Coldfire re-read: Black Sun Rising - chapters 16, 17 and 18

[trobadora]

Now that Gerald and Damien have met, things are moving forward.

Plot summary

Chapter 16

A Xandu responds to a stranger's Calling.

Chapter 17

Senzei can't manage to track Ciani's assailants through the fae. He attempts to track Tarrant instead, but discovers the trail suddenly ends. Ciani suggests he might have transformed into something else. Senzei explains that shapechanging isn't possible for a human, but Ciani thinks he might not even be human. Meanwhile, Damien starts to question everything Tarrant told him, realises he's been manipulated, and worries he's been tricked into being complicit in a murder. They decide to stop bothering with tracking, and go straight to Kale.

Chapter 18

The female stranger with her Xandu finds a boat to take her to Morgot.

Quotes

• Its only concern now, beyond that of safety, was food - and it sent that need out, echo­ing across the foothills of the Worldsend and into the lowlands, without ever knowing that it did so.
  And it was answered. Not with a scent, exactly. Not with anything the xandu could have defined, or anything it knew how to respond to. Call it ... a certainty. A sense of direction, and definition. It was hungry, and there was food, and if it traveled in a certain direction, at a certain pace, the twin paths of need and supply would converge. It knew this as it knew the rhythms of its own body, the taste of highgrass just coming into bloom, the smell of winter. Without doubt. Without words.


• "I was going to Work. You can Share it, if you’d like."
  In her eyes: Elation. Fear. Hunger. He fought the in­stinct to turn away, knowing how much that would hurt her.
  My gods. Did I look like that to her? Has fate done no more than reverse our roles?


• He sent his will questing along the fae-currents, noting the distinct northward pull that seemed to affect every­thing in this region. That would be the Forest, exerting its malevolent influence. Soon it would be difficult to Work in any other direction. How could an adept bear to live in such a place, where every thought was dragged toward that single point? Didn’t Tarrant claim to come from somewhere north of here?


• "Shapechanging is ... technically feasible, I suppose. And there are leg­ends. But no one I ever knew could manage it, or had ever seen it done." He met her eyes. "You couldn't do it," he said. Gently. "I asked you why. You said it would require total submission to the fae. The kind of submis­sion that the human mind can't accept. Maybe native sorcerors could manage it, you said. If there ever were any native sorcerors."


• "I've gone over it in my mind again and again since we left the dae this morning. And each time it comes to the same thing. I trusted his word. Not willingly - not even knowingly - but like an animal trusts its trainer. Like a laboratory rat trusts the men who feed it when it finally runs the way they want it to. Gerald Tarrant said that something had devoured the boy's memory, and I accepted it. God knows, I had good reason not to test him then. If I'd let myself be drawn into his Working, there's no telling what might have hap­pened. So I didn't. You understand what that means? I didn't Know for myself. I took his word for it that what he said was the truth, when I should have Seen for my­self -"

Thoughts

• I keep being impressed by the many different POVs in this book. Here, we have a chapter from the POV of a Xandu, of all things. Has fanfic brainwashed us to think multiple POVs, or one-chapter POV characters, are a bad thing?


• The Xandu chapter also shows us how native creatures interact with the fae. And comparing the Workings in chapters 16 and 17, the first focuses on need, the second on will. Any thoughts about that?


• Ciani, even without her memory, suspects that Gerald might not be human. It's amazing how close she comes, isn't it?


• Here, Damien begins in earnest what will be his primary occupation for the rest of the trilogy: obsessing about Tarrant, and whether or not to trust him. As he says, he took a lot on faith at first, but now he's realising that, and it won't happen again.


• Xandu are believed to have been Worked into extinction - another comment on the destructive effects of humanity's presence on Erna, and its inability to fit in with the natural pattern of the fae. Ciani's suggestion that a native sorceror might manage shapechanging speaks to the same theme. I always thought this theme - which is prominent throughout the trilogy - pointed towards a goal of fitting in more, accommodating yourself to the fae, finding some kind of balance. How about you? Where did you think the trilogy was going, before you knew the ending?

As always, have fun discussing! And remember, you can join in the discussion without rereading too. :-)

Next up in the reading schedule: chapters 19 and 20, on Thursday.

