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An Ember in the Ashes
An Ember in the Ashes
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An Ember in the Ashes: Part 2 (Chapters 29-44)
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especially the third trial of the battle between them. how awful it would have been for Elias, Helene to face each other and kill their brothers in arms, brothers they have laughed with, fought with, shed sweat, blood and tears for each other (maybe not tears but you get the point)
but what I found sickening was Helene's response after it had happened. Elias wanted to apologize for killing her men and for almost killing her and yet she doesnt accept his apologies and instead criticizes him for doing it?! what kind of woman is she?!
it really disturbed me when she says she doesnt regret doing it, that it's for the good of the empire?! my goodness
sorry about the rant, but yeah I really dont like Helene atm
poor Elias like he feels like his soul has been taken from him! I'm glad Laia was there straight after the battle, she definitely helped him feel human again
but now I'm worried about them, with Helene as blood strike and Marcus as emperor, who knows what obstacles Laia and Elias will have to face
what about you? do you agree with the events that happened? what are your thoughts of Helene ? as blood strike? Marcus as emperor?
Wow! I just finished reading the second part and I completely agree with you: what a ride! It certainly didn't go the way I thought it would, for once I really thought that Elias was going to win what with all the "clues" given by Cain. But yeah it didn't happen. When the trials were introduced I was sure that they would be gruesome and I was right, some of them were hard and horrible to read.
The third one was especially hard, though I have to admit that I kind of knew that Elias was going to battle with Hel, I just didn't know when or how. But yeah horrible especially if you take into account the fact that he had to kill some of his friends. I also have to admit that until the very end I thought it would be just an illusion or I don't know and they wouldn't be really dead but no! It broke my heart to read about Elias' guilt especially after the first Trial and his vision/nightmare.
I was wrong before about Helene, I really thought that she wanted things to change, at least a little because she said she wanted to reform the way things were but not at all. She does seem to be loyal to the Empire and to just be a little better. I don't understand her character, I think that there are still things that are not disclosed so many the rest of the story will tell us more about her and her motivation. I'm curious to know about the famous deal but now things seem a little dire with her being at the mercy of Marcus.
Let's talk also about those side characters:Marcus, Zak. I don't like Marcus and Zak at all but I definitely thought that Zak would live a little more and maybe be more developed.
As for the Resistance, I don't trust them at all, I'm pretty sure there is something shady with Mazen so I'm waiting for the moment where Laia will discover their lies.
About the Commandant: I don't know what to think now. She appeared in the first part as that horrible person and with the second part she has taken a back seat,even if she still remained horrible. I'm sure that she has something to do with the Emperor's death and everything but yeah she was not as present as I thought she would be.
Finally I had a little trouble during that part with Laia, I thought she was a little too much trusting and naïve about the Resistance. I like her character but I think that she should be a bit more suspicious especially after all the warnings she had (Cook, Elias, the blacksmith Spiro Teluman). For example every time that Spiro Teluman tried to warn her and talk with her she refused to do so.
I don't really understand her absolute refusal to learn more about what he wants to talk about.
I'm also certain now that Elias is my favorite, I love his kindness, his refusal to submit to everyone else's wishes. I love that he still has that goodness in him and that he won't let go of it.
I'm really excited to know what will happen now after all those plot twists. But I know that nothing good could happen with Marcus as an emperor and Helene as his blood strike.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts about it as well.
Mod
The trials were very horrible to read about, especially the third and even the first was pretty bad, with his worse fears, I really felt for Elias from the start. Yes my heart broke For him too!
Yeah I'll admit I thought Helene was pretty cool, but she turned out to be way too loyal to the empire. I thought that since she was best friends with Elias she would see his Perspective on the empire and take that into account, but no, she refuses to see why he is so compassionate and kind to others
Yes I'm also curious about that deal she keeps mentioning, maybe that's why she has to act a certain way ?
Idk Zak confused me for a bit. There was a part where the twins attack both Elias and Helene, and then when Elias asks him about it or something, Zak said he was so close of getting rid of him. Did he really want to get rid of Marcus for good? I guess it makes sense since he was always underis shadow. But yeah Zak was very confusing to me
And Marcus, gosh I hated him, but I felt pity for him when he had to kill Zak. At least there he showed some emotion other than anger or greed
Yes I agree with you, I don't trust the resistance whatsoever, there is something Mazen and Keenan are not telling Laia
Yeah the Commandant was a little distance this time, I'm curious to know why she chose to side with the Nightbringer
And yes I agree, she did have something to do with the Emperors death
Right? Laia is being very naive, I guess because they promised to free her brother but after hear the stuff Elias told her about where he is placed and that there's no death cells, those are pretty clear warnings that Mazen has been lying to her
Yeah with Telemann she is being very ignorant. Not wanting to hear the warnings and knowing they are true, pretty childish
Yep me to girl, Elias is love !
