Stunning photo by @bewareofthereader
Hey fairies,
Happy Sunday, I hope it is nice and restful and welcome to day 2 of the November Adult Book readalong of Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare.
I hope you are all enjoying the book so far! Even though it has been a lot of world building.
Today we are reading from chapter 4 to the end of chapter 7. Let’s dive back into the story!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare from the chapter 4 to the end of chapter 7. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
Kel has been left with a knife to his throat but he seems strangely calm. Which is impressive! The person who has taken him is the Ragpicker King and they know he is the Sword Catcher!!
He has offered Kel a job being a spy for him on the royal family and charter families, because he wants to know where Prosper Beck gets his money from. I do love a criminal rivalry.
Kel was drugged but knew? He is very smart, I like him.
Hold up a minute is the King sick??
I do wonder if Kel will betray Conor and help out the Ragpicker King, I do hope not!
Kel and Silla seem sweet but I feel like it is just a fling more than anything as he is aware of Antonetta watching him.
I burst out laughing when Antonetta walked in on Kel and Silla, like she got so embarrassed!
Conor is saying he has made mistakes and needs to fix them I wonder what he has messed up.
These quotes from the `Tales Of The Sorcerer-Kings’ are so good
The Queen seems quite childish ignoring Kel and thinking that everyone in the royal family is beloved. Also the way that Conor just orders Kel around makes me think there will be a falling out.
Is anyone else liking the Ragpicker King, he is like the bad guy who you can’t help but fall for. His Crawler helping out Lin is the best aswell.
I am so angry at the Ashkar people not willing to trust Lin as their doctor, so sexist.
Lin seems like such a good doctor can she be mine???
It makes me so sad to realise that the Ashkar don’t have any land of their own only small settlements in most countries.
The stone Petrov shows Lin, I think will play an important task as he wants her to have it and that she can do good with it.
We are back to Kel noticing Antonetta and the fact she is cold, it is too cute I sense the childhood friends to lovers trope.
Lin had an awful nightmare and finds the stone in her bag, maybe they are connected?
Artal Gremont who said the sexist comments to Antonetta in the prologue has been sent away, what did he do I wonder?
I would hate to be a royal and be forced into marrying someone I did not love.
Please the way Kel hates that Antonetta has changed and acts naive in public now, makes me giggle.
Are we seeing a Queen Charlotte similarity with the King being an astronomer? Well he believes the stars tell him destiny, oh no.
I do not like these Charter families at all.
I want to hug Conor, he is just so scared about losing his mind but at least he has Kel.
Petrov is dead, my heart but I know those men were after the stone she carries and she needs to get his magic books.
Kel has gone to find Merren to receive some poison and an antidote but he also got distracted by the thought of kissing him, Kel and Merren anyone?
The fact that Merren doesn’t trust the Charter families because they didn’t help his father is very good information.
Wait Kel have been mistaken for Conor and he owes 10,000 crowns to Prosper Beck!
Someone just killed most of the Crawlers that belong to Prosper Beck and saved Kel but who??
This section was amazing and the end of Chapter 7 is something.
Would you get married for the good of your country? Are you liking the magic system with the talisman’s? Which Charter family would you be apart of?
I can’t wait to keep reading! See you tomorrow for day 3 👋
Love,
Emily
Nope, absolutely not 😂 I’m sure my Country could make do without me marrying somebody I don’t even know. I’m not a huge fan of the talismans, I don’t quite get the concept though to be honest. Probably Antonetta’s but only because we could keep each other company.
This book is getting more and more interesting.
I feel like the Ragpicker King might not actually be the bad guy in the story. Curious to learn more about him.
I’m really interested in Antonette and I am curious to see what her story will be. We saw her being such a strong determined kid in the prologue and it’s clear she’s hiding her real self. Her mom seems terrible.
What did Conor do? It sounds like he made a deal with the devil. Worried about him and what it will mean for him and Kel.
Now talking about Kel, that moment with Merren was very interesting. Potential love story maybe (hopefully?). I mean Kel thought he was ‘pretty’ from the first moment he saw him…
Anyway, he seems to be slowly realizing his life is not as wonderful as it was supposed to be. Let’s be honest, he deserves better, especially from the Queen. He’s literally protecting her son on a daily basis and she keeps ignoring him.
The king being mad also made me think of Queen Charlotte lol.
Now, why do I feel like Lin will be the one saving Kel?
Can’t wait for day 3!
100% Queen Charlotte vibes with the king. 💜
Wow I can’t even, the book definitely got way more interesting! And why is everyone keeping so many secrets? I need to know them like now!
I’m very intrigued about the Ragpicker King, I think Kel will somehow still start working for him as well because what he said is true – Kel could have so much more in life. He doesn’t even have his own room… but I think he will be able to keep Conor as his friend and still be loyal to him somehow. Especially considering how much Conor has been keeping secrets from Kel (the debt, probably something else as well) then Kel may feel that he needs some life outside of the royal family and his duty.
I would probably get married for the good of the country if it was absolutely necessary but I guess it would have to be a very good reason. But it’s still debatable, if I would be madly in love with someone else then maybe I just could not?
The magic system is nice with the talismans. It is definitely different to read about the talismans that have some magic because usually the fantasy or magic I read have way more magic or magical things. But maybe this will change soon I wonder? But it’s still cool. I’d like to know more about the talismans and which kind there are because it seems we have only heard of some of them.
