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Everybody good?
Go.
The shift to “Dulcimer” surprised me so much I started looking to see if it was by a different author. Then I saw that norbears were present and realized otherwise.
If you haven’t put it together… We meet Dulcimer and crew in the short story Out of True.
Loved it. Want more. Will of course buy the actual book when it releases but couldn’t wait and am so glad I didn’t. A very satisfying read.
Anne in Virginia
When I got to Dulcimer, and realized that norbears were present, I felt as if I were coming home. Almost, I could relate to Squiffy with her thinking put in order. I could feel myself relaxing into the plot instead of straining forward anxiously.
*sigh*
As ever, when I reached the end I greedily wanted more, more, MORE! So many threads left to follow next time. Will Jethri yield to the temptation to put on the beads again, in spite of Uncle’s warning? What will Squiffy do while she travels with Dulsey and Yuri? What will Crystal do with the norbears? Will Jethri reach his test on time? I could go on!
As Trader jen’Vornin states — the Liaden Traders Guild is playing dirty, but I think Jethri has the right of it. The trade is more important than his acquisition of the Amethyst. By missing his test he fails, but he still has two other chances. Hopefully missing the test is another type of test and his response is seen as correct by other masters and the dirty trick is recognized as the trap it is.
I found the ending abrupt, more like a chapter end. Too many threads left dangling…does the next book address them, or are we back on Surebleak? I am still interested in that story line. This dip into the “past” is interesting but…the ongoing opportunities for Korval still hold interest. What of Lady/Boss Nova? Don’t lose sight of smaller less historically sweeping plots. I LOVE LIADEN universe stories, and wait in anticipation for the next. Can’t wait, meanwhile, thrre msy be stories…
I loved getting to see more of Dulsey operating on her own. I always enjoy her character, but it’s a particular treat to see how she moves through the world and is perceived in scenes that don’t include the Uncle.
That said, I also really appreciated the Uncle and Jethri having some of those long-awaited conversations about Jethri’s background. The smart strand hood blew me away.
And it was very interesting to see some of “Yuri’s people” aside from (previous to, I guess!) the group we’d met on Surebleak.
As always, a masterful job of writing the drama inherent in boring-sounding things like meetings and administrative maneuvering. The theme of powerful centralized organizations neglecting big chunks of their constituents came through strongly.
Thank you for another good read!
And I’m happy that Jethri finally got more than one night with somebody. 🙂