Second Son Read Along: Chapter 23
Whew! This read-along has been a lot of fun. It's been too long since I read this book and I've been enjoying getting to go back and revisit these characters and this story. Thanks for coming on the ride with me!It's been a while since we check on how Seamas is doing... let's go peek in at how things are faring in Llycaelon, shall we?FaeynaThis... was quite possibly the most painful section of writing I've ever had to do. Seamas' daughter was quite the surprise for me. I knew he had a son, after all, we meet him in King's Warrior, but I had no idea there had been a daughter. And as the pieces of the puzzle clicked into place, I almost refused to write the words that the story demanded of me.But it is important to note that this... this is the moment, the event, that sends Seamas - who has been teetering on the edge for years now - plummeting from his precarious perch. He's been happy, these past few years. He is king, he has a loving wife, the general well-being of the country is good... but there is blood on his hands... and he cannot outrun its cries for justice forever. And Seamas, deep in his heart of hearts, recognizes that truth.KrayghentalissBack in Aom-igh, Brant has spent time under the tutelage of Calyssia, learning the lore of Aom-igh. At last, she lets him in on the greatest secret of his adopted homeland: the entrance to the underground realm of the myth-folk that she guards from prying eyes.However, once he has learned this secret, Calyssia informs him that it is time for him to leave. At first, Brant protests, but then he realizes that she is not kicking him out of the Pearl Cove, but rather that he has an inherent need to leave, to return to the world and see what is happening in it. And he would like to check in on his old friend and see how Arnaud has been faring as king.Zara and ArnaudI think I've gotten better at writing romance since working on Stone Curse... but hopefully you found this whole interchange cute and fun anyway.The state of the kingdomA lot is going on in this chapter! While things are going well in Arnaud's personal life, troubling times and events are plaguing his kingdom, and he is struggling to come up with a way to address them.While in some ways the story is beginning to wind down, in other ways we are also ramping up to a final climax. Because while many story-lines only start here in Second Son and end in King's Warrior, I also wanted to make sure that this book could stand by itself and not feel like the ending left too many loose ends.And in the midst of all this, Brant meets someone who catches his eye... and perhaps his heart?Discussion Questions: