Today is week 6 of our readalong of Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey.  The schedule and participants are below.  All welcome to join in or to simply jump in with the comments.  This week we cover chapters 38-46, and our host is Emma Wolf.  Without further ado, to the questions with the customary warning of spoilers!

1. At some point before she died, Dorelei made Urist promise to bring Imriel back to the City of Elua and Sidonie for fear that, if he didn’t go, he would be driven to bitterness. What do you think of this promise? Do you agree with Dorelei that Imriel would turn bitter?

Yes, I think she read him very well.  I think he would have dwelled on it all, probably found himself totally guilty and no doubt after wallowing around in guilt and despair would probably have turned very bitter!  Okay, I’ve laid that on a bit thick but I really do think Dorelei knew Imriel very well and I think she was sending home to somebody who would love him and help him to cope. 

2. Imriel questions whether there was no way to escape the fate of his son foreseen by the Maghuin Dhonn. What do you think?

Well, I’m not sure.  I don’t know whether I totally buy into the ethos that all things are fixed or pre-determined.  I think some of what actually happened in the vision seemed to hinge upon the fact that Imriel had left his son after Dorelei died and perhaps there was bitterness that turned even worse.  So maybe knowing that Imriel could have made a difference by simply raising his son?

3. Urist explains the politics underlying the matter to the other Cruithne by noting that Imriel was good enough for Dorelei and Alba, good enough to father Alban heirs, but not good enough for Terre d’Ange. What do you think of his observation?

 I think he made a very good point – which also brings me back to our comments (was it last week) when it was noted that Ysandre had never visited Alba.  I do wonder about Ysandre sometimes.  There have been moments along the way where I’ve definitely felt a little annoyed with her behaviour.  Plus I didn’t like what she said to Imriel about Dorelei when she found him with Sidonie.  I know that she was angry but it really did sound as though she was almost accusing Imriel of being behind Dorelei’s death somehow.

4. We see new places and new peoples. Imriel wonders about the tanner and his wife and their story and how he will never know it. Of all the minor characters we’ve met so far, are there any you wish you knew more about?

Ohh, this is a difficult one.  I sometimes think it would be good to spend more time with Drustan.  I think I would like to know more about him and how he deals with having such a long distance relationship with Ysandre. It would be good to be inside his head for a while and see if we could discover more about the real Ysandre as a result.   

5. What do you think of what’s become of the Yeshuites? Of Micah ben Ximon? Do you think the written word is more open to multiple interpretation than the spoken one, as Urist hints?

I’m not sure what has become of the Yeshuites to be honest.  Perhaps I’ve missed something so will wait for all the answers on that one. – (I think I misunderstood this question – blame it on being tired!  I think I was reading into and thinking something bad had happened to them and I’d missed it – apologies!)

I guess the written and the spoken word are open to misinterpretation depending on the language used and maybe even the wishes of the person listening or reading.  But, it seems to me that people started recording things in writing in order to keep an accurate record whereas the spoken word, I think, can quite often develop and become adapted as time goes by – like Chinese whispers or a fisherman’s tale!  So, in that respect I think the written word is probably more correct – providing of course it was accurate in the first place.

Here is the schedule:

Week 1: Chpts. 1-7, Mar 20 – Hosted by Dab of Darkness
Week 2: Chpts. 8-14, Mar 27 – Hosted by Emma Wolf
Week 3: Chpts. 15-22, Apr 3 – Hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 4: Chpts. 23-29, Apr 10 – Hosted by Tethyan Books
Week 5: Chpts. 30-37, Apr 17 – Hosted by Dab of Darkness
Week 6: Chpts. 38-46, Apr 24 – Hosted by Emma Wolf
Week 7: Chpts. 47-56, May 1 – Hosted by Lynn’s Book Blog
Week 8: Chpts. 57-65, May 8 – Hosted by Tethyan Books
Week 9: Chpts. 66-END, May 15 – Hosted by Dab of Darkness

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