I listened to a bit of the audio for Shadow of Night while I burned some calories in our home gym. Matthew's friends in 1590 England soon suspect that not only is Diana a witch, but that she and Matthew have also traveled back in time from the future. Daemon Kit, who has a major crush on Matthew, would like to remove Diana from the picture so he spreads malicious gossip in the village about her. Gossip about witches in 16th century England is pretty detrimental so it is no easier being a witch in the England of old than in modern times for poor Diana. Witch hunts have started in Scotland and this has put most witches on high alert. This also further complicates Diana's search for a witchy tutor to teach her everything she needs to know.
Matthew receives a letter from his father Philippe de Clermont demanding that Matthew and Diana return to the family home Sept-Tours in France. Traveling any significant distance in the 1500's super sucks and Diana gets a first hand taste of this while traveling from England to France. Along the way Diana discovers that Matthew has not been completely forthcoming with her about his extracurricular involvements. Not only is he a leader in the Knights of Lazarus, he is also a spy for Britain, and continues to work on behalf of his father's interests. Matthew is way more complicated than Diana could have ever imagined. I suppose this comes from living hundreds of years.
Upon arrival at Sept-Tours, Diana is put in charge of the household by Philippe since all of the female family members are away on various travels. With the help of several integral household staff members she learns a lot about daily life on a large estate and struggles to embrace domesticity. Diana also discovers that Matthew and Philippe have a very complicated history with a boatload of baggage.
Philippe petitions the help of a male witch as Diana's mentor. This is the second attempt in finding a witchy tutor and it is more of an epic fail than the last. Alas, someone ends up dead. This seems to impress Philippe and he bestows his blessing on Diana and Matthew's relationship. A fancy wedding ensues, and our couple is finally hitched. The "honeymoon/consummation" part of the story wasn't my favorite, but there were some fun parties and festivities surrounding the wedding that were entertaining.
I read Saga, Vol. 9 and the Will does not start this story in a good place. Although he has regained his boyish figure, he is still a slave to a horrible monster who is continuing the hunt for Marko et. al. Petrichor and Sir Robot continue to enjoy each other's time. Marko and Alana become upset when Upsher and Doff ask to publish their family story in exchange for entry into a "Source Protection Program." Sir Robot overhears the journalist's offer and pitches a story about the Landfallian involvement in using an WMD on Phang to the journalists in exchange for Protection for himself, Petrichor, and Squire. It appears our group will soon be splintered in two. Squire is not happy about this proposition and is planning to run away.
Squire and Hazel have clearly gotten more comfortable with each other as we find them physically fighting like biological siblings. Ghus does his best to mediate, but he is not used to child interventions. When Hazel isn't fighting with Squire, she is found working on combat and magic skills with able tutor Petrichor.
The Will's torturer, Ianthe, obtains Marko and Alana's location by contacting a former colleague of Upsher and Doff. After landing at her destination she finds one of the members of the group alone in a desolate region. We LOSE another great character and I am extremely dismayed. The Will manages to escape Ianthe's slave shackles and makes a run for it. Squire executes his plan and runs away straight into the clutches of Ianthe.
The Will and Sir Robot face off and Sir Robot offers to turn on Alana, Marko, and Hazel in order to save his own skin. Several separate violent attacks occur at the end of this story and I'm not totally certain of the body count. I'm very concerned. I understand that the Saga creation team is taking a hiatus from the story and I wonder just how long I will be in limbo before the other shoe drops.
Matthew receives a letter from his father Philippe de Clermont demanding that Matthew and Diana return to the family home Sept-Tours in France. Traveling any significant distance in the 1500's super sucks and Diana gets a first hand taste of this while traveling from England to France. Along the way Diana discovers that Matthew has not been completely forthcoming with her about his extracurricular involvements. Not only is he a leader in the Knights of Lazarus, he is also a spy for Britain, and continues to work on behalf of his father's interests. Matthew is way more complicated than Diana could have ever imagined. I suppose this comes from living hundreds of years.
Upon arrival at Sept-Tours, Diana is put in charge of the household by Philippe since all of the female family members are away on various travels. With the help of several integral household staff members she learns a lot about daily life on a large estate and struggles to embrace domesticity. Diana also discovers that Matthew and Philippe have a very complicated history with a boatload of baggage.
Philippe petitions the help of a male witch as Diana's mentor. This is the second attempt in finding a witchy tutor and it is more of an epic fail than the last. Alas, someone ends up dead. This seems to impress Philippe and he bestows his blessing on Diana and Matthew's relationship. A fancy wedding ensues, and our couple is finally hitched. The "honeymoon/consummation" part of the story wasn't my favorite, but there were some fun parties and festivities surrounding the wedding that were entertaining.
I read Saga, Vol. 9 and the Will does not start this story in a good place. Although he has regained his boyish figure, he is still a slave to a horrible monster who is continuing the hunt for Marko et. al. Petrichor and Sir Robot continue to enjoy each other's time. Marko and Alana become upset when Upsher and Doff ask to publish their family story in exchange for entry into a "Source Protection Program." Sir Robot overhears the journalist's offer and pitches a story about the Landfallian involvement in using an WMD on Phang to the journalists in exchange for Protection for himself, Petrichor, and Squire. It appears our group will soon be splintered in two. Squire is not happy about this proposition and is planning to run away.
Squire and Hazel have clearly gotten more comfortable with each other as we find them physically fighting like biological siblings. Ghus does his best to mediate, but he is not used to child interventions. When Hazel isn't fighting with Squire, she is found working on combat and magic skills with able tutor Petrichor.
The Will's torturer, Ianthe, obtains Marko and Alana's location by contacting a former colleague of Upsher and Doff. After landing at her destination she finds one of the members of the group alone in a desolate region. We LOSE another great character and I am extremely dismayed. The Will manages to escape Ianthe's slave shackles and makes a run for it. Squire executes his plan and runs away straight into the clutches of Ianthe.
The Will and Sir Robot face off and Sir Robot offers to turn on Alana, Marko, and Hazel in order to save his own skin. Several separate violent attacks occur at the end of this story and I'm not totally certain of the body count. I'm very concerned. I understand that the Saga creation team is taking a hiatus from the story and I wonder just how long I will be in limbo before the other shoe drops.