If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get it into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Below are my notes/script for the episode, not a verbatim transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
Welcome back to D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club. Today is March 23, 2022 as I record this, Episode 11.
On the personal side of things, not too much to report. I appreciate the kind words from those of you who reached out about my home repair woes. They’ve finally dried everything out, and my wife and I were able to actually sleep in our bedroom again for the first time in over a week, so that was a relief. Air mattresses are not a recipe for good sleep! And actually, this turned out to be a bit of a blessing, because when they removed one wall, the contractors discovered an exhaust pipe for our furnace wasn’t properly sealed, which could have led to gas leaks, so really glad that was caught! Now we’re just waiting for the walls to get put back up, which I’m sure will be another fun around of contractors coming in and out.
On the writing front, Declaimer’s Discovery is now in the hands of my advance readers. Thanks to all of those who joined my team. And if anyone listening is interested in joining, let me know, as I have a few slots open still. Basically, you get all my books for free before they release, and in exchange you just have to read them before the release date and post a review once they come out. Email me with your interest, dtkane@dtkane.com.
Declaimer’s Discovery, Part II of The Spoken Books Uprising, releases April 15, 2022.
ANAYLIS CH. 13
The Plan–In the Interest of Keeping Deliritous Safe
So we left off last week with Baz offering to complete the Trials for Deliritous, who has a broken leg. Incidentally, did any of you catch that Baz quipped about Deliritous breaking his leg back in chapter 7? Just a bit of innocent foreshadowing there!
Why is Baz willing to make such a deal after being so down on having to come on this journey at all? Well, obviously he wants something in exchange, and that’s for Deliritous to keep secret that Baz can Read. And as Baz says, as much as Deliritous is horrified by Baz’s ability, Baz has hit on the one thing that frightens Deliritous more than a Cuss: letting his father down. Baz actually says he feels a bit bad about capitalizing on that. “Grungy” is the term he uses. Baz, after all, has a family member he wouldn’t want to let down in his brother, and certainly Baz wouldn’t like someone taking advantage of that. Interesting how Baz and Deliritous are sort of serving as foils to one another even though they’re in such different positions.
So, what are the features of the plan? Well, there’s a few interesting ones.
Baz gets to use Rox. Interesting point here, that Deliritous has the right to “transfer” Rox’s oath. Sort of a reminder that Rox is kind of property too, even though we haven’t necessarily thought of him as such to this point. Interesting too that Rox says he “dislikes the idea of leaving [Deliritous’s] side.” Maybe an indication that Rox views his responsibility for Deliritous as more than just a simple duty.
They need to find a safe location to leave Deliritous while Baz goes off to complete the Trials. We see from how much of a hard time Deliritous has riding that he can’t go on. There’s a town nearby and the plan is to leave him there. But remember, no one can know Deliritous isn’t the one completing the Trials. Imagine the shame if it came out a Speaker completed the Trials for him! So how are they going to handle that?
Well, Baz and Deliritous will switch places! This is a funny sequence, I think, where both Baz and Deliritous are lamenting having to pretend to be the other. More evidence of how they foil one another, we get Baz thinking it will be simple to impersonate Deliritous, then Deliritous says aloud how it won’t be hard to imitate Baz.
Baz: just act clueless and treat everyone he met as if they were below him
Deliritous: Just need to glower at everything and act as if I know more than I ought to.
But Deliritous doesn’t have a brand. Interesting, Deliritous notes this “progressive” movement in the city of Fortune, where some Readers are no longer branding their Speakers. So, maybe not all Readers treat their Speakers as poorly as they do in Erstwhile? That’ll be more relevant in the next book, but file that away. For now, Baz notes that the people in Hamlet are going to know a Speaker ought to be branded because Erstwhile sends Speakers and Readers there every year to serve the townsfolk. So what does he do? He convinces Rox it’s in Deliritous’s best interest to have a wound on his head where his brand conceivably could have been.
Hole in Baz’s plan–he’ll have to give up his only leverage to enforce the promise: The Book he finds at Tome. But one problem at a time. As Baz notes, “an unlikely number of things would need to go right before Baz needed to expend any energy at all worrying over that.”
Hamlet: I’m looking for a hat, good shopkeeper.
So we arrive in Hamlet, Deliritous pouting since Baz convinced Rox to slice up his forehead. It’s a bit of a dump, right? Dilapidated buildings with a few muddy paths for streets. Sounds like it was a bustling hub once, back when Tome was still the country’s capital. But no longer.
Baz stops at a shop and Rox goes in with him (remember, they’re pretending Baz is a Reader, so he’s got to have his Harbour with him). The shopkeeper, though, isn’t nearly as impressed with Baz as Baz figured, and Baz feels like a fool, expecting special treatment for acting like a Reader. “Fair shopkeeper, it is I, Deliritous Torchsire, Reader of Erstwhile, come to grace your shop with my presence.” We learn the shopkeeper had recently been swindled by another Reader, so he’s a bit salty.
And now, the big reveal that I promised last week! What is it? The hat! Finally, we see why I’m wearing the hat. Baz is getting himself one, because he needs to conceal the brand on his forehead, plus he’s always wanted one and he’s taking advantage of the situation. And the shopkeeper does have one: “It was dark brown leather, creased and well-worn with a wide brim.” Here it is!
The shopkeeper tries to rip Baz off, seeing how eager he is. Rox catches him in the lie (Baz doesn’t have much of a concept of money), but Baz tells Rox to give the shopkeeper the sum he asked for anyway, recompence for his previous treatment. Interestingly, Rox agrees. He sees truth in what Baz is doing–it matches up with Rox’s code.
And this act of kindness turns out to be helpful, right? The shopkeeper wasn’t going to say anything, but after Baz gives him the extra coin, he reveals that Marla and Hellar were in the shop, asking around about a lost Torchsire Speaker. The shopkeeper gives a skeptical glance outside, where Deliritous is waiting, supposedly a Speaker. Marla has also told the shopkeeper that she’ll be back in a month, asking again for information. And she was offering good coin for information.
Baz briefly considers whether they need to kill the shopkeeper to keep him quiet. But notice how Rox actually dissuades him from doing so. Again, we see that Rox may actually me the most moral of our trio of main characters here! So instead, Baz asks the shopkeeper how much Marla was offering for the information. Obviously, he’s going to try to outbid her. But does anyone see the issue here? The impact on their plan? Well, tune in next week to find out!
Miscellaneous
Deliritous’s regret over Tax
Stories of men going mad from using shadow spells. Is that what the voices were, going mad? Baz had, after all, agreed to help Deliritous!
CONCLUSION
Homework: We’ll read Chapters 14 and 15 next week. Plans will change, relationships will grow! And then our characters run into yet another problem. What could it be?
Listener Question:
Quest: Any thoughts on what my inspiration for Rox was? He’s a bit of a blend of characters from relatively well-known fantasy works. Send me your thoughts and we’ll discuss them next week.
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get it into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review:https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Hellar Xavier: Reader, heir to Xavier Library, one of the competitors going on the Trials
Trunnel: Hellar’s Speaker, an Influencer
Arrow: Hellar’s Harbour
Marla Kolnar: Nice of the Duchess of Kolnar Library, one of the competitors going on the Trials
Ryle: Marla’s Harbour
Retch: Marla’s Speaker, a Creator
Below is a copy of my notes/script for the episode, not a verbatim transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
March 19, 2022 as I record this, Episode 10.
Well, those of you who read the newsletter saw I had a bit of a tough week. Came home from vacation last week to some water damage in my house and have been dealing with the repairs all week. Fun times.
Thankfully, I’ve still got my writing! I started work on Part IV of the Spoken Books Uprising, wrote my first 7,500 words on that, though now I’ve had to backburner that just for a few days because I got my editor’s edits on Part II back and I need to get that finalized so I can send copies to my advance readers.
Remember, Part II is out April 15 and you can preorder your copy now! Link in the show notes.
ANAYLIS CH. 11-12
Alright! I hope you enjoyed listening to these two chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them. Lots of tension here!
Mutters in the Night
So we start with Deliritous insisting that Rox get some sleep rather than keeping watch. Rox is obviously wary of Marla in particular, but finally relents. He’s been keeping watch every night, so he must be exhausted. Baz notes how it worries him, seeing Rox tired.
He’d always thought of Rox more like a massive tool rather than breathing flesh and blood. It was much easier to disdain a tool than it was a person.
I think this is a bit of theme throughout the novel too–It’s tough to go on hating someone when you’ve spent time with them under difficult circumstances.
But I don’t think it comes as too much as a surprise to any of you that having Deliritous keep the watch instead of Rox doesn’t really work out. Baz wakes to “muttering in the darkness,” and as he notes, while that might not be cause for alarm for an ordinary person, when you worried about Readers wishing you harm, it’s the last thing you want to hear.
