#wikam the just | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dark-night-star-light · 1 year

Text

Spirit Animals: The Dragon's Eye (Reread pt. 17)

DISCLAIMER: WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES EXCEPT THE BOOK OF SHANE, TALES OF THE GREAT BEASTS, AND TALES OF THE FALLEN BEASTS.

Masterpost

Chapter 1

“‘It’s Cordelia . . .’ she said. ‘Cordelia the Kind’” (2). What is with Cordelia? Does she just like pain? What is her backstory? Her motivations? Nonexistent. Song and Kana are the only ones with somewhat fleshed out motivations. Sid, Wikam, Cordelia, and Brunhild are just there to be mean.

“Rollan shrugged. ‘He doesn’t need to have done anything’” (2). True, but he must’ve done something to attract Cordelia’s attention. Or maybe she just takes turns.

“Takoda and Xanthe were chained and bundled on a ship to Greenhaven . . . ” (2). Implying that they’re alive . . . but they aren’t even Greencloaks? Are they trying Greencloak supporters, too?

“Alongside Kofe was Lady Cranston, a distant relative to the Trunswicks, and Salaman, from northern Nilo” (3). Wonder what Lady Cranston thought of her distant relative joining the Conquerors.

“On our own. Rollan was used to that. Wasn’t it supposed to be different? He was a Greencloak. The ancient order had allies everywhere, yet it had been taken down in a matter of months” (4). The change in writing is so jarring. I don’t know how to explain it, but it almost feels like a different story. And I see we’re circling back to Rollan’s former trust issues.

“They’d learned its secrets, dug out its weaknesses” (4). So, they obviously know that the Oathbound knew about the bond tokens, but have they ever wondered how they got their hands on that information?

“And pride. What animal could compare to Essix? Greatest of the Great Beasts!” (5). Exactly none of this sentence sounds like something Rollan would say.

“Was it any wonder he’d struggled to understand such a gift?” (5). Who the fuck is this??? Convinced the ship has made Rollan loopy.

“He caught Rollan’s gaze and then beat his arms in the air, laughing as he flapped around his small cell. ‘I’ll be like that if I don’t get out of here soon,’ complained Conor” (6). Who are these people??? That’s so un-Conor??? Why is everyone so out of character?

“And like all high-ranking Oathbound, she carried a title that belied her true nature: Kana the Honest” (7). I talked about this in my Stormspeaker reread, but I like to think that the Oathbound specifically picked out contradictory names as a cruel joke. Or maybe so they can say things like “See how generous I am?” or “Look how kind I am.”

“When its glow fell on them, all gathered at the cell bars. She smiled with cold satisfaction” (7). The grammar is getting worse and worse and fucking worse.

“‘There’s room enough for you,’ said Conor. ‘Why don’t you come in?’” (7). See, that’s Conor. He’s not a complainer, but he does get angry.

“Apparently the pain of a few nameless sailors meant nothing to her” (8). Those poor sailors . . . surely this violates some sort of abusive working environment contract.

“‘You won’t be seeing him again’” (8). She doesn’t actually say what happened to Worthy, though.

“‘The adventure is almost over, children’” (9). Kana’s giving evil teacher energy, which is simply not what she was giving in the first three books of the arc. Yes, I know she’s “revealed her true colors” or whatever, but that shouldn’t change the fact that fundamental parts of her personality would stay the same. She never called them “children” before, for example.

“The only person he could think of was Princess Song, daughter to the emperor” (9). He still refers to her as a “princess” and a “daughter of an emperor”, . . . hm.

This author favors prettier descriptive language. Like describing a painting.

“Her boots were sprinkled with blood. Three sailors came in with her, one in manacles and the rest with swords drawn” (12). Why is one chained up . . . ?

Chapter 2

“Conor spun to her, a snarl on his lips. ‘I go at my own pace’” (14). Who- What- Who is this??? Why did Conor go from zero to one hundred in, like, ten seconds???

“ . . . looked pitifully at Conor. ‘My feet hurt.’ ‘Should have worn some sandals, then.’” (15). Conor would never say something like that. He’s supposed to be kind and empathetic. He doesn’t snark, and definitely not at people on his side, like this. This is the guy that mended a fence for a woman and then wouldn’t accept payment because he felt bad taking it!

“He grinned to himself. Run and maybe cause a bit of trouble . . . ” (16). Look, I’m not against Conor being like this. I think it would be cool, actually! But it comes out of nowhere. There’s no development. They blame it on his imprisonment, but it’s just. Ugh.

I’m just going to pretend that Conor had some sort of magical character development between Stormspeaker and this book that we are somehow entirely unaware of. Because, unpopular opinion, I actually like the new Conor. I just wish build-up was a thing that existed in this book.

“‘It’s a bit of a backchat, Meilin. She deserves it.’ ‘She does, but we need her to relax her guard. You prodding her only keeps her attentive, wary. If we act more . . . docile, then maybe they’ll make a mistake. One we can exploit’” (17). Conor-Meilin moments, my beloved. You can see how they’re more like each other at the beginning of the series.

“‘You’ve got a bit of a reputation, remember?’ ‘What’s that mean?’ If Meilin’s arms had been free, Conor suspected he’d be crossing them right about now’” (17). It means . . . what it means??? That Meilin is a good fighter?

“‘Drafty and stinking of damp sheep?’ Conor took a deep breath, as though those sheep were around him now. ‘There’s no sweeter smell’” (19). They really turned the Conor-Meilin relationship all the way up to eleven, didn’t they.

“It didn’t close its eyes to sleep. Instead it kept them slitted and wary” (19). Wary, as in wary of Song?

“Every young shepherd had to learn to throw hard and straight” (20). Did they have to learn to do that with their hands and feet manacled, too? How is he throwing with his hands chained up?

