The Crippled God Spoiler Discussion Place

[shalter]

For anyone who wants to openly talk about everything related to TCG, this is the place. Or, at least it is a place. By openly, I mean that spoilers--massive eye wrenching spoilers are perfectly fine. In fact, they are expected. So, if you don't want to have the secrets of Malaz revealed to you, then this is not the thread for you.

Warning--there will be dragons.

[shalter]

And, to start things off, I really liked Quick Ben's re-entrance into the story. How neat was it that he was at the Spar of Andii? And then the creation of the dark horse for a bit of a ride through Chaos--also really cool. And the hints about Mother and Father...
It was interesting that once he got back out in the open, he resumed acting like the QB we know--secretive, sneaky and powerful.

[shalter]

A few thoughts:
1) It seemed to me that Cotillion stabbed TCG in order to release him back to his followers--thus an act of compassion. This seems to have confused quite a few people.

2) I was thinking that the end would involve a CG/Forkrul alliance rather than Tavore's saving TCG. But, I thought the end fit well with the theme of compassion. In the end they got TCG off the planet and away from the parasitic gods and that was kind of the point.

3) I was quite saddened by Mappo's death. On the other hand, I took Icarium's statement about remembering as a sign of hope. Sure, he's said similar things in the past, but this time it felt to me that maybe it wasn't just a loop.

4) The whole storyline with Hood was great--did NOT see him biting off the face of a FA.

5) Bent and Roach!

6) Draconus is a major badass. It will be very interesting to see how Anomander dealt with him.

[thomstel]

I can just imagine SE sitting there writing that bit with QB:

"Hmm, I have to let the cat out of the bag here and show Quick alive again so that he can get involved later, which will answer exactly ONE question from DoD, namely, that Quick is still part of the story."

"Now, let's run the checklist of what I won't answer:
- Did Quick survive the Lizard Bolt of Doom via sneaky sneak means?
- Is Quick a human D'ivers who had one body zapped out the Wastelands and this is another of his bodies?
- What the heck would he be doing at the Spar of Andii?
- Why would he act surprised to be there when he met Hairlock in GotM if he knew it well enough to stash goodies there for later?
- What's with the horse/nightmare?
- What's with the sceptre he uses?
- Who's his "Mother"? Who's his "Father"?
- What's he going to do in Chaos?
- WHAT THE FREAK IS QUICK BEN'S DEAL!?!?"

*giggle*
*chuckle*
*guffaw*

*entire coffeehouse looks funny at the weird guy that's there every day writing*

*sheepish*

"I love my readers. They'll eat this up."

[RobMRobM]

- Liked it. Cool how threads were brought together at end.
- Glad you explained that execution by Cotillion was a mercy - I had thought it was treachery.
- Almost too many questions to count. One big one -can someone explain to be what the heck was the Snake? And how Badalle could call locusts and use humming not to be contolled by the FA?
- Here's a bigger one - how far back did Tavore know what was coming (as far as FA in Kolanse). And who told her.
- How did Tavore know to stick the sword in Drek's place? I'm confused.
- Can someone explain what was up with Karsa? Barely appears and what he did I can't figure out.
- Disappointed we never got the Felesin reveal to Tavore.
- Disappointed Crokus and Apsalar were afterthoughts.

More to come, but figured this would do as a start.

Rob

[shalter]

Excellent thomstel. I'm hoping we'll get at least some of those answered in future books.

[thomstel]

A few thoughts:
1) It seemed to me that Cotillion stabbed TCG in order to release him back to his followers--thus an act of compassion. This seems to have confused quite a few people.

I think this confusion stemmed from Koryk's POV. On first read I got the really strong vibe that Koryk was envisioning a better god than the ones he knew from Wu to that point, being revived in front of him. However, considering he was (at least a little) aspected to the CG throughout the last couple of books due to the infection that left him not quite right in the head, his POV is suspect. From his vantage though, seeing a potential savior being reborn, only to be knifed by one of the Wu pantheon, that's gotta suck. And since its his POV we get, I can see how people would also think Cotillion's action sucked until they re-read it/think about it, which SE so conveniently mentions to us via Fiddler a few scenes later.

2) I was thinking that the end would involve a CG/Forkrul alliance rather than Tavore's saving TCG. But, I thought the end fit well with the theme of compassion. In the end they got TCG off the planet and away from the parasitic gods and that was kind of the point.

