Tag Archives: ssussdriad

Dragon Ship – Chapter 11

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Middle Orbit
Departing Cresthaller

In which Theo and the Uncle have information brought to their attentions.

This is, I think, the most unambiguous statement we’ve ever had that this Uncle is the same one (for some value of “same”) as the one who appeared in the Crystal duology. Though I’m not sure which, out of all the peoples who crossed Cantra’s path in the duology, the Uncle is counting as “his enemies”.

And the bit about Dulsey’s eyes is interesting, because if she prefers grey eyes that indicates that her eye color is subject to change.

Speaking of names we’ve seen before: Ynsolt’i, which Theo mentions as one of their upcoming stops, is the planet where Jethri has his life-changing encounter at the beginning of Balance of Trade. And the Spwao system, with its two planets and then-brand-new Tradedesk Station, features in the sequel, Trade Secret (though that was actually written after Dragon Ship).

I notice Bechimo’s given up on protesting against being called “Chimmy”.

Crystal Dragon – Chapter 26

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Solcintra

In which Rool Tiazan comes visiting.

Rool Tiazan warns Cantra that her actions on Vanehald have attracted the Enemy’s attention, and that the fact that Spiral Dance obeyed her then doesn’t mean it’s free of the Enemy’s influence, only that the Enemy has not chosen to exert that influence – yet.

Cantra expresses some doubt to herself and to Rool Tiazan that humanity is either saveable or, perhaps, worth saving, but I think it says something that when his lady asks her if she wants to keep Jela’s child, she doesn’t hesitate to say yes.

(I also appreciate that the pregnancy needs a bit of dramliz-healer help to be confident of a good outcome. It underlines how much work the tree had to do to get it going at all.)

Tor An’s Aunt Jinsu, whose advice about being well-rested he starts to offer, has been mentioned before: she’s the aunt who used to travel with Scholar tay’Palin in her younger days.

Liad dea’Syl is an observant man, and I wonder how much he has observed about Rool Tiazan. (Apart from the fact that Lucky likes him, which would have been pretty hard to miss.)

Crystal Dragon – Chapter 20

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Vanehald

In which the world-shield is right where they left it.

It occurs to me that it might turn out to be an advantage that Commander Gorriti ran away before the trouble started. If he’d still been in charge, I suspect he’d have been more of a hindrance than a help.

And this would appear to be, more or less, the end of the subplot about the world-shield – which I’d completely forgotten before I began this re-read, even though it’s Jela’s motivation all the way through. I think it failed to sink in the first time I read these books because, reading them as a prequel, I already knew that the world-shield wasn’t going to be the thing that mattered in the end.

Crystal Dragon – Chapter 12

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Elsewhen and Otherwhere

In which Rool Tiazan and his lady are overtaken by that which pursues them.

Like so much that happens with the dramliz in this novel, I don’t much understand the details of what just happened.

I might get a better grip on it when Rool Tiazan and his lady show up again (which, this being a prequel, we know they will). But I kind of suspect I won’t.

Crystal Dragon – Chapter 2

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Spiral Dance
Transition

In which Jela and Cantra nail their colours to the mast.

I once encountered, somewhere online, a very disgruntled review of this novel written by someone who’d picked it as their introduction to the Liaden Universe. Looking at the amount of assumed knowledge in this chapter alone, I can see where they were coming from. (And in fairness I’ve gotta say the cover doesn’t really do much of a job of warning you that this is part two of a two-volume novel.)

Though it does at least find plot-appropriate excuses to recap the tree’s history (I like the description of the trees holding the enemy at bay by will “and by won’t”) and the appearances of our principals.

We get the first explicit statement of Jela’s built-in time limit, and something approaching an explanation. “Safer that way,” says Jela, though I notice he doesn’t say for whom.

Crystal Soldier – Chapter 32

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Spiral Dance
Gimlins

In which Jela receives new orders.

So ssussdriad is the name the dramliz give to the trees, and the answer to my question of a few chapters back is presumably that at some point the Uncle got to talking with a dramliza. Which is an interesting thing to contemplate.

Also interesting to contemplate is the description of how the dramliz are interconnected. For one thing, the language geek in me is intrigued by the implication that Rool Tiazan and his lady are not two dramliz but instead collectively constitute a single dramliza. (And also amused that, in the glossary in the appendices, the collective noun for wizards is “an enchantment”.)

(Speaking of the appendices, I note with interest that the character list in the appendices includes a name that I’m certain isn’t given in the text. Commandant Harrib is presumably the ser with the interesting chair.)

(…now here’s a thing. I ran a search in the e-book to make sure I hadn’t overlooked Commandant Harrib any place, and his name does come up once in that chapter — but only in the e-book. In the trade paperback, he’s just “the commandant” throughout that chapter, including that one sentence. I wonder which way it goes in the Baen editions?)

I really wasn’t expecting Lute’s name to pop up, the first time I read this.

Tomorrow: Crystal Dragon.