“‘Shut your mouth, Sid. The boy’s going to be taught a lesson, and that can’t wait’” (21). Cordelia is so . . . easy to provoke in this book. That’s not how she was in The Wildcat’s Claw. She was smooth and would strike out unexpectedly, but she never reacted angrily and was fairly logical in her approach. What is happening to the characters??? Horrifying.

“She screamed incoherently, fighting them even as they tried to save her. One let go and down she splashed again” (22). I imagine that one being like “Well, at least I can say I tried”.

“Rollan laughed, then embraced Conor. ‘Didn’t know you had it in you, Conor’” (22). So far, the manacles have allowed them to throw rocks, swing the chains, and hug each other. They seem pretty fucking useless to me. And is that quote meant to be the book acknowledging that Conor is entirely out of character in this book?

“Conor saw the captain of the Zhongese guards sneer as his gaze fell upon the Oathbound” (23). Because of sexism, right? The Zhongese army doesn’t allow women? Also, if there’s a Zhongese army, why was Song being protected by the Oathbound?

I don’t get why Song pretended that they were friends at first, with the whole unlocking of the manacles and the embracing and the offering food. Maybe she’s actually insane, or insanely confident.

Chapter 3

“Look at the friends she had. The shepherd, the huntress, and the scoundrel” (26). Throwback to that line in Hunted when Meilin described them all in a similar way.

“Song nodded. ‘I was good at hiding my true self. We both were . . . ’” (27). Song being Meilin’s mirror, her foil, the person she could’ve been, is one of the greatest decisions this series has made.

“‘I am sorry that the Greencloaks are casualties in all this,’ Song said. ‘Your order has done much good. But perhaps for Zhong to move forward, it’s best that we escape your shadow’” (28). Brilliant plot twist. For three books, we as the reader think that surely whoever set up the Greencloaks must hate the Greencloaks and want them disbanded. But no. Song literally just considered them collateral damage. They weren’t even her main target. They were just the most convenient people to take the fall, given the circumstances. I love it.

“‘It’s nothing so grand or complicated. You just had something I wanted. Something your order would never part with peacefully. Thanks to you, Meilin, and your friends, I now have three of the Greencloaks’ relics’” (28). Again, she literally just wanted something from them. She didn’t hate them or really care what happened to them. They were simply in her way. I love villains that don’t actually have it out for the main characters, but are instead simply working toward their own goals that put them at odds with the protagonists. Easily the best kind of villain.

“‘You must know the stories of the ancient water dragon. It’s second only to Jhi in our legends. I think Father wanted to announce such an auspicious pairing on his own terms: to claim I was the nameless hero reborn. Until, that is, he discovered the truth about hy animal partner’” (29). Her mindset is astonishingly parallel to Meilin’s. Both summoned legends. Both thought they were pathetic at first.

“‘Father always told me the daughter of an emperor should have a greater creature. Something worthy of her status . . . ’” (29). Song had an abusive father and . . . it’s honestly so tragic. Like she could’ve been Meilin. She is Meilin. Also, those are brave words for someone who has no spirit animal and pretends to be a warrior when he’s not.

“‘It’s a shame she never taught you to fly’” (31). Foreshadowing.

“‘The noble and the peasant. Honestly, Meilin, I thought you had taste’” (31). Bruh. That. I don’t even know, man.

“Song had tried the Oathbound, but they’d failed” (32). Which is a direct contradiction of what Kana said at the end of Stormspeaker. She said she wanted “expendables” to go down there first. So why would Song try the Oathbound???

“‘One is measured by the company she keeps. And you, Song, keep very poor company’” (33). I think that Song is the poor company, actually.

Chapter 4

“How had her father been able to wear it all day long? She felt as if it would crush her” (34). Just like his expectations of her? Symbolism? His expectations are, quite literally, crushing her.

“She’d hid her tears from him, knowing they’d only confirm his belief that she was a failure. Only Kana had witnessed those” (35). The emperor deserved death. Like, yes, it was a crime, but he definitely deserved it.

“Her only friend” (35). Song and Kana genuinely thinking of each other as friends is too good. Usually villains are portrayed as hating each other, but Kana and Song actually care about each other. I wonder if Kana saw Song in Meilin.

“Greater than her father” (35). All she wants is to prove . . . to a person she killed . . . that she’s greater than him . . . the irony . . .

“‘Don’t be. I’ve heard much of your kindness as you tracked the Heroes of Erdas across Eura. Villages burned. Lives ruined’” (37). Why would Song keep Cordelia in her court, knowing it would draw negative attention?

“‘The Greencloaks murdered my father.’ Song’s face turned red with anger. ‘How dare you-’” (39). The word choice is interesting. It implies that Song had no control over her expression. But we know that she isn’t actually angry over her father’s death. So that means that either she is truly angry about something or that she’s just an exceptional actress (something else she and Meilin have in common).

“‘How dare he? Doesn’t he know who I am?’” (39). So she is genuinely angry about something.

“‘Make my problem disappear. Make it look like Greencloaks if you have to’” (40). The fact that she’s saying this in the room full of Oathbound implies she trusts them all not to tell. Which contradicts what she said at the beginning of the chapter: “‘Impossible. The Greencloaks are criminals. Olvan the worst of all’” (36), which implies that she’s putting on a facade for someone. Of course, she could just be insane.

Chapter 5

“Conor sighed. ‘Some heroes we turned out to be’” (42). His expectations for himself are way too high. Like he’s just a kid???

“He was too clumsy to be a smuggler” (43). Did she just call Worthy clumsy?

“‘Or forever,’ added Conor. ‘Forever also works’” (45). Is a life sentence the punishment for usurpers?

“‘How can we trust the word of someone who kills her own family?’” (45). Song’s reasoning for killing her father was logical, though. Framing the Greencloaks was the bad part.