So Marla and Hellar have obviously been plotting behind Deliritous’s back because this attack was coordinated. It’s unclear whether Hellar and Marla had planned this all along, or Hellar did initially intend to see if a truce with Deliritous could work out and then diverted after the scene with Marla and Baz at the end of chapter 10. I never make that entirely clear, and I’m not sure it really matters, though I think it’s obvious based on how they were conversing together and giving each other cryptic looks that they had something going between them.
So, to set the scene, Marla is reading this spell to her Creator that results in roots shooting out of the ground to imprison Rox, and Hellar uses his Influencer to lull Deliritous into a stupor so he can’t raise the alarm. It’s dark, the fire having burned low. Baz is laying down, apparently not in direct proximity of Deliritous or Rox, which makes sense since he doesn’t like either of them.
But we do see Marla’s and Hellar’s hubris is a bit of their undoing here. They left Baz unaccounted for because neither wanted to be without their Harbour while they were Reading to their Speakers. Baz ruefully comments on this:
Even now, out in the wilds and in the midst of turning on one of their fellow Readers, they couldn’t trust their Speakers long enough to ensure a loose end like Baz didn’t interfere with their plans.
So a potential weakness here that Baz is able to exploit, and maybe one to keep in mind for the future as well. Hellar and Marla assume Baz is essentially useless if Deliritous isn’t able to Read spells to him, and it costs them, as we’re about to see.
Oh, hello there, chaps.
So Baz shouts a warning to Rox, but it’s too late, Rox is caught by the roots, though he does manage to injure Trunnel, Hellar’s Influencer, before being confined. And we see that perhaps the relationship between Hellar and Marla isn’t a smooth one either. Hellar demands that Marla heal his Speaker, but it seems like she’s going to refuse until she notices that Hellar’s Harbour has a clear shot at her with his bow. Marla’s in it to win it, so to speak. She could have potentially greatly handicapped both of her opponents here, and it certainly raises questions about whether Hellar is wise to be trusting her. What do you guys think is going to happen between the two of them? Let me know, dtkane@dtkane.com!
During the confusion of Rox injuring Trunnel and nearly escaping the roots, Baz runs and hides behind a tree, so now he’s watching the scene from afar. Interesting that he doesn’t run away completely, right? I mean, he comes up with pretty good reasoning–there’s no way he could survive in the wilds alone, he’d never see his brother again. Baz says he’s not a very good runner, though of course he doesn’t say it quite like that:
He had few talents, and none of them involved running farther than the distance from his sleeping pallet to the privy back in Torchsire Library.
But still, you get the sense there’s something more. Hold that thought.
At this point, Deliritous wakes up from the spell Hellar had put him under. Despite the savvy he showed earlier, we still see his innocence, or maybe you’d say naivety, here. He initially doesn’t think anything’s amiss: “Oh, hello there, chaps.” Of course, he’s quickly debased of that when Marla’s Harbour grabs him by the throat and lifts him off the ground.
And then Deliritous realizes Baz isn’t there and starts shouting for him. Almost like he’s concerned, fearing that Marla’s killed Baz. Baz actually feels bad listening to him.
And we really see that all our fears about Marla were totally warranted. She’s here just kind of toying with Deliritous, telling him how they didn’t see him as a threat, they just wanted to eliminate Rox from the competition. “Don’t be daft, deary.”
You spineless Book burner!
Then things for from bad to worse. Marla asks Hellar to have his Harbour kill Rox, which Hellar does. Deliritous frantically tries to bargain, saying he’ll just forfeit the Trials. And that shows his regard for Rox, right? We saw how important it is for him to do well in the Trials, with all the pressure his father’s putting on him and his resistance to his uncle’s suggestion that he just sort of hide and keep himself alive. But Marla declines he entreaties, reasoning she doesn’t want the risk of Rox being around even after the get back from the Trials.
So then Deliritous gets angry, cursing at Marla. He says something about her mother… and that proves to be a mistake. She stomps down on his leg and breaks it.
And now Baz has his moment. Probably the most pivotal moment in the whole book. Remember, I told you Baz was going to make a big decision last week. Here it is.
But Baz was surprised to find another emotion mixed with the fear. Anger. Anger at Marla’s casual cruelty, at Hellar’s detached indifference. And most of all, anger at how ill-equipped Deliritous was to deal with them. Not because he was entirely inept, though he’d plenty ineptitude in him. But because he lacked the deplorable characteristics of Marla and Hellar—he wasn’t despicable enough to concoct a plan like what Marla and Hellar had hatched, nor hard enough to carry it out with the apathy Hellar demonstrated. He was still the ink-spilling bastard who had ruined Tax’s life, but…
Baz’s innate sense of right shines through again! He decides to try and save Deliritous. And how is he going to do it? Well, I’m sure most of you saw this coming–he’s going to Read! He does remember, back from when his brother taught him.
At least, that’s partially it. Baz tells us he hadn’t tried to Read in 10 years, yet he’s still able to Read this very complex spell. He gives two explanations for this: (1) even if Deliritous doesn’t utilize him often, he’s still Spoken thousands of spells, so it’s not as if he hasn’t at least had practice repeating Words Deliritous Read to him; and (2) this is the far more interesting one, I think–Tax’s songs. Baz suggests that they’ve had some innate effect on him, they’ve helped him learn by listening to them over and over. Baz doesn’t say anything definitive here, but it seems perhaps there’s more to Tax’s songs than just passing the time.
Shadow
So Baz sneaks back into the camp, grabs a Book from Deliritous’s Bookpack… and he nearly drops it. Why? Because it’s that crazy Book of shadow spells Baz had scolded Deliritous for even picking up back in the Reading room. Now, we haven’t gotten too much into the five magical elements yet, but we do know there’s fire, earth, water, light, and shadow. And apparently shadow, as Baz tells us, isn’t very well understood and dangerous even to adept Readers.
And we see a couple things suggesting that belief is right. First, as Baz nears completion of the spell, he starts hearing voices in his head, right? Terrible voices, imploring him to do awful things. You know that’s going to become relevant later, but there’s no time for Baz to dwell on it now.
Second, we see just how vicious the spell ends up being. It vaporizes Hellar’s Harbour.
And I guess there’s a third justification for shadow being little understood. When Deliritous makes up the story that it was a dragon, even though he saw it was Baz who Read the spell, Marla and Hellar don’t think to disbelieve him. That suggests whatever the spell was that Baz cast, it’s not one seen often, so Baz alleging it came from a dragon was plausible. And see, they call it a Shadow Breather? We heard reference to Fire Breathers earlier, so there are at least two types of different dragons. Perhaps there are more?
So Marla and Hellar run, leaving Deliritous with a broken leg and Rox trapped. Likely, they think they’re leaving him to die. Baz waits until he’s certain they’re gone, then goes to Deliritous. And what does he do?
He yells for Baz to stay away from him!
A cow chewing cud
Baz is initially incredulous–he just saved Deliritous and this is how he treats him? He actually hits Deliritous when he keeps going on about how Baz will have to be blinded now like his brother. But an interesting reversal of roles here, and it makes Baz sick.
Baz threatens to his Deliritous a second time and he cowers away. And what does he say? “I never hit you?”
Wow, I don’t know about you, but that’s powerful to me. Baz realizes that the instant he was given power like the Readers, he began using it to abuse Deliritous.
Gain an ounce of power and look what his first inclination had been–treat Deliritous just like most Readers treated their Speakers.
An interesting and I guess startling idea here–it’s not always easy to do the right thing when you’re the one in a superior position. Baz perhaps grasps in this moment that having power isn’t all it’s cracked up to be with the temptations it presents. That’s another theme we’ll see returned to again and again throughout the series. Power isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Baz realizes once he cools down that maybe his brother is right about Deliritous. He’s just a product of his environment, and you can’t entirely blame him for that. Baz notes that a lot of slaves in his position would just run, maybe even cut Deliritous’s throat. But doing that would be like “killing a cow for chewing cud. It’s just what they do.”
Baz also realizes that his only chance now of ever seeing his brother again is to work with Deliritous. He can’t go back to Erstwhile if he runs away–he needs Deliritous to get back. And so Baz comes up with a plan. What if he travels to Tome and finishes the Trials for Deliritous?
Duh duh duh! Oh, man! Ending on a cliffhanger this week.
Just a couple quick other things:
When Deliritous is resisting admitting that Baz actually helped him out, Rox chimes in: “Truuuth.” Rox understands. They’d be dead without Baz.
Deliritous notes he has nightmares about Tax. He does feel bad, even if Baz doesn’t want to hear it.
