The Robin Hobb Collection discussion

Ch 16 - So glad Spink didn't have to spend the holidays alone.

Interesting to hear Nevare's uncle compare the situation at school with what's going on in the wider world. Looks like he's going to make waves

Ch 18 - I hate Colonel Stiet. Can you imagine Caulder and Epiny - Ugghhhh

I wonder if Tiber's mugging wasn't instigated by the Academy's board or someone on the board (likle Moore) for threatening to let people know what was going on

Alex wrote: "Looks like they're doomed at the Academy. Wonder how they'll squeeze out of this hopeless situation. "

I'm not sure how you continue on after finding out that no matter what you did, you had no shot. The decision was made before hand and had nothing to do with abilities and everything to do with politics.

David Sven wrote: "I wonder if Tiber's mugging wasn't instigated by the Academy's board or someone on the board (likle Moore) for threatening to let people know what was going on"

I never thought of that. I just assumed it was the old noble sons behind the incident.

These few chapters I struggled from a motivation point of view as well. I loved the Uncle's perspective on what is happening in the bigger world, and that in some ways the king does well by this division under his lords - and yet, i assume you want to avoid your army going through the same division. It wouldn't do them well if the Specks or the Landsingers would attack now with their army so divided.
I get the power struggle politically, but i don't get the academy division. Because it sure looks like Stiet was put there on purpose, and that the board is going along with it. fine - we'll it needed for narrative purposes.

The revelation of Tiber carrying journals about these attacks was interesting. Could very well be that other people were behind that. Caulder sure doesn't seem very innocent.

I do have to say that Nevara irritated me in these chapters. He's a complete stick in the mud. Constantly concerned about his honor and having to speak when he sees something that isn't right, yet he never does. I really can't see him in charge of a troupe, i think Maw was right: he's a lonely scout

i get that, but he seems to mis-use it. he is very concerned about his honour when one of his friends did something wrong, but not when others are doing something wrong to his friends.
if he was considering reporting the fight to the captain downstairs, he should at least have considered reporting the beating of Tiber to either the doctor or house captain - that's the part i don't get

his honour (probably very much a part of his education) seems to just be upside down.

i guess it's because more than honour he is actually a bit of a coward (not extreme but still). when his friends are doing something wrong, he might get punished because he didn't say anything.

when it was about defending his friends, he might have gotten punished if he did say something.

i say his self-preservation talents are larger than his honour :)