“Before he could finish, Brunhild knocked him to the ground with a hard slap” (45). I don’t see how that could’ve stopped him from summoning Essix back.

“The empress’s pretty gaze flashed to Conor. ‘Or forever’” (46). “Pretty” is an interesting word to describe a gaze. Also, they start referring to her as an empress. Symbolism for revealing her true colors?

“Then the door was pushed closed behind them” (47). Then how does Song expect them to get back???

Wait, I just realized something (which I should’ve realized during my Heart of the Land reread . . . ): Song wears green before her father tells her it’s not a favored color, planning to wear it to the Citadel meeting. This could symbolize how she sent the fake Greencloaks to kill her father. They were wearing green as they killed the emperor, pretending to be with the Greencloaks as they betrayed them. Similarly, Song wore green, pretending to be with the Greencloaks, when in reality she was against them.

Chapter 6

“ . . . Rollan had a spear” (48). Doesn’t he usually get a knife or a dagger?

“‘Maybe they found another way out and escaped’” (49). That would be bad, because it would mean they’d have taken the Eye with them.

“ . . . if the canary died, then the miners knew to evacuate to safety” (49). Kind of like what Song is doing with the four? Sending them into danger to save herself?

“A swamp . . . ‘The air catches fire’” (51). That is so cool. I need to research swamps more.

Conor being smart, my beloved. He knows more about bogs and swamps than your average person.

“‘How long?’ Conor shook his head. ‘No idea. But that’s what makes it exciting?’” (53). Who is this guy. It’s not Conor.

“‘That was exciting!’” (55). Define exciting for me.

Chapter 7

“How could Song - how could anyone with a spirit animal themselves - do that?” (56). Her father always treated her spirit animal as a tool and now she’s doing the same. Ironically, she’s acting exactly how her father would’ve wanted. She thinks she escaped him, but she hasn’t. That’s the tragedy of Song.

“‘I’m in quite a lot of pain, so can we save the romantic banter for later? If there is a later’” (57). Me reading Stormspeaker. Also wouldn’t the romantic banter help because it’s a distraction?

“Rollan was careful to use his legs to support his weight, rather than his arms, in order to conserve his strength” (59). Number one climbing tip ever.

“All for the Dragon’s Eye. He was beginning to hate the relic. Was it worth the risk?” (60). Funny that he only mentions this now that they’re being forced to by Song. But really the journeys for all the relics were dangerous.

“‘Ride on my back, of course!’ said Abeke, brightening to the idea” (61). Abeke also feels weird in this book. Like she’s not particularly cheerful?

“‘Every bit of grace you can give me!’ Uraza sank to her stomach, staring hard at Abeke with her violet eyes” (61). I guess I should’ve known from this quote that spirit animals make a conscious choice to give their powers to their human partners.

“‘Only one way to find out,’ she replied cheerfully” (62). This sure as hell isn’t Abeke.

“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,’ said Meilin . . . ” (63). A shame that only happened in the last book.

“‘Hope all these muscles don’t weigh you down too much’” (63). Oh no, we’re continuing that joke from Stormspeaker.

“Rollan realized that the Euran boy was probably the heaviest of all of them” (64). Well, I guess that means that Meilin and Rollan are the closest in weight.

“‘Then how can you be that heavy?’ Conor sniffed. ‘Muscle mass. Now giddy-up’” (64). Okay, but why is he that heavy? They haven’t exactly been eating like royalty. Even if Conor did have a lot of muscle, he should’ve lost it all.

“They’d climbed the stilts, and the boldest were making their way up her boot. Abeke stomped down hard to try to shake them off. A few fell, but most hung tenaciously on” (64). She should’ve tried to cross faster instead of wasting time stomping, which would only unravel the knots faster.

Chapter 8

Song should’ve given them more time. Way more time. Yes, I know they succeed, but imagine if they were on their way back when the hour candle went out.

“ . . . and then Conor, winking first” (68). Okay, I know I said that I wouldn’t talk anymore about how Conor’s out of character, but . . .

“Her fingers were numb, both from the effort of gripping and the cold water washing over them” (69). Just like Rollan warned.

“‘She must have been enormous. I’ve never see a water dragon so large’” (72). Who edited this book??? And I don’t like how the legend animals are supposed to be huge. It undermines the Great Beasts.

“Of course. That’s something I haven’t forgotten. I recorded the method, though of course it’s extremely dangerous. The scroll sits in a jade tube within my chambers” (73). So we know they take it, where are his chambers?

Meilin begging Xin Kao Dai to come with her is really weird because none of the others asked that. How would a spirit even help with the fight?

“ . . . the Great Panda Jhi is with you. I feel entirely happy. You will do well” (73). See, this is how it should be. The Great Beasts are literal legends.

Ohhhh, so the secret waterfall room is where they find the scroll.

Chapter 9

“Sid shifted awkwardly. He gazed over at Kana” (76). Sid works for the Oathbound, not for Song . . . ?

“A sharp pain cut her heart as she thought of her father” (77). Does Song actually mourn him on some level?

“He would just sit there, looking at her with cold, accusing eyes” (77). Maybe she still sees him as the true leader instead of her?

“‘I did what I had to do, don’t you understand that?’” (77). Honestly, Song killing her father is perfectly justified.

“‘It’s my destiny to have it. I have a water dragon, just like the ancient hero . . . ’” (78). Ironic, considering bond tokens are the epitome of trust between human and animal.

“She still needed Kana and the Oathbound” (78). Implying that she isn’t as close to Kana as we thought or that their relationship is fraying.

“‘Once we have all the bond tokens, we need to consolidate your position, not seek out more enemies’” (79). If Kana was the main villain, the four might actually have something to fear.

“Kana gave a slight nod . . . ” (79). Does Sid respect Kana more or is he just used to obeying her orders?

