Stunning photo by @cosycoffeereader!
Hi Fairy Friends!
Welcome back to day 2 of our readalong of The Curse of Saints. I hope you’re all loving the book so far! The conclusion to yesterday’s section was a dramatic one so I’m excited to see how things pan out today!
Today we’re reading from chapter 16 to the end of chapter 31. Let’s go!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for The Curse of Saints by Kate Dramis, from chapters 16 to 31. Please only read on if you’ve finished this section!
-!SPOILERS!-
We find out in a meeting with the Queen that Kakos has found a way to replicate raw power and they fear the Decachiré are going to return and challenge the gods again. This is evidenced by the man having both persuasion and strength and being able to persuade the Athatis.
Understandably, Aya keeps quiet about her ability.
While searching for information on the supplier, Will sends Tova onto the next stop and sits with Aya in a bar, accusing her of heresy and dark affinity. They are again interrupted by shouts (what is it with these two?).
Tova is being held by the Royal Guard for treason. They found the dagger that killed Ronan in her possession, and in her satchel they find what look like orders for weapons and a diary bearing the mark of the Decachiré.
The guards lift their sword to execute her but Aya explodes and kills a load of guards. They then realise she is the heretic so try to arrest her. It looks like Will is saving her until he says they need them alive for information and takes them to the Queen.
Aya waits in a dungeon, listening to Tova’s screams, when she realises the scar on her hand from her oath and her bruises have both healed. Excuse me?
Will comes down and reveals he knows Tova is innocent. He also has not been able to read or feel Aya since the Athatis attack.
Gianna and the Priestess arrive and reveal that they believe Aya is the Second Saint spoken of in the prophecy. She has been “born anew”, which explains the healing of her scars and bruises.
Will is to take her to the Saj of Maraciana who will be able to confirm this.
Part 2 opens with Aidon’s perspective (nephew of the Trahir King, Dominic) as he spars with his sister Josie. We learn that his uncle wants him to spy on Aya. Interesting since Will also wants Aya to spy on Aidon.
When they arrive in Rinnia, Aya and Will are shown to their rooms. Aya gets angry at Will (what’s new?) and produces flames from her hands unintentionally.
Aidon takes them shopping for clothes for Aya and, when Will is called to council business, Aidon continues to give Aya a tour. They go to a beautiful temple and Aidon speaks about his fears of the Bellare rising and Kakos. Aya tries to use her affinity on him and almost passes out. That does not bode well.
Will is in Aya’s room when she returns and cares for her in her illness.
Aya and Will spend their days in council meetings and questioning local merchants about the rogue tradesmen. They find no evidence that Trahir were even aware of them, never mind involved.
Will suggests they go for a drink after a long day but Aya refuses. Will says he is not her enemy but Aya points out that he has tried to take everything she ever cared about away from her. Fair.
Aya visits the establishment that was attacked by the Bellare. Aidon finds her there and she suggests that the Diaforaté have made it to Trahir if the Guard did not hear any of the commotion.
Around midnight, Will shows up at Aya’s room drunk. He’s flirtatious with her and, before we know it, she ends up straddling his lap (!!) as she tells him she purposely got Aidon to follow her and she doesn’t actually think the Diaforaté are to blame, she just wanted Trahir to take it more seriously.
Will tells Aya that Natali has accepted their request. In his drunken state, he asks “you truly hate me, don’t you?”. He seems to want to say more but leaves instead.
Do you think we can trust Aidon?
Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous?
Do you have a favourite character so far?
This book is moving so fast and I don’t want to put it down! See you tomorrow for day 3!
Love,
India
Do you think we can trust Aidon?
Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous?
Do you have a favourite character so far?
1. I think we can trust Aidon politically, but he might pull some dirty moves with Aya and Will on a personal level.
2. Yeah, if it’s going to defeat the Diaforaté there’s got to be some level of danger. It’s not like people who seek power through violent means are just going to give up without a fight. She needs to be able to bring the hammer down.
3. TBH, my favorite character is the Queen, Gianna. I think she’s very good at delegating with her Triad and she seems to rule with an admirable levelheadedness, especially given the threats her kingdom is facing.
I’m not going to answer the first question because I know how it ends ? But the other two questions:
2) Any power can be dangerous. I think the most dangerous thing about Aya’s is that it’s so unknown. No one knows how powerful she is, the possible effects, and also: she can’t control it! Not being able to control it is probably the biggest risk.
3) Favourite characters: Aya and Will are my top two. I found Aidon interesting (but didn’t appreciate the potential love triangle… I don’t like love triangles) and liked his parents and family. I wish we’d been able to see more of Tova.
I think Aidon has his own agenda, but I also think he probably does fancy Aya, at least a little bit. I don’t think he’s going to find it too hard to mark her and be around her. I don’t know that that makes him trustworthy, though.
If Aya doesn’t get control over her power, then it definitely could end up being dangerous, but with Natali agreeing to meet with them, I think it might be okay? Too early to tell, really but it’s making for really interesting reading!
