Healspace
In which there is an exchange of gifts.
I don’t feel like I have anything new and insightful to say about the events of this chapter. And I don’t want to sit around hoping for an insight to show up, because I want to see what happens next.
Ribbon Dance Hill
In which Tekelia has an urgent question for Shan, and an important answer.
One consequence of Padi and Shan being teleported directly to Ribbon Dance Hill is that it bypasses questions of geography, so my guess about whether the Hill is related to the ridge Padi read about is unlikely to be answered until it’s all over, if then. I think it’s a good guess, though; a hill that may be literally from another world seems like a good place for these kinds of goings-on.
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Colemeno Port
Great Hall
In which it may be accounted misfortune to lose one kinsperson, but two looks like carelessness.
Betya seelyFaire’s account of her ancestor’s reasons for coming to the Redlands have a noticeable resonance with Dyoli’s reasons for doing likewise.
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Colemeno
Portmaster’s Office
In which the Redlands prepare to welcome visitors.
I can see several potential problems with the Warden’s plans to keep the off-worlders and Civilization at arm’s length.
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Civilization
In which it’s too late to keep hiding under a bush.
This might be the last appearance in the book of the word “vas’dramliz”, the Liaden word for the “small talents”, so I’m going to take this opportunity to share an observation: given that we know what “dramliz” means, vas’ must be the part of the word that signifies “small” or “lesser” — so it’s curious that we know of at least three Liaden surnames with the same prefix. Mae Nir vas’Urbil, in “Degrees of Separation”, is a chef, which might suggest that families with that prefix tend toward lower class jobs. (Menolly vas’Anamac is a scout and Kin Jal vas’Tezin an appendage of the Department, so we don’t have any idea of their families’ social status.)
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Civilization
In which Aunt Asta is in a good mood.
The opening of this chapter is word-for-word the same as in the opening of the first “Civilization” chapter — until it isn’t.
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Volmer
In which yos’Galan makes connections.
I can’t remember the last book in which we had so many bows in so few chapters. The last few books have either been set on Surebleak or involved people being off having adventures among the Terrans, so there hasn’t been so much opportunity for Liadens interacting.
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Dutiful Passage
Private Meeting Room
In which Dyoli and Mar Tyn consider what’s to do.
Two thirds of the way into the book, and I still don’t know who the people on the cover are, but I’m beginning to consider the possibility that it might be Dyoli and Mar Tyn.
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Off-Grid
In which the Haosa welcome new arrivals.
We learn a bunch about life Off-Grid in this chapter.
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Off-Grid
In which Tekelia makes the acquaintance of a Dragon.
It was nice of the authors not to keep us hanging too long on that question.
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