put very little imagination during the writing process.

quote:

�Maybe that�s something we can do for each other,� Jovvi mused as she studied Rion. �For instance, it�s occurred to me that solidified air can hide what someone behind it is doing if the air is also opaqued, but the area of blankness itself would be noticed. Is it at all possible to � to � superimpose a reflection of the innocent scene behind the activity, and hide it in that way? I know I�m not being clear in explaining what I mean, but��

�No, as a matter of fact you�re being extremely clear,� Rion interrupted with brows high. �If the block of air properly reflects the nonactivity behind the activity, the activity itself should be invisible.

Remember how a zillion chapters ago, we talked about how Air magic talents should basically have illusionist powers? GREEN THOUGHT ABOUT THIS! IT'S RIGHT HERE! AND NO SHE NEVER DOES ANYTHING WITH IT!

quote:

And I can almost see how that would be done � although normal background sounds would be absent, and someone watching might notice an occasional slip or lapse��

�Normal background sounds would be in my province,� Lorand said with his own surprise, suddenly knowing it was so. �Persuading crickets to play their song isn�t difficult, and even birds can be Persuaded to ignore your presence.�

We had a mention of bonded animals in Chapter 1 of Book 1 and the best Green can come up with is this. I shouldn't be complaining, since Earth magic is so overpowered already, but still.

quote:

�And having the occasional slip ignored would be mine to do,� Jovvi added, her satisfaction so thick that Lorand was able to feel it with seven or eight feet between them.

STOP WRITING THINGS LIKE THIS IN A BOOK WHERE SPIRIT MAGIC IS A THING! Lorand doesn't have Spirit magic! How about trying to express Jovvi's satisfaction through a sense that Lorand DOES have? Say, sight or hearing for example?

quote:

�I don�t have to speak to someone or even be very near them to make them doubt what they just saw, or feel too lazy to investigate what was probably their imagination. If we all work together, I�m sure we can accomplish it easily.�

�And the more we do it, the easier it will be,� Lorand said in agreement, then had another thought. �You know, it just came to me that working together in such a way would be almost effortless if we were Blended,

Spoilers for later this book: they have NOT yet properly Blended, so there's really no basis for what Lorand is saying here. They've surface linked, which is literally a transitional step that Green never goes anywhere with in the whole series.

quote:

but that would cover just the three of us. Where would Tamrissa and Vallant fit in?�

�I think I know the answer to that,� Jovvi said as Rion raised his brows in puzzlement again. �I�ve been thinking about it ever since that noble told Rion that Tamma was the most important one among us. Considering the fact that a Blending links through the Spirit magic talent, he shouldn�t have put the matter that way. Then I realized that linking was only the very first step for a Blending. Once it�s formed, it needs to be able to function in a combative situation � like attacking and defending��

There is zero context for Jovvi jumping to this conclusion of why a Blending needs to be able to function in a combative situation.

quote:

�Now I see it,� Lorand jumped in, beating Rion to it by no more than a breath. �Tamrissa is meant to attack a challenging group, and Vallant�s part is to defend us from a similar attack. Do they really go that far during a competition?�

Green: "I picked a bad example where Water and Fire magic aren't relevant so um...yeah...let's go with this"

quote:

�Obviously they must,� Rion said when Jovvi hesitated. �The things we did to gain our masteries hinted at that, but Tamrissa isn�t the only one who needs to be able to attack. My own part can fall into the same category, but possibly not to begin with. Once Tamrissa gets their attention and softens them up, so to speak, then my ability to take away the air they breathe would come into play.�

I don't think strangulation is necessary when they're already dying or severely injured from fourth degree burns? If they're even still alive?

quote:

�Or you would taint their air somehow,� Jovvi added with a nod. �While making sure the same doesn�t happen to our air. And Lorand would attack the ground they stood on, while defending our own ground. Vallant can add or take moisture from the air around them while keeping an eye on our own, and even Tamma will have to help to defend us while she attacks. My own part, I think, will be to coordinate the efforts, keep us all calm and assured, and possibly try to rattle our opponents at the same time. I wonder how much of that they�ll teach us before the competitions begin.�

Why yes, every single aspect could attack AND defend! Whoever would have realized this?

quote:

�Teach us?� Lorand said with a snort. �They probably won�t even mention the possibilities. Like the fact that I can affect more than the ground our opponents stand on. The various demands of their bodies can be emphasized or glossed over, depending on which would be more effective. I may even be able to change their perceptions of what�s going on around them, especially if I have the help of Spirit magic.�

Yeah, because Earth magic is overpowered.

quote:

�And I may be able to do more as well,� Rion said, again looking thoughtful. �As we�ve discussed, more may be done with air than simply taking it away or retaining it.

And too bad we'll never see this! Until like...Book 6 or 7.

quote:

But the point which interests me most at this moment is: how much of this information will be given to most of our opponents? If one of the noble groups has been chosen to be the next Seated Five, will any of the other four be given more help than just what they need to prevail over the common Blendings?�

�That�s a very good question, but you�re probably in the best position to answer it,� Lorand returned. �If, as you once said, their own people can�t be trusted to cooperate with the decision about who will win, would they tell them any more than necessary?�

�Certainly not,� Rion answered with a wry smile. �Put like that, which is really the only way to put it, our opponents won�t know any more than we do�and probably less. I should have seen that myself, but this business with Naran has been very distracting.�

My headcanon is Rion walks around with permanent :dong:

because he's constantly thinking about Naran or having sex ever since he discovered sex is a thing.

quote:

�There�s one exception to what you just said, and we�d better keep it in mind,� Jovvi put in, also looking thoughtful. �Only four out of the five groups won�t know any more than we do. The fifth, the chosen Blending, will probably be fully trained. What I�d like to know is who�s supposed to face them first. That group won�t have a prayer of winning.�

�Logic suggests that the strongest of the common Blendings will face them first,� Rion said, shifting a bit in his chair. �That arrangement would have the benefit of eliminating the greatest threat first, which would also work toward protecting the other noble groups.�

�And since we shouldn�t be considered the strongest, we ought to be relatively safe,� Lorand said, also looking toward Jovvi. �At least that seems a fairly decent working theory.�

Which would create suspense and tension, if Green hadn't ALREADY SPOILED HER OWN BOOK at the end of the LAST book. Except that feels like so long ago that probably most of her fanbase has forgotten this so...y'know.

quote:

�Only if we aren�t missing some point we don�t know about,� Jovvi replied, apparently troubled. �I don�t trust those people at all, so I�ll feel much better if we don�t assume even the least, smallest thing. Which means we�ll have to do quite a bit of practicing, both individually and as a Blending.�

Lorand joined Rion in nodding his agreement, but the chance to add to what had already been said was lost when a knock came at the door. Lorand went to open it, and discovered that Tamrissa and Vallant were back.

�We�re happy to report that our visitors are gone,� Tamrissa said once she and Vallant had entered. �We followed Rion�s example and didn�t let them in, and also told the servants that we�re to be unavailable if they come back.�

�Which doesn�t mean they won�t be plottin� and plannin�,� Vallant added with a grimace. �I think we�ll need some extra protection, like Blendin� in front of that fat fool tomorrow. After that we ought to be harder targets, at least until the competitions are over.�

�I�ve been thinking the same thing,� Jovvi said as Lorand went to reclaim his seat at the end of his bed. �If the rest of you agree, we might even be able to make additional use of the effort�assuming Lord Twimmal knows more than he�s willing to tell us.�

�That�s a good idea,� Rion agreed as Tamrissa matched Lorand�s nod. �The chances of Twimmal knowing anything worthwhile are minimal, but even the smallest crumb will give us more than we have at the moment.�

Not-spoilers: Twimmal will know nothing.

quote:

�And speaking of more than we have at the moment, Vallant has agreed to be reasonable,� Tamrissa said, giving a brief glance to the man she referred to. �At least he�s being partially reasonable, since he still insists on making his agreement conditional on getting the same from Lorand. So now it�s up to you, Lorand. Do we make our Blending more effective, or do we go ahead as we are and work under a handicap?�

Lorand gave her a sharp glance, but there was really no need. Tamrissa alone would never have spoken like that, so that meant she currently touched the power. Why she�d felt it necessary to do that he didn�t know, but a more important thing he didn�t know was how he would answer.

�Before Lorand responds to that, I�d like to say something,� Jovvi put in, apparently surprising the others as much as she did Lorand. �Everyone has been talking about needs and desires and restrictions in relation to all of us lying together, so I�d like to add a requirement of my own. I�ll lie with Vallant only on the condition that tonight I�ll be able to spend the night with Lorand. If that turns out to be too much to ask, we�ll simply have to manage with the bonds we�ve already established.�

Jovvi has done a thing that is ACTUALLY in character (at least the character that Green had set us up to meet back in Book 1). Here's something that a socially savvy person looking out for her own needs would do in order to manipulate the situation to her advantage.

quote:

Lorand joined the others in staring at Jovvi, and her return stare seemed defiant enough�if you failed to notice the faint suggestion of trembling beneath it all. Lorand studied her for a very long moment, and then had to show the smile which had grown inside him.

And Green promptly undermines it all with unearned sincerity in an attempt to illustrate how Jovvi/Lorand are TRUE SOULMATES.

quote:

�I�ve always suspected there might be a benefit in being surrounded by demanding women,� he said, unable to take his eyes from Jovvi�s face. �Now, at last, I believe I�ve found that benefit. In other words, with everyone else willing, how can I refuse?�

quote:

The others all made some comment or other,

STOP WRITING LIKE THIS!

quote:

but Jovvi simply returned his stare with the shyest smile he�d ever seen her show. Lorand hadn�t intended going near her again until and unless he found a solution to his problem, but he couldn�t stand to see her in pain from thinking she�d caused the rift between them. He would spend the night with her and gently explain the truth in a way she would have to believe, and then they�d be able to go their own ways until he became the kind of man she so much deserved.

OMFG.

quote:

�If we�re goin� to do this, let�s do it right now,� Vallant said, breaking the spell which had held Lorand�s gaze to Jovvi�s. �There�s plenty of time until dinner, and after dinner I mean to nap. We have a lot to do tonight, and after it�s done I don�t expect to be sleepin� alone either. Rion will have our new resident ghost, so everybody ought to be happy.�

Vallant: "COME ON COME ON COME ON I WANNA HAVE SEX NOOOOOOOOOW"

quote:

�We won�t know that for certain until tomorrow morning,� Tamrissa put in blandly, proving she hadn�t yet released the power. �But as far as right now goes, I agree with Vallant. Once we have this behind us, we�ll no longer need to spend hours talking about it.�

I wish you guys hadn't spent so many chapters talking about it.

quote:

�I believe my own role has suddenly become lookout,� Rion said, rising from his chair. �I�ll watch for the air displacement which usually means the approach of a human being, and head off any servant who means to search out one of you. Are we agreed that none of us is going to be available to visitors until further notice?�

DING DING DING! Rion's developed his own magical radar. 3 down, 2 to go.

quote:

�I�d better be the only exception to that,� Lorand said as he also stood. �I�ve promised to pay my friend Hat�s coach fare home, so he or that man Meerk ought to be stopping by. If one of them does, make arrangements for him to come back after dinner.�

�That won�t be difficult,� Rion agreed with a nod. �I�ll simply pretend that I�m maliciously intruding in your affairs by seeing a visitor meant for you. May I see to anyone else�s affairs?�

You guys have already blown your cover. Like at least five times. You know that right?

quote:

�I�d say we�ve come to the time where we�ll all be seein� to our own affairs,� Vallant told him dryly, holding out his arm to Jovvi while most of them chuckled. �I�m at your service, dear lady.�

�Yes, you are, aren�t you?� Jovvi returned with a mischievous smile, walking over to take the offered arm. �If you don�t mind, we�ll go to my bedchamber. Later, of course, you�ll want to make other arrangements.�

There was another general round of chuckling, during which Rion, Jovvi, and Vallant left the room.

Green: "Look at how witty my protagonists are! Aren't they just the drollest, funnest, bestest people?"

quote:

When the door closed behind them Lorand became aware of Tamrissa, who hadn�t joined in the last bit of amusement. She stood staring down at her hands, which suggested something to Lorand.

�This is just a guess, mind, but I think I ought to be thanking you for releasing the power,� he said softly. �If I�m right about that, please don�t be worried. I intend to make very certain that you have pleasure and not pain.�

Reminder that the last time we saw you have sex with a woman, you USED YOUR MAGICAL POWERS TO SQUEEZE HER INTERNAL ORGANS.

quote:

�That wasn�t what I was worrying about, but I still appreciate what you said,� she replied with a wan smile. �And you�re right, I did release the power. How did you know?�

�I suppose I�m learning to recognize your two selves and tell them apart,� Lorand hedged, preferring to say nothing about how he knew. �Would you like to sit down and talk for a while before we � do our duty? The distant practicality of it all must be hard on you.�

�Actually, that isn�t at all the hard part,� she disagreed with a better smile. �I�m more nervous than I expected to be, but I really do believe that you won�t hurt me.

Nobody believes this.

quote:

And no, I�d rather not sit down and talk first. I think I�m more in need of being held in the arms of a friend.�

�I�ve just been struck by insight,� Lorand said as he studied her, his sudden guess feeling more right by the second. �You�re worried about Vallant being with Jovvi, aren�t you? Is that because you know something I don�t?�

It's because Tamrissa secretly knows that Green's romantic pairings are all off! If Green would just let Vallant/Rion/Jovvi/Naran exist in a happy little pansexual polycule of rich merchant kid, noble heir and sex entrepreneurs, then Tamrissa/Lorand could be a happy little monogamous pair, and we'd have some nice representation in the book.

Book 8 spoilers: the thing upon which victory rests for the final book in the Blendingverse is each protagonist admitting that they love each other equally (or more specifically, that they love each of their sexual and romantic partners equally with no preference). Despite this, they still revert to these stupid pairs that Green set up from Book 1. FFS, seriously.

quote:

�No, it�s because I have no confidence at all in happy endings,� she replied with a sigh, back to looking miserable. �Not to mention having almost no confidence in myself. What if he decides that he is happier lying with Jovvi than with me? You�ll have nothing to worry about, not with Jovvi being as crazy about you as she is, but what will I do? It�s too late to forget about him��

By then she was staring down at her twisting fingers again, and Lorand found it difficult to know what to say. Telling her she had nothing to worry about would be futile, as she had obviously not gotten what he had from their brief time of Blending. The link between him and Vallant and Rion had shown him the kind of men his Blending brothers were, men just like himself. Vallant was no more casual or indecisive than he was, not in the least likely to tell a woman untruths just to get her to lie with him.

Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?

Vallant would 100% go to any lengths to sleep with any woman he's sexually fixated on.

quote:

And lying with a woman wasn�t the most important part of a relationship�

If only we had seen any basis for that take from any of the male protagonists!

quote:

�Tamrissa, we�re going to have to find you a hobby,� he said at last with his own sigh. �The one you have now is just about guaranteed to make trouble for you and everyone else, so I�ll appreciate it if you consider giving it up.�

�Lorand, what are you talking about?� she asked, now looking and sounding completely bewildered. �I don�t have a hobby.�

�Of course you do,� he disagreed with a wry smile. �It�s called �borrowing trouble.� You can�t know that Vallant will prefer Jovvi to you, but here you are, worrying about it anyway. And not only worrying about it, but making yourself miserable over something that might never happen. Have you ever considered knitting or sewing? If you choose sewing and put as much effort into it as you do worrying, we�ll never have to have our clothes made by outsiders again.�

That is offensive Lorand. I found it offensive when I read it as a 14 year old and I still find it offensive today, even as someone who DOES sew stuff.

But we are in a regency era fantasy world with super regressive gender roles, so I guess it's totally in character.

quote:

The look she gave him then was rather odd, since she obviously struggled between laughter and indignation. After a moment the laughter won, and she shook her head ruefully.

�You, Lorand Coll, are terrible, but something tells me I�m worse,� she said. �Worrying about something that hasn�t happened yet is rather silly, especially when you can�t do anything about it. And considering what we�re about to do, I should be paying some attention to you. Will you � kiss me?�

�With pleasure,� Lorand responded, meaning every word as he stepped closer to take her in his arms. His heart and essence

I can't tell if that's meant to refer to Lorand's soul or mind or if it's a euphemism for something else.

quote:

belonged to Jovvi, but his feelings for Tamrissa went well beyond fondness. He shared a bond with her

Please stop writing like this in a book where magical bonds are a thing.

quote:

and more, mostly what people usually called friendship, although the word was pitifully inadequate. There was love of a sort between him and the small, beautiful woman in his arms, but a comfortable love rather than a romantic one.

quote:

So the kiss he began was warm and tender, coaxing her shyness into joining his effort. Her arms stole gingerly around him, the touch on his back hesitant, and it seemed that he now knew what it would be like to hold and kiss a doe.

Uh.

A very unfortunate choice of metaphor here, given Lorand's aspect. Thankfully Green's kink is badly portrayed BDSM, not beastiality.

quote:

Wide-eyed with nervousness, ready to run at the first frightening event, trembling very faintly with anxiety over what she was about to do� He would have to be exquisitely careful and gentle to keep her from bolting�

And so he was. He began by having her help him take his clothing off, which made taking her own things off a bit easier. They alternated one item each, and her blush was bright even before they were bare. At the last she seemed to be forcing herself not to clutch her clothing to her, a battle she may have won only through sheer stubbornness. In order to distract her Lorand lifted her onto his bed and quickly followed, then began to kiss her all over while he touched her lightly here and there with his talent.

This is the *counts* FIFTH sex protagonist scene from Green and it's still terrifying and not remotely erotic at all.

Lorand has Earth magic which gives him the literal ability to control bodily functions, including arousal. How about trying to use that instead of grabbing at somebody's internal organs, Lorand?

Also we're about to hit peak Green.

quote:

Her response took a moment or so to appear, but once it did she matched his mounting passion perfectly. Her kisses were hot as she stroked his body, and very quickly it felt to Lorand as though his blood were on fire. The flaming boil forced him to more frenzied activity, which in turn brought him to the point of no longer being able to keep from entering her. Being gentle as he did so proved horribly difficult, but for her sake he accomplished it.

And how about trying to use your ability to control your own arousal?

quote:

And again her response was a bit hesitant, but then she moaned in pleasure and began to join him wholeheartedly.

quote:

He slowly increased the speed and intensity of his thrusting until they both tried frenziedly to fuse their flesh, her intense pleasure merging with and increasing his own.

that sentence

quote:

It was mindlessness that they quickly slipped into, so it wasn�t possible for Lorand to know how long it took before he exploded in the ultimate ecstasy. Tamrissa had found her own ecstasy more than once, he knew, and after giving her a final kiss he lay beside her on the bed and tried to catch his breath.

�That was � really very nice,� she said tentatively at last, obviously having difficulty thinking of the proper thing to say. Her tone accomplished what her words hadn�t, however, which he found instantly amusing. �Lorand, why are you laughing?�

�I�m laughing because that wasn�t �really very nice,�� he explained, turning on his side to look at her fondly. �It was absolutely marvelous, and I suspect that your talent had something to do with it. Where did you learn to set a man�s blood on fire like that?�

I swear Green put the sex mechanic in just so she could turn the figurative statement "set someone's blood on fire" into a literal thing.

quote:

�Lorand, stop,� she protested with a delightful blush that also seemed to be delighted. �I did no such thing.�

�You most certainly did,� he disagreed firmly, brushing a damp strand of her hair aside. �Didn�t Rion mention it? I�d say it�s a good thing that I feel the way I do about Jovvi, otherwise Vallant would have company in courting you. You�re a very special woman, Tamrissa, and I feel more honored than ever to be considered your friend.�

Lorand: "you're a super special woman because you can do this one neat sex trick and if I wasn't already insanely obsessed with another woman, I would be trying my best to sleep with you again because that was the best sex trick ever"

quote:

�You�re more than just a friend, Lorand, and always will be,� she replied as she took his hand and squeezed it, a light sheen of tears in her lovely eyes as she smiled. �If the two years of my marriage was the price I had to pay in order to have you and Rion and Jovvi and Vallant, I�d be willing to pay it a second time just to make all this possible. And now I think it�s time for me to dress and leave.�

He agreed with a nod and his own smile, exchanged a final kiss before she arose, then leaned back and closed his eyes to give her privacy for dressing. And to give himself a chance to think about later tonight, when Jovvi would be beside him in his bed. He very much wanted simply to hold her, and dream about a time when he would be free of his problem. Then he would give every man in the world a run for his gold in courting her�

And right there, we discover Lorand is just as much of an rear end as Vallant, he's just much sneakier about showing it. Getting dressed in the regency era is a massive pain in the rear end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBsmEPoGeZs

DO YOU SEE HOW MANY LAYERS AND THINGS TO TIE THERE ARE????

Summary:

Day 11
Meerk take Lorand and Tamrissa go to see Hat as a challenger to the Seated High in Earth magic. The whole contest is a sham. Lord Carmad Lestrin shows up to teach the protagonists how to Blend; the protagonists are very proud of themselves for hiding the signs of their own success. Tamrissa puts an end to all spying in the house by threatening to dob in anyone watching them since knowledge of Blending is highly classified. Another testing authority representative, Lord Twimmal, shows up to teach (badly) them to Blend. Jovvi finally figures out that they've all been drugged with Puredan to obey unknown orders.

Meanwhile, Lord Idian shows up to teach the nobles how to Blend, but only Kambil and Delin are up. After Delin besmirches Rigos' reputation some more, Selendi, Homin and Bron finally show up. We get a THIRD lecture of "how to Blend" and Selendi and Bron can't reach Kambil. The three late arrivals are dismissed, then Kambil and Delin are told to have sex with Selendi ASAP, because that will somehow enable all of their magical connections to go through both Selendi AND Kambil. :wtf:

Kambil spends the afternoon messing around with everybody's heads (except for Delin). Delin has an assignation with a random MILF who is his source of intel for noble society gossip. The intel he gathers is related to his personal vendetta against Rigos which is utterly insignificant to the plot and delivered awkwardly via the worst sex scene in all eight books (which is really saying something). He ends the night by murdering Ollon Kapmar (the late Elfini's brother), except Delin doesn't remember the murder act, just the entire fantasy sequence leading up to it.

By the end of Day 11, both groups have "Blended", though consistent with the "my protagonists are just so much more awesome than everybody else", Green's protagonists get it in one try while the nobles need a second attempt. Jovvi and Tamrissa realize polycule shenanigans need to occur for magical strengthening reasons. Tamrissa and Jovvi fail to seduce Lorand and Vallant respectively, because "bros before hos".

Jovvi drags everybody into Lorand's room for a five-way conversation about group sex protocols which end up being all about soothing Vallant and Lorand's respective egos. Meanwhile, Rion sneaks off while the other four are busy drowning themselves in their sappy relationship drama to have his own sappy exchange with Naran, who needs a place to stay. They make arrangements for Naran to come back at night. After Naran leaves, Hallina shows up again. Rion tells her to go away, and she does, after the standard "you'll be sorry for this" parting speech. Everyone agrees to hide Naran.

Meanwhile, Storn and Mirra turn up again. Tamrissa and Vallant also give them the "haha go away, we're untouchable because we're in the competitions" which cause Storn and Mirra to also go away after their "you'll be sorry!" speech. After yet another ~~sexual assault incident~~ steamy kiss which Tamrissa totally consented to and was not Vallant trying to shut her up and make her stop talking, Tamrissa tells Vallant "I won't sleep with you until you sleep with Jovvi and I sleep with Lorand".

Meanwhile, Jovvi, Rion and Lorand engage in kindergarten level speculation about what they could be magically capable of. Upon Vallant and Tamrissa's return, Jovvi announces her own ultimatum of "I won't sleep with Vallant unless I get to sleep with Lorand afterwards". Cue polycule shenanigans, beginning with Tamrissa and Lorand.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 28 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 19 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering (x2), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 91 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 26 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 73 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 47 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 57 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 11 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 8 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 9, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15; Book 3: Chapter 6, Book 3: Chapter 28)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion, 28, Lorand/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
The whole discussion of "what can magic do in this world" should have been SHOWN in a bunch of different scenes. Like those time trial competitions or small scale arena battles.

That is all.

# ? Sep 5, 2021 13:46

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE�

Vallant followed Jovvi to her bedchamber, exchanging nods with Rion when the other man made for his own bedchamber. And he couldn�t help noticing how odd it was to associate with Rion at a time like that. No suggestive winks or grins, no self-conscious embarrassment, nothing but an attitude that said nothing at all unusual or different was about to happen. From all it was possible to tell by Rion, Vallant might be on the way to having a pleasant chat with Jovvi.

Rion continues to be the best character in these books.

quote:

�What are you thinking about?� Jovvi asked curiously as he closed the door behind himself. �Your face is wearing the strangest expression.�

�I was just thinkin� that strange is a really good word for some of the things Rion does,� he replied, running a hand through his hair. �But strange good instead of strange bad� And I ought to say that you didn�t do badly yourself. You got Lorand to do exactly as you wanted without touchin� him even a little with your talent.�

100% amateur hour here. Green's writing this as if Jovvi's pulled off some amazing achievement but this really doesn't reflect well on Jovvi at all.

quote:

�You seem to be sure I didn�t touch him because you�re sure of me, and I thank you for that,� she said with a dimple-filled smile. �Touching him with my ability wouldn�t have been fair, but I was almost ready to do it anyway if that trick hadn�t worked. And to tell the truth, it wasn�t completely a trick. I�m just about desperate enough to do exactly as I said I would. Because of my big mouth.�

This really, really doesn't have the effect that Green thinks it does.

quote:

�You couldn�t help it any more than Lorand can help feelin� as he does,� Vallant said, moving closer to put a hand under her chin. �Neither one of you is to blame, so stop thinkin� about what was and start thinkin� about what will be. But not everythin� that will be.�

The last of his words was something of a mutter, and he turned away to keep his expression from betraying him. With anyone else the effort would have worked, but Jovvi tended to look at people with more than her eyes.

no kidding?!

quote:

�It�s bothering you that Tamma stayed behind with Lorand,� she stated, just as though he�d said the words first himself. �You aren�t jealous, just � bothered. Is there anything I can do to help?�

�You can move the day along faster so that it�s bedtime tonight,� he replied with a faint snort of self-ridicule. �I need it to be that time so I�ll know if she really will be sleepin� beside me. Right now I keep expectin� somethin� to come along and make it impossible.�

FORESHADOWING!

quote:

�When I say I know exactly how you feel, please believe I mean it in every sense of the words,� she agreed with a sigh.

Why would he not believe you? YOU'VE GOT SPIRIT MAGIC, YOU CAN LITERALLY FEEL HIS FEELINGS.

quote:

�I won�t believe that Lorand is back beside me until it actually happens, and waiting for it to happen is killing me. You � don�t really mind that we�ll be lying together, do you? I know you agreed to go along with the necessity, but I also know you still have certain reservations.�

�None of which has anythin� to do with you,� he assured her at once, turning back to touch her cheek gently. �I keep flinchin� at the thought of Tamrissa turnin� her back on me because of this, even though she was the one who forced me into it. A man would be crazy not to want to lie with you, Jovvi, and my craziness runs in another direction entirely. Would you like to begin?�

�No, I think I�d rather continue to stand here torturing myself with doubts,� she said, then laughed aloud at what whatever his expression must have looked like. �No, Vallant, I�m just joking. I would very much like to begin now.�

This is the most awkward transition to foreplay and it's in the scene with the two most sexually experienced and confident protagonists.

quote:

She came into his arms with a smile then, and began to raise his interest with a kind of coaxing-teasing combination that he�d never experienced before.

I have literally no idea what this is supposed to mean.

quote:

It felt perfectly natural and real, as though his mere presence excited her passions, and his response grew faster and more intense. He felt tempted to think that it was just her expertise as a courtesan at work, but something told him it was much more than that.

Why yes, Spirit magic is a thing???

quote:

His feelings for Jovvi were surpassed only by his feelings for Tamrissa, and he suspected she felt the same about him in relation to Lorand.

I feel like if Green had done more work establishing why monogamy is a strict thing in this world, I'd be cutting her more slack. As it is, I'm a bit like, I don't see why you guys are making such a drama out of this situation.

quote:

Their kissing quickly progressed to caressing, and then they began to rid themselves of their clothes. Jovvi was an extremely beautiful woman, and Vallant hadn�t been lying about how desirable he considered her. She aroused him completely in a very short time, and once they were entirely unclothed he did the same for her. When she was fully ready for him he entered her, and the pleasure was long-lasting and very intense.

it's like Green realized how bad the prose was in the last chapter and went the other direction to write what is possibly the most pedestrian sex ~~scene~~ paragraph possible.

quote:

Afterward she lay with her cheek on his chest, her saity a full match to his own satisfaction. They spent a few moments simply breathing, and then she chuckled.

�I hadn�t realized sooner just how odd this is,� she replied when he made a sound of inquiry. �I�ve spent years as a very popular courtesan, but not once in all that time did I come across a man as � all-around satisfying as you and Rion and Lorand. Nothing for years, and then three at once. I�d like to know what I did to attract such marvelous luck. If I can figure it out, I�ll certainly continue doing it.�

We're about to get into more Green weirdness. At first, this seems like it's Green's way of saying how great her male protagonists are at doing the sex. Also this is such a weird thing for Jovvi to say during a post coital conversation. Like, you realize as a courtesan that your sexual pleasure is not generally the point? I hate how Green has written this Satine fantasy.

quote:

�Odd may not be a strong enough word,� Vallant said slowly as he digested the idea with brows raised. �Tamrissa started out as a woman who cringed even if her hand was touched by a man, but she�s already lain with Rion, is in the process of lyin� with Lorand, and apparently intends to lie with me at some time.

Pointing out your narrative flaws doesn't excuse you for making them in the first place, Green.

quote:

Lorand and I are so deeply into this thing that I doubt he can think about other women any more than I can.

What does this even mean? What is "this thing"?

quote:

And Rion� Goin� from bein� a virgin to bein� the first among us to lie with both of you

This is the only thing about the entire polycule storyline that I thought was true to the characters.

quote:

� and the fact that Lorand and I were more concerned about his well-bein� than jealous of him� No, odd is definitely not a strong enough word.�

I'm pretty confused why you guys even thought Rion would be hurt.

quote:

�You�re absolutely right,� Jovvi said with a frown, having straightened to sitting so that she might look at him. �My first thought was that the Blending had caused it, but that can�t be true because much of that happened before we Blended. So what did cause it?�

�You�re askin� if somethin� brought us together and is now keepin� us together,� he responded, having no doubt that that was what her question actually meant. �All I can say is that I wish I knew, at least as much as I want to know the answers to the rest of our questions. Maybe we�ll find out before this is all over.�

FORESHADOWING.

Spoilers for all of the Blendingverse if you can't wait until the last chapter of Book 8 (which we'll get to in like...a few years I'd guess): so they were brought together by the advanced Blendings from the other continent but there were no Spirit magic shenanigans involved, it's just that these guys are literally soul Blendingmates so it's like magical six way true love

quote:

�Somehow I have the feeling that we need to know this answer as soon as possible,� Jovvi replied as she ran both hands through her hair.

Knowing the answer will have literally no impact on the plot because the answer is not useful, hence why it's only revealed in the last chapter of Book 8.

quote:

�Not that our needing it will bring the answer on magical wings. I think I�m getting very tired of discovering mysteries we can�t yet solve, and I�m no longer in the mood to just lie here oozing satisfaction. What I need is a bath, and maybe even a bit of a swim. Please feel free to stay as long as you like, even if it means still being here when I get back. I won�t mind.�

The smile she sent him before rising to begin dressing was a mischievous one, a teasing between friends rather than between lovers. Vallant chuckled as he lay there watching her, knowing that under other circumstances she would have taken his complete attention.

But under the current circumstances, his mind slipped past her to center on Tamrissa again. It wasn�t that Tamrissa was more beautiful than Jovvi, because both women were equally beautiful each in her own way. It was just that there was � more to Tamrissa in some way, something inside her that called out to him in some way. It wasn�t possible to define the attraction in any other sense, at least not in words.

Spoilers again: IT'S MAGIC!

quote:

Thoughts, however, were another matter. Vallant put his hands behind his head and thought about Tamrissa, how she would look lying beside him, how she would feel in his arms, how soft her lips had been during that too-brief kiss. Being with her would be ecstasy beyond description�if nothing happened to stop it�

Green is doing so much to hype up the eventual Vallant/Tamrissa sex scene. Not-spoilers: she does not deliver.

quote:

* * *

Jovvi had grabbed up a wrap before leaving her bedchamber, and was so intent on getting to the bathhouse that she almost collided with Tamma in the front hall. The other woman had just hurried out of the library with a book and a wrap cradled in her left arm, apparently at least as distracted as Jovvi felt. They both nearly greeted one another with smiles, remembering only at the last minute that they were supposed to be in the middle of feuding.

I don't know why you guys are bothering. Over the past few hours, you guys have congregated together in ONE bedroom (suspicious), then two of you were seen acting as a united front to rebuff unwanted visitors (very suspicious), then four of you slept with each other (hella suspicious).

Everybody with any powers of observation in this residence knows this "we hate each other" act is totally fake.

quote:

�You�d better learn to watch where you�re going,� Jovvi said as quickly as possible, now aware that two people, both out of sight, were watching and listening. �If you don�t, you might actually end up bruised.�

�If I end up bruised, I won�t be the only one,� Tamma returned defiantly�but with a quiver in her voice. �And I was watching where I was going, which happens to be in the direction of the bath house. If you�re heading in the same direction, you�ll just have to wait.�

�I�m not in the mood to wait,� Jovvi drawled, looking Tamma up and down in the most insulting way possible. �It�s rather easy to tell that you need a bath more than I do, but you�re still the one who will have to wait.�

�I refuse to wait,� Tamma spat, the trembling in her voice showing that she now forced herself to respond like that. �This is still my house, and I�m tired of everyone trying to push me around. I�m going to the bath house to soak and read, and don�t intend to let anyone stop me!�

�And I�m going to wash and swim, and don�t intend to let anyone stop me,� Jovvi returned just as defiantly. �Just stay out of my way, and we may both end up surviving.�

Jovvi ignored Tamma�s gasp of outrage and marched off toward the back of the house, pretending to be unaware of the way Tamma followed immediately with shaky determination. The two unseen watchers were amused, one of them only faintly with a good bit of impatience behind the ridiculing laughter. Both, however, had decided against following, small nodes of cautious fear causing the decisions.

These spies have zero powers of observation.

quote:

It took Jovvi only a couple of minutes to reach the bath house, with Tamma hurrying along only a few small steps behind. She walked inside with senses extended in all directions, but their privacy was actually complete�at least for the moment. For that reason she waited until the door was closed again, then she turned to Tamma with a grin.

�If we manage to survive this mess, I may one day audition for a part in a play,� she said softly. �We�re no longer under observation, so we can forget about clawing and pulling hair. How did your � relaxation go?�

�Definitely not in the direction of relaxation,� Tamma replied with a laugh despite her immediate blush. �Lorand is a love, but I know you already know that. How did � your time go?�

�Vallant and I spent a ridiculous amount of time bewailing the fact that you and Lorand were together,� Jovvi answered frankly with a wry smile.

It was TWO minutes. Not even. Probably one.

quote:

�After that we enjoyed lying together, but once the enjoyment was over our thoughts returned to you two. If you think he�s any less anxious now to spend the night with you, you�re in for something of a very big surprise.�

�What I think is that he may end up disappointed,� Tamma admitted ruefully, studying the wrap and book that she held. �I won�t let that stop me from lying with him, though, because I have to know for certain. Jovvi � do you think it�s possible that I � �set a man�s blood on fire?� Lorand said I did, and I�m not sure whether or not he was joking.�

There are so many more things about the magic system that we could get a scene on, and we're going to get a girl talk scene focusing on weird magical sex tricks.

quote:

�Well, of course, why didn�t I think of that before?� Jovvi said, definitely annoyed with herself as she led the way toward the benches. �It isn�t only your beauty and air of innocence that attracts all those men, it�s also the fact that your aspect is Fire. Allestine�s aspect is Fire, and it served her so well that she was able to open her own residence.�

�Jovvi, I have no idea what you�re talking about,� Tamma protested as she followed. �Are you saying that Lorand wasn�t joking?�

�Of course he wasn�t joking,� Jovvi replied, turning after setting down her wrap and beginning to undress. �I tend to forget that those who are unfamiliar with courtesans are usually just as unfamiliar with certain truths. The two most desirable aspects for courtesans are Spirit and Fire, with Spirit being slightly better because of our ability to adjust emotions. Fire can�t do any adjusting, but you don�t really need to. That sense of �setting the blood aflame� makes a courtesan with Fire magic more than simply popular.�

Tamma now stood with her mouth open, the wrap and book held by her left arm apparently forgotten. Her mind felt stunned, which convinced Jovvi not to show her vast amusement.

�If I�m not mistaken, Vallant knows as little about that as you do,� Jovvi said in place of chuckling. �That means he isn�t very likely to know what�s in store for him, which in turn means he ought to be more than a little impressed. Are you still worried that he might be disappointed instead?�

How would you know, Jovvi? Vallant's sailed tons of ports, he's no stranger to courtesans and other sex workers and we never learned what Mirra's aspect was (okay probably not Fire, but still). Also, based on the reports in Book 1, Fire magic is not exactly a rare thing.

quote:

�Yes, but not as much as I was,� Tamma said with a short, breathless laugh. �Oh, Jovvi, I wish I knew how to make it happen on purpose! Did Allestine learn to control the ability?�

�I don�t think she ever knew that control is possible,� Jovvi replied, tossing her underthings on top of the pile of her clothes. �Most courtesans simply let it happen, but I met one once just before I joined Allestine�s residence, who had learned to make it happen. She was really sweet and told me all about the life, except for being part of a residence. She wasn�t, and was all but rolling in gold and influence. Most of her patrons were from the nobility, and none of them dared to hurt her because of what the others would do if deprived of her services. Controlling the ability was her way of staying safe.�

quote:

�I wonder how strong she was,� Tamma mused as she rid herself of the wrap and book and began to remove her clothing. �Maybe you have to have a certain strength before you can establish control, but what about touching the power? Will a full grip on it help you with control, or simply add to the strength of the ability?�

�A full grip on the power could well leave you with a pile of ash instead of a living man,� Jovvi warned as she slowly entered the beautifully warm water. �I don�t know enough about it to give you advice, but using caution is always a good idea when trying something new. You want Vallant impressed, not carbonized.�

Tamma didn�t answer in words, but Jovvi couldn�t have missed her shudder from a mile away. That picture, at least, should make the girl cautious, which was all anyone could ask.

See the BETTER question to ask here is: if this is just a side affect that Fire magic can do at sexy times, does that mean Bron also has this ability? Or is it women only, because Green :biotruths:

? I swear Fire magic just wasn't interesting enough so Green decided to throw this into the mix.

quote:

Jovvi submerged herself briefly but completely, pushed back her sopping wet hair, then began to swim back and forth a bit. She had her own anxieties to work off, at least for the time being.

I really need to know how big this bath house is, because it sounds like a small indoor pool.

quote:

Tamma had already finished washing when Jovvi decided she�d had enough of swimming, so Jovvi did her own washing quickly and then took the headrest next to Tamma�s. She�d been watching with her ability to make sure they remained unobserved, and since they still had their privacy she decided to mention an important point that hadn�t yet been discussed with Tamma.

�I know you�re busy thinking about Vallant, but there�s something we need to talk about,� she said, drawing Tamma from what was more than half daydream. �What makes the subject easier to discuss is the fact that you�re a different person when you fully touch the power.�

�I know I see me differently, but I hadn�t realized that the rest of you would find seeing the same so easy,� Tamma replied. �What was it that you wanted to discuss?�

�It has to do with your � purpose in the Blending,� Jovvi responded carefully, trying to find the best way to put it. �I�m sure you know how much more � aggressive your power-enhanced personality is, and I think there�s a very good reason for it. You�re most likely the one who will � lead and direct our Blending in attack during the competitions.�

�Attack?� she echoed with raised brows, her emotions suddenly turning uncertain. �I know they had me doing attack-like things in order to qualify for my mastery, but no one ever said it would be part of the competitions. Are you sure that that�s what we�ll have to do?�

�Nothing else makes any sense,� Jovvi replied as casually as possible, trying to calm Tamma. �And of course they never said anything about it. The last thing they want is for us to be fully prepared, but it isn�t something you have to worry about. Your other self will be in charge during the time, and it�s for her to worry�if you think she will.�

�No, I don�t expect that she will,� Tamma replied with a faint smile. �I�m slowly learning to be like that when I�m not touching the power, but I�ve something of a long way to go. She likes the idea of starting a fight, while I still try my best to avoid one. Hopefully I�ll make a bit more progress by the time the competitions begin.�

�Well, don�t make too much progress,� Jovvi said, surprising Tamma again. �It has just now come to me that your � easily observed reluctance to fight is probably the reason you�re in this group. They can�t be pleased with how strong we are individually, so the fact that the member of our group who is supposed to be most aggressive isn�t that at all must be reassuring to them. If they find out what you�re like when you touch the power, they may decide to break us up.�

Green: "It's been a while since I implied that my protagonists are in TERRIBLE DANGER of being SPLIT UP, so I guess I should throw some more obsessing over this non-threat in here."

quote:

�They could use the excuse that we haven�t yet Blended, which is the truth as far as they know it,� Tamma said, sitting up at the urging of the disturbance inside her. �That means we have to make it official tomorrow, so they won�t have that particular excuse. And now I think I know what that so-called Lord Carmad meant when he commented about me.�

�What comment was that?� Jovvi asked with a frown, searching her memory. �I can�t seem to remember one.�

Jovvi continues to suck at anything that she should actually be good at, given her background.

quote:

�When he called me forward first and I went to stand in front of him, I was nearly petrified with fright,� Tamma explained. �Only a blind man could have missed how I felt, and he sneered out something about how my reaction was to be expected, considering the way the testing authority liked to do things. He knew I was supposed to be aggressive, and his sneer was for the fact that I wasn�t.�

�So now we can wonder why he sneered,� Jovvi said thoughtfully. �We�ve already decided that he was there to give us the help that Twimmal wouldn�t or couldn�t, so why would he be cynically amused to think our Blending was crippled even before it formed?�

�Maybe � maybe some organization of commoners sent him, to give the common Blendings a better chance against the nobility,� Tamma suggested hesitantly. �If he was supposed to visit all the common groups, he could have been disappointed that his help would be wasted on us.�

�And that produced the cynical reaction,� Jovvi agreed with a nod. �Yes, that�s perfectly possible, even if none of us has ever heard about such an organization. They would have to keep their existence extremely secret, or the nobility would root them out and destroy them. That ought to mean he probably won�t be back.�

Spoilers for book 4 there is a secret commoner organization headed up by Meerk, but spoilers for Book 8 "Lord Carmad" isn't part of that organization.

quote:

�If he does come back, I�m going to make sure he doesn�t see the other side of me,� Tamma said, this time surprising Jovvi. �I�ve learned a certain cynicism of my own from my father, which tells me that one visit from the man means he�s on our side, but two will mean he�s working for our enemies. They would expect us to decide that Carmad is on our side, from the way he helped us. Then, when he reappears, we let him in on any secrets we may be hiding from the authority.�

�You know, that makes more sense than I like to think about, and I�m surprised I didn�t come up with it myself,� Jovvi decided aloud. �As suspicious as I usually am I should have, but the way he was almost caught by Twimmal distracted me. Even if he comes back in two days rather than tomorrow, we�d better stick with our suspicions. Not knowing our secrets won�t harm him even if he does happen to be on our side, but the reverse could certainly harm us.�

Watch our protagonists Facts and Logic their way out of the author's inability to plot.

quote:

�I�m tempted to feel that not telling him will keep him from sharing what we need to know if he is on our side,� Tamma fretted, still not relaxing back in the water. �That doesn�t necessarily hold true, but it�s certainly a possibility. If he does come back, do you think we can use the Blending to find out the truth?�

�Since I could probably do that part of it myself, I don�t see why not,� Jovvi replied with only a short hesitation. �I really hate the idea of taking advantage with my ability, but if the man�s a secret enemy, he doesn�t deserve to be treated fairly. And if he�s a friend, he ought to understand the reason for our caution.�

With this kind of attitude, you can justify anything!

quote:

�What I really hate is living like this,� Tamma said, finally sinking back to the headrest. �All this intrigue and doubt, lying and being spied on, sneaking around and pretending all the time� Sometimes I wish the competitions would start tomorrow, just to put all the rest of it behind us.�

Jovvi made a sound which suggested commiseration, but in full truth she didn�t agree. The longer it took for the competitions to begin, the better their chance of winning. Which probably meant the competitions were scheduled to begin any day now. They still hadn�t been given that unimportant little detail, a lack which suggested that the announcement was meant to come as a shock. Anything to throw them off balance�

I really don't understand how an event this momentous doesn't have the exact time and date known to everyone. This is magical Olympics crossed with a coronation crossed with death match elections. There should be visitors POURING into Gan Garee, from across the whole continent.

quote:

A sigh escaped Jovvi, showing how weary she herself had become of the game they were caught up in. But their futures and possibly even their lives were at stake, so weariness was a luxury she couldn�t afford. Vallant meant to meet with the small ex-groom Pagin Holter, Jovvi knew, so she had to remember to tell Vallant that they needed to ask about �Lord Carmad.� And to pass on a warning, just in case the man really was an enemy.

This meeting is just an excuse for Pagin to infodump stuff to the protagonists.

quote:

The warm water was deliciously relaxing, but Jovvi�s mind simply couldn�t rest. Now that she�d laid the groundwork with Tamma, it ought to be easier to break the news to the girl that she was considered to be the most important one among them. And after they all saw what their Blending was capable of, she might have to work with Lorand and Vallant on their problems. And with Rion�s lady in the house, would it be harder for the man to concentrate? And come to think of it, could his Naran be one of the enemy herself?

All those questions and problems threatened to make Jovvi�s head spin, but she firmly resisted the inclination. Their first chore would be to see about Naran, and Rion had to know in advance what they intended. Honesty was one of the most important things they owed each other, but how was she supposed to broach that delicate a subject? What words could she possibly use to keep from breaking their group completely apart�?

You definitely don't have the skills to do this EVEN THOUGH YOU SHOULD.

Summary:

Day 11
Meerk take Lorand and Tamrissa go to see Hat as a challenger to the Seated High in Earth magic. The whole contest is a sham. Lord Carmad Lestrin shows up to teach the protagonists how to Blend; the protagonists are very proud of themselves for hiding the signs of their own success. Tamrissa puts an end to all spying in the house by threatening to dob in anyone watching them since knowledge of Blending is highly classified. Another testing authority representative, Lord Twimmal, shows up to teach (badly) them to Blend. Jovvi finally figures out that they've all been drugged with Puredan to obey unknown orders.

