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Hello FairyLooters!
I hope everyone has been enjoying the readalong so far! What have been our favourite parts?
Tomorrow is the last day of the readalong and I can’t believe it is almost over! But let’s not jump ahead as we’ve still got today’s chapters to read first!
Today we’re reading chapters 17-20!
Please be warned, the following will include spoilers for Forest of Souls by Lori M. Lee Chapters 1-20! Read only if you’ve finished those chapters!
-!SPOILERS!-
Sirscha sets about gathering the things she’ll need to help her with her plan to free the Shamanborn and find Kendara and luckily Phaut doesn’t seem to mind!
Vos Gillis sounds so pretty and eccentric with all the colours and decorations everywhere! There seems to be so much going on!
Ohh so Sirschas plan is to look suspicious and be caught by a guard so that she is taken to the other Shamanborns…that puts a lot of faith in her abilities to escape and if I’m honest, it makes me worried something will go wrong and they won’t get back in time!
Omg! They’ve taken her to prince Meilek? this should be interesting!
I think complication is an understatement there Sirscha ?
Oh wow the queen has declared Sirscha a Nuvali spy! That makes her whole situation worse…I wonder if she still expects to earn her favour!
Where do we think Kendara could be? She must have a reason for going missing and there’s something sketchy going on with the queen but I can’t figure out what!
Oooo Sirscha makes a good point! If everyone thought she was going to be the apprentice, maybe the assassins were for her but how would the queen know that she was Shamanborn before Sirscha did? Nobody knew where she came from as far as we know!
At least this gives Sirscha some time to learn more about the Shamanborn now that she is one of them!
Yaaay Phaut has still managed to create a distraction but I have no idea how they’re gonna escape!
Okay wow so much has just happened! They manage to escape the prison with a little help from magic and thanks to Phauts distraction, the streets are pretty empty making it easier for them to get through the city until they come across some guards. Not only does Sirscha have to fight them off but now she’s going to fight Prince Meilek!! Is this not treason?!?
The split second it takes for her to throw her sword to help Kudera is all Meilek needs to beat her…but he’s letting them go?? Why would he be helping her when she basically just committed treason and also escaped from his prison?
I’m so glad that they managed to help at least a few Shamanborn escape but now they need to focus on their own escape and make it back in time.
Uh oh, their only option is to go through the dead wood! Even if this is the narrowest part of it, I don’t doubt the trees will still be after them!
Omg it’s Prince Meilek that’s been helping the Shamanborn escape! He’s going against his sister, the queen and is on the same side as Sirscha!
I would definitely be Phaut in this situation but I would definitely have passed out way before now ? but with Phaut so exhausted, they’re not going to get anywhere fast and the trees will find it easier to attack ?
Ahhh Sirscha has managed to summon her craft! The forest of souls!
The pair finally make it back to Spinners End and I’m so glad Ronin agreed to help them. It made the last leg of their journey a little easier!
Oooo Saengo has been doing some snooping!
Whaaaat how is there a letter from Kendara to Sirscha in the library at Spinners End??
Kendara knew Sirschas mother and promised to take care of her! But she also said that Sirscha is exactly where she shouldn’t be! What does that mean? Should she not trust Ronin??
They’re right that it does seem like a roundabout way to start a war and why target Sirscha specifically in this way? I’m not sure but something isn’t sitting right with me!
Oh yay Theyen is back and he wants to help.
He thinks that Ronin potentially formed with his familiar and it is actually him that is scuttling around the maze as a spinner? That’s so creepy!
Noooo Saengo!! She can’t let her die…again!
“I’m tripping you and making a run for it” ? I love the interactions between Sirscha and Theyen so much cos they just bounce off each other so well.
The fact that even Theyen is fearful of whatever creature is behind the gate is making me scared! And why is it only Sirscha that can feel the strange power?
Oh, it’s Ronin coming round the corner…hmmm he doesn’t seem happy that they’re there so he’s definitely hiding something!
Maybe they’re right and his familiar is connected to the woods and that’s why he didn’t want them to figure out why the woods were expanding first!
Oh I really hope they’re going to find some way to cure Saengo!
Sooo much happened in todays chapters, I’m going to need a minute to process it all! Since tomorrow is the last day, I wanna know all your theories of what’s going to happen!
I’ll see you tomorrow!
Love,
Amy
Wait, is Ronin a werespider?? It would explain how he suddenly appeared in the garden and also the weird-eyes-thing that happened when he first met Sirscha.
It would make a lot of sense that his power is bound to the dark wood, since he doesn’t want it to disappear completely and is very shady about its origin.
I knew I liked Prince Meilek!! He let them go ??
Nice getting to know Phantom a bit better now!!
I haven’t figured out yet, why the Queen send assassins to kill Sirscha??
I think the creature with multiple legs is Ronin, but I’m not sure what he’s hiding besides that…..??
Loved the moment Saengo told Sirscha what she did : ‘Saengo claps a hand over her mouth and mumbles, zi went snooping’ . Just like she can’t believe what she did. ?
I love the bond between Sirscha and Saengo, they’re really like sisters ❤️
Just one day reading left…. I hope Saengo will survive!!! ?
Arghhh, I‘m still freaked out whenever there‘s a spider mentioned – I feel like they‘re all over me as well *shudders* ?
I somehow really feel like Ronin does not only have a familiar, but that he IS his familiar. Maybe he absorbed all the power of his huge spider that he became it himself and that thought alone is making me want to run away ? But like – no one has ever seen Ronin and his familiar at the same time!!
But I‘m so glad for Sirscha that she can finally master her power! I really hope she‘ll be able to destroy the weird spider and safe Saengo‘s life! There are only so little pages left and so much has yet to happen that I‘m biting my nails in anticipation! There will for sure be a lot going on and I can‘t wait! ?
