So, week 2! And, I did a really craptastic job of visiting other blogs in the first week of this read along. Thanks to work and it’s now second week of conference hell, I’m now in Las Vegas. I’m actually sitting in my room working with the promise of room service in the next 40 minutes or never, but, the good news, week 2 of the read along! Forgive me if I ramble this week; writing with no sleep. Yep, I take chances.

This week covers chapter 3 thru interlude “Bastards Abroad” and is being hosted by Over the Effing Rainbow. Go visit!

Blood And Breath And Water: Patience tells Locke that the ritual to save him is serious business. She wasn’t kidding… What did you make of this scene, and do you think any of it might (perhaps literally) come back to haunt Locke?

Um, he now sees dead people (what the hell Bug!). Locke bought in, thanks to Jean (go Jean!), and when his stubborness kicked in he finally, I think anyway, understood what he was in for and I don’t think he was truly ready. Of course, it was also nice to see he wasn’t ready to die yet either. Then again, who could be ready for something like that.

Patience is not one to mess around with, the woman can reign down hell on you in an all very real way. The body painting and dreamsteel were great elements to the ritual. She doesn’t play around. She told him she’d basically rip his soul apart and comes close. I’d like to think Locke learns a lesson out of all of this but…it’s Locke, so.

Orphan’s Moon: Back to the childhood of the Gentlemen Bastards, and here we get another ritual, this one in service to the Nameless Thirteenth. It looks as though it might be Locke vs. Sabetha, round two – but this time Locke seems to be a little slow on that uptake… Who do you think deserves to be given the final oath? Locke or Sabetha?

I think Sabatha thought it would be her. I think she thought she deserved it but maybe Chains wanted to take a chance on Locke and see what he would do with the opportunity. I think Chains has a soft spot for Locke and he wants him to step up and thought that if he gave him this chance, he might become everything that Chains wants him to be and thinks he can be.

Sabetha, I think, sees all of this going on. She see that Locke is the favorite, and without much work, and even if he has talent, she confident, smart, and her intuition tells her she needs to find a way around this bond between Locke and Chains or leave.

Poor Locke though. He really is helpless around Sabetha. He’s blinded by love and his own ability to be so stupid sometimes that he doesn’t see what’s going on, or maybe he can’t see it, or doesn’t want to see it. Or maybe Locke is just playing dumb in the hope that Sabetha won’t see that he’s worming his way into her spot in the gang and wants to take over and kick her out. Although, I don’t think what’s going on is intentional though, just the dynamics of the group are changing.

Um, I’m really tired and am starting to ramble. Move on to the next question. Please.

Across The Amathel: This chapter takes a breather for quite a bit of Eldren history, while Locke starts recovering. What do you think of the history lesson, and Patience’s ominous speculation regarding the Eldren? Is this something you’d like to know more about?

Locke needs to ask more questions. I want to know more. One of the reasons I like these books is sections like this one. I start getting comfortable with the world (in a very good way) and then Lynch goes and adds another layer. He builds new worlds inside one I thought I knew and was beginning to understand. They also happen to be a rather terrifying group of individuals. When can I have more? Please tell there will be more about this soon!

Striking Sparks: The gang’s off to Espara, after a bad summer and a pretty thorough dressing-down from Chains, and we finally get to the source of the book’s title – they’re bound for the stage! What are your thoughts on this latest ‘challenge’ and the reasons for it?

Yea, that many teenagers in the house — of course he sent them away! I kinda like it though. It’s the type of scheme they need to work out for themselves and I’m sure it’ll be an interesting play as well. If there happens to be one, that is.

The Five-Year Game: Starting Position: The election gets underway with a party (as you do) and before it’s even over, the Deep Roots party has problems – and not just thanks to Sabetha. What do you make of Nikoros and his unfortunate habit?

Ugh. I’m not surprised. Locke and Jean, well, nothing can be easy. It’ll be interesting to see how they get around this bit so it doesn’t cause problems for them but I’m not worried. I think this is going to a really interesting election.

Bastards Abroad: The gang arrives in Espara, and already they’ve got problems (nicely mirroring the Five Year Game!)… This aside, we’ve also seen some more of what seems to be eating at Sabetha. Do you sympathise with her, or is Locke right to be frustrated with her?

They’re both at fault. Sabetha thinks Locke should get it. Locke just wants to understand but Sabetha isn’t interested in explaining. I do understand why Sabetha is so frustrated though. Sadly, it’s not something that’s going to go away. Obviously, Locke isn’t going to get over her and I don’t know what she wants with him. Sometimes it seems as though she might like him, or at least have a brotherly love for him, and other times she probably wants to kill him for one too many reasons to name. I get that. Then again, Locke has every right to be frustrated and annoyed with her too. She strings him along a bit, gives him hope that there might be some far off chance (let’s face it, that’s all Locke needs to start scheming) but then doesn’t talk to him for several days. What’s the poor boy to think! Both of them need to tossed in lake right now.