The Not a Book Club Club discussion

So we finally find out that the wizard is the clerk. I had been hoping it wasn't her, but it became more and more obvious as the story went on.

In particular her lack of fear at being captured during the failed mutiny.

I'm still not sure who I'm rooting for here. Is it a good thing the Colonel successfully took the names from mother?

Mother doesn't seem to have much mercy, but is she simply being a hardline defender? We haven't seen any evidence that her and her people have been actively using the power from the names to hurt others, save those who are trying to take it.

She even offers the heads of Auxilaries in the hopes that he'll go away rather than simply attacking him.

I found the end pretty exciting and ended up making time to finish it last night rather than leave the final hour or so until this morning.

I wonder what having this thing in her will do to Winter?

I did roll my eyes at the way he pushed all of his characters towards book two.

Colonel: "What price will you have?"
Winter: "I want you to try to find someone (Jane). Also I want all my Corporals to come with me (you know, the only other characters you really know about from my chapters)"

But hey whatever. I think he could have maybe done that part better, but it's another minor complaint.

I don't really mind how he pushed all the characters toward book 2. I prefer that method than Lynch's method of dropping all secondary characters.

I wish there was a bit about Mother in this book. Don't see how Mother and Jaffa can take on the Vordani alone. Wonder what their abilities will be. I think she did what she had to in order to protect the names.

Does Winter's Name allow her to absorb other powers or just destroy them?

Just destroy them, but that may change in future books. We dont know much about how the magic works. Nice bit of mystery there by the author.

I didn't get into the motivation for the mutiny. It might be that the narration needed it to test the topics of loyalty and trust. But I'd say that other troops in harsher conditions didn't revolt against their officers. Especially after a great victory which should have built trust into Janus.

I didn't like the forced ending, as well. Janus's pressing of Marcus and Winter to book number two were meager and would have deserved a more detailed reaction.