Gah, I only just now managed to reread these chapters. And #32 is one of my favourites! But here I finally am. *g*
What I find interesting, in a creepy way, is the theme of the Master's sexualised hunger in #31. It continues here, and I keep being unnerved by it. Is that just me?
As for #32: There is that strange bit where Damien thinks about Senzei's untested inner courage. I really do wonder what to make of that. Are we supposed to take that at face value, or are we supposed to think him mistaken, considering what happens later?
And also, Damien envying the friendship between Ciani and Senzei, and wondering if he could ever have anything like it, "years in the making", when he never manages to sit still long enough. (Hint: you don't have to look far. *g*)
Damien's taking another step away from his initial perception of Tarrant here, when he wonders not so much whether he can keep the Hunter from killing the rakh, but whether he actually should do it.
That's fascinating, isn't it? How he keeps having to stop himself from taking the Hunter's side. How he keeps having to talk himself into disapproving.
Tarrant, swooping in and changing shape just to catch Damien and keep him from crumpling to the ground? The inner fangirl in me had an absolute "awwwww" moment at that.
Everyone's inner fangirl, I believe. :D
Isn't it ironic that what he hungers for now is what Tarrant dreamed of back when he was still human?
They're more alike than they like to admit, even though they're also very different in temperament. It's one reason they understand each other so well, despite their differences. I like that kind of thing. :-)
The rakh are never really interesting to me. There is more development of their social structure here than 90% of all alien species (or should that be aboriginal species) in fiction get, but I've never managed to shake off the stereotypes some of the descriptions bring up. How about you?
I find the rakh fascinating - they're such a strange creation, half human fantasy, half real alien. It's their origin that makes them interesting to me, not so much their actual description which, as you say, could be any clichéd species anywhere. But here, the clichés make sense for once, because the rakh were made from clichés. I hurt my brain a little just thinking about that. *g*
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What I find interesting, in a creepy way, is the theme of the Master's sexualised hunger in #31. It continues here, and I keep being unnerved by it. Is that just me?
As for #32: There is that strange bit where Damien thinks about Senzei's untested inner courage. I really do wonder what to make of that. Are we supposed to take that at face value, or are we supposed to think him mistaken, considering what happens later?
And also, Damien envying the friendship between Ciani and Senzei, and wondering if he could ever have anything like it, "years in the making", when he never manages to sit still long enough. (Hint: you don't have to look far. *g*)
Damien's taking another step away from his initial perception of Tarrant here, when he wonders not so much whether he can keep the Hunter from killing the rakh, but whether he actually should do it.
That's fascinating, isn't it? How he keeps having to stop himself from taking the Hunter's side. How he keeps having to talk himself into disapproving.
Tarrant, swooping in and changing shape just to catch Damien and keep him from crumpling to the ground? The inner fangirl in me had an absolute "awwwww" moment at that.
Everyone's inner fangirl, I believe. :D
Isn't it ironic that what he hungers for now is what Tarrant dreamed of back when he was still human?
They're more alike than they like to admit, even though they're also very different in temperament. It's one reason they understand each other so well, despite their differences. I like that kind of thing. :-)
The rakh are never really interesting to me. There is more development of their social structure here than 90% of all alien species (or should that be aboriginal species) in fiction get, but I've never managed to shake off the stereotypes some of the descriptions bring up. How about you?
I find the rakh fascinating - they're such a strange creation, half human fantasy, half real alien. It's their origin that makes them interesting to me, not so much their actual description which, as you say, could be any clichéd species anywhere. But here, the clichés make sense for once, because the rakh were made from clichés. I hurt my brain a little just thinking about that. *g*