IRA: Beyond the Shadows #2

Summary (Chapters 14-58):

News of the former Godking, Garoth Ursuul's, death reaches Khalidor. Because of this, the aetheling's (the throne worthy sons) will begin fighting in order to attempt to claim the throne. This disrupts Dorian and Jenine's escape plans. They are forced to rush their plans. Dorian ends up having to use the vir (an evil power bestowed by Khali, the Khalidoran's goddess), that he swore not to use again. In the end he is forced to claim the throne in order that he and Jenine can survive. Dorian learns that his family has been creating monster-like creatures called krul to fight for them. They fashion bodies for them and imbue them with the spirits called 'the Strangers,' spirits that desire to have flesh once more. They hate all life and hunger for human flesh. The wild men are rising and in order to defeat them and protect his people, they must raise the krul. Dorian asks Jenine to marry him. She considers for a few days, and then agrees. But according to custom, the concubines of the previous Godking have to throw themselves on his funeral pyre, unless they're claimed by the new Godking. To save their lives, Dorian must claim them, which could prove to be problematic for Dorian and Jenine's relationship.

Feir Cousat enters Ezra's Wood (a.k.a. the Hunter's Wood) to attempt to retrieve Ceur'caelestos (a.k.a Curoch). He exits with a hilt exactly like Curoch's, and tells Garuwashi that he will make him a copy of Curoch, so he can't kill himself because he lost his sword. To Ceuran's, thats like losing your soul. Their method of suicide is basically like the Japanese hari kari. Kylar and Logan go to see the dead Lae'knaught that Kylar lured into Ezra's Wood. They all died attempting to escape. Vi Sovari is on her way to the Chantry (a school for female magae). Vi is a former wetboy and also a magae, though not formally trained.

Solon Tofusin, a magae, and member of clan Tofusin (the former ruling house), heads home to the island of Seth. There, he learns that Kaede (the woman he loves) is now empress. He also learns of the tyranny of his brother, the former emperor of Seth. Kaede married him and then killed him in his sleep on the night of their wedding. He learns that Kaede will be wedding Oshobi Takeda, the Mikaidon (the keeper of civil order in Hokkai, the capital of Seth).

The new Queen of Cenaria, Terah Graesin, plans an attack on the Ceuran's laying siege to them. It is a stupid plan and it won't work, so Kylar scares her into calling off the attack (in the guise of the Night Angel).  Before he does so, however, he witnesses Terah in an incestuous sexual relationship with her brother, Luc. He comes up with a plan so that neither Garuwashi, nor the Cenarian's, have to surrender (Logan signs a treaty with Garuwashi under Terah Graesin's authority). Vi arrives at the Chantry, so she can be initiated and begin training. Little does she know, the leader of the Chantry has plans to use her for her own ends (I will reveal more later). Because Vi bonded Kylar with the wedding earrings in order that she didn't have to obey the Godking, she and Kylar have a bond and can communicate with each other, sort of (it's kind of like a dream). Terah Graesin moves up her coronation. Momma K, the Shinga who leads the Sa'kage, commissions a bard named Quoglee Mars well known for his honesty, to make a song that reveals the truth about Terah (including the fact she sent her sister to prison, where she died, so that her secrets wouldn't be revealed). Luc Graesin hears it at the coronation and runs out. He goes to Terah's room, where Kylar had flirted with her so he could get her alone and kill her, and attacks her. In the end, Luc can't kill her. Kylar makes it look as if he attacked Luc and Terah. He kills her and is put on trial. He's sentenced to death by the wheel, a very gruesome way to die. He dies and is brought back. Because of the ka'kari, he is essentially immortal and so each time he dies, he is brought back. Before he comes back, he discovers that each time he dies, someone he loves dies. A life for a life (the price of his immortality). He wakes up in the Gyre crypt and leaves Cenaria.

Analysis:

Since my summary is hellishly long, I won't bore you too much with my analysis. I consider this series to be an interesting look at human nature in general. There is so much corruption in the universe in this book. This reflects the corruption of our own world. Well, I think I'll end by explaining to you a bit more about what the Sa'kage is. It's basically like a huge crime syndicate that controls every illegal activity (assassinations, prostitution, extortion, theft, etc.). Any illegal thing that a gang or mob or something like that would control, they do. Well, I won't torture you any more with my ramblings.