CONCLUSION
Homework: We’ll read Chapter 13 next week. Baz and Deliritous flesh out their plan. And we get to a town. And here in this town is a big moment. A reveal of epic proportions, very relevant to the podcast, particularly those who watch on YouTube. You can’t really miss it, but keep an eye out and jump out of your seat when it comes!
Listener Question:
Quest: Any thoughts on why shadow is dangerous? There has been a subtle hint somewhere in the Book. 3XP
Quote:
“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’
‘That is the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get it into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
Baztian (Baz): Our main character Rox: Deliritous’s Harbour (bodyguard) Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library
Hellar Xavier: Reader, heir to Xavier Library, one of the competitors going on the Trials Trunnel: Hellar’s Speaker, an Influencer Arrow: Hellar’s Harbour
Marla Kolnar: Nice of the Duchess of Kolnar Library, one of the competitors going on the Trials Ryle: Marla’s Harbour Retch: Marla’s Speaker, a Creator
Below are my notes/script for the episode, not an exact transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
Welcome to Episode 9. It’s Thursday, March 10, 2022 as I record this.
It’s good to be back! I know you all had an episode to listen to last week, but I haven’t sat down to record in a couple weeks, and it feels great to be back talking with all of you.
Chicago was a blast, amazing food and drink, probably too much of both. But that’s what vacation’s for! A few highlights were Goose Island Brewery’s Tap Room and Aba Mediterranean restaurant. Rare varieties of Goose Island’s famed barrel-aged Bourbon County Stout, and lamb ragu hummus! Yum-o! And I even got some outlining in for Part IV of the Spoken Books Uprising.
Declaimer’s Discovery, Part II of the Spoken Books Uprising, had its cover release this past Friday, and man, it’s a thing of beauty I must say. It’s available for pre-order now and releases April 15. If you think you’re going to read it, consider pre-ordering. Pre-orders help give me a boost in the charts on launch day, which helps my ranking and thus visibility. Thank you! Link in the show notes.
ANAYLIS CH. 10
Three primary scenes, plus a glum intro from Baz. And I think I recognized last week (or maybe it was two episodes ago) that it’s not lost on me that I’m sometimes essentially praising my own writing here on the show. Well, here’s the opposite. I don’t really love this chapter. It wasn’t in the original draft of the book, I just had a placeholder, something like “travel scene with other Readers.”
I wanted my readers to have an opportunity to meet the other competitors in more detail then the brief glances we got at the torture of the Citiless. And I suppose I did that here, but I find it a bit slow and looking back I probably could have done a better job with this one. But that’s the writing life–there’s always something you could have done better, but eventually you have to release the story into the wild and move on. There’s also a saying that if you don’t look back on something you wrote a year or two ago and cringe, you’re probably doing something wrong, because it indicates you aren’t improving your writing. So I’ll take this as a positive sign of improvement and carry on!
Baz is really down
Baz already morose, thinking that he’s traveling the same road that dead Citiless had traveled on. And we also see just how jaded he is about life. Sometimes he wishes he had fond childhood memories, but he tells us he’s actually glad of the awful experience he had so young (seeing Tax blinded). “It had taught him the reality of his existence, the uselessness of resisting his circumstances.” Wow. Baz has gone from bad to worse with his view of things. But part of us wonders too if put in the right situation whether Baz truly feels this way? I mean, he didn’t stand there all apathetic when Deliritous was about to die, and he certainly isn’t afraid to stand up to Deliritous it seems.
Did Deliritous just do something… useful?
Deliritous actually shows us some cojones. He sees Hellar and Marla conversing and sort of just butts in, right? He’s not going to let the other two competitors gang up on him. He’s realistic, noting he understands that neither Xavier nor Kolnar would be interested in a true alliance with Torchsire, but he’s also smart, offering political advantage to Hellar by offering him Torchsire’s backing at the Table of Ennea to help them fend off the rise in influence of Exgahl Library, which remember we learned last chapter is the second most powerful Library in Erstwhile after having found that powerful Spoken Book for growing food a few Trials back.
He even has the guts to lie, saying his father will recognize any promises he makes, even though Baz is pretty certain that Duke Octavinal told Deliritous no such thing.
And there seems to be an interesting dynamic between Marla and Hellar too. She doesn’t seem to show him enough respect, but she also stops talking when he interrupts or motions for her to be silent. It seems maybe the two of them had some sort of deal already worked out, and now perhaps Deliritous is jeopardizing it for Marla? We already know she isn’t someone you want to mess with, so maybe gaining a tenuous alliance with Hellar isn’t all it’s cracked up to be if it means Marla wanting to get back at Deliritous.
Did you notice how Deliritous slipped a term into his truce that they aren’t to harm one another’s Harbours or Speakers–“nothing onerous…not try to murder one another’s Speakers and Harbours like a bunch of animals.” Is Deliritous just protecting his assets or does he have a bit of a heart hidden beneath his foolish, giant hat?
Bitter as boot black
In fact, we see almost immediately that we shouldn’t be putting much stock in this alliance with Hellar. First, we have the quick scene of Baz talking to Trunnel–Hellar’s Speaker. Initially, Baz is antagonistic with him, accusing him of kissing Hellar’s boots. But he quickly realizes that Trunnel is probably just as concerned as being killed as Baz is, and he steps back his insult.
Of course, then Trunnel drops the bomb, that Hellar has no issue with dishonesty when it suits him. Is Trunnel just getting Baz back for the insult, or is he trying to help him?
First we’d feed you your tongue… then start removing fingers
We close with another look at Marla, and it’s no better than what we saw earlier. She gives us a front-row seat to how poorly some Readers treat their Speakers, punching hers after she makes a mistake that ruins a spell, then kicking him while he’s down. Hellar and Deliritous don’t even react, showing how desensitized to such treatment they must be.
Baz, though, suffers from “a severe bout of life-threatening stupidity,” yelling for Marla to stop it, pointing out she’s the one who messed up the Reading. Of course, Marla doesn’t like this, threatening Baz with a knife, and explaining to him in rather graphic terms what she’d do to him if given the chance. And maybe she would do it, too, if not for… Who? Of all people, it’s Rox to the rescue!
“Enough,” he says, with his razor out. Rox is quickly turning into a bit of a teddy bear here, right? Baz noted earlier in the chapter that he hums sad Enigman ballads to himself at night and Rox was also the only person who reacted to Marla kicking her Speaker for a mistake that she’d made. And now he’s potentially saved Baz for Marla’s wrath. Rox, a man to keep an eye on!
And that’s the chapter. We’re left very much doubting the benefit of the truce Deliritous has brokered. As Baz points out, even if Hellar isn’t a liar, it seems he has no true control over Marla. Or perhaps they are just working together behind Deliritous’s back. We see Marla look to Hellar and he shakes his head. Are they waiting for something? Or maybe Hellar does have more control over her than Baz thinks. We’ll have to wait next week to see!
CONCLUSION
Alright, a bit of a shorter week here, but next week is going to be a doozy and likely a long one, so stay tuned. We’ll be reading Chapters 11 and 12, and these might be some of the most exciting chapters in the book.
Homework: Baz takes some initiative, and answers a question some of you might have been wondering about since the beginning of the book. Then Deliritous has a… reaction to something Baz does. Predictable or stupid? Hmmm. That’s all I’m going to give you for homework this week. Want you to just enjoy these two chapters.
Listener Question:
Quest: Send me a curse phrase based on something bad happening to books. Baz is going to be in lots of situations that call for cursing soon, and I’d love to hear what you all come up with. 3 XP each to my 3 favorite submissions!
Quote:
“Does it make you brave to stick your hand in a bear’s mouth? Would you do it again just because you didn’t die?”
― Robert Jordan, The Dragon Reborn
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
Characters in this Chapter: Baztian (Baz): Our main character Rox: Deliritous’s Harbour (bodyguard) Deliritous: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library Duke Octavinal: Deliritous’s father, leader of Torchsire Library
Hellar Xavier: Reader, heir to Xavier Library, one of the competitors going on the Trials Trunnel: Hellar’s Speaker, an Influencer Arrow: Hellar’s Harbour
Marla Kolnar: Nice of the Duchess of Kolnar Library, one of the competitors going on the Trials Ryle: Marla’s Harbour
This week’s quote: “Freedom doesn’t mean you get to choose what happens to you. But you do get to choose how you react to it.” ― Stephen R. Donaldson, The One Tree
Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I use these commissions to pay for overhead such as hosting and editing costs. Thank you for supporting my show!
Below is a copy of my notes/script for this episode, not a verbatim transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
Today is February 24, 2022 as I record this, Episode 8.
ANAYLIS CH. 9
Import of Trials
It’s like a national holiday, though the sort of holiday the Hunger Gamers were in Pan Am. Libraries rise and fall based on the results of the Trials. The entire government is present, the Table of Ennea, as well as congregations from each of the nine Libraries and Illits to watch.