I agree, Marcus will be horrible but he will be played by the Commandsdnt too, he is too easily manipulated by her
Well not long now! Hope you enjoy the end! :D
I quite agree with you about Zak, I felt like we missed a bit of character development with me. There were so many things that were put in place with his relationship with his brother, all those little clues about his growing dissatisfaction, sometimes it seemed like he truly didn't want to act the way Marcus forced him to. And then he just was killed by his brother, it was a horrible thing, but I felt like it could have been explored a little more. Though I also feel like it was a set up to Marcus' character development. I mean his madness has no check now and we can already see that he will grow to be that monstrous leader. The fact that he was forced to kill his own twin was probably a way to unleash his madness and cruelty even further and I fear for the rest of the trilogy.
But yeah now that I've finished it I'm going to comment on the other thread to avoid spoiling anyone :)
Mod
This was good. I’m too damn excited. She will trust him more the next time.
Chapter 30:
This will not be pretty. It’s bound to go wrong. She’s gonna be so much more hurt and so much more angry at him and at Laia.
Chapter 31:
I feel like they’ll get caught. The Farrars are so dangerous and Marcus will eat them alive!
Chapter 32:
Laia and Helene: They’re so different. I like that Laia says things I don’t expect, that she speaks almost formally, as if she’s telling a story. I like that she defied my mother to go to the Moon Festival, whereas Helene always obeys the Commandant. Laia is the wild dance of a Tribal campfire, while Helene is the cold blue of an alchemist’s flame.
Chapters 34-34:
I knew it! She’s hurt really bad this time. I guess Helene will help. No matter how much she despises her, she won’t have Elias so mad at her. I like Helene in her own way but yes, Elias and Helene might be wrong since he himself is confused what he feels for her; whether it’s friendship or love, and then there’s the matter of release from the job later.
Chapter 35:
Had to happen. Also, I think Marcus will betray Zak. Who knows? Maybe even Zak retaliates first.
Chapter 36:
OMG, what deal? And with whom? The Augur, Cain? I feel bad though and I wish he would’ve told her in a better way, but she had to know.
Chapter 37:
Though I know Mazen has something else planned, I don’t think he was the traitor. Maybe someone else. He needs Blackcliff for some other reason as well and the only way in that I know is the tunnel Elias built to escape in the very beginning.
Chapter 38:
This was awful. I hopelessly wish this was just a test, that it wasn’t so real, That their friends are alive, that Helene is alive. This was so so so bad.
Chapter 39-40:
Okay, I literally cried. Even for Zak, he was so good. I really wished they all survived. It’s so wrong, bringing every other soldier in the game. It would’ve been less hard if it were only the four of them. Why did the Augurs want to see if he’d kill Helene? Because maybe he will have to in the future? And is Laia there where Elias now is?
Chapter 41:
Exactly what the Augurs wanted! Now Laia knows the entrance, but this night was good. I guess he told her everything because he needed it out, and Laia listened and understood and shared most of her story too.
Chapter 42:
I’m so sad, like literally. I’m glad he told her but she isn’t like him. I wish there were Helene’s point of view too.
Chapter 43:
Wow, she already knew! Shit! She just wanted to prove. She could have said that yes, he raped her and that she didn’t want to tell the other slaves. I guess the Commandant didn’t kill her before because she wanted to know what Elias was up to. The Augur saved her in a way.
Chapter 44:
What was that deal Helene made for Elias? I think he might win.
So, obviously I said that before I read the rest! Yikes! But it makes perfect sense and Marcus a permanent enemy to kill. Laia must be alive, she has to be! But this was unfair, only Elias cared for her. Only he did, so only he would have resisted. The Augurs did this purposely, maybe now he is to run away with Laia with the resistance. This might be fun. And oh, Helene. Her worst nightmare come true
Mod
Yeah, Helene is just too loyal to the damn Empire.That's what was horrible, and I am glad Laia was there. For him. She did distract him for hours.
Mod
I also knew that they'd battle each other, Helene and Elias.I hated that Trial and I also thought it might be a bloody illusion.
Mod
Quite enjoy re reading these parts, even though they are soo hard to read. Especially third trial. And then having to hear Helene’s thoughts on how she has no regrets and they died for the empire and how they should be honoured blah blah
But boy, it’s always heartstopping to see Marcus being crowned as emperor than to see him who he truly is without Zak reining him in, and have Helene swear loyalty to him and watch Laia “die”
So intense.
No spoiler tags required.