About those first 3 chapters (spoilers)

[drollittle]

I speculate . . . I celebrate . . . I congratulate those with more willpower who haven’t read the sample chapters on Apple Books yet, but I really want to get my thoughts and feelings out, and no one else has started a thread, so let’s talk.

[Spoiler (click to open)]According to google translate, the Greek word for pigeon is peristeri. Pheris. I was imagining a fairly

Comments

[qwentoozla]

I read those chapters and just loved Pheris immediately. I definitely seeing him using people underestimating him to his advantage and being a useful spy.

I was interested that Sejanus was apparently nice to Pheris. I wonder if he'll make a reappearance.

[ninedaysaqueen]

My heart glowed when Pigeon talked about his uncle giving him a piece of cake.

[empmai2]

I'm ready to like Sejanus now. And let him out of prison. Maybe Pheris will bring him cake in prison.

[freenarnian]

Interesting about the Greek word for Pigeon. I'm curious to find out if he's unable to speak, or if he choses not to, or perhaps a little of both? I already suspect he has other ways of communicating and it would be really touching if he and Gen formed a bond. We were discussing what we know of his condition/symptoms over on Discord and the predominant theories are cleft lip/palate, perhaps some kind of palsy or club foot. The text suggests it runs in the family, so it's probably a genetic condition? My parents were special ed teachers as well, and my heart was breaking for Pheris and his nurse. But HUZZAH for Philologos and his kindness

[drollittle]

Huzzah indeed for Philologos, Petrus, and Gen (do you think we can infer that it was Gen who visited Pheris at night?).

[freenarnian]

The accent and the specificity of using the same hand in that scene is certainly supposed to make us believe that it is Gen. I think it is. (I'm just. Never entirely certain when it comes to MWT.) And the fact that Gen is just being himself while checking in on Pheris... aaah, my heart.

[ninedaysaqueen]

I think Pigeon has survived by pretending he is much stupider then he actually is. He is clearly quite sharp mentally. His physical disability may affect his speech, which would be why he was being taught how to write at the end of TaT.

One half of his body seems to be disabled by some sort of genetic birth defect, it sounds like. He keeps referring to a "bad leg" and a "bad arm." Also, that would be why he was writing with his left hand in TaT. Something Gen and him can bond over, no doubt.

I know very little on the subject of genetic disabilities, so I can't guess what this would be.

I will join you in holding a "Sejanus is a good person" torch. It's mentioned in the preview that Sejanus is still in prison.

[empmai2]

I was re-reading TaT (after reading these first 3 chapters) and realized that Megan had already decided to make Pheris have a physical difficulty - I don't think I caught that the first time, or if I did I had assumed Gen already knew when he made him heir (Kamet says "he had a self-reliance that was unusual in such a body.."

On that note, So, did Gen really not know about Pheris and he meant to get the other son? Or, did he mean Pheris to be the heir?

[rouan1]

I would be willing to bet that Gen knew about him. Relius would have known and informed him.

[freenarnian]

Sending Pheris in a locked box reminded me of Gen's return to Eddis in similar style at the beginning of QoA. Really painful to think about. I've no doubt Gen is going to take better care of him from now on. <3

[drollittle]

You’re right! I never noticed that before. It’s so easy to skim over phrases like “such a body”. Maybe I assumed it referred to small size.

It does seem un-Gen-like to not know something but he seemed genuinely surprised when Pheris arrived.

Also, after looking up Kamet’s meeting with Pheris, I read Kamet’s conversation with Attolia and realized that Gen had just recently talked to the kitchen staff. I wonder if we get to witness that scene from Pheris’ perspective! *rubs hands with glee*

[empmai2]

I also ignored the random Baron's names -I guess I should have been more like Polystrictes (who had all those goats names he had to remember). I may still be mixing up names, But isn't Pheris other grandfather mentioned several times in the books. Baron S. Can anyone think of times that this other grandfather has been mentioned?

[ninedaysaqueen]

Baron Susa was first mentioned at the end of QoA. Gen says something along the line of... "Susa... do you ever let him off his chain or is he too dangerous?" He was the baron that gave Costis the "bribe" in KoA. He is an enemy of the queen and a rival of Eurondite's.

Which also means... Pigeon is from the same barony as Costis. Costis went home at the end of TaT. Hmm... Speculation abounds.

[empmai2]

I hope we see Costis again. I wonder if the Baron is going to make Costis do something "for the good of his county"

And thank you for looking Baron Susa's appearances.

Pay no attention to the fangirl behind the curtain...

[ninedaysaqueen]

I'm so glad other people have read the preview and want to discuss it! Yay! Below is mostly incoherent squeeing

Re: Pay no attention to the fangirl behind the curtain...

[freenarnian]

New prediction: "May Gen steal all your earrings" becomes a common insult in Attolian vernacular. :D

"Tell them I died" was especially funny/groan-worthy to me when I realized he's getting ready for the ceremony in which Sophos will pledge his country to Attolis. Gen still feels bad about annexing the others!!

Also I don't like jokes about Gen dying. D:

Re: Pay no attention to the fangirl behind the curtain...

[freenarnian]

Also that god who appears on the battlefield better not be Gen's ghost.

Re: Pay no attention to the fangirl behind the curtain...

[ninedaysaqueen]

My official guess is that this new character goddess, Alyta, will be who appears and that she is the secret goddess at the end of QoA.

See character list and the table of contents for her name.