Today is week one of our readalong for Kushiel’s Scion.

If you’re interested in joining the readalong the details and other participants are below.  This is a nice gentle readalong and as this is the start of a new series I don’t believe it’s necessary to have read the first three books by this author – so, if you want to read some Jacqueline Carey this could be just the incentive and time for you to jump on board.  Feel free to join in and obviously, if you haven’t read this series but are intending to do so please be aware of spoilers – because they’re running amok below

I think he remembered it all very well to be honest and it made for a really very good recap.  I found it odd at first that Imriel was narrating – even though I knew that was going to be the case – so at first it was a bit jolting to hear him say things about Phedre or Joscelin.  I needed to shake myself to bring me out of it.  I thought it was really intriguing to hear his side of things too.  His earlier years spent in innocence before he was abducted and then the horrible time afterwards.  If nothing else being in Imriel’s head also reinforced the fact that he was completely unaware of his mother’s plans and schemes and also blissfully unaware of his own inheritance.  I was also intrigued about his thoughts on Ysandre.  It was only a fleeting thought but I would say he doesn’t seem too enamoured of her which I found rather intriguing.

2) What do you think is in Melisande’s letters? How did she escape and who do you think assisted her this time?

I worry about these letters and also about the fact that they’re still being kept.  I just find it very difficult to believe anything Melisande says or does and so can’t help wondering if there will be some secret subtext hidden amongst the seemingly innocent.  As to how she escaped.  Well, she doesn’t seem to find it difficult to bend people to her will.  Plus, she had a following all of her very own!  It wouldn’t surprise me if there was something larger going on though.  Her disappearing at a time when Imriel is almost of an age – she’s clearly still plotting to put him on the throne and there are plenty amongst her former house who would benefit if she succeeds.

3) What do think about how Imriel handled Maslin of Lombelon? Has he made an ally or a foe for the future?

I’d like to think he’d made a friend by acting so kindly and thoughtfully.  The other side of me though thinks that it would be very easy for somebody – a certain somebody – to manipulate that situation and misuse Imriel’s obvious liking for Maslin to encourage a friendship between the two.  A friendship that was actually a bit duplicitous.  We’ll see.

4) There’s a few moments of foreshadowing in this section: Elua’s priest’s words concerning finding and losing love over and over again; Alais’s dream concerning a man with two faces. Are you intrigued or just happy to zoom along at this point?

Yeah, that priest was a real bundle of laughs wasn’t he – thanks for that, very cheerful!  I’m happy to zoom along at this point although obviously my mind is racing a little bit.  There are a number of possibilities already on the horizon for Imriel so it’s going to be interesting watching it all pan out.

5) Imriel’s Shahrizai cousins (Mavros, Roshana, Baptiste) have come to visit for a summer. What are your impressions so far?

I’m not sure I trust any of them.  They all seem to be playing a game of wait and see who Imriel takes to and confides in.  They’re a  bit pushy to say the least and just a bit overly curious – I can’t help wondering if those letters are going to go missing!  Of course they could be totally innocent and just purely wanting to get to know another member of their family.  I really do wonder though at the reasons for them being there at all and I’m sort of with Joscelin on the whole affair.  It smells suspicious to me and the timing of it all is too much of a coincidence.

What a great start – there was a bit of recapping but I found it really enjoyable especially as we were getting the story from another narrator.  I really liked gaining an insight into Imriel and his thoughts, fears and wishes.

I also thought it was great to see the family dynamic that Phedre, Joscelin and Imriel share – I really liked that and the fact that they gave him such a happy stable home.

Here is the current schedule:

And here is the current list of participators:
Allie at Tethyan Books
Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow
Lynn at Lynn’s Book Blog
Emily at Emma Wolf
Susan at Dab of Darkness