jvj

I forgot Cassie! She didn't even appear in Red Ice! I wonder if she will become the new Crouching Maiden or whether she will find and join her father in the Phage?

I'm almost afraid of what would be worse for Mace, to be at mercy of Raina or Vaylo Either of them has state of mind now to rend the flesh from his bone with a dull knife. Maybe they'll share!

Ah, Cassie..the murder mystery! Why isn't she dead like the rest? Could be some interesting theories in that...

I was so thrilled to learn that Cassie might be alive...I was always harboured a hope that she would survive, seeing as we were with her last when the house was set alight...!

I just started SFRI poor Bear

I don't think anyone answered my question from earlier; does anyone know if Magdalena Crouch, the female assassin from Cavern, has a trace of the "old skill" or is her ability to influence people and have forgetable traits just a natural talent?

I think its just natural talent and years of learning how to manipulate people.

I think that Magdalena Crouch has the old skills. Her physical ambiguity reminds me of that of the Dark Cloaks implemented by Iss, the special forces that use sorcery to affect their appearance and as a means of sabotage. It's said that the Dark Cloaks are able to blend into the shadows and stay under everybody's radar. I wonder if it's the same technique, and if Crouch was once a Dark Cloak herself; that would explain how Iss came to know her. Just a thought. Maybe I've overlooked some stuff.

I'd be going with a mix. Like she has the old skills, but it's an innate talent .. the being so normal she doesn't get remembered thing.

Although Crouch being an ex-Dark Cloak isn't a bad idea either.

That's kinda what I got too, that its a mix of both. When I read Cavern' I didn't really think about it, but then when I read Sword' I started wondering about Crouch.

I dunno why everyone's being so hard on Ash... like has been said, she's a teenager, without a home or a family, thrown into a "you could destroy the world if you don't do this" role. Were you morally upright and never looked a the opposite sex when you were a teenager? Did you save the world? If you were in a ridiculously stressful situation where you're totally out of your league, would you be able to say with 100% certainty you'd never seek comfort through sleeping with somebody who's seemingly looking after you?

Also regarding Raina, what do people think she should have done sooner? Speak out, and remove all doubt? Reading what was happening to her throughout the series was torture, but I never felt she had any real options available, though it was hugely satisfying when "the Hail Wolf returned", sent shivers down me back it did I think she is one of my favourites.

I like Raif the best though, which is unusual as I don't normally go for the main protagonist! I love how his character blends a strong streak of fatalism with the utter confidence he exudes in combat. A true "warrior" type

obanite:

- I like Ash .. but I don't like the situations she got into (not her own fault) in book 3. Mostly because Lan was a big tool, and that we had to endure him most of the book. It made the return of Mal all the more awesome though.

- I think with Raina it's the frustration that for a long time she didn't seem to be doing anything. It's not what she could have done .. it's that it seemed like no big action on Raina's part was happening in her chapters. JVJ gave us glimmers of opportunities she (Raina) could have taken, and then snatched them away (this is a GOOD thing, let me say now).

Getting frustrated is not a sign of a bad book, bad writing. It's a sign that the writer can weave stuff well .. just hopefully with a satisfying release of frustration. Which we got here. A most satisfying action . Stupid Scarpe.

- That was a freaky name for a crazy chapter .. the Hail Wolf returning. Definitely a shivers kind of one.

yeh i agree getting frustrated is a good sign in some respects because it means we actually CARE enough about the characters and the situations.

My favourite are the main protagonists. I like them no matter what they do, i even went out and got drunk when ash slept with lan cause i was so upset.

My favourite are the main protagonists. I like them no matter what they do, i even went out and got drunk when ash slept with lan cause i was so upset.

My favourite are the main protagonists. I like them no matter what they do, i even went out and got drunk when ash slept with lan cause i was so upset.