Meanwhile, Lord Idian shows up to teach the nobles how to Blend, but only Kambil and Delin are up. After Delin besmirches Rigos' reputation some more, Selendi, Homin and Bron finally show up. We get a THIRD lecture of "how to Blend" and Selendi and Bron can't reach Kambil. The three late arrivals are dismissed, then Kambil and Delin are told to have sex with Selendi ASAP, because that will somehow enable all of their magical connections to go through both Selendi AND Kambil. :wtf:

Kambil spends the afternoon messing around with everybody's heads (except for Delin). Delin has an assignation with a random MILF who is his source of intel for noble society gossip. The intel he gathers is related to his personal vendetta against Rigos which is utterly insignificant to the plot and delivered awkwardly via the worst sex scene in all eight books (which is really saying something). He ends the night by murdering Ollon Kapmar (the late Elfini's brother), except Delin doesn't remember the murder act, just the entire fantasy sequence leading up to it.

By the end of Day 11, both groups have "Blended", though consistent with the "my protagonists are just so much more awesome than everybody else", Green's protagonists get it in one try while the nobles need a second attempt. Jovvi and Tamrissa realize polycule shenanigans need to occur for magical strengthening reasons. Tamrissa and Jovvi fail to seduce Lorand and Vallant respectively, because "bros before hos".

Jovvi drags everybody into Lorand's room for a five-way conversation about group sex protocols which end up being all about soothing Vallant and Lorand's respective egos. Meanwhile, Rion sneaks off while the other four are busy drowning themselves in their sappy relationship drama to have his own sappy exchange with Naran, who needs a place to stay. They make arrangements for Naran to come back at night. After Naran leaves, Hallina shows up again. Rion tells her to go away, and she does, after the standard "you'll be sorry for this" parting speech. Everyone agrees to hide Naran.

Meanwhile, Storn and Mirra turn up again. Tamrissa and Vallant also give them the "haha go away, we're untouchable because we're in the competitions" which cause Storn and Mirra to also go away after their "you'll be sorry!" speech. After yet another ~~sexual assault incident~~ steamy kiss which Tamrissa totally consented to and was not Vallant trying to shut her up and make her stop talking, Tamrissa tells Vallant "I won't sleep with you until you sleep with Jovvi and I sleep with Lorand".

Meanwhile, Jovvi, Rion and Lorand engage in kindergarten level speculation about what they could be magically capable of. Upon Vallant and Tamrissa's return, Jovvi announces her own ultimatum of "I won't sleep with Vallant unless I get to sleep with Lorand afterwards". Cue polycule shenanigans, beginning with Tamrissa and Lorand, then Jovvi and Vallant. Afterwards, Tamrissa and Jovvi pretend feud their way to the bath house so they can have girl talk about Fire magic weird sex tricks and more discussion.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 28 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 20 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 91 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 26 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 73 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 49 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 57 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 8 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 10, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15; Book 3: Chapter 6, Book 3: Chapter 28)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
That entire sex scene was completely pointless and told us nothing new! What a wasted opportunity. Even Green is getting tired of writing these sex scenes.

# ? Sep 11, 2021 13:34

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY�

When my mind refused to stop fretting, I gave up on the idea of soaking and left the bath.

It's a Tamrissa chapter so we know we're in for a doozy.

quote:

Jovvi was so deep in thought that she didn�t seem to see me,

I have just realized that Green would have been a great writer for NPCs. Because all of her characters have about as much depth as random NPCs.

quote:

so I used a bit of the power to heat all the moisture from my body and hair,

I can't remember if we've read about someone using their magical talent for personal hygiene purposes five times yet or not. I'm fairly certain that we have or might be getting to that point.

quote:

got into my wrap and picked up my clothes and book, and left the bath house. Actually I pretended to run out of the bath house, also pretending that I�d been driven out of it by a sharp-tongued enemy.

For that reason I reached my apartment rather quickly, wondering all the while if anyone had seen my play-acting. Not that it really mattered.

Because you guys are the worst actors in the Blendingverse.

quote:

It was just something to think about to keep me from thinking about Vallant. For all intents and purposes I�d promised to spend most of the night with him, and the conflict in my emotions was driving me insane.

I looked at the book I�d chosen to distract me from my thoughts while I soaked, and was forced to admit that it wouldn�t have done the job any more than it was currently doing. The conflict bothering me was that I really wanted to become involved with Vallant, but because of the danger to him couldn�t allow an involvement to develop. In the face of that, no book ever written could have distracted me.

what danger? Does ANYONE buy that there's danger? Even if there is, it's like Tamrissa confused Lorand (farm boy with no money and no connections) with Vallant (scion of a major shipping merchant family with stacks of gold to his name who punched his way up the ranks from cabin boy to captain).

quote:

Ignoring the sitting room, I carried my burdens through the bedchamber and disposed of them properly. I was very much in the mood to drop everything in a heap and then turn my back on the heap, but that would have been too much like running away from my problems. Turning your back and forgetting about things is easy�until the giant pile of problems you�ve built topples down on your head.

Green should have printed that last sentence out and looked at it more when she was plotting and revising this book. Assuming she ever actually revised it at all.

quote:

So I put the book on a table and the worn clothes with the rest of my things needing washing, then lay down on my bed to think about my problem with Vallant. The plan I�d come up with, to let my power-enhanced self annoy him to the point of making him walk away, might not work, but it was the only thing I could think of. That was probably because I didn�t want to think of anything else, not when it would end any relationship even before it began.

That's...not a plan.

quote:

But ending things was in Vallant�s best interests, so I knew I�d just have to keep trying.

These self-righteous know-it-all protagonists are the reason that these books are so full of useless drama.

quote:

If only thoughts of being with him didn�t distract me so badly� I turned over onto my back to push those personal thoughts away, but they refused to go. Platinum blond hair and pale blue eyes above a devilish grin forced their way in front of my mind�s eye, then drew me along into the realm of marvelous daydreams.

Time disappeared to nothing in that realm, and the next thing I knew there was a knock at my bedchamber door. A maid called through the door that dinner was almost ready to be served, and then the shaped cluster of warmth that represented her body heat quickly retreated. She hadn�t been sent for so she hadn�t come in, undoubtedly a result of the lecture I�d given earlier. I forced myself to sitting and then off the bed, glad of the privacy. Unless you were very firm, I�d discovered, some servants took over and ran things to suit themselves.

My thoughts seemed rather disjointed as I dressed and brushed my hair, and leaving my apartment didn�t help much to clear things up. I had no trouble remembering how I was supposed to behave with the others, but everything beyond that felt far too complex even to consider briefly. For that reason I sent my glares to everyone as I took my place at the table, received their glares in return, then paid attention to nothing but my food.

Everyone else was just as silent during the meal, and afterward we each took our own private chilly silence back to our bedchambers or apartment. Once there I sent for a tea service, waited for it to be brought, then told the servant not to try to collect it again until tomorrow. I deliberately gave the man the impression that I would probably be reading until the wee hours, but as soon as he left I headed straight for bed. I�d finally figured out that sleep was what I needed, especially since we were scheduled to Blend again as well as help Rion and his Naran. When I woke up I would need the tea, much more than I needed it right now.

I don't understand why Green doesn't use multiple sections in her chapters. She clearly knows sections are possible in chapters, because she's done them before, but she only ever does them when she has multiple POVs per chapter. So we just got 4 useless paragraphs describing Tamrissa killing time, with nothing interesting happening whatsoever.

quote:

As it happened, when I woke up it was to remember a strange, disturbing dream. I�d been standing in a large, indistinct room, all alone while being almost completely surrounded by a lot of men. To my relief the men were ignoring me, and then suddenly, without warning, a flow of flames began to leak out of me at several points. In frantic fright I began to try to stop the leaks, but stopping one simply started the leak in another place.

I�d been trying, of course, to keep the leaks from the notice of the surrounding men, but they�d seen them instantly and then I was no longer being ignored. They all began to advance on me, and as I started to run in the only direction possible, I glimpsed Vallant behind one bunch of them. He gestured in an effort to get me to run in his direction, at the same trying to fight his way through the horde, but there were too many of them. He couldn�t reach me and I couldn�t reach him, and so I ran across the marble floor, the sound of pursuing footsteps coming right behind�

This is the only time there'll be a dream on page, though there is another dream-related plot thing that happens in the sequel trilogy around Book 8. I have no idea why Green thought it was necessary to put this in here. It doesn't tell us anything we don't already know about the characters and it doesn't foreshadow anything new.

quote:

And then that sound came again, only now I was awake enough to realize that it was knocking rather than footsteps. I looked at the door, trying to discern the shape of the person out there knocking, to see if I�d yet learned to tell man from woman. But there was no shape of heat outside my door, which meant either that the person knocking was dead, or the door knocked by itself.

I shivered at both thoughts, still too groggy with sleep to know fantasy from reality, and then the knock came a third time. Gentle and impersonal, it seemed almost lighthearted, and a glance at the clock suddenly suggested a third possible source for the sound: it was two o�clock in the morning, and if Rion had wanted everyone to be awake, he could have solidified a bit of air to knock with.

The relief of that realization made me want to stretch out again, but then the knock came for the fourth time. For a moment I wondered why he hadn�t stopped now that I was definitely awake, and then I understood that he didn�t know he�d succeeded. It was up to me to find a way to tell him, so I thought for another moment and then smiled. It felt as though I were in the midst of playing a child�s game, and I�d just figured out how to make someone else �it.�

Looking in the direction of where Rion�s bedchamber lay, I took a firmer grip on the power and � rode it, so to speak, into the room. In the same way that I would have surrounded a feather I meant to burn, protecting everything around the feather, I chose a small volume of air in the room. The power let me know that the volume contained nothing but air, so I set a small but very bright flame to burning. I kept the flame alight until the time for a fifth knock was well past, and then, knowing Rion had gotten my message, let it go out.

Oooook...so we just got a vital bit of information around how magic works on a very basic level in the middle of BOOK THREE. :doh:

I'd forgotten about this mechanic, but the only way I can interpret this is that the power is like the Aristotelian idea of the aether that permeates everything and when you're in touch with the power you can mentally phase through things. Which explains a lot about how Water magic works when there's no line of sight.

What an overpowered mechanic! And no information on range, or anything else. We don't know how far away Rion's room is from Tamrissa's but since she's got a suite in a small mansion, that's at least, what? 20 meters?

I don't understand how personal security isn't a huge business in the Blendingverse.

quote:

Which left me with nothing but the memory of that dream as I got up to wash my face. The idea of flame leaking out of me like water was ridiculous, but it hadn�t felt ridiculous in the dream, it had been terrifying. I hadn�t been able to make it stop, and all those men had been drawn to me because of it�

I poured water from the pitcher into the basin, then wet my hands and pressed the wetness to my face. I�d really have to remember to thank Jovvi for telling me what she had about women with Fire magic, as it had done a marvelous job in adding to my store of subjects for nightmares. And that business about Vallant trying to reach me and not being able to� I�d been left with the impression that the crowd was about to trample him, but I�d been awakened before I was forced to stand there and watch it happen�

The cool water felt soothing against my skin, but did nothing to ease the fevered jumble in my mind. Part of me, the part still touching the power, was furious over the idea of Vallant being trampled. It wanted to lash out with fire in all directions to protect him, burning to ash anyone who didn�t back off. The rest of me, however, the larger and more basic part of ME, wept at the thought that I might not be able to help keep him from being trampled. It was the old story of my lack of self assurance, but that didn�t change the fact that I could well contribute to Vallant�s death.

And that was a thought I simply couldn�t live with. I now knew the probable reason all those men wanted me, but my knowing about it didn�t change things. Those rich and powerful men would continue to want me, and if Vallant got in their way they would simply brush him aside�even if the brushing killed him. That left me no choice but to discourage a relationship between us, doing my best to actually make the plan work.

I... what? He's not a doll, Tamrissa.

There's such a disconnect between the overhyping of the zoo of antagonists and their actual effectiveness. The only one who is remotely scary is Delin, because we know he's a) severely unhinged and b) seen him plotting and attempting murders.

quote:

I�d dried off on a towel and was brushing my hair when another knock came at my door, but this time someone actually stood on the other side. I opened the door to find Jovvi, who gave me a warm smile.

�It came to me that the best place for us to gather is your sitting room,� she said softly. �I�ve already checked, and the servants are all asleep�although one of them was at a peephole. The peephole gives a fairly good view of the hall outside our doors, and it�s so low down and hidden in a corner that I never noticed it. The man watching through it was only somewhat sleepy, but I had surprisingly little trouble overcoming that. Now that I�ve found that out I�ll have to watch myself to be sure I don�t begin taking advantage of everyone, but is it all right for us to gather here in your apartment?�

Jovvi will never use this ability to put people to sleep ever again until some time in the sequel trilogy, at which point Green's forgotten about this first instance.

quote:

I nodded my agreement, trying not to frown at the flood of words she�d sent at me. Jovvi didn�t usually ramble like that, and somehow she seemed more excited than calm. For a moment the change was puzzling, and then I realized that the time was drawing nearer to when she would be with Lorand again. I watched her hurry back across my sitting room, probably on the way to let the men know where to come, and silently wished her all possible happiness with Lorand. It would be nice to know that at least someone was happy�

Jovvi was back rather quickly, and she seemed to have gotten control of herself again. In point of fact she now looked a bit worried, so I asked her if something was wrong.

�It�s not exactly wrong,� she replied, a bit of vexation moving through her expression. �It�s more a matter of making sure there isn�t anything wrong, but broaching the subject will be very awkward. Lorand and Vallant should be here in a minute, so let�s wait until they arrive before I go into details.�

�What about Rion?� I started to ask, but that was when Lorand slipped into the room, followed an instant later by Vallant. They also seemed to be looking for Rion, which made Jovvi shake her head.

�No, he isn�t late because I haven�t called him yet,� she said, answering everyone�s first question at once. �I needed to talk to the rest of you before I did, because we have a delicate problem to solve. We�re about to sneak his Naran into the house and hide her�but how do we know that she isn�t working for the testing authority?�

This is the SECOND TIME a woman has referred to another woman as belonging to a man and I HATE IT. It's pretty mild compared to some of Green's other stuff (the Terrilian series had actual slave collars) but I still hate it. STOP IT.

quote:

The question stopped me in my tracks, so to speak, because it was such a good one. We were all half killing ourselves pretending we weren�t getting along, but all our efforts would be out the window once we cooperated to sneak the woman in.

�I was about to say that Rion would know, but that isn�t true,� Lorand commented with a sigh. �Rion has no experience with women, and he�s absolutely crazy about Naran. So what do we do?�

�We have to find out for certain, but not behind Rion�s back,� Jovvi said, looking briefly at each of us. �First we have to tell him what we�re about to do, and that�s the part I�m having trouble with. What words can I possibly use that won�t upset him?�

�The sort of words you�re looking for don�t exist,� I said when the men simply shook their heads. �He is going to get upset, but maybe I can make it a little easier. If you�ll go and get him, I�ll give it a try.�

Jovvi hesitated very briefly before nodding and heading out of the room, so I went over to the tea service. Warming a cup of tea would take next to no effort, and I happened to need it.

�You�re touchin� the power again, aren�t you,� Vallant said from behind me, the words somehow overly neutral. �Do you really think you need protection when you�re with no one but us?�

�I had to use the power to reply to Rion�s wake-up knock, and just didn�t happen to let go,� I responded without looking at him. �It doesn�t mean anything beyond the fact that I�m too lazy to keep touching and releasing the power, but if it really bothers you all that much, just say so. I won�t mind calming your worry by putting aside my strength.�

I turned with my teacup to look at him then, making certain my expression showed nothing but blandness. At the moment he seemed to be struggling not to frown, and before he was able to say anything at all, Jovvi reappeared, followed by Rion.

�I�m pleased that you�re all awake and ready,� Rion said with a grin once he closed the door. �I wasn�t able to sleep, so I thought I would help out those of you who could. I hope I didn�t startle any of you too badly.�

What I want to know is how everybody else let Rion know they were awake. Did Lorand take control of some bodily function of Rion's? Did Jovvi change his emotions? Did Vallant go slosh around some water in Rion's washstand or create a mini ice sculpture in his tea cup?

I wish we had gotten this chapter from Rion's POV instead of Tamrissa's; it would have been much more interesting.

quote:

�Your staying out of the hall to do the waking was worth being startled,� Jovvi replied with a smile. �One of our watchers had set himself up where he has a view of our rooms, but he didn�t seem curious or disturbed enough to have noticed the knocking. He�s asleep now, so for the moment we needn�t worry about him.�

�But there�s something we do have to worry about, or at least I do,� I put in, saying the words before his very evident happiness made them even more difficult. �I hope you can forgive me for this, Rion, but my life until now has taught me not to trust anyone or anything. When your own parents betray you� Do you know how hard it was for me to really trust all of you?�

�I think I have a small idea,� he replied, the happiness having disappeared. �Are you trying to say you�ve changed your mind about wanting Naran in the house?�

�I�m trying to say that I won�t mind having her here at all�once I�m certain she�s actually the person she seems to be.� Again I had to speak quickly, to keep the sight of tragedy in his gaze from silencing me. �Jovvi and I were talking about that Lord Carmad, and we realized there�s even a chance that he works for the testing authority. We simply can�t afford to trust anyone at all, Rion, not until we�re completely certain about them.�

�I am certain about Naran, but I realize that it isn�t possible for the rest of you to be the same,� he said, apparently fighting to keep a certain stiffness out of his tone. �So what are we to do about her? Keep her living in the street until we�re certain she�s no threat, or simply torture the truth out of her?�

�Personally, I�d rather just question her with Lorand and myself being alert for evasions and half truths,� Jovvi said, looking at Rion with sympathetic diffidence. �You don�t � really think we�d harm her, do you? Rion��

�No, Jovvi, of course I don�t think that,� Rion said hastily, responding to the air of � painful disappointment which Jovvi exuded like an odor.

Jovvi is just as heavy handed as Kambil. More so, probably, seeing how Kambil is successfully messing around with his Blendingmates heads' with nobody being any wiser to it.

quote:

�I didn�t mean to hurt your feelings, but this is all so very important to me. You four and she comprise the very fabric of my existence, and to think there might be a reason for your not getting along��

�The only possible reason would be if she were lying to you and leading you on for her own purposes,� Jovvi said rather more firmly when it was clear that Rion couldn�t go on. �In that event she would be the enemy of all of us, but if she isn�t an enemy then she�s your beloved�and because of that, also one of us. Doubt will harm all our relationships, Rion, so we owe it to ourselves�and to Naran�to find out for certain.�

�You�re right, of course,� Rion agreed, his voice now almost toneless with tragedy. �I love her so deeply that it never occurred to me to doubt the reason for her attraction, but now� My love remains the same, but the boring insect of doubt now eats away at the heart of that love��

Rion's read and internalized way too many romance novels.

quote:

�So we�ll just have to kill the doubt with truth,� Jovvi said briskly. �I think we ought to use our Blending to get Naran into the house if we can, but I�m somewhat nervous about using it to question her. We don�t yet know what we�re doing with it�not to mention what we might be capable of�and the last thing we�d want to do is hurt the girl. What do the rest of you think?�

�I think we need to find out what we�re capable of, and that as quickly as possible,� Lorand mused. �I agree that it would hardly be wise to experiment on Naran, but the longer we delay learning about our Blending, the more of a disadvantage we�re at.�

�But we can�t simply plunge ahead without knowin� where we�re goin�,� Vallant pointed out. �A seaman learns how unwise that is when his vessel is torn apart on hidden reefs. Isn�t there some way we can get charts tellin� us which way clear sailin� lies? Somebody has to know.�

�The only ones who know aren�t likely to tell us,� I reminded him. �Unless we can figure out a way to kidnap one of the present Seated Five and force him or her to talk, we�re just going to have to manage this on our own.�

�Kidnappin�,� Vallant mused, those very light eyes directly on me. �Now that�s an idea��

Write this story instead!

quote:

�But not a very practical one,� Rion said, clearly forcing himself to participate. �Each member of the Blending is always surrounded by guards when they come out of the palace, and when they�re inside the guards are on the grounds and three deep in the halls. It�s a marvelous idea, but as I said, not very practical.�

Oh FFS. Gosh darn pesky Facts and annoying Logic!

quote:

�And there�s no guarantee that the members of the present Five actually know what we�re searching for,� Jovvi suggested. �If our suspicions are true and they were chosen for their place rather than having won it, they might know almost as little as we do. Why don�t we Blend again, and then see if we can make any headway?�

Thanks for an entirely pointless detour, Green.

quote:

The idea of that perked us all up, and as I put my cup of tea aside before starting to move into my assigned place, I had to suppress a surge of eager excitement. I very much wanted to Blend again, but even beyond that, time was passing. In just a little while we�d know the truth about Naran after having practiced as a Blending, and then it would be time to go to bed again�

discussion. Thanks to that discussion, Tamrissa has a nightmare. Everyone confronts Rion about the possibility that Naran could be a spy and he reluctantly agrees to let her be magically questioned.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 28 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 20 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 91 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 27 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 74 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 50 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 59 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 8 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 10, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
This chapter, and the next couple of chapters that follow, should all have been a single chapter from Rion's POV, and STARTED with them all in Tamrissa's sitting room. He's the one with the most at stake so it would have been better dramatically to be inside his head! But no, we're stuck with Tamrissa, since she's the author's self insert. UGHHHHH.

# ? Sep 19, 2021 13:22

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE�

Lorand followed behind Jovvi as Jovvi lined up behind Tamrissa, each of them being very careful of their spacing. Vallant and Rion were also doing the same, and the air of excitement among them was almost thick enough to touch.

�One of the things we have to find out about is just how necessary this formation is,� Jovvi said when everyone was in place. �I have the strangest feeling about it, but that�s for later. Right now I�m about to close my eyes, touch the power lightly, and reached out to the rest of you.�

Green: "Hint hint hint hint hint it's totally not required"

quote:

Lorand closed his own eyes and opened a bit to the power, and then Jovvi�s touch was there. He returned it almost automatically, at the same time reaching to the others, and in the next instant they�d Blended again. It all happened so fast that it was breathtaking, but one � layer, so to speak, of Lorand�s mind remained capable of a cool assessment. To that layer it was clear that his connections to the other men through Jovvi were solid and complete, as was his connection to Tamrissa and, through her, to Rion. But his bond to Vallant through Tamrissa was definitely weaker than all the others, which proved that the ladies had been right about intimacy.

These magical bonds still don't make sense. Here's the physical formation they're standing in:

pre:

So Jovvi starts by reaching out to everybody:

pre:

    T  
    | 
R ��J�� V
    | 
    L

And then everybody else reaches back to Jovvi:

pre:

    T  
   | |
R===J===V
   | |
    L

Then they reach out to each other as well:

pre:

    T  
 //| |\\    
R===J===V
 \\| |//     
    L

What I can't draw in 2D ASCII art are the bonds between Lorand and Tamrissa, and Rion and Vallant, so this is what all of the bonds look like if you ignore the Jovvi bonds:

pre:

    T  
 //| |\\    
R==+=+==V
 \\| |//     
    L

There are CLEARLY direct connections between Rion, Vallant and Lorand that don't get routed via either Jovvi or Tamrissa! And the same goes for Jovvi and Tamrissa's connection to each other! If sexual intimacy increases strength of connection, then it should be all or nothing, not this weird arbitrary thing of "as long as all cishet combos are satisfied then your Blending is at full strength" thing.

quote:

*I apologize for having made a fuss earlier about lying with Jovvi,* the Vallant part of their Blended entity sent to everyone else. *I wasn�t able to feel a difference the first time we Blended, but now there�s no doubt. My bond to Lorand and Rion is much stronger through Jovvi, which means we still aren�t entirely complete.*

*But by tomorrow we will be,* Tamrissa put in while Lorand felt amusement over the lack of Vallant�s usual drawl in his thoughts. *Right now, though, I just want to fly again.*

Lorand thought that that was a very fine way to describe the soaring sensation he felt. It was like flying, although when he paid stricter attention he noticed that at most they were floating somewhere above where they�d formerly stood. And where the others still stood. He could see them there in front of him, spread out just the way they were supposed to be, an odd winking glow about each of them�

*I�ve just noticed that I�m looking at everyone, but I haven�t opened my eyes,* Lorand told the others, the solidness of their presence all around him cushioning the shock of his discovery. *Are the rest of you doing the same? Does anyone have his or her eyes open?*

First unified agreement came, followed immediately by the same kind of denial. They were all able to see around them, but none of them had opened their eyes.

The protagonists are experiencing a near-mythical magical experience that has been described as the ultimate ecstasy so we should be getting an immense sense of wonder.

But Green, so, there is zero sense of wonder. This is so painful to read.

quote:

*I wonder just how far this ability extends,* the Tamrissa part of them mused. *Do you think we�d be able to float outside, for instance, without going there physically?*

*I, for one, would enjoy trying,* the Rion part of them agreed at once. *The outer air calls to me as never before.*

*I sense a danger in doing that,* their Jovvi part put in just as quickly before Lorand might add his own agreement. *I suggest that we move our awareness only a short distance from our bodies, and then see what there is to observe.*

Jovvi�s sense of caution now filled Lorand just as Tamrissa�s eagerness had a moment ago. He joined the others in agreeing to the suggestion, then agreed to a trial distance of approximately five feet. Once the agreement was complete their combined awareness floated over to the windows, where it paused to look around again.

*This is delightful, but really strange,* their Tamrissa part sent, her enjoyment not simply clear, but shared. *I feel very free, but I�m also aware of a � line of sorts linking me to my body. It would be possible to disconnect the line, but for some reason that doesn�t feel like the right thing to do.*

*That � line seems to be the extension of your consciousness,* their Jovvi part sent, along with a sense of struggle related to understanding. *I recognize my own easily enough, but wasn�t able to see the part about disconnecting until you mentioned it. Can you feel what I get about that?*

Even as the thought came, Lorand felt a strong sense of alarm. Just as Tamrissa had shared the knowledge about disconnecting, Jovvi now shared the feeling that disconnection would be certain death. Her hold on her own �line� was extremely secure, which Lorand�s became as soon as he was aware of the need.

*Disconnecting would be to sever ourselves from our bodies,* their Vallant part sent, putting into mind words what Lorand now knew to be the truth. *After that we would float away completely, losing all touch with the way back. After a while our bodies would die, and then so would our minds. How do I know all that?*

*You know it because I do,* the Jovvi part responded. *Once the question came up, the answer became perfectly clear. It�s too bad that all our questions can�t be answered like this, but I suspect that this one relates to my talent. Now that we�ve all strengthened our ties to our bodies, what shall we do next?*

This is the first explicit introduction of the other magical mechanic Green leans heavily on which I HATE WITH A PASSION. Spoilers for the rest of the Blendingverse books apparently there is some sort of universal repository of memories and/or knowledge which exists either in the power or in the mechanic of Blending or both of these things and when you are connected to the power long enough or exist as a Blending entity long enough, the power will magically dump these memories into your head and OMFG that's the laziest writing ever.

quote:

Lorand considered her question as he looked around, finding the sight of his unmoving body vaguely amusing. People spoke about being in two places at once, but no one he knew had ever actually accomplished it. Then he noticed something odd which immediately became three odd things, so he decided to ask about them.

*Why am I seeing those strange patterns in the air?* he put. *They also seem to be inside our bodies, but only in tiny bits and pieces. But now I see one of those patterns spread widely through us, along with something like a reddish smudge. What is all that?*

The others seemed to exclaim and chuckle both at the same time, a conglomeration of reactions mixed up like differently colored swirls of paint. It took Lorand�s mind a long moment to separate the swirls, but once it did he had his answer: he now saw things the way his Blendingmates did when they touched the power. Rion�s sense of air patterns and Vallant�s sense of water, both of them in the air and both in their bodies. The reddish smudge was body heat, the contribution of Tamrissa�s talent. There were currently no emotions to be sensed in the bodies they�d left behind, but Lorand suddenly understood that their mental rapport was through Jovvi�s talent.

*It feels so odd to know the exact composition of the furniture and decorations in this room,* Rion sent with a delighted chuckle. *I�d had no idea that different materials had very different � vibrations.*

*Or that the composition of each material supplies the details of how it might best be taken apart,* Tamrissa added with her own enjoyment. *We�re actually seeing the world with all five of the talents.*

I am SO MAD that this is what you're supposed to be able to see with the various elemental talents and NONE OF THIS has shown up in any of the POV chapters so far and we are THREE FREAKING BOOKS INTO THIS SERIES.

:bang:

In my view, these sorts of explicit things should have been described, like this (ideally more vividly but this is as vivid as Green gets so you know) in the FIRST FIVE CHAPTERS OF BOOK ONE. AAARRRGHGHGGHHGGHGHGH.

quote:

*I have the feeling we can do better,* Jovvi mused into the general sense of delight. *It seems as if our Blending should be a single entity without individual parts, rather than the partial sharing we�re now accomplishing. Let�s all lean into it a bit more, and then see what happens.*

Lorand knew exactly what she meant, and shared the need to find out more about their situation. The others felt the same, he could tell, so all of them � moved closer at precisely the same time. There was a moment of disorientation, and then�

And then the WE become ONE. One Blended mind made up of five talents, a true single entity without awareness of division. The entity checked the individual lines to its separate bodies, found them secure, and so turned its attention to what lay beyond the windows it floated near. Curiosity became motion, and floating through the wall proved not difficult in the least.

This description applies because our protagonists are True Soulmates so they NEVER disagree on anything when Blended, hence they become one super character of "the entity" whenever they Blend. Later on, we will see that this is not the case for some other Blendings (but never any Blendings that are on the protagonists' side, because they're on the side of Good you see).

quote:

Outside the world was filled with life, but much of it slept in the wraparound darkness. The entity noted all that life in passing as it floated around toward the front of the house. It knew it could have moved a good deal faster than it was doing, but caution continued to prevail. It was wiser to walk before trying to run, to float slowly before flying with the wind. And the wind was there as an awareness rather than as a sensation, as was the heat and cold of temperature. The entity knew all there was to know about those things, but felt neither heat nor cold nor buffeting. The entity realized that was most likely due to the lack of a body, on those points, at least, a fortunate lack.

This is such dry, boring prose and I think Green might be doing this deliberately rather than accidentally. The Blending entities are supposed to be somewhat inhuman/detached from things.

quote:

And then the entity�s attention was taken by the sense of awareness coming from four separate sources. It had floated to the front of the house and down the drive, and now hovered close to the street. To the left of the drive and on the opposite side of the street was a coach, containing two of the awarenesses. Both were male and both were bored, despite the game of cards they played. Every few minutes one or the other looked out the window, to eye with suspicion something that stood to the right of the drive.

The something was a carriage which contained the other two awarenesses, one male and one female. The male awareness sat patiently and almost without thought on the carriage�s driver�s seat, and the female huddled inside with her thoughts in turmoil. Worry threaded through every aspect of the turmoil, increasing both when she looked down the street to the coach, and when she glanced toward the house the entity had come from.

Naran, the entity thought, and spears of love combined with many varied visions flashed for a brief instant through its awareness. And she�s early.

FORESHADOWING!

Also, what I hate the MOST about any chapters with a Blending entity POV (which I'm going to count as distinct from a protagonist POV) is that it exacerbates all of the worst qualities of Green's prose.

quote:

The entity realized that the Naran awareness was early, and also that she raised up now and again to search the street behind her carriage. She was definitely aware of being observed, and seemed to be dreading the arrival of some nameless horror. The entity felt her inward shiver, and abruptly decided on a course of action.

The first part of that was to return to the awarenesses in the coach and put them to sleep. Part of the entity felt surprise at how easily that was accomplished, with a touch inside their heads rather than with the suggestion of drowsiness. But the surprise was short-lived and vanished quickly, especially when the same was done to the carriage driver.

It's telling how vague Green has been with her writing that I can't tell if the entity used Spirit or Earth magic. I'm guessing it's Earth magic, since a direct touch inside the head implies being made unconscious, whereas Spirit magic at this stage typically is a suggestion, but that phrase is also used to describe Spirit magic to override people, so... :bang:

quote:

And then it was the woman Naran that the entity touched, sending her into a state of floating much like its own. The contact was difficult to maintain, however, so relevant questions had to be put rather quickly.

*Are you working in any way for the testing authority or the Advisors?* the entity inquired.

�No, I would never work for those people,� the woman answered dreamily in a whisper. �They�re stupid as well as corrupt, and have no idea that they�re destroying themselves along with us.�

*What are your true feelings about Rion?* the entity put next, ignoring the faint reluctance it felt to hear that answer.

�He is the love of my life, and I was born to be his other half,� came the response, accompanied by a smile. �I would happily do anything for him, even accede to his insistence and put him in danger. If that pig should ever try to harm him because of me, I would certainly find a way to kill the beast. He can�t know what I know, after all��

Her words trailed off, and the frown she�d grown changed to a faint smile. She was under a compulsion to speak the truth, and even beyond that the entity knew for certain that she voiced no lie.

FORESHADOWING!

Spoilers for Book 5: the men in the other coach are Storn's henchmen, a.k.a "that pig" and "the beast".

quote:

There were no other questions that needed to be put at the moment, so the entity broke its connection to her with a great deal of relief, then put her to sleep as it had the others. Then the entity began the next phase of its plan. It moved back quickly to the house, caused the front door to unlock, then used hardened air to open the door. Once that was done it was possible to move the woman�s belongings out of the carriage, all of it borne along either on hardened air or solidly frozen water.

SUPER stealthy guys!

quote:

It was necessary to take the belongings up to the second floor the long and difficult way, and once they were deposited in an empty bedchamber, another discovery was made.

The awareness in the house which had been watching the hall before it was coaxed into sleep had awakened, and now sat frightened and stunned at having seen what appeared to be luggage moving itself. The entity touched the mind of that awareness, whispered the command to forget what it had already seen or might see in the future, then left the awareness more solidly asleep than it had been.

Just casually messing around with people's minds, no biggie.

quote:

After opening the door to the sitting room where its bodies stood, the entity returned to the carriage much more quickly than it had come. It was now time to move the woman herself, and the entity discovered that it was able to take strength from more than one source to form a bed of solidified air to carry her on. But not all the strength available was used for that purpose. One definite segment of the entity was on guard against attack and prepared to launch an attack of its own, and the augmented strength of that segment was not to be diverted.

Translation (because this is super unclear): the sources of strength are the individuals making up the Blending.

quote:

What remained, however, was more than enough. The woman was borne carefully into the house and up to the second floor, where she was deposited gently on a couch. After that the entity had only to visit the awarenesses in the coach and order them to forget what they�d seen, then rouse the carriage driver and send him on his way. He, too, was commanded to forget, both the woman who had been in his carriage and the place he�d taken her.

Who needs Puredan when you have Spirit magic?

quote:

With that final chore completed the entity returned to the house, relocked the front door, closed the sitting room door, and�

�Oof!� Lorand breathed as he suddenly found himself back in his body. His muscles seemed to ache everywhere, his hands felt shaky, he was close to exhaustion, and had the impression that he�d returned just in time.

Well now I want to know what happens if they don't return in time. Spoilers�we'll never find out.

quote:

He tottered to a chair and dropped into it, aware that the others were doing the same, and tried to think about what had happened.

Of all the incredible experiences! If Rion�s Naran

STOP IT!

quote:

hadn�t been there on the couch, fast asleep, Lorand might have begun to wonder if he hadn�t been imagining things � and come to that, there was one last thing he had to do�

discussion. Thanks to that discussion, Tamrissa has a nightmare. Everyone confronts Rion about the possibility that Naran could be a spy and he reluctantly agrees to let her be magically questioned. They Blend to form a magical entity (that has no physical body and a single pooled consciousness) which liberally uses Spirit magic to vet Naran's intentions and make eyewitnesses forget everything pertaining to Naran, before knocking everybody out with Earth magic and sneaking Naran into the house using Air and Water magic.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 28 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 20 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 91 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 27 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 74 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 51 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 59 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 9 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 10, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
The trickiest thing to untangle here is the entity POV. It happens any time anybody Blends between now and most of Book 8. None of the entities have names. There is nothing distinctive about each entity's monologue. All of the entities have this detached feel to their POVs. It's not until Book 6 and Book 8 that we even see examples of Blendings where the individual minds in the Blending disagree.

Different Blendings should feel distinct from each other. I don't know if I'd go so far to name them (because I hate naming things, and having to remember extra Blending names on top of characters seems like a bit much), but the Blendings themselves SHOULD feel like separate characters (and if you change the composition of the Blending, then it should essentially be a new character).

The overuse of "the entity" bothers me as well. It kind of makes sense in the context of the story in that Blending is this forgotten knowledge, but going forward there certainly should be some sort of pronoun or whatever used to address Blendings in particular.

# ? Sep 25, 2021 13:14

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO�

�I think we made it back just in time,� I heard Jovvi say in a strengthless voice as I tried to pull myself together in the chair I�d fallen into. �It didn�t seem like it at the time, but we must have pushed ourselves too far.�

�I feel just as I did after that very first test we were put through,� Rion panted from where he lay on the carpeting. �I haven�t even the strength to find a proper place to sit.�

�And I feel like I�ve been liftin� bales of steel all by myself,� Vallant contributed from where he sprawled on a couch next to Jovvi. �Physically drained as well as almost strengthless in talent. Not exactly the same as it�s been until now.�

�Lorand hasn�t said anything,� I pointed out, �but I think that�s because he isn�t in any condition to. All of you agree, and I find that odd. I�m tired as well, not to mention how my legs and back hurt, but I�m not nearly that close to exhaustion.�

�I think that�s because your strength wasn�t drawn on fully,� Jovvi force herself to say. �I remember a thought about not tapping our defense and attack capability and thereby weakening it. Does anyone else remember the same?�

The men make sounds of agreement, and I added my own because now I did remember. I was the one who guarded us, so my strength wasn�t taken.

These events JUST HAPPENED in the last chapter. Why do we need the "this just happened" and four other people chiming in to agree? At least since this experience is a shared one and they're all in the same room, this happens in 6 paragraphs instead of across 5 chapters.

quote:

I felt a twinge of nervousness over that, but before I could mention it someone else spoke up.

�What�s happened to me?� a female voice asked in confusion. �Where have I been taken? What�my lord!�

I�d looked over to see Naran sitting up on the couch she�d been put on, fright paling her skin. She�d been looking around wildly, but when she saw Rion lying on the floor, she struggled off the couch in a welter of skirts and hurried over to kneel beside him.

Spoilers for Book 5 I want to know HOW Naran did not See this coming because we know that she can See a range of probabilities, not just probabilities that are likely, highly likely or certain and also sequel trilogy spoilers the concept of "flux" hasn't been introduced and the advanced nation of Blendings on the other continent shouldn't be blocking Naran yet...unless they were thinking that she would have run the hell away but then you can justify any of Green's plot holes in that way.

quote:

�Fear not, my love, we�ve merely brought you into the house,� Rion said with weak reassurance as she lifted his head to her lap. �I apologize for the method used, as we had no intention of behaving so. It merely � happened.�

Spoilers for Book 5 I don't buy this explanation. Naran's Sight has been shown to be able to be responsive to split second decisions.

quote:

�That�s completely unimportant,� Naran said firmly, stroking his face and hair. �What isn�t unimportant is how you fare. Why do you lie here on the floor, looking pale as bleached linen? How have you been hurt?�

�I�m not hurt, Naran, simply exhausted.� Rion even managed a smile, although a faint one. �We�re all exhausted, but please don�t ask for details. It�s not something we�re able to speak about at this time.�

She made a sound of concern and held him even more tightly, but that wasn�t doing any good for anything but his morale. What he and the others needed was some tangible assistance, so I got myself out of the chair and went over to the tea service.

TEA! Tea is the new cure-all.

quote:

As usual, two cups had been provided, so I quickly finished the tea I�d poured earlier, then filled both cups. It took very little effort to warm the tea enough to dissolve sugar in it, and then I carried one of the cups to Naran.

Yes, yes, we know that heating a cup of tea is not hard work. I don't know why we're still going on about it in Book 3.

quote:

�Help him drink every drop of this while I give the other to Jovvi, and then we�ll do the same for Lorand and Vallant,� I told her. �If we don�t help them to get some strength back, we�ll have to carry them all to bed.�

That's...not how you do introductions, Tamrissa.

quote:

Rather than ask any silly questions about who I was

Uh. Naran's just been magically questioned without her consent or conscious knowledge, then knocked unconscious and magically handled like luggage while she was out and wakes up in a strange house to the sight of her lover looking like he's about to pass out.

I think "who are you?" is a perfectly justified question to be asking.

quote:

and what I was talking about, she simply nodded in a businesslike way and took the cup. That left me free to go over to Jovvi, and by the time I�d helped her drink the tea, Naran had finished with Rion. It amused me that she�d taken the trouble to replace her lap with a pillow from the couch she�d awakened on, and Rion looked perfectly comfortable stretched out on the floor.

that shows Naran is thoughtful and caring.

Seriously, this is why I hate Tamrissa so much.

quote:

�I�m adding extra sugar to go along with the stimulant of the tea itself,� I explained as I joined Naran at the service. �The effects won�t last long, but hopefully long enough to get them moving.

That's patronizing as all hell.

quote:

You�ll have to put that cup down, or the sudden heat might cause you to drop it.�

�A heat that could very well touch my fingers as well as the tea,� she agreed with a smile, putting the cup down. �I remember when my grandmother did that to me once, when I was a very little girl. It upset her for days that she�d accidentally hurt me, even though I got over the minor singeing in just a few minutes.�

Obligatory random backstory infodump by a character - check!

quote:

I smiled my thanks without correcting her, wondering if she hadn�t seen my master�s bracelet or simply didn�t know what it was. People with a Low talent in Fire magic usually had very little control, as control took practice and Low talents rarely bothered. I�d never burned anyone by accident in my life, but if I were the group�s protection, I might have to do it on purpose�

That...sentence doesn't read like Green thinks it does. It actually could mean Tamrissa has burned people on purpose before.

In an alternate Blendingverse, Tamrissa is the primary antagonist and she's psychotic.

quote:

�That�s Lorand over there,� I said with a gesture once the two cups of tea were ready. �Rion and Jovvi are already beginning to stir, so let�s get the last of them. I�m Tamrissa, by the way.�

You should have STARTED with this!

quote:

She acknowledged that with a shy smile and a nod, obviously knowing I already knew her name, and started toward Lorand. I took my own cup over to Vallant, who opened his eyes when I sat down next to him.

�It�s almost worth feelin� like this to have you sit this close,� he murmured, those very light eyes filled with amusement. �I can�t remember you ever doin� it before.�

�I never helped make you half dead before,� I countered weakly, wishing it were possible to learn how not to blush. �Stop talking silliness and drink this.�

His grin was brief but very amused, and the way he kept those eyes on my face while he drank served to divert me from chilling thoughts of having to burn people on purpose. Instead I was pulled into thoughts of what he and I would soon be sharing, and a shiver of a different sort coursed through me.

�Your excellent idea seems to be working, Tamma,� Jovvi said just as Vallant was finishing the last of the tea. �I think I actually have enough strength now to get the blood flowing in my veins again."

Green: "It's been too long since I made my self-insert Mary Sue protagonist look brilliant; time to have another character throw out a random compliment about a bleedingly obvious thing Tamrissa has done that anybody could have done"

quote:

I glanced over to see that she�d straightened where she sat, and the color had come back to her face. Rion was now climbing slowly to his feet, but only to move to the couch where Naran had been, where he sat heavily. He, too, looked better, and his smile improved him even more when Naran finished helping Lorand and went to sit beside him.

�I�d say we learned an important lesson just now,� Jovvi went on. �We ignored the signal telling us we were overdoing it, and almost caused ourselves serious damage. Next time we�ll have to��

�Signal?� I interrupted, finding myself lost. �I don�t remember anything like a signal, so you�ll have to explain what you�re talking about.�

�I don�t remember a signal either,� Rion put in with a frown, his arm about Naran�s shoulders. �Were Tamrissa and I the only ones excluded?�

�You can add me to the list,� Lorand said from the chair he still sprawled in. �I wasn�t aware of anything that could be considered a signal.�

�And me,� Vallant agreed. �Nothin� like a signal reached me.�

And from this point forward, not only are we going to get five different versions of the same events across five chapters, we're also going to get five lines of dialogue about the same thing within those chapters.

:bang:

quote:

�Then the fault was mine alone,� Jovvi said with a frown from her place to my left. �I assumed everyone felt the same, but apparently I�m the one who�s supposed to watch over our well-being. Even simply being a small part of what we were I could feel the strain, the growing demand that we stop and go back. Next time I�ll know enough to let the awareness spread, so � WE can know everything that�s happening.�

�I wish I knew what was happening, but I think I�m afraid to ask,� Naran offered in a small voice. �You�re all so close, I can feel that like some tangible, solid presence. Am I intruding here? If I am, I�ll be more than willing to leave again��

�After what we went through to get you in here?� Lorand asked immediately with a sound of ridicule while Rion showed sudden worry. �If you decided to leave now, I�d probably break down and cry.�

�And I�d be cryin� with you for sure,� Vallant said at once as he straightened up on the couch beside me. �But we men are the delicate, sensitive sort. I�ve got to warn you that our ladies won�t be cryin�.�

�Stop trying to frighten her, Vallant,� Jovvi said with amusement before moving her gaze to Naran.

Not as funny as Green thinks it is. But what do I know, humor is hard to write and I feel like this kind of gender roles based humor is very dated now. TBH, even when these books first came out, it was dated in my view, especially when you consider what Robert Jordan was trying to do with Wheel of Time (I mean, that's got issues too, but he was TRYING).

quote:

�Tamma and I aren�t the steel hard monsters he�s suggesting we are, but even more importantly we understand how you feel. We all are closer than any group you�ve ever known, but you have to remember that Rion is one of us. As important as you are to him, that�s almost as important as you are to us. We don�t regret the effort we put into bringing you inside, we just wish we�d been more cautious in the expending of it.�

�I�ve just realized something,� Naran said slowly, her expression odd. �I should have seen it sooner, of course, but you simply don�t expect�That identification Rion wore when he and I first met� I barely glanced at it, but obviously I should have looked closer. You�re all members of one of the challenging Blendings, aren�t you? You might even become the next Seated Five. Oh, my goodness�!�

�Naran, please don�t tell me that it makes a difference in how you feel!� Rion said miserably, flinching at the awed look in her eyes. �We�re the same people we were when you and I last met, so please don�t begin to think that anything has changed.�

�But of course it�s changed,� she denied, now gazing at him longingly. �You�re so very important, and I�m completely insignificant. I�d hoped our time together would be longer, but once you�ve won the competitions you�ll be much too busy to bother with me. I don�t mind that, I really don�t, not when we�ll have each other from now until then. Just � when do the competitions begin?�

This pisses me off for all sorts of reasons, but the one that sticks out most on a reread is Book 5 spoilers Naran you can LITERALLY SEE THE FUTURE, how the hell do you seriously believe in this crap? and also this is a recurring thing that's going to be an entire subplot on its own in the sequel trilogy which was the most annoying subplot ever.

