Predictions (MAJOR progressive spoilers on all books)

[joost]

I should re-read the Soldier's son books too. I've only read them once, and that was quite awhile ago.

As a main character, Nevare is a lot less sympathetic than Fitz. I felt he was most of the time a whiny 'why me?' boy.

[Farseer]

Just a quick prediction...Fala was strangled with a strap of leather and I'm guessing the strap used to kill her is the very one which Nevare earlier found had gone missing from Clove's harness. I knew that tweaked my thinking for a reason!! Of all the possible suspects, I think Sgt Hoster is the most fitting culprit to have been her rapist/murderer and who is obviously going to try and frame poor Nevare for the crime...in his on-going and seemingly hopeless situation, I'd be thinking a fair bit of "Why me?" too!!

[Farseer]

Croaker birds are definitely more than they appear. I'm not sure what but possibly they are the People in another lifeform or they could be vessels for souls or afterlives of the People different to the trees?? While the old god Orandula seems to take the form of one (or so it seems to me!!), I'm unsure of the possible identity of the others....lesser/other old gods even?

I'm expecting something regarding the red fruits that a sage/Nevare eats as well...souls of the dead made into the form of a fruit so that they can be eaten to increase the magic, with the seeds being the hearts of the dead ones? Their red colour as they hang from the branches of the forest trees also makes me think of the red 'things' that hang from the heads of the croaker bird.

Nevare has just now discovered that Hitch has died from the Speck plague. With a probable immunity to the plague via the magic, I am supposing that he will not really be dead but just in that twilight state of mimicing death. No doubt it will scare Nevare into action though and prove to be the promised message he won't be able to turn away from??

Onward to the next chapter...I have never been so thankful to have the flu !

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*gasps* Nevare will hate Hitch because HE killed Fala, didn't he?! That's what he was 'under orders' to do, so that Nevare was made to move on?

*reads on* NNNOOOOOOO........!!!!

*shakes head in shattered disbelief*

[Chrischa]

As a main character, Nevare is a lot less sympathetic than Fitz. I felt he was most of the time a whiny 'why me?' boy.

Well, Fitz does his fair share of fighting and complaining against his fate, too.

But with Nevare I always thought that it was a perfectly natural reaction. If anything, he accepts the possibility of magic a bit too easily, probably because of his encounter with Dewara.
But I suppose that you fall a lot harder, the higher up you were. Fitz has never had any illusions about his life, his elders have always been honest with him about what they expected him to become. Whereas Nevare had to let go of a very conventional and attractive future before he could even start to accept his new fate. You'd whine for less!

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*gasps* Nevare will hate Hitch because HE killed Fala, didn't he?! That's what he was 'under orders' to do, so that Nevare was made to move on?

*reads on* NNNOOOOOOO........!!!!

*shakes head in shattered disbelief*

That was one of the most heart-breaking scenes in the book for me, too. "Let me shake your hand one last time as a friend, because in a moment, you will hate me."

Very powerful writing...

[Nuytsia]

Another 'NNOOOOOOO' moment, brought to you by Robin Hobb

[Farseer]

I am now a few pages into Chapter Six of 'Renegade's Magic' but I just had to come back and let you know that I cried my way to exhaustion through the remainder of 'Forest Mage'! The complete injustice of it all fair ripped my heart out , and I absolutely agree with your comments, Chrischa. Nevare had a far loftier height to fall from than Fitz (as much as I LOVE Fitz, I must concede that!). More on that later though!

The title intrigues me...will 'Renegade' prove to be a word that describes Nevare (the most obvious/likely one) OR is it a reference to Hitch's horse, who will manage to return and assist Nevare in some magical capacity (given that Nevare was cavalla-trained, it may not be too far of a stretch to expect that he may have a use for a horse later on)?

I'm loving this story!!!

[Mervi]

It's been awhile since I read the trilogy (well, when it first came out) so I should re-read or at least browse it a bit before commenting on anything particular... I just wanted to say that I've enjoyed reading your remarks and predictions Farseer - it's obvious you like the story since you seem to be reading really quickly!

[Farseer]

Sadly I could only use the flu as an excuse for my reading for a very limited time though, Mervi, as life has demanded that I re-enter it today! Still, my snuffles and I are heading back to bed right now in the hope that I can get through at least another couple of chapters...

If only the Gernians shared a similar (though possibly not as extreme) philosophy with the Specks in regard to the status of women, rather than mostly discounting their intellect. Given that the queen had paid the Gettys doctors handsomely for any information regarding the Specks, surely she should have been considered as a potential and powerful ally if anyone had thought to seek her aid? She would have been interested to hear of the ancestral trees and their purpose, you'd think? Certainly she is not the king but I am sure most queens can apply pressure to their husbands when required...*tongue in cheek*...one only has to look to a chessboard to see where the true power lies ?!

[Chrischa]

You are reading so fast!! I've read 4 chapters (currently on chapter 17) in the time it has taken you to race through the first two books! But then, my reading has had to take place inbetween cleaning this bloody house (all done now but it took me two solid days - don't ask me how I managed to take so long), and my regular work. Still, I'd rather not catch the flue, hope you're better soon.

[Farseer]

Thanks Chrischa! Funny that it took me almost as long to get through the first chapter alone and I really am only getting through so quickly because I know that if I don't get it finished by tomorrow night, it will have to wait another nine or ten weeks until the next lot of school holidays...I have lots of things coming up so there'll be no time to immerse myself in another book until then.

It's out of character but, as it is, I am solidly turning my back on lots of other tasks which are vying for my attention..selfish, really ! My daughter is also very ill so I've found it's been easier to maintain my vigil by reading until I fall asleep in the wee hours of the morning rather than trying to get by with on-going broken sleep (which only makes me feel worse!).

Will wash up after dinner and then jump into Chapter Fifteen. Glad to see that Epiny has thought of the queen and I hope she continues on that train of thought...what an amazing character she is...I wish I had some of her Epiny-ness!

Seeing as the Specks took the land from the Kidona, I am guessing that the cottages and remnants of a permanent settlement at the Trading Place once belonged to them?

I'm finding that I'm getting so caught up in the story that my predicting what's going to happen seems futile at this point...I have no clue as to how it can all end!