Fade to Black Week 2: Chapters 1 - 10

[Arry]

Well, the story is progressing. Regardless of anything I might say here, I am enjoying it. I still have not made up my mind what I think of Rojan. That by no means means that I dislike him. I just can’t decide for sure if I do like him. I think if there were more characters (POVs), I feel I would definitely like him. But having him as a single POV, with all of his comments about women, starts to grate on my nerves just a bit (not much ... just a little). If I had doses of him, I think I would find it more amusing. As it is, it’s just more like a slight overdose.

Now we know why the girls are being taken and how the city is being powered. I did find it interesting that the pain people experience as they die from Synth was helping to power the towering city. Though we dont know why Amarie was taken yet. 


OK ... I am hiding the following, not because it is a spoiler. I haven’t read any further, so I have no way of knowing. But I am speculating. So if anyone wants to avoid reading my random speculation, that very well may be proved wrong next week, then don’t open the spoiler

Spoiler for Hiden:

It’s obvious that Jake has personal experience with Azama. I would be very surprised if she was not “one of the girls”. Perhaps saved by Pasha. Maybe they escaped together. It drives me nuts that Rojan does not appear to be considering this option. My other theory was that maybe they had a daughter together that was taken. But Jake’s behaviour definitely seems more like she experienced the horrors personally. Anyway, Rojan finds people for a living, he should be able to deduct these things a little better. Maybe I am wrong. But even if I am, I can’t understand why Rojan hasn’t considered it. Same way I can’t understand why he didn’t make sure that he could get back out of the Pit after getting in. Maybe that last one just means he is a more trusting person than myself.

I do really like the end of the chapter, with Rojan confirming that Pasha could read his thoughts. 

[Nighteyes]

The book is full of twists that I am afraid you can see coming from a mile off.

Also when is it revealed that Pasha is a pain Magician?  I can't find the actual revelation.  Just seems one moment we all know he is a pain magician.  Yet Jake and Pasha also seem a bit off with Rojan for being a pain magician.  I know why they are suspicious of him for being such, but seems a bit strange as well considering Pasha is a pain magician too.

[Arry]

The book is full of twists that I am afraid you can see coming from a mile off.

Yeah. I limited myself to what I put in my post. I have a number more that I feel pretty sure about. But will have to read to find out for sure.

Also when is it revealed that Pasha is a pain Magician?  I can't find the actual revelation.  Just seems one moment we all know he is a pain magician.  Yet Jake and Pasha also seem a bit off with Rojan for being a pain magician.  I know why they are suspicious of him for being such, but seems a bit strange as well considering Pasha is a pain magician too.

I wondered the same thing! My gut tells me that there was a knowing look exchanged that conveyed that.

[DBASKLS]

So now we get an idea of what’s going on and why people are disappearing. I’m finding this an easy and quick read although I wouldn’t say I’m hooked yet. Still enjoying it though.

I've finished now so don't want to say much more but I agree with the_hound. I never try to second guess what's going to happen in a book - I enjoy the surprise when it happens. However, a reveal later in the book I did guess beforehand which must mean it was extremely obvious!

[xiagan]

It certainly picked up and is a fast read. I'm curious about what's going to happen to the city once they stopped them hurting little girls (that's a part I don't enjoy - I've no problem with Rojan mutilating his hand, but I don't want to read about hundreds of little girls being tortured, raped, mutilated and brainwashed in my leisure time).
As interesting as pain magic is, the last consequences of it, are pretty disgusting. I liked it more when I thought you could only use your own pain.
The interaction between Jake and Pasha (and Rojan) is interesting, I'm wondering how it's going to change over the book.

To Arry's "spoiler":

Spoiler for Hiden:

I was wondering the same. It's kinda obvious and explains all her issues and why they have a problem with him being a pain mage. Pasha was tortured himself, but Rojan not. And since they partly think that he's ministry (knowing or not), it's clear that they have reservations against him.

[Jeni]

F2B6-10

Pasha -> mage -> dangerous (unstable)

Jake -> Damaged

Pasha +Jake ->  he saved her life?

Jake -> mage?  not sure -> Pasha can read her thoughts and communicate his, but is it all coming from him or does she have a (minor?) magic of her own?

P128-132 

Pain magic -> can use others pain -> gonna get interesting

Rojan -> ministry hunting him -> -> ->
     a) they are looking out for one of their own that has gone missing? (unlikely)
     b) they figured out he isn’t ministry and want to know how he got down there and what he is up to ?(slightly more plausible but still unlikely)
     c) they have been instructed to acquire him by whoever kidnapped Amarie to lure him down there? (probably) -> Azama?

Rojan -> hand – test? ->they still don’t trust him 

Jorrin bros -> set up – not entirely sure it was all for J+P’s benefit though

Discovery of what glow is -> Rojan -> naive, much? endearing

Why hasn’t Rojan got himself a hat yet?!

Azama -> big evil -> connections with upside + ministry
              -> Lise’s father? ->he let her escape so he could prove Rojan was a mage?
              -> connection with J+P -> after them coz they got away from him more than coz they keep rescuing his girls?

Castle ->  enticingly impenetrable
?
***
So those are the notes I wrote as I was reading this section. I think I pretty much came up with the same theories/ conclusions as everyone else.

Although I have to say that I seemed to be enjoying it a LOT more than most of you!

I thought Jake was a breath of fresh air – of all the female fantasy characters that I have come across, ever, she is only the second one that I have been able to identify with on more than just a ‘generic female’ level. 

I liked Rojan more in this section, too. He seemed to be adapting well to the challenges of the Pit, and it seemed to be doing him good – he noticed himself that his reactions and behaviour in certain situations was not how he would typically act.   

[OneChapterMore]

Just... meh.

I mean it tells a story in and of itself that it's taken me nigh on three weeks to get to chapter 12.

The characterization is very one dimensional, the twists are not shocking as said above, but what's got me the most is the really clumsy prose. Consider:

Chains rattled and clanked overhead, cages whizzed by, sometimes too close for comfort so I ducked instinctively' [p. 123]

That's just bad prose, and the book is pretty full of this. And I'm a little weirded out by the gender dynamics. Why does pain magic only take girls, not boys? It all seems very odd.

[Doctor_Chill]

I feel this is a book you're either going to love or find it 'meh,' as the majority of y'all are. I'm still on the fence.

The prose flickers with some good stuff, but a lot of it is jarring. I don't know if it's the difference in Brit/Amer. word usage, but I'm having a hard time with all the "sayings." And the fragments.

I agree that the characterization isn't great. Not the worst. Characters seem to stay "in character" for the most part, but I find only the top being scraped off by their actions, if that makes any sense. Rojan is pretty interesting. I don't find him sexist, as some other comments described him as (maybe later. I read ahead.) but more of a creepy, desperate womanizer. Who knows. Maybe he gets worse.

Pain magic is about the only thing holding me on at the moment, along with the dark tone. Only problem I have is that someone published pain magic before me. (Actually in my WIP, though not the same.)

Xi, that scene with the mutilated girls in the bottom of the house was probably my favorite scene so far. Call me masochistic, sadistic, or whatever.

And I'm a little weirded out by the gender dynamics. Why does pain magic only take girls, not boys? It all seems very odd.

Maybe it's a religious thing? That't the only idea I have.

And the scene where they're in the cage over the castle: Is Azama that stupid to not watch over the cages? I mean, I do realize the castle is guarded to the max, but if you're going to do something right, cover all the holes, not just the major ones.

I feel the castle overview was the hooking point Francis wanted. So far, it's kinda working for me.