Okay, maybe second most annoying, because Valissa drama is still the worst.

quote:

�We haven�t been told that yet,� Rion replied with a sigh of relief, pulling her close again. �For a moment of dread I was certain you meant to say you feared me, but happily we�ve been spared that. You simply believe I mean to toss you aside, and time will disprove that more thoroughly than words. But do please note that our winning is by no means guaranteed. Instead of joining us in the palace of the Five, you may well have to join us when we run for our lives.�

�Oh, but of course you�ll win,� she said quickly, putting a gentle hand to his face. �Don�t let that worry you even for a moment� I�m � really certain, so please don�t feel disturbed. It gives me pain to see your face creased with frown lines.�

And then she began to massage his face slowly and gently with her fingers, a fierce look of dedicated concentration on her own face. With the crisis over I tried to exchange a glance with Jovvi, but Jovvi seemed wrapped up in private thoughts. Or in the midst of drifting off to sleep, which was more than possible.

Continued spoilers for Books 5 onwards Naran apparently has trouble Seeing things that she's emotionally invested in, that is the excuse Green gives.

quote:

�Now seems to be the time to send all of you back to where you belong,� I announced as I stood. �We have to be as rested as possible when our visitor�or visitors�arrive tomorrow�I mean, later today. Oh, you all know what I mean.�

�What you mean is that you�re almost as tired and befuddled as we are,� Lorand replied as he pushed himself to his feet.

She is nowhere close to this. We JUST covered that at the beginning of the chapter.

quote:

�May I have the honor of walking you to your door, Dama Hafford?�

�Only if you expect me sleep at my door,� Jovvi answered dryly as she took the hand Lorand extended to help her off the couch. �I seriously doubt that I can make it all the way to my bed by myself.�

�Then I would be a cad if I left you at the door,� he said, looking down into her eyes. �Perish the thought that I would ever be a cad.�

Jovvi sent a smile to match the one he now showed, and they moved together toward the door to the hall.

quote:

By now Rion and Naran were also up and moving, his arm around her shoulders as he pretended to lean on her. I say pretended, because she could no more have really supported him than Jovvi or I could have. Naran didn�t seem to know that, though, or maybe she had higher expectations of her physical strength. As they moved out into the hall, I heard her urge him in a whisper to lean on her as heavily as he needed to.

These two are the best ship.

quote:

�That was nicely done,� Vallant said, and when I turned from closing the door behind those who had left, I saw that he�d managed to stand. �Now let�s help each other to your bed.�

That stupid blush flamed in my cheeks again, but I had no intention of letting anything interfere with the time I�d so been looking forward to. I approached him slowly and offered my hand, and his bigger one swallowed it up. But gently and softly, like a cotton net over a butterfly. And then I was actually leading him to my bedchamber, just as I�d dreamed about a hundred times.

We paused near the bed to share a brief kiss, and it quickly became very obvious that standing up was far from easy for him. So I suggested that he disrobe while I used the comfort facility, and then he could do the same before we settled down. He agreed with a smile before giving me another fleeting kiss, then began to move around to the side of the bed. At the last instant I grabbed a wrap to take into the comfort facility with me, to keep from having to walk naked to the bed. I still didn�t feel quite up to that, and knew I would probably blush more than enough without adding to the situation.

I would swear it never took me longer to undress in my life, although objectively speaking it probably wasn�t any longer than usual. It was just that all objectivity was well out of my reach, displaced by wild impatience and anticipation. If I hadn�t been so nervously intense I would have been able to forget about emptying my bladder, but that choice simply wasn�t possible. So I waited the months and years it took to relieve myself, rinsed my hands and pulled the wrap on, then finally hurried back to the bed.

�Vallant, it�s your turn,� I said softly, climbing onto the bed next to him. He lay on his back under the quilts with his eyes closed, but that broad, magnificent chest was fully exposed. Resting while he was able was a marvelous idea, but the time for rest was over. �Vallant, when you get back I�ll be right here waiting for you.�

I put my hand to his bare shoulder, expecting those very blue eyes to open with a smile, but nothing happened. No smile and no eyes opening, which quickly began to upset me.

�Vallant, please don�t tease,� I asked, shaking his shoulder a bit. �You have no idea how long I�ve been waiting� Please stop pretending to be asleep.�

The shoulder under my hand barely moved to the shaking, and the rest of him didn�t move at all. Instead I noticed how deep and slow his breathing was, adding to the image of a man lost to exhausted sleep. He wasn�t teasing and he wasn�t pretending, he�d really fallen asleep.

I sat back on my side of the bed, bitterly staring at a wall. After all that waiting and anticipating, I now had a dead body sharing my bed. In another moment or two I would replace the wrap with a nightgown, turn down all the lamps in the apartment, then lay down to sleep myself, but first�

First I had to decide between crying my eyes out, and smashing everything breakable within reach�

This is the best written section in a Tamrissa POV to date. There are things I can nitpick about the prose, but FINALLY, at last, we are feeling something for the character. Not enough to redeem her, but at least my eyes aren't glazing over.

Wow. What a low bar.

Summary:

Day 11
Meerk take Lorand and Tamrissa go to see Hat as a challenger to the Seated High in Earth magic. The whole contest is a sham. Lord Carmad Lestrin shows up to teach the protagonists how to Blend; the protagonists are very proud of themselves for hiding the signs of their own success. Tamrissa puts an end to all spying in the house by threatening to dob in anyone watching them since knowledge of Blending is highly classified. Another testing authority representative, Lord Twimmal, shows up to teach (badly) them to Blend. Jovvi finally figures out that they've all been drugged with Puredan to obey unknown orders.

Meanwhile, Lord Idian shows up to teach the nobles how to Blend, but only Kambil and Delin are up. After Delin besmirches Rigos' reputation some more, Selendi, Homin and Bron finally show up. We get a THIRD lecture of "how to Blend" and Selendi and Bron can't reach Kambil. The three late arrivals are dismissed, then Kambil and Delin are told to have sex with Selendi ASAP, because that will somehow enable all of their magical connections to go through both Selendi AND Kambil. :wtf:

discussion. Thanks to that discussion, Tamrissa has a nightmare. Everyone confronts Rion about the possibility that Naran could be a spy and he reluctantly agrees to let her be magically questioned. They Blend to form a magical entity (that has no physical body and a single pooled consciousness) which liberally uses Spirit magic to vet Naran's intentions and make eyewitnesses forget everything pertaining to Naran, before knocking everybody out with Earth magic and sneaking Naran into the house using Air and Water magic. Their Blending effort brings everyone (except Tamrissa) to the brink of exhaustion. Everyone other than Vallant leaves in their romantic pairs. Unfortunately, Vallant passes out cold while Tamrissa's psyching herself up for sex.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 28 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 20 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 91 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 27 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 76 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 52 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 60 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 9 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 10, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
I'm not a big romance reader, but I hear that good romance arcs are all about why two characters can't be together and how they overcome those obstacles. For Vallant/Tamrissa, Green's going for:

Emotional baggage/trauma - Vallant's fresh off a break up and Tamrissa's a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence
Predetermined matches with other (supposedly) powerful/influential/rich people
Misunderstanding/miscommunication

I hate #3 the most (it is also why the whole Anna/Kristoff storyline in Frozen 2 was terrible, in a mediocre movie). #1 and #2 are both pretty standard but what's really puzzling is how Green manages to make it feel so boring and contrived. We've already covered why #2 is a fail extensively (i.e. no compelling/effective antagonists).

I'm not really sure on the root cause for #1 not working. I'm guessing it's the prose, which is somehow both bland AND annoying at the same time which makes me not engage with the characters. Neither of the characters are likeable, which isn't necessarily a non-starter, but their POVs aren't interesting to read! Despite all of the time Green's characters spend moping in their rooms or spacing out in coaches or reflecting on backstory, you rarely get deep into their thoughts.

# ? Oct 1, 2021 14:31

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Leng posted:

In an alternate Blendingverse, Tamrissa is the primary antagonist and she's psychotic.

I'm pretty sure she's psychotic in the primary blendingverse, just hanging on to social convention by a thread. Her emotional responses are way, way out of proportion with what's actually going on around her most of the time, and she jumps to some fabulously paranoid conclusions.

Liquid Communism fucked around with this message at 08:36 on Oct 6, 2021

# ? Oct 6, 2021 08:33

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

Liquid Communism posted:

I'm pretty sure she's psychotic in the primary blendingverse, just hanging on to social convention by a thread. Her emotional responses are way, way out of proportion with what's actually going on around her most of the time, and she jumps to some fabulously paranoid conclusions.

True! So many data points to support this. That scene with the fireball in her garden back in Book One was all sorts of :yikes:

# ? Oct 6, 2021 20:06

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

I always figured Green was going for the old romance archetype of a woman with a troubled and abusive past who will be entirely Fixed by Love... and accidentally being pretty true to life on Tamrissa being unstable.

# ? Oct 7, 2021 09:03

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Despite a late night, Delin rose earlier than usual. He sat at his writing desk for a short while, then searched out his carriage driver in the servants� quarters. Giving the man the sealed envelope he�d prepared and saying it was to be delivered to Timbal was all that was necessary. His driver had done the same more than once before, and had learned long ago not to ask impertinent questions.

The servants were just setting out the breakfast buffet when Delin entered the dining room, so he took a cup of tea to the table to wait for them to finish. The note he�d sent to Timbal, instructing the sleazy little man to see to the anonymous delivery of the letter accompanying his note, would be obeyed without delay�and without the unauthorized opening of the letter. Delin had used the little guttersnipe for years to see to errands he didn�t care to be associated with, and he�d long ago taught the man what would happen if he pried too deeply into the affairs of his betters.

So Delin wasn�t concerned over the possibility of his letter being seen by the wrong eyes, but that didn�t mean he was unconcerned. The letter contained the triggering phrase that would be used against the first peasants who were to face Adriari and her group, the peasants who had been in blue and silver the night of the ball at the palace.

Green: "My protagonists are too busy sitting in their residence moping about their totally unnecessary relationship drama but I somehow need to get this plot critical information to them. I know! I'll have it LITERALLY dropped into their laps!"

quote:

He�d originally meant to send them the triggering phrase almost as soon as he�d discovered it, then he�d found himself with second thoughts.

Second thoughts had led to third, mostly suspicion over how wise that course of action really was. The peasants would be freed of almost all restraint, and the information his own group had about them might prove insufficient when it became time to face them. He�d decided to think about it a bit more, but then his exultation had gotten the better of him. Between the Blending they�d managed yesterday and the elimination of his greatest enemy, Delin had recklessly ignored all thoughts of caution and had sent the letter.

�Which I don�t really regret doing, despite feeling uneasy,� he muttered to his cup of tea. The servants were no longer in the room, so he was able to speak to whatever he pleased. �You can�t keep making decisions then changing your mind, not if you intend to retain the leadership of those around you, so I won�t change my mind. I just wish I were filled with fewer misgivings��

Spoilers for the end of this book: Kambil is behind all of Delin's flip flopping intentions. If Green was better at writing her characters, you'd be able to notice these red flags on a first read through, but unfortunately Delin's also insane, so you really can't tell until you're coming back on a reread.

Sanderson did this so much better in Hero of Ages (Mistborn Era 1 #3)

quote:

�Well, good morning,� a voice came, and Delin looked up to see an almost unrecognizably bright-eyed Bron entering the room. �I expected to be first in for breakfast this morning, but you�ve beaten me to it. Even though you haven�t actually taken any breakfast yet.�

Bron�s good mood and gentle humor were almost as shocking as his appearance at that time of the morning. Not only wasn�t the Fire magic user sullen, he was actually dressed in clothing rather than a wrap. Delin sipped his tea, wondering if it were possible for one to nearly burn one�s tongue on hot tea in a dream, and then the situation was made even worse.

�Good morning, good morning,� Homin sang out as he and Selendi entered hand in hand, both of them looking just as wide awake as Bron did. �We decided we wanted to know what breakfast tastes like when it hasn�t been kept warm for hours.�

Predictably, Selendi laughed at that, but unexpectedly so did Bron. That went even further to convince Delin that he was dreaming, but the absence of one of their number kept the dream scene from being complete.

�If this were real, Kambil would have shown up before you three,� Delin pointed out, then had to ignore their renewed laughter. �I�m perfectly serious. Since Kambil isn�t here, I must be dreaming.�

�A servant told me that Kambil left instructions not to be disturbed until twenty minutes before Lord Idian is due,� Bron supplied with a chuckle as he filled a plate. �He was really tired last night, and obviously wants to restore his strength before we Blend for Lord Idian. For the first time.�

That last was added so blandly that Delin was amazed all over again.

Dun dun DUUUUUUUUUUUUN!

More spoilers for the end of this book: Kambil really went all out last night. He finished lobotomizing and mind-slaving Bron, Selendi and Homin while Delin was off banging Relana, then had to go clean up the mess Delin was making with Ollon Kapmar

I really wish we had more Kambil POVs. He's the most interesting antagonist in these books.

quote:

Bron, being circumspect? Obviously Delin had underestimated his leadership abilities; he now knew himself to be extraordinary, considering the changes in Bron, Homin, and Selendi. They were all following him and learning, so the least he could do was follow them for once.

�I can see it�s time that I ate as well,� he said, rising and walking to the place behind Homin, who had urged Selendi to the buffet ahead of him. �It will never do if I faltered during our efforts, simply because my mind was on a rare beefsteak and whipped potatoes instead of on business. Is the bacon underdone or overdone?�

Bron assured him that the bacon was just perfect, and so it turned out to be.

This is the most inane, banal crap I've ever read in a fantasy novel.

Maybe.

Isobel Carmody's The Red Queen, the conclusion to the entire Obernewtyn series, was also pretty bad. Really bad. So bad that I was PISSED by the end of it and couldn't believe it got published in that state.

quote:

Delin discovered a rather large appetite, probably stemming from the exertions of the night, and happily took care of it. The meal was punctuated with occasional light and pleasant conversation, and afterward they took additional tea in the large sitting room. Rather than despising the company of his groupmates as he had done in the past, Delin found himself actually enjoying the time. At long last they were a unified group, undoubtedly thanks to the Blending they�d managed.

quote:

It was nearly time for Lord Idian to arrive when Kambil appeared. The big man still looked faintly tired, but his smile of greeting was full of warmth.

�If I didn�t know better, I�d think I was dreaming,� he announced as he headed toward the tea service. �Everyone here and ready before me? Definitely a dream.�

Even Delin had to laugh at that, so similar was the comment to what he�d been thinking and saying earlier.

�Delin said almost the same exact thing,� Selendi commented as she watched Kambil pour a cup of tea. �Is that all you�re going to have for breakfast? If you like, I�ll have the cook throw something together for you.�

�I had a plate brought up by the servant who woke me, and I ate while I dressed,� Kambil said, then turned with his teacup in his hands and a wider smile on his face. �But I appreciate the thought, and thank you for the offer.�

�Well, we do have to look after one another now,� she responded, for all the world like a shy, virgin, schoolgirl. �And I like looking after Homin so well, that I thought I might try branching out. Mama Selendi has a certain ring to it��

That time everyone laughed, Selendi first among them. The closeness and warmth reached to a part of Delin which had never stopped wanting something like this: membership in a group which was his while he was theirs.

I think we're supposed to be feeling something for Delin here. Like he is supposed to be a tragic tortured antagonist who is an antagonist because he was abused as a child and couldn't help turning out super messed up.

Green has not executed well on her theme.

quote:

No wonder the Advisors limited the number of people who knew how to Blend. If something like this ever became available to everyone, who would bother to fight for governmental positions and social standing?

Spoilers for the sequel trilogy: it will still happen! Because people are people, except when they're perfect Blendingmates, because REAL Blendings all love each other and that love makes it so that they are perfect people forever and ever, amen

quote:

�Lords and Lady, Lord Idian,� a servant announced, and then Idian was nodding a greeting and making his way to the chair he�d used yesterday. Once he�d seated himself, he looked around at them.

�I bid you a good morning, young gentlefolk,� he said in a mildly firm voice. �As you are all here and properly attired, we may begin at once. Take your formation places, please.�

At another time Delin might have felt insult over being treated with such abruptness, but this morning was a special time. They would Blend �for the first time� in front of Idian, and thereafter would be free to do the same again at any time they pleased. Bron stepped forward briskly to establish the mark they would all measure from, and Kambil left his cup of tea to line up next. Delin brought up the rear as Selendi and Homin placed themselves to either side of Kambil, and then they were ready.

�At last you show a proper amount of enthusiasm,� Lord Idian commented with dry satisfaction. �If it continues, you may actually manage to make it work. Spirit magic begins by reaching out to everyone else, and everyone else must attempt to return the touch.�

This time Kambil�s touch came instantly, and Delin returned it in just the same way. Once connected, Delin saw that the others had done the same, and so he reached out in three additional directions�

�I take it from the young lady�s gasp that you�ve been successful,� Lord Idian said, more than simply commenting as he leaned forward a bit. �Are we discussing just the first attachment to Spirit, or have you accomplished Blending?�

�We have become one,� Delin said, and only then discovered that the others spoke at the same time he did. �What would you have us do next?�

�I would have you withdraw from the Blending, and that immediately,� Lord Idian replied, his tone having sharpened. �There are cautions you have not yet been given, and you must have this information before you begin experimentation. Withdraw, I say, and then find yourself seats.�

WHHHHHHY. We've already had this infodump.

quote:

The WE Delin was a part of wanted nothing to do with separation, but one part of the WE was extremely tired and shaky. Some of that unsteadiness came from him, Delin knew, and possibly even all of it. It was unthinkable that he might damage that glorious WE, so he withdrew instead back to the chill loneliness he�d known for all of his life.

�Excellent,� Lord Idian said as their formation relaxed and they all took deep breaths. �You are to be congratulated, young friends, for achieving what many considered well beyond you. Please take seats now, for there are things you must be told.�

Kambil was the least bit unsteady as he returned for the teacup he�d abandoned before going to a chair, and Delin knew exactly how he felt. The Blending had been in existence for mere seconds, but drained was a mild way of describing his condition. So he, too, poured a cup of tea, and carried it to a chair he didn�t quite fall into.

�To begin with, young friends, you must know that Blending is extremely draining on the systems of those involved,� Lord Idian began once Delin was seated. �If one or more of you have not had a proper amount of rest, the strength of the others will be used to activate and maintain the Blending, leaving little or nothing to be used to other purpose. To come to the formation less than fully rested and adequately fed is to waste everyone�s time and effort.�

No one actually looked at Delin when they heard that, but they didn�t have to. Delin hid his shame behind the pretense of sipping at his tea, his resolve to do better in the future solidifying to the strength of a vow.

This mechanic will never matter again for the rest of the series.

quote:

�When you first begin to practice, you must keep the sessions short and be extremely vigilant,� Lord Idian continued. �Although you won�t believe it at the time, the judgment of a Blending cannot be relied on. Ideas will come to your joint minds, but to follow through on them will be to put yourselves in extreme danger. I will provide a list of proper exercises, which will more than prepare you for the competitions. And there�s one final thing.�

He paused to look around at them, his gaze resting on each of their faces. Suspicion had flared in Delin�s weary mind, but it had been many years since his true feelings could be read in his expression.

Delin never remembers that Spirit magic is a thing in this world.

quote:

�There will come a time of temptation which you must resist at all cost,� Lord Idian pronounced as he continued to look from one to the other of them. �Once you become used to Blending, you will eventually feel the urge to � go even farther. What this farther point is I couldn�t tell you, nor can anyone else who has reached for it. It somehow � draws the members of a Blending in deep, and at some point refuses to release them again. They end up � unmoving and unfeeling, trapped in a vortex outside their bodies. If you ignore this advice, on your heads be it.�

Delin frowned at such callous disregard for their well-being, watching poor Selendi shudder against a worried-looking Homin. Bron and Kambil seemed just as disturbed, and the group reaction made Lord Idian nod in satisfaction.

�It relieves me to see all of you taking my caution so seriously,� he said, obviously gathering himself to stand. �There are stories about a Blending from the last competitions, whose members ignored the warning. I shudder every time I think about them, and fervently hope that nothing of the same occurs this time� I�ll have the list of exercises sent over a bit later, and tomorrow I will watch you perform one or two of them. Until tomorrow, then.�

Green has gotten to the point where she doesn't even bother making up a fake rumor.

quote:

By that time Lord Idian was on his feet, but Kambil spoke up before the man might depart.

�It was surprising to see you without Rigos again, but somehow not entirely unexpected,� Kambil put gently with the hint of pain in his voice. �Do things � continue to go badly for him? I�ve known him for years, and I almost feel as though I�ve � betrayed him in some way.�

�At the moment, young Lord Rigos is in the process of betraying himself,� Lord Idian returned stiffly. �I waited for his arrival this morning, and finally was forced to leave alone. Neither Rigos nor any explanation or excuse has thus far reached me, which puts me very much out of patience with the young fool. If I should fail to hear from him by tonight, tomorrow morning I shall demand that he be replaced.�

With that Lord Idian turned and left, marching out as though going to Rigos�s hanging. Delin felt a wave of enjoyment sweep through him at the thought of Rigos cooperating with his own destruction, and that despite the stab of disappointment which he also felt. Lord Ollon�s body should have already been discovered � unless the madman had found a reason to dismiss all his servants�

�Thank you,� Delin heard Kambil say, and he looked up to see a servant in the doorway who bowed briefly before disappearing. �He was asked to tell me when Lord Idian�s carriage pulled away, which apparently it now has. Would anyone like to comment on what we were told?�

MEETING TIME!

quote:

�The idea of that � vortex really frightens me,� Selendi said simply and openly. �It may be because I sensed � something beyond our Blended state, and was tempted for a moment to find out what it was.�

�I felt the same something, and also the same temptation,� Bron put in thoughtfully. �I don�t remember noticing it yesterday, but today it was perfectly clear.�

�And I can make it three,� Homin said in agreement, equally sobered. �Not yesterday, but definitely today. What about you and Delin, Kambil?�

Delin nodded to show that it had also been the same for him, though more vaguely than definitely. His weariness had apparently cut into his strength rather severely, he thought, and then Kambil confirmed the surmise.

�I�m still too tired to be at my sharpest, so I only just noticed what the rest of you felt so clearly,� he said.

FIVE FIVE FIVE FIVE FIVE.

quote:

�But believe it or not, the discovery isn�t what interests me most. I do happen to have enough strength left to know that Lord Idian was lying in his teeth.�

The correct expression is "lying through his teeth".

quote:

Delin exclaimed aloud along with the others, his suspicions flaring again like a beacon. He�d known there was something wrong with what they were being told, he�d known it for certain!

�I suppose they were counting on me being too distracted by having Blended for the first time to pay full attention to our mentor,� Kambil went on. �And they also think we haven�t noticed that something yet, so they�re poisoning our minds against it before we do. There�s no danger of a �vortex,� and there are no chilling stories handed down from the last competitions. The only truth he spoke was about how draining Blending is, and that we all need to be well rested.�

Though how would Idian even know anything? This stuff is supposed to be highly classified! Why would you send someone who knows they're lying to lie in front of a High with Spirit magic? And technically, Earth magic too, but Delin's unreliable so...

quote:

�I�ll bet Adriari�s group isn�t being told any fairy tales,� Bron growled, clearly verbalizing what all the rest of them thought. �They�re obviously trying to keep us limited in what we can do, to be certain we don�t become a real threat to their plans.�

�Isn�t it a shame that they haven�t succeeded?� Homin said with an edge to his voice that Delin had never heard before. �I�m absolutely crushed on their behalf, and incidentally can�t wait to see that list of �permissible� exercises.�

�I got the impression of limitation rather than exercise,� Kambil said after sipping at his tea, �which means you�re right to be suspicious, Homin. They need us to perform in the competitions, but they don�t want us to become too strong or effective. It�s a very fine line that they�re walking, and we should be able to slip by while their attention is on where they put their feet.�

�Am I mistaken, or was Lord Idian really surprised when we Blended for him?� Delin asked through a haze of fury. �He said something about people not believing we could do it� Worthless little nothings actually doubting us�!�

�I discovered yesterday that the other groups�not counting Adriari�s, of course�Blended on the first try,� Kambil said gently. �I didn�t pass on the information because I didn�t care to put additional pressure on everyone, and also because I felt convinced that we, too, would be successful. I don�t know what they would have done if we hadn�t managed it� Possibly sent us in anyway, under orders to pretend.�

The whole farce doesn't make any sense on MULTIPLE LEVELS. The average person can't tell whether or not a group of people have actually Blended (i.e. an entity is formed) or if they're surface Blended only (apart from the speaking in sync). The average person ALSO wouldn't even be able to tell the difference if five Highs walked out together and competed as individuals on a team, or as a link group, because the entities don't do anything other than use the five talents like an individual uses them!

:bang:

GREEN WHY.

quote:

�Not managing to Blend wouldn�t have saved us,� Selendi said, as serious as Homin had been. �As long as we had the details about how to Blend buried somewhere in our heads, we�d still be a threat to the Advisors. Not to mention still being unwanted by our families. No, winning the competitions is still the only thing we can do.�

Delin was tempted to feel stunned again that Selendi had actually said that, but pride pushed forward too strongly. He�d done it, he�d really gotten through to his groupmates, and from now on everything would work out perfectly.

�Which means we need to begin real practicing,� Kambil said after draining his cup and then putting it aside. �I�d love to begin at once, but common sense insists that I get more rest first. I�m going back to bed, and I strongly suggest that any of you who feels the least weariness should follow my example. By this afternoon, I�ll be completely ready to go again.�

�I, for one, intend to follow your example,� Delin said as he put his own cup aside and stood. �Breakfast helped a bit, but my sleep was disturbed last night by all sorts of dreams. By this afternoon I, too, intend to be ready to go.�

�I�m going to make it three,� Bron announced as he stood and stretched. �I had a good night�s sleep and felt fine when I first got up, but now the early hour must be getting to me. A nap sounds like a really good idea.�

Homin and Selendi said they weren�t terribly tired, but if everyone else was going back to bed, they would do the same.

FFS, TWICE IN A CHAPTER OMFG.

quote:

Delin marveled at their unity as they all left the sitting room together, that brand new warmth touching him again. Everything would have been perfect � if only Lord Ollon�s body had been found, and Rigos was arrested for the second and final time�

Dun dun DUN!

Summary:

Day 12
During breakfast, Delin notices that Bron, Homin and Selendi are all acting suspiciously very unlike their actual selves while Kambil is uncharacteristically still asleep. Idian shows up to confirm Delin and co can actually Blend.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 44 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 29 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 20 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x2), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 94 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 28 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 77 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 52 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 61 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 10 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 10, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
I maintain that we don't need antagonist POVs in these books because they add literally nothing of value. I still think the earlier idea of having a set of antagonist novels could be interesting, but you'd really have to be smart about it (like L.E. Modesitt and Will Wight were). The Modesitt books didn't actually have that much overlap beyond maybe 3-4 scenes but Will Wight's Elder Empire series did not do that well, because people were hella confused about which they should read first.

I suspect what WOULD be a better idea would be to have two authors write the two different sides of the story using a pre-determined outline of events, but that takes a lot of work to coordinate.

Leng fucked around with this message at 01:40 on Dec 8, 2021

# ? Oct 9, 2021 12:04

Maigius: Jun 29, 2013

I can't remember what if it was said what talents the Blending instructors have, but if that was not said, they could be Guild talents. It seems like they would have the knowledge and ability to detect Blendings.

# ? Oct 10, 2021 03:51

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

Maigius posted:

I can't remember what if it was said what talents the Blending instructors have, but if that was not said, they could be Guild talents. It seems like they would have the knowledge and ability to detect Blendings.

I don't think it's ever confirmed in-text what talents they have. The other thing that annoys me no end, is that by the end of Book 8, we discover that when you're a mature full Blending that has completely integrated on a permanent basis, you CAN see Blending entities but the books never go into what the world looks like from a Guild talent's perspective because Green so we still do not freaking know.

If it were any other author, there's probably a canon answer in the notes, but since it's Green, I'm betting she never thought about it.

# ? Oct 10, 2021 15:22

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR�

Lady Eltrina Razas was enjoying herself thoroughly when the knock came at the bedchamber door. It was the deferential knock of a servant, so she ignored it and told her current toy to continue with what he�d been doing. The dear boy had such knowing hands and mouth, not to mention the fact that he�d been completely ready for her for quite some time�

And now begins a new trend of having most random antagonist POVs open whilst they're in the middle of sex.

quote:

�Rot!� Eltrina snarled when the knock came again, this time more insistent. �They�re supposed to go away if I don�t answer the first time. I�m not going to dismiss whoever it is, I�m going to have them drawn and quartered!�

The beautiful young man chuckled as she kissed his desire before getting out of bed, but chuckling wasn�t what Eltrina felt like doing. She hadn�t been joking about the drawing and quartering, and she barely had the patience to pull on a wrap before going to the door. But she was about to find out who was to blame for this intrusion, so she yanked open the door and�

Like every single other character who was vaguely interesting to begin with, Green has decided to turn Eltrina into a caricature as the books progress, instead of making her character more nuanced.

quote:

�Please excuse the disturbance, my lady, but Advisory representatives are downstairs demanding to see you,� Shorten, her husband�s majordomo, said as quickly as possible. �I tried to tell them that the hour was much too early, but they refused to be put off.�

�Give me just a moment, Shorten,� Eltrina said quietly before closing the door again. She had no idea what was going on, but when Advisory representatives �demanded� to see someone, that someone obliged or was immediately arrested. It was really bothersome, but going downstairs was preferable to being arrested.

�I�ll be back in just a few minutes, so don�t you go away,� Eltrina said to the beautiful boy as she found a decorous nightgown to put on under the wrap. �Spend the time thinking about what you�ll do next, and if I find I like it I�ll buy you a present you�ll adore.�

The boy nodded with eagerness in his lovely eyes, so Eltrina slipped on a pair of mules

The word "mules" really threw me here. Technically that's just any kind of shoe with no back but I'm picturing Eltrina walking around in unflattering house slippers.

quote:

and went back to the door. Shorten stood waiting patiently just outside, and when she appeared he led the way downstairs to her husband�s study. Her husband wasn�t in it, of course, since he was currently away on a business trip, but the two strange men who failed to rise from where they sat reminded her strongly of him.

�Lady Eltrina?� one of the two said, looking up from the papers he studied. �I�m Lord Anglard Nobin, and the Advisors speak through my voice.�

�Funny, but I could have sworn that the Advisors had voices of their own,� Eltrina replied dryly, strolling over to sit in a chair opposite the man. �I don�t know why you�re here, Lord Anglard, but you�ll get a lot more accomplished if you come to the point. Wasting time with vague and childish threats is � a waste of time.�

Oh look! A glimpse of the Eltrina that could have been!

quote:

�Getting straight to the point suits me as well,� Lord Anglard agreed without showing anything even vaguely resembling a smile. �You began as the assistant of Lord Ollon Kapmar, became his mistress in a very short time, then took over his responsibilities when he � suffered a personal tragedy. When was the last time you lay with him? Was that also the last time you recall speaking to him?�

�The last time I spoke to him was after the � tragedy,� Eltrina snapped, feeling the heat which had risen to her face. �That was when he asked me to take over his duties until he felt able to return to work. The rest of what you said is disgusting, and I refuse to comment on malicious rumor.�

�Your prestige rose quite a bit when Lord Ollon was incapacitated, didn�t it, Lady Eltrina?� Anglard pursued in the same cold tone. �It was a situation you were hoping for, and one you might even have been willing to arrange. That rumor you mentioned has it that you were more than willing to make Lord Ollon�s absence permanent.�

�I don�t have to sit here and be insulted,� Eltrina said as she rose from the chair, the heat in her face having turned chill. �I don�t know what you�re accusing me of, and seriously doubt if you know. I��

�Sit down, Lady Eltrina,� Anglard ordered in a voice of steel. �You will either speak to us here, or in your cell once you�re arrested. Our forbearance is for your husband�s position, and is merely a matter of courtesy. If you force me to it, that courtesy will be forgotten.�

Eltrina hesitated only a moment before obeying, her mind sick and wild with conjecture. How much did they really know, and how much were they simply guessing at? She had intended to have Ollon murdered, but since she never actually got around to it, how much could they do to her?

�Your aspect of talent is Earth magic, I�m told,� Anglard went on in the same chill, distant way. �Just how strong does that talent happen to be, Lady Eltrina? Middle strength, surely, or possibly even more?�

�Are you insane?� Eltrina whispered, no longer able to control her own voice or emotions. �I was declared a Low talent, just like one fifth of the rest of the people in the empire, but what can that possibly have to do with anything else? Why are you doing this to me?�

�Show me your talent, Lady Eltrina,� Anglard commanded, ignoring her plea entirely. �Open yourself to the power, and touch me with your talent.�

Eltrina�s head spun even more wildly, but very frankly she was too frightened to refuse. Everyone involved in a career played stab-in-the-back, and the only hard and fast rule was, Don�t Get Caught. If she�d really been caught, the only thing that might possibly save her was full cooperation.

So she opened her mind to the power, and reached out gingerly to touch Anglard. She gasped when she finally accomplished it, as Anglard was stronger than anyone she had ever met.

�Yes, a Low talent beyond all doubt,� Anglard said, but not to her. He spoke to the other man, who until now hadn�t said a word.

�And her guilt seemed to be over plans she�d made, not over something she�d actually done,� the second man broke his silence to agree. �She was a good possibility, but now we�ll need to look elsewhere.�

FINALLY! After pages and pages and pages of mind numbingly boring developments, we see the Blendingverse equialent of detectives show up.

quote:

�What are you talking about?� Eltrina demanded wildly when Anglard nodded and began to gather up his papers. �What�s going on here?�

�You no longer need to be disturbed, Lady Eltrina,� Anglard said as he rose to his feet. �You were one of our main suspects, but now you�ve been cleared. And, by the way, congratulations on your advancement.�

�Advancement?� Eltrina echoed, barely able to keep control of herself. �What advancement?�

�Why, to the position of permanently replacing Lord Ollon,� Anglard said as he and the other man walked toward the door. �I�m certain it will be yours, now that Lord Ollon is dead.�

Dead! Eltrina slumped back in stunned shock as the two men simply left. Ollon was dead, but � if she hadn�t done it, then who had�?

Who else?

quote:

* * *

�Now I�m feeling marvelous,� Delin announced as he joined everyone in the sitting room. �I�ve slept for hours, and I feel like a new man.�

�I�m sorry, Delin, but Kambil has already claimed the new man title,� Bron informed him with a grin while everyone else chuckled. �I�m beginning to think that you two have the same person writing your passing comments for you, and whichever of you arrives first gets to speak them first.�

�Say, I never thought of that,� Delin returned, much too pleased to let some innocent banter disturb him. �Hiring someone to write my comments, I mean. It would certainly save me the effort of having to do it myself, and then I�d be able to avoid the fate of sounding like Kambil�s echo.�

�If you find someone, do let me know what his name is, won�t you, old man?� Kambil drawled, turning away from the tea service with a freshly poured cup. �Just to satisfy my curiosity, of course.�

Kambil�s words had been so thickly coated with innocence that everyone began to laugh really hard, including Delin. It was no longer possible to be angry or impatient with those wonderful people, not since they�d Blended. They were now part of each other, and everything said was simply said in fun. Delin not only knew that, he was endlessly thankful for it.

�Hmmm. I wonder if the rest of us should also be curious,� Bron said after a moment, glancing to Homin and Selendi. �That way we could say the words with them, and correct any mistakes they might make��

That set them off again, and Delin laughed till the tears ran down his face. Never in his life had he enjoyed himself so much, not even when he�

Trying too hard, Green.

quote:

�Pardon the intrusion, gentles!� a voice said rather loudly, as though it had tried to say the same before. Delin joined the others in turning to the doorway, and was startled to see Lord Idian behind the almost-shouting servant.

�You�ll have to excuse this unscheduled visit, but there�s a very important reason for it,� Idian said as he made his way forward, gesturing at the servant to leave. �Something extremely upsetting has happened, and I�ve been asked to inform all my people.�

Delin disliked the way Idian said, �my people,� but had no intention of making an issue of it. This was probably the announcement he�d been waiting for, and he intended to enjoy every word of it.

�I know you all have reason to remember the source of the scandal Rigos became embroiled in,� Idian said as he sat heavily in the same chair he�d used earlier. �The life which was lost belonged to your stepmother, Lord Homin, and I�m afraid I�m now the bearer of further ill tidings. Your late stepmother�s brother, Lord Ollon Kapmar, has also been murdered.�

Delin joined everyone else as they gasped or made some other show of surprise, and then Bron spoke up.

�You see?� he said, looking around at everyone. �I knew that doing it once meant it was only a matter of time before it was done again. They�d better have already arrested Rigos, and this time they�d better keep him locked up.�

�Considering the fact that Rigos and Ollon made a scene at a party last night, they did indeed go to arrest him,� Idian agreed with a nod. �The major problem arising there is that they found him to be beyond arrest. After leaving orders with the servants that he wasn�t to be disturbed under any circumstances, he apparently then proceeded to take his own life.�

This time there was a deep, shocked silence in which Delin fully participated. Rigos had found a way to escape from the horror Delin had planned for him, and it just wasn�t fair!

�Young Rigos apparently left a letter for his father,� Idian continued after a moment. �In it he asked forgiveness for his cowardice, but he simply couldn�t bear the accusation any longer. Had he been guilty he could have easily accepted the blame, but as it was� He felt that his life was no longer worth living, as proving the truth to everyone would be impossible.�

�He � could have been lying,� Bron tried hesitantly, the words more a hope than a certainty. �He could have intended to seem to kill himself, but expected to be stopped or saved. Afterward people would have believed��

�Lord Bron, he went to the bath house, entered the water, and opened his wrists with a razor,� Idian interrupted to supply. �After the orders he�d given about not being disturbed, he had no hope of interruption. Special investigators were called as soon as he was found, and they determined that it would have been impossible for him to have killed Lord Ollon. Rigos was, beyond doubt, already dead when Ollon was killed.�

�But � that would mean he really was innocent, and someone else committed both murders,� Bron whispered, his face pale. �He was innocent all along, and I said��

If only we'd seen any evidence of Bron as somebody capable of feeling contrition.

quote:

His words ended abruptly, but Delin almost didn�t notice. A great chill had formed inside him, centering around a suddenly growing fear. He�d left traces to prove that Rigos had killed Ollon, but with Rigos dead first, those traces would prove something else entirely�

�Are you all right, Lord Delin?� Idian said, breaking into Delin�s thoughts. �You appear to be even more pale than Lord Bron.�

�I feel more pale,� Delin said, automatically responding in a way to cover himself. �I knew Rigos since we were boys together, but instead of supporting him I joined the ranks of his accusers. Now I feel as though it were my hand which ended his life, rather than his own.�

�I think we were all equally guilty in that particular area,� Kambil put in quietly, sending Delin a look of support. �We believed the rumor rather than the truth, and tragedy followed. If it were only possible to take back those words and actions��

He, too, let his words trail off, turning away to bow his head. Delin walked to a chair and sat, almost too numb to notice how Selendi cried against a Homin who seemed deeply touched by tragedy. None of them was taking the supposedly marvelous news at all well, and Lord Idian stirred before rising to his feet.

Nope. Don't buy any of this.

quote:

�Here�s that list of exercises I promised you,� he said quietly, removing a folded sheet of paper from his coat and placing the sheet on a nearby table. �You won�t feel much like practicing for a while, but when you do, follow the instructions carefully. I�ll see all of you again tomorrow.�

I have a sneaking suspicion Green doesn't know how to write emotional scenes.

quote:

* * *

Lord Idian took one last look at the five people, then he left the room. A servant stood near the front door, so in another moment Idian was outside and climbing into his carriage. His driver already had his instructions, which meant that Idian�s carriage left the residence�s drive but not to take him home. When he reached the carriage waiting just out of sight up the street, Idian�s carriage stopped.

�Well?� Lord Anglard asked in the same cold and emotionless voice he�d used since Idian had first met him. �Was it one of them?�

�I�m tempted to say no, but something is keeping me from being completely certain,� Idian replied. �They�ve all changed radically since they Blended, and they�re very difficult to read.�

�How difficult can it be?� Lord Fortner Oplis asked, surprising Idian. �Your talent in Spirit magic is easily as strong as my own, and I�d be able to tell without any trouble.�

There you go, Idian has Spirit magic; so he should have been picking up everything from Delin the whole time!

quote:

�You say that only because you haven�t yet come in contact with High talents, my friend,� Idian rejoined dryly. �You and I are strong Middles, but these people soar way above us. I�ve been able to feel the mountain of strength inside Kambil since the first moment I entered that residence, and the rest of them aren�t that far�if at all�behind.�

�But Delin Moord is the one you were supposed to be looking at the most carefully,� Anglard pointed out. �He�s the one with Earth magic, so he�s the only one who could have accomplished what was done. He doesn�t have a mountain of Spirit magic inside him, so what did you learn?�

�He was really stunned when he heard about Rigos,� Idian replied, remembering that clearly. �I didn�t understand why so I asked a question, and the answer I was given made sense. He�s an odd sort, the kind of man who looks forward gleefully to hearing bad news about other people. He expected to enjoy whatever tragedy I�d come to announce, so his shock was deeper than it would have been ordinarily.�

�And you don�t see anything suspicious in his being ready to enjoy the news of tragedy?� Anglard demanded. �If I�d been there��

�If you�d been there, you�d have gotten nothing more than what he cared to give you,� Idian interrupted to say slowly and carefully. �Try to understand that these people are a lot stronger than you, just as you�re stronger than those with Low talent. Your presence would have put the guilty on guard, something we tried to avoid by having me break the news.�

I call BS. This is Green's way of covering up her plotholes.

I don't mind magic systems where difference in magical power makes the magically powerful basically immune to magical attacks/influence from the magically weak, but the system needs to at least be coherent.

quote:

�So what has our very clever strategy accomplished?� Anglard demanded. �This is the last of the four residences, and we�re no closer to an answer than we were. I�ve half a mind to revisit each of them personally, only with Puredan rather than you as my companion.�

�If you did that, the Advisors would skin your �half a mind� along with the rest of you,� Idian returned, really beginning to be annoyed. �Get it through your head that these people have to be available to compete in a short while, even if one of them does happen to be guilty of two murders and bringing about a suicide. After they�ve served their purpose, no one will care what you do with them�as long as your guilty party isn�t a member of Lady Adriari�s group.�

I'm not seeing how Anglard's suggestion is incompatible with competing.

quote:

�Every member of her group can be accounted for at an all-night party,� Anglard replied, gesturing a dismissal. �They were all in plain view at the time Ollon was killed, especially her Earth magic member. No, it has to be one of these other four, who won�t be protected by having won the Fivefold Throne. How long must I wait?�

�Now that this last group has Blended, I can answer that question,� Idian said, still vaguely annoyed. �We wouldn�t have waited more than another day or so, but they finally managed to make waiting unnecessary. The first day of the competitions will be exactly seven days from today.�

This...this is not how you organize critically important national events that pose massive logistical challenges!

quote:

�And as soon as the last of it is over, I can have the last of them,� Anglard said with satisfaction. �But the first group should be available rather quickly. Will that be a matter of chance, or has everything been worked out?�

�Leaving things to chance is never a good idea,� Idian told him, wondering how an Advisory representative could possibly be so innocent. Then he outlined exactly what was planned�

Yes, yes, we get it, the competitions are fixed, thanks Green for arbitrarily making a competent character incompetent just so you can shoehorn in yet another pointed reminder of the dozens of infodumps about the competitions being fixed.

Summary:

Day 12
During breakfast, Delin notices that Bron, Homin and Selendi are all acting suspiciously very unlike their actual selves while Kambil is uncharacteristically still asleep. Idian shows up to confirm Delin and co can actually Blend. Meanwhile, Blendingverse detectives are finally on the case of Ollon's murder: first, Eltrina is cleared and confirmed as Ollon's replacement, then Idian returns to break the news that Rigos committed suicide prior to Ollon's death. The detectives suspect Delin but aren't strong enough to confirm it's him.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 24 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 29 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 21 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged (x3), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 95 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 28 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 78 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 52 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 61 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 8 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 10 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 11, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
Still think it would have been better to follow the team of Blendingverse detectives instead of the antagonist Blending. It would have been a good way to introduce everybody relevant to the competitions, the politics of the nobility and the various motives explicitly, which is about Green's skill level.

# ? Oct 18, 2021 20:27

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

We're about to read the STUPIDEST conflict ever.

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE�

Jovvi had just finished filling her breakfast plate and was turning away from the buffet when Tamma walked in. The girl didn�t even nod to her, which surprised Jovvi until she remembered that they still weren�t supposed to be getting along. Ordinarily Jovvi wouldn�t have forgotten, but having already taken care of the problem had made her dismiss it automatically.

�We don�t have to worry about what we say any longer,� she told Tamma with a smile. �When I woke up I felt strong and refreshed, so I had a brief chat with every servant on the staff. It finally came through to me that our lives are at stake here, so my worrying about taking advantage with my ability is not just silly, it�s downright stupid. From now on we won�t be taking any chances at all, because no matter what we say or do, all the servants will see and hear is bickering and discord.�

And from this point onwards, Jovvi will no longer even have any semblance of any compunctions about messing with other people's heads.

quote:

�That�s nice,� Tamma answered, walking past Jovvi to the buffet without saying anything else. It was as though Jovvi had announced that the day would be sunny and pleasant, not at all the reaction Tamma should have given.

�Are you all right?� Jovvi asked, just stopping herself from reaching to Tamma with her ability.

Green is so inconsistent with how Spirit magic works. Jovvi should not need to reach out with her ability to sense Tamrissa's emotions.

quote:

�You sounded as though you didn�t hear a word I said.�

�I heard you, I still think it�s nice, and no, I�m not all right,� Tamma replied without turning. �How did your night lying beside Lorand go?�

�It went the same for both of us,� Jovvi answered ruefully. �We undressed and got into bed, put our heads on the pillows�and then I was asleep. I�d feel awful for Lorand, but I have the definite impression that the same happened to him.�

�I�m sure it did,� Tamma commented, still not turning. �All four of you were so completely exhausted��

�Oh, no!� Jovvi exclaimed, finally understanding. �You weren�t as tired, but Vallant was. Weren�t you able to wake him?�

�I now know what it�s like to spend the night with a dead body,� Tamma replied, no longer filling the plate she�d taken. �And I think that someone is trying to tell me something, like that I�m a fool to believe I�ll ever get together with Vallant. Something has kept it from happening every time, and I�m really tired of finding nothing but frustration.�

�Tamma, it�s nothing but a run of awful coincidence,� Jovvi said, trying to sound as reassuring and certain as possible. �No one is telling you anything but that our circumstances are far from usual, so what you need to do is have patience. Everything will work out, just wait and see if it doesn�t.�

�Of course it will,� Tamma said, back to filling her plate. �I�m sure you�re right, and I�m just being foolish.�

You seriously are.

quote:

�You�re saying the proper words, but you don�t sound convinced,� Jovvi pointed out, trying not to share the heavy sense of frustration coming from Tamma. �If you look at this right, it�s really kind of funny��

�Well, now we know what the real problem is,� Tamma said glumly, finally leaving the buffet with her plate. �I have nothing of a sense of humor.