Comments

spoiler for later book in comment

[devohoneybee.livejournal.com]

I definitely thought (and hoped) the ending would be some sort of third option between conquering the fae in some way (or eliminating or mastering it) and being conquered by it (or more specifically, by the shape of human/fae interactions as they stood). I like the idea of the natural order of living thing/fae interaction on Erna as one of responsiveness to need -- that makes one wonder, then, what need the humans might have for the monsters. I keep going back in my mind, too, to the scene where Damien calls on "God" to protect Jenseny from Gerald's attempts to control her, and an energy arrives. Is that a response to Damien's need, or his will? Is it a fae-contruct, just a different kind of fae-construct as the monsters, or is it truly a divine intervention? And is there a difference? I would love to see someone write an alternate ending to the series where humans have a transformation in consciousness that allows them to engage in a more natural and beneficial dynamic with their adopted planet. Something about being able to cooperate with and care for the energies rather than control them. Something about being able to reveal need... and trust that the energies will take care of them. Something, in fact, like the shift in consciousness that Damien and Gerald made in learning to work with each other... with dark fae and light, destruction and healing.

Re: spoiler for later book in comment

[trobadora]

Yeah, I did think they were headed towards some third option as well. Of course, that was always Gerald's project - to adapt to the fae, but not to the point of losing your human heritage. To be able to live on Erna, but also be able to live among the stars. And I thought the books pointed in that direction - everything about the theme of balance, and the slow adaptation of humanity to the fae, with adepts who were increasing in numbers, even a human who could use the tidal fae. So when CoS instead opted to just take away the fae and basically turn Erna into a world not that different from Earth, I was incredibly disappointed - it felt like a cop-out.

I like the idea of the natural order of living thing/fae interaction on Erna as one of responsiveness to need -- that makes one wonder, then, what need the humans might have for the monsters.

I thought the problem was that the fae responded to all the different levels of a human mind at once, and couldn't distinguish between fears, hopes, will, subconscious thoughts, or true need.

(I think to say something sensible about the scene with Tarrant's confrontation with Jenseny, I'd need to reread it - so maybe I'll leave that until we get there in the reread.)

I would love to see someone write an alternate ending to the series where humans have a transformation in consciousness that allows them to engage in a more natural and beneficial dynamic with their adopted planet.

Yes, that would be a great idea for a story! Someone should definitely write that.

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

Has fanfic brainwashed us to think multiple POVs, or one-chapter POV characters, are a bad thing?

Depends on what fanfic you are looking for. The plot-driven ones, at least in my experience, tend to come with several POVs, while character-driven tends to stick with one or two. You have to keep in mind that fanfic writers tend to be amateurs who often don't have the writing experience of pro authors. And the fewer POVs there are, the easier they are to handle. That said, Friedman's POV range is very, very impressive. And a lot larger here than in her other novels.

Ciani, even without her memory, suspects that Gerald might not be human. It's amazing how close she comes, isn't it?

I wonder whether that isn't because she has lost any prejudices and preconceived notions. She can't remember how unlikely it is that he'd be anything but human, so it is a possibility like any other to her. Senzei wouldn't have thought of it - he's used to dealing with humans and demons in neat categories.

Here, Damien begins in earnest what will be his primary occupation for the rest of the trilogy: obsessing about Tarrant, and whether or not to trust him.

But he'll trust him again and again, and then fret about it later. What I find interesting about it is how unsettled Damien is by the situation. He's been portrayed as steady and self-confident, but one run-in with Tarrant and he is second-guessing himself.

[trobadora]

Depends on what fanfic you are looking for.

True, and true about Friedman's range as well. It's still my experience that fanfic tends to have fewer POVs than profic, and that the POV tends to be tighter too. I find the Coldfire reread has reminded me of possibilities I'd nearly forgotten. *g*

I wonder whether that isn't because she has lost any prejudices and preconceived notions.

Yes, that makes sense. It's what happened with her idea about rakh in the human lands as well - she wasn't blinded by the usual assumptions because she'd forgotten them.

What I find interesting about it is how unsettled Damien is by the situation.

Tarrant knows exactly how to push his buttons, doesn't he? He gets under Damien's skin, making him question anything and everything, and yet as you say, Damien ends up trusting him again and again. That's one of the things I really admire about him - another man might have been provoked into simply turning against Tarrant and deciding everything he said must be wrong. But not Damien. :-)

Btw, how's the fic exchange thing coming along?

