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)
That’s as much as I’ve seen for dear Ezra, though I imagine there is a lot more. We know that she brought about significant positive change during her rule.
LASANIA MAP
Click here to see a full-size image of the Lasania map by Hang Le.
MARISOL “MARI” FABER
Eyes: Black.
Facial features: Rich brown skin.
Background: Becomes Queen Consort of Lasania.
Family: Father = Lord Faber.
MARISOL’S JOURNEY TO DATE:
Marisol, like her father, is brilliant and tries to find natural ways to stop the Rot.
When Sera heads out to save an abused boy, Marisol says she’ll drive around so Ezra doesn’t do anything idiotic.
After Nyktos’s refusal of Sera as Consort, Marisol doesn’t treat Sera any differently.
On the night of the Rite, after attending, she is injured while helping a child in Lowertown at Three Stones. The outing wasn’t supposed to be dangerous, but when some men started fighting, Mari got caught up in it and was knocked down, thus hitting her head.
When Ezra brings Sera to her, she’s dead. Sera brings her back to life, and she doesn’t even remember getting hurt. She passionately kisses Ezra, confirming to Sera the bond between the two women.
Marisol later becomes Queen Ezmeria’s Consort and goes on to have a fruitful rule.
QUEEN CALLIPHE
Okay, I’m just going to say it. Calliphe is a doormat. She’s also utterly ignorant. I get grief. I do. But for a mother to utterly ignore her child because she looks like the husband she lost? That’s unforgivable. Even worse to use her as a pawn and a tool and never treat her like a person. And to speak out for those who hurt your child so dreadfully? It’s unforgiveable. I am absolutely in Ash’s corner, saying “hear, hear” to sending Calliphe to the Abyss.
Hair: A few shades darker than Sera’s pale blond.
Eyes: Dark brown.
Facial features: Beautiful smile.
Distinguishing features: A few wrinkles and shadows under her eyes.
Personality: Cold—at least to Sera. Hard.
Habits/Mannerisms/Strengths/Weaknesses: Hard to read. Never smiles at Sera, though she will with others. Often gets migraines that require healing draughts. Keeps a portrait of King Lamont close and spends hours with it. Wears lots of jewelry.
Background: Married Ernald shortly after Lamont’s death but never stopped loving her first husband. After learning about Sera’s gift, she feared her daughter would use it on the Primal God of Death.
Family: First husband = Lamont Mierel †. Second husband = King Ernald †. Stepson = Tavius †. Stepdaughter = Ezmeria. Daughter = Seraphena.
CALLIPHE’S JOURNEY TO DATE:
Queen Calliphe is a hard woman, and I can say without guilt that I don’t like her all that much.
When Seraphena is about to go before the Primal of Death to offer herself as his Consort, Queen Calliphe tells her daughter that she won’t and can’t fail them. When Nyktos refuses Sera, Calliphe yells at her, asking her what happened. Before Sera can even answer, she slaps her daughter, asking her what she did and telling her that she’s failed Lasania, and that everything is now lost.
Calliphe often puts on airs of superiority, like when addressing the Lords, whose presence she often feels is an insult. She proposes an allegiance with the Vodina Isles in exchange for aid. The deal: two years of crops. Referring to Sera as her handmaiden, she offers to show Lord Claus and the other Lords of the Vodina Isles just what a “hot piece” her daughter is after some crude remarks, knowing she can easily order Sera to murder them.
After the meeting, Calliphe catches Sera in her chambers and argues with and insults her—like usual. She says she has to keep up appearances but wouldn’t have to if Sera hadn’t failed. She mentions that kingdoms that once prayed for an alliance with Lasania are now calling her the Beggar Queen.
Calliphe, Callum, and several guards find Sera after she’s attacked. The Queen doesn’t believe Sera’s lie about finding the guards dead but won’t say anything in front of a god. She then spends the night bemoaning the ruination of her utterly irreplaceable, expensive carpet.
Seriously?
The night of the Rite, Calliphe is angry to find Sera there. Later, she walks in on Tavius whipping Sera and asks him what in the gods’ names he’s doing, acting shocked. Personally, I think she knew about the abuse all along—after all, she had a hand in it herself—but that’s just my humble opinion.
When Nyktos appears, she is one of the first to kneel before the Primal. As Nyktos pins Tavius to the Primal statue with a whip around his throat, Calliphe screams, rushes forward, and begs for her stepson’s life. She tells Nyktos that Tavius is the heir to the throne and promises he’ll never do anything like he did to Sera again. When Nyktos backs off, she thanks him. He tells her to shut up, and surprisingly, she does. Then, she watches Sera kill Tavius.
At that point, she looks at Sera, really looks at her, and sees what she has molded her daughter into by training her to become her personal assassin. Ector and Saion lead her out of the Great Hall.