She really doesn't.

quote:

Can we talk about something else?�

Jovvi felt the definite urge to close her eyes, after which she would give herself a good talking to. Not only hadn�t she helped Tamma, she seemed to have managed to make things worse. She might have done better not getting up this morning�

�Good morning, ladies,� Rion said neutrally as he entered the dining room, then he added in a whisper, �And what a truly marvelous morning it is.�

Jovvi explained again about their being able to speak freely as she took her place at the table, then added, �Why is the morning so marvelous, Rion?� Anything that might divert Tamma from the glumness of her thoughts would be worth listening to.

�It�s marvelous because of � our guest,� Rion replied, obviously trying to be circumspect. �We were able to merge our essences before I simply had to sleep, and then when I awoke this morning��

this is why Rion is the best, super weird euphemism not withstanding.

quote:

The clatter of Tamma�s eating utensils hitting her plate interrupted Rion, and Jovvi felt like groaning. This was not only getting out of hand, it was progressing from ridiculous to absurd.

This entire subplot has been absurd for a while.

quote:

�Have I said something wrong?� Rion asked diffidently from where he stood at the buffet. �If I�ve distressed you ladies in any way��

�No, no, Rion, it isn�t you fault,� Jovvi quickly assured him.

Where was the proofreader?

quote:

�It�s just that Tamma has gotten this really silly idea��

�Silly?� Tamma interrupted in turn, her voice just short of being shrill.

Pretty sure it IS actually shrill.

quote:

�Rion managed to stay awake, so why is it silly for me to have expected Vallant to do the same? Obviously Rion cares more about Naran than Vallant does about me, and that vague someone was perfectly right. Vallant and I just aren�t meant to be together.�

OMFG.

quote:

Jovvi could feel Tamma�s need to hurry out of the room, but she must have remembered that Vallant might still be in her apartment. So instead of running she began to eat again, deliberately seeing to at least one of her body�s hungers.

Someone should have explained to Tamrissa that morning sex is a thing. But maybe none of them actually know this is a thing, because except for the Rion/Tamrissa encounter way back when, every single sexual encounter between the protagonists across ALL EIGHT BOOKS happens at night.

I'm serious.

quote:

�I�m considering taking a vow of silence,� Rion murmured as he sat in his place at the table to Jovvi�s right. �A pity I didn�t consider it earlier.�

�You had no way of knowing, so it wasn�t your fault,� Jovvi murmured back with a smile. �I�m tempted to go looking for a stick to beat Vallant over the head with, but this wasn�t really his fault either. If only Tamma had just a little bit more self confidence� She should be laughing about it all, not thinking it�s the end of the world��

Wait until you guys find out the solution ~~Green~~ the protagonists come up with to solve this ~~complication~~ stupid and unnecessary drama.

quote:

That was when Lorand walked in, giving Jovvi a wry smile on his way to the buffet. Jovvi�s first urge was to tell him that it was all right to speak freely, but right now speaking freely could prove to be more dangerous and damaging than when half the servants were listening to every word. It was hard to imagine anything that might make Tamma feel worse, but Jovvi was confident that somehow someone would manage it.

�Silly of me,� Rion muttered in apparent annoyance, then he rose from his seat to return to the buffet with his plate. He seemed to have forgotten to take something, but when he got over there Jovvi became aware of him whispering to Lorand. He must have been passing on everything Jovvi hadn�t been able to, as well as cautioning Lorand against foot-in-mouth disease. That wonderful man! Right now Jovvi loved him more than anyone but Lorand.

Pretty sure we all love Rion more than any of you. He's the only one who does anything.

quote:

Rion returned to the table first, and a pair of moments later Lorand took his place to Tamma�s left. Tamma had apparently missed seeing Rion speaking to him, as she turned to him after he was seated.

�Jovvi says it�s all right for us to say anything we like,� she informed him with very little enthusiasm. �I don�t know why she didn�t tell you as soon as you walked in, so you might ask her. At least she�s still speaking to you.�

�Why shouldn�t she be speaking to me?� Lorand asked cautiously, sending Jovvi a glance filled with a plea for help. �Is there someone she�s decided not to speak to?�

�Of course not,� Tamma responded, shifting her gaze back to her plate of food. �Jovvi always talks to everyone, probably even if she hates them. I suppose it�s a good way to be, but it isn�t my way. I seem to be more into � brooding and blaming, I suppose you would call it. And I don�t want to talk about it.�

Tamrissa. We're way off the charts on the passive-aggressiveness meter.

quote:

Once again she went back to eating, and when Lorand looked at Jovvi and parted his lips, Jovvi quickly shook her head. Tamma was working herself deeper and deeper into despondence, the hatred she�d spoken of partially self-hatred. Her reactions to what had happened�or, more accurately, to what hadn�t happened�were completely out of proportion to the importance of the incident,

You don't say!

quote:

but there might be a reason for that.

Yes. It's because Green doesn't know how else to incorporate conflict into her story.

quote:

She was a woman who had been taught not to hope, and she�d managed to overcome that harsh and heartless lesson. If she�d gotten to the point of hoping too hard, her disappointment would certainly be completely out of proportion to what others considered normal. If only she could be shown how farcical it really was�

You guys realize it's not just this one thing, right? Tamrissa has a talent for making mountains out of grains of sand.

quote:

�Oh, oh,� Rion murmured, and Jovvi looked up to see Vallant in the doorway. His arrival was hardly unexpected, so for an instant she wondered at Rion�s comment�until she realized that Vallant was grinning. Very obviously he saw how funny the situation was, which made Jovvi groan all over again.

This is maybe the only time Vallant has been cool.

quote:

�You really will have to tell Vallant how upset you are,� Jovvi said to Tamma as fast as she could get the words out. �He probably thinks the joke�s on him, and doesn�t realize that you don�t consider it a joke.�

�I can�t tell him because I�m not speaking to him,� Tamma disagreed, a different cast now showing up in her thoughts. �I�ve decided my mistake was in listening to him in the first place, so I�m not listening either. None of this will affect the Blending, of course, just our lives outside the Blending.�

�You consider it fair to blame a man for something that wasn�t his fault?� Jovvi asked, relieved to see that Vallant had lost his grin. �If he�d deliberately made the decision to fall asleep, then I�d have to agree with everything you�ve said. But speaking from personal experience, he had no choice at all in the matter. Complete exhaustion does that to people.�

�Rion had a choice in the matter,� Tamma countered with growing annoyance, and Jovvi was able to feel Rion flinch inwardly. �If one man can do it, so can a second�unless the second isn�t quite as interested in doing it as he�s been claiming. If something�s been trying this hard to tell me not to get involved, it�s about time I started to listen.�

Vallant�s brows had risen as his expression turned thoughtful, and then he stepped back out of the doorway and out of sight. Jovvi could tell that he�d gotten an idea, and she could only hope it was a good one.

It's a pretty stupid idea, but Tamrissa's being pretty stupid, so it's appropriate.

quote:

Things were getting worse by the minute, and if Tamma�s growing annoyance progressed to full anger� Jovvi didn�t even want to think about it.

A full minute went by, and then Vallant suddenly strode into the room. His thoughts were calm and under careful control, but outwardly he looked furious.

�Jovvi, I�m not pickin� up any trace of people close enough to overhear us,� he said curtly as he stalked closer to the table. �Does that mean I can do some open talkin� for a couple of minutes?�

�Yes, you certainly can,� Jovvi responded cautiously. �As a matter of fact��

�Good, because I�ve got somethin� to say,� Vallant interrupted to growl. �I don�t know how they�re doin� it, but it looks like the testin� authority is workin� on me. We�ve got to find out what they�re doin� and stop it, because I don�t ever want that happenin� again.�

�What sort of thing are you talking about, Vallant?� Jovvi asked in sudden but hidden delight. It looked like the idea he�d gotten was a good one, as even Tamma had been startled by his vehemence.

�It started when I went to bed this mornin�,� he said, his words continuing cold and hard. �Sure, I was tired, but not tired enough to forget that I was waitin� for the most wonderful woman in the world. One minute I was picturin� holdin� her in my arms, and the next I was wakin� up all alone in her bedchamber. Whatever was affectin� me didn�t even let me hear her get up and dress, which ought to prove the point. And when I find out who�s doin� it��

The deadliness in his voice couldn�t be missed, and Jovvi felt Tamma shiver inwardly. Her thoughts were badly confused, but she didn�t seem to be actively disbelieving.

�In the meantime, there�s no way I can apologize to the woman who means everythin� to me,� Vallant continued after a brief pause, touching Tamma�s shoulder lightly for an instant. �She�s been given the worst insult a man can give a woman, and until I�ve avenged her honor I won�t even be able to bring myself to speak to her� Bein� too ashamed is somethin� I�m just not used to, and somethin� I don�t mean to get used to��

His words choked off as he paused again in what was very obviously deep embarrassment, and then he turned and walked to the buffet.

Vallant's missed his calling in the theatre!

quote:

Jovvi felt Lorand and Rion fighting to control their expressions, just as she was having to do with her own.

quote:

Vallant�s performance had been marvelous, and Tamma sat staring down at her plate in utter confusion. The temptation was there to help Tamma toward full belief, but Jovvi firmly resisted it. Meddling now with anything but words could only make things worse instead of better.

This is the only time we'll ever see someone with Spirit magic think this.

quote:

�It never occurred to me that the testing authority could or would do something like that, but it sounds like them,� Jovvi mused instead. �I don�t know how they�d accomplish it, but why they�d bother is much easier. Anything they can do to disrupt us is completely to their benefit.�

�But of course you know how they would do it,� Lorand put in, speaking as solemnly as Jovvi had. �Just the way I did it last night, or rather, this morning. Anyone with enough strength in Earth magic could do the same, and if the victim started out tired to begin with, it would not even take that much strength.�

�Yes, I do remember now,� Jovvi agreed, not really having forgotten. She�d wanted the point stressed for Tamma, and Lorand, the love, had obliged. �Obviously I should have been more alert, so this is definitely my fault. It was just that I was so exhausted��

�No, love, the fault wasn�t yours alone,� Lorand disagreed at once. �I was also too exhausted, otherwise I would have been able to detect Earth magic being used. We�ll have to work together to make sure this doesn�t happen again.�

There will be exactly ONE instance of these guys figuring out wards (it's either the next book or Book 5), and after that, wards (not that Green calls it that) will only come up again in Book 8.

quote:

Jovvi nodded with a smile, more than aware of the fact that Rion had kept quiet throughout all of the previous conversations. He�d apparently made good on his decision to take a vow of silence, which was really very wise of him.

But it's more fun when Rion goes around saying whatever comes into his head!

quote:

And then, suddenly, Tamma rose from the table and left the dining room without a word. Jovvi followed her with her mind until Tamma reached her apartment, and then she released the line with a sigh.

�All right, she�s out of hearing range,� Jovvi told the others, who were all staring at her. �She hasn�t yet made up her mind to believe what she heard, but guilt is making her reexamine her decisions. She may have been blaming Vallant for something someone else did deliberately, and the unfairness of that is very painful for her. But the idea of trusting and believing again is also painful, so she�ll need some time to resolve the conflict.�

�I didn�t much like doin� that to her, but I didn�t have any other choice,� Vallant said as he brought his plate to the table and sat to Lorand�s left.

Uh, you did. You could have NOT LIED with a ridiculous story. But, since Vallant/Tamrissa sex is important for plot reasons, we're here.

quote:

�My fallin� asleep this mornin� was actually her fault, for stayin� in the facility so long. I waited and waited, fightin� to stay awake, then finally lost the fight. But if I�d pointed that out, she would have accused me of makin� excuses.�

I read that as "Vallant lay in bed waiting for Tamrissa to come out of the ensuite". He probably would have been better off conjuring some ice spikes and stabbing himself with them, though I guess there would be some very awkward questions if Tamrissa walks out to see that.

quote:

�And she probably would have dismissed my saying that Naran didn�t leave my side,� Rion put in glumly. �I really do owe you an apology, Vallant, for having such a big mouth. I had no idea why discussing one�s pleasure was a subject to be avoided in polite conversation, but now I believe I�ve learned the reason.�

�If we weren�t part of each other, Rion, Vallant would probably join me in murdering you,� Lorand said dryly. �I know you�re not aware of it, but a man keeps silent about his pleasure for more than a single reason. How would you feel if Vallant and I casually told Naran about various esoteric techniques he and I know but you haven�t learned to perform yet? If she then expected you to know about them as well��

Write this scene instead! It would be hilarious and entirely appropriate for the poly setup.

quote:

�I would end feeling inadequate and also contemplating murder,� Rion finished with a sigh.

Uh, who are you and what did you do with Rion? Because the real Rion would have been like, oh, that's a cool trick, please teach me how to do that by demonstrating on Naran while I watch and take careful notes. And then please watch me try it afterwards to make sure I did it right.

(answer: Green, because Green has problems with letting her characters be authentic to themselves)

quote:

�If it weren�t too late, I believe I would seriously consider living a solitary existence again. There�s so much to know when one associates with other people.�

�Don�t worry, Rion, you�ll pick it all up in no time,� Jovvi assured him as she patted his hand. �In the meantime, just be careful about what you say to Tamma. She�s still the most vulnerable one among us, and needs to be protected from things the rest of us don�t even notice. She�s doing really well with turning herself around, but she�s still not ready to laugh off frustrating accidents.�

�You�re absolutely right, of course,� Lorand agreed with a frown, �but that picture of her is so different from the one we see in the Blending.�

�I can remember feeling part of myself on guard this morning, and that part was as hard as steel and completely ready to attack or defend. She was that part, and not a single corner of her usual problems showed.�

�I don�t remember seein� my problem or yours either,� Vallant pointed out with raised brows. �I was too busy to notice at the time, but I remember usin� all the power I needed to get the job done, and didn�t feel crowded or closed in at any time. I�m hopin� that means what I think it does��

�And I�m hoping the same,� Lorand agreed, moving his gaze to Jovvi. �What do you think, love? Are we just fooling ourselves, or does being part of the Blending really free us from our problems?�

�Give me a minute to remember back,� Jovvi said, feeling extremely stupid. �I can�t believe I didn�t think to check before this� Yes, you�re absolutely right. I felt nothing of problems while I did what needed to be done�

How do we solve our crippling personal problems? With magic! Because we're literal magical wizards!

quote:

except for the awareness that I might be stretching things too far. How about you, Rion? Did you notice anything the rest of us missed?�

�Not at the time, but I seem to have noticed something now,� Rion replied slowly. �I remember saying I felt as exhausted as I did after that very first test, but that can�t be true. After only a few hours of sleep, I feel completely restored. That didn�t happen the first time.�

Jovvi joined the others in voicing startled agreement, then said, �That�s another thing I missed, and I wonder how much more there is.

There's not really all that much remaining in the scheme of things.

quote:

I�ll have to�Wait, there�s someone coming.�

It wasn�t really necessary to break off all conversation and pretend to be alone in the room, but Jovvi did it anyway. It was good practice for all of them, against a time when they would be among people who weren�t under her control. A glance showed that the men withdrew into their own worlds just as she had, and then a servant entered from the hall.

�Pardon the intrusion, gentles, but there�s a caller at the door for Dom Coll,� the man announced. �Shall I inform him that Dom Coll is still at breakfast?�

�No, I�ll see him now,� Lorand answered at once, putting his napkin to his lips before tossing it aside and rising. �You can lead the way.�

The servant bowed and did so, and Jovvi felt Lorand�s hope as he followed. Wasn�t Lorand waiting to hear something from or about that friend of his�?

This chapter was 3306 words long by the way. It should have been half that length.

Summary:

Day 12
During breakfast, Delin notices that Bron, Homin and Selendi are all acting suspiciously very unlike their actual selves while Kambil is uncharacteristically still asleep. Idian shows up to confirm Delin and co can actually Blend. Meanwhile, Blendingverse detectives are finally on the case of Ollon's murder: first, Eltrina is cleared and confirmed as Ollon's replacement, then Idian returns to break the news that Rigos committed suicide prior to Ollon's death. The detectives suspect Delin but aren't strong enough to confirm it's him.

Thanks to Tamrissa being an incredible drama queen about Vallant passing out from exhaustion, Vallant makes up a ridiculous story about the testing authority putting him to sleep. Jovvi, Lorand and Rion go along with it because Vallant and Tamrissa need to get it on for ~~contrived plot reasons~~ to make their Blending super strong.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 24 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 22 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 95 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 29 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 79 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 53 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 61 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 11 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 11, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
Vallant and Tamrissa are the worst ship. Maybe it's just because I hate on/off relationships as I generally find them to be stupid. Anybody got recommendations for books where you've seen this done well?

# ? Oct 25, 2021 08:26

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

Just a heads up that I'll be taking a 1 month break after next week's chapter, because NaNoWriMo is approaching again!

This year's attempt was a coin toss between continuing the Let's Rewrite or writing some original fiction. My writing group convinced me I should take a crack at writing my own stuff so that is the current plan. The hope is to finish writing the rough draft by 30 November 2021, at which point I'll need to let it sit before I go back to do a second pass. At that point, I may either do a second pass through my first draft of the first book in the Let's Rewrite or start the second book of the rewrite - I'll see how I feel then!

Current schedule looks something like this:
31/10: Chapter 36
1-30/11: Let's Read on break
1/12: Let's Read resumes from Chapter 37 (49 chapters in Book 3, so we should finish Book 3 some time in late February/early March 2022)

# ? Oct 25, 2021 08:34

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

Lorand followed the servant to the front door, hoping it would be Hat he found standing on the step. The delay in hearing from his friend had worried Lorand, but so much had been going on in his own life that he hadn�t been able to think of a way to follow up on his request to Meerk.

Stop pretending you care. There honestly wasn't anything stopping you. And if you had no idea how, then you're not very bright.

quote:

Hat could have been anywhere in the city�

�Mornin� Dom Coll,� Lorand heard as soon as the servant opened the door, but it wasn�t Hat speaking the words. Meerk was back, once again looking semi-respectable, but also looking somewhat disturbed.

�Good morning, Dom Meerk,� Lorand replied politely, very aware of the servant only a step or two away. �Have you had any luck finding that produce I asked you to locate?�

�Sorry t�say I ain�t,� Meerk answered, suddenly sounding as though he wasn�t very bright. �I been lookin� all over th� city, but I ain�t found none yet.�

�Isn�t that strange, Dom Meerk?� Lorand pursued, now understanding the man�s disturbance. �I did see some in that warehouse my coach passed, so they must have taken it to some shop for sale. Weren�t you able to locate the warehouse either?�

�Now, I found that easy enough,� Meerk replied, swiping at his nose with one hand. �They wouldn� let me in t�look around, tho, so I kinda hung out waitin� fer th� stuff t� come t�me. I waited a real long time, but I never did see none a it.�

�It�s possible that what I saw was a special order for one household,� Lorand mused, just speaking the words while he thought furiously. Hat never came out of the building where the challenge had taken place? That wasn�t very likely, not when there was an easier answer.

�You know, I just had an idea,� Lorand said after a short pause. �Maybe the produce I saw was taken out of a different door in the warehouse while you were watching just the one. If it was and someone working in the warehouse saw it being taken out, they just might know where it was taken to. Here�s some silver. If you have to buy the information, do it.�

�Yeah, I like that there idear,� Meerk agreed, pretending to brighten. As he took the three silver dins, he added, �I�ll go askin� around, an� if I find sumthin� out I�ll come back.�

�Just make sure you don�t accidentally offend anyone,� Lorand cautioned, knowing Meerk would understand what he meant. �That special produce is grown only on the farms near where I used to live and I miss having some of it, but not so much that I want to see you get into trouble trying to locate it. If it looks like something like that might happen, come back and discuss it with me first.�

�Sure, sure, don�t you worry none,� Meerk agreed breezily, but his almost imperceptible nod said he understood and agreed. He would try to bribe someone in the building to find out where Hat was, but if it looked like something might go wrong he�d back off and return to report.

Subtext is hard to do and I am bad at it, but this is not even more text. This is like overt text.

quote:

Meerk turned and began to leave, so Lorand left the servant to close the door and returned to the dining room. Jovvi, Rion, and Vallant were still at the table, so he reclaimed his seat and reached for the pitcher of tea.

�The man who was supposed to find my friend Hat hasn�t been able to locate him,� Lorand reported, knowing the others were waiting to hear about what had happened. �I find that very strange, since they should have thrown him back out into the street after he served his purpose. Unless��

�Unless what?� Jovvi asked anxiously, probably having felt the jolt in his middle that he�d suddenly been hit with.

�Unless he kept yelling about the competition being a put up job,� Lorand answered slowly, deep illness causing him to stop abruptly in the pouring of the fresh cup of tea. �I � tried to tell him before the challenge started that he was being used, but he didn�t believe me until after he was defeated. Then he made such a scene that they had to carry him out.�

�That doesn�t sound good,� Vallant confirmed, disturbance clear in his eyes. �They don�t want people talkin� about their dirty little games, and our lives aren�t worth much to them. If your friend refused to keep quiet� Are you thinkin� he didn�t have sense enough to close his mouth in time?�

�That�s exactly what I�m thinking,� Lorand admitted, deciding that he didn�t want another cup of tea after all. �Hat�s never been very bright about certain things, and knowing when to keep quiet is one of them. If they�ve hurt him��

No one added anything when he let the words trail off, but they were probably thinking the same as he: even if they�d killed Hat, there was nothing any of them could do about it now. Their winning the competitions would be another story, but for right now they were helpless.

STOP THIS. I hate this endless parade of random clues getting dropped on the protagonists and instead of doing anything about any of it, they just sit there and go "oh noes, we can't do anything because the author doesn't want us to do anything".

quote:

�Pardon the intrusion, gentles, but you have another caller,� that same servant announced from the doorway. �This one, however, is the lord from the testing authority, and he requests the presence of all of you. Dama Domon has already been sent for, and the lord awaits you in the library.�

�Please tell him we�ll be there in a moment,� Jovvi said to the man, then continued in a soft voice once he�d bowed and left, �I wonder which one it is. If it�s Twimmal we have to Blend for him, but something tells me we shouldn�t go all the way. What do the rest of you think?�

�I agree completely,� Rion put in at once, echoing Lorand�s thoughts. �What we accomplished is well beyond anything described to us until now, and there�s a possibility they may not even know about it. And if they do, there�s very little sense in telling them we�re capable of it.�

�That�s the way I see it,� Vallant added with a nod which Lorand matched. �We play it safe and easy, and save questionin� the man until tomorrow or the next day. Gettin� him under our control might leave marks that show to anybody able to see them, so we ought to let him report our success first.�

This is a stupid plan. I'm in the middle of plotting my NaNoWriMo attempt for this year, and you're supposed to iterate through try/fail cycles. Instead of opting to go for the "try" part, Green's protagonists always opt to "not try" instead.

quote:

�And we better remember to check for those marks when we do touch him,� Lorand said, forcing back his worry about Hat. Until he reached a position where he might do something� �If we can find them first, it might be possible to disguise them in some way. But what about Tamrissa? Does she know what we intend to do?�

�Yes, but someone ought to tell her about the rest of it,� Jovvi said as she rose. �Rion, see if you can pretend to be lecturing her pompously.�

�That shouldn�t be difficult,� Rion said with a faint smile as the rest of them stood as well. �As long as I stay with that one subject, I shouldn�t cause too much damage.�

Lorand joined Vallant in chuckling at that, but Jovvi was too busy hurrying out of the dining room to notice. The three of them followed her, and when they reached the front hall they discovered the reason for Jovvi�s hurry. Tamrissa was coming down the stairs, and if they�d delayed even a moment longer, they might have missed the chance to speak to her before she reached the library.

Lorand watched Rion stride over to her and begin his pompous lecture, and after an instant of being startled, Tamrissa played along by looking bored but cornered. As this went on they all continued in the direction of the library, and opening the door finally answered Jovvi�s first question: the portly Lord Twimmal sat in his favorite chair, sipping a cup of tea which behaved better than the last one he�d had there.

�You must know at once that your behavior is completely unacceptable,� the man said as soon as he saw them, heavy annoyance in his too-high voice. �When I arrive I expect you to be waiting for me, so that we may begin at once. My time is much too valuable to be wasted in waiting for you.�

�Possibly we can make our time just as valuable,� Jovvi said hastily, probably knowing that Lorand�and maybe the others as well�was about to reply in a much less � neutral way.

But whhhhy? I literally don't understand the reason behind the pretense here. The nobility haven't been able to do anything to anybody.

quote:

�We�ve discussed the matter among us, and we�ve decided to put personal animosities aside so that we can Blend.�

�Very commendable, I�m sure,� Twimmal commented dryly, obviously unimpressed. �Now all you have to do is perform in accordance with your decision. Would you care to take your places in the formation and make the effort?�

The fool of a man was too dense to notice the heavy anger coming from all of them, something Lorand had no trouble feeling for himself. He also felt the urge to do something outrageous to the man�like making him lose control of his bowels for a moment�but instead followed the others into the proper formation. First they needed to establish themselves as truly important in the governmental scheme of things, and then there would be time for some of life�s little pleasures.

Seriously. None of them are the nice people Green likes to pretend they are.

quote:

�Oh, by the way,� Twimmal added negligently, �Air and Water should be standing more to either side of Spirit. I thought there was something wrong with your formation yesterday, but I was simply too distressed to realize what.�

Lorand had seen that Rion and Vallant had taken their places to either side of Tamrissa, just as they had yesterday. When Twimmal corrected them there was another general flow of anger, this one a bit stronger than the last. If positioning was as important as they�d been told, the fool�s �distress� could have kept them from Blending.

Spoilers this doesn't matter

quote:

But they weren�t there to play the what-if game, so Lorand opened himself to the power and simply waited for Jovvi�s touch. When it came he returned it, and then all of them were Blended again. That same sense of excitement and delight also returned, as well as a strong sense that the world was finally right again. He breathed out his satisfaction while at the same time keeping himself from sinking more deeply into the meld, and Twimmal looked up sharply.

�Two or three of you sighed at the same time,� he observed, almost in accusation. �Does that mean you�ve actually managed to do it? Are you Blended?�

�Yes, we�ve Blended,� Lorand said, only faintly surprised that all of the others spoke at precisely the same time using exactly the same words. They were, after all, almost completely a single entity.

�Excellent,� Twimmal commented, just in passing and as if by rote. �You�ve done your duty and have certainly made your peers proud. Now you must dissolve the Blending at once. There are cautions you must hear, and instructions you�re to be given.�

Not this lecture again.

quote:

*Let�s find out what he�s talking about,* the Vallant portion of their Blending suggested, which made good sense. They would certainly be Blending again later, and right now they needed to know what Twimmal could tell them. Lorand withdrew himself from the meld just as the others did the same, and then he also joined them in finding places to sit where they could all see Twimmal easily.

�You all are certainly to be congratulated, but from now on you must be very careful,� the fool said pompously as he looked around at them. �There is a terrible danger awaiting the unwary, something described to me as a mind vortex. I�m told that the second time you Blend you�ll become aware of its call, but you must ignore and resist it. Those who don�t will surely become enmeshed, and shortly after that will be unable to pull free again. Your minds will be trapped while your bodies remain unmoving, and shortly thereafter you will all die.�

�I don�t think I�d enjoy that much,� Tamrissa said with a frown that didn�t look at all real, apparently having decided to play less-than-bright. �Will we really be caught right away? Even if you step into mud, you can always pull your foot out again.�

�You can pull your foot out again, child, only if you haven�t advanced too far into the mud,� Twimmal replied, seemingly taking the comment perfectly seriously. �If you�re right near the edge of the mud puddle you can play at stepping in and out, but one of those times you can step out too far. Once that happens there�s no going back, because dry land is out of your reach.�

�So you�re saying we should ignore the pull from the very first time we feel it,� Jovvi put in, sounding thoughtful. �That�s good to know. Is there anything else we have to careful of?�

�You must remember not to stay Blended too long, nor should you Blend more than twice a day at most,� Twimmal replied with a nod. �The condition is actually rather bad for your health and general well-being, and if you indulge too often you may not have the strength to compete. The most effective exercises have been written down for you in the form of instructions��

Twimmal began to pat at his pockets, obviously looking for something. It took him a moment to locate the something in an inner pocket, the item turning out to be a small sheaf of folded papers. He removed one sheet from the sheaf before returning the rest to his pocket, then put the sheet on the table near his hand.

�You�re to practice these exercises once a day, and at other times you�re to rest, relax, and enjoy yourselves,� he said then. �Ten gold dins will be delivered to each of you, and you�re to spend them on new clothes, fine meals, and enjoyable entertainments. When you go out you need not go as a group, as what one of you finds amusing may not be to the taste of the others. After the competitions there will be another twenty gold for each of you, so spend the first ten with an open hand.�

�Are you saying that if we win the competition, all we�ll get is another twenty gold dins?� Tamrissa asked with her nose wrinkled. �Goodness, somehow I thought it would be much more than that.�

�Ah � yes, you�re quite right, child,� Twimmal said as he struggled to his feet. �If you win the competitions you will certainly get a good deal more than that. I will be by later tomorrow, so that you�ll be able to practice once before I arrive. I�ll expect a report when I do arrive, not a demonstration.�

With that said he headed for the door, actually opened it by himself, and waddled out. Since he didn�t close the door again it was possible to see him going toward the front door, and a moment later he was gone. The servant who let him out also disappeared quickly, so Lorand was able to look at everyone else and grimace.

�Oh, yes, dear children, if the impossible should somehow come about and you win, you�ll certainly get more than twenty gold dins. But no one really expects the impossible, so why bother even discussing it?�

�The man really is almost a true idiot,� Jovvi said while everyone else made sounds of agreement. �He forgot that we aren�t supposed to know we�d be losing, but that�s the least of it. Taking him over to find out what he knows has become unnecessary, because we already know what he knows.�

Suuuuuuure. It's not because the author has no idea how to plot at all.

quote:

�I have no trouble believing it,� Rion commented dryly. �The more I see of his sort, the happier I am that I no longer need to associate with them. But what exactly do we know?�

�There�s no doubt that he believed everything he told us,� Jovvi answered, sounding faintly annoyed. �That �mind vortex� nonsense was presented to him as fact, and he passed it on in the same way. They probably did it like that so we would believe it too, and refrain from experimenting.�

�Why experiment when you can be out havin� a good time?� Vallant asked sourly. �They�ll be givin� us all that gold, after all, and to waste it would be a cryin� shame. I wonder if they�re encouragin� their noble groups to carouse instead of practice.�

�With most of the noble groups, they probably are doing the same,� Jovvi said as she rose and walked to the table holding the sheet of paper which Twimmal had left. She picked up the sheet and glanced at it, then shook her head. ��Practice one,�� she quoted. ��Immediately after Blending, the Air magic member is to manipulate a volume of air to form a solid stairway. As soon as this is accomplished, the Blending is to be ended.��

�When it gets to be my turn to practice, will I actually be permitted to light the logs in a fireplace, or must I touch only the match?� Tamrissa asked with a snort. �And since we�ll supposedly be Blended, why is the Air magic member supposed to do anything? Why isn�t it the Blending performing the practice?�

�Obviously because they don�t want us to be a Blending, just pretend to be one,� Jovvi answered with her own sound of ridicule. �We�re on our own as far as figuring out what to do goes, but we can take advantage of the freedom they�re pressing on us to contact the other common Blendings. Maybe one of them will discover something we miss��

Jovvi�s words broke off abruptly as she turned her head to look at the open door, and when Lorand did the same he saw the servant approaching. It was the friendly servant who had been calling them to the door when visitors arrived, and he entered the room and stopped before Jovvi to bow.

�Please excuse the interruption, Dama, but this arrived for you while you were closeted with your noble visitor,� he said, holding out an envelope. �It�s addressed to the Spirit magic member of your group, which I�m told is you.�

Oh look, Delin's letter has arrived with the plot critical information that our protagonists are too lazy to seek out themselves!

quote:

�Thank you,� Jovvi said, taking the envelope. The servant bowed again as she opened it and took out its contents, and he really was a good servant. By the time she looked up from the page, he had already left the room.

�I don�t know where this comes from, but if it�s the truth it�s the most important gift we could have been given,� she told them all slowly. �I�ve been cautioned not to look at the second page of the letter immediately, because it�s supposed to contain the phrase we�ve all been keyed to respond to. If we can find someone we trust, they can use the keying phrase to free us from it for good!�

Well then, isn't it convenient about Naran?

Summary:

Day 12
During breakfast, Delin notices that Bron, Homin and Selendi are all acting suspiciously very unlike their actual selves while Kambil is uncharacteristically still asleep. Idian shows up to confirm Delin and co can actually Blend. Meanwhile, Blendingverse detectives are finally on the case of Ollon's murder: first, Eltrina is cleared and confirmed as Ollon's replacement, then Idian returns to break the news that Rigos committed suicide prior to Ollon's death. The detectives suspect Delin but aren't strong enough to confirm it's him.

Thanks to Tamrissa being an incredible drama queen about Vallant passing out from exhaustion, Vallant makes up a ridiculous story about the testing authority putting him to sleep. Jovvi, Lorand and Rion go along with it because Vallant and Tamrissa need to get it on for ~~contrived plot reasons~~ to make their Blending super strong. Meerk shows up to tell Lorand that Hat can't be found, and Lorand asks Meerk to keep looking. Twimmal shows up and they put on a very unconvincing farce of being compliant little sheep who can only surface Blend, which Twimmal is not smart enough to see through. He leaves them with a useless bunch of "Blending" exercises before Delin's letter arrives to drop plot critical information in their literal laps.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 24 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 22 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 95 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 30 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 79 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 53 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 62 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 31 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 11 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 11, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
Make the protagonists try something. Anything! Like maybe try Blending, interrogate Twimmal, figure out who he was reporting to, locate and interrogate THAT person and you know...been proactive about this whole situation. Or attempt escape, now that you can Blend and Jovvi can mind control people. Or anything. Because these guys have literally just obtained the state secret of being super massively overpowered. Who's really going to stop them at this point? We know the Seated Blending are total fakes.

This is why Books 1-3 are so bad. We're almost to the end though. Books 4-5 will get better because they're out there, doing stuff.

# ? Oct 30, 2021 01:49

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

LET'S READ GOING ON BREAK! :siren:

I'm gonna be spending the next month attempting to write a 75,000 word original fiction. We'll pick up Chapter 37 again in December. See you guys then!

# ? Oct 30, 2021 01:54

A Small Car: Aug 24, 2016

Enjoy your break! I'd forgotten just how much stupid Tamrissa/Vallant drama there is in these books. I know by the time I was about here, I was skipping pages to avoid it

# ? Nov 4, 2021 23:43

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

I'm entirely sure that by this point my eyes just glazed over every time the two interacted, and I came out of the fugue state two pages later waiting for Rion to do something interesting.

# ? Nov 8, 2021 04:00

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

We're back! Sorry for the delay guys, NaNoWriMo has done a real number on me this time. Coming back to the Let's Read is almost kind of a relief, because I can look at some terrible writing that isn't my own and get some solace that despite the fact that my writing is awful awful awful, it is still better than whatever is going on here:

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN�

�What?� everyone demanded at once and in different ways, almost giving Jovvi a headache with their surprise and shock.

I would like to know how many different ways can one demand "What?" but characterization requires work and Green does not like to do any work in her prose.

quote:

�Yes, I know exactly how you feel because I feel the same,� Jovvi threw into the cauldron of comments, repeating it two or three times until they actually heard the words.

This is such a weird visual and I have no idea why Green thought it was appropriate for a scene where the protagonists have just discovered that they've been secretly brainwashed and programmed.

quote:

�I have no idea who sent this because it isn�t signed, and it isn�t possible to know if it�s a trick until we try it. But we can�t try it until we have someone here we can trust.�

�Why should that be?� Vallant demanded. �If we�ve got the keyin� phrase, we can just use it on each other and neutralize it. If it isn�t the right phrase, nothin� will happen.�

�That�s what I would have thought, but the letter says differently,� Jovvi replied with only some of her disturbance showing. �It says that our simply seeing the phrase will trigger it, and then we�ll just stand there and wait for orders. If those orders don�t come from the one who triggered us��

�We�ll just stand and wait forever,� Tamma finished when Jovvi didn�t. �I hate the idea that those miserable people can have this kind of power over us, and I want to see an end to it. Who can we trust enough to test the phrase with?�

�That�s easily answered,� Rion put in, his anger just as great as Tamma�s. �I have someone upstairs whom I�d trust with my life, so I�m obviously the one to try this. Once I�m freed, the rest of you can be done the same.�

And we immediately jump over any sort of character reaction to unpack the massive revelation that THEY'VE ALL BEEN SECRETLY BRAINWASHED to "let's get rid of it".

Like, I know my normal complaint is that Green has too much introspection and not enough plot, but come on. This is kind of a big deal. It's a massive betrayal of trust and a pivotal moment in the whole story, setting into motion the rest of the series. Yet instead of giving this moment the weight it deserves, Green just...skips over it with the equivalent of:

Everyone :argh:

- We are very angry!
Jovvi :confused:

- I don't know who sent this letter, it could be anybody
Everyone :argh:

- We have now established that we are very angry because we say that we are angry so let's just get rid of this thing

quote:

�I wonder if it�s possible to resist a command like that when we�re Blended,� Lorand commented while everyone thought about Rion�s offer. �It�s too bad we can�t afford to do research on the point � but I agree with Rion. Right now Naran is the only one we can be sure of.�

�Because of the questions we put to her last night,� Jovvi said with a slow nod. �I�d almost forgotten about that, but now that I�ve been reminded I also agree. Does anyone disagree?�

Jovvi looked from Tamma to Vallant and back again, but both of them shook their heads to show they had no objection to the idea. Apparently they also remembered the questioning, and even Tamma, still obviously touching the power and exhibiting a stronger than usual mind set, couldn�t find fault with the idea.

Like, it's been a month for this Let's Read, so we could be forgiven for not remembering but for you guys? This was last night! You collapsed due to exhaustion, not brain damage. How do you "almost forget" the MAIN THING you did last night?

:wtf:

quote:

�That settles it, then,� Rion said with a satisfied smile as he rose. �I�ll caution Naran to be alert in case there�s a trap of some sort involved, but if there isn�t I�ll return a free man in just a few minutes.�

Not-spoilers, because you know Green's style by now: there will be no traps involved and this latest hiccup will not cause them any sort of problems whatsoever, thus removing the suspense from the rest of the series.

quote:

�If it is the keyin� phrase, see if she can order you to resist somethin� like this in the future,� Vallant suggested as Jovvi handed Rion the letter. �It may not work, but it shouldn�t hurt to try.�

Also not-spoilers: this spur of the moment idea will absolutely work, because our protagonists are super smart and the antagonists are super dumb and of course never thought of this possible scenario and therefore didn't build any failsafes into their brainwashing program.

quote:

�That�s an excellent idea,� Rion said as he glanced through the letter. �And in case anyone is interested, I would guess that this fascinating missive comes from a member of the nobility. Not only is the paper above average in quality, the phrasing used in the letter itself suggests an upper class education.

How does Jovvi, the most popular courtesan in Rincammon (and arguably in the entire northern part of the Empire), not recognize this letter as being written by a noble? Are we seriously to believe that she doesn't count anyone from the nobility amongst her presumably numerous and insanely wealthy patrons?

Answer:

Green: "Rion hasn't done anything awesome in a while, so I guess it's his turn to have a moment of brilliance, that only serves to make Jovvi look dumb."

quote:

That causes me to be suspicious in an automatic fashion, but it also makes inarguable sense. Who better than a member of the nobility to manage access to information of this sort?�

�The answer is no one, so you�re undoubtedly right,� Jovvi decided with her own slow nod. �The next question, however, has to be: what noble do we know who would do something like this for us? The names on that particular list have to be incredibly few in number.�

�Maybe it was done by that noble who all but announced that he meant to claim me,� Tamma suggested dryly. �He�s suddenly discovered that he�s fallen madly in love with me, and chose this as the best way to impress me.�

Hamfisted foreshadowing!

quote:

�Maybe it was done by Eltrina Razas,� Lorand countered after making a small sound of ridicule. �She�s suddenly discovered that she�s fallen madly in love with one of us, and so wants to make sure that her beloved wins the competitions.�

Even more hamfisted foreshadowing!

quote:

�And maybe this was done for someone else�s benefit rather than ours,� Jovvi said, the idea coming rather suddenly.

My headcanon is now that Book 8 spoilers Drees Allovin (and whoever else is watching over the Chosen from the advanced nation of full Blendings over on the other continent) has been hanging around as a spy in the residence and watching these idiots fumble around doing nothing, so they have to resort to strategic use of Spirit magic to feed them ideas on what to do next.

quote:

�The only way that would make sense is if someone knows we�re scheduled to face the chosen noble Blending first, and wants us to get rid of them for them. Then the way would be clear for them to become the chosen Blending, without having to defeat the others themselves.�

�But that would mean they believe themselves able to defeat us,� Rion pointed out as everyone frowned. �Do they know themselves to be that much stronger, or have they some unmentioned secret that will allow them to get the upper hand regardless of relative strength?�

�I hope they�re countin� on bein� stronger,� Vallant put in with an exasperated headshake. �If they found out the keyin� phrase they probably also got to those test results�the ones where we all held back some. If they�re expectin� to be stronger, they could be in for a nasty shock.�

�Unless it�s something else they�re counting on, like our �secret� problems,� Lorand suggested slowly. �Those problems are without doubt part of our records, including the fact that our Fire magic member isn�t very aggressive. And don�t forget that our Air magic member doesn�t really fit in, because he�s a noble with no experience in mixing with anyone, not to mention commoners.�

�I�d say they�re definitely in for a shock where our Fire magic member�s aggressiveness is concerned,� Tamma stated, all but showing the reflection of flames in her eyes.

This is such a stupid, lazy way of characterizing Fire magic. Why doesn't this happen with any other talent? I'm guessing the answer is because Fire magic is probably the most showy and least useful of all the elemental talents but it is kind of unfair that Vallant's eyes don't flood and turn blue whenever he gets super mad (or is that because Real Men don't cry?).

quote:

�How we�re associating with our Air magic member is another story, though, since we all go out of our way to avoid him. If that�s all we have to worry about we�ll do fine, but I really don�t trust those people. They could be planning something we haven�t thought of.�

�If they are, I hope the one doing the planning is the same one who wrote the letter,� Lorand said, an odd expressionless expression on his face. �His not signing the letter suggests that he�s trying to hide his identity, but he made no effort to disguise or remove his trace from it. If he walked in right now, I�d know him immediately.�

So you know what you guys should do? You guys should BLEND and then send your entity all over the city to track this person down right now and get more information!

But you're not gonna do it, because Green.

quote:

�That�s not in the least surprising,� Rion said while Jovvi�and the others�made sounds of incredulous disbelief. �The noble mind set dismisses everyone it considers beneath it, and commoners certainly fall into that category. Why bother to do more than exclude a signature, when it�s lower life forms one is dealing with?�

�Put like that, it makes perfect sense,� Jovvi agreed without the least hesitation. �They intend to use us for their own purposes, then brush us out of their way. Let�s see if we can�t make that brushing a lot harder to do than they expect it to be.�

And now we resume the plot after a 1160 word recap for anyone who has been reading this, one chapter at a time, in the reception area of a doctor's office while they're waiting to be called in for their annual check up.

quote:

Rion nodded with determination and headed for the door, and once he was gone Jovvi sat back with a sigh. As if things weren�t complicated enough, they now had to wonder if there weren�t some hidden trap in the information provided. They ought to have the answer to that fairly quickly, but considering all the negative ways they might get it�

quote:

�� been thinking about the situation, and I�ve made up my mind,� Jovvi suddenly heard Tamma say, and looked up to see that she spoke to Vallant. �You and I still have to lie together in order to make the Blending as strong as possible, but that will be as far as it goes. Becoming involved with someone leads to nothing but trouble, so I�ve decided not to do it.�

�Just like that?� Vallant countered, his sudden distress painfully clear to Jovvi. �You�ve decided against gettin� involved, so you�ve just turned off all your feelin�s for me? Well, I don�t think you can, so don�t expect me to try the same.�

�But of course I can do it,� Tamma replied with a faint smile. �Making decisions and carrying through on them is much easier when I�m touching the power, so I�ll just have to keep touching the power for a while. After that I�ll have accepted the situation, so I�ll be able to let things go back to normal.�

�If your definition of normal doesn�t include me, I won�t be acceptin� it,� Vallant stated flatly, stubbornness now flowing out of him. �I said I wasn�t goin� to be changin� my mind about you again, and I wasn�t lyin�. If any mind gets changed, it�s goin� to be yours.�

You two.

You two are the WORST.

quote:

�And I refuse to change my mind,� Tamma told him calmly, but with growing anger beneath. �What do you imagine you can do about it?�

�That�s somethin� you�ll have to wait to find out,� Vallant said, then he deliberately turned away from the very clear danger in her stare. �I don�t think touchin� the power so much is terribly good for you, but I won�t argue with you when you are. We�ll each do what we have to, and then we�ll see.�

Pretty sure Green was going for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W6D4Mr0ihE and then https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmM3VzGGWkY

And you guys will see just how short Green fell in her execution in about 3 chapters.

quote:

�Yes, I do think we will,� Tamma murmured, still clearly determined. But beneath the determination Jovvi could detect � something that didn�t quite fit. Hopefully it would be enough to keep real trouble from developing, Jovvi thought as she exchanged a worried glance with Lorand. If it wasn�t�

Jovvi sighed again as she got up to ring for a larger tea service. Why couldn�t something easy happen for once, like being in the middle of a tornado, or having the ground open up and swallow them�?

Please. Both of these things would be great, and then maybe we could have the books follow a bunch of protagonists who, you know, are actually interesting and do stuff.

quote:

* * *

Rion hurried upstairs and to Naran�s door, where he stopped to knock. She appeared almost immediately, and smiled that beautiful smile when she saw him.

�Oh, my lord, I�m very glad it�s you,� she said, stepping aside to give him room to enter. �It�s been very disconcerting this morning, beginning almost as soon as you left. Someone would knock and I would answer the door, and the person knocking would turn out to be a servant. But the servant would walk right past me as though I were invisible, even if they brought a tray of food or came to pick up the empty dishes.�

�Now we know what instructions Jovvi gave them,� Rion said with a chuckle after sharing a brief kiss with her. �To them you are invisible, although I�d be curious to know how they regard your emptied tray. I�ll certainly try to remember to ask,

He won't.

quote:

but right now there�s something I must ask of you.�

Naran raised her dark and lovely brows, so Rion explained about the orders he and the others were certain they�d been given after passing their very first test. That necessitated an explanation about Puredan, which made Naran angry.

�How vile of them to do something like that, but how typical of the truly incompetent,� she declaimed. �They�re unable to keep their places fairly through their own efforts, so they�ve found a way to cheat. How can I help?�

Green: "It's been a while since I've had the theme stated, so"

quote:

�By using the keying phrase to be found in this letter,� Rion replied, handing her the folded sheets of paper. �None of us can so much as read the words without being affected, but the same won�t be true of you. Once the phrase has me in its power, you�re to order me not to respond to it ever again, nor to anything of the same sort. Then you must attempt to return me to normal.�

�Attempt to return you to normal,� Naran echoed, her full agreement and willingness coming to an abrupt halt. �Are you saying I might not be able to accomplish that? Whyever not?�

�We suspect there might be traps of some sort,� Rion admitted reluctantly as he took her hand. �If there are, they can have been placed there when the original key was implanted in our minds, or they might be woven into the phrase somehow by the one who sent it. We have no way of knowing, but the risk must be taken. Without freedom from their control, our lives are forfeit in any event.�

Green's protagonists debating whether or not they should do something obvious:
:ohdear:

- "Let's agonize over this decision for weeks via multiple meetings in the bathhouse and/or coach rides!"

