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

If you’re interested in joining the readalong the details and other participants are below.  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

Now, to the Q&A:

1. Maslin says that Imriel’s gift of Lombelon made the estate small by so easily discarding it. Eamonn says it was Maslin that made it small. Who do you think is right?

I suppose you could equally argue for both sides of the discussion, but I think Maslin is in the wrong here.  Frankly his behaviour comes across as petty and spoiled.  I don’t think he enjoys the feeling of being beholden to be honest and yet Imriel isn’t exactly expecting him to bow and scrape.  It just feels like the feelings that Maslin feels are being self inflicted.  It boils down to the intent really and if Maslin can’t see that Imriel’s intent was well meant then that particular feeling of resentment is coming from within himself.  He just feels a bit bitter and also a little bit spiteful.

2. What do you think of Imriel’s oath to Sidonie? Do you believe him? Would you believe him were you in Sidonie’s position? When he makes this oath, Imriel is still fairly young and doesn’t have a lot of experience in politics. Do you think there’s anything that could change his mind?

I believe that he believes his oath!  I also think that he’s been brought up in a family that certainly know enough and have been involved enough in politics so you could argue he’s had a decent grounding in that respect.  However, Imriel is still young and I think his own lack of experience was maybe a little bit glaring when he made the oath.  These oaths are not just ‘throw away’ things to be made casually and so to an extent I don’t think he realises exactly the full ramifications of what he did.  Again, if you look at intentions I think his were well intended but on the face of it it came across more as a gesture – although deep down I’m sure he was trying to make Sidione see that he really isn’t a threat to her.

3. Things change between them during a hunt. What do you think?

In a way you could see this attraction coming along – well, I thought so anyway, so I can’t say it’s a big surprise.  It’s that fine line ‘thing’ between love and hate.  They seem to have had animosity towards each other for a while – or at least Sidione seems to have had towards Imriel, but it seems that some of that was built on fear.  On top of that Imriel seems to want to be liked and so between the two of them they have become fixated on each other.  Not sure what else to make of it at the moment.

4. Imriel becomes the unwilling target or subject of potentially a treasonous plot. What do you think of Bertran’s reaction? Of Ysandre’s reaction and advice to Imriel?

I think Bertram acted foolishly.  The way he responded made him look as though he’s never really trusted Imriel but was friends with him only with the ethos of ‘keep your friends close but your enemies closer’ in mind.  I didn’t like the way he acted and the way he virtually ran to Ysandre – and, now I think about it some more, he lied and said that Imriel had hampered the chase when in actual fact he had been the one to get in Imriel’s way!  Now that just makes me think he was involved in it all along – plus he picked up the hat so he could have placed something in it – very suspicious.  In terms of Ysandre – she has a lot of experience doesn’t she, I thought her advice was sound in one way.  I was surprised to see that she was scared of starting something – at the end of the day whether you want problems or not you can’t stop them from coming along.  It feels a little like she’s taking the ostrich approach and I don’t think that’s going to make her problems go away as we’ve learnt in the past.

5. What do you think of Talorcan and Dorelei and the idea of the betrothals?

I felt a little bit sad for Imriel to be honest.  I mean, yes, I sort of expected the idea of politics and arranged marriages to creep into his life but he’s only just come of age and already he’s a pawn on the royal board!  I don’t think he’s maybe given Dorelei a chance but then I also don’t think he’s ready for it all.  And, it must be difficult for him, coming from the home of Phedre and Joscelin, who chose each other for love.

6. Mavros takes Imriel to Valerian House and forces him to confront…less vanilla sex, if nothing else, and Imriel eventually gives in. What do you think of this? Was Mavros too pushy? Why did Imriel give Sephira her own signale?

To be honest I’m not totally comfortable with it all.  It’s almost as though everybody just naturally assumes that this is who Imriel is – and perhaps it is – but for me it feels very forced.  I think he gave Sephira’s signale because in actual fact it was too much for him – and he doesn’t have a signale!

That’s it this week.

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