I saw the release of the CG as a good thing, but at the same time I wonder. Releasing him was a compassionate thing, sure, as being the plaything/slave/sub to a whole pantheon of beings would be quite the nightmare existence. But then I think on how the Jade Strangers were retreating at the end of the tale, and considered that while the act of releasing him was compassionate, the true goal may have been to avoid the Moon's fate for Wu itself. Had the Strangers crashed down through the planet, everything would be for naught anyway. Again, just a suspicion, but altruism for altruism's sake just doesn't seem a real MO for a lot of the players of the story.

3) I was quite saddened by Mappo's death. On the other hand, I took Icarium's statement about remembering as a sign of hope. Sure, he's said similar things in the past, but this time it felt to me that maybe it wasn't just a loop.

I wasn't quite as frothy at the mouth about the end of their story as Trull's, but it was close. Left a bad taste in my mouth, man. Bad.

4) The whole storyline with Hood was great--did NOT see him biting off the face of a FA.

Any references to any Jaghut in any book is a good thing. They're just so awesome, so deadpan, so mysterious, and so likable. Even Raest in GotM was crazy awesome as he tried clawing his way up through time and warrens to regain his power, evil though he is.

Hood puts the perfect cap though, I have to agree. Going from his epic huge glacial finger coming up out the bay to face Reverence as uber-undead to a very mortal flop as he had to jump to get across to the Spire (with Roach's "assist"): so so good.

5) Bent and Roach!

At some point these two have to ascend. I mean come on. I hear the Wolves are on their way out... Beast Throne anyone?

6) Draconus is a major badass. It will be very interesting to see how Anomander dealt with him.

This was another "eh" spot for me. His storyline didn't coincide with the actual ending: it "finished" up the Errant/Knuckles/Killy thread. Which, considering his magnitude, didn't quite feel right. I kept expecting him to pop up at some point to add to the mayhem at the end, or tie back to Quick (who I assumed was his Father from the opening bit at the Spar) somewhere, but in the end...no mention. Eh.

[shalter]

-
- Almost too many questions to count. One big one -can someone explain to be what the heck was the Snake? And how Badalle could call locusts and use humming not to be contolled by the FA?
Rob

I think that the Snake was a few things. First, it showed the whole suffering angle (boy, did it ever). I think that the children were probably watered or shriven--at least they had FA blood. I believe that the locusts, butterflies, flies, (opals, diamond, shards) were all parts of the FA god. It's mentioned that they misused their god. The crystal desert is where he was "killed" and the various swarms are what remains of him--a Di'vers that does not remember itself and can't reassemble. Badalle is thus representing the destroyed goodness of the old FA and con somewhat control the old god. Or something along those lines.

[shalter]

I wasn't quite as frothy at the mouth about the end of their story as Trull's, but it was close. Left a bad taste in my mouth, man. Bad.

Yeah, it was upsetting, but I saw hope. I would really like to see a future scene with Icarium and Ublala.

At some point these two have to ascend. I mean come on. I hear the Wolves are on their way out... Beast Throne anyone?

That is an awesome idea!

This was another "eh" spot for me. His storyline didn't coincide with the actual ending: it "finished" up the Errant/Knuckles/Killy thread. Which, considering his magnitude, didn't quite feel right. I kept expecting him to pop up at some point to add to the mayhem at the end, or tie back to Quick (who I assumed was his Father from the opening bit at the Spar) somewhere, but in the end...no mention. Eh.

It did kind of end abruptly. Basically Shadowthrone tells him they can handle it from here--go talk to Mother Dark. Its another thread I'm hoping we'll see in the future.

[shalter]

- Here's a bigger one - how far back did Tavore know what was coming (as far as FA in Kolanse). And who told her.

She mentions to someone that she read up on the FA back in Unta before she even left. So, she seems to have known at least something from the very start.

- How did Tavore know to stick the sword in Drek's place? I'm confused.

She had the high priest (only priest) of D'rek along with her.

- Can someone explain what was up with Karsa? Barely appears and what he did I can't figure out.

It was unclear how he knew to do what he did. But, what he did was use his killer sword to kill the tusk of Fener upon the altar of Fener. Presumably, this was tied to actual Fener (who has been hanging around since Heboric brought him to the mortal plane). So, severing the tusk resulted in severing Fener--kind of like a voodoo doll.

- Disappointed we never got the Felesin reveal to Tavore.

I was a little disappointed at that. On the other had, she's still suffering in that she thinks she lost Felisin. That's what she says to Ganoes after she about stabs hime too.

- Disappointed Crokus and Apsalar were afterthoughts.

I was hoping for more Apsalar also. They seem to be resting for now.