Green's protagonists debating whether or not they should do something fraught with danger:
:imunfunny:

- "Let's just jump right in and not bother doing any research!"

quote:

�Unfortunately, that�s perfectly true,� Naran murmured, her thoughts clearly turned inward. �They might well have planned for the possibility of your learning the key, and have done something to negate that accomplishment. Let me think for a moment��

FORESHADOWING!

quote:

Rion failed to see what there was to think about, but still made no attempt to interrupt. Naran would always have whatever was in his power to provide, so giving a handful or two of minutes was hardly to be considered a burden. He would, in truth, have waited as long as necessary, but after no more than a rather long moment, Naran smiled again.

�No, I�ve decided that the original nobles are much too arrogant to believe that anyone�especially commoners�would learn what they�d done,� she announced. �As for whomever sent this letter, they simply haven�t the ability or knowledge to incorporate a trap. That means using the phrase will be perfectly safe, so let�s get it done.�

Rion was too relieved to see her worry disappear to complain�or explain�about making decisions based on little or no real information.

There is Something Significant about Naran. Hint hint. HINT HINT HINT HINT HINT.

quote:

The experiment had to be attempted in any event, so her lack of distress could only be a benefit. She pulled him to a couch where they both sat down, and then she released his hand so that she might open and read the letter.

�All right, I believe I�m ready,� she said after having finished the page�and then turned to the next. �I�m going to speak these words, and then I�m going to give you the first and last commands I ever mean to.�

Because Rion is a protagonist and therefore can't be into BDSM stuff, which is unequivocally something only the antagonists are into.

quote:

Rion began to chuckle, but the next instant he seemed to have forgotten what it was that he�d found amusing. And Naran simply sat there looking at him, which wasn�t the way things were supposed to have gone.

�I�m waiting for you to begin, my love,� he prompted gently, wondering if she were nervous and unsure after all. �Please don�t be upset, as I�m certain you were right to say that everything will go perfectly.�

�Everything has gone perfectly, my love,� she corrected gently with a tiny smile of amusement. �I�ve not only already begun, I�ve also finished.�

�Without my being aware of it?� Rion asked in startlement. �Surely that isn�t��

He�d been about to say it wasn�t possible, but it was true that he also recalled nothing from the time the key was set. He hadn�t realized there would be absolutely no memory at all of this time left to him, and that lack added to the anger he felt toward those he�d once considered his own.

Rion: "I'm not just angry now, I'm really very angry. Can you see how angry I am?"

quote:

�Allow me to prove the matter to you,� Naran said with gentle understanding as she took his hand. �The keying phrase is, �Now is the time for all commoners to come to the aid of the empire.� �

Or...you could have just given him the letter?

quote:

�Commoners indeed,� Rion growled, close to being furious. �Common is as common does, which makes them as common as dirt. They�Wait a moment. I not only heard that, I didn�t react to it! It did work!�

�If you begin to doubt my word, my love, it will greatly distress me,� Naran said teasingly with a laugh. �The greatest danger, as I saw it, was in releasing you from the compulsion to obey before giving you instructions about reawakening. So I saw to the instructions first, and then released you. With another man I might have � added to the instructions, but with you there was simply no need. You already give me everything I now or ever will want.�

Look at that! All of the protagonists are terrible people. It's OK to take free will away from people, so long as it's the protagonists doing it!

Like I get that a character's views aren't always the same as an author's views, but when you have characters as flat as Green's who don't EVER show any growth AND they're presented as the perfect ideals in her fantasy world...I'm sorry, but my only conclusion is that this is the author's views we are dealing with here.

quote:

�And willingly,� he reminded her with a grin, then shared a kiss with the woman who meant the world to him. �I must tell the others that the danger is past, or will be once we have you command them as well. I�ll return in just a few moments.�

After another brief but delightful kiss, Rion hurried back downstairs. As Naran had obviously put a good deal of thought into the matter, he meant to suggest that she be the one to free the others as she�d freed him.

This is another common thing that happens throughout all of the books. It is the most unsubtle way of demonstrating how fair-minded the protagonists are, as opposed to the selfish credit hogging antagonists.

quote:

He strode to the library and walked right in, but slowed at the sight of the others clustered in the middle of the room, all of them looking at something which Jovvi held.

Jovvi is now the official correspondence opener for the group. This thing about Jovvi being the "face" of the group will continue all the way to the end of the next series.

quote:

The girl Warla stood not far from them, and Warla�s face, at least, shone with delighted excitement.

�Ah, there you are, Lord Rion,� she exclaimed when she saw him. �Do come and see what was left for us, duplicates of which have been posted all over the city.�

"Us" is a weird thing for Warla to be saying here.

quote:

�What is it?� Rion asked, aware of a much different reaction than delight coming from the others.

�Why, it�s a placard announcing the official scheduling of the first competitions,� Warla replied as Jovvi silently turned the placard to allow him to see it. �Isn�t it wonderful, sir? The time is nearly here!�

And "sir" is even weirder, considering that the normal term of address is "Dom" for a common born man.

quote:

However enthusiastic the girl was, Rion�s feelings were more like those of his Blendingmates�which undoubtedly included a queasiness in the pit of the stomach. Without any prior warning, the competitions were scheduled to begin less than seven full days from that very moment.

Which is still a giant plothole in this entire thing.

Summary:

Day 12
During breakfast, Delin notices that Bron, Homin and Selendi are all acting suspiciously very unlike their actual selves while Kambil is uncharacteristically still asleep. Idian shows up to confirm Delin and co can actually Blend. Meanwhile, Blendingverse detectives are finally on the case of Ollon's murder: first, Eltrina is cleared and confirmed as Ollon's replacement, then Idian returns to break the news that Rigos committed suicide prior to Ollon's death. The detectives suspect Delin but aren't strong enough to confirm it's him.

Thanks to Tamrissa being an incredible drama queen about Vallant passing out from exhaustion, Vallant makes up a ridiculous story about the testing authority putting him to sleep. Jovvi, Lorand and Rion go along with it because Vallant and Tamrissa need to get it on for ~~contrived plot reasons~~ to make their Blending super strong. Meerk shows up to tell Lorand that Hat can't be found, and Lorand asks Meerk to keep looking. Twimmal shows up and they put on a very unconvincing farce of being compliant little sheep who can only surface Blend, which Twimmal is not smart enough to see through. He leaves them with a useless bunch of "Blending" exercises before Delin's letter arrives to drop plot critical information in their literal laps. Delin's letter reveals that they've all been put under Puredan control to obey commands given under a command phrase, and it takes Naran less than a minute to figure out a solution. They receive a placard announcing that the competitions will be held in seven days.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 24 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 22 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 95 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 49 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 16 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 30 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 79 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 53 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 62 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 32 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 12 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 11, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
If the mind control thing is a thing, it needs to be an entire plotline on its own, not just handwaved like this! This is the most dissatisfying solution to the entire :tinfoil:

thing, because there was all this massive build up to "oh no, the testing authority is evil and the entire power regime has been propped up by corrupt means via mass mind control" and it turns out that all you needed to do to get around it was to be better at programming than whoever did the brainwashing in the first place.

So much of this book's themes were supposed to have been about control: when is it good, when is it bad, who should have control, etc�but at the first opportunity to actually explore this subject, we just get "control is bad, except when you have good people in control, and then it's totally ok because the people in control are good".

:bang:

I am going to try and do a better job than this when I get around to writing Book...4 of my original fiction. Which is a long way away, considering that I did not finish writing Book 1 during NaNoWriMo, but hopefully it will happen before we finish this entire Let's Read.

# ? Dec 8, 2021 01:08

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

Sorry again for the delay! Trying to get everything wrapped up prior to the end of the year has been kind of insane.

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Delin stirred in satisfaction after he and the others broke apart, but the satisfaction covered nothing more than the facility they�d gained when Blended.

This is a horrific construction of a sentence. So is Delin satisfied or not? I have to read it as not, because he's only happy with their Blending progress.

quote:

Leaving behind the single entity they became when Blended was always difficult, forcing him, as it did, to return to his solitary, limited existence.

I wish Green had made much more of the addictiveness of Blending. But this is pretty much the last time we'll see this mentioned, until Green introduces a bunch of other characters who are new to Blending, at which point everybody will suddenly remember this is a thing.

quote:

The one thing it didn�t seem possible to do when Blended was drink a cup of tea, something Delin suddenly felt a great need for.

Oh FFS. And I say this as somebody who survives on tea.

quote:

�That was really very good,� Kambil said as Delin headed for the tea service. �We�re getting faster and stronger every time we practice, and there�s still four days left before the first of the competitions. By the time the big day arrives, we should be completely ready.�

Note the complete lack of specifics as to what, exactly, they can do.

quote:

�I still say they should have given us more warning about that,� Bron put in, not for the first time. �Finding out about it only when the placards came out telling everyone� They really don�t give a drat about us. If one of us had panicked��

�It would have weakened our Blending,� Homin finished when Bron�s words simply trailed off. �Weakening us is the name of their game, since we aren�t their chosen pets. You can bet Adriari�s group had more warning.�

�Adriari�s group has also probably had more practice,� Selendi added thoughtfully. �They must have had her and the others Blend as soon as they were chosen, and what you can also bet on is that they aren�t wasting their time with useless exercises. Or should I say deliberately wrong exercises? If we�d gone along with them, we�d still be Blended individuals rather than a single entity.�

Green seriously can't make up her mind here about which way to go. If you can sense how strong someone is just by being in contact with the power at the same time, and these nobles all move in the same circles, how the hell do none of them know how strong anybody is, relative to each other?

This would have been a far more interesting story from Adriari's POV. "Help, we're total frauds who have been chosen to be the next puppets on the Fivefold Throne! But I want to find a way to win, legitimately, anyway, against foes who are far more powerful than we are!"

quote:

The others made sounds of agreement, and Delin moved out of the way with his tea so that Bron might reach the service�and so that Delin might examine his groupmates. The changes in them still amazed him, despite the fact that nothing less should have been expected to develop from his leadership. They�d all become able human beings, and it was no longer necessary to cater to Bron�s ego by pretending he was their leader. The only one Delin still had some small reservations about was Kambil�

I resent this character assassination of Delin. The way Green continually builds up characters in their introductions and then does a complete 180 on them subsequently is infuriating.

quote:

�I�ve been thinking about this,� Kambil now announced from where he still stood in the middle of the room, �and I�ve decided that we simply don�t know as much as we should. Some of the things we�ve learned to do we discovered by accident, a procedure we can�t continue to rely on. If our opponents have one more lucky accident than we do, they could conceivably defeat us.�

�So where do you suggest we get that information?� Delin put evenly despite his sudden annoyance. �I�ve already gone through the files pertaining to everyone participating in the competitions, and there�s nothing more there.�

Seriously. Delin WAS set up to be a smart person. Just look at the whiny idiot he's been turned into.

quote:

�Which is why we now need to look elsewhere, but not in a file,� Kambil fretted, looking down at the carpeting. �We need the kind of information no one will want written down, so it will be only something people know. What I can�t figure out is who is the most likely person to know it.�

Spoilers: all the important stuff is written down

quote:

�My dear friend, the answer to that couldn�t possibly be more obvious,� Delin told him with a chuckle, suddenly feeling marvelous again. �Our own Lord Idian is certainly one of the inner circle, and if he lacks the specific information, he�ll still know in whose skull it resides. Since he�ll be here in just a short while, we�ll simply have to ask him.�

�We can�t do that,� Bron said calmly, instantly denting Delin�s good mood. �His superiors have to know what we�re capable of even if by some chance he doesn�t, so they�ll probably be alert for signs of tampering. If we leave those signs in him and discover they can�t be erased, we�ll be telling everyone just what they shouldn�t know.�

Look at Green, railroading her antagonists from doing anything interesting, in addition to her protagonists, just so her stupid plotline can proceed without interruption.

quote:

�We�ll be much better off finding someone high enough up that they won�t be monitored,� Selendi proposed with a nod. �Signs of tampering won�t matter if no one thinks to look for them, but we�ll still have to be careful in general. We don�t want to run into any part of that very widespread investigation of the murders.�

Green: "It's been a while since I reminded everyone about this totally uninteresting murder arc that will have no significant consequence to the plot whatsoever."

quote:

�They�re really determined to find out who�s behind it all,� Homin put in while Delin�s indignation dissolved into chills. �Everyone is furious over having accused an innocent man, thereby being the direct cause of his death. They�re dead set on finding out who used them as a murder weapon, and when they do��

Based on the characterization of noble society, I don't buy this whatsoever.

quote:

�And when they do, I�d hate to be the one,� Kambil agreed with his own shudder. �If they don�t make the most horrible example of him imaginable, the sun will probably fail to rise the next day. But that doesn�t tell us who we ought to question. Choosing one of the Advisors, for instance, would probably be a waste of time, because he would be too high up. Details would be known by his subordinate, but just which one��

Delin�s attention withdrew from the discussion, his mind still clanging over that phrase Kambil had used: the most horrible example imaginable. That was what would happen to him if he were caught, and all for such an unimportant little to-do. But of course they didn�t consider it unimportant, not when they were the ones he�d made fools of. They would even the score in blood and agony, his blood and agony�

Small beads of sweat sprang out on Delin�s forehead, the same sweat that arose any time he thought about the matter. He also felt that terrible sense of shock again that he�d first experienced when he�d learned that Rigos was dead, too soon, unfortunately, for people to still be in doubt about his guilt. Leave it to Rigos to ruin Delin�s plans even in death�

"the most horrible example imaginable" is quite possibly the least evocative scary image, ever. It's so abstract that the threat loses all meaning. If only Kambil had said something like: "they would probably strip that person of their nobility, whip them within an inch of their life, then have an Earth magic practitioner heal them again, then repeat the process half a dozen times until that person bears a closer resemblance to a broken pretzel that they do to a human body", well I think that would be much more terrifying.

Nope, don't buy Delin's terror.

quote:

�� so that�s what we�ll do,� Delin heard Kambil say. �It makes the most sense, but we�ll have to cover our tracks carefully. We�ll pretend we�re going out to party, we�ll find a group to join, and after making sure they all believe we�re still there, we�ll go about our business. If we pay attention to the details, we won�t have a problem.�

The others all added their sober agreement, which meant Delin would feel like a fool if he asked about what they were agreeing to. He�d either have to wait and see, or get Kambil aside a bit later and question the man. Delin�s dislike of Kambil flared again, almost to the point of hatred. Kambil now acted as though he were their leader, an usurpation Delin refused to allow. He might need the Spirit magic user now, but once they�d won the Fivefold Throne�

Every single antagonist in this series, with regards to power and perceived leadership:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr1IA8Vnw0A

quote:

A moment later Lord Idian appeared, but the man stayed only long enough to take the report on their �progress.� Kambil dutifully gave Idian what he wanted to hear, and once the man left again the group broke up. Delin searched discreetly for Kambil without finding the man, nor did he appear at lunch. A servant told Delin that Kambil was napping, and had left instructions not to be disturbed. That meant Delin had no choice but to wait, and so after lunch he took his own nap.

how the hell is Delin unable to FIND KAMBIL in a HOUSE when he has EARTH MAGIC? :doh:

quote:

They all got together to go out to dinner, during which they pretended to boisterous good cheer. Delin pretended along with everyone else, and soon was feeling almost as good as those around them thought he did. A good number of party invitations came their way from other diners, but they accepted only the one where the most people were likely to appear. Kambil did the accepting, and that, too, rubbed Delin the wrong way.

I'm really not seeing how any of this prevents Delin from trying to assert his leadership and do the accepting. He's suddenly become super passive and Kambil has been deliberately leaving him alone, so this isn't even Kambil's tampering (though I'm sure Green would insist that it is, in an effort to cover her own plotholes)

quote:

The party was alive with music and laughter, but Delin had scant time to enjoy himself. Homin had quietly reminded him that it was his responsibility to keep them all sober no matter how much they drank, and he also had to do the same for himself. Delin was ready to feel put-upon until Selendi whispered, �I thank any Higher Aspect that you�re here, Delin. We certainly couldn�t do this without you.�

The truth of that soothed Delin so much that he was able to enjoy himself, and that despite his chore. The five of them were scattered all over the large ballroom, but Delin still had no trouble keeping track of his people�and keeping them free of the effects of alcohol. The negligible effort interfered not at all with Delin�s usual lies to the women who interested him, and he was in the midst of that when he felt Kambil�s touch.

quote:

Responding to the touch had become so automatic that it was done before Delin had time to think about it. Then three additional connections sprang into being, and despite the lack of a proper formation, the five of them were Blended.

*It�s gotten good and late, so this might be the best time for us to move,* the Kambil part of them sent. *What do you think, Delin?*

*Yes, this is definitely a good time,* Delin agreed, his ego soothed by having been deferred to. *If we affect only the ones in our immediate vicinities and those in the fringes, the matter will appear much more natural. People on the other side of the room can�t be expected to be aware of our presence or absence.*

Complete agreement came from the others, so they all moved one step higher into that state of being where they were a single entity.

The fact that you can stop at this stage without going into full Blending will be used exactly one more time before everybody forgets this is a thing. I hate how Green has introduced this mechanic and then proceeded to do absolutely nothing with it.

quote:

The entity reached out to the people near its five separate locations, ordering them to remember its individual presence even once those individuals were gone. Then the entity searched out and touched with forgetfulness all those who would have to be passed on the way out of the room, and the chore was done. Those who saw them leave and later return would never remember the times.

And then Delin was himself again, which he needed to be in order to leave. He parted his lips to excuse himself from the presence of the ladies he�d been speaking with, then nearly laughed aloud. The ladies were still speaking to�and apparently hearing�him, but a �him� supposedly standing a foot and a half to the left of his actual position. The foolish sluts looked at and simpered at empty air, which meant he was free to simply walk away.

And somehow, nobody else at this party is going to notice this gigantic loophole in the Spirit magic instructions, because I guess people at parties don't mingle and just stand around all night, talking in the same groups.

:doh:

I'm beginning to think that in addition to never having gone to an effectively run meeting, Green has never gone to a party either.

quote:

One by one the others joined him in the outer hall, but they didn�t go toward the front door. They made their way to a side door instead, slipped out without notice, moved through the shadows of the lawn to the street, where a coach unfamiliar to Delin waited. The driver sat and stared as though in a trance, and Kambil climbed up to join the man while the others entered the coach.

The trip wasn�t all that long, and when they reached their destination Delin finally realized who they would be questioning. High Lord Embisson Ruhl lived on the estate just ahead, and their coach pulled into the drive but stopped well before reaching the house. No one had been around to see them enter the grounds, and later no one would see them leave.

�Lord Embisson ought to be able to tell us everything we need to know,� Delin murmured, realizing that the choice must have somehow been influenced by him. �He�s in charge of everything to do with the competitions, but never comes near any of the participants.�

�We ought to know in just a few minutes,� Kambil said as he opened the coach door and climbed inside to sit on the floor. �We all know what has to be done, and we�ll do it as soon as Delin tells us it�s safe to begin.�

They all looked at Delin then, who preened for a very short time before checking all about. He was absolutely essential to the group, and the gratifying part was that they all knew it. Not a single consciousness of the human variety was aware of their presence, so he nodded regally, giving his permission to begin.

Every single Delin POV chapter from hereon out:

quote:

And begin they did. So swiftly were they Blended and then melded, that the Delin individual would have gasped. But the Delin individual was no more, not while the entity was awake and functioning. It drifted away from the five bodies which had spawned it, floating easily toward the house where its objective could be found.

Walls were no barrier to the entity, but being unfamiliar with the quarry�s trace slowed it down. More people were awake and moving about than the entity had expected to find, and it finally gathered that some sort of private party was in the process of being enjoyed. That made things both harder and easier, as the quarry was with the party attendees, and therefore not alone.

But being in the midst of a crowd was no protection for the quarry, as a single, light touch convinced him that he needed to relieve himself. The entity floated along after him as he left the room, deflecting some rather powerful probes that came in its direction. Some of those at the party obviously had stronger than average ability, but none was strong enough to penetrate to the entity�s presence.

This ability for more powerful talents to sense a Blending entity in their midst will not come up again, until the sequel trilogy (and I'm pretty sure it's Book 8), by which time Green has totally forgotten this scene and will have everybody treat it like a new amazing ability.

quote:

Lord Embisson led the way to the largest privacy facility the entity had ever seen, one that was, happily, not meant for the use of the party attendees. Lord Embisson�s thoughts reflected the concepts of personal property and complete privacy, and so it turned out to be. No one was in the room, and so it would be unnecessary to send the man elsewhere.

even is this?! I hate hate hate reading these entity POVs.

quote:

*Stand and respond to the questions put to you * the entity commanded with another touch. *You will answer fully, and speak only the truth. Afterward, you will forget. *

This prose is terribly formatted like this in the ebook.

quote:

�I will answer fully and truthfully, and afterward I will forget,� the aged man agreed easily, otherwise unmoving and unblinking. �What would you like to know?�

*What secrets concerning Blending are there in your possession?* the entity put first. *And what evaluation has been made about the various noble Blendings? Are any of them a match to the Blending chosen by the Advisors?*

�All information about Blending is closely restricted,� Lord Embisson answered at once. �It�s worth a man�s life to learn even one fact too many, and there are no exceptions made. I enjoy life far too much to want to see it ended over some bit of lore I have no use for in the first place.�

Remember how smart Lord Embisson is, right now. And then wait until we get to the sequel trilogy to see what Green does to this character.

quote:

*And the rest?* the entity prompted.

Disappointment tried to touch it, but it was far too occupied to allow that.

�The four noble Blendings in my province are primarily all the same,� Lord Embisson continued, his tone unexcited. �They have all managed to Blend, which is just as well for them, as we would have used them in any event. They�re all pretending to do their assigned exercises, but most of them are lying about it. They�re basically too lazy and stupid to do anything but pretend and strut, but that�s hardly unexpected. As far as the chosen Blending goes, I know nothing about it, nor do I care to. Those who are dealing with it most closely won�t survive the end of the competitions by even a full day. I�m one of the very few old enough to remember that, so I haven�t even made the effort to find out who the soon-tobe-doomed are. After all, why bother?�

That spelling error is in the ebook. And once again, we have an on-page reinforcement of how pointless this whole sham is, on both the noble and the commoner side of the equation. The last competition was only 25 years ago and based on the prologue plus that one random afternoon Lorand spent reading in Tamrissa's library, history books are clearly a thing in this Empire. How is it possible that none of the competitors realized that this is a death match from the start?

quote:

The entity considered that very briefly, then found itself agreeing. Although completely unhelpful, the attitude was entirely reasonable. Wise men learned to avoid what was dangerous to know, and wasted no time on those slated to die. So it touched the man again, returning him to normal, then floated out of the house and back toward the coach. This time its floating was faster, however, as one of the party guests could conceivably choose to leave at any moment.

When the entity reached the coach it became five individuals again, one of whom, Bron to be precise, reached up and rapped against the coach roof. Delin watched him do it, only faintly surprised when the coach began to move again, then could no longer hold back his anger.

�Of all the stupid wastes of time!� he snarled, glancing longest at Kambil, who was wholly responsible for the fiasco. �If that man knows nothing, no one within our reach will be any different. All this effort to learn absolutely nothing!�

�We did learn one thing,� Kambil had the nerve to disagree, shifting uncomfortably where he continued to sit on the coach floor. �We found out that no one suspects what we�re up to, at least not yet. I caught an echo of surprise from Idian today, and didn�t understand it until just a moment ago. We�ve been behaving much too well for the �lazy, stupid, and useless� people we�re supposed to be, and Idian has noticed. Tomorrow we�ll all have an excuse for sleeping late and missing our appointment, and I think we ought to make use of it.�

Except Kambil is like the one exception to this? Trying to sort out Green's non-existent character continuity gives me a headache.

quote:

The others all agreed immediately, and despite Delin�s outrage and anger, he was forced to add his own agreement. The rest of them seemed pleased to hear that awful opinion being voiced about them, not one of them taking it as the mortal insult it really was. To them it was protective coloration, but to Delin it was completely unforgivable, almost as bad as what Rigos had done�

That thought calmed Delin, and let him lean back in his seat with a smile. Rigos had done his worst, but still no longer lived. It was necessary to remember that, and remember as well that Embisson was simply a man. He, too, might die, especially if his death served to divert suspicion from Delin where the previous deaths were concerned�

I don't think I would have this big of a problem with Delin's character if he'd been introduced differently.

Summary:

Day 15
After some Blending practice, Delin and co go out to interrogate High Lord Embisson Ruhl, only to discover that he doesn't know anything useful, because anybody who knows anything about Blendings is killed after the competitions.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 26 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 22 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 99 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 51 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 17 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 30 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 81 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 53 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 63 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 32 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 14 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 11, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
I hate these cardboard cut out characters. I'm pretty sure this entire book would have been more interesting if Green had set up colliding plotlines.

Seeing as how I committed to writing a 5 book series for NaNoWriMo (of which I'm only just getting to finishing Book 1), I don't know when I will have time to do a sequel to the Blending Rewrite. But in theorizing about a rewrite, I think I'd probably expand the number of POVs involved and set up a win/lose dichotomy, though admittedly I have changed a lot of the world building so that I couldn't transplant characters like Kambil or Adriari straight over, even though their motivations would be pretty interesting to explore.

Leng fucked around with this message at 10:07 on Jan 17, 2022

# ? Dec 20, 2021 08:35

kaom: Jan 20, 2007

I just binge read this whole thread over the last few days. Thank you, Leng, for the enormous effort you put into this. It�s been quite the ride.

I�m one of the people who read the Let�s Rewrite efforts without being familiar with the source material. I am just FLOORED at how bad these books are, the level of trash is just beyond anything I could have pictured. Every time there�s a word count total summed up for where we�re at, it�s like :aaa:

NOTHING IS HAPPENING.

I guess Jovvi�s gold was pointless because we�re now past the point where it could have made a difference. It feels like Green literally forgot it exists. :aaa:

So the plot, when it bothers to advance, is a mess, but what really gets to me is how terrible the character interactions are. The horrible awkward dialogue, the mind-boggling decision making (why is Tamrissa concocting a stupid plan to lose Vallant�s interest, then we have the big argument scene where everyone comes clean about their feelings, then she�s still going through with her plan after telling him she wants to sleep with him - it felt like this came out of nowhere like the argument never even happened), the inane narration, and even the romance! Green is a romance author, how is it possible to write such boring and awful scenes of characters with NO CHEMISTRY? (I do not buy Tamrissa�s interest in Vallant in the slightest, nor Jovvi�s interest in Lorand past �he�s hot� and a purely mercenary interest in his skill set.)

The continuing character assassinations are just wild. Rion is over the moon for a sex worker and can�t imagine why Lorand warned him about not hurting a woman (I also can�t, btw, can someone enlighten me - is violent rage post-orgasm a thing?) but then he�s plotting murder just a few chapters later out of jealousy over women who said no to him (?). Jovvi is aggressively non-monogamous, but then spends all her time pining for Lorand and thinking that his fear of burnout is what�s keeping them apart (???). Tamrissa is apparently dumb as a pile of rocks to buy this story about the testing authority making Vallant sleep (WHAT?). Flip a coin each chapter on whether Lorand remembers Hat exists and does or does not want to be here. I guess you can say one thing in favour of Vallant - he�s consistently been terrible from the beginning!

I�m just scratching my head. Were these books Green�s attempt at working through her feelings about polyamory? Or just a cynical representation for marketing purposes? The setup is right there for more interesting relationships but I don�t know why she included it with no intentions of following through. How Rion doesn�t go to Lorand for �men only� lessons after Jovvi turns down his first proposition is beyond me, Green set it up in the tavern scene. Jovvi should definitely be giving Tamrissa advice on self love while also sleeping her way through Rion and Vallant (for many reasons!). Threesomes should be a thing for revealing more dynamics within the group. And Jovvi is also here as a courtesan to talk about sex positivity and how great it is, but then she�s completely passive in all her sex scenes (why isn�t she coaching Rion, hello?). The only sex scene that hasn�t been blaring :siren:

or completely perfunctory was the first one with Rion and Naran, IMO, which wasn�t written well either. If you feel strongly that the only interesting romantic relationships are hetoro pairs, then� why would you write an entire series with a poly magical element critical to the plot?

There are also so many antagonists and so few of them are interesting. But the bar is so low that to be honest I would rather read about what Kambil and Delin�s band of losers are up to, because at least they have goals they take actions to achieve. Delin, despite his intelligence being cratered into the earth after his introduction, has done more BY HIMSELF to uncover the conspiracy and influence events than the protagonists have done as a group across three books. It�s unreal. Rion knows about Kambil, he couldn�t propose questioning the guy like they did Naran�? Or maybe realize that Kambil is seriously trying to compete, if he�s gathering intelligence about the other teams, and suggest a truce to take other groups out of the running? Why is Delin the one with this idea?

Leng posted:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN:
Book 2: Leta Vas, Grami Arstin

BOO on both of these. What the heck, give me more antagonists who seem actually threatening, or at least fun!

Okay there�s also a major plot issue that�s been bothering me, and since I don�t think it was included as a plot hole I�m wondering if there�s some rock bottom stupid explanation coming up. Spoilers for, I think book 5? If no one knows about Sight magic, why does anyone believe the prophecy? How can they not know that seeing the future is possible? Is the prophecy NOT Sight magic? What the heck is going on here???

Final random thought - I�m also following secretly best girl�s Sword of Truth Let�s Read, which is objectivist fantasy (as opposed to libertarian), and they both feature weird BDSM. I am not super familiar with these ideologies. Is this� a coincidence?

And you asked at one point in the thread about school librarians and who vets this stuff. A friend�s mom growing up was a school librarian - there is no way they have time to read every book they put in school libraries. They�re relying on network recommendations, blurbs/marketing, and book store employees to help them out, because they�re easily buying 100+ new books per year to put in the library (usually in 1-2 big shopping trips) and their primary concern is just getting kids reading rather than checking how appropriate the content is. Which, to be fair, would be difficult to judge anyway, even though I personally think it should be a no-brainer that stuff like this and Piers Anthony should be verboten.

# ? Dec 29, 2021 00:20

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

kaom posted:

Green is a romance author, how is it possible to write such boring and awful scenes of characters with NO CHEMISTRY? (I do not buy Tamrissa�s interest in Vallant in the slightest, nor Jovvi�s interest in Lorand past �he�s hot� and a purely mercenary interest in his skill set.)

Her other books, the books which are straight up romance/erotica, are even worse. Like horrifyingly bad. At least in The Blending, she made some sort of attempt at trying to develop the relationship between the characters.

kaom posted:

I�m just scratching my head. Were these books Green�s attempt at working through her feelings about polyamory? Or just a cynical representation for marketing purposes?

Green, on the actual inspiration of the series:

Sharon Green posted:

I read one of his Gor books, never having read or heard of them before, got a few pages into it, then exploded and hit the ceiling...I didn't just hit the ceiling and explode when I read one, I immediately began to write once I came down. The Terry-Warrior books were my attempt to show a three-dimensional helpless female character, not the two-dimensional ones you see in the Gor books. Then, of course, I turned to the other side of the coin, a nonhelpless female character.

The Terry-Warrior books refer to her Terrilian pentology about empaths, which is actually sci-fi but the protagonist, Terry, gets trapped on a planet with a stock standard fantasy barbarian cultural setting. Terry's entire arc from book 1 to book 5 is just her getting raped, repeatedly, and ends with her falling in ~True Love~ with her rapist and staying on said planet (also entire series spoilers the planet is actually her real home planet). Her rapist never really figures out that rape is bad but it's okay, because it's ~True Love~ and he's made some sort of vow to not treat her like he would treat any other ~~woman~~ sex object from his planet because Terry is now more than just a sex object to him for ~reasons~ after they did some adventuring around the galaxy during which Terry obv was captured by some other dude and raped some more by him and all she could think about was "geez, this dude didn't even rape me right, unlike that barbarian dude that I totally do not have Stockholm Syndrome for".

And on that note, more from that interview, underlined emphasis mine:

quote:

ITT: From time to time you attend science fiction and fantasy conventions across the country. What's the best thing that ever happened to you at a Con?

SG: I was at Nolacon, (Worldcon in New Orleans,) and had just finished a panel when a very nice woman came up to me. She said she had an odd double occupation: she was a Southern Baptist minister and a rape counsellor, and she wanted to thank me for writing the Terrilian-Warrior series. It turned out that she used the books with the women she counselled, making them read the things as part of their therapy. She was the first person to notice (or at least to say they noticed) that the Terrilian books were a how-to guide for victimized women in developing the proper attitude. I can't imagine any award or prize being better than to be told you're actually helping people who need the help.

kaom posted:

Okay there�s also a major plot issue that�s been bothering me, and since I don�t think it was included as a plot hole I�m wondering if there�s some rock bottom stupid explanation coming up. Spoilers for, I think book 5? If no one knows about Sight magic, why does anyone believe the prophecy? How can they not know that seeing the future is possible? Is the prophecy NOT Sight magic? What the heck is going on here???

So Book 5 spoilers the prophecy IS Sight magic, kind of and only gets fully explained in a massive info dump in the last chapter of Book 8, and it's basically a whole bunch of full advanced Blendings get together and use Sight magic and predict macro trends with it and then backasswards those trends into a vaguely worded "prophecy" that's not a true prophecy in the sense of the standard fantasy convention which, as with many things Green, I find the concept interesting and the execution piss poor.

kaom posted:

Final random thought - I�m also following secretly best girl�s Sword of Truth Let�s Read, which is objectivist fantasy (as opposed to libertarian), and they both feature weird BDSM. I am not super familiar with these ideologies. Is this� a coincidence?

Oh man. I think I started reading Sword of Truth at some point and DNF'd it. Good heads up, I'm gonna check it out.

kaom posted:

And you asked at one point in the thread about school librarians and who vets this stuff. A friend�s mom growing up was a school librarian - there is no way they have time to read every book they put in school libraries. They�re relying on network recommendations, blurbs/marketing, and book store employees to help them out, because they�re easily buying 100+ new books per year to put in the library (usually in 1-2 big shopping trips) and their primary concern is just getting kids reading rather than checking how appropriate the content is. Which, to be fair, would be difficult to judge anyway, even though I personally think it should be a no-brainer that stuff like this and Piers Anthony should be verboten.

I wonder if my high school library mixed up their lists of recommendations then, and accidentally bought these books for the school library when they were meant to go in a personal library.

# ? Dec 29, 2021 20:17

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Vallant strolled along the path in the park, pretending to be out doing nothing more than enjoying a pretty day. He�d been told that there was a lake in the middle of the park where models of sailing ships were raced, and that was supposed to be his ultimate destination. He�d complained about missing the sea, and so had been sent to watch the model racing.

This is the worst alibi. I'm not even sure why they think they need an alibi anymore, especially when Vallant doesn't even make an attempt to go see the model boats. I don't know why Green would do this and NOT have the entire scene take place at the lake with the model boats, because then there would have been something interesting going on in the background while Plot gets dropped into our characters' laps.

quote:

In reality, however, he was there for an entirely different reason.

There weren�t many people in the park around him, and those few didn�t seem to notice when Vallant left the path for the privacy of a thick stand of bushes. He stood for several long moments making sure of that, and only at the end of the time did he leave his watchpost and head deeper into the shrubbery. The presence of the lake was like a bright beacon for him, but another, brighter beacon had been flashing ever since he�d entered the park.

Very subtle guys. There couldn't POSSIBLY be anybody else with Water magic in the vicinity, like maybe anyone in the park who's there for the model boat racing? I guess they ALL happen to be Air magic users?

quote:

Finding that second, deliberate beacon wasn�t difficult at all, especially since Vallant knew what it looked like on the outside. Pagin Holter was a small, energetic man who�d been a groom before passing that first test, and all through the rest of the tests he and Vallant hadn�t had any trouble matching one another. Now he waited in the midst of another thick patch of shrubbery, using the power to pulse his talent like a flashing light every minute or two.

For the second time, Vallant paused to take a good look around. It was just as possible that Holter might have been followed, so Vallant used his ability to check for lurkers.

Green: "Here's a reminder of who Pagin is, because he's a character that I didn't put any effort into developing, because he's like the Hat equivalent for Vallant, since Vallant is bad at making non-lady friends (oh wait, Vallant is also bad at making lady friends but it's ok because he's just SO HOT he can :huh:

them into ~~submission~~ being friends)."

quote:

There were none in evidence near either of them, so he continued on to where Holter stood waiting.

�Knew you wus here when you started checkin� around th� first time,� Holter said in greeting with a grin, putting out his hand. �Won�t never fergit whut yer inside voice sounds like.�

�And I�d know yours in the middle of thousands,� Vallant agreed with his own grin, taking the offered hand.

I hate this kind of lazy writing. Spirit magic is the ability that lets people communicate mind to mind, the other talents don't have that perk. What I think Green means here is that everyone's method of handling the power/talent is unique to them?

quote:

�We can�t afford to be found talkin�, so let�s get right down to it. How is it goin� with your group?�

Green: "I can't afford to have my characters actually do stuff to discover things for themselves, so here's an entire info dump via dialogue."

quote:

�Never thought it would happen, but we made it all th� way t�Blendin�,� Holter replied with a shake of his head. �Thet there fat noble din�t do nothin� t�help, �ceot tellin� us about how t�stand. Thet there�s th� key, looks like, standin� in th� right place.�

�We found that it only has to be done the first few times,� Vallant told him, gesturing the smaller man along to a sunny patch of grass where they might sit.

You can't afford to be found together talking so now you're gonna go sit out on the grass in the open?

I mean, that looks a lot less suspicious in my opinion, but Vallant, you've just contradicted yourself.

quote:

�After that just the touchin� alone starts the Blendin�, and then you all decide if you want the surface kind or the full meld.�

�You folks been goin� fer thet vortex thing?� Holter asked, looking surprised as he settled himself on the grass opposite Vallant. �We been stayin� away frum it, figurin� thet there�s th� reason folks ain�t supposta Blend. Losin� group after group wouldn� do th� empire a whole lotta good.�

�That sounds like Eskin Drowd talkin�,� Vallant guessed with disgust. �The man�s a coward, remember, so he�d be sure to come up with a good excuse to avoid takin� a chance. That vortex business is a lie, put out by the nobles to keep us from bein� really effective. If you go into the competitions only surface Blended, you�ll lose right away.�

Green: "Look at how smart my protagonists are compared to everybody else!"

quote:

�drat thet Drowd anyways,� Holter spat as he echoed Vallant�s disgust. �He keeps pickin� away at me, tryin� t� git me riled crazy, an� th� others �r scared t�face up t� �im. Been thinkin� I oughta do sumthin� t�slap �im down, an� now it looks like I ain�t gotta choice. His partyin� an� carousin�s been hurtin� th� group anyways��

Green: "Have some more reminders about an antagonist who never really mattered in the first place and isn't going to matter now."

quote:

�Have you found out where the other three groups are?� Vallant asked when Holter�s voice trailed off. �There�s things everybody needs to know, and not just that vortex lie.�

�So happens I did, but there ain�t three more groups, they�s four,� Holter replied, surprising Vallant. �Th� last group�s kept real close t� their residence, an� don�t seem t�know th� competitions is comin� in four days. I figured they ain�t gonna be a part a it lessen somethin� happens t�one a th� rest a us.�

�I can�t really tell you what to do, but I have a suggestion,� Vallant said slowly. �Drowd won�t do your group much good even if you force him into line, because he simply isn�t strong enough. If it were me, I�d get the Earth magic talent from that extra group, and try usin� him or her in the Blendin�. There�s only four days left and it might not work anyway, but it�s better than continuin� to carry a loser like Drowd.�

�It�s funny you sayin� thet,� Holter mused, studying Vallant in an odd way. �Th� woman who�s Earth magic in thet there extra group wus parta ours, b�fore they put Drowd in. Her an� th� Air magic talent, a decent guy we all liked. Now we got Drowd an� sum bimbo who keeps tellin� ever�body how t�talk �n act. She�s kinda like thet there Beldara Lant, on�y �bout everythin� steada jest Fire magic. An� I gotta tell ya: I seen thet Lant gal agin.�

�Where?� Vallant asked. �It�s been so long since Tamrissa left her behind that I forgot all about her.�

�Sum a us went t�see th� challenges fer Seated High in Fire magic,� Holter replied. �Our Fire magic talent�s a real nice little gal, an� she wanned comp�ny t�go see �em. Me an� Jerst, th� Spirit magic talent, went along, an� there wus Beldara Lant, one a th� challengers.�

�Don�t tell me,� Vallant said dryly. �She marched out expectin� to win, but was beaten with very little effort. Lorand�s friend Hat, who�s no more than a strong Middle, ended up as one of the props in the Earth magic farce. Most of Beldara�s strength was pure opinion, which made her another perfect prop.

Green: "Hey guys, remember how I keep telling you that things are rigged? Well just in case you forgot, things are rigged!"

quote:

And that reminds me: you and the others have to know that we were all drugged after that very first test. As it stands now, you�ll obey anybody who keys you with the right words.�

�I don�t believe thet,� Holter said, but his stunned expression said he certainly did believe. �How � whut��

�That water they gave us to drink wasn�t water,� Vallant said, answering the question Holter wasn�t quite able to put. �We figured it out and worried about it, then we got the luckiest break yet: one of the noble groups is hopin� we�ll take out their strongest competition, so they sent us the keyin� phrase.

Green: "And here's a reminder on exactly HOW things were rigged! And how nonsensical the noble Blending's plan is!"

quote:

We tried it usin� somebody who wasn�t keyed, and now it doesn�t work on us anymore. If you like, I can do the same for you.�

�Damned straight I like,� Holter agreed at once, his expression having turned grim. �Never been a slave b�fore, so I ain�t gonna start bein� one now. You go ahead an� do �er.�

�My pleasure,� Vallant told him with a smile. ��Now is the time for all commoners to come to the aid of the empire.��

Holter immediately froze where he sat, a breathing statue of flesh. He waited for his instructions, Vallant knew, so he very carefully gave them.

�These are the last commands you�ll be required to obey,� he began, remembering what Naran had told him. �After the last of them you�ll return to yourself, behavin� as you usually do. First, you�ll never respond to those keyin� words again. Second, you�ll never respond to any other keyin� words either. And last, you�re to return to the way you usually are.�

Repeating the same command twice was probably unnecessary, but Vallant agreed with Naran that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Look at the Blendingverse programming in action.

quote:

Holter blinked at him, no longer under the phrase�s control, and then the small man frowned.

�Well, whut�s takin� s� long?� he demanded. �Go on ahead an� do �er.�

�It�s already done,� Vallant told him with a grin, remembering that he�d reacted in exactly the same way. �Now you�ll have to learn the keyin� phrase, so you�ll be able to free everybody else.�

Holter had no trouble learning the keying phrase, and then Vallant gave him the wording he needed to use to free others. The small man memorized that as well, and then they were able to move on to the other topics which needed discussing: the fact that full Blending was very draining the first time, but got easier each time it was done; the fact that the Blending bond grew stronger if the male and female members of the group lay together; and the fact that a full Blending was capable of doing a lot more than anyone realized.

In case you fell asleep while trying to get through the book to date.

I'm still mad that Rion hasn't propositioned either Lorand or Vallant, with a "hey guys, imagine how much stronger we would get if EVERYBODY had sex with each other!"

But then, you know, in this world it took them centuries to figure out that when you have FIVE types of magical talents, maybe you should try Blending all five together, instead of just four.

quote:

�But you�re goin� to have to find out what those things are by yourselves, because we don�t have all the answers yet,� Vallant finished up. �Oh, and let�s agree now that if they want us to eat or drink anythin� at the competitions, we all refuse. If they try makin� us stay anywhere but at our residences, we all refuse. If we give those lowlives any chance at us at all, we�ll deserve anythin� that happens.�

�I hear thet,� Holter agreed, deeply thoughtful. �They ain�t gonna turn loose a th� Throne easy atall, so we gotta force �em� I hope you don�t mind me askin�, but how�s it goin� with you �n Tamrissa? After whut you said �bout stronger bonds �n all� Last I saw, you two were fixin� t�start a war��

�I�d really rather not talk about that,� Vallant growled, suddenly back to feeling the way he had for the last three days. �She claims she knows we have to lie together, but every time I see her she says somethin� that gets me so mad I can�t see straight. I keep wantin� to give her a good shakin�, but she keeps a touch on the power most of the time. If I try shakin� her into rememberin� what we really feel for each other, it could turn into a battle of our talents. That means I don�t know what to do��

Bad foreshadowing.

quote:

Holter�s expression of confusion prompted Vallant to tell the other man about what had gone on between him and Tamrissa since Holter left the residence. For someone who didn�t want to talk about something, Vallant realized that he left nothing out. But he needed to talk about it, and not to the others in his group. They were more than willing to help, but so far their suggestions had done no more good than his own few ideas.

Because you guys are all terrible at relationships.

quote:

�� so she�s probably waitin� for the last night before the competitions,� Vallant finally summed up. �She�s afraid of gettin� involved with me, and nothin� any of us say to her changes her mind. That�s one true mule of a woman, and when she�s touchin� the power there�s no arguin� with her.�

Wait until you guys see how they decide how to resolve this impasse.

quote:

�An� she�s always touchin� th� power,� Holter said, nodding his understanding. �Doin� thet ain�t hurtin� her �r makin� her real tired? I�d prob�ly be flat dead frum touchin� it all th� time.�

�Me, too,� Vallant agreed glumly. �But she seems to be fine, no trouble at��

�You get a idea?� Holter asked when Vallant�s words stopped dead. �Sure hope so, �cause it sounds like you need one bad.�

�Yes, it so happens I did get an idea,� Vallant agreed as he began to rise. �It isn�t terribly fair, but you know that old sayin� about everythin� bein� fair in love and war. This is both, so it ought to do just fine. You know how to reach me, Holter, and I�ll enjoy knowin� how things go.�

It is SO NOT FINE, but it's Vallant so that's just par for course.

quote:

�They�ll be goin� lots better now, thanks t� you,� Holter said as he also rose, holding out his hand again. �You an� th� rest take care now, an� good luck with thet idea.�

�I�ll probably need it,� Vallant muttered as he shook hands with Holter again. �It�ll be a while before I can try it, but I�ll probably need the time to do some convincin�. Keep your eyes open goin� back, to find out if anybody tried followin� you.�

Holter said something about not seeing anybody, so Vallant asked if the man had searched with his ability as well as his eyes. It turned out that he hadn�t, so Vallant described how to do it before they parted to go their separate ways.