You are totally not the only one freaked out by spiders! I keep the naked book on my nightstand and the first morning I almost had a heart attack because of the spider on the cover ?
I loved that her plan was to rescue the rest of the shamanborn. There must be something dodgy with Ronin and his familiar for him to be there the moment after they heard the same noise. I really like the interactions with Theyen. There is so much going on, like Sirscha I’m not quite sure who to trust! I loved the revelation in the library though and i’m glad Kendara didn’t just abandon her.
I think I’m ever more confused than I was yesterday after everything that has happened. Really looking forward to finish this book just to find out all the answers. This has been fantastic book yet the dead wood, the maze and whatever is in it creeps me out
I think Ronin might have consumed his familiar but maybe it wasn’t by his choice, I feel like it’s leading us to think he’s the bad guy and while he definitely has his secrets, I’m not sure he is the main bad guy.
I’m wondering if we get to meet Sirscha’s mother, does her mother have something to do with the queen? Maybe that’s how the queen knew who Sirscha really was!
I can’t wait to read the final chapters. I need answers. ?
Wow, so much has happened! The prince helps the Shamanborn, I knew it! And also.. Ronin could be an enemy! Sirscha can trust almost no one. And who was her mother? Maybe she was part of a family with the soulrender gene and thats why Sirscha’s ears were cut, to save her?? So many questions.
I think Ronin is the spider and that why he cant control the woods any more because his power is fading
Oooo I so want to know what is behind those doors
oh no Saengo can’t die they have to cure her because their friendship so cute and on of the best parts of the book
Yeey Sirscha can access her power now so proud of her for doing it when it mattered with Phaut so exhausted she would most certainly have to do it sooner if it was me there 🙂
As mush as I struggled with the book at the beginning it got me hooked now I mean I still cant picture the environment that well but I love the story
Cant wait to find out what happens now
What if, rather than Ronin absorbing his familiar… his familiar somehow absorbed him? Or is now controlling Ronin inside him or something like that? That would be really creepy!
There are only a few chapters left and there are still so many questions unanswered! I still have a feeling there will be a big revelation or twist of some kind before the end, but I still don’t know what it will be!
I like Prince Meilek! He is loyal to his queen but in the same time he supports shamanborns.
Relation between Sirscha and Saengo is so cute. They show what means to be a “best friends”.
Ronin is weird and I’m pretty sure that he made his familiar something bad.
Finally feel like the book is picking up, it felt pretty slow up until the prison breakout. But after that – YES. I love Prince Meilek, and even Theyen is getting better. Kendara seems more and more likely to be shaman, and (maybe) she’s Sirscha’s mom??
Ronin sounds really weird. It said towards the beginning that bad things happen to shamans that went beyond the limits of their magic, which he admits to doing. So maybe he “merged” himself with his familiar (because how else would it survive the rot), which is how he’s lived so long? Or maybe, crazy theory, he IS the Soulless? Or at least took over his role when he defeated him (??)
I NEED to know if Saengo survives! Who is Sirscha’s mom! How does Kendara fit into all of this! Tomorrow will be a wild ride
I think that Kendara is her mom as well. Sirscha most have gotten the shaman genes somewhere after all.
ngl, i really ship Sircha and Theyen (possible love triangle + the prince coming?).
Maybe he consumed a spider thing? maybe he has another (like he consumed one familiar but has 2? – I WANT TO KNOW MOEE!!!
when it says the queen promised safety for killing sircha? maybe they’re talking about the shadowblessed fireborn queens?
also KENDARA?? I’m not surprised that she knew about sircha being a lightwender, but ‘i love you’? it looks like my bhagra comparison was pretty accurate – now watch her be a villan’s mother haha
how’d i spell sirscha wrong every time omg
I think there’s definitely something about Ronin being like the spiderwerewolf thing and having that extra bond and maybe that’s why the rot exists. Like at the cost of many souls.
I do stilll think Kendara has to be invoced with the dead wood too but i’m not sure how anymore!
I’m really enjoying this one so far. Got a little creeped out by the maze. I’m not fully understanding the queen’s motives though. I mean I get that a shamanborn killed her parents but it didn’t effect Meilek like that so I don’t know why she’s coming at them. Maybe if she makes an appearance we’ll get more figured out.
Gotta love the interactions between Sirscha and Theyen. I’m glad that the Prince seems to have good intentions and understands that his sister is going to extremes. Will he eventually speak out against her? If what Sirscha thinks is true, did Ronin combine with his familiar, therefore can now use the souls in the Dead Wood? Or is it his familiar? Definitely my favorite section of the readalong. Can’t wait to see how it ends!
There is so much going on! I love this book.
Nice to see Theyen and the prince again. And the prince is helping the shamanborn. But what about Ronin and his spinner? I don’t think he’s the bad guy. Maybe Sirschas Mother is the key to everything. Is she still alive somewhere?
Next chapters here i come
I have so many questions?! Ok so it would make sense that Ronin has either consumed his familiar, or gained more power in some way through ‘becoming one’ (for lack of better words ?) with his familiar. Is it possible the small white spider we see when Sirscha first meets him is the same spider that makes the shadow? As it was the shadow the size may have been distorted. While I don’t think Ronin is being truthful, I also don’t think he is the villain.
We finally got a little bit more on Sirscha as well with that cryptic note. I think the crest is giving some indication of Sirscha’s family. Kendara must be from the same place in order to have known Sirscha’s mother. Plus the fact that it’s a crest might mean Sirscha is some sort of lady/royalty that has been deliberately hidden in the least likely place for that (Evewyn).
I can’t wait to finish and work out what is going on!