“ . . . Song had followed the successes of the young Heroes of Erdas, marveling at how a group of children could achieve so much in so short a time” (79). This kind of implies that Song is quite a bit older than them. They’re thirteen in this arc, so I’d guess that Song is at least eighteen or nineteen. Kana is described as young-looking, so that fits as well.

“She should be greater than Meilin, yet it was the younger girl whose fame covered Erdas from Amaya to Stetriol. Hers and the others’: Abeke, Rollan, and Conor” (80). Okay, so why does nobody in this arc act like it?

“The nod from Kana was almost imperceptible, but it was there. Song’s guts twisted. Kana was getting ideas above her station” (81). Song’s paranoia is so interesting to see unfold.

“Song didn’t feel that was toward her own spirit animal, but Seaspray wasn’t a Great Beast” (81). No, he’s only a literal legend that is second only to Jhi and is older than the First Devourer War.

“Her ‘legendary’ spirit animal had always disappointed her father, while these four nobodies had summoned the Great Beasts” (81). He would have been disappointed even if Song had summoned a Great Beast. That’s the irony of Song. In trying to escape her father, she ensures she never can.

“Reluctantly, Meilin passed it over” (81). Why’d she do that? They have Essix and they have the gem. They could’ve just tried to use it on Song or something?

“‘Your people have kept Erdas under your thumbs for centuries. My father kept me meek and powerless my entire life. No more!’” (82). Is that why she framed them?

“Song paused, considering the Greencloak’s words” (82). She was almost convinced.

“How twisted she looked, how grotesque: soaked through by crimes she’d committed” (84). She’s so close to self-awareness.

“If they joined her - joined the Oathbound - then maybe the Heroes of Erdas could still be spared” (85). She actually considered that???

“More than anything, Song needed to prove she was right” (85). That’s her fatal flaw right there. She’s a twisted kind of people-pleaser.

Chapter 10

“ . . . watched Song summon her spirit animal” (86). How did she get Seaspray to go into passive state? That requires trust, which I don’t imagine Seaspray would have for her.

Song’s relationship to Seaspray is giving Bile bond energy.

“‘Stop beating your water dragon, Song. Can’t you appreciate how lucky you are to have a spirit animal?’” (87). What makes Song such an . . . unique antagonist unlike anyone we’ve ever seen in this world so far is how she treats her spirit animal. No villain up until this point has ever shown such overwhelming cruelty toward their own spirit animal. The Conquerors and the Wyrm enslaved people and animals, yes, but none of them ever beat up their own spirit animal. That is genuinely such a shocking and jarring moment for the audience, when you realize this has never happened yet.

I wonder what Kana thinks of that, she seems to have a good relationship with Toey.

“ . . . he realized she wasn’t going to hurt he and nuzzled up to her” (87). This grammar . . . it’s so blatantly bad.

So the Eye’s power is to make water dragons/spirit animals . . . bigger???

“If only she could draw on more than a fraction of Uraza’s power!” (90). Spirit animals can only lend a fraction?

“ . . . Abeke couldn’t help but find it amusing that their vanity had let her escape” (91). The ironic thing is that Cordelia should’ve already learned this lesson from fighting with Conor.

Chapter 11

Why weren’t these three punished for Abeke’s escape?

“He needs to be busy” (93). I guess he does . . .

“She ordered the Oathbound to scour the caves, but the whole area was riddled with them, dozens of tunnels that had been carved out by underground rivers” (94). If Song had any sense, she’d have ordered the Oathbound to explore the caves and get to know them really well before bringing prisoners there. This only cements my belief that the Oathbound aren’t that old of an organization. Kana apparently also founded it, and she’s apparently “young”, so . . . why are they so trusted???

“ . . . the whole thing reminded him of the Bile and the way it transformed the animals who were forced to drink it” (94). Yeah, who the heck makes a token that can cause a water dragon/spirit animal such pain? Especially considering the fact that the ancient hero loved his own water dragon.

I still don’t get why Seaspray goes into passive. Their bond isn’t a Bile bond??? It would make sense if the book was trying to make a nuanced point about physically and emotionally abusive relationships by showing us how Song had berated and abused her spirit animal in the past and what he was like before that, but it never does.

“When he opened them, he saw that Conor had almost finished his bowl. ‘How can you eat that?’” (95). Conor canonically had better food than Rollan so this should’ve been switched around.

Why is Song still feeding them??? She literally said she would kill them after they witnessed the Eye’s power.

Chapter 12

I sort of wonder why Chief Ugo never became a Greencloak. Maybe it’s because he was a chief???

“‘May I introduce Chief Ugo. He’s the reason I’m here’” (98). How did Worthy escape the Oathbound? It’s implied at the end of Stormspeaker that he had been captured. This is supported by the fact that Cordelia has the Claw. So how did he escape . . . ?

Wikam saying he was on the right side of the bars right before getting thrown to the other side is just. Yes.

“‘Be careful, child. If what you say is true, we could be talking war’” (99). How could it start a non-civil war if that gets leaked? Song (a Zhongese person) killed her father (a Zhongese person). Realistically, that wouldn’t involve any international affairs. Also the “Be careful, child” is so weird. Like, is Meilin not being careful by warning him?

“‘The other governments wouldn’t stand for such a coup’” (99). Why’s that? I think they would, if they learned Song had the tokens.

Chapter 13

“Wikam had been starving them” (102). On Song’s orders? And for how long? Couldn’t have been that long . . .

“‘I visited the palace a few years ago with my father. I still remember the layout, more or less’” (103). Is this referring to the time when six-year-old Meilin had played with Song? Because that was more than “a few years ago”.

“They’d both been dedicated to Song’s father and expressed suspicion about the attack” (103). Why were they loyal to him? He didn’t appear to be that great of a ruler.