Of course, Baz notes, they’re much less significant to him. Just another threat to his continued breathing.
Erstwhile is built like a fortress
Fifty foot walls thick enough for eight men to walk abreast, giant portcullis, and a killing ground.
The Competitors
Hellar has an Enforcer and Influencer with him. Harbour seems similar to Rox, though only an “above-average hill, rather than a towering mountain.” In addition to the “standard-issue razor” he’s also got a bandolier full of knives, a bow, and he’s carrying a “Bookpack.” A “traveling bookshelf on shoulder straps” Baz calls it.
Hellar’s Speaker is Trunnel, the same Influencer we saw earlier. Baz notes that’s an interesting choice, as most would either choose a healer (Creator) or a Destroyer who can fling about offensive spells. So let’s be honest here, this choice is obviously going to have consequences down the road. What could Hellar have planned with a Speaker capable of mind control?
Marla. First thing we learn is she probably as a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Baz points out that the Duchess of Kolnar has a daughter old enough to compete in the Trials, but has held her back a year so she doesn’t go against Hellar. So Marla’s a bit of a sacrificial lamb, unless she wins, in which case Kolnar will look good, beating Xavier’s best with a “lesser” candidate. We remember how unsettling Marla seemed back in the scene where the Citiless was tortured, so the fact that she has this as motivation certainly doesn’t bode well.
Her Harbour is a woman, which Baz notes is odd. She uses two razors and seems to exude a similar aspect of terror as her master. Baz mutters to Rox that he better look out for that Harbour. “Hmmm, Truth,” Rox rumbled. “I know Ryle. Words mean… odd things to her.” The hesitance in Rox’s voice concerns Baz. If Rox is upset by Marla’s Harbour…
Marla’s Speaker is a Creator and he seems to be a madman. He wears blinders, like a horse. So his eyes haven’t been removed like Octavinal does to his Speakers, though Baz questions whether that’s any better. “It was said that denying one’s body the use of a sense it hadn’t lost did strange things to a man.”
He swayed in place with a sort of nervy anticipation, as if he’d lash out at the slightest stimulation. He licked his lips incessantly, as if he couldn’t keep them moistened, and his hands kept opening and closing into fists. He reminded Baz of a mute, ravenous dog, just waiting for the collar to come off. Most people thought of Creators as healers and food producers, but Baz knew better. There were some truly awful spells a Creator could utter that would kill you just as dead as any fireball conjured by a Destroyer.
History of Oration
249th Acktus Trials
Before the Burning, anyone could Read and theft, murder, and war were rampant.
Then the three Scribes call the Summit. “Gods given flesh to guide us.” Their vision was to consolidate power and knowledge with only those worthy to possess it. Responsibility, true ability, and foresight. A gather of Oration’s strongest Orators. (The crowd boos this term–apparently what Cusses were called before the Burning).
Intent was to write new Books in a language that could only be understood by a select few. Locked themselves at the peak of the Great Library’s tallest tower. Hmm, where did we see the Great Library’s tower before? But something went terribly wrong. An explosion, blowing the tower’s top off and much of the rest of the Library. The skies turned red and the great Scribes, along with many Orators, were lost. Fire rained from the skies throughout Erstwhile, killing thousands.
The Uncertainties followed. Much of Oration’s leadership died in the Burning. Tome was looted and further ruined. Shelves picked all but bare.
Then Acktus Deliritous Torchsire led the Second Burning, restored order. Confiscated Books until their power resided solely in the nine Libraries of Erstwhile, seven of Fortune, and three of Enigma. Also established the separation of powers between Readers, Speakers, and Illits. “Ensure dependence on one another, rather than division.”
“Baz suppressed a snigger.” Did they actually believe that? Power wasn’t separated, the Speakers had none.
Acktus Trials were started because new Books can’t be made–have to find more. Scribes’ spells still hold sway in Tome, Books don’t age the same way there.
Conservator gives the competitors the Scribes’ blessing, “gesture of the Trinity, hands cupped together like a book then raising three fingers to his lips.”
Rules of the Acktus Trials
Return within 60 days
Two paths to Tome, one is shorter but more dangerous. The other longer but safter. I’ll toss the map up on the screen on YouTube highlighting both paths.
The way through the Reach and across the Firelands and Weeping Plains is shorter, but more treacherous; the way through the Emerald Woods longer, but generally safer, though not without challenges.
Work together or separate
No “mortal force” against another Reader, though Baz notes Readers are capable of inflicting quite a bit of pain without using mortal force. Plus, no prohibition against killing Speakers.
Can only take one Book, by treaty with other cities of the Triumvirate
Table judges which Book is best and declares winner
CONCLUSION
Homework: Next week we read Chapter 10! Our competitors are finally off and traveling through the Wilds. Deliritous makes a deal with his other competitors. Is he savvy or stupid? Baz talks with Trunnel and receives a dire warning–what does that portend? And then Baz really puts his foot in his mouth and is rescued by an unlikely source.
Listener Question: Save these for next episode to go over quests.
Quest: Go over answers from previous episodes:
What do you think was my inspiration for the dragon we meet in the prologue? 2 XP
About how old is Baz in chapters 1 and 2? It doesn’t come right out and say it, but you can figure it out from context. 1XP
What is that statue of the dragon in the Conservatory calling to mind from earlier? 1 XP
For this week’s quest, I’d like you to send me your favorite excerpt from Chapter 4. 1 XP
What do you think the inciting incident of the novel is? 2 XP
I left out another potentially interesting connection between Tax’s tattoo and something from earlier in the Book. 3 XP
Who is your favorite fantasy author? 1 XP
Quote:
“Freedom doesn’t mean you get to choose what happens to you. But you do get to choose how you react to it.”
― Stephen R. Donaldson, The One Tree
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
If you’re enjoying the Acktus Trials, or have already read it, please consider taking a minute to leave a review. Reviews help authors by increasing the visibility of their books, which helps get them into the hands of more readers. Thank you for your support! Follow this link to leave a review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B09QZ8MQ38
Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I use these commissions to pay for overhead such as hosting and editing costs. Thank you for supporting my show!
Below is a copy of my script/notes for the episode, not a verbatim transcription:
PERSONAL UPDATE
120 pages into hand-written edits of Declaimer’s Flight (SB3)
Couple of negative reviews last week tempered by a couple nice reviews of The Acktus Trials and the podcast. Bad reviews get me down more than good ones bring me up, but I’m pretty good at not letting it bother me too much. If you’d like to help me out, you can leave a review of The Acktus Trials wherever you buy your books, link in the show notes: https://books2read.com/theacktustrials , or rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
ANAYLIS CH. 8
So the chapter opens and Torchsire Library is making final preparations for Deliritous to leave for the Trials. Baz is kind of just standing off to the side, trying to be inconspicuous. We see Deliritous’s father give him a new cloak, though Baz surmises he only gave it to his son so he’d look good for the opening ceremonies. Sort of sad, as Deliritous seems rather taken by the gift.
Baz also notes some of the dangers they might face out in the wilds: wyrms and Citiless, and also “Fire Breathers.” We can guess what those are, right? More evidence of why Readers generally spend so much time preparing for the Trials. Meanwhile, Baz once again reminds us how unprepared he is: I wouldn’t know the difference between a mushroom and poison ivy.
Leanna
It seems whatever hard feelings there were between Baz and Leanna when they departed last chapter have now been forgotten. She sought him out to bid him farewell, and we see just how comfortable Baz is with her, admitting that he’s nervous. “You’re flaming right I’m nervous.” And we also see Leanna is concerned for Baz–she even asks Rox to look out for him, using some convincing reasoning to do so (Rox: My oath is to Deliritous; Leanna: But he’ll be safer with a Speaker available for spells, yes?). Rox actually complements her, saying she turns words just like an Enigman.
Rox
And speaking of Rox, this is probably the most we’ve seen him talk so far. First, a point that I failed to mention last week. Notice that, even after apparently having accepted Deliritous’s argument back in Chapter 2 that Yeltax was a threat, Rox did not kill him even though Deliritous told him to. So Rox takes his oath seriously, but it seems he perhaps has a bit of mercy in him too?
Rox also hardly seems like a monster in this chapter. He offers to hunt when Baz admits he doesn’t know the first thing about finding food in the wild. He gives Leanna that complement we just mentioned, and he laughs while doing it. And he puts up with Baz.
“Your footsteps will scare even the deafest animal away, Rox.” and “Shut up, Rox.”
Rox seems to just brush off Baz’s sarcasm. And what does he say about Baz and Leanna at the end? “There is Truth between the two of you.” And he smiles when he says it (or, at least, the edges of his eyes crinkle–can’t see through the mask). Perhaps Rox sees some of what we’ve already noticed between Baz and Leanna.
