Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 231436 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1157(@200wpm)___ 926(@250wpm)___ 771(@300wpm)
Adventurers at heart, Kieran spent considerable time exploring with Casteel, Cas’s brother, Prince Malik; and their friend, Shea. When they went into the tunnels, they ensured they wouldn’t get lost by marking the stone walls with their initials. I’m sure some can even be seen today. Kieran and Casteel even tried to sail past the Mountains of Nyktos once to see if any of the land beyond was habitable and almost drowned in the process.
Now, on to when things really start to pick up…
When Casteel tries to take down the Blood Crown, Kieran doesn’t know the plan and is expressly forbidden from going to the capital. He immediately knows that Casteel is injured when he suddenly feels sick and realizes it’s serious when it robs him of all his strength. Kieran discovers that Cas has been captured when he doesn’t return, Kieran can no longer walk, and no amount of food or water sates him. He quickly loses weight and remains in that weakened state for the entire five decades Casteel is held by the Blood Crown.
Kieran is the only one who knows what Cas went through during his imprisonment and often had to help the Prince remember who he was back in those days after he returned, reminding him that he wasn’t a thing. It’s a terrible link to solidify a tether to someone, but it’s there for the men, nonetheless. The two have a bond that goes beyond friendship and family. They are two sides of the same coin.
When Casteel devises the scheme to become Hawke Flynn—a name that Kieran actually picked—to capture the Maiden and use her as a bargaining tool to free his brother, Kieran is all-in. Despite hating most of Solis because of its many Ascended and crowds, he knows he will go wherever Casteel does without question.
And this is where the Fate lines of Kieran, Poppy, and Casteel converge for me in my visions…
Kieran starts out in Masadonia as a City Guard, traveling with Casteel into enemy territory to begin their ruse. He keeps Setti with him there, and he and Casteel meet secretly when they can. They use the Red Pearl a lot, but they also communicate via notes left in Wisher’s Grove.
He and Cas meet at the Red Pearl with another wolven, Jericho, and Descenter Griffith Jansen, a commander of the Royal Guard—a changeling who later reveals himself as a traitor to the Crown and is swiftly dealt with. After leaving to take care of some business, Kieran returns to let Hawke know that the envoy has arrived, not yet realizing the Maiden is in the room. If he had, I wonder if he would have delayed his interruption.
Later, Kieran and Cas meet with Emil and Delano in the Grove so that Cas can feed. When Emil is…well, Emil, Kieran tells him he has a death wish.
For real, though. He just can’t keep his mouth shut. And once Kieran finds out about Vonetta…he’s probably going to be ready to hunt him, too.
When Cas finds out that Jericho tried to take Poppy the night he killed Rylan Keal and ended up hitting her, Kieran tries to head him off, telling him he already knocked the wolven on his ass for his insubordination and telling Cas he can’t kill Jericho. He thinks maybe he’s gotten through to Hawke—and he did—but when they get to the Three Jackals, he can only stand by and watch as Cas cuts off Jericho’s left hand.
Later, he goes with Cas to the warehouse district, summoned by one of their Descenters. When they arrive, Lev tells them there’s something they need to see. When he sees, he thinks he never needed to see that. Nobody does. The Ascended turned a baby into a Craven. He can barely watch as Cas does what needs to be done.
Kieran leaves a note for Casteel, telling him that he’s in the meat packing district with a new friend. When Casteel arrives, Kieran tells him he’s been freezing his balls off and then takes great pleasure in scaring and tormenting Lord Devries, until he brings up stuff that it took Kieran much too long to talk Casteel through.
Kieran spends some quality time with Circe at the Red Pearl, but Cas interrupts. Kieran invites him to join, but Cas declines. After, they discuss the Duke and what Casteel wants to do to him, and Kieran tells him it’s revenge. And selfish. Cas tells him again that he wishes Kieran hadn’t come, and Kieran basically tells him to shut up.
He would never leave Cas.
The night of the Rite, he and Cas meet and discuss the plan. Cas tells Kieran he’ll meet him in the Grove later with the Maiden, and Kieran once again tells him he doesn’t like it. It doesn’t feel right. He does say that the Descenters are doing their part and creating the distraction, though.