Gorgeous photo by @klaudia.k_bookish!
Happy Tuesday, fairies!
Welcome to day two of our readalong of The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart! Yesterday left us with quite the handful of questions about where our characters are heading, so let’s dive back in and see what they’re up to now!
Today we’ll be covering section two of our readalong, chapters 12 – 23…Let’s do this!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart from chapter 12 to the end of Chapter 23. Please only read on if you have finished reading this section!
–!SPOILERS!–
It doesn’t take too long for Hakara to land herself in trouble again, as she’s swiftly taken by the Unanointed and blackmailed into working with them. Their aim is to steal god gems and use the aether within them to restore their own land, creating a loophole between the current inhospitable land and the restoration.
Meanwhile, we learn more about Sheuan and her family’s fall from grace as she sneaks her way into an event – and rapidly gets a reality check from the Sovereign once caught. I don’t know about you, but I almost held my breath hoping she’d somehow get away with it! But alas, her sneaking skills leave something to be desired.
Much like Hakara, Sheuan finds herself blackmailed into a journey she didn’t ask for, being offered the trade minister position to find out why the restored realms stopped their trade. She can claim sanctuary for 30 days to grant safety on her journey – but the countdown is looming! Will she manage it in time?
Snapping back to Hakara’s journey, she’s learning more about the gems, each of them granting a different ability through the aether and explaining what happened to her arms in the sinkhole. This is a world where everyone is after any advantage, and so it’s not long before we see her bonded to Utricht. Can you imagine it, having your abilities heightened when bonded like that? It must be such a bizarre experience! But it’s one Hakara takes in her stride, winning Thassir over and helping heist a corestone in the process.
Rasha, on the other hand, is wavering in her godkiller trials after being confronted with a (just about) living God, not knowing whether to help or finish the job. It’s a grim scene, and we see just how terrifying Kluehnn can be as he literally devours the other Gods. I’m starting to wonder if Rasha has gotten herself in too deep? Though she seems to be holding her own!
To end the section we have Mull testing his filters against the second aerocline, and the God Nioanen preparing to face war. It’s an ominous place to leave them, and danger looms in the distance…
We’re definitely gearing up to something big, but what could that be? What will happen when everyone reaches the end of their journeys?
Thassir seems reluctant to help if not for the cats – why?
Do you think we’ll see the reunion of Hakara and Rasha?
Let me know down below, and I’ll meet you back here tomorrow for round 3!
Love,
Ashleigh
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That was an explosion of characters and plotlines, but I start to understand the world and how it works. At the beginning I only wanted to know about Hakara and Rasha but Sheun and Mull won me over too.
I still need to place Nionaen, which I don’t know where it lands.
I’m dreading a confrontation or at least an opposite site for the sisters as they are fighting for different goals, though their ultimate goal is always reuniting. Rasha is harsher than I thought, she holds herself up a lot better than expected being she has been taken care of all her life.
It’s already proving to be quite the tricky situation eh? It’s hard to know how they can all align, but I suppose that’s part of the intrigue!
“Oh, to be one of Thassir’s cats.” Same, Hakara, same. I’m very intrigued by Thassir’s backstory and have no idea why he was so reluctant to help.
I agree that Rasha is much tougher than she gives herself credit for. That scene with Kluehnn eating the other gods was petrifying! And when he made her forget… wow. I’m lowkey getting Marvel vibes with the corestones being Infinity Stones and Kluehnn being Thanos 😂
The tension is really ramping up – I’m scared that we’re headed for a big destructive showdown between everyone. I’m also dreading the Rasha and Hakara reunion, knowing they’ll be on opposite sides. Can’t wait to read more!
His cats seem to have it the best out of everyone so far 😂
Kluehnn is SO creepy! That scene gave me the chills, I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side!
Things are getting tense, I agree! How all these stories can align…well, I can’t see it being an easy one, that’s for sure!
There are some characters getting more and more interesting! I’m very excited about Sheuan, she sounds like a very cool person and has become one of my favourite.
And Thassir, him I like. And his cats! How adorable.
I kind of feel bad for the old gods and wish they weren’t all killed. I kind of hope Nioanen is alive there somewhere! They feel like the good guys. The young god said they were helping the people left alone by Kluehnn.
Also I was wishing that Hakara had found Sheuan and they went together over, I think they would be a good pair!
It’s hard knowing who are the ‘good guys’ in this when everyone seems so self-motivated – it makes a change from the ones hoping to save the world! I’m intrigued to see whose side we all end up on come the end 👀
I mean, you can’t go wrong with a guy who loves cats. And we BETTER get a reunion!
Thassir for the win
I’m looking forward to the reunion, but at the same time I’m scared because how will that go down? I’m also wanting to learn more about Thassir, feels like there more to know about his story… Overall I’m enjoing the book so far, had a little hard time at the beggining but it’s really picking up now!
The more we see of Hakara and Rasha, the more different they seem!
Glad you’re getting into the story now, it’s always fun to see how a tonne of POVs come together!
So I think Kleuen is super creepy and I wonder if he is the connection to snakes all over the cover of this book. Imagine the gods are these power hungry snakes. I say this because as I listen while I read anytime the narrator reads Kleuens lines it is very hissy like a snake. Sssssss 🐍
Oooh are you audiobooking? I listened to some of it and his narration is so creepy!
Catching up, since I had a busy week!
I’m starting to getting drawn into the story and I think Rasha’s plotline could not be as predictable as I thought? She had second thoughts, she wanted to help the child god.. goosebumps when she got discovered and Kluehnn turned back time 😱
I am crushed by the fact that we have so many POVs but Thassir doesn’t have one!!!!! I love him and his cats so much!
And yes, I’m already crying for Nioanen and Irael. Doomed god gay lovers 😭😭😭 they’ve my favourite pair in the book but their story finished before even starting, since it’s set in the past and is a tragic one.. still hoping for some kind of plot-twist 😭 /delusional
Something tells me a POV from Thassir would be both chaotic and full of sarcasm…I think we may need it 😂
Is Thassir Nioanen the God? I just realized that Nioanens chapters are from way before, when he was first introduced I thought it was happening at the same time. & he is nice to the cats because of his friend Irael.
I have no idea where this is heading but I think Sheuan will meet Rasha and become friends and hopefully turn her from being a Godkiller.
I think the sisters will eventually get back together.
Ooooh interesting theory 👀
Here’s hoping! The sisters have gone so long without each other already!
1. We’re definitely gearing up to something big, but what could that be? What will happen when everyone reaches the end of their journeys?
I honestly have no clue and I also kinda don’t care? I’m just struggling a lot to connect to the characters and the story and all that is happening…
2. Thassir seems reluctant to help if not for the cats – why?
He might be hiding something?
3. Do you think we’ll see the reunion of Hakara and Rasha?
Yes
Do you think the reunion will go well? I almost didn’t know whether I wanted to see it fall apart or for them to reconcile…what would be the most interesting? 👀