Will is probably my favourite character, but a lot of that is because of the dynamic between him and Aya. There’s a lot of mystery around him and what he’s really about, which also helps.
I think we can trust Aidon once he gets closer to Aya. It is already known that he and Will have some kind of a friendship already so this may be helpful as well. It is shown that Aidon is more open to Will and Aya’s suspicions about Diaforaté and he has his own opinions separate from the King’s. Since he is not going with everything that the King is saying he could be a valuable asset when Aidon, Aya and Will start trusting each other. So if Aidon and Aya get to know each other more and Aya and Will can overcome their hostility then Aidon can be very valuable and inportant asset to them. There may even develop a great friendship betweeen those three and the relations between their lands could be improved as well as a result of that.
I believe that if Aya is not trained as soon as possible her power can definitely be dangerous. As much as we’ve seen she can’t control her actions and when she feels extreme emotions she can lash out, not knowing what her powers will do. She needs to train the powers and learn about them as much as possible. When she can control it she will not be as dangerous to herself and others. If she has full control over them she could use them for dangerous purposes perhaps but she will not be a threat to herself and others unwillingly.
I can’t say that I have a favourite character yet but Will is really intriguing, I definitely want to know more about his motivations, why is he acting the way he is.
Because we haven’t read that much about Aidon and Josie yet exploring those characters will be very cool. Josie seems like a very badass character.
Aya could easily be a favourite one because she get’s most print but at the same time she can be a bit annoying. I can’t imagine though what it feels like going through such a change – possibly being a Second Saint and developing these vast powers. It will definitely be interesting to read about her going to Maraciana and what she’ll learn there.
But if I had to pick one so far it would be Aya – I like that she can adapt quite well even when everything is difficult for her (not being able to eat, vomiting etc). She is strong and I hope to see her character improve even more. She can be quite harsh and mean if she wants to, feeling only rage at times, but I believe she has the willpower to overcome this and even let go at some point. She definitely needs someone to share her feelings and emotions with because it’s quite obvious that her nightmares, her powers and everything that has happened recently are eating her from the inside. She is not able to talk to her best friend Tova about it (at least not yet, but hopefully later in the book) so I hope she finds someone to confide in and who can help her get the pressure off a bit.
Do you think we can trust Aidon? No I don’t think so, doesn’t give off trust worthy vibes at the moment
Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous? Definitely, especially since she seems to have trouble controlling it
Do you have a favourite character so far? No tbh, not really connected with any character enough for them to be a favourite
1. I think that Aidon seems like he has a good heart. But he also will put his country before outsiders. So you can only trust him so much.
2. I think any great power can be dangerous. It is all about control. But it would be an interesting twist if the power wasn’t as good as the legends made it out to be. It would fit with her character.
3. Tova was my favorite character for a while but now at the end of part 2 it might be Will.
I love the fast pacing of this book. The tension between Aya and Will is immaculate ??
I definitely think Aidon is a good guy, but I feel like he’s hiding something. I don’t want him to be a third wheel in their relationship.
I think with the way Aya is losing control and always angry, her power is dangerous to those around her. She’ll need to find a way to overcome the obstacles she’s facing to wield it well.
My favorite character is Will, he’s such a tortured soul.
I think Aidon is more trustworthy as an ally than his uncle or father, as I think he would make a better and warmer ruler. I’m not sure what his motives are overall though. He obviously doesn’t get on with Will and it’s been mentioned already that he’s assessing Aya, rather than being friendly because he wants to be.
Aya’s power is definitely dangerous, as we’ve already seen at the market! I think what makes it more dangerous is the unknown – it’s completely new to them so they don’t know fully what she’s capable of yet.
I quite like all of the characters so far – Tova and Josie seem lovely! I do love the main three but I think I’m edging more towards Aidon as my favourite at the moment. He seems kind and caring towards his people but he’s also clever and calculated. Aya is a bit too grumpy and angry all the time for my liking and Will just seems hot and cold with her.
I am hesitant to trust Aidon. He does seem like a good guy, but I have no doubt that he will prioritize the safety and stability of his kingdom over everything else. I think that if he’s put into a difficult position, he will turn on Aya and Will. I also really don’t like the way he seems to be playing Aya and Will against each other, like with the matching outfits.
Aya’s power can absolutely be dangerous. We’ve already seen her murder four guards like it was nothing, and we saw through flashbacks how she overpowered Will and forced him to badly injure himself. But I hope that with her newly developing powers, she will learn control so that she can properly harness her power and avoid more accidental bloodshed.
My favorite character so far is probably Will. There is so so much going on in his head that we don’t know yet! He’s so complicated and gloomy. I am very excited to dig further into his character and watch his development.
1. Do you think we can trust Aidon?
I think we can. He might put his own country first above all else, but I do believe he would be a strong ally and someone they can work alongside with in the future. I also like him as a character so I might be biased in wanting him to be good hahaha
2. Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous?