[carmentalis.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't be surprised to see xandu-POV fanfic from now on, that much is for sure. ;-)

she wasn't blinded by the usual assumptions because she'd forgotten them.

It's actually quite a treasure. Small wonder Tarrant was interested in her beyond mere politeness: she's the ideal person to bounce ideas off on. Smart enough to understand what she's told, but without any prejudices.

another man might have been provoked into simply turning against Tarrant and deciding everything he said must be wrong. But not Damien. :-)

Underlying masochism? ;-)
Damien looks for the whole picture, and that picture is always annoyingly tilted towards Tarrant being useful despite his irritations, and later even worth saving.

Btw, how's the fic exchange thing coming along?

Just putting the requests together so picking and choosing can work. It's going to be tomorrow noon until I get to post them, though. (And can I say yay for participation? And yay that you sneaked in too?)

[trobadora]

I wouldn't be surprised to see xandu-POV fanfic from now on, that much is for sure. ;-)

*sits back and waits*

Damien looks for the whole picture

Damien is a pragmatist, and I really love that about him. Good guys so rarely are. But there are any number of scenes where Damien wants to react in a certain way but stops himself because it would be stupid under the circumstances. Plenty of heroes could learn something from him!

And can I say yay for participation?

Woohoo! I'm really looking forward to that.

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

But he'll trust him again and again, and then fret about it later. What I find interesting about it is how unsettled Damien is by the situation. He's been portrayed as steady and self-confident, but one run-in with Tarrant and he is second-guessing himself.

It is very interesting. I wonder if the first time isn't something of a statement about Gerald's personal charisma--that he's the kind of guy you just instinctively don't question...or if, like the Patriarch, he's surrounded by a faeborn aura of command. Or if the two of them really do just hit it off that badly.

[trobadora]

I vote for all of the above. ;-)

[squeakygeeky]

Ciani whispers again. To be fair, everyone seems to be talking in low voices even when it is not actually called for. Maybe if they whisper, creepy shapeshifting Gerald cannot hear them!

I wish more had been done with the shape shifting...does anyone remember whether he can take multiple forms or is it just the one?

[trobadora]

Definitely multiple forms - he takes the shape of several different birds and at least one other flying creature. But yes, it'd have been interesting if more had been done with it.

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

*laugh* Well, there I think she was speaking extra-quietly so as not to disrupt Senzei's concentration. But a lot of whispering does go on in this books, no?

[prettyarbitrary.livejournal.com]

It's not fanfic that's brainwashed us. In the last five or ten years, accepted notions of fiction writing have swung against the idea of external POVs. When I was growing up, I was always told that 3rd person omniscient was the way to go; now no no no, that's just ridiculous! We should stick with 1st person or 3rd person limited, because how silly is it to think that you could get into multiple peoples' heads? :P Just another example of prevailing thought. It'll swing again in a few years, and they'll be telling us 2nd person or something is the only way to go.

It seems so uncharacteristic of Damien, even at this point, to have taken Tarrant at his word unquestioningly. I always wonder at this point if Tarrant didn't do something to them, as Senzei suspects...or if one of the things he accomplished by gently murdering that boy in front of Damien was to throw him badly enough not to pry any further into Gerald's business.

I love the chapter in Senzei's POV, where he takes Ciani along for a Working. It's one of the best descriptions we get of what a Working looks like. Also, the image of Gerald's footsteps burned into the earth as he walked away from the dae is just a great, vivid image.

I could never figure out where the series was going till I got to the end. In the final book, I remember thinking that she was quickly painting herself into a corner when it came to the ending. Every unobjectionable ending I could think of got shut down, one after another, but I didn't know how shoe would end it till I got there...and barely resisted throwing the book across the room.

[trobadora]

In the last five or ten years, accepted notions of fiction writing have swung against the idea of external POVs.

Ah, I see. I haven't been paying attention, it seems. But then, I'm not reading that many new novels any more - more often than not, I pick up books that have been around for quite a while. Can't wait for this particular tide to turn, though! Not that I have anything against tight 3rd person, but a bit more variety would be good.

It seems so uncharacteristic of Damien, even at this point, to have taken Tarrant at his word unquestioningly.

I think Tarrant did throw him - and as Damien himself says, he had good reason not to look too closely at first. I doubt Tarrant actually Worked him here - that sounds like too much of a risk with a sorceror, even for someone of Gerald's skill.