In the fifteenth chapter of Cold Fire, this gets worse. No one is surprised. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Circle Opens.
Trigger Warning: For death, pyrophobia, murder, terrorism.
OH GOD, BENNAT, S T O P.
He wondered how many had died in the bathhouse fire. Without him to direct the firefighters, he knew they would have lost plenty of the surrounding buildings and their residents as well.
WITHOUT HIM. Oh god, he still views himself as a gift. THE WORST.
He’d stop by the remains in a day or so, but it wouldn’t be the same. He needed something else. Something where he could show them all what he was made of.
THIS WASN’T ENOUGH??? Are you telling me there might be another arson in the last chapter? That’s what I wondered to myself while reading this. This book is too much. It’s literally too much, y’all. And look, despite that I do not like Ben at all, I still felt uncomfortable about what Pierce revealed of Morrachane. She searched his office constantly. SHE WOULDN’T LET HIM HAVE ANY SECRETS. Gah, I hate her so much, too! Can they both just –
Actually, there’s no point finishing that sentence, is there? Bennat clearly knows that everything is coming to an end and that all bets are off. Why else would he suddenly begin to confront Morrachane after years of refusing to stand up for himself? It’s important to note that this moment is not a revelatory one within the text. In another context? Maybe this would have felt victorious or emotionally satisfying. Instead, it’s just horrifically creepy because we know it’s only a matter of time before Bennat kills his mother.
BUT SETTING HER HOUSE ON FIRE? WHAT??? That I did not expect, and sweet mother of all that is holy, this book manages to get more disturbing than it once was. Look, it was bad enough that Nia convinced Daja to let her help search the Ladradun house so that she could help locate Morrachane. That alone was risky, and it’s not like Pierce has been afraid to go after secondary characters in the past. That risk of Nia’s death was totally real, making the scenes of her within the Ladradun house with Daja a million times more unnerving.
And then Pierce has to go and do this:
“Her bedroom’s here,” Nia said, running to a closed door. She yanked it open. “Aunt Morra–”
Daja stopped beside her. Morrachane was on the bed, but she would not be leaving with them. She would beat no more servants, torment no more sons.
WE DON’T EVEN FIND OUT WHAT BENNAT DID, JUST THAT IT WAS SO AWFUL THAT NIA FAINTED AND DAJA WRETCHED. WHAT THE FUCK. THIS IS WORSE THAN ACTUALLY KNOW THE DETAILS. IT’S SO CRUEL. Oh my god, y’all, I can’t even type these words because I know how much more worse it gets. That’s the thing about this chapter: it is relentlessly tense and upsetting. From Nia seeing Morrachane’s dead body to her suddenly realization that Jory is in trouble, and NOPE, PIERCE DOESN’T EVEN WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER TO REVEAL BENNAT’S NEXT ARSON:
THE. HOSPITAL. YORGIRY HOSPITAL IS ONE FIRE.
Let’s just appreciate one thing here that’s actually joyous because otherwise, it’s all numbing and painful. All those scenes of Daja trying to learn how to ice skate in Namorn? THEY ALL MATTERED. And it’s not like there’s no growth on Daja’s part in this book, and I can’t wait to get a chance to talk about her feelings on evilness and empathy. But getting to see her skating improve to the point that she can speed her way over to Yorgiry Hospital was immensely satisfied. It’s not like she did this perfectly, either, but she made such a huge improvement in her skills since the beginning of Cold Fire. It made me want to learn how to ice skate! And how cool was this?
At the intersection called the Whirligig she struck a ripple in the ice. Before she could fall, hands caught her free arm and supported the outstretched one, lifting her clear of the bumpy stretch. Two skaters, swathed like Daja in scarves, carried her onto smooth ice and set her down easily. They were gone, speeding toward the hospital, before she could gasp her thanks.
AMAZING. I aspire to be this inspirational at some point in my life.
One last punch in the face from Tamora Pierce, y’all:
“Ravvot Ladradun’s dead,” shouted a man, giving Jory a last infant. “They said the roof just caved in on the nursery!”
ARE YOU SERIOUS. Look, until I see an actual body, I won’t believe this. It can’t be true. Did Daja race all the way to this hospital just to miss her chance to confront Bennat about what he’d done? THIS IS TOO MUCH.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL_easYXbR8
Mark Links Stuff
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