Green: "Did you remember that my protagonists are the smartest people ever?"

quote:

Holter gave him the oddest look before he walked off, but Vallant didn�t have the time to wonder what it meant. He had to marshal the strongest arguments he could find to get the help he needed against Tamrissa, and then�

With the number of lines that this crosses, we really should have gotten an entire scene about this, but since it's Green and she makes a point of writing scenes that we don't need and skipping scenes that we do, we're just gonna see the icky result.

Summary:

Day 15
After some Blending practice, Delin and co go out to interrogate High Lord Embisson Ruhl, only to discover that he doesn't know anything useful, because anybody who knows anything about Blendings is killed after the competitions.

Meanwhile, Vallant goes out to meet Pagin after breakfast, so that Pagin can get on with doing plot critical things, like freeing the rest of the common Blendings from the command phrase, off screen so Vallant can come up with a new plan on how to circumvent consent in order to sleep with Tamrissa. Priorities, yo.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 27 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 22 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 99 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 51 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 17 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 31 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 81 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 53 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 63 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 32 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 12 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 15 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 11, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 1: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 1: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
This chapter is literally here just to recap the entire book to date and should be shredded for cat litter.

Actually wait. You know what, I could have used a nice diversion chapter about Vallant showing up to model ship racing in the lake and getting SUPER COMPETITIVE about it by crafting a miniature version of the Sea Queen out of ice and then using Water magic to summon tiny tidal waves to knock out the competition, all so he can work out his homesickness and the whole deal of not being able to go back to the sea, because if he does survive the competitions, it means he's going to be trapped in Gan Garee forever as part of the Seated Blending ruling the empire, which is like even worse than the desk job Mirra wanted him to take and the whole reason he broke off their relationship in the first place.

And as part of that, I suppose there could be some sort of deep reflection about why he decides to stay for Tamrissa which hopefully goes beyond just "she's really hot and I'd really like to bone her" though honestly there's so little substance to that relationship that I think I'd prefer a 10 page inner monologue on exactly how the shipping industry works in Gandistra and what Vallant would change about it if he were in charge.

Leng fucked around with this message at 10:07 on Jan 17, 2022

# ? Dec 29, 2021 20:56

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

At least Vallant ranting about shipping regulations would be constructive world building, rather than setting the story amid the backdrops of a high school play with a shoestring budget.

# ? Dec 31, 2021 18:28

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING :siren:

There is a sex scene at the end of this chapter. Personally I think it's a clear cut instance of rape, so proceed with caution and skip if you need to.

quote:

CHAPTER FORTY�

�Who was at the door?� Jovvi asked when I returned to the library and reclaimed my chair. �The servant called him a stranger.�

I'm kind of glad we skipped over yet another random encounter because all of them follow the exact same pattern: random NPC demands entry > protagonist refuses > random NPC continues demands > protagonist engages Facts and Logic > random NPC makes not-threats and storms out

quote:

�Let�s just say he was a stranger personally but not actually,� I replied as I picked up my teacup again. �He was an assessor sent by my father, to appraise the value of his house before the sale. The man was a self-important fool, and demanded to be let in to do his job.�

�I should have gone to the door with you,� Jovvi commented while Lorand looked pained. �Entertainment of that sort always interests me. So what did you tell him?�

...oh. We're still getting the random encounter, only narrated in dialogue. While this is less word count, it's painful in a different way, because now we get to watch them all pat themselves on the back for being Green's soapboxes.

quote:

�I told him that this house belongs to me, not to my father, despite my father�s repeated attempts to steal it,� I said after sipping at my rewarmed tea. �I also told him that I�ve asked the court to do something about my father, because his continual nonsense is distracting me from the competitions I�ll be entering in four days time. I added that if I ever saw that man or anyone from his firm again, I�d include their names in my plea to the court.�

�No wonder he began to radiate waves of fear,� Jovvi said with a laugh. �He probably wasn�t told that this is an official residence, otherwise he would never have come here. How did you think of that part about going to court against your father?�

�I thought of it because that�s what I did this morning,� I answered comfortably. �Just defending never wins any battles, you also have to counterattack. After giving the court the details of what my father has done to me so far, I asked the sitting panel if there was any way they could help me. They all seemed angry and upset, and quickly assured me that there was quite a lot that they could do. I can�t wait to find out what they had in mind.�

Not-spoilers: absolutely nothing will come of this.

quote:

�I hope it�s something that teaches him a good lesson,� Lorand put in, sounding rather unforgiving. �He�s deliberately trying to distract you so that we won�t be at our best in the competitions. Is he really so uninformed that he doesn�t know what will happen if we lose, or does he expect his gold to buy you back under his thumb?�

Uh, YOU GUYS didn't know what will happen if you lose at the beginning. Like, I still think that's a massive plothole, but for Lorand to get all uppity about Storn not knowing is dumb.

quote:

�I have the feeling he�s too desperate to think straight,� I said, considering the point. �That man Odrin Hallasser�I now remember people mentioning his name, but not in any friendly or everyday businesslike manner. Most seem to be afraid of him, and I got the impression that they did quite a lot to stay out of his way. My father�s oversized ego led him to make a deal with the man, and now he�s having trouble keeping to his end of the bargain. Dear, sweet Dom Hallasser may even have begun to threaten him.�

Obligatory terrible info dump about this character that we've seen exactly once on screen as a creep slavering at the sight of Tamrissa.

quote:

�It would hardly surprise me,� Jovvi agreed, also looking thoughtful. �I remember how I reacted to that man, and thought then that your father was a fool for getting involved with him. I just � wonder if going to court was the wisest thing to do. When things become official, I become very uncomfortable��

Oh please.

quote:

�What choice did I have?� I asked as Lorand reached over to touch her shoulder gently in support. They weren�t sitting together, but I was certain they were spending nights together.

What happened to "we all hate each others' guts"? Seriously, being a spy must be the cushiest job in the Blendingverse. You can be about as observant as a door knob and still get paid for it.

quote:

Not that I envied them in any manner at all, or Rion and Naran either. Becoming involved was a foolish thing to do, and I was perfectly delighted that I hadn�t done the same.

�She really did have no other choice,� Lorand assured Jovvi in support of what I�d said. �The visitor she just had proves her father had no intentions of stopping his harassment, and at the very least it was annoying and distracting. The court will hopefully keep us from being bothered again.�

usually you want to escalate the stakes, not the other way around. I hate everything about this prose.

quote:

�Yes, I know you�re both right,� Jovvi admitted with a sigh. �The only other choice we had was to visit the man as a Blending, and people would have noticed his abrupt change in behavior. If the wrong someone noticed, it could have��

WHY AREN'T YOU GUYS DOING ACTUAL USEFUL STUFF WITH YOUR BLENDING?!??!?!!??!? Like, you realize just intel gathering would be great, right? There is such a thing as a happy medium between "not using our Blending to do anything" and "using our Blending to mind control everyone around us and replace them with facsimiles we've constructed"?

quote:

Her words broke off abruptly, undoubtedly because of what sounded like a riot coming from the front hall. A woman�s voice rose shrilly above a man�s, and then the two combatants appeared in the doorway I�d left open. The man was the servant currently attending to the front door, and the woman was my mother.

�Forgive me, Dama, but she forced her way past me,� the servant, Hovan, apologized with fluster. �Shall I call for assistance in putting her out again?�

�You horrible, unnatural child!� my mother shrilled as I shook my head and gestured to Hovan that it was all right for him to leave. His former opponent stalked into the room and planted herself in front of me, her chin rising to regal height. �You will come with me this moment, and tell the court that you lied about whatever you told them! Do you hear me? Get to your feet at once!�

�You really should stop screaming, Mother,� I suggested calmly, ignoring the strong urge to do exactly as she said. �It makes you sound like a fishwife, and is extremely unbecoming. Would you like to calm down and tell me what�s happened?�

�You know perfectly well what�s happened,� she growled, her face flushed with sudden embarrassment. �Guardsmen came to the house and arrested your father, informing me that he would be held until after those ridiculous competitions are over. At that time he will be given a trial, and fined heavily if found guilty. Don�t try to deny that this is your doing!�

You read this and you think it's going somewhere, but I'm telling you, it's not. We'll see Storn again in books 4 and 5 and I'm pretty sure Green forgot that this happened, because there will be zero reference to him ever being arrested in the first place.

quote:

�Considering how browbeaten my sisters are, of course I�m the one responsible,� I agreed pleasantly. �I thought about Father�s various friends on the bench, and decided I would be foolish to simply wait until he arranged for our disagreement to come up before them. �He who strikes first strikes best,� Father always says, and he certainly is right.�

�Your outrageous display of cheek is making me extremely angry, Tamrissa,� she said, the growl still in her tone. �When your father proves his innocence he will return and see to your punishment, so you�d better move quickly, young lady. If you make them release him now, your punishment will be a good deal milder.�

�I find it amazing that at one time I would have responded to that by doing just as you said,� I commented, forcing away all awareness of my lesser self�s worry. �Now, of course, I know it for the nonsense it is, as nothing I told the court was untrue. If Father denies the charges they�ll make him testify under that drug that forces people to tell the truth, and then he�ll support what I said. After the judges show how angry perjury makes them, I doubt that he�ll be in a position to punish anyone.�

�I have no idea what�s come over you, but I want it to stop this minute,� she said sharply, sounding just as she had for all the years of my growing up. �This disagreement is a family matter, and family matters are to be kept private. Go and do what you must to have your father released, and then we�ll all sit down and discuss whatever happens to be bothering you. Your father has never been concerned about anything but what�s best for you, and��

�Oh, please, Mother!� I interrupted, fighting to hold my temper. �All you�re doing is repeating the same self-serving lies I�ve heard my entire life. You and Father don�t care about anyone but yourselves, so you have no right to complain now that you�re receiving that kind of treatment rather than giving it. I�m sick of the both of you, and I want you out of my house. Now!�

I�d stood up by then, holding my mother�s gaze as I�d never before been able to do. She stared back at me with fury and hatred, blaming me for having learned to be so much like my parents, then drew herself up as she looked away.

�You�ll regret this, girl, you have my word that you�ll regret this,� she stated very softly, then turned and walked out.

This scene should have been so, so much more than it is right now. Green's characters magically show growth out of nowhere because character growth is literally powered by magic.

quote:

I waited until she left the room before sitting down again, and that was when Jovvi and Lorand left their own chairs. Lorand walked to the door to make sure my mother actually left the house, and Jovvi came over to me.

�It�s all right, you did perfectly well,� she said soothingly, putting an arm around my shoulders. �You aren�t letting yourself feel all those tearing emotions, but that doesn�t mean they aren�t there. She did her best to twist you around in an effort to keep her husband from having to pay for what he�s done, and she�s shocked that this time it didn�t work. The two of them don�t ever expect to have to pay for what they do to others, which is one of the reasons they�re so uncaring. Whatever happens to your father will be his fault, not yours for refusing to be his victim again.�

�Understanding that intellectually isn�t quite the same as understanding it emotionally,� I said, fighting not to be overwhelmed by those tearing emotions Jovvi had mentioned. �If I weren�t still touching the power, I�d probably be running after her and begging for forgiveness. Forgive me for not letting you turn my life into a horror again, Mother. Forgive me for not letting you do as you please with me, Father. I have to be insane, Jovvi, or I would never feel like this.�

�It isn�t insanity,� Jovvi told me with a hug and a sigh. �It�s part of everyone�s nature to want to please their parents, so that those parents will love them. If doing the wrong thing brings that love, we do the wrong thing and consider it right. You�ve broken out of the pattern, but staying out will take all the strength you have.�

Have an extremely on the nose statement of the theme. How the hell does Green manage to write such flat scenes?

quote:

�She�s gone, and I think it�s time we talked about something else,� Lorand said, coming over to crouch beside my chair and put a gentle hand to my face. �I don�t think you ladies know that I managed to speak privately to Meerk this morning.�

Green's terrible transitions continue.

quote:

�I certainly didn�t,� Jovvi said as I shook my head to agree with her. �Has he found your friend Hat yet?�

�He can�t even find a trace of him, and it�s begun to drive him wild,� Lorand replied with heavy disappointment in his voice. �No one knows anything and no one has seen anything, not even for silver. The challengers were brought to the building and afterward were taken away again, just as they always are. Where they come from and where they were taken, no one knows or cares.�

Green: "I can't be bothered thinking about how the antagonists are doing this so I'm just gonna say it's super secret and nobody knows."

I mean, I kind of did this in my own book so I don't exactly blame her, but I at least limited this to just one thing, not every single thing.

quote:

�That doesn�t sound good at all,� I said, gratefully taking Lorand�s problem in place of my own. �If your friend had been turned loose after the challenge, Meerk would have been able to find him even if he promptly got drunk again. What bothers me most is the way he began to shout about the challenge being nothing but a show. If he refused to stop saying that, they might have refused to release him.�

�I�ve already thought of that, and so did Meerk,� Lorand said with a headshake. �That�s why he tried to find any of the challengers, thinking it would be easier to locate four than one. He�s had everyone he knows out and looking, but there isn�t a trace of the other four either.�

�Which means either that they�re dead, or the government has found another use for them,� Jovvi said, putting a hand to Lorand�s arm. �I know what you�re feeling, my dear, but denying the probable truth doesn�t change it. There�s nothing we can do about it now, but if we win the competitions��

Oh, are we back to Lorand actually caring about Hat now?

quote:

�Yes, I know,� Lorand agreed heavily. �I�ve been telling myself the same thing, but that hasn�t stopped me from wanting to become furious. And Meerk has decided not to give up. Somewhere in this city is someone who knows what became of those people, and he�s determined to find that someone. I have the feeling that Meerk is more than he appears to be, but how much more and precisely what, I simply don�t know.�

HINT HINT HINT MEERK IS IMPORTANT. I don't know why Green's trying to use the least observant protagonist to point this out, because there's no way Lorand would actually realize anything.

quote:

�What I know is that I�m suddenly in the mood for a soak in the bath house,� Jovvi said as Lorand straightened up. �I�m also in the mood for company, but not male company. That means you, Tamma, so let�s go.�

Two terrible transitions in one chapter.

quote:

I tried to refuse her very unsubtle invitation, but she pulled me out of the chair and dragged me along with her. Part of me wanted to be alone, but another part shivered at the idea of being alone with my thoughts. So I let myself be bullied into going along, and the time was unbelievably peaceful. Jovvi and I soaked in silence, but her presence made me know that I�d never be alone again�and that there were people who really did love me. I didn�t have to become a victim again to be loved, and that knowledge was true freedom.

This would have been a good place to put that Jovvi/Tamrissa sex scene that should exist based on all of the setup in these books. In fact, someone has written this on AO3 (straight up erotica so very much :nsfw:): https://archiveofourown.org/works/13055235

quote:

After bathing I stayed in my apartment until dinner, mostly to keep from running into Vallant. I�d been trying my best to annoy the life out of him, but it was becoming harder and harder to do. Most of me wanted to do something other than annoy him, despite what I�d learned about the pain of becoming involved. I did have to lie with him, that went without saying, but if I could just put the time off long enough� The first day of the competitions would certainly be insane enough to distract me from anything that might have happened the night before�

Wait for it guys. This plan of Vallant's is just spectacularly bad.

quote:

At the last moment I decided to take dinner in my apartment. My insides still felt bruised from the confrontation I�d had with my mother, which meant I was in no condition to argue with Vallant the way I�d been doing. If I saw him I was more likely to ask him to hold me, and that would ruin every one of my very sensible plans. It�s ridiculous that weakness so often overcomes common sense, and I couldn�t help wondering if it were just me�

Green is the worst at trying to write an unreliable narrator.

quote:

I expected Jovvi and Lorand to come by after dinner, to tell me what Vallant had learned from Pagin Holter if for no other reason. By the time it occurred to me that he might not have learned anything, I�d already begun to yawn. I�d had an upsetting day and was in need of a good night�s sleep, which would give me the strength to hold my own during the next morning�s practice. We�d taken to testing our limits, and that required more than a little effort�

The yawning began to get out of hand while I undressed, so I wasn�t surprised when I fell asleep immediately after getting into bed. I seemed to sleep only for a short while before I began to dream, and at first I felt surprised to know that I dreamt. Then the surprise went away, replaced with the idea that it was all perfectly normal.

DUN DUN DUN.

quote:

In my dream I sat up against my pillows in bed, having already relit one of the room�s lamps with my talent. The door to my bedchamber opened and Vallant came in, wearing a wrap and the sort of stare he�d been giving me for the last few days. When he saw me watching him, he grinned faintly.

Dude. KNOCK.

quote:

�If you�re waitin� for me to start performin� immediately, you�re in for a small disappointment,� he said as he circled to the other side of the bed. �I don�t believe in performin� alone, and in any event prefer to take my time.�

quote:

�What are you doing in my dream?� I asked, watching as he reached to the tie of his wrap. I had to admit that I really wanted to see his body again, and since this was a dream there was no reason why I shouldn�t.

DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN.

quote:

�I�m here because you want me here,� he replied, pausing before opening his wrap. �If for some reason that doesn�t happen to be true, I�ll leave again at once.�

Does anybody believe this?

quote:

�No, I don�t want you to leave,� I decided after a moment. �I don�t ever really want you to leave, but I simply can�t cope with the ups and downs that go into a relationship. There are so many uncertainties, so many times when all you can do is hope for the best� I�m not very good at hoping.�

Who talks like this in a dream? Is anyone in this thread a lucid dreamer?

quote:

�That�s why you need me,� he said with a tender expression, taking off the wrap and tossing it aside before getting into bed. �I�ve got lots of experience with hopin�, so I can do it for the both of us. Why don�t you try it and see if you like it?�

The actual subtext:

Vallant: "I'm super good at doing the sex, once you sleep with me you'll discover that you'll just constantly want my :dong:

quote:

His arms were around me by then, and I discovered that being held was a lot better than simply looking at his marvelous body. He was so broad and strong, and yet so gentle and tender at the same time. I felt absolutely no fear of him, and for that, at least in part, I had Rion and Lorand to thank. It would have killed me if I�d flinched away from Vallant�s touch � not when he meant so much to me�

quote:

�I�ve been waitin� a long time to give you my physical love, but it�s goin� to have to wait a bit longer,� Vallant murmured as I held to him tightly, my cheek against the warmth of his chest. �Holdin� you in my arms like this feels too good for me to want to rush it. You don�t mind, do you?�

Also Vallant: "PLEASE LET ME BANG YOU RIGHT NOW"

quote:

My lips already curved in a smile from his offer to do my hoping for me, and now the curve deepened at the thought that I might mind being held like something very precious and dear. I shook my head in answer to his question, unwilling to intrude on my enjoyment with words, and he simply made a sound of satisfied acknowledgment. We would do no more than hold each other for a while, letting everything else wait.

I expected the wait to be a long one, or even that he might suddenly dissolve back into dreamstuff, but neither thing happened.

You should be very suspicious of this Tamrissa.

quote:

Instead my desire for him began to increase, heating my blood so quickly that it startled me.

Oh look, she figured out the weird sex trick. Turns out it just amounts to "be aroused". Also spoilers for the end of this chapter seriously Jovvi and Lorand? Not cool

quote:

It hadn�t been like this with Rion or Lorand, neither the speed nor the intensity of the feelings, and for a moment I didn�t know what to do. Then what to do became obvious, and I raised my face and moved my lips toward his.

The most clinical description of someone initiating a kiss, ever.

quote:

His response came so quickly, it was as though we were linked as a Blending entity again. Two minds merged into one, a single thought, a single intention, a single desire. His lips demanded mine as furiously as mine demanded his,

I'm now picturing the two of them snogging in the horrible manner when you're pretty sure that both of them are just trying to eat the other person's mouth.

quote:

and the fire in my blood leaped to his flesh and through it to ignite his own blood.

Green you can't write stuff like this in a world where your characters can literally summon fire, because I am now picturing actual flames travelling through Vallant's skin and into his bloodstream, in which case the guy should be dead.

quote:

My hands caressed the broad hardness of his back, and his moved around and under my nightgown to explore me thoroughly.

"broad hardness". That's the best Green could come up with. Also "explore me thoroughly" sounds like Vallant's giving her a clinical exam.

quote:

Once again I was the one to cut the preliminaries short. I pulled out of his arms for a moment in order to rid myself of the nightgown, and then I returned to press my body directly against his. His hands came to my face and then his lips had mine again, and I couldn�t keep from burying my fists in his long platinum mane. I wanted him desperately, needed him terribly, and the sounds coming from deep in his throat said he felt the same.

This description is just hysterical and possibly the least sexiest thing ever.

quote:

Insanity gripped us after that, but not so far that I failed to notice when he moved above me. It was the moment I�d been hungering for, but he suddenly turned cautious and overly careful! I snarled a curse at all men for either being too uncaring or too solicitous, and arched up high to capture him quickly. When I locked my legs about him he seemed startled, but only for an instant. After that the insanity had him again, and I was able to forget about everything but pleasure.

I can't even.

quote:

Even after having lain with Rion and Lorand, I had no idea that pleasure could be so intense. We both flamed with it, on my part again and again, on his part, twice. After his first release I thought with disappointment that we were done, but he quickly showed me that I was in error. Happily in error, deliciously wrong, and we continued on and on until our strength was completely spent.

OMG.

quote:

Afterward we lay side by side for quite a while, gasping to regain the breath we�d lost in so wonderful a way. Vallant held my hand as though we were innocent sweethearts,

What? This is the worst way to try to convey this.

quote:

and finally he raised the hand to his lips.

�I can honestly say that I�ve never had such an incredible experience,� he murmured, then kissed the hand again. �It worried me that you were touchin� the power, but at some point I found that I was touchin� it as well. Maybe that was what helped to get me through it alive�or mostly alive.�

This, but uh, not joking. Pretty sure Tamrissa would have carbonized anyone who isn't a High in Water magic.

quote:

He chuckled before kissing my hand again, but I felt puzzled. He was right about the experience having been incredible, but an awful lot of things didn�t make sense.

�But it isn�t possible to touch the power when you�re asleep,� I protested. �And why are you still here? Most dreams fall apart just before you can enjoy them, or at the very least right afterward. And why does it all seem so real�?�

Has the light bulb switched on yet, Tamrissa?

quote:

�Why do you keep talkin� about a dream?� he asked, turning to face me and raising up on one elbow. �I expected you to argue and fight when I just walked in, but I wanted you so badly that I just had to take the chance.

Yes. Without knocking. Dude has no respect for Tamrissa's privacy or personal space. WTF exactly was he planning to do if she was actually asleep? Just sneak into bed with her?

quote:

And I did give you the chance to tell me to leave, if you�ll recall. Did you think I was lyin� when I said I would?�

Yeah, pretty sure we all did.

quote:

�No,� I replied, suddenly thinking furiously despite my shock. �It�s just� Did you decide on this visit privately, or did you tell the others you were going to try it?�

The penny drops!

quote:

�I had to tell them,� he responded with a small shrug. �If a riot started, they had to know why and be prepared to keep it as private as possible. Why do you ask?�

�Because now I know why I thought this was all a dream,� I said, more than a little annoyed. �Jovvi and Lorand obviously decided to help you,

These people are the worst. Three people have just actively ganged up on Tamrissa and used their magical powers to bypass her right to decide.

quote:

so first thing tomorrow I�m going to have to murder them. I�d do it now, but I haven�t the strength to move.�

�Was it really that terrible for you?� he asked, and the pain in those very light eyes echoed in the middle of my breast. �If I�d known you would feel like that��

It is NOT ABOUT YOU VALLANT.

quote:

�Don�t be an idiot,� I interrupted, putting my hand to his face. �I�m going to murder them because it wasn�t terrible at all, quite the opposite. It was even better than I�d thought it would be, but how am I supposed to forget about you now? How can I spend even one more night refusing to lie beside you?�

�The answer is you can�t,� he said, the pain now replaced with loving delight as his arms went around me. �But you haven�t lost anythin�, you�ve gained someone to share strength with. Why not try it for a while before decidin� whether or not you like it?�

Vallant: "YESSSSS MY :dong:

IS ALL-CONQUERING"

quote:

�As if I still had the choice,� I muttered as I snuggled closer to him.

She literally didn't have the choice. It was taken away from her.

quote:

�I�m still going to murder them, but maybe not first thing tomorrow. I may let them live until second or third thing. Do you have the strength to put out that lamp?�

So this is supposed to be a joke, except the setup for Tamrissa to legitimately go try and murder Jovvi and Lorand for messing with her mind is all there. It is ridiculous that this doesn't go anywhere and that there isn't a gigantic magical battle the next morning that tears half the house apart.

quote:

�Only just,� he acknowledged, and then the small flame died completely. It was nice not having to bother myself, but not nearly as nice as getting ready to sleep in the arms of the man I cared so much about. Jovvi and Lorand had had no right to interfere with my decision about Vallant, but maybe � after I thought about it for a while � I might not murder them at all�

Because we can't have our Perfect Protagonists do anything consistent with their characters.

Summary:

Day 15
After some Blending practice, Delin and co go out to interrogate High Lord Embisson Ruhl, only to discover that he doesn't know anything useful, because anybody who knows anything about Blendings is killed after the competitions.

Meanwhile, Vallant goes out to meet Pagin after breakfast, so that Pagin can get on with doing plot critical things, like freeing the rest of the common Blendings from the command phrase, off screen so Vallant can come up with a new plan on how to circumvent consent in order to sleep with Tamrissa. Priorities, yo. Tamrissa has two more unconvincing encounters to duly demonstrate magically aided character growth that has happened entirely off screen. And to no one's surprise, Vallant's plan is to literally barge into Tamrissa's room while she's about to go to sleep and her into liking him�and it actually works (because Green, but also because Jovvi and Lorand decide to mess around with Tamrissa's emotions and bodily reactions, thus taking away her ability to consent). And this is all TOTALLY OKAY because Vallant is so good at mind blowing sex that Tamrissa had many orgasms.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 27 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1), physical love (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 99 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 51 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 17 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 32 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 81 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 53 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 63 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 33 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 13 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 16 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 12, including 1 rape scene (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36), Round 4 (Book 3: Chapter 40)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 2: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 2: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi; 40, Vallant/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
This scene, which has had THREE BOOKS of ~~unresolved sexual tension~~ overwrought hype that is not textually supported by anything, is awful beyond belief. Vallant's whole plan was literally "barge in without knocking, uninvited, and disrobe, because she'll totally want me once she sees me naked". Tamrissa was unable to consent, because she had two Highs in Spirit and Earth magic taking away her ability to consent, and so OF COURSE THIS STUPID PLAN ACTUALLY WORKS.

Tamrissa even realizes this at the end of the chapter and it's just entirely dismissed on the basis of "I enjoyed the sex, therefore it's okay that they did this to me" and played for laughs.

What the actual gently caress Green?! NOT COOL. :fuckoff:

How about putting in some effort to develop a genuine relationship between these two characters so when they finally get together you don't need to resort to two other characters magically coercing one of the characters into being raped by the other?

All of these protagonists are horrible people and someone (not me) should write an alt universe version where Tamrissa and co are actually the villains.

Leng fucked around with this message at 10:08 on Jan 17, 2022

# ? Jan 8, 2022 11:04

kaom: Jan 20, 2007

I cannot believe this is the payoff to the Tamrissa and Vallant arc. Vallant�s plan isn�t a plan, and Tamrissa gets no agency at all. Another thing I can�t believe: I actually would have preferred some blatant moralizing in this scene! Then I could at least parse what Green was going for (her agenda as concerns these two is more interesting than the characters). Something about hope? Try it before deciding you don�t like it?

Leng posted:

quote:
developing the proper attitude

Wow uh, horrible real world implications aside, I guess this is the first time I�ve heard someone oscillating between horniness and murderous rage referred to as �proper,� so that�s a thing.

# ? Jan 10, 2022 06:25

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Leng posted:

Possible fixes:
This scene, which has had THREE BOOKS of ~~unresolved sexual tension~~ overwrought hype that is not textually supported by anything, is awful beyond belief. Vallant's whole plan was literally "barge in without knocking, uninvited, and disrobe, because she'll totally want me once she sees me naked". Tamrissa was unable to consent, because she had two Highs in Spirit and Earth magic taking away her ability to consent, and so OF COURSE THIS STUPID PLAN ACTUALLY WORKS.

Tamrissa even realizes this at the end of the chapter and it's just entirely dismissed on the basis of "I enjoyed the sex, therefore it's okay that they did this to me" and played for laughs.

What the actual gently caress Green?! NOT COOL.

How about putting in some effort to develop a genuine relationship between these two characters so when they finally get together you don't need to resort to two other characters magically coercing one of the characters into being raped by the other?

All of these protagonists are horrible people and someone (not me) should write an alt universe version where Tamrissa and co are actually the villains.

Christ I forgot how bad that scene is. Flat out arranging the rape of a woman who's just out of an incredibly abusive relationship, and these are the so-called protagonists who spend time merged into a single entity but somehow think it's cool and good to do this to one of their members.

# ? Jan 12, 2022 05:10

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

This chapter is a demonstration of Green's inability to write subtly.

quote:

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE�

Lord Idian Vomak listened to the group�s latest description of how their last practice session had gone, pretending to be interested and attentive. In truth his thoughts kept trying to veer away, distracted by much more important matters. The Advisors were far from happy that they would have to wait until after the competitions before they would have a culprit to blame for three deaths, and they�d taken to making everyone�s life miserable. Happily, though, it would not be for much longer�

�Lord Idian?� he heard, and blinked back to the realization that Kambil spoke to him. �Is that result satisfactory, sir?�

�Completely satisfactory,� he replied with a brief smile, although he had no true idea what he�d been told. �In any event, you must agree that it has to be satisfactory, as tomorrow is the first day of the competitions. Are you all prepared? Beginning to be nervous? If you are, I assure you that it�s quite natural.�

Why are we still bothering with this farce? If there's a theme somewhere here about the power of the masses being a credible threat to a small group of people in power then I'm not seeing it.

quote:

�I think we�re all just bundles of raw nerves,� Delin Moord said with a faint smile, possibly even telling the truth. �The only time we�re not is when we�re Blended. Is that true of the others as well?�

�I really don�t know, as I haven�t spoken to them about it as yet,� Idian replied, fighting not to show his opinion of Moord. In general the man seemed too � sleek to be capable of murder, but Idian had been forced to believe that he might very well be the one� �And at the moment we have other things to discuss, things which are more pressing.�

�About tomorrow?� Lady Selendi asked with thinly veiled excitement. �I�ve been thinking about it for days, and I�ve finally decided what to wear. It�s��

�Excuse me,� Idian interrupted, �but what you wear is decreed by tradition, not decided individually. Each of you will compete in a white, hooded robe, just as your opponents will. Members of Blendings dress alike to stress the fact that they are in reality one being, and everyone wears white to show that everyone has an equal chance to win to the highest place. That is tradition, and we see no reason to alter it.�

Because we're spending an inordinate amount of words on this, you can be sure this is a Significant Plot Point.

Though sometimes it's really hard to tell with Green.

quote:

The five young people exchanged glances and shrugs, as if to say that the silliness wasn�t worth arguing about. The matter was more ridiculous than silly, but there was no need for Idian to mention something they all knew.

�The coaches will come for you tomorrow morning,� Idian continued, �but not particularly early. The first competition will begin at noon, and although you need to be there well ahead of time, it�s nonsensical to keep you sitting around for hours. Do not, however, use the opportunity of a less than early beginning to practice, as that will wear you out and leave you easy prey for your opponents. You must make as good a showing as possible, to keep your failure from reflecting on the rest of us as a group.�

They barely blinked at that, which Idian found extremely satisfying. If they�d penetrated the lies they�d been told and had realized the truth, they would have reacted in some way to what he�d just said. The lack of reaction meant they were still under control, just the way they were supposed to be.

And because this is also here, you also know that this is Significant.

quote:

�Assuming you�re successful against your opponents tomorrow, you will be returned here for the night,� Idian went on. �The second competitions are scheduled for the second day, of course, but only four of the five remaining Blendings will compete in it. On the third day there will be two Blendings competing, and on the fourth day our new Seated Five will be decided on. By then there will be near hysteria in the city, and we�ll all do well to avoid the crowds completely.�

�What if we�re not successful against our opponents?� Kambil interrupted to ask, the question casual and almost one in passing. �Will we go somewhere other than here?�

�Yes, actually, you will,� Idian responded, annoyed that the point hadn�t been bypassed as he�d hoped it would be. �You�ll go instead to the temporary headquarters established by my superiors, where you will each give a detailed description of your individual view of what Blending has been like. While you�re about this your possessions will be packed by the servants, and will arrive at your various permanent places of residence not long after you do. Are there any other questions?�

This is the worst fake explanation ever.

quote:

Once again the five glanced at one another, and a second series of shrugs was his reply. They had no other questions, and so it was time for him to leave.

�I�ll see you all tomorrow, then,� he said as he moved himself to his feet. �I mean to be there to wish all of my people good luck.�

The smiles and nods they gave in answer were perfectly polite and correct, so Idian was able to dismiss the group from his thoughts as soon as he left the house. One or two of the others would give him a good deal more trouble, and he certainly wasn�t looking forward to it�

* * *

Section break so you know Green's trying to amp up the tension! A shame that the remaining 8 chapters in this book lack any sort of tension whatsoever.

quote:

�He�s gone,� Kambil came back to report, reclaiming his chair among them. �And as far as I could tell, he noticed nothing at all.�

�That�s a considerable relief,� Delin said, speaking for himself and probably for the others as well. �We took a rather large risk, and on the eve of the most important day of our lives. If he�d noticed our little trick, it could have been all over for us.�

Green continues her campaign of assassinating Delin's character.

quote:

�How could he have noticed what he never consciously saw?� Kambil asked, keeping his tone reasonable and reassuring. �Our Blending projected an illusion for him, the details of which he himself supplied. In it he went through the routine he expected to, and received only the most ordinary reactions from us. We did ask a single mildly annoying question, but one he had no trouble responding to. After that he simply left, remembering nothing of the real question and answer period.�

In typical Green fashion, instead of SHOWING us how this was done using the magic via an antagonist entity POV, we get a boring infodump from a minor character nobody cares about and then get told after the fact what happened in the most boring way possible.

quote:

�But I remember it,� Bron said, sounding sober and bleak. �If we lose tomorrow we�ll be sent somewhere to �describe our experiences as part of a Blending.� An interesting euphemism for being quickly put out of the way, which is what will really happen. What lovely, grateful people they are.�

�Don�t forget that they�ll take us on separately,� Homin pointed out with disgust in his voice. �We�re expected to be almost useless as a Blending, but they�re still frightened enough of us that they won�t face us as a group. It makes me sick to think that I used to consider myself one of them.�

�The only thing we�re one of now is this group,� Selendi said fiercely, looking around at each of them. �They don�t expect us to be one of the winning Blendings, but they�re in for a very big surprise. We�re going to be the only winning Blending when the competitions are over, and then we�ll see who gets sent where.�

�We certainly will,� Kambil agreed, blocking out Delin�s usual vague dissatisfaction. �We�ll have a very large house to clean, but it�s well past time that it was done.�

�And I know just where we�ll start,� Delin put in, finally finding something to agree about. �Once we win, I�ll tell the rest of you all about it��

* * *

FIVE FIVE FIVE FIVE FIVE. Also this is written so badly that I can't tell whose POV we're supposed to be in. I'm gonna assume Kambil, based on the fact that he's the opening character for the scene and that we have a description of him doing something with Spirit magic that wouldn't be visible in another POV.

quote:

�Yes, that�s truly marvelous,� Lord Twimmal said to the group of peasants, pretending he cared how their latest practice had gone. �But we do have other things to discuss, and I would prefer to get to them without any further delay.�

Now have the exact same scene playing out again, except this time it's with the protagonists so you can compare/contrast the difference! It will not be any more interesting the second time around.

quote:

�Of course,� the female Spirit magic user said with a smile. �Please do go on.�

The woman was rather attractive for a peasant, as was the other one, the Fire magic user. Twimmal wouldn�t have minded keeping either of them for a while once their usefulness to the empire was over, but the matter would have been more trouble than it was worth. Powerful men had already expressed an interest in the girl of Fire, and as far as the other one went, Twimmal knew his wife would never understand�

Because Tamrissa is Special and Super Hot.

quote:

�As you know, tomorrow is the big day,� Twimmal continued after clearing his throat. �The first of the competitions will be held, so I�m afraid there won�t be any partying permitted tonight. You must all get your sleep tonight, so that you�ll have sufficient strength tomorrow.�

Two of the male peasants made sounds of disappointment, and the third simply looked extremely annoyed. They�d all undoubtedly been spending gold like water, and now disliked the idea of stopping. Well, that was just too bad about them. They�d had their pay, and now it was time that they worked for it.

This narration from Twimmal makes zero sense.

quote:

�What sort of thing will be involved in the competitions?� the Spirit magic female asked. �I mean, will we and our opponents both be trying to do the same thing, or will we be competing directly against each other?�

�My dear girl, do I look old enough to have attended the last twenty-fifth year competitions?� Twimmal countered in annoyance over being interrupted. �I have no more idea of what will be done than you, which, I understand, is the way my superiors want it. May I continue now?�

Still no idea why they're keeping up this farce. Or sending incompetent imbeciles to try and maintain the illusion.

quote:

Her nod looked properly chastened, so Twimmal felt considerably better.

�Tomorrow morning, the coaches will be here for you rather early,� he said, picking up his dropped thread of thought. �Everyone wants to be completely certain that you�re prepared to do as you must, and you will also require a short time to change your clothing. Traditionally, everyone in these things competes wearing white hooded robes, therefore you will wear the same.�

Twimmal was certain one of them would interrupt again, but his earlier rebuke of the Spirit magic female had undoubtedly impressed the rest into keeping silent. That result was more than gratifying, as it allowed him to wind things up.

�I�ll be attending the festivities tomorrow along with Lady Eltrina, so I�ll see you all then,� Twimmal said as he began to struggle out of the chair. �Enjoy the rest of today, but do practice as much as possible. In fact, if you�re able to rise early enough to practice in the morning, by all means do so. It can only sharpen you for the actual event.�

This conspiracy is just downright farcical at this point.

quote:

And with that, the last of it, said, Twimmal made his escape. These peasant places always stank of filth and squalor, which usually made him quite ill after he visited them. He kept the illness from taking him over until he was home, of course, but then he was forced to empty himself. Thank whatever Higher Aspect there was that the torment was nearly over. And the next time his wife and her father banded together to insist that he accept an appointment, he would be much more firm in refusing it�

* * *

Spoilers for the next few paragraphs but it's for Twimmal whom nobody cares about so I'm not using spoiler tags. Twimmal is being culled by the nobility and it's kind of sad that his wife and his father-in-law are actively behind it. There's a much more interesting story of politicking by the nobility in the background but of course Green's not gonna go there because that would require too much work to write properly.

quote:

�� and his carriage is leaving the drive now,� Rion heard Jovvi say. �He�s obviously not going to be coming back, so now we can talk.�

�A point of interest has occurred to me,� Rion said, looking around at his groupmates where they sat. �The Advisors prefer to have as few people as possible knowing about Blending, but Twimmal is one of those who has learned the method of accomplishing it. His knowledge is sloppy and skimpy to be sure, but it�s knowledge nevertheless. What do you suppose will be done with the fat fool now that his usefulness is at an end?�

Green: One.

quote:

�That�s an excellent point,� Jovvi said with a startled nod. �It hadn�t occurred to me that they would be quite so ruthless with their own, but they must be using this opportunity to cull their ranks. Pick the ones they most want to be rid of, have them learn what no one is supposed to know, and then dispose of them. Two birds with a single stone.�

Green: Two.

quote:

�More than two,� Lorand pointed out. �They also want to be rid of any possible competition for their chosen Blending, so they also dispose of all challengers. And since you didn�t initiate the Blending while Twimmal was here, I�m assuming we were right to believe that he knows little or nothing.�

Green: Three.

quote:

�He was all but reciting by rote,� Jovvi confirmed with a nod. �They told him what to say and he said it, and then he left. He simply isn�t bright enough to wonder about any of it.�

�But we are,� Tamrissa put in, looking annoyed. �Go ahead and practice in the morning, he said. Are we supposed to still have no idea how draining Blending can be? Even after they mentioned the point? With everything else being equal, if we practiced and our opponents didn�t, they�d start out immediately with an edge.�

Green: Four.

quote:

�But all other things aren�t equal,� Jovvi reminded her with amused satisfaction. �We�ve built our Blending strength up to the point where we actually could practice and not lose much if anything, so that�s one less worry. We won�t do it, of course, but we could. Now let�s talk about the things we do have to worry about, like how the other groups are doing. Vallant? You got back just before Twimmal arrived, so please tell us now what you learned.�

�I learned that Holter is doin� better than fine arrangin� things,� Vallant said as Rion joined the others in giving him their full attention. This was rather important� �He told me that four of the five competin� Blendin�s are now free of that drugged state, but we can forget about the fifth. They were too busy enjoyin� themselves to want to hear about anythin� that might help.�

Green: Five. OK that's everybody duly having their say and showing their charming, totally unique personalities. Now I can move on to dropping more plot critical info in my protagonists' laps!

quote:

�The ten gold dins apiece were obviously too much for them,� Lorand said with a sad shake of his head. �It�s really too bad, but I consider us lucky for losing only one of the five.�

�We�re luckier than that,� Vallant told him, leaning forward a bit. �As usual, Holter thought of somethin� the rest of us missed.

Write this story from Pagin's POV instead.

quote:

Before gettin� rid of the drugged orders from the fourth group, he thought to ask if they�d already been given any orders. They weren�t told much, but it�s somethin� we all need to know about : how to respond properly when the time comes that we are given orders.�

�Bless that brainy little man,� Jovvi said with her own headshake.

He's so much smarter than all of you put together.

quote:

�We�ll certainly have to pretend to be accepting their orders, but without being able to give the proper response we would have been wasting our time. What�s the right way to do it?�

�We�re supposed to say, �At your command, my lord,�� Vallant replied, his expression twisting into one of disgust. �That will tell them they�re doin� it right, so they don�t have to worry. It�s goin� to take somethin� for me to say that, but I mean to make the effort. Seein� their faces afterward will make it all worthwhile.�

�Yes, it certainly will,� Rion agreed, forcing his scandalized feelings well away from himself. �And afterward I mean to do more than simply look at them.�

�I�ll join you in that,� Vallant agreed with grim anticipation,

You are horrible people.

quote:

then he continued, �And Holter had more good news. The two people moved out of his residence and put in that extra Blendin� were happy to sneak back, and the five of them Blended without any trouble at all. They�ve been spendin� their time practicin� like crazy, and at the last minute they intend to substitute those two for the woman with Air magic they can�t abide, and our old friend Drowd.�

�And it�s unlikely anyone will notice,� Tamrissa said, obviously tickled by the idea.

You have no basis for making this conclusion Tamissa. Every single residence should be under active monitoring from spies!

Except I guess we have seen the spies being totally incompetent so I guess she actually has a basis for her conclusion. But it also just points to the fact that the conspiracy is ultra incompetent and therefore not a threat at all, thus completely undermining the stakes right before the climax, if you haven't already noticed that there were zero stakes to begin with.

:bang:

quote:

�If Drowd is still drinking and carousing the way Pagin said he was, even he probably won�t notice. But isn�t it strange that they were able to Blend with two different people after Blending the first time with others? For some reason I thought that that wasn�t possible.�

�I think we�re all learnin� that things are possible which aren�t supposed to be,� Vallant said to her, his smile tender and personal. Rion was delighted to see her return it impishly, as though they shared some private memory. The last few days had been so much better, now that the two were together as they were obviously meant to be. And, happily, it seemed Tamrissa had no idea that the help Lorand and Jovvi had given Vallant had been all Vallant�s idea�

Oh come on Rion. You're on board with the rape too? You lose your best character status. Pagin is now officially the best character.

quote:

�I agree with Tamma,� Jovvi said, clearly swallowing a smile over the way Vallant had been sidetracked. �None of the officials tomorrow is likely to notice the substitution, and the residence officials won�t be able to tell them about it until it�s too late. What about our suggestions concerning accepting any hospitality from them?�

�Holter said everyone agrees with us completely,� Vallant replied after tearing his gaze away from Tamrissa. �Those of us who win tomorrow will insist on returnin� to their various residences. If they try to insist that we stay somewhere else, we tell them we won�t compete in the followin� contests. Since they have to hold public challenges, they shouldn�t have any choice but to agree.�

This is the lamest plan ever. Their brilliant plan boils down to "you can't make us".

quote:

�I hope you mentioned that they may try force,� Jovvi said, obviously concerned about the issue. �At that point they�ll be desperate to get us back under control, and might not be willing to give in without an argument.�

�I did mention it, but someone else had thought of it first,� Vallant said with a nod. �That means the others have already agreed: if they force us to it, we Blend against them. It�s doubtful they know what that means, but if they push us they�ll surely be findin� out.�

A smarter author would have ensured that the major antagonists have a plan for this. Spoilers for this book: the testing authorities do not have a plan for the back up plan, even though they really should. They don't even have a plan for the first not-plan so it goes exactly as planned.

:doh:

quote:

�What about the flasks for water and tea we suggested they buy?� Lorand asked. �And that special oiled wrap for sandwiches? If we keep the things with us at all times, we�ll be able to know that they aren�t tampered with.�

�Holter liked the idea, and he had another suggestion,� Vallant replied. �Before we eat or drink even from our supply, our Earth magic member ought to check everythin� over. Holter and I could both put tainted water in a flask without ever comin� near it, so it would be foolish to think they couldn�t.�

�He�s right again, so I�ll be sure to remember,� Lorand agreed.

Seriously. Pagin is the real protagonist here.

quote:

�It looks like we really are lucky to be working with the others on this.

Green: Help, I made my protagonists so dumb and obsessed with their interpersonal drama that I forgot they needed to do this for the plot to happen! I guess I'll just have a minor character who I sidelined previously do all the work offscreen and then convey it to one of the protagonists offscreen and then have it all come out in a giant info dump. Hah! I am an absolute genius!

quote:

Did you get a chance to ask Holter if Twimmal was the only instructor he and his group saw? We haven�t seen or heard a thing about that so-called Lord Carmad since the day he was here.�

�I did, and Holter knew nothin� about another instructor,� Vallant returned, now looking disturbed. �He didn�t believe any of the others had been visited either, so we still have a mystery on our hands. Who was he, and why was he here?�

�And how did he find out the way to make a Blending?� Jovvi added with her own disturbance. �Considering how close the government is with the secret, that�s the biggest mystery of all. Is there anything we can do to get even one or two of the answers?�

�Short of finding the man and questioning him?� Tamrissa said with a very unladylike snort. �I don�t see what, and even that isn�t practical. It�s too bad we didn�t know enough to grab him on the spot.�

Spoilers for book 8: if you guys had tried, "Carmad" would have kicked your asses.

quote:

�Yes, it is,� Jovvi said slowly, �but there�s something even more important that we ought to talk about now.

