Mark Reads ‘The Book of Night With Moon’: Chapter 5, Part I

In the first part of the fifth chapter of The Book of Night With Moon, the adult wizards guide Arhu to a wise figure. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Feline Wizards. 

I truly don’t know what I’d do without libraries. I definitely geeked out by the behind-the-scenes look at the main branch of the New York City Public Library in the opening of this chapter. If you’ve never been there, it’s a spectacular feat of engineering and architecture, of innovation and imagination. When I needed to do some follow-up research for my second book, I spent three successive weekends there from opening to close, thrilled by the creative energy that surrounded me. (And then I went to Muji across the street and spent way too much money, I LOVE THAT PLACE SO MUCH.) I mentioned this on video, but since the other branch (the circulation one) across the street is being renovated, there are technically two libraries in that one building right now, and it’s AMAZING how they’ve managed to combine them. 

So it makes perfect sense to me that there’d be a powerful feline wizard living among the stacks, hunting mice for the humans and generally just being the best. Libraries are already magical, powerful places, and like the metaphor of the train station, it’s easy for me to believe that these locations would also house power wizardries. (And I’m inclined to think that the rare books do talk to one another, like they do in the Discworld series.) I spent a great deal of time in the downtown Los Angeles branch last year, too, and I kept finding new areas, new places to write, and it’s gotta be even cooler if you have access to all the “hidden” places of a library. LOOK, I REALLY LIKE THINKING ABOUT THIS KIND OF STUFF, OKAY. 

So, with that aside, it’s clear now that Arhu is deeply attached to… well, everything. He’s part of this conflict and he is a conflict himself. Rhiow knew that, and I agree with Ehef; she hoped that Ehef would find an exception or a loophole, but that’s not the way the Powers That Be work. These wizards might not know why he’s in their lives, but there are no coincidences with wizardry! I love that this messaged is spelled out through Ehef, though, because he is evidence of it in action. Would these cats have met if the Powers had not put them into the lives of one another? Ehef even calls out Saash at one point:

“Yeah, well. I didn’t hold out much hope for you when we first met,” Ehef said. “You’d jump at the sight of your own shadow.” Saash glanced away. “And look at you now.”

Thus, they are here for a reason. Saash helps Arhu stay calm; Rhiow is fantastic at explaining all the complicated rules of the world; Urruah is perfect to help Arhu with street smarts, which he lacks. I can’t deny that I would be just as frustrated as Rhiow is, though, because the timing of this is so terrible. We’ve gotten confirmation that the Old Downsides is affecting the feline’s universe, which means that Rhiow is gonna have to go back down there. How is she supposed to do that on top of taking care of a rambunctious, rebellious kitten? Well, she’s got the skills, and she’s got two friends to help her out. So it’s possible to do all of this at once; it’s just going to be hard.

I can’t wait to see how this is gonna work out. 

https://youtu.be/3QIaLMGb8PA

Mark Links Stuff

– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT, is now out in the world! If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter! DO IT.