Gift
So toward the end of the chapter, Leanna gives Baz a gift–a new cloak, and a nice one at that. It even has a hood, which Baz is particularly pleased with. Remember how he complained back in chapter three how Speakers aren’t permitted to wear hats?
“It has a hood!” he exclaimed. “Oh that’s great. My ears are always so flaming freezing. And my scalp. Couldn’t they let me have a little hair? And…”
Interestingly, Leanna also tells Baz she needs to give Deliritous a break–he’s under a lot of pressure from his father, she realizes. Leanna seems to get that Deliritous is a blind spot for Baz. He can only feel one way about the Torchsire heir. Trust is certainly a theme throughout the story, particularly learning to trust someone who broke your trust previously.
“Come on, Leanna,” Baz said. “You’re talking like Deliritous is actually a person. With feelings. We all know that’s not the case.”
They part with each of them kind of wondering if they should hug the other or something, and Baz notes he feels a bit disappointed when she leaves without hugging him.
CONCLUSION
Homework: Next week we’ll read Chapter 9, which is the opening ceremony for the Trials. We get some more details on the other competitors, and then a bit of a history lesson about Oration’s history. Some of the connections we’ve been making with the prologue come into greater focus here. See if you can pick up on some of them.
Listener Question: D. T., how much time per week do you spend working on your writing?
Quest: Who is your favorite fantasy author? 1 XP
Quote:
“Wherever you go, you take yourself with you.”
― Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
The Acktus Trials, an epic fantasy novel, available now: https://dtkane.com/books/the-acktus-trials/
Map of Oration: https://dtkane.com/resources/map-of-oration/
Characters in this Chapter: Baztian (Baz): Our main character Leanna: Torchsire Library’s Librarian Gar: Old Retiree
For those interested in the history of written language I brought up in this episode, check out the following Wikipedia articles: Linear B Syllabary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_B. “Linear B consists of around 87 syllabic signs and over 100 ideographic signs. These ideograms or “signifying” signs symbolize objects or commodities. They have no phonetic value and are never used as word signs in writing a sentence.” Phoenician Alphabet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenician_alphabet#Spread_and_adaptations. “The alphabet’s attractive innovation was its phonetic nature, in which one sound was represented by one symbol, which meant only a few dozen symbols to learn. The other scripts of the time, cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, employed many complex characters and required long professional training to achieve proficiency; which had restricted literacy to a small elite.”
What I’m reading this week: Vlad Taltos, The Book of Jhereg, By Steven Brust (Audio: https://amzn.to/3sTCZCz eBook: https://amzn.to/3sv3q10) Silence of the Lambs, By Thomas Harris (Audio: https://amzn.to/3gIhdM4 eBook: https://amzn.to/3szeomi) (Narrated by Frank Muller, 1951-2008 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Muller)
Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I use these commissions to pay for overhead such as hosting and editing costs. Thank you for supporting my show!
Below are my notes/script for the episode, not a verbatim transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
February 17, 2022 as I record this.
Nearly done with edits for Book 3 and Book 2, Declaimer’s Discovery cover is almost ready! Release date April 15 for Book 2.
Started training for a half marathon in May
Still reading same books as last week
Names on screen during analysis
Submit quest answers. There’s still time!
ANAYLIS CH. 7
Leanna’s workshop
Baz feels better just seeing her.
Power of the Conservators–no new Books can be made because Speakers can’t write. Conservators hold power because they’re the next best thing to writing new Books, and they also have the secret to elemental ink.
Leanna shows concern for Baz, which he appreciates. Obviously he doesn’t get that too often. But there’s clear conflict between them too. As Baz says, she’s “nestled into her place in society like everyone else.” When Baz suggests trying to get out of the Trials, she criticizes him for shirking his duty.
We learn Leanna’s mother was a Speaker, which apparently isn’t uncommon. We haven’t seen how Speakers are discovered, but Baz notes that children are tested at a young age: those who prove to be Bound become Speakers, those who aren’t go to the Conservatory.
Once again, we see a statue of a Book Dragon, this time a smaller one than the one at the Conservatory. Leanna says its good luck and notes that the creatures were able to Read. Remember, we saw the Book Dragon back in the prologue talk, so this maybe isn’t as incredible as it might sound at first. Leanna also notes the legend that Book Dragons had their names tattooed on their foreheads and that’s how you made friends with them, but Reading their name aloud. Interesting, as that seems to imply that Book Dragons weren’t friends with everyone, just people who could Read.
Baz adds in that he’s heard stories that Book Dragons could Read and Speak. Of course, Leanna doesn’t like that, as it’s basically implying the Conservatory’s good luck charm was a Cuss. Baz departs with some tension between the two of them, obviously they’re not seeing eye-to-eye on some matters.
As Baz goes to visit the Retirees, Leanna notes that people are taking notice of how often he does so. Baz says that ought to concern him but it doesn’t. He’s not going to stop visiting them no matter what anyone says. Why is he so set on visiting them?
Gar
So Baz heads out into the sub-basement to visit the Retirees. It’s not really lit and Baz has to fumble around until he finds a torch. And pretty soon we learn why it’s not lit, yeah? All the Retirees are blind. Remember, we learned a few chapters back that the Retirees are “retired speakers,” so when Speakers outlive their usefulness, they’re blinded and sent down here into the dark. Why? Well, that’s not entirely clear yet, other than Baz again noted before that the Libraries use them for breeding purposes to create new Speakers. But is there more to it than that?
Interesting note that Torchsire has more Retirees than the other Libraries. Duke Octavinal goes through Speakers “at an alarming rate” according to Baz. More questions. Is this just because Octavinal is particularly cruel? But remember, some Speakers are blinded but still utilized, so why not just blind them and continue to use them? Like Baz says, Speakers can be expensive, and Torchsire doesn’t have money to waste. So Octavinal must have some other reason for locking away so many of his Speakers down in the sub-basement beyond just fear of them learning to Read. Baz seems naïve to this, as he noted earlier that they’re just sent down here when they’ve outlived their usefulness.
Gar is the first Speaker we meet. Bit of an old codger, it seems. He’s been down there so long he knew the Duke before Octavinal. And Baz seems familiar with him. Did you notice he actually called him “Baz”? The only other person we’ve seen actually call Baz by that nickname was his brother. Not even Leanna calls him that. And he can also tell almost immediately that Baz is feeling down.
Baz asks Gar if he knows where “he” is and Gar tells him he (whoever that is) is leading “another of those fool songs of is.” But who is he talking about?
Tax!
And so we get to the big reveal. Remember last week I told you there’d be a surprise in this chapter, and hear it is. Yeltax is still alive! Suddenly we see why Baz spends so much time with the Retirees–his brother is one of them.
Now, did this come as a shock to you? I definitely sort of led you to believe Tax was dead. But if you go back and read carefully, I never actually say that. I noted Tax’s screams a few times, and Baz talks about what Deliritous “did to his brother,” but never said killed. Also, back in Ch. 4, there was a bit of foreshadowing. Baz notes how that Helfax Erstwhile had a crippled brother and then chided himself for thinking of that. Now we see why Baz was uncomfortable about thinking about another’s crippled brother. So, let me know what you thought of this–satisfying surprise now that you know it, or you feeling a little cheated? I hope not, but I’m always looking to improve so I’m happy to hear some (gentle) criticism as well.
Singing and the Meaning of Words
So it seems Tax has become the leader of the Retirees. He’s the only one with a chair, and he apparently leads them in singing frequently, as Gar noted. It’s a bit of a haunting, surreal scene, right? All these men and women in dirty white robes, blind with strips of cloth covering their empty sockets, singing a sad song. “Slow and precise.” It causes Baz to sway along almost involuntarily and he sort of gets lost in the music, almost in a trance until it ends. “Like a cooling breeze across Baz’s shaved scalp.”
The song ends and Tax is still the older brother, right? Saying he was worried that Baz hadn’t come to visit him in a few days. “I started growing hair on my chest years ago,” Baz tells him. Stop worrying!
But why the singing? Baz asks his brother. Tax initially says it’s just to pass the time, but Baz pushes. “There’s power in Words,” Tax tells him. Maybe we get into a bit of philosophy here, and also a bit more description of what Speaking a spell actually entails. Now, obviously I haven’t pulled a Tolkien here and written my own languages. I let you imagine the three languages of the Trinity through my descriptions of what the Words sound like instead. And we learn from Tax’s questioning of Baz that the Words of the Trinity don’t necessarily have black-and-white definitions like ordinary words. He tells us:
“The Words permit you to express and teach and feel. You don’t always have to completely understand them for them to have purpose.”