Yes, potentially all powers can be dangerous. I think hers can be more dangerous due to her seemingly lack of control over her powers. It would be dangerous for her to loose control, especially if she is so much stronger and has more affinities that just persuation, and the fact that mostly is unknown and thus unpredictable. And if she loses control and doesn’t know what she is doing the outcome could be very bad as well
3. Do you have a favourite character so far?
I really like Aya as a character, she definitely has piqued my interest the most! I am also steadily becoming a big fan of Aidon!
I think Aidon will definitely be a double agent or something along those lines. He may sway to whoever may be able to benefit him most, since Aya talks about them “marking” each other.
I think Aya’s powers are dangerous but I imagine she’ll be training to control them before too long, otherwise it’ll be a detriment to her and her allies.
Aidon so far seems to be an interesting character for me. Still haven’t really Aya or Will grow on me yet, but there is still a good bit left. Aidon’s got some secrets I think and I am curious if he’ll stick with this crew or go off on his own.
Aidon is such an interesting character! I love how we only get snippets from his perspective so it’s difficult to work him out! ?
I must read faster!
1. I think Aidon will be a meddler but will eventually become trustworthy for the sake of Trahir, it’s citizens and his love for Aya.
2. I think Aya’s power is very dangerous. However, power in the hands of a just and righteous person can be wielded for good. I hope Aya learns to temper and manage her power!
3. My favourite character is Will. I have a soft spot for a character who is cold and then softens. Although, I feel there is a bit of treachery afoot with Will.
I also have a soft spot for Will! ?
Hmm, very curious. It sounds as if Will has been up to something all these years. Could he be on the enemy’s side? And what is going on with Aya and her apparent affinity for darkness? So many questions. I’m just as confused as Aya is lol
So far, I believe we can trust Aidon. He seems like a good bean. As for Aya’s power, I think any of the Visya are deadly. But she seems drained of power right now so I’m wondering if she has a block placed on her, to prevent from accessing too much power at once? Their magic has always been described as a well of power so maybe she just emptied hers too quick?
I really liked Tova and I hope she chose to trust her friend. I would be devastated if she ended up turning on Aya. I also quite like Aidon!
I feel like Will is actually really sweet towards Aya, so what is his game? What is his secret? He definitely knows something that Aya doesn’t. Her dreams with that mysterious healer say as much. Perhaps the healer is Evie? Ohhh maybe this is an instance of dark and light. If Evie saved the world by sacrificing herself in a burst of light, then maybe Aya is supposed to save the world using darkness. This balance makes sense to me.
1. I think we can trust that Aidon will try to do the right thing, but his “right thing” might not align with Aya’s. Still, it’s nice to have a warmer character around. And I like Josie too. Hope we see more of her!
2. Power is always dangerous in the hands of humans. Aya has already killed four people, even if unintentionally. I will say, however, that so far she’s only managed such magic whenever she’s around Will. Coincidence? ?
3. Hm, too soon to say. I’m sad the wolves weren’t around for this bit! Poor Tyr must be missing his bonded. I do feel for Aya, though. The physical, mental and emotional exhaustion she’s experiencing… Poor baby. 🙁 And Will… *sigh* Not his biggest fan. If someone tortured my best friend, I would stab them too. What did he expect? The fact that he suspected Tova wasn’t involved from the beginning makes me think he used this as an opportunity to gather more info on something else. Or that Gianna actually *wasn’t* clear on purpose. Still, he clearly has his own agenda, and his complicated relationship with his dad makes me think it also might not be entirely in Tala’s best interests.
I like Josie too! ?
I super hooked to this book!! I think Aidon is more trustworthy as an ally. Is already known that he and Will have some kind of a friendship already so this may be helpful as well. As for Aya’s power, I think any of the Visya are deadly. My favorite character so far is probably Will. I definitely want to know more about his motivations, why is he acting the way he is.
Do you think we can trust Aidon?
I always say yes to this question and more often than not I feel like I’m wrong so I’m going to say No. ?
Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous?
I think if she doesn’t have control over it then it will be. However, if she can maintain control she could be a baddie!
Do you have a favourite character so far?
I like Aya but I wish she gave Will the benefit of the doubt. She doesn’t understand him so she doubts him. He hasn’t really done anything really horrible either. ??♀️
Do you think we can trust Aidon?
I’m not sure about him just yet, but I can see it going both ways at the moment
Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous?
Oh definitely
Do you have a favourite character so far?
Not yet I’m afraid. I haven’t really connected with any of them
Do you think we can trust Aidon?
—hmm…i’m always very skeptical around royal characters (unless it’s the mc), so i’m not too sure about him
Do you think Aya’s power could be dangerous?
—for sure, especially if she doesn’t learn to control it!
Do you have a favourite character so far?
—our main character, aya, is my fav so far. can’t wait to see her character & power growth!