“‘Grabbing the Eye isn’t about thieving, it’s about being heroic.’ Rollan grinned. ‘That’s what I told myself the day I summoned Essix . . . ’” (104). Nod to Worthy? Also, was Rollan really trying to be a hero in that chapter??? Was he??? I don’t think so . . .

“‘The man’s cruel and dedicated to Song. He joined the Oathbound soon after the emperor’s death’” (105). Why, though? Did he want power???

“Then she headed off, constantly checking over her shoulder like a protective mother, making sure all her kittens were lined up behind her” (107). Awwwww, protective Uraza supremacy.

“‘Do you know who I am?’ ‘The man who’s heading back to his cell if he doesn’t do what I say’” (108). An appropriate answer when talking to the rich. It’s giving Diogenes.

“‘Splishy, splashy. Abeke’s no fish!’” (111). This means the man knows Abeke’s name. The first clue that he may not be as crazy as they originally thought.

Chapter 14

“Despite Meilin’s protestations, they were very lost . . . ‘Song’s personal chambers are that way,’ said Meilin” (112). Can’t believe Meilin didn’t get lost after not having set foot in this place for seven years.

“‘You’ve seen what she’s like with the Wildcat’s Claw. I don’t trust her.’ ‘No one trusts her,’ laughed Sid. ‘But what do you want done about it?’ ‘What do you think?’” (113). Ironically, Song was considering replacing Kana with Cordelia.

“Had the Wildcat’s Claw made things worse for Cordelia? It was a bond token, so who really knew what it was capable of?” (114). It’s been said for the past few books that the bond tokens are dangerous in the wrong hands, but I didn’t think the series would take that quite so literally. Honestly, it’s an interesting concept. It just didn’t get the proper exploration.

“The guard’s eyes widened. ‘The Great Beast Briggan?’” (115). Yay, proper Great Beast respect (or fear)! But this implies that he didn’t know Song had locked the four up . . .

“‘Song’s written out all these instructions to her generals. She’s planning war’” (116). We already know that Kana would not approve. How was Song keeping this secret from her oldest, best friend?

“He blocked the first the girl threw at his face, then sent her spinning across the room. She crashed against the bed in a tangle of sheets” (117). This means that Abeke fought back against him, too?

Chapter 15

“The guard had come in and explained it was just the branch against the glass, but Song had seen him” (118). This implies that Song is not entirely self-aware about what’s going on.

“But was there someone out in the garden? She thought she’d seen a figure moving behind the trees” (118). She probably did actually see someone, but her insistence that it was her father is where she went wrong . . .

“She held up the glowing emerald. ‘Look! I have it! I have done what you could never do!’” (118). What exactly did she do??? Delusional.

“Had they come to kill her? That was it! They wanted the Dragon’s Eye for themselves!” (119). What would they even do with it???

“‘I . . . I don’t know what’s happening to me, Kana’” (120). We have reached self-awareness . . . finally.

“The moment they first touched had been . . . everything” (121). I think this line shattered me. The potential. Of what Song and Seaspray could’ve been.

“‘Come on, Seaspray. Go into passive form. We’re partners now!’” (121). Young Song is so. So innocent. Like, oh my gosh, it’s sad. Also, this line implies that Song named Seaspray the instant he appeared?

“Her father made no attempt to hide his disgust, and that made it even worse” (122). I know I’ll sound like a broken record, but Song’s father genuinely deserved to die. Painfully. Like, what exactly would have satisfied him anyway? He didn’t even have a spirit animal himself.

“‘But what did you ever do? Nothing . . . ’” (122). Song has a point there . . .

I wonder what would happen if someone summoned a water spirit animal but they weren’t around water . . .

“He’d always been useless; the Dragon’s Eye would make him great, at last” (124). It’s funny, because just a few paragraphs ago, Song said that Seaspray had been her faithful companion. That is the point of a spirit animal. A companion. Not to be useful. Ironic.

Chapter 16

“Rollan picked up a short sword and tried to mimic Meilin’s skillful strokes. He gave up. ‘Not sure how far I’d get’” (125). What does that mean??? He literally saved the world twice and has been in countless fights? What does he mean he isn’t “sure how far [he’d] get”???

“It had made quite the journey . . . just like Conor himself” (126). I’m about to rant . . . but I don’t like the items that Conor and Meilin pick for their tokens. And this appears to be the justification for Conor picking the crook. But it isn’t even his??? It has no symbolism? The story never talks about this up until this point. This is clearly a last-minute effort to give Conor something of importance for his token.

“‘I think that wave is Song . . . ’” (127). Well, it makes sense. At least it was foreshadowed. The Dragon’s Eye’s power was pretty much foreshadowed from the beginning. Props to the writers for that.

“‘Good thing I had tutors for that.’ Rollan grinned. ‘Beat me to it’” (128). They finally bring it back. Finally.

“Sailing off to find Worthy suddenly felt like a good idea” (129). LOL.

“‘I call gibbering idiot,’ said Rollan. ‘Drool grosses me out’” (130). And we love him for that.

“‘The tokens should represent both us and our animals, and Jhi isn’t a warrior at heart’” (130). And Briggan isn’t a shepherd at heart.

They try to rationalize Meilin’s choice by saying her father gave her the hairpin, but then how come it’s never mentioned or explained at all before this??? It’s so random???

Okay, this next part makes me cringe every time. Basically, the four tell the Four Fallen what they need to do and it’s just. The way it’s said and done is so weirdly done, I just. I can’t anymore.

“Even as spirit animals, the Great Beasts were still connected” (132). A nice thought and a cool concept, but never brought up until now.

I wish the similarities and differences between talismans and tokens were explored more. Would’ve really brought the series full circle.

“His life before Briggan seemed to belong to another Conor” (133). I have my complaints, but this book has some banger lines.