I really like this. I mean, first, this is applicable to the real word. That’s why language and reading are so important. They express feeling, let us teach, pass knowledge to others. And that’s one reason this world is so cruel, because that benefit is denied to so many. This is sort of a meta-level idea behind the whole book.
Second, Tax’s songs are in the languages of the Trinity, and it seems all the Retirees are learning all three languages, since they sing all Tax’s songs. So does that mean Tax is trying to teach them? Baz points out there is no power in the Songs’ Words because the Retirees don’t have any Books. But what if they did get their hands on some? I don’t know. They still wouldn’t be able to see them to know what spells they held. But hmmm. Just think on that. Tax sort of confuses Baz into letting the question drop, but it seems obvious that Tax is leading the songs for more than just a pass time.
Finally, another interesting point here, very subtle, but if the Words of the Trinity don’t have distinct meanings, that would seem to mean those languages are harder to learn than ordinary speech. You can’t just directly translate. Perhaps another explanation here for why it’s more exclusive, but we’ll have to see if that plays out later.
Tattoos
Tax also distracts Baz away from asking him about the songs by showing him that he’s tattooed himself. And not just any tattoo, but Words of the Trinity. Baz is aghast! I mean, Tax is now walking around with evidence that he can Read and Write. Remember how Leanna reacted when imagining someone who could do that? Tax’s response shows us the rebel in him still hasn’t died. He was rebellious back in Chapter 1, telling Baz they needed to stand up to the Readers and that’s why he was teaching Baz to Read.
And regarding the tattoo, Tax says, “I can still stand up to them in this small way.” And this plays back into perhaps why he’s teaching the songs to the Retirees. Is he getting them ready for an opportunity in the future when they might be able to Speak spells? Or have someone else Speak spells to them?
But we also see that it hasn’t been all good for Tax. His tone is a mixture of “determination and anger and loneliness all wrapped into one,” and despite having the other Retirees, Tax feels alone. “It feels as if they have me, but that I have no one.”
Baz’s Guilt
Baz definitely feels guilty about his brother, and his show of loneliness only brings those feelings to the surface for him. He blames himself, noting it was his loss of focus that led to Tax’s blinding–referencing Baz forgetting to turn the page back in chapter 2, which resulted in the spell failing and ultimately the woman tripping over the flagstone and revealing the Book Tax had stolen. Baz tries to reassure his brother: “I know how strong you still are.” Good little brother, but obviously he’s still upset all these years later.
And interesting, Tax apparently doesn’t hold a grudge against Deliritous. He’s a product of his environment, Tax tells Baz. So, “Baz did enough hating for the both of them.” More of an explanation for his childish attitude around Deliritous in the prior chapter.
The Declaimer’s Transcendence
So they get around to talking about the Citiless who was captured. Tax seems interested in the fact that the Citiless could Read, and he’s also (to Baz’s surprise) familiar with the words the Citiless was shouting right before he charged Deliritous. Remember I said a few weeks ago we’d see that maybe he wasn’t mad? Well here we go. Apparently there’s an old story about a writing called the “Declaimer’s Transcendence.”
The Enigma survived the Burning and wrote a Book of predictions, and the Declaimer’s Transcendence was one of those predictions. But the Book was destroyed save for a few scraps a young girl saved from it.
Baz says it’s just a bedtime story, but Tax says “Dad always told me it was true.”
Second Burning
There’s a quick reference to the Second Burning here. That’s apparently when the Declaimer’s Transcendence was destroyed. Remember we saw this referenced earlier when Baz noted there was a short time after the original Burning when Illits were permitted to read. Apparently that ended with the Second Burning, when any writings not in possession of Oration’s ruling Libraries were burned. And did you catch who led that Second Burning? Acktus Torchsire. So there’s an explanation for the name of the Acktus Trials, and also interesting that the namesake of Torchsire Library led the Second Burning. You’d think that would make Torchsire a notable Library. Why have they fallen?
Tax’s Reaction to the Trials
So talk of the Citiless inevitably leads to talk of how Delida was injured and Baz is now going on the Trials. Baz is hoping Tax has an idea about how Baz can get out of the Trials. But Tax is thinking the exact opposite. What an opportunity! “Get out of it? Baz, that is wonderful. It’s our chance.” We see more of that rebel in him, and maybe more evidence for why he’s teaching the songs to the Retirees. Bring back a book and Read it to me, he tells Baz.
Obviously Baz isn’t nearly as optimistic as his brother. He emphasizes that Books aren’t just lying around Tome. The place was picked over centuries ago, he says. And that makes sense, right? Books are so valuable that naturally the ruins have been picked clean of any easy to find volumes. More emphasis of how difficult the Trials will be. It’s dangerous to just get to Tome, then you have to search an abandoned city for Books after it’s already been scoured for hundreds of years for Books.
Also interesting, Baz suggests he hasn’t Read since Tax was blinded. He “eliminated anything that even suggested Reading from his life.” For all the guilt he feels over his brother, he doesn’t want to join him as a Retiree.
“If you never grasp an opportunity for want of a better one, you’ll never find one.” I like that as general life advice.
Tells Baz that he could at least try to escape, but Baz says he’d never leave Tax.
CONCLUSION
Alright, Chapter 7 and Part 2 are a wrap!
Homework: Next week we’ll read Chapter 8. Everyone getting ready to go to the Trials. Leanna wishes Baz farewell and gives him something. What do we think of that? And we see Baz briefly interact with Rox. How are you feeling about Rox after this chapter? Ch. 8 is a shorter chapter, so this won’t be as long as some of the previous episodes.
Listener Question:
Quest: I left out another potentially interesting connection between Tax’s tattoo and something from earlier in the Book. If you picked up on that, let me know. This is a trickier one. 3 XP!
Quote: “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” – Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. If you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I use these commissions to pay for overhead such as hosting and editing costs. Thank you for supporting my show!
Characters in this Chapter:
Baztian (Baz): Our main character Deliritous Torchsire: Baz’s master, heir to Torchsire Library Rox: Deliritous’s Harbour (bodyguard) Duke Octavinal Torchsire: Deliritous’s father, head of Torchsire Library Salastair: Deliritous’s uncle Trivinal: Deliritous’s aunt
Below are my notes/script for the episode, not a verbatim transcription.
PERSONAL UPDATE
I’ve got my physical copy of the book, finally! I’m about halfway through with my handwritten edits to Part III and that’s going well. And I’m starting to stew over both the plot of Part IV, which I’ll be starting in a few weeks, and also potentially a short story set in Oration that I can give away to fans for free. If you have any ideas for that, let me know!
On a note unrelated to my writing, I’m planning a trip to Chicago in a few weeks and looking forward to that. My wife and I love traveling but obviously with the pandemic that hasn’t been easy lately.
Finally, I think I’m going to start occasionally sharing what I’m currently reading in my spare time, as that seems to relevant to a podcast that I call a book club.
Alright, let’s dive into our discussion of chapters 5 and 6.
Chapter 5
Thanks (or lack thereof)
We start off walking back to Torchsire from Xavier Library. We learn that Delida slapped Deliritous after his display of insensitivity at the end of chapter 4. And Baz knows that’s going to mean trouble for her. Deliritous, probably not surprisingly, isn’t particularly strict when it comes to discipline, but she struck him in front of all those other Readers. Even if Deliritous doesn’t discipline her, his father is going to.
Baz also broods over how Deliritous doesn’t thank him for saving his life. I like this quote from Baz:
Not even a simple, “Hey, thanks for saving my life, Baztian,” or even a lame wisecrack about how that knife had nearly given him a new ear piercing. Perhaps outright gratitude was more than Baz could expect, but a joke at least would have been an acknowledgement that, if Baz wasn’t a slave, he would have been deserving of thanks.
Baz has some self-awareness here, right? He realizes that perhaps Deliritous is constrained by their relative positions in society from outright thanking him. But couldn’t he show some form of gratitude? Even when Deliritous tells Baz to accompany him to the audience with his father the Duke, it’s only because Deliritous wants to “keep up appearances,” not acknowledge Baz in any way.
Indeed, Rox of all people, Deliritous’s supposedly monstrous protector, gave Rox a nod of appreciation Baz tells us. Now, does this mean Deliritous is really the monster of that pair, or does it mean that perhaps Rox isn’t quite the horror he’s been made out to be so far?
Speakers’ Duel
So they arrive back at Torchsire Library and the guard at the entrance tells Deliritous his father wants to see him immediately in the Receiving Room, so we head there. It’s an audience chamber, right? The Duke mounted on his perch above the rest of the room. We’ll get to him in a minute. But first, the duel!
I like creating little games with rules–I’ve done that a few times in my novels. Here we have two teams of three–Speaker, Reader, Harbour on each side. Pretty simple rules–goal is to touch the other team’s Speaker three times before they do it to you. And Speakers can’t physically touch the other team’s Reader. As Baz puts it, “A Speaker wasn’t permitted to lay hands on a Reader even in duels.”