I wouldn’t want to be a part of any Charter family, considering how sucky they are. But even if I should pick one, I don’t think I could because I still can’t remember all the Charters 😀
I think it is so odd that he doesn’t have his own room!
Okay, I do not know why exactly, but when Kel was talking to the Ragpicker King in the carriage I kept seeing an older Kaz Brekker in my mind’s eye. 🤓
It does seem like Kel is always in trouble by the end of the designated chapters, great cliffhangers to end with! Makes me look forward to the next bit. I do wonder If Lin will be the one to help him out of this current predicament?..
This section introduced so many potential plot points! Can’t wait to see what happens next.
This section was great, not as great as the first one tho. The Ragpicker King is now my favourite character (major Kaz Brekker vibes) and the audiobook narrator does him justice wonderfully.
The court intrigue sections kinda bored me, probably because they’re not as fast-paced, and I find Antonetta a very annoying character, I hope we see some character development for her soon. The Charter families are such spoiled aristocrats, I understand Kel’s feelings towards them.
Lin is my sweet darling that must be protected at all costs; I can’t wait to see how that stone Petrov gave her is gonna come into play, the numerical magic system is really interesting and I hope we get more in-depth explanations about how it works.
The plot is really starting to pick up! Kel being wounded, The Ragpicker King’s offer, Conor’s debt to Prosper Beck and Lin’s mysterious stone…I must start the next section immediately!
I think a lot more is going on than we realise. I also think there is a bit of enemies to potential lovers going on between Conor and Lin, they just won’t admit it to themselves.
I agree so much Lin and Conor!
I’m struggling a bit with this book still. The beginning was very overwhelming and felt very much like an infodump to me (to much at once) and now it feels a bit dragged with the political stuff. I hope it’ll pick up more after the ending in chapter 7, especially when I think about what I’ve read until now, it feels very much like an introduction and establishing the characters and world and that took around 30%, which is quite a lot
1. Would you get married for the good of your country?
I think I would, but I would have some parameters set for that marriage (age, familiarity, possible friendship etc.)
2. Are you liking the magic system with the talisman’s?
I like it, but it feels very fague at the same time. There are talisman’s, how do they work, how are they made etc.? I still feel like much isn’t explained.
3. Which Charter family would you be apart of?
They haven’t really shown the best of themselves so I don’t think I would want to be part of the family, but would love to trade in coffee haha (don’t really know if that is part of a Charter family or not)
Would you get married for the good of your country?
I guess I would if I had to. But, I would like to know whoever it is I am marrying. We could decide princess diaries style haha.
Are you liking the magic system with the talisman’s?
Yeah. But we don’t really know much about them. Other than kel’s necklace, they haven’t really been mentioned or explained.
Which Charter family would you be apart of?
Is there a charter about writing and books? I would be apart of that one! Otherwise, I don’t remember much about them.
So much info in such little time! I’m a bit overwhelmed. Anyone else?
I wouldn’t get married for the good of my country. Sorry, but I’m not gonna walk into decades of self-misery. That sounds like an awful time.
I’m liking the magic system and the mystery behind it all. I’m over-analyzing the quotes from the ‘Tales Of The Sorcerer-Kings’ as we read, because I know it holds so much information to magic’s past. The talisman’s are intriguing. It makes me want to know how they are created and imbued with magic.
It sounds like being part of a Charter family has a lot of politics in it, and well, gross. I’m pretty sure I would wiggle my way out of being part of it.
I’m really enjoying this book so far! I feel like there is a lot of potential for the plot and lots of ways it could go… I’m really intrigued about the Ragpicker kings character and how that storyline will unfold. I’m also really into Antonetta’s character. I feel like there could be a lot of interest there as she was a big part of the prologue. Surely at this point we get Lin to meet Kel and Conor?
Would you get married for the good of your country?
Yes! but there would have to be boundaries, like would need to be someone my age ect.
Are you liking the magic system with the talisman’s?
I feel like I don’t understand it fully yet – hopefully we will get more info as the plot unfolds.
Which Charter family would you be apart of?
None of them? I feel like they’re all not that great. I’d much rather be a physician with Lin
Being a physician would be so much better than being part of the Charter families!
I don’t know if I could marry without love, it would have to be for a very good reason, and even so, with the possibility of falling in love in time. Never to someone I don’t like.
The talisman magic seems interesting but also, it is supposed to be a lesser magic I think? So it’s practical but it won’t be enough for Lin to save Maryam.
Regarding the Charter families, I would choose the timber one, because they’re involved in every paper business, so basically, books!!
I’m really enjoying the Ragpicker King plot, the fact that he saved Lin and now most likely Kel with the mysterious archer, he may play a very important role in the story.
Also the stone Lin received, it seems to be one of the magical source stones that were used to store magical power by the sorcerer kings. How will Lin use it?
The introductory texts for each chapter are amazing, it helps to understand the story.
Can’t wait for the next segment!
I don’t know if I would get married for the good of your country, like it depends on the opportunities we get because of the marriage and the personality of the other person. The magic system is nice with the talismans. The talismans are intriguing, I’m interesting in learning more about how they work. It sounds like being part of a Charter family has a lot of politics in it, something I’m not remotely good at. I don’t remember much about them but I would choose the timber one.