Green: I've undermined all of the stakes in my book so I'm going to try and manufacture some! With another terrible transition!

quote:

I try not to pry so I haven�t been sure, but�Tamma, are you still touching the power?�

�Well � what if I am?� Tamrissa replied, a faint uneasiness behind the confidence which Rion had noticed but hadn�t really seen. �It isn�t doing me or anyone else any harm, so why shouldn�t I? It isn�t as if anyone can regret not seeing what I�m like when I�m not touching it��

�How do you know it isn�t doing you any harm?� Jovvi countered gently with a good deal of concern. �With as little as we know about using our abilities� Tamma can you release the touch?�

The last was asked as though Jovvi had had a sudden revelation, and at first Rion found himself joining the other men in producing sounds of protestation. Jovvi�s guess couldn�t possibly be right, but then Rion saw Tamrissa�s expression.

�I � can�t retain the touch when I fall asleep, but as soon as I wake up again it�s � there,� Tamrissa admitted slowly and reluctantly. �I don�t know what it means or even if it really does mean something, but I can�t seem to control it. It�s something you all ought to know, even though I can�t find the condition doing me any harm. I�m not exhausted all the time or even compulsively active��

�Maybe we can use the Blendin� to find out,� Vallant said when her words trailed off. He�d left his chair to crouch beside hers and take her hand, his expression one of confident support. �I feel like a fool for not noticin� sooner, but don�t you worry, love. We�ll all help you take care of it.�

�We certainly will,� Jovvi said briskly as she rose from her chair, dispelling the air of worry which had settled over all of them.

Spoilers for the rest of this series: there is zero risk, because Tamrissa has accidentally stumbled on the One True Way of Existence and you're meant to try and hold onto the power as much as possible until you can't sever yourself from the power because the power is a magical force that helps you become your True Self and find Magical Blended True Six Way Love that is Very Heteronormative and the Only Possible Happily Ever After

quote:

�But right now we all have things to do, including finalizing our party arrangements for dinner. We may all be going to bed early, but first we�re entitled to a pre-victory celebration.

quote:

Rion, please remind Naran, and tell her that her presence is all arranged for.�

Rion nodded agreement as he also stood, able to feel good about that at least. The others had taken to Naran almost as strongly as he had, and although they couldn�t risk having her constantly among them, Jovvi had gone out of her way to arrange occasions which Naran could attend.

Green: doing actual character and relationship development would require too much work! So I'm just gonna summarize all of that happening off screen with two sentences.

quote:

If only this last one proved not to be the actual last�

quote:

And if only Rion could be certain that Tamrissa really would be all right�

Summary:

Day 18
Lords Idian and Twimmal show up to give their charges last minute instructions. Idian knows the instructions are full of lies; Twimmal's instructions contain more lies but Twimmal is oblivious to them. Neither the protagonists nor the noble antagonists fall for the sham. Meanwhile, Pagin Holter has been doing all the hard work of information gathering and coordinating with the other commoner Blendings off screen so Our Protagonists can indulge in congratulating themselves for engineering Vallant's rape of Tamrissa and trying to make a Big Deal out of Tamrissa's constantly holding on to the power.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 46 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 27 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1), physical love (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 99 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 51 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 17 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 33 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 82 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 54 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 63 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 33 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 13 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 17 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 12, including 2 rape scenes (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36), Round 4 (Book 3: Chapter 40)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 2: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 2: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi; 40, Vallant/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
In a properly plotted mystery, the discovery/confirmation of the conspiracy and the reveal that they're all slated for death should have been the thing that kicks the climax sequence into gear, after the protagonists have to spend the majority of Act 2 figuring the right people to target to uncover the information. :bang:

I have to conclude that the only reason people bought these books and enjoy them is because they actually like the terrible sex scenes because the rest of the plot is...non-existent.

# ? Jan 17, 2022 10:19

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO�

The coaches came for us after breakfast the next morning, and we separated the way we used to: Vallant, Rion, and Lorand in one, Jovvi and me in the other. We�d toned down our �feuding� to merely being a bit standoffish, something we decided the authorities would be able to accept without suspicion. We weren�t in the mood to give them the full act which we�d come close to perfecting, not with the case of nerves we�d all developed.

you guys think you perfected your act of feuding?

quote:

�I�m actually glad that we�re going this early,� Jovvi said as our coach began to follow the men�s down the drive. �If we�d had to do our waiting here, I would probably have ended up flat and useless. I can refuse to receive the emotions of anyone I choose�except for you four.�

Green just randomly extending her magic system in one line of dialogue.

What does that even mean, Jovvi? What do you mean "refuse to receive the emotions"? Does Spirit magic work like taste, then? Or is this like a shield? Shields are another mechanic that show up haphazardly.

Also, when exactly did you figure out this trick? Because this would have been REAL HANDY during the first test. You know, the one where you totally almost fell off a four foot wide walkway that you could have totally crawled across in order to escape to safety?

I do not understand why Green went with a hard magic system at all if she wasn't interested in setting it up properly.

quote:

�I wonder why we�re starting out this early,� I said, trying to ignore the knot my insides had become. �The placard said that the festivities begin at noon, which means that once we get there we�ll have more than two hours to wait�the exact amount of time depending on how long this trip turns out to be. Why do they need more than two hours to hand us robes and tell us to lose?�

�They may also intend to do something to make the wait more unsettling or uncomfortable,� Jovvi suggested with a shrug. �We can�t put even the smallest dirty trick past them, since they�re obviously believers in the saying, �Something worth doing is worth overdoing.�

Real peak Green foreshadowing, right here.

quote:

And speaking of doing, how are you managing? Did you have any luck working with Vallant to release your hold on the power?�

�No, and it�s beginning to be annoying,� I said, finally distracted to a small extent. �We should have realized even before we tried that Blending wasn�t likely to help, because when we Blend we all touch the power. Lorand said that hilsom powder would certainly do the job, because that�s what they use on people who go insane and won�t release the power. But the effects of hilsom powder hang on for a while, so I can�t afford to try it until after the competitions. Oh, well, being permanently attached doesn�t seem to be harming me in any way��

�I thought of one way in which you�re being harmed,� Jovvi responded, also looking distracted. �You were only just beginning to learn self confidence, how not to let yourself be taken advantage of. Am I wrong in believing that you aren�t really learning those things any longer?�

�But now I don�t need them,� I pointed out with the puzzlement I felt. �I have all the confidence and assurance I need, without having to fight for it every inch of the way. How can that be bad?�

�Considering the circumstances, I suppose it can�t,� she replied with a sigh and a faint smile. �We�ll just have to wait to see what happens after the competitions.

This is one of the things I hate most about this stupid manufactured subplot. Jovvi has a very valid point here, but ultimately spoilers for the next two books Green reveals her world is actually built to make Jovvi wrong and Tamrissa right, since being unable to release the power is the ideal state of being and I hate hate hate hate HATE it.

quote:

But no matter what else might be uncertain, at least our relationships with the men have improved.�

�The problem between you and Lorand was easy, because Blending solved it,� I reminded her. �Lorand and Vallant feel nothing of their previous fears and difficulties when we�re all Blended, so it�s stopped being something to worry about. And as far as Vallant and I go� The Blending bond increased a good deal more than I expected it to.�

�I think we were all surprised,� Jovvi said as she narrowed her eyes at me.

Look at miracle of Blending, magically solving relationship problems too! And even though THIS mechanic is well defined, I literally don't understand the rationale behind it, other than "Blending is magic". Also I have no idea whether the additional increased strength in the Blending bond is because Tamrissa and Vallant are just - what's the romance trope for this? Fated mates, I think; or because it's the last bond to be strengthened.

quote:

�What surprises me now, though, is what you�re not saying. There isn�t any trouble between you and Vallant�?�

�Trouble? No.� My smile must have been on the strange side, considering what my feelings were. �He�s blissfully happy, and I�m simply waiting for it all to end. I can�t seem to get rid of the feeling that it will, and soon. It�s made me � cautious.�

�About committing yourself to the relationship,� she said with a nod of understanding. �He�s very deeply committed, but you�re only pretending to be. When did you intend to tell him?�

�It won�t be for me to say anything,� I told her with a mirthless smile. �It won�t even be my idea. One day soon it will just be over, and then I�ll have the choice of staying with him in my memories, or forgetting about him completely. I haven�t yet decided which I�ll do.�

�Tamma � can you think about the possibility that your basic lack of confidence is making you believe all that?� she suggested gently, comfort flowing from her mind. �It can just as easily be a fear-induced misconception as a true premonition, maybe even more easily. Will you at least consider the possibility?�

�Sure,� I agreed without hesitation, but only to make her feel better. There wasn�t any real possibility of my being wrong, and I knew it even if she didn�t.

Since Green finally paid off the three book build up of Tamrissa/Vallant tension with a rape scene, she obviously needs to introduce this even more problematic angle so as to keep the relationship drama going. :wtf:

quote:

We rode in silence after that, watching the city disappear after a while as we took one of the roads leading to the amphitheater. I�d never been out to it myself before, but everyone in the city knew approximately where it was. It was used only once in twenty-five years, for the Blending competitions, and was supposed to be almost four hundred years old. The government maintained it in between those times, and very often school children were taken out to see it.

Can I please get anything, anything at all, that's slightly more descriptive of what this amphitheater looks like? Do I just assume it's like the Arthur Ashe stadium in Flushing Meadows or maybe Citi Field?

quote:

Today there were more than school children heading for it. It was already a beautiful day, which probably encouraged everyone to get a nice early start, so our fairly rapid progress quickly slowed down to a crawl. The road was clogged with carriages and coaches and people on horseback, and more people walked on the uneven ground to either side of the road. The walkers were most often entire families, some with more than a few children.

�I think I�m beginning to understand why we started out so early,� Jovvi commented as she looked out her window. �We�re still moving, but only barely.�

�The evil of the testing authority and government obviously knows no bounds,� I commented back. �Imagine, being so heartless and cruel as to get us caught in a traffic jam. When I was young, my parents accepted an invitation from a business associate on a festival day. We�d always celebrated at home before, so we had no idea how bogged down it was possible to get. And we couldn�t even turn around and go home. We were stuck for hours, and at the end of it we were limp rags.�

�I seriously doubt if they�ll let us be stuck for that long,� Jovvi said with a chuckle for my comment and story. �The show can�t start without us, after all,

At what should be the lead up to the climax of this book and the entire tournament arc, we are reading our protagonists' inane conversations about being stuck in a traffic jam.

quote:

and if we show up exhausted we can always refuse to participate. But come to think of it, they don�t yet know we can refuse.

Said with nothing to indicate Jovvi is being sarcastic so I feel like I need to take this at face value, which is just :psyduck:

because the previous refusals to participate worked out so well?

quote:

Ah, well, at least we have water, tea, and sandwiches to keep us fortified.�

�Which we won�t even sniff at until Lorand tells us it�s safe,� I reminded her.

We literally covered your plans in the previous chapter.

quote:

�If necessary, we can link up and ask him to do it.�

�Yes, the distance between us and the men is no problem,� Jovvi agreed. �We�ve Blended this far away from each other before, after learning that the formation was just a beginner�s aid. The arrangement is needed inside our heads, not with our bodies. I wonder how many of the nobles running this thing understand that.�

�Probably very few,� I said after glancing at her. �What I�d like to know is how many of their Blendings have learned it.�

...wait. Did this part of the scene just happen so we could get that bit of exposition dropped in our laps? WHY COULDN'T THIS HAVE BEEN SHOWN IN A SCENE OF THEM PRACTICING TO BLEND INSTEAD?????????????

quote:

She couldn�t help but agree with that, and then we settled back into silence again. But the silence was only between ourselves, as the noise outside the coach had risen to a relatively high level. People were happy and excited, and some were even singing.

We inched our way forward for another few minutes, and then a different noise began to intrude. It resolved itself into the shouting of men, and shortly thereafter we began to move faster again. When we saw members of the guard chasing walkers away from the very edge of the road and hurrying vehicles along with impatient gestures, we understood what was happening. Any vehicle too slow to keep to a good pace�like the rickety, slanted old wagon filled with women and children being pulled by a single, tired, old horse�was being gotten out of the way onto the side of the road, letting the rest of us continue on.

After that there were no further delays, and when other coaches and carriages and riders were directed toward one of the outlying areas where vehicles and mounts were to be left, we were waved on. The amphitheater loomed large in the near distance, and people were streaming toward it on foot from many different directions. They all pointed excitedly toward our coaches, and some even began to run in an effort to keep up with us.

You could delete all three of these paragraphs and lose nothing in the way of plot, character or setting.

quote:

When we finally came to a stop near one of the private entrances leading to the interior of the amphitheater, there were actually crowds with guardsmen holding them back. One of the guardsmen helped Jovvi and me from the coach while our men got out on their own, and as soon as the crowd saw us they began to cheer. I noticed that none of them actually tried to get too close, but they did cheer with abandon.

The men waited until we�d reached them, and then we all began to walk toward the entrance. Lorand and Vallant grinned and waved to the cheering crowd, which helped to increase the noise. Rion simply put himself behind Jovvi and me, a rear guard we wouldn�t have needed even without the guardsmen being present. But it was a sweet thing to do, and almost distracted me from what we were so casually walking into�

I am struggling so hard to not hate all of this "gentlemanly" stuff. It's a work of the times and also the faux historical period this is set in, I know I know. I am just sick of it. I will try not to let this influence me too much.

quote:

* * *

Lord Idian saw Delin Moord and his group arrive, so he left the crowd around Adriari�s group and hurried over to the new arrivals. Everyone was trying to curry favor with the soon-to-be new Seated Five, of course, and Idian would have been foolish not to do the same. But he had a chore to attend to, after which he�d be able to return to what he�d been doing.

I don't think Green understands how effectively currying favor works. Not-spoilers: it's not by being part of an adoring, simpering crowd. Unless the people you're trying to curry favor with are just that dumb. Which, I guess Green has established that they are and is why NONE OF THIS IS COMPELLING, WHY. :bang:

quote:

�Good morning, Lord Idian,� Kambil Arstin said politely when he reached them. �It�s a lovely morning, isn�t it?�

�Yes, quite lovely,� Idian said impatiently, wishing that whole thing were already over with. �An apartment has been prepared for the five of you, where you may rest and change your clothing before the competitions begin. I�ve assigned one of my assistants to show you the way, and also to fetch anything you might want or need. But before you go, there�s one change in plans you have to be made aware of.�

�And what change is that?� Delin Moord asked smoothly, his smile just as charming as ever. �Nothing that will really inconvenience us, I hope?�

�Quite the contrary,� Idian told him just as smoothly, adding a warm smile. �The Advisors met and discussed the matter, and have now told us that they wish to show their sympathy with and gratitude toward Lord Homin. The poor man has lost a stepmother and an uncle in a very short period of time, and yet has manfully carried on with his duty toward the empire. For that reason it�s been arranged that your first opponents will be different from the group you expected to meet.�

�That�s their idea of a favor?� Homin Weil asked with a snort, actually looking annoyed. �Weren�t they told that we�ve already researched the original group, and there�s scarcely time to do the same with the new one?�

Uh...just me or did they all forget that Delin got the test results for ALL of the commoner Blendings? Or are they counting Kambil's efforts at the ball? Because that was also ineffective and they didn't come away learning anything they wanted to learn. This annoyance makes no sense.

Also why is Idian making a habit of referencing everyone by full name? He's not the only character that does this either, everybody always refers to everybody else by full name. We don't get any cultural world building to explain why so it's just weird.

quote:

�That�s the beauty of the favor, Lord Homin,� Idian replied, putting a bit more snap into his voice to keep the boy in line. �There�s no need to do research of any sort with this group, as they took their ten gold dins each and immediately began to spend them on one long good time. This morning they�re barely recovered, I�m told, and may even find it impossible to Blend. The change all but guarantees your victory in the first competitions, which will affect your prestige and standing in a very positive way.�

�That�s really quite generous of the Advisors,� Kambil Arstin said with a smile while the others exchanged surprised glances. �Please give them our thanks when you can, and also our assurance that we�ll do all in our power not to disappoint them. Now � you said there�s an apartment assigned to us?�

�Yes, and my assistant will show you where it is,� Idian said, turning to gesture to the boy who had been assigned to assist him. �His name is Glindil, and you need only follow him.�

The five people nodded and went off after the boy, and rather than returning immediately to what he�d been doing, Idian stood staring pensively after the group. His chore was now done and he was, for the most part, out of it, but he couldn�t help thinking about what would come afterward. Everything he�d said about the group�s new opponents was absolutely true, but the same couldn�t quite be said for the reason behind the change�

Wait until you learn what it is. It is completely and utterly stupid.

quote:

It had been Lord Anglard Nobin, the Advisory representative, who had given Idian his instructions, and the man had been as coldly distant and unpleasant as ever.

�Why are we doing this?� Lord Anglard had said in answer to Idian�s question. �The reason is perfectly obvious, once you understand that we�ve managed to eliminate all suspects in the murders but one. That one is Delin Moord, and the Advisors want very badly to make an example of the man. The first day of the competitions often leaves dead bodies on the ground, I�m told, and the Advisors don�t want Moord dead so easily. His group can be defeated by one of our Blendings on the second or third day without taking casualties, and then Moord will find himself just where the Advisors want him.�

There is literally no basis for this conclusion.

quote:

Idian thought about that particular position for a moment, then turned back to Adriari�s group before a shudder took him over. No matter how difficult the competitions turned out to be, they would be a pleasant delight compared to what the Advisors meant to come up with. One could almost feel sorry for Moord � if the man weren�t so objectionable�

We will meet (some) of the Advisors later. Not-spoilers: they are useless and don't come up with any inventive punishments.

Summary:

Day 19
Our commoner protagonists and noble antagonists alike get stuck in a traffic jam en route to the amphitheatre that will be a Significant Location on par with the Palace and is not described anywhere as effectively as the palace was (which, if you've forgotten, was "big" and had a "verandah"). The Advisors switch around the matches as a last minute "favor" to Delin and co, for the dumb reason of not wanting Delin to die because they want to make an example of him for the various murders.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 47 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis, Glindil

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 27 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1), physical love (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 31 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending)
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 101 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 52 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 18 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 33 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 83 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 55 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 63 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 33 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 13 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 17 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 12, including 2 rape scenes (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36), Round 4 (Book 3: Chapter 40)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 2: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 2: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi; 40, Vallant/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
This entire book should have just been 50% magical arena battles, 25% magical intelligence gathering on your next match and 25% conspiracy stuff. Instead, I think we got 50% relationship drama, 25% terrible sex/rape scenes and 25% exposition that had to be conveyed via meeting info dumps because too many words had been used up on relationship drama and sex/rape scenes.

# ? Jan 31, 2022 08:09

kaom: Jan 20, 2007

Leng posted:

Oh come on Rion. You're on board with the rape too? You lose your best character status. Pagin is now officially the best character.

Somehow, impossibly, we are down to zero likeable protagonists. :rip:

(Pagin obviously can�t be a protagonist since he�s not sleeping with these people. Good for him, really.)

I guess there�s some hope for Naran but I�m actually really bothered by her role so far, which appears to be �Sure I�ll just live in your bedroom from now on while you make life and death decisions without me.� That�s, uh, not great. Did they also leave her there to go to these competitions? Rion what are you doing? Did Green forget?

# ? Feb 6, 2022 10:14

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Lorand looked around at the interior of the amphitheater, trying not to gawk like a hayseed. The area they stood in was immense, much larger than the outside of the structure led one to expect. The inner tiers of seats must be suspended over a hollow, despite their having been carved out of stone.

We are so far up on the pyramid of abstraction. This amphitheater is going to be a pretty important location and I would dearly love to have some descriptions of what it looks like. I can't parse this thing about it appearing bigger than expected. Is it like a normal height dome over a gigantic pit dug into the earth? Is it circular? How is the thing being held up? With standard architectural elements or with magic?

I mean, I'm not asking for much. As a point of comparison, let's take a look at two other books where there are huge magical combat arenas with a floor of sand.

From Trudi Canavan's The Novice (Book 2 of The Black Magician trilogy):

As they reached the wide flat space outside the Arena, Sonea looked up at the eight curved spires spaced around it. She could feel a faint vibration in the air from the magical barrier the spires supported. Making herself walk to the edge, she looked down at the structure. The base was a sunken stone circle covered with white sand. The spires were spaced evenly around it. From their bases, stone steps rose to the level of the garden. To one side was a square portal that allowed access to the inside of the Arena via a short underground staircase.

It's not even that many more words!

From Feist/Wurts' Servant of the Empire. The description is broken up across several paragraphs, which I'm going to indicate with "...":

Banners flew from every tall building along the avenues leading to the arena. Citizens tossed flowers into the street, to assure the gods they held no envy for those of loftier station....Kevin stared like a blind man just given sight. Past a retinue of warriors in red and purple, between the canopy poles of an uncountable crush of litters, he saw a wall hung with ribbons and banners that he took to be the end of the boulevard. But as the Acoma party drew closer, his eyes widened in amazement. The barrier was no wall but a segment of the Grand Imperial Stadium....The amphitheatre, was vast, far larger than anything he might have imagined. The litters, soldiers, and commoners on foot poured up a broad flight of steps, then across a concourse to a second flight. At the top lay yet another concourse, and beyond that the entrance to the stadium. As Mara's litter began the ascent, Kevin looked to either side and judged there must be at least another dozen entrances from the palace quarter alone....Beyond the highest stair arose a stone arch two hundred feet across. Kevin tried to calculate the size of the arena beyond, and failed. The tiers of open-air seats must hold a hundred thousand spectators, and no amphitheatre in the Kingdom could compare....Lujan led the way into a corridor to the left of the archway. A hundred or more rows of seats rose above the level upon which Mara's party moved, while another fifty rows descended toward the arena floor. To the left, two areas stood cordoned off, one of them dominated by a box adorned in lacquerworked gold and imperial white. The other section was bare of any decoration but was immediately noticeable by contrast. The occupants all wore black robes....Beyond the sunlit sands, lesser relations and servants were drifting into the boxes that would shortly hold the dominant Lords of the Empire. From the small size of their honour guards, none closer than a distant cousin had yet put in an appearance.

The description goes on, throughout pretty much the whole scene, and is multi-purpose. Basically the opposite of what Green does.

quote:

�This place is a madhouse,� Rion said, his near shout reaching only the five of them. �And it looks like we�re the last to arrive.�

�They�re leadin� two of the groups toward that door,� Vallant pointed out, indicating the area to their left. �The rest are bein� herded to the right, and herded seems to be a particularly good word.�

�There�s Twimmal, standing next to Lady Eltrina,� Jovvi put in, also pointing. �Neither one of them seems particularly happy, and I wonder why.�

�Maybe we�ll find out,� Tamrissa observed. �Twimmal has just seen us, and he�s hurrying over.�

The fat little noble was trying to hurry over, Lorand noted, but his gait wasn�t nearly fast enough to be considered a true hurry. He waddled, actually, but did eventually reach them.

Why are we finally getting good description of a minor character in the final chapters of book THREE? Also, brace yourselves. Moralizing is about to happen.

quote:

�It�s certainly about time that you got here,� he began without preamble, the petulance in his tone clear despite all the noise. �You were specifically instructed to arrive early, and��

�Stop right there,� Lorand interrupted coldly, in no mood for taking nonsense from a fool. �If you wanted us here earlier you should have sent the coaches earlier, or possibly done something about the crowds we were caught in. If you people aren�t up to getting this thing done right, you can�t excuse your incompetence by blaming us.�

�How dare you speak to me like that?� Twimmal asked in his high, squeaky voice, obviously deeply shocked. �You people are nothing, and I am��

�A lot less than nothin�, or you wouldn�t have been tapped as an official flunky,� Vallant finished for him, just as coldly as Lorand had spoken. �That means we�re still better than you, so start flunkyin� and tell us what�s goin� on.�

�I don�t know how I�m expected to bear this,� Twimmal whined, still upset and apparently talking to himself. �First that nasty person is placed above Lady Eltrina, and now the peasants feel free to give backtalk. I shall resign my place at once, that�s what I�ll do.�

�Isn�t it time you woke up to the real world?� Tamrissa put in, the hard edge in her tone only just noticeable. �At this point no one will be allowed to resign, least of all you. Or haven�t you realized yet that you know too much for your own good? Having knowledge of how a Blending is formed is usually punishable by death, and you�re the only one among them who knows. If you don�t make an effort to share your knowledge, you probably won�t live long enough to see the end of the competitions.�

Twimmal had turned absolutely white, and the fact that he hadn�t fainted was due only to Lorand�s efforts�efforts made only because Lorand finally understood what Tamrissa was up to. She�d had a good idea, and there was no sense in letting Twimmal ruin it by passing out. The fat little man wavered a bit, and then he staggered away without another word.

�That was evil, and I loved it,� Jovvi said to Tamrissa with a chuckle when Twimmal was out of hearing range. �Once he snaps out of the shock he�ll start to tell everyone the way to form a Blending, and that should cause a riot among the nobles. While they�re busy trying to silence him and find out everyone he spoke to, they�ll have less time to plot against us.

Not-spoilers: nothing will come of this. How to Blend will remain a secret until the sequel trilogy.

quote:

And wasn�t that interesting about Eltrina? No wonder she�s so bent out of shape.�

�It�s typical of the breed,� Rion put in, nothing of sympathy in his tone. �They let her do all the work, and now, at the last moment, they put in one of their own to take all the credit. Since she must have schemed a long time to get herself into the proper position, she�s probably livid. But even I was told how these things work, so I�m surprised she didn�t expect it.�

�One of her schemes probably didn�t work right,� Vallant put in with distaste. �She strikes me as the sort who�s too busy lookin� over the men around her to pay attention to every detail. Now she can look at the one they made her boss.�

�I hadn�t realized you�d noticed her attraction to you, Vallant,� Jovvi remarked with faint amusement. �I couldn�t miss it myself, but I decided against mentioning it. I could also tell how put off you were by her.�

�Too bad she didn�t notice the same,� Vallant remarked dryly. �But now that we�ve sent Twimmal flutterin� away, we�re stuck with just standin� here. Maybe we ought to remind them about our presence.�

�They know we�re here, and they�re sending someone over to see to us,� Jovvi disagreed, only glancing in the direction of the people she spoke about. �They�re vastly annoyed with Twimmal for wandering off before his job was done, and I think he was supposed to bring someone over to us, but forgot. The man really is an incompetent, empty-headed fool� Ah, the someone is on his way.�

I hate this continued character assassination of Eltrina. Eltrina deserves better than this. Also this entire chapter is just a string of terrible transitions between boring scenes.

quote:

Lorand glanced around casually, and spotted a young man strolling in their direction. His attitude screamed to the world that he was a noble, and one who considered himself really important, at that. Just what they needed in that madhouse, someone else to rub badly against their nervousness�

Who, exactly, did you expect as an alternative? Also I flat out hate how every single noble character is just a carbon copy of the one flimsy cardboard cutout character, except Rion because Rion is Not Like Other Nobles spoilers for chapter 47 because he's really Not A Noble.

quote:

�Well, it seems that you people were abandoned,� the young man said lightly when he reached them. �I�m Lord Ophin Ruhl, and I�ve been asked to direct you to the place where you�ll wait for things to begin. By the bye, do you happen to know where Lord Twimmal has gone? He surprised us by disappearing like that.�

�He didn�t say where he was going,� Tamrissa responded with complete honesty, then put her head to one side while showing a childlike expression of innocence. �Twimmal can�t possibly be considered anyone�s lord, but you still use the title for him. Haven�t you people learned yet how silly you all look, calling ones like him the same thing you call yourselves? Or can�t you tell what a deficient Twimmal is?�

�It�s�ah�something I believe they�re looking into,� Ophin responded with a great deal of discomfort. �Please follow me in this direction.�

He indicated the way to the right before immediately moving off, and Lorand exchanged bland glances with the others before joining them in following. Tamrissa�s wide-eyed, empty-minded questions had left Ophin with very little to say�even if the man had wanted to defend his position. Arguing with someone who�s already shown herself willing to say anything but isn�t terribly bright can be very frustrating, not to mention embarrassing. Ophin had taken the easy way out, leaving Tamrissa with her point clearly made�and the young lord already rattled.

I refuse to believe Ophin has NOT been trained by his father, High Lord Embisson Ruhl, to be perfectly capable of dealing with Tamrissa's amateur attempts at upsetting people using her bimbo schtick. Green's favorite thing to do to make her protagonists more awesome is to make every other character around them less competent.

quote:

They were led across the wide floor and through the crowds to the door in the righthand wall, and once they passed through it the noise level dropped abruptly. They�d entered a lamplit corridor of some sort, and Lord Ophin walked almost to the end of it before throwing open a door.

"Of some sort"??? We've flown off the top of the pyramid of abstraction now and we're just soaring through the clouds.

quote:

�This is the apartment where you�ll wait to be called,� he said, gesturing them in past him. �Your robes will be brought to you in just a few moments, and you�re to get into them as quickly as possible. Oh, yes, and ladies, no petticoats, please. You�ll all be furnished with undergarments and sandals as well, and they�re the only things to be worn with the robes. Tea and snack cakes have been provided, and if you require anything else, speak to the person who brings your robes. Good luck, and I�ll certainly see you later.�

The robes are fine. The requirement to change underwear is weird as hell. It is also Significant and you're going to die of laughter when you find out why.

quote:

And with that he strode away, obviously intent on putting enough distance between them that Tamrissa would find it impossible to ask any more questions. Lorand discovered that he wasn�t the only one chuckling as he walked into the room to look around.

"Tee hee, isn't Tamrissa so brilliant and clever and funny?"

quote:

Vallant had entered first, and now he returned to close the door behind all of them.

�I hope no one minds my hurryin� inside here,� Vallant said then. �That big outer room had too many people, and the corridor was windowless and too narrow. This place at least has windows, even if they are too high up to be reached easily. I know I can reach them if I have to, so I can stand bein� in here.�

Green: "Here, have a cursory reminder that I have now flipped the switch to Vallant's situationally plot convenient claustrophobia to 'ON'."

quote:

�If it becomes necessary, Rion and I will help you,� Lorand told him simply. He�d tried to imagine what Vallant usually went through in small, enclosed places, and hadn�t been able to do it. His favorite place as a boy had been small and close and almost airless. Picturing that safe and cozy place as a trap to be escaped from was completely beyond Lorand.

Green: "Obligatory reminder that my protagonists are real bros who have got Vallant's back even though they have literally not had any character relationship building moments together since they all went to get their rocks off at Ginge's tavern back in the first third of Book 1 and Rion at one point was seriously considering murdering the other two."

quote:

�At least this room is big, and there�s another one just like it through this door,� Tamrissa reported from the left, where she peered through the door she�d mentioned. �It has a narrow, lumpy-looking couch instead of those chairs, but it�s just as big. And there�s a far door that probably leads to privacy facilities.�

This couch gets more specific words of description devoted to it than the ampitheatre.

quote:

�All the comforts of home,� Jovvi remarked dryly, stopping in front of the large tea service. �Lorand, can you tell if they�ve done anything to the snack cakes and tea? I�ll be happier if we can save our own supplies for later.�

TEA.

quote:

�They seem to be against taking any chances at all,� Lorand replied after a brief moment of examining the cakes. �There�s something mixed in with the other ingredients that looks an awful lot like headache powder. You know, the kind that relaxes you enough to relieve your headache? It�s not enough to really incapacitate any of us, but it�s still there.�

�And it�s probably there to distract us,� Jovvi said with a nod. �If we�re smart enough to check, we find that the cakes have been tampered with. That should convince us that they don�t intend to try anything else, so we�ll be off our guard. What about the tea?�

�The tea itself looks all right, but I can�t tell about the water,� Lorand said, already having checked. �Can you see anything, Vallant?�

�Yes, and I�m recommendin� that we don�t touch it,� Vallant responded, staring at the service. �Tea water is usually almost � empty, so to speak, except for the tea. This water�s got somethin� in it that makes it crowded, and I don�t like the looks of it. It reminds me of the drinkin� water in a port I once visited very briefly. Most of the townsfolk were sick to their stomachs, not plague-sick but bad-food sick. Our cargo was already paid for, so we off-loaded it quick and got out of there�and got fresh supplies at the next port.�

�So that settles that,� Tamrissa said, having finished her exploring and rejoined them. �We eat or drink only what we brought with us, and even then not until Lorand and Vallant look it over. How much time do we have left to wait?�

Green: "HEY LOOK AT MY PROTAGONISTS BEING SMART!"

I guess I have to give her credit here for a pay-off on the set-up for tampered food and drink. But this whole deal with "the food and drink have been tampered with" is going to become a stupid running gag throughout the whole serieses that I have to add a counter for it. Green seems incapable of thinking of any alternative stratagems in her plot.

quote:

�Just under two hours,� Jovvi told her after consulting a small pocket watch. �We ought to be able to survive that length of time without food or drink, so our supplies will be conserved anyway. I wonder how long it will be before they bring those robes. Changing our clothes will fill some of the time.�

�And the special visitor we can expect will fill even more of it,� Rion reminded them. �We haven�t been given our instructions yet, and then they�ll have to position us all before it turns noon. With that in mind, we probably have less than an hour to actually spend waiting.�

Those points were too obvious for anyone to disagree, so they all chose chairs and sat. Lorand found himself more comfortable than he�d expected to be, but the presence of the headache powder in the cakes should have warned him. The powder and the chairs were supposed to combine to make them sleepy, ruining the sharp edge brought about by nervousness. The nobles seemed to be covering every possible contingency, in spite of the fact that they shouldn�t need anything but the drug the group had already been given. Curious�

OMG seriously, we're getting MORE WORDS ABOUT THEM WAITING IN A FREAKING WAITING ROOM where NOTHING IS HAPPENING! A scene of people waiting can be interesting! But stuff needs to happen between the characters to make this interesting! Why are we not having more of a character moment between these five? Functionally in the plot, this is the calm before the storm of an arena battle to the death in order to become the next rightful rulers of the Empire. THIS SHOULD BE MORE INTERESTING TO READ ABOUT.

quote:

By the time a knock at the door brought two servants into the room, Lorand had thought of a possible reason for the over-thoroughness of the nobles� preparations. The drug they�d been given could well be a last resort, to be used only if everything else failed. But that would hardly do for the group meant to face their chosen Blending. The nobles would want to be very sure of their opponents, so a visit from someone with orders ought to confirm the group�s guess that they were indeed the ones�

Ding ding ding, penny's finally dropped for Lorand. The Puredan they were doused with back at the beginning of Book 1 is finally going to pay-off. Except instead of cutting straight to this moment of conflict and tension, we're going to spend some more word count on nothing.

(who am I kidding, there is no tension, we have had zero competent antagonists show up so nobody is going to notice that they've slipped their conditioning)

quote:

Except for size, the white robes and accompanying white sandals were absolutely identical. The undergarments were slightly smaller robes made of silk, and felt cool and wonderful against the skin. Lorand had expected that Tamrissa at least would go into the other room to change, but all sense of embarrassment seemed to have left the girl. She changed with as little fuss as everyone else, and when they were through they examined each other.

�Now we really look like full participants,� Jovvi said, the first one to comment. �And I�m surprised that these things are so comfortable. I expected them to fit badly, which would have been another distraction.�

�The cakes and tea could have been put in here for any group they happened to assign to the apartment,� Lorand said, deciding to share his guesswork. �The robes, though, were clearly made for no one but us. If they�re this comfortable, we probably will get that visitor Rion mentioned.�

He explained his thinking in more detail then, and everyone nodded their understanding.

This is a weird-for-Green abbreviation that normally doesn't happen. Usually she'd be spending a lot of words to connect the dots explicitly.

quote:

�That means if we do get a visitor, we have to be sure to link up,� Rion said then. �If the drug still held us we�d respond at precisely the same time, which linking will let us do without draining us.�

Again everyone agreed, and, as it turned out, just in time.

OMFG. THIS PROSE. WHY.

Also note that Rion refers to this surface Blending state simply as "linking". Which anybody with any aspect can do. We will NEVER see any discussion or contemplation of how this surface Blending state is different to linking up with like aspect talents. FML. This is the biggest world building inconsistency ever.

quote:

Another knock came at the door, and when Lorand went to open it he found the man who had been standing next to Eltrina Razas, waiting patiently.

�I�m Lord Simin Dolf,� the man said smoothly with a smile. �I may be new to the ranks of those who have worked with you, but I�d still like to extend my good wishes. May I come in?�

Lorand felt tempted to answer, �No,� and then close the door in the man�s face,

Do it! What are they gonna do? Bash down the door? Hah!

quote:

but that was just a fleeting whim. It would do no good at all to put off what the nobles intended to make unavoidable, so Lorand simply nodded and then stepped back to allow Lord Simin entrance.

�Looking at all of you, I believe I�m beginning to feel truly excited,� the noble said as he advanced into the room. �I hadn�t expected to be so deeply involved in this twenty-fifth year, and now that I am, I�m as delighted as a child. I believe I�ll sit here for a moment, so that I�m able to look at each of you well enough to remember details. This will be a tale to tell for the rest of my life.�

Lorand reclaimed his own chair as the noble took one to the left, which gave the man the overall view he�d mentioned. The rest of the group had been seated when Simin entered, and Lorand wondered if the noble felt insulted over the fact that no one rose respectfully. If so, Simin hid the emotion well.

�This is marvelous,� he continued to burble, still looking from one to the other of them. �I can�t tell you how much this means to me, as now is the time for all commoners to come to the aid of the empire.�

Lorand froze where he sat as the Blending link instantly flared into being, Jovvi initiating the state with all the speed of her considerable talent. The very great temptation was there to Blend all the way to melding, but Lorand held it off just as he felt the others doing.

Behold, the one time that they're going to use surface Blending at all.

quote:

�Now that�s a good deal better,� Lord Simin said without the burbling, suddenly looking like an entirely different man. �You filthy little nothings imagined that you were getting away with not giving me the respect you owe to all your betters, but you were mistaken. Right now I have orders for you, and after you carry them out we�ll see to your punishment for insolence. If you�re still alive, that is.�

Sigh.

quote:

*Nice of him to tell us that our opponents will be out for blood,* their Jovvi part sent while Simin chuckled nastily. *Let�s see what else he lets slip.*

Double sigh.

quote:

�The most important command that I have for you is that you�re to understand you�re no match for the noble group you�ll be facing,� Simin continued. �You will keep up the pretense of being ready to contend with everything you have, but on the inside each of you will know and believe that defeat is all there is in store for you. In point of fact you will assist in your own defeat, but not in any obvious way. The victory of your opponents is to appear as nothing but superior ability. Is all that clear?�

I still have NO IDEA how the hell this is supposed to pass as convincing. Elemental magic isn't exactly a complicated thing, and like 80% of the general populace is talented, CAN TOUCH THE POWER AND VERIFY HOW STRONG PEOPLE ARE IN RELATIVE TERMS and THE ENTIRE MAGIC SYSTEM HAS BEEN SET UP WITH STRENGTH BEING THE BE-ALL AND END-ALL WITH HARDLY ANY SKILL COMPONENT omfg I hate this so much.

quote:

�At your command, my lord,� Lorand said with the rest of the link, almost contributing to a chant. Simin�s expression lightened, and he laughed with clear enjoyment.

�That is exactly what you useless peasants are, at the command of every one of your superiors,� he said. �During the competition you will attack and defend with only enough ability to make your opponents look good, and then you will lose. If they decide to spare your lives, once you return to the gathering area you will report to me for your punishment. If they don�t decide to spare you, well, then I suppose you�ll get away with having been insolent. I now give you no choice but to obey.�

�At your command, my lord,� the chorus chimed out again, causing Simin to chuckle again. But if the noble had been able to feel what Lorand did from the group, chuckling would have been the last thing Simin would have wanted to do.

The trend of nobody from the nobility having or using Spirit magic continues. Also I guess micro-expressions aren't a thing in this world; because with the play-acting abilities of our protagonists being non-existent, micro-expressions for sure should be slipping through.

quote:

�That�s my good little peasants,� Simin drawled. �You�ll obey me now, and later�if there is a later for you�you will obey me once more without question and without needing to be keyed again.

This mind control programming logic is pervasive in all of Green's works. And stuff like this should be happening across the board every time somebody is given Puredan! I can't see how any minion of the testing authority would be able to resist adding in their own back doors into all of the people they are supposed to brainwash, just like Simin has done here.

Of course, none of this will come into play. Ever.

quote:

And now you have my permission to return to the way you were � and so I�d like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. Now I�ll wish you good luck in your attempt, and leave you alone to rest and relax.�

By then the noble was back to burbling as he rose to his feet, and Lorand rose as well to follow him to the door. Jovvi had released the link when Simin believed he was releasing them, and apparently the ruse worked perfectly. Simin left still burbling, and once Lorand closed the door he turned toward the others.

This should be hella suspicious. For anyone who was still drugged, it would have seemed like Simin came in, looked at them, said three sentences of nothing and then left. This is so uncharacteristic of all nobility that if you weren't suspicious before, you should be suspicious now.

And another thing. Puredan and Spirit magic commands work basically the same way and spoilers for the next book Spirit magic can be used to strip away these commands so how has this gone unnoticed by any High with Spirit magic?

quote:

�The fool isn�t even standing outside the door to hear whatever we might decide to talk about,� he reported. �His trace and life signs are strolling away back toward that open area, and in another moment or two he should be completely gone� There. He just went through the door.�

I don't know why Lorand alone is bothering with monitoring this. Everybody has their own version of magical radar by now.

quote:

�I�d say that that answers our question about which of our groups will be facing their darlings,� Jovvi said with a shake of her head. �If they were going to do the same to every group, he would never have come directly here and then left in the same way. Tomorrow will probably be another story, but today the privilege is ours alone.�

Is anyone feeling the slightest hint of suspense? Anyone at all?

quote:

�I suggest we pretend that he never visited us,� Tamrissa said, her extreme annoyance still clear in Lorand�s memory of the link. �The pretense will keep them guessing about what went wrong, and may even serve to get that useless garbage exactly what he deserves. If they think their plans are in ruins because of him, they may actually end him before they find out any better.�

Way to be full of yourself Tamrissa. If there was any hint of suspense, it's now gone. They are fully confident in their ability to defeat Adriari's Blending, we know that Blending is full of Middles thanks to the Seated High sham challenges, ugh, is there any reason whatsoever to actually read the next chapter?

quote:

�I�d enjoy seein� that,� Vallant commented, his light eyes looking very cold to Lorand. �There are men who are my superior in any number of ways, but none of them simply because he said so.

We will never see Vallant admitting to any man being his superior, though I think he does, at one point, admit Rion and Lorand to be his equals.

quote:

We�ve got to do somethin� about gettin� rid of those parasites.�

�We�ll have time to worry about it if and when we win the competitions,� Jovvi told them all as Lorand joined Rion in growling agreement.

Green has given up all pretense that they might not win the competitions. Even her protagonists have stopped pretending that they don't already know that they're the strongest talents ever.

quote:

�Right now we need to relax, so let�s sit down and do it the way I taught you. We�ll all be forcing ourselves to relax, but we�ll gather ten times the strength we use to accomplish it. With me, now. One, two, three��

Uh what? I can't parse this meditation instruction at all. I had to read this several times to figure out that Green means Jovvi is saying that they'll be using up a part of their strength (as in, mana reserves? Mental reserves? Wakefulness? I have no idea because this hasn't been specified enough other than...they are very tired and hungry after extreme magical exertion) but that relaxing is somehow going to make them ten times stronger?

Why does this book make no sense?

quote:

Lorand pushed aside thoughts of getting even and made himself join the effort to relax, but only because it was necessary. Once they won�and they would win�they�d go back to the topic of getting rid of parasites, and then they�d find the best way to accomplish it. That was something to really look forward to, almost as much as actually winning�

you are all terrible people and in a story with consistent characterization and world building you would be setting up an equally terrible regime.

Summary:

Day 19
Our commoner protagonists and noble antagonists alike get stuck in a traffic jam en route to the amphitheatre that will be a Significant Location on par with the Palace and is not described anywhere as effectively as the palace was (which, if you've forgotten, was "big" and had a "verandah"). The Advisors switch around the matches as a last minute "favor" to Delin and co, for the dumb reason of not wanting Delin to die because they want to make an example of him for the various murders.

Our protagonists spend the whole chapter waiting around and changing into their competitions robes and underwear and not eating the contaminated food. Lord Simin shows up and commands them to throw the match. Once the noble leaves, our protagonists spend the rest of their waiting time being general, arrogant know-it-alls who are gleefully crowing about their victory and making plans on how they are going to reform the Empire, because they are the smartest and bestest people ever and Lord Simin is a clueless idiot who has no idea that they have broken free from their Puredan conditioning.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 47 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis, Glindil

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 28 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park, the amphitheatre

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canap�s at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1), physical love (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 32 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending), Simin Dolf
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 104 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 52 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 18 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 33 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 83 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 55 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 64 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 34 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 13 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 18 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 12, including 2 rape scenes (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)
DON'T EAT THAT: 1 (1 in Book 3)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36), Round 4 (Book 3: Chapter 40)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 2: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 2: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi; 40, Vallant/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
The way Green has set up the plot to unfold leaves zero tension about what's going to happen next. I remain confused about how Green seems to understand the need to pay-off on earlier promises yet delivers the pay-offs so flatly. Perhaps it's to do with how there are no consequences, ever? It's the feeling of watching someone who is bad at improv do the thing where no matter what kind of conflict or tension their improv partner tries to introduce, they immediately swerve out of anything bad happening to their character. The end of this book feels like a foregone conclusion at this point and Green KNOWS it.

Spoilers for the end of this book: and clearly, she's like oh no, that's a huge issue! Quick I need to find a way to make a plot twist happen! So yeah, the ending is subverted, they're about to win and end of losing because...THEIR TESTING AUTHORITY ISSUED UNDERWEAR IS LACED WITH SLEEP DRUGS.

FFS, the plotting in this book is bad.

Leng posted:

This entire book should have just been 50% magical arena battles, 25% magical intelligence gathering on your next match and 25% conspiracy stuff. Instead, I think we got 50% relationship drama, 25% terrible sex/rape scenes and 25% exposition that had to be conveyed via meeting info dumps because too many words had been used up on relationship drama and sex/rape scenes.

And how you would do the actual plot twist is have this plotline weaving throughout all the tournament rounds:

Act I: things don't add up and the protagonists discover that the competitions are officially rigged. But how?
Act II: investigations ensue and the protagonists discover that they have been drugged and given secret commands. Can they get out of it?
Act III: a series of try/fail cycles to throw off the programming, where each attempt either solves one problem but introduces a new one, or makes things worse. They go into climax having dismantled a whole bunch of it, but there's still a core part remaining

From there, I think you could go either way with the ending, depending on the kind of story you want to tell for the next book. If you want to tell a story of "rightful competition winners having victory stolen from their grasp", then yeah, they lose (either due to the programming they couldn't disable or maybe they did and you know what? They still get bested magically!). Or if you want to introduce a new external threat and the whole "learning how to rule an Empire" thing, you just have them straight up win!

But at least there would be SUSPENSE during the narrative!