Alright, now I’m not going to profess to be a master writer. But I’d like to think that at this point I at least know some basics, and I think this dueling scene is a great example of the adage “show don’t tell.” Actually, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t even in the original draft, but I realized it’d be useful for my Readers to see how the core trio of Reader-Speaker-Harbour works together, and I wanted to a way to get it in early enough in the novel that it was useful, so the idea for this duel came to me.
For me, I think the biggest take away from the duel is just how vulnerable the Reader is. He or she basically just has to stand in place, staring down at their Spoken Book. You really see why they need their Harbours. Back in my World of Warcraft days, the Readers would have been called the “squishy” of the party–they’ve got a boatload of power, but they’re going down quick if someone with a sword reaches them.
We also get our first look at a Creator in action here–that’s the type of Speaker Deliritous’s Aunt Trivinal is using. They seem to be focused on more defensive types of magic, right? Deliritous’s Uncle Alastair is launching lightning at Trivinal and she’s using the Creator to block it with what I call a “blinding aura,” but it’s really just a shield, right?
So they go back and forth for a while, but everything’s pretty much deadlocked. Trivinal counters her brother’s attacks, and the two Harbours are just dueling between them. So Trivinal decides to switch up tactics, and she exploits the weakness I just noted. Alastair’s staring at his Book and she drops her Book and charges him. Remember, all she has to do is touch him to score a point. Alastair tries to flip to a different spell to stop her, but Trivinal’s Creator causes a bright light to flash in his eyes and it’s too late. Trivinal hits him with her rapier (which is blunted I noted earlier, not a real sword) and the match is over.
One final interesting thing of note is that the spell Trivinal has her Speaker cast to blind Alastair? She lets the Speaker Speak it from memory, whispering it into the Speaker’s ear and letting her cast it later. Alastair is angry about this, calling it dangerous. Trivinal obviously is less concerned–
You’ve never permitted your Speaker to memorize a simple spell or two? Lighting a candle, soothing a headache? There’s no lasting harm she could cause with that bright light. And she knows my Harbour would have her head off in a moment if she even has a dream of doing me ill.
Couple interesting points here: (1) There’s some apparent disagreement here over what’s proper–Alastair against permitting his Speaker to memorize even the simplest of spells, whereas Trivinal isn’t nearly so strict apparently. So not all Readers view the restrictions on Speakers the same; and (2) Speakers don’t always need the spell Read to them immediately to cast it. We don’t get into it here, but eventually we’ll see, so long as the Speaker knows the Words and is nearby the Spoken Book, they can cast the spell.
You can see how this is both useful and dangerous for the Readers. Useful because they don’t have to pull out one of their giant Books every time they want something simple done. But dangerous because if a Speaker does memorize a spell, they could potentially cast it without having it Read to them first. This drives home the restriction Baz has referenced a couple times already and cites again in this chapter about Speakers not talking unless addressed.
Stop runes were well and good, but in a world where the Spoken Word is power, silence is slavery, and Speakers learned from an early age to hold their tongues or else lose them.
Duke Octavinal
Right, so the Duke dismisses his brother and sister, and none too politely, right? There doesn’t seem to me much love lost between the Duke and his siblings, right? But they also obviously respect his authority, as they make quick if sour exits.
So the Duke. Let’s read out first description of him again:
In that chair sat Duke Octavinal Torchsire, third of his name. His red silk jacket likely would have gone a long way to paying for that tower his Library was lacking, and the calf-high cordovan boots would be worth at least a few bricks as well. His hands were folded in his lap, though even the dark leather gloves that covered them couldn’t entirely conceal their deformity.
Descriptions. Let’s take this week’s look behind the curtain! They’re important, but ugh, I find them terribly boring to write. The story grinds to a halt during descriptions. Sometimes when I’m writing a first draft I’ll literally just drop a note–“describe this later” and move on to the good parts. And, I think allowing my readers to use their imagination is important, so I try not to bog you all down with too much detail unless it’s ultra important. I want you to know the vital features of a place or a character, but you can fill in the rest. I don’t care if you picture Octavinal with bushy eyebrows or yellow teeth or manicured nails. Do what you will!
I can tell you, though, it’s no accident that my opening description of him focuses on clothing. We know his Library is poor, yet he’s dressed in fine clothing. Baz, in his characteristic way, points out that for the cost of his clothing he could probably afford to renovate the Library. So we get a picture of an arrogant man who perhaps doesn’t have his priorities straight.
We also see that he has deformed hands. Now if you recall back to Chapter 2, Deliritous let slip to that old woman with her chicks that his father had had an accident some time back and now we see what it was–his hands have been ruined. We don’t know by what, but Deliritous did imply that that’s what set the Library back for a time. Which is kind of interesting, right? I mean, sure, getting your hands wrecked can’t be pleasant, but it’s not as if the Duke is a manual laborer, so why did that have such a serious impact on the Library’s finances? It’s not really important to Book 1, but just tuck that away for when we move deeper into the series.
So the Duke already knows about what happened at the questioning of the Citiless when Deliritous arrives. Another tidbit buried here that you have to go down to another level for: The Duke has a great information network, right? I mean, we don’t know exactly how quickly Deliritous left Xavier Tower after he was nearly killed by that Citiless, but it couldn’t have been that long, and he went straight back to his Library. And yet, the Duke already has news of what happened. So he’s a resourceful man.
He’s also not a very pleasant man, right? I mean, he doesn’t even think to ask if Deliritous is alright. No, the first thing he does is berate his son for making the Library look bad, permitting his Speaker to have such a lapse in discipline as to strike him in public. An outrage! Apparently, it wasn’t a secret that Deliritous has been sleeping with Delida, as the Duke lays into him for being “too familiar” with his slaves.
And then the significant thing: He’s having Delida whipped for his insubordination. Two things here. First, he considers 20 lashes a “fatherly mercy,” lamenting how it’s going to make them look weak to the other Libraries for not meting out a harsher punishment.
But more important, Delida was supposed to accompany Deliritous on the Acktus Trials, but she’s not going to be able to go now!
Who will come with me on the Trials?
So once Deliritous learns Delida won’t be able to accompany him he asks his father if he might be able to borrow one of his Speakers. And there’s something I skipped over that we’ll discuss now. Two of Octavinal’s Speakers are present, and what’s significant about them? Well, they’ve both had their eyes ripped out. Remember that bad joke Deliritous made back in Chapter 2, about permitting Tax to keep his eyes? Well, we see now why it was such a bad joke. Apparently some Readers just remove their Speakers’ eyes to make sure they never learn to Read.
Octavinal isn’t interested in permitting Deliritous to borrow any of his Speakers, though, is he? Again, we see he’s more concerned about appearances than helping his son out:
I’ll need my other Speakers as well. It would be shameful to present myself for negotiations with those swindlers from Fortune with fewer than three. How could we possibly hope to win the Triumvirate Congress chairmanship away from Farston Leamina if such an embarrassment reached his ears? The man’s a prig, but also an opportunist. Appearances matter, Deliritous. Must I always remind you of that?
And he makes this offhand remark too that Baz takes the Duke to task for, though obviously not aloud. The Duke cites the “damage Hellar Xavier can exact with his Speakers” as another reason to not let Deliritous take one of his Speakers. Of course, as Baz points out, Deliritous is going to be competing against Hellar Xavier and will be “on the receiving end of Hellar’s damage,” yet the Duke is more concerned about keeping his property intact than helping his son.
So of course, this leads up to the big bombshell of the chapter. Who does this leave for Deliritous to take on the Trials with him? Baz, of course! I know, I know. This probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise to many of you, particularly since the back-cover blurb says that Baz accompanies his master on the Trials. But here it is, we’re really propelled into the story now. Baz is going to be ripped from his ordinary life into an “adventure”–and I use that term loosely, because Baz obviously is not excited. In fact, he’s kind of horrified.
He’s unprepared, noting that most Reader-Speaker pairs spend months training for the Acktus Trials, whereas Deliritous does his best to never even use Baz. Indeed, Deliritous pretty much confirms Leanna’s earlier hypothesis as to why Deliritous doesn’t use Baz–he’s worried about Baz seeking revenge. “But, Father… He saw what I did to his brother. And he’s a Destroyer. What if he, well, you know?”
Octavinal obviously isn’t concerned about it, and we see more evidence of how out of tune he is with his son. He seems to think Deliritous has had plenty of time to train Baz–you’ve had that Destroyer for 10 years and I’ve been letting you handle the supplicants since you were twenty (so for 3 years). He seems oblivious to how little Deliritous uses Baz.
