Some House Name thoughts

[moontyger]

Ok, this isn't going to be a review. I'm working on that, but instead, this is some scattered thoughts about a few aspects of the plot that really made me think.

First, it is interesting that I never thought of The Terafin as being in some way responsible for the people sacrificed to bring Allasakar to Averalaan, but it seems to me that this book makes it very clear that she might be - that if she'd acted faster, if she'd gone to the Kings as soon as she learned about the Hidden City, they might have been able to stop it because Vexusa wouldn't have been sealed off yet. Further, I very much get the idea that she considers herself responsible.

I'm not sure what I think about that, but it's definitely interesting to me that I never even considered the possibility until it was spelled out for me.

I also can't help but notice that, of all the den, there's really only one whose perspective we haven't seen now. One who does nothing at all - he's just there. It's Jester, of course. And I wonder if that's intentional, if she has plans for him, or if he's really as much of an afterthought as he often seems.

And then there's the extra insight into Isladar. Has everything he's done really just been part of a long, subtle war against Mystery? Or is it more complicated than that? I suppose I can see why he'd hold a grudge, but I definitely didn't expect that.

I also have to admit that somehow, I hadn't realized the rest of the den received the house name both so early and all at once like that. I'm not sure why, but I'd thought it was a more gradual process.

I guess we're going back to the present timeline once Skirmish starts. I almost wish we wouldn't - I'd really like to see more of the characters introduced in this book and more of how the den adjusts to Terafin. I'd especially really like to see more of Haval, Jarven, and Lucille and I'm not sure we will. It seems such a shame to introduce them and then drop them, however, so I'm hoping they don't just disappear.

Anyone else have thoughts on any of this or the book in general?