I am currently struggling with the tournament arc in my own novel. The biggest flaw at the moment is needing to link the tournament plot to wider stakes. I am just so frustrated seeing Green have the makings of a perfectly satisfying story here and screwing up every single aspect. UGH. :bang:

# ? Feb 15, 2022 02:04

t3isukone: Dec 18, 2020; 13km away

Read through this thread, read through some of the series-only the bits about the villain blending because it's SO BORING-and I think my biggest takeaway is that I've seen 'good character accidentally in a bad story' syndrome before but Kambil Arstin takes it to a new level, holy poo poo. Pretty much all of the villain blending except Bron have a hell of a lot more character and interesting hooks than our flawless heroes, but Kambil is like...genuinely almost good! So many cool antagonist ideas! Grami is even cooler! If they'd been in an actually decent series...

Also, I like Delin quite a bit. He's not, like, okay like Kambil is but he's a murder failboat trash fire and I find that endearing/amusing and also more interesting than any of Our Flawless Heroes except maybe Rion, who gets steadily less interesting.

# ? Feb 17, 2022 20:22

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

Are you guys ready for the biggest letdown ever?

quote:

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

When Jovvi felt the last of the others finally slide into the calm lack of thought of relaxed meditation, she dropped her defenses with a sigh of relief. Between everyone’s nervousness—including her own—and the anger generated by that vicious pig of a noble, Jovvi had almost felt as though she were already under attack.

Jovvi's "I'm being overwhelmed by strong emotions coming from other people" is as situationally convenient as Vallant's claustrophobia.

quote:

If she intended to uphold her corner of the Blending, she needed the strength generated by relaxation even more than her groupmates.

This would have been a fun little way to make the upcoming battle more interesting!

quote:

She forced herself to slide into it after them, and—

And the knock on the door roused them all. It seemed as though only a minute or two had passed, but Jovvi’s watch told her it had been a little more than an hour. She felt marvelous and well rested, and the thoughts of the others showed they felt the same way.

I don't know why Green decided suddenly that Our Protagonists do meditation. Prior to this, Jovvi was the only one who did any of it, and it came completely out of left field.

quote:

Simin had done them a favor by coming around so soon after the robes had been delivered.

More words devoted to a completely unimportant character. I would rather have internal monologuing on anything else.

quote:

“All right, people, it’s time to go out there,” the young lord Ophin Ruhl announced when Lorand opened the door. “Follow me, please, and be certain you don’t dawdle. Tradition insists that the competitions begin precisely at noon.”

There was still almost half an hour until that time, but Jovvi couldn’t imagine dawdling even with twice the time left.

I...what? How does it take half an hour to get everybody out onto the sand? I guess this amphitheatre really is "big".

quote:

She exchanged glances with the others as they all followed the idiot noble, relieved that no one seemed prepared to make an issue of it. Especially Tamma, who had pushed things a bit too hard for Jovvi’s complete peace of mind…

Tamrissa did nothing of the sort.

quote:

But leaving the apartment and reentering the very large gathering area erased all thoughts of other things. Two other groups in white were entering from the opposite side, and with the two already there and waiting they totaled the necessary five. It was actually getting ready to begin, and Jovvi knew that if she’d had to perform on her own, she never would have been able to do it. Her balance was tipping wildly between excitement and apprehension, and only the comforting presence of the others kept her from doing something ridiculous, like screaming at the top of her lungs.

No, please, scream at the top of your lungs! That would be way more interesting!

quote:

“All right, people, I’m now supposed to tell you how you’ll be arranged,” Ophin said when they reached him where he’d stopped. Others like him, all wearing white scarves as armbands, were speaking to the other groups as well. “It’s been decided by the coin toss that your groups will be positioned out there first, and then your opponents will be placed opposite you. Please remember to keep your hoods on at all times, as the sun at this time of day can be extremely draining. Now we can get into line.”

Jovvi saw now that the others had been lined up in groups, no two particularly close to one another. As she raised her hood in accordance with instructions, she also noticed that it was impossible to tell where Pagin Holter and his group were without using her talent. Only size differentiated one participant from any other, and there were several people the proper size. The others were very likely women, but even that was difficult to tell by sight alone because of the loose, shapeless robes.

There is going to be badly done introspection later about these details.

quote:

“I feel odd walking around without petticoats,” Tamma murmured as they took their places at the end of the line. “I feel as if I’m in a wrap and on my way to the bath house.”

Obligatory mention of baths and bath houses!

quote:

“We’re probably heading for hot water at that,” Jovvi murmured back, watching the first group being led out the wide doors which had been opened on the arena side. “If there’s a delay in bringing out our opponents, guess who will be stuck out there in the sun.”

“If there’s a delay of more than ten minutes, we’ll just have to lead everyone back in here where it’s cool,” Tamma replied with a small shrug. “Letting them get away with something like that after everything else would be stupid, so we just won’t do it.

...

quote:

You know, I’m glad we decided to bring two flasks each. They balance each other nicely where they’re hung under my robes.”

even is this? Why are we talking about how many water bottles they each decided to bring and why for the love of the Highest Aspect is Tamrissa even talking about how she's carrying them?! I am so confused guys.

quote:

Jovvi nodded with a sigh, feeling the same not only about the flasks. Tamma was right about not letting the nobility get away with any more nonsense, but the entire situation touched Jovvi badly. There were pitfalls all around them, and if they happened to stumble into the wrong one…

Green: "A reminder that you are supposed to be super worried about this. Please be worried for Our Protagonists, even though I totally failed in setting up the stakes and anyone who was paying the slightest attention while reading already knows they're gonna win."

quote:

The line moved fairly rapidly, and from the very first it was possible to hear the cheering and shouting of the people in the tiers. The noise they made was more than deafening; it was possible to feel their vocal excitement vibrating in your bones, and Jovvi knew she wasn’t the only one experiencing that. Everyone seemed to be rubbing their ears or shaking their heads sharply, not to mention rubbing their arms.

But the closer they got to the open doors, the easier it became to stand the noise. That might have been because they were moving out of line with the worst of the area’s echoes, but whatever the reason it came as a great relief. Then it was their turn to step outside, and the ocean of noise struck like waves during a terrible storm. There were thousands of people in the tiers, and their combined voice was very much like a descending curtain of stone.

This is probably the best description Green has done in the whole series; for a moment I was honestly expecting her to leave it at "the crowd was very loud".

quote:

Jovvi and the others—and their escorting noble—plodded heavily across the scattering of gray sand, but every step they took proved easier than the one before. Getting farther out into the open was helping, but then Jovvi noticed that the sand was getting deeper. Not too deep to keep them from walking across it easily, but deep enough to cover the ground thoroughly. They were led to a place at least thirty feet away from the next nearest group, Ophin wished them good luck, and then they were left on their own.

Only 30 feet (9.14m)? If you assume the groups are equally spaced out, that's like 200 feet (~60m) in one dimension.

Um. This sounds like a very small arena.

quote:

“I hadn’t realized how huge this place is,” Lorand said as he surreptitiously looked around. “No wonder we can barely hear ourselves thinking. There must be ten thousand people out there.”

I know I'm projecting my modern day ideas about scale onto a regency fantasy world, but this does not sound that big at all? Though I guess if my calculations here were correct, then if your total population for the Empire is 200,000 people, then yeah, okay, an arena for 10,000 people sounds big.

quote:

“I’d estimate more than that,” Rion said, also looking about in the same way. “And I would also guess that more than five pairs of Blendings are meant to compete here, but they’ve spread us out to disguise that fact. It’s likely that the number of contenders now depends upon how many Blendings my former peers are able to muster.”

“I’ll take a big chance by goin’ along with that theory,” Vallant agreed dryly. “Do you remember what Lorand said some time back, about the nobles limitin’ themselves by not insistin’ that their offspring compete fairly? Well, it’s occurred to me that they may have had no choice. If they didn’t have a good stock of strength to begin with, all the careful breedin’ in the world couldn’t give it to them.”

Foreshadowing.

quote:

“So that’s the reason they do all these things, not an excuse for it,” Tamma said, just as dryly as well as impatiently. “If you can’t do the job, you’re supposed to get out of the way of someone else who can, but these … these … bloodsuckers refuse to let go. They intend to hang on just as long as they possibly can, and if they aren’t stopped now they just might accomplish their aim forever—or until there are none of them left.”

“I’m more worried about there being none of us left,” Jovvi put in, having no intentions of calming Tamma. They would need her anger badly in just a few short minutes…

I suppose the Fire magic being boosted by anger trope was not as overdone back then as it is now.

quote:

“And speak of the aspect, here comes the first of our opponents. Now it looks as though they had our side come out first because of the noise. Why subject their people to all that cheering and yelling, when sending them out second spares them?”

What Jovvi had said wasn’t meant as sarcasm, only as an easily observable fact. At the appearance of the first noble Blending, the crowd noise quieted as if by magic. A few voices here and there shouted and yelled as though in an effort to sustain the cheering, but the effort failed. Those commoners in the audience had no interest in showing support for members of the privileged class, and the nobles’ own supporters were undoubtedly much too good to make a spectacle of themselves.

What? What kind of death match spectacle is this?

quote:

Jovvi joined everyone else in watching the opposing groups take their places, a good thirty feet away from the first arrivals. That still left a lot of unused room in the amphitheater arena, but some of it was used at least for a short time.

because this matters right now...how??!!??!?!

quote:

A small group came out to stand in the very center of the area, one of the men stepping out to stand in front of the others.

“In a few short moments it will be precisely noon,” the white-haired but robust-looking man said, and Jovvi had the impression that everyone in the amphitheater was able to hear him as clearly as she did.

Yo, Zolind!

quote:

“When that moment arrives, the giant torches on two sides of this arena will be ignited at the same time. That will be the signal to begin, and we wish all our brave competitors the best of luck.”

He turned and rejoined his party then, and they all exited to the sound of polite applause.

...why exactly did he need an entourage to walk out there?

quote:

There was also a growing murmur of excitement, despite the fact that most people seemed to have no idea about who had spoken. Jovvi didn’t know either, but Rion’s surprise took her attention.

“Rion, do you know who that was?” she asked. “He seemed to be a noble, but there was something … different about him.”

“Something very different,” Rion agreed, nodding his hooded head slowly. “That was Advisor Zolind Maylock, the most powerful of all the Advisors. He’s such an important and influential a man, that almost no one beyond his own circle of associates and acquaintances knows him. Mother pointed him out to me once, but when she tried to speak to him he snubbed her. To this day she probably hasn’t forgiven him for that.”

Before you get excited about the possible of seeing a REAL Littlefinger-esque puppeteer in the plot, have some not-spoilers: Zolind will turn out to be just as illogical and incompetent as the rest of the antagonists.

quote:

“Well, at least she and I agree on that one point,” Jovvi said, watching Advisor Zolind disappear under the tiers on the opposite side of the amphitheater. “I’ve never believed in forgiving a snub either, but that isn’t very important right now. Those torches ought to be set off any moment, so we’d better prepare ourselves.”

Everyone heard and understood the suggestion, which was something they’d discussed the day before. From what everyone had said about Blending, the nobles apparently believed that the initial formation was necessary every time if a Blending was to take place. From what Jovvi and the others had learned during practice, that wasn’t even close to the truth. But if that was what the nobility believed, it would be foolish to disillusion them.

So they all took their proper formation positions, Jovvi noticing in passing that the closest commoner groups were doing the same. There couldn’t be more than a minute left before full noon, and that made Jovvi uneasy. The nobles thirty feet away were already in their formation, and their unmoving postures were disturbing. If they were already Blended and poised to attack the instant the torches were lit…

Thinking about it any longer would have been idiotic, therefore Jovvi immediately initiated the connection with the others. They responded even more quickly than usual, and this time there was no reason to hold back from a complete merging. Jovvi went from one-of-five to a single entity so quickly that she would have blinked if she’d still been in her body.

The magical combat that follows from this point is so stupid, I can't even.

quote:

But the entity had no body, nothing more than the five forms of flesh left behind when it emerged. It gloried in being whole and free again, felt delighted that it would no longer be held back—and then two things happened at once. The first was a double burst of flame shooting up from two places at the top of the amphitheater, and the second was an immediate attack by the entity formed of the beings thirty feet away.

The entity wasn’t in the least surprised at being attacked without warning, and because of that its reactions weren’t delayed in any way. It immediately defended itself from the ravening flames billowing toward it, flames which were backed by a strength that seemed somewhat reserved. The enemy appeared to be cautious even in attack, a theory noted in passing.

Oh look. We're going to get the entire battle from a detached entity viewpoint. Yay.

quote:

But observation and theorizing also did nothing to keep the entity from responding. The part of itself that was ever on guard had thrown up a shield against the flames, and now thirsted to attack in turn. Attack was also the entity’s desire, of course, but curiosity held it back. This direct enemy had been presented as the best of all the enemy entities, and the entity wished to know exactly how it was best.

For that reason it reached toward the enemy with all of its abilities. It snatched away air and deluged with water, then removed the water and sent sand-filled air.

That's...3 out of 5 talents.

quote:

The enemy responded to each of the moves, but so slowly and awkwardly that it might as well not have bothered. It was then that the entity realized the truth: the enemy wasn’t being cautious, it merely had very little strength to use. It also seemed less than adequately Blended, another flaw it had no hope of overcoming.

The only thing we know about Adriari's group is that there are more women than men. Is this supposed to tell us that the sex mechanic doesn't work so well in this proportion???

quote:

Those were the answers, then, the entity thought. The enemy couldn’t possibly be the best in any group, therefore those who believed the lie were sadly misguided and mistaken. It was now necessary to correct the error in apprehension, and in a way that would leave no doubt of the truth.

So the entity reached out with the most spectacularly deadly of all its abilities. Yellow-orange flames flared into being all around the enemy, which was still in the midst of being distracted by the previous testing probes. The white coverings of its fleshly forms burst into flame first, distracting the enemy even further. The enemy entity should have responded in some way, made some effort at defense, but instead it disappeared, leaving nothing but the individuals who had birthed it.

And those individuals were completely incapable of defending themselves against the attack. Water magic attempted to douse the flames, but was halted by the entity’s superior strength. Air magic also made a feeble attempt, as did Earth magic and Fire magic, but the screaming and fear flowing from their individual forms hampered their efforts even more. Even together they’d been no match for the entity; as individuals, their frantic efforts reached a peak and then ceased altogether. The forms had fallen to the sand, and now lay smoldering and smoking.

I'm disappointed that Spirit magic does not feature here at all, beyond initiating Blending. Is this because Spirit magic can't affect entities? Who knows?

quote:

The entity watched dispassionately as its enemy became no more, and a trace of disgusted annoyance fleeted through it. Those inadequate forms should never have been set against it, not when it was so much stronger and more able. They had been sacrificed for no purpose, soiling the entity by turning it into an executioner. The sense of dishonor and anger was intense…

And then it was Jovvi again, feeling the same anger their Blended selves had felt. Those nobles had been pitiful, and they’d died for nothing—except, obviously, to ease the fear of their superiors. Why choose a Blending that can do something, when you can slip one in that will never be a danger to you…

You people are the worst.

quote:

“Look,” Tamma said quietly, surprise rippling her own anger. “I’d say we aren’t the only ones who were set against inadequate opponents.”

Jovvi turned her head to see what Tamma meant, and it all became immediately clear. The confrontation itself couldn’t have lasted more than a minute or two, not for them and not for the others. Of the five contending sets of Blendings, four of the five noble groups were at the very least down, most of them apparently dead.

Four common Blendings stood victorious in the first round, and the audience in the tiers began to scream and applaud like mad people…

I can't help thinking that death sports ought to have a much bigger impact on the culture of this Empire if Green wants this kind of ending to land. As it is, this chapter makes me feel like a Roman gladiator mass battle has been dropped into the middle of a bad regency romance.

Summary:

Day 19
Our commoner protagonists and noble antagonists alike get stuck in a traffic jam en route to the amphitheatre that will be a Significant Location on par with the Palace and is not described anywhere as effectively as the palace was (which, if you've forgotten, was "big" and had a "verandah"). The Advisors switch around the matches as a last minute "favor" to Delin and co, for the dumb reason of not wanting Delin to die because they want to make an example of him for the various murders.

Our protagonists spend the whole chapter waiting around and changing into their competitions robes and underwear and not eating the contaminated food. Lord Simin shows up and commands them to throw the match. Once the noble leaves, our protagonists spend the rest of their waiting time being general, arrogant know-it-alls who are gleefully crowing about their victory and making plans on how they are going to reform the Empire, because they are the smartest and bestest people ever and Lord Simin is a clueless idiot who has no idea that they have broken free from their Puredan conditioning. Our Heroes walk out into the arena and annihilate their opponents, and so do three other common Blendings; only one noble Blending (guess who?) wins their match.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 47 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis, Glindil

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 28 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park, the amphitheatre

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canapés at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1), physical love (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 32 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending), Simin Dolf
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 104 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 52 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 18 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 33 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 86 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 56 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 64 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 34 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 13 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 18 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 12, including 2 rape scenes (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)
DON'T EAT THAT: 1 (1 in Book 3)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36), Round 4 (Book 3: Chapter 40)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 2: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 2: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi; 40, Vallant/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
It's this chapter that really makes the weirdness of the entity viewpoints stand out. The jumping in and out of entity viewpoints is...fine, I guess, because it's always preceded by and followed with a clear signal of when Blending starts and ends. I'm not a fan of the entity viewpoints themselves though, because every entity has the exact same detached voice. Also spoilers for the sequel trilogy eventually when you progress far enough to the ideal Blending state, the detached entity viewpoint goes away and you start experiencing Blending from your POV—initially as an observer, then as someone whose actions can steer the entity's actions, then with full control. Bizarrely in all these later states, everyone simultaneously experiences it from their own individual perspective, until eventually you reach the state of full Blending, which is just...being yourself and able to use all six talents without going into a trance state.

So with that in mind, I don't understand what Green is trying to achieve here with this detached entity viewpoint. I think what would have been a REALLY interesting narrative technique to explore here is constant POV slippage whenever they are Blended early on, since they're still getting used to this mind meld thing so it would make sense that the different personalities clash with each other, with different individuals wrestling for control, instead of these weird arbitrary impersonal entities doing things like robots.

Or, you know, maybe the entities are a vehicle for spirits from an alternative plane of existence to enter the world, and that's why the entities act so weird compared to the characters who comprise them. That would be interesting too.

Basically anything other than what Green has done would be more interesting! And it wouldn't suck all of the tension out of a climax point in the plot.

Leng fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Feb 22, 2022

# ? Feb 21, 2022 23:47

kaom: Jan 20, 2007

Leng posted:

Are you guys ready for the biggest letdown ever?

Wow so my first reaction was, �that was over quick! :aaa:

� But there has to be a twist coming in the next chapter? (I have not read the books.)

I really hope the sixth commoner blending is in play here and the chosen noble blending isn�t even IN the competition right now. That�s the point of the robes, right, it has to be. So our heroes just dispassionately murdered another group of commoners and will be reeling from this in the near future, and that�s why this is written this way?

Please tell me this opportunity isn�t completely squandered.

# ? Feb 22, 2022 20:27

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

kaom posted:

Wow so my first reaction was, �that was over quick! � But there has to be a twist coming in the next chapter? (I have not read the books.)

I really hope the sixth commoner blending is in play here and the chosen noble blending isn�t even IN the competition right now. That�s the point of the robes, right, it has to be. So our heroes just dispassionately murdered another group of commoners and will be reeling from this in the near future, and that�s why this is written this way?

Please tell me this opportunity isn�t completely squandered.

Search your feelings.

If I remember correctly, the next book starts off with even more of an anticlimax.

# ? Feb 25, 2022 10:44

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

kaom posted:

Please tell me this opportunity isn�t completely squandered.

Liquid Communism posted:

If I remember correctly, the next book starts off with even more of an anticlimax.

Weeeelllllll strictly speaking it's a lot better than where books 2 and 3 have started since Green actually ended this book somewhat properly?

# ? Feb 25, 2022 11:19

Leng: May 13, 2006; One song / Glory
One song before I go / Glory
One song to leave behind

No other road
No other way
No day but today

quote:

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

“… total disaster!” Delin heard as he and the others were escorted back into the vast gathering area beneath the tiers. “Don’t you realize that the next Seated Blending is dead? Find out how this happened! Find that fool Twimmal, who seems to have disappeared! I want the ones responsible dragged in front of me in chains!”

The man ranting and raving was High Lord Embisson Ruhl, and Delin was fascinated to see that he was nearly foaming at the mouth. He screamed at the people around him,

I'd say that the character assassination continues but I'm starting to believe that Green is aware of only one type of anger (the toddler variety). Up until this point, I'd been picturing Embisson as the kind of guy who goes super cold when enraged.

quote:

of course, most of whom were pale and unsteady. As was to be expected…

“Finding out the identity of those responsible is secondary right now,” another, calmer voice intervened, the voice of Advisor Zolind Maylock. “Our first concern is deciding what to do about this fiasco, what we’re willing to do and what we can do. One point I’m able to speak for my associates on is that we will not tolerate having commoners on the Fivefold Throne.”

If this is the only thing propping up your corrupt regime, how do you not have contingency upon contingency for things that can go wrong? Risk management 101 here.

quote:

“Then your only other option is to back our group,” Kambil put in with light friendliness, drawing everyone’s immediate attention. “We do happen to be the only noble Blending remaining, but as long as we survive, all is far from lost.”

“That remains to be seen,” Advisor Zolind countered, his voice quiet and showing nothing of emotion. “But since we discuss the matter, I’d be interested to know how you managed to survive when the others didn’t.”

...is that canon confirmation that ALL the noble Blendings are magically weaker because of poor selecting breeding decisions?

Way to undermine the tension and stakes even more.

quote:

“Possibly it was because our opponents were so poor,” Kambil replied with a shrug of innocence that made Delin want to laugh. “They were barely able to Blend, and we had the distinct impression that they hadn’t practiced much, if at all. Their strength was certainly adequate, but they had no idea what to do with it.”

I'm kind of confused. What we saw didn't include any use of skill whatsoever. Open to power. Blend. Send crazy amounts of fire/water/sand/hardened air at opponents. Done!

quote:

“Whereas you knew exactly what to do with yours,” Zolind responded flatly,

Which is why this whole "training" thing doesn't make sense when you don't want people to be trained!

The latest trending booktuber bandwagon is jumping on authortuber Jenna Moreci's self-published books, The Savior's Champion and The Savior's Sister. Unresolved Textual Tension has done the best analysis so far (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0tUiE1v650 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIc4wdbzcgY). Moreci is accused of a lot of plot holes and things that don't make sense.

I have not read these books myself, apart from the sample chapters. But just based on those sample chapters alone, I can confirm that Moreci is a far more competent writer than Green is AND even the stuff that doesn't makes sense per the booktuber videos...makes WAY more sense than anything in the Blending books.

quote:

the expression in his eyes one of extreme unhappiness. “I now recall that your opponents were changed at the last moment,

How does someone who is politically savvy forget important details like this? HOW?????!??!?!?!?

quote:

as a … favor to one of your number. We seem to have done you a larger favor than was intended, which means you may be correct about the options at my disposal. In any event our general plan has to be changed now,

Look, the incompetence extends to the very heights of the corrupt regime! But it's okay, because that is the whole point of Green's thesis behind these books, so the lack of any competent/convincing antagonists is the ENTIRE POINT, you see.

quote:

and it must be done quickly. If we try to delay tomorrow’s competitions, that rabble out there will tear the city apart.”

Write this story instead.

quote:

“My Lord Embisson!” a different voice came, and Delin looked around to see Lord Simin Dolf hurrying over—with an escort. From the pallor on Dolf’s face, it was clear that he’d never have come without the escort.

“My Lord Embisson, I have no idea what’s going on!” Dolf babbled as he reached his furious superior, his hands shaking visibly. “I did as I was instructed to do, and then I retired to see to … some private matters.

Green: "It's been a while since I've shown an antagonist doing (improper) sex things so have a passing reference to it."

quote:

The next thing I knew I was being accosted by these … these … glorified guardsmen, and dragged to this side of the amphitheater. I don’t know why, but … where are the rest of our Blendings?”

“They’re dead or dying, you incredible fool!” Lord Embisson snarled, glaring at his victim. “If you had done as you were instructed to, that would not be the case. And the chosen Blending would certainly not also be dead! I should have known better than to believe you’d gotten your womanizing under control! Your brother was obviously willing to swear to anything, and I—”

Want to guess who Simin was hooking up with?

quote:

“No, my lord, please, that isn’t so!” Dolf interrupted with bottomless desperation, now actually wringing his hands. “I keyed the peasants personally, not just the ones who would be facing the chosen Blending, but also a second group decided on at random! They all responded properly, so I know it worked!

If only you guys didn't keep the ~~pass~~ command phrase written on the fantasy equivalent of a sticky note in an low security facility!

quote:

If something happened after that, it can’t possibly be considered my fault!”

“I see,” Lord Embisson replied with a nod, his voice now low and deadly. “We’re to take your word for the fact that you keyed the peasants and they responded properly, and so we’re to look elsewhere for the one who is responsible for this disaster.

Uh, you see, there's this thing called SPIRIT MAGIC and Kambil, a Spirit magic adept, is standing RIGHT HERE. I mean, he's obviously biased but there's also EARTH MAGIC. Are you telling me with all of the lackeys standing around there aren't any Spirit and Earth magic practitioners among them?

(Green: "Yes, totally, that's what you're meant to take away from this, because the lack of talent in the nobility is A Thing, not because I forgot my own world building")

quote:

Well, Lord Simin, you wanted this position so badly that you had your brother pull strings and reclaim favors, so now you have it—along with the responsibility for its failure. Take this man away, and make sure that I never lay eyes on him again.”

Dolf screamed as the members of Lord Embisson’s private guard dragged him off, the sound echoing eerily through the heavy silence in the vast area. Lord Embisson had handed down his judgment, and no one would ever see Simin Dolf again.

Again with the grown adults screaming. I should have started a scream counter.

quote:

Delin exchanged a glance with Kambil, both of them knowing they had to talk privately. The peasants facing Adriari’s group had obviously found a way to make use of the keying phrase Delin had sent them, but had they actually been so stupid as to share the information with their fellow peasants…?

Actually, it's very smart of them to do so. They hate the nobility more than they hate each other so sharing information totally makes sense. And it paid off! The rest of the common Blendings just took out the majority of the noble competition.

I hate how Green intentionally writes all of her supposedly smart antagonists with this singular giant blind spot. The other one is male antagonists dismissing women.

quote:

“All right,” Advisor Zolind said once Dolf had been dragged away, once again capturing everyone’s immediate attention. “I’ve come to a decision but I warn you that it’s tentative, and it will remain so until I’m much more firmly convinced about this course of action. Your group and mine will have to have a long, serious talk this afternoon, but for the moment I’m prepared to make an offer.”

Why, exactly, do they even need his approval? Because as far as we've seen, none of the ruling members of the nobility have any strength in talent to speak of, so Kambil could take over EVERYONE ELSE in this room, right now, and just make them all his obedient puppets. Or, you know, they could Blend and do the exact same thing, if Kambil happens to actually be tired from competing.

quote:

If Kambil had made any sort of flippant reply to that, Delin would certainly have killed him on the spot. Delin’s stomach was in so many knots that it was a miracle he could stand, and apparently the difficulty was shared, to some extent at least, by Kambil. The Spirit magic user retained his life by remaining silent, as did the others in the group, and Zolind nodded grudging approval.

So Delin thinks he could kill Kambil, Bron, Homin and Selendi—who are all High talents and according to earlier information, would therefore be able to better withstand against his attack (though totally unclear how)—but he doesn't think of just...killing Zolind and everyone else here?

:wtf:

Green, he's a murderous psychopath. How does this not cross Delin's mind right now?

quote:

“At least you’re wise enough to listen rather than talk,” the old man said. “That’s an encouraging sign, and will also be discussed between us later. For now, I tell you without guile that my support must be earned. You will be required to compete tomorrow as well as the following day, and not simply compete but triumph. Should you join your peers in death, my support will do you no good whatsoever.”

Uh. So they really think Simin didn't key the groups? They didn't even contemplate that the command phrase might have been compromised? Because this sounds like Zolind was seriously debating whether or not to smooth Delin and co's way to victory by using the same command phrase that's already failed on their subsequent matches.

This is also one of those chapters where I'm confused about whether or not we're supposed to be rooting for the antagonist Blending. Their POVs have been deliberately written so you know you're supposed to hate them, but then Green insists on putting in moments like this. Presumably to illustrate how despicable the nobility really is? I don't even know anymore.

Here's a Brandon Sanderson antagonist POV from Words of Radiance, which is the second book of The Stormlight Archive. It's a long scene, so I'll excerpt it and indicate breaks with ellipses. I'll also spoiler a major plot point for book one:

Torol Sadeas laced his fingers before himself, elbows on the fine stonework tabletop, as he stared at the Shardblade he'd thrust down through the center of the table. It reflected his face.

Damnation. When had he gotten old? He imagined himself as a young man, in his twenties. Now he was fifty. Storming fifty. He set his jaw, looking at that Blade.

Oathbringer. It was Dalinar's Shardblade—curved, like a back arching, with a hooklike tip on the end matched by a sequence of jutting serrations by the crossguard. Like waves in motion, peeking up from the ocean below.

How often had he lusted for this weapon? Now it was his, but he found the posession hollow. Dalinar Kholin—driven mad by grief, broken to the point that battle frightened him—still clung to life. Sadeas's old friend was like a favored axehound he'd been forced to put down, only to find it whimpering at the window, the poison having not quite done its work.

Worse, he couldn't shake the feeling that Dalinar had gotten the better of him somehow.

The door to his sitting room opened, and Ialai slipped in. With a slender neck and a large mouth, his wife had never been described as a beauty—particularly as the years stretched long. He didn't care. Ialai was the most dangerous woman he knew. That was more attractive than any simple pretty face.

...

"I'm not meant for this, love," Sadeas whispered. "This stupid game on the plateaus. It sated me at first, but I'm growing to loathe it. I want war, Ialai. Not hours of marching on the off chance that we'll find some little skirmish!"

...

It was the only thing that made him feel alive any longer. That glorious, wonderful Thrill of being on the battlefield and striving, man against man. Of risking everything for the prize. Domination. Victory.

It was the only time he felt like a youth again.

It was a brutal truth. The best truths, however, were simple.

...

"I will conquer this kingdom anew, and then Jah Keved will follow. After all, the purpose of this life is to train soldiers. In a way, I'm only doing what God himself wants."

What a difference! Sadeas is pure awful and basically every reader hates him but his POV reads genuine to him as a character, without any authorial overlay of "LOOK AT THIS CHARACTER AND NOTE HOW EVIL THEY ARE! DID I MENTION THAT THEY ARE EVIL? HATE THEM. HATE THEM A LOT!"

quote:

“The point can’t be argued,” Kambil responded with a faint smile, “and your offer is fair. All things of value must be paid for, most often with something other than gold. Our group is prepared to make that payment, and we will be honored to join you for a discussion later today.”

“A good beginning,” Zolind allowed, his expression unchanging. “Have them take you back to your residence, and we’ll meet later when I’m able to get away.”

Delin joined everyone else in bowing before they withdrew from Zolind’s presence, but the knots of his insides had changed in nature to smoldering nodes of fury. The miserable old man acted as though he were doing them a favor, when the obvious truth was that he had no choice but to back them.

Pretty much, yeah. Why didn't you bring this up? Why wasn't this debated?! This should have been a way more interesting scene to read!

quote:

The way the peasants had swept the field had come as a great surprise to Delin and his group, but it had also been a delightful surprise. They were now the only nobly born contestants left, with no one of their own class to oppose them…

Which meant that victory was all but in their grasp.

You know they are the antagonists because they can't use Facts and Logic!

quote:

Delin began to whistle softly, a rollicking battle tune from many years earlier. The song celebrated complete success, and that made it completely fitting.

Wait wait wait wait wait. A battle tune?! You can't just drop this in here! This is the laziest world building ever.

quote:

Nothing but lumpish peasants stood between them and the Fivefold Throne, and soon the peasants would be gone.

Then … then!—their dreams would finally become a reality…

quote:

* * *

Zolind Maylock watched the five people walk away, for once finding it necessary to fight in order to keep his face expressionless. The only reason he’d been able to control himself at all was because it was the Arstin boy he’d spoken to. If he’d had to say even a single word to Moord…

...so Green is just deliberately avoiding confrontation even with her antagonists now?

quote:

“Sir, do you really intend to support them?” Embisson Ruhl asked quietly, a tightness to the man’s voice. As a High Lord, Ruhl was close to a number of Zolind’s fellow Advisors, and tended to behave accordingly. Zolind, however, regarded the man differently, and felt it was time to show the fact.

No, we will never discover why Zolind doesn't like Embisson.

quote:

“You dare to question one of my decisions?” he asked just as softly, turning to stare at Ruhl. “Just who do you imagine you are?”

“Sir, I wasn’t questioning your decision,” Ruhl made haste to answer, wilting under Zolind’s stare as so many had before him. “I’m simply asking for enlightenment, as I’m aware of what close friends you were with Ollon Kapmar. It was my understanding that you came here today primarily to get a good look at his murderer.”

I refuse to believe that Embission, an experienced politician, is going to ask a question like this.

quote:

“And what a lucky thing that decision was,” Zolind muttered, turning again to send his hatred after Delin Moord. “If I weren’t here, you’d probably have ordered our last Blending executed for daring to survive their peers.

I also refuse to believe that Embission would have been that stupid. He's going to be major character in the sequel trilogy and he is nowhere near this stupid.

quote:

I hate what I’m going to have to do, but at the moment there’s simply no other choice. I intend to do a good deal of deep thinking, and while I’m engaged with that, there’s something you must do.”

“Anything, sir, anything at all!” Ruhl exclaimed without hesitation, understanding the matter of responsibility without being told. Dolf was in the process of paying for that fiasco with his life, but ultimate responsibility for the matter rested with Ruhl. Zolind felt tempted to mete out to Ruhl the same fate Ruhl had meted out to Dolf, but at the moment the man was needed.

“I have a conviction about this whole thing that as yet has no basis in detailed fact,” Zolind said slowly. “In some way I’ve become certain that those people are the ones responsible for causing our near utter defeat today, and I’m ordering you to find the means of proving it. You have no more than a matter of days, as I’ll want the answer before those five are Seated on the Fivefold Throne—if they survive to be Seated.”

“If the proof is anywhere in the world, I’ll find it,” Ruhl said as though taking a blood oath. “And once I do, what will become of those five? If they’ve won the competitions in the meanwhile…”

“If they’ve won the competitions but I have proof of their duplicity, my course of action will be simple and easy,” Zolind replied with a faint smile. “I’ll simply disqualify them by having them executed, and announce that the retiring Five will remain on the Throne until next year, when the competitions will be held again. But in order to do that I need proof, so begin your investigations this instant.”

Write this story instead!

quote:

“Yes, sir, this instant,” Ruhl acknowledged, then the man hurried off to do whatever it was that he’d decided on. He’d probably realized that his life depended on finding what Zolind wanted, but that incentive might not be enough if the man was an incompetent. Others would be sent out to search, others like Anglard Nobin, who never cared about who he caught, just so long as that person was guilty.

OMFG write from Anglard's POV instead! Somebody good at detective stories write a fanfic spin-off featuring Anglard and Idian as his sidekick.

quote:

And, of course, Zolind hadn’t mentioned the best option he had about what to do with an unwanted winning Blending. Those robes all the contestants wore… No one was really able to see faces under the hoods, so it wasn’t possible for the rabble to tell one group of five people from another. Their last remaining Blending would do its best to win for them, and then, when they did, they would be replaced by five other people, ones who could be trusted to do as they were told.

So why didn't you just do THIS in the first place? Why even bother with the song and dance and the Adriari show? :bang:

quote:

And ones who weren’t terribly strong, or practiced as a Blending. Those with strength too often reached the point of deciding to use it, usually against those who knew the proper way of running an empire, as they did not…

So how about you DON'T TELL THEM HOW TO BLEND OMFG you've all but erased the knowledge of Blending from the Empire FFS.

quote:

The five people comprising the last Blending had disappeared from sight, but Zolind continued to stare after them. Ollon Kapmar had been more than simply Zolind’s good friend, and Zolind refused to rest until his murderer had paid for what he’d done. Which would hopefully be soon now, but not too soon to suit him…

Just in case you didn't get the message!

Yes really. The only major non-cishet relationship in the book is this one.

Summary:

Day 19
Our commoner protagonists and noble antagonists alike get stuck in a traffic jam en route to the amphitheatre that will be a Significant Location on par with the Palace and is not described anywhere as effectively as the palace was (which, if you've forgotten, was "big" and had a "verandah"). The Advisors switch around the matches as a last minute "favor" to Delin and co, for the dumb reason of not wanting Delin to die because they want to make an example of him for the various murders.

Our protagonists spend the whole chapter waiting around and changing into their competitions robes and underwear and not eating the contaminated food. Lord Simin shows up and commands them to throw the match. Once the noble leaves, our protagonists spend the rest of their waiting time being general, arrogant know-it-alls who are gleefully crowing about their victory and making plans on how they are going to reform the Empire, because they are the smartest and bestest people ever and Lord Simin is a clueless idiot who has no idea that they have broken free from their Puredan conditioning. Our Heroes walk out into the arena and annihilate their opponents, and so do three other common Blendings; only one noble Blending (guess who?) wins their match.

Kambil and co receive unofficial official backing from the Advisors due to being the only noble Blending remaining. High Lord Advisor Zolind suspects them of being the ones who caused Adriari's Blending's deaths and gives High Lord Embisson an ultimatum: find proof of Kambil and co's crimes, or else. Regardless of Embission's results, Zolind has zero intention of Seating Kambil and co: he's already planning their disappearance and replacement.

Counts so far:

NAMED ON-SCREEN CHARACTERS WHO WE'LL NEVER SEE AGAIN: 47 (24 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
Book 1: Mildon Coll, Phor Riven, Jeris Womal, Eldra Sappin, Fod, Lord Astrath, Torrin Ro, Vish "the Fish", Jamrin, Hark, Reshin, Fellar, Ennis, Vosin, Parli Hafford, Regensi, Weeks, Adept Aminto, Mem Follil, Toblis, Kogrin, Lemmis Admen, Miklas
Book 2: Nialla, Emar Rumil, Leta Vas, Grami Arstin, Deever, Pracer, Oshin, Arnot, Morin, Rilin, Kinge, Lomad, Worlen, Lidim, Arkow, Odrin
Book 3: Damilla Sytoss, Edril Lanton, Carmad Lestrin (minor spoiler - sorry, you're not going to see him again), Relana, Lord Anglard, Lord Fortner Oplis, Glindil

TOTALLY INDISTINCT ON-SCREEN LOCATIONS: 28 (9 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
Book 1: Rincammon, Haven Wraithside, Tamrissa's house in Gan Garee, Port Entril, testing facility in Gan Garee, Regensi's shop, Ginge's tavern, Magross bridge, mastery facility outside Gan Garee
Book 2: Nialla's house, Vas residence, Weil residence, Arstin residence in Gan Garee, dining parlor near Tamrissa's house, shop near dining parlor, Naran's "house", noble antagonists' residence, the Seated Five's palace, the ballroom inside the palace
Book 3: a courtroom, an ampitheatre, Relana's house, Ollon Kapmar's house, Eltrina's house, a random noble's house, High Lord Embisson Ruhl's house, a random park, the amphitheatre

MEALS ON-SCREEN: 30 (15 in Book 1; 9 in Book 2)
Book 1: Day 1 (lunch, dinner), Day 2 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 3 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 4 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 5 (lunch, dinner), Day 6 (breakfast, lunch, dinner), Day 7 (post-mastery snack, dinner), Day 8 (breakfast, post-competition snack, dinner), Day 9 (breakfast, lunch, canapés at the masked reception at the palace), Day 10 (breakfast, dinner), Day 11 (lunch, dinner), Day 12 (breakfast x2)

EUPHEMISMS FOR BODY PARTS/SEX ACTS: 23 (9 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
Male: <character name>'s body (x2), discomfort (x1), manhood (x1), desire (x3), renewed need (x1), large and hard, the most perfect of men (x1), dignity (x1), conflagration raging inside (1x), his privates (x1)
Female: womanhood (x1), entrance of ultimate bliss (x1), desire (x2), incredible tunnel (x1), womanflesh (x1)
Sex acts: merged/merged our essences (x4), shared themselves/sharing (x2), exercise (x1), entering/entered (x3), fuse their flesh (x1), physical love (x1)
Orgasm: (ultimate) ecstasy (x2)

TERMS OF ENDEARMENT: 19 (3 in Book 1; 13 in Book 2)
Male: love (x4), my fleeting love (x1), my lord (x5), my beloved lord (x3)
Female: sweet girl (x1), my sweet (x1), sweetling (x1), my love (x1), sweet lady (x1), precious lady (x1)

ANTAGONISTS: 34 (11 introduced in Book 1; 20 introduced in Book 2)
General: Unnamed Chairman/Ollon Kapmar (?) and the five Seated Highs in each aspect, Eltrina Razas, Bron Kallan, Selendi Vas, Homin Weil, Kambil Arstin, Delin Moord, group wearing gold and blue costumes at the ball (Adriari's Blending), Simin Dolf, Embisson Ruhl, Zolind Maylock
Lorand: Eskin Drowd, ~~group of mystery thugs who hold Hat's gambling debts~~ Meerk, Hestir, Morin
Jovvi: Allestine and her henchmen Ark and Bar, Genovir, Algus
Clarion: Hallina Mardimil, Eskin Drowd, Padril, Arnot
Tamrissa: Storn and Avrina Torgar, Beldara Lant, Odrin Hallasser, Soonen, Gerdol, Lanir (who is the Seated High in Fire magic and he's just made it personal)
Vallant: Mirra Agran and her parents, Wimand, Rilir

PLOTHOLES: 113 (39 in Book 1; 23 in Book 2)
COACH RIDES: 52 (21 in Book 1; 25 in Book 2)
MEETINGS IN COACHES: 18 (4 in Book 1; 10 in Book 2)
OTHER MEETINGS: 33 (3 in Book 1; 12 in Book 2)
INTERRUPTED MONOLOGUING: 93 (31 in Book 1; 31 in Book 2)
"CLIFFHANGERS": 58 (18 in Book 1; 16 in Book 2)
POINTLESS TAMRISSA NARRATION: 14 (11 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
TEA DRINKING: 64 (22 in Book 1; 26 in Book 2)
BLATANT MORALIZING: 34 (19 in Book 1; 5 in Book 2)
BATH SCENES: 13 (9 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
WILFUL MISUNDERSTANDINGS: 9 (6 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
MIND CONTROL: 18 (5 in Book 1; 1 in Book 2)
BADLY WRITTEN SEX SCENES: 12, including 2 rape scenes (2 in Book 1; 4 in Book 2, including 1 rape scene)
DON'T EAT THAT: 1 (1 in Book 3)

REPETITIVE POV EVENTS:

Oh noes, a fireball (Book 1: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Pass or die (Book 1: Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Bathroom encounters (Book 1: Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
Don't rain on my parade! (Book 1: Chapters 19, 20)
Uniform fitting (Book 1: Chapters 20, 21)
Random encounters: Round 1 (Book 1: Chapters 25, 32, 33, 35, 38), Round 2 (Book 2: Chapter 21, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42), Round 3 (Book 3: Chapter 25, 26, 27, 36), Round 4 (Book 3: Chapter 40)
One, two, three, four, five (Book 1: Chapters 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35)
A favorite object appears out of thin air (Book 1: Chapters 36, 37 x2, 38)
Proof of mastery: Level 1 (Book 1: Chapters 39, 40, 41, 42, 43; Book 2: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 18, 19), Level 2 (Book 2: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
Animal cheer squad (Book 2: Chapters 1, 4, 5, 22, 24)
Hey I just figured out magical radar (Book 2: Chapter 15/Lorand; Book 3: Chapter 6/Jovvi, Book 3: Chapter 28/Rion; Chapter 30/Tamrissa; Chapter 39/Vallant)
Foot races: (Book 2: Chapters 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
You won! (Book 2: Chapter 38, 39)
Sex bingo (Book 2: Chapter 14, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 2: Chapter 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 41, Rion/Naran; Book 3: Chapters 11, Jovvi/Rion; 28, Lorand/Tamrissa; 29, Vallant/Jovvi; 40, Vallant/Tamrissa)
Will it Blend? (Book 3: Chapter 15, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? (Book 1: Chapters 27, Rion/Jovvi; 36, Jovvi/Lorand; Book 2: Chapter 13, Tamrissa/Rion; Book 3: Chapters 4, Tamrissa/Lorand; 11, Jovvi/Rion; 21, Tamrissa/Lorand; 22, Jovvi/Vallant)

Possible fixes:
Scrap the whole series. Write a new one, where:

there is a Brave New World type society where the populace is subjected to various levels of Puredan conditioning
the knowledge of Blending was deliberately suppressed and now been totally forgotten
the Empire is ruled by disposable puppet rulers

Now make the primary viewpoint character Adriari, who was selected to be a puppet ruler because of how weak she is magically. Give her the motivation of wanting to NOT be a puppet ruler. Have her wander through the palace and book 7 spoilers stumble onto some secret hidden magical texts. She uses these to convince her fellow puppet rulers they should rebel together by rediscovering the secrets of Blending. Let's assume she's Fire.

t3isukone posted:

Kambil is like...genuinely almost good! So many cool antagonist ideas! Grami is even cooler! If they'd been in an actually decent series...

Also, I like Delin quite a bit. He's not, like, okay like Kambil is but he's a murder failboat trash fire and I find that endearing/amusing and also more interesting than any of Our Flawless Heroes except maybe Rion, who gets steadily less interesting.

Now make Kambil and Delin and Selendi Lows as well and part of Adriari's secret Blending! We need a Water magic user to round out the lot, so I'm thinking you'd look to Book 6 and grab Kail and then Asri for Sight magic.

SO MANY GOOD IDEAS and such terrible execution. WHY. :bang:

Leng fucked around with this message at 11:40 on Feb 27, 2022

# ? Feb 25, 2022 12:35

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 28, 2024 05:15

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Leng posted:

Possible fixes:
Scrap the whole series. Write a new one, where:

there is a Brave New World type society where the populace is subjected to various levels of Puredan conditioning

the knowledge of Blending was deliberately suppressed and now been totally forgotten

the Empire is ruled by disposable puppet rulers

Now make the primary viewpoint character Adriari, who was selected to be a puppet ruler because of how weak she is magically. Give her the motivation of wanting to NOT be a puppet ruler. Have her wander through the palace and book 7 spoilers stumble onto some secret hidden magical texts. She uses these to convince her fellow puppet rulers they should rebel together by rediscovering the secrets of Blending. Let's assume she's Fire.

Now make Kambil and Delin and Selendi Lows as well and part of Adriari's secret Blending! We need a Water magic user to round out the lot, so I'm thinking you'd look to Book 6 and grab Kail and then Asri for Sight magic.

SO MANY GOOD IDEAS and such terrible execution. WHY.

Perfect opportunity there to have her start out weak, and as such never really using the power because it just reminds her of that fact, only to rediscover the benefits of just seizing the power and never letting go...

Liquid Communism fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Mar 1, 2022

# ? Feb 27, 2022 08:13

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > Let's Read: The Blending by Sharon Green

«‹›10 »