Or is he? I guess you could also interpret this as the Duke purposefully setting his son up to fail. Hmm, interesting. Baz did not back in Chapter 2 that Deliritous isn’t really heir by choice, he’s just the Duke’s only kid. Could the Duke actually secretly want Deliritous to fail? We see at the end of the chapter all this pressure the Duke puts on him–he has to bring back a Book from the Trials, we can’t have an heir who lost his Trials?” But again, is this sincere pressure, or is the Duke just trying to bury his son under expectations. Hmm. Either way, do we perhaps begin to feel the slightest bit of empathy for Deliritous here? Maybe. Shoot me an email–your feelings changing at all toward Deliritous after reading this chapter?
Yeltax
One final interesting thing of note in this chapter is that we see Octavinal wasn’t too pleased when Deliritous, as he puts it “ruin[ed] the best Speaker this Library has had since the Burning.” Now it doesn’t come right out and say it, but this is an obvious reference to Baz’s brother. And we actually see that maybe the Duke had a bit of a soft spot for Baz’s brother? The Duke is apparently against naming Speakers, as it creates “needless attachment.” But when Deliritous points out that his father named Yeltax, the Duke gets a bit touchy, right? “That was different.” Curious. We already knew Baz’s brother was a rare breed of Speaker, but was there more to it than that? We don’t know yet, but stay tuned!
Chapter 6
Uncle Salastair
So on to Chapter 6 and we’ve moved to the Speaking Room. Remember, this is where Chapters 1 and 2 took place, and Baz reminds us of that, noting he hates going in there because he always hears his brother’s cries of pain when he does.
Deliritous is practicing Reading a spell with his uncle as the chapter opens, the same uncle we saw in the previous chapter who lost the duel. It seems Deliritous has improved his Reading since the beginning of the novel where we saw he was just awful at it, his uncle even congratulates him on that. But maybe for the first time we see a bit of maturity out of Deliritous here. He isn’t particularly pleased with his Reading, even after his uncle’s complement. He admits he’s only been practicing Creation spells lately, since he was planning on brining Delida with him. Basically, he’s admitting he isn’t prepared for the Trials now that it’s Baz going.
How does Uncle Salastair respond to this? Not with comforting words of suggestions on how Deliritous might nonetheless succeed. No, he essentially tells Deliritous to go and hide. Stay away from the other Speakers, particularly Hellar Xavier, his uncles tells him. Calls Hellar perhaps the best Reader in Erstwhile.
Now, Baz is more than happy with that plan, right? Let’s just hide in the countryside for a couple months, avoid the danger entirely!
But we’ve got a bit of a reversal here from the scene in the torture chamber back in Ch 4. Now it’s actually Deliritous who’s showing a bit of courage. Or, maybe not courage, but at least commitment to duty. He notes how the Library has been struggling for the past decade and really needs a good showing in the Trials. Honestly, I can’t remember if this has really been touched on in the novel yet, but it’s on the back cover and will be discussed soon. Since Speakers aren’t taught to Read, they also can’t write, so finding a new Spoken Book is a big deal. So competing in the Trials and bringing back a Book you can imagine would be a big deal.
Uncle Salastair, ever the encouraging relative, tells Deliritous he’s simply outclassed and would be better off playing it safe than dying out in the wilds. He departs without saying anything further. Ouch, yeah?
You know, up until now, Deliritous has given us zero reason to sympathize with him. But we saw how dad treated him in the previous chapter, and now his uncle too. Neither seem to have any particular faith in Deliritous’s skill, yet he’s being pressured to compete against apparently the greatest Reader in the city to bring his Library glory. And Deliritous also points out that everyone seems to be discounting Marla. Remember, she’s the one who was really enjoying watching the torture of the Citiless. She seems to frighten Deliritous as much as she did Baz. Let me know what you think. Anyone out there feeling for Deliritous just a bit now?
Maturity
So after Uncle Salastair leaves, Deliritous starts talking to Baz. Baz is not interested in having the conversation. He’s over there slouching against the wall, essentially distraught over having to accompany Deliritous on the Trials. And we learn another reason for Baz’s distress. I mean, we already know that the Trials are dangerous. You’re out in the wild, and Baz mentioned earlier that it’s not uncommon for competitors to die. But we also learn that, while Readers aren’t supposed to harm other Readers, there aren’t any rules against hurting another Reader’s Speaker. So it’s entirely possible Baz could be targeted by Xavier or Marla in order to but Deliritous at a disadvantage.
So it’s really looking pretty dire. Deliritous is unprepared, and even if he’s being treated unfairly, we saw by how he reacted when the Citiless attacked him that he probably isn’t going to be the betting favorite in this competition. But Deliritous really turns out to be the adult in this scene, right? He’s trying to keep his tone bright, calling Baz “old chap,” and trying to let Baz participate in selecting the Books they’re going to take with them.
Baz meanwhile, is really being almost petulant. He won’t glare at Deliritous directly, but he’s essentially scowling into space just over Deliritous’s shoulder. I guess Baz has good reason to be upset. I mean, he’s basically viewing this upcoming trip as a death sentence. But still, he’s acting a bit childish here, yeah? Deliritous even finally calls him out for it at the end of the chapter and threatens to have Rox teach Baz a lesson when he mouths off some more.
Now, did you catch something interesting there? Again, just like back in Chapter 2 when Deliritous initially ordered Rox to kill Tax, Rox reminds Deliritous his oath is only to protect Deliritous from harm. So there is some limit to Rox’s viscousness. You have to be harming Deliritous before he’ll come after you. That’s certainly going to be important to keep in mind as we go, and perhaps is also hinting that maybe, just maybe, Rox isn’t quite as terrible as Baz has made him out to be thus far.
Deliritous’s Regret
OK, just a few other quick items to touch on here. First, we get a bit of a touching soliloquy from Deliritous toward the end of the chapter. In response to Baz’s criticism over his failure to ever utilize Baz’s ability as a Speaker, he explains a bit why he doesn’t use him. I’m actually going to read that whole paragraph again, because even if nothing else has convinced you yet, I think this gives us a glimpse that Deliritous might not be all bad:
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Baztian. If anything, I trust too much. I don’t have any siblings myself, but I remember seeing my mother… Well, another thing we don’t need to speak of. But I know the relationship you had with poor old Yeltax, and you were here when I did, well, what I did. I did the best I could, you know, after Father gave you to me. Lots of Readers would have killed you, you know, rather than go through the trouble of worrying over whether you might fry them each time you were Read to. And I’m not certain I could entirely blame you for such a reaction. Don’t you see? It was really the best for both of us, old chum, right? You not tempted to turn spells on me, and we both get to keep pumping the old air in and out?”
Baz, of course, responds, that yes, “Very kind of a Reader not to murder a kid for being upset over watching what you did to his brother.”
This is tough, as they both have some valid points I think. Deliritous seems to have some genuine remorse over what he did to Tax. But Baz is of course right as well–Deliritous shouldn’t be congratulated for showing mercy to a little kid who had his brother taken from him. But that’s something I like to think I do a decent job of in my writing. I like to raise difficult questions and get you thinking. I certainly don’t think I have the answers to many of those questions, but thinking about them is just as important as knowing the right answer sometimes.
Elements
Lastly, just a quick note for now. We’ve seen this referenced already, but for the first time Baz really emphasizes that there are five types of magical elements: fire, earth, water, light, and shadow. Apparently each Book is based off of one of these elements and does different things. For instance, Deliritous notes he’s always considered light to be a better element for Creation than destruction. And shadow is apparently dangerous–Baz tells Deliritous to put away a book of shadow spells before he hurts himself, and Deliritous notes he’s seen Marla vaporize rats with a few words of a shadow spell. Nasty stuff.
The elements will become more important later on in the series, but for now they’re more just an interesting detail about the magic system.
CONCLUSION
So that’s it, two more chapters down!
Homework: So next week we’ll read Chapter 7. Baz goes down to the sub-basement where the Dukes “Retired” Speakers live. We’re going to see Leanna again and see some more interaction between the two of them. Then, we get a surprise. I’m interested to hear if you truly were surprised by it, and whether you think it was a fair one or that I was hiding the ball a bit. I don’t think so, but obviously I’m biased. And we see some interesting things about singing and tattoos. What do you think the significance of those two things are?
Listener Question: D. T.: How do you write so many books in a year?
Quest: What do you think the inciting incident of the novel is? I’m sort of torn between the Citiless attack or Octavinal’s announcement that Deliritous has to take Baz on the Trials. Or maybe you think it’s something else entirely. This is another quest that there’s no right answer to. Just send me your thoughts and you get the experience. 2 XP for this one! I’m curious to hear what you think out there.
Quote:
“When I was your age, television was called books.”
-William Goldman, The Princess Bride
Until next time, this has been D. T. Kane’s Epic Fantasy Book Club.
