Holy fucking Christ!
I was truly not expecting that.
It came as such a complete surprise. I had no inkling or hint that something like this was going to happen.
My mind is still reeling from the shock of it all.
I had made certain assumptions and expectations, but they were completely shattered.
It's as if the ground beneath my feet suddenly gave way.
I'm left here dumbfounded, trying to process what just occurred.
How could this have happened? I keep asking myself.
There was no way I could have predicted this turn of events.
It's going to take some time for me to come to terms with it.
Certainly, a great deal took place in this installment of the series. There was extremely limited space for the trademark philosophical discourses. It was both refreshing and yet, a bit perplexing, as the point of view shifted from one character to another.
We monitored, four? sets of characters: Miranda and Sorcerer's Island/Kelewen, Pug and the expedition, Vaskaro's upbringing, and the boy's college/military education in Roldem.
I sense that many of the names and places are beginning to blend together, particularly the complexities of the Olasko/Roldem region. I have the impression that I should glean more from that, but it has been far too long since I read the Talwin books.
Nonetheless, I am quite intrigued by how the series will unfold, and I did indeed relish the story.