“Conor scowled, ‘Should I run around on all fours and bark a bit?’” (134). Conor scowls so much in this book. In this entire second series, now that I think about it, but mostly in this book.

“He doesn’t count the passing of time the same way as his human partner does” (135). I wonder what Briggan is seeing through this bonding experience.

“The boy doubts. The boy worries. The boy looks to his friends and looks back at himself, unsure of what he is. A wolf has no doubts about what he is” (135). This kind of makes me think that Conor shouldn’t have changed as much as he did due to the bonding. The bonding appears to be the culmination of a spirit animal bond because both parties understand each other, not because they become more like each other. Conor should’ve stayed Conor and Briggan should’ve stayed Briggan, without either becoming more like the other, in my opinion.

“Things fell away from him. His worries about the past, mistakes he’d made, things he wished he’d done or said better” (136). That’s a stupid resolution. These kinds of things should come from yourself, not from a bond.

“Briggan did not care for tomorrow” (137). Guys . . . his literal power is reading the future. How could they have taken away Briggan’s most iconic power???

Chapter 17

Every one of these bonding chapters is starting with a summary of how they had bonded, probably to make us feel nostalgia, like look how far we've come! But it comes off so unnaturally, in my humble opinion.

“He might even cup [Erdas] in his palms” (141). Symbolism for Rollan coming from being in a jail cell to being free . . . is what I feel they were going for. I wish they’d talked about that more over the arc so this didn't feel like it was coming out of nowhere.

“The idea of Song putting her in a cage made his blood run cold” (142). I remember this line so clearly, so I just thought I’d write it here.

Chapter 18

“Meilin had no right to bring any harm to the panda” (144). Meilin’s process is the second-most fascinating of the group, in my opinion, because it shows Meilin being unsure. Meilin’s always the leader, always in charge, but here, she’s wary. I think that’s a great concept that really works for the end of her arc.

Meilin is scared to bond to Jhi because of her original Bile bond. Her bond token is a hairpin from her father. How can she look at it and not be reminded of how her father betrayed her? How can she not look at it and think, if even for a second, that her father is the reason she has all these doubts in the first place? How is she just magically chill with that?

“Rollan took her hand, and Meilin felt her cheeks flushing” (144). We’re back to the iconic Rollan-Meilin dynamic, not the dumb dynamic from Stormspeaker.

“She felt Jhi’s heartbeat mimic her own ever-so-slight trembles that passed through their palms” (145). The grammar . . . there are casualties . . .

“Opening her eyes, she could see only black liquid pouring down over her face. Bile!” (146). I like how this horror is a stark contrast to what Conor and Rollan experienced.

“Animals screamed all around her, though she couldn’t see them” (146). So this is what happened to Jhi during Meilin’s ceremony?

I like that this is tied to Jhi’s hatred of the Bile from Tales of the Great Beasts.

“Orbs of light began to glow around Meilin . . . ” (146). I like how they threw that in there. I hate how the orbs of light that help guide Meilin are never brought up again after the first arc. They were a crucial part of Meilin and Jhi’s relationship in the first series.

“They united in the hug until Meilin was surrounded by the best things in her life” (147). Awwwwwwwww.

Where is the water coming from??? How did they get drinking water?

I think Meilin’s chapter should’ve gone after Abeke’s.

Also, shouldn’t Meilin’s doubt have crushed her bond??? Talk about inconsistency.

“‘What are you planning to do? Peel me an apple?’” (148). Uraza and Abeke’s bond is probably one of the highlights of this arc as a whole.

Chapter 19

“I’m not ready” (150). That should’ve shattered their bond immediately.

“He’d been the first friend she’d made after Uraza appeared in her village . . . She’d trusted him” (151). Oh? Oh? I am here for this.

“He was her friend! He was trying to redeem himself” (151). So, Meilin’s is the second-most fascinating, but Abeke’s is hands-down the best. Gotta love how chill the boys’ bondings were and how angsty the girls’ bondings were. Also, Abeke did see Shane as her friend in those last moments . . . confirmed . . .

“He did it for Abeke, to save her, and that was hardest to bear” (151). This implies that Uraza had some awareness of what she was doing while she was doing it??? Which is closer to the Bile, not to the Wyrm . . . maybe this scene is Uraza looking back on it, not her in the moment?

“Uraza felt Abeke’s sorrow” (152). How??? She was under the Wyrm’s control . . .

“As Uraza, she licked Shane’s hand, trying to stir it to move” (152). Well, that didn’t happen, so this scene must have been edited somehow.

“The regret her leopard had been carrying this whole time! The deep, deep shame” (152). Oh nooooooo.

“The world revolved around seasons of drought and seasons of plenty. That’s what made the rain so precious” (153). Banger line taken out of context, but read in context it feels like it came out of nowhere. Like??? Why is that there???

“ . . . the best way to remember him, to honor him, would be to become closer to Uraza, not more distant” (153). Finally!

“‘Essix thinks this’ll be her fourth, but they had a head start’” (153). She “thinks”??? She’s right.

“‘And a plate of lamb chops. Those are mine’” (154). Conor is so unrecognizable in this book. There is nothing gradual about his development, and I know I said I wouldn’t talk about it anymore but I can’t ignore it.

Why are the guards pulling each others’ teeth out? Their job is to guard.

“Conor grinned. ‘Is now a bad time?’” (155). What happened to Conor’s ability to empathize, even with his enemies?

“At least she licked his face. The guard’s look of pain softened a bit” (155). Awww. She fixed his toothache.

Why did the soldiers listen to Ambassador Ying when they went through such pains to follow Song’s orders?

Also, I forgot how late it was into the story that Ying is revealed to not be crazy.

“‘And yet . . . I understood why. The emperor was a tyrant, all the more so to his daughter . . . ’” (159). Ying’s pity for Song is one of the most key pieces to the story, I think. Even the four see Song as this usurper that murdered her father for the throne. But Ying really sees her for who she is.

