In the twentieth chapter of Melting Stones, WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Melting Stones.
My god, WHAT IS THIS BOOK DOING TO ME? I think it’s actually coincidentally fascinating that as I read Melting Stones, the more I see how the universe has gifted me two fictional narratives that concern moral repercussions. What we see in this chapter is the end result of what the people in this story – but mainly Evvy – have chosen to do. I had spoken before about how cool I found it that Pierce focused on a conflict that arose from good intentions, and I still maintain that this is why Melting Stones is so compelling. Evvy does not do anything deliberately malicious here, but there is still a negative result from her choices.
Thus, Melting Stones becomes a book that’s more about people trying to do what they think might be best while in a horrifying nightmare. It’s easy for me to think about The 100, which I’ve been watching for Mark Watches, when I write that because that show is doing the same thing. It’s a morality play within a dystopian horror story. Here? Evvy, Rosethorn, Oswin, and many of the others are all thrust into a terrible situation and Pierce explores how each of them will react to it.
We’ve seen the mistakes they’ve made; we’ve seen the misguided decisions. And we’ve definitely seen these people make the absolute best choice possible given the information they had at the time. So where does that lead them? Well, in Evvy’s case, that leads her to the sea. Her plan to lead the volcano spirits to a safer location to erupt nearly backfires on her because she doesn’t consider the influence of another force:Â the sea itself.
LORD.
I’ll draw you up, small silvery rock worm. I’ll draw you into my aqua embrace and float you between tides. you will never touch so much as a flake of quartz in your life. Won’t that be amusing? Come up, come up. I will have you in time. No rock thing fights me forever.
As I said on video, I really loved the characterization of the sea as this all-powerful entity, one that does not care about what Evvy’s doing. The sea is an endless source of energy. THE SEA WILL OUTLAST US ALL. Unfortunately, it gives Evvy a terribly timed distraction, and I think that’s part of the reason why she couldn’t keep the volcano spirits on the path to the crack four miles out. The sea’s voice is just so creepy! But I don’t think it’s the sole reason for the spirits’ behavior. Truthfully, they’re just impatient, worse than they ever were in this book. They’re tired, bored, and exhausted, and when Evvy tries to tell them about the “better” exit, they simply don’t have time for it anymore. That’s not a flaw, and it’s not a mistake on Evvy’s part. It just is what it is, you know?
But when Evvy finally gives up, abandoning the spirits as they try to break out just three miles from shore, she faces the ramifications of her actions earlier in this book. I knew that her treatment of Meryem would eventually have to be addressed, but I figured it would be at the end of the book. And look, I get why she needed to make Meryem leave her, and I understood that she made a choice that would hurt someone else so that she could save everyone. I don’t know what other option she might have had. Still, she chose to be horrendously mean to Meryem, someone she knew was desperate for her approval and validation, and it backfired worse than anything else so far.
MERYEM WENT BACK TO HER HOME TO GET A ROCK SO THAT EVVY WOULD LIKE HER AGAIN. SHE’S MOST CERTAINLY GOING TO BE HORRIBLY INJURED BY THE SHOWER OF ROCKS AND ASH FROM THE VOLCANIC ERUPTION. All this because Evvy was cruel. Perhaps it truly was necessary, but that doesn’t negate the repercussions of the act, and it doesn’t placate Nory.
Oh my god, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS BOOK.
vid
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– IÂ will be at numerous conventions in 2016! Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be seasons 1 & 2 of The 100, Death Note, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