Chapter 20

It’s funny that bonding with Uraza made Abeke a Rain Dancer when Uraza hates water.

“He wore Stormspeaker and a new suit of brass armor” (160). Didn’t he learn from Cordelia that heavy armor isn’t always a good idea?

“ . . . off they ran, leaving Rollan and Abeke to deal with Sid the Generous” (161). Why did Sid let them go???

“Abeke shot two arrows, barely aiming, but each flew true” (162). Why is Abeke trying something that already failed? It’s so frustrating to watch. Like, she already knows that doesn’t work??? What is she doing?

“‘He wonders what the blood of the Four Fallen tastes like?’” (163). So does Sid just not respect the Four Fallen or what. Like, what’s his backstory?

For an arc that deals heavily in trust between human and animal, there’s barely any bond shown between the four and their spirit animals.

“‘You should have spent more time working on your bond, Sid’” (164). Is this supposed to reference the fact that bond tokens are supposed to be wielded by trustworthy people?

“Abeke sent out two more arrows . . . ” (164). What is she doing??? That doesn’t work, Abeke! Why are you doing something you know doesn’t work?

“‘Why . . . won’t . . . it . . . break?’” (165). Are bond tokens indestructible or just really hard to break? Probably just really hard to break.

“He held the crown in the crook of his finger” (166). What did Rollan do with the crown after this???

This chapter is weirdly cartoonish. Like Sid screaming Nooooo and his actions. He’s such a cartoonish villain and it makes the story so weak.

Chapter 21

“Conor threw back his head and howled” (168). Why is Conor. Literally a wolf. Like it’s not him??? This is so cringe, like, please.

“Conor saw Kana drop her sword. She had heard that silence” (170). I actually like the idea of Meilin convincing Kana to stand down, because throughout the entire arc we’ve seen them grow close. It only makes sense for both of their arcs. It was a satisfying resolution.

“Now she was looking at someone who wasn’t afraid to fight her, someone who actually relished facing her” (171). Unlike Meilin and Kana, Conor’s beef with Cordelia had shit buildup. There was one scene where they faced each other before this. Conor should’ve had a more central arc in The Wildcat’s Claw.

“Just as he seems to know more and more of what was to come. And who would eventually win this fight” (173).This makes sense, given Briggan’s gifts of future visions. But during Conor’s bonding, it was mentioned that a wolf doesn’t care for tomorrow. So which is it, can he see the future or does he not care about the future???

“It was the same wave from his dreams, and it was headed forward . . . ” (173). So he literally sees Song’s wave??? Wow. Have to say, that’s some solid foreshadowing.

“‘It’ll build, mile by mile, and when it hits Greenhaven? Your Greencloak friends won’t be getting any trial’” (174). Why does Song want to destroy the Greencloaks??? She has nothing against them. Destroying them would sabotage her plan of framing them. It literally makes no sense. I think the interpretation we’re supposed to go with is that she’s crazy??? I don’t know.

“Still, she held onto the precious sword” (175). I mean. She’s attached to it, so . . .

“Meilin put her hands upon the wide tear across his side” (176). Oh, I forgot about Meilin’s healing abilities.

“‘Please,’ Kana said, her voice cracking. ‘You have to stop Song’” (177). I loved that line during my first read-through. It’s so . . . desperate.

Chapter 22

This climax feels so underwhelming so far . . .

“[Conor] was breathing hard and his torso was splashed with blood, but the fire in his eyes burned with feral intensity” (179). I don’t know whether this is an unpopular opinion or not, but I actually like this Conor. Not the cringy howling wolf-Conor, but the angry boy underneath who just needs to let it out. I just wish this arc had actually begun earlier so that we could actually let it just . . . happen instead of forcing it all into the last book. Specifically, it should’ve started around The Wildcat’s Claw, maybe even before. But Conor isn’t even the central character in that book. Worthy is.

“Down on the beach, Song didn’t so much as turn her head toward her crumbling palace” (180). If Song had succeeded, what would she have done??? Song is insane, but in a very calculated way, not in a totally-unhinged-and-crazy way. She played everyone, including the four, for three books. This is completely out of character for her.

Conor stop howling like a wolf challenge.

Did the Dragon’s Eye kill Song’s brain cells or something? She was such a formidable villain in the first three books, not because she was physically strong, but because she had managed to outmaneuver the four at every turn using her wits alone. But now that she has the Eye, her ability to use basic critical thinking skills vanishes?

“Seaspray lashed out and snapped his jaws, which were big enough to break a ship apart” (183). Why is Seaspray helping Song? The token isn’t the Bile. Song’s bond is still a natural one. She shouldn’t be able to control Seaspray against his will. So why is he helping her???

“‘Meilin! Look at you! The pretty general’s daughter resembles a drowned rat’” (183). I like this line because, while Meilin doesn’t know it, we know that Song said that she envied the way Meilin was terrifyingly beautiful in Heart of the Land. So this is kind of an echo of that.

“‘ . . . Happy to stand in the shadows of lesser folk . . . ’” (185). This almost exactly mirrors how Meilin thought in Wild Born. I kind of like it.

“‘ . . . They’ll fear and hate you. Just as you feared and hated your father’” (185). This should’ve been the line that got Song to cave. It would’ve shown Meilin’s new-found bond token power being useful and it brings Song’s arc full circle in a very clear and direct way. This should’ve been the moment Song broke down in front of Meilin.

“All skills and tactics vanished in her rage” (185). Can’t believe they recycled how Conor defeated Cordelia for Song and Meilin. One chapter later. And thought we wouldn’t notice.

“Seaspray had come to save his partner” (186). Why???

“This was how the world ended” (188). Such a cool line. If only it made sense in context.

“The water dragon thrashed in blind fury as countless tons of cliff fell down upon him” (189). I feel so bad for him. He was innocent in all this.

Chapter 23

“Did you see me, Tarik? he thought. I flew! Just like Essix. Your cloak became my wings. You saved me again” (191). This is so sweet. Rollan’s bonding was probably the best ending to his arc out of the four. While I think that Meilin and Abeke had better bondings specifically, Rollan’s bonding best compliments his arc.

“Kana caught his eye. She gave him a weak smile and a little shrug - What can you do? - then glanced down to Toey curled in her lap” (193). I think this last chapter should’ve been told from Meilin’s perspective instead of Rollan because now Meilin has time to process Kana’s betrayal and the whole ordeal. So it would’ve been cool to see her struggle with the sadness of being betrayed by a friend along with accepting that said ex-friend needs to be punished for her crimes.

“‘ . . . and two bond tokens back in safe hands . . . ’” (194). I know this is supposed to be commentary on how sometimes success isn’t complete or whatever but I so badly want all four bond tokens to be recovered.

“‘Hey, I keep telling you all how great I am. You just never listen’” (196). Thank god this book went back to the cute banter-y Meilin-Rollan relationship we all know and love.

“‘The Dragon’s Eye and the Wildcat’s Claw are gone . . . ’” (197). I wish there could’ve been an extra bonus scene where they were retrieved. The bond tokens united would’ve been so cool.

“‘I just hope we get rooms of our own’” (198). This is ironic because in Heart of the Land, they all ask for a shared room. I don’t know if it was done on purpose but it’s funny.

“He gathered his rucksack and headed down the beach to his friends” (200). The last word of the entire series is “friends”. I think about that a lot.

Final thoughts and rating:

I absolutely adored Song’s perspectives. I have some gripes with her character, but mostly I like how she was executed. The scene where she was revealed to have been behind it all was done so well. Watching her spiral slowly into madness is so devastating, because we know that in reality all her actions are her father’s fault. Her relationship to Seaspray, specifically what it could have been genuinely broke my heart in a sense. The idea that she’s trying to escape her father, and in doing so falls deeper into madness is such a cool concept to explore and the idea that she’s doing everything for her father while claiming it’s her escape is just so brilliant. Her essentially being what Meilin could’ve turned into had she not changed is another strong point. Song is an amazing villain, minus a few minor points. Her calculativeness and the way her personality changes on a whim kept me on edge during my first read-through. I absolutely adore that her plan to frame the Greencloaks wasn’t because she had anything against the Greencloaks, but because she simply needed a convenient scapegoat. I also liked that Kana was with Song the whole way through and only ever wanted what was best for her. Rollan was the one out of the four who felt like he had a natural, steady arc. Tarik’s cloak is emphasized throughout the arc, so it’s natural that Rollan would pick it. Flying wasn’t possible for him before but makes sense, and freedom echoes his desire to not be held down, sort of echoing his attitude near the beginning of the series. It’s done quite well, actually. I liked Abeke’s bonding, as well. The Shane thing finally getting addressed during the climax was simply perfection. Abeke finally learning to let it go was crucial for her arc in this series. I do wish she had spent more of the arc actually thinking about Shane, but it’s still good. Her power also makes sense, the ability to leap larger distances than ever before, even with Uraza’s help. I liked it quite a lot, actually. Her bow is also somewhat relevant for the entire series, showing how she chose to wield the weapon even when her family disagreed. So, I feel it’s symbolic enough. Meilin’s bonding showing her insecurities in the face of a problem is also simply perfection. It complements her arc so well and I love it.

Conor was so out of character. And like I said a million times, I’m okay with Conor being angrier and more sarcastic. I’m not against that. It works for his arc. But I am against him just flipping a switch between Stormspeaker and this book and changing him out of nowhere. Character development needs to be gradual. Putting aside the fact that it came out of nowhere I actually adore Conor in this book (for the most part). I just wish we could’ve seen him become over that time instead of seeing him change instantly. On a side note, Conor should’ve been more prominent in The Wildcat’s Claw and that’s when his personal vendetta against Cordelia should’ve started. It was too quick and cheap to cram it all into this book. I also hate the whole thing of Conor “becoming a wolf”. He’s not a wolf. He’s a human. Humans don’t howl and bare their teeth and walk on all fours. That’s just dumb. Briggan’s whole thing is that he can see glimpses of the future, but then they go and tell us that wolves don’t care about tomorrow??? How does that even make sense? They also transformed Briggan from this wise, dignified, slightly silly wolf to a rabid animal that only cares about food. Why??? Meilin’s hairpin came out of nowhere. It was clearly a last minute cop-out to give her an item that fits with her. And no thoughts on how she felt about her father or his betrayal when she was literally scared to bond with Jhi because of the Bile??? How did the writers miss that? Song was such a formidable villain who was always a million steps ahead of the main four in the first three books, but in this book she quickly becomes dumbed down for the sake of defeating her. Song from the first three books would have never destroyed her own palace and did something so conspicuous as sending a wave to drown Greenhaven. She’s too smart and calculating for that. Why’d she become this way??? “Power”? No, power doesn’t flip a switch in someone’s head. It’s gradual. And maintaining power takes more wits than getting it. It makes no sense that Song would become what she became. Reducing her to a power-hungry, honestly stupid villain was a last-minute cheap trick so the four could defeat her easily and quickly. It annoys me so much. And lastly, the four are supposed to be heroes. In the last arc, people know who they are and they even have titles. But in this arc, nobody respects them or the Great Beasts. Random people will just get in their face even when they know they’re fighting four legends. It’s honestly so ridiculous and completely contradictory.

Rating: 8/10

#draeyem rereads spirit animals #the dragon's eye #spirit animals series #spirit animals books #spirit animals #spirit animals thoughts

6 notes · View notes